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lucyfloyenworkshop · 2 months

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Awakening the Dragon : Malleus Draconia Overblot Theme

It's been now one year since Diasomnia Arc, “Ruler of the Abyss“ began...

There so many things, too many topics that I wish to talk and write about. About the tribute to Eyvind Earle's art in the esthetics and ambiance of Briar Valley. About the connections between the Arc narrative and its inspirations. About Night Faeries folk and Silver Owl Knights. About Silver, Malleus, Lilia and all the others characters... For tonight I will write down about Malleus Draconia's Overblot Theme.

When the Diasomnia Arc pre-trailer was released, some notes of Overblot Malleus's theme can be heard. The complet musictrack had been finaly revealed during the first fight against Malleus. Even with the few notes in the pre-trailer, this music really give goosebumps. It is dark, eerie, dangerous and yet graceful and noble.

Diasomnia’s Chapter is an intense turmoil of emotions and, after all that happened in the Main Story so far, I realized that Malleus Overblot's theme not just represent the Arc's climax like it had being the case for the six previous Chapter. Not just only about an epic battle music, but also about a character.

[Beware : the following post content some spoilers for Chapter 7 : Ruler of the Abyss]

Featuring song and music

There is something about Malleus and music.

In his personal data, it's say that his “talent“ is stringed instruments's practice (ref. Twisted Wonderland : Magical Archives and in game data). According to his close relatives, such as Sebek during “Harveston's Kelkkarotu“ event, Malleus appear to be a really talented musician. And yet that aspect of Malleus wasn't fully explored in the Main, Events and Personals Stories. That was just a fun fact about Malleus's hobbies outside school or his daily royal duties.

Then came the performance of Malleus longside Idia and Azul during the Symphorium in the Halloween event Glorious Mascarade : Crimson Flowers and Bell of Salvation.

It's could be logical since Diasomnia Arc and Mascrade's events released their preview trailers around the same time. But nothing could make us suspected how much deep of that aspect of Malleus's character design is important. Not just as for characterization but also a tribute from Sleeping Beauty.

But to go with Chapter 7 and the Overblot's theme, let's return to the Symphorium, during its preparation as presented in Malleus's Mascaquerade Dress Personal Story [link]. Glorious Mascarade's iconic song Let My Wish Resound ( Twst wiki's traduction [link] ), is the gift of Night Raven College's students to the invitation for Night Bell College's Symphonium and its three main singer featuring Azul Ashengrotto, Idia Shroud and of course Malleus Draconia. In Malleus's Personnal Story, the trio are gather in Diasomnia Lounge for practicing. Both Idia and Azul (and even Lilia), are amaze about Malleus's singing skills. Not just because of his tense practicing, even outside his royal education as confirm Lilia to Idia. If Let My Wish Resound had a special signification for Malleus and his character (his desire and fear about connect with the Outside World and meeting other peoples), the fact that such song, and by extension the music, resound deep within Malleus.

In Chapter 7, that particular bond between Malleus and music/song is once again up under the lightspot, and even become an major element of the narrative. Just after he took his Overblot's form and cast [Fea of Maleficent] on everyone, Malleus start to humming a lullaby. The medley is the one of Once upon a Dream, Sleeping Beauty's famous and iconic song. There is many things that need to be discussed about that familiar medley and Malleus's story and personal journey and I will in the futur write a proper and complet review about. For now, we can notice that reference make not only as a tribute to the original animated pictures movie but also to Malleus's paradoxe as a character in that very sequence, and, even if it is more subtle, in the rest of the story. Indeed he is now a Dark Fea Lord, becoming in a way Maleficient just like Riddle with the Queen of Heart or Vil with the Beautiful Queen. And yet there is that lullaby medley, that medley which took after Princess Aurora's song. Malleus is depicted as both Light and Darkness, an impression that can be found in his Overblot theme.

The Choir and the Cello, picturing a story

There is two main musical elements in Overblot Malleus' track. The Choir and the Cello.

If is true that in the previous Overblot’s theme, a kinda choir is used in the medley, but its seems to have for fonction to put some extra more tension in the music like we can see in many soundtrack from cinema or video-game, but in the others Overbolt's theme, the choirs doesn't lead the medley. The instrumental instruments does.

But that was before Vil's Overblot and Mascarade Event’s theme, where the chorus and choir became the main leading of the music. In a kinda latin language with Dies Irea's leitmotif, choir become the medley's core and identity.

In popular culture, the choir is generally used as reference to Medieval Age’s music and its esthetics, real or dreamed . From Historical productions such as in Kingdom of Heaven (a Historical Movie setting during the early years of the Crusades) to Fantasy realms Lord of the Rings’s trilogy, we can tell that kinda of music had a special power to increase emotions and ambiance in a song.

In Overblot Malleus's theme, the choir became an extension of the Dragon-Fea’s power and personality. Giving to his character so much strength and presence, just like with Davy Jones's organ and it make a tribute to Sleeping Beauty’s soundtrack. One of the particularity of this Classic Disney Animation Picture, it's one of the very few movie from Disney's Silver Age, than doesn't have song like we see it in Cinderella or in Alice in Wonderland. As explained by cinema historian, Charles Solomo, in the documentary Picture Perfect: The Making of Sleeping Beauty [link], those kind of “Broadway like song“ doesn't fit to that world made of the gorgeous detailed background designed by Eyvind Earl or the music score inspired by Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty Ballet. Only songs in the movie are Once upon a Dream and choirs. Theses ones can be found in several track in the score. One of them, “Aurora's Return/Maleficent's Evil Spell“, is in my opinion, one of most powerful and representative of that directive for Sleeping Beauty's music. At one point of track a eerie and dark voice can be heard and as its materialize Maleficent's presence when Aurora is hypnotize by the curse.

Those choir segments supporting the narrative and characterizing each protagonists. Just like it's happen with Malleus's Overblot theme !

In Malleus's Overblot theme, alongside the choir, the second main leading instrument is the cello. The using of that particular string instruments in the track make a easter egg to both Malleus’s personal talents as to Diasomnia Dorm's music theme.

Cello, as other stringed instruments, are very often used in movie, video-game or musical composition because of a rich palette of tones and sounds that those musicals instruments can create and so increase emotions. Notes created by cellos are know to be rich and deep, and how depending how it played, it can express joy and light ambiance as epic, nostalgic world, mysteries or tension and terror.

The slight presence electric guitar (recurring in the Overblot music track) give an extra sensation of danger and tension in the medley, but without shadowing the leading of the chorus and the cello. It sound like lightings bolts, and each time the electric guitar is heard it increase choir's powers in the narrative of the medley with attacking notes. Giving the feeling that we are caught into a storm.

Conjuring the Dragon

As we start listening Malleus Overblot's theme, we fall into some dark or gothic fey world, more that Diasomnia Dorm's. Despite the presence of a electric guitar sound, the music had the same feels as Maleficent's themes from Sleeping Beauty. In fact the very first notes are very similars or at least sharing the same tones than some of Maleficent's leitmotif in “Aurora's Return/Maleficent's Evil Spell“ or in her music entrance.

The musictrack is divise in five segments. First, it start with a very aery voice sound, as we can found in mysterious or dark music track and then the storms began, leading by the choir. With the cello and the electric guitar, its give at that moment (and is reinforce in game by the image of Malleus in his Overblot form), that we are facing some kind of powerful Lord or a Dark Dragon. Malleus had a very complex personality and as far we know, at his core, ins't a evil character. But he is a Dragon-Fea and he had dark powers. If someone put in danger the persons he will care about (friends, family...), he will riposte with all his might and once of thoses times where Malleus's powers are show as dangerous and dark because its are beyond mortal understanding and standard, not as evil. It's true that consequences of some Malleus's actions are terrifying because of his non-human nature and can show him as the Dragon, the most dangerous foe of tales and legends, as the storm parts of the Overblot music despict it.

And at the middle of the music track, just between the two storms part, for a brief moment a calm, noble music segment is played. Its the same medley than the rest of the track but the tone is completely different as tone and ambience from what had been previously heard, even if there is still a certain tension in it. In fact Malleus Overblot's theme where there is a such calm. Yes it's true that in Leona Overblot's theme there is a kinda of “pause“ in the music but the same amount of epic tension. It's sound like if the character taking a short break, checking if everyone is is okay before return to battle. In Malleus's if we got same general medley but the music tale an other aspect of that character, of that Dragon, at the opposite of the Dark Dragon previously depicted. In that segment, the cello leading the music instead of the choir which became calm like lamentation, giving a powerful, melancholic and noble ambiance to the music before the storm restart and end once again on the eerie voice and notes.

That melancholic noble music caught in the storm show all the balance between light and dark that Malleus carries with him during his personal journey. Give him an aura of nobility and danger as we can found it in the Malzeno's theme or Elder Dragons ( Amatsu, Alatreon or Shagaru Magala) from Monster Hunter for exemple.

Right at the beginning and at the end of the track we got some slight but clear notes of piano. Like cello, that chordophone instrument (musical instrument that use both stringed and percussion (ref, Britanica)), can create intense and emotional ambience. It's true that I wished to heard some organ note in that music track, which could fit to the medieval gothic leitmotif of Diasmonia Dorm but I think it would change the characterization of Malleus in the music track. Organs are, in popular cultures and soundtracks very very bond to the figure of the Evil Lords such as Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time or Dracula in his many adaptations from movies to video-games or it played by shady antagonists like Davy Jones or Erik, the Phantom of the Opera. Even there it's cannon that Malleus know to play organs (Endless Halloween event), it's a piano. To listen those cold and sad notes, featuring a eerie voice, as opening and ending of Malleus Overblot's music theme, give us the ton of the music but also of the character it depicts. In plus to reinforce the feeling of melancholy, its contrast with the storms that reign in most of the track. Like the calm noble leitmotif, the piano show the “softer“, tragic and lonely side of Malleus beyond his dangerous and scaring first apparence and nature as a Dragon and a Dark Fea.

As I was writing that post, I discover that during the battle between the Knight of Dawn and Maleonora, Malleus's Mother, the Overblot can be heard and that discovery make more deeper to Malleus. Making it more personal to Malleus than it's already etablished in the music itself. Far more than I originally suspected.

During the last showdown between the Knight and Maleonora ant their tragic ending, the use of the Overblot's theme don't make that scene feels like one of Maleficient in the original picture or only reflecting the way the Humans sees Maleonora. As a dark witch, a monster.

The Overblot's theme show her as royal princess, a Crown-Heir and a mother that will do everything in her power to protect her people, the persons she love and her child. Between him and his mother there is big similarities, and not just physical. Malleus had indeed inherited some of Maleonora's traits, but in his heart and his general personality, Malleus is more close to his father Lord Revan, as it's confirmed by Lilia.

"Just like his father, he is a kind person who ins't able to be ruthless“ "(Episode 7 Ruler of the Abbys Part 6, chapter 99)

At the end, that Overblot's theme not just a dungeon's final boss theme or a musical representation of the Arc's aesthetic.

Even more than Diasomnia bgm, this is Malleus Draconia's Theme. Not just his Overblot. His theme, as character, like we discover in both Diasomnia's trailer and Twisted Wonderland's Story. That music score give us more clues about who Malleus really is.

That music can be seen as the refection of Malleus's complex personality. Noble and benevolent, fierce and powerful ..

Both the Greatest Foe than the Devoted Protector.

Thank you for reading this review/analysis about Malleus. I hope you enjoyed it :-)

Lucy Floyen

Musictrack link : [Twisted Wonderland BGM - Overblot Malleus] (Soundcloud)

#twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland bgm #twst bgm #malleus draconia #malleus overblot #malleus bgm #fiction and lore chronicles

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genshin-impact-writings · 1 year

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“ it’s dark outside, and it’s raining. my arms are much safer. “ with Diluc pls? I love how you write his soft side <3

Hello, dear anon! <3 My sincerest apologies that it took me so long to finish this but it took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do with the prompt. Hope you like what I came up with!

Prompt: “It’s dark outside, and it’s raining. My arms are much safer.”

I could offer you a warm embrace – Diluc x gn!reader (fluff)

The room was silent, except for Diluc’s steady breathing and the quiet music playing in the background. Outside of your window, rain was pouring down, softly pattering against the glass and collecting in puddles on the cobblestone pavement outside of your house.

You brought your attention back to the man in your arms. His head was resting on your chest, arms wrapped around your waist as he had snuggled up against you after returning from yet another secret mission to protect Mondstadt from the Abyss Order. It wasn’t unusual that he crashed at your place, especially in weather like this. After tending to his wounds, you had brought him towels to dry his hair as well as some of his clothes he had left at your house a while ago.

“Need anything else?” you had asked, not quite able to hide your concern. And with an exhausted smile that you had already seen one too many times, Diluc had replied, “Cuddles. Please.”

So now here you were, curled up under a loosely woven blanket that gave off just enough heat to keep both of you comfortably warm as you dwelled on your own thoughts.

“I wish we could stay like this forever,” you whispered, careful not to disturb the peaceful silence that surrounded you. Diluc hummed in response. “Me too,” he replied, equally quiet, “but it’s getting late. I probably should head back home… I don’t want to keep you from getting some proper rest.”

“Are you kidding me?” Your voice was still soft, in contrast to your scolding words. You brushed your hand through his untied flaming red hair, feeling the silky strands between your fingers. In the flickering light of the candle, his pale skin had an almost golden glow that made him look more like an ethereal creature instead of an ordinary human being. “It’s dark outside, and it’s raining,” you added, “my arms are much safer.”

Diluc chuckled. “You know that Adelinde always starts to worry about me when I don’t show up at the winery at least once a day.”

“She’ll be fine,” you replied. “Come on, we both know you don’t want to leave.”

“No. I really don’t.”

You adjusted the blanket that had slipped off Diluc’s shoulders before you resumed playing with his hair, knowing very well that this simple action would make it even harder for him to pull away from your embrace and return back home in the pouring rain.

“You’re playing foul,” he mumbled but snuggled deeper into your warm embrace nevertheless. You watched as his eyes fluttered closed, admiring the way his long lashes cast shadows onto his cheeks. “I know.”

Diluc stifled a yawn. “Okay,” he whispered. “Just five more minutes.”

“Sure.”

Silence settled in, and after a while, Diluc’s breath was so steady and quiet that you knew he had drifted off to sleep. Careful not to wake him, you brushed a strand of hair from his forehead to get a better look at him. He always looked so calm and at ease in his sleep, the usual frown turning into a more peaceful expression that made it hard to believe that he could be such a fierce warrior. Especially those who never got to see him like this surely would call you crazy if you told them that he truly hid a heart of gold beneath his rough exterior.

Diluc was popular, yes, and many admired him, but only very few got to see the real him. And for others, it surely was still hard to believe that Mondstadt’s most eligible bachelor had finally decided to settle down – and, on top of that, with you. While the others had been fawning over him, you had always admired him from afar – and you still had no idea how you had managed to catch his attention all this time ago.

But did it really matter? Wasn’t it more important that he was here by your side now, sound asleep in your arms?

You pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “Get some rest, my beloved,” you whispered, “I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Thank you so much for reading! If you enjoyed it please consider liking, reblogging and/or leaving feedback. I'd really appreciate the support!

Taglist: @genshinparty @kaeyas-beloved @caesars-bubbles @ajaxstar @the-gayest-sky-kid

#diluc x reader #diluc ragnvindr x reader #diluc ragnvindr fluff #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact fluff #gn!reader #gender neutral reader #reader insert #diluc x you #diluc ragnvindr x you

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fanficonly · 1 year

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Wenclair- "I get paid in favours" -Part 2?

As requested a part 2 to the one-shot. I can't believe how many people enjoyed this lil fic and as a little thank you I thought a part 2 was definitely necessary, might continue on with a few more scenarios they find themselves in but I don't know yet

@paroovian @thatonefurry @paintato @allow-me-to-ruin-that-for-you thought I should tag y'all so you don't miss it... Thanks for your interest

P.S keep in mind the general consensus is that the sequel is never as good as the original

----

Enid paced back and forth in her dorm room at a rapid speed, fiddling with her hands and occasionally biting at her nails nervously. It was 6:45pm and she had spent the entire day anxiously awaiting 8'O'clock. After agreeing to see Wednesday for her needs, she had used the rest of her time to carelessly consider other options, some of which included running off into the abyss that is Nevermore woods never to return. Others that allowed her to see Wednesday without forcing herself to surpress her urges.

As the full moon approached Enid could feel the wolf inside her, screaming and clawing its way to the surface. And with less than 24 hours to go she grew more impatient and frustrated by the second.

She had been told about a werewolf's uncontrollable nature when going into heat and considering Enid had never had a sexual experience before she knew the feeling would not go away unless she had help. "Medical help" She mumbled to herself over and over and over again. All she needed was suppressants to get her through the full moon so she could continue on in her daily life.

But as the light tick... tick... tick of her wall clock invading her ears, it only seemed to grow louder and louder with each shudder of the hands.

Tick... Tick!... TICK. The noise was incredibly irritating and with Enid's emotions all over the place she couldn't seem to tune anything out.

Complete sensory overload.

She unwillingly found herself bounding towards the noisy device,claws where her hands used to be, and slashing at it aggressively. As she watched the clock fall and break into pieces she growled loudly and began to breath heavy.

This feeling was too intense. Everything in her body began to burn. Images of Wednesday flooding her vision, while she panted in and out, clenching and unclenching her fists restlessly.

The whisper of Wednesday's words ...."Let's see if your bark is worse than your bite" tempted the Werewolf like the last pull of a smokers cigarette before they decided to quit. "Urghhhhh" she groaned to herself and as she closed her eyes slowly a picture of Wednesday lay where darkness should have been. When she opened her eyes her vision was glazed, her panic had not subsided and eventually she completely blacked out...

...

Enids vision was unfocused and blurry but she noticed she was no longer in her dorm. In fact she was stood outside a different door, arm raised and poised, ready to knock. When she blinked hard to remove the inhibiting fog she finally became aware of her surroundings.

Here she was, standing right outside Wednesday's door, unable to recall how she had got there. She tracked her eyes towards her hand which was in the middle of de-tranforming.

"Oh God" she whispered to herself. Had she really let her wolf control her like that? Enid hadn't even remembered how she made it to this door, but evidently her impulses were in full control at the time.

Clearly, she wanted to be here but this was absolutely terrifying for Enid. Even now she still felt a deep desire to do some incredibly explicit things to the next person she saw, which was a new and undisciplined feeling to her.

But before the wolf could scold herself for being so crass the door flew open, startling Enid out of her dazed state.

And there she stood, Wednesday Addams in all her glory, standing stoic and proper at the door looking at the blonde with a twinge of confusion in her eyes.

