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#[ he loves trinkets and objects so much
pirateborn-a · 1 year
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     Roger absolutely loves treasure. He is Always utterly thrilled to find a chest in their travels and he’s constantly barely able to hold himself back in his excitement long enough to take their loot to a more secure place or their ship.
     He loves the way gold coins and jewels shine in the sunlight, and it will never fail to be mesmerizing to stare at. He adores finding ornaments so decorations or cups and so forth because of the stories they might tell. It’s never about the material value to him, nor is he ever allowed to decide the ship’s budget, the job resting more safely in Rayleigh’s or another’s hands,  because he absolutely will spend and has spent it all on frivolous or entertaining things.
     It’s simply the aesthetics and adventure in finding treasures that will always be an essential part of pirating in Roger’s eyes, and a side he holds with fondness.
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floatyflowers · 7 months
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Dark Husbands! Vampire, Merman, and Faerie x Human! Reader
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Merman
Azure is very protective of you, his human wife, you, and he doesn't like it when other humans or merfolk try to get close. 
He will wrap his tail around you, glare at the intruders, and growl softly to warn them off. 
Also marks you with his scent and bites, to show that you belong to him.
The merman is fascinated by your culture and customs, and he wants to learn everything about them. 
He asks you many questions, listen to your stories, and try to imitate your actions actions.
 He will also collect various human objects that he finds in the sea, and give them to you as gifts. 
Makes you drink a potion every week so you can breathe underwater.
He will be very proud and happy when you praise him for his efforts.
Azure is very affectionate and attentive, and he loves to pamper you.
By bringing you fresh fish, seaweed, and pearls, and make you a cozy nest in his underwater cave.
The merman prince massages you with his hands and tail, sing to you with his beautiful voice, and cuddle with you for hours. 
Will tell you how much he loves you, and how lucky he is to have you
The merman is very curious and adventurous, and he likes to explore the ocean with you.
 He will show you the wonders of the sea, such as coral reefs, sunken ships, and exotic creatures. 
Azure teaches you how to swim, breathe underwater, and communicate with marine animals.
Very protective of you during your journeys, and will  make sure that you are safe and comfortable.
He will be very upset if you ever him alone, or decide to go back to the surface world. 
In the end, he convinces you that the ocean is better than the land, and that he is the only one who can make you happy.
"I want you to carry my eggs"
Vampire
Dracula is very cruel and sadistic, and he enjoys torturing you.
He will bite and scratch you with his sharp nails while being intamate with you.
The king of vampires will also force you to drink his blood, which will make you sick for days.
Might mock and humiliate you, just to try and break your spirit.
Your vampire husband is very arrogant and selfish, but he cares about your financial needs.
 Never ignores you nor neglect you, because you are always on his mind.
Will lock you up in his mansion, isolate you from the outside world, and monitor your every move. 
Using his powers to, he compels you with his mind, erase your memories, and manipulate your emotions. 
He will make you dependent on him and loyal to him.
Dracula is very dangerous and unpredictable, and he likes to play games with you. 
By challenging, testing and tricking you, He will never let you know what he is thinking or feeling, or what he is going to do next. 
He makes sure you fear him and crave him.
"I might turn you, very soon, my dear"
Faerie
Your husband, Zephyr, tricked you into marrying him, how? You may ask.
He simply told you his real name.
You see, the only ones who know Faeries's real names are their parents.
So, when a Faerie tells a human their name, it is like marriage in their world.
Yeah, that's how you ended up marrying your Faerie husband.
Zephyr kidnapped took you back with him to his realm to live in his home, which is now yours.
He is very romantic and loves to surprise you with little gifts and tokens of his affection. Zephyr often brings you flowers or other small trinkets that he has found on his travels.
However, he turns nasty when he is jealous, after all, faerie creatures are naturally born evil and deceiving.
So, when he sees some faeries bullying you for your appearance.
He murders them in the most vicious way right in front of your eyes.
Something which traumatized you.
The fact that he didn't get punished is because simply he is the Faerie's king nephew.
"Don't worry, my love, no one is going to ever make fun of your appearance again"
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viviennevermillion · 9 months
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love languages
✧ ɴᴏᴛᴇꜱ: hsr debut post, hope this does well. i'm only at chapter 2 part 1 so pls bare we me. (gn!reader), aeons can walk among mortals for this
✧ ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: bloom in the dark — emorie
✧ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀꜱ: blade, dan heng, jing yuan, luocha, march 7th, nanook, yaoshi
✧ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ: some angst & hint at character death in blade's because i'm still figuring out how to write anything but angst for a character whose main objective is that he wants to die, i had way too much fun making the aeons eldritch
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✧ giving: gifts
As much as Blade loved you, as much as he treasured the memories he shared with you and as much as he'd hate to cause you pain or grief; you were all too familiar with his predicament. You had been ever since you agreed to stay by his side, to love him for as long as you had together. That was the price you'd pay for loving a man who considered himself dead in spirits already. A shell of who he once was.
Part of him felt guilty for indulging you; how could he call himself yours when he'd take the exit from his cursed immortality if it presented itself before him tomorrow? How could he promise you his heart if he couldn't promise you a future?
He knew there was a chance he might outlive you by centuries. He knew there was a chance he'd say goodbye to you in a month. Still, you were willing to be with him, through all the uncertainty.
So he gifts you things to remember him by, should he part from you too soon for your liking. Some of them were expensive; after all he had more than enough life behind him to no longer be bound by material limits. Some of them were simple trinkets or flowers he preserved using glycerine. All of them held meaning but the overarching message was: "We were born in different times. If it were for the natural order of things, we never would have even met. I've been suffering since long before I met you. And yet, curiously, despite all; I treasure every moment I had with you. I'm glad to have loved you."
✧ receiving: physical touch
One thing Blade would have never expected when he met you; but was more than glad to realize, was that you could make him forget his anger and pain, even if it was for just a while; even if it always inevitably returned.
He loved falling asleep in your arms. It was the closest thing to the peace and salvation he craved that he could currently have. For just a few hours, he was content. He had forgotten what that felt like.
He loved the feeling of your fingers carding through his long, dark hair. And you loved the smile you so rarely saw on his face when you did this. Blade's breathing would calm and he'd nuzzle your neck as he was being held in your arms.
Blade also loves waking up in the middle of the night, feeling you shift in bed beside him and pressing a few lazy kisses to his lips before he fell back asleep.
He loves the way you tend to his scars, how you seem to wash the pain off his body with your caring touch; despite feeling guilty for how he has made you worry again. You'd end up disinfecting and bandaging his wounds and sometimes he had to chuckle at how you treated him as if he was fragile, despite having likely seen more hardships than you could ever imagine.
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✧ giving: acts of service
Dan Heng doesn't really know how to express his love for you at first so he defaults to helping you out however he can.
He helps you with little jobs around the Astral Express and loves to team up with you for any missions or chores that fall on both of your plates.
Especially with all the knowledge he gathered from the archives and basically living in there; he's more than ready to help you figure out any mysteries you encounter on your journey with the Astral Express.
If he needs to explain anything to you or answer a question you have about stuff like the Aeons or any factions you encountered, he'll often pull you onto his lap at the desk and show you important info about it in a book or online. "I hope I could answer your questions. Did this help you?", he then asks you, looking into your eyes. "Yup!", you shoot him a smile and give him a quick kiss to the lips which leaves him blushing and just staring at you for a while.
"Hey, Astral Express to Dan Heng, you still there?", you chuckle and wave your hand in front of his eyes. He just blinks like, twice and then picks you up bridal style: "Come on, let's figure out that task Himeko gave you." He's just trying to distract from the fact that you flustered him.
Sometimes he tries to cook for you. The emphasis is on tries. You'll walk into the train kitchen and he'll be there stirring something in the frying pan and glancing at a recipe. "What are you doing there, love?", you ask and kiss his cheek. "I'm making lunch for you", he states and you hug him. "Aww, that's so sweet of you!", you press a few appreciative kisses to his lips, "wait why does it smell burnt?" "What-"
✧ receiving: quality time
Dan Heng is what we call 'a good listener'. He's not the best conversationalist but he likes to hear you talk and he remembers stuff you told him that even you have forgotten about until he one day just brings it up out of nowhere.
He loves to spend the time between trailblazing expeditions just hanging out with you. You check your phone and receive a text from him like "Hey, want to come over to my room? 🫀"
"?" "March told me that I should add a heart to my messages to make you feel more loved. Did I not do it correctly?" "Dan Heng, sweetie, no..."
You enter his room and he has made you two cups of coffee, the only thing he's actually good at "cooking". The two of you have decided to watch a movie and lay down on Dan Heng's mattress. "I can feel the bones in my back snapping in half, how do you sleep on this?", you raise your eyebrow. "I don't think it's that bad", he mumbles, seeming lost in thought.
While watching the movie, he has his arms wrapped around you. His only opinion about it is "it was good".
Also enjoys playing board games with you, specifically card games. You're pretty equally matched so there's no telling who wins this round. When he wins, you ask him what he wants as a reward and he just gives you a soft smile and tells you a kiss will do.
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✧ giving: physical touch
Jing Yuan is a fairly affectionate man behind closed doors. He doesn't leave for work without giving you as many goodbye kisses as you want and doesn't let go of you throughout the whole night while he sleeps. You could get up and grab a glass of water from the kitchen, as soon as you return, Jing Yuan wraps his arms around you once more; even when he's in deep sleep.
He enjoys just sitting idly with you, both of you doing your own things and he's just holding your hand or has a hand resting on your thigh. He also loves when you lean your head on his shoulder and as soon as he feels you do that, he turns his head to place a kiss on your forehead.
Sometimes you'll be reading a book while sitting between his legs and he ends up pressing multiple kisses to your cheek or trailing them down your neck. He smiles against your skin everytime he does this. He's not always seeking to touch you but he has his clingy 10 minutes where he wants attention and sometimes that happens to interfere with whatever it is you're doing at the current moment.
Most of the time you can't resist indulging him and just kissing him for a while, burying your hands in his hair or cupping his cheeks gently.
✧ receiving: quality time
Jing Yuan loves those days on the Xianzhou Luofu that are so peaceful that he gets to spend the entire day with you. You decide to take a nap during noon, falling asleep in his arms, listening to his steady heartbeat. You feel Jing Yuan press a few soft kisses to your forehead while you're dozing off.
When you awake, he's no longer next to you. You get up and find him in the kitchen, preparing a late lunch for the two of you. You wrap your arms around his waist from behind and glance at the frying pan to see him fry some eggs.
You hear a chirping sound and fish a small finch out of your boyfriend's hair. "Don't worry you, we're not grilling your brethren", you whisper softly and put the bird on the windowsill, "fly free, my little friend." The bird lifts off. You raise an eyebrow at Jing Yuan. "Was this the last one?"
He chuckles. "Should be." This at least gives him an excuse to take a bath with you and maybe you'll volunteer to wash his hair. He loves the feeling of your fingers brushing through his hair and just relaxing and letting you pamper him. "You know, if that's what you want, you can just ask right?", you remind him, "you don't need to call your woodland friends for help." Jing Yuan just laughs and gently guides your chin closer to his face so he can kiss you softly.
He enjoys playing chess against you, though you tend to suggest to play a die-based game instead so you can win by having good luck, because Jing Yuan has several centuries of chess practice under his belt. "You know that still doesn't mean you'll win", he watches you unpack the Ludo game with an amused expression. "I have good luck, I got you after all", you say confidently. "Well I've heard an old saying from a distant planet that when you luck out in love it means you have bad luck when it comes to games", he argues and crosses his arms with a smile on his face. You roll your eyes and he responds by kissing your lips.
Sometimes he watches you play chess against Yanqing. "Does it hurt to lose to an 8 year old?", he teases you. "Silence, Jing Yuan, you taught him this stuff." Your lover lets out a laugh. "And yet he still has so much to learn before he can beat me."
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✧ giving: words of affirmation
When Luocha loves you, he doesn't hesitate to tell you. After all, his companion in the coffin consistently reminds him that life is short and he better have no regrets, should misfortune strike him tomorrow. Luocha adores you and in his mind, there's nothing stopping him from letting you know.
He's also a bit of a smooth-talker to you and you only. He never gets overbearing with his flirting, but you can expect a few cheesy compliments followed by a kiss to your hand. He'll pick you up for your date, takes your hand in his and leads it to his lips. "You're as beautiful today as the first time I saw you", he smiles and whispers against your skin.
Getting together with Luocha could take ages if you insist in knowing why he's being so suspicious first; but once you do he's ironically an open book for you. He has shared his greatest secret with you and you've given your hearts to one another, so why should he hold back now from telling you what's on his mind?
Sometimes his words are on the nose, such as cupping your cheeks and telling you that he loves you with all his heart or that he wants you to traverse the stars with him from now on. Sometimes the love he has for you is put into telling you how he remembers certain areas around the Xianzhou Luofu as "that place where you surprised me with a bouquet of flowers when we met up for tea" or "that shop where you almost made the coffin fall over". You learn with time that there are a lot of things he associates with you and your memories together.
✧ receiving: physical touch
Luocha loves your affections. He's the least grumpy man ever in the morning. You could wake him up at 3am for kisses and he'd be down for it. He loves when he wakes up and the first thing he feels is your lips on his cheeks or your fingers running through his long blond hair or your fingertips drawing circles on his bare shoulders.
He pulls you into his chest and you can hear his heartbeat while he holds you close. He lifts your chin up and his lips meet yours before he even opens his eyes. He kisses you softly, his tongue circling around yours as he tries to pull you even closer. "Good morning, my love", his voice sounds raspy before he presses a kiss to your cheek.
Luocha loves to take a walk through the city and hold your hand in his while doing so. He doesn't say it but he definitely melts if you stop your walk for a minute just to give him a hug or kiss him gently.
One time you get caught in the rain and Luocha finds shelter for the two of you under a secluded pavillion. You are cold so he wraps his jacket around you and holds you in his arms until the skies clear. He presses a kiss to the top of your head. "Are you still cold, my dear?", his voice sounds so soft and he gently squeezes your shoulder. You shake your head. He lets out a chuckle. "That's good, then", he replies before resting his head on top of yours and closing his eyes for a while.
He enjoys resting his head in your lap while you run your fingers through his hair. You might be busy with something else, not noticing how he smiles up at you like you're the most beautiful thing he's ever seen (you are). He eventually closes his eyes and rests his cheek against your stomach.
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✧ giving: words of affirmation
March 7th talks quite a lot, especially if you were to ask Dan Heng about it. So if she's in love with you; her feelings are bound to slip out with her words. It wasn't hard for you to become aware of her crush on you because she just accidentally blurted it out one day. She was so happy when you told her you felt the same; even if this conversation was the furthest thing from planned.
March loves to explore the civilizations you travel to on the Astral Express and buying lots of souvenirs and clothes from there. So sometimes she'll drag you from shop to shop and often finds things she thinks would look good on you. No matter if you're wearing a fancy suit / dress or a 5 credit neon green "I survived the Belabogeyman attack" shirt from a shady souvenir shop, she hypes you up like you're on the front cover of a popular magazin.
"Aw look, you're so cute", she squeals and hugs you from the side, trying and failing to lift you up. There's at least 5 people in the shop staring at you and the shopkeeper glares at March, silently reminding her to keep her voice at an acceptable volume for a public building. "Oops... sorry", she cringes slightly and then turns to you again with a bright smile, "you should totally get this!"
Everytime you enter her room after a trip you find a new photo you took together on her wall. "Look at your smile on this one", she holds one of them up, "it makes me happy whenever I look at it."
Dan Heng told her to stop talking about you all the time so now she talks with you about you.
Definitely tells you she loves you plenty of times.
✧ receiving: gifts
March loves gifts. She's the kind of person who can't wait to open her birthday presents so you guys have to hide them from her every year; preferably somewhere where she can't reach or won't find them.
So when she receives gifts from you for no special occasion, she's gushing so much.
She loves flowers and chocolates. She definitely has a sweet tooth but will still share the chocolates with you. She is very interested in the meaning of the flowers you gift to her so if you can tell her about that, she'll be all the more happy. She loves romantic gestures like this. She has mostly read about them in romance novels and she's more than thrilled to finally receive them herself.
March also adores jewelry, whether you bought something for her or crafted it yourself. She'll wear it everyday and she's very proud whenever someone asks about it.
She posts about the gifts she receives in her status online as well. She'll be like "y/n got me this! 💓💓💓"
She dm's the pictures to Dan Heng as well and he leaves her on read.
When you gift her something, she gives you a hug and a kiss on the cheek before opening it. Once she opened it, she smiles at you brightly and kisses you on the lips. "Thank you so much for this!", she takes your hand into hers and squeezes it.
Receiving gifts from you makes her so happy. But being loved by you makes you feel like every day is her birthday either way. And for you, every day was March 7th.
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✧ giving: quality time
Loving an Aeon wasn't the easiest endeavor. Especially not Nanook. But somehow you had touched the destructive god's heart and for the first time since they became what they were today, there was a life they wanted to treasure and protect.
They don't understand much about the human world as it was today, having mostly spent their time on a different plane of existence. It was only when they connected with you and took an interest in you; that they decided to walk among them for a while, to be able to spend time with you. At first their bitterness became apparent every day they spent with you, only scoffing at the people they saw going about their daily life and the things that they had built; which all would be wiped away by destruction if Nanook were to have their way.
But you took that as a challenge. You wanted to see if you could find something they liked about life, unaware that you had become that very phenomenon.
You made it your favorite pastime to show them all sorts of things from the material world and see their reaction to them. "What do you think of this painting?", you ask them, holding up a work of art you got from a market. "I'm not too fond of the sound it makes and the cosmic essence it depicts", they respond with a deadpan expression and you just look at them in confusion, "right, I forgot you can only perceive three dimensions."
Nanook, despite not letting it show, enjoys spending time with you; even though it could be challenging sometimes considering they were an Aeon and you were not. Sometimes they would ask you about things you couldn't see and other times they struggled to discern what things they saw you could pass through and which ones you considered "a wall".
✧ receiving: physical touch
Nanook loves your touch, much as they would like you to never notice that. They're not used to any physical sensations so they're very sensitive. They're unable to form coherent sentences when you so much as press a kiss to their lips. According to them it was very difficult to convey their thoughts in your way of speech when you were "trying to overwhelm them like this"
Giving Nanook affection also proved to be a challenge in more ways than one. The first time you tried to rest your head on their chest, your cheek touched the golden essence flowing out of them and you could perceive what you could only describe as the worst sensory overload anyone has ever experienced; a colorful mix of incoherent screaming and the faint sound of explosions; the feeling of all-encompassing despair and grief.
"What was THAT?", you stared at Nanook in shock, panting. "The entirety of traces left behind by destroyed worlds and ending lives from at least the last couple millenia", they answered very casually. You sighed and held your head, now suffering from a migraine. "At least it doesn't disintegrate me", you took a deep breath and started rummaging through your closet. "Only if I want it to", Nanook explained. "Charming", you whisper to yourself in a sarcastic way and toss them a shirt, "put this on."
Kisses are such a novelty to them. They're like "what was that?"
"Affection." "Do it again."
One time you pressed several kisses to their shoulder and Nanook just slow-blinked at you for like 5 minutes, before resting their head on your shoulder.
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✧ giving: gifts
Yaoshi loves to bestow "blessings" upon you. Though, you have to teach them at first what you would consider an acceptable present.
The first one is immortality if you want it. Yaoshi would love nothing more than for you to be by their side forever.
Their next attempts at gift-giving left you feeling a little lost. They manifest before you, excitedly grabbing your cheeks and your waist and your shoulders with their hands and pulling you into a kiss. "My dearest, I made you a creature", they exclaim and reveal a Frankenstein-esque abomination the size of a volleyball. You can't quite discern what it actually is but it looks like an abstract mixture of a hamster, frog and a dragon. "Uh...thank you?", you try to be as polite as possible, unsure what to do with the creature as it spits a smaller version of itself onto your bedroom floor and then disintegrates. "It reincarnates out of itself", Yaoshi explains. "I can see that", you nod with wide eyes, patting Yaoshi's head.
One day, Yaoshi guides your spaceship to a distant location. "This is a planet I renovated for you", they join you as you land and explain their thoughts behind all the different new kinds of flowers they created specifically for you. "You're my greatest inspiration", they kiss your cheek and wrap their arms around you.
You eventually sit them down and calmly explain to them that one planet is more than enough and that you definitely do not need another creature. You teach them about your customs of giving gifts and they listen attentively. Maybe a bouquet of flowers would do next time.
✧ receiving: quality time
Yaoshi wants you to stay by their side forever. They perceive the passage of time very differently from you, yet they treasure and vividly remember every second by your side. Your bond of love is a sacred one in their eyes and they want to feel as close as possible to you.
They especially love talking to you and learning about your experiences that are so vastly different from their own. Despite being so intertwined with life itself; Yaoshi learns so much about life just from being with you. They never would have imagined you could give them so many new perspectives on the universe just by sharing your thoughts and beliefs with them.
Yaoshi always listens to you attentively and you see a sense of childlike wonder in their eyes when you speak about the way you experience the world, the things you value and the memories you treasure.
"Isn't it marvelous; how we see the world through such different lenses and are entirely different entities, yet we love each other so deeply and unconditionally", their voice sounds soft as they pull you onto their lap, holding you with their six arms and planting kisses on the back of your neck repeatedly.
Unlike Nanook, Yaoshi is very clingy. Quality Time with you always involves touching you in some way, be it kissing you repeatedly or holding you tightly within their embrace. Sometimes they sing you to sleep with a gentle voice, running their fingertips over your shoulder.
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scaredpigeons · 3 months
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Aqua Regia VII: Saturate me, I can’t get enough.
Previous chapter // First Chapter
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Neuvillette x Fem!reader
Warning: SMUT NSFW 18+ MDNI
Word count: 5.7k
Conifer forests quake in fear at the way you two pine. What do you get when you cross a very pent up dragon and the object of his affections? So much fucking love it will rot your teeth.
CW: sex, penetrative sex, oral sex (fem rec) neuvillette has a dragon tongue, claws appear but no wounds are made, Neuvillettes nest™️ nicknames: my dearest, my darling, love, pretty girl, perfect girl, very gendered language, im sorry :( unrealistic first time sex, multiple orgasms, implied multiple rounds.
Authors note: this is so fucking mushy gushy heavy fluff heavy romance. I literally couldn’t write his first time being any other way. He’s obsessed, okay? There is a lot of declarations of love, devotion, very flowery and flattering language. There are not many things hotter than an all powerful being declaring their utter devotion to you and then fucking you until the sun rises. I left it a little open ended, so maybe an epilogue chapter, if y’all are interested? Anyways, remember to reblog and comment your thoughts! It’s my literal favourite thing to read your opinions and compliments, even if you’re shy, just send an anon ask! I love you all, thank you so much for your support on this piece.
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The sound of little pearls scattering onto the floor accompanied the press of your spine against the inside of Neuvillette’s front door as his mouth consumed yours. 
You were panting, hands roaming over each other as your tongues danced. You’d never kissed like this before. The polite pecks you’ve given men after failed dates were nothing compared to the way Neuvillette drank in your lips like they were the finest water in the world. 
His large, lean body pushed you against the fine wood of his door, hands pressing up into your hair as he pulled your face ever closer, scattering more little pearls along his entryway. 
“Do you…” he panted, lips never leaving yours for more than necessary. “Truly want tea?” He asked.
You smiled as he continued to kiss you breathless. “Tea can wait.” 
He picked you up and hoisted you against him once more, your bottom resting on his forearms as he twirled you around, making you giggle and squeal. 
“Your perfection knows no bounds.” He murmured against your lips as he began to move towards the stairs. 
You wrapped your arms around his neck as he carried you up the stairs and down the hall, but he hesitated before bringing you into what you guessed was his room. 
“Ah…” he said, a deeper blush working its way into his pale skin. “I forgot about my… well you see…” 
You smiled, pulling him closer to press a peck to his lips. ”What? I can hardly imagine your room is messy, Neuvillette.”
He closed his eyes tight, opening the door to set you down inside. You turned, looking around the room. 
A very large four poster bed was the main focal point of the room, lush sheer curtains hanging from the tall frame, making it seem luxurious and inviting. But the piles of silks, pillows and blankets surrounding the mattress making a large circle in the center was what stood out the most to you. Taking a step closer, you could see there were little things scattered throughout the barrier, the gloves you’d gifted him last month, a few shirts and coats, little trinkets and things here and there. 
Your brow furrowed before you turned to look up at him, finding him looking between you and the bed with a hand covering the lower half of his face. 
“It looks like…” you glanced back at the bed. “It looks like a nest?” 
He breathed, nodding, pinching his temples in embarrassment. “When you were last here, we spoke of some subtle changes I’d been experiencing since gaining my full dragonhood, yes?” 
You nodded, walking towards the bed to run your hands along the fabrics making up the walls of the nest. 
“I’ve been experiencing strange urges, instincts I cannot seem to control no matter how hard I try.” He said lowly, somewhere behind you.
The blanket you ran your hands across was soft, fur of some sort, and it felt so luxurious you wanted to bury your face in it and never leave its soothing embrace. 
“Urges?” You said, feeling a heat pool between your thighs at the thought. 
“Yes.” His voice was suddenly right by your ear, his heat pressing up against your spine. “For example, right now, seeing you next to my bed, admiring my nest— it makes me want to pick you up and place you within it so that I may crawl over top of you to do deplorable, feral and unspeakable things to you.” 
A deep, spine tingling shiver raced through you. You knew the general direction of where this was headed when you begged him to take you to his house, but never in your wildest dreams did you expect Neuvillette to admit something so… dirty… so openly. 
You turned, meeting his eyes with a gasp as you came face to face with a version of your leader you’d never seen. 
He was flushed, panting, his eyes glowing in the moonlight streaming into his dark room. His horns were glowing too, their blue hue radiating behind him as he loomed over you. To anyone else it might’ve been intimidating, but you felt so safe in this moment, so satisfied to know that he wanted you. 
