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absurdthirst · 2 years

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Tovar’s Treasure {Modern!Pero Tovar x F!Reader}

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 15.5k

Warnings: Sexism, vaginal sex, oral sex, fingering, betrayal, heartbreak, kidnapping, allusions to sexual assault, physical violence, gun violence

Comments: You are an archeologist, researching the Nameless Order and in China to uncover the truth of their existence. William Garin and Pero Tovar have been hired as security for your dig and despite a rocky start, you manage to become entangled with the Spaniard. Until the backstab is revealed.

Co-written with @storiesofthefandomlovers

Click Keep Reading only if you have read the Rating and Warnings and understand the warnings may not be complete to avoid listing spoilers. As AO3 says 'creator chooses not to use warnings'. You also agree that you're the right age to be consuming anything here.

It’s gorgeous, wild and stunning. The scenery around you makes you itch to pull out your camera and snap photos all day even though that is not why you are here. Your entire purpose for being here, at this specific spot at the Great Wall of China is to search for the proof of the existence of the Nameless Order.

Archeology is your field of study and after many months of petitioning the Chinese government to dig at this section of the wall, ramshackled and off limits to tourists, you are here. Granted a six month stay to find something, anything to prove that the order was more than myth and legend. More specifically to find the Tao Tei scrolls. A priceless telling of the fable of the Nameless Order’s secret battle with creatures that nearly overran the earth.

Pero grunts as he carries his satchel, following William as they set up camp in the desolate region where the scrolls are rumored to be buried. Having taken this job for one reason only: to get the fortunate his family deserves after centuries of being lost. His former position in the Spanish army has granted him the skills to be a personal guard. “How much shit does she have?” He grunts as he carries your bag of excavation tools.

You sigh as you hear the complaint. Security. You had argued that you didn’t need it but it had been a part of the agreement to allow you to dig. The region was not one that the government monitored much. Too many bandits and thieves roamed the hills. Security was necessary to prevent the story of an archeologist being murdered from becoming news.

“I’ve had less complaints from freshmen who are on a dig for course credit.” You call back, busy arranging some of the more delicate equipment in their large storage boxes. Because this dig was small, it was going to be you and the two men the museum hired and no one else. Thankfully, they were going to assist with any of the muscle you needed for moving equipment, although you were already tired of the one called Tovar complaining.

Tovar looks over at William, raising his eyebrows at your tone. “Well, I doubt they had to carry all of your shit around like donkeys.” Tovar grumps, adjusting his satchel as he struggles with the box. “What is all of this shit anyway? Surely all you need is a goddamn shovel and a good compass.” He looks at you, brow beaded with sweat, and he ignores the pointed look from his companion who assigned - forced - him into the job.

You snort and shake your head. “Regardless of what you think, Indiana fucking Jones was not a good archeologist.” You shoot back at him. “Properly cataloging something and preserving it is paramount to what I do. This ‘shit’ you are carrying around like a donkey are things I need to make sure the scrolls aren’t destroyed by careless hands.” You give him a pointed look.

Pero snorts, “sounds like a lot of unnecessarily shit to me. Surely all you need is a brush and some fucking air to blow off the dirt. I doubt anyone would care.” He grunts as he drops the box onto the ground. “Princess, you aren’t gonna use all of this. You just wanted to make sure our fucking backs were wrecked. Now, I’m gonna put up my tent. You got yours?” He asks, a condescending smirk on his face.

You roll your eyes and point to the box that contains your tent. “I do.” You huff, smirking slightly when you remember you have a solar powered air conditioner built in. “Don’t ask to share. I don’t sleep with donkeys.” You hum in amusement, watching the smirk change into a scowl. “Let me know if you need help putting yours together though.”

He looks at William, “she’s gonna be a fun time, hermano. Tell me, why the fuck did you sign up for this?” He knows why he did it, but he can’t tell you that. He can’t reveal why he wanted to join you on this trip. After setting down the boxes, he works on putting his tent up, cursing the poles and stents. Especially when he sees the way your tent seems to just inflate.

