#like why take someone's domain name though

[throwaway-yandere]

"If the pedestal is beautiful, then the statue must be even more beautiful." (Yandere!Zhongli/reader)

a/n: I do not regret this one bit. while i do feel bad abt yaoyao's suffering, at least i wrote something unhinged again + it aint a zhongli fic without me referencing proverbs lMAO--

unreliable synopsis: “(Y/n) must be a really important person if Rex Lapis made them a statue, right?”

Yaoyao found a realistic statue inside Mt. Hulao.

As she was exploring the area with Qiqi to find herbs, Yaoyao discovered a secret domain that was only accessible to children her size and smaller creatures like Yuegui. It was horribly muddy and extremely narrow. She wouldn't go there on purpose if she hadn't fallen inside after exhausting herself trying to climb a hill just for a stem of violetgrass.

She anticipated a dense mixture of dust and fog inside the cave, with layers of spiderweb adornments, but it was unexpectedly unscathed with the typical filth that embellishes a place over time. The table was piled high with multiple apparatuses that she was unable to identify, but its aesthetics screamed that it was an adeptus' prideful handiwork. Despite not being refused entry as most adeptal abode should do, she came to an unspoken conclusion that this must have been an adeptus' place, and her curiosity grew by the minute when she noticed a life-sized statue sitting in the middle of it all.

Yaoyao was unable to take her eyes off it as a halo of soft yet lurid orange light enveloped it. The statue wore a brown hanfu that was encrusted with citrine jewels fashioned into dragons and the Geo element's symbol. Their clothes looked ruffled on areas near the waist and thighs as though it was frequently hugged and touched around those parts. But what Yaoyao couldn’t forget the most was their black earring with a white tassel that hung on their right ear. She can't recall who she saw wearing that earring when she first saw it, but she had certainly seen it before.

Admittedly, the statue was nearly perfect if it weren’t for the fracture the child had caused upon bumping into it. Yaoyao would have mistaken it for a real person and apologized if it weren't for the diaphanous and stony texture it possessed.

Still, the farrago between real and fake stirred around the lost child’s head as if it was a major dilemma. She swears she had seen that earring somewhere and that chipping its pointer finger off the statue was an inexcusable and grave mistake. Was this statue designed after someone in history or a character from those fictional tales Master loved to talk about? Yaoyao couldn’t decide which is a likelier story, but she certainly didn’t want it to be the former.

In addition, what made it eerier was the anticipation of calamity on their face. It’s a look not at all visible. The majority would undoubtedly dismiss Yaoyao's perspective and assert that the monument exuded a stoic aura. But if such were the case, why does she see the look of a rabbit about to flee in their eyes? The statue’s face exhibited a great firmness that declared that it wasn't as it appeared on the outside.

The statue looked like it was fearing for Yaoyao’s life after what she had done.

To avoid amplifying her trepidation, the young girl focused her attention elsewhere. Near the statue laid a red baize-covered table full of tapestries and books Yaoyao could only reach by tip-toeing and underneath it was stacked with clothes, herbs, vulneraries, and letters without indications of the sender or addressee’s name. If so many offerings were being made, then someone really cared about whoever this statue stood for. A commendable devotion considering how the last letter was only dated about two days ago.

Whoever this statue was and whoever maintained this shrine must’ve mortified a penchant for humorous literature and scientific breakthroughs. It would've been a strange combination if it weren’t for how everything was aesthetically arranged. It was obvious that the domain was kept immaculate out of love and adoration. Under the watchful gaze of this statue, philosophy and science had united into one entity, and Yaoyao was positively enthralled.

However, it was a seasonable night and due to the touch of Nyctophobia children inevitably have, Yaoyao couldn’t tell the murky difference between excitement and fear as she quickly stumbled out of the cave. 

When Yaoyao came back the following week after a busy lantern rite, the domain’s opening vanished. She brought Qiqi along and attempted to show her in quailing distress that asked for confirmation that should’ve been a hole in that wall— but Yaoyao was only met with the zombie’s catchphrase of: “I’m sorry. I forgot.” 

There was no reinvasion of the cave's darkness. Not a single hump was left to indicate that something was concealed behind it.

And that led to Yaoyao hunting a certain “illuminated bird” down.

——————

“Aunty! Aunty!”

“Must you grate One's ears with your incessant shouting, child?”

The bird continued to coast on its two legs while Yaoyao halted in her tracks, gasping for air. Although Yaoyao found it excruciating to attempt to keep up with the adeptus' quick treks in the mountains, it was obvious to any outside viewers that the crane was being merciful with her slow and tiny steps.

“P-Please stop aunty! I-I just want to ask a few questions!”

Cloud Retainer sighed and did as commanded.

After letting her describe the location and what she had seen inside it, Cloud Retainer nodded in the affirmation that what Yaoyao experienced truly happened. Yaoyao felt triumphant when the adeptus did not dismiss her babbling as some silly delusion, but she was unable to completely express it when she noticed a glimpse of sadness in her eyes.

“Of course it was real. One knows that location quite well, but One was never permitted to enter. That statue you spoke of would be none other than Rex Lapis’ depiction of (Y/n), the Wayward Pharmacist.”

(Y/n)?

Softly, the adeptus continued, “oh, (Y/n)… One remembers them rather fondly.”

Cloud Retainer did not raise her chin or adopt her customary condescending tone. Instead, her message matched her voice. Yaoyao was not the least bit confused by this sudden shift in demeanor.

They both know that name.

After all, (Y/n) (L/n) was Streetward Rambler’s first human disciple.

Yaoyao never inquires about (Y/n) with her master. All of Madame Ping's disciples were aware that they shouldn't broach the matter. Grief swarmed against Streetward Rambler so frequently that she bathed herself with distractions to wash away the acuteness of such regrets. She had done the most of what she could to relieve certain difficulties she had over the years, including mastering inventions and raising mortal children. While the majority of these were in her favor, the final diversion was less successful. 

How can it not be painful when Streetward Rambler always sees (Y/n)’s old cheerful and ambivert nature in Xiangling and Yaoyao's eyes?

This was a rare chance to learn more about (Y/n) than just the faceless figure that her Master frequently likens her to. Madame Ping only ever briefly narrated (Y/n)’s deeds. Yaoyao relied heavily on individuals around her for her adepti history knowledge because she wasn't book-learned enough. Hence, inflicting a sense of confidence that she did not fully possess, the child continued to inquire.

“What were they like, Aunty?”

“You must understand how broad that question is.”

“Oh, r-right. Sorry!” Yaoyao sheepishly laughed. “I wanted to ask what was their personality like. Did they have friends? Or, well, what did they do?”

“(Y/n) was…” Cloud Retainer chuckled. Yaoyao couldn’t see a smile, but she heard it from her laughter. “—an obnoxious human.”

“E-Eh?!…” Yaoyao trembled. “S-Should I be worried that Master always compares me to (Y/n), aunty?”

“What nonsense— of course not. Take such compliment with high honor!” The bird towered her gaze above Yaoyao, clearly offended. Effectively, it seemed as if Yaoyao’s needless worries kindled afresh the snobbish Cloud Retainer everyone knew of. “There are only a few humans One regard as almost equals. Their obnoxiousness is what makes them wholly endearing and wholly human. If there was one true flaw One would nitpick out of all their traits, it would be their inherent obsession with longevity.”

Cloud Retainer shook her head. “Rex Lapis often debated with them over this, but (Y/n) was a stubborn mortal. Many occasions led to them being confined in a miniature domain that he keeps in his pockets. We did not agree with their dreams of becoming immortal. But other than that? (Y/n) was a humble loyalist.”

Yaoyao was inclined to believe that she was right because there were a few biological research sprinkled across the statue's domain. She had even read portions concerning Inazuman beliefs regarding stress and "ikegai" which might be related to a human's lifespan.

“Rex Lapis liked them despite arguing with him a lot?”

“Why, if you were there, you would see how adorable they were whenever they deluded themselves they could win a debate against an Archon,” the bird quipped humorously.

"Immortality had always been (Y/n)'s goal. One often told them to not be afraid of death or die worthlessly, but they never listened. They even tried to curse themselves to accomplish this, and astonishingly, they almost succeeded if it weren't for the Conquerer of Demons' unsleeping vigilance while acting on Rex Lapis' orders. The Archon always has an affectionate expression on his face when they pout over his interferences. One would have jokingly said that her friend is in love with a mortal if One didn't know any better."

“Wow…” Yaoyao covered her mouth with her tiny hands in awe. Neither of them seemed to realize that something was incredibly off about that ‘fun tidbit’. “(Y/n) must be smart if they constantly got Rex Lapis’ protection!”

“Indeed they were— were you doubting One’s abilities?! Had One not said they were close to One’s competency?”

“Ah, right.”

“They were an obnoxiously hard-working individual. Grinding their bones in hopes to grant impediments as a rival to Guizhong and I’s intellectual plays. (Y/n) lived a short life filled with effort and virtue, it is to no one’s surprise that Rex Lapis had conceived a great liking towards them,” she mused.

“Rex Lapis nearly caved and made them immortal at one point. However, he changed his mind after finding out (Y/n) had a human lover…” Cloud Retainer closed her eyes. “Perhaps that was an act of mercy. An Archon’s goodwill so that they wouldn’t have to suffer the fate of grieving for their beloved for all eternity.”

If only she knew the truth.

“They must be really important if they got a statue,” Yaoyao tilted her head, emanating a soft chime from her bell accessory. “Master only said that they were very kind and that they had a lover with green hair, and—”

“And?”

The adeptus was interested to learn what her old acquaintance talked about (Y/n). Did the grandmother compliment them on how cute they were? How, in essence, they were one of her greatest sources of delight and pride? Before Streetward Rambler took up the name “Madame Ping”, these were the typical musings she had over tea with both her and Guizhong. In a sense, Cloud Retainer merely pressed the question because she missed these times—

“And that they had a nice big family around Qingce Village! Two sons, one daughter!”

Cloud Retainer made a choking sound.

Impossible.

“Family?! Goodness gracious, it seemed Streetward Rambler has turned into quite a fabulist over time,” Cloud Retainer shook her head. “No, (Y/n) (L/n) unfortunately did not produce such a legacy.”

Legacy?

“I’m so sorry, I don’t get it, aunty. What do you mean?”

“They did not leave a child for me— for us to look after.”

Cloud Retainer cringed at her uncontrollably bitter tone. There was a point in her life where she cursed (Y/n) for this. Death was not something they can control— yes— but she used to be an ignorant fool who did not respect (Y/n)’s decision to never have children. Perhaps, in a way, this was because she wanted to see a new generation of like-minded people like them, but she will never forget the uneasy looks they gave her whenever she launched into one of her rants.

They may have been Streetward’s disciple but to Cloud? She was like their true mother. Much like most mothers of the old generation, she selfishly wished they left behind even a non-blood related grandchild for her to rear after (Y/n)’s name.

“They… have gone missing. They did not die with a family of their own— we did not even find their corpse. One does not know why Streetward Rambler would tell you that.”

“Oh… I’m so sorry. I didn’t know... It must’ve been a sad loss for the adepti and everyone else.”

Cloud Retainer only looked away.

“There was no pecuniary loss for us when it had happened, sure,” she said. “But yes, it was indeed a sad time for the adepti to lose both Guizhong and (Y/n) at the same time. There could’ve been a new province of knowledge and ventures— these virtues of arts were never grasped because death had stolen their privilege of penning down their strange yet wonderful conjectures.”

“Time and time again, they had failed to accentuate any alterations in their mortal structure,” she continued. “While others sought out their writings regarding their enlightened art pieces, few looked for their progress on human mortality. One only remembers a singular human who came to find (Y/n)’s transcendental medicines. One believes his name was Baizhu. If One’s explanations were inadequate, perhaps you must seek him instead.”

Yaoyao perked up. Well, that’s lucky. She was just about to head to Bubu Pharmacy to look for the pharmacist later.

“Ah, there you are, Yaoyao!!!”

Out of the blue, Ganyu and a face unfamiliar to the adeptus disrupted the scene. This human had indigo braids wrapped up in a tight bow for hair and amber eyes. Had it not been for Ganyu and a cute little bear clumsily climbing the stairs behind her, Cloud would’ve left immediately.

“Marchosius, it has been a long time...”

“♪~?”

“Woah… Is that Cloud Retainer, Ganyu?” The unfamiliar human gawked.

“That is that. One will no longer entertain questions. One shall take their leave at once.” The adeptus did not waste another moment upon noticing Xiangling’s curious gaze. However, Cloud did give Marchosius a look of respect before taking flight.

The little girl frowned.

“Yaoyao?”

“Oh, sorry,” Yaoyao smiled forcefully. “I just remembered I didn’t get to ask her the most important question.”

“Hmm? What question were you going to get an adeptus’ advice for?” Ganyu placed a hand on her chest. “Perhaps I could help? I may not know all the answers, but I do have some connections.”

“I’m just curious…”

Yuguei jumped off the basket as Yaoyao hastily removed it from behind her. The smaller adepti treasure leaped over her head and peered attentively over as if to assist her in locating the object she was seeking. When she did grasp it, she did not do so carefully. Instead, she held it out like a young child showing off a crayon during show & tell.

Ganyu and Xiangling’s blood ran cold as the child presented them with a dismembered finger.

“Ganyu, do statues made by the adepti bleed?”

#ansy-writes #yandere zhongli #yandere zhongli x reader #yandere genshin impact #yandere genshin #yandere male lead #yandere #tw: yandere #yandere genshin impact x reader #yandere genshin x reader #yandere genshin imagines #yandere fanfiction #yandere oneshots #yandere male #male yandere #zhongli #genshin impact #x reader #x reader fanfiction #zhongli x reader

[sidekick-hero]

(steddie | explicit | 7.1k | tags: Modern AU, Sex Worker Steve, Virgin Eddie, PWP, Sub Eddie/Soft Dom Steve | written for @subeddieweek | AO3 or complete fic under the cut)

As Steve waited in an impersonal hotel room for his new client to arrive, things began to feel a little off.

In truth, the term "client" there was somewhat unconventional. Three guys had hired him to surprise their friend Eddie on his birthday.

Just moments ago, Steve had received a text message from the guys telling him that they were about to bring Eddie to this very room under the guise of getting his present. What Eddie didn't know was that Steve was going to be that present.

One of the trio, a younger man named Garrett or Gareth, had only half-jokingly suggested that Steve should greet Eddie wearing nothing but a bow around his dick. Thankfully, the others had vetoed the idea, calling it cheesy and lame and saying it would only scare Eddie off. Steve couldn't help but feel a little offended by that because the last time his dick had frightened someone away had been in high school. He had been her first and she had been too intimidated by his size. Other than that, he had never had any complaints, thank you very much.

He hadn't talked to them directly when they had asked for his services; that was Robin's domain. She handled the initial negotiations, background checks, and vetting of potential clients before Steve even learned of their existence. Trusting Robin's judgment, he assumed these men were legitimate. Yet, there was something off about the whole situation.

Their lack of experience with this kind of thing was evident, demonstrated by their inquiry about kissing etiquette like this was Pretty Woman ("you have to tell Eddie if kissing is not okay dude") and their less-than-tactful remarks. When Steve had entered the hotel room, one of them, whom they had referred to as Freak, had made a comment about Steve certainly not being Eddie’s type, prompting Garrett/Gareth to reply "Nah, he secretly likes those pretty frat boy types, he'd just never admit it".

But it had been the quiet, earnest demeanor of Jeff, the third man, that had given Steve pause. Jeff had pulled him aside with a solemn plea to be careful with Eddie.

"Hey, man, you seem like a nice guy, and your manager Robin assured us that you'd take good care of Eddie. Just. Be gentle with him. He acts tough sometimes, but he deserves someone to be sweet to him, okay?"

Steve had just nodded dumbly, thrown by the unusual request. Most of the time his clients booked him directly, and while some had asked him to fuck them soft and slow, Jeff's request had sounded different to him. As if there was something they weren’t telling him about this Eddie.

Perhaps the guy had been hurt before, scarred by a past relationship, and now he approached any kind of intimacy with trepidation. Steve had had a few women hire him to help them get over something like that, so it wasn’t totally unheard of. No men had, but then again, he had only been offering his services to men for a few months, so maybe Eddie was just the first of his male clients with these kind of issues.

If Eddie was indeed struggling with past hurts, then Steve was determined to make him feel cherished and desired once again.

Lost in his thoughts, he almost missed the sound of voices growing louder outside.

