#And they show you around or something to give you a greater intrigue to their homes

[afamiliarsword]

Ah... How I wish to see an MMORPG/Oblivion-like with good art direction *Gazes longingly*

#It's an understandable tradeoff and technically the final fantasy one and wow are well made graphically and all that #BUT I MEAN MOODY #WITH GOOD ART DIRECTION #Like stuff where it's clearly designed to make you feel like you're a small part of a large world instead of focusing on the coding side #which is understandable if you make any large scale project like that #But dang man #If Oblivion just had like #A bit more love put into it #some funky ass shaders #Permanent odd fog #The feeling that you're walking through lived places #And like some wider variations of races and stuff to role play as #Then I would kiss that game on the head #Don't look at me Elder scrolls stop not being an rpg which is more a mod playground than anything #Especially when you take most of the npcs into consideration like come on #It'd be so cool to have some use out of talking to npcs and living in the world instead of going from place A to B for quests #Like it's a meme pretty much how pressing rumors does nothing #It's obviously a product of the process with it all but it'd be so cool to ask an npc about what they do for a living #And they show you around or something to give you a greater intrigue to their homes #Maybe you ask a fisher what their story is and you go on a little fishing trip or it cuts away to you two having a drink about it #And he just talks and talks about how his life has been and then asks you what you've got going on and then you could build character! #It'd be so cool to see that with strong art direction! #Oogling and boogling with my eyes at the idea #But it's difficult so lets hope a dedicated group of people get to it with love for it #Me that is me I want to do that #shenanigans

[multific]

The Union of Two Houses

Paul Atreides x Reader

Warning: Arranged marriage

Summary: To strengthen the connection between your family and House Atreides, you are to marry Paul.

"Lady Y/L/N." came the voice from the entrance, letting everyone inside know that you have arrived.

Paul waited anxiously, often looking at his mother as she tried her best to calm him.

He had so many conversations with his parents ever since the news came that he was to marry a princess. Of course, Paul is against the idea. Marrying someone he didn't even know? He refused. But deep down, he understood his father's reasons. House Y/N/L was a very strong house, they held powers no one else did. So, Paul understood his father wanted to have such a powerful House on his side.

You, on the other hand, had been told since you were a child that one day you will marry a man you don't even know. 

Being the youngest out of five children, all four of your siblings being boys. You felt like your parents only saw you as a tool for them to marry off to a good family for connections.

And while you were told and prepared, it still did make you extremely anxious. 

You worried about what kind of a man would your father find for you. You feared he would give you to a terrible man who would hurt you, who would make the rest of your life miserable. 

"Atreides has a son. You will marry the son to strengthen the bond between the families." your mother told you one day, and you couldn't object.

And now, here you were, wearing a veil over your face to keep your innocence intact.

Paul looked at his mother, confused as to why was his bride wearing that.

"They have different customs." explained his mother and she only now realized Paul should have been advised about a couple of said customs.

While his father greeted you, Paul was looking at the floor, he soon realized you were standing in front of him, slowly bowing as his father introduced him.

"My son, your soon-to-be husband, Paul."

"Pleasure to meet you." you spoke up and Paul could barely hear you.

"Pleasure is all mine, Lady."

---

Paul was informed you will stay in a room close to his. Paul was also rather surprised that none of your parents attended.

He assumed maybe they would be there for the wedding.

There was a knock on his door, when he opened it he found you standing there, still wearing your veil.

"I apologize for interrupting your afternoon, your mother told me you could show me around?" now he heard you a little better, but your voice was still quiet.

"Of course, Lady." he simply said before leading you around the castle.

Showing you everything.

You particularly seemed to enjoy the garden and the library. Looking at all the different books.

"You enjoy reading?" He asked.

"Of course, I do. On our planet it is mostly raining, so we often stay inside. Reading by the window as the rain falls is something I will miss." 

"I can show you a couple books I enjoy."

"You read, My Lord?" you sounded rather surprised.

"When my time allows me."

"Oh, doesn't sound like you have a lot of free time."

"I don't, but I can still enjoy books." you smiled although you knew he wouldn't see that. "May I ask, Mother said you have customs before the wedding... I would like to know some, as I do not wish to offend you."

"Oh," you were surprised he was willing to learn. "I wear the veil so that my husband can take it off of my face during the ceremony. It symbolises purity, innocence and my willingness to my husband. Another custom is that we mustn't talk on the day of the wedding, nor can we see each other. It is said the desire would be greater that way. Do you have any customs?"

"None like that, but I wish to follow yours."

"I appreciate that, Lord."

"Call me Paul, please. I do not want us to be cold to each other, if I may also call you by your given name."

"I'd like that." you smiled and he could hear the smile in your voice.

Paul was intrigued. That afternoon he realized just how kind and gentle you were. He assumed it was your upbringing that made you so soft-spoken. You spoke briefly about your parents and siblings while Paul spoke about his family.

---

The wedding went on as everyone expected it. Your parents and your people arrived for the ceremony.

It was a true celebration of the union of two Houses. 

Paul was rather nervous to remove your veil but once he did and his eyes locked with yours, he smiled.

His bride was beautiful on the outside as much as she was on the inside. He placed just the softest little kiss on your lips as you were pronounced husband and wife.

And then, the celebration began.

Two cultures met.

Everyone was surprised at how much your people loved to dance. 

Never leaving the dance floor only to eat.

Paul smiled as he watched everyone celebrate, even the children were dancing, inviting his people to the dancefloor.

"I will be back soon." you said as you leaned over to Paul and he nodded.

You stood and walked with one of your maids.

The 'high table' as they called it was a bit further from the guests' tables. allowing space between them. The dancefloor was right by the guests as they occupied it mostly. Paul's eyes were still glued to the people, then a man stood up and the music stopped.

"Ladies and Gentleman, it is my pleasure to announce the next portion of the wedding, admittedly, it is my favourite part." said the man as he lifted a metal bowl. At this time, you walked out, wearing a completely different dress than the one you were in before, this allowed you to move more free and everyone could see the beautiful details. "Ladies and Gentleman I hope you all brought your silver or gold, as from now, the bride is for sale!" As the man lifted his hand, the music began and everyone at the high table, except your parents, looked between one another. 

Sale?

How dare they?! Paul nearly choked as he saw an older man toss a coin into the metal bowl, he took your hand and you danced with him, soon, a line formed, and everyone wanted to dance with you.

Your mother turned to Paul and his family.

"One of our oldest traditions. Everyone gets the chance to dance with the bride in exchange for a coin. It is why we call it 'the bride is for sale'. "

"Isn't it a bit...degrading?" asked Lady Jessica.

"Oh! Not at all! If anything we quite like it! The money collected usually goes to the newly-wedded couple so they could start their own lives together. Usually, in cases of royal weddings we give the collected money to charity or people in need." your mother said.

You smiled as a young little girl put a coin into the bowl as she made her way over to you, wanting to dance with you.

Thankfully, you were prepared for people of all ages. As you should be.

"I do hope the Duke would also take his chance and dance with my daughter." smiled your mother as your father joined the now slightly shorter queue of people. 

"Should I?" asked the Duke and your mother nodded quickly.

"Only if you wish to. Once everyone had their turn, Paul should be the last, to end the dance." your mother said and Paul nodded.

Paul watched as you danced with your father, a smile adoring your face since you began. Then, the line ended but the music didn't stop, you quickly moved to drink some water before you heard another coin hit the now, almost full bowl, turning you saw the Duke himself standing there.

You smiled as you quickly made your way to him.

"I wish for a slower dance if I may. I am not as young as I once was." he said as he reached out for your hand.

"You will be fine." you said pulling him with you and he laughed.

You dared to defy the Duke himself as he quickly moved on the dance floor. Not letting him down as the music reached his end.

"Thank you." you told him as you did to everyone else, soon everyone was sitting while you were slowly moving alone on the dancefloor.

Your mother told you, when the time comes, she will send over Paul.

Paul slowly stood up, making sure everyone had their turn before walking towards you. 

As soon as he arrived close to you, you turned as you motioned for the band. The music changed as you two danced. First, it was a quicker pace as everyone around you cheered. Then a slower song was playing as you just swayed in his arms, people soon joining you. 

"You look beautiful in this dress." he said and you barely heard him over the people and the music.

"Thank you. I hoped you would enjoy it."

"I do. Seeing you dance and have fun, it made me happy."

"Paul..."

"I hope you don't have any more traditions that you are hiding from me." he smiled and you smirked.

"I have just one, but I'm sure you are also familiar with that one." Paul laughed, understanding your hint.

He always knew he would be in an arranged marriage, with his title, it was a given. However, you were a true gift. Something he didn't expect is that he actually really enjoyed being with you.

He could see himself in a very happy marriage with you. And with another feather light kiss to your lips, it was his promise sealed. 

His promise of happiness and joy.

Taglist: @fleursirvart​​ @greenarrowhead​​ @thisismysecrethappyplace​​ @sincerelyfan​​ @theoneanna​​ @aestheticsandmarvel​​ @rororo06​​ @castellandiangelo​ @destynelseclipsa​ @spilledinkindumpster​ @capsiclesdoll​ @puknow​​ @alwayshave-faith​​ @alex12948​​ @lxdyred​​  @imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl​​ @anonymoussherlockandmarvelgeek​​ @praline357​​ @trshngyn​​ @avengers-r-us​​ @violet-19999​​ @top1bbgloak​​  @manduse​​​  @jacalineiscomingforyou​​  

~Masterlist~

ˇAO3ˇ

DO NOT STEAL, PLAGIARIZE, REPOST OR TRANSLATE ANY OF MY WORKS  

#Paul Atreides #paul atreides x reader #paul atreides x you #paul atreides x wife reader #paul atreides fem reader #dune fanfiction #dune #dune imagine #dune imagines #dune x reader #paul atreides imagine #paul atreides imagines #paul atreides fanfic #paul atreides scenario #paul atreides scenarios #Timothee Chalamet

[whamgram]

Binge read under my skin and I’m loving the slow burn! There’s so much tension between Charlie and Alastor and they haven’t even kissed yet, although they did have an indirect kiss while sharing a drink in front of Husk of all people. One of my favorite things from the show is when Charlie goes into her demon form because it gives a glimpse that she has a more wild appearance than she lets on but for some reason she keeps that part of herself hidden. It’s almost like she’s trying to mimic Lucifer with her ‘perfect’ appearance but when she loses control of her emotions she resembles Lilith more. My absolute favorite moment of under my skin: “He looked around the group before his eyes landed on the princess. They slowly scanned up her form, settling on her horns. His eyebrow twitch with intrigue and it made her heart skipped a beat.” I almost hurled my phone out the window! Alastor devouring Charlie in her demon form with his eyes was something I didn’t know I needed until I received it! And he’s clearly intrigued by her in that form if not fascinated. Hopefully he gets to see that side of her more. Honestly though he seems the type to provoke her just to get a glimpse of that side of her out because she tries to be…tame and I can see him drawing out that wild side of her so he can feast on her with his eyes. He also seems the type to underestimate his own reaction to such a situation if it happens haha! Is there a possibility that the rating will go up to E?

Thank you!! ❤️ I’m glad you’re enjoying the slow burn! I love me some good tension. Just building and building until both parties can’t take it anymore. 😮‍💨👌

You are so spot on about Alastor’s feelings towards Charlie’s demon form! He’s intrigued by it since it’s the physical manifestation of the potential she has. He knows she’s more powerful than him, but rather than feeling scared or insecure of that, it’s thrilling to him. I see it like a king trying to tame a dragon. Power seeking greater power, that sort of thing.

There’s also a budding physical attraction there too. 😏 He’s slowly realizing he’s into a gal who can kick his ass. And he definitely thinks the horns and tail are cute.

If you haven’t read chapter 13 yet, you’re in for a treat. 😈😈

The rating might get bumped up to E once we get to the smut. 👹 Depends on how graphic I decide to get, hehehe.

#charlastor #hazbin hotel #whamgram asks #whamgram fics #not star wars

[roboticutie]

It's a side-mission that I don't think many end up doing, at least from the lack of talking about it I see, but still. The figurines. If you succeed a check in the pawn shop, you can take a figurine of a headless soldier on a horse. If you've done that, when you inspect the stained glass Dolores Dei you can get the task to give her any and all figurines you can find. Perhaps you can one day. Even when you get this task, though, it feels odd- it confuses your Logic because Dei has long since passed, but... Maybe you can give her these gifts somehow? You can find another figurine in the unplayable Wirral expansion pack (I only found it bc I didn't know you couldn't play Wirral w Kim). There are only these 2, according to the wiki, and I have not found more.

This task is another moment where the writers really manage to emulate that feeling of not only loss, but lost-ness that you get a few times in the game. When I did this task I thought it would be something extraordinary, maybe vaguely supernatural as there are a few things confirmed to be unexplainable happening with and around Harry, y'know? I had hope and intrigue and didn't even realize how strange and rare it must be to get this task on accident bc after typing it out I realized the starting parameters were VERY specific and easy to miss, actually. And I was so excited to find who to give it to, maybe a lost shrine, or someone reaching through a spot of pale and time, maybe when I found 3 or 5 I could lay them at her shattered feet and look behind the glass, something odd and unexplainable.

Then I met her in the dream. And just before it ended I was reminded that I'm supposed to give Dei the figurines. And that's when it dawned on me what Harry had forgotten, and I knew what he'd done to his memory of Dora by combining the two, and... It was so sobering and desolate. It felt the same way the end of a party feels, when you're the last to leave. The balloons are still up, but there's streamers on the floor, crumbs on the plates, bowls of snacks emptied, walls that held and echoed laughter are silent. The after image of something amazing, left only with the memory and the knowledge that that moment will never, ever happen the same way again.

You fulfill this task by giving all found figurines to Dora in the final dream.

And it does nothing. It doesn't work. Nothing will work. She would have liked them once, but like Dei, that Dora is dead. She died years ago and the Dora that remains is far, far away now.

Just like when I had no idea the carriage was Harry's until Kim spelled it out for us 2 hours later after chatting and whistling and relaxing; the figurines made what Harry was feeling and going through dawn on me so personally. I can't explain it in words well enough. I was so disappointed the figurines weren't some greater purpose, I was sad this was all we were holding onto them for, I was disappointed in Harry for trying to use trinkets to win her back, I was upset that they didn't do anything good, she didn't even want them; and I knew that's what Harry felt in that moment, too.

It's a level of "Show, don't tell," that not many writers set themselves up to be able to achieve. Even in this game there are only a handful of moments that are able to put you into Harry's headspace so precisely, and all of them are very specific and rely heavily on context given or lost on the player. It's impressive. I think about those figurines a lot.

#disco elysium #long post #de spoilers #i didn't get the hints that my husband did irt Harry's MC bc my perception wasn't high enough to check the fence at first #so when it did light up i forgot i never checked it and just ignored it #and that's a pretty huge clue #i can't remember if i found the tyre tracks either. i think i did but i assumed they were Kim's bc he is a Speedfreak and #i believe i saw them after he took the body away #so it didn't even occur to me to ask how the hell Harry got to martinaise in the first place #i assumed he'd been dropped off or it was one of those things writers frequently don't explain bc it often is not explained! #it's just bam youre here! y'know? #so i was totally blindsided by the fact that that was MY mc and I/Harry had forgotten so completely what had happen to Tequila Sunset #and the dora figurines task was a more complex and saddening realization akin to experiencing that complete amnesia Harry is going thru #it is Really well done even if it is a hollow and sad feeling it creates. that's its intention and i appreciate and respect that a lot

[vacantgodling]

CURRENT BETWIXT THUMB AND FOREFINGER (AKA 19TH CENTURY TWILIGHT ADAPTATION THAT CRASHED INTO GOTH LIT SOMEWHERE) RESEARCH AND PLANNING and generally my chaotic thought process lmao.

sponsored by: @sarahlizziewrites & @ink-flavored

tl;dr: all of this is still subject to change bc i'm still planning a lot of this stuff out. however, i want to post what i have so far bc how i plan things is kinda intriguing to me and i wanna talk about something but bc i'm not Writing Prose atm this is all i got.

transposed under the cut but i wanted to showcase what the actual doc looks like :p

WIP NAME ⟶ BETWIXT THUMB AND FOREFINGER

(the hell) betwit thumb and forefinger — the time between solstice and equinox

with the secondary title that almost implies that the story is taking place over a short time period between solstice and equinox — which is a 90 day period, so about 3 months?

idk if i have to keep that in the title, but perhaps the title is a reference to how short a time this is in the grand scheme of things, especially in the life of an immortal creature, but for biscella this is a lifetime. going through every stage of grief and sommemore shit. so i think i’ll call it betwixt thumb and forefinger (BTAF)

some kind of celestial name (twilight/new moon/eclipse/breaking dawn) ⟶ something in this realm to tie back to twilight’s inspo’s somehow but idk if i wanna give that bitch the luxury

dark adaptation — the eyes’s transition to night vision

equinox / solstice

retrograde 

betwixt retrograde and amnesia LMAO

betwixt equinox and solstice

i need to decide what year i want this story to take place in cuz that’s gonna hinge everything.

History of the Netherlands - Wikipedia

peninsular war was 1807-1814. sjaak did not see the end of this conflict as he was turned into a werewolf by a fellow soldier “gust” (why, idk yet).

joined the french army (netherlands and french were allies during this time the batavain-french alliance™) and fought in the battle of zaragoza (1808) ; was injured and near death when he was found by gust a gravewalker. there’s been a rumor going around during the battle that people have seen corpses up and walk away from the battle and their wounds and its because gust (and others) have been turning them into werewolves for some greater purpose. — sjaak becomes one of these when he leaves.

if i assume that for all intents and purposes sjaak is 18 when he finally leaves the netherlands and joins the spanish FRENCH army, then maybe he’s 20 when he’s turned into a werewolf. so… 20 during 1808.

born: 1788 in the netherlands — black mother who was a slave but then brought to the netherlands and subsequently freed. father was the master of the home she worked at.

biscella is younger than sjaak and i want her to be a naive 18 during 1808—perhaps this happens during 1808? but then we would have the war to contend with going on unless it was removed from the battlefield somewhat.

the “cullens” are located in castillo-nuevo in what is now navarre spain and have cleared it out to build a castle there. that lonely castle in the middle of the wilderness is where biscella lies. the crypt is hidden among the mountainous landscape, and even though biscella was there during the funeral, another aspect of everything is eduard appearing to her in dreams/visions/as an apparition keeps her from knowing his location fully by scrambling her mind.

i want sjaak to kill that baby

“you have the face of the woman i love. but the blood of the man i hate flows thorugh you” or something. kills the damn baby and makes biscella’s death worthless in some ways

“she would’ve wanted you to live. she would’ve wanted me to show you the ways of the world and the sun in the trees and the apples that hang low from branches. but i am a monster filled with utter darkness and hate. i will kill what she cherished, and hope that in your death, her memory will haunt me.” or something.