You smirk to yourself as you set your stakes, pushing them deep into the sand to secure the tents. The edge of the wall, although it’s crumbling, will provide shelter from the wind. Your bags are tossed inside and you lay down a rug outside to keep the sand from getting inside. The rest can be set up later but you need to get the tent up for the supplies to be stored in. That was more important than anything else.

William Garin and Pero Tovar were the top men at Mercenary Securities, a company that had a reputation of being fiercely protective of their clients, which the museum wanted, but the Spaniard’s manners left much to be desired. He was scathing and insulting from the beginning, as if he didn’t want to be here. “Since you are still worrying with your own tent, I will be my own donkey and set up the supply tent.” You tell him, walking by where he is still struggling with his own smaller tent.

He curses, working on putting his tent up and he watches you as you expertly put the tent together. William watches, amused at his friend's frustration, and he chuckles at how annoyed Pero is when you put the supply tent together with ease. “Show off.” Pero grunts under his breath, finally getting his tent together after several minutes of struggling. He has finally made it to where he needs to be. He longs to find the ancient scrolls that detail the whereabouts of his family’s long lost fortune. The black powder his ancestor lost during the fabled battle. He wants it. He needs it. The fortune he is owed.

You sigh in satisfaction and look around the area. “Tonight we will finish setting up camp, I think.” You are directing your words to William, ignoring the other man. “I’ll organize my ‘shit’ and make sure that my compass and shovel are all ready for an early start tomorrow.” You point to the crumbled column. “I want to see if the entire structure has collapsed. It is much larger than other sections of the wall.”

Pero rolls his eyes, unable to help himself and he looks at you in amusement. “So…shovel and compass and we shall see if you find the scrolls. It’s - it’s not gonna be easy, princesa. Are you sure you don’t need some help?” He mocks you. He knows you’re capable, he has heard of your work in Egypt but he won’t relent when you’ve questioned his abilities.

“Are you sure you don’t?” You put your hands on your hips and raise a brow at him. “Do you have a doctorate in ancient Chinese mythology with a thesis that centered on the Nameless Order? Or any experience in archeology?” You ask him. “Because when you were trying to reason with the guards your Mandarin was shit, and I’d be surprised if you know a rock from petrified shit.” You shoot him a grin. “You want to help? You can build a fire.”

He narrows his eyes at you, wondering why you have decided to be such a bitch. He is a little shocked at your credentials and he swallows down his retort. “I can build the fire.” He relents, ignoring the smirk on William’s face as you raise your eyebrows at Pero, a satisfied smile on your face. Pero doesn’t know how he is going to handle dealing with you. For now, he just needs to focus on getting the scrolls.

Later on, you feel a little guilty for how harshly you’ve been treating Tovar. The two of you have not gotten off to a great start but you completely blame him for that. When you had met the two of them in Shanghai, he had launched into a tirade about how a woman was going to be trouble and get them killed. All hissed to William in Spanish, unaware and still unaware of the fact that you speak Spanish. So you haven’t exactly been nice to him.

You unpack the cooking gear and bring it over to the fire with the first meal you had planned for tonight. Planning to cook for everyone and you bring over three beers from the cooler that you had brought. The dry ice kept the beer icy cold and would be perfect after the long day. “Here.” You offer two of the beers to William and Tovar who are still messing with the fire.

Tovar looks up as you hold out the beer, taking it from your hand and he notices how soft your hand is despite your hands-on job. He swallows harshly, nodding as he takes the beer. He doesn’t feel guilty for what he’s about to do, taking the scrolls. They belong to his family. Generations have searched for them and he needs to get them to finally bring wealth to his family. He won’t go home without them, no matter what it takes. “What are you cooking?” He grunts when you are sitting by the fire. It smells good and his stomach rumbles, hungry after the long journey.