Fuck, Steve thought startled. Even though he had been waiting for them, it still came as a surprise that they were already there. One for which he felt completely unprepared, because it was only then that he began to think about how to position himself.

"I don't know why you couldn't just give it to me later or tomorrow, guys," someone said with amusement just outside the door. That must have been Eddie, he thought, and found that he liked his voice.

The next voice was Garrett/Gareth's. "Believe us, Eds, you want it now. Come on, hurry up."

"Okay, okay, fine. Since when are you more excited about me getting presents than I am?"

Steve opted for simplicity and decided to sit on the bed, leaning back with his hands behind him. It was casual and easy, but also showed off the long line of his body.

The sound of someone inserting their key card into the slot was followed by the handle being pushed down. Then the door to the room opened, revealing the lucky guy who would have him for the next two hours.

He’s pretty, was the first thing that came to Steve’s mind. Tall and slender, with a small waist and very nice arms decorated in black ink. Most stunning, however, was his face. The pale skin was a tantalizing contrast to his pink lips, dark hair framing high cheekbones and deep brown eyes that looked at him like a deer in the headlights.

Then, the door closed with a bang.

“Guys? There’s some dude sitting on my bed, you might wanna call security. I’ll hold down the door but you gotta hurry.” Eddie’s voice trembled slightly and Steve was torn between worry and amusement.

Faintly he heard the other men laughing and Eddie's indignant squeak. "What the hell are you laughing at? There`s a crazy stalker in my room! Probably armed and dangerous!"

"Oh yeah, I bet he has a big gun," Garrett/Gareth snorted, and Steve rolled his eyes at the very obvious, very bad joke. The guy probably thought he was really funny.

Eddie seemed to agree with Steve, even if unknowingly. "Har-bloody-har. Jeff, c'mon, tell me you at least take this seriously!"

This was one of those nights when Steve wished he had been smart enough, or at least ambitious enough to go to college, so he wouldn't have had to make money on the side dealing with shit like this. At least most of his clients were easier to deal with, if not as easy on the eyes as this Eddie.

"Eddie, trust me, you can open the door. He's harmless."

"How do you know?"

"Because he's your birthday present!" Freak interrupted, clearly losing patience. "Gareth's right, we should have just made him put a bow on his dick and be done with it. At least then we wouldn't be standing here arguing."

Steve wondered if they knew he could hear every word they were saying. Like everyone else in the surrounding rooms, because they weren’t exactly quiet. He just hoped nobody called the cops.

"He's... What the fuck? You can't just give someone a person, that's human trafficking!"

Obviously tired of making a scene outside a hotel room, Jeff just opened the door and pulled Eddie inside, trusting the others to follow. They did, closing the door behind them, and then they all looked at Steve, who was still sitting on the bed, regretting all his life choices that had led him there.

He gave a little wave with his fingers. "Surprise."

Eddie blinked at him, speechless, his mouth slightly ajar. Despite the situation, he remained unfairly attractive, his wide eyes stirring something in Steve that he hesitated to explore further. Steve's knowledge of Eddie was limited to his questionable choice of friends, yet he felt an inexplicable urge to shield him from the world, to keep him safe. The urge was unexpected in itself, but even more so in the intensity with which it hit him.

"This is Steve," Gareth introduced, stumbling over his words. "And, uh, well, he... yeah. Guys?" Gareth glanced around, hoping for support from the others, but they remained silent.

With the air of someone who didn’t expect any different, Steve rose from his spot on the bed and approached Eddie. As he stood before him, Steve was enveloped in a mixture of clean body spray, shampoo, and a faint whiff of cigarette smoke. Eddie's eyes, even larger up close, held a warm hue that was quite captivating.

Steve flashed a smile, aiming for a blend of reassurance and flirtation.

"I'm Steve, and for the next two hours, I can be whatever you need," he declared, though technically, twenty minutes had already elapsed. Nevertheless, for Eddie, Steve was willing to make an exception.

Eddie, inexplicably, horrifyingly, burst out laughing before slapping a hand over his own mouth, his eyes even wider than before as they looked at Steve in abject horror.

"Oh my God, I am so sorry. I wasn't laughing at you, it's just this whole situation is so... and then that sounded like... I feel like I stumbled into a porn plot."

Eddie looked embarrassed by his reaction, but Steve had to agree. It all felt a little ridiculous all of a sudden and he thought he could use that to his advantage, to make Eddie feel more comfortable.

"I guess you're not wrong," Steve laughed playfully, rubbing a hand across his neck. "That was a line that could have come out of a bad porno. Let me try again." He took Eddie's hand in his own and gave him a smile, a real one this time. "Hi, I'm Steve, and your friends hired me to be your birthday present. What that means is that I'm here to make sure you have a good time, a great one even. Just tell me what you'd like to do, as long as it's nothing crazy, I'm in. I don't do pain play, nothing that leaves bruises or cuts, no breath play, no hard kink of any kind and no barebacking."

"Oh my God, you are here as a sex gift," Eddie exclaimed way too loudly as Steve finished listing the things he wouldn't do, turning even paler. Steve was so focused on Eddie that he hadn’t even noticed the other men leaving the room, but upon seeing Eddie's shocked reaction, he realized they were already gone.

"I can't believe they hired a sex worker to deflower me. I told them to leave it the fuck alone. God, this is so fucking embarrassing," Eddie whined, burying his face in his hands with a long and anguished groan.

It tugged at Steve's heartstrings, the way Eddie pulled away from him, clearly embarrassed. His first instinct was to pull him into his arms and tell him it was okay, that Steve got him. But Eddie's words continued to ring in his ears as the puzzle pieces began to fall into place. Deflower me. As in, he was supposed to take Eddie's virginity. That's why the others had been so weird about it, and why Eddie had been so shocked and clueless when he found him in his room.

Jeff's words came back to him, "be gentle with him" and "he deserves someone to be sweet to him". It wasn't that Eddie was necessarily recovering from past hurts, but that there were no past experiences. Or maybe there had been, and that was why he had never gone all the way. Because looking at him, Steve had a hard time understanding how anyone could not want to sleep with Eddie.

"Eddie," Steve tried gently, "are you...have you ever had sex with anyone?"

Peering at Steve through his fingers, Eddie shook his head.

"Did you, I mean, have you done things like handjobs, blowjobs, anything like that?"

Another anguished groan as Eddie shook his head again.

"Making out? Kissing?" Steve had to know what he was working with here, because the last thing he wanted was to do something Eddie wasn't ready for.

This at least made Eddie lower his hands so that Steve could see the expression on his face. He looked even more embarrassed, his flushed cheeks red, but there was some indignation in his eyes. "I've kissed before. And made out with someone. Well, above the waist. And fully clothed. But it still counts!"

Eddie's voice sounded almost pleading and it left Steve aching for him. He had no idea why someone as gorgeous as Eddie hadn't had sex yet, but he knew he shouldn't act like there was something wrong with him because of it.

"Hey, man, it's okay. Really, I'm not judging you," Steve tried to reassure him. He was tempted to reach out and offer some physical comfort as well, but he wasn't sure how welcome that would be as Eddie laughed bitterly at his words.

"Oh, please. I'm judging me! I'm turning 30 today and no one's even touched my dick. I'm pathetic."

Steve did reach out to him then, placing a comforting hand on Eddie's shoulder. "Hey, come on now. There's nothing pathetic about it. Everyone's journey is different, and there's no rush."

Eddie sighed, his shoulders slumping under Steve's touch. "Easy for you to say. You've probably had more action than you can count."

Steve chuckled softly. "Maybe, but that doesn’t mean anything. Quality over quantity, right?"

Eddie gave him a weak smile, but the tension in his expression remained. "I just feel like I missed out on something, you know? I grew up in a small and even more small-minded town in Indiana where it was impossible to find another gay kid without risking getting beaten up or worse. They had it out for me anyway because...well, it doesn't matter. By the time I finally left and moved to Chicago, I was 21 and hadn't even kissed anyone except Lisa Green in eighth grade, which only confirmed what I already suspected. I made out with a few guys in clubs and bars here, but it always felt... wrong. I didn't need to be romanced or anything, but I just... I wanted to feel some kind of connection, y'know? But anyone who wanted to date me, I was too scared to tell them that I had no experience whatsoever, too in my head about it. And before I know it, I'm 30 years old and my friends are hiring an incredibly hot guy to pity-fuck me."

Steve nodded sympathetically. "It's not a pity fuck, Eddie. But I get it. Just, believe me, sex isn't everything. And it's definitely not a measure of your worth."

Eddie let out a bitter laugh. "Tell that to my libido."

Steve couldn't help but laugh along with him. "Fair point. But seriously, Eddie, there's nothing wrong with taking your time. When the right moment comes along, you'll know.”

With an expression of utter defeat, Eddie mumbled. “Figured not even someone getting paid for it would want to sleep with me.” Then, he turned around and walked over to the door. “I’m sorry I wasted your time, Steve. Thank you for being so nice.”

“Whoa, wait a second. I never said I don’t wanna sleep with you. I just assumed, y’know, that you’d want to wait for the right guy.”

Eddie looked like a kicked puppy. “It’s fine Steve, I understand. There’s nothing sexy about a 30 year old virgin, you don’t have to lie.” Then, hanging his head, he pulled his shoulders up to his ears and put his hands in his pockets, making himself as small as humanly possible while still standing.

Steve couldn't stand to see Eddie so down on himself any longer, so he decided to show him exactly how much he wanted to sleep with him by simply pulling his shirt over his head, leaving him naked from the waist up. Then he reached down, unzipped his pants and stepped out of them as well, so that he was standing in front of Eddie in nothing but his underwear. He hoped to make himself at least a quarter as vulnerable as Eddie must have felt at that moment.

"Eddie, please look at me." When Eddie did, his eyes roamed over Steve's body as if he couldn't help himself, and Steve felt their gaze like a physical touch. He was accustomed to people looking at him with hunger and desire, and while Eddie's face showed signs of both, there was something else in his expression—a hint of longing, if Steve were pressed to put a name to it.

As the seconds ticked by, Steve wondered if Eddie would ever grow tired of drinking him in, since he showed no signs of being done anytime soon. But Steve began to suspect that maybe Eddie wasn't doing anything else because he didn't know what or how, so Steve had to take the lead here.

Closing the distance between them, he took Eddie's hands again, but this time he didn't hold them; he placed them on his hips. "You can touch me, Eddie. I want you to. I want you. So if you want me too, all you have to do is tell me." When Eddie continued to look at him wide-eyed, Steve asked him in his softest, most encouraging voice, "What do you want, Eddie?"

"I don't know." Eddie's hands on his hips trembled slightly, but his grip tightened, thumbs running up and down Steve's flanks. "You. Whatever you want."

Well, that was easy. "I want to make you feel good. Can I?"

"Please."

No one had ever looked at Steve the way Eddie did at that moment. It was as if Steve was the last drop of water in the desert—not like he wanted Steve, but like he needed him.

Steve cupped his face in his hands and pulled him close, whispering in the infinitesimal space between them, "I got you, baby," before sealing their lips in a tender kiss.

True to his words, Eddie kissed him back as if he had kissed people before, even if not very often. His lips still moved a little awkwardly against Steve's, but what he lacked in experience he made up for in feeling. Not even his actual girlfriends had ever kissed him the way Eddie was kissing him right now - like he couldn't believe he was allowed to do it, wavering between greedy hunger and grateful adoration that made Steve's head spin.

As they kissed, Steve felt a rush of warmth flood through him, a sensation he hadn't experienced in a long time. It was more than just physical attraction; there were the first stirrings of an emotional connection forming between them, one that felt utterly inappropriate within the confines of their current situation.

On the other hand, Steve reasoned with himself, Eddie deserved someone who would be sweet to him, as Jeff had put it. Given how he was starting to feel about Eddie, that wasn't going to be a challenge at all.

Breaking the kiss reluctantly, Steve rested his forehead against Eddie's, their breaths mingling in the space between them. "You're amazing, Eddie," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

Eddie's cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink and he smiled shyly. "Thank you. You're not so bad yourself."

Steve chuckled softly, a warmth spreading in his chest at Eddie's response. "What do you say we take this to the bed?"

Eddie nodded eagerly, his eyes shining with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"Good," Steve said, taking Eddie by the hips as well and beginning to slowly walk them backwards, their eyes never leaving each other's.

As they made their way to the bed, Steve's heart pounded with anticipation. He couldn't shake the feeling that this was a pivotal moment, one that could change everything for him.

Once they reached the bed, Steve gently guided Eddie to sit down, their knees touching as they faced each other. The air between them crackled with tension, charged with the promise of what was to come.

Steve took Eddie's hands in his own, his touch gentle yet firm. "Eddie, I want you to know that we don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with," he said softly, wanting to reassure him.

Eddie met his gaze with a mixture of gratitude and desire. "I trust you, Steve," he replied, his voice filled with sincerity. Steve had no idea how Eddie could trust him so easily after just meeting him, but he vowed to do right by him and not betray the trust placed in him.

With a gentle smile, Steve leaned in to kiss Eddie again, his lips meeting Eddie's with a tender urgency. This time Steve took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, sliding his tongue into the wet heat of Eddie's mouth, gently coaxing Eddie to join him in exploring each other.

The first tentative touch of Eddie's tongue to his own sent sparks of electricity through him and he would have been embarrassed by the moan that fell from his lips had it not been for the almost violent shudder that went through Eddie at the simple touch. When their lips parted, Steve glanced at the other man and found him looking tense, his hands clenched into fists on his thighs, and suddenly his reaction made sense.

"Baby, you can touch me. Don't hold back, I want you to show me how good I make you feel."

Closing his eyes with a pained expression, Eddie sighed deeply, defeated. "I feel like I don't know how. I don't want to mess it up. I mean, you must be used to incredible sex and then there's me, probably accidentally pinching you or something."

"Eddie," Steve said, wrapping his own hands around Eddie's clenched ones, "I'm sorry to break it to you, but you'll never learn if you don't try. It's like riding a bike. You can't learn it in theory, you have to get on it and ride it." And because Steve worried that might have been a little harsh, he added: "I'm your training wheels, and after tonight you can upgrade to a bike without them." Uncurling Eddie's hands and intertwining their fingers, Steve nudged their shoulders together. "Soooo. Wanna go for a ride?"

Eddie's lips twitched into a small smile at Steve's analogy, and some of the tension seemed to ease from his shoulders. "Okay, maybe I can give it a try," he said, his voice uncertain but determined.

Steve couldn't help but admire Eddie's bravery in the face of his own insecurities. He leaned in to press a gentle kiss against Eddie's forehead, offering silent encouragement.

With a deep breath, Eddie tentatively began to explore Steve's body, his touch hesitant yet eager. Steve guided him with soft murmurs of encouragement, reassuring him every step of the way.

At some point, Steve shifted back onto the bed and lay down on the sheets, offering more of himself to Eddie's curious hands. They were especially drawn to his chest, scratching the thick hair, and when Steve made an appreciative sound, Eddie let them wander to Steve's nipples.

"Start slow, run your thumb over them." Eddie did as Steve told him, and Steve noticed how every encouragement from him seemed to hit Eddie with another wave of arousal. His eyes darkened even more after Steve told him, "Just like that, baby. You're doing so good, learning so fast. Now try adding some spit so your thumb glides easier."

Eddie had been eagerly and obediently following his instructions the whole time, so Steve wasn't surprised when he immediately went to put Steve's latest order into action. What he didn't expect, however, was that Eddie would simply put his mouth on his nipple instead of wetting his thumb with it.

"Fuck," he moaned, his hands digging into Eddie's hair without his conscious decision, desperately trying to keep his mouth on his chest. "So good for me, such a good boy, just like that."

His words only spurred Eddie on, who moaned needily at his words, and as his confidence grew, so did his boldness. Steve felt the first tentative touch of teeth against his skin, setting his nerves on fire, and he encouraged Eddie to keep going by tugging at his curls. "Harder, baby."

Being the wonderful, beautiful, good boy that he was, Eddie went harder, his teeth making sure to leave marks on his chest. It was an intoxicating feeling to be laid out here, almost naked, while Eddie was still fully clothed, and yet it was Steve who was in control.

So far he had been able to ignore his cock, hard and heavy and leaking into his trunks. But it was getting harder and harder, pun intended, to keep his need for relief in check. It wasn't often that a client made him feel like he was about to lose his mind with lust, but Eddie was shaping up to be his exception in so many ways.

"Baby, you're incredible. I'm so hard for you, I need you to touch me or I'll lose my goddamn mind."