“I…” you wondered how you should phrase this, how to make him understand that you were not put off in the slightest by any of these changes in him. To you, he was still Neuvillette. His draconian quirks made him all the more desirable because it was just another part of him. 
“I’d like to help you satisfy those urges, if you’ll let me.” You said, looking up at him through your lashes. 
Very suddenly, he dropped to his knees, his hands clutching at your dress. The act startled you, and you stumbled back, bumping into the walls of fabrics lining his nest.
”I am undeserving,” he whimpers, and your legs nearly give out at how broken he sounds in this moment, looking up at you. “I know not how to pleasure you in the way you are so deserving, I only have these instincts, these feelings pushing me to take.” 
He stumbled forward, almost blindly on his knees as his eyes kept yours locked to him. He pushes his face closer to your core, inhaling deeply against the fabric of your dress, his eyes fluttering back. 
“And you always smell so sweet, it eats at my very soul to not taste you at every moment of every day.” His eyes look like they’re watering, begging and pleading as he keeps talking, keeps sending waves of pleasure to your core with every word spoken. 
“You deserve more than this animal I’ve become, but I cannot help that you undo me. You unravel the very stitching that I have woven over these past five hundred years and the thought terrifies me because—“ he’s panting, chest heaving, hands gripping the crushed velvet of your gown. “Because I want you so completely, so entirely. My want for you consumes my very being.” 
Your heart sings, because how could it not? You didn’t have very much experience with anything like this either— really none at all. And he was worried? He was worried he was too much? Not enough? This man was the sovereign ruler of a nation. The elemental dragon of your land, a primordial being with more power than you could even begin to fathom. 
“Oh, Neuvillette,” you brought a hand to cup his cheek, the very same action you made the last time you were in his home, comforting him. “Will you do something for me?” 
He clutched you closer, pupils nearly consuming his irises. “I would drain the seas if you told me you did not favor the way they glimmer in the sunshine. I would blot out the sun if you told me you did not enjoy the heat on your skin. Anything, my dearest. Anything for you.” 
“Give in to it.” And you swore you could feel the breath catching in his chest. “Take me and give me everything your heart desires, because I am already yours.”
”Truly?” He pleaded, seeming so small below you.
You nodded, speaking softly to him as you ran your fingertips across his cheekbone. “From the moment I entered your office Neuvillette, I’ve been yours.”  
Your world flipped upside down as Neuvillette lunged, tackling you over the wall of his nest and into the bed. 
He kissed you so deeply it stole your breath away, you gasped as he pulled back to mouth across your jaw, nipping at your throat. 
You noticed his teeth had grown sharper during your fervent kissing, but feeling those teeth drag like little daggers against the delicate skin of your throat made you shiver with something like fear— but it was laced with arousal, with anticipation. 
You moaned as he licked and sucked on your neck, and he whimpered above you, clutching your waist as he went. 
“I'm sorry, I’m sorry—“ he said between kisses along your skin. “I can’t control myself, I can't—“ 
You reached up, grabbing his face in your hands, making him look at you. 
“Neuvillette, listen to me.” His eyes fluttered between yours, searching. 
“When I told you I love you, that means I love you without conditions.” You said, leaning up to kiss his lips gently. “Which means I will love you when you are poise and regal, when you are the perfect gentleman, but I will also love you when you are not.”
You could see iridescent blue scales rising into his skin, framing his eyes so beautifully. You could see them form around his throat, and his horns continued to glow. When he told you he was becoming undone, you knew he was serious, but you didn't realize what exactly that would entail. 
He was beautiful. Raw and open and completely yours. 
“I will love you even if you are rough, or crude, or selfish. I will not watch you suffer against your instincts when I so desperately wish to see you dive headfirst into them.” 
The subtlest of tears formed in his eyes, and the rain continued to batter the windows outside, pouring down around you— the perfect symphony to accompany this moment. 
“I love every aspect of you, Neuvillette. Even this. Please,” you whispered, pulling him ever closer to your lips. “Please, just take what you need. Take me.” 
———————————
He does not remember how your dress and petticoat managed to find themselves sprawled across his bedroom floor, or when his gloves and shirt followed, but he does remember the delightful squeak you gave when he tore them from your body. 
You were shy, of course you were— but he was having none of that, gently and selfishly pinning your arms against the bed as his eyes consumed your body, your naked skin. 
You squirmed and whimpered underneath him, and part of Neuvillette worried that you weren’t enjoying yourself— but the closer he came to your lower half the more he realized that the source of that mouthwatering smell was coming from between your legs, and his mouth did indeed water. 
You had told him to let go of his restraint, to give in, but he had the sense to keep part of himself in check, knowing he needed to be somewhat gentle, attentive to your needs. 
What knowledge he did have of this process was from books, and even then, he thinks the last time he read a romance novel was likely over a century ago. 
He knew basic anatomical structures, their functions, but putting it all into practice was another thought entirely. 
Through his lust filled haze of admiring your naked body, he swallowed the drool pooling in his mouth— so barbaric. 
“Tell me,” he panted. “Tell me how to make this pleasurable for you.” 
You were so red, it fluttered down to your chest, and he watched as your breasts heaved with each breath. He wanted to wrap his lips around them, suck on the delicate skin, so he did. 
You whined as he leaned down, and he loved the feeling of your hands mussing up his hair, pulling his golden circlet away and tossing it into the void that had captured the rest of your clothes with a clattering sound. 
“You, ah—” your breaths were heavy. “You have to work me open. So you don’t tear me.” 
He gripped your waist again, licking and sucking gracelessly across your chest, just enjoying the taste of your skin. 
“How?” He asked, tonguing his way down to your navel, slipping his tongue around the skin of your adorable stomach. Your skin tasted like pure relief, calming the aching fever inside of him one motion of his tongue at a time. 
“F-fingers?” You said, looking down at his hands. He looked too, and you both seemed to notice at the same time that his hands weren’t exactly… normal anymore. 
Those pesky scales had wound up coating his hands too, he could feel them aching around his eyes and throat, his nails forming long black claws that dragged the faintest red lines along your perfect skin. 
“Hah— yeah,” you breathed a panicked laugh, making his chest flutter with anxiety. “Maybe no fingers this time.” 
“What about my tongue?” He said, looking between your eyes and the apex of your thighs.  He wanted so desperately to make this good for you, but he couldn't deny that the thought of tasting that delicious smell directly from the source was a more than appetizing idea. 
You groaned, throwing your hands up to cover your flushed face. “You say it so casually, too—“ 
“Would you enjoy it if I used my tongue, darling?” 
He watched your thighs clench the best they could with him between your legs, and your hands started shaking.  
“Yes,” you whimpered, hands still covering your heated face. “Yes please.” 
Your thighs quivered as he shifted down, his nostrils flaring as he came face to face with your covered core. 
There was a small damp spot on the soft cotton covering you, and he brought his nose directly to it, inhaling deep and groaning as you whined. 
He was truly drooling now, and the desire to taste you became too overwhelming for him to wait any longer. 
The cotton was shredded off your body in delicate ribbons in the wake of his claws, but before you could react, his tongue was already swiping over the entire length of you. 
“Oh!” Your back arched sinfully off the bed, your hands gripping into his hair as he swallowed and sucked and licked over you. You tasted like perfection. No water in the world could taste as crisp and pure as you did— like sweet ambrosia, like everything he never knew he needed until now. 
He tongued over your clitoris, and you seemed to like that the most, keening out as he increased the pressure. But you said you needed to be worked open, which meant…
He pressed his tongue lower, circling it around your twitching hole. You jumped, your nails scraping his scalp— making him moan into you. Your fingers flexed around the base of his horns, and his whole body shuddered as he listened to you whine and keen. 
He pressed in then, eyes blowing wide as a warm, tight heat enveloped the tip of his tongue. His hands gripped your thighs, pushing them further, pulling himself closer to press more of himself inside you.
”Neuvillette!” You gasped out as he pushed in further. Even so, He couldn't help but feel like it wasn’t enough, like you needed more. 
Just as that thought crossed his mind, his tongue seemed to expand, thickening and rolling out into your twitching walls even further. He’d never felt a change like that before, but he kept going, moving and undulating it within your tight heat and savoring the taste of you so deep.
”Holy—“ you screeched, “Oh my Archons!”
A deep, chest rumbling growl reverberated from where Neuvillette was pressed into your core, and even though he knew it wasn’t truly a problem, something inside him did not enjoy hearing those words slip from your precious lips.
But you told him to let go, so he truly did lean into his instincts. 
He pulled his tongue from within you, letting its new length dangle from his mouth a bit before licking up all the slick that had smeared across his face, delighted at the way your eyes popped and your mouth gaped open. 
“There are no pathetic gods here, little one.” He growled, that primal aching welling up in his chest. “Only me.” 
“N-Neuvillette,” you stuttered, hands grabbing at his hair as you tried to pull him between your legs again. “Please—“ 
“Better.” 
He dove back in, using the new length of his tongue to thrust in and out of your dripping hole. He could feel your soft walls relaxing, and a deep, rumbling purr pulled from his chest as you writhed and moaned beneath him. 
Tasting you like this, feeling you move and cry out beneath his hold… it was slowly soothing the ache inside of him that had been tormenting him for months. He could feel himself twitching in his pants, his cock pressing against the confines as it leaked all over the fine material of his pants and briefs. 
In the back of his mind, he was grateful he had enough of a grip on his form to not be sporting one of his more… alarming draconic features, surely that would frighten you far too much to continue. Well, perhaps another time. 
He continued his thrusting, working you open and relishing in the wetness coating his tongue, in the way you cried out his name, your fingertips brushing against his horns as you pulled at his hair. It only served to make him drool more, soaking you even further. 
“Neuvillette—“ you keened as he arched his tongue upwards, feeling your walls clench and quiver around him. He repeated the motion, making you slap your hands down to the bed beside you, grasping at the sheets as your eyes popped wide. 
He continued to press against the spot that seemed to make you fall deeper into your pleasure, his eyes never leaving your face as he thrust his tongue with vigor, watching as you quivered. 
Yes, something inside him purred, watching you lose yourself. Keep going, take it from her. 
He felt the moment your walls tightened so completely that he thought something might be wrong— only to watch as your face shattered into a broken sob of pure delight, your whole body twitching as you cried out. Your thighs tried to clamp around his head, but he pressed further, working you through it with his writhing tongue. 
After a few moments of him working you through the height of your pleasure, you grasped at his hair again, only now you were pushing him back, gasping as your body violently twitched. 
“Too much—“ you squeaked. “T-too much!” 
He pulled back from you, licking your remaining juices from his lips as he watched you regain your breath. 
You threw an arm over your eyes, your every breath heaving in your chest as parts of your body twitched in the aftershocks. 
He crawled over your body, nuzzling into the crook of your neck as he purred and murmured against your skin to comfort you.
”Your taste is divine,” he whispered. “Better than I ever could have dreamed, and my dreams were always drenched in your image.” 
“I—“ you sighed, finally pulling air into your chest unlabored. “I dream of you too.” 
“Oh?” He purred, smiling against your skin as he ran his hands down your arms. “And what exactly do you dream of, dearest?” 
You smiled, staring up at the ceiling and avoiding his gaze with flushed cheeks. 
“Your eyes.” You whispered, glancing down at him. “I dream of the way you look at me.” 
———————
You knew this was going to be a lot. 
Neuvillette is not a small man by any stretch of the imagination, but you always figured he would at least be a reasonable size — whatever that may be. 
Clearly your expectations were a little on the small side, because when he unbuttoned his trousers, pulling them down and off his body, exposing his naked skin in all its glory, your eyes ached with how wide they were staring openly at the apex of his creamy white thighs. 
Flushed a ruddy purplish red at the tip, it was literally leaking as he knelt between your spread legs. It twitched—he must’ve noticed your staring, and you chewed on your bottom lip, wondering how in all the abyss you were supposed to fit that thing inside of you. 
Neuvillette was panting. He looked irrevocably desperate, like he was ready to burst at the seams at any moment. 
“Neuvillette,” you whimpered, spreading your thighs further for him. 
He hadn’t touched you since he took his pants off, just staring down at you as you drank him in, watching your reactions. 
“Are…” he seemed strained, like the words themselves pained him. “Are you sure?” 
“Please,” you whined. “Please, inside me, I want you inside.”
He seemed to bite back a groan, eyes roaming over your soaked core, your blush traveling down your chest. He leaned forward, pressing a kiss to your lips. 
It was delicate, loving, nothing like the unrestrained devouring before, but it still seemed like he was holding himself back. A beautiful bowstring pulled taut, ready to snap. 
“Neuvillette,” you murmured against his lips. “Please, I want it. I trust you, I want you, please.” 
Your pleading seemed to stir him, and you could feel the hot press of his length against your aching hole. You didn't know what it would feel like, the anticipation making you tense up and hold your breath. 
“Breathe, my love.” Neuvillette said, though he himself was shaking as his hands held him up above you. “Relax, breathe.” 
You released a breath and the tension from your spine, melting into the pillows as he chose that moment to breach your entrance, the slick pooling out of you allowing him to slide the crown in with no resistance. 
You keened, your back arching as you felt the first push. “Ah, fuck! Fuck!”
Neuvillette was still shaking, his voice quivering and yet he still found it within himself to chuckle, low and deep as his eyes fluttered across your face, drinking in your pleasured reactions. 
“Such vulgar language,” he breathed. “Where’d my polite little assistant go?” 
You swear your eyes were about to bulge out of your skull as he pushed another inch in, slowly, his body vibrating above you in restraint. 
It wasn’t hurting, but the stretch was so intense it was turning your brain into mush. You never swear in front of Neuvillette, gods, you never curse in front of anyone but Wriothesley, but your brain seems to short circuit as Neuvillette enters your body one delicious inch at a time.
You were thankful you told him to stretch you out, thankful for that gods forsaken tongue that just came out of nowhere, long and thick and surprisingly serpentine.  
“P-politeness isn’t really…” you tossed your head back in the blankets as he sunk in further. “Isn’t really my main focus… r-right now.” 
“Ah, yes.” Neuvillettes words spoke confidence, but his voice was shaking, his arms vibrating as they held him above you. “We have more pressing things to focus on at the moment, don’t we?”
You groaned, half in embarrassment at his wordplay and half at the way he pulled out a bit just to press back in further. 
He just licked up the column of your throat, that ridiculously long tongue making your whole body shiver in delight as he pressed in further. 
“Holy f—“ you grabbed his forearms, leaning up the best you could to look down at where your bodies were connected. “How much more is there? It’s so… so…”
Your stomach flipped at how much you still had to go, how little your brain could comprehend that this weapon was supposed to fit inside you. 
“Do you need me to stop, my darling? Is it too much for you?” Neuvillette breathed against your neck. His words spoke one thing, but it was like his body was screaming for you to say anything but. 
“No!” You panicked a bit, wrapping your arms around his neck to pull him against your lips, kissing him filthy. “Please, don’t stop.” 
It took a couple more minutes of gentle thrusting, the rough texture of this thumb swirling against your throbbing clit and some very messy kisses, but when his hips finally pushed flush against yours, your eyes rolled back in your head, mind finally vacating all thought in favor focusing on how blindingly full you felt. 
“Oh,” Neuvillette breathed. “—My darling. My sweet, sweet girl.” His hips were frozen, probably taking in how you clenched around him, because you could feel it— the way your walls fluttered and squeezed around his length as he remained motionless. 
He twitched, and you keened, wrapping your arms around his neck to bring his face level with yours, panting into his mouth. “Please,” you whined. “Please move.” 
He shuddered before hesitantly bringing his hips back, watching your every breath as he pressed forward again. 
The deep, guttural moan it pulled from your chest must have flipped some kind of switch within him, because all sense of hesitancy seemed to drain from his body as his hips began a desperate rhythm, smacking against yours. 
“Ah!” Your back arched, eyes rolling into your skull as he finally, finally fucked you. “Neuvi— Neuvillette!”
His eyes seemed glazed over with emotions, looking down at you with so much wonder. His expression was strained, breaths coming short as his hands snaked down to your hips, leaning back up and away from your grip.
The change in angle, though minuscule, drastically altered the way his cock pummeled your insides. It was intense before, your mind was nearly floating in the clouds— but now his cock bullied itself along your most sensitive spot and pressed so deep within you, you were sure you could nearly taste it.
”Perfect,” he breathed. “My perfect, perfect girl. So warm and tight— it's like you were made to take me.” 
Your brain had exited the atmosphere, and was now drifting away into the deep nothingness of space. You swore you could feel your orgasm welling in the pit of your core, making your legs shake where they were perched on Neuvillettes hips. 
“It— it feels so good,” your words were starting to slur, your vision hazy with unshed tears of pure ecstasy as you blinked up at him. “I n-never— I never wanna stop. I want this forever.” 
His hips never faltered, not even once as he shuddered and groaned, the sound making you clench down around him even more. His hands gripped your waist tighter, the black claws digging into your skin, sure to leave marks. 
A possessive sort of noise rumbled from his chest, his eyes flaring with need. 
“I’ll give you all of myself until the end of time,” he murmurs, voice full of deep, rasping need. “Tell me you’re mine, I’ll give you everything.” 
Your heart welled, your eyes blinking tears as your legs shook harder. 
“I’m yours,” you cried. “I love you, Neuvillette. I’m yours.” 
He pushed at your legs, hands grabbing your thighs to press them up and forward, nearly folding you in half as you sobbed out in pleasure. Your body ached, your orgasm now on the very precipice as he managed to fuck into you even deeper than before, and you didnt know how it was possible. 
“Again.” He growled. 
“I’m yours!” You keened. 
His hands pressed harder into your thighs, his face leaning closer to yours. Through your haze, you could see how his pupils were blown wide, consuming all of his otherworldly irises. You could see how deeply he looked at you, drinking in your trembling form. 
“Mine.” He whispered. 
And that was all it took for the fraying cord inside you to snap. 
You screamed into the darkness of his room, writhing and shaking as it pulsed through you, all consuming and more intense than anything you’d ever felt in your life. He gasped, muttering something in a language you didn't recognize as his hips stuttered. He pushed you through it, the mind melting pleasure pulsing out into your limbs, making you go limp into the bed. 
His eyes were wild, and his pace slowed, hands holding onto you like you would slip away if he didn’t. 
“My love,” he moaned, desperate as the fluttering aftershocks worked through you, your body twitching in the sensitive overstimulation. “My love, I want to— I need—“
“Inside me,” your voice cracked, hoarse from how loud you’d been in your revelry, but it only seemed to spur him on. “Please, inside me.” 
And within the last three stuttering strokes, he was gone, his forehead pressing into yours as he leaned forward and moaned, long and wrecked and obscene. It made you flutter around him, milking him absolutely dry as he filled and filled and filled you. 
You could feel it, hot and heavy— each jerk of him inside you coating you further, marking you in white, in the deepest places as his. 
He was mumbling, his face moving to press into the curve of your neck and shoulder. Dazed, you couldn’t tell what he was saying— whether he was speaking in another language or if you were just too out of it to register his words. 
You lifted an arm to rest on his back, feeling the heat and the sweat of him. Unfazed, you drag your hand up and down his shoulder blades, relishing in the feeling of his skin, his breath as he murmurs against your neck. 
As your breath finally steadied in your lungs, no longer struggling, you ran your hands through his long, luscious hair, fingertips ghosting his horns. 
“I’m sorry,” he finally said aloud, clear and in a language you understood. “I’m sorry.”
”What for?” You smiled, trying to get him to look at you. When you finally pried him from the crook of your shoulder, your heart skipped a beat at how flushed he still was, how guilty he looked. 
It was then that you realized he was still inside you, still hard as before, twitching and throbbing as he held himself above you. 
“You begged me to take you,” he breathed, clawed hands pulling at the sheets. “And I can’t help but crave more.”
————————————
The sun had just begun rising over the dewy cypress trees by the time Neuvillette sat in the warm bath, cradling you in his arms. 
You twitched and groaned in displeasure as he ran the washcloth along your heated skin, but he couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of pride at the marks scattered along your body. 
He’d been too afraid to hurt you, but after the moan you let out when his teeth accidentally scraped across your collarbone during the second round, (or was it the third?) he’d lost all sense of decency. You seemed to like them as well, and you certainly liked when he ran his tongue across the red and purple splotches to soothe them. So, c’est la vie. 
Your head lolled against his shoulder, you were barely conscious at this point, and he wanted to feel guilty, he really did. But you’d begged and begged and begged for him to take what he needed, how could he refuse? 
He pulled the glass bottle he’d brought from the cooler to your lips, stirring you a bit to prompt you to drink. 
“Please, my love. You need to rehydrate.” He smiled at the way you pouted, But opened your lips to take tentative sips anyways, your eyes still closed. 
He watched a trail of water slip past your lax lips and run down your chin and throat, his eyes carefully following the movement. He swallowed deeply, willing away the erection that was still threatening the dark corners of his willpower. 
He could honestly keep going, he couldn't get enough of you, but you were still so fragile, so incredibly mortal. He knew that he had to stop, give you a moment of reprieve. Force himself to behave until your sweet voice would sing to him again, begging him for more. He licked his lips at the thought. 
“Are… are your urges… satisfied?” You mumbled as he pulled the bottle away. You cuddled up to him, so sleepy. 
He thought very carefully on how to reply to you. 
“For now, yes. They are, darling.” He finally said. “But I believe I will always desire you as strongly as I did then— as I do now, still.”
You gave a sleepy smirk, your eyes still closed as you snuggled closer to him, your bare skin pressed so beautifully against his. 
This— this was perfect. He didn't think anything else could compare to the feeling of being inside you, so connected to your body and in tune with your emotions. But this… being with you, holding you and caring for you… it was just as beautiful. His heart felt full, and for the first time in months, he didn’t feel restless.
“I meant what I said, you know.” He said, kissing the top of your head. 
You sighed wistfully. “Which part? Because when you said you were going to ‘spend the rest of your existence finding new ways to make me shatter into millions of delicious little pieces,’ I was rather inclined to believe you.” 
He felt his cheeks heat a little. “Ah, well. I meant all of that too. But I’m referring to something I said earlier on in the evening.”   
Your voice was wavering, and he could see sleep pulling at you, tugging you into its embrace one sleepy blink at a time. “Which part, my love?” 
His chest still fluttered at those words, despite both of your endless proclamations of devotion and love last night, he was still so blissful at the prospect of being yours, of you being his. His love. 
“The bit where I told you that I would give you all of me until the end of time. That I’ll give you everything.” 
“Mm,” you said, eyes closed and words loose. “I know.” 
He ran his hands along your back, his skin finally calmed down closer to the end of the night, his scales and claws retracting and freeing his fingers for nefarious purposes. But now, he was enjoying feeling your smooth skin against his own. 
“I have things I must do, duties to this realm beyond that of my role as Iudex. It will be a long and perilous road, a road uneasy for myself and those I love. But in this, as in every other aspect of my life— I feel as though if you stood beside me, it would lighten the burden. You make every part of my life better, and I would be honored to have you beside me for the rest of time.” 
He wasn’t sure how, but if he could free the people of Fontaine from their curse, surely he could find a way to keep you with him, if you so wished. 
“Your voice is pretty,” you sighed. “I love you,” you were mumbling, and he realized you were already rather deep in the clutches of sleep, likely not even hearing a word he’d said. 
He smiled, breathing out a sigh as he kissed the top of your head once more. 
“Sleep well, my darling.” 
La Fin.
—————————————————————
Authors Note: remember to drop a comment with your thoughts! I love you guys so much 🖤
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hyperfixat · 8 months
Text
Since Belphie’s ‘animal’ is a cow here are some headcanons that make me like him more:
he has separation anxiety and his worst fear is to be separated from his brothers/family: cows are social creatures and do not tend to do well on their own
It usually isn’t so explicitly stated, but in the way he holds you close with his whole body while napping, and the way he tugs you closer with his tail in public, make way for one of his worst fears… that of losing another loved one.
personally i think he has (in his human form) larger than average hands and tongue, and cows are lickers! they groom each other to share bonds, and i think him licking mc is so cute (i also mentioned this in my other headcanon set)
Sometimes you wake up a little damp after sleeping or napping with Belphie, but you always assumed that it was just sweat from his infernal heat. What you do not know is that in those bleary moments of wakefulness that Belphie gets he takes his flat tongue to flatten your hair and go along whatever part of your body he can reach without moving too much.
while he is a sleepy little dude he goes ham for enrichment toys like balls and sticks. while he won’t chase or fetch anything, he may be caught bouncing a giant beach ball around or rubbing on certain objects
You’ve started to bring little trinkets you got from a cheap import shop up to Belphie. He seems so lonely and bored up there that your heart can’t help but ache a little. The shiny ones you buy go to Mammon, but the matte, colorful ones you tuck away into your pocket to bring up to the demon in the attic.
It’s worth it for the way he grunts and acts uninterested, but still shoves his hands through the bars of Lucifer’s magic caging him. It’s worth it when you catch sight of him bouncing, tossing, and fiddling with them when your arrival caught him off guard. It’s worth it when with a shy blush on his face Belphie admits that the gifts, no matter how cheap, meant a lot to him.
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amomentsescape · 2 months
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Could I request slashers with a reader that has the mind of a crow. Collects bones, shiny trinkets and is oftenly mischievous.
+ Hannibal (series) I don't know wither he would spoil you or would collect trinkets in the woods from his previous victims.
Slashers with Crow-Like Reader
Slashers x Reader (Separate)
Includes: Freddy, Michael, Jason, Thomas, Bubba, Brahms, Norman, Billy, Stu, Vincent, Bo, Lester, & Hannibal
A/N: I wasn't sure how to title this, but I tried my best. Thank you for the request!