You look over at him with a grin. “Donkey.” You joke, turning the thin slices of seasoned meat. “It's a curry seasoned goat.” You explain. “I honestly thought that before we start having to eat freeze dried and dehydrated meals that some fresh dinners would be good. A celebratory start to the dig.” You reach over and stir the rice and beans that are to accompany it. “Anytime I go on site, I try to make it fun for my students or fellow humans.” You blow out a sigh and look around the small camp. “But this time they wouldn’t let me bring anyone else.”

He rolls his eyes before he looks at you. “Well, it smells good.” William hums in agreement, sitting down at the table. “I am certain you will struggle to not have your home comforts, eh princesa? After all, your tent has air conditioning.” He snorts, crossing his arms as he leans back. “What are you planning on doing during this trip? It’s harsh in these conditions. Are you sure you can manage without a running shower?” He smirks.

Once again irritation fills you, the condescending attitude of the man pisses you off. “Well, I can always go down to the river and bathe, or there is the option to just … not and smell like you.” You retort. “Tell me, are you like this to every woman you meet or am I just special?”

William snorts, “you should see him when he wants to get laid. Then he lays on the Spanish charm. He’s just grumpy. Tovar, you prick, be nice to the lady. Say sorry.” William shakes his head. With a grunt,

Pero looks over at you, “apologies. I- I was merely concerned about your capability to survive in these conditions.” He lies through gritted teeth, unable to stop his gaze from dropping down to your chest as you lean forward to take the goat off of the fire.

You snort, shaking your head and you look up to meet the Spaniard’s eyes. “La próxima vez, asegúrate de que una mujer no hable español antes de empezar a insultarla.” Next time, make sure a woman doesn't speak Spanish before you start to insult her. You tell him succinctly before you turn back to check the rice and beans one last time. You know that he doesn’t mean his apology, but you couldn’t care less. You’ve been doubted your entire career.

His eyes widen, unable to believe you are speaking Spanish. His cheeks burn and he feels terrible, for once, guilt swarming him as he realizes you understood everything. “I, uh, lo siento. I didn’t mean - I’m sorry. I didn’t know you understood. I will not speak about you like that again.” He murmurs, crossing his arms.

William chuckles at his friend’s discomfort and you just shrug. “I’ve been looked down on and criticized my entire career because I’m a woman.” You tell him. “You are no different from the sexist assholes in my department. Believing that they are smarter and more qualified than I am.” You look over to your tent. “I have an air conditioner because it would be nice to come back from a hot day digging and be comfortable. Or when I masturbate. But it’s not necessary.”

Pero swallows harshly at the idea of you masturbating, making him rub his suddenly damp hands on his pants. He watches you with dark eyes as you plate up the food, and he wonders if this trip will be so bad after all. William notices the change in his friend's demeanor and groans softly, knowing this won’t end well.

You hand William a plate and the Pero, finally taking one for yourself and cracking open your own beer. Groaning softly as you swallow down the sudsy brew. “God, that is well worth the wait.” You comment, wiping your mouth on the back of your hand and setting it down in the sand before you pick up your fork. “We have enough for two more fresh meals.” You tell them. “So enjoy.”

Pero stares at you for another moment, the groan that escaped your lips makes his cock twitch and he reminds himself once again that this is about the scrolls. With a sigh, he digs into his food, groaning himself at the burst of spices on his tongue. Three more fresh meals, you said, and he’s going to enjoy every bite.

As night falls, the temperature drops like it is prone to do in the desert, making you appreciate the crackling fire. You clean up, wash the pot and your dishes but you don’t wash the men’s. They are grown after all. “I am going to finish setting up my tent and go to bed.” You announce, getting up from one of the chairs that had been unpacked for you to sit on around the fire. You smile at William. “Goodnight.” Tovar grunts but you decide to simply nod at the grumpy man and make your way back to your tent, leaving them alone by the fire.

Tovar huffs as he cleans his dishes, placing them back onto the box once they are dry, and William watches him with amusement. “What? Pendejo.” He huffs, glaring at the Irishman.

“You like her.” He smirks, making Pero curl his lip.

