#if lumine says no harm will come to them here he believes her | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

pinkseas · 1 year

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on my hands and knees begging u to say your words about xiaolumi… i want to hear them… i’ll pay you back in art i prommy—

WHY WOULD YOU ENABLE ME LIKE THIS no need for art i literally owe you my fucking Life just for that one piece like oh my god. ohhhh my god. the amount of times i have linked that to my friends and waxed poetic and maybe cried a little. ANYWAYS. i am about to be So Silly And So Disorganized

so here's the thing right?? it depends SO heavily on how you interpret lumine. the traveler definitely has their own personality and agenda ingame but there's still SO much wiggle room in terms of what you do with that. if i really wanted to i could probably make it a Lot More Accurate by focusing on the traveler in canon and going from there however i will in fact be completely ignoring that and focusing on my interpretation of lumi specifically light and love <3 <- thats my little disclaimer ANYWAYS

they are So Similar in a lot of ways. young adults who are also centuries old. stubborn bastards who would give their lives protecting those around them even if they got absolutely nothing in return. so quick to throw themselves into the line of fire for the sake of friends and strangers alike. such a strong instinct to protect. not mortal, not by a long shot, but not quite gods either, something uniquely inhuman and in between. a centuries worth of weight on their shoulders. reaching their breaking points and pushing further still, refusing to let themselves crumble. and, even with very close companions, i think they're very lonely. there's no one quite like xiao in teyvat, no one quite like lumine without aether there by her side- maybe no one quite like lumine at all, anymore.

i think its about sharing. i think they'd find it easy to talk with and be around one another, even though they're typically so slow and so careful with trust. i think fighting together comes as easily as breathing, that their urge to protect lines up perfectly with the others and leads to them doing so much for those around them as well as each other. they will not let the other fall. they share the weight on their shoulders, share the centuries of bloodshed and horrors seen and caused alike, share in the unique brand of loneliness that comes with knowing that where someone was once by your side there's no one like you left.

vulnerability does not come easily to any of them. they can always push themselves further, always be a little stronger, always run a little faster. but its exactly that, i think, the recognition of someone so like themselves that makes it easier for them to trust in one another. lumine can call xiao's name when she needs him, xiao can find lumine if he needs her. i think that for all they would shoulder the world on their own and know the other would do the same in a heartbeat, they trust one another to come to them when they need help. it would be so, so easy to ignore it, to press forward, to remain alone. but they made a promise, and they intend to keep it.

i like to imagine that lumine's presence has a purifying effect on xiao. something she could control and channel should she realize, but for now something small, just enough to ease that weight. just enough to make sure he won't succumb.

i think a big part of it is about learning how to live again. they both carry that weight, that stubborn mindset, but wanting to see the other happy helps. knowing the other understands helps. when it hurts they can breathe together, and the type of pain they feel may never truly go away but they dont have to experience it alone.

every snowflake, every sunrise, every flower is just a little bit different from the rest. xiao's favorite quiet places are nicer with her there. they live so very differently but lumine's teapot is always there and xiao is no longer bound by his contract, learning ever so slowly how to let himself go. they have spent so, so long surviving. now, though, they remember to taste the fresh air, learn to indulge in the smallest things. lumine experiments with recipes until her almond tofu is catered to xiao's tastes exactly, the perfect texture. at night in liyue xiao tells her stories of the constellations and she remembers every word, at night in the teapot lumine will lift a hand and the sky will match her memories, her turn to tell stories about stars he's never seen.

they are both so, so tired. and i think that they would trust the other enough to let themselves rest. you can put your strength down. im sitting here with you at the kitchen table. you dont need to say anything. <- that quote is so them for real its shared silences mutual understanding and comfort always having each other's backs its twin moons twin stars two beings caught in each other's orbit and choosing every day to stay. sitting side by side on the mountaintop, hands entwined, lumine's head on his shoulder. breathing. loving. living.

#feeling so normal right now #um. um. um.#yeah i have no excuse im just out of my fucking mind #currently being plagued with post-chasm thoughts where zhongli saving xiao lent him energy and that energy Fades #and xiao is fucking exhausted and still hurt and completely burnt out #and lumine is there and its the first time he enters the teapot because if she says theyll be safe there he trusts her #if lumine says no harm will come to them here he believes her #very 'you took care of me now let me take care of you'#washing the dirt and debris from their skin from their hair shielding his face with a hand so she doesnt get shampoo in his eyes #every movement gentle and careful and precise and purposeful. i love you on purpose i care about you on purpose that quote is so them too #making both of them food because neither of them need it but it helps with their energy regardless #making both of them sleep because they desperately need the rest #and its a little selfish of her to wrap her arm around him because she needs the reminder that hes there and safe and whole #but he doesnt stop her. and everyone has to be selfish at times #spending hours and hours laying there beneath the stars breathing deeply existing together remembering that theyre alive #idk. like i said. the quiet moments the unconditional trust #im so tempted to try and think of more but i am Stopping Myself finally. we're done we are DONE #one day i will be normal about them but until then.#aly.genshin #aly.writing

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evelynpr · 1 year

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How IN LOVE are the Genshin cast with the Traveler? An ANALYSIS of the cast's affinity for them based on voice lines, events and other media!

This goes for both Aether and Lumine, and even Paimon occasionally for the friendship/family tier! If there is anyone or smth I missed please feel free to add I love studying character relationships!!! Of course you are free to interpret these differently, or see it as "something more" if you wish hehe ;)

Lowest Tier : Friendly-er

These characters are here because they are not the type to have many friends, but traveler is special to them, not romantically

Raiden Ei - I interpret their relationship as one that is trying to build a stable friendship, but still recovering from past events slowly. Ei has done a lot of harm both directly and indirectly at the traveler, but has gone through the events of the quest to re-center herself in which the Traveler helped greatly. Deeply thankful is what I'm lead to believe, but casual is still iffy because of Ei's acts of cutting off all close connections in the past.

Shenhe - She is very protective of the traveler, because they were her earliest friends (yes Paimon too) and her story does revolve around her learning to fight for others (I find their friendship very sweet, but not romantic at all since Shenhe has a much longer way to go in understanding social relationships) (I'm kinda surprised I've never seen someone ship this romantically actually-)

Diluc - Definition of a Gentleman when it comes to the traveler. He always offers his support, gives his hand-picked grape juice to them for free, etc. He always sees them in high regard and trusts them greatly (but you could probably say he does the same for Kaeya, Jean, Adelinde, Elzer, basically anyone he sees as family)

Ningguang - She says herself that she keeps her friends few because of the dangers her enemies pose on those who are close to her, but as Liyue's protector she puts great trust in the traveler. Her hangout imo shows that she generally trusts us more than a business partner but as a friend (very wholesome, but nothing more than that and that's cool!)

Razor - Traveler is Lupical. Razor is inherently very protective of the people he cares about because of feeling like he failed to protect his lupical in the past (I believe that's the story behind his vision). So obviously it is not romantic, but his interactions with the Traveler, Paimon, his family and friends are just so special and heartwarming especially in his latest event (SO SWEET I LOVE FOUND FAMILY)

!! SPOILER FOR WANDERER'S STORY QUEST !!

Scaramouche/Wanderer/babygirl/whatever you named him - He clearly doesn't have that many companions (or even any at all), even less those who he shows any sign of vulnerability to. Personally I see it as one of the most interesting traveler relationships in the game yet because they both do not fully trust each other, nor fully accept the other as a friend, but because of him revealing his trauma and past to him, and also the traveler also revealing a part of their own mind and longing, they have an understanding of each other like no one else does. (I do not see this as romantic, but more like a camaraderie which may lead to a deeper connection in the future)

Side note: Most of the playable cast are friends with the traveler, I point out these people specifically because they don't show vulnerability often, or already have other of friends so these relationships have another level of importance to the character.

Middle Tier : Flirty~

These guys are sweet talkers, may or may not be into the traveler

Kaeya - He kinda just talks like that if you ask me. He genuinely cares for the traveler and the other Knights and his family, but his language is just one of the ways he puts on his persona (As Razor would put it, his "fake smile")

Lisa - "Hey cutie-" makes me feel things, ok. Other than that though, nothing tells me she's into the traveler any more than a flirty way? I mean she appreciates them for their skills and support but I think it ends there?

Kazuha - man is a sweet talker honestly. Of course he also cares for the traveler deeply, but his poetic and colorful language is from his own nature, and the traveler generally has a special presence (His language IS very pretty if you ask me haha) (I feel some would say its more *suggestive* than others so that's up to you already lmao)

If there's anyone else you think has a rather *flavorful* way of speaking to the traveler, please do let me know :> If you think these have deeper meaning though, that would be interesting

Above Average Tier : Very sweet, could be something more?

Pseudo-canon material (the comics and hangouts are great man)

Thoma - You give him flowers in his hangout, and in another ending he gives you his omamori which is very sentimental to him. Thoma is generally an incredibly sweet person, so interpret it as you please haha <3

Heizou - This is pretty romantic if you ask me (depending on your taste). He keeps saying how much he wants you to be his "partner" (technically in the investigation sense), and has dialogue about how he feels comfortable around you, it's very sweet and has potential. Not to mention "Traveler, you are so dreamy~" (I swear this guy is 80% fanservice but do you see people complaining?)

Noelle - Her hangout was really adorable, it had a very innocent and young long vibe throughout it and it's just cuteness overload :> (What I would call a babyship)

Childe - Chilumi (not counting Aether) is basically canon in one of the side comedy comics, but in game, it's implied they do battle for fun, traveler does still keep their guard up around him, but his story quest shows he puts great trust in the traveler despite their differences.

Highest Tier : VERY interested, in love even

These are all in game, and pretty canon events (Teapot lines may still be questioned on how canon they are, but further reinforce the mindsets and affinity for the traveler these characters have) (of course it still has headcanon and my own stupid simp heart but bear with me okay?)

Albedo - He always talks abt how interested he is in you (not just scientifically anymore lmao), and suggested for you to live (totally not with him) in Dragonspine. He also trusts them more than others quite explicitly. He is, I believe, deeply enamored by them because of their kindness, strength, intelligence and reliability because the traveler is the person he is most comfortable with. They are the reason he wants to interact with others more as well (Shadows Amidst Snowstorms +Teapot highlights this). The teapot lines are just the icing on the cake, man is making a MOVE on the traveler for REAL by asking him out and showing how he wants to spend more time with them.

Xiao - I feel like despite how common this pair is, it's quite overlooked just how much Xiao trusts and admires the traveler. Xiao is very sensitive about people calling him by his name to use it to control him (that is what his old master did to him) so the fact that he tells only the traveler (not just suggest mind you) to call him anywhere anytime using HIS NAME, are massive displays of vulnerability, trust and protectiveness. (I believe that protection is his main way of showing affection because others are currently an anomaly to him) Xiao also both literally and emotionally feels a calming presence around them because of their healing ability and kindness. He also just can't say no to them, and wants to understand the traveler more even if it means in partaking in "dumb human activities"

Ayaka - She sees so much freedom and beauty in the traveler it is so sweet, and it's quite obvious how much she wants to spend time and be closer with the traveler emotionally (maybe I am just a simp but please she is so tender and sincere) It is also mentioned repeatedly how much she talks about them in very high regard. Once again the teapot lines are just the sugary coat on top with "May I...hold your hand?" being one of them (I screamed like I just won 50/50 in one pull with that line)

!! SMALL SPOILER TO WANDERER'S STORY QUEST !!

The old lady of the Kamisato Estate also mentions how thrilled Ayaka is every time they're around, and also talked about how talented and admirable they are. She also implied that they are Ayaka's "Knight in Shining Armor" and that she talks about them all the time. Idk if you need anymore convincing at this point of how much Ayaka likes the traveler after that.

SIDE NOTE : I find it refreshing and fascinating how the genders actually seem quite mixed and what relationships characters have with the traveler are varied. I really appreciate the writing team for the amount of detail they put into them!

AND THAT'S IT FOR NOW!!! This is my longest post yet soooo THANK YOU SO MUCH IF YOU MADE IT THIS FAR AND ACTUALLY READ THIS!!

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threegodkings · 1 year

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alhaitham/cyno [2.5k]

quick lil warm up for the other fics i gotta finish this weekend (ok this spiralled out of control a little but it's fine it's cruisy LMAO) --- as a general rule, things i write for tumblr on any of my blogs stay here and don't get transferred elsewhere but this is long enough that i will Possibly put it on ao3 later... possibly

edit: ao3 link

The Liyue night sky isn’t the overwhelming expanse found in the desert, where the stars are so distinct that they’ve been used for navigation for as long as stories have been told, but the moonlight plays over Cyno’s skin all the same, so Alhaitham will take it.

He watches as Cyno looks over the land. The General Mahamatra is always a pleasure to watch in action, moving with lethal grace and pulling his punches with precision every time.

Once, a week or two after Dehya returned from Fontaine with a samurai who had recited poetry that made Lumine smile and handed her a bag of gifts for mutual friends that was roughly the size of Paimon, the three of them had ended up in the desert. Lumine had offered to join them, but Cyno had sent her on her way with gentle hands and a request to stop by Gandharva Ville to let Collei know he might be a little late for their TCG training session, but he wouldn’t miss it.

He had said it with such steady conviction that Alhaitham felt it, bone-deep. But he hadn’t been able to look away from Cyno’s hands.

That particular trip had ended in Dehya cussing out a group of Eremite-breakaways while she used the hilt of her claymore to knock one out before flinging it to the side to sock someone else in the stomach, Alhaitham translating the runic carvings as fast as he could while flicking dendro shards towards the stray attack that got past Cyno, and Cyno whirling his staff around with such deft precision that Alhaitham wished he could turn around and study him instead.

Everyone survived the ordeal, of course; Dehya said she doesn’t believe in punishing thickheadedness with death, or else the two of them would have ended up at the other end of her weapon that first fateful day in Aaru Village, and Alhaitham had done his part in unlocking the key to spit all of them from the tomb.

And Cyno, well --

It doesn’t need clarification, Alhaitham thinks. The oath of the General Mahamatra is writ in stone and hasn’t changed since its genesis, but Alhaitham doubts anyone has held to it as intently as Cyno. It’s not a slight against his predecessors; it’s just that Cyno’s dedication to justice and his oath is second to none.

The Akademiya looks at the General Mahamatra and sees a punisher, but in truth, he’s always been a protector.

None shall come to harm under his watch.

So -- the General Mahamatra is always a privilege to observe, with his unparalleled tenacity and exacting movements.

But here, tonight, beneath the full force of the Liyue night sky, Alhaitham does not observe the General Mahamatra, but Cyno.

With a swallow, Alhaitham takes a step forward.

“Finally,” Cyno says. Alhaitham raises an eyebrow, but does not speak. It’s not really a surprise. It’s a rare beast indeed that manages to get the drop on the General Mahamatra (or Cyno, or the Wolf of Spantamad, or the Judicator of Secrets, or any of the thousands of things he’s been called over the years, as if to name a thing is to define it), and Alhaitham is nothing so unique. He is but a feeble scholar, after all.

“Your thoughts are so loud,” Cyno adds. Alhaitham looks down at him as he steps closer, closer, all the way until they stand side-by-side. There is a space between them that Alhaitham only knows how to define as the absence of touch; he’s so aware of Cyno’s presence, his skin prickling with Cyno’s errant warmth, that if he could not see the small distance between them, he wouldn’t believe it there at all.

“They only seem loud relative to the dearth found in others,” Alhaitham retorts. There’s a smile glimmering at the edges of Cyno’s lips before he rearranges it into a frown. Alhaitham maps the path of it in his brain.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” Cyno says, and it feels like something else. Alhaitham doesn’t think about that, doesn’t think about anything at all except for the way Cyno’s hands look right now, resting on the railing of Wangshu Inn’s balcony, moonlight spilling over each ridge and groove.

“You weren’t surprised to see me,” Alhaitham points out, and Cyno shrugs.

“That’s not the same thing,” he says.

After a moment, Alhaitham nods, a slow thing. Like honey, or the way Lumine smiles when her eyes are sad, or Cyno’s breathing when it’s late at night and there’s nothing in the world except all the stars to guide them.

“What brings you to Liyue?” Alhaitham asks. He looks at Cyno, drinks him in unabashedly. It’s a recently-discovered benefit to interrogation: a free pass to look directly. Recently-discovered isn’t quite correct. Recently-valued, maybe. It’s not a new thing, after all; it’s just that Alhaitham has never cared about it before.