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Freddy Krueger
Your collection is more so just interesting to him
Even as a notorious killer, he doesn't really see the need to keep "dust collectors" hanging around
So when he first sees all of the trinkets and random things you have, he just chuckles
"What are you gonna do with all this junk?" he jokes
This earns a stern glare from you, and this has him backing off on the teasing (just slightly)
It takes a little time for him to warm up to helping you find more things to collect
But the one time he did, you gave him such a huge smile that he realized this needed to be something he did more often
Anytime he goes on one of his dream "sprees," he always comes back with a new polished bone for you
(He cleans it himself)
If any of his victims were carrying something shiny, it also becomes yours by the next night
Keys, coins, jewelry, hair pins, etc. are all part of your collection very quickly
And although it took him a while to accept this hobby of yours, he has always loved your mischievous side
You've stolen his hat and glove numerous times now
He didn't even realize it in the moment
But your little pranks only fueled his desire to do the same to you
The amount of times you've found a little bone or finger in your cup has you rolling your eyes
But you've kept everything he's given you so far
Everything
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Michael Myers
Michael very much does not care about your hobbies
Whatever you want to do for fun is your thing
As long as it isn't getting in his way or affecting his own hobbies, you can do what you want
All of the little items you have lining the shelves and hanging from the walls doesn't even phase him
You could have a human head on your nightstand, and Michael would just give you a nod of approval
Just don't leave anything out where it can be stepped on or knocked over
Michael isn't one to be "careful," so if one of your trinkets is on the floor, he will step on it and not feel any remorse
"It shouldn't have been there in the first place" is always his argument
And since he is neutral about your collection, he doesn't really think to bring anything back for you
Unless some shiny object literally rolls out in front of him where he can see it, he doesn't take anything
He won't do anything intentional to hurt your collection, but he also doesn't go out of his way to fuel it either
He also doesn't react to your mischievous ways
Your little pranks or jokes elicit zero reaction from him
You've practically given up on trying anything with Michael at this point because he just doesn't respond to your behavior
Just do NOT touch his knife
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Jason Voorhees
Jason know literally nothing about decorating or collections
So having you around to put little items in the cabin is really nice for him!
He likes looking around every day to see what's new
He doesn't say this to you, but he finds the bones just a little weird
Has he seen his fair share of guts and gore?
Of course
But he's never really thought to keep any of those... parts
But to each their own he guesses
The moment he learns about your fondness for shiny objects, he is all about supporting it
Any victim of his is immediately searched to see if there's anything that you would like
He even likes to stroll around the woods at times and just look around for anything that shines
He loves to see how happy you get anytime he comes home with something for you
It always manages to make his day
Your little pranks and jokes towards him mostly just cause confusion
He's a bit sensitive to it at first to be honest
The only "pranks" he ever remembers were from when he was relentlessly bullied and picked on
So just be careful where you tread with this because those memories are still very difficult for him
But overall, he really loves your quirks and collections
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Thomas Hewitt
Oh, you like to collect bones?
Well, does Thomas have a treat for you
You've been able to rebuild two full skeletons with everything he's given you so far
You actually had to tell him to slow down on how many bones he was giving you
But this overload in your collection honestly works out
He's used to having literal body parts as his decor around the house, so you just adding to that "aesthetic" makes him really happy
It just reinforces that you're part of the family
And when he learns that you also have a love for collecting shiny trinkets?
You better believe he's also going overboard with that too
If it shines, it's yours
Dozens of quarters, keys, belt buckles, earrings, and even cell phones are given to you
Even if the object doesn't really shine, he'll pick it up
Once again, you have to explain that you didn't need ALL of these things
Your mischievous personality is also something he doesn't mind fueling from time to time
If you prank him, he'll get you back
You've hidden his favorite knife and apron before
But once he found them, he was all smiles
He thinks your jokes keep his life exciting, and that only makes him love it more
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Bubba Sawyer
Of course, Bubba also fuels your bone collection
He's a bit messy about it though, handing you a bucket of bloody and poorly picked bones, but the sentiment is there
He's also found some creativity with it!
Recently, Bubba has found an interest in jewelry making
Anytime he can, he collects the teeth from his victims and makes you a necklace and bracelet set to have
He gets especially giddy when you try them on for him
It's like hanging up a child's artwork on the fridge
He just feels so proud of himself for making you happy
He also loves to find shiny trinkets for you too
Bubba is easily distracted by light, so it's pretty easy for him to pinpoint different items that he knows you'll like
He sometimes gets a little down on himself if he accidentally gets you something you already have though
He's also a bit sensitive to your mischievous nature
Jumping out and scaring him sends him into an erratic frenzy at first
But when he learns that these are all "pranks" that you enjoy, he warms up to the idea more
He'll try to scare you multiple times a day after that
It quickly becomes very predictable, but you still fake a reaction sometimes since Bubba gets upset if his attempt goes unsuccessful
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Brahms Heelshire
As much as he still feels anger towards his parents, he can't help but still care about the upkeep of the home
He wouldn't really care about your hobby in any other situation
But this is his home, and he doesn't think dead animal bones and random trinkets look good scattered all about
If you keep your collection to yourself, then he doesn't really mind
He may raise the occasional brow at you, but he doesn't say much for the most part
Just don't set anything in his parent's room or certain areas of the house
He will throw your items away despite any protest
He doesn't do much in the way of adding to your collection either
He doesn't leave the house and hardly anyone ever comes by
Plus, he doesn't really like the bones you have and would prefer not to add to it
However, there is the small occasion that he finds a shiny nickel under the couch or a missing earring hidden in the corner of the room
He doesn't mind you having these items and will gladly hand them over if it means seeing you happy
In the way of mischievous behavior, he doesn't really care as long as you stick to the rules list 100%
In fact, he finds some of your pranks and decisions pretty entertaining
They give him an excuse to get back at you too...
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Norman Bates
He won't lie; the bones freak him out a bit
As long as you explain that you aren't actively killing things to obtain them, he's mostly fine
He has his own interest in taxidermy anyways
But he would rather keep the animal looking like an animal and not the skeleton of one
But as long as you keep them to yourself, he doesn't care
He just doesn't want to see them scattered about the home and motel
He also doesn't fully understand your fascination with anything shiny
He thinks it's cute, the way your eyes light up the moment something catches your attention
But he doesn't really see the charm unless it's actually worth something
But of course, he cares about your happiness a lot
So even seeing an empty gum wrapper on the table forces him to pocket it so he can gift it to you later
Nothing really beats the excitement you show whenever you get something new
With that being said, he isn't really a fan of some of your behavior
Every item has it's place, so he becomes frustrated whenever you move anything
Spying on him or even scaring him just leaves him on edge and antsy
He much prefers a relaxed and quiet environment, that's for sure
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Billy Loomis
You collect what now?
When you show him, his reaction goes from utter confusion to slight interest
Considering what he does in his free time, he kind of appreciates your morbid hobbies
When he sees that all of your bones are from little animals, he gets a dark smile on his face
"Wouldn't you rather have the real deal?"
Comes home the next night with a literal FEMUR
You have no idea how he managed it, especially since he isn't one for getting messier than necessary
But the happy look on his face was enough to make you not question anything
And of course, any future killings always involves him coming home with some type of bone or shiny object for you
He just shrugs it off like it's no big deal, but he honestly enjoys seeing you so appreciative
With that being said, some of your schemes can make him irritable at times
He thinks a lot of your pranks are childish, and he's often comparing you to Stu
"Did he teach you that one?" he rolls his eyes
He never really thought he'd be with someone as quirky as you, but he has learned to appreciate it
It makes him feel better about his own morbid interests too
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Stu Macher
He stated that your collections were "sick"
In the good way
The first time he saw all the little bones you had, he tried to fit them together in order to build some new hybrid animal
Asks you a ton of questions about everything
"What was this one from?" "Where did you find this?"
He's like a little kid learning a new subject in school
He also has a similar affinity to shiny objects like you
He has a little spot on his desk made up of old coins and random paperclips he just picked up for no reason
He often gets bored when he's out, so anything that glimmers his way must be a sign that he needs to take it
But since learning of your interests, he quickly begins sharing this habit with you
Any shiny object he comes across is picked up
Even if he's not that interested in it, there's still a chance that you might like it
He may or may not have shoplifted a few times purely on accident
His mind just doesn't think those things through sometimes
And when you begin revealing your mischievous ways towards him, you better believe he's going to get back at you tenfold
It's like a constant battle between you two with bad behavior
And you have yet to find a victor
Billy has yelled at both of you numerous times when he somehow gets dragged into the behavior
You and Stu just laugh together every time
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Vincent Sinclair
As a fellow person with odd collections, he respects it
He also really loves that you two have something like that in common; it makes him feel "normal"
He has anything from rocks to wax figures to little pieces of jewelry
Since he hasn't had social contact with the outside world, these collections were his friends
The bones you have are a little odd to him, but he's not one to judge at all
He unfortunately doesn't add to your collection with human bones, but he happily supplies little animal bones he finds inside all of the desolate buildings
If there's any jewelry or shiny object on one of his victims, he'll take them and give them to you later since he knows how happy they make you
Vincent is easily influenced and will likely start to pick up on your behaviors as well
Will also begin to collect shiny trinkets so that you two can share and compare
He may also start to become fascinated with little bones and how they would fit back together
With that being said, he doesn't quite pick up on your pranks and funny behavior
He happily stands back and watches though
The amount of times you've jumped out at Bo and caused him to go into a cursing fit has Vincent silently laughing in the corner
He may not always have the guts to stand up to his brothers, but it's nice that you're willing to do so for him
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Bo Sinclair
He's definitely communicated his odd feelings about your interests
"Now, why would you wanna do somethin' silly like that?"
With that being said, he doesn't tell you to stop doing anything, he just thinks it's weird
Has compared you to Vincent multiple times in the past
He sort of turns his nose up to your bone collection
He won't even touch it
He says he just thinks it's gross, but in reality, it kind of freaks him out a bit (not that he'd ever admit it)
The shiny trinkets you have though are a little more "normal" in his eyes
Whenever he sees something that shines now, he always lets out a big sigh and picks it up for you begrudgingly
Says you have him "trained"
But in reality, he does love to make you happy
He just doesn't love the little pranks you pull on him
Scaring him, following him around, tackling him in the middle of night are all things he's forced himself to grow accustomed to
He still goes into a pouty fit and tells you to "knock it off"
But his threats only go so far
He soon figures that if he can't get out of the game, he might as well beat you to the win
So be sure to watch your back
He has plans on getting you tenfold
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Lester Sinclair
You collect bones...?
Well, good! Because so does Lester
He's always had a knack for picking up any random scraps he thought were interesting
Bo has made fun of him plenty of times for it
But that seemed to die down now that he has you
You've both sat with each other and your collections, swapping random trinkets and talking about where some of them came from
All the while, there's the biggest smile on Lester's face
He's definitely one to give, so he always manages to find a couple items every day to take home to you
But if he finds something especially cool, you may have to "fight" him on it
(The battle never lasts long since all you have to do is give him a big kiss and he gives in)
He truly believes that having you around makes his life so much more fun too
The little games you like to play, and the way you always keep him on his toes really brings him a lot of joy
In a place like Ambrose, there isn't much for change or oddity
So meeting you was truly a blessing in all accounts
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Hannibal Lecter
When you first shared your collection and true colors with him, he just responded with a quirk of the brow
Sure, he could give you a bunch of science-y answers on why you do this blah blah blah
But he knows that wouldn't change anything
Besides, he honestly likes your quirkiness
He may look suave and put together on the outside, but he also has some darker and more intriguing interests on the inside
He always manages to surprise you with a new animal bone you have yet to obtain or some shiny object that you have not seen before
You have no idea how he does it, but he never fails to amaze you
Of course, he doesn't share with you how he actually gets these trinkets, but you don't pry
You're just really happy to have someone who encourages your interests rather than shut them down
With that being said, he's a bit of a stinker when it comes to your mischievous side
He knows your intentions almost better than you do
You can't get a single thing past him without him knowing
Because of this, you haven't been able to surprise him with anything
It's a bit annoying
But what he doesn't give you in fun, he makes up for in gifts and spoiling you
574 notes · View notes
flowersandbigteeth · 10 months
Note
Hi hope you've had a lovely weekend.
How about a female human who suffers depression and anxiety, is visited by a vampire who initially meant to just drink her blood but ends up showing her that she has worth. he finds as they get very intimate that she's his mate
I like this idea! I have bipolar 1, so I get depressed a lot. The description in this is just how I experience depression, personally.
Vampire (Serge) x female reader with depression
Word Count: 4k
W: kidnapping, some talk of unaliving oneself, non sexual bath, sfw fluff
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You splashed a handful of cold water on your face and gazed into the mirror. Your hair was a wreck and you had deep circles under your eyes. Objectively, you looked like shit. Sighing, you stared at your toothbrush. You should be brushing your teeth, getting ready for work, but you felt like complete trash and all you wanted to do was curl back up in bed. 
You picked up your phone and dialed your job. 
“Hey, Susan,” you said to your boss, “I think I’m coming down with something. I won’t be able to come in today.” 
Susan snarled on the other end of the line. 
“If you’re going to call out, you need to find someone else to cover your shift,” she snapped. 
You groaned, rubbing your eyes. 
“Yeah, whatever,” you said, then hung up the phone. 
Scrolling through your contact list a few times, wondering who to call, you eventually just gave up. Fuck it. Who cares if I get fired? I hate that job anyway. It wasn’t likely anyone was going to take your shift. They all hated their job as much as you. Fast food jobs were a dime a dozen, if you lost this one, you’d get hired across the street by someone else. You trudged back to your bed and curled up under the covers. In a few minutes you were fast asleep. 
You woke with a start. Glancing out the window you could see it was dark outside. You’d slept all day. You checked your phone and there were ten calls from Susan and a string of angry text messages. Not bothering to read them, you tossed your phone on your pillow and dragged your feet to the kitchen. Opening the fridge you found some leftover chinese food one of your roommates had left. You knew he would be pissed you ate his food, but you couldn’t be bothered to care and grabbed the styrofoam box. Having not bought any of your own food for over a week, you had nothing else to eat. 
Closing the refrigerator you screamed, tossing the Chinese food in the air and it exploded all over the floor, chicken landing on your bare foot.
“Who the fuck are you?” you gasped at the man standing in front of you. 
He wasn’t anyone you recognized, incredibly tall with broad shoulders. His long hair was bone white and his eyes seemed to glow ice blue in the dark kitchen. You took in his beautiful face with utter confusion. You’d never seen someone so beautiful. Was he one of your roommates' friends? You’d thought you were alone in the house. Maybe he was a hookup making an exit, but he was far more handsome than any of your roommates usual partners.  
He smiled at you, revealing straight, white teeth framed by pointy fangs, and a hand reached out running two fingers along your jaw. 
“Aren’t you a pretty little trinket?” he murmured, his eyes raking over your body. His voice was lilting and deep, his words touched by a slight accent. 
Your brow drew and you pulled away from him. 
“Who are you? What are you doing here?” you snapped, then, “what’s up with your eyes…and your teeth? Are you a cosplayer?” 
It was bizarre that a cosplayer would be in your kitchen at 11 o’clock at night, but you couldn’t come up with any other explanation. He was wearing a long black trench coat, with a loose white shirt underneath. It was only buttoned halfway up his chest, revealing the hard planes of his muscles and a gold necklace. He stared at you for a second before bursting into a roll of laughter. 
“I don’t dress up and play pretend,” he said, still chuckling a little and putting a hand in the pocket of his trim slacks. 
He leaned casually against the fridge, looking down. 
“I’m sorry I spoiled your dinner,” he said, “but it’s only fair, you spoiled mine.” 
You frowned at him. 
“Was the Chinese food yours?” you asked. 
He grinned, his fangs glinting in the low light. Again, he reached out to touch you, this time stroking your cheek. 
“No, I had something else in mind,” he purred, his glowing eyes brightening. 
“Oh…well sorry,” you grumbled, pulling away. “I guess no dinner for both of us. Make sure you lock the door on your way out.” 
You turned on your heels and marched back to your room, intending to text your roommate and ask him to get his hookups to leave when he did. You didn’t like random weirdos lurking around in the dark. You opened the door to your room and screamed again, jumping a foot in the air. 
The man stood in front of you, as if he’d materialized like magic. 
“How…?” you gasped, your heart pounding, “how did you do that…you were just…” 
You stammered, your mind blown. That was impossible. He couldn’t have gotten to your room that fast. 
He laughed again, tipping his head to the side to look at you. You blinked your eyes rapidly, wondering if this was some kind depression induced hallucination. Your parents had told you to go to the doctor to get a prescription to help with your mental illness and you’d brushed their recommendations away. Everytime you’d try to pick up the phone and make an appointment, you’d be overcome with anxiety and never manage to make the call. Now you wondered if that had been a big mistake. You were obviously losing it. 
You carefully stepped forward, placing your hand on his chest, checking that he was real. He seemed solid enough. You patted his shoulders and then his sharp jaw. 
“You’re real,” you murmured, pulling your hands away, “what the fuck?” 
You squealed as he grabbed you by the arm, pulling you further into the room and shut the door behind you. 
“What do you think you’re doing?” you screamed. “Let me go!” 
He sat elegantly on your bed, putting you in his lap.��
“I let you touch me. It’s only fair I can touch you,” he informed you. 
You tried to scramble out of his lap, but he was inhumanly strong, holding you still while he studied your face. 
“What are you?” you hissed. 
“Isn’t it obvious?” he asked. “I’m a vampire.” 
Your eyes widened at him. He was clearly a nut job. You thought you were crazy, but this home intruder thought he was a vampire! Sure he mysteriously appeared in front of you, but a vampire? You just couldn’t believe it. 
“Look if you’re going to murder me to fulfill your weird fantasy, just be quick about it,” you sighed, slumping in his arms. “And delete my browser history before the police come. My password is Pandabear.” 
He laughed, before his chuckles died and he frowned at you. 
“You’re serious…” he murmured. 
You shrugged. 
“I don’t have much else going on…” you admitted. “Being killed by a cosplaying psycho will at least be a good story. Maybe I’ll make the news. That’s about all I’ve got to contribute to society.” 
His eyebrows lifted and he looked at you thoughtfully. 
“How did this happen?” he said softly. “I’ve never met a victim more willing to die.” 
Since he all but confirmed he planned on killing you, you squeezed your eyes shut and took a deep breath. 
“Okay…I’m ready…do it,” you said, feeling a little relieved. 
Finally this miserable life you had would end. 
You held your eyes shut for what felt like forever, but when nothing happened you popped one eye open and looked at him. He was smirking, his eerie eyes moving over your face. 
“What are you waiting on?” you pouted. “Did you forget your knife or something? We’ve got some in the kitchen.” 
His brow drew and he looked at you like you were the crazy person. 
“I assure you, trinket, if I wanted to kill you I wouldn’t need a knife,” he said, “but that’s no longer my intention. You’re much too precious to be food.” 
Wilting, you sighed. You were so useless a psycho killer didn’t even want to do his thing with you. How pathetic was that? 
“Well what do you intend to do with me, then?” you snapped a little offended you weren’t even good enough to murder, though you knew it was to be expected, “and what’s your name anyway?” 
He looked at you, running his thumb over your cheek, thinking. 
“My name is Serge. First, I’m going to get a snack, then I’m going to get you cleaned up,” he decided. “You haven’t been taking proper care of yourself. We’re going to fix that. No pet of mine will look so…unkempt.” 
“Pet?” you repeated, but you didn’t have much time to think about it because suddenly you weren’t and then you were. 
In a blink of an eye, you were standing in an alley, somewhere in the city. You lifted one bare foot, wrinkling your nose that your skin was touching god knows what on the ground. 
“What the-” you started to say, but the vampire shushed you. 
“Quiet, trinket,” he murmured. “You’ll scare off my prey.” 
People passed down the larger street and when the vampire found one he liked, you watched him prowl towards the man. He’d dropped something and was bending down to pick it up. When his head rose, he looked at Serge, confused. 
“Can I help you?” he asked. 
Serge put his arm over his shoulder, pulling his face so their gazes aligned. 
“Come with me, handsome,” he purred and the man followed him like a lamb to slaughter into the dark alley. 
He pushed him against the cold brick, his nose just barely grazing the man’s neck as if they were lovers. At first you drew your brow thinking you were simply going to watch Serge make out with some random guy, but that misguided thought was quickly corrected. 
His mouth opened and the fangs that already looked sharp and pointy to you, got longer and pointier before they sank into his neck. You squeaked, covering your mouth with your hands so you didn’t cry out. He drank and drank, until the man went completely limp and flopped to the ground like a rag doll. Your eyes had to be as wide as dinner plates as you stared at Serge. 
“You’re…you’re…a,” you gasped. “You ate him!” 
Serge sauntered back to you, licking the red stain from his lips. 
“I drank his blood,” he corrected, wrinkling his elegant nose. “Vampires do not eat flesh like filthy wolves.” 
He let out a satisfied sigh. 
“Now that I’m feeling full,” he said, looking down at you. “It’s time to get you clean.” 
You turned to run, instinctively, but it was no use. Serge scooped you up in his arms and disappeared you again. 
When you blinked this time, you were in a pretty bathroom. It was all white with a large claw foot tub in the middle of the room. The cabinets and sinks had a vintage look to them and fresh flowers were arranged on a couple of side tables. You’d never been in a room so expensive looking, even at a hotel. 
Serge set you on a plush chair and pulled off his heavy coat, before rolling up his sleeves and setting to work on filling the bathtub. You couldn’t help glancing at his perfect ass as he bent over to add soap and some kind of fragrant salt to the water. It was impossible not to tremble in his presence. He filled up so much space with his broad body and confident personality, but of course he was confident, he was a predator and you were just prey. 
When he seemed satisfied he turned to you, looking you up and down. 
“Strip,” he ordered and your cheeks burned. 
“Can you give me some privacy?” you asked and he let out a little bark of a laugh, approaching you with determined, even steps. 
“I don’t ask for anything twice,” he informed you, jerking your shirt over your head. “It’s best you learn that now.”  
You scrambled to hold onto your pajama pants, but you were laughably weak compared to his strong, ivory fingers. He snatched them off of you easily, along with the panties you were wearing. Your heart stuttered in your chest as he looked you over, though he didn’t leer. His look was pure appreciation, as though you were some pretty piece of art. 
He picked you up and deposited you gently in the warm bath water. 
“Under my roof you will bathe every day,” he said, applying soap to a soft loofah and picking your arm up out of the water and scrubbing it clean.  
“I can do it myself,” you hissed, trying to steal the loofah from him, but he held it above his head so you couldn’t reach. 
“You haven’t been,” he challenged. “If you could do it yourself, you would have. I will do it for you since it seems you can’t.” 
You had to admit he was right. Gathering the energy to take care of yourself felt like an impossible task. He continued scrubbing you, your arms first and then your legs. 
“I’m just depressed,” you mumbled as he focused on his task. He examined each part of you like he was memorizing every freckle and scar. 
“Sometimes it’s hard to get the energy to do anything.” 
His blue eyes flicked up to yours and a small smile played on his lips. 
“Then I’ll have plenty of opportunities to clean you,” he said, then his lips twisted in thought. “We’ll have to do something about your depression. I take very good care of my possessions. Whenever you have a problem we will address it promptly, do you understand?” 
You narrowed your eyes at him. 
“Why are you doing all this if you aren’t going to eat me?” you asked. 
It made no sense. You were just normal, boring you. Most days you couldn't even  get out of bed and when you did manage to rally and get dressed you hardly even brushed your teeth. Why would a beautiful vampire want anything from you? Why would he lower himself to bother to meticulously clean you by hand? 
“Because you’re mine,” he answered without looking up. 
When he’d managed to clean your front and back, he grabbed a small pouch filled with nail tools from one of the cabinets and set to cleaning your nails. He diligently trimmed and shaped each one, humming to himself a tune that sounded ancient. You’d never been so pampered in your life. By the time he got to washing and detangling your hair, you were practically melting into his hands. Happy with his work he scooped you out of the bath and wrapped you in a fluffy towel, scooting you towards the sink and unwrapping a fresh toothbrush he pulled from the cabinet drawer. 
“Do I have to do this part for you?” he asked, raising a questioning eyebrow. 
Your ears burning, you grabbed the toothbrush from his hand and got to work under his careful supervision. You knew it was silly to have someone watching you brush your teeth, but there was also a bit of relief there. Most days it was so hard to build yourself up to do anything. Though you were apprehensive, Serge’s careful coaxing made it a little easier. 
When he was happy you were as clean and neat as you could possibly be you were shuffled into a large bedroom. You jumped, finding another person standing there. He was very handsome, though not quite as striking as Serge, with silver, almost blue hair and dark eyes. 
“Good evening, Master,” he said, then looked at you. “Miss.” 
Serg let out an audible growl. 
“Do not raise your eyes to her,” he snapped and his servant immediately looked down. 
“This is Jules,” he said, waving generally in the man’s direction. “If you need anything you can ask him, but I’d rather you ask me.” 
You looked up at Serge and drew your brow. 
“I’m confused as to what is happening here,” you said. “You say I’m yours, but…I don’t know what that means. You kidnapped me from my home…You have someone waiting on me…I don’t understand.” 
He gave you a patient smile, tipping his head to the side and running his fingertip over your collarbone, making you shudder. 
“You,” he said, poking your nose, “are to be my little mate, trinket.” 
You blinked at him, still confused. 
“Like…pals?” you asked and he erupted into laughter. 
“You’ll understand soon enough,” he said between chuckles, but did not elaborate. 
Instead his eyes grew sharp and he looked at Jules. 
“Bring my mate clothes befitting her station,” he said and Jules gave a curt nod before disappearing. 
You let out a little gasp that he disappeared so abruptly. 
“He’s a vampire, too?” you asked. 
Serge nodded. 
“Everyone here is a vampire,” he said, placing you on the bed and placing a chaste kiss on your forehead, “but there’s no reason to be frightened. I’m their sire. They cannot harm you.” 
He rolled up his sleeve and to your horror bit his own wrist until his blood flowed, holding it out to you. 
“Drink,” he said as it dripped slowly onto the towel you were wrapped in. 