“I do not like her. She’s - she’s entitled and I- I like a capable woman.” He lies.

William chuckles, swiping his tongue over his teeth. “Bullshit.” He declares, calling his friend out. “She is more capable than the last three women you were involved with. She hasn’t once complained and even better, she didn’t toss your ass out of the truck on the way here.” Tovar refuses to answer him and William tuts. “Suit yourself. Since you aren’t interested, perhaps I will see if I can share the good doctor’s air conditioned tent at night.” He teases, pushing himself to his feet to clean his own dishes.

Pero narrows his eyes, knowing the Irishman is joking but it still makes him growl despite his denial that he is interested in you. When he is in his tent, the hot air muggy and suffocating, he wonders if you are touching yourself. At that though, he can’t help but wrap his fingers around his cock and imagine your fingers instead, working him until he cums. “Fuck.” He curses when his seed coats his stomach, knowing this is going to make things complicated.

****

You are up before the sun. Already outside of your tent when the two men wake up. The fire built back up and coffee brewed while you had watched the sun rise, painting the wall in a myriad of colors that had taken your breath away and made you grab your camera. Today is for exploring the ruined section of the wall and you are wearing your sturdy hiking boots with practical clothes for working. “Morning.” You greet them in a chipper voice, amused with the grumpy expression on one man’s face.

Pero rubs his eyes, sleep avoiding him most of the night as his mind focuses on you and imagining the feel of your body under his. His tongue and his cock silencing you while you took what he gave you and got wet from it. He groans as he stretches, the t-shirt he is wearing riding up to expose his lower stomach.

Eyes drifting down to the tanned skin that is exposed, you find yourself sorry that he was not more friendly. He was a handsome man, even more appealing with the glower and the scar that some would think marred his face. You found that it gave him character. He was a man you would not mind taking into your bed, if not for his dismal attitude and view of your abilities. “Now that the two of you are up, I will get ready to leave.” You drink down the last mouthful of your coffee and move to the wash basin to clean the cup.

He huffs, reaching for his boots before he grabs himself a coffee and a granola bar. This will have to do for now until he can have the dehydrated meat in his pack. "Come on princessa, let's go find your treasure." He says, placing the sunglasses on his face after checking the perimeter is clear and his gun is holstered to his hip.

You roll your eyes, shaking your head. “No, you stay here and do whatever you need to do.” You argue. “I am going for a scout of the area and to determine where I want to start. No need to hold my hand while I do that.” You shift your back onto your back and turn around to walk off.

He reaches out to grip your elbow, stopping you from walking. He shakes his head. "No, chiquita. We were hired to protect you and that is what we will do. Let us do your jobs and we will let you do yours. Now, let's go check out the area together so you are protected."

Wanting to argue, you open your mouth but decide not to say anything. As much as you hated the idea of being watched like a child, it was a provision of the stay that you have protection from the bandits and thieves that could be roaming the area. Giving him a nod, you sigh. “Very well.” You relent. “Take a few more minutes to do what you need to do to wake up. I’ll wait.”

Pero grabs what he needs for the day and waits for William, both men soon flanking you as you make your way to the dig site. Your tools in your pack as they carry the other items you need. The sun is already hot but you ignore it, determined to make a start on finding the scrolls. Pero wipes his brow after taking his hat off, his dark gaze dipping down to stare at your ass every now and then. You are beautiful, strong, and everything he has avoided until now. He doesn't want a strong woman to call him out on his bullshit. It's fucked up he knows but he wants a pliable woman he can fuck and duck.

The section of the wall that all your research points to being the headquarters for the Nameless Order is dilapidated, crumbling from neglect or sabotaged to hide the secrets of the past. Your camera carefully documents the facade from several angles and you feel the anticipation and excitement building when you finish taking a hundred photos. “I don’t want you shifting anything.” You tell them as you walk back over to them and the gear. “The structure is unstable and until I determine how to get inside safely, I don’t want to risk having it collapse on your head.”