NAMING STRUGGLES ⟶ Spanish naming customs - Wikipedia / Category:Catalan-language surnames - Wikipedia / Names Categorized "Twilight characters" - Behind the Name

possible names for bella (romani, coming from germany into netherlands after being expelled from the country or whatever)

biscella 

mirella ⟶ variant of amaryllis (meaning to sparkle)

sibella ⟶ prophetess (variant of the name sybil)

tsarla ⟶ evening

gisela ⟶ hostage/pledge

biscella schwann

tsarla schwann

gisela schwann

sibella schwann

karl schwann + tsarla schwann >> biscella schwann >> 

surnames for eduard & the cullens™ ⟶ casavantes (the name taken from the patriarch of the family; comas is the 

CHARACTERS

biscella schwann de casavantes (bella) ⟶ follows the standards of the region + is not spanish so she just goes with the flow

karl schwann (charlie father, dead)

tsarla schwann (mother, dead)

sjaak de witte (dutch) (jacob)

luis jofre casavantes basurto (carlisle) ⟶ created via union but killed his parents so he could defect to a “vegetarian” lifestyle (aka hibernation). he forbids the usage of venom to create more of their coven, forbidding the femme vampires from autonomous reproduction essentially.

maritxell comas miranda (esme) ⟶ wife and half-sister of luis; created via union and assisted luis in killing their parents so that they could start their own coven. completely loyal to him and was defanged in an act of loyalty (aka; she can no longer make other vampires stronger as luis removed her fangs, this also keeps her from drinking blood AND solely dependent on him for protection)

i want maritxell to actually have a more prominent role than just like. a sad woe is me matriarch. i want her to be like those women who uphold the patriarchy by being misogynistic towards other women. women like her own daughters (rosita and azelie) need to know their place, and because biscella is romani, she views her as subhuman (and also just as a breeder for eduard’s seed).

i don’t want her to be like romilda in vdtrt who’s more battered wife syndrome. i think maritxell and luis are very very complicit in one another’s bullshit.

rosita casavantes i comas (rosalie) ⟶ first child of the union between luis and maritxell, defanged at birth, rosita desperately wishes to be with child (need to figure out why). she is intensely jealous of biscella despite knowing the woman will die, and torments her now that eduard has been buried in the crypt.

eduard casavantes i comas (edward) ⟶ uses ‘i’ instead of ‘y’ or ‘de’ because he’s specifically from catalina ; created via union of luis and maritxell, and despite being the middle child, is the strongest of the vampire children.

azelie picard (alice) ⟶ luis impregnated a french woman who azelie assumed the name of once she was born. she was the one who met biscella first and despite everything is protective of her. she did not approve of eduard impregnating her (lesbian undertones and may defect and help sjaak, we’ll see). does not want to be defanged.

silvano di luise (jasper) ⟶ youngest child of the coven and born of an italian woman, his surname means ‘son of luis’ (as he is). he is very conflicted on the matter of whether or not they should stay ‘vegetarian’ if they’re still going to kill human (women) anyway by impregnating them with their spawn and thinks that human men should receive the same treatment by being killed for food or made as spawns as well. its caused infighting amongst the coven.

the other question is if i should add other characters. bc i included all the twilight vampires that are Actually Interesting (sorry emmett you’re fucking boring to me) and i’m also only including the werewolves that are interesting to me… which is mostly ig sam, leah, and whats her name. 

WORLDBUILDING AND SHIT

HOW VAMPIRES WORK (biologically)

vampires are made only through human hosts; vampires with penises can impregnate women and the pregnancy will last for 2 years until the woman is fully drained of all her blood and innards, then perish, with the baby bursting out of the womb

vampires without can impregnate men or women via their venom and it will take the form of a parasite forming in their stomach. these vampires tend to be more deadly, though because of the times it is rare to have these kinds of non-producing ‘coven’ leaders. they will do so if their mate is killed, but usually they use their venom to strengthen the other vampires in their coven.

vampires that are created via the union of two vampires in coitus will have a normal “human like” pregnancy, and tend to be the most powerful of all) (ie: eduard)

unlike werewolves vampires cannot be “turned” they can only be born.

HOW WEREWOLVES WORK (turned)

werewolves are the natural enemies to vampires as they were specifically engineered hundreds of years ago to be on par with the nightwalkers’s (vampires) habits.

they cannot be born biologically; once you are turned a werewolf you are infertile.

werewolves are created via consumption of the compound moonstone, which, as its name suggests, is what people of this time assume to be rocks from the actual moon.

whether it is or isn’t is debatable. its not Really important. you eat it and you are now lycanthrope congrats

#everything is still subject to be changed and altered as i continue to work on things #but i like where i'm heading with these... thoughts #s: btaf #i still need to figure out the werewolves more

[lxvenderdreamy]

🩷🌸Freetime With You!🌸🩷 Part 2

[🍓] ~ Danganronpa V3 (except for Ryoma cause idk how to write him really) x Reader🍓

🩷Kaito Momota🩷

“Hey, Y/n!” Kaito called out to you, you turned to him with a smile. “Oh, hello Kaito. How are you?” You asked. Kaito had a small blush on his cheeks as he sweatdropped nervously.

Kaito has been keeping a close eye on you, in a good way of course. Ever since you two first talk when everyone was meeting the Ultimates, you fascinated him to complete. You seemed so intrigued about his Ultimate as he told you some things about himself. You would praise him, despite him doing something illegal to get into the program…but you didn’t bat an eye at all

This also made his heart flutter ever so slightly, and he wanted to be able to spend more time with you. So, it was his day today.

“Well, I was wondering if you wanted to check up my Research Lab and I could tell ya more about my talent!” Kaito said as he scratched the back of his head. “Oh, and I’m doing alright!” He said. You thought for moment before smiling at him, nodding your head. “Sure, I would love that.” You said.

Kaito mentally beamed at your answer. He then lead you to his lab. As you two walked side by side he couldn’t keep his heart from beating so much. He felt warm and fuzzy..he also felt hot. His face was burning up. He felt so excited for you to see his lab and to rant on about his talent some more.

When you two got there, he showed you all around his lab. You were so intrigued in everything he told you and showed you. You asked questions about some things, genuine questions as you watched him in curiosity and focus. You couldn’t help but feel happy that Kaito was showing you and telling you all these fun details about his talent and his lab. It really fascinated you.

But…you never did realize how Kaito was also happy that you were intrigued on listening to him. He felt like..like you actually were interested. You were interested in learning more about him and his personality, even his life before he got into this mess. That sweet smile on your face always seemed to melt his heart, the way your eyes held so much interest and intrigue was sweet to him. He could only think so deeply when you asked him such a question…

“Kaito, is it okay if I ask you a question?” You asked. Kaito let out a sudden hum. “Huh? Yeah, of course.” Kaito said. You cleared your throat slightly as you put a finger to your lips. “…You interest me.” You said. Kaito’s eyes widened. He..interests you? “I..I interest you? How so?” Kaito asked. “It’s the way of how passionate you seem to talk when asked or talking about your talent. It…It makes me happy. It makes me happy that your ranting do much about your talent with so much pure passion.” You said with a chuckle. Kaito felt himself blush at that. He interested you. You were happy that you liked hearing him talk and rant on about all this stuff…

“I—Oh..uh—thanks. Thanks, that really..means a lot.” Kaito said softly. You stood up and walked over to him, giving him a small side hug that was able to make him jump slightly made his face got hotter. “Thank you for this, Kaito. It was very nice to be able to hear so many new things about not only your lab, but you. Thank you so much.” You said before pulling away and taking your swift leave. Kaito was left in such deep thought. He felt like he…he achieved something, but what? He realized how his feelings for you is much greater than what he thought. But he didn’t mind.

🩷🌸Figuring out that love is much more greater.🌸🩷

🩷Maki Harukawa🩷

Maki was fiddling with her hair in the library. She was nervous. Very nervous. It wasn’t like her to be this way. It also wasn’t like her to have such a blush on her face.

Maki was acting like this..because of you. She had scheduled a time where she wanted to hang out with you in the library. She liked you. She was way more closer to you than her other fellow students.

When she heard that library door close open, she immediately saw you. You had a smile on your face. “Hi Maki!” You said happily as you walked closer to you. Maki looked away from you. “…Hi.” She said simply. You smiled at her, aware that this was her normal attitude.

“Are you ready?” You asked. Maki nodded and she lead you over to a table. She had picked out a book for the two of you to read. You were more than happy to read a book with her.

You two sat down together. You had scooted closer to her so that you can also read the book alongside with her. She blushed so hard as she started sweating bullets. She felt her heart beating as she was this close to you.

You two continued to read the book in silence. Maki was still losing her mind on the inside but she tried to keep her posture and her neutral face. Maki never felt this way with anyone else but you, she hated it. She hated feeling such feelings like this and she wasn’t used to it at all. But yet she can’t help but continue to think about you constantly, couldn’t help but get nervous around you so easily. It was like…she was…in love—“Wow…that’s surprising!” You had said, knocking Maki out of her thoughts. She let out a small hum. “…You’re not listening aren’t you?” You suddenly asked. She cursed to herself in her mind.

“Of course I am, idiot.” Maki said, frowning at you. You chuckled at her. “It’s okay, Maki. Here, how about we go enjoy some cup of tea and just talk?” You asked with a smile. Maki thought that was a great idea…but she felt bad. She was the one that scheduled this hangout with you, she should be the one suggesting. But yet you two made your way to the dining hall where Kirumi made you two a nice cup of tea.

“So…Maki, i’ve been noticing how you’ve been acting…off.” You told her, giving her a downward brow smile. She raised a brow at you. What could you mean..? Wait, did you figure out that she liked you? “What do you mean?” She asked in her usual tone. “I’m not saying that it’s suspicious or anything, it’s just that..whenever we’re close together, you seem to zone out! Not to mention how red your face can get…” You said, thinking about all the times you saw Maki with this strange characteristic of hers. It wasn’t even like Maki to act such a way, especially around you. With everyone else, she acted like her old self..but with you it was a completely different mood. Maki scoffed as she stared at the ceiling. “Nonsense, i’ve just been…—i’ve been fine.” Maki said, blushing a little bit. “Your doing it right now! Your blushing!” You pointed out. Maki gritted her teeth as she looked away. She felt embarrassed and frustrated, well, that’s what she felt for only a couple seconds when she heard you chuckle.

“Wh-What’s so funny?” She asks you, furrowing her brows. “Nothing! Your just so adorable. It’s fine Maki, you don’t have to answer that question. I’m just..worried about you since i’ve never seen you act such a way.” She felt her heart flutter. She sighed and shook her head. It was…a close call but yet it was…nice. It was nice that you noticed her. It was nice that you were checking up on her despite her feeling fine—well, maybe. You still had that sweet smile on your face as you laughed a little bit and she couldn’t help but crack a small smile of her own.

🌸🩷Feelings are shown through actions🌸🩷

🩷Kirumi Tojo🩷

Kirumi was a..neutral person. She always kept a straight face but also smiled a bit from time to time. But with you, she smiled and blushed a lot. She recognized her own feelings quickly and she couldn’t help but feel a little bit embarrassed by it. Not in a bad way of course.

So…for her excitement and possibly yours, she decided to invite you into the kitchen. She wanted you to help her with some things in the kitchen and as a sweet award, she will make you your favorite meal or dessert. So she caught up with you and asked if you would like to be a help with her in the kitchen and luckily you agreed with a smile.

“Put all the spices in that shelf, right over there please.” Kirumi instructed you as she watched some dishes. You let out a hum and a nod as you started placing the spices where their destined place was within the kitchen. After you put the spices in their spot you moved onto the fridge. You refilled the fridge with fruits, vegetables, butter, onions, and more. You then made your way to the freezer and put some frozen meat in there as well.

Your ears perked up when you heard humming. You turned around to see Kirumi humming as she wiped down the counters. “Nice humming.” You said. Kirumi turned to you with a small smile. “Why thank you, Y/n. Do you hum?” Kirumi asks you. You shrugged softly. “Depends.” You said with a chuckle. “I do it because…it keeps me focused on what i’m doing.” Kirumi said. You nodded in acknowledgment.

You two went back to what you were doing and Kirumi couldn’t stop the blush arising to her face. She liked that you had complimented her humming. She was happy that you liked it. She never felt this way before..she never felt so much like this at all.

After you two got finished with what you were doing in the kitchen. She turned to you with a smile on her face. “Would you be obliged if I made you your favorite dessert or meal?” Kirumi asked. Your eyes widened a little bit. But you smiled and nodded. You told her what you wanted and you went to go sit in the dining hall, waiting. You were happy to receive such a award, you felt good helping Kirumi out as well.

You never knew what’s it like being a maid, but you knew how much hardwork it would be. You take knowledge of that. Helping kirumi must be a big help for her due to her always being on her feet and assisting everyone else in the mist of it.

Kirumi came back with a plate of your favorite and you dug in immediately. “Thank you so much Kirumi!” You said happily. “It tastes so good!” Kirumi blushed a little bit at the compliment as she nodded her head. “Why thank you Y/n.” Kirumi said. She sat down some tea next to you so that you could have a drink along with your plate.

“Y/n, I must thank you.” Kirumi said with a smile. “Thank you for helping me in the kitchen today. It was a big help.” Kirumi said. You gave her an approving nod. “Of course! I don’t know how it’s like being a maid but I sure do know how it feels to always be on your feet and attend to others, it’s hard work.” You said. Kirumi nodded in agreement. She knew that it was very much hardwork on her hands and Kirumi almost never had any time to herself. But she didn’t mind it at all, she cared for the people she worked for and served, and she will continue to do so. “It is indeed, but it is my duty, as a maid to serve everyone.” She said. “Your a hardworker Kirumi, I just went to let you know that your doing amazing. You never fails any task that comes your way and I stand by that. But make sure you also try to take care of yourself too, y’know?” You said with a chuckle. You didn’t know, nor that you were aware that your words had a special place in Kirumi’s heart. She felt her heart warm up at your words, she felt like you actually cared. “Yeah, i’ll be sure to do that.”

🌸🩷An act of pure kindness fulfills the heart of someone who deserves it all🌸🩷

🩷Kiibo🩷

Kiibo isn’t really aware of such feelings, due to him being a robot. He still needs to learn about some humanly things. But he definitely realizes that something is up.

When your around, Kiibo can’t help but feel his face getting hotter! He cant help but get so nervous around you. He thought that he was malfunctioning but with the now-known-knowledge from Kaede, he realizes that he’s in love with you! Kaede encouraged Kiibo to invite you to hang out with him some time. Kiibo was a little anxious at first but he was also oddly determined to spend some time with you, just ti get to know you better. You can get to know him better and get closer!

So that’s what Kiibo did, he gained the courage to walk over to you. “Hey Y/n!” Kiibo called out. You turned to him and waved. “Oh, hello there Kiibo. Is there something you need?” You asked. Kiibo tried to keep his face from burning up as he started to speak. “Ah…w-well..I—I was w-wondering if you—you wanted to h-h-hangout..?” Kiibo stammered so much over his words that he felt so embarrassed by it. You giggled at this. “Aww! Of course, I don’t have anything else to do anyway!” You said with a smile. Kiibo was relieved that you said yes, feeling like if you didn’t, he would feel even more embarrassed than before!

He decided you two could talk some more about yourselves. You didn’t mind because you had lots of interesting questions that you wanted to ask Kiibo. Kiibo knew that you weren’t robophobic unlike..someone. He knew that he could trust you, so he allowed you to ask questions and he would try to answer them to the best of his ability.

“So, do you sleep?” You asked with a curious brow raised. Kiibo smiled at you. “Well, I do not need to sleep. However, it is important that I do so to recharge my power cells!” Kiibo anderer. You nodded. Despite being a robot, he pretty much acts like a human and does some humanly functions. Human need to sleep to have energy for the next day, Robots needs energy to recharge, in other words, get energy. 

Kiibo felt the need to ask you a question…and possibly tell you something..something that will..reveal something about himself. He wanted to tell you about how he felt around you and he wanted to know why. He wanted to know a little bit more. He wanted to let you know about these weird feelings and how he had a talk about them with Kaede. Kaede explained it to him, but he wanted you, the one who he loves, hear it from your perspective and what you think of it.

“…Y/n. I have a question.” Kiibo said, looking away. “Of course, ask away!” You said. Kiibo cleared his throat before speaking up. “How do you feel about love?” Kiibo asked. His face was getting redder. You took a moment to think, then you nodded. “I’ll give you my honest answer.” You said with a smile. “I view love as something beautiful. Love is a strong feeling you feel towards another person or thing. It’s something that you adore about that thing. Love can be both beautiful while sometimes it can be hurtful. You have to be ready to experience both.” You said with a smile. Kiibo took in your words and nodded.

“..I think…I think I feel that way with something..” Kiibo said. You hummed. “Like what?” You asked. Kiibo was nervous. He was scared. What would you say to that? “…I think—I love…you…?” Kiibo said quietly. You were shocked for a moment. Kiibo? Loved you? He loves you? You couldn’t believe it! You felt yourself smile, your smile was big and bright as you looked at him with such a loving gaze. “Ohh Kiibo!” You said as you hugged him softly, making him jump. “That’s so sweet of you. Do you mean it in a way where you have feelings for me or in a way where you love me as a friend?” you asked. Kiibo thought for a moment. “…….feelings?” Kiibo said. You squealed as you laughed. “Your so sweet! I love you too!” You exclaimed. Kiibo felt himself blush, but yet he felt…what was that word? Happy? Yeah, he felt happy that you loved him too..he was really happy.