You looked up at him in horror. 
“But…I can’t-” 
You never finished your sentence, because he pressed his wrist to your lips and rubbed your throat like he was force feeding a stray puppy it’s medicine so you would swallow. It wasn’t that it tasted bad. It was a coppery and a bit sweet, but it was blood! 
When he pulled away, he licked the spot on his wrist and the wound closed. Then he licked the bit of blood that was dribbling down your cheek. Your skin heated at the intimate contact and your breath felt short in your lungs. 
“Wh-why?” you stammered. 
He carried you to the little vanity in the room, seating you at the chair. 
“My blood is good for you,” he said and looking at yourself, you let out a little peep. 
Your cheeks, which had been hollow from being too tired to eat, were suddenly plump and glowing with a dewy radiance. The dark rings under your eyes were gone and replaced with supple skin. Even your hair appeared thicker and shinier. Still you were frightened. 
“Am- Am I going to become a vampire?” you asked. 
He shook his head, twirling a bit of your hair around his finger. 
“No, not yet,” he said. “But my blood has restorative properties. It will also help even out your brain chemicals until we can have you seen by a proper human doctor.” 
Your eyebrows flew up. Vampire blood helped with depression? And what did he mean by not yet? Despite your misgivings, you did feel a bit energized, though whether it was because of his blood or adrenaline you couldn’t tell. 
He stood behind you, his hands resting on your shoulders. 
“Look at yourself,” he said, his voice reverent. “Look how beautiful you are.” 
You squinted at yourself. Yes, Serge’s blood had given you a nice facial treatment, but you wouldn’t consider yourself beautiful. 
“I’m…not though,” you whispered, your eyes getting a bit misty. 
He frowned at you, suddenly at your side, jerking your face to look at him with a strong hand. 
“Repeat after me,” he snarled. “I am beautiful.”
You paused for a moment, having a difficult time getting the words out. 
“Since we’ve only just met, I’ll grant you some leniency, but remember if I have to ask twice you will not like your punishment. I’ll count to three,” he hissed, his icy blue eyes boring into you. 
“One.” 
You licked your lips, trying to will the words to come. 
“Two.” 
Your top teeth snagged your bottom lip, preventing you from speaking. 
“Thre-”
“I’m beautiful!” you blurted out. 
He smiled at you, his face pure predator. 
“A wise choice, trinket,” he said. “You’ll tell me how beautiful you are before bed, every day until you believe it.” 
His fingers on your cheek loosened and he cupped the curve of your face, leaning forward to breathe in the scent of soap on your skin. 
“Of all the many treasures I have, you are the most precious,” he murmured into your neck. 
Lightning bolts shot down your spine, making the ends of your nerves sparkle like the fourth of July. 
“But…but…you don’t know me,” you stammered. “You don’t even know my name.” 
He chuckled against your neck, placing a kiss on the place where it joined your shoulder. 
“I’ve lived a very long life,” he said. “I know a good thing when I see it. We will have lots of time to get to know one another. For now just know that you are my little mate and you are safe under my wing. You’ll have all the luxuries you deserve. I’m going to teach you to be spoiled and insufferably self-assured.” 
You were frozen under his touch, not sure if he was playing some kind of game with you. On what planet did a fatally handsome vampire make you his…mate? What did that even mean?
He suddenly scooped you up in his arms, making you squeak. 
“You don’t believe me, stubborn little trinket,” he said. “Come, tell me what your mother christened you.” 
“(Y/N),” you said quietly. 
He looked down at you like a hungry cat. 
“A perfect name for a perfect creature,” he mused, then looked up, marching out of the room. “Let’s start the spoiling with a proper meal. What’s your favorite restaurant? I’ll wake up the owner and the chef so they can cook you something special.” 
“That’s ludicrous, Serge,” you gasped, but he only glared at you. 
You remembered that he didn’t like to have to ask twice, so you hurriedly came up with an answer. 
“Well…there’s this place I always wanted to go, but never had the money,” you admitted. 
His face softened as he carried you down a sweeping, curved staircase. 
“Come on…out with it,” he urged you. 
“It’s called Say Cheese, it’s a grilled cheese bar,” you said. “They make twenty different kinds of grilled cheeses.” 
He raised an eyebrow at you, before bursting into laughter. 
“If my sweet trinket wants grilled cheese, that’s what you will get,” he said. 
Your cheeks heated but you diffidently laid your head against his chest, surrendering to your fate.
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bby-deerling · 5 months
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Could I request Luffy Zoro and Sanji with an s/o that collects things? Like bottle caps and can tabs? I feel like that would be super cute!!
Tyy <33
awwww anon this is so so cute!!! ty for sending this in!
monster trio with a s/o that collects trinkets
ft. luffy, zoro, sanji
masterlist
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luffy
when you first introduce him to your hobby, he seems a bit bored, but once a couple of your more shiny and interesting pieces catch his eye, he is suddenly very interested and wants to learn more.
will start amassing a collection to rival yours, and gets really invested in it.  he lowkey gets competitive about it too; if he finds a specific object that is fairly rare, it will take a significant amount of pouting and begging to get him to give it up to you.
if he sees something that could be potentially added to either of your hoards of trinkets, he will drop everything he is currently doing and run off to go retrieve it, even if he is currently in the middle of something seemingly important.
zoro
will intently listen as you show him your collection.  he is quiet and does not say much, but he mentally takes notes of which objects are your favorites and files that information away for future use.
when gets lost, he always comes back with some new trinket for your collection.  sometimes he subtly slips it into the palm of your hand, other times, he silently leaves it on your dresser; the object he returns with usually becomes your new favorite.
sometimes, he finds something he just knows you’ll really love, and pockets it to save for a special occasion (birthdays, holidays, etc.).  he may not verbalize it often, but he thinks forward into the future with you more than you may realize!
sanji
devotes his brainpower to becoming an absolute expert in whatever type of collection you have.  he wants to be able to discuss and bond with you over it!
is totally not above caving a man’s chest in with his boot if it means getting you an object you’ve been wanting for a while.  you deserve the best, and he doesn’t think twice about doing whatever is necessary to give that to you.
will occasionally call you silly, sappy pet names (chipmunk, magpie, etc.) related to you collecting trinkets.  at times it makes you the teeniest bit embarrassed, but he means it with all the love in the world—he loves your unique hobby and wants to make sure you’re aware of it.
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ymechi · 5 months
Text
Who is the real Creator?
Sorry this took so long I have so much to say but I have no idea where to start. I hope you guys are okay with how it ended and the decision I made. This is a yandere au but with Nahida it is platonic (and the rest of the underage characters).
-TW: cult au, yandere, impostor au, mentions of being hunted down, mentions of trauma, self harm (nothing major)
-Gn reader and darling (please tell me if I mess this up message me and I will fix it)
part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, this is part 5, part 6
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Reader began to unpack their stuff, it was mostly clothes and books, everything else like cooking utensils was unnecessary as there were attendants who would handle stuff like cooking and cleaning. Reader guessed that was the perks of being an Archon.
The room was a bit of a mess the large doors were open and the boxes littered the floor with various trinkets and Readers personal belongings. 
One should not look down on how much stuff one can gather, even in a foreign world. Soon they would be able to write poems with how well their vocabulary had gotten.
Reader took out a shirt and folded it neatly putting it inside the nicely carved wardrobe. They felt a little out of place in the spacious and very fancy room. Yet there was a certain charm towards it, Reader especially loved the tall glass windows that let the sunlight in.
"I see you are already settling in."
"Oh, Nahida! I did not see you there, yeah I thought it was best to do it while I could."
"You know there are attendants if you ever need help, please don't feel too bad it's their job after all."
"Well if you put it that way. . . I guess I could use a hand with the rest of the clothes." 
Reader had underestimated how many clothes they had, it was boring to fold them and sort them all. They had bought most of their clothes and personal items as both Nahida and Reader did not know the extent of the tension that Darling's reveal would cause.
They looked through the boxes and one object caught Readers eye. It shined as the sun reflected on it. Reader took it out and observed it. This was a gift Darling had given them, it was a Fanoos that was intricately carved and made out of polished gold. The lantern's glass was made out of various colors in geometrical shapes. Overall it was very beautiful something Reader would like.
Speaking of. . .
"Nahida what will happen to Darling after. . . you know?"
Nahida watched the lantern that was in their hand without saying anything and then looked at Reader with a smile.
"It was decided that they would go to an isolated temple in Inazuma for their own safety. Even if they are innocent we can't be too careful what others might do."
Well, at least Darling would be safe there was no need to worry after all they had the Raiden shogun. Inazuma would be far away though.
They looked at the Fanoos, it would be pretty to add it near the nightstand. . . There was already a lamp there, so they decided to put it on a bookshelf instead.
"It looks very nice on the shelf there," said Nahida.
"Yeah, I am glad you think so too," replied Reader.
Reader saw a familiar hat figure silhouette from the open door. It was Wanderer as they had expected, curiously he was carrying several moving boxes as well.
"That is right I forgot to tell you Wanderer decided for extra security to move in here as well, I saw no reason to turn him down."
"O-oh but is it fine for him to just move like that because of me?"
Wanderer must have heard the conversation as he turned to look directly at them. He nodded toward Reader who gave him a small wave. After the status of Readers creator-hood was revealed Wanderer had taken to being polite to Reader but after some more nagging on their part, he had mellowed down a bit. He did tease them from time to time as was normal between them.
Reader hoped with time they could go back to the usual scowling Wanderer who did not hesitate to say what was on his mind.
However, that did make Reader ponder why he turned polite while Nahida stayed the same.
Reader must have been staring at Nahida as the Archon looked at them with a tilted head.
"I see you two are talking behind my back, not very nice I must say."
"We were just talking about your new living arrangements," she looked at Wanderer with an innocent look, "you know, it made their grace feel really bad."
Reader snorted at Nahida's jab at getting into Wanderer.
Wanderer looked surprised but sighed looking at Reader with a sincere expression they did not expect to get today.
"There is no need to concern yourself with that I chose to move out of my own violation, no one forced me to."
Reader gave an awkward smile and wrung their hands together.
"Alright, but I still feel bad-," Wanderer sighed at Reader, "let me finish! I feel bad so if you need any help come to me okay?"
Wanderer looked like he was about to turn down the offer until Nahida interjected.
"Actually since you both are moving in how about we all take a shopping trip to buy decorations, you can then ask Reader for advice on what to buy, two birds in one stone."
"A shopping trip sounds nice," Reader said and looked at Wanderer with hopeful eyes.
Wanderer closed his eyes and sighed.
"It seems you won't let this go, fine then let me put these stuff down and we can go down to the market."
Nahida and Reader looked at each other with a smile. It was going to be a fun trip.
.
.
.
The sunset this day was a bright crimson and was fading into orange at the horizon. There was no cloud in sight. the people were gathered near the central temple in Sumeru. One of the Creator's temples. Reader grimaced.
They adjusted their hood once again feeling nervous not to get caught. Wanderer held their hand more tightly and they gave a squeeze back feeling thankful.
Soon one of the heads of the religion came out near the podium.
The people were confused and some were curious but it was clear soon everyone would find out what the gathering was for.
Nahida stepped up as well, and she began to speak. Then the priest took over and Reader watched everyone's face turn to shock and outrage.
Impostor.
Reader clenched their jaw and held Wanderer's hand tighter. He did not flinch or let go.
Nahida and the priest calmed the people down in the end but there was still much tension left.
By the end of it Reader and Wanderer left the place.
.
.
.
They met Nahida outside of a meeting room. She looked exhausted and Reader's heart ached. With clumsy hands, they took out a juice bottle they had.
"You look tired, please take some."
Nahida gave a small smile and nodded.
"Thank you."
Her voice was small and a bit hoarse no doubt from all the talking. Once again Reader felt awful not being able to do anything, especially since Nahida was a dear friend.
"Please don't worry about me I am fine, as an Archon this is one of the many duties I must attend to," her face turned more serious looking at Reader, "I am afraid we are not done yet this is your turn now."
Reader's shoulders squared and they nodded. Right, it was their turn now. No more running away and this time they were not alone either. Reader looked at their friends and gave a reassuring smile.
Nahida smiled and nodded at them before turning and opening the door.
It wasn't as intimidating as they had imagined when they entered the room. It was decided for Reader's sake they would ask the acolyte and Archons who would be able to attend to come and not tell anything of the importance of the meeting. Naturally since the recent announcement from the church most would be busy, only those who had time would come and it would not be a large group. It was better for Reader to start off small Nahida had recommended and they agreed.
The Archon’s that were able to attend were unsurprisingly Venti and Zhongli. Yet most people in the room would be unaware of the importance of such figures.
As they entered Nahida stepped in front of them while Wanderer walked behind them, they felt rather safe this way.
The others who had arrived were Diluc, Lisa, Cyno, Kujo Sara and Chlorinde. Quite the cast had come. Now all of their eyes were on the trio but mostly on Reader as they stood in front.
Nahida stepped up to speak but Reader beat them to it putting a hand in front of her, all while still looking at their audience.
The sky outside was just as red there was an odd silence in the wind. The shadows on the acolytes' faces deepened and their eyes became glaring embers of accusation evident on their eyes.
Impostor.
They had thought a lot about what to say, and there were many words and accusations they wanted to scream at the top of their lungs until Reader's voice became hoarse and dry. Yet what were words when actions could speak louder?
They took out the same kitchen knife from before on that day from their pocket. They did not bother to look at their reactions. Reader took out their palm and cut it and watched as it bled a brilliant gold. They were still unused to the sight themselves and took a moment to admire it.
They heard a sharp breath. Before anyone could speak they threw the knife onto the table.
Reader then left the room.
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Taglist: @resident-cryptid @probablynoposts @esthelily @mitsukashi @charming-mage @chaoticfivesworld @irisxiel @dulcedelechenginamo @yu-ulda @samohxt2-0 @pinkpainc @vianitry
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brainlessrot · 1 year
Text
Penguin Pebbling
Involves collecting and giving small objects, like pebbles, as gifts to people you care about.
because i do penguin pebbling very often and i wanted to indulge myself a lil bit 🤭
also sorry for disapearing for like... 5 months!!! requests are now open again <3
Characters ;; All of the students (grim included)
Contents ;; could be seen as either platonic or romantic (except ortho's and grim's!), GN!reader, no beta read‼️around 1200 words total, 50~ words per character
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Riddle ;; i think he would see it as weird and although he would keep it he doesn't think it to be sentimental, for him its just some random rock you randomly gave him, may give you some trinkets (no rocks :( ) as payback (prolly roses or rose themed stuff)
Trey ;; he wouldn't understand why you chose to give him a... rock? probably put it in some drawer in his room and forgot about it unless you explain why
Cater ;; doesn't understand but will keep the rock in his bedside table, may understand that its a sentimental gift from you and if its pretty enough he will post a pic of it!!!
Ace ;; throws it away. Nah but hes similar to trey, confused abt why would you give him?? a rock you found somewhere on the floor?? would prolly make fun of you if you told him why (but the way his face lowkey matches his hair is proof that hes gettin flustered)
Deuce ;; HE GETS YOU!!! will absolubtely cherish the lil rock AND give you some in return, you two may start a rock gifting competition to see which one of you gives the prettiest one to the other
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Leona ;; "...what is this". will throw it away (this time fr) unless you specifically tell him its a sentimental gift, then he will throw it in a drawer and forgets abt it (man does NOT care abt a rock sorry :/) but if you are especially close to him and the rock is pretty he may send it back to his brother for it to be made into some jewelry... but DO NOT mention it if he wears it
Ruggie ;; if its pretty enough he will display it in his room, if not, he still puts it carefully in a box with other trinkets, may also find you one for yourself (my man gets it!!) and may even give you some dandelions he was saving for a quick snack if he finds you while out (doing Leona's work) walking
Jack ;; super confused but lowkey touched, will put it with his (many) cactai, if you do it multiple times, he will start giving you some he found on a run that he thought you would like
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Azul ;; if he likes you hes giggling and kicking his feet, will put it in his desk at the VIP room, no matter if its just a broken brick or a cute crystal you found, the tweels make fun of him for this
Jade ;; probably has gifted you some by himself that he found on his lil mountain treks, may put whatever you give him in one of his terrariums as decor
Floyd ;; loves it a normal (crazy) amount, cherishes the rock SO much, probably gives it a small hat and face and brings it around the school, will loose it and demand you find another one for him... he might throw it at you to get your attention
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Kalim ;; definition of !!!!YIPPIEEE!!! puts it on his bedside table and stares at it while giggling before going to sleep, beware, you will find boxes of gemstones (not the cheap ones!!!) in front of your room at any moment now
Jamil ;; may try to hide it but he finds it cute, covers his face before accepting the rock, leaves it on his desk for when he goes back to his room to give him a small boost in mood, doesn't reciprocate the rock giving but isn't against receiving more from you
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Vil ;; what. what the hell is this. unless its throughly clean and has some interesting colors/design/it's pretty he will throw it away woops, doesn't understand the appeal but if youre sad he threw it away hell ask you for "the prettiest rock for him, the prettiest person you've seen"
Rook ;; now youre inexplicably finding rocks EVERYWHERE, your pillow is lumpy? rock! you wanted cereals for breakfast? filled with rocks! went to put on your socks? why is there a rock?! he may even throw them at you from afar!! (believe him he didn't actually think it through he just wanted to surprise you)
Epel ;; kinda gets you!! may not reciprocate the rock giving at first (he prefers personally carving you some apples as a gift) but will if you explain to him the sentimentality behind it!! will save any rock you give him and maybe even send one back to his meemaw if he deems it cool enough
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Idia ;; Doesn't really?? get it at first?? but when he was (forced to be) outside he saw a cool rock on the sidewalk and went "oh hey they would like this one!... Oh damn." a light bulb went off of his head at that moment, he wont really give you any rock bc he simply doesn't go outside, but will put the rocks you give him between his idol merch and figurines
Ortho ;; the epitome of just there for the vibes, doesn't understand jackshit of why youre doing it but if youre happy he's happy!! will test the rocks to see what compound or kind they are and tell you funfacts about them
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Malleus ;; OH LORDDDDD hes kneeling down and holding his chest the moment you open up your hand and present him with the rock, A GIFT??? FOR HIM?? FROM YOUUU???? hes a very shinnies boy so be prepared to find anything gold anywhere in your dorm/room, he actually gets you from the start and is so happy, like straight up giddy, cackling in his room as he makes a small altar for the rock (half joking)
Lillia ;; also very giggly and understands the act of gifting rocks as a show of friendship (or more) will also leave small trinkets on your way (some of them are hundreds of years old... be careful)
Silver ;; hes used to small animals also giving him offerings and trinkets, so he understands the sentimentality behind the little rock, will also give you some shinny stone he found while resting in the forest, look it has the shape of a chipmunk!!
Sebek ;; he doesn't understand, he doesn't care. nah but seriously he really doesn't get why even if you explain it to him, no "it reminded me of you", "i though you would like it", "its pretty tho!!"s will make him understand, but please do ignore how close he set it to his Malleus' altar
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Grim ;; acts like he doesn't want it and might even throw it away in your face, but the moment you turn around hes running back and searching desperately for it, he wont ask for any but if you give him more he aint complaining, hes like the
+"do you like it?
-"no"
+"then ill take it"
-"BACK OFF, NO WAY!"
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spiderfunkz · 10 months
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𖦹 ˖ ࣪ love language headcanons
— characters : earth 1610!miles morales, gwen stacy, pavitr prabhakar, hobie brown.
— a/n : new theme for my atsv thoughts😵‍💫😵‍💫 i love them with all my heart. my requests r open so feel free to send in asks for atsv characters !! also these r just my opinions / what i think their love languages would be.
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★ miles morales :
quality time!!! he would literally visit you between patrols just to check up on you and say a quick hi. he loves study dates with you, rambling about the subjects he's excited about and you listening to every word he's saying, nodding as he continues.
he would also love drawing or sketching you as his way of loving. and you would receive those sketches or drawings as a gift now and then :))
★ gwen stacy :
words of affirmation, i feel like gwen would be amazing with her words when she's with you, either she's comforting you, talking to you when your patching her up, or when your just spending time with her. i also think she would leave u cute notes everywhere with 'i love you s' written on it or just words that'll motivate you through out your day.
physical touch. a simple hand on your waist, or just holding hands where ever you are. i am also a firm believer that she holds your pinky when you two are holding hands.
★ pavitr prabhakar :
gift giving !! i feel like he would love gifting you trinkets he sees when patrolling or gifting you hand made gifts he made :D i also think he would be an amazing cook so expect delicious meals when visiting him.
quality time, loves loves lovesss spending time with you. going on dates to cafes, or even just his apartment and talking about anything to you, his patrols, latest works, his random thoughts, anything!! he would also turn pink when you play with his hair.
★ hobie brown :
this man would be such a tease, he loves getting you all flustered and blushy for him. loves playing you songs on his guitar to you, giving you private concerts. i also think he would just love spending quality time with you in general. spending time in his apartment, just talking to each other, listening to him hum or sing, maybe you making outfits and him modeling for you.
i also also think his love language would be acts of service. loves helping you, grabbing you objects on shelves when it's too high (and 100% teasing u about it), lending you his jacket when your cold, taking care of you when your sick, and so much more. i feel like he would have such a soft spot for you, giving you cheesy pet names and letting you do his makeup or put clips in his hair.
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writella · 8 months
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Trinkets; The Gifts of Gold He Gave You
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Synopsis: A detailed record of all the special objects Daryl has found for you while hunting, riding, supply gathering, and living in the various places he has in the new world. These objects often lead to sweet moments of kindness, joy, and understanding between the two of you, deepening your connection. Although they are things others might not think much of— they were simply small gestures or trinkets after all— you believed these memories and mementos to be gifts of gold; they would shine in your mind forever onward.
Details: Daryl Dixon x fem!reader, mutual pining, kisses, lots of love and ♡ sweetness ♡ (true self indulgence at its finest), but there are also descriptions of trauma, abuse, and self-hate. Though other than that, it’s nothing else except Daryl being an endearing friend and future loverboy to you. This travels across the plot and setting of season 6-8, but it might not be a perfect fit. Lastly, even though these can be read anthologically, I did write them in a storyline as if there was an order in which Daryl gives or does these things with the reader as their relationship grows, so some past trinkets might be mentioned in the next story, but it truly isn’t too big of a deal; this is one you can have fun with! ♡
Author’s Note: My dearest reader, this one took much longer than I intended, but I think it’s because I put so much of my silly heart-filled imagination into it— truly one of my favorites to write thus far. I’m just so happy to give it to you. Feel free to read these all at once, one at a time, or pick the ones that best fit who you are. with love, writella . ♡ ⋆ ☽
Trinkets moodboard & visualizer here!
Trinket No. 1: The Ribbon ⋆ ˚。⋆౨ৎ˚ ⟡.•
A Bow from a Bowman
Daryl was out on a hunt one morning when he found it. It’s like he was compelled to pick it up, he did it without even thinking. It was nothing, honestly: kind of silly really, and flimsy, slightly covered by grass blades— it was dirty and discarded. But there was something about it, something tender… it reminded him of you, even though in some ways still, he hardly knew you at all.
It had been over a month since Daryl came back home to Alexandria; just a month since you entered what was supposed to be your new home. But also a week or so long journey it had been to unexpectedly find you and bring you back.
He remembered it well: you were covered in dirt, tired and hungry, running for your life from the past group you were with. He was going to let you go and mind his business— you looked scared of him anyway when you crashed into him. But most importantly, he had just lost his crossbow, his bike, and maybe even a little bit of his dignity to Dwight who stole them. He didn’t feel like getting tricked again, especially since it takes a lot to trick him; he wasn’t letting that happen again. Especially not the day after. And most especially not for a seemingly young and innocent-looking girl like Dwight’s wife, Sherry or that kid they were with, Tina.
But then, he heard the yelling, the hollering, the men– they wanted you, and none of it was for the right reasons. Very wrong and scary reasons they were indeed, ones he would soon come to understand were things you’d never want to live out or discuss again. He understood that feeling, so he stayed. He hid behind a tree. He decided to help again. Who knows of your innocence, but what was definitely true was that you were a lost and lonely girl in the woods. He knew a thing or two about those unfortunately, those stories ended badly.
Sad enough, the hiding and helping— or attempting to— led him to become a prisoner with you and your ‘group.’ He barely got scraps of food, and every night was just another day of seeing your tears, your face in a permanent state of desolation and misery; staying ever silent even when you were yelled at— even when you were forced to do things you didn’t want to do. You looked scared and small.
It was only when you all reached a hospital, one you burned to the ground just to get away from them, that Daryl saw the fight in you. You didn’t even ask for his help and he tried to save you, but in the end, you saved him. A silent soldier, you were. He returned the favor with the least he could do: he took you home.
And now there you both were. You sat by Rick’s fireplace. No one was home yet, and you had just put Judith down for the night. Daryl found you there on the floor with a book. He quietly sat near you. All you two said was hello.
And this was normal, actually– the being around each other, showing up unannounced, sitting beside each other– talking or not– or you, trying to help him with whatever work he was up to. He tried to fight it at first, but it became a regular thing. It’s what helped Daryl get to know you, and you to him.
You were equally as fierce as the fire you created not long ago, but just as gentle. Just as desiring to smile and create friendships. He knew that now. And he— he was just as rock solid and straightforward as the crossbow he once carried, but just delicate. Just as easily hurt and as quick to hide, yet so deeply desiring of loyalty and acceptance. You know that now too.
It’s still so soon, but you admired him, so deeply. You wanted to learn from him. You thought he was strong, and you wanted to be strong. All that anguish and pain and he came out a fighter, a leader.
Little did you know that is exactly what he thought of you. He went from seeing you cry yourself to sleep every night to becoming the kind and generous friend you were to almost everyone you met. Always offering to care for Judith, or allowing Carl to come to you to talk, or learning about guns and shooting with Rosita. And of course finding a way to go on supply runs, or learn to hunt, or fight walkers with Daryl as much as you could. As always, he pretended not to care that much, but he did. He couldn’t help it. He values his independence, but it was nice that there was someone who wanted to be around him so much. And he admired you for his own reasons as well: You’re someone who fills others up with lightness when such dark things have happened. He felt like that every time you two we’re together. He wanted to learn from you too.