(Cyno’s gaze is always unflinching. Sometimes Alhaitham thinks about the way Cyno always looks at him, no matter the circumstances. Cyno does not hide behind excuses. Nor does Alhaitham, usually, but there are some honesties easier to swallow when clothed in rationale.

This feeling really is a vexing thing, Alhaitham thinks, to compel him to explain his behaviour, even just to himself. The lack of explanation provided for anything he does unless demanded has always been one of his most charming qualities, in his opinion.

(Okay, so Dehya had laughed in his face when he said as much to her in Lambad’s Tavern once, but he’s decided to ignore it. Peer review is an important part of scholarship, but unfortunately for him, he can count his options (read: people he respects) on one hand, and given that one is a god and another makes his chest ache unintentionally, he ends up with Dehya laughing at him a lot.))

“The pursuit of treasure,” Cyno says, tone completely serious, which --

Alhaitham blinks. What a completely unexp—

Oh. Scratch that. He does know what this is, courtesy of Dehya dragging him and Lumine out to drinks after the Traveller’s return from Mondstadt. Cyno had joined them later, having been in Gandharva Ville with Collei and Tighnari, but he’d been a popular topic of conversation prior to his arrival.

(Alhaitham is not above soaking up all information he can, and certainly not about subjects of interest—if Cyno was such a thing back when all he learned of him was through distant observation and the sages’ record of him, he is something all the more important now. Still, for the record, it wasn’t him who pressed for further details—that was all Dehya. Of course, Paimon was all too happy to oblige, immediately launching into an indignant recounting of a joke about ground nuts. Alhaitham was entirely innocent in the matter, thank you very much.)

He recalibrates. “Makes sense,” he says casually, nodding slowly. Cyno’s eyes flick up, scanning his face, and Alhaitham continues, “Just as I would expect from such a renowned adventurer.”

There’s a smile glimmering on Cyno’s lips, and that makes this whole thing worth it.

“And you?” Cyno the Adventurer asks, looking at Alhaitham like -- like he’s a memory in the process of being made, maybe. Something worth tracking the motion of, worth learning by heart. It makes Alhaitham’s cheeks heat up, just a little. “Are you an adventurer too, to have heard of others?”

“Me?” Alhaitham asks, tilting his head. “Oh, no, nothing so exciting. I am just a feeble scholar.”

Cyno’s expression does something complicated, goes somewhere between wry and -- something just shy of disappointment. It makes Alhaitham’s bones ache.

“I see,” Cyno says.

It’s not born out of rationality, what Alhaitham does next. One might even be forgiven for thinking it uncharacteristic, although they would be incorrect. That’s not their fault, though; Alhaitham suspects that most people in Teyvat would come to the same conclusion.

Increasingly, however, he thinks some of the citizens of Sumeru—mostly those who float around the Akademiya, like a handful of the matra and maybe two or three of the scholars who regularly haunt the (Acting) Grand Sage’s office with their endless paperwork, but also the various people who burrowed their way into his life (despite his best efforts) through camaraderie and a successful coup against the autocratic geniocracy that tried to make a new god—have started to notice these shifts in his behaviour. It’s not that he eschews rationality, exactly; it’s just --

Alhaitham looks at Cyno’s hands again. Recurring theme.

There’s something about Cyno that recalibrates Alhaitham’s worldview. That sounds more dramatic than it is, he thinks. It’s not like he’s changing, or that logic falls wayside; it’s just that if Cyno is in the room, Alhaitham is always aware of it, in a way that feels so much more present than his normal (already stellar) observational skills. It’s not just information he registers to sort and sift through. He wants to know. If Cyno is there, Alhaitham wants to know.

If Cyno is there, Alhaitham wants.

That’s the only reason he can think to provide for why he reaches out and captures Cyno’s hand, sweeping his thumb gently over the back of it. One, two, three.

Cyno sucks in a breath, but he doesn’t pull back, just trains that endless gaze on Alhaitham.

“Yes,” Alhaitham says. “I’ve been contemplating two areas of study in particular for my newest paper.”

“Oh?” Cyno asks. He sounds -- in all honesty, he sounds almost exactly the same as ever, but Alhaitham knows him well enough now to detect the glint of amusement in his voice, the way it wars with a touch of wariness. He thinks there’s affection too, or fondness, at the least, but he’s sent back enough documents for review to overzealous scholars to acknowledge that he’s not an objective enough observer to make draw such a conclusion.

Still, he hopes.

“Mm,” Alhaitham hums. “The usage of the Liyue nightscape for both guiding and illuminative purposes,” he says, eyes dropping back to Cyno’s hands. Years ago, Alhaitham read a book suggesting that the triangulation of stars in Liyue does not obey the same rules of equations as the night sky in Sumeru. The implications of such an argument were fascinating and thorny, the exact sort of thing he likes to muse upon, but right now, in this moment, Alhaitham finds his attention much more occupied with the way the moonlight plays over Cyno’s knuckles, spilling over each ridge and faded scar.

“That’s one,” Cyno says. His eyebrow is arched, but not as dramatically as Dehya’s would be, not like an accusation. It’s something softer. Alhaitham has the stray thought that playacting aside, he could quite easily spend his time studying the rhythms of Cyno, all his minute motions and barest tendencies. It’s perhaps the only similarity Alhaitham can find between himself and the former sages, although their motivations differ drastically.

“So it is,” Alhaitham says. He looks up from Cyno’s hands, lips tugging into something crooked. “Hands, then.”

“Hands,” Cyno repeats, and Alhaitham nods. The look Cyno gives him in response is incredulous. “Well,” Cyno says slowly, like that ajilenakh nut syrup Dunyarzad likes to drizzle on her breakfast, “as it would happen, I possess hands.”

He says it with such a straight face that Alhaitham almost snorts. Coughing lightly into his hand to disguise it, Alhaitham says, “So you do.” A moment later, he adds, “Ones currently illuminated by said nightscape.”

Cyno’s lips turn up at the edges, in that rare kind of smile that used to catch Alhaitham off guard. These days, he chases it.

“That’s two out of three,” Cyno says.

Alhaitham dips his head in agreement. “I’ve heard that a handful of the most experienced adventurers know how to navigate through the stars,” he says, looking directly at Cyno.

He’s looking back.

“Perhaps a renowned adventurer such as yourself…”

Cyno lets out a light huff of laughter. If Alhaitham wasn’t so attuned to his presence, he’d have missed it.

“And if I could?” Cyno asks, too casually.

Alhaitham tilts his head. He commits the sight to memory: Cyno, looking out over Bishui Plain, the night breeze rustling his hair, and moonlight spilling over his skin. He flicks his gaze away from Liyue’s landscape, back to Alhaitham’s face, and leaves it there. There’s a slight smile at his lips. Alhaitham’s heart aches, the way it does when you read something revelatory for the first time, and are immediately aware of the fact that it will never be new again. It’s not a bad thing; it’s just a pressing ache in your chest, the type that was always rare for Alhaitham, dotted only a few times throughout the timeline of his life.

These days, though, it is a recurring theme. Like being around Cyno, sometimes, is too big to hold.

“If you could…” Alhaitham says, drawing it out. He huffs a breath, a little wry. “I may be a mere scholar, but when my interest is piqued, I am quite resourceful, if I do say so myself.” A beat, then, “Once I start something, I always see it through.”

Sometimes that means exploring it to its limits, and then discovering it is not as intriguing as initially thought. In those cases, Alhaitham has no qualms about dropping it and moving on. That’s still seeing it through, in his opinion; he’s taken it to the extent to which it has value to him, and once that has been exhausted, he leaves it be.

There is not a single bone in his body that thinks Cyno will ever be that to him, not even for a moment.

Cyno’s breath hitches. He looks over Alhaitham intently, like he’s decoding all the things he did not say from the knot of his arms, the line of his wrist, the curve of his cheek. Who knows? Maybe he is. If anyone could, it would be him.

“You’re in luck, scholar,” Cyno says finally. He flashes a smile -- small and quick, but so warm and unexpected that Alhaitham’s neck feels hot. “I know how to follow the stars.” He turns his head back towards Bishui Plain, but Alhaitham can still see a glimpse of his profile. There’s something warm and easy in the set of his lips, almost teasing. “Does that pique your interest?”

Yes, Alhaitham wants to say, you always do.

In the back of his head, Dehya scoffs. You academic types have the worst foreplay, she grumbles. Can’t you just be in love like a normal person? ‘I am quite resourceful’ -- Kusanali save us, just ask him to dinner next time, I’m fucking begging.

Ignoring his unfortunately canny projection of her, Alhaitham dips his head again, resting his hand on the railing. They do not touch, but his fingers are close enough to Cyno’s that he can feel the warmth emanating.

“Yes,” he says simply. He exhales, a little teasing. “I do believe I will be seeing this through.”

In the back of his head, Dehya is groaning, banging her head against his skull, but Alhaitham can’t bring himself to care, not with how Cyno looks right now: eyes shining, smile glimmering at his lips, with the full force of the Liyue night sky shining behind him.

#haino #cytham #cyno #alhaitham #i started counting kazuha and lumine's mutual friends through various events and gave up after seven lmao #the pacing in this is probably as wild as most things i end up writing quickly for tumblr (or twt for that matter) tend to be #but i might put it on ao3 later Maybe i will figure it out later #i wrote this on tumblr so putting it in my wordcounter app made me like 😵‍💫#this was actually just a warm up to get me in the zone for this OTHER hainotham fic i'm writing lmao but... it spiralled...#it is 6am tho so i will decide abt putting it on ao3 later lol #mine

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angelssdecay · 3 years

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Why Xiao isn’t just some edgelord, an essay by yours truly (or: I need sleep)

Before you read!!

This was mainly written because I kind of got tired of Xiao being labelled as ‘edgelord’ a lot of times and while I have nothing against it when it’s jokingly said (after all I call Childe a ‘clown’ all the time or Klee ‘Arson child’ haha, you get what I mean) I also feel like him getting meme’d as that leads to a lot of mischaracterization. I’m not here to attack anyone or anything!! Just sharing my personal thoughts about him influenced by his canon lore in game + headcanons I developed while writing fics for him. I hope you don’t mind my brainrot.

- I suppose that a lot of Xiao’s characterization as an ‘edgelord’ comes from his wildly dark history and the way he expresses himself (like growling when he’s thinking about his past memories) that is quite different from other characters in Genshin when he’s not like this because he wants to but because he’s been shaped by his trauma that reaches wide into the past and the fact that he doesn’t belong in the human world - he is stuck in the mortal world while having to defend it from otherworldly beings and forces that threaten to destroy the fragile balance between both worlds, and it’s a task he fulfils with pride because it was given to him by Rex Lapis, the god who saved him from his former master –

- an evil deity who had abused and used him and forced him to commit atrocities that still haunt him to this day; he never wanted to kill, he never wanted to have to take away someone’s dreams but he was helpless to resist and in the end he stained his hands with so much more blood than he ever wanted to - taking his trauma and the way he talks about it and labelling it as ‘edgy’ is plain disregarding towards the pain he went through in his early years when his innocence was stolen from him and then utterly destroyed until Rex Lapis saved him and gave him his life back, a duty he can be proud of and the chance to regain a bit of his former gentleness because that’s who he is deep inside: a kind and gentle soul that never wants to hurt anyone

- not to mention the trauma he experienced by having to watch the only family he ever had, the other Yakshas, perish one after another – whether it was because they were consumed by the darkness they fought and killed one another or because they died in battle – he wasn’t able to save any of them and while it’s never talked about in-game lore I doubt that their deaths didn’t leave a mark on him that lasts till today. To be heralded as the last Yaksha is surely not a title that Xiao is proud or happy about. - to get to his character trait of him usually keeping his sentences curt and to the point (like his good morning line ‘’We're wasting time. Let's go.’’) and him growling when he thinks about his sorrowful past that probably made people label him as edgy – does it really surprise anyone that he doesn’t talk like humans from Teyvat talk when he’s a) not human and b) has spent almost all of his life in solitude? - which would obviously lead to him being extremely used to dealing with emotions and humans; despite having such a kind and selfless heart (more to that later) but he’s just not used to conversing with humans - mainly because Adepti need to keep their distance from humans lest their adeptal energy will harm them - when Xiao kept his distance from humans all these years, it was for their own good (something he says during the first meeting with the traveller and something I think he firmly believes in because past encounters with humans never went well for them and again, he doesn’t want to hurt anyone and certainly not humans) - and while he’s gotten used to living in solitude I don’t think he actually enjoys having to live like this – he’s incredibly lonely and suffers from it - and just like every living being he longs to have someone to talk to and who understands him, even appreciates him although this is something he wouldn’t dare to wish for because it’s something that can’t be fulfilled (Lumine: sikes you thought you can stay alone forever, yeah too bad for you I’m here for you now) - it was stated in the article about Xiao and his creation process how curious he is about the human world despite trying to hide it from others (and himself too because longing for something you can’t have or take part in hurts like hell and god knows he’s experienced enough in his life) - but it doesn’t mean he doesn’t yearn to experience those feelings of warmth and love that most humans as well - and when I say love I don’t necessarily mean romantic love although I don’t count it impossible for him (though it would take a long time for him to break down his own walls and find the courage to love and be hurt, and I think abrupt love confessions would frighten him because he simply never experienced it before – a life of bloodshed and battle certainly don’t help with understanding his own or other hearts) - no, what I mean are the different kinds of love he’s seen humans share with each other – a mother’s love when she puts her child to bed with a goodnight kiss, a friend’s platonic love when they hug their friend who’s sad or simply out of joy – it’s all things he never got to experience for himself but secretly longs to experience as well (fight me on that because I’ll die on that hill) - and this also leads to me firmly believing that he doesn’t hate humans no matter how often he ‘mocks’ traditions and customs – it’s mainly to hide his own curiosity and longing to join them knowing that he doesn’t belong with humans. But he certainly doesn’t hate them no matter his words because you can’t guard and protect someone without loving and caring for them. If he truly despised humans he would have never risked his life and soul for as long as he has to protect them. - and he knows that he will never receive any gratitude for the suffering he endures, nor that anyone will pray to him, or even pray for him to come home from battle safely – all he has left by now is himself and his duty he proudly continues to fulfil to honour his fallen comrades and his contract with Zhongli – and yet he keeps fighting such a thankless and seemingly endless battle without any complaints or lamenting his cruel fate; if that isn’t kindness then I really don’t know anymore - not to mention that if he truly was an ‘edgelord’ he’d be lamenting his cruel fate or curse at everything for forcing him to live such a life devoid of any warmth and joy – but he doesn’t. Because no one survives thousands of years with a heart full of hatred and no one understands that better than him who has fought against the lingering wrath and hatred of fallen gods. - and while Xiao himself doesn’t believe that he is kind (after all both his hands and soul are stained by blood, he’s nothing more but a weapon or so he would say if someone told him he’s kind) it’s his selfless and devoted nature and his love for the simple things in life – a nice dish of Almond Tofu, flowers, the soft tunes of a flute - that make him such a gentle soul – he just doesn’t realize nor acknowledges that part of himself - so if someone loves him they have to love all the cracks in his soul and try to pour their light into them, be patient with him because it will take him a very long time to get used to all these feelings, to the reassurance that he is loved and also deserves to be loved, after all this is so foreign to him and very likely to frighten him but in return he will love unconditionally and be forever loyal as he is loyal to the land he continues to protect

...and what more could anyone ask for, right?

#xiao #genshin xiao #character analysis #uh it's just my usual brainrot #please don't mind me #i'm a clown #genshin impact

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hiiro-writes · 3 years

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single dad au part 3!!

heya!! hiro here bringing more zhongluc single dad au brain vomit

i apologise in advance for the inconsistent posting about the au but i'm thinking for part 4 would be on father's day! because hehe single dad au

without further ado here's part 3!