🌸🩷Robots feel love just like everyone else🌸🩷

#danganronpa x y/n #danganronpa v3 #danganronpa x you #danganronpa #danganronpa x reader #fluff #oneshot #kiibo x reader #danganronpa kiibo #maki haruwaka #danganronpa maki #danganronpa kirumi #kirumi tojo #drv3 kirumi #kaito momota #danganronpa kaito #kaito x reader #[🍓]

[those-late-night-feels]

Letters

Part 2

Summary: Writing everything down should help you process your feelings. Somehow it always turns into letters to him.

Warnings: Grief, angst, eventual smut.

Feb. 4

Natasha stopped by today–brought a bottle of Zin to catch up. It was nice to have a distraction. She asked how I was doing, but it's easier to lie with a smile than dig into whatever this is…even I don't know. Emptiness?

We sat on the balcony, swapping war stories while watching the tide come in. It reminded me of that night in the common area of the tower. Too much to drink, getting rowdy and stupid, sharing way too much with one another. 

You sat back, reminiscing. Sam and Bucky egging everyone on to share stories of their misdeeds–times when they hadn't been the perfect, stand-up Avengers. Loki sat in a corner, leaning back in his chair with crossed arms, relishing in this side of the team. Sam shared a tryst he'd had with twins; Tony recalled a pornographic escapade during his playboy days with some unnamed celebrities. Wanda shared the cons she would run with her brother once upon a time. You could feel their eyes start to drift toward you. Clearing your throat, you brought back a memory that felt like a lifetime ago. "Before I joined this team, I was part of an undercover operation to assist in infiltrating large crime organizations. I was only supposed to be a cocktail server, slip by their security, grab the intel while the team disabled the cameras and leave before anyone suspected a thing. Everything was going according to plan, until one of the Narcossi brothers decided he needed an extra hit upstairs. We were both shocked when we found each other in the study, but he was the only one who showed it. I played it off like I'd followed him upstairs, that I desperately desired him, and then performed my first impromptu strip tease."

"Wait," Natasha interrupted. "The Narcossi brothers? Didn't one of them OD?"

You smirked. "That was the official report."

Sam choked on his drink mid-sip. "Did he OD on that pus–"

"Sam!" A balled-up napkin hit him in the chest. "He didn't get that far. He took a few more hits while I stripped down to a few flimsy lacy garments. Men tend to lower their guard when you're standing in front of them in only heels and a thong." From the corner of your eye, you saw Loki slowly lean forward.  "He turned to take another hit and I shot a serum into him that would take down an elephant."

"Boooo!" Sam yelled. "Come on, you tease!"

Awkwardly you stood in your inebriated state. "Sorry team, that's all I got tonight." 

Was that the first time you desired me? Or the first time you'd admit it to yourself? Following me back to my room, scaring the hell out of me outside my door. Do you remember what you had said? "Tell me, y/n. Have you stripped down for many men?"

You were standing so close I could smell Thor's mead on your breath. I barely heard the question and shook my head. 

"Interesting," you had whispered, and took a strand of my hair in your fingers. "And what exactly were you wearing when you stripped down?"

Were you teasing me, or were you intrigued? At the time, I couldn't tell. I grabbed the hand fiddling with my hair and with a cheeky smirk, told you, "Something skin tight and green underneath." 

You should have seen the look on your face when I told you goodnight and slipped into my room alone. 

Feb. 20

How can I miss someone so terribly that I hardly knew? Sometimes I am so angry with you, for making me feel this way and then leaving. I'd never tell you to your face (you were cocky enough as it was), but you were so much greater than most of us. But, even now, I don't think I'd ever be as mad as that other time (you know the one).

The team had been called together for a meeting with Fury and Hill, giving updates on the developments around the world, including Istanbul and a new subset that popped up in Liechtenstein. 

"We'll need to set up a team for a covert operation. Loki, I'd like to see you in there this time. Y/n, Dr. Pham gave you a green light. I figured you'd want to be there as well."

Internally ecstatic to finally be away from the mind numbing desk work while on medical leave, you turned to Loki. He stared ahead, jaw clenched. "Might I suggest that Thor and I take the lead on this one? It wouldn't be our first time handling this type of group."

"Not this time," Fury said, eyeing you. "Y/n has the stealth we need and she's familiar with the operation."

He slowly nodded as Maria handed the logistics sheet and went over the timeline of the mission.

As you made your way back to the compound to prepare, the tension was thick. What was wrong with him? Did he not trust you?

Leather jumpsuit zipped up, the katana was strapped to your back, a knife to your ankle, throwing stars on your hip. Waiting for the final word from Hill to take off, you found him alone, dressed in green and black leather, ready for battle. He glanced your way, jaw silently working again. "Will you please spit out what your problem is so we can move on?"

His head cocked to the side, obviously not expecting the outburst. "Do I have a problem?"

"Well you certainly would rather have Thor on this mission than me."

His smile was menacing. "Yes, I would rather have the God of Thunder at my side than the mortal who couldn't handle this mission the last time."

Pursed lips, your face burned, his words a kick to your gut. "We were ambushed."

"Indeed."

Internally, rage pulsed through your veins. How dare he think of you as incapable! "We all have made mistakes before, even the mighty Thor. I'm still valuable on this mission."

He took a daring step forward. "Little girl with a big stick. Take that away and what are you?" 

The handle of the katana was like an extension of your arm as it was unsheathed. "Come and find out."

His daggers appeared in his hands as you wielded the sword. He came at you quickly, more agile than you were used to with humans. Even alien invaders weren't like this, taking you by surprise. But you had trained with the best of them. Natasha had taught you stealth, Steve had taught you strength, Tony had taught you courage, and Clint had taught your precision. But you had taught yourself control. And when he came at your left, the katana swung, but instead of moving against him like he'd anticipated, you followed with. The sword could have sliced him open, you were better than he had imagined, but you held back the sharp blade centimeters from his skin. 

"Are you satisfied?" you asked breathlessly.

"Almost," he responded and reached palm to your forehead. Your eyes rolled back and he saw everything–the training you went through, the agony of losing everyone you loved before finding your way to the Avengers, every mission you'd taken, every battle you fought, every fear and desire you held. And when he let go of you, you knew that he knew everything. But the words that left his lips were not what you expected.

"You're a virgin…"

#loki fanfic #loki x reader #loki #loki fluff #loki smut #loki x y/n #loki laufeyson #loki x you #loki (marvel) #loki of asgard #loki and reader #loki odinson #loki reader insert #loki reader smut #loki series #loki story #loki sex #sexy loki #loki masterlist #loki mcu #loki marvel #loki avengers #loki x female reader #loki x original female character #loki god of mischief #fic: loki #loki fic #loki fanfiction #loki fanfction #loki angst

[yymiya]

shed our skin — kaeya x gn!reader

This game has gone on for too long, now. It comes to a head beneath the wintry mist of Dragonspine, bathed in warm lantern light and the impression that this is still strictly professional.

Fate is cruellest where Kaeya is involved.

tags: gn!reader, treasure hoarder!reader, angst, smut, sub kaeya, exhibitionism, masturbation, thigh riding, penetrative sex, face slapping, orgasm delay wc: 13.7k

ao3 link

Sir Kaeya has a penchant for pretending.

Simply put, it’s enjoyable. Be it the thrill of watching an opponent blunder and realise they’ve been fooled by the smooth-talking Cavalry Captain, or a brief respite during which Kaeya can be someone other than himself, at least until that temporary facade gives way to one of permanence. Pretending has become somewhat of a pastime.

This is just what Kaeya does, and what he does best. Not even the Acting Grand Master can fault his methods. They’re precisely what bring unparalleled success to Ordo Favonius, therefore Kaeya sees no point in switching tactics. Most aren’t in the know, anyway. The denizens trust Kaeya because he wants them to, and his circle of friends—colleagues and drinking buddies, rather—may be hesitant when he omits a slither of truth, but as Mondstadters, their hearts are naive.

Each sweet lie is just Kaeya being Kaeya, soon to be swept under the rug.

Well. Kaeya’s dealings with you are a stone’s throw away from Mondstadt, so your heart is instead much like his.

Despite your ad hoc relocations, Kaeya pinpoints you easily enough. You never stray far, and every Treasure Hoarder leaves a distinct trail of disgruntled merchants griping for their stolen goods to be reimbursed—a headache in and of itself, Kaeya finds.

This time, your camp is assembled close to Dragonspine’s outskirts and teeters on the frontier between two nations where the grass is still jade green but frost clings to each blade. Here, the air is frigid even by Kaeya’s standards, and he’s beginning to regret having left his overcoat at headquarters.

No matter. Lantern glow engulfs your camp in warm, yellow light, and you’re plenty civil. It’s only fair to allow a mere passerby to warm up after an arduous journey.

If you hear Kaeya approach, boots trudging through a thin layer of snow, you show no sign.

Beneath the tent, you sit cross-legged with your forearms resting on a battered crate from the winery, scribbling across a scrap of parchment. Occasionally, your fingertips ghost over an old pocket watch you’ve propped against a canteen of water, but it’s soon slipped into your coat pocket in a bout of agitation.

Kaeya knows his intrigue should be captured by whatever grievance has you ignoring him, or how you procured that crate from his brother’s home of all things, but only your state of unrest is of interest. 

Not unlike fellow Treasure Hoarders, a dark mask shields the lower half of your face, so Kaeya isn’t privy to your entire expression. Fortunately, he’s skilled in deciphering body language. A mere once-over of the tension pulling your shoulders taut, and the disarray of your clothes despite the wintry weather, reveals that you’re in a particularly foul mood this evening.

All the better. A short temper leads to the most riveting conversations.

“I thought I’d find you here,” Kaeya drawls in that stupidly smooth voice of his, smirking. Your posture straightens, fist tightening around the quill until it fractures in your gloved hand. “What a wonderful change of scenery. Much easier on the eye than those drab, uncharted domains you adore.”

His footfalls cease yards away but you don’t turn to regard him. The letter you’re drafting is of far greater importance than the man behind you, though the shadow screening you from the lurid setting sun means he’s reading the lines from over your shoulder. Trying to. It’s written in a cypher—a simple one because your brothers in arms don’t possess the intelligence to decrypt something more advanced.

Kaeya could crack it if need be, but his curiosity dwindles with each new symbol you scratch into the parchment.

The quill clatters against the crate, now split in two and dripping dark ink onto the wood. “I’m busy, Captain. What do you want?”

“Without your comrades, are you?”

“They’re away. Answer my question.”

Kaeya huffs in laughter, his breath materialising in the air. “Didn’t I just? We have much to discuss concerning the Treasure Hoarders’ behaviour in and around Monstadt, should you be so kind as to entertain my inquiries.”

“I’m in no mood for an interrogation tonight.”

“Come now,” he reproves in an amused lilt. “I’m only here to chat.”

“I’m not within Mondstadt’s border, so you have no grounds for pestering me.”

Finally, Kaeya’s granted a flash of narrowed eyes as your head inclines in the direction of the nearby river. It acts as the divide between Mondstadt and Liyue, winding around Dragonspine and then heading north-west towards the winery, where Kaeya used to splash and play and pick calla lilies during his youth.

“And if I’m not here as a knight? Rather, a friend.”

“That’s what you call this? Friendship?” you scoff. “Don’t be a fool. Treat me as I am.”

“A miscreant with a bad attitude, then. I unfortunately sprained my wrist some time ago, so I’m in no state to be making an arrest.”

Kaeya’s wrist is fine. The incident had been nothing more than a mishap involving a vendor and their very large, very heavy case of merchandise. Only, Kaeya had grossly overestimated his strength. It happens. The bruise isn’t that noticeable, anyway.

Kaeya isn’t daunted by the moment of quiet you impose and instead bolsters his stubbornness. In the beginning, you were able to shake him off with well-founded threats and a scathing glare, but the same doesn’t presently apply. Kaeya takes no wary backsteps, not even in jest, and he doesn’t prematurely leave with the promise of his return. 

He remains firmly planted with his arms crossed. Even the weather can’t deter him, although you spot the goosebumps rising on his arms and how he furtively slips one hand into the warm fur collar of his cape.

“You shouldn’t loiter,” you say, folding the parchment once the ink dries. It’s slipped into your trouser pocket. “Besides, you’ll catch a dreadful cold if you stay out there any longer.”

“What’s this? Are you inviting m—”

“For Archons’ sake, sit down.”

That does it. Thankfully, there’s a large blanket covering the grass, so Kaeya doesn’t have to worry about dirtying his clothes with frost and soil. He settles at the opposite end of the crate and idly wonders whether the blanket had been thieved from the winery, too. He toys with a loose thread, unravelling it with a disinterested expression. The craftsmanship is mediocre at best, therefore it was likely pilfered from elsewhere.

However, now that Kaeya thinks about it, the winery’s workers have always diligently ensured the cellar remains thoroughly stocked, so the crate must have held several bottles of wine. What you did with the alcohol is one question, but more ludicrous is how you managed to sneak down there.

As if sensing his pondering, you answer the lesser of his unspoken questions, “If you were wondering, I sold the contents.”

Kaeya grins. To divulge such incriminating information, you must trust him to a degree. “And you didn’t think to inform me of your… extensive stock?”

“Funny.” Your voice is flat. “The Favonius knight wants stolen wine.”

The warmth radiating from a lantern close by has eased his stiff fingers, and he interlocks them beneath his chin. “All in the name of spite, of course. I can only imagine the look on my dear brother’s face when I walk into his tavern with a bottle of his wine that he simply cannot remember selling to me.”

In spite of yourself, you smile beneath your mask. “Yet you claim I’m the miscreant.”

“I assure you there’s enough room for the two of us,” he promises, leaning forward. You notice a light freckle beneath his visible eye, beneath a clump of long and dark lashes.

“Aren’t we special, then?” you mutter. “The only miscreants in the whole wide world.”

Kaeya meant Mondstadt specifically, but he smiles nonetheless. He has to stop expecting you to proclaim yourself a converted child of the wind. “I’m so pleased you understand. Now, as much as I enjoy our little back-and-forth, that isn’t why I’m here.”

“Right, yes. Rattle off your list of grievances that somehow concern me and sneak in a few snarky insults, why don’t you.”

Kaeya simpers a wicked smirk, the mellow lighting accentuating his haughtiness. “Very well. A number of your comrades have been kicking up quite the fuss, and Mondstadt only has so many cells. These incidents are nothing more than minor, petty conflicts so some men are eligible for release… I’m positive you’d be much obliged to see them return. Am I correct?”

“Whatever mess they’ve landed themselves in is none of my business, nor my responsibility. Now, I’ll say it again: I’m in no mood for an interrogation.”

“Oh, but I was so certain you would feel safer once a number of your men have returned. After all, ‘away’ isn’t very specific, and I see only your belongings here.”

Kaeya isn’t wrong. During your time in and around Mondstadt’s territory, the majority of your crew has been apprehended by the Knights, the rest by the Millelith. They’re a rowdy bunch so it isn’t nonsensical, but the sudden decline in manpower has made your job trickier, and you’re one empty stomach away from winding up alongside them.

“Truthfully, whether they return or not doesn’t bother me,” you answer. When you next meet Kaeya’s eye, his head tilts for you to continue. “What does bother me, however… Are you worried for my safety, Captain?”

He laughs. “You see, cold weather makes hilichurls awfully aggressive, and there happens to be many up that mountain. Having to lug your cadaver to a city you don’t belong to would put a damper on my afternoon, surely.”

“I can hold my own.”

“Against harmless merchants, perhaps.”

“What happened to being here as a friend?” you scoff. He gives you that look—the aggravating smirk he sports so comfortably. “This feels like a lecture, Knight.”

“You mustn’t have many friends if you seriously believe a light-hearted scolding is me speaking as a knight.”

“If I knew rejecting your offer of friendship would bruise your pride, I’d have been kinder,” you grumble. “Well, I understand that not many people take to your arrogance, but we both know companionship isn’t the reason you’re here.”

Kaeya is as whimsical as they come, though he becomes more predictable with each visit. He still catches you off-guard at times. It is Kaeya, after all. There’s always a trick up his sleeve.

Even so, there are only ever a few things he wants from you.

“This isn’t about comrades or jail space,” you continue when he offers nothing in the way of a rebuttal. “You didn’t trek all this way for nothing, so what is it?”

“Can’t I want some company?”

“Sure, but you only find my company pleasant when there’s intel you’re after, Kaeya.”

Kaeya blinks. You so rarely speak his name without his title attached. It’s always a mocking Sir Kaeya, or Captain. Never just Kaeya. It’s odd, but not unwelcome. He’s accustomed to his name being called for a multitude of reasons, but it sounds sweetest from your mouth.

If only your voice wasn’t so weary. He supposes it has something to do with that inked parchment, or maybe he’s the issue. Knowing the Treasure Hoarders’ whereabouts and incentives is Kaeya’s job. He could seek the information elsewhere. He just doesn’t want to.

“If you wish to turn away from the truth, then fine.” Kaeya shrugs indifferently. “By all means, don’t allow me to stand in the way of your ignorance.”

It isn’t ignorance. You’re well aware that Kaeya has taken a keen liking to you, but you have little time and patience for something as tedious as romance. Still, he has a knack for pushing you to your limit in every aspect.

“I’ll tell you what, I’ll give you what you want so long as you answer a question,” you propose. “You can ask one in return.”

There’s no shortage of mysteries when it comes to Kaeya, so it’s easy to assume what’s on your mind. He cracks his knuckles, pensive. “All right, deal.”

“You’ve had countless opportunities to arrest me, yet you give an excuse each time. Why is that?”

Kaeya chuckles. “Isn’t it obvious?”

He says it as though his motivations are easily discerned, as though he doesn’t communicate in double entendres, insinuations, and allusions. Not much about him is crystal-clear.

His motives have always been ambiguous, even on that first night when he ambushed your camp deep within Stormterror’s Lair and demanded a rundown of your operation. He stated no reason.

You had more men with you then. It’s funny, almost, how fate has whittled down your crew until only one member remains.