As he sat there, thinking, he wondered if maybe that’s why he thought of you when he saw it. Maybe it was the brightness and softness of it, despite finding it on the ground, despite it being dirty. He cleaned it up, and it still shined, that’s like you but… he was still unsure. Maybe it truly was nothing, maybe it was stupid.
He looked to his side, watching your figure for a moment as he decided what to do. You were on your stomach, laying on the small rug that sat in front of the fire. You were continuing the chapter you were on, paying little attention to him. He only said ‘hey,’ after all. And you did wave back, you asked him how his day was, but all he gave you was a typical response, ‘fine,’ he had said. You thought maybe this visit wasn’t about talking so you left it. And all of this was typical anyway, for Daryl to come by Rick’s, or for you two to sit in peaceful silence, but then you started to see him fidget in his spot in your periphery, like he couldn’t decide how he wanted to sit, hands adjusting his jeans, moving things in his pocket.
“Do you wanna go to the porch?” You thought maybe he was reaching for a smoke. “I can put on the baby monitor…” He just shook his head at the suggestion.
You decide to move to the spot next to him, leaning your back against the wall. “Did something happen today?” Your voice was soft as you tilt your head, trying to reach his eyes.
“No,” he shook his head again, he was facing forward. “It’s just…”
“What?” You asked calmly.
He found it hard to speak, “Just- just brought something.” He reached into his pocket one last time, his hand in a fist as it made its way closer between the two of you until he started to release his fingers from his palm slowly.
It was a ribbon. A pearly light pink one. Just scattered in his hand. “It’s stupid,” he grumbled quietly, trying to shove it back down his pocket, but you stop him.
“Wait,” your hands gently cupping the other side of his and then you pick it up, letting him go. You wrap the ribbon around your finger and you tie it into a bow, examining it in your palm now. “This is for me?” Soft disbelief enchanted your voice. You made sure not to sound too excited or too surprised. You didn’t want to scare him, especially since he replied with:
“It's nothin’.” He was feeling slightly embarrassed.
“It's so nice,” your voice continued in its understated tone despite your smile becoming uncontainable. You couldn’t help the way your lips were curling upward, it was even hurting your cheekbones to try to make your teeth shine through a little less— Daryl Dixon just gave you a gift. And it was a little pink thing at that. Perhaps miracles are real. “It's perfect,” you say, “I can wear it in my hair.”
“It's stupid.” He repeated, brushing you off, but you saw right through him. Daryl doesn’t do anything for no reason at all.
“It's not.” Your words are so kind as your interject, “You know, sometimes it's the smallest things that mean everything. They become our favorite things even.” Your lips pressed together, forming another smile as he meets your gaze, “Like your vest that needs to be patched up.”
“It's fine,” he almost sounded defensive. It made you laugh.
As messed up as it is, it truly was fine. It was his and he loved it; that made it so. And he didn’t only have the vest, he also had his cut-up button-downs, and those ties he laced on the bottom of his jeans— you knew those were probably because the pants available didn’t always fit all the time, but nonetheless— these were all things that made him and his clothing unique from the others. Even in the apocalypse, Daryl was one of the few that maintained a personal style. You couldn’t help but love it. He could, and often always was, the guy covered all in dirt and grim and blood but he still had something about his look that was simply just him.
You missed that. Having those personal touches, and now here Daryl was with this. The simplest thing, but he brought it for you. It was your special piece, your special something. It truly was perfect.
“C’mere,” Daryl gestured, taking the ribbon from your hand and moving your shoulders so your back faced him. He undid the bow and cuffed your hair, he actually almost yanked your head with the way he gathered the ponytail, honestly– he forgets his strength, but you said nothing. Only giggling slightly, but you were mostly quiet. You tried to keep it down, afraid he might stop if he thought you were making fun of him. You wanted to reel at the closeness for as long as you could. You couldn’t believe the fact that he was doing something so domestic— you almost couldn’t breathe. He tried to detangle some pieces with his fingers and then he tilted his head to the side to leave some shorter pieces out at the front. He didn’t know what he was doing and he probably was doing it badly, but he tried his best to be delicate. He’s never touched you like this before. Every time his fingers accidentally brushed against your ear or your neck he relearned just how soft you are. And every feeling of his skin almost made you shiver; like when someone whispers in your ear, it always feels so sensitive, traveling down until you feel it everywhere. His touches felt like that. You always end up feeling his everywhere. He’s entrancing, filling you with hearts and stars.
Finally, he ties the ribbon into a bow right at the top of the ponytail he created. He’s done. He lets go. They shapes and colors fade. Everything is cold again.
But to him, everything looked warm and vibrant. Looking at you was a sight so sweet and so gentle among all this dark wreckage of the world— it was precisely how he saw you: the way the ribbon now laced around your hair looked like an angelic embrace.
You turn to him, “Thank you, Daryl.” Your smile is so sincere, so lovely, there might as well be a halo and hearts invisibly drawn all around you.
A moment passes as you continue to look at each other and your heart jumps. He’s still looking directly at you. There are moments that he looks away and you can’t help it, the bashfulness creeps up on you two, but he’s giving you all his attention; it feels great. You decide to take the chance, you can't help yourself, you hug him, you have to. It has been so long since someone gave you something. So long since someone thought of you so specifically and intimately.
He’s caught off guard, his hands don’t wrap around you until a few seconds later, but when they do, they are sure, and tight, more sure of it than you surprisingly.
You breathe him in, giggling again, “I’m surprised you smell this good.”
“Fuck you.” It makes you laugh just a bit louder, it’s the nicest ‘fuck you,’ you’ve ever heard. Its tone has a hint of sincerity in tandem with humor in just the same way you delivered your line. He shakes his head, “You’re silly.”
He lets you go and you turn away, but it’s only just a little. He watches how the ribbon lays right where he put it again, seeing the side of your face light up with your rosy smile as you sway your head. You’re trying to not make it obvious that you want to feel the wag of the bow and your hair back there so you do it slowly, it just feels so cool and so pretty. You liked it so much. You didn’t even know what it looked like yet, but it already made you feel more like yourself. Like a part of you that had left before this world began— it fit well like a missing piece finally snapping into place. It was your unique touch and he found it for you. He did it for you. Just for you.
For me, you repeated it in your mind, he found it just for me.
Trinket No. 2: The Lesson ō͡≡o˞̶ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Turnpikes, Gunshots, and Dreams
You had asked and asked for weeks with no let up. It made you start getting creative with your pleas: “You know, Daryl, we really should be teaching each other our skills,” you had insisted, sarcasm lining your voice. No one else in the group knew how to ride yet they were doing just fine, but you were incessant, “You never know what kind of situation we’ll be in where we might need it… I could die,” your hands raise as your voice does, “and your bike could be my only escape but I wouldn’t even know how to ride it!”
He would always just stare at you blankly, ignoring you, especially when you got dramatic like this right before you two were leaving. “Get on or stay,” he would say, “go help Rosita or somethin’.”
You’d grit your teeth and get on regardless.
But then one day, one lucky, lucky day for you— it was your earnest approach, and your silly smile, and sun-filled eyes that got the best of him as they looked up to meet his darker ones. “Please,” you said, stretching out the word, it was just as cheesy as your smile. He looked back at you from his front seat as you continued, “I just want to feel capable and- free… I don’t know,” but you did, you meant it and felt it from deep inside you. “To know I have the option I wanted to… I… I didn’t really have those before.”
He was still for a moment and then he nodded, restarting the ignition. You guessed that was another no until you started to ride past the walkers that lined the outer gate. “An hour,” he said, his eyes forward as the trees became a blur to both of you, “then we gotta get work done.” You wrapped your arms around him tightly, you only used to cup his waist or hold his shoulders, but you felt fearless today, head leaning against his back and neck, arms hugging around his torso. He finally said yes.
As time went by, you had gotten comfortable with completing your drills. You learned the controls, how to shift gears, how to waddle and power walk with the bike, operate the clutch, throttle, and lift your feet up, riding on a straight path all by yourself. Turns were still hard though, and the fact that Daryl always insisted you think about the worst-case scenario wasn’t the greatest either. He’d look you dead in the eye, his voice clear and unrestrained from his usual grovels as he said, “If a herd is comin’, or people are shooting, or if there’s something tryin’ to crash into you, you need to think about how you’re going down. Decide on what won’t fuck you up completely, then do it. ” He always got way too close to your face without realizing it in those moments, his finger almost crashing into your nose as he vigorously pointed to get the idea across.
“If something goes down, I’m not arguing,” you say. “You'll be in front.” You meant it, your voice was quiet, you understood.
But really, you didn’t: “If something go down, either of us should be able to do it.” He paused to make sure you got it this time, “That's the point.”
As if you didn’t already sense it, this was the first time you absolutely understood that Daryl was serious when he decided to do anything. Full commitment. Start to finish. You said you wanted to learn, that you wanted to be capable, then that’s exactly what he was going to teach you. You would take it seriously too.
Soon enough, Daryl allowed you to ride out of the gates of Alexandria first instead of switching off after you got a few miles out. You were getting better. So much so that today would be a different day, he explained. Daryl wanted you to ride to the Hilltop. This would be the longest distance you’ve ever rode. A whole 23 miles. But before you guys got there he would steer you in the direction of a turnpike: he wanted to practice speed, and most crucially for you, right and left turning.
His weapons and guns were strapped to his lower body, some on his thigh holster, and a machine gun over his back, all just in case, and his hold on your waist was fixed as you rode. It made you feel like a child and such a little teenager all in one with how excited you would get. Not only were you becoming skilled at riding a whole fucking motorcycle, but you were the one he was holding onto this time and it was the longest amount of time he was holding you at that.
As you reached the turnpike, he guided you around the semi-circular road. Continuing on, you saw a few walkers in the distance. He told you to speed up, there was enough space on the road and there were only four of them, they were far away anyway.
You looked back at your surroundings, other than those four, the road was pretty clear other than some broken down, discarded cars. This accidentally became a lesson on tight turns and swerving too.
Some of your turns were abrupt as you tried to go around the cars, it made you nervous. You knew it was okay not to be perfect, but it was still a little stressful to make mistakes when a master was watching behind you.
“Relax,” he’d tell you, sometimes putting his hands over yours on the handles and helping you out. “You got it.”
You went on and as the walkers approached closer, an idea arose. It was probably irresponsible, but you joked anyway, “Daryl,” you whisper-shouted with fake suspense, getting his attention. “We’re on a mission. Got to take those guys out before they get to Rick!”
He chuckled a bit, shaking his head. He leaned in closer as you leaned forward, gaining speed. One arm wrapped around your hips in totality, hand placed firmly there as the other reached for his gun, extending his arm out as you two got closer to the walkers. You two turned to face them as Daryl pulled the trigger: one shot each, straight in the head, “Got ‘em.”
You gasp, your laughter sounding so wild and fun and unrestrained in a way it hasn’t been heard by either of you before. “Is it bad if I say I hope we find another one?!”
“No, that was fun,” he agrees understatedly, trying not to fully give in. You couldn’t even see his face, yet he was trying to hide a smile.
And you were too. It was all too much honestly. You were balancing riding and having Daryl right behind you, holding onto you, trusting you to do something he’s never let anyone else do before; and you just proved you both could probably kill it in a high stakes situation. Well, maybe not, this was very, very low stakes, but still, it made you believe. You decided to ride the high, quite literally as you kept going, shouting back: “Imagine us in battle?”
Oh, wait— your grin fades slightly, you immediately regretted it after you said it. The point of this life was to try to find a way to live, not always fighting to survive. Maybe that wasn’t the best thing to say.
The silence makes you feel like an idiot until Daryl speaks up, both hands now on your hips, thumbs pressing into your back, “If we were in battle,” he almost whispers into your ear, “we’d be their worst fuckin’ nightmare.”
You feel your smile practically reaching your ears. “We’re a team,” you say, the humor coming back to your face now, the shine in your teeth reflecting the sun as it always does. “A dream team.”
A dream… Maybe. You definitely were at least, but that is a thought he doesn’t let come to the forefront. He let it go. But it was true… something about you felt unreal to him. The way you wanted to be around him this much, so interested in the things he does; he still didn’t get it, it almost felt unbelievable. He wondered when it was going to stop. When he would wake up. He didn’t want to wake up. The thought grows, he can’t avoid it now: you are a dream. One he didn’t even know he wanted.
Trinket No. 3: Lucky Charms **•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*
Flying Away With You
You gasp excitedly, “The Eiffel Tower!” You hold the bottom up to the light as he still holds the top. “Nice,” you say with bright eyes, “I found the Statue of Liberty in the mom’s jewelry box and a few others that weren’t on her charm bracelet.” You showed him the mother’s sterling silver and he showed you the daughter’s that he found. “I guess they were traveling family… or wanted to be.” You feel a heaviness behind your eyes after you say it.
You loved collecting these charms, but sometimes there was a sadness to it. Like you were collecting other people's tokens, little pieces of their personalities and their stories, keeping it as your own. It almost felt invasive. But it was something that you and Daryl did together. You liked that. Another thing that made you feel close to him… Maybe this was like keeping their memory alive? You may not have known them or know what happened to them, but you were giving something that they loved new life. The charms did make you happy, after all. Especially because it was Daryl that got you into it. But it was also you who got Daryl into it too.
You both can recall the first day it all started: He found it incredulous that you cared more about a little piece of jewelry you saw in the dirt rather than the bigger thing that was right by it: the deer Daryl just shot, the one that you two had been tracking for what felt like hours.
His face twisted up to you as he collected his bolt from the body, “We just caught a deer, and you’re lookin’ at that?”
“We just caught a deer for the first time in months and this was right by them… it’s literally good luck!” You held the gold sun charm to the actual light source it was designed after, “Look at us… Lucky charm, dream team, remember?” Your smile was just so wide after you said it, he let his slight irritation go. It was easy actually, he was always taken aback by that smile. It still wasn’t that long ago when he thought you weren’t the type to do so, like him most of the time. He had only seen you sad, but now, I’m Alexandria, you just glowed. Eyes and an essence as bright as the sun, and that smile, all teeth and just as pearly as the moon… The charm was perfect for you and it needed its match. Maybe a star too. He would find it.
He still remembers where he found those. He came across a silver crescent moon necklace discarded on the floor of a girl’s bedroom. It was simplistic, like one or those expensive necklaces that shouldn’t even be that expensive because of how small it was, but it was a perfect charm size, and it shined, there were no scratches. In the other girl’s room in the house, probably the younger sister, there was a charm bracelet on the desk. It was kind of childish and clunky, like one you could get in those supermarket toy vending machines. He took the first charm he touched and removed the clasp from it for your moon. It was hard to do it with his fingers on something so small and dainty but after a few tries, he managed.
As for the star, he found it on a walker in the woods. It was a little girl, it almost made him feel bad to do it because he knew you’d feel bad about it, but her and what looked like her mom and dad went straight for the two rabbits he just caught, ripping their skin, eating them. He shot them all in the head. The thud of their bodies to the ground only seconds apart. Oh well, were his thoughts, their fault for messing with his catch. After that is when he noticed the gold charm bracelet on the kid’s wrist. It was different from the one he saw last time in that other girl’s room, it wasn’t a fake toy, it was more refined. Maybe they were a well-off family.
There was a star was at the center. It’s all he wanted, but he thought you might want to see the others she had too— they were all nature themed, he kind of liked it— so he tried to take the bracelet off but it wasn’t working. The thing fit her wrist perfectly and the bracelet clasp was stuck so, in typical Daryl fashion… he just chopped the girl's hand off.
Kind of gross, and he would definitely have to keep the red off of everything now, but the star charm was gold, it would match the sun charm and the moon would stand out at the center, he assumed. He thought it could look nice… and beggars can’t be choosers in the apocalypse anyway. After he took the bracelet he discarded of the hand, tossing it to the ground like it was nothing. (He’d leave that part out if you asked for the story later). Now that he had the bracelet, you would also have a gold owl, a bunny, a bird, and if it couldn’t get any better, there was a deer charm too. That’s what was most important about the account anyway.
That night, Daryl crawled into your bedroom from the window while you were asleep. He placed the star and moon on top of your journal that was on your desk, and after that, he left. That was it. He just wanted to surprise you. He’d give you the rest later. You only realized he did it and how he did it when you closed your window that was slightly left open the next day. There were scuff marks on the window sill. They were from his shoes.
After that it became a game; a little side quest. Like how people would count red versus blue cars or shout ‘punch buggy,’ when they are out with their family. An activity that took you out of your boredom, or really, for you in the apocalypse, it was an activity that made you feel oddly sane again, since you always dealt with the insane everyday anyway.
That was what today was about. At least on the down low; at least after you found anything of value for the community; at least to you two. You guys had found what seemed to be a wealthy neighborhood a while ago, when you passed that turnpike. The houses there were so big there, but all you had was his bike at the time, nowhere to put supplies and you were expected at the Hilltop, you couldn’t stay and look around.
It had been a little while after that and you had a plan now, a few Alexandrians backing you up with cars. You two finished your portion of houses to sweep and now you were waiting on the others, sitting in one of the house porches. That’s why you both were showing each other your finds from this place and the others.
You continued to hold the Eiffel Tower charm in your hand, “Maybe we should go to Paris…” Your voice was wistfully, then a quietness lingered in the air, it made you laugh awkwardly, releasing the tension. Your suggestion was one of those silly things you say where you mean it, but you pretend it’s just a joke, knowing it won’t have any outcome. “All of us, I mean,” you do mean it, but at the same time you we’re just talking about him right now. “That would be nice.”
“What would I do in Paris?” He asks it while he fixes his weapons, you’re sitting back, looking at the trees. He thought it was a ridiculous idea. He’s never been anywhere. He hadn’t even been to Virginia or D.C. before this and there’s no way he could go anywhere else now.
“Well I guess we’re never going to know unless we find out… you can eat!” You laugh, “You do like eating.”
He snorts, “Who knows if there’s food left there.”
Pessimist. “Again— we’re never going to know unless we find out.”
“Have fun tryin’ to become a pilot,” his drawl comes out strong on that last word. “Or a plane.”
“I guess that’s the next charm we need to find, an airplane or a captain’s hat. I am a pilot… or I can pretend to be.” There’s that smile again, “I can do anything.”
“Bet you could.” He meant it.
You nod, your next words making you laugh at yourself, “I’m Barbie.”
“Better,” he mutters. You can barely hear it. You don’t know if it was real so you say nothing until—
“We’re going to travel the world some day, Daryl.” You say it so surely, breaking the moment of silence, “We’ll find a way.” As long as we’re together. As long as you want me.
That’s all you wanted, truly. Even if this world really couldn’t take you to Paris, or New York, or anywhere out of Virginia. All you wanted was him. All you wished and hoped for is that he wanted you… but did he? You still weren’t sure.
Trinket No. 4: The Flower and the Photograph 𓇢𓆸
Back Pocket Memory
You two were almost near Alexandria, only a few miles left to drive. “Do you think we can just sit down over there before heading back?”
Daryl continued driving, “Dangerous to leave a good van with supplies just put.”
You pointed to the clearing you were referring to ahead. The trees were sparse in that area, it might have been a meadow, but you didn’t know the difference. There was a little pond near the center. “Can we just drive the car a little bit closer? Just for a few minutes?” You look up at him, your eyes doing that little sunshine thing as it always does, “I just want to sit in the grass,” you say, putting your hand out the window, feeling the wind through your fingers, “the sky feels so nice today.”
He huffs, but does as you ask. “Get out,” he says, gesturing to you to walk over to the area you pointed at. “Pick your spot.” You run over and he follows. You have this wonder about you, it was almost childlike, but not childish, more— sweet, innocent perhaps.
You jump down to the ground and cross your legs on the grass, looking out at the pond. Daryl parks the car a little behind you and comes out to sit on the hood. His legs spread, knees almost to his chest, his elbows lay on there, arms extended.
You look at him, “You’re really not going to sit down?”
“If someone comes up behind us and steals our shit then that’s gonna be your fault.”
Fair. You gesture at him to move over and you sit to his side on top of the car.
As you settle, you close your eyes and you raise your face to the sky. Feeling the warmth of the sun on your closed eyelids. There was a majestic kind of wind that blew in the air today. It made everything look effortless, especially Daryl.
His ever-so disheveled hair had pieces flying on both sides, brushing some parts out of his face, and pushing others in. As always, it was just enough that they didn’t completely cover his eyes. How does that always happen? Thinking about it makes you giggle lightly as you look at him.
“What?” He asks, becoming a little self conscious.
You shake your head, your eyes looking at him kindly, hoping to ease his nerves. “You just look nice.” Your voice was silvery and sweet as you said it.
You get up and skip toward the pond, picking a flower and coming back to him. You sit down and try to put the tiniest white flower behind his ear.
“What’re you doin’?” He tries to swat it away, playfully hitting your other hand that tries to hold him in place and he takes the flower from your other hand. He successfully places it behind your ear instead. “Better,” he says.
As he looks at you, he notices light pieces of your hair frizzing up at the top from the wind, other pieces at the bottom still moving around slightly. It didn’t look bad, to him, your hair looks more like that invisible halo he sees when you’re around, and with that flower in your hair, you look like a true angel or maybe even a fairy with all the greenery surrounding you. You’re just lovely.
You give him a closed smile, your head falling to your knees. “Pretty day,” you sigh contentedly.
Pretty girl.
Handsome man.
Then a thought comes. Your smile turning to a grin.
“What?” He asks sharply. He knows the look you get when you’re up to something at this point.
You grab your backpack from your side, slowly bringing out the polaroid camera you found earlier today.
“No,” he pushes the side of your face, already detesting the idea.
“Daryl,” you whine.
He says it straight this time, “No.”
“But…” your eyes trail his face for a moment before continuing, “you just look… I don’t know. It’s like I said, you just look so- nice.” There’s other words you could use, but you don’t, not yet. “I just think it would be nice to have a nice picture. All we take pictures of is the houses and work. It’s boring and a waste.” You pause, “Daryl… Please?”
He rolls his eyes, grumbling, “You first.”
He’s glad no one was around when these moments happened. Someone might think you had him completely whipped. His brother definitely would think so if he was still around. Daryl was almost embarrassed of himself because of it. But you don’t ask for much. Other than the bike thing, you really didn’t. You trusted him and you were patient. You went along with his plans and you could sit for long car rides and periods of time in quietness if that’s what he wanted. You never pushed him to tell you his story. He only knew a part of yours circumstantially and he didn’t push you for more details after he brought you home, so you did the same. He could feel you wanted to ask more questions, but he also saw you stop yourself, move on, you were creative with your conversation topics: you asked him about what the best thing he hunted was, or what his favorite things were about your friends. You were so gentle with him. Maybe you could get him to do almost anything you wanted without you even knowing, but it was worth it for someone like you.
You look down shyly, “I’m not good at pictures,” you admit.
“You’ll look fine.” He wanted to say something else, but he didn’t. You’re so alike, more than you know.
He tilted your jaw with his thumb. It was too quick for you to melt into it but the feeling lingered, it made you buzz with excitement and it was easy to smile after that. He looked through the viewfinder, seeing you do that pretty sunny smile, matching the yellow bud of the white flower. He clicked the button. Beautiful.
You snatch the camera instantly, “Your turn!” You were too eager but you didn’t care.
You take the flower from your hair and bring it toward him. He sucks his teeth, saying your name as he does so, “No!”
“Yes, Daryl!” You push it over his ear, but not before he pushes you knee, just to do it. He didn’t even know why he was fighting, he knew he was letting you have your way right now. “Look,” you sound like a school teacher, “very nice.”
You even out some of the frizzy parts at the top of his head, the light wind was still blowing through it, it was futile so you left it, he looked great anyway. A perfectly imperfect mess.
He crossed his arms over his knees and looked into your eyes. You held the camera to your face and snapped the shot. “Beautiful.”
You stare at him for a moment longer. If anyone else was here that could see those all to familiar hearts and stars around you and in your eyes, it was so hard to hide. “I’m keeping this,” you said, placing the polaroid delicately in your back pocket. He said nothing, he wasn’t going yo let you know he cared about a dumb picture. “Okay, thank you for indulging me,” you start, taking the flower from his ear, “let’s go home.”
Later that night, past one am, he came through your window again. But this time you saw. Your head was almost covered by the blankets, your eyes slightly open. He didn’t even look in your direction. Maybe he wanted to be quick.
You saw him go into your bookbag. It was hanging on your desk chair. He took the picture out. He wanted it. He wanted your picture. The one that matched yours of him. Maybe this was something. Maybe he did want you.
You closed your eyes quickly when he started to turn around, then watched as quietly as you could as he neared the window, starting to climb out but not before he placed the polaroid in his back pocket, just like you did. Now you both had a piece of each other, forever.
Trinket No. 5: The Music Player and the Wish on an Eyelash ⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻ ♬♪
Never Fade Away
It’s official, in all the ways it possibly could be: Alexandria was truly your home. More time has passed: you live in a house, you have a job, you have family— it’s your friends. In some ways things are better than they have ever been… yet you still think about the night and the dark just as much as you used to. You tried to hide it, you wanted to be grateful and you were. But the things that used to happen to you, and the people that hurt you… they still lingered like ghosts when night came.
In the closed and guarded walls of your community, you hoped night could be a time and place that was peaceful. But thoughts of an attack, thoughts of losing your first real home, it left you apprehensive and paranoid of what could happen in your vulnerable state. And when you close your eyes, sometimes the past visits your dreams. It all felt inescapable.
It makes you so fearful that despite keeping your window’s curtain open, a battery-powered lantern resides practically glued to your nightstand— always on when the sun goes down. You knew it was a waste of a resource, but at least you kept it on low, at least when you woke up in the middle of the night, closer to morning really, you remembered to turn it off— the sun making its way back around soothed your nerves; it was always that initial getting-to-sleep part that made you need it anyway.