That finally gave Eddie pause. Pulling back from his mission to cover every inch of Steve's chest in bruises and bite marks, he lifted his head and looked down at where Steve's hard cock was obscenely tenting his trunks.

Watching Eddie wet his lips with his tongue, Steve decided to take a chance. "Can you take them off for me, darling? They're getting awfully uncomfortable."

That startled Eddie out of his silent reverie, his big brown eyes, which had captivated Steve from the start, turning to him. "You mean..."

"Only if you want to. We're not doing anything you're not ready for," Steve made sure to reassure him once again that while Steve was taking the lead here, Eddie was the one calling the shots. If he told him to stop, Steve would, no questions asked. "But if you're afraid of getting it wrong, I want you to know that nothing has ever felt as right as your hands and mouth on me. You couldn't get it wrong if you tried, baby."

It seemed to be just the right thing to say because Eddie leaned down to capture Steve's lips in another kiss, his weight balanced on his forearm next to Steve's head. His hand, still resting on Steve's chest, began to move again, fingertips dancing across his ribs and down his stomach until they reached their destination just above his waistband.

Eddie had moved to lie more comfortably next to Steve when he had let his hands and mouth map Steve's body, but now he positioned himself next to Steve's knees.

He looked up at Steve as his fingers curled around the waistband of his trunks, and tougher men than Steve would have had a hard time not falling in love with him right then and there. His lips, still slick with spit from their kiss, were slightly parted while his bottomless eyes looked at Steve with something akin to worship. Steve's fingers had done a great job of making his dark curls look even messier, and he was almost as proud of that as he was of the red flush that adorned Eddie's throat and cheeks.

"Do it," he order-pleaded, and Eddie listened as he had all night, pulling down Steve’s last piece of clothing and throwing it on the floor next to the bed.

The expression on his face was almost comical, breaking the thick tension in the room for a moment. Steve knew he wasn't exactly small. Not even average, but it had been a while since anyone had stared at his dick like it was a venomous snake.

"It won't bite you, I promise," he joked as the silence between them stretched on.

That at least got a snort out of Eddie, even if his eyes were still glued to his hard and leaking cock, which didn't seem to mind being stared at with a mixture of apprehension and wonder.

"I know that. It's just..." Eddie began before trailing off.

A thought occurred to Steve. "You've seen a dick before, right?"

In retrospect it might have been a bit insulting and a lot stupid to ask, but then again this wasn't exactly his area of expertise.

"Yes, Steve. Besides my own, I've seen dicks. Just not... y'know... a monster dick like that. I mean, fuck. Are you sure this thing will even fit?"

His first reaction was to laugh, because Eddie was funny and adorable in his incredulity, but the laughter died rather quickly as the rest of his words registered with Steve.

"Fit? As in - do you want me to fuck you?"

That finally made Eddie blink up at him, tilting his head like a confused puppy. "Um, yeah? I thought that was the plan all along."

It wasn't. Steve thought he'd show Eddie the ropes, how to handle another body, so he could experience his first time with someone he genuinely cared about. Not that Steve had that when he lost his virginity, but he thought Eddie deserved it.

But if Eddie was sure, Steve was more than happy to oblige. "Just checking in. And don't worry. It'll fit. It always has, it just takes a little patience and a lot of lube." When Eddie still looked a little doubtful, he added, "Do you trust me?"

"Yes." No hesitation, and that made the dangerous feeling in his chest glow brighter.

"Good, that makes it even easier. You need to be comfortable, relaxed. The more you can let go, the easier it will be."

Eddie nodded, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. "Okay, Steve. You're the expert. I trust you. Just. Remember, I have no idea what I'm doing, okay?"

Steve sat up and cupped Eddie's cheek in his hand. "I know, and I'll take good care of you, I promise," Steve promised, sealing it with a kiss.

After they parted, he tugged at Eddie's shirt. "You're awfully overdressed, sweetheart. Mind if I help you get out of these?"

With Eddie's consent, Steve undresses him, slowly, reverently. He removed each piece of clothing with the same care as he would handle a precious gem, his hands gentle, making sure to appreciate every inch of skin that was revealed to him. And after his hands have had their fill, his mouth follows, his lips branding his ownership in invisible writing all over Eddie's body.

He paid special attention to Eddie's tattoos, and when he found the nipple piercings, Steve's brain short-circuited. He only stopped playing with them when Eddie was writhing and whimpering from the stimulation, his arousal clear in the way sweat slicked his skin and the outline of his hard cock was visible through his skin-tight jeans.

"Steve, please," he begged, and Steve was pretty sure Eddie didn't even know for what.

"Shh, I got you, baby," Steve had cooed in reply before continuing his mission to get Eddie naked and under him.

Soon the positions were reversed and Eddie was spread out on the bed, naked and wanting, while Steve was kneeling beside him, his hand stroking Eddie's thigh soothingly as he drank him in.

"Fuck, Eddie, I wish you could see yourself right now. You're so fucking beautiful, the prettiest thing I've ever seen. I can't believe you let me have you."

Eddie squirmed, clearly turned on but still self-conscious. Steve vowed to make the latter go away and replace it with nothing but mindless pleasure, helping Eddie let go and float on all the good feelings Steve would make him feel.

He had gotten the lube and a condom out of his bag while Eddie had made himself comfortable, placing them both next to them on the bed. Now he spread some lube on his fingers and warmed it up as he moved to climb between Eddie's legs. His own cock had gone back to half hard, but showed some renewed interest when Eddie immediately spread his legs wider to make room for him.

"Such a good boy, you're just perfect, you know that?"

Then Steve rewarded his good boy with the first finger in his virgin whole. He didn't want it to matter, and it didn't, not in the way Eddie thought it would. But the thought that he was the first to see Eddie like that, to feel him clench around the foreign intrusion before slowly, gradually relaxing as Steve continued to stroke the inside of his thigh with his other hand? It all made more heat pool in his groin, his cock full and heavy again between his own legs.

"That's it," Steve encouraged him as his finger sank in to his knuckle, " taking it so well. How does it feel, baby?"

"Weird," Eddie said truthfully, before wriggling his hips. "Full. Not bad, just. Weird."

Steve took that as all the encouragement he needed to start pumping the finger in and out in imitation of what he planned to do to Eddie with his cock. It went easily and soon Eddie was matching his thrusts with his hips. "That's right, take what you need. You look so good fucking yourself on my finger, sweetheart. You'll look even better on my cock."

Judging that Eddie was ready for a second finger, he leaned forward and softly called for Eddie to look at him. When he did, lifting his head from where he had pressed it into the pillow, Steve caught his eyes and held them as he slowly closed his lips around Eddie's hard cock, taking it into his mouth inch by delicious inch.

It worked like a charm as Eddie was too busy throwing his head back with a broken moan to even notice Steve adding another finger. It was only when he started pumping both fingers in and out while still licking and sucking on Eddie's cock like his favorite ice cream that Eddie seemed to notice, tightening around him for a moment before relaxing again.

Steve rewarded him with a clever swirl of his tongue and a well-aimed crook of his fingers that made Eddie scream.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, what the fuck was that," Eddie gasped as Steve pulled off of him with an obscenely wet sound.

With a third finger prodding at Eddie's slick hole, Steve grinned up at him. "Your prostate."

"I thought that was a myth."

"Nope, not a myth. Just hard to reach by yourself."

He took Eddie back into his mouth, his finger persistently nudging at his entrance until it finally slipped in alongside his other two fingers. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Eddie balling the sheets in his clenched fists, trying not to thrash around too much. The thought of feeling that around his cock was almost too much, as Eddie was incredibly responsive and Steve had to think of something unpleasant for a second to calm himself.

Steve continued to blow and finger Eddie until he could feel Eddie's cock hardening even more in his mouth, signaling his impending orgasm. His three fingers sank into him like a warm knife into butter, no resistance whatsoever, so Steve considered Eddie ready to try and take his 'monster dick' as he had so eloquently put it earlier.

Eddie's whimper as he pulled his fingers out of his body sounded desperate, and when Steve also pulled off his dick, Eddie was right back to begging.

"Please, Steve, I was so close, so fucking close, I need you, please," he babbled, exactly in that mindless place where only his own pleasure mattered instead of his own insecurities.

In a true display of multi-tasking, Steve managed to stroke Eddie's thigh soothingly while simultaneously ripping the condom wrapper open with his teeth. It was almost a shame that Eddie was so far gone that he didn't even notice.

Next time, Steve thought, immediately chastising himself for getting ahead of himself. There was no guarantee that Eddie would want to go out with the guy his friends had paid to deflower him.

"Shh, baby, almost there, just getting ready to make you feel really good. I can't wait to be inside you, Eddie, you have no idea."

Slicking his condom-covered cock, Steve took a pillow from the bed and placed it under Eddie's hips before wrapping Eddie's right leg around his waist as he positioned himself. Eddie looked up at him with dazed eyes, like he was still floating somewhere, not quite here. And even though Steve wanted him to remain there, he needed Eddie's attention right now.

"Sweetheart, I need you to listen to me, can you do that?" He could tell it was a struggle, but shaking his head like he was clearing cowebs, Eddie came back to him. "Thanks, baby, you're still so good for me, aren't you?" Eddie nodded eagerly and Steve continued. "I need you to be a good boy and do what I tell you. When I push in, I need you to press down on it as if you were trying to push me out. Can you try that?" Another nod, this one firm, determined. "And breathe, baby, deep breaths. I got you, we'll take it as slow as you need."

And with that, Steve began to push in, trusting Eddie to work with him. And he did, beautifully, doing exactly what Steve told him to do. Still, it was clear that it was a lot to take, his cock even thicker and longer than his three fingers. It was slow going, every inch fought for, and by the time Steve was halfway in they were both covered in sweat, so Steve decided to take a short break.

Eddie was having none of it, though, and looked up at him pleadingly. "Steve? Please don't stop. I want you inside."

"But I am already inside," Steve reminded him, as if Eddie had forgotten how he was being impaled on Steve's cock right now.

"More." Reaching out for Steve with his hand, Eddie replied with only one word, but it was enough to make Steve fall forward, inadvertently sinking a little further.

He didn't try to stop again.

Then, finally, blessedly, Steve sank all the way in, Eddie's muscles relaxing enough to let him in entirely. It wasn't his first time, far from it, but it could very well have been from the way it made him feel to be enveloped in Eddie's tight heat. Steve couldn't tell who was looking more starry-eyed, Eddie or him, as they stared at each other in wonder.

"You feel," Steve began, suddenly at a loss for words. "Like nothing I've ever felt before."

"Move," Eddie pleaded in reply, his eyes traitorously bright. "Please, Steve."

Steve could never deny him, not when he begged like that, so he simply kissed Eddie's cheek, his nose, and then his lips as his hips withdrew before sinking back in. Picking up a slow and easy rhythm, Steve began to move and soon Eddie was meeting him thrust for thrust.

They moved together in a slow, sensual dance, each touch and caress igniting a fire within them. Each thrust tore another sound from their throats, muffled by each other's lips, because try as he might, he couldn't stop kissing Eddie. And as they lost themselves in the heat of the moment, Steve knew he wouldn't come back from it unchanged. He already felt a sense of connection unlike anything he had ever experienced before. It was as if they were two pieces of a puzzle finally coming together, fitting perfectly.

He just hoped that Eddie felt the same, that it wasn't just the magic of firsts that made him gasp and beg and say things that made Steve's heart soar as much as his cock twitch.

"Steve, Steve, Steve," he cried, his voice cracking, "oh God, I never thought...fuck," another moan as Steve hit his prostate once more. "How do people do anything but this?" Eddie marveled as he tightened around Steve, desperately wanting him to press against that wonderful spot inside him. "I never want to leave this bed again, just let you fuck me all day long."

Oh, how much Steve would love that too. To stop himself from saying something crazy like 'yes, please move in with me so we can fuck as often as possible', he reached for Eddie's hand on his hip and intertwined their fingers next to Eddie's head, squeezing his hand instead of spilling all his messy feelings.

The new position had him sinking further down on Eddie, Eddie's hard cock trapped between their bellies and the added friction had him gasping and panting. "Fuck, Steve, I'm so close."

"Yeah, me too, baby. Can you be a good boy and hold on a little longer for me?"

Unable to form any more words, Eddie just nodded. Steve rewarded him with another deep kiss as his hips picked up speed, his thrusting becoming more powerful as he finally allowed himself to chase his own pleasure. He wanted, needed them to come together, and judging by the copious amount of pre-cum smeared against their bellies and the way Eddie's cock kept twitching, Eddie was really close.

As he felt the telltale signs of his own orgasm spreading through him, his balls tightening and the feeling of a coil in his groin being pulled tight enough to snap at any moment, he lowered his face to Eddie's ear, took the lobe between his teeth and tugged at it to get his attention. Then, putting every ounce of heat, lust and desire he felt right now into his voice, he rasped, "Come for me, baby."

Without a hand on him, Eddie came with a sound that burned itself into Steve's memory and would surely haunt his dreams for weeks and months to come.

Overwhelmed by Eddie's sounds as he lost himself in his own pleasure, his hips bucking and grinding, Steve couldn't help but follow him over the edge. When he finally came, it was almost painful in its intensity and he could barely keep himself upright.

It took him an embarrassingly long time to catch his breath, and even longer to pull himself away from Eddie long enough to get rid of the condom and fetch a washcloth from the bathroom to clean the cum from their bellies and chests.

Then he turned off the light, crawled back into bed with Eddie and pulled the covers over them before drawing Eddie into his arms, who went willingly, still suspiciously quiet. Steve would have been more concerned had it not been for the dazed smile on his face, so he decided to let him be for the moment, basking in the afterglow as he continued to stroke Eddie's back.

What felt like hours later, as they lay tangled in each other's arms, bathed in the soft glow of moonlight filtering through the window, Steve pressed a gentle kiss to Eddie's temple, feeling a surge of affection and contentment wash over him.

"I'm glad you decided to go for that ride," he whispered, warmth coloring his voice.

Eddie snuggled closer, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Me too," he murmured, his voice filled with a mixture of happiness and wonder.

And as they drifted off to sleep, wrapped in each other's embrace, Steve knew he had found something truly special in Eddie. Tomorrow he would tell Robin to give the guys their money back because Eddie hadn't been a client from the start. It was way too soon to even think about it, but deep down he hoped that theirs would be the kind of love that was as beautiful and enduring as the stars in the night sky.

#steddie #steddie fanfic #steddie smut #sub eddie week #sub eddie munson #dom steve harrington #eddie x steve #stranger things fanfiction #my writing #nsft

[zwhoreo]

IM SO HAPPY TO HAVE FOUND AN X READER BLOG SPECIFICALLY FOR LUFFY hes my biggest comfort character and i never see a lot of ppl writing good content for him, so tysm ; v ; have u ever considered writing something about reader reacting to hancock’s fixation on luffy??? or like meeting her and how reader would react + how luffy would react in an au setting of having a girlfriend???!!! (•̀ᴗ•́)و ̑̑

you’re sooo sweet :’) I love writing for him sm I’m so glad I can be there for that <333

we’ll see how I did with this… hancock is a very important character to me and I haaate when luffy x readers villainize her. so I tried my best to be respectful in this fic and try something kinda different…

meeting boa hancock - luffy x f!reader

angsty fluff… mostly centered around you and hancock

summary: when you and luffy need to fight by hancock’s side in battle, you’re terrified of what might happen if she finds out you two are together. But, as you soon discover, you can find friendship in the most unlikely places.

words: 2.5k

________________________

Your wrist is sprained. It’s not your hand you use to wield your cutlass, thankfully, but the pain is hard on you, you’re ashamed at your inability to deal with pain, in comparison to your crewmates who sacrifice so much. You can’t climb sheer cliffs or take swords to the chest. Your body is weak, you fear, you don’t think you could handle taking on a crewmate’s pain, although you like to think you would try, because you’d risk your life for them. Right now you can barely handle a sprained wrist, made worse by the humiliation of a capture by the Black Dove Pirates, when your loving boyfriend had to battle to save you.

The Black Doves are led by, well, Black Dove, a horrific man with a mysterious zoan-type devil fruit giving him the abilities of a kraken, massive, lethal tentacles capable of sinking ships. Restraining himself from a passionate fight, Luffy’s top priority was getting you to safety, you and your sprained wrist, you had tried to fight, after all.

But now the Black Doves have declared war, leaving you and the crew terrified of an unmatched battle with the notorious pirates and their mythical captain. But Luffy had a friend to call, a powerful friend, someone he told you was someone you could count on, that you had nothing to worry about now.