It wasn’t until several encounters later that Kaeya had forgotten himself, lowering to his knees with the promise that he could ensure forfeiting information was worthwhile. You’d refused then, too, but he insisted on being of service. He hadn’t made the trip for nought. Once again, he gave no reason beyond that.

That day you learned you’re weak to Kaeya’s charms. It’s been push-pull since.

“No, it isn’t,” you say. “So, tell me.”

“You really don’t know?” he teases, though upon seeing your blank stare, he throws up his hands. “All right, all right. To tell the truth, I want you as an informant.”

“You have an interesting sense of humour, Captain,” you laugh. “You want me to work for you?”

“For the Knights of Favonius, rather. The pay would come from them, after all.”

A good wage should entice you.

Kaeya spares a glance at the scratched silver ring fitted around your thumb. Its wear and tear is a testament to its age, and it seems you hold onto it quite stubbornly even though it’s fashioned of cheap metal.

You could buy a nicer one, should you agree.

He continues, “Well, if reimbursement for damage caused to Mondstadt’s economy and enough mora to cover the cost of living can be considered a true salary.”

“I have to hand it to you, you’ve mastered the art of spewing the most outlandish things. What has all this been then? An attempt to curry favour so I would accept your offer?”

“Ah-ah,” Kaeya chides. “You only get one question… but I’m feeling generous tonight. For your peace of mind, no, that isn’t the reason.”

“Right. Ask away, then. What intel are you after?”

Kaeya tilts his head. The golden lighting, vivid in the dusk, floods the mischievous glint in his eye like the metal accessories he wears. A hand reaches out, and Kaeya’s long fingers brush your pocket. “What about that piece of parchment has you so wound up?”

You huff. Fair play. This exchange had been proposed acting on the knowledge that Kaeya would ask for relevant intel—the Treasure Hoarders’ activities, lost items, Boss, anything else.

It’s a pointless question. The answer is not one he can use to his advantage. Again, Kaeya’s motives are nothing if not unclear.

“Have I hit a nerve?” he asks, grinning.

“Depends. If I say yes, will you ask me a different question? One of more use, perhaps.”

Kaeya leans forward, his eye squinting as though he’s about to disclose a secret. “I’m hardly a man of integrity, so there will be no hard feelings if you decide to rescind our little agreement.”

“Thank y—”

“However,” he interjects, resting his chin on his hand. “I have something, but it’s less of a question and more of a request.”

There are only ever a few things Kaeya wants from you.

The unconscious flicker of your eyes to his exposed chest isn’t lost on him because Kaeya makes direct eye contact when your gaze returns to his, knowing. His skin has accumulated a thin sheen of sweat during his journey here, and it glistens in the low light.

“Fine,” you concede, swallowing to assuage the dryness in your throat. Any further words crumble into dust when he offers his hand to you—large and inviting. It’s a sweet gesture, almost, because he knows not to touch you without rare permission.

Kaeya, for his boundless knowledge and unrivalled ability to read others, doesn’t know why you have forbidden such a thing. Naturally, he’s spared plenty of thought as to what the reason may be. Perhaps it’s just too much. A little closer to lovers than you’d like, for Kaeya to cling onto your arm as another orgasm is drawn from him, for you to stop fooling around and kiss him at last.

In truth, you fear it will be too tender. Then there’s nothing that can be done.

Kaeya waggles his fingers at you, teasing, “I don’t take kindly to rejection.”

“That’s not at all surprising,” you sigh, but your fingers slip between his and pull him closer. Kaeya shuffles out of the crate’s way, half crawling across the floor like some obedient pup and settling at your side. “Get undressed.”

Kaeya looks surprised. “In this weather?”

“That Vision of yours offers no refuge from the cold?” you laugh. “You’ll warm up soon enough, so get to it.”

Kaeya doesn’t look too pleased with your order—when is he ever?—but after a long, unwavering moment of silence, he unclips his cape at the shoulder and sets it down. His gloves come off next, followed by his gold-studded accessories. 

It’s methodical, almost, and Kaeya enjoys the attention. People always watch him, scrutinising every move. Mostly it’s in undying support, but there are the few who lie in wait for the inevitable moment Kaeya’s facade slips and too much is revealed.

This feels different. Warmer, despite the prickling chill that flits over his skin. You grin as a violent tremor wracks his lean shoulders.

“Sadist,” Kaeya accuses.

“Shall I act differently?” you test, tilting forward. A strand of navy hair tickles your forehead. Too close. “Am I not to your taste?”

“I was simply making an observation,” he defends, pulling on his blue overshirt till it comes off. “No need to get defensive.”

“Hm. Hurry up,” you grumble, disgruntled.

If Kaeya has a quip about your lack of patience and how badly you ache for him, he keeps it to himself. It’s staved off with each icy brush of chill carried by the wind.

It really is cold, yet you’re snug in a heavy, fur-lined winter coat. Kaeya laments its loss on behalf of the poor fucker you nicked it from, whose frozen suffering very well may rival his own.

You must notice his discomfort because you momentarily step away to stoke the fires within various lanterns. Even though night hasn’t yet fallen, allowing them to burn brightly is a risky move for someone of your infamy. Kaeya can’t shake the suspicion that you anticipated his visit, chancing the risk of discovery by some of the more morally rigid knights and Millelith soldiers to be in his company.

When you return, Kaeya has warmed—his muscles no longer ache when he flexes them, at least—and, for the most part, he’s bare. All that remains is his black choker. He tends to leave it on these days, ever since you made an offhand comment about him looking to be kept. Something like that. In all honesty, the memory is hazy because you had proceeded to tug him forward by the metal loop and trap his body beneath yours.

The memory makes Kaeya shiver.

“So obedient,” you marvel, kneeling opposite him. “What in the world am I supposed to do with you, hm?”

Kaeya knows not to answer. He waits quietly for you to finish the thought, leaning into the hand that strokes over his cheek.

”Since you were so kind as to forget that question, you can choose. Tell me what you want.”

“Why, I want you to be my informant, of course.”

“No.”

Kaeya smiles, superficial. “I thought as much… If I dressed up for you, would that sway your opinion?”

“As appealing as you are,” you snicker, “my answer wouldn’t change.”

“I haven’t even listed the options yet,” he argues. His eye is half-lidded in amusement and blinking slowly, self-assured as though he’s won. “How unfair.”

It isn’t unusual for Kaeya to be persistent but flattery is always enough to stop him in his tracks. This time, it doesn’t discourage him. The things you would do to take a peek inside of his head.

“Doesn’t matter. You’d do whatever I asked regardless, wouldn’t you?”

Kaeya rolls his eyes with a scoff. “Escaping this isn’t as easy as changing the subject, you know.”

Irritation flares within the confines of your ribs. Kaeya doesn’t know the first thing about your situation, nor does he understand its complexity. To even pretend to do so is insulting.

“I don’t have to explain myself to you, Sir Kaeya.”

He bridles. “Let me guess, you don’t owe it to me.”

“No, I don’t, but I also don’t want to argue. Drop it.”

“Is this to do with the Treasure Hoarders?” he asks. You rub a hand over your face. He just doesn’t stop. “What’s keeping you from me? Is it debt?”

A strangled laugh leaves a bitter ache in your throat. “From you?”

“The Knights are resourceful. A scheme can be put into place to liquidate any debts, and they won’t hold out on protection. I’ll see to it personally. Believe me—

“Captain.”

“—everything could be good. Don’t you want that? You might not owe it to me, but you owe it to yourself to at least try to put an end to years of—”

“For fuck’s sake, Kaeya,” you hiss, startling him out of his tirade. You really, really don’t want to be lectured. “You’re thinking too deeply into it. It just doesn’t interest me, all right? Let it go.”

That isn’t the true reason. It can’t be. Kaeya has always known you to be shrewd and calculating. Your line of work doesn’t afford for you to be driven forward by anything other than unadulterated logic, but this—

Kaeya laughs. When did you become so much like him? Concealing truths and motivations will eventually take its toll. Kaeya is well-versed in such ordeals.

“All right?” you repeat.

“All right,” Kaeya agrees, smirking. “Another time, then. For now—”

He glides a lithe hand to the crux of his thigh, tracing each fading bruise. He knows it angers you, to see your distinctive marks fading into the warm colour of his skin.

“—why don’t you help me out?”

You can never stay mad at Kaeya for long. Reassuring, you reach forward and thumb over the darkest mark. You don’t want him to believe you’re mad at him either.

He’s pretending again, now. That you don’t tread this same thin line each week, never quite knowing when it will tip. That this hasn’t been a near constant game of cat and mouse, of pushing any boundary further and further back in the pursuit of information that Kaeya needs but doesn’t want.

“A little specificity never hurts,” you tease. “Besides, I know how you love to talk.”

“That slight against me aside… I wouldn’t mind feeling that mouth of yours.”

“Nice try, Captain. Take your eyepatch off and then we’ll talk.”

Kaeya grins. It was worth a shot, and you can’t blame him for trying to sate his curiosity. Your mask isn’t removed unless necessary. That’s fine. Kaeya has secrets of his own, though that doesn’t dampen his intrigue as to why.

He has it on good authority that no rule amongst Treasure Hoarders stipulates one must be worn. No written rule, anyway. Kaeya can only make assumptions founded on common sense. Most members choose to do so because it’s essential to avoid identification.

Naturally, there are other reasons, and Kaeya has an inkling yours is something else. Perhaps something that relates to the why you haven’t told him your name.

The thought is jarring. Kaeya doesn’t know your name.

It makes little difference. As if Kaeya doesn’t already know you. As if he hasn’t picked your front apart until all the remains are fragments and frayed string. It wouldn’t come as a surprise if Kaeya blurted out your name, your homeland, or anything else for that matter. There’s so much information unbeknownst to Kaeya, but he knows you so very well that it wouldn’t shock you to learn that he’s had the facts all along.

But he doesn’t pry for more than is required. He doesn’t need to know what you look like, nor what your mouth feels like.

Though, that isn’t to say he hasn’t fucked his fist to the thought, hasn’t straddled his pillow late at night and rolled his hips until the rough drag of fabric has him crying. A silver tongue is good for more than your wily ways.

“I’ll help you, promise,” you whisper earnestly, but a wicked gleam in your eyes is a cause for concern. “So long as you help yourself first. Just until you’re ready for me. How’s that? Then I’ll make you come.”

“Why, pray tell, would I do that? Do you want me to be sensitive? In pain? It seems you took that little sadist comment to heart, and now you seriously believe I must be punished.”

You snicker, shaking your head. Kaeya never fails to deliver a melodramatic, outraged display when what he wants isn’t immediately handed to him. He’s all bark, though. If you were to suddenly change your mind and agree to what he wants, his brow would crease in confusion and a frown would mar his pretty face.

At the end of the day, Kaeya will take what you give. He’s eager to do so.

“Complaining won’t make me get you off sooner, you know. Be patient and I’ll reward you accordingly.”

Kaeya leans closer. Your hand on his thigh is forced higher until it brushes the deep scar splitting his hip bone. His voice is sultry when he whispers, “And what would that be?”

He’s a mere inch away, and for a long second, you think he may try to kiss you through your mask. In spite of this and the flickering trickle of warmth into your blood, you let this closeness linger for a moment. Just one. It fills you with a sense of foreboding but you’ve long since crossed every line imaginable. This is no different. 

It’s just late, too late.

“Would you like to fuck me?” you breathe.

The question must set Kaeya on edge because he blinks rapidly, pupils blown wide. You’ve never offered such a thing. These visits always see to it that Kaeya is given a thorough fucking, that Kaeya is shaking and spent. Meanwhile, you’re content to sit and watch the spectacle. He can count on one hand the number of occasions you’ve allowed him to get you off in all the time you’ve known each other. One, almost two years. One hand.

“How tempting…” he drawls. He drops back onto his elbows, and like tugging on a string, you follow. “Perhaps I’m better suited to your profession. The pursuit of treasure knows no bounds, not even your own.”

With a sigh, you catch onto his line of thought. “You’re in that head of yours far too much, Captain. I’m offering myself to you because I want to be fucked stupid, do you understand?”

Kaeya raises his chin. “Is that a challenge?”

Knowing Kaeya, this will likely spiral into a pointless dick-measuring contest before he even has the chance to touch you, so he’s reined in with a slap to the inside of his thigh. The bastard doesn’t even flinch, still maintaining that smug smirk.

You lean back against the crate, waiting expectantly. “The only thing I care about right now is watching you come undone, so hurry to it.”

Thankfully, Kaeya has the sense to follow instructions. He clasps his fingers around the base of his cock to steady it, and strokes himself to full hardness. There’s a slick, obscene noise as precum dribbles over his knuckles, spreading with each drag of his fist. He stifles a low moan. If Kaeya has to wait to come, you have to wait to hear him.

You notice. The sharp glare Kaeya receives drives a shiver through his body, and his fingers constrict around himself. This is playful, not misbehaviour… but if he were to come too soon, you would hardly be lenient.

Kaeya’s punishments are designed to breach his impatience. It doesn’t take a great deal of effort. The promise of a reward if he takes it well is more than enough to put him in place, but you have your fun with it nonetheless. On occasions, Kaeya is given no choice but to watch as you touch yourself, unable to voice a complaint or reach out to graze his fingers across your skin. 

When the weather isn’t so cold, you bind his hands and have him wait until you finish penning a letter or scheme. It works well. His face is either streaked with tears or turned away by the time your attention refocuses on him, the former being the favourable outcome. Then you play nice, keep his body pressed against the wall while you fuck him dumb in plain sight of any adventurer who wanders too deep into abandoned ruins, soon to witness the visage of the idolised Cavalry Captain with a bandit’s fingers silencing his smart mouth.

During crueller days, Kaeya is sent back to the city with a painful erection on show, and he stoops so low as to crouch in an abandoned camp and deal with it before he returns.

“Captain.” Your voice reaches him like a distant dream’s haze, jarring in the chilly night. “Having a pleasant thought? You’re blushing.”

“Oh, my apologies,” he chuckles. His cock is heavy in his palm as he pushes a thumb into his slit, shivering. “Even when I have you to myself, I’m prone to daydreams. Isn’t that peculiar?”

You snort. “Imaginative, rather. Though I wouldn’t be very good if I left you to your thoughts, so how about some help?”

“How generous. Go on, then,” he simpers, fisting himself once, twice, and then not at all. Just from that short moment mired in his thought, he’s painfully close. He can only hope the gods show mercy once you get your hands on him because you’ll do anything but.

The hem of your shirt is lifted to show a slither of your stomach. “My upper or lower half?” Choose.”

Kaeya swallows, mulling it over. By no means is he indecisive, but a sight too lewd will have him spilling into his palm in mere seconds, and then he’s in for it. You tease him enough as it is.

“Show me your chest” he goads, smirking.

The coat is shrugged off, falling around you in a heap of black fabric and expensive-looking fur, and your shirt soon follows. Kaeya has half a mind to chide you for not layering up while in Dragonspine’s vicinity, but you would only call him a hypocrite.

Besides, a glimpse of your bare skin sends him mad. He buckles and grasps a handful of the blanket in his fist, inching closer as a steady heat pulses in the pit of his stomach. The moonbeams paint you well.

“You have that look in your eye like there’s something to be said,” you muse, drifting your fingers up your stomach, tracing the curve of ribs. That same eye follows the movement in fascination. “Spit it out.”

Words have been the source of Kaeya’s vice since he was a child. He’s brilliant with them, and what’s better is that he knows how they can be used to his advantage, how they feed into fear and morph situations to feel scarily real. Yet they fail him now. He stumbles over a jumble of compliments that further tangle in his mouth, melting into sticky caramel on his tongue until he swallows them down and says nothing good at all.

He hums, “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

“Would I?” you echo. “It must be something good, then.”

It can’t be better than the sight of Kaeya crumbling apart. It’s almost cute how he tries to hide it, teeth clamping down on the inside of his cheek, grasping onto the blanket for a semblance of composure, yet his cock throbs with each wave of lust, flushed mauve and aching.

You sidle closer, coaxing his chin up between two fingers. His lips nudge the skin of your chest, and his eye widens pleadingly. 

“In the meantime,” you tell him, and it’s all the permission Kaeya needs.

It isn’t the wintry air making you shiver, but the warmth of Kaeya’s tongue. He tilts up and drags open-mouthed kisses across the expanse of your chest, leaving goosebumps in his wake. Heat stirs in the pit of your stomach, heady and consuming, and you arch into his touch. Kaeya doesn’t pause for something as insignificant as breath, because you have never, not once, let him do this.

“Can I mark you?” he rasps between kisses. “Wouldn’t that be fair?”

Kaeya feels himself slipping, his wrist beginning to ache as he pumps his cock quicker, teasing your skin with his teeth. The stretch of time without an answer is excruciating, and he redoubles his efforts, eagerly laving his tongue over your chest until it glistens with spit.

“Please,” he murmurs. Though his voice is muffled into your skin, the desperation lacing each syllable together is clear as day.

You can hardly think, let alone speak. Nothing could have prepared you for how this feels, how Kaeya feels. You’ve fucked him plenty but there’s something raw in the way you lean against one another, chill flitting across every inch of your body that isn’t pressed to him. 

This time, it’s need, rather than want alone, that drives you to feel so strongly. It’s strange. A whirlwind of hot and cold, difficult to distinguish from Kaeya as you press closer, nuzzling his hair. His shampoo smells of tangerine and honeysuckle.

“Well?” Kaeya asks, grinning.

You push him closer. “Make it count.”

Kaeya bites down. It’s blunt, jarring, and the sting mellows into a dull ache that radiates outwards from your shoulder. You hadn’t expected him to be quite so rough, but perhaps nothing less should be expected from that razor-sharp smile of his. You twinge with desire, underwear dampening.

Kaeya’s grinning into your skin. He knows he has you.

Your desperation must give you away, unadulterated and lewd as you grind against his bare thigh. You don’t remember starting, yet his skin is shiny with the arousal that seeps through your trousers, making a mess.

You ought to be embarrassed for shamelessly using him for a mere vestige of pleasure, but Kaeya doesn’t appear to mind. His tongue flicks soothingly over the indentation, though not kindly because he groans as his teeth drive into the skin beside it, possessive.