《♡♡♡♡♡♡♡》

after a few days of gathering information, bennett consults his friends during lunch

he's...quite stumped. nothing about his notes make sense no matter how much he reads them again

the only conclusion he can come up with is that mr zhongli (he heard his dad and uncle kaeya mentioning him a lot) is the reason why his dad is acting so weirdly

they're just friends?? right??

when bennett arrives at their usual table he goes to chongyun first to tell him what happened before explaining his situation to the rest of his friends

razor and chongyun are deep in thought while xiangling, hutao, and xingqiu are all laughing to themselves

bennett lowkey gets upset by this because hey it's his dad and he cares a lot about him

xiangling explained that they meant no harm by it but they just find the whole thing cute

....cute?

xingqiu continues by saying that his dad developed feelings to this mr zhongli

this only causes bennett to become even more puzzled but hutao rolls her eyes with a smile and explains that his dad may have a crush on mr zhongli

chongyun wonders if that really is the case while razor gave up on thinking and went back to eating his fourth sandwich

bennett tries to connect all the dots and comes to another conclusion: ask uncle kaeya because he certainly knows what's best

right?

they all carry on to the rest of their classes but by the end of the day he's approached by ganyu...in the clinic

bennett tried helping a cat get out of a tree only for it to scratch his hand...again

the school nurse was busy tending to another student and so ganyu volunteered on helping which was perfect since there was something she needed to talk about to him

after patching him up she asks him if they could talk on the way out (with xiao but technically he just followed behind)

she explains to him about their plans to get their dad and his dad together since they obviously are interested in each other

with this bennett finally understands and is incredibly happy to help them out (and his dad of course)

bennett explains that he never had another parent figure

though kaeya, jean, and lisa filled that in of course it wasn't exactly the same

diluc happened to adopt bennett since he was abandoned one day by his original parents

apparently a few days prior his dad crepus died in a car accident and then later found bennett as a baby and decided to adopt him as his own

this brought a smile to ganyu's face (xiao as well but he's walking behind them...coward)

she's glad to know more of the kind of man her father is interested in and since they were on the topic of their parents ganyu decided to talk about her mom as well

her mom guizhong used to be gentle and kind. really witty too as their dad would describe when ever he reminisces about the past. he even comments they got their wit from their mom

unfortunately she was quite sickly and died of an illness years ago. ganyu and xiao were a lot younger back then so they don't remember too many details of what happened

when ganyu felt sad remembering about her mom bennett smiled and said that she sounds like a lovely person and that he would definitely love to meet her

as ganyu was about to reply she recognized childe and...his boyfriend kaeya??

turns out the two of them decided to pick up the kids from school and head to the cafe for their top secret mission of getting zhongli and diluc together

bennett gets all excited and punches the air, ganyu chuckles to herself, while xiao rolls his eyes at this

they all discuss in the car since it was a lot safer that way instead of discussing it in the cafe where so many people can hear them and it's too risky

childe updated them on zhongli's schedule saying that he moved all appointments this saturday to different dates

kaeya asked his friend eula to work part time to cover diluc's shift (he asked if she could just work in the cafe instead but she explained she had other things to do first)

ganyu decided on a restaurant with the help of her girlfriend keqing and it was all set

now all that's left is for bennett to encourage his dad and for xiao to invite his father (along with aether) on a little cafe date

the only problem is...it has to happen today

as much as childe wanted to free up zhongli's schedule for the rest of the week that man was way too busy

ningguang was already taking a few of his responsibilities but it was too much on her plate (she overhead childe on the phone with kaeya talking about the plans and she wanted to help out)

kaeya mentioned he made diluc run some errands so that he could join childe in picking them up today so that he could explain the current situation

thankfully it worked since kaeya mentioned he "rarely gets to pick up bennett from school"

but deep down diluc knows his brother all too well and believes that kaeya just wanted some time with his boyfriend

he's not wrong tho

after going over their plans, they're 5 minutes away from the cafe, xiao is currently calling aether whereas bennett was thinking of ways of encouraging his dad to ask mr zhongli on a date

once they arrive at the cafe there current plan was set in motion

kaeya goes back to his shift, bennett runs to his room to get ready and xiao patiently waits for aether to arrive

ganyu has somewhere to be and it was up to childe to picl zhongli up from a business meeting

it's all running smoothly since diluc arrives with a bag of groceries 10 minutes later and bennett drags him away (and creates a mess but that's fine) and talks to him about mr zhongli

while they talk, aether arrives after being dropped off by his sister lumine and her girlfriend amber

xiao explains that he wants to introduce him to his father to which aether turns red immediately and swores under his breath

xiao tries to question it but aether only explains that he lost a bet with his sister

meanwhile diluc is blushing furiously when bennett mentioned having a crush on zhongli

how??? how do people know is he that obvious???

bennett starts to encourage his dad saying to grab this once and a lifetime opportunity!

diluc is hesitant about it but his son comments that sometimes he looks a bit lonely looking at all the other couples

before diluc was able to ask a question bennett fell off the chair he was sitting on,,,

zhongli arrives and sees xiao and aether together

after simple introductions zhongli orders for all of them and greets kaeya

kaeya mentions that diluc is just at the back fixing the groceries to which zhongli just smiles at him

behind the counter, diluc is taking deep breathes to shake the feeling of nervousness

but first of all why is he so nervous??

for many reasons you idiot!!

one, he doesn't have any relationship experience

two, he has never asked nor has been on a date before

three, he's afraid of ruining his little friendship with zhongli

he tries to remind himself of the things bennett told him which calms him down a lot

he prepares the orders of zhongli and noticed that his son xiao keeps...staring?

is he watching him or something??

because when diluc prepared he tray xiao mentions something to his father before standing up and walking away with aether, leaving their things behind

this only made diluc more confused but that's besides the point right now

when he places the orders on the table zhongli offers if he would like to join him

he explains that since his companions are busy buying something elsewhere, zhongli doesn't have any company and insists that diluc should join him if he wasn't busy

diluc takes a seat in front of zhongli and at first it was quite awkward since nothing was happening between them

until zhongli mentioned the type of coffee beans diluc used to make his coffee and the conversation went well from there

they talked about coffee, work, their kids (and shared a few photos) and some other random things

diluc discovered they had a lot of common interests and that hey, zhongli is a really nice guy

they were talking for a while they didn't realise xiao and aether coming back, nor how late it was

before going their separate ways diluc asks zhongli if he was free and if maybe they would like to have dinner together

"to get to know each other more of course!" diluc frantically says before turning as red as a tomato

zhongli chuckles at this and mentioned that he's free on saturday

this...shocks diluc because wow

holy shit

HE HAS A DATE??

the only thing he could do is nod and zhongli seemed to acknowledge it and tells him they can decide on a place later on since they exchanged numbers

what they didnt know is that xiao was listening carefully on their conversation and smiled to himself

EDIT:

link to part 1 | part 2 | part 4 | part 5

#its...so long i...#also i just had to mention guizhong pls omg i love her so much #as you can see im slowly adding everyone bc why not right #brainrot #genshin impact #zhongli #genshin diluc #zhongluc #single dad au #hiro.wips #hiro writes

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ayuen · 3 years

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Gnostic Chorus - theory time!

Not really, just something that bothered me for a long time. From the first moment I saw this one story it did not left my mind and sometimes new information we get fit... so I decided to have a little fun and write down my own thoughts on it. And since we have little to no information about Kaeya... about that a little later, well, let’s treat it like my little headcannon that may turn out not true but is so fun, so here we go :D

Also some spoliers? about newest Archon quest I guess? it may turn out long, I’m just in a mood for it, so you have been warned.

So the story starts with this glorious kingdom, established among the heavens:

Khaenri'ah was like Dain said:

He says nothing about them being underground.

And well, they didn’t have a god, so these words can be understood differently, like Khaenri'ah being among kingdoms in a heaven in garden of gods.

Next we have this line about a crowned heir, will come back to her later.

She was tasked to search for the genesis pearl...(genesis makes me think about creation - so here another idea for a possibility like remember Khemia? maybe she was meant to find it, but somehow forgot who she was? And stayed as a ruler of Khaenri'ah? well, let’s leave it for another time) from the kingdom of darkness.

So lets’ stop here. There is this theory that Teyvat is upside down.

Which could mean that what we consider top is actually bottom. So if the lore in the books talks about Khaenri'ah as an underground kingdom maybe it’s just misinformation? Maybe not but if we take into consideration how recent Kaeya’s love poem isn’t without a doubt translatable, truly who can trust in everything that’s written about historical events in the pieces in the game? But if it was in fact turned upside down... also this quest and the theory of a fake sky? From The Crisis Deepens. This would be too much to write about it, also I read all about it, bc I wasn’t playing the game at the time so yeah, it’s on youtube in any case.

So from newest Archon quest we have this:

I know it doesn’t say out right that there is someone above our sibling leading Abyss but whatever Paimon says something, it is relevant so we can take it into consideration. Will come back to it in a moment as well.

And here comes Childe, Tartaglia, I don’t have him so here a part of his story: (And why did I bring Childe?) Well, first we have his story where it’s said that he learned how to fight from a woman in the abyss:

Story 4

“That 14-year-old boy got lost in the snowy forest.

Pursued by bears and wolf packs, he lost his footing and fell into a bottomless crack in the earth's surface.

There, he witnessed the endless possibilities of another ancient world. There, he would meet a mysterious swordswoman...

Or perhaps one should say that this dark realm had sensed the burning ambition in this boy's heart.”

“In those three months, the swordswoman taught Tartaglia how to pass through the Abyss unhindered, and more importantly, nurtured the ability to stir up endless havoc from within Ajax's trouble-mongering nature.”

Also a really nice post on reddit about his transformation.

https://www.reddit.com/r/childemains/comments/m9nbei/reasons_behind_the_appearance_similarities/

Also there’s another one:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Genshin_Impact/comments/mt8l3i/at_young_age_childe_had_fallen_into_abyssal_and/

For those who prefer to see it all in one post. And in the story line our sibling who leads Abyss is Lumine, it does not fit her fighting style. even before coming to Teyvat she was using a sword, so her style wouldn’t change much, even after traveling through every nation.

So I’m assuming it’s another person who is higher than Lumine in a hierarchy in the Abyss. So remember this Crowned Heir that was supposed to find the Genesis Pearl? What if she did in fact ended up in the Abyss, she believed to be a queen of the darkness.

Which would also explain why our sibling is not called queen, but princess:

We don’t know how she may ended up in there, but we also know that The Abyss equals ppl from Khaenri'ah. Than why Dain is against Abyss order?

Like who laid this curse upon him? Not Gods I think, so maybe the queen of the abyss? Since abyss mages fear her more than they fear painful interrogation...

Also The Abyss order and Dain are on different sides. Why? We don’t know what happened there for sure.

There are also theories (also on youtube) about the cycle and the truth of the word. What if the Genesis pearl is just a knowledge of this word? What if this crowned heir figured it out? And decided to destroy Celestia? And forgot about her orgins, forgot Khaenri'ah? What if what Abyss is trying to do have really not much to do with revenge for for destroying Khaenri'ah but for all the destruction that Celestia did? What if Dain is on other side because he doesn’t need to fight this order? He doesn’t like gods for what happend to Khaenri'ah but we don’t see him rushing to harm them either. But that’s topic for another occasion.

Coming back to this “theory”.

The second crowned heir taken on the path where the first have stumbled.

Here also why I think it’s not about our siblings. We don’t know from where they come from, true. We know they were traveling together, maybe they where searching for something? Maybe they are royals? Now we know nothing about it. We know that:

I’m not putting the whole exchange here but from this we know that our sibling was not send by someone to find something our sibling failed to do. We don’t know what is this destiny Lumine/Aether talks about.

From the Gnostic Chorus we know this about first crowned heir:

But as we see in the newest Archon quest, it’s from Aether being on the side of the Abyss because I play Lumine.

He/Lumine didn’t forget who they are. From this we can see they also searched for their new home, maybe their last one was destroyed too? Maybe that’s why Lumine sides with people from Khaenri'ah?

But anyway...

Who in the story have a task to do? Who was send with a clear mission we know nothing about? Who is a person about which we actually know less than about Dain?

Yeah, Kaeya.

We know his father abandoned him at Down Winery with a mission of being their “Last hope” (I will be not posting pictures here about it, this post is long enough). There is a lot of theories about him being a prince or some royal since theories about Dain being a sword are confirmed (see theories about Alberich) not to mention the names of his talents that led us to this conclusion long ago.

For for sake of this theory let’s say that Kaeya is a prince send to find Genesis Pearl. Wouldn’t it fit that he makes friends with criminals? Who is better for a information network?

Not to mention, he told the truth to Diluc, if he was a treat wouldn’t he kill him? or at last told about him to others? Diluc was respected at the time, who wouldn’t believe him?

So maybe his goal is not to destroy Mondstat?

I always was wondering about this one. What major decision? maybe I’m thinking here too much from experience, maybe it’s not common approach... but his father left him in unknown land, with strangers. With a mission on his shoulders. And Mond gave him a loving family, Crepus, Diluc other ppl who love him, as it is stated on official side of Genshin Impact.

Why would it be a hard choice to choose between happiness and duty? Like I said maybe it’s not a common approach, but what does some old kingdom mean when you have a found home? Shouldn’t it mean more? Is it really that hard of a choice?

But what if he have someone to save? Someone he cares about? or loves? Who isn’t guilty but lost?

You probably can tell where I’m going now with it right?

What if he will have to save his sister? Ok, some will say Aether have to save Lumine from Abyss order but does he? Is she kept there against her will? did she forget about him or their goal? or is she just waiting for him so they can really reunite and continue their journey through words?

I know that this messes with my “theory”:

Teyvat Chapter Storyline Preview: Travail｜Genshin Impact

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAlKhARUcoY

But Dain is against Lumine? He is against the whole Abyss Order, why would be stop us from getting or sister and getting away from Tayvat for good?

The thing that doesn’t fit is that he seems to be talking to Aether here with “You who set foot into this word. Your journey has reached it’s end but one final doorway remains.” And yeah, Aether is travelling, prob the reason why most of NPC call us Traveler instead of using our name. But it can be taken about kaeya as well, if we consider the fact that he come from Khaenri'ah and now he is in Tayvat, which is not considered to be a part of Tayvat.

Ok, it’s longer than I thought... and I still wanted to put her more but oh well.

#Kaeya #kaeya alberich #kaeya genshin #genshin impact #theory #Kaeya theory #spoilers???#it's my rumbling #will make Kaeya facts part two soon #I just used all my brain power on this

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ginkgomoon · 3 years

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Lucien's Iridescent- Analysis

Finally, some more Lucien-based content! I'm so sorry for the wait, Lucien stans! If you’re out there please let me know so I can say hello to you individually and ask questions about your fav!! I want to interact with the community more so I can expand my knowledge and perception on the different characters and aspects of the game. I’d honestly love to have a chat about MLQC anytime! I didn’t expect to be posting this today because this is one is a freshie! (Started working on it today, and posted up today, unlike the other hundred that I have drafted...) Lots of spoilers for the character of Lucien and for future content. Please do not read if you don’t want spoilers! Thank you! Hope you enjoy!! 🌈 💜

Iridescent definition-

“Showing luminous colours that seem to change when seen from different angles.”

Origins

The pen is originally brought over from England, where Lucien was studying when he was younger. It actually belonged to a Granny before Lucien, and she told him, "give this luck to the special someone when you meet her."

Lucien didn't really care for the pen that much other than that, though.

"Although I had always felt that he was not gentle with me, this time I knew he did care for me. My joy didn't last for more than ten seconds, when my owner took me back and gave me a faint glance, and then gave his full attention the girl."

Also, it's tiny bit ironic about how Lucien can't see colour and names the pen "Iridescent".

"A rainbow! It's my favourite scene- that's where my name came from. But my owner can't see the rainbow. he doesn't know how to appreciate these colours." -Rainbow Luck Rumours and Secrets

Iridescent and MC

“This is for you."

A silvery- white steel pen glinted in the sunlight with an "X" etched prominently into its surface. (The "X" refers to his Chinese name, "Xu mo")

MC: "Isn't this the pen you left in the set the first time you were on the show?"

"Yes, at the time I rushed back to the set. Everyone had left but one girl was still foolishly sitting there, just to give me this pen. For the first time I thought, compared to my own actions of running back there, she didn't seem that foolish at all."

His lips curved up in a smile, and his eyes softened.

"It wasn't foolish. I was slower than you, but afterwards, I saw."

I didn't understand what he meant. I tilted my head and looked at Lucien. His eyes were streaked with shadow and light by the sunshine.

MC: "Why are you giving me the pen?"

"The pen has a name. It's called Iridescent. It's a lucky charm that's been with me for many years. Now, this luck belongs to you."

Lucien opened my hand and placed the pen in it, then closed my hand back over it with an assertive force.

"It's just a pen. Take it."

Lucien turned his head and looked at me, the sunlight glistening on his lips, clear and warm. -Chapter 13-10

Lucien gave a lot of thought into giving MC the pen.

"He had been staring at me for so long his gaze almost penetrated me! My owner had always been very decisive and unwavering, but this time, I could feel his hesitation. What was it for?"

But why?