Enid noticed immediately the small surgical knife, dripping with goo, in Wednesday's gloved hand and she couldn't help but imagine all the morbid things she had been doing before Enid had arrived.

"I'm-" she started to explain

"Early." Wednesday finished for her. "You're early" she quirked an eyebrow up.

"No I don't even know how I -" she attempted to explain it all away but her curiosity got the better of her and she cut herself off to ask "is that a knife in your hand, what were you doing?" She furrowed her brow in confusion unable to tear her eyes away from the blade in Wednesday's hand. She knew it wasn't for her but it still seemed oddly threatening in her possession.

"It is acceptable. Early means eager and I tend to spar well with an unpredictable opponent" she commended Enid, lightly excited for what was to come, however you wouldn't be able to tell by the look on her face.

"Opponent?" Enid zoned in on that word, imagining herself in a duel with Wednesday to the death.

"My apologies." Wednesday spoke "I meant customers" she stepped back opening the door wider and gesturing for Enid to enter.

"Thanks" Enid mumbled growing more anxious by the second. She walked in stroking at her upper arm as if to hug herself for protection. The feeling settled when she heard Wednesday's voice and immediately turned to embarrassment.

"An hour is a little too eager maybe?" Wednesday's eyes followed Enid's as she walked past her, as if drilling into her head to excavate all her deepest darkest thoughts.

"No no I didn't- I don't even know how I ended up here!" The werewolf stammered out flustered by how desperate she may have looked. She turned to the darker haired girl and held her hands up in defense.

"Fascinating." Wednesday admired the blonde before removing her latex gloves and placing them in her trash can. Enid just scanned the room with curious eyes, clasping her hands together for comfort.

"What were you doing?" Enid continued to search the room and was mortified to see what she could only describe as the graphic murder of a frog, as her eyes landed on Wednesday's desk... Or more accurately her Autopsy Table.

"It's for science" she explained "Also I do so enjoy a fresh corpse for an all revealing autopsy" Wednesday spoke plainly with a twinge of sinister pleasure escaping her tone.

"You're like totally sadistic Wednesday" the blonde squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to erase the image from her mind before turning away from the crime scene and back to Wednesday's ever-staring eyes.

"Can't argue with that" Wednesday shrugged, not at all fazed by her reaction.

"Umm so ..." Enid rocked back and forth on her heels nervously, waiting for Wednesday to take charge of the exchange.

"Give me a moment to cleanse myself" she said and of course Enid didn't argue. She moved across to the table and removed the items from out in the open, without waiting for an answer.

"Okay" was all Enid said as Wednesday then removed herself from the room, heading for the bathroom. She just breathed deeply to calm the inferno that was currently coursing through her body.

After calming herself, Enid took the opportunity to walk quietly around Wednesdays room, picking up trinkets to examine them and running her hands along the walls that were covered in a collage of strange images. Her body still felt unsettled as she forced her impulses down into a deep dark hole somewhere in her mind but the exploration on Wednesday's room was a nice little distraction for her.

She was startled by a voice very VERY close behind her say "You are a rather invasive Little wolf aren't you?" Enid jumped and let out a small squeak. Wednesdays chin was practically perched on her shoulder with how close she had gotten without Enid being able to realise. 'So much for super human wolf senses' she thought to herself before turning around to meet Wednesday's accusing gaze.

"Sorry I was just ..." Enid smiled innocently moving backwards inadvertently hitting a wall "Curious" she spoke after a thud could be heard from her heels hitting the wood.

"So was I at one point in my life" Wednesday smirked "But then I reached the conclusion that I know exactly what and who I desired" Enid was a bit frazzled by this point. Was that.... Did she just? ... Wednesday Addams seemed to enjoy speaking in riddles or at least sentences that could be left up to different interpretations and honestly Enid wasn't sure she could decipher these with how clouded her state of mind currently was.

"A-and what's that?" Enid asked feeling a little bit like a cornered Animal, with a hunters gun pointed directly at her.

"See" Wednesday observed "So curious' she scanned Enid's face, ignoring the question. Wednesday noticed the wolf's nervousness and as she was not able to determine whether it was uncomfortable for her or not she stepped back to give her some space to breathe. She was of course hoping to tease Enid but that did not mean she had to be so predatory about it.

Enid sighed. Even she couldn't tell if she feared Wednesday or was attracted to her but after that interaction she just cleared her throat and spoke trying to avoid looking too interested. But Enid could not deny the warmth she felt at the closeness and the twinge of annoyance she felt after it had left.

"Do you have what I need?" She asked timidly. She scaled her eyes across Wednesday's body, her mind betraying her with thoughts of what she would look like writhing underneath her.

"Depends on what you came for?" Wednesday smirked again, as if reading her mind and rather proud of the reaction she had received from Enid. The blonde bit her lip to stop herself from giving in and continued to fight the urge to play into Wednesday's little game.

"The suppressants" she nodded, mostly trying to convince herself to agree that that is what she needed. They stared at each other for a moment, Wednesday giving Enid the chance to re-evaluate all of her options before she finally broke eye contact turning away from her.

"So incredibly dull" Wednesday sighed, shaking her head in disappointment. She had been rather charmed by Enid and was fascinated with werewolves in general so for this opportunity to pass by was a troubling concept for her.

"Hey I told you not to say that" Enid spat out still offended at Wednesday's obvious insult.

"I can say whatever I want" Wednesday folded her arms in protest. She wasn't one to keep her opinions to herself and she sure as hell would not let anyone dictate her free speech... No matter how cute they were.

"No you can't" Enid corrected her, somewhat delighted that the conversation had turned sour. Atleast this way the attraction may subside and she could actually focus on not getting to close and personal to the infamous Wednesday Addams. A journey like that is known to be insanely dangerous and Enid was 100% certain she would not survive.

"Care to waver?" Wednesday challenged. Enid took a moment to process what Wednesday had said. The vocabulary she used was so proper and every word had a somewhat disarming aroma around it. It intrigued Enid.

"Could've just said Bet but I'll bite" Enid rolled her eyes and smiled, feeling unnaturally comfortable in a conversation with Wednesday Addams all of a sudden.

"You promise?" Wednesday spoke quietly but the smug look on her face revealed to Enid that she had heard correctly and she let out a breathy chuckle in response.

"what?" She asked anyway anticipating that Wednesday would repeat herself. Did she realise the effect she was having on Enid or was this all just a game for her amusement. Was this even real? Was Enid actually still dreaming right now? What was happening?

"Nothing" she hummed, momentarily allowing herself to be comfortable.

"Bet!" Enid panicked and slashed her hand imitating one of her favourite memes joyfully, attempting to make light of the suggestive conversation. It was extraordinary what her brain told her to do in these kinds of situations, never fails to surprise even Enid herself.

"Why on earth would you do that?" Wednesday asked, leaning back lightly to avoid being karate chopped by the curious girl.

Enid was on the verge of becoming feral and lecturing the other girl on all things social media.. She debated with herself... It could either be a brilliant distraction or a mind numbing task that would surely push her over the edge so she stayed put for now settling on...

"Its a meme like wanna bet but just bet with like the button and- it's funny Wednesday" Enid raised her voice a bit at the blatant disdain the Addams girl had for anything remotely interesting to a normal teenager.

"Debatable" she said "Frivolous nonsense really" she criticized naturally.

"To you maybe" Enid blurted out defensively.

"It should be to most but we spend an alarming amount of time as a society attached to our phone screens like zombies, scrolling through brainless posts and memes as you say" Wednesday spat mocking the word.

Enid just sighed again. There she was. The cold and distant Wednesday she knew and ... Well she knew... Well kind of knew ... Whatever you get the point. But atleast this would deter Enid from jumping her bones.

"Whatever Wednesday. Can I have the pills or not?" Enid decided to just get on with the transaction. No games. No suggestive undertones. No problems.

"You said 8 O'clock" Wednesday raised her eyebrows.

"I know but surely you have-" Enid suddenly panicked and distressed at the idea of having to wait an entire hour before this feeling went away.

"No I do recall the time being 8 O'Clock" Wednesday rubbed her chin and pursed her lips as if to mimick a philosophers thinking face.

The shameless teasing was starting to get Enid worked up and her eyes glowed as she huffed.

"I need them now!" she growled out her fangs appearing effortlessly as she became unable to control the wolf inside her.

"It is not my fault that you're too punctual" Wednesday remarked, barely flinching at the outburst.

"I'm cutting it a bit close as it is Wednesday!" She began pacing back and forth in a worrisome way. "My whole body feels like it's on fire" Enid admitted, gritting her fangs, while clenching and unclenching her fists in an attempt to settle her wolf.

"Well then some even more unfortunate news for you then" Wednesday started and Enid's face weakened at her dull demeanor "My guy is running late so it's more like a 2 hour wait" she clasped her hands together professionally.

"Typical" the blonde grumbled out, her skin becoming itchy and her face faltering with every breath she took.

"Or opportunistic" Wednesday thought aloud, unclear whether this was deliberate or not Enid looked at her with doubt.

"Do I even wanna know?" She asked but before the Seer could answer Enid had doubled over in pain only looking up to bare her fangs towards Wednesday.

"Enid your fangs are captivating" Wednesday stepped forward daringly raising her hand up to Enid's face. She seemed captivated, smitten absolutely entranced by the sight in front of her.

"Again thanks but umm Wednesday I feel all jittery and nervous and helple-" her words wavered as Wednesday ignored her and grasped Enid's chin with her hand, lifting her chin ever so slightly to examine her features.

"I have that effect on people" she stated, while Enid groaned. Wednesday was well aware that her so-called off putting presence was actually rather appealing to plenty of students at Nevermore. She blamed goth culture for this and put it down to mindless mass adoration.

"It's not you it's the full moon" she let out a breathy laugh, watching Wednesday's eyes scan across her face before meeting her own. Although she had acknowledged that realistically she could be having these thoughts about anyone and the fact that it was Wednesday Addams meant this wasn't exactly true.

"Listen if you would prefer to lie to yourself to make you feel better then that's absolutely fine... But I'm almost 100% certain you're also nervous because of me" Wednesday's lips twitched with the threat of a smile as she looked down at Enid.

"Bit full of yourself aren't you" she attempted to snark at her but her words became drowned in a low growl when she felt another sharp pain in her side.

"Not entirely" Wednesday told her honestly "But..." She moved her hand to stroke up the werewolf's cheek and held it in place. Enid's sharp breath slowed as she steadied her breathing and raised her head to look at the pale girl in front of her.

Wednesday guided Enid upwards and she straightened her body, following Wednesday's eyes and letting the girl guide her into a now standing position. Enid's mouth opened as if she was going to speak yet no words came out. She remained speechless at how rapidly the pain had subsided with nothing but a light touch to her cheek from the captivating woman in front of her.

"Feeling better?" Wednesday asked, although it was obvious she knew the answer.

"What was that? What did you do?" Enid asked, taking into consideration that Wednesday was basically a Witch so who's to say that wasn't just something of a spell.

"Nothing" she spoke, uninterested, removing her pale hand from her warm cheek. It was clear to Wednesday that Enid was in denial so she would be patient and let the blonde come to her own conclusions.

"That wasn't nothing Wednesday the pain just completely disappeared!" Enid was shocked at the own volume of her voice but she couldn't help it, she was absolutely baffled.

"Again I did nothing, no spells, no remedies just good old fashioned healing properties of contact to an animal experiencing touch withdrawal" she explained but Enid still stared at her accusingly "In fact it won't last long you should be experiencing the same discomfort in about 3-2-1 ..."

And of course on cue she kneeled over in agony "Ahhhh" she screamed, followed by a harsh and loud growl as her claws shot out aggressively. "Wednesday what are you doing to me?!" She strained out, pleading up at the Addams Girl.

"Enid... It perplexes me how little you know of your own species" Wednesday scolded her instinctively.

"No I know werewolves have a chance of going into heat before a full moon but Its not suppose to hurt-urhhh- this much is it?" Enid questioned her, while still clutching at her sides.

"Only when denying yourself the touch of someone who is as alluring as I am I'm sure" Wednesday smirked again and Enid bit her tongue to avoid outing herself further.

"You didn't get told about this and you didn't have any surpressants? Do you even have anyone who teaches you these things honestly it's-" Wednesday was about to lecture Enid on her own species, she had had a fascination with werewolves and thier behaviour ever since she was a little terror.

"Fuuuuck ow! Touch me again" Enid groaned out cutting Wednesday off and inching forward. She couldn't help it the pain was unbearable and it wasn't like she wasn't attracted to the Addams girl. In fact the truth was she knew exactly why her wolf had guided her to Wednesday and it sure as hell wasn't for pills.

The words came out much more sexual than she had intended and this was clear when the raven haired girl's eyes went wide before a smirk grew on her face once again.

"Excuse me?" She tilted her head, still unfazed by Enid's pain, although it did disparage her to admit she wasn't enjoying it like she usually would. Torture was a topic Wednesday was an expert in. But when she was not inflicting it herself and the innocent girl in front of her was not only beautiful but didn't deserve it, it was less appealing to her sadistic side. Enid also fell under the rare list of people Wednesday didn't intend to bring any harm to at Nevermore, so she couldn't even enjoy this.

"Touch me!" She growled out harshly, baring her fangs and lunging towards Wednesday with ferocity.

Wednesday moved swiftly to the side, allowing Enid's claws to narrowly miss her face as she reached the side of her. But in one brave move Wednesday caught the werewolf around the waist, spinning them both around and moving her back into her arms.

Enid gasped at the movement, mouth slightly open in shock, her arms still lightly swinging at her sides as her whole body untensed at Wednesday's touch.

"Gladly." Wednesday whispered holding Enid in place.

Enid took sharp, shallow breaths panting as she looked into Wednesday captivating eyes. She only looked away when she felt Wednesday cold fingertips grazing lightly up her forearm. Her thoughts turned primitively crazy but her body completely settled as her eyes followed Wednesday's hand.

"This is such a bad idea" she visibly gulped, but there wasn't a single urge in her mind, body or soul that wanted to remove herself from Wednesday secure grip.

"Exhilarating though isn't it?" Wednesday pulled Enid closer with a light tug and in response she moved her arms up to wrap them soundly around The other girls neck. "Now watch this" she whispered softly against Enid's lips before closing the gap between them with no resistance from the werewolf.

Their lips collided in a passion filled frenzy, Enid's hands travelling around Wednesdays body gripping at her clothes, feral with the other girl's touch and letting her impulses take over.

Wednesday smiled into the kiss, infatuated with the idea of Enid desiring her to the point of self destruction, only pulling back to ask "Are you sure?" Out of respect for the werewolf.

The absence of Wednesday's lips caused Enid to blink out of her amorous state and pant breathlessly. Wednesday stared at her awaiting confirmation of consent.

"Yes I'm sure" she nodded frantically absolutely infatuated with how incredible it felt to finally kiss Wednesday.

"Because I was just teasing-" Wednesday tried to give further information and the opportunity to change her mind.

"Wednesday" Her own name sounded melodious to her ears,coming from Enid's mouth.

"Yes little wolf" she allowed a small reassuring smile to grace her lips.

"Touch me" she connected their lips again, finally allowing herself to fully submit to her animalistic urges with none other than Wednesday Addams. WEDNESDAY FREAKING ADDAMS.

Hope y'all enjoyed 😋 This turned out way longer than expected but I had fun writing it so...

#wenclair #wednesday addams #enid sinclair #wednesday #wenclair fanfic #wednesday x enid #wenclair one shot #wenclair one shot part 2 #wenclair request #wenclair I get paid in favours

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pigeonpeach · 1 year

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Yandere Genshin men

Content warning: kidnapping, drugging, lots and LOTS OF MANIPULATION, lots of mentions of murder including of reader in some cases. Also this is a yandere post ofc shits disturbing please proceed with caution

Characters included: Scaramouche, Childe, Diluc, Kaeya, Ayato

Kaeya: Manipuulator

Lets be honest Kaeya wouldn’t be the typical kidnapper and basement yandere unless it was REALLY the ONLY option. But any freedom he gives you is pretty much a illusion. He’s a charming man, he’ll find a way to sweep someone like you off your feet and wrapped around his finger. He’ll always try to come off as the most capable and smart between you two. He won’t demand you stop seeing a male friend he doesn’t like. He’ll find some way to get said friend to slip up or fall out of your good graces. Framing, blackmail, whatever. Last on the list is murder. Which of course he’d get away with. He’d plant seeds into your head that as a captain its his duty to protect, he knows this game so you could at least listen to him. Celestia could not save you if you were a anxious or shy type. He’d play into your fears to the point you would willingly stay home all day with no need for chains or shackles. He has no need to immediately dive into extreme actions but he has nothing really stopping him from doing so completely. If someone poses a threat to his charade, they will be cut down. They won’t get the chance to utter a word.

Scaramouche: Scared

He actually does love you. If he can love at all that is. He however has never experienced a healthy permanent love. He’s certain you’ll leave one day. He doesn’t like hurting you. He likes controlling you. Because surely then he could keep you from leaving right? If you ever do want to leave you’ll have to fake your death if you really want to. And even so could bear hearing his cries. He’s not that much of a crier but he had foolishly hoped he could keep you at least that. He was a fool to think love could give him the heart he seeked. Never let him find you again after this. Because he will probably just kill you. After the fake out he come to the conclusion his love was s waste of energy he will be more eager to rid himself of his obsession than he will be to keep you alive. So if you stay instead you’ll have to drag him to some therapy.

Childe: Hunter

Oh boy. Arguably the worst so far. He’ll drag you to a cabin in His wintery hell homeland and let you experience the cold with nothing to aid you. Only to swoop in to save the day before you can die. So you’ll know to leave his home is death guaranteed. He’ll put you through hell til it feels like heaven. You’ll learn to crave his affection doting side. The caring husband. You’ll learn to cling to him. You won’t have a choice. If he has to he’ll drug you. Some kind of love potion perhaps? Whatever it takes. He however does want to love you. He does want nothing more than to just let you be a stay at home partner waiting on him to visit. Guarded by fatui soldiers with hearts as cold as a blizzard. To come home to you and a couple kiddos. He’ll be a loving father to them and you. He just has to… break you in a little before he can safely believe in you.