And of course, you’ve tried to calm yourself down at night using different methods to see what stuck: You do read— your neighbors were always kind enough to lend whatever books were in their houses— and you did daydream— letting your mind wander to happier, more wondrous places when you wanted to escape— and it did help sometimes, but on other nights, it wasn’t enough.
You miss watching tv in bed. There was something about the buzz of the box, and the voices of humor and romance and relatability that miraculously took you away, and helped you stop thinking, even allowed you to drift to sleep… it was a luxury you didn’t have anymore, and not only did you not have that luxury, you also had an overabundance of dead or deadly issues to worry about. It all haunted you.
You sat with your back against the headboard of the bed. You’ve yet to put on any night clothes. You had already read the next chapter of your book, and you would have read another, and possibly another after that, but tonight you knew it would have just kept you awake as something to do instead of worrying about sleep. You were tired though. That’s why you stopped, but you also weren’t ready for trying to catch sleep that wouldn’t come.
Part of you hoped Daryl would stop by, but he doesn’t always, and he probably won’t tonight. Some nights he’s out until the next day or the next week, who knows how far he went this time, you didn’t go with him and he left too quickly to ask. It had been a few days since you saw him last.
When he was here though, he did start to make it a habit of stopping by to see you, especially when it was time for Alexandrians to settle into their homes for the night. He stopped being so quiet through the window and only dropping things off. He would start coming through the door. It was just a light chat for a couple of minutes at first, then there were the times when he stayed an hour or two. He always sat on your floor, by the window, or by the door. You never understood why until you insisted he sit in your chair by the closet. It was only until a few more visits later you realized the chair's light color becoming just a bit visibly darker. It was soot and hard work and the air, he worked outside all day and usually visited before he called it a night. You made sure not to mention it, you just cleaned it yourself. No need for him to feel embarrassed.
Besides, you didn't mind, anytime he walked through your door or jumped in from your window, that was his chair, at least that’s what you called it in your head. You liked that. You liked that after he brought you home he didn’t move on and let you be. In his defense, you didn’t let him be either, but he could have always distanced himself if he wanted to, told you no, but he didn’t.
You two have gotten so close quite quickly. You both felt it and you didn’t know why, but at the same time, you did. It was something left unspoken, even in your mind, always on the side toward the back of your brain. That part knew you could fall in love with him, but why admit it to yourself if the other person might not feel the same? You were still feeling that way. Despite all the moments you’ve shared thus far. His silent nature was endearing at times, but it could also be a very confusing gripe of yours. There were moments when you knew exactly where his mind was, but there were other times when you simply did not. Especially when it came to you. Daryl always gave you just enough, and maybe tonight, it would be nothing at all.
At least that’s where your thoughts resided until you heard the creak of your door slowly pushing inward.
Daryl’s hand holds the doorknob, meeting your eyes as he steps in further. Your window casting just enough light on his face.
“Hi,” you meant to be clever, ask him if he knew how to knock, but only wistful, subdued surprise is all that came out in your one-word greeting.
“Hey,” he replied, it almost seemed like he was surprised too, you couldn’t tell it from his voice but from the way he cut the word short. “Didn’t know if you were awake.”
You laugh somberly, “You didn’t?”
“Didn’t see you in the window.”
His voice is low, your house is quiet, and people are asleep in the other rooms. You match his tone with your own quietness, “Right,” you say. The window did hit the bed end, not the top. But he knew you were a late sleeper. He even came and sat with you for longer the night before he left because you had told him about it— he knew, he had to, but you didn’t question it.
“Um,” he’s looking down, “Was just gonna leave somethin’.”
He starts to walk to your nightstand but you stop him, your hand reaching out, not touching him, but it’s just enough to pull him to your gaze. “You’re gonna leave without showing me?”
Daryl positions himself toward you and you sit up. Gingerly, he takes something small out of his front pocket, it was covered in one of his bandanas. He looks at it for a moment, almost unsure before placing it on the bed, right in front of your lap.
It was an MP3 player. One of those slim rectangular ones with a digital rectangular screen to match and a big circular button with the controls covering the bottom half. There were some small scratches in the screen corners and some dent marks in the back. The arrow buttons were starting to fade too, but he handed you some headphones out of his back pocket as you continued to examine it, it must have worked.
You look up at him, eyes wide, shining just a bit in the dark just like the little silver miracle that was in your hands. You remembered having one of these, the thought made your lips curl, a light open-mouthed smile forming as the nostalgia set in.
You move closer to the edge of the bed, the sky illuminating you more in your semi-darkened room. You place your hand on the other end of your bed, “Come,” you say as your tap the spot. He’s hesitant before he finally accepts the invitation, sitting down. You would have insisted anyway if he didn’t.
You flip the switch on the side then and the music starts instantly in your right ear where you set one of the earbuds in. You tried to put the left on him, but he shook his hand, “You listen.” You let him be for now, you were too excited to see what the previous owner was into.
The songs are scattered from different decades, but what you notice the most of as you skip through were various 90s and 2000s rock, pop-punk, pop, and the like. There was Nirvana, but also Fiona Apple to Blondie, and even Elvis. It was a little all over the place, really. This definitely had to be a teen’s in the early or late aughts. You thought maybe Carl would like this. There was even some stuff that you were sure had to have come out in 2010, right before the apocalypse began… Another kid who wouldn’t get to spend the rest of their teens, or young adulthood, or adult life like they were supposed to, like you were supposed to.
Having these thoughts while Aerosmith’s Fly Away From Here played was not helping, especially since it made you think of your lost family, and those from your found family that were gone now too, so you decided to skip, but the button seemed to fidget. You tried again, then again, even touching the screen. You accidentally made the shuffle icon come onto the bottom corner.
“Don’t like Aerosmith?” Daryl read it on the screen, but he also recalled the melody, even from just the soft buzz produced by the headphones, the volume was accidentally turned all the way up, you set it down.
You give him a light smile, “Aerosmith’s fine. Just have to be a little more careful with this, I guess.”
You continue to press forward to see what else is there until you shriek, color coming back to your face as you shake your head at the memory emerging as you listen. “Oh my god, my sibling used to love this song when we were younger.” It was Avril Lavigne’s Girlfriend that was playing. “We used to put on the radio or look up the music videos on the tv and dance. They loved doing that…” Your voice was soft, both sweet yet desolate, “I knew all the popular songs and all their favorite songs whether I liked it or not.” You giggle, “I can lie this one is fun.”
You knew Daryl would probably scoff, but you lightly place the left earbud near his ear for a few seconds so he can hear what you’re talking about.
“Definitely a chick’s.”
“‘Chick’?” It was funny, and you did laugh, but you still decide to protest, “It’s just one song and…I don’t know, I think it’s a pretty eclectic mix of artists…” You continue to press forward as you ask, “Were there kids? Or- did there used to be?”
“Based on the rooms.” He nods, “Boy and a girl.”
“Hm,” you say curiously, flipping through the songs: the next one that played was by Linkin Park, then Alanis Morisette… you wondered if the kids shared it or shared interests. Suddenly, the player starts Lit’s My Own Worst Enemy. Your eyes are starlit as you gasp, “Oh, this one is so you.”
This time you fully push the headphone into his left ear, turning the volume all the way up as the first verse plays, his face is fixed, “This ain’t me.” There is silence as the music continues and he scorns, “You think I used to just get drunk all the time?”
“Daryl,” your laugh is light, “no.” It was a ridiculous thought and he should know it, but nonetheless, you console him, “Of course not.” Your hand reaches forward onto the bed, nearing where his own resided, but not touching. It saddened you to see Daryl always react like this to small things. He was never judgmental, but he was always so quick to believe others would judge him. “Maybe not that part,” you smile, slightly mischievous, “but- okay, this-” you sing-speak along lightly, remembering to stay quiet, “it’s no surprise to me I am my own worst enemy, cause every now and then I kick the living shit out of me- that's you! That's literally you.”
He shakes his head, ‘Whatever,’ the gesture says with his grunt.
“No, you’re actually a little bit self-deprecating, I think. At least internally.” You continue, “Oh, and this part— I didn't mean to call you that- you see?” You say, humor still in your smile, “That part is you.”
Daryl gives you another small grunt indicating ‘no’ as he shakes his head again. “If I say something to someone, then I mean it. Wouldn’t say it if I don’t.”
“Well, you also mean a lot of what you don’t say,” your eyes trail to the side. You knew that didn’t make sense, but it did to you. There was a part of you that was still in denial of your feelings or if there was a possibility he had any for you either. You’d never see him talk or treat anyone in a more than friendly way– or whatever Daryl’s version of friendly was. You wanted to protect yourself by not admitting you adored him, even to yourself, but really, you knew. And there was the way he kept giving you these things, these little moments: the ribbon, the picture, the charms… It made that smaller part of you that believed something was there, glow and warm inside your heart.
You look at him, there was a sorrow placed on both of your faces, but he just looks at his hand that is placed on the bed through his hair, the one that's so close to yours. “You really don’t think there is anything you don’t regret saying?” Another song passes, you didn’t recall it, but then the playlist shifts to something slower, it’s the Beatles. “I just think you keep a lot inside… It’s okay though. But it is just something I notice.”
Normally, a comment like this or something similar to it would sound trite and judgmental, there are a lot of things people don’t talk about now, but you say it with understanding, a little sad because you can’t help it, but your voice is kind, like gentle fingers through his hair, evening it out; a voice that shows you care, you see him and respect him even if you do want more. “It’s okay,” you whisper as Paul McCartney’s voice sings softly, “I’m not half the man I used to be, there’s a shadow hanging over me.” It felt like he was speaking right to Daryl as he continued to look away from you.
It’s moments like this where he wants to say it all. The sad stories from his childhood that he has never been able to tell anyone before. Stories about his brother… the bad, yes, but even some of the good ones. He knows he could talk to Rick if he wanted, or Carol. His group was loyal to him as much as he was to them– he knew that, but they probably wouldn’t care to hear about Merle, it would probably make them angry to be reminded of all the bad things he’s done to them. He wouldn’t blame them. In many ways, and for more reasons then all of them, he will always be angry at his brother too. This is why he didn’t even like to let himself think about the past, but in other ways, it still sucked. It makes him feel alone, like talking about himself or his brother or the past was just a gateway to hurting himself and scaring others, scaring you.
You wipe him away from those thoughts even though you didn’t even hear them, your voice pulling him out of his trance, “Things are harder now, Daryl, but I think you’ve only gotten better.” There is still so much you don’t know, but nonetheless, it’s like you can read his mind.
“This is the only me you know.”
“And even then I don’t think you’re the man I met when you found me… We’re definitely not the same people.” Your hand is just inches from his fingertips now. “We all have things to improve on, even if we think we’ve already grown up. I think that’s a part of growing up actually… just realizing that you never do, or at least not entirely. You’re always going to continue to grow.” Your words linger in the air as the next song starts, it’s Paramore, it’s The Only Exception— something still laced with melancholia but it has a sweet gentleness to it. It's just like you. This is how you were trying to be with your words. “It’s better if you allow it though, or work toward it instead of against it, I think.” You laugh at yourself then, “But I'm far from perfect so I should really stop talking.” Blush creeps onto your cheeks, you’re hopeful the night’s light doesn’t show it too much.
He wishes he could tell you he thinks you’re perfect, or at least something close to it. At least for him. You truly were like an angel. Maybe Radiohead is on this too.
The chorus continues to play, leading to the song’s ending and his jaw tightens. It’s annoying that you were right, your words from before echo to him. They weren’t nonsensical, he did get it: he does mean the things he never says as much as the things he does, but no one will ever get to know. Not that everyone has to, but maybe for you, maybe just a little, maybe you can be the exception. And he can tell that you’re trying to me: who carries around a silly little ribbon anyway? Or who keeps their window open almost every night, even on cold nights? He felt like he was failing you. Maybe these gifts and these small moments weren't enough. Maybe they were just trinkets; meaningless, giving you false hope for a love he couldn’t provide.
You both hear the outro, “Oh, and I’m on my way to believing,” and his heart pangs at that. Maybe he doesn’t have to fail, maybe he can try, at least right now, “It’s just…” he speaks up, his voice clears, “It made me think of you when I saw it.” He was talking about the mp3, “That’s why I brought it back… You’re always humming under your breath. Now you can stop annoying me with the same old thing.”
Your eyes roll, but you aren’t mad, in fact, you can't help that it makes you smile. “Oh, okay, Daryl,” you say through quiet bits of laughter.
“Also thought it could help you sleep… I dunno.”
You nod intently at his words, “Thank you,” and that wistfulness in your voice returns. “That's really kind.”
He nods back. He’s so gruff and straight-faced all the time, but was it bad to say that there were moments when you can't help but see him as adorable? He was always trying not to meet your gaze through his hair, and it was always messy like a kid’s, just like when you took that photograph.
Muse’s Starlight starts playing as you brush some of the hair out of his face. It's an awkward transition, but it's what you get from accidentally pressing shuffle so many times. In the end, though, the words make it seem perfect for the moment. The singer spoke of desire and escape, about missing loved ones and wanting to keep someone special, someone that's like starlight, close by. You understood that. He did too.
You giggle lightly, “Daryl, you- you have something…” You point at your face in reflection of his.
“What?” He wipes his nose.
“No, it's- it’s here,” you say, taking your finger to lightly catch the eyelash that threatened to slip away from his face and onto the bed. “Make a wish,” you whisper. Your face is nothing short of innocence and wonder.
His snorts, “I’m not doin’ that.”
“Daryl,” you eyes widened with apparent prodding and pleading annoyance, but your words still have a sense of amusement to them, “I think we need all the luck we can get.” Your head tilts as you say through your smiling teeth, “I’ll do it with you…?”
“Fine.” He can’t help that your squeal makes his lips curl but he’s trying to hide it.
“You have to really do it.” You turn the music down, it's in the background now. Your usual sun-filled eyes are currently wide like the moon as you look into his, coming closer to his face.
He nods, “Okay.”
“Promise?” You sing.
“Promise.” He meant it, he even closed his eyes before you to prove it.
You closed your eyes too, “Okay, I’m trusting you.” Squeezing them tightly, you whisper, “Think about what you want, and then I'm going to count to three and we blow.”
Instantly, your heart foolishly thinks of Daryl. You know you could be thinking about the safety of your group, the stability of Alexandria, or hoping that the threat everyone feels coming subsides into nothingness, but all your thoughts are just of him. It makes you feel like a silly little girl, waiting for that big romantic confession of love that you dream about, the one that will probably never come.
I wish for you, you think. You can’t help it, you can’t say anything else, this is the only thing that’s true, I just wish to stay by your side, forever.
The song echoes your hopes too, I’ll never let you go if you promise not to fade away.
You agree, never fade away, please.
“Okay,” you say softly aloud, “1… 2… 3…” And then your wish flies into the air. You two stare at each other afterwards, eyes starry like the sky from your window.
You wished for each other.
Trinket No. 6: Scars, Marks, Tattoos, and Internal Wounds ⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
The Things I Only Trust You to Know
It’s another night. Another visit. It wasn’t intentional this time, but your curtains were drawn. They’re almost never drawn, at least not completely. The window was still open though, the night’s breeze ruffled them backwards. Daryl became concerned, so he climbed up, opening the window wider and pushing the curtains to the side to get through.
He saw you crying.
Hearing the thud of his boots stomp lightly to the ground triggered you to turn, body facing the closet as you were curled in your bed. You didn’t want him to see you. “I’m tired tonight, Daryl.” Your voice was low, you tried to keep in neutral. For the most part you were doing well, but it was still obvious you weren’t fine— he saw your face before you covered it.
He sat down on the edge of your bed, his legs hitting by your feet. He didn’t feel like asking if you were okay if you were going to lie and say no. “You can tell me to go if you want,” was all he said, rubbing your arm as he did and then let go. You starting sniffling involuntarily because of the touch. You realized you were holding in a breath, the shaky exhale came out louder than you wished it did. “I’m sorry,” your voice blubbering. You were embarrassed. You hadn’t done this in front of him since before he brought you home.
“Don’t gotta be.”
“I feel stupid,” you say under your breath. You’re still trying to hide your face.
“Stop.” He puts his hand over your body now, on the bed, and he faces you. “What’s wrong?”
You shake your head slowly, looking at him, “I don’t know how to say. I can’t-”
“Just say it,” he said calmly.
You felt heat rising from your throat, it was like the words were trying to come out, but it felt scary to do so, it made your teeth grind against each other. Your head shakes harder, “I don’t think I can.”
He brings a hand to your face and wipes some of your tears with his thumb, “What would you tell me?”
You would tell him to speak, that it’s okay, you both knew it. The thought makes you sit up in your bed, tears still running down your cheeks, but you were going to try.
“You’re just going to get annoyed,” you wipe some of your tears with your wrist, “think I’m dumb, like a little girl.”
“You’re not dumb,” he spoke over you before you finished.
You pause, you shake your head again. The words are on your tongue but you just feel so bad and so embarrassed to admit it. “Sometimes I just…” your voice hitches and your hands goes to your head, more tears fall, “it’s just one of those days, I guess.”
One of Daryl’s hands goes to your shoulder and your upper back, he pats you until it quickly becomes a soft, swaying motion.
Your voice doesn’t go above the lightest whisper as you try to start again, “Sometimes- I just look at myself and I-” a sob erupts from your throat and tears roll much quicker, “I know you’re going to think I’m stupid, but sometimes I just wonder if anyone could love me.” It doesn’t even feel good to finally admit it, but you continue, “I feel like there’s something wrong with me. Like maybe I’m not enough. Or I’ll never be.”
Daryl’s face heats up. How could you ever feel that way about yourself? How do you not see yourself as anything less than everything he’s seen in you since the day he met you? You’re not stupid. Never. He feels stupid for not seeing this in you. He feels stupid for it being so hard for him to tell you everything wonderful about yourself in the way you deserve.
He thinks for a moment, he wishes he was more poetic, but he wasn’t and there are still certain things he’s not ready to say. So he decides on something else as he calls your name, “You’re telling me you can’t see you’re a tough son of a bitch?” The phrase makes you laugh involuntarily through your tears, he always says it like it’s one word. “One that found a way to burn down a hospital and kill a bunch of dickheads in one go just to stay alive?” He huffs, “Prettiest arsonist I’ve seen.”
You gasped but it made you smile lightly, it was funny. “I’m not an arsonist! And it was only part of the building.”
“Coulda fool me.” He tilts his head, “But you’re also probably one of the best scavengers we got. And you’re a good friend.” His hand travels to your knee, “You’re really good at talkin’ to people… and to me.”
You try to let his words fill you up but there is still doubt. “I don’t feel like pretty and really good are the right words.”
“Then you’re wrong.”
You shake your head.
He doesn’t get it, “Well, what do you see that I’m not?”
Your heart beats ferociously, you don’t move, you’re hesitant, you don’t know if this is right, but there is a part of your that wants to. “Can I show you something?” You asked.
He nods.
It’s scary, but you decide to trust him, showing him the part of yourself you felt most ashamed of. The part of you that you thought was unloveable.
But he sees nothing shameful, nothing bad, he just holds onto it or another part of you, caressing you gently. “You’re perfect,” he says, shrugging as if his words aren’t a big deal, but he knows they are. This is the first time he doesn’t keep a thought like this in his head anymore. “There’s nothing wrong with you.”
He turns his back on you now, and he takes a breath, sighing deeply. You’re confused until he sighs and starts to speak; “When you were with those guys— and I know it ain’t the same, but— I know what it’s like. For people to use you.” He swallows hard, “I don’t like myself all the time neither.”
Your eyes widen. He was taking off his shirt. The first thing you see are tattoos, until your eyes travel to the other side, you see what he meant; the scars. “My dad. He was a drunk and a loser and an asshole.” Daryl's voice hitched, you couldn’t tell if he was crying or not, but you had never heard him like this before. “He did it to my brother too, Merle. But then he just left when he was old enough. Didn’t even give a shit that our dad was gonna do it to me,” there was anger in his voice. “He said he didn’t know,” and then he chokes on his words, “but how can I believe that? Thought it’d just skip a generation? He never changed. Neither of ‘em.” You wanted to hold him, but you didn’t know if it was too soon. He was still speaking, “Then when I got old enough, I left too. Some time later I started drifting ‘round with Merle, like that was gonna be any better… Two fucked up kids doing nothin’ with their fucked up lives.” His face turned to the side, you saw his profile, his eyes were red, “That’s what I did before Rick… You all were going to do good things with your life and I was gonna be nothing.”
“Daryl…” you were crestfallen, “I’m so sorry.” You held his arm, stroking it softly. “But you weren’t going to be nothing.”
“Yes, I was.”
“There is no thinking about what could have been. This is how life is. Maybe this was always going to happen,” your voice falters as you say it. “You’re not nothing. You’ve become everything to so many people.”
He turns his face back around and you look at his back again. It was difficult to look at, you won’t lie. Your heart sunk low, like it was being squeezed and brought down to the pit of your stomach to know that someone put him through this. Someone who was supposed to love him. Another tear escaped your eye at of the thought.
“Daryl,” you stutter meekly, “Is it okay if I hold you?”
His nod is so faint you barely see it, but he doesn’t say anything else so you believe it is a yes.
Your fingers ghost over his back until you let the tips of them finally lay on his skin.
His eyes wince and squeeze as he shutters despite your fingers trailing so tenderly. Your palm is now flat on his back as you move downwards and back up again. You kiss near his shoulder, right on the tip of his highest tattoo and then you wrap your arms around him, under his arms over his waist, and he holds your hands there.
You stay there for a long while, you don’t have a recollection of time. The moment feels like forever, although it is sad and you wished you weren’t discussing the things you were to get here, you don’t want it to end. “You’re the bravest person I’ve ever met,” you tell him.
It’s quiet until he says, “No,” disagreeingly, “You’re not brave just because you go through some shit.”
“But you still are,” you insist. “This happened to you and you chose to be the person you are now despite it. You became someone invincible.” You pressed him against you tighter, “I’m proud of you. Every day.”
Finally he turns around and takes you in his arms, your head now resting over his shoulder as your chests touch, closing the gap. You lay down on the bed and he stays on top of you. One hand plays with your hair and you continue to caress his back.
“I really like your tattoos,” you whisper, almost a giggle in your voice. “They look really good on you.”
He smiles a little. He never takes off his shirt so people barely see all the ones he has. He liked that you liked them. “Thank you,” he says.
“Do you want more? If you could?” You also want to ask why he got the ones he did, but the crying has made you sleepy and him being on top of you is making your mind hazy. “I wish I could,” is all you add.
He looks at you, “Maybe that’s the next thing we find.” He was talking about a tattoo gun, “That’s the kind of junk people don’t need now, we’ll look.”
He plays with your hair again, both your smiles are so innocent and lazy, you two would knock out soon, but it was nice to talk about something that used to be mundane for a moment.
“What if we do it and it turns out bad?”
“We’re not gonna find it tomorrow.”
“Right,” you say, moving on. “You know… I remember I used to be so scared of that stuff— needles and blood. I can imagine wincing just thinking about a needle touching me at the doctor’s… But now, I think that’s a pain I’d actually prefer… Rather than the other things we’ve gone through… If there ever was a choice like that.”
He agrees, “If there was a choice, I’d be covered by now.”
You two laugh at that, letting go of each other. Your bodies are on your sides, parallel to one another as you lay down. You’re on the side that faces the window and Daryl’s back is to it. He sees the moonlight illuminate your face because of it, the glow makes you look enchanting.
He wonders if you would get one— a tattoo, or another one, of this: of the moon; of the night where you showed each other parts of your bodies you wanted to hide, thinking they were flaws; of the night where you accepted each other fully despite it. Where he laughed and felt happy even after he shared something so dark. He almost never laughs or feels happiness in its totality, but with you, he does. It happened right now as he’s looking at you.
You see his face glistening in tandem with the white light that shines on you, it’s darker, but it’s still there. You were wondering the same exact thing.
Your eyes feel heavy now. They slowly flutter shut, but you try to keep them open. You don’t want him to leave. But he sees that your face dozing off, you’re tired, your eyes keep trying to close and close fully. He quietly gets up to go, but you stop him. Holding onto his forearm, sliding down to his hand. “Just stay,” you murmur, “please,” it’s light and dream-like. So he does. He doesn’t want to let go of your hand. He doesn’t want to let go of you.
You both stay at your sides, your intertwined hands at the center. He continues to look at you and you smile softly as your body finally allows your eyes to close shut. You drift swiftly to sleep. And he stays awake for a while longer, fixed on you and your slowing breath until sleep finds him too.
Daryl being right there, and you being right next to him, made everything infinitely better.
Despite it being vague on details, feel free to skip around areas of this one if you are not comfortable with reading about the reader being imprisoned at the Sanctuary.
Trinkets No. 7 & 8: The Second Ribbon and the First Kiss ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ જ⁀➴ -`♥︎´-
Confessions From a Broken Bowman and a Battered Beaut
It had taken a long while for you and Daryl to talk again after you escaped the Sanctuary.
The last time he saw you was through your tears as Negan’s men threw him in a van, your eyes bloodshot, wanting to scream and plead. He felt it was his fault that he didn’t fight harder; he felt that it was his fault that you were in there for so long; felt it was his fault that you were taken there in the first place. He couldn’t save Glenn— a burden he still carried so deeply, even after talking to Maggie— and that led to not being able to save you. He felt like he left you, not knowing you would have been in the same place he was if he didn’t escape before you got there. But what choice did he have? He didn’t know. And he doesn’t even know if it’s a good or bad thing to admit that in a heart beat, he would take another day of torture, of abuse and pain, if it meant he was with you, and you could make it out together. One more day for him would have been worth your days only adding up to one hand if it could. It would have been better than just waiting for you on the other side. Having to hide just so Negan wouldn’t find him and kill him and more of his friends because of it.