Pero rolls his eyes, placing his hands on his hips as he watches you inspect the structure. His ancestor - his namesake - had written about a mighty structure in the nearly faded letters that had been passed down from one generation to the next. “Idiot. Slow your roll. We will be able to get in there soon. Just keep an eye out.” William says and keeps his eyes on the horizon

It takes you about half an hour, evaluating and climbing over the stones before you give a joyous shout. “There’s an entrance!” You cry out happily, slinging your pack off of your back so you can take out the helmet with an attached headlamp on it, perfect for protecting your head when diving inside. Your rope comes out as well as you start to tie it around your waist.

“Woah. Woah. Woah.” Pero steps forward to grab onto the back of your belt. “Jesus Christ, Chiquita. You need to fucking wait for us. Who the fuck knows what’s down there. One of us will go first and then you.” Pero pulls you back and grabs his flashlight to shine it into the cavern.

“No, you won’t.” On that front, you will stand your ground. “I am in charge of this dig site and it’s my rules.” You remind him stiffly. “I will go in first.” You turn on your own headlamp and start to move towards the entrance. “You might want to put a helmet on that hard head of yours.” You call over your shoulder. “Although I don’t know if it will fit over that overblown ego.”

Pero growls, “fucking infuriating woman.” He spits in Spanish as you begin to lower yourself down into the darkness after securing the rope. Pero huffs, putting the hard hat on before he hammers the hook into the ground before he rappels down the side into the abyss.

You would smirk over his small fit, however you are too busy taking in every detail you possibly can. Halfway down you take out a glow stick and break it, illuminating the space and gasping. The inside of the structure is gigantic and you see the rotting remnants of an enormous wheel, evidence that this portion of the wall was far different from the others that are thoroughly explored and opened to tourists. “I knew it!” You crow happily. “This is it!”

Pero’s heart thumps in his chest and he prays you have found the place. The weight of his family’s generational endeavor weighs heavy on his shoulders and he lowers himself down until his feet hit solid ground. Turning on the light on his helmet, he glances around, admiring the ruins. “This is it?” He asks you, his voice a little breathless.

Bending down, you brush some dirt off of an artifact, a shredded piece of leather that seemed to be dyed blue at one time. Just bare traces of the color remain and you wonder if it had been part of a suit of armor. The legend claimed the Cranes wore blue, the Nameless order divided into specific tasks and were identified by the colors they wore. “I think this is it.” You answer in awe, smiling at the small piece of history in your hand. “This is…..amazing.”

Pero strides over to look over your shoulder, inspecting the piece of leather. “I don’t understand what is so special about it. It’s just a piece of leather. Doesn’t tell us anything.” He plays dumb, not wanting you to know about his true motive.

You turn to him, excitement sparkling in your eyes. “The Crane Corps was a regiment of women. Chosen because they, of course, were lighter than their male counterparts. Although they were supposed to be just as deadly, if not more so. Incredibly brave, they hurled themselves off platforms over the top of the wall to fight the enemy below before they were hauled back up with a pulley.” You explain. “This blue matches the description of their armor. I need to find more, of course. Can you imagine if I found the old platforms?” You squeal in excitement at the possibility and look at him with absolute joy.

Pero huffs, getting a little impatient. “What about the scrolls? Do you know where they are? Any idea where they have been hidden?” He inquires, uninterested in the history of the ruins, more concerned with finding what he traveled so far for.

Your brow furrows and you look around. “I am sure they had a chamber for the council. Perhaps a meeting room.” You tell him. “We will find out soon. But first I need to examine here. Take photos and document it.”

Pero huffs, growing even more impatient, but he holds his tongue. Knowing you need to get your nerdy shit out of the way before he can get his hands on the scrolls. “Are you going to get started? We can set up some lights.”

“Yes! Yes, go get William and set up the lights.” You shove him back towards the hole you had come down. “I can’t wait to see this room lit up.” You turn around and immediately start looking around again, absorbing everything you can like a greedy child.