Diluc: Protector

Well at least you won’t be totally alone. Or totally trapped. You’ll be watched by the maids and locked in the mansion you’ll be allowed to go outside only when he’s there. With his hand tight around your waist, having already cleared any camps of monsters or treasure hoarders miles away. He’ll do everything to make you feel more comfortable here. He can’t afford to lose you. And really he does have a point when he says the world isn’t safe for you now. You’re the lover of Diluc, enemy of the Abyss Order and the Fatui. There is no way they wouldn’t take advantage of you. There is no way they wouldn’t snatch you away within a instant. He could never live with himself if he let that be the case. You’ll never be bored if you’re good. He’ll get you art supplies if you wish, any books that you would like. Even pets if you would like. Perhaps if he was really really in a good mood he may just maybe take you into town. Probably on a more proper date. He’d be easy to trick at least. You need only to kiss him on the cheek or perk up whenever he enters the room, to curl yourself into his body at night, hold his face gently and lovingly and he’ll become pure putty in your grasp. Its really just Adeline you gotta watch for she’s not blinded by the desperation for affection that Diluc is. You will have to put on quite the show to convince her too. And even if you did find a way to escape, you might find Diluc was right when he said the world isn’t safe for you anymore. What organization wouldn’t be able to capture a mere mortal to use as a bargaining chip for their most hated enemy. So maybe, you really should stay.

Kamisato Ayato: Spoiled

Ayato is a prized bachelor of high society. He could have anyone with a mere point of his finger. No family would resist him. No parent would deny him. So why do you? Why do you insist on playing hard to get when he’s already got you by your ball and chain? Truly you must be blind or damaged if you think being with him is so bad. He no doubt has you observed 24/7. Eventually one day a masked man tries to attack you and who should come to your aid but the very man who holds you hostage. He’ll hold you while you tremble muttering nonsense as he whispers sweet reassurances into your ears. Every moment without him seems to be terrifying all of the sudden. You’re left alone most of the time as you refuse to be obedient and suddenly you find you’ve become insanely paranoid to the point you start begging and pleading for ayato to come. Anyone will do you just can’t be alone. You become so needy for his affection never noticing your daily drink of water in the morning is a tad bit salty. He’d definitely drug you but more or less to get you to associate him with comfort and safety so that you’ll come to love him. But if he has to keep drugging your water then that’s fine too. Whatever he wants he gets and he will have you.

#yandere childe x reader #mild yandere themes #yandere genshin impact #yandere #yandere scaramouche #yandere kaeya #yandere diluc #yandere ayato #yandere tartaglia #genshin imagines #kunikushi x reader #wanderer x reader #diluc ragnivindr x you #childe #diluc x you #diluc x y/n #kaeya x reader

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kinghe · 1 month

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Mariner's Rinds 3.6k words | Wriothesley/Neuvillette tags: sexual content, dubious consent, dom/sub undertones

Happy birthday to my dearest @denimecho, my sweet cheese. My good time boy. This is fic based on his beautiful Wriollette artwork.

The Fortress of Meriopode: the imposing stronghold in abyssal drink, a long-standing and lone custodian. The principle of such a being meant protection for those of the outside world or a cautionary tale. Thus, the wonders of the institution were unknown to the general public and untouched by the hand of the judicial court. Insofar as it involved the affairs of the underground, it was Wriothesley’s domain. Except the Iudex stood at the threshold of his office, looking as discrepant in all his glory as he always did.

“Well,” Wriothesley said with raised brow, “this is a surprise.”

"Hello," Neuvillette stepped forward like a haze, slow and uninterrupted.

“Hello?" Wriothesley smiled, "I welcome you with open arms, make no mistake, but there was no prior notice of your arrival.” He set his teacup down, “call it a hunch, but aren’t you usually very proper with such things?”

He slots his fingers in the space between Neuvillette’s neck and jaw, cold like ice, smooth like leather, and watches the way his head tilts back against Wriothesley’s shoulder in consequence. Silence. It makes the roaring in his ears sound like discomforted static and his own breathing, laboured, rolls out in sharp intervals.

He feels Neuvillette’s heartbeat, slow, stilted, irregular, through the membrane of his own.

“I must apologise. My arrival was sudden, even to me." Neuvillette said, his voice at once cutting and balming, “I do recognise the disruption my presence here may entail, and I assure you, my stay won't be long.” Not a single hair out of place. Noble, and immaculate.

“Nonsense. My doors are always open to you. As a matter of fact, I feel as though I’m always the one asking you to stay, only to meet with your insistent departures. Please,” he gestured to the seat by his desk. “But really, this is quite peculiar. Have you come to chide me?”

“I cannot imagine what for.”

The quiet stretched and Wriothesley replied with a mild, “neither can I.”

Neuvillette said, “In truth, my duties required me nearby, though matters were resolved quite… efficiently, to say the least. I daresay my presence was not needed.”

“Ah, the reconstitution meetings, is it? You had to oversee that?”

Neuvillette nodded.

“The council is ruthless.” Wriothesley chuckled despite himself. By natural inclination, Neuvillette remained the highest authority of Fontaine but the nobility would always be the first to bow down to it, and simultaneously undermine it.

“If I had known the gravity of their cases, I would have scheduled our times accordingly. I’m not suggesting their concerns should be disregarded, however for the time being, I believe Imena to be capable on her lonesome.” He paused, as though reliving the brunt of insipid chatter, but whatever bitterness Wriothesley was searching for showed no trace. “Nevertheless, I had a great deal of time on my hands, and since my visit to Qiaoying Village, I confess I’ve made a habit of, as one would say, ‘loitering.’ As of late.”

Wriothesley looked up. “Oh?” So the observer has abdicated.

“Before I knew it,” Neuvillette said, “I found myself here.”

Neuvillette’s eyes are hidden behind grey tresses but Wriothesley imagines the slits dilating, darkening. Then he imagines hardly anything. The column of Neuvillette’s neck is submerged by a faint red, giving the appearance of having drunk too much liquor. Its contrast is slight, but drastic on Neuvillette's flesh; he finds it brings him down to physicality and in Wriothesley's handling.

He grabs Neuvillette’s wrists, holds them up and the colour travels to his ears, which Wriothesley traces with fervour.

“Aha, how quaint. I imagine it is nothing short of a spectacle for the folk to see you out and about.”

Neuvillette looked hesitant, but Wriothesley was patient. “Regardless, I wished to ask: does your invitation for tea have an expiration date?”

“Course not, Monsieur Neuvillette.” The smile on Wriothesley’s face was unreserved, stretching easy on his face. “I’m way ahead of you.”

The room is warm, warm - his steel ice office has never been so humid. Neuvillette’s skin is jumping under his touch, pulling him in: teasing him out.

The tea he poured was a hearty homage to Neuvillette’s new ventures. Liyue’s specialty was herbal and demure, best suited for night, just as one was on his last ream of paperwork. Wriothesley watched with no obstacle as the mug pressed red into Neuvillette’s white palms.

“I am not disrupting your duties, am I?”

“No, no, you came at the perfect time. ” Wriothesley waved, “what is this I’m hearing about loitering?”

“Well, it is still quite rare that I do. My duties still occupy me for the majority of the day, and I have a sense that my workload will double in the near future. However,” Neuvillette said, a frown twisting the corner of his lips, “it has come to my attention that it may prove worthwhile.”

“And what are your findings?”

“That remains to be seen, I’m afraid.” Neuvillette lowered his gaze. The corners of his eyes and lips rounded, becoming softer, more malleable. Those features were best blessed under the night sky, and Wriothesley’s office was kept dim for a reason. Regardless, the light from the outside was not inclined to penetrate through to the ocean floor.

He is clinically, accurately precise when he wants to be, but finds that its never what he wants, with Neuvillette. He can’t help but shove him into book cases, bend him over desks, pin him against limestone. Now, to the thrum of frenzy, his palm splayed on the small of Neuvillette’s back forces an arch too bowed to be painless.

For a brief moment, the intensity of his own stare was not known to him and when he came to, he almost startled. He considered winding up the gramophone but stopped himself; Neuvillette at his most serene was in the quiet.

“It’s a good look on you.” He said, voice ahead of mind.

“Do you think so?”

Wriothesley cast his eyes away and to the far corner of his office, on a cabinet closest to the doors. It was crowned by a legal codex. He jerked his thumb in the direction of it.

“How else would this trophy of mine get to me?”

Neuvillette took a long sip of his tea, staring at the structure with bemusement. “Is it wise to have it on display like this?”

“Absolutely,” Wriothesley said, “not.” He flashed the Iudex a smile. “It’s home is in the storage room, as promised. I just like taking it out sometimes.”

“That is peculiar. For what reason?”

“Of course, it reminds me…

His hunger feels like it will never be quelled. It’s been there since his creation, merely dormant. Suppressed. Deactivated. A sigh escapes Neuvillette, quiet and like a song, and Wriothesley reconsiders.

“…of my appreciation of you. Our connection if you will,”

Some part of him knows his touch is audacious, that he's treating Neuvillette too lightly, as if he were an object. As if he were a thing Wriothesley owns. But his hands are made to be on Neuvillette’s body, and he grips his shoulder, his hip, and Neuvillette stills under it. Neuvillette stays where Wriothesley puts him.

“-and the code that I must dutifully live by.”

Wriothesley clenches his jaw, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple as he reminds himself: be gentle, be gentle. He shapes his consciousness back into its automated material and concentrates, until he doesn’t, and then he does what he likes. He grips Neuvillette’s hardened thigh, the tips of his fingers tracing the thin skin of the inside.

Neuvillette stared.

“And, of course, I had to have Clorinde bear witness to my earnings.”

Neuvillette gave a slow nod. “I hope it satisfied her expectations.”

“Oh, she was very impressed by the craftsmanship.” Wriothesley rose from his seat, and moved towards the slab of stone. He picked it up with tenderness, stroked a thumb over the engraving with a fond eye. “In fact, I, myself, have started to segue into a great fondness for the arts. Finally, a fitting citizen of this country, no?”

Neuvillette disagreed, “I highly doubt it deserves this calibre of praise. Please remember, it was conceived merely in jest.”

“Even your jokes are pristine, then.”

“I do not know what to say to that.”

Wriothesley let out an amused breath.

Once more, he used the moment to reassess the situation; Neuvillette, Chief Justice of Fontaine, sitting in his office, having tea. He would appreciate the absurdity of it all if the man himself weren’t such a distracting contrast amongst his belongings. Timeless and stoic, unbound by teacups and velvet settees.

“Now, Monsieur Neuvillette,” Wriothesley crossed his arms, lax against his chair. “I must say, I do not hate engaging in pleasantries with you. However, it also stands that I have not yet known you to involve yourself.”

“You are right; I was, and am, unfamiliar to the need. This a first attempt of sorts.”

“You’ve been doing a lot of those recently… oh, let me refill that. ‘Scuse me.”

Neuvillette reached out for the pot but Wriothesley, steeled by reflex, grabbed his wrist before he could intervene. Not unkindly. A beat, and Neuvillette’s arm went lax in Wriothesley's hold, and he grabbed the pot himself. The kettle on his worktable was the only household appliance in his office, filling the office with a muted hum.

Neuvillette is sturdy, solid and damp, and letting out a breath as a strong grip kneads the meat of his breast. The curve of Neuvillette’s neck lies bare as his hair slips before his shoulders, and his steady exhales becomes the symphony of the evening.

Neuvillette holds himself up where Wriothesley places him, always. Idle where Wriothesley mouths at the mound of his neck and shoulder, going easily when shoved. Wriothesley pushes in and there’s a solid thump of a fist, green veins protruding from Neuvillette's pale forearms.

He pulls him closer, pushes him back. He guides the ancient entity forward so his forearms presses into book spines as Wriothesley violates him again and again.

Wriothesley places a grip on the back of Neuvillette’s neck, perhaps to tame if he thrashes, but he is still, so still. A monument that stands solid through the passage of time, purely and painfully ornamental.

Neuvillette eventually said, “it seems to have become a curiosity of mine.”

“Oh? Very well, then.” Wriothesley switched the kettle on and gave him a nod, “take the reins.”

Neuvillette’s lips worked around words that were silent, and then stopped moving altogether.

The articulation of those lips had been embedded in Wriothesley’s wiring the moment they delivered his verdict. When he spoke, motion was minimum, the cadence of his voice a soft imprint against ego: at once, nullifying and devastating. But if Neuvillette was careless, then call Wriothesley naive. The entity’s biggest crimes were his scarcity and fortitude.

“The process of reconstruction has posed significant challenges.” Neuvillette said after pause. The same low timbre from twenty years ago. “As you know, the termination of the Oratrice means the ease of this transition is my priority. I would like to know where you stand in all of this.”

Wriothesley laughed, “Ah, it has become work-related again. But that’s okay. I won’t be surprised when the shock dissipates and we find ourselves swamped down here too. People have already started to notice the state we’re in. You’ve read my reports, haven’t you? We are at the cusp of an interim.”

“I indeed have. It provided great clarification.”

Neuvillette's warmth all around him, a suffocation and a vice that promises to sever but Wriothesley yanks the tail of his coat out of the way and kicks his legs apart. And then takes him again. Raises him higher, higher, until Neuvillette is searching for better purchase. A grunt leaves his throat, thrust out with how hard Wriothesley’s muscles flex and then strain, and further ripples through his skin.

“And I’ve read your proposal. I stand by it.”

“I am grateful to hear that,” Neuvillette said, though the corner of his lips creased. “Fontaine has never been without an Archon. It seems I’ve misunderstood the effects of such a phenomenon.”

“This is not really a commonplace thing…”

“That much is irrefutable. As it stands, I have been faced with a series of novelties I may not be equipped to deal with.”

“You’re worried?”

“I would only like to enact what is best for Fontaine,” Neuvillette explained, and Wriothesley was once again reminded of a sorrowful form of a man barred of its features, staring down at him from a high throne. “It is not my capability per se, but my status that may destabilise the prospect of moderation. I am not asking for reassurance, rather, it is in that line of thinking that calls for perspectives outside of my own.”

Wriothesley hummed, pouring the tea with mechanical tenderness. “So that’s what this is about. You’ve seen the movements, haven’t you?” I thought I took care of that.

“It would be arrogant to assume there would not be any to resent my state of being.”

“Sure,” Wriothesley said, “If you ask me, it’ll be some time before it becomes an issue. Any semblance of visibility or violence right now is scoured by the loss of Focalors, and those who carry these sentiments lack the manpower and the influence. Trust me on this.”

Neuvillette spent a long time digging into his irises. Then he placed his tea back on the table. “I see now that it was reckless of me to have left.”

“You, reckless? Why, that’s not in your dictionary,” Wriothesley’s grim smile was concealed by his teacup, but Neuvillette caught onto details far faster than formalities anyway. “Though I actually think it best to lay low just as you are. No one is better suited for this than you.”

His other hand plants over Neuvillette’s stomach as he forces the man back against him, the muscles tensing hard under his palm, and a shaky inhale wanes as soon as it starts. Neuvillette’s hands find Wriothesley’s wrists; all else is insufficient in holding him up. Neuvillette is — cold and tight and addictive.

He peels back layer by layer, smoothing hands over skin, until he finds him raw and pink and ripened.

“Why do you say that?”

“The people here have grown accustomed to its idols. They are used to performance and machinations. I’m assuming you don’t intend to pick up where Miss Furina left off?”

Neuvillette blinked. “Of course not.”

“I hope I'm not overstepping my bounds with my opinion. You, as a public figure, are not defined by archaic concepts such as ‘justice,’” Wriothesley jerked his chin, “but duty. In you, people see the vision already, and they will see that things will not be returning to the status quo. In fact, your transparency is what the nation needs right now, so give them that.” He paused, and shrugged, “or don’t. They’ve already had their sweethearts.”

“I see your point, Your Grace.” Neuvillette murmured, chin in hand. “I… will not pretend to comprehend the dynamics of human relationships. Despite my efforts to understand, each time I feel I’ve gained insight, a new facet eludes me." He looked troubled. "I’d initially hoped to salvage this with contributions. Gifts. Though it appears that those around me have emphasized the significance of my departure, instead. Needless to say, your advice has been highly valuable."

His palms drag heavy over Neuvillette’s hips to the back of a firm, thick thigh. He can feel Neuvillette brace himself when he forces his leg up in a firm hold, and the closeness presses him deeper inside. He’s a machine running on the fumes of Neuvillette’s wreckage. He’s a nexus of unstable energy contained by the wet clasp of Neuvillette, who remains untainted by mortal devices.

The thick expanse of a shoulder so regal, so close to him, and Wriothesley sinks his teeth into it as his vision spots.

“You do better than you think.” Wriothesley said with a small smirk, “and you’ll have to tell me more about Liyue some time.”

“Very well.” Neuvillette said. “I’ll have a detailed review for you at a later date. Perhaps I’ll squeeze in another visit before we next meet.”

"You do that." Wriothesley hummed, scratching the side of his head, “still, though. To think a day would come where the overworld and the underworld would find a middle ground.”

The tendency to believe punishment started in Meriopode will never stop being a point of focus for him. It was as deeply amusing as Neuvillette's antics. There was a short pause where Neuvillette studied his face.

“Oh, don’t mind me,” Wriothesley smiled. He grabbed Neuvillette’s cup, refilling it. “Up there resembles down here with each passing day, is all I’m saying.”

The wrinkles that appeared when Neuvillette furrowed his brow were also decorative, an adaptation of warm blood. His scrutiny never failed to thrill Wriothesley because it reduced the entity into somewhat of a reflection, laying the groundwork to be scrutinised in the same manner. Here, it wouldn’t surprise him had Neuvillette taken his leave, appeased with their exchange. Instead, Neuvillette followed him.

“No more performances, I believe, is what you mean?”

“Everything is a performance,” Wriothesley said, offering Neuvillette’s teacup when the man leaned in close. He let the cold air stagnate around him, hindered only by Neuvillette’s breath. Except you. He let go of the cup. Neuvillette lingered, fingers secured around it.

He watched Neuvillette indulge himself in another sip, exhaling, and the sound sliced the silence into thick slivers. It encased the room like fog, like condensation, and Wriothesley’s palms tingled and his throat went dry.

Wriothesley forces parts of himself deep inside him. They shudder in unison, Wriothesley gasping, chasing for breath. He folds Neuvillette over, draping over him like second skin with his forehead pressed against the damp back of a strong, noble shoulder.

“It’s good,” Neuvillette murmured, and the world started spinning again.

It rushes into a geyser of a memory; nails against skin, the pulse of his throat, the feeling like hurtling liberation and abandonment, before Neuvillette can button himself back up and wash it away. A phantom of the fragment of solidity Wriothesley can mould him into, when he was under his hands.

“Now that’s a compliment indeed, coming from you.”

“Please. Your discernment in matters of tea surpasses mine. When you brew it…” Neuvillette trailed off, perhaps scanning Wriothesley in his entirety. It was always a breathless thing to have the Iudex’s full attention. “When you are the one brewing it, I have complete confidence in its quality.”