Boa Hancock.

You knew of her, of course, and you were thankful for the surprising alliance, until you remembered what Luffy had said, when he said it far too casually, that Hancock wanted to marry him.

You’re overcome with anxiety at not only the imminent battle with the Black Doves, but at the thought that you were in danger from all sides, the wrath Hancock would bring down on you if she ever found out you and Luffy were together.

In the heat of battle Luffy has often held your hand and given you angry kisses when he can. It’s a comfort for him, it gives him strength and motivation, it reassures him that you’re safe in his arms. He calls you pet names and hugs you and always makes sure he knows where you are, making sure you’re ok. But he can’t this time. You plead and beg him not to even though he doesn’t seem to understand why, really. He’s disappointed, but you assure him that before and afterward you’d get a special night together to make up for the stolen closeness.

_______________________

The rest of the crew are set to battle the titanic kraken guarding the gates of Dove’s hellish mountain island domain. A sneak attack is your only option but they didn’t make this easy. It would be you and Hancock against the top men of the crew, and Luffy would battle Dove. You aren’t confident in your abilities, you wonder why you’re here alongside two of the most powerful people of the seas, but Luffy wants you close, maybe. And he thinks this fight will be no problem, even though you tell him you have a sprained wrist and you’ll just drag everyone down.

And as soon as she sees you, the instant your eyes meet, Hancock despises you. Her gaze is deadly and cold, and even though you try to put distance between you and Luffy your very existence triggers pangs of jealousy within the empress.

Luffy, although largely oblivious to why, can sense the tension and he hates it. He wants you all to be friends, be a team. When you and Hancock stand in silence, staring at each other on the rocky shore, he complains, “c’mon! Lessgo!” with anxiety in his voice. And he holds both of your hands and pulls you two along behind him, making you and Hancock both blush, Hancock is transported to another more comforting world in that moment but you are so wracked with nerves that every sense around you becomes overwhelming and far too much.

You look at Luffy with begging eyes when he squeezes your hand and not Hancock’s, although she doesn’t seem to notice.

The three of you run up the jagged black-stone path into a bombed-out looking castle, you gingerly survey the landscape as crew members lay drunk on whiskey, passed out and unbothered by lightning flickering overhead. You came at the perfect time.

Before running off to find Dove, Luffy is about to lean in for a kiss when you dodge and shoot him a look. Which immediately makes you sad, because Luffy looks upset when he turns his back and heads off into a brutal fight that awaits him. It’s your biggest fear that you’ll lose him, made worse by imagining your last interaction as one of sadness, but you feel Hancock’s malicious eyes on you and there’s nothing you can do.

You hear a shout, suddenly, echoing through the ruins. A crew member has heard you, an axe wielding menace with glassy white eyes. Hancock whips her head around and immediately tries to turn him to stone, but the man is blind, you both realize. It’s no use.

“I’ll take him, just go!” you shout at her, the first real words you’ve said. And Hancock glowers at you and focuses her attention elsewhere, because the crew has been alerted. And Dove has risen, you see, coming face-to-face with Luffy and towering above him at what seems like at least twelve feet. Black tentacles begin forming from his massive, muscular frame and an evil smirk spreads across his face.

Your heart leaps into your throat for Luffy’s safety but you have other things to worry about. The axe wielding monster swings at you and you manage to dodge, drawing your cutlass. It’s a harsh and desperate battle, your movements still clouded by worry which makes the throbbing in your wrist worse, but it’s when you lead the sightless beast to a precipice that you trick him and let him fall to his death on the rocks far below. You’ve slayed your first Black Dove pirate, but there’s many more and you need to dive head first into war.

You’re amazed by Hancock, really. At a snap of her hands half an army turns to stone. Her control of haki is like nothing you’ve seen before, her sharp, quick intelligence adjusting at a moment’s notice to other forms of attack. She does all of this in heels, in a graceful dress, beautiful raven hair flying in the wind as she fights with all her heart. You find yourself envying her, her jealousy over you nearly matched by your own.

But she still kicks crew members out of her way and towards you with no real regard for your safety. She still hates you, just for being a woman on Luffy’s crew. Even though you’d done nothing wrong.

Despite Luffy’s best efforts, he’s smashed into the sharp stone by a tentacle and struggles to stand again, groaning and coughing. Dove sees his crew in danger and wants to make quick work of the two women disturbing the peace on his island.

There is too much evil in his heart for Hancock to turn him to stone. And his tentacles are too fast for her, she’s cornered, now, on a cliff and Dove is going to knock her into the ocean. At the speed of light the inky tentacles come, taking advantage of Hancock’s momentary stillness in her sinking terror and desperation, and how she sees Luffy on the ground and screams in worry and is distracted for a precious instant. But before she’s sent falling to her death, she’s knocked from the side, slammed onto the ground and tumbling, held in your arms, down an incline and into the remnants of a turret. Dove can’t reach you from here, giving Luffy enough time to resume his fight.

You had grabbed Hancock and pushed her desperately to safety, you had saved her, and now you both lie there in the dark on the dirty stone floor, all bruises and ripped clothes.

Your head rests on her chest, neither of you have caught your breath enough to get up. And from here you can hear her heart pounding furiously in your ear, she’s scared and curled in on herself.

You roll off of her, slowly sitting up, looking over at her as she rests sprawled on the ground.

She feels your eyes on her and sits up, face contorted with warring emotions. Her lips are set in a firm scowl. She’s staring at you but you see past the malice and now she looks like a scared animal desperate to survive.

“Are you ok?” you say gently, reaching for her hand.

She yanks it away from yours and scoots back against the wall. “Yes! I’m fine…” she hisses defensively.

But she’s clutching her wrist. And she may have just hurriedly wiped tears out of her eyes.

Before you can say anything else, she leaps up and runs to a window, scanning the battlefield for Luffy. Her hands grip the cold brick. She’s shaking slightly.

“Are you worried about him?” you ask quietly, standing up and walking towards her slowly.

“Where is he?” Her voice is quiet now. Images of Luffy’s battered body flash in her mind and you can see the same sickness within her that you feel, a worry over someone you love so deeply. The jealousy and fear of her leaves your mind and is replaced by one thought alone.

Poor girl.

“He’s going to be ok, I promise.” You place a hand on her shoulder making her flinch, but she doesn’t pull away this time.

She doesn’t say anything. But she’s still scared.

So you say, “hey, princess, I’m scared too. But… all we can do is hope and keep ourselves safe now, right? We did what we could. We brought down an army for him.”

She pauses again, head down. Until she murmurs, “…Hancock.” Another pause. “You can call me Hancock.”

You smile. You sit again and she follows your lead. “You really love him, huh?”

“…Yes. Of course I do.” A tiny tear forms in her eye again, even though her voice is still hard and cold. “…Sometimes I don’t understand how anyone can’t be.”

So you think very carefully for a moment, before telling her, “I understand. He’s the kindest person I’ve ever met, he’s…”

“He’s perfect.”

“Yeah, that.”

And even though jealousy still blooms in her icy heart, Hancock feels herself soften. She doesn’t feel like sustaining her mirage anymore right now. The fear and the tears and the confusing comradery chipping away at her evil façade and now she’s just so, so tired all of a sudden. “[Name,] right?” she says under her breath.

“Yeah.”

“You really think he’ll be ok?”

“He always is.” And without Zoro or Nami there to reprimand you about trust, you take up the role instead, squeezing Hancock’s shoulder and saying, “have faith in him. Worrying’s not gonna help any of us right now.”

She nods, tightening her lips. And then, all of a sudden, she bursts into tears and hugs her knees to her chest, hair falling over her face.

“Hey, Hancock!” You slide closer to her. “Please don’t cry, he’s going to be safe…”

“No!” she hisses, gritting her teeth, “I… I don’t know where Salome is. I want Salome. Everything’s falling apart!”

“…Salome?”

“My snake!” she cries, sniffing and wiping her nose.

“Don’t worry about that either, ok? I’m sure she’s alright, it’s all gonna be over soon… just don’t cry…”

And now here’s something you weren’t prepared for, Hancock leans her head against your shoulder. Her sobbing quiets. She grows still. You smile, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“It’s gonna be ok,” you whisper again, “hey, can I see your wrist?”

And she places her hand in yours. You lift her pale, slender wrist and notice swelling just beneath the palm. You recognize this, you know it well.

You start to laugh, and her stare grows a little icy again. “What?” she snaps.

“You sprained your wrist. Here, look…” You raise yours next to hers. Your swelling parallels each other, you’re even more alike, now. You’re matching.

“We’re matching. I sprained mine too.”

She smiles. This is the first time you’ve made her smile. She even laughs a little, very lightly, her heart feels like it’s being squeezed, but by a warm hand, not by a cold claw.

You sit with her, and talk sometimes, until you hear Luffy calling your names. Hancock stands up and dashes out of the turret, running to find him, and he stands proudly although his body is weakened. Dove has fallen. You’re all ok. Hancock hugs Luffy and then hugs Salome, who is curled beside him. She looks happy, which makes you happy, too.

And then Luffy pulls you into a hug. You don’t care anymore, you just want to hug him, and Hancock got a hug so you get one too. You squeeze Luffy so tightly and you don’t want to let go, his warmth and scent soothing your body, his strong arms wrapped around you and his hands rubbing your back. You’re very nervous he’s going to try to kiss you but he doesn’t, like he promised, he knows he’ll have time for all of that later.

The kraken is gone and everyone is waiting for you at the bay. Hancock is tearful when she has to part with Luffy and, strangely, she is for you too.

“Come to me whenever you need! I’ll always be there for you!” she promises Luffy, her voice going up an octave when she talks to him. And then, before she leaves for her ship, she turns to you. “[Name…] I hope we’ll meet again.” Her smile is gentle, but very real.

“Me too!” You call out to her, following Luffy away, back to the Sunny, amazed at the events of the day, full of happiness and relief and still a slight stinging from your wrist but love can heal almost anything, at least a little bit.

And maybe deep in her heart, Hancock knows. The way you and Luffy look at each other, your soft voices, the way he walks close to you and how it seems like he’s always ready to lean in for a hug. It pulls at the back of her mind. A sting of pain. But she’s good at pushing these things away.

She’s just so happy that she made a friend today.

#luffy x reader #luffy #one piece #one piece x reader #one piece fanfiction #boa hancock #luffy x reader angst

[cowyolks]

FORBIDDEN FRUIT

Chapter Two- The Shadow Chapter One Masterlist

Pairing: God! Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley x Female Reader

Prompt: A prophecy written long ago stated of a human that would become the God’s wife and live in his domain for the rest of eternity.

A/n: Thank you for all the love on the previous chapter! And a special thanks to @soapyghost for giving me some ideas for Ghost’s appearance!

“Then why don’t you?” His deep voice cut through the balmy night.

You felt the chill before you even turned around. There was something terribly wrong about the way this voice purred– something dark and dangerous that was met to lure in tortured souls.

But you were never one to be scared of the dark.

With curious eyes, you turned from the crow in the briar, paying little attention to the goosebumps that littered your arms. In this moment, it felt more like winter than the peak of summer. How strange.

At first when you had glanced in the direction of the voice, you couldn’t see anything. The gardens were dark, barely lit by the occasional lantern that burned fresh oil.

Then you caught the slight definition of a silhouette, perched against the marble monument of your clan’s crest.

“Who are you?” You strained, attempting to get a good look at the shadow. The dark figure was tall, taller than anyone in your village. Still, you didn’t seem to cower, even though you likely should.

“That doesn’t matter now.”

“If you won’t tell me your name, step into the light.”

An amused hum escaped from him, before he sat up straight, no longer leaning comfortably against the marble statue. Instead, his feet stepped hesitantly into the light pooling from the lantern.

Your eyes rounded as you tried to drink up every detail about this stranger. He was tall and wide, weathered and torn. In all honesty you weren’t sure this man was even human.

He wasn’t unlike his silhouette, covered in articles of black. If you looked closely, you could see the material swirling like smoke around his body.

Every instinct screamed for you to run– to go back to your mother and apologize for the way you’ve been acting. For something terribly wicked had just found you, and was staring like you were the only thing that was left on Earth. The skull he wore upon his face made it even worse, the bleached bone etched with dark paint, as if this was a helm for battle.

You should’ve ran… for he was death.

“You’re more beautiful than my mind could have ever conjured.” He mumbled.

Your mouth felt dry at the words, and when you went to speak, nothing came out. With round eyes, your brain spun in circles. His previous words had implied that he thought of you before, but you’ve never seen this man in your life.

A loud caw made you flinch, drawing your attention back to the crow upon the briar. The bird fluttered to your shoulder, digging its claws gently into your flesh. It had never landed upon you before.

A slow chuckle escaped from the man at the little bird’s call. You swiveled back to him, curiously watching his eyes through the skull.

“Come.” He tilted his fingers in a beckoning motion. Your face wrinkled at his bluntness, until the crow flapped it’s wings towards the man. 

Your eyes did a double-take as the black feathers of the bird shifted, instead turning into a gorgeous silver brooch. With a clip to the man’s clothes, it extended into a cloak.

“You- you’re the crow?” You stammered, feeling violated at all the times the bird had watched you.

“No. The crow is part of me.” His eyes fell to your neckline, a glimmer in his dark eyes at the rubies that sat perched upon the hollow of your throat. The rubies he had gave you.

“I don’t understand.”

“And I wouldn’t expect you to. Your mother has done wisely to hide you from me. To wed you off to another.”

“I don’t belong to anyone.” You found some boldness. His eyes flickered with amusement.

“No… you do not. Walk with me?” He let the offer stand, something you were hesitant to do. This man was a stranger– someone with the possession of magic. He swirled in his own darkness and chill.

Yet, you trusted him completely.

With careful steps you drew closer, feeling your heart race as you grew near inches from him. “I’ll walk with you. If you tell me your name.” You struck the deal, feeling small as his black eyes flickered down to you.

“I go by many. Some call me Hades, others Pluto, I’ve even been called Ghost. But for now, you may call me Simon.”

“Simon.” You tested the waters, not noticing the small shiver that tensed through his shoulders at his name.

He nodded his head, beckoning you to follow down the grassy path and into the winding meadows. Fireflies lit the path as you followed behind, making the scene that much more eerie. You bit your lip as you watched him stomp a path out for you to step, his shoulders and back tense with each step.

Your thoughts spun rapidly, it was then when you realized you’ve never introduced yourself to the man.

“I never even said who I was and you act as if you know me.”

He turned to you, towering over your small form in a way that only oozed raw power.

“I’ve known of you all my life. I’ve heard your name whispered in my head more than I can count. I’ve thought of you every minute of every cold miserable day.”

His hand reached to your cheek, but he did not touch you. He dropped his hand, as if he would break you with a single touch.

“You had me in your hands since the dawn of time.”

Air ceased to enter your lungs at such a proclamation. You couldn’t handle looking him in the eyes.

“How?” Was all you had said, and he looked as if he would have answered, if not for the mocking laugh that disturbed you both.

“You’re not supposed to be here.” Shepherd’s commanding voice made your body freeze as you turned to face him. The air grew chillier as Simon moved to stand in front of you, subtly shielding you from your betrothed.

“It’s midnight. The summer solstice is over, I can do as I please.” His deep voice angrily spat at Shepherd. You peaked around Simon’s shoulder, now fully being able to observe the eldest man.

He was no longer in the suit he wore to the feast, instead armor covered his legs and arms, a large and glimmering chestpiece fitted his chest, among with a helmet of shining gold.

“You’re taking what is mine.” He growled, unsheathing a large sword from his side. You gulped at the blade and the wicked flames that burned in your betrothed eyes.

“You dare? What’s yours? Has your thick skull forgotten of the prophecy?” Simon growled, you took notice of his own body shifting, silver slipping upon his body that formed into his own armor, molded to fit around his enormous frame. If you weren’t so confused and dazed you could have sworn you saw dark wings flutter against his back in anger.

“It seems to have slipped my mind…” Shepherd growled, turning his flamed eyes to your form, a sinister grin passing over his lips. “Come back to me, little bird.” He cooed dangerously. This was more of a command than a suggestion.

You felt the dangerous pull of Shepherd, your mind mush as an invisible force pushed you past Simon and closer to the man. You fought against the force, digging your heels into the dirt.

Simon’s hand felt like ice as he gripped onto your wrist. A hiss escaping him, when literal sparks flew from your connected touch.