Pero climbs up to find William waiting for his companion, and he asks Pero how it’s going. “We’ve found the site. She just- she’s focusing on the wrong fucking things. She’s interested in fucking leather scraps instead of focusing on the prize. I told her we’d get the lights so we can see what the fuck is going on down there. Shall we get the shit and I’ll send it down to you?” He suggests, rubbing his gloved hands on his pants.

William shakes his head at his friend’s impatience. The Garin and Tovar families have been friends for generations and it’s nearly kismet that both of them are named after the same ancestors who had traveled to this exact spot hundreds of years ago. “We need to be patient.” William cautions. “We do not want her to suspect anything until we have those scrolls and can finally fulfill our family legacy.” He tells him, slapping him on the back with a grin. He had thought they would be here for weeks before they found anything.

Pero nods, his lips downturned when he thinks about betraying you. You’re a spitfire and he knows you will not give the scrolls up without a fight. “Let’s get the shit she wants and hopefully she won’t take all day to find the scrolls. I’m already over being in the desert again.” He glances behind him at the dunes and it reminds him of his time in the army.

William laughs again. “You always did hate the desert.” He says fondly, looking over at the equipment. “Let’s get her set up. The sooner we do, the sooner she can get to work.”

Huffing, Pero grabs the satchels and carries them towards the small cliff. He and William work in tandem to lower the satchels down before they work on putting together the lights. Within 30 minutes the lights are put together and the men light the cave for the first time in centuries. “Wow.” Pero murmurs, amazed at the ruins in front of him.

You have unearthed several more samples, practically giddy and grinning when you see the chamber flooded with light. “Can you feel it?” You ask, looking around and then back at the two men. “The history here. The stories these walls must hold.”

Pero can’t help but think your excitement makes you look even more beautiful. The way your eyes light up…it’s intoxicating and he can’t help but admire you when your passion shines through. He shakes his head, trying to get his mind away from any positive thought of you, needing to focus on you finding those scrolls. William raises his eyebrows at Pero, making him avert his eyes. “So…what next?” Tovar asks you.

“I need to document the room but then I want to explore.” You tell him excitedly. “I’m hoping that we can find the barracks rooms and then the council’s room. I want to see if I can find the scrolls.”

“Let’s hurry it up, princesa. Every moment we spend here is giving me the creeps.” Pero shivers, glancing around the ruins and he is anxious for you to find the scrolls.

William shakes his head, “patience my friend.” He tells Pero, nudging him as you begin to take photos.

You take two hundred photos at least. Mapping every corner of the room and everything in it. You are thrilled, just this room alone has enough to keep you busy for weeks but you are here for the scrolls. Lowering the camera, you look towards the hallway. “I think I’m going to go down the hall and scope out what’s behind.”

Pero glances at William, raising his eyebrows. “Look at her. She just runs off with no concern for her safety. She’s fucking infuriating.” He growls and walks off, following you down the hall with his flashlight. You are speeding ahead and he calls out, “slow down, princesa. Fuck. I’m too old to run after you.” He half jokes as he tries to keep up.

You snort and keep going. There is a long hallway and your breath catches when you see the planks of a sturdy wooden door. “Oh that has to be a barracks room. Where they lived, bathed, slept.” You whisper, caressing the iron rivets in the steel band keeping the thick oak together. “Can you imagine? Men and women served together here.”

“Very progressive of them.” He murmurs, his eyes following your every move while keeping his eyes on the peripheral. He swallows harshly, “so…what got you interested in all this old shit?” He asks.

You brace your shoulder against the door and try to shove it open, hearing the wood creak but it doesn’t give. “I loved books growing up.” You explain. “I found one that talked about ancient myths.” You shove at the door again and crow happily when it slides open two inches. “And I went from there.”

Deciding to help, Pero shoves his shoulder against the door, deciding to help you, and he grunts as he pushes on the door, coughing when dust hits his face and the door swings open. “There you go hermosa.” He gestures to the empty room. “Books, huh? What about movies? Indiana Jones perhaps?” He teases.