“Is that a fact?” Wriothesley said, pleased as day.

"Do you know me as one to lie?”

“Point taken. Have you lied once in the past millennium?”

“I must have, statistically, but put on the spot like that, it is a challenge to recall.”

“Doesn’t count. Omission doesn’t count, either. Oh, and that was a rhetorical question, by the way.”

“I… see.” Neuvillette cast him an unreadable look. “If you’ll allow me to say, the amount of lies you’ve told is sufficient for both our lifetimes.”

Wriothesley grasped his own chest. “Why, Iudex Neuvillette! You’re really getting the hang of things, aren’t you?”

The gentle clink of fine china, the notes of Neuvillette’s quiet tones, the submergence of a glass bottle under the sea. The tea was starting to grow cold. The better part of an hour he had kept the Chief Justice locked in his hollow underwater. A free spirit made tangible, like picking up water with the sole equipment of one’s hands. The sentiment settled into his palms and fingers like a desperate ache.

“This was pleasant, Duke Wriothesley. You have my thanks in accommodating me tonight.” Neuvillette folded his hands atop his knee. “As a token of my appreciation, please allow for our next meeting to be in my office. Though I do not hold a candle to your tea-making, it would be my honour to prepare the refreshments."

“Well, if you insist. Perhaps I shall.”

He waits for Neuvillette to say something. Anything.

The doors were too loud when they screeched open. Wriothesley had half a mind to fix that later. “Our next tea party aside, might one hope for your presence more often down here, considering the circumstances?”

Neuvillette fixed his eyes on him, considering. “That may be a likelier thing. Nevertheless, this was an unusual deviation that I do not foresee becoming a regular occurrence. Unfortunately my responsibilities remain unchanged.”

“Unchanged,” Wriothesley echoed, pausing. “That’s an interesting word to use in this climate of events. To think you may inspire unrest among the people here; would you not consider my own appearances to yield the same result? This place is my foundation, but this does not mean anything to new faces.”

He said quietly, "Wriothesley."

And there were a lot of new faces, though the number was not privy to Neuvillette. Wriothesley’s eyes were intent, and he took care not to slip a bit of himself outside, “it is the next chapter, dear Iudex. I am but an authority, just like you.”

Neuvillette’s face remained unchanged, though a long sigh escaped silently through the nose. His fingers twitched, imperceptible if Wriothesley was not so attuned to his movements. “Yes, I… you are not wrong. I will take it into consideration." And then short and swift, "I bid you goodnight.”

Nothing. Everything.

The door swung closed with an echo that resonated deep within his chambers. Wriothesley settled back in his seat, his fingers coiling together as he rested his chin.

Neuvillette leaves in silence, his pristine coat flowing behind him.

#genshin impact #wriothesley #neuvillette #wriolette #wriollette #rated mature #Denimecho birthday drop

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hanniejji · 2 years

Text

born from the ashes of another

[ father!diluc ragnvindr x child!reader ]

summary: a phoenix born from ashes and flame, blaze as bright as the first, but can never last as long as the first burst. how does a phoenix ignite itself after losing its flame?

notes: this chonky piece of shit took a long while to finish goddamn. also, heavily inspired by my anons who keeps giving me wonderful brainrots! y'all are wonderful and i love reading your ideas! neways, watch me drop this out of nowhere without a proper ending haha suffer motherfuckers >:) | m.list

words: 7,449 | warnings: sad shit, character death (mentioned), "y/n" used, injuries, torture (not descriptive), trauma, neglect,

ACT I.

diluc's eyes flutter open at the start of your cries, the sound passing through the doors of your room across his, just like what he had intended.

well, what his wife intended for.

shaking the sleepiness out of his mind, he pushes his weary body off the bed, the cold floor helping his groggy brain to wake up by sending chills along his nerves.

"shit."

he winches at the stinging pain on his side from an earlier encounter. it wasn't a deep cut, but it stung like a searing burn against the cloth of his sleepwear. 'wretched abyss,' he thought. nevertheless, he forces himself to move quickly, hoping that your cries haven't woken any of the staff in the house.

yet, his hand flinched just before he could even turn the door knob of your door.

his chest feels constricted, the long hallways seemingly looming over him and the shadows wavering into figures that he's sure is just a figment created by the combination of his imagination and fear. perhaps with a mix of his fatigue and emotions that he had been restraining for the sake of going through his responsibilities without a hitch.

but who could blame him for having moments like this, when he hasn't even had a moment to mourn for the loss of his wife?

the loss of his beloved and the arrival of their child. it was a fear that loomed over everyone in the household after they discovered their madam collapsed one day. her body was too weak to nurture another life. diluc had been in denial at first, searching far and wide for someone to help them save his wife and the child in her womb.

in the end, the doctor had to force him to choose before they lost both of you.

and he chose what his wife begged him to. a final wish that he couldn't possibly deny her of. he could still remember her pained voice as she whispered her last wish to him.

"save them," she had begged the trembling man seated beside her bed. "there's no guarantee that i may even survive this, so please, at least save our child, my love."

if finding even the tiniest hope for her survival was a struggle, making sure that you live through the process was akin to fighting death itself. you didn't make a single noise the moment you were born and there was almost no air coming from your nose. the doctors were separated, some were fussing over you while your mother was taken care of for the entirety of the night.

the moment you made a small cry was like a small show of mercy from the gods.

your mother was still conscious enough to see you for the first and last time. she spent her last moments in his arms, smiling at your resting form bundled in a red blanket.

those mere minutes of tranquility was something out of his dreams.

the image of his wife—with the exception of her deathly pale skin and weak breathing—holding your frail body in her arms, the smile that was shared between them. yet diluc's lips trembled at the inevitable quietus in his beloved's eyes. her last words uttered in a whisper and the shiver that traversed across his spine when he felt her cold hands lingered on his skin.

"i love you."

the next thing he knew, doctors were scurrying right back to the room while he sat outside with you in his arms, lifeless eyes staring aimlessly at the floor.

nothing could possibly console him. but his life had forced him to go back and attend to his responsibilities, as if the death of his wife wasn't enough for the gods.

a loud shrill of your cries woke him a second time this night.

no, he scolded himself, turning the knob to push your door open and taking a deep breath, i don't have time for such thoughts.

carefully, he closed the door with a click, his face frowning at the incessant cries coming from your crib. he can see your little arms flailing up and around through the wooden rails, prompting him to quicken his pace towards you.

what a tiny little thing you are, he can still remember his wife's voice when you were placed in her arms that night.

"good evening, little one," he coos, lowering his hand to brush against the baby hairs on your head.

"if i remember correctly, adelinde fed you earlier just before i arrived—" he recalls that it had just been two and a half hours ago when he finished his patrol around mondstadt, "—what must be causing you to fuss at this time of the night?"

he wasn't aware of it, but the corner of his lips tilted up into a small smile. his voice in a gentle tone that only his beloved had the honor of hearing. your delicate skin barely felt the feather-like touches of his fingertips but it was enough to make your cries decrease in volume, your hiccups and whimpers left to echo in the four walls of your room.

diluc felt his heart leap for a second, but shook his head to focus on easing your cries.

"your diaper is clean," he glances at the sheets in your crib, "you hadn't entangled yourself with the mattress either."

it's safe to say that everything that diluc had read about parenting, which were multiple shelves upon shelves of books, had dispersed the second he had to put it to use.

"uh," he looks down at you in concern, clueless and hands trembling in nervousness.

you're still crying, albeit not as loud as before but he still wouldn't want you to keep crying until you get tired. he sighs, wracking his brain of anything that might solve his problems right away.

"barbatos help me—wait, no, nevermind," he groans, reprimanding himself for even thinking about that unreliable and drunkard archon of mondstadt. hesitating for a second, he carefully reaches under your armpits then pauses.

how do you carry babies again?

you must've sensed his reluctance, squirming at the uncomfortable grip he has around your armpits and whining.

"wait, no, that's not right."

cursing under his breath, he then slips his hands under your head and bum, carefully—almost too careful, he's so afraid to accidentally drop you—lifting you to his chest, where he lets your head rest on his shoulder. the weight of your body was unfamiliar in his arms, so light. he really hasn't carried you that much, huh? his arms are too stiff to be comfortable for babies, yet here you are, babbling quietly and relaxing.

wait, what?

he turns his head to look at your untroubled sleeping face.

did you… did you stop crying the moment he took you in his arms?

"oh, my little flame."

you look so… so fragile and at peace. he never imagined that such a vulnerable little thing like you would ever feel so secured in his presence that you'd cease your tears at the touch of his warmth. it's like he was all you were searching for in the first place—and he is. you really were asking, crying, for him. for a mere few minutes in his arms and you're already so comfortably sleeping, as if you weren't just fussing a moment ago. you wanted him, a man who had lost everything and grew familiar with violence, to hold you in his arms.

the whole time that he was awestruck at such a precious moment in front of him, he had not realized the tears running down his cheeks.

only when he felt the drops of crystal clear tears on your clothes did he snap from his gaze, shifting you gently to wipe away his tears. his tired eyes affected by his sudden tears feel heavier than earlier.

but he didn't want to leave this yet.

he wants to stay like this a little longer. he wants to feel the utmost trust you put in him to hold your fragile little self and protect you in your most vulnerable state.

this… this is an unfamiliar territory, yet it also feels right. like his arms is where you are safe the most.

so he stays.

leaning his back on the armchair placed in your baby room, he carefully shifts you to lay on his arms, watching you sleep with tenderness in his eyes. to be given such an opportunity to care, love, and protect such a precious little thing. one that was given to him by his wife. one that lit up a tiny flame in his heart, slowly engulfing his whole person and soaring the skies.

he would do everything to protect you, even at the cost of his life.

"rest well, little phoenix."

but you burned so brightly that he sometimes had to look away.

ACT II.

to say that everyone in the ragnvindr household, staff and employees alike, are in shambles is an understatement.

this includes even the ever so smooth cavalry captain, kaeya.

the cause? you, the only child of diluc ragnvindr, had fallen terribly ill a week ago. at first it was just a runny nose and a constant feeling of discomfort. three days later, your simple cold turned into a high fever. the bad news? diluc is thousands of miles away in fontaine, dealing with international business and he hasn't been answering their letters. yes, letters, plural form. they had sent the fifth letter this morning.

kaeya, and everyone else, is slowly losing their mind. adelinde and elzer are on the verge of a breakdown.

"ah, seriously, your stupid father."

kaeya sighed for the nth time today. he had been taking his day off for the past four days, choosing to look after your ill state. the convenience of his cryo vision came in handy in this situation, keeping your forehead cool with a hand and using his body temperature to make sure you aren't being affected by the heatwave outside.

yet, your fever refuses to go down. you weren't necessarily hard to take care of, but the frown on your face and whimpers from time to time says enough.

that, and you kept asking for your currently absent father.

"uncle?"

"yes, pipsqueak?" he rubs his hand across your back, "do you want something?"

"where's dad?"

kaeya couldn't help the grimace at your question, choosing to say something that wouldn't directly tell you that your dumbass of a father is too busy to spare a minute or two to read their letters regarding your state.

"he'll be home soon, alright?"

kaeya's never been a religious person, but he prays to the wielder of faith that what he said will come true.

"i want dad…"

"i know, kid, i know."

a few seconds later, you're once again in a feverish dreamland. kaeya couldn't imagine how it must've felt to not find the person you need the most at your weakest state. (well, he could actually, but even then he was always surrounded by people when he was your age)

perhaps it's not as obvious to the public, but kaeya is not just anyone. he knows the longing in your eyes whenever he sees you look at you diluc. the way you don't seem to have the same glee that klee and any other child have. he's also painfully aware of diluc's negligence and irresponsibility as your father. how can he not be aware, when you ask him things that you should already know just by spending time with your father? when he had never seen the two of you in the same room, bonding or doing whatever a father and his child should be doing? when he can clearly see you looking at your father with desperate eyes and diluc looks at you wistfully, unable to sort his the unresolved emotions he still had since your mother's passing? after all, diluc ragnvindr is a man who cannot waste his time to mourn when time is unwilling to wait. time is unyielding, merciless, keeps moving forward and will not spare anyone a moment to stop. and you are his child burdened at such a young age.

but you still ask for your father nonetheless.

"is dad here yet?"

that's the nth time you asked that question now.

adelinde couldn't help but frown every time you did, praying to the anemo archon once more that the master would soon push the doors to the manor open. after kaeya left for work—he unfortunately couldn't skip today's patrol, something about observing the recent appearance of an unusual activity in the wild—you had woken up from a fever dream. if adelinde wasn't already stressed for the past few days, she was sure she would've passed out when she saw you crying in your sleep, twisting and turning around under the crumpled sheets before waking up with a yelp, curling around your knees as you let out heart wrenching whimpers and cries for your father.

it took a while before you eventually settled down in bed again, but unable to close your eyes after the fright.

"please, young one, you need to rest if you want to get well."

"i want to wait for dad…"

she had never seen you in such a state where you'd stubbornly stick your feet to the ground with the resolve that resembled your father so much. you were always such an obedient child, listening intently to the staff—especially to diluc—and never having to be told of something twice for you to understand something.

but right now, even as your eyes refuse to stay open and your breaths turn shallow, you clench your fist around your blanket with a determination that's mighty as steel.

oh you remind her so much of diluc whenever he gets stubborn as a sick child, it would've been so endearing if only the two aren't in such a complicated situation.

"knock knock," elzer peeks inside from the door, giving you a gentle smile before entering. "don't want to sleep yet?"

"the young one is insisting on waiting for the master," adelinde sighed tiredly.

"i want to wait for dad," they barely heard your voice from under your blanket. when did you even cocooned yourself?

"i figured as much," elzer chuckled as he walked closer, pulling something from behind him to show you. "i have something that might help you. here, let me unwrap you from the burrito you got yourself into."

carefully, he takes the blanket away from your shivering body, quickly replacing it with two coats similar to the ones your dad wears everyday.

"did you take that from the laundry?"

"apologies," he sheepishly smiles at adelinde. "i thought our young ragnvindr here would feel better if they had something to remind them of the master."

"you didn't even have the mind to tell me?"

"you haven't left this room since master kaeya went out!"

"thank you."

the two whipped their heads to look at you, both exhaling a relieved breath at the sight of your eyes closed, snuggling into the coats that are remarkably too large for your size. you look a little more at ease now, forehead lacking the crease of your eyebrows.

"i miss dad," you subconsciously murmured, barely heard if it wasn't for the silence in the room.

elzer brushes the hair away from your face, delicately smoothing his thumb at your temple with a soft smile.

"fret not, young one. master diluc will arrive sooner than later," he purses his lips at the lie.

just like that, you have once again fallen into the land of dreams, hopefully one that will not stir you awake with fear.

as if the archons had enough of their constant voices, their prayers have been answered.

diluc can consider his business in fontaine successful. he had not expected it to only take a week and a day, clearly assuming that it would've taken more than just a week to strike a deal in business. but hey, what's done is done and he's thankful that he could come home to you sooner.

after all, he wouldn't have worked his ass off as diligently as possible if he didn't want to see you immediately.

he had been packed with papers here and there from multiple people who wanted to do business with him—he's much more surprised that he went through all of them in such a short amount of time—that he had unintentionally forgotten the unusual amount of letters from elzer and… kaeya?

what in the world would kaeya want from him other than to annoy him? no matter, the sooner he finishes things up the sooner he can go home.

ah, home. home is wherever you are safe.

except, he didn't expect to come home to his maids scurrying around without the supervision of adelinde and how they are extremely relieved to see him enter through the entrance.

"master diluc!" they exclaimed at the same time.

the two rushed to his direction, both simultaneously rambling his ears off in concern.

"wait, wait," diluc sighed, stopping them from their rambles, "i do not understand anything that the two of you are saying. now, tell me what's wrong, clearly this time." he pointed a look towards moco.

"um," she gulped—clearly nervous about the sudden stare—"it's about your child." the two tensed up at the way his eyes squinted into a worried look.

"yes? what happened?"

"they had fallen ill for a week and three days now."

without wasting a single moment after those words escaped moco's mouth, his feet hurriedly skips to the stairs and swerved the corners of every hallway to their room right in front of his, where adelinde is just about to close the door upon her exit.

"what happened?"

she sharply turned around at his sudden voice, breathing a sigh of relief. she almost thought that she's starting to see things out of desperation.

"i'm glad you've returned safely, master diluc," she curtsies, "the little one had only just fallen asleep after a few hours of restless tousling in bed. they've been asking for you ever since they fell ill."

"their condition?" he eyes the crack on the door where he can see the mop of hair just a little.

"their fever hasn't gone down for a week now, but it also hasn't gotten worse. although, i'm afraid this is causing too much stress on them and it's not allowing them to rest," she moves aside the door, placing a hand on his shoulder and gently nudging him inside with an encouraging smile. "i believe the constant thought of you and your absence in their delirious state is weighing down on their fragile condition. i'm sure they'll feel a little better with their father's presence."

"thank you for looking after them and… apologies, i—"

"it is not i that you should be apologizing to. please," she pleads, "they need you right now, master diluc. they need their father."

sharing one last glance of acknowledgement between the two, adelinde leaves diluc to his own device, the latter then pushing the door open as quietly as possible.

the sight of your tiny figure wrapped in his coats, curled into a ball in the large bed that seems to be too cold for your comfort feels like a lightning struck diluc's heart. your eyes are shut tight, half of your face covered by the clothes and obvious shivers wracking your body. to the eyes of someone that doesn't share the same sharp sense of a man who's been through harsh winters and countless near death encounters, one wouldn't be able to see the twitches of your eyes, completely encased inside your slumbering dreams.

all of this was happening while he was thousands of miles away. such a foolish mistake on his part to regard those letters inconvenient without even knowing its contents.

your pain reminds him of your mother's demise. like a mirage playing all of his suffering in a loop.

but no, he's here now and it's not the time to wallow in self-deprecating thoughts when he should be prioritizing your health.

"my little flame," he exhales under his breath, lowering himself beside you on your bed and brushing your hair away from your face, the mere touch of his warm fingers stirring you awake from a cold dream.

or maybe, you're still dreaming.

because there's just no way for the man that you've been calling out for just moments ago—it's been days but you're too delirious to figure that out—is now here beside you, smiling at you in a way he never had done so before.

"dad?"

"hey," he greets, staring right back at your sleep-hazed eyes with a soft smile, "how's my little phoenix feeling, hm?"

"cold. i feel very cold."

"i see, it just so happens that i have a pyro vision to help you with that," he breathed a relieved sigh when you chuckled quietly. "would you mind if i hold you to keep you warm for a while?"