“When you spoke of flying away, did you mean it? I won’t force you into fleeing if it’s not what you truly desire.” He spoke fast, eyes flickering dangerously between Shepherd and yourself. His stance coiled, as if ready for a potential fight.

You thought for a split second, your mind flashing to your clan, your mother, and your betrothed with eyes of flaming fire.

With an exhale, your eyes met his own shadowy ones.

“Take me away…”

—

Next Chapter

Tags: @queenqu33f @blueoorchid @lethalchiralium @eclipse-darling @galagcica @dead-noodles @agspgrwasb @toobsessedsstuff @mooniesyubi @cookielovesbook-akie @vile-villain6661 @peachlcve

Sorry if I missed anyone! <3

#cod #call of duty modern warfare #modern warfare #simon riley x reader #simon ghost riley #simon riley #simon ghost riley x reader #god!ghost #general shepherd

[circyexistforcontent]

IMPOSTER AU! BUT WITH AN OBLIVIOUS GOD READER

✿ trigger warnings: cultish behavior, yandere's, mentions of weaponry, attempted murder, religious themes, god reader being an idiot because they don't know someone is impersonating them

✿ notes: the reader is actually the god of teyvat, this isn't an isekai story. so if you don't like it I suggest you scroll by.

It's been a millennium since you have descended in Teyvat. Mostly for the reason you had other out worldly matters to deal with, so you didn't have time to visit your acolytes or take care of teyvat as a whole. So you decided to create a small extension of yourself, Celestia, to observe Teyvat while you were gone.

After unloading your work you decided that a small vacation wouldn't hurt. After all, a god deserves to rest too. Should you make yourself known to your acolytes? You probably shouldn't, some of them can be really...suffocating *Cough* Morax *Cough* and they might be busy with their own respective nations.

You decided to fuse back with Celestia, feeling some of Celestia's memories flood your mind and- oh my god. What the hell happened?

When did your acolytes start a war???

Most of your acolytes died a few centuries after you left. Some of your acolytes were so unbecoming at the time, and all you could feel is disappointment. They swore to themselves they would be peaceful, why did they decide to turn their back on you?

You decided once you descend to Teyvat, you will give them a lecture about promises and being truthful to your words.

You made sure to be careful when transferring a piece of your consciousness to Teyvat. Transferring a small piece of your power was hard enough without accidentally exploding the vision holder, if you brought even a fourth of yourself to the domain it will collapse. You can feel the familiar sensation of entering a world, feeling the breeze slowly brush past you as the sunlight beams above your form.

Monstadt, what use to be a frozen wasteland now became a city flourishing with people and plant life. Based on what you can remember, Barbatos, your little wisp friend, has now ascended to godhood and has dominion over Monstadt. You can remember how happy your little wind wisp would be every time you come to visit him after a long day of answering prayers and managing the constellations. He always loved head pats, and he fits in your pocket too.

Maybe you should visit him first, just like in the old times. You started walking through the forest, greeting every slime you walked past and every hillichurl that would see run towards you. Some have even offered you trinkets! Though you sadly couldn't wear it since it was on the brink of breaking apart, you promised to cherish it for centuries to come.

Sunlight shines through the end of the forest, but as you made your way to the exit an arrow whizzes through you. Not even getting the chance to make contact with your flesh (it's not like this form even has flesh), you saw a figure above a tree branch before it gracefully landed on the ground. You saw that they were holding a bow.

"Stay where you are, imposter!"

'Imposter?' You thought, what was she talking about? "Excuse me Amber, but who are you referring to?" Amber seem to be tense the moment you said her name. She prepared her bow again, making sure it's pointed to your head.

"How do you know me? And I was referring to you. You're trying to impersonate the Divine Creator." You made an 'aah' sound before waving dismissively, giving her a care free smile.

"You must be mistaken, you see I AM the Divine Creator. I know I haven't descended for a long time and this might be sudden but I promise I will make up for all the time I was go-"

Before you can try and reason more with Amber, an explosive plushie was thrown at you.

#🍒sagau #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #sagau x reader #sagau brainrot #genshin self aware #self aware genshin #genshin cult au #self aware genshin impact #zhongli x reader #venti x reader #sagau venti #sagau zhongli #sagau amber

[the--rebel--fae]

Hey Fae! Do you know about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? If not, basically they are biblical concept for rooted evil in humanity and first four of seven seals for the “end of the evil world” or whatever (conquest, war, famine, and death).

Anyways, to my request! I wanted to ask to see if you’d write a paring of a FourHorseman!reader with Vox from Hazbin Hotel (and any other characters from that show if you’d like to lol)

Thank you and Gl with ur other requests!

A/N This is probably gonna happen each time I post a request since I feel horrible for making all of y'all wait. So! Big sorrys for taking so long with this but tysm for your patience! Now! On to the main a/n: Oh my friend, you have triggered an idea that is genius! Ooh this reminds me of that one episode from Charmed.--if you know which one, you totally rock. I had so much fun with this! I hope you like it too! 😊

Pairing: Vox x Strife! Four Horsemen! Reader

TW: Just swears, but that's about it.

Word Count: 814

His Little Chaos Bringer

The brick wall felt like a cool and relaxing solace as you leaned against it. Your pencil scratching furiously away in your notebook. Today had a been quite the productive day.

Though, you could have done without Blitzø's hissy fit for nearly missing the portal entry back to hell. He was complaining how you nearly cost him big time as he took you back into your main domain of the pride ring.

“You're lucky you're so damn powerful and make our jobs easier, you twerp.” He grumbled at you as he practically shoved you out of the I.M.P. van.

An amused chuckle made it passed your lips as you closed your notebook with a satisfying snap. You couldn't help that you were on a roll today with causing so many humans strife. You were the epitome of it after all being one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Your other three siblings were Lucifer knows where and you didn't really give a damn as long as they were keeping their stats up and making sure the plan stayed on track.

Your notebook was already bursting with your successes, an impressive list of names and ways you affect them filled its yellow time worn pages. And that was only today.

Looking around at stretch of land that was the V's part of Pentagram City you let out a tired sigh. You loved what you did, you really do. But after a long day of causing misery, all you wanted to do was collapse in a comfy chair and just relax as you listened to your boyfriend boast about his day.

The brief silence that filled the air in the little alleyway you were taking a break in was quickly broken by the sound of your ringtone: The Flight of the Valkyries–little on the nose but you were always a fan of the classics.

You glanced at the caller ID and grinned. “Well, ask and ye shall receive I guess.” Clicking answer, you couldn't keep the smile out of your voice. “It's like you just knew I needed to talk to you. Should I add telepathy to the list of your talents?”

A deep chuckle. “Well hello to you too Doll. Rough day I take it?”

You leaned your head back against the wall and felt the satisfying thump of cool brick against the back of your head. “Not hard, just very long. Apparently causing misery for a living can drain someone a lot.”

“Why don't you come back home to the tower and I'll see what I can do to help get some pep back in your step hmm?”

A smirk played at your lips. You definitely didn't miss the innuendo in that sentence. “Sounds perfect actually. I'll be there in five.”

A pleased hum could be heard on the other line. “Looking forward to it Doll. See you soon.”

“See you soon, Vox.” The call ended seconds after.

Pushing forward you felt your muscles stretch out in relief. A spark of excitement and contentment ran through you. Sometimes it paid to be the romantic partner of one of the strongest overlords and a tech genius like Vox. No matter how busy the two of you were, you were always able to make time for each other at the end of the day.

***

As the elevator door to Vox's penthouse suit swished open, a tired smile was brought to your lips at the sight before you. In front of the blue satin couch, on the table laid a beautiful–and frankly absolutely mouth watering dinner with two champagne flutes filled with wine.

“I take it you like the surprise?”

You let out a pleased hum and walk forward. "What do you think?" Wrapping your arms around Vox's neck, you lightly bumped your forehead against the top of his screen. An amused giggle passed your lips as you watch Vox's screen take on a light rosy hue around where his cheeks are supposed to be.

"Well, I'm glad you like it, my little chaos bringer." Vox gave you a soft peck on the lips. His kisses always left you with a tingling feeling--probably thanks to the fact that he is a literal tv, but you couldn't help but want more. Maybe at a later time, the night was still young after all.

"You know exactly how to make a gal feel special don't ya?"

Vox pulled away from your grasp and gave a wink. "Doll, you're special no matter what."

You couldn't help the snort that passed your lips. "Wow, cheesy much?"

Vox just waved you off. "What? I was just trying to be romantic!"

A fond smile pulls at your lips. You were probably one of the most powerful beings in Hell seeing who you were, but if this was the life you got to come back to everyday? It's all worth it.

A/N that was so much fun to write. I truly enjoyed this request! Feel free to request again! I hope you enjoyed it!

And if you guys want even more stories--like maybe your own personalized several-page long one-shots or even a multi-chap fic take a look at my Etsy Shop! I do commissions! I even have listings for Hazbin Hotel!

#the rebel fae #hazbin hotel x reader #requests #commissions open #hazbin hotel season 1 #vox x reader #hazbin vox #hazbin hotel vox #vox x you #hazbin hotel imagine #the four horsemen #blitzo #helluva boss #blitzø #helluva boss blitz #hazbin hotel x y/n #hazbin hotel x you #vox #hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel drabble

[muchbetterthanjimmy]

I've never posted before, but I'm going absolutely mental.

[SPOILERS FOR DIMENSION 20's FANTASY HIGH: JUNIOR YEAR]

So, first of all, stellar ep as usual, but for the last 6-ish hours something has been bugging me, and it just hit me like a tray of shrimp.

BLeeM sometimes references real-world things/places in campaigns, but for some reason that Turkey/Türkiye reference seemed Weird to me, not in the way that there's anything wrong, but it just seemed weirdly specific and random for what it was.

And then I realised. Ankarna (the dead deity's name) is very close to Ankara, the capital of Türkiye, which isn't that strange on it's own, but how close it happened from the Türkiye mention to then the name reveal--it was a thread. So, I pulled it.

Ankara (The Anchor)

Ankara (and Türkiye) has a long, rich, complicated history. Long story short-ish, the Greeks took it from the Persians, Galatians took it from the Greeks, and then the Roman Empire rolled in. And then some more shit happened, but that's not the point of this post. Right now, I just want to look at the name--specifically, its name in Classical Greek and Latin.

In Classical Greek, it was called Áγκυρα (Ánkyra), which ἄγκῡρα means 'anchor' or 'support'. In Modern Greek, 'anchor' is άγχυρα, which is sort of similar sound-wise, but not as close as in Classical Greek.

When it was part of the Roman province Galatia, the city was known as Ancӯra in Latin, again close to ancora (Latin for 'anchor').

[Unrelated side note for nerds, but the Latin angor sounds similar to anger, but it's a false cognate. It means suffocation, but also, in a figurative sense, anguish. And I think that's neat!]

Bakur & Ruvina

Because of the Ankarna realisation, I looked into Bakur and Ruvina's names, just to see if there was anything there.

Bakur supposedly means 'north' in Kurmanji/Northern Kurdish--if you trust Google Translate. Another Türkiye connection, Kurdish can be found spoken in parts of it. There may also be a connection in Arabic to 'copper', but I don't speak Kurdish or Arabic, so I couldn't tell you. Take my loosely researched info at your own risk!

Ruvina possibly means 'ruin' in Corsican. There's also results on various baby name sights for a connection to 'sun' or 'sunny, bright', possibly from Hindi, but I'm just a sad little nerd who doesn't speak Hindi, so again, I can neither confirm nor deny accuracy.

Also, just for fun, I ran Ankarna through Google Translate as well, and it came back detecting Swedish, supposedly meaning 'the anchors' which is interesting.

I wasn't able to clock what accent Nara has, nor do I know any Swedish people, but it sounded like she might be 'vague Nordic'. I may be way off, though. Also, again, I have no idea how accurate Google Translate Swedish is, but at the very least, the meaning lines up with the Latin and Classical Greek.

Why Does This Even Matter?

We've seen that gods can change based on those who support and believe in them, in addition to other factors. Maybe Ankarna lost or gave her followers to Ruvina/gave up her domain because Sol/Helio were looking to expand. Cassandra seems to be in their corrupted state again, so maybe the Bad Kids are able to bring Ankarna out of theirs as well. I have no clue. This is less of a theory and more of a 'Hey, my brain works like shit, but I recognize that from somewhere--Oh!' and now it's back to memory soup for anything that happened more than 5 minutes ago. So, passing the torch to someone who has a better memory than me: in the episodes we've seen so far, is there anything here worthwhile? Am I just a nerd? Ask again later, signs point to yes.

I just think it's interesting to possibly have the deity's name mean 'anchor' in a campaign where everyone is kind of off the rails/burnt out, but trying to hold on for dear life and succeed in order to keep everything they care about safe. Especially if we're taking it to mean the less common, more religious 'support' meaning. A deity that grounds, anchors, holds steady. Order to the chaos.

Cassandra is the deity of Mystery and the Unknown (shoutout to the Willy Wonka Experience), and it would be interesting if her spouse was that of Clarity and the Known. Not oppressive structure, but support, grounding. Not to quote Kristen's parents (ew), but there are some things we do know.

I'm truly excited to see where the rest of this season goes. The effort that the Dropout and Dimension 20 team put into every season and show is absolutely incredible and such a joy to be able to watch. They're such a lovely group of creatives and forces of positive action in the world.

ALSO WHY ARE THEY 24 POINT STARS? What's the significance???? 24 hours in a day??? 12 months? Some smaller variation but it's just the spikes go in all directions???? Why 24??? WHY 24??????

Note: Using Türkiye because the country officially changed it's name from Turkey back to it's Turkish name Türkiye, and a lot of people are not aware--which is fair because this is a big world with a lot going on all of the time--but it's important to respect that change!

#dimension 20 #d20 #d20 spoilers #d20 fhjy #d20 fantasy high #fantasy high #fantasy high junior year #fabian seacaster #riz gukgak #adaine abernant #kristen applebees #gorgug thistlespring #fig faeth #aelwyn abernant #tracker o'shaughnessey #brennan lee mulligan #dropout #i am crazy but i am free

[madhatterbri]

Lips Of An Angel | M.J.

Summary: Reader and Matthew have a late night conversation.

Author's Note: Thanks to @supakixbabe for the GIF. This popped into my head since man seems like he is always brooding. Do not take this seriously.

@plentyoffandoms @midwestmade29 Pure fiction

Matthew sat up in the living room couch channel surfing through the television. It was just another boring night at home. The kids were asleep. His wife lay in their bed watching whatever program caught her interest. His mind started to drift away as he thought about you. To his shock, you must have been thinking about him too. His phone lit up with your picture and name. You were calling him. Panic set in as he wondered if something happened to you. He looked at the clock. Midnight. Something definitely had to have happened for the late-night phone call. He grabbed his phone and peered down the hallway. His wife was still in bed. In a split-minute decision, he answered the phone and went into the backyard. His family could never hear the conversation he was about to have. "Y/N? It is midnight," he pointed out as if you didn't own a watch or clock. He was answered by the sounds of you crying. He recognized this cry from before. You were thinking about the life you could have had with him before everything fell apart. Matthew asked anyway. "Are you ok? Why are you crying?" "Just thinking about what my life could have been like with you," you admitted between breathy sobs. "Why are you whispering?" "I am outside. She is awake in the bedroom and I don't want her to hear us," he answered. Matthew looked down and shifted his feet. "I was just thinking about you, you know? Sometimes I wish she was you," Those affirmations seemed to calm you down a bit. You were now still breathing heavily on the phone, but at least you were calmer. Matt hated saying those words out loud but they were true. He didn't only have these thoughts in the bad times, but in the good ones as well. No matter what his wife did he always wondered how you would have done things. "Matthew," you whispered just getting your bearings back. His legs faltered at the mention of his name. The way it rolled off your tongue each time no matter the circumstance. You were his angel on Earth. The two of you could never be apart from each other. "Did you remember what today was then?" He inquired and looked at his watch to see the date. Today was the anniversary of the day he met you at one of the Dynamite tapings. He was walking around the arena and spotted you in the first row. His feet felt like they were planted in the ground. His brother had to drag him away before it started to raise suspicions. Matthew suddenly got a bitter taste in his mouth. "Does he know you're talking to me right now?" He asked. The same douchebag that sat next to you in the arena. It was obvious he was out of his domain. The guy had a scowl on his face the entire time. The man looked miserable even though he had some amazing seats. At least you were there to make things better. "He is at work. It would just start a fight if he knew I was talking to you," you sighed. Plenty of times you opened up about your marriage to this guy. The fear of the unknown kept you with him. He was your high school sweetheart. What if you couldn't find someone else to love you?