“Gods,” you hiss, lifting a hand to his nape and using it as leverage to better grind against the lithe muscle of his thigh, panting.

The shame is burning your face, now. It’s humiliating how soon, even with a fraying perception of passing time, the pressure mounts in your belly. You come off Kaeya’s thigh with a frustrated noise, impatiently reaching between your bodies to grope his cock. He’s wet and twitches in your hand. Good.

“Inside, now.”

Kaeya’s ego swells. You’re just as desperate, just as eager as he is, and frankly horrible at concealing it. Either that, or you don’t wish to. Both options raise warmth to Kaeya’s cheeks, and he hums in assent. 

He falls with you onto the spread blankets, watching in thinly veiled amusement as you fuss with your belt. He’d help if he were allowed to touch you. For now, he settles above you with his hands braced against the ground, cocking an eyebrow as if to say ask me.

You refuse to cede to him so easily, not with a task so menial. The buckle gives way and the moment your belt hangs open, your pants and undergarments are shoved down your thighs and kicked off.

Kaeya chuckles. “Slow down. At this rate, you’re going to knock my head clean off.”

He intercepts the process of shucking off your gloves by catching your hand in his own. He pauses, blinks. That had been instinctive. He slips his fingers beneath the material to pry away the glove after removing your ring. Such a simple point of contact is invigorating, so much so that Kaeya temporarily overlooks his mistake. 

His shoulders straighten, rigid. You’ve got that look again. “Ah.”

“No, you’re fine. Just come closer,” you goad, grinning.

Kaeya crawls over your body, leaning into the gentle hand smoothing over the side of his face despite the knowledge of what’s to come. He’s allowed one, two, three seconds before an open palm smack twists his head, and his skin mottles with a red mark. 

“There,” you murmur, bringing him down to press your lips to the mark. It’s a mockery of a kiss, considering it isn’t skin-to-skin contact, but Kaeya’s eye flutters closed and he sighs contentedly. “You took that perfectly. Help me undress?”

“You could have led with that perhaps?” he teases.

Nothing is offered in the way of an answer, so Kaeya winks and presses a kiss to your tingling palm, pulling away the glove. He repeats the process calmly and then replaces your thumb ring, as though his cock isn’t heavy between his legs, hot where it presses to the skin of your inner thigh.

Kaeya’s mind is elsewhere—your brow is drawn tight, and sweat beads at your hairline, and the sight burns into his brain. All this imagining is pointless. You’ve made your decision, but…

No. Another plea to join him fizzles out. Kaeya’s reasons don’t matter. He could list each of them and explain the outcomes, but it would be a futile endeavour. 

Admittedly, it hurts. A deep, tangible understanding wreathes you together, but Kaeya knows its delicacy cannot be disturbed. He won’t force your hand.

“What are the odds that you’d taken initiative before I arrived and stretched yourself on your fingers?” Kaeya asks, curious. The silence is a sufficient answer. “Allow me the honour, then.”

“I didn’t know you were coming. Besides, I’ve got nothing here,” you supply breathlessly. Waiting another moment is sure to kill you, regardless of how dramatic it may seem. “Not that it matters. You’re wet enough for both of us.”

Kaeya’s head tilts. “You shouldn’t lie.”

“You’re making a mess of my blankets.”

Kaeya glances down. So, he is. Precum dribbles from his slit, and what doesn’t pool on the blankets smears across your thigh with each brush of his cock. Only a week has passed since you saw one another last, and Kaeya has gotten off plenty in that time but that does little to lessen his lust.

“Well, I’ve always had quite the sexual appetite, don’t you think?” Kaeya laughs.

“Captain,” you grouse, shuffling for comfort. There isn’t a doubt in your mind that Kaeya intends to fuck you into the floor until you’re sore and feeling it for weeks to come. You hope as much, at least. “I don’t have forever.”

Kaeya smiles, charming. “Forgive me.”

Distracted, you beckon him closer and pry the hair tie from his wrist. His dark strands fall to cover his face at this angle so you pull them back and fix his hair in a bun. It’s the best you can do from beneath him, and Kaeya offers a quizzical look.

“What? I don’t want to put up with your complaining when I lean on your hair.”

“Are you certain it isn’t so you can have a good look at my face?” he teases, tilting his jaw. The moonlight and lantern glow bleeds together, catching on the uneven ridge of his nose and the quirk of a smile on his lips. You’re taken with him. He meets your gaze. “My, it is.”

You huff. “I’ll stroke your ego later. Fuck me, now.”

“Later, you say? I’m looking forward to it, then.”

Kaeya’s teasing falls silent and large hands press your legs wider. There’s a flicker of embarrassment, being spread out like this, but Kaeya’s eye is kind and doesn’t dare shy away from the vulnerability. He dips down and kisses your neck, rubbing circles into your waist as the tip of his cock pushes against you.

“Slow?” he asks. The hand at your waist is distracting.

You scowl. “Don’t bother.”

Kaeya bullies his thick cock into you with a wry laugh, leaving no room for accommodation as the stretch sears white-hot. All that leaves your mouth is a garbled gasp of his name. It’s so much, too much. Kaeya shushes your struggle for air as though he isn’t the cause. 

You aren’t stupid, you know he’s big. It’s hardly a well-kept secret, but he reaches deeper than expected, pressing up against your sweet spot.

“Don’t bother,” Kaeya mimics, yet his voice is weak, shaking. You clench around him and he curses, dropping his head to your shoulder. He’s as affected as you are. “Just a bit more.”

He isn’t all the way in. Your eyes squeeze shut, throat feeling thick as you attempt to swallow. “Get it over with.”

“Come, now,” he chides. “Don’t you think you’re biting off more than you can chew?”

Your voice catches on a hiccuping gasp. “I’m not asking.”

“Of course. How silly of me to forget.”

Kaeya slams in with one, swift thrust, jolting your body carelessly. A pained noise snags in your throat and you pull him closer, fingers digging into his biceps with no remorse for freshly broken skin. Walking very well may prove an issue tomorrow, but he feels far too good for it to matter beyond a fleeting thought.

“Is it good?” he teases with that stupid smirk, but you lack the energy to smack his arm. You nod dumbly, drawing in another staggering breath. The fabric covering your nose and mouth is suffocating. “What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?”

“I said to get it over with, not to split me in half, you bastard.”

“That’s hardly my fault.”

“Stop looking so happy about it, then,” you grumble.

Kaeya laughs. It’s a lovely sound, but your chest feels tight. You throw your arms around his neck and tether him close. The movement has his cock nudging deeper within you, and the pleasure eclipses the pain of being so thoroughly stretched.

Any remaining patience wanes and you roll your hips against him, inviting.

Thankfully, Kaeya finally, finally obliges. 

His pace isn’t a far cry from bruising, much to your delight. The rushing thrum of blood is loud in your ears, swallowing the groan breathed into your neck. Kaeya kisses the skin there and mutters something indistinct. You can’t make sense of the illogical, slurred sounds. Perhaps you would be able to if your mind wasn’t moulding to the blur of his presence above you—a sway of navy and light blue, the glimmer of golden jewellery—but it overtakes until you know nothing else.

Kaeya seems to be losing himself a bit. His eye scrunches shut, face pressing against your heaving chest. Absently, you wonder whether he can feel the erratic pulse of your heart beneath your ribs, then, lucid, you hope he can’t.

“Archons, Sir Kaeya,” you gasp. Your voice is unlike your own. “You certainly don’t hold back.”

“Sir,” he pronounces, almost whiny. “Do away with the formalities, will you? We’re— fuck, more than acquainted, I assure you.”

“Oh, lighten up a little.”

Kaeya’s brow furrows, and he slows into a deep grind. His cock rubbing against your sweet spot dulls any further argument into a low, noncommittal hum, and that’s all he needs.

The hand at your waist grips tighter, then drifts down to squeeze a handful of your thigh, pushing it up against your chest. He shifts his weight and forces his cock deeper, rekindling the steady pulse of pleasure in the pit of your stomach. You had been so close earlier, it easily takes hold of you once more and blooms beneath your skin in a warm haze. Or that’s Kaeya’s hands wandering again, brief yet greedy touches.

You come without warning, pressing closer to Kaeya and muffling a lewd noise into his lean shoulder. He smothers you with honeyed whispers, cradling the back of your head in his palm before your neck strains uncomfortably.

“Shh,” Kaeya hushes you gently, not uttering a word of complaint when your fingers tangle in his tied hair, snagging on the strands. “Hold onto me, and let me just— ngh—”

Your eyes flash open as Kaeya bottoms out again, unforgiving of the overstimulation that rattles you, or your ebbing orgasm. He holds you against his chest, pounding into you with reckless abandon as unbidden moans flow freely from his parted lips.

The feeling of being used, it’s— you understand, now, why Kaeya so willingly sits back and takes it. Your skin prickles with heat, stomach twisting in pleasure with everyone second he treats you as a toy, grasping handfuls of flesh until you bruise.

“So good,” he murmurs, distant. “So warm.”

He’s hardly coherent, you think.

Kaeya spills into you with a strangled groan. His hips slow but not entirely, just barely grinding against you as he feels light for a moment. With your body pressed so tightly between Kaeya and the floor, you shift with each choking breath he takes, emptying himself inside you.

“Captain, you’re crushing me,” you wheeze, smacking his shoulder until his grip slackens the slightest bit. Your head lolls back, still supported by his hand, and his face flickers above you.

Your vision is unclear, but still, you see him with infallible clarity. His star-shaped pupil is blown wide, and you can’t distinguish between its shape and the glittering sky looming over his shoulder, a reminder of the coming dawn.

You don’t want to go, not truly. If time was kinder, you’d drown in Kaeya until morning, tangled, lulled by soft breathing and birdsong. You want him to treat you gently, to thumb away the concern lining the features you haven’t let him see. You want to watch his day-to-day, even if in Mondstadt. You want him.

Gods forbid any of this leaves your mouth. It mustn't because Kaeya’s still drifting somewhere with that faraway look in his eye, beginning to fuck you again in his reverie.

“Kiss me,” you whisper.

Kaeya startles, the slow movement of his hips faltering for a brief moment. “Excuse me?”

“Don’t make me say it again,” you huff, turning your face away from his sharp gaze. A glimpse of a furrowed brow and a frown reveals that he genuinely believes he misheard, so you fumble with the mask obscuring your face until it slips to the floor. “Come on, just—”

Kaeya’s thumb traces your bottom lip and you fall silent. It’s featherlight, barely there at all. You had expected him to kiss you breathless, to devour you like he does everything else, but he brushes his lips against your cheek, the corner of your eye, leaving a lingering kiss on your forehead before tilting his own against it, sharing air.

Kaeya grins a wild, sharp thing. If you were his enemy, you’d be frightened, but the lanterns’ glow softens the stormy gleam in his eye with what you daren’t say is adoration. A warm feeling bolsters in your chest. Not good.

His hips drive forward, and you jolt with a gasp. Kaeya’s smile splits wider at your reaction, and he does it again, and again, and again until your vision shakes and your mind is sticky like treacle.

“Why aren’t you?”

“Am I so wrong for wanting to make the most of it?” Kaeya teases, but his voice is hushed, meant only for your ears. His hands cradle your face. “Chances are, you may never let me again.”

His words resound through you, sickening. Even in the cold night, you’re burning up, not an inch of space between your bodies as Kaeya hikes your hips higher and presses deeper. Your mind flares with the urge to tell him he isn’t making sense, that he's lost sight of the truth.

But you’ve never been very good at lying to Kaeya.

It’s only once tears prick your eyes that Kaeya kisses you. Slow and purposeful, catching your lips with his, barely even a kiss until he lifts your chin and licks into your mouth.

“Will you tell me something?" The words are muffled against your lips, but you understand too easily what it is he wants. “Just your name. This one thing, if anything.”

You want to cry. His face contorts, determined, and he searches your expression.

He laughs weakly. “Then I’ll be out of your hair, hm?”

“Um,” you murmur, scrubbing at your eyes. It’s on the tip of your tongue, but no good will come of it. “I can’t have someone as sharp as you prying into my past, now, can I? You’d unravel it in moments, Captain.”

Kaeya’s face twists like he’s in pain. That anguished expression smooths out as quickly as he pulls away, setting your body down against the crumpled blankets before turning to the side.

Your stomach sinks like a stone. Fuck.

Without the warmth of his skin and the stretch of him inside of you, you’re empty, aching. Kaeya fusses with strewn articles of clothing, searching for his gloves and fitting them to his hands. He’s—

“Are you leaving?” you ask. “You’re… you’re still hard.”

Kaeya dismisses your worry with a wave of his hand, reaching for another piece of his attire. “As sorry as I am to cut things short, I have to patrol at dawn. I’m sure you understand. It’s quite the trek back to the city, no?”

There’s the rustle of clothing as Kaeya hastily dresses. Like he can’t get away any quicker.

“That’s a lie, otherwise you wouldn’t have come here so late.”

It shouldn’t be surprising, not really. Kaeya lies all the time, and when he’s upset, his words sharpen and lodge somewhere that stings for days. He’s choosing the former. He’s sparing you.

But with momentary bliss long gone, fading, hollow dread tears open your chest. You sit up and pull on your shirt. You don’t typically clean up and dress alone. But Kaeya won’t look at you.

You exhale steadily. “Stay a while. We have an agreement that you’re not to leave immediately.”

Kaeya desperately wants to protest, working his jaw, but he nods. You’re right, after all. It’s for his own good.

He finishes clothing himself wordlessly. You follow.

When Kaeya joins you, the air is considerably colder and your body trembles.

You’re not sure what to do, sitting arm to arm with him, staring at the stretch of white-speckled sky. If you look closely, the furthest stars glint golden. But then you think of Kaeya and his jewellery.

“I’m sor—”

“I don’t want to hear it.”

You shrink into yourself and wait. For anything, really. For Kaeya to say that you did this to yourself, that there was never a true chance. No intervention is successful in staving off fate—this, Kaeya knows well.

“I don’t know what I expected,” Kaeya suddenly laughs, high and scathing. “You won’t even use my name unless it’s to your advantage, unless it’s the key to something you want.”

“It isn’t on purpose, it just slips. I want to tell you mine, believe me, but it’s safest that I don’t.”

Kaeya scoffs. He draws a leg to his chest and rests his forearm against it. “Haven’t I made it clear that I’m not looking to get you in trouble? If anything, I’ve been getting you out of it.”

“I know,” you say softly, “but I can’t shake the worry. You must understand that this will follow me around.”

“My, do I seem the type?” he teases, but his voice cracks. Embarrassed, Kaeya clears his throat. “Let me guess. My offer to join the Knights, did you refuse it because I asked?”

You nudge his arm, rolling your eyes. Kaeya leans into it, even if only a little. “Come on, I know how to accept help.”

“No. Because I asked.”

You turn to look at him, expecting a heart-shattering expression, but all you see is Kaeya’s usual indifference, like the answer is one he already has.

“No,” you whisper. “Of course not, Kaeya—”

He turns away.

“—that’s the furthest thing from the truth!”

Your knees press into the ground as you take his unmoving face in your palm, thumbing under his eye. He looks through you.

“The only reason I would take the offer is that you asked.”

“Only, you haven’t, so it isn't enough. Clearly.”

“What? No, fuck.”

Every word you say digs you deeper into this hole. You know you can’t get through to him. Kaeya is receptive to touch, yet he continues to stare as though he can’t feel the pressure of your hands on him.

How quickly a situation worsens when you don’t tell the truth.

“Listen to me,” you whisper. “It’s a letter to home. The parchment. You might believe otherwise but I am trying. And I want to try with you, but—”

“You’re leaving,” he says.

His eye flickers to yours at last, and you wish it hadn’t. His anger has worn away into something raw and scared, like a cornered animal.

”The letter would be filled with empty apologies if I don’t face them myself.”

“Did you think a kiss was an appropriate goodbye?” he scoffs, bristling. Your hand falls from his face and into your lap. “I must say, I didn’t think you had it in you to be quite so cruel”

You swallow. “I didn’t—”

“Oh, you didn’t mean it,” he mocks, his lips stretching into an unfitting grin. “Gods, how many times I’ve heard that one. Are you proud?”

“Proud?” you laugh. “Come on. Do I look proud? Do I look like any of this makes me happy?”

Kaeya quirks an eyebrow. He reaches into your coat pocket and unearths the raven insignia, cast in gold. It’s a mere signet yet Kaeya raises it into your scope of vision like if it were to crack open, the truth would spill out.

“Yes. You cannot seriously think I believe otherwise when this very thing is proof that you will tear down anything to gain stable footing. Don’t fool yourself.”

In spite of himself, Kaeya knows the Knights would benefit from a mind similar to his. The people of Mondstadt are tangled in the restrictive notion of freedom, unable to understand that the best outcome often comes from control.

Neither you nor Kaeya shy away from unfairly seizing a situation in the pursuit of something much larger.

So Kaeya knows when a measly argument is under his thumb. He knows how to shove and deflect and press until the other tips long before he can.

“Who are you to tell me what’s out of line? That insignia is a testament to my methods of survival, so— so strike me down if I hold onto it, I’m sorry.”

Kaeya watches in mild intrigue, still grinning. 

“Don’t give me that look. You know I wouldn’t do any of this if I didn’t have to, haven’t I told you that a hundred times? I burned all my bridges long ago, and I lack the skills to make a sincere living. I don’t need some stuck-up knight deciding what’s good for me, nor do I need y—“

Kaeya knows when he’s won, but you do, too. Regret sears deep in your chest and you slump back. You don’t mean that. This ordeal has unnerved you, and you misstep where you usually prosper.

“That isn’t… that isn’t true. You tricked me into—“ Into turning on him. “Archons’ sake, Kaeya. You won’t feel any better if it’s me who’s angry, and not you.”

After that, he doesn’t say much. You watch the gentle drift of snow reach the grass, the yellow flutter of a crystalfly in the distance. The lanterns have begun to smoulder, so the view isn’t obscured by light.

Kaeya’s still holding your insignia. He tosses it into the air and catches it. Over and over until the movement sends you dizzy.

If you could bare your mind to him, you would. He could understand, then. There’s so much that he doesn’t understand, blinded by tainted logic. This is a case of need, not want. You need to deliver the letter in person, otherwise, all it will contain are hollow promises that only you can decipher. But you want to stay. You do.