"you're not… busy?"

"that doesn't matter right now, little flame. i would rather be here than anywhere else."

dad is always busy, you thought. this really must be a good dream.

"i… i want dad to hold me."

"i would gladly."

in the next few minutes, you fight to keep your eyes open, nuzzling your head against the warmth of your father's chest. he has you huddled close to his chest while he sits on the chair beside your bed, still bundled in his coats. you look so much like that night when he first took you in his arms to sooth your cries, falling asleep with your bundled form in his chest and waking up to see your peaceful slumber, not once stirring awake to cry after he took you in his arms. that night he swore to give everything he has to protect your light.

if the archons would let you, you would stay in this dream forever—and if falling asleep in this dream means you'd wake up to a reality where diluc barely looks behind him to see you trying to reach for him with your little hands, then you never want to wake up from this dream.

"rest well, my flame. i'll be here for you whenever you need me."

and what a wonderful dream it was.

ACT III.

kaeya had never felt so cold in the tavern in his entire life.

it wasn't raining, nor was it winter that sources the low temperature, and it couldn't possibly be cold in such an establishment that diluc owns. in fact, it's always been warm in the tavern.

until today, that is.

"would you care to repeat that again?"

kaeya, despite being a cryo vision wielder, felt the hairs in his body stood at the icy venomous tone that came out of diluc's mouth. he's used to hearing him speak in such way that makes him intimidating—not so much to kaeya—but right now his voice just reeks pure anger and murderous intent that everyone, sober or not, can do nothing but stare at the scene in fear.

"i will gladly say it again!" the man hollered, utterly drunk and out of his mind.

"fool," kaeya glared at the man in front of the bar counter.

"you would've been better off saving your wife rather than your wretched child. you wouldn't lose anything if you saved her, you could just make another! they're a pathetic child anyway! so meek and naive, how can they possibly live up to their parents' names?"

kaeya gritted his teeth, jaw and fists clenched, shooting up from his seat that pushed his chair backward. but before he could even make a step towards the man, diluc raised his hand as if to tell him that he's got this.

agitated and confused, but kaeya knew better. he may not look like it, but he knew that something is brewing behind that void expression on diluc's face.

"they are nowhere as wonderful as your gorgeous wife! in fact, they're better off gone from the face of this world instead of having killed their own mother—"

a hand reached out from behind the bar, grabbing onto his collar and pulling him forward.

"—hey! how dare you touch me! i am a nobility!"

"say. that. again."

the man felt his whole body tremble at the sudden rise in temperature and the blazing vermillion eyes staring right through his soul, molten lava swirling in rage in those orbs, glowering down at him with the intensity of a bursting sun, radiating pure heat that will melt him right before he can even get close. despite all of this, his sweat felt too cold, traveling across his whole body when the hand around his collar tightens when he doesn't answer.

one can tell that he's completely sober and wide awake right now.

"did i tell you to stop speaking?"

"no—no, no, no, please sir you must understand—"

"oh, i completely understand what you're trying to say."

suddenly the world spins and his face is planted on the bar counter's wood surface with the strength of a person who has trained with a claymore more than half his life.

"but sire, you know nothing about my late wife and my child," diluc smashes a wine bottle on the wooden counter, the money's worth of wine spilling on the floor but diluc could care less. the wine may as well be the blood of this buffoon here. his blood is boiling, a concoction of anger and pure bloodlust spilling over the nose of the pot that makes him point the shattered ends of the bottle near the man's terrified face.

"you better listen to every word i say with that pig-headed brain of yours," his voice gets impossibly colder, dropping into a lower tone as he looks down with murderous eyes. "if i hear you utter my wife or phoenix's name, i will personally see to it that it will be the last name that you get to say and my face would be the last thing you see."

he goes over the counter while dragging the man behind him like a sack of potatoes with great force, ignoring the cries for mercy—even the people at the tavern avoid meeting his eyes. he is soon thrown outside the tavern, his fancy noble suit kissing the dirty pavements.

"never show your obnoxious face in my tavern again," diluc turns around, pauses, before looking back at the horrified man once more. "oh, and don't doubt my ability. i will know if you mention my wife and child's name again."

"good evening and welcome back, master diluc."

"good evening."

diluc shrugs his coat from his shoulder, letting adelinde take the cloth from him before turning to elzer.

"i assume that the documents i asked for this morning have arrived?"

"yes, sir, i placed the document right next to the sales report files in your office. everything else is ready to be arranged for tomorrow."

"good, thank you," he sighs in relief then turns to adelinde. "how is phoenix? had they eaten?"

"yes, they did request that we place a smaller portion of food this lunch and dinner. they claimed that… that they'd be too busy to study to eat that much."

"they've been awfully invested in their studies these days," elzer added. "perhaps i should schedule a time for tutor sessions?"

"no need," he shakes his head. "y/n had expressed a disinterest in being tutored by someone else."

he bids the two a good night, venturing through the hallways that he knows so well like the back of his hand, mindlessly skipping his room until he is stood in front of your door. the adrenaline and surge of emotions from tonight's shift at the tavern left a sour taste in his tongue, bile lumping in his throat at the words he's been trying oh so hard to forget.

the sheer audacity to tell him that you are nothing like your mother.

you are everything that your mother wanted you to be. you remind him so much of her that it sometimes sends his heart in a spiraling tumble across mondstadt's mountains. sometimes it hurts, sometimes it gives him a sense of peace to have you safe and sound, right beside him—a piece of what's left from his wife, a blessing and a gift. but mostly, it scares him that he might fail to protect you as well, like he always does.

but despite all of these, you also bring so much comfort to him that your mother once did.

you are nothing like what the man mentioned you to be.

finally, diluc's shoulders drop the tense posture it has been with after the encounter in the tavern, his breath more regulated and mind finally free from the malicious infestation it once held towards that bastard.

"y/n?" he quietly knocks on your door.

a few seconds passed without a response, he quietly and carefully turned the knob and pushed the door, noting that your lamp is still lit and the windows are still wide open, letting in the cold wind of the night.

"oh, dear," he sighed exasperated—yet the fond smile on his face says otherwise.

papers and books are scattered all over your desk, all kept in place by your folded arms and head that was sprawled across the wooden surface. your cheek was pressed on an opened book, a quill lying limp on your hand and inkwell dangerously close to tipping over your pile of papers.

you had fallen asleep while studying.

he approaches your slumped body, placing the lid on the inkwell and moving it to a safer area. before he could even begin to move you back to your bed, his hand paused all movement as he stared at your sleeping face.

you look so at peace—something that he wants to maintain for your safety. something that he risks his life every night and works hard everyday for. he would raise hell from the underground and bring blazing fire to the abyss if he had to—he would do everything to keep you safe. even if it means burning himself in the process.

"my little phoenix," he whispered into the night, a hand brushing the hairs away from your forehead. "you look so much like your mother."

willing himself to move, he carefully carries you to bed and tucks the blanket around you, brushing your hair so it wouldn't get in your face whilst you sleep. he tidied up your desk and closes the windows, checking around for anything to arrange before turning the lamp off and making his way to the door.

he faces your bed right as he closes the door, smiling at how you seemed to be deep in your sleep.

"you did well today, my little flame. good night."

the next day, you groggily thanked adelinde on your way to the kitchen for breakfast, muttering how terrible it would've been if your ink had spilled all over your books. your mind was still half asleep to discern her confusion.

ACT IV.

birthdays are said to be a day of celebration. the special day that you were brought to the world and into the lives of those that cherishes you, receiving gifts and greetings and spending the whole day with those that you love.

you don't like celebrating your birthday.

your birthday is far from special. you despise it. every year, you grow agitated whenever the day slowly comes and you have to prepare yourself to plaster fake smiles to those that greet you, before trying your best to convince your father to not spend mora upon mora for a single party. it's one of those rare times that you're glad that he's too busy to arrange anything, letting elzer to handle the task. the poor guy has to deal with your incessant request to just drop the party plans and lie to your father every time.

overtime, everyone in the winery figured that you just don't like celebrating it at all, and that's understandable. it's something that they understand without having to say anything, choosing to greet you with warm smiles in the morning and your favorite platter of food instead. the cake—which is something you actually do enjoy by the way—and the fake props stays though, diluc would be suspicious if he finds no sign that a celebration took place.

your birth stole the life of someone precious to the people around you, why should you celebrate it?

the only problem lies in the city of mondstadt itself.

you once made the mistake of venturing to the city to buy yourself something for yourself—no offense to diluc's gift but it's more often than not something that you're not interested in, you will never say that to his face though.

the moment you step foot inside the city gates, people bombarded you with happy greetings and inquiries about how you would celebrate, some gave you a free treat—you particularly love the flowers and small treats. they raise their voices in such an over enthusiastic way that it echoes in your ear like a broken phonograph. it's irritating, infuriating, and exhausting—but as a ragnvindr, you have to force the most polite smile on your face and give them the same fake energy they give you, ignoring those who stare at you in a way that makes your skin crawl.

you may be in your preteen years, but you weren't born yesterday—hah!—nor are you blind.

you were lucky kaeya was near that time and saw your unnerving smile. since then, you made a point of not venturing outside the vicinity of the dawn winery for a week after your birthday.

unfortunately, that's not the case this time.

"where have you been the whole day?"

you froze on spot at the sound of his voice—stern, strict, and cold. you hadn't expected him to wait for you, especially not when the manor is littered with strangers plastered with smiles and disgustingly sweet voices greeting your ears the moment they laid their judging eyes upon you. surely, he must be tired from all the social mingling.

you felt suffocated surrounded by these guests.

diluc had scheduled a banquet held in the manor the same day of your birthday, celebrating not only your birth but also the emerging business opportunities for the winery. it had been a while since the ragnvindr manor opened its door to visitors—your parents' wedding, specifically—so it's no wonder why all of these noble families were eager to attend.

hosting a banquet on our birthday, means your attendance is a must. diluc had once emphasized the importance of making appearances when hosting an event.

for the most part, you had been present from start of the banquet, saying your oh so called gratitude whenever someone greets you a happy birthday. but you knew better than to trust those excited grins and sugar-coated words. you hear them all the time, what makes them think theirs is special? within this kind of society, there's no room for being naive and gullible.

yet it still did not stop you from feeling disgusted and asphyxiated.

right in the middle of the event, your head started to spin from how crowded you felt. excusing yourself was easy enough, you know the right words to say. escaping the manor was tedious though, everyone wanted to greet the young ragnvindr, but you successfully made it to the back porch where you found yourself hiding away from the monsters making themselves feel at home in a house that was supposed to be your safe place.

the comfort outside was soon disrupted when one of the maids found you, panic stricken on her face as she relayed to you that the banquet had been dismissed hours ago and your father was not pleased with how you ditched the event.

"y/n, i asked you a question."

his voice sounded louder than before, you can conclude that your silence was not what he was looking forward to, nor is any excuse you'd make on the spot.

"apologies," you will yourself to speak loud enough for him to hear, but avoid looking his way. "i got caught up admiring the view outside."

why is it so hard to make a lie on the spot when you're talking to diluc?

"the view outside?" you can hear the confusion in his voice. "the view outside has been the same since forever. what difference does the view have now that it made you leave the banquet meant to celebrate your birth?"

you dig your nails into your palms, biting the insides of your cheeks to refrain yourself from making a sarcastic remark.

"nothing, father. although i couldn't say the same for inside the house."

your mouth opened before you could even think of what you just said. well, there goes your attempt at a peaceful conversation.

i really should lessen the time i spend with uncle kaeya.

"inside the house?" diluc pushes himself up from the couch, arms crossed and his eyebrows furrowed. "i'm going to need you to expound on your words and while you're at it, why our guest claimed to not have attended any of your birthday celebrations that you and the other staff claimed you had hosted. elzer seemed to turn pale when i asked him about this, so i figured it would be better to ask you myself."

oh, he knows.

the look on your face confirms his suspicion.

"y/n, if you don't give me a proper explanation for your lies and sudden dereliction for your manners, know that i will not forget to address such topic unless you give me the explanation i want to hear—"

your head feels fuzzy, his voice is being muffled by the sound of faint ringing and your heartbeat in your ears, throbbing—pounding on the skull of your temple. your throat turns dry, lips parting to let you breathe as you felt the suffocating atmosphere from earlier once again.

never have you felt such a bubbling feeling of frustration and heaviness directed towards your father.

"yes, i lied."

"i am aware," he clicks his tongue at the nonchalant way you spoke—the sound wasn't that loud yet it echoed in your ears painfully.

the way he spoke sent your mind reeling with insecurities. your fear of disappointing the one person you strive to get to acknowledge you in the slightest prickling your skin with hot iron, as if engraving the tone of his voice in your head.

disappointing and shameful.

but something snapped inside of you when the circumstance has settled in, when the past occurrence whipped in front of your eyes in a single moment, along with the emotions that came crashing on you, recalling every little bit of effort you put through to get to him.

is it… really necessary for me to do something and be someone of distinction to deserve my father's recognition?

suddenly, you couldn't stop your mouth from spitting fire.

"in fact, i've been lying to you and myself, father."

cold silence flooded the room at your words, but you willed yourself to gaze upon his bewildered face, a hint of pain behind those familiar vermillion eyes of his. if he had looked at you this way any other day, you would've done anything to clear yourself of confusion to appease him.

but this is no any other day.

"what are you trying to tell me, phoenix?"

your mind is too fogged with frustration and everything you have suppressed to be delighted with the nickname he often calls you.

"why do you always insist that i celebrate this… special day?"

you watch him look at you, questioning, as if he wanted to ask why you wouldn't know such a thing.

"because today is the day of your birth and i want you to be surrounded with the people who want to bring joy to you," his tone seemed perplexed, wording his words like it wasn't obvious enough. "i wanted you to be happy on your birthday."

you almost want to barf the second he spoke those words.

"why would you even ask such things—"

“have you ever asked me what i wanted?"

diluc staggered backwards, mouth opening to say something but he paused, something akin to realization plastered in his face and he pales. his tensed shoulder visibly lowered, breath shuddering at your words that echoes itself in his head like a broken cassette.

no, he had never asked you what you wanted. he just assumed that you would.

but why, why did you kept quiet? did i really appeared like i don't care enough to listen to you?

"i didn't want to burden you any further with my preferences. i… i thought it would please you if i never complained about anything."

it was as if you knew how his mind works, answering with his unsaid question.

"phoenix," he takes a step closer but dared not to get too close. he felt like an invisible force, a wall, is hindering him from approaching your figure.

"to be acknowledged by you. it was all i ever wanted."

what?

"forgive me if i seem too… unmindful of my manners in an earlier banquet. i never meant to hurt our family's name like that—"

"that's not what—"

"i wanted to keep up appearances and stay by your side, be the ever carbon copy of the master of the ragnvindr clan. but tonight,"—your gaze lowered, as if embarrassed—"it didn't felt right. the crowd of people felt… suffocating. i used to think that it was easy to keep smiling to appease these people that i'm not familiar with. but i guess you just made it look easier," you smiled, although tight and forced, like the ones diluc uses for his business. a smile so unlike yourself.

it pained diluc to have you direct that kind of smile towards him.

"i never wanted these flock of people walking around praising me for their own benefit."

but you deserve all of those words of acknowledgement, you've done so much at such a young age. you deserve so much more.

"i didn't ask for this party filled with all these people that i've never even spoken to, not even once."

i'm so sorry my little flame, i never wanted to make you feel like a lone whale in a vast ocean.

"i never wanted to spend another birthday that would only remind me of how extremely lonely it is to be loved just for my last name, if they even love me at all—" you chuckled bitterly.

you don't know how much i love you my little flame, i would've gone to hell and back for you.

"—i never wanted to spend another birthday wishing for my own father to recognize me for who i am and actually look at me for more than just a few minutes and not just because he has to. all i want is to spend my birthday, heck it doesn't even have to be my birthday or any holiday, with my dad. just my dad. no one else. and i hope he also wants to spend just a day with me, not just because it's his responsibility."

i do! it doesn't have to be any special day, i would've dropped everything if you asked me to!

diluc felt his whole body run cold at your next words, eyes glistening with tears at the sudden imagery of the woman he loved in his mind, holding your fragile figure in her arms as she took her last breath.

suddenly, you seem so out of reach.

"i don't want another birthday where i wish that it should've been my mother and not me."

what… what do you mean? how could you say that?

wordlessly—with dull eyes that remind him so much of himself whenever he looks at the mirror when he was younger and angrier—you gave him a tired smile, before turning on your heels.

"forgive me for being disappointing, father."

say something, say something, idiot! do something! move, move, move!

he watched helplessly, unable to tear his gaze from your retreating figure.

do something for the love of god! it's all your fault, if you didn't stay quiet, if you haven't been distancing yourself, this wouldn't happen! you pushed your own child away!

his mouth parted to say something, but his voice failed to speak up. the tears that gathered in his eyes fell in streams, the image of your form closing the door blurry as he whispers his unspoken plea.

"please, don't take anyone else from me anymore. not my phoenix."

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kaihuntrr · 2 months

Text

part twelve: watched.

Welcome to Crescent Bay! ...Why is everyone so silent...?

god unrelated to the fic but somehow grian, gem, and pearl are fish/fishing/ocean themed in season ten what the HELL am i just good at predicting things or-- (pls will i be getting the motivation to draw them. it would be SO funny. i still need to draw pirates scott and sp scott im so silly)

Dark, heavy clouds loomed over the island as harsh winds blew against Martyn. The island was unlike any island he’d ever seen before. The bright, bustling, and sunny port he and the Canaries called home felt like a distant memory. The streets here were sparse with both light and people. Windows were either shut or boarded up, and there were barely any ships in the port. The people who were outside were staring at the hunters as if they were ghosts.

Joel, Scar, and Bdubs left the ship first. Martyn, Lizzie, and Cleo joined them a moment afterwards.

Martyn leaned close to Joel, whispering, “Are you sure this was the best place to dock?” He glanced around the port. “It doesn’t look too inviting.”

The people continued to stare at them. Martyn couldn’t help but stare back at them. The peoples’ faces looked worn and tired, as if they hadn’t slept for weeks. Their vacant, hollow expressions felt like staring into the abyss.

Martyn couldn’t help but wonder if that was how he looked after he saw that sea prince. Maybe that was why he felt so unnerved.

“It was the only nearby island based on the map,” Joel crossed his arms. “It was either this, or we’re stuck with annoying hunters while finding a better place to dock.”

“I think I would’ve preferred the wait,” Martyn mumbled. He shook his head, “What are the plans?”