And even worse, what if he threatened Daryl with you instead? Especially since you were still there, with him. That’s part of the reason why Daryl wanted to blow up the Sanctuary. It would have just been one side. Just enough to cause the chaos you needed to run away from your captures and back home. You were fast enough, he knows you are, and you must have known all the exits by now. He tried to convince himself of it. Rick told him it was a bad idea, dangerous to do that to the workers, and most importantly to you— it too many what ifs if it didn’t work out— but what else was he supposed to do? He needed you out, and the Saviors to be gone. It felt like the only choice.
But then, Daryl saw your face. You got out, you didn’t need another fire. It must have been their first attack against the Sanctuary that helped.
Your breathing was so heavy when you finally stopped, you were running so fast, there were patches of dirt all over you, sweat dripping from your neck. It must have been fate that he, Tara, Micchone, and Rosita were right there on the other side, ironically trying to go back to the place you just escaped from.
All their guns were pointed in your direction. They heard the gunshots, they heard someone running. They instantly dropped everything when they saw that it was you.
It felt like the world turned in its full rotation in seconds, coming into a halt all in this moment. The woods, the running, the chance encounter— him; it’s like you were brought right back to the start.
He was speechless, stunned in a way he didn’t expect, mouth agape and yours the same. You didn’t know what to say and he didn’t know how to apologize in the way he felt he should, so you both just stood there. Tears started to well in your eyes. All he did in the end was look down.
This exchange of stares happened only in a mere matter of seconds until Rosita brought you in for a hug, cursing leaving even though she knew you didn’t have a choice, being so happy you were back, but for you it felt agonizingly long.
And for Daryl, it all felt endlessly hopeless. The reality that his plan probably could, or most definitely would have killed you sunk in. He was stupid for thinking that it could work. And seeing you in that wife's dress? A black bow tied to the back of your head? It was unbearable. He hates that he found it hard to even look at you.
The two other women welcomed you back, Michonne even looked teary eyed. The sight made some of your own tears fall because of it. She took you by the shoulder and Rosita took your waist, guiding you to the trunk. Tara went back near Daryl, she wanted to ask if their new plan at the Sanctuary was still a go but waited when she noticed Rosita sent a glare Daryl’s way. It honestly did more to Tara than Daryl. He didn’t even bother meeting her face, he was already punching himself for his silence, for his inaction. He just got in the driver’s seat and took off.
After that, you watched him, waiting to see when his eyes would finally meet yours, but he tried to avoid them as much as he could. The only time he spoke to you was to ask if you were okay when Alexandria fell and you were all in the sewers, and when he entrusted you to take care of Judith as he guided everyone to the Hilltop afterwards.
This treatment was excruciating, but you said nothing. You didn’t feel like yelling at him, you just wanted him. And there was no time between when you came back to right now when you could speak alone anyway if you did want to yell. If you asked why he probably would just shoved you off and you’d get more sad and upset than you already were, or maybe you’d pester, demanding some kind of answer and he'd be the one that might yell… no reason to fight in front of people, especially since there are so many other things to worry about.
But you remember when you finally got to the Hilltop, and how you saw the way he embraced Carol almost right after he saw her. You weren’t upset about that specifically. You admired Carol, even if you didn’t get to know her that well yet. You knew they loved each other, you thought they had a beautiful relationship… It wasn’t that. It was the fact that you fought all the way to get back to your family, to him, and it felt like it was all just so he could act like a stranger again. He didn’t even say hello when he saw you, or ask how you got out, or that he missed you. Maybe he didn’t. That was the real reason you said nothing. The thought broke your heart.
You could at least say that Negan talked to you, and didn’t keep all his feelings inside– whether they were real or not, you were only half sure somtimes– but your time at the Sanctuary, becoming a soon-to-be-wife, it was a hardship only you endured. No one would understand the humor of that sick joke, and it especially wasn’t the time nor would it ever be when everyone hated him and wanted to kill him so desperately.
The next day came by, you all prepared for the Saviors to attack at Hilltop. You were on a break, sitting in the cellar. It was dark, but it helped relieve you from the incessant heat that beamed outside.
Daryl was looking for you. This happened to be the third place he went around. He had just spoke to Rick, apologized for their fight. He felt awful that it took until after Carl passed for them to talk about it, and that his passing made Rick start to believe all the killing might be the only option like Daryl believed before. He still wasn’t sure what he felt now. All he knew is he couldn’t let you two go on like this any longer. It was time to talk to you.
As he opened the cellar door he kept it slightly open, letting the light emanate through.
He sits down next to you, bringing his knees up as he usually does. You don’t bother looking at him. Maybe he would just ask you to do him a favor like last time.
There is silence for a moment. He doesn’t know where to begin. All he decides to say is, “You got Judith here safe, I made sure Rick knew. Thank you.”
“You’re the one who led us here.” Your voice says quietly.
“You helped chop a lot of those walkers down in the swap.”
You sigh, not answering him right away. “This isn’t a competition.”
“I know,” he mutters.
Silence is all that hangs in the air again. With each second that passes it makes your throat swell, bubbling up to your tongue and brain as it usually does until you’re trying to hold back tears.
Daryl was feeling similarly. All his words were caught in his throat too, wanting to be said out loud but he can’t, it’s like someone is squeezing and choking him right there. And he can see your teary eyes, it could almost make his eyes match.
He says your name low and slow, “Do you hate me?”
You’re stunned at the thought. Your words are hushed but vehement, “How could you ever think I’d hate you?”
“I left you-”
“You didn’t know.”
“I could’ve fought harder when they put me in that van, you grabbed onto me and I still let them take me—”
You speak in between his words, “Why are you acting like you had a choice?!”
“—I could’ve went back right after they told me that’s where you were. Not leave you! I coulda done that.”
You shake your head, your voice a sharp whisper, “If you tried either of those things you would have been dead. Everything would be worse and this probably still would have happened.”
“I could’ve done something,” is all he repeats. Quietness fills the space again. You’re never going to agree on this. He’s stuck on what happened and you’re upset about what’s happening.
You breathe in shakily. He’s still finding it hard to look and it hurts, it makes you sad and angry.
Your voice becomes stifled, almost weepingly as you ask, “Daryl… Why can’t you even look at me? Why have you barely talked to me since I came back?”
His voice raises strainingly, “Cause I left you.”
Your voice cries as your head shakes again slowly, “You didn’t leave me, they took me. You left me now.” That makes him turn. You see his eyes, they’re puffed and the whites of his eyes are a faint red, and yours are still watery. “It’s not your fault.”
The backs of your fingertips brush against his cheek, feeling the bristles of his beard and you go down further, continuing to shake your head sadly, moving back to your face to wipe your own tears.
“Did they put you in that cell? Take your stuff?”
“Only the first time I came there. And then the two other times I tried to escape. After that I was sent to sleep with the other girls.” Your voice is quiet, “I don’t think it was the same for me like it was for you.”
“Did he,” he almost can't say it, “Did he hurt you?”
You knew what he meant. All you could do was shake your head slowly, it was a gesture of no.
He nods, his mouth fixed. Some relief is finally released from that, but this doesn’t change anything. They still took you away, they probably put you in a cell, they don’t deserve mercy. He wants to tell you that you all are still going to kill Negan and how he still plans on killing Dwight, but he holds his tongue. This wasn’t what being with you was about right now. His mind races with plans, just thinking of how to get close to them, how to commit the final act, until you speak, reading is mind again.
“I-” you stutter ashamedly, “I think- I know that my time in there has changed me and maybe I see things differently or know more than I used to but… it doesn’t change that I’m with you. I never let that go.” You whimper, “It just hurt when you didn’t say anything to me. Like you were disgusted by me.” You can’t help the string of sobs that come out.
“No,” Daryl holds your face close to his. The bottom of his palm reaching your neck, his fingertips extending over your cheeks, his thumb caressing over the area under and behind your ears. “I fucked up. I was going to try to blow up a part of the Sanctuary… even before I knew you got out… If you got hurt that would have been my fault. That would have been on me. I’d never see you again- Would’ve hated myself.” His voice hitches, it’s rasp so coarse and grating.
You hug him instantly. Your hands go under his arms and one of his goes in your hair, holding your head so tightly as it presses into his shoulder. He cries, “I’m sorry.”
“Stop” You breathe him in, “It’s okay.”
“It aint.”
“It doesn’t matter now.“ You wait a moment, telling him quietly into his neck, “I only want to be with you.”
“And what if it goes bad? What if I hurt you again?”
“We’re going to hurt each other, Daryl. What matters is we try and we stay. That’s it.”
He faces you now. His nose brushes against yours, your foreheads connect, it makes your eyes flutter shut. Your tears are drying the longer he holds you like that and everything feels so warm. Your heart, your brain, your cheeks and his fingertips against them. It makes you feel it again, that fearlessness— you kiss him. Gently touching his jaw, your chin moves upwards, your mouths opens, your lips twist so softly with his, you already can’t breathe, and then you let go.
As he looks at your face, he smiles, realizing he’s seeing the girl he used to know again. His sunshine girl with the stars in her eyes. They’re shining up, still half sad and glossy, but the bright lights are slowly coming back on. His dream is back. She’s real. You’re real. You’re trying, you’re staying, so will he.
He takes your neck and kisses you this time. His tongue slips in, you’re so surprised, you gasp into his mouth. It makes you both smile into the kiss. You come closer and he helps you into his lap, allowing you to lean in. His hands go to your waist and yours to his shoulders. Then one of his hands runs up to your hair and your opposite hand does the same to him. You want to touch each other everywhere now.
Then he feels the ribbon, the black one. It makes him stop.
You’re worried, “What happened?”
He holds the piece of hair that the ribbon is secured to, it’s only a little part, the rest of your hair is down, and he undoes the bow, discarding it to the ground. Your hair falls messily over your ears and down your neck. “You don’t need that anymore.”
Daryl pushes your hips and you sit on the floor again. He’s reaching in his pocket, and you can’t believe it, it’s another one. A dark ruby, maybe a silky burgundy one it was in color— it was another ribbon.
“How long have you had that?”
“Since I found the other one.” He shrugs, “I thought the first one was better.” This one had fraying on one end, unraveling just a bit.
You would have said that you could sew it later, but you didn’t, you said only what mattered: “It’s perfect.”
Daryl doesn’t argue. This is him trying, he takes the win.
He doesn’t know how to put it nicely in your hair, how you do it with the different styles, so he just wraps all of your hair in a ponytail, just like last time, tying it into a bow.
It feels like a gift, not just because he gave it to you and not because it looks like a decoration on top of one, but it is all of it— this moment, the conversation— it all feels like breathing new life into something you worried might be slowly withering and dying. You exhale, it felt so nice to feel him so close, to feel his fingers run through your hair, to feel his breath on your skin.
“Think maybe this suits you better now,” he says, and maybe it always has.
He leans back against the wall and you lay your head and back in the crux of his knees and chest. You look up into his eyes and he does the same right down at you. There was more work to be done, more fighting to endure, but for now, you lay there as if you were the only two in the world. In a moment of sweet understanding; in a moment of love. You could finally admit it to yourself now, you were absolutely and monumentally in love.
… I could go on forever ♡ perhaps this can be a mini-series where I post one when I think of another and you can feel free to request a trinket you think Daryl would give the reader and I’ll post it and respond or even write a blurb for it and add it to the list if it’s a good fit! Thank you for reading. ⋆。°✩
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hxjikonn · 1 year
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(Artist: @/nemurihm on twtr)
Malleus and Lilia’s Reaction to “would you still love me if I was a worm?”
Malleus Draconia and Lilia Vanrouge x Reader (separate)
Synopsis: Them reacting to GN! Reader’s rather odd question. (Mostly crack) (Malleus confusion 1000) (I got carried away with Lilia’s so it’s really long 😭)
Warnings: can come off as OOC??? I think??? Idk
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Malleus Draconia
Was perplexed by your sudden odd question, would first think that it’s a human thing like a joke or somewhat of a test. Still he tries his best not to offend or hurt you so he thinks of an answer even though he feels the smoke coming out of his ears due to him thinking about it too much.
You were laying on the grass beside him as he sat down looking up at the stars with you, it was yet again your usual meeting time outside the Ramshackle dormitory. You enjoy these moments with him and so does he, just being close and spending time together whether that be with you two talking about various things or just comforting silence.
“Tsunutaro…would you still love me if I was a worm?” You blurted out, it was just a random thought, no real meaning behind it…you’d think he’d laugh in amusement or take it as lightly as you are but you were met with silence, causing you to look at the horned fae who was looking right back at you.
“Uhh you good?” You waved your hand in-front of his face, attempting to snap him out of his confused trance. Malleus for once seemed to not have an answer, but of course he didn’t want to disappoint or upset you…so he asked first to make sure…
“Do you wish to be a umm….a worm?” He asked, he would grant it if you did, but He wasn’t sure if you were kidding or you WANTED to be a worm, he finds you unpredictable most of the time after all, you giggled at his question “No of course not, It’s just a dumb question forget about it” you smiled looking back up at the stars.
“I would.” He said, you turn to look at him again questioningly, “would what?” You asked. “I would still love you, I’d take care of you and I’ll even ask Jade for those terrariums to keep you safe in for as long as your worm life may live” He patted your head smiling.
You didn’t expect such an answer, you were just joking, but it made you happy nonetheless. You lay your head in his lap and cupped his face with your hands “You’d really take care of a worm?” You laughed, he leaned into your touch “not just any worm, I’d take care of a YOU worm” he also laughed softly. The rest of the night was just you two laughing about it (mostly you laughing cuz he kept asking you why you wanted to be a worm out of all things)
Lilia Vanrouge
Would be amused by the question, he knew it was a joke so he teased you about it, until you had enough of his teasing and hit him with the nearest object you can find.
You were sitting on his bed curiously looking at the various items scattered in his room, while he played games on his PC, you were used to waiting for him to finish his games before he could spend time with you by now, it didn’t upset or bother you cuz you were pretty much occupied with his little trinkets and artifacts too.
A certain object caught you’re attention, and you were about to examine it when Lilia spoke “Don’t touch that love, you can get cursed into a being hideous beast for all eternity” He warned still having his attention on to the screen in front of him. You pulled your hand back and sank on his bed, making yourself comfy with his pillows and blankets.
“What if I get turned into a worm?” You asked, he laughed “okay and?“ he asked also amused by where this conversation is heading “Well? Would you still love me?” You question, it was stupid sure but you wanted to know.
He fell into a fit of laughter, while he was clicking and scrolling away with his game. “Uhh well let’s see…I’d take you outside in a jar” he started, you were listening eagerly waiting for him to continue, “It’s a picnic date by the lake” he added, you smiled feeling content…
“And then I’d use you as bait to go fish for the food I’d serve in the picnic” he finished and then laughed, you’re smile disappeared and was converted into a frown as you glared at him. “WOW. Okay yeah sure good plan.” You said sarcastically and turned away from him his blanket still wrapped around you.
“I’m joking!” He defended, “okay then what would you REALLY do?” You turned back facing him again, “Okay on a more serious note….” He started again, “Go on…“ you said urging him to continue “I’d probably forget that you were a worm and accidentally step on you” he cackled once again, feeling happy with himself cuz he also won the game he was playing
You threw a pillow at him angrily, He dodged it of course still grinning at you teasingly “You’re an ass” you snapped at him as you rolled away in the corner of the bed back facing to him, he chuckled and climbed on the bed with you, as he inched closer to wrap his arms around your waist.
“I was kidding love~” he cooed, peppering kisses on your shoulder, “uh huh, sure buddy whatever you say.” You spat annoyed at him, he wasn’t fazed at all by this though, in fact he was amused…but it obvious you weren’t so he played into your little game
“If you were to turn into a tiny worm, I would carry you around with me everyday in my palm and show people that my dumb little s/o got turned into a worm” he said, he still didn’t hear any sign of satisfaction so he continued “but, I’d still love my worm s/o and I’d protect them from getting stepped on or eaten by a fish…or a bird….or headmaster Crowley…he looks like a bird so he’s still a threat” he stated earning a giggle from you.
You finally faced him and buried your face in his warmth, “okay you pass….for now” you threatened, he scoffs and shook his head “You humans and you’re little games” he sighs and kisses your forehead “You’re a weird little thing aren’t you?” He pulled you closer an played with your hair “another weird little thing to add to my collection I guess” he chuckled while you slowly gave in to the comfort and took a nap with him.
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A/N: AGAIN I DID NOT PROOFREAD THIS 💀 I got carried away with Lilia’s bit but it’s just too cute I couldn’t stop writing 😭
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throwaway-yandere · 1 year
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Dendro NA: 101 (Yandere!Alhaitham/Reader)
a/n: “ansy weren’t you going to write faceless!ayato and music composer!tighnari” well yes but things happened so now here we are. I’m dedicating this fic to crying anon since they’re the person that gave me an idea of an "what if Alhaitham had an elf!darling?" after this fic. The beginning reads like an enemies-to-lovers fic with a slice of crack where nothing goes wrong but trust me it’s not lmao
unreliable synopsis: After Alhaitham forged your signature, you're now forced to become the Acting Grand Sage’s assistant. It's even more annoying when he nearly visited your house all drugged up. Seriously, when will he learn to respect his seniors?
CW: yandere themes, noncon touching, aphrodisiacs, possessiveness, so much bickering, and the reader slanders dendro for plot reasons. 
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Pulcinella, The Rooster, came to visit early in the morning.
“Pups, please… Stop turning my apartment upside down and just tell me what you want.”
It was unexpected how the old man barged into your “unconquerable mess of an apartment” with the intent to celebrate your newfound job at the Haravatat. Mayor Pulcinella isn’t your direct grandfather, but he is your grandfather’s brother. The fact that you are connected to him is a well-known secret (as absurd an oxymoron as that may sound) in the College of Engineering and Technology at the Akademiya. Because of the collectivist mentality that characterized your family, every last pointy-eared relative you are aware of is blatantly nosy and annoying. The "mayor" is much more so.
Pulcinella did come to extend his congratulations, with a generous batch of cookies even, but he had an objective in mind. His way of showing that he cares is usually in the form of letters but he stands right in front of you now. You can only imagine how difficult it is for someone in his position to take a leave of absence this far since Port Ormos is so far away from home and it takes days for mail to arrive here.
Your grandfather is obstinate. Terrifying so since you recognize that expression on his face all too well. Although you are unsure of what he needs from you, you do know that you want him out. Immediately.
“Don’t talk to me in that tone, child.” He scowled, jabbing your briefcases with his wooden cane. “I’m not leaving until I find it.”
That "Rooster" moniker belongs to him without a doubt. Your belongings were seized by the elf-like a bird's beak. He prodded the dreadful equation-filled sheets hanging on your wall and snatched a few trinkets on your work table. Good lord. Pulcinella made so much noise that if you weren’t already planning on starting your day, you would’ve been incredibly cranky when he knocked on your door.
“For Her Majesty’s sake– just what are you trying to find, grandpups?”
He turned to look at you.
Not mad, but disappointed– sad, even.
“An engagement ring. Evidence that you’re dating that fool, Alhaitham.”
You groaned.
“Him again?! Motherf—”
Pulcinella quirked his eyebrow at your outburst, “hmm?”
You chuckled nervously, “ah, sorry, I just… It’s nothing.”
No, it was not “nothing.” That bastard ruined a lot of things for you, including your vision. You didn’t want a dendro vision. You were praying for Rex Lapis every night even after his death but somehow being involved with Alhaitham strayed your path to gaining the “grass fertilizer tool” as you loved to call it. Sure, there’s little evidence that he’s the reason behind the fact that you got a dendro vision instead of geo but that doesn’t change the fact that you want to crush him between your palms like a writhe scarab. Especially after he enlisted you as his scribe-disciple without your consent. What a complete scumbag.
Oh, to quit the Akademiya only to be forced to go back again…
But of course, your grandpups don’t know anything about this and you have ZERO intentions of letting him in on your business. If he knows, then ALL of Snezhnayan elves know.
“I’ve heard from your mother that you’ve gone lovesick and left the Akademiya,” Pulcinella spoke in a slow somber tone. “And falling recklessly in love and gaining a dendro vision does not sound like you at all.”
Eww. Lovesick? Hell no.
If it weren’t for this man, you would’ve graduated as a fully pledged civil engineer next year. If he wasn’t such a great scribe, no, forger, your signature wouldn’t be on that damn contract.
That man seriously has no respect for his seniors.
Nevertheless, it was too late to do anything. You just have to accept the consequences of your inaction. Additionally, if you're going to take this "new job," you might as well act as if you adore it.
Hooray! Don’t you love working for Alhaitham? Isn’t it fun to discard your 4 years of studying? Oh, what joy! You definitely did not burn your eyebrows out trying to ace FIFTY Kshahrewar mock tests!!!–
“Talk to me, poppet.” He continued, eyebrows knitted. His wrinkly hands reached to gently hold yours. Suddenly, you remembered that he is still family. That this was the same old major that your young self boasted their miniature construction toys to.
“I’m worried that something might’ve happened. And my dear, health is not the absence of disease or infirmity, it is also–”
“The complete state of physical, mental, AND social wellbeing. Yes. I know, Pups. You nearly forced me to study medicine.” You groaned and palmed your forehead, weak but playful.
He chuckled heartily.
The old man’s rather soft with you compared to his other grandchildren. If he wasn’t, you’d likely find yourself as Il Dottore’s new assistant.
Although most people would find working for a harbinger, especially The Doctor, to be a complete nightmare, you concluded that being Alhaitham's slave was the epitome of "overrated garbage," and you despise the scribe so much you can't even remember his appearance. Sure, Layla’s jealous that you’re essentially set for life by being a scribe assistant but at least Dottore gives his assistants a hefty pay (discounting his crimes against humanity…)
You’re not proud to call Alhaitham your boss. That stupid #093c0d face doesn’t make your 2 million mora salary worth the trouble. He needs to pay for your mental health insurance–
“Are you alright, poppet? You’re looking at me like you would with one of your test slimes.”
You exhaled deeply, “sorry, I suddenly thought of a hex code #093c0d person.”
Pulcinella closed his eyes.
“A dark green shade?”
“That’s right.”
“...”
With an unreadable yet deliberate face, Pulcinella fixed his gaze on you. Your unique perspective on others didn't seem to disturb your grandpups the way it did your parents. He is one of the select few who is aware of how you assign people's personalities through colors. Pulcinella raised his glasses further up before giving a sage-like nod. The moment he crossed his arms, you knew he understood what you were trying to express.
“So it’s a lover’s quarrel.”
“Yes, exactly.”
“Wait, what– NO!!! Pups, please stop assuming shit– things!!!”
Never mind— he is SO far off.
Why is he convinced that you’re dating that prick? What the hell did your mom tell him?!
“I heard that, poppet. And do not misunderstand, I think this is a good thing.”
Your uncle-grandfather cupped your cheeks and squished them between his fingers. Perhaps this is what people consider a wholesome grandpa-grandchild dynamic– but social norms should’ve also labeled this as domestic violence. His pinching hurts. Your clipped groans made him grin wider.
“After all, this means that you have seen his flaws and true character. What better way to break a couple up than a genuine argument?”
“PWUUUPS!!!”
Pulcinella pulled his hands away.
“I felt distraught when I heard you have given up your pursuit of civil engineering and chose a career in the Haravatat,” he sighed and took off his hat, holding it against his chest. “I was rooting for you, dear. I had faith in your aspirations. Even Lord Capitano found it upsetting to learn that the future engineer I frequently boasted about had become a lesser Lord Kusanali underling.”
You squirmed and rubbed your cheeks, staring at the ground.
Lord Capitano was not someone you often interacted with, but you knew that he had an eye for talent– and he sought after yours. Perhaps this is your ego talking, but it felt like even he believed you’re best suited for an engineering course too. Other than your grandpups and subsequently his recruit, Ajax, Lord Capitano was one of the Fatuis you respected.
Alhaitham truly crushed your dreams.
“I know, Pups…”
“You know what to do, right?”
You nodded solemnly, before looking him dead in the eye. Pulcinella can see your determination clear as day.
You breathed in.
“I’m going to commit arson.”
He patted your back, smiling.
“That’s my grandchild!”
Pulcinella tip-toed and ruffled your hair.
“Alright, this old man had given up. Just show grandpups where the ring is.”
“Her majesty the Tsaritsa’s sake– I already told you Pups– ALHAITHAM AND I ARE NOT DATING!!!”
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It was an exceptionally hot evening in Sumeru City despite being far from the desert. You should be inside your apartment right now, studying the Dendro Vision book Alhaitham gave you but you’d rather be where you are now. It’s about to get warmer, yet you’d dare argue that both you and master architect Kaveh’s headache can compete with its 38°C average temperature.
“C’mon, please?”
“No, I’m not helping you burn Alhaitham’s house down.”
“What?! Why not?!”
“Damnit, (Y/n)– BECAUSE I LIVE THERE!!!”
“Oh, right.”
You flopped back to your seat, eyes rolling back, deflated.
Kaveh cried out in pain while lowering his head to the table. He somewhat resembled a dried-out raisin. He had a drinking binge the night before, so this isn't because he's not a morning person. Although you expressed regret for knocking on his (Alhaitham's) door, the architect never misses a chance to rant about his housemate. Kaveh's pain wasn't even close to how much he detested Alhaitham. Now here you both are, sitting outside Lambad’s Tavern like morons because you both forgot to bring your wallets.
Not a sight you’d expect from a master-of-all-trades (ex-)engineering student and a genius architect.
“Damn it…” You whined. “What else am I supposed to do now?”
“Await until Focalors passes her judgment,” he answered hoarsely.
In other words: curl up and die, probably.
“Yeah… Yeah, that sounds viable. Let me just go to Fontaine real quick– oh wait, I can’t, because some dumbass scribe paid the corps to keep me from reaching the borders.”