Kaeya clears his throat. “When do you leave?”

“Tomorrow, I guess. I was waiting for you to come. I couldn’t just disappear.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Kaeya sneers, rubbing a hand over his face. Tiredness is catching up to him. “After that little performance, I was sure you’d stick around.”

You sigh, reiterating, “I didn’t kiss you for the fun of it.”

“At least, if you chose to disappear, I could have convinced myself you were killed. It’s a reasonable deduction, is it not? Much easier to swallow than you just up and left.”

“If I could stay, I would.”

“Well. What use is that?”

“We’re not getting anywhere, are we?”

“What do you think?”

Kaeya throws the insignia again, antsy, and you snatch it midair. The sudden movement knocks the crate, and the stack of books atop it slides off the edge. Kaeya instinctively turns to right them, even if they will be packed away come morning. He lets them linger in his hands a moment longer than what is necessary, feigning interest in the covers, though he can’t read the script.

The angle makes the lump in his pocket dig into his skin. He blinks, remembering, and you hear the rustle of foil before Kaeya presses something flat into the palm of your hand.

“It’s going to melt in my pocket,” he explains.

Bemused, you peel back the foil and bite back an untimely smile. “Had you forgotten that you packed a snack for the road, Captain?”

“I figured you would like something sweet to tide you over,” he says whimsically. “Aren’t I kind?”

“Very. Thank you.”

Normally, you have no longer than a small window of time to duck into a house and nab essentials, so chocolate is an unfamiliar taste on your tongue, but unbelievably good. For a moment, you pretend not to notice that Kaeya watches your expression from the corner of his eye, but temptation gets the better of you and you waggle your fingers at him. He glances away.

“Come on,” you murmur to get his attention. He turns, poised to argue once more, but you gently pry open his jaw and push a shard of chocolate into his mouth before closing it.

Kaeya exhales through his nose, turning away. This time, he lets his arm press to yours. It’s as good as you’ll get.

“I’m sorry for what I said a moment ago. This isn’t your fault, and I can’t imagine not waiting for your next visit. I need you as much as I need anything else, really.”

He nods. All you know is need because you don’t have enough to want.

Suppose Kaeya should be flattered that he’s interspersed between the two—someone you need, but can’t afford to want. Kaeya stifles a laugh. How tragic.

”I won’t make a promise I can’t keep,” you begin, steady, “but if the circumstances were different—”

“Please don’t bore me to death with the what-ifs,” Kaeya interjects. Surprised, you look at him. “What a waste of time that is.”

With that, he drops his head into your lap, staring up at the canvas of the tent. His eye flutters closed as though teetering on the edge of sleep.

There’s a dull crack as you snap off another block of chocolate, and Kaeya expectantly opens his mouth.

You scoff. “Get lost. This is my gift.”

“Goodness. That might be the meanest thing you’ve said yet,” he complains petulantly, mumbling in gratitude when you tsk and feed him more chocolate.

The next half-hour is spent like this. Neither of you speaks much—words have been exhausted, anyway—but the quiet is as pleasant as the situation allows for. At some point, your hands tangle in his hair and absentmindedly twirl and plait the strands.

You almost forget.

Then Kaeya stirs.

“Time up?”

Kaeya only nods, leaning forward until he’s sitting. He reaches a hand back to rub his nape, but it snags on the state you left behind in your consternation. He pats it once, twice, and then leaves it be. 

A tremor cuts through his posture. “Indeed, it is.”

“Well, I trust you have the sense to pass through Dragonspine on the way home, rather than decide to scale any wet cliffs while it’s dark,” you say, shrugging off your coat. “It’s nowhere near extravagant enough for you, Sir Kaeya.”

He smiles. “To fall to my death?” 

“No, to make a complete fool of yourself by slipping.”

Amused, Kaeya huffs out a short laugh as you drape your coat over his shoulders, busying yourself with pulling stray pieces of hair from beneath the hood as Kaeya fixes it to fit. 

You pat his shoulders. “Good to go?”

“Depends,” he hums. “Will I get the opportunity to return your coat? A word of advice… a visit or two into the city would go off without a hitch if you lost all that gear. How nice would that be? A little vacation in Mondstadt to liberate yours truly from boredom.”

“I told you I won’t make any promises.”

Kaeya’s expression falls but he’s quick to put on a nonchalant smirk, nodding. “Of course.”

Kaeya stands and dusts off his trousers. He doesn’t look at you, nor do you look at him, as he gently pats the crown of your head. Then, he’s off.

As simple as that.

A bout of nausea passes through you, watching him walk away, but you can’t afford to slow for a distraction. An old rucksack is hauled off the floor and you stash anything important inside. It’s a familiar routine. You must have followed the steps a dozen times within the past year.

You stack your books at the bottom, layer them with a spare change of clothes, place loose items on top—unpawned jewellery, a small pouch of mora, your—

Shit.

Frantically, you glance around, patting the blankets to see if it had gotten lost beneath them. No. It’s nowhere to be seen.

You had placed it in your pocket.

You jump to your feet and sprint out of the tent in the direction Kaeya left. It’s agony to run, and difficult to find him amongst the dense thicket and the snow falling from the sky in clusters, but the pulsing glow of his Vision alerts you of his presence.

You run, heart racing. Kaeya’s just past the outcrops of Dragonspine, crossing a rickety wooden bridge.

“Captain, you’ve got my— Hey!”

Startled, Kaeya abruptly turns on his heel as you near, struggling for cold air. For a brief second, he looks hopeful. Your heart fractures all over again.

He catches you before you collide, steadying himself with a hand on the bridge. “Changed your mind about the coat, have you?”

Your chest burns. “I need— pocket watch, please.”

Kaeya nods, checking each pocket until he procures the item. He holds it up by the chain and it swings in the wind. The metal is scratched and rusting, and Kaeya doesn’t understand why you had sprinted and shouted for it. “This old thing? Perhaps I’d have known it was stashed away if it actually ticked.”

“It’s been broken for years,” you pant, holding out your hand. “Family heirloom. I need it, otherwise… I don’t think they would recognise me.”

“Right.” The watch is dropped into your open palm, a heap of cold metal and a brush of colder fingertips. “I’ll be on my way. Keep yourself safe, hm? I’m afraid you now have to say goodbye again.”

Your eyes sting. Right. Wordlessly, you pull Kaeya into a tight hug and his arm coils around your waist, even tighter if it were possible.

So much goes unsaid. 

“I’m sorry,” you whisper into his neck. “This is the last thing you deserve.”

The only response Kaeya gives is a hum. He’s sparing you again, pretending that saying nothing at all shields you from the pain of his words.

Had you done the same… No, that wouldn’t have worked.

Kaeya’s lips press to your forehead.

Then he’s untangling himself from your arms and heading down that worn path, guided by distant torches and a starry sky.

You watch him go.

Your vision blurs until there’s two of him, then three, then empty space.

Gods, how quickly you fuck things up

As Kaeya passes through an alleyway deep within Mondstadt, his arms stretch high and wide until his spine cracks, and the tips of his fingers graze the bricks on either side.

Once he steps out from its cover and is momentarily blinded by the mid-morning sunshine, he draws himself up again.

It’s ideal that the Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonius isn’t seen stretching while surveying the bustling streets, lest he appears inactive and unable to fend off a potential looming threat.

Which, these days, is more the threat of a missing cat’s claws, but Kaeya can’t openly complain.

There isn’t much to do, what with that flame-wielding vigilante inadvertently ensuring that Kaeya has a surplus of downtime as of late, although this was undoubtedly not his intention.

So Kaeya roams the main streets, pausing to allow an old lady to pinch his cheeks and gush about what a bright young lad he is, and an even better knight. He accepts it with nothing more than polite platitudes and a bashful smile, though his ears are burning by the time he escapes to the marketplace, circling the large fountain. 

Kaeya always craves something sweet when the morning is well underway, but it would be improper for a knight to waltz into a tavern at this hour—although it doesn’t stop them—and demand a glass of wine, so that’s off the table. Plus, he’s still on the clock.

Kaeya wonders whether buttering Sara up would gain him some favour, and he would be permitted to use the stove at Good Hunter to make a snack. The elderly of Mondstadt tend to share their secret recipes with the Captain, though he isn’t certain why. Trust, maybe.

Naturally, Kaeya’s personal plans are soon eclipsed by duty. 

A man is making a mad dash toward Kaeya. An impressive one, at that—dodging crowds and leaping over flower boxes, shouting incoherent nonsense. 

Only when he nears does Kaeya discern a few words of importance, these being Master Diluc and scuffle.

Suddenly, Kaeya’s day isn’t so bleak.

“Slow down before you trip, Nelson,” Kaeya calls. The man does no such thing, careening around a mother and her child before they all go flying. 

Kaeya heaves a heavy sigh and comes closer to apologise to the woman, then bends one knee and demonstrates his perfected disappearing coin trick to keep the child from weeping. It’s easy enough.

“A scuffle, you say?” Kaeya comments once they’re out of earshot, and Nelson frantically nods. 

“Angel’s Share!” he pants, folding in on himself as he tries and fails to catch his breath. He reeks of booze, so much so that even Kaeya’s nose wrinkles. “At Angel’s Share, Sir Kaeya!”

It seems Kaeya will get his wish, after all. As he sets off in the tavern’s direction at a brisk pace, he contemplates how he can spin this guaranteed problem-solving victory to earn himself a free drink.

He’s half tempted to take his sweet time. As much as Kaeya wants to let the situation smoulder in the name of spite, Diluc will only kick up a dreadful fuss about the Knights’ incompetency if Kaeya arrives a second later than what is deemed timely, so he passes the alchemy bench in mere seconds and rounds the corner, Nelson trailing behind.

Halfway there, Nelson trades his spew of insignificant details for a dramatic reenactment of events, and there isn’t a doubt in Kaeya’s mind that his dear companion had left his sense somewhere amongst tankards of ale.

Still, Kaeya listens attentively on the off chance Nelson says something of use.

He doesn’t.

When Kaeya rounds the corner and catches a glimpse of the chaotic scene, his interest piques. After all, it isn’t most days that Diluc rushes out of the tavern without taking the time to don his overcoat, nor is it typical that Diluc looms over one of the outdoor tables, his shoulders squared as he berates someone Kaeya can’t quite see. Even from a distance, Kaeya can hear the angry grumble of his voice—delightful as ever.

Kaeya draws closer and Nelson stumbles through the tavern’s door, swinging it shut behind him. The noise alerts Diluc and he glances over his shoulder, turning his body once he notices that it’s Kaeya who has come. 

“Wonderful,” Diluc scoffs, sounding as unimpressed as Jean when Kaeya’s paperwork is late. Perhaps Kaeya has been gearing up for the wrong storm. “Just the person I need.”

It’s comforting that Diluc doesn’t bother with niceties, but Kaeya will tease regardless. However, before he has the opportunity to ask what in the world he’s insinuating, Diluc continues his little tirade.

“You can escort this thieving wretch off my premises and to headquarters.”

 “There wouldn’t happen to be a reason, would there, Master Diluc?”

The drunkards loitering outdoors, intent on witnessing a scrap, slump their shoulders now that Kaeya has arrived. He hates to ruin their fun, really. But there’s a pang of pride in his chest knowing they believe that he, rather than Diluc, can resolve the situation despite being unaware of the details.

“Don’t be stupid. Of course there’s a reason.”

Kaeya’s head tilts, gesturing. “Which is…?”

“A bottle of wine that had been left unattended was stolen, so I would greatly appreciate it if this situation could be dealt with swiftly. I’ve been so kind as to do half of your job for you and find the culprit.”

“My, it must have been excellent wine to be worth all this hassle. If anything, shouldn't you value this as praise?”

Diluc purses his lips, opting to bite his tongue rather than speak his mind. Already, Kaeya’s getting on his last nerve, which he tends to do at the worst moments.

“I value praise in the form of words and not stolen goods, Sir Kaeya. Ensure that protocol is adequately followed.”

There’s a quip caught in Kaeya’s throat about Diluc remembering Favonius conduct, but there is also a throng of people surveying the conflict and Kaeya can’t afford to antagonise his brother beyond harmless teasing. 

Besides, the thought is quickly displaced.

Diluc shifts his weight, and Kaeya catches sight of the person he was obscuring. His heart lurches in his chest, but his face remains stony.

Very interesting, indeed.

“Is it protocol to wrangle customers out the door? I’ll have these bruises for days,” comes your voice, testing. Diluc turns. “Allow me to apologise again, but I really had believed that bottle was abandoned and for the taking.”

He glares. “Not another word.”

“Aren’t we too old to be having petty arguments?” Kaeya muses. He paces, arms up and then turns until he meets your gaze with a wink. You grin.

Diluc looks disgusted. “What was that?”

“What was what?”

“That thing you did with your face a moment ago.”

Kaeya laughs in disbelief, setting a hand against his chest and leaning forward. “Do you mean blinking? What a strange question. Though, I do recall that instance you dozed off with your eyes wide open… like one of those curious blinking dolls that a child has knocked against the floor one time too many—”

“No, you winked.”

“Well, who knows?” Kaeya reaches up and taps his eyepatch thrice.

Diluc opens his mouth to retort, but he must decide Kaeya is undeserving of his effort because he promptly snaps it shut, grumbling, “Whatever. See to it that your job is done.”

Kaeya no longer has reason to conceal his amusement once Diluc stalks off into the tavern, boasting a dour expression and tense shoulders. The door loudly closes behind him, and the horde of nosy patrons follow suit. 

Then Kaeya turns to you.

“Hello, Captain. It’s been a moment.”

“Indeed, it has,” he hums, drawing closer. Being seated makes Kaeya seem much taller, and once he reaches you, you’re basking in his shadow. “I have to ask, did you steal that wine?”

Laughing, you stand, a scant inch of space between your bodies. It would be wise to play it safe while in public—after all, Kaeya is an important figure and there are still denizens lingering nearby—but your rationale falters when in his presence.

“Why? Are you going to arrest me?”

Kaeya lifts his shoulders into a shrug. His fur collar tickles your cheek. “I have every right to. I can’t believe you attempted to steal wine from under the owner’s nose.”

“And if I did it on purpose?” you challenge. “It was the easiest way to lure you out.”

“Easier than asking a passerby? Not quite.”

You avert your eyes, flustered. You must have lost your edge in the months since your last conversation, but really, lying to Kaeya had always proven difficult.

“I thought I would be better received if I came bearing gifts. Or wine, in this case, given how Mondstadters are.”

“Tell me, did you expect to share one bottle between hundreds of city folk?”

You give him a look. “I was talking about you.”

Kaeya’s eye creases in amusement. “I know. I simply wanted to see if you would admit to procuring me a gift.”

You curse and knock the side of your shoe against his shin in a warning. Still, Kaeya doesn’t flinch. Your heart feels lighter knowing the smaller things haven’t changed.

“If you won’t arrest me, Captain, it would be smart to pretend to. For your image, of course.”

Kaeya grimaces. “Right. Concerning that—”

A loud hiccup garners his attention, and he turns to the source of the sound. From a stack of barrels, a stumbling bard emerges. He sways for a moment, then spots a receipt tacked onto the fabric of his cape and groans as he tries and fails to snatch it off. Then the bard spins, following the flourish of his green cape like a dog chasing its own tail.

“Where’s—” The bard doubles over, dizzy, and then scrambles to his feet as though the stone floor is iced over. “My wine! It was right— guh, that doesn’t feel good… Right here! Wait. No, it wasn’t…”

Kaeya feels the dull throb of a headache fester in his skull, taking your wrist in his hand before he can be called over to locate that bottle of wine. “If you would be so kind as to follow me.”

As Kaeya leads you away, into a lower part of the city, you look back at the bard as he bumps into a pile of chairs and loses his hat. “Poor fool,” you snicker, then return your attention to Kaeya. “Where are we going?”

“Someplace quiet.”

It’s too curt of a response for Kaeya, and it dredges up deep-rooted worry.

Of course, you considered all outcomes prior to arriving at the city gates. Most of them set you on edge.

It would be reasonable that Kaeya’s upset has twisted into anger or regret. That, in the time you were apart, he came to believe that your apologies were shallow.

They left a bitter taste in your mouth at the time because a few practised words couldn’t hold a candle to the pieces of yourself that you would have given to him, had you not been so cruel.

Mild dislike is all you can hope for, unbefitting Mondstadt’s light atmosphere. 

Instead, Kaeya scolds you as he walks a few paces ahead, “As tempting as it is, please refrain from picking meaningless fights with wine tycoons.”

“You must have more to say to me than that.”

Kaeya’s fingers flex around your wrist, agitated. He guides you up numerous stairways and away from the centre of the city. The bustle of people thins until there are few around, and Kaeya turns another corner.

The location that Kaeya takes you to is a secluded courtyard, shielded by high walls and shrubs, a windmill casting the space in shadow. There are plenty of benches but you settle on the cool stone of the fountain, dipping your fingers into the still water as Kaeya stands before you.

“Seeing you again is nice. I knew that strangers charade wouldn’t last,” Kaeya says, crossing his arms. He softens. “You look well.”

“Ah, so you can see me. Back there, I’d thought that you had forgotten me. Until you gave it away, of course. Very funny.”

“Me? Forget a face like that? You wound me, honestly.”

“Flattery will definitely get you somewhere.”

Kaeya chuckles. He watches a falcon follow the wind overhead, swooping down to perch on a red-tiled roof. “I presume that things back home didn’t go quite to plan.”

You meet Kaeya’s gaze, smiling. “It isn’t so surprising. I wasn’t lying when I told you I burned those bridges, yet I still assumed it would be as simple as showing up. And here I am, doing it again in hopes of a different outcome. Gods.”

Kaeya looks at you sadly. You focus on the distance landscape—rough, jagged mountains and a Statue of the Seven haloed in teal light.

Knowing where you stand is harder than you anticipated.

“Goodness. I almost believed you came for the coat.”

Your heart warms. “You still have it?”

“The needlework is masterful, and I wouldn’t dream of having to part with it,” he answers with a wave of his hand. His voice weakens. “I wasn’t quite ready.”