Grian and Mumbo exited the ship. Grian looked around, “We should find a place for the Kites and ourselves to stay at. Then, we’ll look for a place to eat.” Martyn hadn’t noticed his approach so his sudden voice caused Martyn to flinch. Grian hummed, “I wouldn’t mind exploring a bit.”

Seeing Grian made Martyn’s heart twist. “Yeah, me too,” He smiled. He walked up to his captain and nudged him gently, “Grian, can we talk?”

Grian narrowed his eyes and looked away. “Not now. We have to get them settled,” He shook his head. He turned to some of the Canaries, “Joel, Lizzie, Mumbo, and Bdubs. Could you four go with Kites and arrange things for an inn? The rest of us can check out the island.”

Martyn furrowed his eyebrows and crossed his arms, his gaze dropping to the ground as the wind passed by. Joel glanced between Martyn and Grian before approaching his brother.

Joel tilted his head. “Sounds good, but,” he put a hand on Grian’s shoulder, “I can do all the leading stuff if you’re upset.”

Grian forced a grin. “Upset? Me? No, I’m not,” he said and laughed unconvincingly. Grian looked away from Joel, “Let’s just get everything sorted.”

Martyn turned his head as he heard groans coming from a couple of Kites. Bek stomped down the gangplank. Tubbo’s eyes were wide, examining the new port while Katherine’s were narrowed. The rest of the Kites followed with either annoyed or curious reactions. It doesn’t look like they were too familiar with this place either.

“There’s no point in arguing, Bek,” Martyn overheard one of the Kites speak. “The sooner we cooperate, the sooner we can leave.”

“We can walk around on our own!” Bek rolled her eyes and shoved his hands down his pockets.

“Not here, not when you don’t have all your gear. Come on.” Cleo jerked their head, indicating for the others to follow. The small dock wouldn’t fit all of them, so it’d be best to enter the town proper.

Joel and Grian led the walk, the Kites trailing behind the Canaries as the hunters eagerly looked around. Martyn wished he didn’t feel so many eyes on him.

Joel stood on the left side while Grian stood on the right. Lizzie, Mumbo, and Bdubs followed Joel as Martyn, Scar, and Cleo stood next to Grian. Martyn looked at Grian, but the captain stared outward. Cleo and Scar gave Martyn warm smiles, and he smiled back weakly.

“Fiiine,” Bek groaned. She stopped next to Joel, her expression sour. She blinked as she saw Katherine walk over to stand by Martyn. “Katherine? You’re not coming with us?”

Martyn was just as surprised as Bek was.

Katherine shook her head. “I may have been on the ship with you, but I’m not a Kite. You’ll be fine,” she shrugged. “I want to see the island for myself, too.”

“Tell us if there’s something cool!”

“Will do!” Katherine smiled. She looked at Grian and gave him a sheepish grin, “I hope you don’t mind me tagging along.”

“Oh, of course not,” Grian shook his head and smiled. “It’s good to have more company around.”

“We’ll catch you in a few hours, when it gets dark,” Joel called out to Grian. Thunder rumbled overhead, sending a shiver up the captain’s spine. He forced a smile, “Er, darker. See you soon.”

Grian nodded, looking up at the sky before staring back at his brother, “Stay safe.”

Of course, there had to be a storm.

Rain was dangerous, Martyn knew that, and it’d be best to find a covered area soon. For some reason, it felt safer to be on a ship than on land when it rained. At least then, their weapons were closer.

The hunters walked through the nearly desolate streets, searching for anything anyone could deem as interesting. Martyn wanted to get his mind off of the stares. There was nothing too interesting to point out, the buildings were all boarded up and closed. An eerie howl filled his ears.

The group was also fairly silent. Everyone was too preoccupied to really talk, it seemed, until Scar cleared his throat.

“So,” Scar hummed as he looked at Katherine, “What brought you aboard the Kites’ ship?”

Katherine chuckled. “I was hired by them. Unlike you guys, I don’t hunt with just one crew,” she shook her head and puffed out her chest. “I like flying solo.”

“Doesn’t it get lonely without a crew?” Scar raised an eyebrow.

Katherine shook her head. “The opposite, actually,” she grinned. “You get to meet so many people! It’s never a dull moment when you’re moving all the time. What’s it like to have one?”

“They’re like siblings you never wished you had,” Cleo laughed. “They’re the worst.” Cleo rolled their eyes with a smile as Scar nudged them.

Martyn laughed along with them, but his eyes flickered to Grian, who seemed to prefer staying quiet for the moment.

I hope we can find some time alone later, I need to talk to him.

Martyn bit his lip, unable to say anything as he looked away from the others. He tuned out their conversation, but occasionally looked back to see them smiling and laughing, then looking over to see Grian with his arms crossed and his head down. It wasn’t wise to talk about Grian’s outburst in public, unless Martyn wanted to bring more attention to them.

Katherine, Scar, and Cleo walked ahead of Martyn and Grian. Grian didn’t seem aware of it. Martyn sighed but put on a smile as he gently tapped Grian’s shoulder.

“A storm sure is brewing,” Martyn looked up at the dark sky above. Thunder rumbled as he narrowed his eyes, “How’s the sightseeing?”

Grian shrugged, “Not much going on, by the sounds of things,” he crossed his arms. “I can’t hear much either. The whole town’s practically a dead zone.”

“You could say that again,” Martyn looked around, a shiver crawling up his spine. “What are we hoping to find here?”

“I was hoping to find some carpenters and ammunition stores for the ship and our weapons,” Grian sighed. “But these townsfolk don’t appear to be selling any of those.”

“I’m sure there’s at least one, we just need to keep walking,” Martyn forced a small smile. If he were honest, he wasn’t sure if there were any naval stores around here. If there weren’t any gates protecting the people from the sea, there might not be any stores with weapons to protect themselves from danger– even on the island. Martyn shook his head, “I hope the others find a place to stay soon.”

Grian nodded. “Me too, I’m pretty exhausted,” he looked around before staring at Martyn. He kept his voice in a whisper, “Are you still hurt from the fall?”

Martyn blinked. “I’m… I’m fine,” he placed a hand on Grian’s shoulder “But I’m worried about you, Grian.”

“Don’t be. I’ll be good,” Grian moved Martyn’s hand off of his shoulder. His stomach grumbled as he placed his hand on top of it, “I’m getting a bit hungry, though.”

Right. They haven’t eaten much yet. Martyn remembered eating a few snacks, but they wouldn’t fill him as much as a warm plate of food would. Martyn’s own stomach grumbled as he closed his eyes and briefly saw himself with Scott, the ginger playfully giggling while having Martyn to eat his fill in The Golden Apple.

Martyn sighed. Remember your promise.

Martyn smelled the air. It smelled of ash and rain, but there was something else. Something… good. There was food nearby, and likely, a tavern.

Martyn nudged the captain, “It smells like something’s cooking nearby. I think there’s a tavern,” he turned towards Grian and smiled, then he looked forward to see Katherine, Scar, and Cleo still entrenched in their conversation. “Hey guys!” Martyn called out, the three turned their heads towards him, “Do you want to get some food and drink?”

Katherine shook her head. “I’m good. I want to search the stalls up ahead for anything interesting to bring home,” she turned to Scar and Cleo. “What about you two?”

“I think it’d be safer to travel in groups for a while, so I’ll stay with Katherine.” Cleo smiled.

Best to travel in groups in an unfamiliar place.

“I’ll stay with Katherine too!” Scar grinned. An amused chuckle came out of Katherine as Scar placed his hands on his waist. “Besides, I’m not hungry at all.”

It’ll just be me and Grian, then.

“I’m sure you two can handle yourselves,” Katherine crossed her arms and nodded at Martyn and Grian. She turned around, “Don’t get killed in there!” She, Cleo, and Scar left for the stalls ahead, leaving Grian and Martyn to follow the smell.

This tavern wasn’t as fancy as Scott’s. It was an ordinary, square building with stones as a foundation and wooden beams to hold it up. It didn’t look well kept with the chips on the beams and the dirt that stained the dark green wooden walls. Still, a tavern was a tavern, Martyn just needed to suck it up.

Spending all of his time in Scott’s tavern had really spoiled Martyn.

“After you.” Martyn opened the door and tilted his head at Grian. Grian nodded and walked inside, Martyn following behind as he shut the door behind them. Another crackle of thunder rang through the sky.

The tavern was small, with a sparse number of tables and chairs scattered around the room in an almost disorganized state. Barrels lined the back of the room and a modest bar was set up with one bartender cleaning a shot glass. To Martyn, there was nothing too noteworthy about this place, all of his thoughts remained back at that tavern with Scott. There were barely any people around, yet the moment Martyn closed the door behind him everyone’s heads shot up to stare at the two hunters.

Their murmurs did not go unheard.

“Hunters…” “What are they doing here?” “They’ll be dead for sure.”

Dead?

“What’s with all the whispers?” Martyn tried to avoid the stares in the room as he leaned over to Grian.

“Why would I know?” Grian whispered, a small hiss in his voice.

The bartender looked up at them and gave them a weary smile. “Ah. New faces, I see,” he sighed as Grian and Martyn took a seat on the stools. “I’m sorry that you’re here.”

“Why’s that?” Martyn raised an eyebrow. “The place is freaky, but there’s no need to apologize.”

“Oh, sir, you misunderstand,” the bartender shook his head. He leaned his head from side to side to get a better look at both of them, “You’re both hunters, are you not?”

“We are,” Grian nodded his head. He narrowed his eyes, “What’s the problem?”

“You see, sir, that is the problem,” the bartender turned around to pick up a bottle, then glanced back over his shoulder at the two of them. “Hunters who enter this isle may never leave.”

What?

Martyn let out a chuckle. “That’s ridiculous,” he rolled his eyes. “There wasn’t anything preventing us from entering.”

Apart from the weird tall rocks and dark storm clouds, there wasn’t any obstacle preventing the hunters from coming in. Martyn felt the hairs on his skin rise, but he tried to shake it off. What was he so worried about?

“Crescent Bay welcomes all, but the hunters who enter cannot escape,” The bartender poured a shot of alcohol and moved the small glass in front of Martyn. “Please, take a drink. You’re on edge. On the house.”

“Martyn, don’t.” Grian narrowed his eyes.

One wouldn’t hurt, right?

Martyn was a lightweight. If he got drunk on an island he was unfamiliar with, it could lead to some trouble, yet, when he looked into the intoxicating liquid, all he could see was Scott’s warm smile and his pretty eyes staring back.

“It’s just one shot, don’t worry about me.”

“It hasn’t been poisoned, if that’s what you were wondering,” the bartender poured the liquid into a different shot glass and downed it in one gulp. “See? Everything is just fine.”

Martyn took a small sip out of the glass. He heard Grian’s resigned sigh. “It’s not that….”

Grian leaned closer to the bartender, resting his arms on the counter. “So,” he tilted his head, “are you saying the island’s cursed?”

The bartender nodded. “That it is.” he sighed. “It’s a nasty enchantment from the Scarlet Witch herself.”

Martyn laughed. “Witches? You’ve got to be kidding me,” he shook his head and waved his hand dismissively before taking another sip. “Witches aren’t real.”

The bartender shook his head. “She’s real. She cursed the island to kill any hunter that tries to leave,” he looked at the hunters with widened eyes. “I've seen bits of the monster myself.” Grian raised an eyebrow, encouraging the man to speak more. “Any time a hunting ship leaves, there’s this mist that just appears, the sky erupts into a storm, and–,” his voice shook as his eyes stared at the floor, “No hunter has ever left alive.”

Martyn took another sip of his drink. A sudden mist and rainstorm, then monsters. He hummed. He swirled the alcohol in the shot glass before downing the rest of it, a sickening feeling formed in his gut almost immediately. The bartender refilled the shot for Martyn without him needing to ask, but he eyed it with an odd look on his face. Focus.

A sudden rainstorm didn’t sound like a problem. It was something hunters needed to be ready for at all times, but the mist stumped him. As far as he knew, the only place that had thick mist would be the world border, or moments in the sea prince stories–

Sea prince stories.

Something about this story made Martyn think. He sipped his shot. His brain was getting fuzzy, but maybe the alcohol could clear it and get him to understand the situation.

Grian shrugged, “A swarm of sea monsters ambushed a nearby hunting ship, I can see why that’s a problem.”

“No, sir, you’ve got that part wrong.” the bartender leaned in, his voice continuing to quiver. His eyes widened, “There’s only one beast that destroys the ships....”

Martyn took a sip from his shot and his eyes locked onto the now overtly nervous bartender. Grian glanced between Martyn and the bartender and nodded, allowing the man time to find his words.

“We here on the island have reason to believe it’s a sea prince.”

The sea prince’s haunting eyes burned in the back of Martyn’s mind, causing him to flinch. He took in deep breaths.

It was a sea prince, what he’d seen. Somehow, Martyn had found himself staring at one face to face, and now he was on an island that was possibly- likely guarded by a sea prince. It was all lining up, maybe too well.

“Tell us more,” Grian pressed. Martyn looked at him and at the bartender. Grian’s gaze was locked on the bartender as his hands began to shake.

“Y-You see–,” the bartender crossed his arms and rested against the counter. He took in a deep breath, “It storms so hard during the siege, no one can catch a proper look of the monster. But believe me, it’s much, much larger than any other ship– and its roar sounds like the unholy call of death itself.”

“How does this relate to the Scarlet Witch?”

“The… the Scarlet Witch… she….” The bartender lowered his head, his voice getting softer and softer.

“She made a deal with the sea princes.” A different voice spoke up, causing Martyn and Grian to turn to an elderly man. There was a bottle next to him and a big tankard. He didn’t look drunk- at least Martyn didn’t think so.

“She saw their treasure, and made a contract with them,” he looked at them and sat up from his slouch. “She was promised magic beyond anyone’s comprehension, and in return, she would follow their every command.”

“I’ve never heard that story before,” Martyn said, keeping his voice low.

“That’s because no one is able to tell it, hunter,” a different voice spoke, this time it came from a young woman. “Those who try to leave die. They can’t even spot the sea prince, either. Despite it being so close to the area, no one can discern the features the devil has.”

“The demon can’t even be spotted by normal ships! It’s like a ghost!” One of the other patrons stood from their seat, their voice loud and frantic.

“A terrifying ghost monster!” Another patron shouted. “It’ll come for us all if we ever leave!” The sudden surge of noise startled Martyn- riled up over a ghostly sea prince that doomed hunting ships and scared others.

“Oh, quiet down!” The young woman glared at the other patrons and leaned back on her chair. “That’s how no one can tell this story. People would think we’re making it up, but there comes the risk in escaping this island,” she motioned with her hands before shaking her head and crossing her arms. “So most of us resigned our fates here.”

No one is able to tell this story, huh?

“Then we’ll be the first,” Martyn grinned confidently. “Because we’re the Canaries; we’re the king’s hunters, and we’ll take down a sea prince!”

Usually- that was followed by a roar of applause after Martyn would say such a statement, but there was only silence. Martyn felt heat rise to his cheeks. Embarrassed, he downed the last of his shot and shuddered.

Grian patted Martyn’s shoulder. “I apologize for my friend’s behavior, he’s a lightweight,” he looked at Martyn, then back at the woman. “We’ll heed all of your warnings, though. Is there anything we need to look out for?”

The woman nodded. “A red hood, and she carries around twin blades that look like the moon.”

“We’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.” Grian smiled and held Martyn’s shoulder, pulling him to his feet and carefully leading him out of the tavern as it grew silent and dreary once more. The patrons stared after them as Grian shut the door behind him.

“I’m not hungry anymore,” Grian muttered quietly. He looked at Martyn and crossed his arms, “And you shouldn’t have drank. We should meet up with Scar and the others.”

Was Grian not going to talk about what they just learned? It was groundbreaking! Someone made a contract with the sea princes– and even saw their treasure! Maybe Martyn was a little freaked out, but that meant he wasn’t the only one spared from a sea prince’s hunger.

Someone else had seen one, and lived.

Maybe the Scarlet Witch could even answer why the sea prince hadn’t eaten him. She could know so much more about the sea princes, and their power, and their treasure that the world had never heard of before.

He needed to find her.

“Don’t you want to seek out the Scarlet Witch?” Martyn’s eyes widened as he placed his hands on Grian’s shoulder, visibly excited. “She might be our key to everything!”

Grian forced a grin and pushed Martyn off. “Can we talk about that when you aren’t drunk?” he shook his head. “Come on, I see Cleo. Let’s go join them.” Grian motioned for Martyn to follow him, sending one last glance at him before walking forward. They weren’t too far away, so Martyn didn’t feel the need to hurry after Grian. He could catch up.

Martyn was left alone on the desolate street before he heard the sound of scraping gravel behind him.

He turned his head.

Nothing.

It was nothing more than an empty street, barrels and boxes littered around carelessly.

Martyn shuddered as the breeze kicked up a chill around him and he shook his head. Nothing was there. “...Alright alright, I’m coming.” He raised his shoulders and walked forward with a slight wobble in his step. He really shouldn’t have been drinking.

Martyn could have sworn he saw something down the empty street.

And he’d be right.

#the sea prince au #sea prince chapters #limited life smp #limited life #life series #life smp #trafficblr #majorwood #mean gills #coral kids #scottyn #martyn inthelittlewood #martyn itlw #inthelittlewood #scott smajor #smajor1995 #dangthatsalongname #pearlescentmoon #i can finally add her ;)

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the-lumpfish-king · 10 months

Text

HEY! It’s me, Lump!

Thought I’d make one of these pined post things to introduce myself.

My name is [REDACTED], but you can call me Lump.

I’m a 23 year old ginger, use any pronouns with a slight lean towards they/it, and am an aroace pansexual.

I have a degree in Physics with plans to go into a PhD program for research Astronomy. My area of focus is galaxy structure, formation, and evolution. I’m currently working on my first research papers, adapting my undergraduate thesis work into proper astronomy journal form. I love doing physics and take requests for calculations, stupid or serious (check “#lump’s calculations” for those I’ve done so far, these are my best posts by far).

I try to keep fully nsfw stuff off this blog, but mild nsfw is to be expected

Outside of research, work, and classes I can usually be found gaming, playing MTG, or putting way too much effort into my shitposts while watching something on my second monitor.

If you take one thing away from reading this it’s GO PLAY OUTER WILDS RIGHT NOW. Do not look up anything about it, just play the game and then get your friends to play it. Then we can all talk about it. Please, I need to talk about this masterpiece with more people.

Now that you’ve learned about me I have gained access to your walls. Don’t worry, all I do is nibble a bit of drywall from time to time.

Fun Facts below

My personal motto is: “We do not matter in the grand scheme of the universe, so why not have fun with life.”