You snort and give a small shrug. “Maybe a little.” You admit. “Harrison Ford is hot.” You look around the room, stepping in to view the dusty room with nothing but a stone ledge along one wall. “This should have been the bed.” You whisper. “Individual rooms. Nursing wounds, maybe fucking, right here.”

Pero raises his eyebrows, unable to deny the way his cock twitches at your curse. He imagines you on the stone ledge, naked and spread out for him, eager for him to lick your cu- “Did you hear me? Can you put the flashlight up?” You ask him, drawing him out of his fantasy.

“Sure.” He raises his arm, allowing you to see more of the room.

You start photographing the room as well. “It’s amazing how well this structure was constructed. According to the myths, this section of the wall was used in the 11th century.” You spy a slightly divot in the floor and there is a missing stone in the center. “Ingenious.” You whisper. “There is a drain. I wonder if they had a bathing room or if they bathed privately.” You smirk to yourself. “I’ve always loved the idea of bathing in a big wooden tub of steaming water.”

He somehow manages to stop himself from imagining you in the bath, naked with suds just covering your tits. He definitely struggles to stop himself from imagining himself in the tub with you. "They were certainly ahead of their time." He hums, allowing himself a moment to admire the structure.

“Yes they were.” You breathe out in excitement. “The weaponry described is amazing. Even the recipe of the black powder. The precursor to gun powder we use today.” You sigh and look around the room. “They were warriors here. And I cannot wait to uncover more secrets.”

You spend a few hours exploring, Pero on your heels while William covertly searches for the scrolls. With no scrolls found and you needing a rest, the three of you make your way back to camp and start a new fire. “Fresh meal number two. One left to go.” You tease as you prepare the food.

“I could do with losing some weight.” Pero rubs his stomach, glaring at William who agrees.

You snort and walk back over to the cooler where you had stored the fresh food, pulling a bottle of whiskey out. “I didn’t think we would find evidence of soldiers here so soon, but I knew we would find them.” You tell them as you turn back around and bring the bottle over. “This is to celebrate.”

Raising his eyebrows, Pero is impressed by your choice in whiskey. Watching as you pour each of you a glass before you hand them out. His heart thumps a little when your fingers brush his and he ignores the way his stomach twists. “Thanks, hermosa.” He murmurs, unable to stop himself despite knowing you’ll know what he means.

William chuckles but you just roll your eyes at the other man and give Tovar a small smile before you hold up your own glass in a toast. “I’ll take it as a compliment. It’s better than the mocking princesa nickname.” You hum before you take a large swallow of your own drink.

Chuckling, Pero sips his drink and leans back as you serve up the food, eagerly digging in after you hand him the metal bowl. “I gotta say…you’re a bloody good cook.” William compliments you with a groan. Pero nods in agreement, knowing that he’d starve if William and him were left in charge of the food. They had both survived far too many times on jerky and granola bars.

You give a small laugh, only a little bitter after all these years. “If you can’t cook, you can’t find a husband. No man wants a wife who’s smart and can’t cook.” You quote your mother as you pick up your own bowl after pouring yourself another glass of whiskey. “My mother was convinced I would forget about being an archeologist one day and want to be a housewife.”

“Not all women are as brave as you, or as smart. Some are happy to simply stay at home and have babies…which there is nothing wrong with that, but some women are destined for more. For greatness.” Pedro says, looking down at the metal glass. “Not that I’ll ever have a wife to find that out. William too.”

“No, there’s nothing wrong with being a housewife. Honestly, I admire them, but there is no way.” You shake your head and grin as you swallow down your second drink. “See where we are?” You gesture to the fading light and the scenery around you. “We are in fucking China. And I’m going to find scrolls that will change history!” You shout out into the air, giggling happily.