“If you’ve taken a liking to it, it’s all yours. Not like it was mine in the first place, so if the owner happens to recognise it, you can take the brunt of their anger on my behalf, Captain.”

Kaeya chuckles, a light and airy sound. Adoration simmers in your veins, bolstering as Kaeya kneels on the cobblestones and draws shapes into your knee with his thumb. He looks at a loss for words, as rare as that is.

No matter.

”I missed you.”

Kaeya nods.

”To tell the truth, I also missed Mondstadt.”

“It’s a beautiful city.”

“So, it is,” you agree, “but by itself, it isn’t enough. I think you’re just something else, Captain.”

He exhales. ”Is that good or bad?”

”Aren’t I here?” Your hand clutches onto Kaeya’s. He doesn’t shake you off. “I won’t bore you with an endless explanation, but I realised I would have come back to you regardless of the outcome at home. It isn’t— Too much time has passed since I’ve considered it that, and it isn’t the same.”

Kaeya recalls lonesome strolls on the eve of his birthday, catching crystalflies around a house preserved in his memories. Family strays too quickly.

You continue, “Point is, I want you. And I want you to still want me.”

Emotion stings his throat. His head drops and rests against your knees, almost reverent. You don’t like it. You don’t deserve it, not really.

You pry Kaeya up, holding his face with as much tenderness as you can muster. 

“Will you have me?”

“My, that depends on whether you will hound me each day. I get enough of that from the Knights, you see—”

You smack his shoulder. “Oi, behave. My heart is in your hands here, Captain.”

“Right, yes, be gentle, and all that.”

“Come on,” you whisper. He squeezes your knee. “Give me another go at this.”

“How glad I am to hear that.”

Kaeya kisses you. His hands are calloused and warm on either side of your face, his lips silken against yours. Anything else you had to say melts into a pleased hum and you slump against him, a hand shooting out to grasp onto his shoulder before you drop into the fountain water. 

It’s brief. Chaste. But your heart pounds after, showing no signs of slowing as Kaeya draws back and tilts his forehead against yours.

You swallow. “That’s a good start.”

Kaeya nods slowly, carefully readjusting your hand to lay against his jaw. “That, it is. However…” A wicked grin stretches across his face, all sharp teeth and a mirthful gleam in his eye. “I regret to inform you that I do have to arrest you for your little stunt earlier.”

“You’re having me on.”

“Quite the opposite. You see, that grumpy bastard you picked a fight with will personally oversee that I deal with you accordingly. Believe me when I say this isn’t my choice.”

You heave a sigh, but Kaeya only laughs and taps your cheek. He’s enjoying this far too much.

“Can I not settle it with him?” you ask, wincing.

“I wouldn’t recommend even trying your hand, so don’t go getting any bizarre ideas, now.”

Your forehead thumps against his chest in defeat. The rumble of laughter alleviates your stress a little, though it quickly turns sour with the knowledge that the next couple of days will be spent in Mondstadt’s jail.

“And your offer?”

Kaeya pensively hums for a heartbeat longer than what is necessary, smiling when you pinch his side. “That depends. So long as you behave, I see no reason that will keep you from being my informant.”

“You say that like I don’t know how.”

“Perhaps stealing a bottle of wine as soon as you arrived wasn’t a sage idea.” Absentmindedly, he pats the crown of your head. “Alas, we could have drank together as soon as this evening if you had behaved. Instead, you’ve greeted me with a long, long night of paperwork, for which, by the way, I will need a name.”

You roll your eyes, and the flutter of eyelashes against the bare skin of Kaeya’s chest makes him shiver. “Maybe I'll tell you over that drink."

”That isn’t how this works.”

You shush him, calmed by the warmth of his skin. “Let me have this one.”

He laughs into your hair. “I’ll pretend, just this once.”

#kaeya x reader #kaeya alberich #genshin x reader #kaeya smut #genshin impact #fics #sub kaeya #sub genshin #genshin smut

[pacifistcowboy]

Can you rattle off question 16 for your Sol Ocs (whichever ones you have enough development on)?

I imagine theyll be opposite ish their counterparts, but am intrigued!

(16 is biggest strengths)

ooo thank u for askin’!!! sorry this took so long to reply to, i did a lot more than just rattle off jscjsjcj

sol-shadow’s biggest strengths in terms of like, skills are ice-skating, which she can do as fast as blaze can run, n i haven’t really thought about her fighting style, but she’s definitely efficient in using her cryokinesis. i imagine when she first shows up in blaze’s time her go-to would be using icicles to stab enemies, but after goin’ through the whole hullabaloo of self-reflection n whatnot, she decides to learn to use her powers in a way where she just immobilises enemies instead of kill them.

in terms of personality, sol-shadow’s biggest strength is how dedicated she is to other people. she does NOT want to be alone so she will do anything for someone if she thinks that means they’ll stick around. she also cares a lot about honouring what pierce (her brother) wanted for the people of the sol empire, in a very similar manner to the way og-shadow is with maria’s wish. however, sol-shadow’s a little forgetful i guess n doesn’t have a great grasp on what’s right or wrong, so sometimes she’ll already be doing something before she realises it’d be something her brother would’ve probably discouraged her from doing, or she can’t fully tell if it’s a good or bad thing. i guess she’s more of a ‘help this one person’ than a ‘help the greater good’ kinda person which isn’t really a strength or a weakness!

(so uh since writing this ^^^ i have realised i should probably have sol-shadow and sol-rouge swap ‘roles’ because blaze’s ‘role’ is much more like knuckles so it’d make more sense for her rival to be more like rouge than shadow, but i haven’t figured out how much needs to be changed around or how i’ll make it work so i’ll still share what i originally wrote for sol-shadow. i’ll have to figure out why she’d be a thief and possibly an agent or something of that style)

thorn’s (i’ve decided sol-amy’s name is thorn :]) biggest strength in terms of skill is swordsmanship. he’s self-taught so he doesn’t know any like formal ways of sword-fighting, but he knows how to attack and defend effectively n that’s all that matters to him.

in terms of personality i’d say thorn’s biggest strength is that he’s probably very focused and detail-oriented given how much he worries about things going wrong. he has no faith in winging it so he’d make sure everything is thought out and would notice things other people overlooked, but he’d always point them out in a way where it sounds like he’s more calling people dumb for not noticing rather than trying to be helpful. so i guess tldr he’s good at catching problems! but i don’t think he’s good at solving them :/

mittens’ biggest strength skill-wise is her physical strength which she’s much better at using to carry or move objects than to fight, simply because she tries not to use her strength violently. if she had to fight someone using her physical strength she’d probably accidentally kill them ‘cause she doesn’t know exactly how powerful she is. she also figured out how to use her aerokinesis in a way where she can subdue enemies without hurting them, which is her go-to move against people instead of using her physical strength. she can also use her aerokinesis to fly but chooses not to because she simply prefers walking.

personality-wise mittens’ biggest strength is her patience. she will always try to talk things out and find a peaceful solution and pretty much never loses her temper. she likes to give people the benefit of the doubt but she doesn’t just suddenly wholeheartedly trust them, more just has faith that every person can change.

i feel so bad that i cannot think of a single skill sterling has ahdjwjfjwjf. she can see the future but that’s involuntary. i guess she’d eventually have to get good at finding clues and asking the right questions since she’s the only one who can see and interact with the future for a short time to figure out what caused it. she also might eventually learn to control when the visions happen but that’ll take time and be a constant effort. she’s very much a normal person who just accidentally gained a special ability.

again, i can’t really think of what sterling’s biggest strength would be personality-wise fjhfjwhd i SWEAR she’s a good kid and i love her!!! she just spends too much time trying to stay out of the way and doubting herself to really let herself shine :( i guess i could say she’s very modest and you can trust her follow orders since she doesn’t trust her own judgement, but those aren’t exactly strengths, more like positive twists on poor confidence. she also doesn’t know social etiquette so she always skips the unnecessary waffling n stuff when you talk to her, so i guess that’s a good thing! as long as you don’t perceive that as rude n appreciate not having to participate in dumb social rules wndnwnfb sterling doesn’t even do it on purpose, she just never picked up on the stuff you’re “supposed” to do. i know that trait isn’t very opposite to silver, but it was rather difficult to make a character contrast silver since he himself has rather conflicting traits, so i said fuck it and picked one main part of silver to give sterling the opposite personality of, then let the rest of her form on its own

sol-vector’s biggest strength when it comes to skill is probably her orderliness. she is much stronger than the average person, but not freakishly strong like mittens, and she only uses her physical strength when it’s necessary, not like it’s her specialty, which is why i’m sayin’ her work ethic is her best quality. she’s adamant about checking every clue, following every step, and only going after a bad guy once absolutely certain they’re the culprit, not just goin’ off assumptions and vibes. this can be seen as either a strength or a weakness, but sol-vector thinks it’s a strength so ajdjsjc she also tries to refuse when random people ask for the sol-chaotix help since they actually work for the sol empire and are assigned jobs, so to her that’d be like breaking the rules, but if someone is in need of enough help, her compassion outweighs her need to follow the rules.

i guess sol-vector’s skill-strength is also kinda her personality-strength?? she sticks to her guns and doesn’t give up on doing things the ‘right’ way (her version of right, idk if i can say it is The Right Way), and it comes from a place of wanting to make sure the wrong person doesn’t get in trouble and that the sol-chaotix genuinely do a good job at helping people and protecting the world.

sol-espio’s greatest strength skill-wise is her aim. i’ve decided she’s a cowboy n not a sumo wrestler so she uses revolvers to fight and she is absolutely awesome at shootin’. she can handle multiple enemies at once, is a perfect shot, and has the time of her life doin’ it. if she runs out of bullets she resorts to just throwing her guns at enemies which she makes work!

sol-espio’s greatest strength personality-wise is her enthusiasm. she’s full of energy so she never loses steam, and she’s always in the mood for action. she’s constantly looking for someone to fight but she won’t hurt innocent people. she keeps situations lighthearted and banters with absolutely everyone…she just sounds like sonic doesn’t she :/ i’ll say i think she’s a lot more intentionally irritating than sonic, and has much less patience when listening to people. ig she doesn’t mind not being friends with ppl while i think sonic tries to befriend everyone he meets at least once

sol-charmy’s biggest skill-strength is her attention to detail. she’s very quiet and observant, and always wanders away from the group just looking at everything. most people gravitate towards the big, obvious things, but her brain doesn’t work like that, so she notices the little details and usually ends up finding the important clues first. being a spider, she can also climb and stick to walls n ceilings, and given her size and natural quietness, she’s good at going unnoticed. she’s also a good artist and poet, but idk how well i can show that given that i’d be the one writing her poetry lol (she can also probably shoot webs out her butt ‘cause y’know; spider, n could also maybe use it like rope? but i haven’t explored that yet)

sol-charmy’s biggest personality-strength is how insightful and a deep thinker she is. she doesn’t take things at face value, and she really cares about truly understanding someone or something. she’s very introspective, constantly writing and drawing how she feels, and although she’s very shy, if she sees someone is struggling she’ll try to support them, albeit by just kinda silently being near them and giving them a face of “i understand and i’m here for you.”

so i hadn’t written about sol-rouge before deciding i’m gonna change it so he’ll have og-shadow’s ‘role’ more than og-rouge, but his personality would still be a contrast to og-rouge, so i now don’t really have a grasp of sol-rouge anymore. i’m probably gonna have to skip him for this ‘cause i need to figure out how he’ll have skills like og-rouge but not identical, how they’ll be useful for someone not a thief, how he’ll still have og-rouge’s core selfishness(??) while no longer being a thief, what exactly og-shadow’s “role” is and how to apply it to sol-rouge, and how to make sure he’s actually different to og-shadow ‘cause i think they’re a bit too similar at the moment. this character’s a tough one D:

i haven’t developed my sol-cream, sol-big, or shelly organik enough to answer for them, but i do know that sol-big is a very good birdwatcher :] if that’s a thing one can be good at

thank u again for being interested in my funky characters and i am SO sorry that this was not remotely succinct

#while most of these are traits fundamental to their character some of these i thought up while writing #so there’s a possibility these things might change or not come up once i actually put these mfs in situations #but still!! i think these are accurate #i say as if they aren’t my own characters #sol dimension ocs #sol dimension #sonic oc #sonic ocs

[gakriele-lvs-blog]

To say TOH changed my life would be an understatement, okay maybe not to that extent but it definitely changed something in me. It was a show I started watching out of pure curiosity and no expectations, the poster alone was intriguing enough, and at the time my only thought was to kill time and go with the flow.

Episodes pass, and I just keep watching, making sure to keep up with the news episodes. First season rolled in and I was invested, I wanted more so that was when I finally formerly got into the fandom, with Reddit (of all things) being my first contact. Things just went up from there. First was all the fanart, and shortly after came my first introduction to fanfiction, which I barely understood cuz I knew little to no English at the time.

A couple months (a year?) later an S2 rollout and my attachment to the show skyrocketed, can only compare this interest to when I was invested in Steven Universe. I finally got fully into fanfiction and a Tumblr account, a wise decision if you asked me, and...

Well, then I discovered the whole deal about the shortening, and yeah, at first I didn't think much of it, but as S3 was coming closer the realization hit hard, very hard. So painful to think the story and every character within were coming to a close, It was not the first time I had experienced this sort of thing, but knowing the circumstances behind this imminent ending, it was infuriatingly depressing. But something I knew I better just accept at the time.

And when the final episode air?

It was around midnight, staring into my phone waiting for the Disney channel to post the episode. The waiting was excruciating, and even more painful than that was to see the final scene and realize... it was over. Done, Finito. Se acabo. Eventually, people would move on to other fandoms, perfectly understandable, sooner or later I would do the same, but The Owl House will forever have a permanent place in my brain.

...Still, the impression that show left on me remains even to this day, it sparked a genuine curiosity for fanfiction in general, which led me down a rabbit hole of... Storytelling, and oh boy did it change me. I've been using every single free time since the end of S2 to search and learn more about it.

The Owl House will never stop being an inspiration to me, but at the same time, I do wish to expand my horizons and give this blog a greater purpose than just reblogging the occasional fanart and stuff. So, with that I bid you all farewell and a wonderful evening/morning to you all!

#The owl house #toh anniversary #the owl house anniversary

[twistedsiren86]

Sticky Fingers

This one came out of no where. Stevie boy feels like the upmost bad friend for taking things from Eddie, when really Eddie just gives him little gifts to make him smile.

Steve Harrington is a thief. There. He admitted it. Steve hasn't always been, no, of course he hasn't. And why would he be? He could buy everything he had ever wanted. There was no real need for thievery in his life.

Until Eddie Munson threw his battle jacket at Steve in the upside down.

Steve spent months wearing Eddie's vest as he sat by his bedside in the brightly lit hospital room. Eddie had barely made it out of the upside down, and by barely, Steve meant that Eddie had crashed twice in the ambulance on the way to the hospital and was put into a medically induced coma for thirty-seven painstakingly long days. It took another forty-one days for Eddie to be released from the hospital.

Technically, Eddie hasn't asked for his battle jacket back, so is Steve really stealing at this point?

Yes.

Because also lurking in his closet is Eddie's Black Sabbath t-shirt. The one Eddie had pulled out to show Steve who Ozzy Osbourne was. Eddie had excitedly retold the whole story of Ozzy biting the head off of a bat in much greater detail this time. Steve loves when Eddie tells him stories, it doesn't matter what the story is about. He just loves when the doe eyed, curly headed man gets excited and jittery. Eddie paces back and forth and talks with his hands in a grandiose way. Depending on what the story is about, Eddie will also voice the characters he's taletelling about.

Steve had slept in the Black Sabbath shirt one night that he and Eddie had gotten a little too high for him to drive home, so he borrowed Eddie's clothes and crashed on the couch to sleep off the joints they had smoked.

Steve is also a thief because laying on his bedside table is one of Eddie's cassette tapes. A mix tape of some of his favorite rock songs. Steve had found it while searching through Eddie's room to bring him stuff to keep him entertained at the hospital.

Steve had taken the tape with the intention of also bringing a walk-man for Eddie to listen to the tape on, but Steve had popped the tape into his car's cassette player and found himself intrigued with the tape's contents.

Steve had learned a lot from that one tape. One, Dio was definitely something he should've been listening to before he met Eddie Munson. Two, Eddie really liked songs with long guitar solos. And three, Eddie was secretly a hopeless goddamned romantic. I Was Made for Lovin' You by Kiss was on that tape twice. Maybe it was a mistake on Eddie's part when he was recording it, but Steve highly doubted it.

By technicality only, Steve wasn't a thief for the book laying at the foot of his bed. Eddie had told him he just had to read the Lord of the Rings series. He still had book one. It had been months since Eddie had given Steve the book, and Steve had only made it through the first chapter. But the pages of the book held the smells of Eddie. His room, cigarettes, leather, marijuana, and Eddie's natural musk. It helped Steve sleep on the nights that he was haunted by nightmares of the upside down. Of Eddie dying in the ambulance, of Eddie being in a coma. Of all the terrible things he saw that night.

The last thing Steve felt guilty about was a guitar pick that lives in an unused ashtray in his car. Eddie had let Steve borrow it when Eddie insisted on trying to teach Steve how to play. He told Steve that pick wasn't technically his favorite one; the one that he wore around his neck was his favorite. But the pick he'd lent Steve was his lucky one. The one he played with to get the band their gig at the hideout. The one he had played with in the middle school talent show, the one he had played with for the first time after coming home from the hospital.

The thing is, Eddie Munson didn't ask for his things back on purpose. So, while Steve Harrington felt like a thief for stealing his friend's things, Eddie happily kept giving Steve little trinkets. Things Steve couldn't buy, only inherit. Things that made Steve's eye light up, and his pretty boy smile stretch across his face. Eddie would give almost anything to Steve just to see that smile.

The smile he loved.