Kaveh chuckled, still caressing his headache, not caring how his messy and unwashed locks covered his eyes. You’d be surprised if he told you he didn’t just get out of bed. He appeared like he was ready to sleep for all eternity, or more accurately, Kaveh’s starting to look eerily similar to Layla. In terms of colors though, he’d still be a #ffda29 and not a #003153.
He sneered, “did the sun always look this bright, powerful, and oh-so hateful?”
“It wouldn’t look like that if you didn’t down the pitcher I left on the table last night, Kaveh.”
You both turned to look at the voice– rather, the abyss. Alhaitham stood behind you. Or at least, you think it’s him.
Okay, here’s the deal: you hate remembering his face.
You handle your memory much like a student would a personal bookshelf– you’ll occasionally take out the information you no longer wish to retain in favor of more useful and relevant ones. As a creature with longevity, an elf should be picky when it comes to memories. You believe your approach is in the same vein as Pulcinella disposing of “less valuable assets’' without hesitation. If there’s no point in having it, why carry the baggage? But there are at least two facts that you can easily recall about Alhaitham: it’s his voice and the color #093c0d.
In other words, he’s just a talking dark green slime in your eyes.
Which he considers a major step up, by the way. You went from ignoring him to recognizing his voice, to associating him with one color. That’s quite a development. A pathetically slow progression, but still a positive one.
“THERE YOU ARE, ALHAITHAM, YOU PRI–”
The man swiftly dodged his slap by crouching down. He honestly didn’t have to put in the effort when Kaveh’s attacks were sluggish.
“–CK! WHY’D YOU LABEL THE ALCOHOL AS WATER?!”
Tons of passersby stared at Kaveh as he flailed around, but they were quick to look away. It’s no longer a secret that he lives with the scribe. Everyone in Sumeru City knows about his tactless antics and none are deaf when it comes to his loud gripes about his housemate. Even so, you went up to him to soothe his worries and restore his reputation because not everyone understands he's not a bad person.
Alhaitham scoffed, glaring.
“I didn’t. The label said "Fire-Water.””
“WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES THAT MAKE?!”
“Fire-water? Oh.”
Your hand flew to your mouth as you connected the two dots.
That beverage from Snezhnaya is notorious for having a high alcohol content and is only known in Mondstadt as the drink Master Ragnvindr forbade exports of. As a quote-unquote "wine connoisseur," you were invited to one of his parties. Fortunately, you were able to warn Diluc of how potent it is firsthand– Kaveh? Not so much.
You snorted.
“Yeah, Kaveh, I hate to take Alhaitham’s side on this but this one is on you, friend.”
The blonde’s eyes widened, betrayed.
“HAH?!”
“Need I remind you that fire-water is an alcoholic beverage, Kaveh.” Alhaitham waved his hand, emphasizing his condescending tone. “Maybe if you listened to me instead of ranting about my work ethic, you would’ve known that I received it as a gift from a Fatui Harbinger.”
Your ears perked up. “From a Harbinger?”
Alhaitham smirked but it was gone as quickly as it came.
“Hmm. I’m certain that you know him, assistant (L/n). His name is Pulcinella,” the scribe said. “He left me a note. He said he wishes that I drink to my heart’s content as a thank-you gift for hiring his grandchild. I wasn’t aware you have a kind grandfather.”
You smiled back, crookedly.
No. No, your uncle-grandfather DEFINITELY wanted to see Alhaitham in pain. He didn’t even bother giving him a bottle– he gave him a fucking leftover pitcher.
Alhaitham took your arm. Unfortunately, he’s taller than you with muscle strength you can’t compete with. You squirmed but resistance was futile. Doesn’t mean you can’t bite his arm off–
“Assistant (L/n)–”
You gritted your teeth. “Don’t touch me, sir.”
Alhaitham paused, processing how much emphasis you put into pronouncing the word “sir.”
“–I’ll be taking you away now.” He looked down on your friend and scoffed. “Kaveh, do try your best to not be a burden to Mx. (L/n) again.”
Kaveh clutched his head, still in pain.
Sorry, Kaveh. That drink and beating headache were not meant for you in the slightest. You made a mental note to make it up to him, but not today. You have a lot on your plate right now.
“Idiot. They’re the one that invited me here!”
“True–”
“I quite frankly don’t care,” Alhaitham spat coldly.
“From now on, refrain from having conversations with my assistant. Unless you’re prepared to face the consequences.”
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“Do you remember the approximate damage multipliers an aggravate reaction causes?”
“Nope.”
“Tch. I just discussed this, I can’t believe you already forgot.”
“You think I forgot? Haha, hell no. I didn’t forget, I just wasn’t paying any attention.”
Alhaitham dragged you down a secluded area in the rainforests with a sword in hand. Quite frankly, you hoped he brought his weapon to kill you, but you’re well aware of what this is about.
This is a lesson straight out of a page of “Dendro Vision Qualifications 101: Normal Attack Patterns.” The Acting Grand Sage thinks that you should have at least enough fighting proficiency for you to start formally working for him. As for you? You think this whole charade is utterly meaningless.
Sometimes, you truly do wish you were born as a rock instead. Maybe then you would be able to perform the “gray-rock method” whenever Alhaitham starts his drivel about dendro visions. You bet you’d make a pretty good tombstone for your dead childhood friend if you were a rock. Being a rock is probably the nicest thing to be. You get to be something created from the Geo element– the element and vision you desired. And not dendro.
Anything but lame old dendro.
This is so stupid. You wanted a geo vision, damn it. What on earth did you do to make Rex Lapis spite you, and what kinda breakthrough did you accomplish to gain the Lesser Lord Kusanali’s favor instead?!
If only you got something that isn’t the same as Alhaitham’s vision. Maybe if you got an electro vision you’d be learning how to brandish a lance with the General Mahamatra instead. Unlike most people, you enjoy being in his prolonged company and dry jokes. You’ve exchanged letters with Cyno multiple times– but your friend’s on-the-spot puns are 10x funnier than the things he writes down. Of course, that’s only because his earnest delivery sells it.
“In this fighting stance, you can perform up to 4 consecutive attacks, dishing out dendro damage approximately every 2 seconds interval–”
You held up your Eye of Perception.
“Bold of you to assume I’ll use this vision.”
“–charge attacks on the other hand require a hefty amount of stami–”
You yawned, halting Alhaitham in the middle of his “lecture.”
There’s a reason why you chose an Eye of Perception, and that’s because, unlike most catalysts, it procures physical damage as well. With someone as petty as you, it’s only natural that you’d brandish a weapon that doesn’t rely too much on dendro reactions.
“Yeah, I’ll just hit the enemy with my catalyst. Like, aim and shoot, or maybe I’ll just go with blunt force. This eye of perception looks like it’s made of metal, it can probably dish out some physical damage–”
Alhaitham shifted forward. Your gentle yet insouciant voice forced him out of his momentum.
“(Y/n).”
“...Yes, sir?”
His gaze sharpened.
“Pay attention.”
You snorted. Was he trying to intimidate you?
You, an elf who lived longer than him? How arrogant. It was becoming clearer why Alhaitham never once had a girlfriend or boyfriend. Or maybe a genuine friend in general. His senior who happens to also be his housemate does not count.
“No thanks.” You laughed to yourself, barely containing your amusement. “I think I’m doing fine.”
“What do you expect will happen if you don’t listen to my instructions? Your unfailing indifference sickens me.” He sheathed his sword back. “Do I have to spell everything out? You’ll get injured in combat. You won’t be able to defend yourself from fungi, eremites, and other enemies on the prowl. All for what? Useless pride? Grow up. Accept that you got a dendro vision and be done with it.”
“Tch…” You know how you feel, but you do not have the strength to say it out loud.
What an impossible task. He’s telling you– the most stubborn person you know– to give up on your goals? Inconceivable. You bet he sees the mediocre majority as nothing more than defective pawns, and you’re well aware you belong in that lowly category.
To him, grief may as well be easy as breathing. For you, years had gone by and you could still hear their voice. The scribe knows nothing about tributes for the dead. 
Your old childhood friend beckons you back to the chasm. His voice comes once the dark rears in, reverbing his desperate pleas for a fitting grave. It’s a voice that twists around your chest like a knife. You can’t get their faces out of your memetic bookshelf, but it’s not as if you’re willing to dispose of them.
You didn’t want a dendro vision. 
You wanted a geo vision to construct mausoleums for your dead friends.
Alhaitham scowled.
“Fine. We’ll resume our lesson next week.”
He bumped into your shoulder as he walked by. For a split second, you’re reminded that your superior had longer eyelashes than you do. And it made the gesture more annoying.
Strange. 
Alhaitham wouldn’t normally let you off so easily…
Maybe he’s busy?
“If you’re so insistent on only utilizing physical attacks, be my guest. Next time, I will not back down a single step.” Alhaitham walked away with heavy feet, stamping the dirt with his heels.
The consequences of your actions began to sink in. You may have lived longer than Alhaitham, but needless to say, he had more experience in combat.
Admittedly, you may have done yourself a disservice by acting out… You huffed.
No, no way.
“What could possibly go wrong? He’s just a feeble scholar!”
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Unsurprisingly, Alhaitham was not, in fact, a feeble scholar.
Thankfully you have the Eye of Perception at your disposal because the moment he found you walking towards Devantaka Mountain the following week, the bastard went for your jugular.
“What the fuck, Alhaitham?!”
You fired a single shot, aimed higher this time knowing that he would attempt to evade. Much like his actions with Kaveh last time, Alhaitham was quick to dodge that projectile. His timing is impeccable as he activated his vision.
#ff0e0e starts blaring in your line of sight. You’ve always trusted these colors— your instincts.
You’re in danger.
“Tch!”
You almost didn’t recognize that it was him. If he wasn’t breathing heavily, you would've mistaken him for an assassin. Alhaitham never made any unnecessary movements. His slashes were not done with the intent of harming you, but shepherding you to an appropriate trap. Your knee scraped against the grass and minuscule rocks. Prioritizing distance over attacks was a wrong move– he’s faster than anticipated. You gasped sharply as the scribe pinned you against a tree trunk–
… His scent caught your attention.
“A cicin mage’s perfume…?” You mumbled, eyes wide.
That didn’t seem right. Their perfume usually doesn’t smell this unpleasant and metallic.
Your ears drooped down as you realized this Alhaitham did not attack because he’s a lunatic, no. That malodorous stench was akin to a grandmother’s bittersweet husk.
This Alhaitham was under the influence of aphrodisiacs, and it is not something you can fault him for.
“What– What on earth happened?”
He twisted your arm slightly, not enough that’ll make you scream but just rough for a tiny yelp–
and that’s how he boldly claimed your lips.
You froze in horror, letting him take advantage of your plight. Alhaitham pulled away, panting slightly.
“F-Fuck…”
Alhaitham moaned as he slipped his tongue back inside. You tried to stop him but you yelped the moment his hand groped your thigh. His breath fanned your flustered skin as he moved to slither his arms around your waist, closing the already small distance between you two.
You weakly pulled back. The rainforest had never felt this humid before.
Something is truly off about his scent.
“L-Let go!!!” You hissed and punched his chest, completely forgetting your catalyst in your panic. “What the hell is wrong with you?!?! Are you out of your fucking mind?!”
He didn’t listen despite your physical protests. Alhaitham disgustingly crooned down and sloppily dabbed wet kisses down your neck. His saliva dripped over his shoulder, coating you in hopes that it would leave his trace.
It felt wrong. You felt dirty– like you were kissing an actual #093c0d slime.
“P-Please…” He whispered, his voice dropping dangerously weak and vulnerable. “H-Help me, (Y/n)…”
Your face flushed as you wiped the saliva that connected you both from your lips.
You’ve never heard Alhaitham beg before.
Is this really him?
His fistful grip on your clothes grew taut as desperation colored his knuckles white. You had never seen Alhaitham lose his cool the way he does now, and the broken sight in his eyes made you uneasy and uncertain.
He looked pathetic.
“Haitham, your…” your hand supported his neck and he hungrily leaned in to feel your touch. “Your heartbeat is loud.”
“I know,” he whimpered.
You bit your lip. You could sense his pulse going faster.
This isn’t the first time you’ve been kissed– or first anything. You’ve had your fair share of “soulmates” and “flings”, but those happened decades ago. Before you were mastering engineering, you were a freelance artist who’d had many affairs with humans and elves alike out of the undiagnosed emptiness that was grief. Up until Faruzan made you start a new leaf, you indulged in numerous vices, including wine and one-night stands. She was the closest a human could hope to understand the loneliness an elf would have.
Both your appearance give the illusion of youth, but your bones are held together by flesh older than this man. She would undoubtedly be angry with you as soon as she learns that you enabled Alhaitham's small rendezvous.
“Alhaitham, I’m more than a decade years older than you–” you squirmed.
“But I want you,” he groaned.
Those words felt so different when he was the one who said them. Nearly sinister.
“I know,” you said, but your voice doesn’t match the confidence you were meant to exude. “But this isn’t you, this is your hormones doing the talking. Where did the cicin mage attack you?”
“Between Pardis Dhyai and Yashna Monument”
“Between WHAT?!” You gawked. “That’s miles away from here!”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, it does!!!”
You yanked his shirt. It’s thin, yet surprisingly durable. The strength of the fabric is not what made you unnerved, but his stare.
He gazed at you as if you were his lifeline— as if you were the only thing that allowed him to breathe. Alhaitham’s hot breaths were shallow, fanning your face as you took note of how red his face, neck, and ears were. You noticed how he struggled to gulp— struggled to keep his composure. His bedroom eyes had not once diverted their attention away from you.
“It doesn't matter how far I ran. You were the one I wanted to see. You were the face that came to mind after getting poisoned."
You pretended not to hear that.
“Alhaitham, we need to get you to Tighnari.”
“He can’t help me.”
“The forest watcher can most certainly help you more than me.”
“You don’t know that.”
You don't want to hear him talk anymore, to be honest. You're horrified by how weak and inaudible his voice sounded.
“Why did you come to Avidya Forest all the way from there? Why not head straight to the city?”
“So many questions…” He irritably spat. “Just stop talking and kis–”
“I refuse,” you glared. “Why were you heading towards Port Ormos? Did you think I was going to help you get over this mess out of the goodness of my heart?”
Did he forget how much you loathe him?
“No. No, of course not.”
He chuckled, full of self-loathing.
“I know you hate me, (Y/n). I would hate myself too.”
You raised an eyebrow. Of course, he’s self-aware— you just didn’t expect him to say that out loud.
Alhaitham continued, “but I’m not the one at fault here.”
Defeated, he rested his head on your shoulder. To avoid having you look at his expression, Alhaitham cupped your back, running fingers through your scalp so that you may only look forward. His body pressed against yours firmly. There’s no possible way for you not to be wholly aware of how warm he was and how fast his heart was beating. 
It was distracting to know how much the poison affected someone like Alhaitham, whom you thought was damn near untouchable.
Awkwardly, you returned the favor and played with his hair. Alhaitham gasped softly, making you shiver as you realized how sensitive you are to his breathing from this position.
“And who would that be?” You asked quietly. “If your pride won’t let you seek Tighnari’s aid then since you’re here you might as well tell me everything, starting from the very beginning.”
“T-That won’t be necessary.”
“If we want to rule out who your true assailant is, then yes it is,” you answered. “I think this is what you call the process of elimination.”
Suddenly, he pulled away from you with his arms stretched out. Alhaitham still kept you pinned on the tree, but there’s more space for you now to move and see his face. 
Ah, you’ve nearly forgotten again.
Alhaitham has green-orange eyes.
“No need.”
He clicked his tongue.
“It was Pulcinella. Your grandfather sent a cicin mage in an attempt to seduce and assassinate me.”
… Oh.
You should’ve guessed. You really should’ve guessed that he was behind all this.
Instinctively, you tried to cover your mouth from shock, but he quickly grabbed them and pressed them back to the tree behind you again. He tightened his hold once more, making you wince.
“I didn’t mind at first because your grandfather reminded me of my own grandmother,” Alhaitham gritted his teeth. “Pulcinella—”
He bit his bottom lip, his seafoam eyes looking unstable and royally pissed.
“He’s not after me because of my position as the Acting Grand Sage. H-He was merely looking after you. His expression was one I recognized. It's a grandfather's love. I may not show empathy as frequently as my housemate would like, but at least I am conscious of how important family is. I don’t want you to have to arrange your grandparent’s funeral like I did.”
You’re not unaware of who Alhaitham’s grandmother was. At one point, you had befriended her back when she was out on a mission to acquire 1,000 books. To think that you’ll meet her grandson for the first time in college and that you’ll end up in a situation like this… you’re sure she would’ve never condoned any of this. She wouldn’t appreciate that her grandson was trying to fuck the elf that helped her build her small library.
This is wrong. 
Everything about this is wrong. From the age gap to the work power distance– it’s vile– 
You want to vomit.
“So— s-so what did you do?”
“I didn’t want to kill your grandfather in retaliation.”
“Yes, you’ve established that. You don’t usually beat around the bush— go back to being the Alhaitham I know and just get straight to the point, damn it!”
“I ended up tracking all of his people in Sumeru down.”
He chuckled lowly.
Your heart started racing as well. 
If his heart was beating out of excitement, yours were out of a rational fear that you wouldn’t get out of this unscathed and mentally sound.
“It’s laughable how his lackeys were so incompetent. If they listened to my lectures at all, they would’ve known how to defend themselves.”
“What… What the hell are you talking about?” 
There was nowhere to run. You’re trapped unless Alhaitham lets go of both your wrists. Your dilated eyes surveyed the woodland, but you weren't confident that, should the occasion arise, your shaky knees could put some distance between you and the scribe.
“Didn’t you notice? They were stalking us from the moment I was teaching you how to use your vision last week, and likely even before that.”
His face drew near and you strained your neck to hopefully maintain at least a hair of distance between both of your lips.
Alhaitham closed his eyes.
“Did you honestly think I’d postpone our practice due to your mild complaining? Don’t you understand how excruciating it is to be away from you for a week?”
He pressed his forehead against yours.
“But I had to do it. For us.”
“Where… Where were you when you were gone? What did you do to them?”
You didn’t want to ask.
You already know the answer. 
“When will you start thinking before you speak?”
With fears renewed, your body felt small underneath his gaze. He’s not even looking at you— his piercing green eyes weren’t even looking directly at your soul. You turned away and gazed at his left shoulder— shrieking.
Never in your 100+ years of life did you feel so stupid. Only now did you realize that it wasn’t just a cicin mage’s perfume you smelled earlier.
There was blood all over his coat.
“Stop screaming, (Y/n). I’ve finished the job and it’s high time you reward me, wouldn’t you agree?”
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forgeofthenine · 5 months
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More modern s/o!
Said s/o has some trinkets from our modern world? (Their backpack of stuff yeeted itself at the s/o via wormhole) what objects would the tiefling bachelors be interested in once their s/o comes over to them to show them what they got via the inter dimensional care package system?
I love the term interdimensional care package and I want more excuses to use it in everyday life. These ones are short and sweet, hope you enjoy :)
What modern objects are the bachelors interested in
Dammon
Show this man your cellphone, he is obsessed
He likes seeing anything you have with you that's tech related, a smart watch, a cellphone, even a tamagotchi
Dammons especially excited if you actually let him take them apart, though beware the fact he won't be able to put them back together again
He's very interested in you showing him how they work too, as much as you're able with no WiFi and limited battery
His ears perk up so sweetly as he listens to you talking, eagerly taking in any information he can
If you really want to surprise Dammon, pull out a fire lighter
He's always lighting his forge completely by hand and couldn't even fathom a modern lighter
It's something he's absolutely fascinated by, and easily the one he'll be the most depressed about it breaking and/or running out
Dammons beaming the entire time he's tinkering with your stuff, he's a bit like a toddler thats been given some new toys
Zevlor
Zevlor is curious about all the random stuff you might have in your bag
Lip balm? Hand cream? Random crumpled receipts? He's interested in everything
He'll listen intently as you tell him about every mundane, everyday thing you have hanging out in your bag
What really gets him excited is if you have any books with you
It doesn't matter the genre, he's eagerly reading them from cover to cover
I think Zevlor would be impressed by any classic literature, but he'd have plenty of questions
"Would you be able to explain what 'france' is?"
He'd love a good cheesy romance too, but he's much less vocal about that
You'd find Zevlor hiding away in his makeshift office stumbling through red, white, and royal blue or similar
Rolan
Rolans another one that's interested in books, particularly if you were attending uni or something and had textbooks with you
This might seem a little strange, but I think Rolan would also be interested if you carried medical equipment in your bag
Things like asthma inhalers, EpiPens, or the stuff you need to check blood sugar levels
He's inquisitive by nature, and he also wonders if these types of things can be replicated or replaced through magic
If you had any food in your bag, think a muesli bar or a bottle of cola, then he'll be trying to keep Cal and Lia from insisting on trying it
Rolan will still pretend to be reluctant but he's first in line to try whatever you might offer to them
I feel like he would hate carbonated drinks but Lia loves them
"How do you drink this, it tastes like I've angered it?" "That's what makes it good, Rolan."
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doobea · 9 months
Note
Hi, I saw your requests were open! If it hasn’t been asked already, could I please request hcs for how Rin, Shidou, and Sae (and any other characters you want to add!) flirt/get someone to like them? Thank you!
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synopsis: how they would go about flirting with you
content: sfw, fluff, gn!reader, assuming reader has medium/long hair characters: rin, shidou, sae, oliver a/n: omg yes of course hehe i love coming up with these types of headcanons, i added oliver bc i love him sm...
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Rin
You have to be great at picking up subtle cues just because he won't be verbally saying anything to indicate his true feelings towards you. Some small signs that he'll give away might be his prolonged stares or soft smiles whenever you walk into the room.
A tender gesture that he finds himself doing is tucking your hair back if it obstructs your face when you're focusing on something. In crowded areas, he'll walk behind you with a firm hand on your back as he guides you through.
He'll start paying super close attention to small details you like. If he happens to pick you up from somewhere, he'll make sure to put on music that you like (maybe already has a curated playlist on hand). He'll offer to buy you food from time to time, remembering the order details and adjustments by heart.
Anything regarding verbal flirting from him comes off as super awkward? Rin will think compliments will suffice as flirting so if you're really good at a hobby he'll just be like "nice" followed by his best attempt to smile. Occasionally, when he's feeling bold, he'll say something along the lines of "that looks good on you" or "you look nice today". Bonus but he probably practices saying those lines in the mirror and then cringing hard right after.
If you were to flirt with him back, honestly he wouldn't really know what to do because in his mind he didn't imagine it would get this far. Probably would try and keep his responses curt and stoic but his red ears will give it away.
Sae
Like his brother, he won't be too vocal about it but will definitely be a lot more physical in a teasing manner. In public, he'll purposefully brush his hands against yours when walking or reaching for the same object. If you're standing in front of him, he'll lean over and will make sure that he's up against your ear if he needs to ask you a simple question.
His socials are pretty much filled with professional photos from recent games or sponsorships, but he keeps it personal on his stories. As sort of a "soft launch" of his crush, he'll make sure to take photos with him in the center but you're always in the background. His followers will bombard him with questions but Sae responds back with "?" every time.
He'll start calling you by a nickname one day and just stick with it. It'll be super casual too, you could be working on something and Sae will walk by with the usual "morning" but then say a shortened version of your name.
Drops off souvenirs or small trinkets from his international matches. In the beginning, he'll lie and say that management gave him two of the same magnet but, eventually, he'll go out of his way to grab a cute keychain or two for you.
He doesn't really consider himself to be a subtle person, especially when it comes to flirting, he likes to indulge himself with little nuances and enjoys seeing your reactions out of it. If you were to ask him straight up about his intentions, Sae would probably come clean.
Shidou
Very direct and super playful in a chaotic way. It'll probably pop up mid-conversation where he'll drop the bomb and then talk about the next upcoming games. If you ask him to repeat himself, he'll say it louder for people to hear.
Shidou will do out-of-pocket things to try and elicit a reaction out of you. His signature move is playfully cornering you against the wall with his hand up, inching his face closer to yours only to pull back last minute. Another thing he'll do is undo his laces on his cleats and ask you to tie them up. He finds it absolutely hilarious to see you fumbling over your words and actions, and he will let you know.
He would never flirt without any meaning or intention behind it and he will definitely not just throw out any generic banter for the fun of it. So if he tells you that he finds you funny or attractive, he means every word he says.
Makes sure to follow you back home every single time and not in a weird creepy way. He likes to offer to walk you back home whenever you guys are out, especially when it's late out at night. He claims that if you have him around it's the same as having "scary dog privilege". Definitely boosts his ego when you take up on his offer multiple times.
Goes out of his way to say something to you every morning. Whether it be a generic question or saying hi, he'll always make sure that he talks to you first before anyone else.
Oliver
If he really likes someone, he'll try and show them that he's genuinely interested in them. That would mean him doing more acts of service rather than solely relying on playful banter. But that doesn't mean he'll give up on teasing you relentlessly. He won't have any issues calling you "cute" every time he sees you.
Extremely touchy to a fault but will only use it when necessary. If you're walking slower than he is, he'll have no problem hoisting you over his shoulders or carrying you bridal style, saying that he's not planning to wait on you. If you guys are riding on a subway or in the backseat of a car, he'll make sure to lean his body against yours and say "whoops too crowded in here".
Loves to show off on the field, especially when he was captain of the U-20 team. Makes sure that you can hear his voice from the stands and will put extra effort into his trick shots and goals. His fangirls will be crowding him after the matches but he'll ignore them to meet up with you.
Will be visibly pouty if he sees anyone else flirting with you. After eavesdropping on the conversation, he'll walk over to you and complain about how cheesy and lame the other person was. "Stay away from perverts" is something he'll always warn.
Some smaller things that Oliver will find himself doing is wholeheartedly giving away his hoodies or shirts to you if you're cold or need something quick to wear. If you're ever sore from working hard or coming back from the gym, he'll offer to give a massage (it's actually pretty good and not sexual surprisingly). This one is a shocker, but he'll soon find himself in the kitchen cooking things that you like.
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