"At the moment I was a little dizzy, and thought, am I now a "love token"?" -Rainbow Luck Rumours and Secrets

I would argue multiple reasons actually. Firstly, as Iridescent itself stated, it was used as a "love exchange"- a silent confession that he loves her. He uses this pen for his work, and since this "work" was focused on the QUEEN and BLACK SWAN, it was almost like a declaration that what Lucien had owned- what Ares will soon gain, that no matter what, both personas would be by her side.

He knows that she's always in danger, from others and from himself, so he silently hopes that this pen in becoming that "lucky charm" would also help her so that she wouldn't really get caught and tied up in BLACK SWAN business.

It serves as a reminder for himself too, that a part of him will always be kept close to her. And like how its name is Iridescent, that aspect of him that can see colour is being surrendered back to her, because only with MC, can Lucien finally witness colours of the rainbow.

But of course, like all rainbows, they don't last forever, and MC uses this pen- in the name of colour- his weaknesses and the symbolism and connection of their relationship- against him.

MC: “Why?”

“I warned you before. You still had time to run too bad, you had no awareness of danger. Or one could say, you trusted me too much.”

He spoke in a tone that was provocative and mocking.

With ease, he ripped open a scar that hadn’t fully healed, and my tears came pouring out.

I don’t know why, but in that instant, I seemed to see a flash of sorrow in his eyes. But in less than half a second, he had resumed his composure. Then he pursed his lips and made a faint smile.

Thick blackness surrounded him. Even the brightest of setting suns couldn’t reach him.

But I still hoped that the hint of sorrow I caught was real. I hoped that he was still the way he used to pretend to be. But then why did his eyes seem so sincere?

Even now, I wasn’t willing to completely believe. My heart told me that it wasn’t lies.

Helping me save my final show was real. Rescuing me from danger was real. Every bit of encouragement and help was all real.

If all of that was real, how could the person in front of me now be fake?

I strained to find in his eyes any sign of pain, struggle, even a moment’s hesitation. But there was none.

There was nothing at all. We were like two strangers.

“Ares, what are you waiting for?”

I don’t know where my strength came from, but in an instant, I held something sharp to my neck. I tremblingly held the pen, sensing the bitter taste in my throat.

Seeing my action, everyone froze.

How ironic! He clearly gave it to me as a gift, and now it was carrying out its mission like this.

“You won’t do it.”

My neck was in terrible pain, and half my body was going numb.

I didn’t even realise that a trickle of blood was streaming down my neck. We stood there, neither of us was moving.

“Don’t do anything foolish.”

You’re right, I am too foolish. When I was at my lowest, he held out a hand of friendship to me and I took it in with full trust.

And now here he was again, saying that same voice I was so familiar with, that was all a trap.

He stood there, aloof and cold, with all those emotions swirling in his eyes that I never understood before. Now I final understand. It was the thrill of laying a trap and the joy of watching your prey take the bait.

MC: “Let me go.”

“You think you can negotiate with me?”

MC: “You still owe me a thank you gift.”

A tear rolled down my face silently. (This line killed me.)

He smiled mockingly.

“I can let you go, but next time, you won’t get such an opportunity. Don’t let me catch you next time.” (In other words he means, "pen you did well, now she can escape.")

MC: “Next time I won’t trust you, Ares. I will never trust you again. Because you aren’t Lucien. He would never harm me. They have nothing to do with each other!”

He turned but said nothing. That was the last time I saw a gentle look in his eye. Then he looked up at the sky as his whole body emerged into the shadows, and he continued onwards.

The pen fell from my hand onto the ground. The “X” etched onto it gleaming, seemingly telling me a story. -Chapter 13-19

"I saw the pain in my owners eyes and felt the trembling of the girl's right hand passing through me... grasping me as she left, she could not control her shaking body. She seemed to be holding onto me with all her strength, as if I was her only support.

I was accidentally dropped to the ground and rolling into the dust. but the girl didn't seem to notice, as she was in a trance looking up at the kites in the sky. But the girl crouched down to pick me up and gently wiped the dust off of me. Everyday at nightfall, I knew how much pain she endured and how much she cried in her sleep. I thought she would abandon me, but she did not... -Rainbow Luck Rumours and Secrets

n a way, it's also a silent promise, or a reason for him to keep returning to her. The tie that she always clutches secretly in her pocket that she, too, still cares for him and still thinks of him. MC still evens put the effort in the take care of Iridescent, making sure it doesn't get lost or broken. This is similar to how the ginkgo bracelet is a form of support from Gavin to MC.

As I put away my camera, I again reflexively felt around inside-

MC: “Oh no!”

A ball of sweat fell from my forehead. Where was that pen!?

A single possibility suddenly presented itself to me- but another thought immediately supplanted it-

MC: “It’s his anyway. The staff will give it back to him…”

Having confidently convinced myself with that reasoning, I left.

See how they're back to how they were from the beginning- where she was starting to get to know “Lucien”, but now she’s starting to view him as “Ares”. The two personas correlating to this one pen.

I banged my head on the table. I clutched my head in pain, and the metal pen rolled away, stopping before a pair of black shoes. Then I saw a slender hand daintily pick it up.

“You came back to find this?”

He looked at me with a playful look on his face. He raised his eyebrows and held the pen in front.

“Don’t lose it again.”

I reached out for it, but that sunny late spring day suddenly flashed before my eyes, and I started to regain my posture. Maybe I shouldn’t have come back for it.

MC: “Never mind, I’m always losing things. And it doesn’t belong to me anyway. At this point, it should go back to its original owner.”

He slowly and deliberately put the pen away, then gave as light nod. -Chapter 16-11

"With determination, the girl gave me back to my owner. The moment he took me, the last thread linking them together seemed to have broken. My owner withdraw his gaze from her and after a long time he said softly, "my little fool". The words sounded unfinished, with untold tenderness hidden behind them. But in my opinion, should the fool refer to my intelligent owner himself?

I couldn't help but think, did my owner lose his colours? Or will he find them again, someday? Because, those who have seen the rich colours of the rainbow, would not be reconciled with grey again." -Rainbow Luck Rumours and Secrets

But in the end, the pen was returned back to MC.

Lucien carefully took out the pen from his pocket and placed it in the girl's hand. The he leaned over and whispered into her ear-

"Next time, don't rush into danger by yourself. Especially on my account." -Chapter 16-22

Like how Lucien would always come back to her- Ares or not, because those are his true colours- that Lucien, like how he’s also “iridescent”, would show all sides of him to her, and that he would love MC no matter which side he's on.

#I CAN EAT DINNER NOW #literally typed out the whole of chapter 13 #proud of myself #恋与制作人 #love and producer #mlqc #mr love queens choice #mlqc translation #mlqc analysis #mlqc cn #mlqc en #mlqc Lucien #mlqc xumo #xu mo #Lucien #mlqc spoilers

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inavagrant-a · 2 years

Text

@starsdescent said: ❛ maybe you’re right. ❜ / lumi !

This is the part where he’d say naturally, but quite honestly he’s in no position to boast, at least not behind a prison cell like this. He merely hums, hidden behind the cell’s towering shadows. The only proof that he’s present being the small little red decorative ball he’s bouncing off the wall across from the bed he lays sitting up. Some young little girl dropped by with the chief alchemist earlier today to interrogate him, he assumes to get some information out of him. It didn’t quite work out unfortunately for the knights, the ex-harbinger has made his conditions clear, less they meet him halfway he won’t be stressing himself to meet them on the other side. The fugitive assumes that little girl gave him the ball out of… pity? He can’t exactly remember that little girl’s name, but he didn’t have the heart (hah, he’s none in the first place) to deny her the gift of good willed innocence on her part. However, the ex-harbinger does recall that it started with a K and remembers her face quite well. How can one forget with such a bright smile that even his cell seemed to come alight. If he had a heart to speak for itself, it would be overjoyed. For a few seconds only the ball bouncing off the stone wall, cemented floor, and then him catching it to only repeat the process again is all Lumine gets from his part until the repetition of it all exhausts him to boredom. He catches the red dodoco-ball, as that little girl so endearingly called it, in his palm and sighs, pressing his head back against the hard wall. “Of course I am.” He finally answers with a smile, gleaming eyes focusing on her. “Your little knight friends won’t release me just because you say so, darling.” It was obvious that they weren’t, and Kunikuzushi knew, but in an act of good faith he allowed them to put their hands on him and talk, negotiate, but of course thus far both parties were too stubborn to budge.

“Don’t touch the bars, they’re infused with something that drains elemental energy.” He warns her as he gets on his feet and paces over to them with the intention to speak to her face to face. Truth be told the bars can’t harm him to an extreme, but going through the trouble of prying them apart to only come out weakened from the exertion and exposure would still be a waste of time for him and a loss. “You can thank your chief alchemist for that.” He chuckles once he’s before her. “I need to get to Sumeru, Lumine.” She knows he has the gnosis on him, that’s not something she doesn’t know, however the reason behind him journeying there though related to the gnosis, isn’t something he’s willing to go into detail about… at least not yet.

“My intention was never to remain here,” he looks about though truly there’s nothing else to really look at, he’s cooped up in a damn prison cell like some criminal. “It seems like your knight friends believe that it was, I only needed time to rest and then I was going to be back on my way.” Not once in his life did he stay in one place for too long, not once. Subconsciously perhaps, he sought the change to avoid the monotonous symphony that was eternity. “Could you, oh I don’t know,” he shrugs, “use your Honorary Knight status and put in the good word for me, hm? I would very much appreciate it. We’re at... an impasse of sorts, so lets not waste anymore of my time... and theirs of course.”

prompt / accepting

#starsdescent #[ᴍɪsᴄ]── ASKS.#[ᴠᴇʀsᴇs]── FUGITIVE.#[ɴᴏ. sɪx]── IC.#him: i can't believe i'm being treated like a criminal #he is too much you r honor awraxawraxa

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dreary-rain · 3 years

Text

The Storm Protects (Ch.1)

Continuation of this post

Venti/Aether

Warnings: angst, violence, injuries (full tags on AO3)

Find the full story here

The sky was cloudless as Aether strolled through Mondstadt, Paimon floating at his side. He stopped by the Adventurer’s Guild and chatted with Katheryne about upcoming commissions. After waving hello to Donna, Aether slipped inside Angel’s Share. It was a bit too early for the regular crowd, but there were a few people scattered around.

“Diluc!” Aether greeted with a smile. The redhead glanced up from where he was cleaning a glass.

“Aether, good to see you. How are you?” Diluc asked and set the glass down.

“No greeting for Paimon?” Paimon asked and crossed her arms. Aether shook his head with a smile and sat down at the bar.

“I didn’t forget about you,” Diluc said with a smile. “How are you, Paimon?”

“Paimon is doing great! But it would be better if you had something to eat.”

“Of course,” Diluc said and reached under the bar, pulling out a plate of food. Paimon’s eyes lit up, and she turned her attention to eating.

“Thank you,” Aether glanced back at Diluc. “I’m feeling better. It’s been a rough few weeks.”

“I can imagine. What brings you here?”

“I just wanted to see you. Well, I did have a question and a request, but that can wait.”

“By all means, go ahead. I’ll listen.”

“Well, in that case…” Aether cleared his throat and looked down. “Do you know what happened to… to the… to the Fatui who…”

“Ah, them.” Diluc saved Aether from having to spell it out. Aether had faced a dragon, fought a Harbinger, and fallen from the Jade Chamber, but nothing had brought him closer to death than his slip-up with the Fatui agents. Even now, he had trouble believing he had almost been killed by mere Fatui. But there had been plenty of strange occurrences that day. Battle after battle in a relatively peaceful area in Liyue was rather unusual. It was almost like his day had been planned by someone else so that Aether would be too exhausted to fend off the Fatui.

But why? Aether didn’t want to consider the possibility that not only the attack itself, but the entire day was planned just to kidnap him.

“I’m surprised you aren’t already aware. They were found dead at the Stone Gate.”

“Dead?” Aether looked up in shock. “That’s the first I’ve heard. And right where I was ambushed…”

“Well, it’s been two weeks since it happened, but you were still on bed rest. We didn’t want to alarm you while you were healing.”

“I understand. But who…” Aether stopped. “Diluc, did you—?”

“No. It wasn’t me. Someone got to the bastards before I could,” Diluc said bitterly. “Don’t look so surprised. Half of Mondstadt would kill for you.”

Aether looked down and clasped his hands in his lap. He stole a glance at Paimon, but she was too engrossed in her food to be paying attention. Aether knew what Diluc said was true, but it was still unnerving. Why would they go to such lengths for Aether? He wasn’t from Teyvat. He was an outsider, an outlander, someone who didn’t belong. He didn’t deserve the kindness and protection of so many.

“You don’t need to go to such lengths.”

“There’s no necessity of it. We want to protect you, and anyone who lays a hand on you will suffer.” Diluc rested his palms on the bar and leaned forward. “Let’s say it were Venti who was almost killed. To what lengths would you go to keep him safe and hurt those who dared harm him?”

Unconsciously, Aether tensed. If someone harmed Venti… Aether would kill them. Morals aside, no one would touch Venti and live. In his mind’s eye, Aether saw La Signora plunging her hand into Venti’s chest, stealing his Gnosis and then kicking him aside like trash.

Aether didn’t trust himself to speak, but Diluc saw the murderous expression on his face. If Aether ever saw La Signora again, he would end her with his own two hands.

“Do you understand now?” Diluc asked, and Aether nodded, taking a breath to relax. He was safe, Venti was safe, and La Signora was nowhere near either of them.

Uncurling his hands, he rubbed his palms to soothe the crescents his nails had left. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make the mood so sullen.”

“No worries. Now, I hate to cut this short, but business will be picking up soon,” Diluc said with a glance at the door. Aether quickly stood.

“I won’t bother you much longer. But I did have a request. I’d like to purchase a bottle of dandelion wine.”

Diluc raised a brow. “You’re underage.”

Aether resisted the urge to facepalm. If only Diluc knew that he and his twin were older than everyone in Mondstadt combined.

“It’s not for me. I have a guest coming over tonight and I’d like to treat him.”

“That’s what they all say,” Diluc shook his head, but there was a smile on his lips as he opened the cabinet behind him.

“Come on, Paimon. Time to go.” Aether slid enough mora to Diluc and took the bottle of wine. Paimon thanked Diluc for the food, and then they went to leave.

“Say hello to Venti for me,” Diluc said as goodbye. “And tell him to pay his tab or I’ll stop serving him.”

“He’ll weasel free drinks from your patrons if that does occur,” Aether laughed. “But I’ll remind him.”

“Take care, Aether.”

The sun was nearing the horizon as Aether walked home. The shadows were long, but Aether made a point of avoiding them. He always made sure to make it home before dark.

In worlds past, it had always been Lumine who was afraid of the dark. Aether would tease her about it, but he’d always make sure to leave a light on at night. Now, the roles were reversed. Aether couldn’t stand the dark, not without being reminded of his near death experience. He wouldn’t travel at night anymore, making sure to be in a safe place before falling asleep.

Meanwhile, Lumine was at home in the darkness of the Abyss. Aether wondered if she ever thought of him, or if she was so dead set on her goals that he was an afterthought. Would Aether have ever seen her if he hadn’t traveled with Dain? Aether was tempted to track down the Abyss Herald just to see her again. He would brave the terror-inducing energy of the domain housing the inverted statue just to see her again. He would fall into the darkness of the Abyss just to find her again, to beg that she come home with him.

But if their roles were reversed, would Lumine do the same? Aether didn’t want to know the answer. The bitter sadness that was left from her abrupt departure was too much to sort through.

“Aether, cheer up! Paimon knows you’re thinking about your sister again, but it’ll be okay. We’ll find her again, don’t you worry,” Paimon broke Aether out of his thoughts.

“You’re right. It may take some time, but we’ll find her,” Aether said with a small smile. There was no use dwelling on Lumine now, not when Aether needed to get ready for his guest.

Ever since the incident three weeks ago, Aether had been staying in an apartment in Mondstadt. Even though he had his teapot, Aether felt safer in Mondstadt, surrounded by people he loved. He didn’t want to burden anyone by asking them to join him in his teapot realm, but he was too lonely by himself. He couldn’t bear being alone. What if something happened and he was all by himself again?

Diluc had offered Aether his city apartment for as long as he needed to recover, but Aether had initially turned down the offer. It wasn’t until he’d been cooking in his teapot mansion and accidentally cut himself chopping vegetables that he reconsidered the offer. The sudden sting of pain and the blood welling on his fingers had sent Aether into such a panic that Paimon had found him huddled on the ground in the kitchen minutes later. It was at Paimon’s firm suggestion that Aether moved into Diluc’s apartment.