#steddie fic #steddie #steddie prompt #steddie oneshot #steddie fluff #steve x eddie #steve harrington #steve stranger things #eddie munson #eddie munson is alive #eddie stranger things #stranger things #stranger things season four

[random-xpressions]

Sexual fantasy is a subject which though people often don't take the courage about talking much, it nevertheless remains quite an integral part of every human, perhaps right from the early adolescent phase when our bodies begin to show signs of change and attraction towards another human naturally kicks in to us. But today my subject is not even that since I had only used it as a prelude to coin another term: REALISTIC FANTASY. The term in itself sounds like an oxymoron but nevertheless let me explain. While the eros in human psyche yearns to connect with another human being thus giving rise to sexual fantasies, shouldn't there also be a provision for an even greater thirst which is the pursuit of realities and hence the term "realistic fantasy" which is nothing but the fantasizing of the human mind to discover greater avenues of reality and not just the apparent physical domain. It will be so gross and unjust to say that a human being is merely flesh, skin, blood and bones whereas we know from the heart of our hearts that we are more than this physical existence and that there's more to us than what's apparent to the naked eyes. So realistic fantasy would be to mutually explore with someone what the truth is, what the reality is, to embark upon paths that have never been dared by any before or to dive deeper into a subject that intrigues our minds. It is not imagining something that's plainly irrational but imagining and fantasizing on the subject with a thorough methodology of untying the knots around it to see what lies at the core, to confront something right at its very roots, to jump straight into the very soul and the spirit of the matter. Perhaps that's what the philosophers of ancient times did, they engaged each other in healthy debates, in cross questioning, in analytical thinking, in joint deep diving into esoteric subjects and they came out quenched with their own findings of truths. They discovered or rather reinvented a reality of their own. Shouldn't you along with all your sexual fantasies which serves the body also have some realistic fantasies that would quench the soul, the psyche? Embark on this endless and fruitful journey - it will be one hell of a ride, I promise. And when you get a companion to mutually explore it with, then twice the joy. If the outward universe has been proven to be ever expanding what do you think will be the state of our inner universe, do you think it will remain static, dull and never expanding. The inner universe is far greater than any of what's found in the outer world. We are limitless - now start fantasizing about that reality to begin with!

Random Xpressions

#realistic #fantasy

[mandaloresson]

Pete being assigned to the minor family from the beginning. How do you think that would have turned out?

okay, so I've been thinking about this and boy, do I have thoughts.

spoilers for Kinnporsche the series ahead.

so first of all, if I were to write a fic like this, which I probably will shout out to my ao3 awritersneverland fr, I would put three things into focus:

1. Pete's arc. as @majestictortoise beautifully put it, Pete's arc is about realizing and admitting that he hates being a non-person in life. and to my understanding everything that happened in the last part of the show with him and Vegas was exactly what led to this realization, something that wouldn't exist in an AU like this. so, my first task would be to figure out a new set of circumstances that would lead to Pete figuring this out and letting go of his devotion to, in this AU, the minor family. because Pete is devoted, if anything. he'd have to stop being that.

now, I Suck at figuring out Circumstances, so maybe you or someone reading this could give me a hint as to what those circumstances could be; but I'll definitely give it more thought especially because I'm imagining this as a bigger, multiple part project.

2. Vegas' relationship with his father. beautifully set up in the show, I do have qualms with its resolution. (which is why I found the ask about Gun's death anniversary so intriguing, it'll give me an opportunity to explore this in greater detail) I would have liked Vegas to have gotten a chance to stand up to his father and truly detach himself from him. I know it's no easy task, Vegas being in a cycle of abuse, but I found it somewhat dissatisfying that he just appeared after Gun was already dead. maybe there was no place for such exploration in the show and Gun's involvement with Kinn, Porsche and Korn was more important to the story, but there'd be room for that in this AU. I feel like Pete would support Vegas in his efforts to defy his father and gain autonomy. that could lead many places, from them leaving altogether to them killing Gun, but I'm just throwing ideas out there.

3. the love story, of course. it would be a slow burn for sure. maybe Pete wouldn't even be assigned to Vegas at first, maybe he'd have to climb up ranks for such a position. we know he's determined and capable enough for such a thing. but it would allow for many different kinds of scenarios, from small interactions, to eventually a slow building romance as Pete gets assigned to Vegas specifically. I'm thinking the kind of opening up they had in the show, but more gradual, Pete not being a captive, having the time to work his way around Vegas' barriers and to try to understand him, and offer a hand. Vegas having the time to actually accept understanding and support. I'm thinking missions where they get to a bunch of shenanigans. I'm thinking stolen kisses and fluffy shit, at least when they aren't talking about the hard hitting questions which is where Vegas gets more aggressive, but him slowly understanding why he's like this and what he needs to change (circling back to the father topic). again, just throwing ideas out there.

but if I were to write this fic, which I will, I'd structure it that way. maybe I'd offer two perspectives, both Vegas and Pete's. maybe there'd be pining. no, there'd definitely be pining lol. but yeah, that's what I have so far.

thank you for the amazing ask!!

if anyone has any more VegasPete ideas or suggestions or if you just wanna discuss, my ask box is open!

#kinnporsche vegaspete #vegaspete #kinnporche the series #kinnporsche #kinnporsche vegas #kinnporsche pete #vegas theerapanyakul

[freedfromthegalactichivemind]

So, I’m rewatching where I last left off on a re-watch of She-Ra (wanted something I’ve seen before on while doing chores and whoop, not doing the chores).  Watching from “Save the Cat” on...  A few thoughts:   Adora’s voice actor is fantastic.  The way she says “Catra?” broken-hearted, voice cracking is... you feel it.   Hordak’s too... “En-trapt-a?”  Just so... sonorous, intrigued, confused, recognizing something familiar and important.   .... Wrong Hordak, where did you pull that vial of nutrient-rich amniotic fluid from? Is this a “Nothing up my sleeve!” magic trick or is that what clone ports are really for?  Hidden pockets?  KEISTER?!!   You know, coming back to the actual show makes me realize just how off-model fandom can get when we get in our fandom-holes.  Like, when I’ve hung out and read too much fan-opinion in the Entrapdak / Entrapta-stan / Hordak-stan hole, I see a lot on a sliding scale of anti-Catra.  I say sliding scale because not all of the Spacebat-side of the fandom hates her and it honestly used to be better back in the early fandom-days when it seemed like there less fieceness in the drawn-up sides and less passing around of fan-analysis.  Vice-versa, too, and the far end of Catra-bashing I see comes from people who’ve been bothered by people insistent on Hordak-bashing.  And then there’s us darker / “more realistic” fanficcers in general and it’s like... we forget how some of these characters actually operate, I think, and lose the plot.    What I mean is... I think people on the Entrapdak-side of things forget how much Catra contributed to the cause in fighting Prime in the end?  They take her every action as selfish and the narrative as “catering to kitty” when... she has the brilliant idea to use the flashes in her chip to figure out Horde Prime’s plans.  Did we collectively forget about this scene?  Learning the plot was important. Aaaand I’m seeing her reveal a flash-memory of Krytis upon Wrong Hordak doing his dummy-blab - also vital to the mission!  A lot of people didn’t think she did enough to “earn” a redemption, but she was there at key points and had an epiphany about the importance of other people and that she actually does care.   Those of us who are Hordak-fans don’t expect more than an epiphany from Hordak, which is what he got in the end in an independence-assertion way, so I am wondering why some of my fellow Hordak-stans demand magnitudes greater from Catra when I’m watching the actual show and I do see a good start of that.   Anyone who thinks that Etheria is going to be hard on the clones or should is completely ignoring how Micah went out of his way to peacefully immobilized the chipped people in Elberon, pleading for them because they’re innocent and just mind-controlled.  Yes, he said “innocent Etherians” so one could argue that there’s a respect for one’s own people that might not extend to clones, but I think it will.  I think it will be very obvious to them all that the clones were mind-controlled slaves, too, and will ultimately hold them innocent, regardless of what they did in the past under Prime.  I am not so sure about Hordak, given that he was an independent clone for a long time and clearly had a free will after some point, although I do think his indoctrination will be considered.  The clones, though... yeah, I think they’ll be helped.  Even the ones who have a lot of bruises from being kicked around when it was necessary.   Seamista - ah, that’ll be quite a ship going forward, for Mermista and Sea Hawk share important interests!  Dodging exes and ARSON!   I must give Wrong Hordak a hug now. Got the part where he’s crying over learning his life was a lie.  Poor man.  Bow sure likes cute things. 

#spop #adora #catra #hordak #horde prime #horde clones #micah #wrong hordak #seamista #bow #various random thoughts on various random characters #fandom-drift vs canon

[uptoolateart]

Hi there! I recently just read a post you wrote last year answering the topic on why there actually is no love triangle in the anime Inuyasha - between Inuyasha, Kagome, and Kikyo - and I thought it was fabulous! It made me think about things from a different perspective for sure, especially being Christian, but opening up to ideas from eastern religions, like Buddhism, as you highlighted. I want to ask you something regarding Inuyasha, as well. What does Kagome see in Inuyasha? Besides the fact that their souls were meant to be together, what does she see in him to like him so much? When do you think Inuyasha realized he is falling in love with Kagome? I know for Kagome it was episode 48 in the anime tv series, when she goes back to Feudal Japan and they have that convo by the well and she admits she wants to be by his side - implying she likes him I think more than a friend here. But when does Inuyasha have this moment of realization that he likes her too?Was it around this time? After? Thanks so much! :)

Thank you so much! And sorry it took me forever to write this reply! #jobinterferingwithwhat'simportantlikeTumblr

As with love in real life, I don't personally think any of them fell in love at a precise moment. It developed over time.

I think Inuyasha was equally drawn to Kagome and repelled by her at first sight, due to seeing Kikyo in her. However, in the manga, it's clear that he softens to her fairly early on - namely, the first time he visits present day Tokyo, to help her with the little girl's ghost. He didn't believe there was anything they could do for the child, but Kagome refused to give up, and ultimately she proved him wrong. The imagery in the illustrations, and some of his silent reflections, indicate that he was won over by her heart. He's a bit of a damaged child, orphaned, rejected by his remaining family, yearning for nurturing. She gives this to him.

He's such a softy, really! And I think she was intrigued by the rare moments when he let his guard down and showed his vulnerable side - especially that first time she saw him go full human and he needed her to look after him. Each time he dropped the bravado and showed his inner tenderness, it gave her pause and she felt herself attracted without knowing it was happening. There are moments when she's talking with friends and they all see she's in love, but she hasn't worked it out herself. Their comments force her to reflect on her confusing feelings.

As for Inuyasha and Kikyo, there's a long scene that happens fairly early in the manga but I think it doesn't show up in the anime until later in the sequence. Anyway, we see the two of them bonding over both being outsiders, unable to live like ordinary humans. She gives is the one to suggest he use the crystal, so that he's fully human and she no longer has to dedicate her life to protecting the stone. She wants to live as a normal woman. He also protects her sister, which clearly attracts her.

All that said...I think the love Kagome feels for him goes deeper. It isn't about simply uniting because they're both misfits in their society. Kikyo feels a little...emotionally contained. Kagome is so much more passionate. Also, Kagome has no interest in changing him. She accepts him as he is - and ironically her acceptance is what transforms him. He's been seeking this from someone, anyone, for so long. She gives him a great gift no one else has ever given him - not even Kikyo, really.

But being with him transforms her, too. It makes her bolder, stronger. The two of them grow together, and learn from each other, the way soul mates should. This growth is possible because she is 500 years on from the point Kikyo was at. She is the soul having lived through so much more. With greater experience, she is able to give more to him.

#inuyasha #inuyasha analysis #inuyasha meta #inukag #kagome #kikyo #priestess kikyo #inukik #kagome higurashi

[ploppythespaceship]

Strange New Worlds Season 1 Thoughts & Review

Overall, this show was a pleasant surprise, and I found myself enjoying it more than expected. That being said, while there’s a lot of a promise, I think another season or two is still needed for them to really find their feet -- which is typical for Trek. I also think that while the show’s status as a prequel doesn’t completely drag it down, it does hurt more than it helps.

Spoilers under the cut.

What I Liked

Hands down, the single best element of this series is the fact that it has stand-alone episodes rather than an overarching serialized plot. It’s honestly ridiculous how much difference this makes. You can feel it from the first episode. There’s a greater variety of stories and tones, and it’s easier to focus on the ensemble of characters.

I also really appreciate that the show can just be dumb sometimes. With the exception of Lower Decks (which feels like an outlier), new Trek hasn’t had the opportunity to just be silly and stupid for an episode. But this season had two of them, and they were both a lot of fun.

That being said, the show’s not afraid to go to some dark places as well. But it does so without comprising the overall lighthearted nature of the series. It’s very well-balanced.

The cast is solid. I enjoy most of the characters, and they did a good job of creating a unique balance of people.

Anson Mount is excellent as Pike. We already knew this going on, but it bears repeating. He just has this energy and charisma to him that all the best Trek captains share, and he absolutely carries the show as its lead. He also feels different from other Trek captains we’ve had before -- if I had to compare, I’d say he’s an intriguing mix of Kirk’s charm with Sisko’s intense dad energy.

I didn’t care for Spock in Discovery, and I was convinced that I would hate him in this, too. But the writers and performance gradually won me over. I do think that compared to Nimoy and Quinto, Peck is the weakest of the three, but there’s still some good stuff there. It’s clear that both the actor and the writers respect his character, and are interested in fully exploring the dichotomy between his Human and Vulcan sides.

Chapel grew a lot on me, as well. She doesn’t feel remotely like her TOS counterpart, but considering the original Chapel didn’t have much personality to speak of, I can’t really mind that much. Jess Bush completely made the part her own, and I can respect that.

I adored Celia Rose Gooding as Uhura. I love seeing this younger, less certain version of the character coming into her own.

I enjoyed M’Benga, though I would have liked to see him a bit more.

The opening is great. Awesome visuals and a subtle remix of the TOS theme. Not terribly important in the grand scheme of things, but I still wanted to mention it.

What I Didn’t Like

This show really needed to spread the love a bit more, and make sure that all of their characters got at least a little bit of focus at some point. Bare minimum, one focus episode per main cast member would have been enough, but the season didn’t even do that. Chapel, Hemmer, and Ortegas never received any focus episodes, and the latter especially did not feel remotely fleshed out enough.

Also, I cannot wrap my head around the decision to kill off Hemmer. He was such an interesting character idea, and I love that they cast a blind actor for the part. But after only giving him bit parts in a tiny handful of the season’s episodes, they abruptly killed him off and played it up like we were supposed to be devastated. But we barely know this guy! Apparently the writers only created Hemmer to be part of Uhura’s arc, and I cannot put into words how much I hate that. It’s an absolute waste of a good character, and by far the season’s biggest misstep.

Some episode premises also felt repetitive, and I would rather have seen something brand new than explore the same ideas multiple times. I didn’t need more than one Spock and T’Pring episode, for example. Nor did I need two dark Gorn thrillers. It felt like that was just taking screentime away from fleshing out some other aspects that I wanted to see.

Una (Number One) is kind of a non-character. I think it’s a performance issue tbh -- Rebecca Romijn just doesn’t bring much energy to the part. She has very little presence, usually blending into the background of an episode, and I often just forget that she exists altogether. She doesn’t get much to do either, with her single focus episode being one of the weakest of the entire season.

I also didn’t care for La’an. I didn’t mind her at first, but I found her more grating as the season continued. Everything about her feels a bit forced eventually, and she has an edgy OC quality that I can’t entirely connect with. Also, I don’t understand why they made her a descendant of Khan. It adds nothing to the character or the story, and she would be a perfectly fine character with a different last name.

And in the finale, I did not like Paul Wesley as Kirk. At all. I understand not wanting to do an imitation, and other actors on the show have done well to reimagine classic characters with their own spin. But Kirk still needs to have some charm and life to him, which Wesley simply does not have.

My last complaint might be petty, but whatever. I wish this show wasn’t a prequel. Everything is well-executed, and most of it does fit into the timeline well (unlike Discovery). But I also know deep down that I would enjoy this more if it were all-new characters in an all-new setting, and part of me can’t help but be grumpy that we’re exploring old characters rather than creating new ones.

Episode Quick Thoughts

Since we actually got individual episodes this season, I thought I’d give super quick thoughts on each one of them.

Strange New Worlds -- A solid opener that did a good job introducing us to the main characters and the setting. The premise stretched believability just a tad, but the character arcs landed, and that’s the more important thing in the end.

Children of the Comet -- An excellent episode for developing this version of Uhura, but a fairly meh episode everywhere else. Not bad, just not terribly interesting.

Ghosts of Illyria -- A serviceable infection plot but some weak character moments. They really needed to develop the Illyrians some more (I did not remember them from their single Enterprise appearance), and the final reveal for Una felt very forced.

Memento Mori -- A tense, action heavy episode that somehow managed to make the Gorn intimidating without ever showing them. Fleshing out some of La’an’s backstory worked well, and I particularly enjoyed Spock and La’an’s mindmeld.

Spock Amok -- A stupid one! I loved every second.

Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach --  I did a whole write-up on this one. Basically, I think this episode was put together wrong, and the story should have been rearranged to make the twist happen much sooner, to really force Pike into a true moral dilemma.

The Serene Squall -- A really solid start that ultimately took a nosedive. I loved the pirates taking over the ship, and all the tension there. And then as soon as it turned into yet another Spock and T’Pring story with a teased Chapel love triangle I lost pretty much all interest. Everything about it felt forced, with the extremely stupid Sybok reveal at the end just being the icing on the cake.

The Elysian Kingdom -- Another stupid one! I thoroughly enjoyed this, and it’s clear that the cast was having a grand old time. The ending felt rushed, but that’s my only complaint.

All Those Who Wander -- Another tense Gorn episode, but this one didn’t work for me nearly as well. I was mostly just bored and wondering why it felt like we were doing the same story again. Hemmer’s death also did not land for me, at all.

A Quality of Mercy -- A mixed bag. I really enjoyed the concept of Pike seeing a world where he doesn’t make his sacrifice, but they didn’t really sell the horror of that alternate timeline nearly enough for me. It wound up feeling like a pale copy of Yesterday’s Enterprise. And Kirk’s lifeless portrayal dragged this down for me pretty hard.

#personal #star trek #strange new worlds #snw spoilers #i think this will come right above enterprise in my overall ranking #like it's very average trek #nothing spectacular. nothing terrible. just sort of is #but i think it has the potential to grow into something more