My plushies names: -Tofrug: Lord Squishers -Manatee: Weapon of Lettuce Destruction -Reimu Fumo: Air Fried Bastard -Hydreigon: Hans -Vaporeon: Dihydrogen Monoxide Puppy -Meowscarada: Greenfield -Reshiram: Nuclear Mommy -Gardevior: Horizon - Blåhaj: Jimbei

I love nature, and evergreen forests in particular. I enjoy hiking and mushroom and berry picking. My most proud find is this massive cluster of morels I came across a couple years back.

Here’s an overabundance of my personal top 3′s, not necessarily the three I think are best (except Outer Wilds, that’s best thing humanity has produced). Games: Outer Wilds, FFXIV, Ori and the Will of the Wisps Manga: One Piece, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Berserk Books: Red Rising, Percy Jackson, A Song of Ice and Fire Movies: Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Secret of Kells, How to Train Your Dragon Shows: Mob Psycho 100, Good Omens, Ya Boy Kongming! Characters: Mr Torgue Highfive Flexington, Kronk, Nico Robin Mountains: Mt. Hood, Sierra de la Laguna, Mauna Kea Flying Critters: Giant Golden-Crowned Flying Fox, Pelican, Toucan Landbound Creatures: Red Panda, Jumping Spider, Goliath Frog Marine Animals: Sea Lion, Lumpfish, Giant Pacific Octopus Pokemon: Gardevoir, Hisuian Goodra, Zekrom Soundtracks: FFXIV, Made in Abyss, Wildfrost Albums: Starship Velociraptor, The Cures What Ails Ya, Westwinds (The Real McKenzies) Foods: Cottage Pie, Khao Soi, my dad’s Chile Verde Fruit: Mexican Pitaya, Atemoya, Mango, Huckleberry Galaxy Clusters: Abell 0209, Abell 1689, macs0416

Here’s a couple of neat galaxy pictures I took using my university’s telescope:

Completely unedited pic of me

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karasukakikomi · 2 years

Text

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐥𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐦𝐛

“𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱, 𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝘁 𝘂𝗽𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝘆𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗹𝗳 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗲𝗶𝘇’𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗯 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀; 𝗧𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗰𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹’𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗯𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗽𝘀’ 𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗱”

𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: Carla Tsukinami, Female Reader 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲/𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: nsfw. 18+ only. 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁: 3.4k 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆: Trying to escape Banmaden is proven more arduous than it appears... Especially when Carla is insistent on showing you your proper place as his mate 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: (If you are not comfortable with this please do not read) NSFW Minors DNI, Noncon/dubcon, breeding, use of chains as restraints, degradation, bloodplay, biting, marking, impact play, power dynamic, use of “Master”, size difference, slight fluff at the end 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿'𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲: For my lovely best friend of 4 years. @omlsheen As an unashamed Carla simp myself I dedicate this to you xx

The low flames of candlelight danced over the regal wallpaper casting shadows across the ceiling. Outside, the night remained dark. The shadow of the night broken only by the occasional flash of lightning rippling throughout the blackened sky. The powerful glow of moonlight spilled into the room from arching windows which rain tapped against. There never was any sunlight here, something you came to miss from your own world. You felt torn away from your previous life, even though you were treated merely as prey for vampires, at least they offered you certain freedoms. You were granted no such luxury in this place.

It had been only a month since those two men had trapped you in this hellish labyrinth of walls. A castle they called home, surrounded by spiraling stonework walls trapped you inside. They were less than accommodating for your needs. Hardly extending even an ounce of respect let alone kindness for you. But who would? A pitiful human was all you were, you thought. A pitiful human who was in a world not made for her.

Carla and Shin their names were. Two Founders you had come to learn. Their motives were still not entirely clear to you. All you did know was that they were hellbent on keeping you in the confines of their castle. Their rules were simple, obey and just maybe you will be graced with the privilege of going outside. However these rare freedoms were few and far between. Too scarcely rewarded to even present themselves as viable escape opportunities. You could never even try anyways, with either Shin or Carla keeping their aureate gaze locked on you at all times.

This moment proved to be a rare one. No chatter was heard in the halls and no sound of boots thudding against floors was heard. The thundering rain and crackling of flickering flames, licking at logs in an ornate fireplace was the only sound which filled the otherwise deafening silence. “Stay in this room and do not leave until I return” was the only order Carla had given you. And it was an order you most certainly would disobey.

Creeping cautiously towards the looming door, you rested your shaking hands upon the golden handle. You heedfully pulled the handle downwards to find it unlocked. A small victory for now. The door creaked open. You peered out into the vacant abyss of the hallway. Empty. A beacon of hope lit itself within your trepid body. Tiptoeing, you made yourself down the hall. There was no one to see you. Your guard lowered slightly. Surely if this was a trap you would not have made it this far already. A sudden crash of thunder made you jump. But still, onwards you continued. Leaving the warm glow of the room behind you. Its gentle candlelight swallowed entirely by the dimness of the stretching hallway.

Coming to a window in the hallway, you pressed your palms flat against its panes as you pushed upwards. Surprised to find it unlocked, It slid open with ease. Being only on the first floor, the drop was not too extreme. Without further hesitation, you slid your first leg out of the opened window and dropped yourself onto the ground below you. Mud immediately swallowed your feet upon impact causing you to lose your balance. You fell onto the sodden ground, blow shielded by your hands instinctively protecting your face from the sudden fall. You shakily rose from the damp ground. Your clothing was effectively soaked through, the torrential downpour did not help your situation. Your uncomfortable state was an afterthought. Your body surged with hope for reclaimed freedom. Taking a small step, you suddenly froze.

A low growl resonated.

No, not one.

Many.

The low throaty reverberations surrounded you.

Closing in.

You stood frozen. Unable to move. Wolves, around ten in number you counted in a panic circled your fearful figure.

Shin’s familiars.

You had been caught.

When most unseen, then most doth tyrannize.

They continued their advance. Stepping backwards you slipped landing hard into the waterlogged ground beneath you. One wolf lunged forward. Teeth sinking into the firm material of your shoe, teeth threatening to break through to tender flesh. A pitiful shriek left your agape mouth as the creature began dragging you towards the entrance you so dreaded to return.

The wolf hath seiz’d his prey, the poor lamb cries;

You twisted in its cruel hold. The jaws of the beast clamped tighter. You were drug across the dampened soil, dirtying your clothes even further. Screaming was to no avail. No one would help you. No one could hear you. Your vision grew blurry. Black dots encapsulating your vision. Until everything was gone.

-----

When your senses returned something felt different. You were in the pouring rain no longer. Nor was there a wolf. You were alone somewhere entirely different. A dungeon. You began to try to move your arms. They were stuck. Chains rattled. Your wrists were chained taught against a wall of stone. Cold manacles threatened to dig into soft flesh. The room smelled of damp iron. The possibility of it being blood was very probable. The light was limited in the space which surrounded your captured state. But you could easily make out the cell you found yourself in, nothing but a wooden table placed in the corner. Its purpose unknown.

Suddenly a heavy door was pushed open. Footsteps approached your cell. Through the dim light you made out the sight of strawberry blonde hair and golden eyes. Shin, you thought.

“Nii-san won’t be too pleased with this one,” he cackled mockingly.

“P-please let me out. It was just a misunderstanding I sw-” You were cut off in your desperate plea.

“I know exactly what you were doing. You’re lucky my familiars didn’t tear you apart. But there’s always next time,” He continued to laugh, “Since you seem to like escaping so much.” “Regardless, the treatment you received at the mercy of my familiars isn’t anything in comparison to Nii-san’s anger.” He paused to pace the area outside of your cell. “I’d love to stay and chat with you but I’m rather busy,” He sauntered towards the door in which he arrived. “Enjoy your stay,” he mocked once more.

“Wait! Please!” You called after him. But he was already gone. Footsteps receding to the upper levels.

It was unknown how long you remained lingering in your own silence. Not even the thrumming of rain to comfort your sorrows or aching leg from the Wolves jaws. Your wrists shifted in the tight grasp of metal. They too ached but not unbearably so. The sound of footsteps stopped your thoughts. They were descending the stairs. These footsteps were not Shin’s. They were much heavier, much angrier. The door opened again. A tall frame strode into the damp room. Boots resounding against the cold stone. The door to your cell was pulled open, rusted metal groaning in protest.

Carla.

You gulped. Sensing the hostility before you.

“Did you truly believe you could get away?” He asked. His husky voice held no emotion but you could sense the anger boiling within him.

You stayed silent.

“It appears you underestimated me quite a bit.” He spoke. “I will ask you this one time, and one time only,” Carla began, “Why did you run?”

“I- I was afraid.” You admitted.

“Afraid of me?” He asked. A genuine question it seemed.

“Yes,” you answered pitifully, your gaze still not looking into his eyes.

“I understand even less of why you chose to run. If you were truly as scared as you claim, you would have realized by now that there is no way you can successfully escape me.” His tone did not change as he responded.

You pondered over what to say in return. The truth is you wanted to be free, but you could never tell him that. He would never allow that. Such a response would only worsen the situation at hand.

“It seems as if some training is required.” Carla said matter of factly.

“Training?” You inquired. A puzzled look painting your features.

He grasped the cold iron of the chains connecting your wrists to the wall behind you. With an effortless tug they came free. As if they were nothing but an annoying string attached to a sweater. You stumbled forward, the cruel chains no longer holding you. His hand grasped the base of your neck harshly, the feeling of his crushing grip evident under his leather gloves. You gasped as your body was pushed. You were pressed against the dilapidated wooden table in the corner of the cell. Forced over it so that your chest was flush against the unpolished wood surface. Attempting to push yourself up from this position was of no use. His hand remained firmly holding your nape.

“It is of best interest to not resist me right now,” Carla voiced. His tone much darker. “The key to training lies in repetition. By repeating the process, your body will react involuntarily. Whether you want it to or not.”

“Carla, please.” You let out a feeble voice.

“Silence. You have disobeyed me enough tonight. You do not have the right to use my name as freely as you do. From this moment forward you will address me as Master. Is that understood?” He demanded.

“Yes Master,” you complied, not wanting to fuel his anger further.

You could feel your shorts being pulled downwards in a fluid motion. You gasped. Unable to move from your current position.

“I want you to listen to me. And listen well. I will not show mercy. This is part of your training. You need to understand that your foolish actions lead to consequences. Your disobedience will result in punishment. With that said…” Carla paused. “I want you to count until 10. I will repeat this as many times as necessary.”

Carla slid his leather glove from his hand, releasing his other from your neck. One hand pressed firmly against your back. Not that you were in any position to move away from him now. Uncertainty wavered in your eyes. Without a warning his hand came down, smacking against the plush of your ass. A deafening smack sounded following the feeling of searing, burning pain. A squeal left your throat.

“Count,” He growled.

“One!” You managed still recovering from the shock of the impact.

A second strike resonated. This one harder than the last.

“Two!” You choked out fighting tears from slipping from your eyes.

Leaving no time for recovery he placed another well aimed spank on the other side of your ass. The deafening sound of his palm meeting your flesh rang out once more.

“Three! Ca-Master! Please stop!” You pleaded teary eyed.

“Did I not tell you to shut your mouth? I do not wish to hear your pleas or petulant excuses,” He said.

Carla continued. His hits growing stronger. The sound no match for the searing pain they left behind. You were most certainly going to be bruised from this. One after another, he marked your tender skin with the brutal impacts of his hand. Your choked broken sobs did not faze him, only spurring his violence further. You continued d to count. You counted through the blistering pain all the way until 10 was ripped from your throat in a scream. You sputtered, face glistening from your tears.

“I did not think a woman like you would let out such pitiful noises in response to a mere spanking,” Carla commented.

“Please, Master. I'm so sorry, I didn’t mean to run,” you tried to reason between sobs.

“Did you not hear when I said I did not want to hear your pathetic excuses? It seems as if your lesson still hasn’t quite gotten through to you,” He spoke deliberately. “While you are not bound by those chains on your wrists any longer It does not change anything about your current situation. I’m sure you understand how powerless you are against me right now. More than you may like to admit.”

It was true. Every word he spoke. You were completely and utterly powerless right now. There was nothing you could do, nothing but accept your fate. Yet part of you did not yet want to give up. For as long as you were still human you would never give up, never give in. You struggled. Attempting to push up from the table. You stopped suddenly. Something solid was pressed against your backside. Your eyes widened in shock.

A dark chuckle reverberated above you.

“As I said. You are completely powerless against me. You will understand your place here, you will understand your place as my mate whether you choose to accept that or not.” He said.

You felt your panties being ripped away from you. Your core exposed to the cool damp air. You shivered, whether in fear or from the cool, musty air you were unsure. You heard the movement of material behind you.

“Now. If you choose to behave… I will make this a pleasurable experience for you.”

You nodded in response, tears wetting the wooden table your chest remained pressed against.

You felt a hardened tip pressing against your entrance. His cock glistening with precum slid along your slit.

You whined with the sensation of his cockhead nudging against your clit.

He pulled his hips back, aligning himself once more with your leaking entrance.

“If you simply entrust yourself to me like this, I do not mind drowning you in pleasure.” He rasped.

He sunk himself into your dripping cunt, grunting in response. You whined, against the feeling of his thick cock stretching you around him. He pushed himself further into you, bottoming out. The burning stretch hurt but it was not unbearable. You felt yourself growing wetter for him by the second. You did not want this. But reason was cast aside when he withdrew his throbbing member from you and plunging himself back into your squelching cunt. A scream emerged from your throat quickly being silenced by his hand over your mouth. Muting your voice.

He thrusted at a harsh rhythm, the table groaning in protest against his brutal thrusts, wooden legs scraping against the stone floor at every movement.

“Just as I thought…” Carla grunted. “This is a much more effective way to shut your pathetic little mouth than to use words.”

His fervent thrusts continued as he pounded himself into your tight hole. Skin slapping against skin a lewd sound filling the room. Your whines muffled against his hand still firmly pressed against your mouth. You pushed yourself back against his hips to meet his thrusts. You did not want to give in, to entrust yourself to this man but it was getting harder to resist. The feeling of his cock massaging you tightened walls was proving too much. The pleasure was making your head spin. All you could think of was him.

Not escaping him.

Not running away again.

Just him.

You had never felt pleasure this intense. It was a delicious, burning pleasure.

“Just like that,” He growled into your ear. “Submission feels good doesn’t it? When you fully submit to me, to the point where every time you see me… You will start to offer your body to me and me only- then your training will be complete.”

You moaned against his hand. Two of his thick fingers curled themselves inside of your mouth. Your tongue encircled his digits, tasting of musk and sweat. You could not get enough.

His thrusts grew stronger, hips jutting sharply against the marked flesh of your ass. You could not hold back your noises. Unashamedly letting out wanton moans for him. He pushed his fingers deeper into your mouth, saliva dripping from your lips. Your cunt swallowed Carla’s cock eagerly, every time he pulled back, it pulled him back invitingly, willingly.

“Mas-Master!” You choked out.

“Are you getting close?” He panted, “I can feel it. Come for me. Come all over my cock like the little slut you are.”

You screamed out, his fingers still pressed against your tongue. The pleasure of him hitting your deepest spots was unbearable, the sweet burn of his cock massaging your walls. You felt a unfamiliar intense tightening in your abdomen, like a rope being pulled to its very limit. With a harsher thrust his throbbing member pulsated. He was growing closer as well. The sensation caused that rope to snap, your form shook against his large body holding you into place. The sheer pleasure causing your head to go blank. Your orgasm milked his cock as he shot thick ropes of his seed deep into your greedy womb. He withdrew himself from you.

Without warning you were flipped over onto the table. Your back now flush against the rough surface.

“You did not think I was nearly finished with you yet, did you? Silly little girl.” Carla snickered.

You did not know when he had discarded his remaining clothing but before your eyes he leaned over you. Toned form flexing as he looped your shaking legs over his broad shoulders. He plunged his cock back into your depths, slick coating his member. He slammed himself into you over and over once again. No mercy. Not even an ounce of holding back. Carla did not seem worn out in the slightest. You desperately whined, both of you covered with a thin layer of sweat sheening from your joining bodies.

He had you in a mating press pulling out almost completely and bottoming out as he forced himself back in. You tried to pull him closer, arms surrounding his neck. His harsh grip left your hips to pull your arms away and force them down on either side of your head.

“Did you forget that this is a punishment? I gave you no such permission to act so tenderly.” Carla spoke voice deep with lust.

He leaned forward breath fanning over your neck before plunging his fangs into your throat. You gasped in pain. The searing sting of fangs mixed with the pleasure of his ravishment. He greedily sucked your blood.

“Your blood is truly as disgusting as always,” he groaned. “Your cleansing is nowhere near complete.”

You winced from the still stinging pain of where his fangs were. The pleasure of his brutish thrusts became too much again. You tried to move away.

He leaned over you again, forcing your body still.

“Do. Not. Move.” Carla’s words annunciated with his harsh pounding into your cunt.

His fangs reentered the side of your neck. Like sharp needles penetrating through the thin flesh covering your vulnerable pulse. He continued to suck at your blood. Lapping greedily at the flow which trickled down your neck. Your vision was beginning to fade. Slowly losing consciousness.

Carla pulled his head back from your wound trickling with fresh, hot blood. “You will be filled with my seed once more, you will fulfill your duty as my mate. I do not care how long it may take. You will accept your place by my side. Is. That. Clear?”

“Y-yes Master. I- I understand,” you grimaced. Your vision faded. Blurring in and out. The ceiling above you losing definition. The marred stone becoming one blurry dark grey mass. Your eyelids fluttered shut.

-----

You awoke groggily. Rough table surface replaced by soft bedding. You sat up slowly. A soft comforter was pulled around your naked body. The bed was shifted unnaturally. You looked to your left, Carla lay slumbering next to you. His breathing calm. He was in a deep sleep. His features were almost kind whilst he slept. His scornful gaze now soft, his lips almost a smile. His platinum hair feathered around his head gave him an almost angelic appearance.

It was a rarity. To have a moment like this. Moving was a burden as you felt entirely sore everywhere. But you did not care. If you could spend another moment laying next to Carla under the moonlight once more you would take the offer without hesitation. Maybe becoming his wasn’t the worst thing in the world. It was moments like these where you felt safe. Knowing he would not let anything else hurt you. That he had gone through the effort to clean you and lay you tenderly in his very bed. If this is what accepting your place with Carla was like, then you were happy to do so.

To be his.

Whatever may come.