Aether made it to the apartment, walking up the stairs to his door. To his surprise, the door was unlocked. That was cause for alarm. Aether always locked the door when he left.

But he was in the middle of Mondstadt, and it wasn’t even night yet. Besides, there were two others who had keys to the apartment. One being its owner, Diluc, and the other being…

“Ehe, hello Aether. I may have let myself in,” Venti said from beside the stove. He was cooking dinner. Aether heaved a sigh of relief. It was just Venti. While hanging up his cape and scarf, Aether noticed Venti’s hat on the coat rack and his shoes at the base.

“It’s no problem. I’m going to change into something more comfortable. I wasn’t expecting you this early,” Aether said while pulling his gloves off.

“I know, but I wanted to treat you with dinner tonight. My food is quite tasty when I cook it right.”

“Well, thank you. I brought you dandelion wine. Diluc says hello, but wants you to pay your tab or he’ll cut you off.” Aether placed the wine on the table while Paimon floated over to Venti to help with the food. Well, she probably just wanted to sneak some food from the bard.

“That Mister Diluc always threatens me, but he always serves me reluctantly.” Venti stirred the contents of the pot. “Thank you for the gift. Which reminds me, I brought you something, though it’s a bit makeshift. I’ll bring something adequate next time.”

“Don’t stress yourself out. I’ll appreciate anything you give me. Now, I’ll be back. Don’t burn the house down in the meantime.”

Venti clutched his shirt in mock hurt. “Aether, you wound me.”

Aether just smiled and closed his bedroom door. He summoned his sword and hung it on the wall, then rummaged through his dresser for more casual clothes. When he was done, he joined Venti at the table.

“One Archon special coming right up!” Venti placed a plate full of food in front of Aether and Paimon.

“Is it just Paimon or does this look like a Sweet Madame?”

“Ehe.” Venti rubbed the back of his head and sat across from Aether. “It’s one of the few recipes I can make myself.”

“Well, it’s better than Zhongli. I’m not sure he even knows how to cook rice,” Aether pointed out. “He’ll lecture you all day long on the proper way to prepare rice for different meals, but I bet he wouldn’t even know where to start.”

“He’d be stuck the moment he needs to buy ingredients. That blockhead never changes,” Venti agrees.

“For being the god of Mora, Zhongli never seems to have any. Ironic, isn’t it?” Paimon said, eliciting laughs from Aether and Venti.

“Jokes aside, this tastes really good, Venti,” Aether complimented sincerely.

“Why, thank you. I try.”

Aether washed their plates when they were done. The sun had gone down, the sky painted in shades of red and pink fading into blue.

“Paimon, could you make sure all of the candles are lit?”

“No need to fret. I lit them before we met,” Venti assured while pouring himself wine. “Come sit back down and I’ll give you your gift.”

Aether sat beside Venti, who placed a flower pot on the table.

“Flowers?”

“Dandelions!” Venti said, gesturing to the Anemo-colored puffs. “They grow where there is gentle wind, and in Mondstadt they grow without end. While freedom is our creed, I think these little ones will love it here.”

Aether stared at the dandelions, drawing the clay pot a bit closer to him.

“And, uh, also,” Venti said a bit nervously, “I thought they’d remind you of me, so that even when alone, I’ll be with you in memory.”

It was such a thoughtful gift, given the circumstances, that Aether felt unbearably happy. In lieu of a response, Aether leaned over and hugged Venti.

“Thank you,” he whispered, smiling as Venti’s arms wrapped snugly around Aether’s waist. After a moment, Aether leaned back, relishing in the way Venti’s hands lingered a moment longer than necessary.

“I’ll put them on my bedside table by the window. That way I’ll see the dandelions every time I wake up.”

Aether stood, grabbing the dandelion pot, and gestured for Venti to follow. Paimon stayed in the kitchen, munching on cookies Aether had bought earlier in the day.

After placing the dandelions beside his bed, Aether sat down and pulled the elaborate hair tie off and set it aside.

“Help me with my hair?”

“Of course!” Venti climbed onto the bed behind Aether, crossing his legs and grabbing the end of Aether’s braid. “Do you have a brush?”

“Behind you.”

Venti deftly sifted his fingers through Aether’s long, blond hair, carefully untangling any snarls. Aether swallowed, closing his eyes at the pleasant sensation.

It was moments like this that reminded Aether of his feelings for Venti. The care and kindness the god gave him made Aether feel special. Out of anyone in the world, Venti chose to spend his time with Aether. Before Aether had arrived in Teyvat, Venti hadn’t stayed in one place for too long. He had gone where the wind wanted to go, but after meeting Aether, the Archon was never out of reach.

“You like that, hmm?” Venti hummed as he combed through Aether’s hair.

“Mmhmm. You’re gentle. Lumine used to braid my hair, but she’d always pull too hard on the tangles.”

“I braid my own hair enough to know how to be gentle,” Venti said softly. Aether couldn’t see him, but he sounded like he was smiling. Fingers ran down the length of his hair. “Your hair is much longer. And softer.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were back there petting my hair,” Aether teased.

“Maybe I am. It’d be a waste not to.”

Aether opened one eye and turned his head slightly to look at Venti. He was surprised to see a serious look on Venti’s face. It was one full of contemplation.

“Venti?”

“Tell me, Aether, what do you think of me?”

Aether considered the question. The obvious answer was that he loved Venti, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it. What if Venti didn’t love him back? It would ruin the friendship they’d built.

Except, when Aether thought about it, Venti didn’t treat Aether like another one of his friends. A mere friend wouldn’t come by Aether’s apartment every night, wouldn’t cook dinner and bring presents for no reason, and wouldn’t help Aether with his hair. An Archon wouldn’t abandon centuries of wandering to stay with Aether unless Aether meant something more to him. Venti hadn’t left his side since the incident with the Fatui, always checking in on him, protecting him.

Suddenly, Aether remembered his conversation with Diluc. The answer was obvious now.

“It was you, wasn’t it?” Aether mumbled. He looked at Venti, at his gaze so full of love and kindness, and realized he’d been a fool. This whole time, Venti had harbored feelings beyond friendship. Aether had been too oblivious to see it until now.

“Venti, I…” Venti perked up. Aether fought the rising blush. “I love you.”

Venti’s eyes widened, but then his lips curled into a soft smile. Venti leaned forward, eyes flicking down to Aether’s lips. Aether’s face flushed red, but he closed his eyes. Less than a moment later, Venti’s lips met his.

It was a chaste, simple kiss, but it sent tingles down Aether’s spine. Venti brought his hand up to Aether’s cheek, pulling back enough to speak.

“If the kiss didn’t convey the sentiment, I love you, Aether,” Venti said, his breath hot against Aether’s lips. “This is a bit of an awkward position, with you twisting around like that.”

As soon as he’d said it, Venti shuffled around, swinging a leg over Aether’s hips. Venti settled on his knees over Aether’s lap, forcing Aether to tilt his head up to see him.

“That’s better,” Venti said with a satisfied hum, then captured Aether’s lips in another kiss. Venti cupped Aether’s face with his hands, his lips plump against Aether’s. Venti kissed with a passion, fervent and controlled at the same time.

His right hand trailed to the nape of Aether’s neck, then tangled into his hair. With a sharp tug, Venti pulled on Aether’s hair, tilting Aether’s head at an even sharper angle. A soft gasp escaped Aether’s throat, his hands flying to steady himself on Venti’s waist.

“It’s been so long,” Venti murmured against Aether’s skin as he trailed his kisses along Aether’s jaw, “since someone has made me feel this way.”

Venti mouthed over Aether’s exposed neck, tightening the hand in his hair.

“Venti…” Aether breathed as Venti nipped at the base of his throat. His fingers curled around Venti’s waist at the sensation. He vaguely noted how small Venti’s waist was, how well it fit into Aether’s hands.

Venti’s hand fell away from Aether’s face to rest on the topmost button of Aether’s shirt. Quickly, Aether grabbed his wrist.

“Kisses are enough for now,” Aether said breathlessly. He didn’t think he could handle much more. Venti nodded, removing his hand and pressing a kiss to Aether’s cheek.

“We’ll stop here, then.” Venti brushed a strand of hair from Aether’s face. Aether noted smugly that Venti’s lips were red and slick. He looked a mess, but Aether was sure he looked worse.

“I never said no more kisses,” Aether whined as Venti slipped off of his lap.

“I know, but I don’t think it would be easy to stop if we got ourselves too worked up,” Venti explained. “But, I’ll give you all the kisses you want when I visit tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay,” Aether agreed with a blush and looked down. A finger tilted his chin upward.

“I love you,” Venti said with a wide smile. He giggled, kissing Aether on the forehead before walking to the bedroom door. “I’ve been waiting forever to say that.”

Aether stood to follow, a giddy smile on his own face. Venti loved him. It was as simple as that, and yet it made Aether’s heart swell with joy.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Aether promised as they walked through the kitchen. Paimon looked up from where she was sitting at the table, taking a break from floating.

She took one look at them before huffing, “Finally. Pining idiots.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Aether asked incredulously. Paimon just shook her head and took a bite out of her chocolate chip cookie.

“Goodnight, Aether,” Venti said and adjusted his hat after slipping on his shoes. “I love you.”

“You’re going to say that every time you see me, aren’t you?” Aether joked, leaving against the door frame.

“I’m a bard. I’ll come up with poetic ways to express my love once my head clears up.” Venti stood outside on the stairs. “Thank you for tonight. I left the dandelion wine. I’ll drink more next time.”

“See you tomorrow, Venti.”

“Until tomorrow.” Venti started down the stairs, then paused. “Aether, you should wear your hair down more. You look beautiful in a braid, but in the presence of your unbound hair, the beauty of the heavens fades.”

Aether blushed, pressing his lips together in embarrassment. He absentmindedly twirled his hair.

“Too much?” Venti asked sheepishly.

“I’m flattered,” Aether said. “A little embarrassed, but very flattered.”

“Hmm…” Venti‘s eyes flicked up and down Aether, then settled on his eyes. “I’ll have to make a point of flattering you. That blush suits you.”

“Venti,” Aether whined. “My heart can’t take it.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll take my leave now before I give you a heart attack.”

“See you!” Aether waved as Venti left. Then he shut the door, locking both of the deadbolts. When he entered the kitchen, Paimon was asleep at the table.

“How does someone who floats and eats all day get tired so easily?” Aether shook his head, then picked Paimon up and laid her down on her bed. She had insisted on having her own bed in the apartment, so Aether had found a child sized bed for her and placed it in the corner of his bedroom.

“Goodnight, Paimon,” Aether said. He fumbled with his shirt, hand pausing on the top button with a blush. All in due time, he thought as he changed into sleep clothes.

Aether climbed into bed, glancing at the dandelions on the bedside, and put his finger to his lips. He could still taste the dandelion wine from Venti’s lips. With a smile, Aether fell into a peaceful sleep.

“Aether!” Paimon’s high pitched scream startled Aether awake. His eyes snapped open and he shot out of the bed. It took a moment to gather his bearings, but that was enough time to recognize the danger he was in.

A hulking silhouette stood in the doorway, holding a struggling Paimon by the throat.

“Aether,” she whimpered, and Aether shot forward, reaching for his sword on the wall. He didn’t make it.

The window shattered as a man leapt inside and collided with Aether. He fell backwards from the force, his head slamming against the bedside table. The pot of dandelions toppled over with a crash. Black spots danced across Aether’s vision, but he struggled to his feet.

In such close quarters, using his Palm Vortex wasn’t the best idea, but without a sword it was his only option. Before he could use it, a gust of Anemo snuffed out the candles in the room. In the sudden darkness, Aether could make out the purple glow of the electrohammer vanguard holding Paimon, and the green of the anemoboxer in front of Aether.

Fatui. A spike of fear shot through Aether.

That moment of hesitation was all the anemoboxer needed to rush Aether, knocking him to the ground. A hand pinned him to the ground, wrapping around his throat and crushing his windpipe. Aether scrabbled at the hand, kicking to no avail.

With one hand trying to alleviate the pressure on his throat, the other lifted toward the anemoboxer in an attempt to summon his Palm Vortex. Anticipating this, the anemoboxer grabbed Aether’s wrist and twisted.

A sickening crack echoed in the room. Aether screamed and dropped his hand to the side. Despite the pain, he weakly raised his other hand, but the anemoboxer brought something out of his pocket. There was a sharp pinch on Aether’s neck, and he watched as the anemoboxer pulled an empty syringe away.

Aether tried to summon his Anemo, but nothing happened. The hand on his neck was finally gone, but his body felt lethargic. He gasped, coughing from being strangled.

“Aether,” Paimon sobbed.

“Leave the pixie. La Signora just wants the boy,” the anemoboxer told his companion. Aether heard Paimon’s scream followed by a thud. It was quiet.

Aether couldn’t fight the drowsiness forcing his eyes closed. He couldn’t move despite the panic coursing through him at the mention of La Signora. The electrohammer vanguard picked up Aether’s limp body, and he couldn’t fight back.

Aether thought Mondstadt was safe. He caught a glimpse of the soil spilled around the broken pot, the dandelions standing tall despite it.

Aether’s last waking thought was of Venti.

#venti #aether #aether x venti #genshin impact #genshin #genshin fanfic #genshin angst

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und3rc0ver · 3 years

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Exhausted (Some Chilumi cuz why not =D )

Haha computer go clicck clack.

After seeing @restlessfandoming writing some awesome fanfics, me -along with my mediocre vocabulary- thought I'll try to make my own. I found Chilumi cuz of their writing, so I think there's no harm in making my own.

P.s: if u read this, ur writing is superior to mine (@restlessfandoming)

(SPOILERS: Events after 1.1 update)

< Part One >

Why is everyone one here so needy?!?! Can’t I just have a break for one single day!?

Lumine - the hero of Mondstat, was tired, exhausted, and breathless. She hadn’t slept on a comfy bed, ate a decent meal, or even sat down and took a couple of breaths for herself for a good month now.

She’d just finished quest after quest, fight after fight, journey after journey. She couldn’t count how many places she visited today. And while it was heartwarming to hear the people’s thank-you’s and receive their rewards during her treks, it wasn’t enough to swing her out of this coma.

To her, it just felt instinctual. She doesn’t even notice it anymore.

And despite being a tad bit oblivious -and dare I say, stupid- at times, the traveller’s guide, Paimon, was the first to pick up on it.

“Oh god, you look more depressed than Diluc!” She joked; but to some extent, she was right. Lumine just shook those words off like some dust off her shoulder, as she ventured through the busy streets of Liyue.

"I'm fine.." Lumine said.

All of these adventures came at a cost: paid usually by time, energy, and patience. But when all was settled, she still hadn’t met all of the Seven, or even found a clue to find her brother.

The thought would immediately drain any happiness she found in Teyvat.

But of all the people she has met, and all the people she has fought alongside and against, only one really caught Lumine's attention.

The Eleventh Harbinger, Childe.

The flipside of a ruthless harbinger being as protective and supportive to anyone was puzzling her. Even after the Harbinger explained his morals and goals, she simply couldn’t fathom the idea of it.

They did have their share of tussles and disagreements, but when is all said and done, they made up rather quickly.

But one thing was for sure; she saw both sides of this coin, and she was intrigued by it.

Besides, seeing Childe being so energetic and silly with Teucer was pleasing to her. It warmed the traveler’s cold and seemingly hopeless heart.

Ah! She stopped at a vantage point overlooking the busy harbour of Liyue. Peering over a thin wooden fence, resting her elbow and head onto the rail.

“Perhaps he’s like a vigilante: he doesn’t seem to like the Fatui’s ideas, but he still is apart of them.”

Lumine was thinking hard, trying to place the right piece in this puzzle.

"It seems like he calls his shots for good results and benefits of his family." She mumbled to herself quietly. She remained puzzled, leaning on the fence, trying to recall what she knew about the Harbinger.

When he wasn't a merciless warrior, Childe was an energetic, and arrogant person: it was these traits that ultimately won over her trust.

However, it was difficult to think about him positively after he tried -and nearly succeeded- to kill her.

But it was not impossible.

Meanwhile, Paimon wasn’t going to just stand there and let the traveler think on an empty stomach.

“UGH,” she groaned, floating right in front of Lumine to obscure her view. “Can we please get something to eat?”

“Okay,” She responded, pulling out a chicken-mushroom skewer.

But like a picky toddler, she pushed the skewer away.