"You and I would certainly be in the same boat," he spoke and let his mind start to reminisce about you. The way you brought your head back to laugh at all his jokes. All the times you cheered him and his brother on despite the odds. "Matthew, I wish things could be different," you confessed. "I love it when you say my name," he reminded her. His heart skipped a beat when you confessed the same feelings he had. He sighed and rubbed his face. You made it so hard to be faithful. A thought popped into his head. Maybe just one night wouldn't be so bad. "I saw on the calendar we are going to be a few hours from you. Maybe we both stay at the same hotel?" he asked. Your giggle and excitement was all he needed to hear.

#Spotify #aew fanfiction #aew fanfic #matt jackson fanfiction #matthew jackson x reader #matthew jackson x you #matthew jackson x y/n #matth jackson x you #matt jackson x y/n #matt jackson x reader

[thezoraprince]

“Will You Marry Me?” - Sidon x reader

“I have no idea how to word this and I’m so sorry if it’s a bad request but randomly I just thought of Sidon and hylian reader being friends when they were younger and Sidon asking her to marry him or something (the zora way), and she just responds with “if you can ask me that same question in a hundred years, I’ll marry you” and then they meet up again a hundred years later cause we started traveling with link and now they are sitting in the same spot and Sidon asks the same question😭 I know this is really bad but like” - anon

oh. mY. GOD! THE FEELS!! the friendship. the passing of time. everything. everything about this request is great. trust me, you did the lord’s work here by sending this in :’)

i had this all written out, and wanted to wait to post this one tomorrow. however, i’m feeling emotional tonight, and i felt posting it was needed.

i hope you enjoy (because this one is probably one of my favorites) <333

y/n - your name

“When we’re old enough, will you marry me?”

you were just kids

play pretending around the Bank of Wishes

but he wasn’t playing at the moment

he was serious about his statement

“Sidon… Zora’s age a little differently than Hylians…”

“I know…”

you sighed

“If you can ask me that again in a hundred years, I will.”

Sidon laughed

he knew your answer would have been different if Hylian’s and Zora’s aged the same

however, he also knew that you were both too young to get married regardless

time passed 

things changed

but your friendship never faded

never

but then

you were put into stasis

Purah and Impa thought it was best, since you were technically helping Link on his quest to save Hyrule

you wake up in a foggy haze

hardly remembering anything 

‘Where am I?’

as you venture along though, your memories start to return

even before you remember Sidon and Zora’s Domain, you’re heading that way

because your body just… leads you

it remembers the things you don’t

and here you are

standing in the domain’s center

hoping that someone could lead you in the right direction

lead you to remembering why you’re here

and there’s Sidon

Vah Ruta had already been taken care of

and he was running his daily errands

when he sees you, he drops EVERYTHING in his arms

he runs to you

wrapping his arms so tightly around your body

as if you’d been missing for a century

to him, though, you had been

“Y/n!”

he’s holding you so tightly

tears streaming down his cheeks and into your hair

you’re still trying to remember

but his touch feels so familiar to you

the Zoras in the area are starting 

but Sidon doesn’t care

“I’m so happy you’re safe.”

it takes some time to re-familiarize yourself with the domain

and Sidon is more than happy to help you regain your memories

he’s so understanding

and patient

oH HYLIA this man is patient

he tells you stories of your past

and stories of after you’d left

he makes everything seem so crystal clear

and once you fully regain a sense of self

and once your memories have returned

you remember what he said all those years ago

but you don’t say anything

because you know he couldn’t possibly remember something so small and silly

but still

you find yourselves sat at the Bank of Wishes

wading your feet in the water

your head laying against Sidon’s arm

and he smiles at you

“You know I love you, right?”

and you smile with a light, cheerful laugh

“I do.”

and he’s silent for a moment

he stares out into the water, thinking

“Do you remember what I asked the last time we were here? I’m sure it’s a bit fuzzy, but I wan—”

“I remember, Sidon.”

and his focus shifts to you

his eyes are wide

and he looks as if he’s seen a ghost

“I remember it well, actually. I remember the lotus flowers being in full bloom, just like they are now; how clear the sky was; how… how young we were…”

he’s silent still

“I remember.”

“Good.”

your focus on the water now 

you’re half expecting him to make a joke about how young and naive the both of you were

but

he doesn’t

“My feelings for you haven’t faded, you know…”

and you simply nod, still staring at the waves in the river

he caresses your face

“Y/n…”

you turn to face him

and his eyes gleaming from the sunlight’s reflection on the water

he stares at you for just a moment before placing his lips on yours

he’s soft

he’s warm

inviting

he pulls away slowly, his hand still placed on your cheek

“Is your answer still the same?”

you don’t speak

he knows your answer

but he still wants to ask

“Y/n, will you marry me?”

#oh my god i needed to write this #literally sobbing #thank you again anon #sidon #sidon x reader #prince sidon #prince sidon imagine #prince sidon fanfiction #prince sidon fanfic #legend of zelda prince sidon #prince sidon fluff #prince sidon would include #prince sidon headcanon #prince sidon headcanon x reader #prince sidon botw #prince sidon legend of zelda #prince sidon x reader #prince sidon x reader imagine #prince sidon x reader headcanon #prince sidon x reader would include #prince sidon x reader fanfic #prince sidon x reader fanfiction #prince sidon x reader fic #prince sidon x reader fluff #botw #botw x reader #loz: botw x reader #tloz: botw x reader

[karniss-bg3]

Now this is just a pure theory but I'm wondering what you think of it. It was actually what you wrote that helped me think about this. There is a book in General Thorm's room called Attractive Drow Exiles. And it talks about the plan used to drag in unwilling Drow members by using a man (presumably a Drow) called Xilvre (sounds like Silver) to go down and stir up some trouble. He was described as very loyal but annoyingly enthusiastic. If this was Kar'niss before he was changed, it does answer a lot of questions. The book says he was probably killed, but the book was written before the event took place. It would make more sense that the Drow would punish Xilvre by changing him into a Drider for going against his kind and Lolth. And it shattered his mind in the process. And when he came back, they gave him the task with the lantern.

This is an interesting point you bring up. I was first alerted to the existence of that book by an anonymous ask and @novarex who made a post about it here. After I read it I asked myself "Who was Xilvre?". I didn't delve into it deeper than that at the time but this could be a lead.

The first thing to note is this book lists Xilvre as "True Soul 113". The definition of a True Soul according to the wiki is as follows:

True Souls are Followers of the Absolute who have been infected with an Illithid tadpole that grants them psionic powers similar to the player. They serve as commanding members of the Absolute's army. True Souls almost always have a Mind Flayer Parasite Specimen that can be looted from their bodies if killed.

When Kar'niss dies he doesn't have a parasite on his body that can be looted, nor is there evidence that he is in charge of any army within Moonrise. He acts as a guide but beyond that he follows commands more than I'd say he gives them. On the list of True Souls in Act 2, Kar'niss isn't listed as being one. When he first meets the player he does acknowledge that they are a True Soul, but he never suggests that he is one also, or that they have common ground in that regard.

The counter argument I'd make is the definition of True Soul says "almost always" when it comes to mind flayer parasites that can be looted. This leaves room for doubt that even though he doesn't have a parasite the player can take, it doesn't mean he is without one as a whole. Furthermore, certain dialogue trees and failed DC checks insinuate that Kar'niss can tap into and read the players mind, suggesting some sort of psionic link; Thus, a tadpole being present.

This leaves his status a bit open ended. If Kar'niss is Xilvre, perhaps he was titled as a True Soul to start. The drow captured him for being a heretic and turned him into a drider. When he slinked back to Moonrise he was demoted as a True Soul and given the job as a guide as his transformation made his mind too broken to be useful. He or someone else changed his name and he started life anew.

The one glaring issue I see is that if the drow, or Lolth, discovered that one of their own was planning to not only turn against the spider queen but also sabotage their very way of life, I don't think he would've gotten off as easy as he did. Betrayal of that magnitude would be a death sentence and it's likely why Ketheric foresaw Xilvre's demise. I can't imagine if Lolth saw a threat to her domain she wouldn't lash out to the fullest against any who supported the notion. Driders are made as a result of failure, weakness or displeasure. What Xilvre was tasked to do dwarfs all three. Xilvre would make an excellent example to those who turned against Lolth and no doubt his end would've been a messy one. There is a chance he could've been spared but it'd be an unusual mercy.

What I think could be more likely is that Kar'niss was part of the warband lured out by Xilvre's antics. Driders are known to work with and fight alongside other drow despite how thin the trust can be. He was ambushed alongside the others and dragged in to become part of the Absolute's forces. Either that or he overheard what Xilvre had done or said and curiosity led him out of the Underdark in search of a new Goddess to follow, perhaps a cure for his affliction.

It's all good theorycrafting fun. There is some overlap between Kar'niss and Xilvre. Even the name sounds like something that could fit Kar'niss with the pronunciation of "silver". That and the description of being a "tedious enthusiast" does describe Kar'niss fairly well, at least how we know him now. It'd be quite the plot twist if true!

Thanks for the ask!

#baldur's gate 3 #kar'niss #drider #bg3 #karniss #baldurs gate 3 #answered #drow #Lolth #True Soul #theorycrafting #Xilvre #Attracting Drow Exiles #Act 2

[nyxvamps]

we know that all the demigods are on the neurodivergent spectrum but i think their godly parents are all also on that spectrum.

zeus stims with his bolt by tapping his nails against the edge or knocking it against his knee. he has accidentally zapped hera and others at least every other meeting. he also hyperfixates on how mortals can predict the weather. he secretly thinks it’s really neat.

poseidon has to have curtains over the windows in his meeting room because he will look up every 5 seconds whenever a fish swims by. he also picks at his nails and taps his feet when he’s thinking hard. he also can get random bursts of energy that stops him from sleeping every few nights before he collapses since he’ll use this time to get as much done as possible.

hades will pretend to listen when he has an audience in his throne room but is actually counting the souls within his robes for the 100th time. he also clicks his tongue whenever he’s thinking about something. eye contact is rather way to much or none at all. he has not figured out the right balance for that yet.

apollo vocally stims. what do you think all of his random poetry is? he’ll also hum the same 10 seconds of a song over and over for days on end. and he’ll shimmy in place when he stands still for too long. he also has some rsd (rejection sensitivity disorder, i think that’s the name) so when people make jokes about his poetry or music, he gets genuinely upset. he’ll pretend it’s all fine though.

athena actually has executive dysfunction and will sometimes have to literally force herself (with her godly powers) to accomplish the to-do list she made for the day. she also rehearses what she says to others before she has to speak with them. it’s easier to make sure she doesn’t make any mistakes.

hermes almost has something like the zoomies. he’ll take a few minutes and go run a few laps and stim (usually flapping his hands or stomping) before he needs to deliver his next package. he might take a second to jump up and down for a bit to get his energy out.

hephaestus created hyperfixation. whether it’s a new invention or a topic he heard one of his kids mention. he will not stop focusing on it for months if not years. since time works differently for gods anyways. he also can get very apathetic so he has to remind himself how to interact with others so he doesn’t offend them with a blunt comment or a lack of interest. (i’m not projecting at all)

aphrodite uses her makeup and hair as an excuse to stim. she’ll fix up her hair or makeup every for minutes for a reason to move her hands. she and ares have a deal where he’ll let her know if someone is being sarcastic because, unless she’s doing it or it’s very obvious, she can’t recognize it.

demeter genuinely likes plant life more than other people. (don’t blame her) it’s a little cliche that her special interest would be her domain but she genuinely loves to learn about plants. she’ll even look into the ways that mortals study and understand plants.

ares has major rsd (rejection sensitivity disorder). when he’s told to wait a second or if someone has to reschedule something, it really gets to him even though he logically knows that it doesn’t mean they hate him now (again, not projecting at all). this is a big reason for why he is so blunt and aggressive with others (in the pjo universe) bc the less people he’s close too, the less people can push him away. (i’m talking about his kids, specifically)

Mr. D likes to drink wine for the mouth feel. he likes how tart and sour wines make the inside of his mouth feel tight (projection). he also only has 2 demigod children (in canon) bc he doesn’t like the thought of having 3 because it’ll make the number uneven. and then with more kids, since he’s at camp, that’s more people he has to be emotionally available for.

this is just my opinion. i just think they’re neat.

#pjo #pjo headcanons #pjo headcanon #pjo au #godly parents

[moosemonstrous]

btw I have now put links to both the tag here and on AO3 in my bio bc I got sick of scrolling through tumblr 😌 Full disclosure - I have met lab people who act like small animals caught in the middle of a road whenever someone dares to enter their domain.

Ghost Rider Pacific Rim AU - sticks and stones

“Can’t promise the spot will stay open,” Kwok tells him apologetically. “But this is good, no? All the young’uns want to go to the academy!”

Robbie would bet his working eyeball that none of the young'uns would be so keen on it after ten minutes alone with Major Brooks. “So I keep hearing,” he mutters. “Sorry for the trouble. I appreciate you taking me on in the first place.”

“Navos is good people,” Kwok shrugs. The Shatterdome functions on a rather opaque network of favours and IOUs. ‘Good people’ seems to be a fairly high praise. Not quite on 'one of ours' level, but high. “You remember me when you are a ranger up in the dome and we’re even.”

And just like that, the transport maintenance chapter of Robbie’s career closes with little fanfare. Technically, he didn’t have to come speak to Kwok in person – his assignment has already gone through and the man would’ve been notified either way. He doesn’t want to leave a bad impression, though. For all he knows, the battery of tests he’d been fast-tracked through the day before will spit out some convoluted reason for why the drift activated on its own and he will be back on the job market before the end of the week. At least there are plenty of positions open – it’s easier to hire someone inside the base and train them up than wait for the paperwork to clear for an experienced worker from the outside.

He remembers the last time he let himself think things were finally turning around, though. He’s not going to make that mistake again.

At least his head is clearer after half an hour in a giant magnet and a full night’s sleep. He’s still unable to hold a conversation with Ivanov without some truly strange thoughts popping up like bubbles on the surface of a pot – the more tired or angry he gets, the harder it is to ignore them. He knew he was going to pay for running on fumes for weeks, and being sedated for nearly three days must have knocked something loose, but. Nothing proper sleep hygiene and some semblance of a routine won’t fix.

Or maybe you’re just noticing stuff, because you ain’t an idiot. Huh? Could it be that?

Or maybe this whole business with The Charger is extremely weird and Robbie should be packing up and running for the hills. Unfortunately, his and Gabe’s permits only work in Hong Kong and when he last checked how much it would be to fly back to US, he had to sit down for a long moment. Even if he was willing to risk taking a ship, where would that leave them? Back on a decimated coast, hoping the wind doesn’t blow over nuclear fallout, and struggling to find enough food for both of them? Queuing at state borders for days or weeks, hoping they’ll be lucky enough to get through on the increasingly stringent rules? Nevada already stopped letting in anyone without immediate family members or sponsors in-state.

Looks like the only way forward is through.

His wristband scans through to the R&D wing now. The soldiers standing guard give Robbie odd looks, but don’t make a move to stop him, so he forces his shoulders down and walks through the armoured door like he knows what he’s doing.

He has no idea what he’s doing. Cho said, ‘come find me in R&D before noon’. There are at least fifteen labs just in this one corridor and none of the doors have anything approaching a comprehensible naming convention. Some signs are just a piece of printer paper with a name scrawled over it, some have the original writing taped over with a KEEP OUT sticker, some seem to list the people working inside. None of those list an Amadeus Cho. It’s half past eleven.

Eventually, Robbie sticks his head in a room labelled ‘HMT DES’. Inside, there are three circular podiums with a mannequin each, showcasing variations of the PPDC hazmat suits. There are three people inside; two hide behind the middle suit as soon as they notice him, leaving the third to fend for herself.

“Can–can I help you?” she asks nervously. She has blue hair and wears fishnet sleeves over a tank top. Not exactly the nerd attire Robbie was expecting.

“I’m looking for Amadeus Cho,” he explains, trying to look as non-threatening as possible. It’s the opposite of what he usually tries to achieve, and she looks like she might be having an anxiety attack. “Any idea where I could find him?”

The girl listens to some frantic whispering from behind the suit. “In the bone lab,” she squeaks. Then blushes so hard Robbie worries she might actually pass out. “Up one floor, two doors down on the left, thankyouseeyoulater.”

What the hell.

He closes the door.