#diabolik lovers #diabolik lovers smut #smut fic #carla tsukinami #carla tsukinami smut #carla tsukinami x reader #x reader #diaboys #diaboys x reader #diabolik lovers lemon #diabolik lovers carla #diabolik lovers x reader #dark smut #diabolik lovers fandom

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killedbyfrank · 8 months

Text

Inside Out Iceberg

Inside Out is an amazing movie with a deep message and a dedicated fandom, or what's left of it. While the movie explores Riley's mind far and wide, it still leaves a lot of questions unanswered, some simple, some dark and complicated.

So I made this iceberg to explore the dark side of Inside Out. The iceberg concept is a metaphorical framework often used to illustrate the idea that what we see on the surface is only a small fraction of a larger, hidden and often disturbing reality.

This iceberg includes some known facts, known and lesser known theories and even a couple of headcanons, just for fun.

The Surface

Emotions Shipping: Just like in any fandom, fans usually ship characters together and Inside Out is no different with ships such as Starnerve, Brickoli, Joyness and more.

Sleeping Quarters: A simple yet difficult question to answer. The emotions are shown to reside in a tiny little house up the ramp in HQ. What's in that room? How big is it?

Glow: Joy and Sadness are the only emotions that glow, with the former being much more visible. A theory states that Joy's glow intensity depends on her mood.

Fanfics: Inside Out has a lot of rich and diverse fanfictions, with a few becoming iconic such as Intercom and An Emotional School Year.

Mind Candy: Some simple but cute snippets of the emotions interacting alone or with each other.

NSFW: Artworks that depict the Inside Out characters engaging in sexual activities or gore and mutilation. Some should be banished to the shadow realm.

Below the Surface

Parents' names: Riley's dad is named Bill, while Riley's mom is named Jill. Nice one, Pixar.

Pixar Shipping: Even those at Pixar ship Inside Out characters together. I wonder if some ship Brickoli...

Surprise?: Surprise was supposed to be in the movie, but was cut off due to being too similar to Fear. Maybe Inside Out 2 will bring it back.

Riley's clothing: Throughout the movie and not only, Riley wears different shirts representing her state of mind. During the first day of school she's seen wearing a yellow jacket, forcing Joy upon her. At the end, her mood darkens, reflected by a black hoodie.

Easter eggs: It not uncommon for Pixar to put Easter eggs and cameos in their own movies. Hard to notice at first.

Advertisement Campaign: Inside Out had a pretty aggressive marketing campaign, sponsoring brands such as Clorox and Subway, even encouraging fanarts. Pixar was trying to hype it up.

Into the depths

Fear & Joy outside of HQ instead of Sadness: Originally, Pete Docter intended to explore Fear, since he as a teenager was mostly afraid.

Alternative Titles: In Latin America, Inside Out is known as Intensa Mente. In Spain, they called it Del Revés (Reverse). In Russia, it is titled головоломка (Brain Breaker), and in China, it is 玩轉腦朋友 (Fun with Brain Friends).

Emotions had names: Initially, Emotions were supposed to have proper human names. Fear for example was known as Freddie and so on. Joy is the only one that kept this idea. In the Italian dub, she's known as Gioia, which directly translates to Joy and is also a proper Italian name.

27 emotions: The movie initially was supposed to have many more emotions. This idea seems to have been picked up again for the sequel. Bad idea.

Unlikable Joy: Joy was supposed to be very unlikable, saying things as "We should spit on that girl's face". This was done on purpose so that the viewer would align with Sadness.

Nightmare Productions: Dream Productions is in charge of Riley's dreams and nightmares as well. In theory, they could give endless nightmares to Riley and all kinds of nightmares. Some may call this sadistic.

Into the Abyss...

The Subconscious: This is where Riley's worst fears are kept. They're locked behind a flimsy wooden door, lightly guarded and protected. This could mean Riley is weak minded or very susceptible to her fears. If everything escaped from there, it would certainly mean apocalypse.

The true villain: Joy's aggressive need of control, leaving behind Sadness, causing destruction within Riley's mind, forcing happiness upon every situation, using a ladder of imaginary boyfriends sentencing them to fall into the Memory Dump... These are just some of the things Joy did throughout her journey. Her philosophy crumbled like a house of cards.

Disgust/Joy rivalry: These two probably aren't the bestest of friends. They often have disagreements, and are the opposite of each other. As shown in some clips, Joy seems to enjoy it when Disgust is having a bad time.

Parents' jobs: We don't currently know what their jobs are, how they maintain the family. I've seen a theory that Riley's father used to be an US soldier, due to his mind resembling a Cold War nuclear submarine.

Genderfluid Riley: According to some individuals, Riley is genderfluid, due to her having different gendered emotions. This is highly unlikely.

Schizophrenia: Riley can actually hear her emotions talking, even see them. She's imagining everything in her mind...

Flesh mech: Riley has no control over herself... she's simply a meatbag controlled by her emotions, not guiding but controlling Riley's every single movement and action. This is especially shown in the "5 seconds rule" clip.

We all are the same: There is no divide between the mind workers and the emotions. The mind workers have probably never even seen them. There's no hierarchy, just work, work endlessly for Riley and nothing else matters. What exactly is everyone working for? What are they driven by? Are they all... expandable?

The Bottom...

Anger is the antagonist: He causes Riley to be angry, he often abuses Fear, yells at everyone, dislikes everything. He indirectly caused Bing Bong's demise by destroying the various islands of personality, making it harder for Joy and Sadness coming back, KNOWING that him touching the console would have destructive consequences. What if he did it on purpose?

Stalinist Dictatorship: Riley, Riley, Riley and nothing else. Everyone works for Riley. Everything else comes second. There are cards with her face on them, her initial on Goofball Island, everyone works constantly, every day, all day for Riley, with possibly no retribution. Endless amounts of workers, in a society where Riley is everything to them, similar to a socialist state.

Emotions can't quit: Quote by Disgust. They were never meant to leave Headquarters. They are meant to stay confined there, without ever having the chance to go outside their residence. Why else would the Headquarters be suspended on the Memory Dump, with one way in and out? There is no escape.

There is no happiness... none. Riley was never truly happy in her life. No happy life with only sad moments in between, but a sad life with only happy moments here and there. The true Riley was the one we saw at the end. Depressed.

#inside out #inside out fandom #inside out disgust #inside out anger #inside out joy #inside out fear #inside out sadness #iceberg #inside out 2

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browa123 · 1 year

Text

Ok Here's a Giant Reginald Ramble

If no one else wants to over-analyze the funny nyeh man with the banana stache then I will. I've talked on and on about this on discord because I actually Roleplay as Reggie on the regular, so I've talked about how I characterize him a LOT.

The following is a collection of random headcanons in an attempt to keep them in chronological order, along with some screenshots and images to back up where these ideas come from, take em with a grain of salt ^^

Inspired to ramble by @the-irken-pony so I hope you have fun reading this

Alright, lets get this thing started.

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Chapter 1: Pre-Leadership

Reginald joins the Toppat Clan around when Wilford the Fourth is either high up in command or the leader himself. Wilford stacks the hats of clan members he's defeated on his own, is a no-nonsense leader and leads a very respectable era of the clan's history. Reginald IDOLIZES Wilford, so that when he takes over the clan, he starts stacking hats too, specifically Terrence's to use as a trophy for his victory, once he's in charge.

This is a no-brainer, but Reginald HATES Terrence. Where Wilford was a strong, guiding hand that lead the clan to greatness, Terrence leads the clan into ruin.

The fact that it's canon that the leader that came right before Reginald is specifically stated to be the worst Toppat Leader EVER, compared to candidates like T.R.N.K who went on a rampage instead of actually leading and Randy Radman who bankrupted the clan after partying too hard, it means that Terrence's lust for cheep thrills got SO MANY TOPPATS arrested or killed in one leadership, it probably scarred Reginald for life.

Now Reginald IS a coward. He never fights anyone directly and would rather have other people fight his battles for him. Namely, RHM. Perhaps even Wilford the Fourth before Reginald met his Right Hand Man. So, how does he stand a chance against someone who keeps doing these kinds of terrible things and making it out alive where so many other toppats suffer?

He plays dirty.

He rallies the entire clan against Terrence using his greatest weapon, his mind. And one way or another, Reginald ends up throwing Terrence off the airship to his doom, and Reginald takes his hat as a trophy.

Sound Familiar?

It's how the Toppat Civil Warfare path starts, with Henry in Terrence's place. Called out by Reginald very publicly after Ellie gives him an opening. Funny how the Toppats specifically have an area to make traitors and prisoners walk the plank, eh?

Even in the betrayed, Reginald is clearly no stranger to throwing people off the ship. Dangling Henry over the abyss, you get the impression that this isn't the first time Reginald has done something like this. He can't fight for himself, but when it matters, he'll finish what's been started.

Although...

If this grey hat with the gradient split is Reginald's original hat...

He takes the one he stole from Terrence and puts it on....

Ohhhh now we get into the real subtle machinations of Reginald's mind here. Now, this is exclusive to the Rapidly Promoted Executive branch of timelines, but it's really the most in-depth path for Reginald. We don't see him much in the other branch he's able to appear, Pure Blooded Thief that defines how he works outside being a smug bastard on the outside.

Chapter 2: Henry Ruins his Life

To be fair, Henry also gets a hat in Toppat Recruits, but this hat is custom made and tailored TO Henry. Henry gets a proper initiation ceremony and earns his hat in TR alongside Ellie. Reginald doesn't have any major issues with Henry aside the ruby thing, so he doesn't need to act against Henry in this timeline.

All four of the RPE timelines on the other hand...

Anyone who was in the clan during Terrence's leadership and survived it should KNOW that particular black hat. What Reginald has done here, in the most subtle way possible, is WARNED everyone about Henry being a terrible leader. That black hat is a red flag in the eyes of everyone that recognizes it: Henry is an outsider and is not to be trusted.

And it's not like Henry knows that's what that hat means. He just got put in charge of the Toppats and got a pretty sweet new hat too. Yay!

Reginald doesn't see Henry in charge of the Toppats. He sees Terrence Suave 2.0, coming to undo all of his hard work. And it's a LOT of hard work on Reginald's part.

Reginald took a clan that was in shambles from Terrence's cheep and reckless raids, erased any trace of the Toppats on government records around the world to the point where they're desperate for evidence on the clan and brought it back to the great heights he always wanted. Henry threatens all of that.

"I just wanted to look you in the eyes as I took it all back," is a really telling quote. Because it's true. Henry had taken everything from Reginald in RPE. Leadership, status, respect, his clan, his significant other. Henry tore a path through the ship with RHM as part of the carnage and left nothing for Reginald behind. Even in the entire RPE end card, you can see how blank and unhappy his subtle, neutral expression is.

He wants Henry gone. But some of the junior clan members are starting to like his style of leadership, like Thomas and Geoffrey. So if he's going to make Henry disappear, he's gotta make it subtle, like...

Chapter 3: Get Someone Else to Do It

"What is this?"

"I found potential asset."

"Henry Stickmin. Why does he belong here?"

"He was arrested for breaking into a bank."

"We already have very many thieves in here."

"Yes, but he also escaped from prison. He is also the one responsible for the disappearance of the Tunisian Diamond."

"I did hear about that."

"There's more. You know the Toppat Clan."

"Of course."

"Apparently he had some sort of incident with them as well."

"What do you mean by incident?"

"There are conflicting reports."

-Fleeing the Complex Trailer.

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This is more of a personal headcanon than anything, but I solidly believe that Reginald sold (RPE) Henry out to the Wall in an effort to get rid of him.

There are confirmed undercover Toppat spies in the Wall Staff like Wallace Pemberton, who have been undercover for at least 3 years. So, Reginald is well aware of the Wall and its reputation for not being broken out of for 50 years. It would just take a bit of passing hands to get files on Henry from the Airship to the Wall in order to make Henry disappear.

This is further backed up by how surprised Reginald is to see Henry in every single RPE branch the moment Henry returns.

Funny how it sounds like he wasn't expecting Henry to come back, huh?

Of course, this leaves us with Reginald's most character defining moment: when he throws Henry off the ship in The Betrayed. In this timeline, Reginald is well aware Henry is trying to escape and come back to the clan well before he's actually succeeded yet.

Prime opportunity to silence him for good.

After all, Reginald doesn't know Henry. He only knows that history is going to repeat itself all over again if he doesn't get rid of Terrence Suave 2.0 all over again. His own pride blinds him to who Henry is compared to the man Reginald sees him as.

A lot of paths Henry takes define his character, like Ghost Inmate timeline Henries being selfish, or Pure Blooded Thief Henries being greedy. Betrayed Henry TRUSTED the Toppats enough to call them for help, so it could be implied he would have been a good leader to them had Reginald given him a chance, just like in Toppat King.

But, being it Pride or Misconception, Reginald only sees someone who would bring him back to the worst time in his life all over again, and he lets him fall instead. Because Henry took everything from him, and Reginald will do anything to make sure it can't be taken again.

Chapter 4: Complete the Mission

Okay, so for a moment lets put ourselves in Reginald's shoes for a moment as the four timelines in Completing the Mission for RPE come to a head.

You lost EVERYTHING. You gave everything you owned to the guy who shoved your husband off a bridge. They're still cleaning his remains out of the engine while you wait for a miracle worker to bring the one thing you had left back to life.

You also just witnessed him betray the people who sent him to attack you in the first place. You don't know this man, you don't know his loyalty lies, if he even has any. Your only impressions are that of a reckless bastard who took everything from you and nearly killed your husband.

And then you went and put him in charge of your family out of desperation.

TCW: You knew it.

You knew Henry was a traitorous bastard with no loyalty with anyone but himself. You might just recruit this Ellie character on the spot for finally giving you your opening.

You've had this planned out for weeks. Every word of undignified, dishonourable rot Henry had left the clan with ever since he took over. He only cares about himself, and soon enough you've gathered an entire rally. You even get to carry this out with some dignity, and you've solidified yourself as this clan's true leader.

He's not worthy of being our leader, he was never worthy. And Ellie had just given you cold, hard proof. So, your rally moves to throw the imposter overboard.

But, not without your prized trophy. That hat is a symbol of your victory over Terrence, and it would be your symbol of victory over Henry as well.

Except your arm gets grabbed as you reach for your prize, and as you fall you begin to wonder if this was really for the clan, or just for yourself.

TK:

This was an unexpected turn of events. Down on the ground, and with no one left to turn to, you beg the only other person in the room to do something!

And he does do something. He saves your life. You're at such a loss for words you can barely speak, watching the helicopter fall and explode on the ground just inches behind the other. He risked his life to save you. The evidence was at your feet in the form of dead soldiers.

The Rocket is Launching in 4 Minutes

Damn it all, you don't have time to ponder this. You need to get to the rocket before launch. Though you grab a pair of binoculars as you leave the control tower and hitch a ride with some of the members. You're intrigued now.

And your intrigue soon grows to gratitude. You watch from the loading bay as Henry moves to assist your Right Hand, your beloved husband. You see them defy the odds and work as a team to save each other. You can only mutter out the word "wow" as your mind moves a mile a minute. Had you misjudged Henry?

Finally, the ally he had brought with him unannounced helps get everyone up the rocket just in the nick of time. Well, everyone except the man that made this all possible in the midst of the chaos caused by the raid.

You could have shut the door as soon as Ellie and Right left. You could have dropped him and no one would know. You makes this clear to him as he dangles by the arm, at your mercy.

But, he is one of your own. He's just as much a Toppat as your are. He's earned his place, and your respect.

You pull him up.

T4L:

You thought Henry was dead. You heard it in all the news reports. Captured Toppat Leader dead. Fell off a cliff into the snow never to be seen again. You almost wish your hand was a part of that fate. You would have loved to look the smug bastard in the eye before he fell.

But clearly you don't have to worry anymore, as he was apparently alive, riding a tank up to the rocket base with the stupidest, smug grin on his face.

What's he doing here, alive, in a tank no less? Where did he even get it? He tosses you something, and it's barking orders.

"Repeat, Toppat Raid has been aborted, fall back!" A gruff voice calls from the walkie-talkie.

He protected the clan. Everything Henry could have done. Run, hid, just come back to them unannounced. But he went and stopped an entire planned raid that You didn't even know about. By Himself.

Ok. So maybe you misjudged him. Things might turn out okay under his leadership. Even if he is more of a lone wolf rather than a team player.

You put off your plans to dethrone him. If he can garner this much respect, while doing all these crazy things by himself and coming out fine, you can find it in yourself to put up with him until his own reckless solo missions do himself in.

Betrayed/ R:

Finally.

You were alone. No one was around to save him. He dangled helplessly in your grip, looking so relieved you caught him. But no one was watching. This was probably the most easily staged accident you'd ever made. You wanted to see him squirm.

He took everything from you. Now, you were going to take it all back. The look in his eyes is something you've been dreaming of since you started plotting. The utter despair, the look of betrayal on his face is everything you wanted it to be.

Finally you can rid yourself of this parasite that has been plauging your clan for good. They will never have to suffer under a foolish leader again.

You let him go.

He lived.

Everything you planned for and he ended up surviving the fall. Damn it, damn everything, damn it all to HELL. He should have known that salty cybernetic surgeon would find some way to get back at him after making her do that surgery at gun point.

You weren't just gonna let your beloved right hand die that day, can you blame yourself for that?

Still, you know that your no match for Henry. You hardly were before, you're the brains of the duo you and your right hand made, hardly a fighter. And the cybernetics didn't help that prospect.

Right takes the fight outside, while you can only silently hope the best for him. You know he won't go down as easily the second time. You know he wants you out of the line of fire, but you can't help feeling anxious. Last time he left you to fight Henry alone he nearly died.

A loud explosion overhead, and scorching heat. Alarms are blaring, your airship is loosing altitude. There's a high chance your going to crash. You can only hope Right made it out okay with his upgrades.

Your hopes are dashed when Henry drops into the cockpit with his own weapons at the ready. It's a sickening thought, but the only logical conclusion is that Right didn't survive this time.

Still, in a rush of adrenaline, you draw your pistol and attempt to fire. Henry grabs your arm and points the gun back at your own head. You're at his mercy now.

He staples you to the wall. Smug bastard even when he's pissed huh? You hate the stupid grin on his face. Though, you do what you do best when he turns his back. You shoot him in the spine.

Like hell you're letting him walk away from this. You'll take him with you for Right's sake. The explosion hits. You're quickly loosing consciousness. Everything you loved is up in flames. Your husband is dead and you're hanging from your own grave. You're sure the impact punctured a lung, it's hard to breath with the smoke.

But you still have enough life in you to ask the million dollar question.

Was it worth it?

It wasn't entirely directed at Henry, but you take that thought to your grave

#thsc #the henry stickmin collection #reginald copperbottom #right hand man #henry stickmin #copperright #long post #lots of words #can you tell I like writing fanfiction? XD #character analysis

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