“Do you think I’m gonna eat this garbage again!??” She said furiously, followed up by a small growl from her stomach. “We’ve eaten the same thing for five days straight! Don’t we have like 800 000+ Mora that we can spend?”

At this point, Lumine was too tired to deal with such a small event like this. Pulling a pouch from her bag, she poured some into her hand, and gave it to her hungry fairy-guide.

“Knock yourself out,” She huffed, facing Liyue’s harbour once again. A ship was docking at one of the city’s ports, full of goods and food to trade and sell: which was what stole the traveller’s attention at the moment. It would take a couple of tugs on Lumine’s dress for her to bat an eye at Paimon.

Lumine sighed,

“Not enough?” She asked, looking to snatch the pouch from the guide’s tiny hands.

“Why don’t you come with Paimon?!?! What if someone tries to steal me?!?”

“You’ll be fine..” Lumine answered, “The Millieth will save you anyways.”

“Come on!!” She wailed, tugging Lumine’s arm this time. “Stop thinking about who you want to marry and get me something to eat!!”

The traveler's eyes twitched.

It was this comment that nearly made Lumine explode. Why? It was clear as day that Lumine was quite fond of the people here. Plus, she had an embarrassing habit of staring at people she liked a lot. Anyone observant could see the signs from a mile away. Unfortunately for her, she was just too tired to be anrgy.

“Okay, okay,” she said sluggishly, stretching her arms and letting out a small yawn. “Where do you want to go?”

“I wanna try the Tigerfish from that Chen guy, people say it’s one of the best foods in Liyue!”

So off they went to find Chen, the street food vendor, which was surprisingly easier than Lumine thought.

After a ten minute wait, they arrived at the front of the line, where they were greeted by Chen’s big wide smile. This could’ve been the time where Lumie could treat herself to a little snack; but, she wasn’t hungry, and opted to stay silent.

For now..

“We’ll take four Grilled Tigerfish, please!” She ordered happily. After all, she wasn’t the one to worry about a single expense.

“Alright!” Chen said joyfully. “That’ll be 1520 Mora, please.”

Reaching into the pouch, she pulled out enough to cover the bill, along with a 150 mora tip.

“Say, Traveller,” He looked at the unenergetic Lumine, confused. “Seem a bit down today. Finding your fame in Teyvat to be overwhelming?”

She just laughed it off, taking the grilled skewers from Chen, and passing it to Paimon.

“Well, not really,” she lied.

Because everyone would want the “Hero of Mondstadt” to help them out.

“Just another busy day, full of commissions from all over the place.”

With the transaction now complete, Lumine began to walk towards the Adventurer's Guild to collect her rewards from all those commissions. But a call from a distance pulled her right back to Chen's food kiosk.

“Here,” he smiled, giving her an extra fresh-skewer.

“But shouldn’t I-”

“It’s on the house for today: I insist,” He said kindly. “Seems like you work hard to keep our city in good shape. Take it as a token of appreciation. “

Although it was a kind gesture, Lumine was skeptical of having it: she felt a bit guilty for practically stealing it.

But, if Paimon sees a good deal, she acts quickly.

“Thanks Chen! See you later!!!” She cheered, grabbing the Grilled skewer for herself.

“Anytime,” He replied. “Safe travels!”

“You too..!” Lumine said awkwardly, dragging herself away from Chen's kiosk.

Though she felt guilty at first, she felt pretty good after that kind gesture from Chen. It almost put a smile on the Traveller’s face.

Almost…

While Lumine was traversing through the busy, and colourful streets of Liyue, Paimon -who was starving for the last three hours- inhaled those fish like a vacuum.

Lumine was totally fine with eating her 10th chicken-mushroom skewer today. After all, she liked the plain dish when cooked right: but like Paimon, she too wanted a different taste.

And she, too, wanted to try Liyue’s Grilled Tigerfish.

With a sudden stop next to the Jade-betting kiosk, Lumine gave in, and sighed.

“Got any.. left..?” She asked hopelessly, knowing full-well that there’s probably none left for her anyway.

“Yeah!” The fairy said, holding two skewers of the grilled fish in her hands. “I knew you wanted to try these! They are reeaaally good!!”

One bite, and Lumine loved it. She gulped them down faster than the wind itself! This was a taste that brightened her day: one that made the girl lick the stick to get some more flavour.

Together, they walked around the busy plaza, arriving at the Adventurer's Guild commission board. Both were a bit curious if there were any newer commissions up-for-grabs.

But their luck ran out, and there were none to be seen. Both a shame, but strangely, a relief for Lumine.

I must’ve finished a lot of them. Should get me a decent reward, and maybe a break-

“Hello, traveler,” An all-familiar voice said, drawing the two’s attention. Of course, Kathyrine, the receptionist of Liyue’s Adventurer's Guild branch, was talking to them.

“I assume you’re here for your rewards for today?”

“Yeah..” She admitted.

“Today you completed 8 commissions in Liyue, correct?”

Just as she asked, Lumine slipped eight papers, all signed by each citizen she’d completed a task for.

“Well, it seems that you’ve come prepared,” Kathyrine chuckled. “Here’s your reward.”

The pouch of Mora seemed quite heavy, which Lumine knew would be 60 000 Mora (since each commission would be worth about 7 500 Mora, depending on what an Adventurer would do). It would be enough to buy her a place to stay for a couple of nights.

“Thanks,” Lumine said, gently shaking the pouch of Mora in her hand.

“Actually,” the receptionist continued, “Someone has been causing a lot of trouble near the Golden house. A couple of our adventurers have gone there and came back severely wounded, with one still in hospitality as we speak.”

“Oh,” was all that came out of Lumine’s mouth. She definetely wasn’t expecting a commission there.

“Sorry, where was it again?” Lumine asked.

“I believe this person would be in or around the Golden House.”

“Okay,”

That certainly rang a bell in the traveler's mind.

“As one of our more… experienced members, would you like to take a look and see what’s happening?”

Of course, Lumine wasn’t the kind to back down. It was this trait of hers that helped her save Mondstadt.

“Will do,” She responded.

And off she went to investigate the Golden House.

* * * * *

“You sure you don't want to come in too?”

“I think it’s better for Paimon to sit this one out.”

Once they reached the enterncenof Teyvat's Mora stash, Paimon decided to disappear into her own little world, leaving Lumine alone once again. But she wouldn’t be alone for long, because the feelings of fatigue, and nausea were slowly creeping towards the traveler. Once she cracked the door open enough for her to slide through, she tip-toed her way inside, trying her best to not reveal her presence. But for today, luck was definetely not on her side.

Out of nowhere, an electro-blade flies right next to her neck, begging to pierce Lumine’s skin. But she did not flinch a single bit. She just looked dead-pan into the eyes of the culprit:

Childe.

“I see you’ve come back for a rematch, eh?” He said slyly, letting his blade de-materialize from his hand.

“And you are here to cause some more trouble?” She countered, slowly walking towards the Harbinger: a deep, serious look at Tartaglia's lifeless eyes.

“I guess you can say that,” He admitted, now twiddling with his water blades. “Some have told me you're a workaholic now. No?”

“What makes you say that?” Lumine questioned, sword in hand.

“I’m a Fatui!” He laughed, gesturing towards the ceiling. “I have eyes and ears everywhere.”

At this moment, something weird was happening to Lumine. She felt nauseous, and tired all of a sudden: that burst of energy from having the Tigerfish was now depleted. She felt like her usual-self, or at least the one she presents to most people that meet her.

But worse.

She felt vomit from her throat, and judging on how relatively lumpy the texture was, it probably was those Chicken-mushroom-skewers she’d eaten for the last ten days.

Despite all of it, she still stood tall in front of the Harbinger, not letting herself give in just yet.

“So,” Tartaglia teased, wielding his signature bow. “Are we just going to stand here and look pretty, or are we going to fight?”

She wanted to say yes: she wanted to beat him convincingly: she wanted to assert her dominance.

But her body held her back.

And when the battle began, she dropped her sword right next to her feet, unable to hold it properly anymore.

“Ah, guess you don’t need a sword to beat me?” He said, his weapon hanging at his side. “I like your confidence, Ojou-chan.”

The name rolled off his tongue in a way that made Lumine flustered.

Still, with little energy left in her, she used Anemo energy to retrieve her weapon, and fought fiercely.

Punch for punch.

Block for block.

Blade for blade.

With his bow, Childe released a horde of arrows right at Lumine, but she effortlessly danced past all of them. Imidietaly, she changed a ball of wind to fire, but a slick move from the Harbinger made Lumine look silly.

It was mezmarizing watching the two go at it.

After a very intense skirmish, the two broke apart from each other, taking a small moment to breathe.

For Childe, he regained his strength to fight once again.

But Lumine had a trick up her sleeve.

And all-or-nothing, last-resort move, she had never tried before.

With the last game of energy left in her, she rushed towards the Harbinger, zooming past everything Childe threw at her.

And when the time was right, she tackled him to the ground, catching him off-guard

Luck seemed to finally be in her favour.

But not for long.

* * * * *

"Uh, boss..?" A mysterious, light voice said, panting heavily.

"What..?" Another voice -a little deeper in tone- replied.

"The Millieth are on the scene as we speak, I just got out of there without being seen."

The deeper voice laughed hysterically.

"Millieth? You pathetic coward. I guess I'll have to find it myself-"

"N-NO WAIT!" The light voice pleaded, "there's no need: I found a pattern on the floor, that may interest you."

The darker voice stood tall, looking down to his inferior.

"And what might that be..?" The darker voice snapped, holding the other by their collar.

"There's-There's a pool on the floor."

The boss dropped his co-worker from his grasp, leaning back in his throne.

"What was it…" He said, aggravated.

A pause came from the co-worker, leaving the boss on the edge of his seat.

"WHAT WAS IT!?!" He screamed furiously.

"B-b-blood and v-vomit, and some water.. sir.." The lighter voice whispered.

The boss smirked, twiddling a small dagger in one hand.

"Blood you say?" He asked curiously, leaning close to hear the other's response.

"Y-yes M'lord!!"

"... Good…"

Idk when I'll write pt.2, but thanks for reading anyways.

#childe #lumine #genshin impact #genshin impact lumine #genshin impact childe #childe x traveler #childe x lumine

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the-neverletmegoxo · 4 years

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The Fae and the Prince

Author: Ok so i can’t stop writing LOL. Please please enjoy! Reblog, Heart, blah, blah, blah!

Summary: Reader and Sabrina are now in Pandemonium and finally meet Caliban... but trouble is brewing.

Part 2:

Tears were rolling down your face. You couldn’t believe it. Your mom had been lying to you your entire life. I mean I guess you could understand as to why she kept this kind of secret from you, to protect you, but at the same time, you couldn’t help but think it was because it was easier for her. The brisk air made you clutch your jacket closer to your body.

Greendale was a creepy town, especially at night, but for some reason something felt off. It felt like someone was watching you. You glanced at the forest’s edge, a few minutes away from Sabrina’s. Something caught your eye. A pair of glowing green eyes were staring right at you. For a mortal, this would be alarming. A mortal would run, but they drew you closer. They were hypnotizing. You were in a complete trance.

“Y/N!?” you heard a muffled shout call your name but you didn’t turn your head away from the luminous orbs.

“Y/N come on! We don’t have much time!” Sabrina snapped at you.

You turned your head towards her and told her you were coming. You turned back towards the line of trees. Nothing. The eyes had vanished.

You made your way up to Sabrina’s room, but you couldn’t shake all that had just happened. Your family history, the world being off kilter, those eyes. Those eyes..

“You ready?” Sabrina’s voice brought you back to reality.

“Yes, ready”, you said.

You grabbed each other’s hands and started chanting in Latin a spell out of a book Sabrina had borrowed from Ambrose.

“Don’t let go of my hands and repeat after me: Ut me ad locum, infra eum locum. Ut me ad locum, infra eum locum. Ut me ad locum, infra eum locum.”

A gust of air that made the pages in the spellbook flutter violently. Yours and Sabrina’s hair whipped dramatically as a blue light flashed before your eyes. Suddenly you weren’t in her room anymore. You had never been to Hell before, but this is not how Dante described it.

You looked around court and it was glorious. Everything was so intricately decorated. The throne that Sabrina was supposed to claim was made of pure gold. There were skulls covering the entire thing, with a plush, red velvet spot to sit on. The rest of the room was illuminated with a red glow, and the room smelled of bergamot. This is definitely not, what you thought hell would be like. You turned toward Sabrina who had ventured off to Lilith to explain our plan of finding the first unholy regalia.

“And who might you be?” a husky voice whispered behind you.

You turned around to find yourself staring at the man from the beach Sabrina had described to you. His eyes were so… green. You let a gasp escape as he gave you a devilish smirk. ‘No, it couldn’t be’, you thought to yourself.

“Caliban! Stay away from her!” Sabrina yelled across the court.

“Caliban”, you said under your breath. You glanced back up at the Prince of Hell himself. He stared at you as if he was looking right into your soul. His eyebrows furrowed together as if he had seen something puzzling.. As if he figured out who you truly were.

“Y/N. That’s my name,” you said to him.

“Y/N,” he repeated back to you in a way that you had never heard your name said before. It sounded ethereal, angelic, like someone had swirled their finger around the rim of a crystal glass. He brushed his shoulder past you as he made his way toward Sabrina. His eyes never left yours. Finally, he turned toward Sabrina, “What are you and your friend doing here in pandemonium, don’t you have a crown to find?”

You finally let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding. Hell, almighty he was absolutely.. You didn’t know how to describe him for fear you would do him injustice. His bronze hair fell just below his jawline. It had a distressed wave to it that made you want to rake your fingers through it. He was wearing nothing but leather pants and an elaborate leather vest, that’s it. His chiseled chest peeping through the pieces of strewn together leather. You couldn’t help but stare as he spoke with Sabrina. Not realizing you were, he caught your eye, and you jolted yourself back to reality. You glanced back towards them and he was still staring.. This time with a grin that made you stomach drop.

“Sabrina you must deal with the Hell Kings now. They want to hear about your planned reform for Hell”, Lilith said in an exasperated tone.

“I can’t leave Y/N here on her own! Especially with this one near”, gesturing towards Caliban.

“Sabrina it’s fine! I’ll work on the task we came down her for.”

“And what might that be, love?” Caliban looked at you with his dreamy emerald colored eyes.

“None of your business, prince”, you said glaring at the god-like form in front of you.

“Ok, Y/N. But please, please be careful. Lilith will you watch over her.” “I can’t. As your regent I must accompany you at your meeting with the kings.”

“Sabrina I’ll be fine. It’s just a library.” “Alright but stay there until I get back. As for you Caliban, stay away from her.”

“I can’t make any promises, princess.”

Sabrina showed you the way to the unholy library. On your way there, you couldn’t help but curse at yourself for how foolish you were acting. He was the prince of hell for crying aloud. Nothing can happen between the two of you. Especially considering the fact that you were half angel. There has to be some god-forsaken rule about your kinds… ‘oh god Y/N, don’t even think like that!’ snapping at yourself for even thinking like that.

You and Sabrina arrived at the mausoleum of a library. As a book nerd and historian, it was your dream come true. It had the tallest ceilings with a Michelangelo-type painting on the ceiling of Lucifer’s fall from heaven. You chuckled to yourself, for you had seen the Sistine Chapel and laughed at the fact that this was the imitation of the great painting. You walked through the white marbled room. Each row of books had a Corinthian column in front of it. You touched the cold stone and couldn’t help but feel as though someone was behind you. You quickly turned around. Nothing.

“Hmm. Ok let’s start with ‘H’ there’s gotta be something on Herod” you said to yourself.

You meandered through the row titled ‘H’ and found something on Hephaestus, god of blacksmiths thinking that that might kill some time and maybe you could find something on crown making. You found a few more interesting books. One on Hecate, goddess of witchcraft.

“That one would be helpful for Sabrina! Mother of witches.. maybe we could contact her or something”, you said to yourself. Your finger trailed along the dusty, marble shelf. Just as your fingers were reaching for History of Hell you felt a breath on the back of your neck. A chill ran down your spine. You turned around and Caliban was standing inches away from you.

“You sure you wanna checkout that book, love?”

“What are you doing? Why are you in here?” As you took a step back. In perfect unison he took a step as well.

“Well, love, I came to check up on you. And glad I did as I see you were about to touch something you shouldn’t have.”

You could sense the innuendo in his voice. “What are you talking about? It’s a library for goodness sake. What harm could come from a book.” You smiled to yourself for just having quote your favorite move, The Mummy.