At least with the directions he finds the right room in less than five minutes. The label indeed reads ‘bone lab’. He’s pretty sure the music blasting from the inside is Dead Kennedys. When nobody answers his knocking, he prays he isn’t about to embarrass himself further and pushes the door open.

Cho is standing with his back to him at a table completely covered in… either huge chunks of dirty plaster or – more likely and vastly more disturbingly – massive bone fragments. He’s holding a metal training staff. Before Robbie can call out, he brings it over his head and smashes one of the chunks. When it doesn’t break, he adjusts his grip and tries again. And again. And again, until the greenish-grey surface cracks, at which point he gives out a little whoop.

“Cho?” Robbie risks. The music is too loud, coming from a small bluetooth speaker at the edge of the table. It’s shaped like a cat head. “Hey, Cho!”

Cho whirls around with the staff ready to smack the intruder. He’s wearing thick safety goggles. When he sees Robbie, he drops his weapon to the table with a clatter. “Good news!” he shouts over the music, like it’s normal both for people to just show up in his lab and to start a conversation from the middle. “You don’t have brain cancer!”

Well. That’s definitely good news.

“Was that a–?” He waits for Cho to lower the speaker’s volume through his phone. “Was that a risk?”

Cho is busy checking his messages, frowning. “Did you break my outfitters?”

“What?”

“Hazmat lab?” The frown becomes a grin as he scrolls through a bunch of texts. Robbie feels like that’s worse. “Good job getting on their good side, they might be designing your drivesuit soon.”

“I just–“ Can we get to the point? This kid is missing a screw. “You said to come find you?”

“Yes! Come on, take a–“ he picks up a hammer from an office chair before sliding it towards Robbie. “There you go. I was hoping we could talk without the grown-ups hovering around.”

The grown-ups. Robbie can already feel a headache coming. He takes a seat while Cho leans on the table, untroubled by a pile of skeletal remains inches from his back. “Talk about what?”

Cho scrambles around for a remote and points it at one of the screens at a wall behind Robbie. He flicks through several output sources – one is most definitely a cartoon show Gabe used to love back in L.A. – until he finds what looks like the Hell Charger’s blueprints.

“That,” he says, suddenly serious. “What do you actually know about this jaeger?”

“I already–“

“Yeah, but that can’t be all,” Cho cuts him off impatiently. “I found your records from before your mom took you and your brother off-base. You were eight. Your dad never took you to the hangar?”

Not really. Mama didn’t want you losing fingers in the machinery.

“Wasn’t a place for a kid,” he mumbles. There are records? “I don’t really remember much from that time. Weren’t all the records sealed?”

I told you Ivanov is full of shit.

“Oh, they were,” Cho smirks. “But the last guy in my role had access to some of the classified stuff, and nobody ever revoked it. You know how it is.”

Robbie has no idea how it is. “What do they say?”

“Nothing!” Cho groans. “Just that you and your brother existed. That’s why I’m asking.”

It’s both crushingly disappointing and a perfectly good reason for Ivanov to just say there was no information available. Keep deluding yourself. You’ll see I’m right sooner or later. Still, Robbie doesn’t really have much he can – or wants to – tell Cho.

“Sorry, I can’t help,” he shrugs. “I’m told we left before it was decommissioned. Mom never talked about it.”

Cho lifts up his goggles to his forehead to rub his eyes. He seems frustrated. “No weird work anecdotes? No drama about close calls?” He huffs when Robbie shakes his head. “Great. Another dead end. What did Ivanov tell you?”

“Just that my dad used to be a pilot. That he died killing Daggerblight.”

There is a long moment where Cho watches him like he’s waiting for Robbie to crack and admit to some vast conspiracy. When nothing happens, he blows the air out of his cheeks. “Bummer. Oh well, let’s go find Montesi before she starts wondering where we are.”

Robbie feels the bottom of his stomach freeze over. “We were supposed to be meeting her, too?”

Cho is already walking over to the door. He holds it open with a stupid little bow. “Yep. We better hurry.”

Robbie kind of wants to punch him. He’s beginning to suspect this will be a common occurrence.

#ghost rider pacific rim au #robbie reyes #amadeus cho #the texts amadeus is getting are mostly keysmash followed by 'he cute tho' #amadeus stop bringing up how little he remembers he'll do something stupid about it

[666writingcafe]

We've Arrived

MC

As soon as I land in front of the entrance of the reaper's cave, I feel increased pressure in my head. Solomon would probably tell me that it's just my body's reaction to traveling through the portal, except that this didn't happen the last time, and we were traveling between realms.

Looking around, I see that Asmo, Mammon, and Levi ended up landing on top of each other, while everyone else landed upright.

"Well, I couldn't have asked for a better landing," Solomon remarks, causing the three demons on the ground to glare at him. The sorcerer simply shrugs and tells them that they should have watched where they landed.

I tune out everyone talking amongst themselves as I take in my surroundings. It seems as though Solomon's reaper is nowhere to be found. The cave itself looks abandoned, like no one has stepped foot inside for thousands of years.

If it weren't for the note written in fresh blood, I'd say that Solomon has led us astray.

Wait.

Why is there a note written in blood?

"Guys," I call out to the others. "You might want to look at this."

"It looks like it's for Solomon," Satan observes once everyone has gathered around me. "And it does not seem inviting at all."

"Attention Solomon, you damned pest of a magician, just try sneaking inside my cave while I'm gone and I promise you, I'll make you pay," Levi reads.

I'll take your candle and trample it, boil it, knead it, flatten it into a paper-thin pancake, and chop it into a million pieces! Then your soul will be mine, you boneheaded fool!

Great. Just great.

I know that once someone possesses you, your mind basically turns into a revolving door that anyone can enter and leave whenever they want, but still. Why now?

"You have to admit, that's pretty funny," Solomon chuckles.

It wasn't meant to be funny, you imbecile! I am trying to threaten you!

What exactly did Solomon do to you? I ask the female-sounding voice in my head.

It's a long story...wait. Is this MC?

Last I checked. Why?

I have heard so much about you. It's amazing that something that appears so ordinary is the complete opposite.

Was that a backhanded compliment?

"The reaper's cave consists of five levels, each one deeper than the last," Solomon explains to us. "The usual rules of the human world, Devildom, or Celestial Realm do not apply here. This is the reaper's domain. If you break any of their rules, then a truly terrifying punishment awaits you."

"Sounds dangerous," I respond.

Don't worry, MC. I'll make sure nothing happens to you.

Why should I trust you? I don't even know your name.

I'm Thirteen, and you are currently standing in front of my cave.

#obey me shall we date #obey me mc #obey me thirteen #obey me solomon #obey me brothers

[hyuukais]

okay so i just finished The Sun and The Star and thus am plagued with thoughts of demigod au’s so here are some of the thoughts:

(some of this is also inspired by The Star Seekers lore and what not)

Yeonjun: okay so,,,i’m kinda torn between child of ares and child of aphrodite. on the one hand there’s that firey almost aggressive drive and ambition. his agility and strength pose a threat on both the battlefield and the dance floor. then there’s also his,,looser temper. however, a lot of that can also translate over as a child of aphrodite. his intense passion and overwhelming compassion. his love and passion for performing such a prime motivator to continue pushing himself. a huge heart with so much love for all those in his life. Not to mention his interests in fashion and beauty and creating statements with clothes (or his flirting on weverse). children of aphrodite do also have their snappy moments as well. which is why i’ll say Yeonjun is a Child of Aphrodite.

Soobin: okay, so, i was actually having a rEALLY hard time with soobin. originally i thought perhaps athena, natural-born leader, but that didn’t feel entirely right. then maybe hephaestus? but definitely not right either. Demeter is a little too child-of-the-earth for him and Iris just doesn’t seem to work. Of course in Star Seekers soobin is an archer, but even Apollo doesn’t feel right. It was only after talk with someone else that it kind of settled where he belonged. Now, it’s be a little weird for a demigod to be unfit for the domain of their parent, but it’s not uncommon. In fact, many children’s mortal parents will actually instill fear of their godly parents element as though it will keep them safe. It’s odd that soobin, despite his inability to swim, comes across most accurately as a child of poseidon. however, the sea is equal parts powerful and terrifying and calm and comforting. a gentle giant, an imperfect leader, introverted and rarely commanding, but caring and willing in all of the ways needed. he reflects well in the push and pull of the tides. plus, getting the entire cabin to himself is kinda perfect. also, horse girl soobin 🤷 thus ends my long-winded, hard-to-decipher reasoning as to why i think Soobin is Child of Poseidon.

Beomgyu: gyu’s very base disposition is rather quiet and muted when you aren’t as close. as soon as you get to peel back layers you find the playfulness everyone talks about. Teasing is a form of affection yet he’s never devoid of kindness and a warm smile. Despite his nature as an introvert, he’s a very good addition to any welcoming committee. Also, the intelligence of children of Hermes is so often undermined despite them being incredibly resourceful and smart, both traits of Beomgyu’s that are commonly ignored. He has a compassion and sense of empathy that aligns well with those who take in all travelers, all those lost or forgotten. somewhat similar to a lost boy, beomgyu finds friends and family in everyone, with time of course. Hence why i think Beomgyu is a Child of Hermes

Taehyun: in an effort to not reduce Taehyun in to the tired “only braincell” stereotype, i wanted to avoid categorizing him under Athena. And after some consideration, i have come to a conclusion. Tyun is smart, he’s seen to be a very logical thinker and seems to have a lot of trivial knowledge. He has great emotional intelligence and physical strength. In any case, he would be able to fight a battle with both brain AND brawn. He’s an eloquent speaker with a dry sense of humor and a teasing nature. It’s a wonderful encapsulation of both a scholar and a fighter; someone known for knowledge AND strength on the battlefield. It’s often forgotten that those are both things honored in Athena’s name as the goddess of knowledge and warfare. Therefore, i think it’s very fitting to place Taehyun as a Child of Athena

Hueningkai: i think it’s really often forgotten that hueningkai is quite literally a musical prodigy. Drums, Guitar, piano, & vocals!!! Like that one clip of him casually playing Beethoven while talking about pikachu stickers ?!?!?? not to mention his almost sunshine-like disposition. there’s absolutely zero question as to whose kid he is. sure,,he could stand to improve his first-aid skills but, in times of need, there is no better quality than his compassion for every person in need. however, not even training from his father himself could save Kai’s archery skills 💀 of course, all of the members are incredibly talented artists, but Kai’s musicianship is on such a level i have no choice but to say he must be a Child of Apollo.

#txt #tomorrow x together #txt imagines #txt taehyun #txt huening kai #txt beomgyu #txt yeonjun #txt soobin #kpop imagines #percy jackon and the olympians #percy jackson headcanon #txt hcs #txt headcanons #kpop headcanons #kang taehyun #choi soobin #hueningkai #choi yeonjun #choi beomgyu

[tired-reader-writer]

G-witch AU Infodump

Enabled by @werewolfcoochie @marchdancer @sharpdistances @germanpillow @kallista-dragonsoul and @iwantthatdickgrayson here is me infodumping about random shit in my G-witch AU:

After being rescued by Ellyus, El4n takes on a new name and identity— one he would choose for himself— though Shin Sei doesn't quite have the means necessary to turn his face into something else, nor does he remember what his original face is supposed to look like anyways.

Anyways, his new name is Nary, bc “nary” means “nothing, none” and he's basically someone who has nothing, starting from scratch with a clean slate and even before that he had nothing. Also it's a reference to @stil-lindigo 's fantastic poem-comic here and @telamont 's fic may the little garden where you smile, last forever since I read both of them at roughly within the same timeframe and they double-teamed up on me in terms of brainrot. I am not sorry for this.

I'm still struggling over his new surname however, though Frey is a temporary placeholder— as a reference to the goddess Frigg whose divine domains included clairvoyance and prophecy, and though Nary himself is no prophet his love interest is so hmmm. Does Ellyus count as an Odin figure? I'm not well-versed with Norse mythology. (what El definitely is is a trickster/prophet/fey type character)

Shin Sei in this AU is comprised of the friends and families of the slaughtered Vanadis researchers who want justice/vengeance for their fallen loved ones— and so support Prospera in her schemes. There's also mercurian folk in there but yeah.

Ellyus gets his mother and Shin Sei to fake/develop a new identity and backstory for Nary/El4n. It's up to him whether he comes back to Asticassia but I like to think he does.

He dyes his hair the same colour as the woman who's presumably his mother, the lady with the birthday cake? Yeah? The same brown.

He still wears soft earrings bc this analysis of El4n's gender thing lives in my head rent-free. He also wears a lot more feminine clothing because he can. (EDIT: added the link that I forgot to add bc fucking hell I knew I was forgetting smth)

He has a new hairstyle. I actually have a design in mind but since I can't draw right now... lemme dig up my gallery in hopes that there's something that looks like it—

(I'm not sure if I could share these, as far as I could track these were drawn by the original artist of the comic this character is from, I eventually seek to replace these w my own drawings when I can.)

He probably ends up taking the surname of some Shin Sei employee, though argh, it fucking pains me that we know practically nothing about Shin Sei!! Who's Godoy and what does he even do?!

The Plant Quetta attack does not happen. There will be another attack to replace it, alright, but it's been moved down the timeline. I don't know when it'll be or by whom, but it happens on Earth, while Ellyus is there. Why is he there? Dunno, probably some GUND-ARM related reason. He's one of the main mechanics of Aerial after all, and someone who's heavily involved in the production of GUND-prosthetics.

Speaking of Ellyus' engineering work, Shin Sei did develop the drone technology Prospera mentions in the witch trial— it's just that Ellyus is the one who created it. Maybe he could also be present in the trial room? His presence wouldn't really help against Delling but hey, it's the thought that counts. Besides, he (and we the audience) already knows Miorine will come to save the day.

Delling is fucking dead. No mercy for the fucker, he probably dies in the same attack that lethally wounded Ellyus? Or perhaps after that, in another incident. Vim Jeturk is accused of the murder, and subsequently silenced by Prospera and/or Shaddiq.

Shaddiq takes the presidency. Ellyus left behind pre-recorded video messages tailored to each recipient, he sat down and recorded them before he died, set to automatically be sent to the ppl he wants in the Know after his funeral, and Shaddiq and El4n's messages include the entire backstory, basically, and so Shaddiq knows about Quiet Zero and who it's for. He seeks out Prospera and basically proposes an alliance— much of their goals align, he can use QZ's might to strong-arm favorable negotiations for Earth, he knows who QZ's for and realizes that Ellyus can be “alive/free” again like Ericht since he's deduced that the night Ellyus went missing from his hospital room and came back dead was actually him being uploaded into a GUND-bit.

(It's part of Ellyus' machinations, to protect Miorine from Prospera, to bridge Shaddiq to a strong ally who shares a lot of his goals, and... yeah. Fuck Spacians, this alliance is gon be a bulldozer.)

Shaddiq does not ally with Peil.

Peil will meet a karmic end. I don't know how yet, but El4n and El5n are involved. Anyways, that'll probably happen during or after the struggle for the Benerit Group presidency.

Guel actually learns something beyond “daddy good”, dammit.

Miorine and Prospera have a... complex, shall we say, relationship. Prospera holds back from roping her into revenge unlike in canon— mostly because of Ellyus' pleas to not let GUND-ARM be ruined/soaked in blood, partly because Miorine is the one who resurrected and kept true to GUND's ideals of medical research and stuff. Prospera hates her bc well, Delling's daughter, but on the other hand... a successor of sorts to carrying the GUND research torch. Miorine doesn't trust her, no, buuuut she still can't deny that together w Shaddiq they're... actually doing decent work. (Again, unlike in canon LOL)

Suletta's off to the side having her own Identity Journey. The video message to her also explains her origins and everything, so she now knows she's a repli-child. I don't know what I'll do with the journey proper but I want the eventual outcome to be: “I am not Ericht, I was never a Samaya and that's just fine. I'm Suletta, and the name Mercury is mine in a way it isn't for mom. I still love you, mom, Aerial/Eri too, but I am a Mercury and I'm proud of that. I still love you but I'm me and you're not my entire world.” kinda deal. Basically, independence, loving her family on her own terms.

No Plant Quetta means no tomato paste and no divorce! Huzzah! (I mean, another attack still happens but due to Ellyus' and Miorine + Earth House's influence Suletta focuses more on disaster relief and evacuation and stuff.)

Adding a new layer to Ellyus' non-linear time thing (I've posted about it, I've linked to it before in another post, it can be found in his character tag), he's allowed to make phone calls to One (1) person in the past. That person happens to be Jeru Ogul, aka Shaddiq's child self, way before he's learnt to put up barriers around his heart.