“You’d be surprised love. We are in Hell.”

You laughed nervously as you looked up to the Adonis-like man staring down at you. The electricity between the two of you was undeniable. You glanced down at his exposed chest and for some reason was able to hear nothing but his breath. In and out. In and out.

“Y/N? You there, love?”

“Would you stop calling me ‘love’? It’s getting quite old and I’m not even your love.”

“So you think..” Caliban said under his breath.

You heard what he said but didn’t say anything for fear that you might reveal that you felt something towards the prince. You scooted past him with an armful of leather-bound books stacked up to your chin and made your way towards the mahogany table in the center of the room.

“So, what are you anyway?”, he questioned.

Your eyes went wide and stopped mid-step. Hoping Caliban didn’t notice you set the books down on the table. Pivoting towards him you glared, brows scrunched together.

“What are you talking about? I am mortal. I’m one of Sabrina’s friends from Baxter High.”

“I don’t believe you Y/N.”

After him saying your name you wish he was still calling you by the pet name he had given you.

“I am a human being. What else would I be? I’m not a witch or else I wouldn’t need any protection from Sabrina.”

“No, no. you’re right. There’s just something about you. You have this aura around you that I can’t read.”

‘So now he’s a medium? Who the hell is this guy?’ you thought to yourself.

He continued on, “It’s just when I meet someone who is not of this world I can sense it. I can read them through their eyes. Your eyes are very telling, yet they don’t reveal anything except for the fact that you know things. You’ve seen things, not in the cunning sort of way, but in a way that you know how people feel, what the earth feels.”

The last sentence he said made your stomach drop. ‘How did he know all of this. You had just met him. Lord Y/N he’s the Prince of Hell. Get that through your head.’ “I really don’t know what you’re talking about, please I have to help Sab—.”

A horrifying screech interrupted you mid-sentence. In one swift motion Caliban put his body between you and the ghastly sound. You threw your palms over your ears in an attempt to muffle the wail that came from the other side of the library. Caliban grabbed you by the wrist and pulled you into one of the rows of books.

“Wha—” you tried to say, before he put his palm over your mouth. Slowly he pulled his palm away and put his index finger over your lips, tugging down your lower one slightly. He glanced down at your plump lips. Your eyebrows raised in annoyance saying ‘This is not the time, bro.’

After a few moments you heard nothing. Looking up at Caliban for reassurance he shook his head saying ‘Not yet.’ Not a second after you heard what sounded like talons clawing at the marble floor. It sounded like nails on a chalkboard, but worse. Your eyes went wide, as Caliban swiftly pulled you into row ‘K’. Thank god you were wearing your boots without that clicky-heels or this could have been a very different situation. The prince of hell pulled you in front of him, while his back was against one of the marble columns.

You didn’t know what was following the two of you and you especially didn’t know a way out. You craned your neck to see if you could get a better look at the monster. It was no use. You could only use context clues to figure out what was hunting you down. ‘The screeching howl, the talons tapping, not being able to make any noise.’ Your mind remembered back to a story your mother had told you as a child, about demons of hell. There was one that stood out to you for being the most frightening.

“A Gallu!” you mouthed to Caliban.

His eyes went wide, confirming your hunch. He nodded his head for he knew what to do. “Stay here,” he mouthed back to you.

He placed you in the position he once was and made his way towards row ‘M’. You prayed to.. you didn’t know who to pray to anymore, you just prayed Caliban had a solution.

#caos #caos 3 #caos netflix #chilling adventures of sabrina #sabrina spellman #caliban #prince caliban #caliban x reader #mythology #pandemonium #imagine #fanfic #fantasy #fae #fae witch #nick scratch #harvey kinkle #im bored #please read

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savagesbonergarage · 4 years

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The Beginning

Maul x reader x Savage

Prompt: "Howdy, it's the anon who requested the Exploring headcanons. May I request a short fic explaining how reader met the boys?"

(a/n: Based on these headcanons. I hope this isn't too long! I tend to get carried away with these really easy so I'm sorry if it's not short enough 😅 I enjoyed this one! I hope you like it! And sorry for the delay! Warnings: none, I think? Maybe slight harassment, idk.)

Secondhand smoke wafted through the dank air of the cantina while the music blared and cups clanked, though there was no particular reason for celebration other than having survived the previous job to work again another day. The local bounty hunters were hogging the transmitters as per usual, all of them extra rowdy and extra desperate for a job that paid enough credits; not that you weren't in the same boat.

Although bounty hunting wasn't your forté, being the navigator for those who did prefer to do the dirty work simply wasn't cutting it lately. More often than not, your piloting skills were robbed by getting these drunk idiots somewhere safe on a particularly bad night. It was your own fault for being foolish enough to do it - but then again, you always were a diplomat at heart. No one else was looking after these nobodies, and truth be told you'd grown fond of their antics. Their constant alcohol-fueled advancements, not so much.

"Baby, you're so *hic* good to me," a drunken weequay slurred as he tugged on your arm, "you gotta let me kiss ya, ya know, ta say thanks."

"You smell like a hutt's refresher, Chev." Your retort didn't seem to phase him, no matter how hard you rolled your eyes. In fact, it only seemed to encourage him.

"A Hutt! Am I a powerful Hutt, like *hic* Jabba? Will you do a little dance for me, baby?"

His reply earned some muffled laughs from many of the men that were listening in, the newbies among them intrigued to see what kind of woman you were, and the regulars in anticipation for what was to come. You even caught a glimpse of Asajj's temporary gaze from her seat in front of you as she seemed ready to lend a hand, knowing that no one with any sense would dare to mess with her. You shot a reassuring look her way, your smirk enlightening her to your intentions as you removed the weequay's grip.

"Tell you what, Chev," you began, a light of hope going off in his face, "If you can steadily walk three whole laps around the bar, I'll do it."

He practically lept out of his skin, spilling his drink all over Embo's anooba which elicited a barrage of vicious growls from the creature, though it's owner held it back.

"Really? You'll *hic* dance for me?!"

You leaned in closer, feigning a silkiness in your voice.

"I'll do more than that."

Chev darted back up onto his feet with all the determination and resolve in the galaxy and fixed his wonky hat.

"I won't disappoint you, m'lady!"

He didn't make it seven steps in before he tripped over his own boot and crashed into the ground. You almost felt bad for leading him on like that, but it was for his own good. One of his buddies bent over to check on him and confirmed that he was down for the count, but okay. Endo mumbled something in his native language about how Chev was as sloppy with his drink as he was with his kills and that if it weren't for you doting on the more pathetic hunters in the area, there would be more jobs to go around. You reminded him of the times you had to rescue his own ass, and he kept quiet.

Still, you couldn't help but ponder the truth of his words. This profession wasn't for people like you, especially not in the service of bounty hunters and the like. Your heart was a little too big for the world of dubious credit-earning, and sympathy wasn't going to keep your ship running.

Your train of thought was broken by the sudden exciting activity surrounding the main transmitter.

"Whoa! A million credits?! Who is this Savage Opress?"

Asajj wasted no time in taking the target for herself, and no one objected. You did manage to get a glimpse of the man the well-paying bounty listed, however - a black and gold-skinned zabrak, with a countenance full of hate and the eyes of a predator. You were intrigued to say the least, and curious as to what kind of wrongdoings occurred to have that large of a bounty placed on his head. There was a pull that tugged at your chest the longer you stared at the holoprojection, as though the force itself were trying to tell you something. You weren't even sure if you believed in the force, but whatever this feeling was, it gradually became overwhelming. The moment Asajj left the vicinity you rose from your seat, determined to find the answers you sought.

I might actually be losing my mind this time, you thought as you sat in the cockpit of your ship, watching earnestly as Asajj's ship disappeared from view into the atmosphere. You had strategically placed an untraceable tracker beneath it before she flew off and it seemed to remain undetected the longer you waited, forcing you to commit to your actions. You didn't even know what you were trying to do exactly - steal the bounty from her? Simply follow her to the destination and wait for another sign?

A sigh escaped your lips as the tracker revealed her ships course on your display screen, the far planet of Raydonia coming into view. To head out that far into the galaxy after an infamous bounty hunter chasing a mysterious and likely dangerous bounty was nothing short of insane, and yet you guided your ship into space anyway. You wondered if you would ever spend a night in that cantina again.

You carefully navigated into the belsmuth sector without detection, making sure to maintain plenty of distance between you and Ventress' transport. By the time the lush planet of Raydonia came into view, she had already made contact with the planets surface a few minutes beforehand. You debated on whether or not you should also land your craft, or remain off-world until you had a better idea of what you were even out there for. Settling for the latter, you shifted power to your ships cloaking device and waited. Whether you liked it or not, that overwhelming feeling was telling you that whatever you were seeking would be coming to you - and no, you didn't particularly like it.

I should turn back. I have no desire to cash in on this job, assuming I would even succeed at it. There is... darkness. Maliciousness.

You swallowed as you watched a large vessel that appeared to be a turtle tanker exit Raydonia's atmosphere and a sharp jolt plunged into your chest. It was there, whatever it was. Something sinister. Your survival instincts begged you to flee, to live to work another day and avoid the sure danger that was aboard that freighter, and yet...

The cockpit of the tanker was ejected from the main vessel into space, and you sensed that Asajj wasn't successful in collecting the bounty. Was it your turn? Were you actually going to risk your life for such a dangerous job that you had no chance in hell of surviving? Your nails dug so hard into your arms that painful little half-moons littered your skin and your teeth clenched in frustration. Did you want to die?

Why am I attracted to this darkness? This evil? Why am I here? Maybe it will kill me, but...I have to know.

Your hands seized your ships controls and you pushed forward to the freighter, unsure of what to expect, and even more unsure of what the maelstrom in your heart was made up of. Your little vessel was small enough to dock against the side of the turtle tanker, latching on without a hitch. Any sensible person would absolutely not have done that, let alone shut off all power depriving yourself of any defenses or means of escape. Hell, maybe you did want to die.

Suddenly, you felt it. They sensed you the moment your transport connected to theirs.

There's more than one?

A burning crimson saber penetrated through the durasteel frame, sending sparking embers of warning your way as you left your seat and stood exactly in harm's way with your hands behind your back. The blade was making quick work of the metal, nearly completing a makeshift doorway into the unknown, however you remained unafraid. Against all odds, fear wasn't holding you back; not even after the giant durasteel puck came crashing down to reveal what you had apparently come all this way to find.

The wielder of the saber was none other than the large black and gold zabrak you had glimpsed back at the cantina and beside him was another of his kind, only with vermilion skin that ended at his torso, with strong metal droid-like appendages serving as his legs. They were a sight to behold, fearsome and clearly dangerous, and that darkness...

You didn't have much time to think before the larger of the two zabraks threw you over his shoulder and brought you into the freighter's cargo hold, then threw you down against a pile of shipping containers. You winced in pain yet remained fairly calm, even with the tip of the vicious giant's saber at your neck. His gaze met yours, those luminous golden orbs filled with the beastial rage and hate that served as any predators message to their prey before they were killed. Strangely, it fascinated you. If what was in your heart was reflected in your own eyes, there was no acknowledgment of it in his.

"Savage, who is this?"

Your attention moved to the crimson zabrak at the sound of his surprisingly sultry voice as he moved closer, though it was laced with the intentions of a killer. The darkness enveloped him like a veil of blackness, as though he had been molded by it. For all you knew, maybe he had been. These men likely weren't going to let you leave this vessel alive. The man called Savage uttered a resounding growl, once again making you aware of the deadly weapon at your throat.

"I don't know, brother."

He dug his strong hand into your shoulder and pulled you closer to the hot blade, your skin burning in anticipation.

"Why are you here?"

Your voice was firm, but quiet.

"I wish I knew."

Your answer wasn't satisfactory enough, and Savage grabbed you by the throat and pressed you down onto the hard surface of a container. It was painful and you struggled to breathe, but you didn't lash around or try to pull his hand away when you wrapped your own around his massive wrist. His brother now stood to your side, his countenance displaying curiosity and interest more than anything.

"It seems she's being complacent, Savage. Allow her to speak freely."

He reluctantly released you from his grip, allowing you to slide your back against the cold container as you held and cleared your throat. His saber was still ignited and they both remained menacingly close, not that you were foolish enough to try anything. The red zabrak spoke again, this time asserting his dominance by handling the interrogation.

"How did you find us?"

You felt compelled to relay everything truthfully and without compromise, so you did exactly that.

"I tracked Ventress here. In all honesty, I have no idea what I sought or for what reasons, but I knew she would lead me to it."

Savage growled once more, pointing his saber in your direction.

"Are you a bounty hunter?"

"Only when necessary."

"Did you come here to collect?"

"I considered it. I knew I wouldn't be able to, nor did I think it would be wise to try."

"And yet here you are," Savage's brother interjected, a small smirk tugging at his lips, "Tell me, do you have any idea what we are?"

You analyzed them closely, the pull of the force fueling your answer.

"You're Sith."

He now smiled fully.

"Very observant. I sense that the force is present in you, little one. I assume you have no allegiance?"

You wanted to deny his claim, but deep down you knew he was right. How else would you have gotten yourself in this situation? Furthermore, you suspected if you weren't force-sensitive, you would have died a long time ago.

"Not particularly."

You sensed Savage's frustration before he spoke.

"Brother, we don't have time for this. We need to focus on our mission, not toy around with this girl. Let's dispose of her."

His words were unsettling, yet you still didn't feel afraid. You wondered if you did come here to die after all. His brother must have sensed this among your other winding thoughts, as he knelt down to be closer to you.

"Do you not fear death? Do you not fear us?"

Again, you answered honestly.

"I suppose I should, but no. I don't. I'm not sure why. You're powerful and strong and I sense the atrocities you've committed, but I don't fear it."

"If not fear or anything similar, what is it that you feel?"

You swallowed, part of you wanting to be ashamed, the other longing to admit your truth freely.

"I suppose if anything, I feel...admiration. Perhaps a longing to contribute to whatever cause ignites such passion. I have no desire for power necessarily, but I have a desire to-"

"-to serve?"

You felt so exposed at the realization of your own needs, especially under the watchful eyes of the two Sith Lords that invaded your space. You particularly didn't want to admit to something as submissive as servitude, yet there was no use in denying it. Your face flushed a little before your tone regained it's firmness.

"Kill me if you like. Whether or not I live or die, I won't be leaving this ship. If you do decide to end me, will you give me the satisfaction of knowing your goals beforehand? I want to know what marks the sith intend to make on the galaxy."

The red zabrak nearly chuckled, cupping your chin in his fingers.

"What is your name, little one?"

You relayed it to him, part of you melting after hearing it echo from his lips with that voice of his. He proceeded with his own introduction.

"I am Maul. I was apprentice to the most powerful being in the galaxy once, but a Jedi took all that away from me and more. I suffered for more than a decade with my injured body and mind, until Savage discovered me and I was restored. I have sworn revenge against that very same Jedi who has only just escaped here, and now it is certain that every Jedi will be seeking us."

Revenge, huh? Yeah, that checks out.

Savage was still anxious to get this over with. You pondered Maul's words, your foolish heart finding any sympathy for the Jedi lacking. It already had been ever since the start of the clone war, however that pull once again drew your emotions in favor of the sith. You voiced your suggestions genuinely.

"If that's true, you'll need an army. Experience has shown me that if you have enough credits, bounty hunters will be loyal to anyone. There's no shortage of them among the pirates on Florrum. As for credits, the Meridian sector isn't far from here. I don't think there would be much stopping you from acquiring all that you would need."

Maul smiled. He rose up and offered his hand to you, the heat of his skin unexpected after you took it and got back onto your feet.

"It is the will of the Force. Savage, I believe we have our first recruit."

From that moment on, you became the beacon that guided the zabrak brothers across the galaxy. Your navigation and negotiation skills proved more useful than they ever could have imagined. Eventually they grew just as fond of you as you were of them, your relationships nearly bordering on casual romance at times; and you wouldn't have it any other way.

#maul #star wars #darth maul #savage opress #tcw #maul x reader x savage #darth maul x reader #darth maul x you #maul x reader #maul x you

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fortune-fool02 · 4 years

Text

More than Appearances

Beast Jonathan Joestar x female reader

Requested by: anonymous

May I request a Beauty and the Beast au? We're Jonathan is the beast and the reader is beauty. Bonus points if it's like the original fairy tale then the Disney version.

Beauty and the Beast AU

As requested, this is based more on the original fairy tale than Disney, if you don’t know the original tale of it, look at ‘abitfrank’ video of it on Youtube.