(Ellyus was never meant to be human. If the G-witch cast proper is comprised of 3D beings and us the audience 4D, he'd be like, 3.5D. That's why he's allowed time shenanigans by me. Only as far as I allow it, though. He's a plot device, a robot w its guts exposed. I have also posted about this before. I won't link to it here bc well, I already have before and ppl didn't seem all too interested in the makings and structure of his character. Meta-narrative fuckery ftw.)

The calls are sporadic, but kid Jeru comes to hold this mysterious friend person in the phone very dear to his heart. Their non-judegmental and gentle encouragement was one of the things that kept him going in those days.

He's buried the memory now, in the deepest layers of his heart, under twenty vaults, along with the tender hurt and angry child self that was Jeru Ogul and everything that it represents. It fuels him, it's his impetus, but it's hidden, carefully so.

It's a surprise to the both of them when they find out.

(basically, Doylist reason was that I needed a narrative tool strong enough to break through his walls and allow him to be changed for the better, to stop having tunnel-vision, and Ellyus became the narrative device responsible for that task)

This development allowed for Shaddiq to be more proactive and open. To the point he might actually ask for Miorine's support/help during the competition for the presidency. I'm still contemplating it.

I don't know what I'll do with Dawn of Fold yet.

Not the Space Assembly League, really.

Somebody help.

Well, that's it for this episode of info-dumping! Thank you for enabling me, I was afraid to do it bc it's disheartening to scream your heart out into the void and have no response.

#like the strings on a rope (darling i fray like a firework) #ellyus mercury (oc) #prospera mercury #elnora samaya #shaddiq zenelli #jeru ogul #elan ceres #elan 4 #el4n #miorine rembran #suletta mercury #mobile suit gundam the witch from mercury #gundam witch #gundam the witch from mercury #gundam witch from mercury #mobile suit gundam: the witch from mercury #the witch from mercury #witch from mercury #g-witch #g witch #wfm #long post

[themoon-saturn]

The Great War

Xiao x Adepi gn reader

(angst/fluff cause I can’t do just angst for my well-being. TW: de@th but not super graphic, bl00d mentioned, Spoilers for Xiao’s backstory and the Chasm quest. Also Xiao’s other name)

an: Welcome back for another long one! I will do anything for this dude as I am a Xiao main and he was my first 5 star. This another midnights x genshin fic. Really these are more just me trying to get a very intense daydream down in writing so if you like this I really appreciate it! Was not proofread so probably will have grammar issues.

wc- 3.2k (oops)

✨more under the cut ✨

/Flashes of the battle come back to me in a blur/

Xiao knew he was far from a saint. He has done things that would make any normal human lose their sanity, though he knows he is barely clinging to his. He watched as his brothers and sisters descended into madness and at this point, he was waiting for his turn. He was growing tired of the war in his mind, his body was sore from fighting demons and monsters for hundreds of years without break, and he could feel his karmic binds grow tighter as each day passed. He refuses to sleep because his dreams are plagued with the screams and cries of the souls he has taken, doomed to bare this burden for as long as he is alive. The more he sits with these thoughts, the more he is swallowed by the darkness. Another monster can be seen in the distance, snapping him back to reality. He has a job to do, he dawns his mask for another fight that he wins with ease, looking at the blood on his hands he feels his mind start to break. It hurts. It hurts so bad. He screamed as his karmic debt began eating him alive but just as fast as the pain came, it left. The sound of a flute was carried by the wind, soothing his mind and body. He fell to his knees, his mask disappearing from his face as the tears he had held back for so long poured out of his eyes. “Alatus? Archons what happened to you?!” He hears. Xiao turns to see you dropping your polearm to the ground and running to his side. He can feel himself growing dizzier by the second and reaches out in your direction before collapsing to the ground. “I- I heard your screams… I didn’t know what I was running into…” you stammered, guiding him to a seated position while you start examining his body for any injuries. You were another Adeptus like him, gifted with a Hydro vision and very skilled with a polearm even sparing with him from time to time. All other Adepti keep their distance from him but you… he doesn’t want to call you a friend but would gladly put his life on the line for you and knows you would do the same, much to his dismay. You were always there for him, ready to fight for him, tend to any wounds, and give him any support he needed. Any person could see how close you were and how Xiao’s face lit up when talking to you. Maybe you have something together that neither of you wants to work out right now but what you do have is a bond that can’t easily be broken. “I just need a moment…” Xiao replied, the dizziness catching up to him once again. “I’m taking you to my domain and will alert Morax,” you say throwing your arm around him to help him to his feet. He was far too mentally exhausted to protest. You teleport into your realm and start tending to his injuries as he lies on the ground in silence. “You don’t need to tell me what happened okay? Just rest for a moment.” You use your vision to heal his wounds and clean the blood from his clothes, “I can take care of myself you know?” He says trying to hide his embarrassment from you seeing him at his weakest. “There is the Conqueror of Demons I know… I’ll be back soon. Please stay here.” You say as you disappear to inform Morax of Xiao’s current state. He doesn’t understand why someone as bright as you could be so kind to someone as dirty as him. He knows from what you have told him your hands aren’t clean but you are better than he ever could be. He is a monster. People look at you with admiration and they look at him in fear. He closes his eyes in an attempt to rest his tired body and even the soothing sound of a flute can be heard here. He will try to understand what transpired today later but for now, he will treasure this small bit of peace… even if he doesn’t deserve it. 

/I drew curtains closed, drank my poison all alone/

Times of peace had come and you could finally rest. You watched as some children lit incense in honor of Morax and the Adepti who had fought in the Archon war. You smiled to yourself trying to push those memories far into your mind, you really do enjoy being around humans while the yaksha chose to stay out of sight. You couldn’t help but think of how much he’s suffering alone, clinging to the past. You turned to walk away from the shrines and teleported to the roof of Wangshu Inn, hoping that he would be there. “Conqueror of Demons? My dearest Alatus?” you sing out in a sickeningly sweet voice. “I told you to call me Xiao..” He appeared with his arms crossed over his chest. “Yes but Atatus rolls off the tongue better for me” you tease. “I have matters to attend to. What is it that you need?” Xiao asked in his normal sharp tone. “I can’t just visit you? My apologies then my dear yaksha.” you jokingly huff and cross your arms “I didn’t- uh I didn’t mean it like that I-“ Xiao starts before noticing the traveler walking on the balcony calling for him. “I’ll take my leave. I will see you soon don’t worry,” you say before disappearing. Xiao sighs rubbing his temples, even for a fellow Adeptus you are difficult to comprehend. Expecting the traveler to need his assistance, he was caught off guard when he was asked to go to the lantern rite, “I don’t like crowds and demons do not stop for a celebration.” He has his duty to fulfill regardless of the changes the nation has taken. He feels no need to watch the everyday lives of humans, he knows he doesn’t deserve something so peaceful. The sun was setting over the harbor as you watched from Mt. Tianheng as people gather to watch the lanterns take flight. Softly you call for him, “Alatus…” he arrived standing behind you, mask on, polearm in hand. “What do you need?” He is caught off guard when you extend your hand to him, “sit with me.” He takes your hand as his mask and weapon disappear from sight, “Why did you call me for this. We have seen the lanterns for years now.” He sits next to you and hopes you can’t hear how loud his heart is beating as the lights of the city cast a beautiful glow on your skin. “But have you truly watched them? They are beautiful!” you say looking to the sky. His golden eyes widen as he sees the lights fly into the sky, their glow shining so beautifully against the water. You sat in silence for a while slowly inching closer to him, touching his hand. “ Not everything in this life is bad Alatus. Shutting yourself off from the world isn’t good for you. We must trust that the people of Liyue can handle themselves and will ask if they need our help.” you say offering him a small smile,” I can tell you are enjoying this Alatus. You know you can’t hide anything from me.” You can’t help but be mesmerized by the way the lanterns have captured his attention. “I have to go,” he says quickly standing to his feet and disappearing in a teal smoke. You sigh, “One day… you will trust more freely and then you will see the beauty in this new time we are living in.” Xiao appears on the roof of the inn, his hand covering his blush. He had been alive for well over a thousand years and had seen horrors that no normal person could stomach and yet here you are… someone who has seen those same bloody scenes and can still find beauty in this world. He knows his karmic debt would taint that beautiful soul of yours and yet you continue to pull him closer. He doesn’t get it and yet why did he feel the ache of his debt weaken when you took his hand?

/It turned into something bigger. Somewhere in the haze, got a sense I'd been betrayed/

Months passed as you tried to get closer to Xiao while he tried to maintain some distance. Regardless of if he liked it or not, the two of you worked well together. He couldn’t help but enjoy the time you spent with him and how mesmerizing you looked while you fought together. The way you two worked the battlefield like a dance floor, just like old times. After clearing out a Hilichurl camp together you were making your way back to the Inn, “You have been quieter than usual Conquer of Demons. Is something on your mind?” Xiao stops in his tracks, “ Why are you always so concerned for me y/n? I’m fine so why must you pester me?” He looks over his shoulder in your direction. Judging by your expression, he realizes he said it more sharply than intended. “Look… I learned some information on the disappearance of Bosacius and it's... just a lot to take in.” Your eyes widen, “Bosacius…” one of Xiao’s yaksha brothers who had gone missing during the Archon war… You couldn’t believe it. “Alatus what are you planning?” You can sense his hesitation to tell you, “Nothing you need to worry yourself with. This is my fight to fight alone.”, “But Alatus this could be dangerous… at least let me help and we can do this together! Just like we always do!” you reach out to hold his hand only for him to push you away, “This is a matter for a yaksha. I don’t need your help! You are just annoying me at this point. I don’t want or need you around me all the time.” You get a pang in your heart, “ I care for you Alatus and you know what I’m capable of. My hands are just as dirty as yours by now. I have seen the horrors as well and know how to hold my own. You don’t mean what you say…” Xiao doesn’t look at you for he knows he will break if he does. He hates the effect you have on him but knows the consequences of what might happen if you join him. “I have to go.” He disappears leaving you with tears in your eyes. Xiao doesn’t understand you at all. Of all the bloodshed you have seen him do… and you still want to be near him? You… care about him? That same feeling he got at the lantern rite comes back. This can’t be what humans call… ‘love’ could it? No. He doesn’t deserve that from you and yet why is that the only word that explains those feelings? “I’m sorry y/n..” Xiao looked to the moonlit sky, knowing that the last time he might see you… he left you in tears. Little did he know you were not going to give up on him after a single disagreement. You give him the space but after a few weeks of not even catching a glimpse of him, you go to Wangshu Inn and call out his name. “Alatus… Alatus? I’m sorry for being too protective but please talk to me.” You call out with no response. “Alatus? Come on you can't be ignoring me right now. Alatus?” You wait some more with still nothing. “Xiao? Xiao, please. Xiao?!” You start to panic. This isn’t like him to just not respond. Even if he shuts himself from the world, he will always respond to you. The sun began to set. You were holding back tears and trying to ignore the pit in your stomach. Something was wrong… incredibly wrong.

 /That was the night I nearly lost you. I really thought I lost you/

Xiao could handle himself but something tells you he needs help and time was running out. You knew the one person who would know of his whereabouts was Zhongli, Morax himself. After consulting him you learn Xiao went to the Chasm to investigate the disappearance of Bosacius and even after Zhongli informed him of the dangers, he still left. “I assure you… The Conqueror of Demons will return safely.” Zhongli said placing a hand on your shoulder. You nod your head before disappearing. Once you arrive at the chasm you start calling for him again and still no response, all you could do is wait. “Alatus…? Xiao? Please come back to me…” You then saw a bright light coming from the chasm entrance. Your heart felt like it was going to jump out of your chest. He was back and safe… but when you saw the traveler and 4 others you didn’t know, you felt sick to your stomach all over again. You teleport to them, “Adeptus Y/n? What are you doing here?” the traveler asked. “Alat- I mean… Xiao… where is he?” You asked with tears brimming your eyes. No one wanted to look at you. “He- He sacrificed himself to get us out…” The traveler said looking to the ground. “No… you are mistaken. Alatus is the strongest person I know-“ you start before falling to your knees. Everyone looks at you in pity. After everything you have been through together… he’s gone just like that? You quietly whisper a prayer to the gods, “Xiao, please… Xiao come back to me…” Everything goes quiet and there is a golden light in front of you and once it dissipates, he is there. “Xiao…?” He is on his knees heavy breathing and looks up at you, “You said my name right this time…” You jump into his arms, catching him off guard. “You idiot! You absolute idiot!” You cried in his chest. “Come let’s give them space.” The traveler said ushering everyone away. “How did you-?” Xiao starts before seeing the silhouette of Zhongli watching over them before turning away. He had been saved by the Geo Archon himself… he didn’t believe he was worthy of that treatment. He was ready to die down there but judging by your face you were not going to let that happen. “I thought I lost you…” You sobbed clinging to him as if he were to disappear at any moment, “I really thought I lost you.” He cautiously wrapped his arms around you, he didn’t think someone could care for him this much. He began to cry as he tightened his grip on you. “I- I’m sorry.. for everything y/n. I didn’t want you to feel like this.” You look up at him and smile, “Archons Alatus... Just never do this again. I love you and we do things as a team.” You say without thinking. “You- You what?” he stammers, his face growing redder by the second. You realize what you had just admitted try and laugh off the embarrassment. Even Adepti can feel human emotions and this one is the only one that conveys how you feel about the man in front of you. “My apologies Alatus… I didn’t mean for now to- “ you start but are swiftly cut off by Xiao grabbing your face and kissing you. It was short and when he pulled away, his eyes were glued to the ground, “I have seen human couples do that all the time… I thought it was the right response.” You pecked his cheek and smiled, “It was my beloved yaksha… now I feel like I have kept you for long enough. It seems the traveler needs to speak with you. I will meet you at Wangshu Inn later.” You both stand to your feet but before you disappear you kiss him once more. He touched his lips trying to control his breathing and heartbeat. “I’ll see you soon…” he whispered in the wind before catching up to the traveler and friends who gave him very smug smiles once he arrived, “Shut it.” he snapped crossing his arms.

/I swear I will always be yours since we survived the great war/

The sunset of Liyue was still beautiful no matter how many times you have seen it, just something about how the sun hits the mountain tops just right makes the sight breathtaking. “Sorry to keep you waiting.” You hear behind you. “It was no trouble. I can watch this view for hours.” Xiao takes a seat next to you as you enjoy the views, sitting in comfortable silence for a while. “Y/n can I show you something?” He asks, extending his hand to you. You nod as he pulls you close to him, vanishing into the air. You appear overlooking the memorial site for Pervases, a place you have been before with Xiao but this time feels different. “You have met them many times in the past. But I wasn’t sure if you truly understood the torment that raged in our minds and souls doing what we did.” Xiao states, his grip on your hand tightening. “The war affected us all in ways that we can’t explain. We honor the memory of the fallen and look toward the future… We survived and the legacy of those who’s lives were lost shall live on in us. You and your fellow yakshas are heroes to this nation.” You say looking at Xiao. “Heroes huh? I… like that word. You know… my karmic debt is something I struggle with every day but when I’m with you… it’s easier to manage. I didn’t want to taint your soul with a burden I must carry.” He looks into your eyes. He was just trying to protect you… “Xiao you know that people with visions can withstand your karmic debt to an extent and not to mention I am an Adeptus. I can assure you I plan on sticking by your side.” You kiss him on the cheek and watch as his face grows red again. He bends down to pick a qingxin flower, “I just didn’t want to ruin something so beautiful.” he says placing it behind your ear. Now it was your turn to grow red, “Conquerer of Demons when did you turn into a romantic?” you laugh and see that he is smiling. A genuine smile just for you. “I swear to you Xiao I will always be yours.” He lifts your chin, just inches away from his face, “I swear to you as well. I am yours. Let me be by your side till the end of time.” You smile, “What a wonderful way to spend our eternity.” He leans in and you share another kiss. A longer, sweeter one. The pain and hell you both have endured doesn’t matter anymore. You will fight together, win together, take care of each other, and be there to reach out when the other falters. Once you pulled away from each other you take a few steps forward, the moonlight making you look ethereal. You turn to him, extending your hand and he reaches to you. He will always reach for you. 

#genshin impact #genshin x you #genshin xiao #adeptus xiao #xiao x reader #xiao x you #genshin x y/n #xiao #xiao x y/n #genshin impact fanfics #genshin impact xiao #genshin x midnights #Spotify #olivefics