Please enjoy.

It was something many would find silly and cliche. The story of a young woman falling in love with a beast for some deeper meaning of love meaning to love more than appearances. And that mostly the case with this, though there was more to it.

A light sigh slipped her lips as [Name] closed the book she had been reading and leaned back lightly in the large chair, her mind a bit too preoccupied to allow her to focus on the book. The recent events that led to her being here was all just strange for her but, for the sake of her family and her “captor” -could she really call him that?- she had to remain.

[Name]’s father often worked away from London to be able to support his family and, during one of these business trips, his carriage had crashed quite some miles away from the city. He wandered the wooded area, trying to find a path when he had stumbled upon a lovely manor that sat upon a small hill with fields of flowers behind it and wooded area around it, like a cloak almost. The soft lights that glowed from the windows was welcoming, informing the man of life inside of the manor and possible help.

He entered the manor and was surprised to find it seemingly empty yet a roaring fire awaited him, offering him warmth to fend of the biting cold that nipped his skin. A meal also awaited him. It was strange but [Father’s Name] needed it. By the time daylight came around, he was ready to leave and explored the garden before he did. There, in the vibrant garden of roses, lilies and other manner of beautiful flowers, was a rose. The most beautiful rose he has ever laid eyes on. The petals were vibrant and rich in colour, no indications of withering and the stem was a lovely shade of green. It was stunning. [Father’s Name] knew that it would be the perfect gift for his daughter, [Name], and so carefully plucked the rose from its bush.

That was when the owner of the manor made his appearance. Dark fur that covered his entire form that stood well over six feet tall, horns that curled backwards slightly from his head, blending with the colour of the fur. Bright, luminous blue eyes that held a glow to them not unlike a cat’s eyes. Remains of what appeared to have been clothes covered the fur as well, fine stitching and good material. The beast had demanded to keep him for stealing his precious rose and her father begged him to let him go, explaining how the rose was going to be a gift for his daughter.

That did seem to affect the beast’s decision, altering it so that in exchange for the man’s freedom, he wanted the daughter instead. Though, the beast said that he didn’t want the father to sugarcoat the situation, he wanted the daughter to know what was happening and her consent for it. He even gave the father a crate full of jewels and money to be able to support his family if the daughter refused to come.

When her father told her, [Name] was consumed with shock and concern for her father. She didn’t wish to see him trapped with the beast and so agreed to this, much to her family’s dismay.

The beast, who called himself Jonathan or JoJo, was nothing like she had expected. He welcomed her politely with a smile and small bow, and showed her around the manor before inviting her down to dine with him. He was, dare she say, nothing short of a gentleman. Jonathan gave her free-range of the manor and she thanked him for all he did for her. Still, this was all strange to her but she was willing to accept it.

A knock at the door was heard, pulling her from her thoughts.

“Come in.” She called, turning her gaze to the door as it opened and Jonathan entered, a smile on his lips when he saw her. She returned the smile, “Hello JoJo.”

“Hello [Name], how are you finding everything? Are the books good?” the beast asked, closing the door behind him and approaching her side, taking a seat on another chair. She nodded,

“Yes, they are really good. Thank you for bringing them to me.” It was not uncommon for him to bring her gifts in the form of books or other things she asked for or he found that he believed she would like; and she would do what she could to show her gratitude and appreciation of these. The two had spent hours talking to one another during her time here, and had grown to become fond of each other. He, despite his beastly appearance, was far more humane than the people she has seen late at night in London, fighting in the streets. He smiled,

“You are most welcome, I am glad you like them.” He reached into his jacket -which [Name] had repaired, along with his other torn shirts and clothes, a way to show her thanks to him- and pulled out a small, white book, handing it to her. The front cover had the word “Wish” written on it. “This is also for you. It allows you to wish for whatever you want.” She took the small book from his clawed hands and carefully examined it,

“Thank you, JoJo. This is beautiful.” [Name] spoke, [Eye colour] orbs looking through the book with curiosity. Jonathan smiled at this, pleased that [Name] enjoys all he has to offer her. As she examined the book, he took a breath and looked at her.

“[Name], will you marry me?” he asked her, his tone soft and gentle as sunlight on a warm day. [Name] took a soft breath and looked at him, shaking her head a little.

“I’m sorry, JoJo, but I am not ready for that.” She responded. This was not the first time Jonathan has asked for her hand in marriage, he has asked her frequently during her time here. And each time, she has denied him. When he first asked her, she was terrified of angering him but he assured her that whatever her answer was he would respect it, and he did. [Name] could not deny that she had grown to develop feelings for Jonathan but to be asked for marriage was too soon for her, and he understand and accepted that, much to her relief.

Perhaps...maybe one day she would accept his request for her hand but she didn’t know. Still, she kept herself focused and thanked him again for the book. Jonathan smiled and left her alone with the book. He knew that his behaviour may seem very forward but he could not help himself. [Name] was beautiful, her kindness towards him all but melted his heart. Even in this cursed form, she treated him as she would any normal person she met, and he appreciated that. For too long he has been greeted with fear by those who stumbled upon his manor despite his attempts to show he meant no harm.

Yet, [Name] did just the opposite. She treated him as a human and he felt warm because of it. His heart would bloom with that warmth whenever he was around her and he cherished the warmth. He took a small sigh outside of the room and turned on his heel, walking down the hall and continued with the arranging of the library.

#jonathan #jonathan joestar #jojo bizarre adventure #jonathan x reader #jonathan joestar x reader #jojo bizzare adventure x reader #jojo #jojo x reader #phantom blood #phantom blood x reader #pb #part 1 #jjba #au #beauty and the beast au

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officialleehadan · 4 years

Text

Feather Bundle

Hello darlings! Today we have something really fun in store! Our first-ever AU Crossover!

For reference, AU stories (for any series) are their own separate cannon, and don't nessisarilly tie into either of the parent-series. They are, however, SO MUCH FUN to write!

Today's awesome prompt was brought to you by Bradford! Thank you so much for your support, and I hope you love it!

Prompt: Vree learns about angels and demons from a very familiar pair.

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Vree very much wished he had never left Ha’reet.

Genuinely.

Deeply.

On Ha’reet, portals to who knew where were not a thing that happened.

And now Vree was in a tavern that seemed to be mostly full of humans and human-Others. At least there were some human-Others in the room, and several looked even stranger than Vree himself in this company. At least there was that.

Of course, Vree also had no idea how to get back to his ship. None of his technology seemed to be working despite his best efforts. Finally, he gave up on the tech at all, and pressed his thumb to the little white scale Lady Hoshi gave him. It glimmered under his touch, tucked safely under his arm-band, and the scent of ice surrounded him.

Help was, hopefully, on the way.

With nothing better to do, Vree eyed the tavern, tucked his tail down between his legs, and went inside to wait for rescue.

Securing a drink was somewhat more difficult, but Vree had a habit of tucking change into his pockets in case needed it, and Ha’reeti coins turned out to be as valuable wherever-he-was as they were back home.

Drink acquired, and food on the way, Vree settled down at a table to wait.

An alarmed cry and a tremble of power skated over his skin.

Vree, driven by pure instinct finely honed by his humans and their ideas of fun, vaulted his table and dove under the counter.

A portal, very much like the one that Vree himself had fallen through, ripped open over Vree’s table.

A bundle of feathers crashed to the floor, overturning the table and raising shouts from the taverns’ patrons as they scattered away.

The ball of feathers struggled and failed until it separated into two distinct humans. They turned out to be a pair, male and female. The male’s wings were bigger, and deep black with a glimpse of white among the darkness. The female’s were pure, soft white, but the edges glinted with silver. They seemed, in all ways a comparison of opposites, dark to light reversed on each other’s skin and wings. To Vree’s surprise, they both bore large, feathered wings that tucked in close as soon as they were detangled, but didn’t quite relax. Vree recognized the posture after a long discussion with his own Human-Liara, who had quite a lot to say about wing-language.

They were afraid.

“Peace,” Vree said into the waiting tavern, and set his drink aside to show them his empty hands as he got to his feet. His tail bristled, but he managed to get his ears to perk up, friendly and inquisitive, but clearly not hostile. “Can you understand me?”

“Yes,” the male human said, a step in front of his female. His black wings mantled protectively, and he eased her back behind him, eyes glinting red with magic. “Where are we? How did you summon us?”

“I didn’t,” Vree said gently and stopped when they both tensed at his approach. “Are you hurt?”

“No,” the female said, fingers clenched on the male’s arm anxiously as she looked around. Her tight curls fell in her face, and she looked close to panic. Vree could relate. “Where are we?”

“I don’t know,” Vree told her kindly, one eye on her mantling mate, who’s eyes flickered about the tavern, waiting for an attack. “Would you like to step outside?”

He vaguely remembered outdoor tables, and anything with wings like that would probably be more comfortable under open sky.

Strange how wrangling alarmed humans made him feel right at home.

He was relieved when they paused, and leaned in close, not speaking, but clearly easy enough together to not need words.

“You go first,” the male decided tightly with a glare for the tavern. “If this is a trap, you won’t like what happens.”

“It’s not a trap,” Vree said soothingly, and walked slowly for the door, which was propped open to the warm breeze outside. “We may even be able to help each other.”

“I seriously doubt it. If you-“

“Blake, he means no harm,” The female cut him off before he could do more than start to mantle again, and Vree hid a smile as he showed them outside to the tables, out of sight of the door, and the odd crowd inside. Fortunately, it seemed that two feathered humans falling out of midair was not the strangest thing to grace this particular tavern. “Thank you. My name is Angelika.”

“I am pleased to meet you, Human-Angelika. My name is Vree. Ha’Reeti.” Vree said, offering his species-name as was the human custom, and bobbed his head politely. She stared at him, but didn’t comment when he turned to her mate. “May I know your name?”

He already knew it, but manners helped a great deal when putting humans at ease. And really, they couldn’t be worse than Lord and Lady Petros.

The make hesitated and shuffled like an anxious bird, before Angelika combed her fingers through his flight-feathers gently. “Blake. You said something about not summoning us?”

Summoning. Vree vaguely remembered something about summoning magic during a discussion with Lady Hoshi, but they had gotten distracted and not come back to it.

“I did not. I have no human-magic,” he assured them, and brightened when one of the servers appeared with his drink, and several glasses of water for them all. He waited for the server to go, this time with a few odd paper scraps from Human-Blake’s pocket and a request for drinks, before continuing. “I was also brought here by portal, although I do not understand how or why.”

“Fun,” Human-Blake muttered, and glared over his shoulder at his own wings. They flared open, and he winced. “Blast.”

“I can’t put mine away either,” Human-Angelika told him softly, and scooted over until she was tucked under one of Human-Blake’s wings, dark skin and white feathers luminous against the deep black of his own. He sighed, glared, and let her take his hand. “Vree, you called us… human?”

“Are you not?” Vree hoped they were, otherwise he had just been very, very rude. “It is considered mannerly on my ship to designate allies and crewmates with species-monikers to prevent confusion. Most humans I have met also presented their Other-heritage upon introduction.”

“Huh,” Human-Blake muttered. “Angel, we are not in Kansas anymore.”

“I noticed,” Human-Angelika murmured back to him, and offered the server a gentle smile when he returned with their drinks. “Vree, I don’t suppose… you said Other-heritage? What is that?”

“Non-human Earth species,” Vree translated easily, and blessed lessons with Human-Amir and Human-Nerea on etiquette. “Please forgive my assumption, but most humans do not have feathered wings. Or indeed, wings of any kind.”

They had another of those wordless conversations, foreheads close together and wings nearly tangled.

“I’m not human,” Human-Angelika said at last once they came to some sort of decision. “I’m an angel. Blake is a demon.”

“My apologies, Angel-Angelika,” Vree accepted the correction, and pulled out his notepad on instinct to scribble down the terms to ask his humans about later. “As to our plight here, I do have assistance coming, and Lady Hoshi may well be able to answer your questions. She is a dragon, and is very wise.”

“She’s a what?” Demon-Blake lunged out of his seat, wings flared wide. Angel-Angelika caught his hand before he could get far, and he stared down at her, before relenting at her gentle pull. “Dragons aren’t supposed to exist!”

“Lady Hoshi definitely exists,” Vree offered, and caught himself holding onto the tip of his tail, a cub-fidget he thought he had broken himself of years ago. “And she is kind. If anyone is able to get us back where we belong, it will be her.”

“You’re pretty confident for someone who got dropped through a portal into God-knows-where,” Demon-Blake said rebelliously, but gave in when Angel-Angelika pulled him back to sit next to her. “So. Portals.”

“I truly wish this was the strangest thing that had ever happened to me,” Vree admitted with a very resigned sigh and a weary thought over the rest of his life. “But unfortunately, this event, although alarming, has not made the top ten, and so far, does not seem likely to do so.”

“Even finding about angels and demons?” Angel-Angelika asked as if it were an oddity he ought to note. She pushed her tight curls back over her scarf and gave him a sweet smile. “You’re very brave.”

“Dragons were worse,” Vree mumbled into his drink as he took a bracing sip. “I don’t even want to think about djinn, and I’m going to have to do a paper on the Fae soon and I suspect they’re as bad as the dragons. So unless you’re worse than all of them….”

They were staring. Vree morosely took another sip and resolutely did not think about the convention in six months, nor the pile of invitations on his desk.

“I think we might need more information,” Angel-Angelika told him after a long while and a gentle request to the server for food, accompanied by more of what Vree thought was probably some sort of money. “So how about we trade you? Since you don’t know anything about us, and we don’t know anything about you, I mean.”

Information. Vree liked information. Information didn’t always make thing less complicated, but it definitely made it easier to figure out what was going on. Before he could reply, a gust of ice-scented air wrapped around him, and he sighed in relieved. “Lady Hoshi.”

“Vree?” Lady Hoshi’s voice rippled through the snow that glittered down from the cloudless sky. The snowflakes whirled and turned into a ghostly image of the dragon herself. “It will take me a few hours to make a portal. Are you safe?”

“Perfectly safe, thank you,” Vree said respectfully as his companions gaped at him, expressions of mingled wonder and alarm. “I believe there may be an instability of some kind. My companions are also from… elsewhere.”

“An angel,” Lady Hoshi said softly, snow catching in Angel-Angelika’s hair and on Demon-Blake’s black feathers. “And a demon. How interesting. Very well. I will give it my attention. Stay safe, dear Vree.”

And then she was gone, snow fading away without a trace, and Vree allowed himself a smile. If she had found him, she would also find a way to return him safely home.

Demon-Blake seemed to be muttering profanity. Angel-Angelika was finger-grooming his hair as he hid his face in her wings.

“Since it seems we have some time,” Vree offered tentatively when they seemed calm again. “Would you tell me what angels and demons are? I admit, I have never heard of your Other-heritage before.”

Angel-Angelika opened her mouth, but another portal suddenly ripped through the air, and a black cat, covered in odd red spines, and sporting a torn ear, the mark of a long-healed fight, dropped through, already hissing. It sported small white patches under the chin and at the base of both ears, and glared balefully at Vree with red-glowing eyes.

“Sproot!” Angel-Angelika cried, and gathered the hissing cat into her arms, heedless of both spines and hissing. The cat immediately went from growling to purring as it nuzzled up under her chin. What happened? Is everyone aright?”

The cat purred louder and butted Demon-Blake’s hand when he reached out to scratch at the white spits, leaving a trail of silver hairs in his wake. The cat chirped up at them, and they nodded along as if it was truly speaking. Finally, it settled into Angel-Angelika’s arms, no longer covered in spines, but still watchful.

Vree tried not to stare. Staring was usually impolite.

“Sproot is another demon, a little like Blake,” Angel-Angelika said when the silence became uncomfortable. “We have help coming too, but it will take a while.”

“As you say,” Vree said, and tentatively offered his fingers to the cat. Lady Hoshi had several cats in her home, and had taught him the proper way to greet them. “Hello Demon-Sproot. I am Vree. Angel-Angelika, since it seems some time, would you still be willing to tell me of angels and demons? It seems there is a hole in my knowledge, and I would very much like to learn from you before Lady Hoshi brings me home.”

Angel-Angelika smiled, and stroked her fingers through Demon-Sproot’s fur, making the cat purr even louder with each pass. Demon-Blake unbent enough to lean over and press his face into the soft black fur with a soft croak that sounded fond.

“Only if you tell us your story as well,” Angel-Angelika said with a wry smile and a glance at the sky. “After all, it’s hardly an adventure without a good tale to share when you get home.”

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