Pero and William exchange a look, knowing they are going to ruin your career but they need to finally find the scrolls and fulfill their families plight. They need that scroll. No matter what. “An early start tomorrow. Huh?” William says before finishing his whiskey. “In that case, I’m gonna get some shut eye. I’ll see you in the morning.” William says, standing up and washing out his dishes before leaving them to dry. He offers Pero a pointed look before he makes his way over to his tent.

You don’t drink much and the two you’ve had loosens your tongue more than perhaps you would have normally liked. “It’s too bad you’re an asshole.” You tell Pero, washing your own dishes in the tub of soapy water.

“Why is that?” Pero huffs.

You turn and give him a slight smile. “Because of the two of you, you would have been the one I’d have fucked if given a chance.”

His eyebrows shoot up and he can’t help but chuckle. “Yeah?” His voice deepens unconsciously. “You would’ve fucked me?” He asks. You nod, a cheeky grin on your face that makes him want to kiss it off of your lips. “Estas borracha, hermosa“ You’re drunk, beautiful. He sighs, knowing he should not touch you.

“Maybe a little.” You give a drunken shrug and put your dishes in the box to dry overnight. “Feels good though.” You tell him before you give him a small wink. “But I should go to bed. Or at least tell you I’m going to bed.” You huff. “You can’t hear me masturbate with the AC running. Another reason I wanted it.”

Pero’s cock twitches in his pants and he swallows down the growl that threatens to escape his lips. “And what if I want to hear?” He challenges you, his dark eyes meeting yours and the brown looks orange with the flames reflecting in his orbs.

You know you shouldn’t be talking about this at all, especially with him. You give a slightly wobbly smirk. “Then I guess you shouldn’t have been an ass.” You hum, turning back around to walk to your tent. “Night.” You call out before you unzip the flaps and let yourself into the cool tent.

Pero rubs his hands on his jeans, pacing back and forth as the fire crackles. He glances at his own tent before he looks over at you. He knows he should go to his own tent but the thought of touching you had him hard as rock. A small part of him wonders if he can get you on side for when you find the scrolls, maybe he can sweet talk you into giving them up. Deciding to give it a try, he strides over to your tent, knocking on the flap so you know he’s there.

Turning from where you were about to start getting undressed, you walk over to the tent flap. Your tent is large enough to stand up in, something you are grateful for and gives you enough room to move around. Unzipping the flap, you open it to find Tovar standing there. “Is something wrong?” You hadn’t been gone for too long, but you don’t know why he would be in front of your tent otherwise.

Pero doesn’t say a word as he steps into the tent and surges forward to press his lips to yours. Groaning into your mouth as his hands grip your waist. When you don’t push him away, he slides his tongue into your mouth.

You are shocked, surprised that he is here, kissing you. But your hands slide up his arms and across his shoulders to wrap around his neck. You hadn’t been lying when you told him that he was the one you would sleep with. Whether or not it was because he wanted you or just to say that he had fucked you, you don’t know or care in that moment. Intoxicated by the taste of the whiskey on his tongue, you feel your entire body start to hum. You are sober enough to say no, but you don’t want to.

His hands slide from your waist down to the ass he has stared at far more times than he’s willing to admit. Squeezing the flesh in his hands before his fingers tug on your button down. He pulls back from your mouth, kissing down your neck, and he growls in frustration when the shirt won’t come out of your pants. “How fucking tight is this?” He hisses, wanting to feel more of your skin.

You give a small giggle, amused by his impatience. You’ve discovered that Tovar wants everything now. Although you think teasing would be fun, you reach down and unbuckle your belt and flick the button of your jeans open. “There.” You coo. “Now you can get what you want.”

He huffs, “princesa,” before he grabs the bottom of your button down, pulling it up and off of you to expose your sensible bra. He can’t help but trace his fingers along the swell of your breast, leaning in afterwards to kiss along the flesh. His hands slide back to expertly unclasp the bra, tugging it down your arms to expose your tits. “Hermosa.” He groans, cupping and squeezing the flesh, his thumbs brushing your nipples.

“¿Te gustan las tetas?” You like tits? You moan softly, closing your eyes and enjoying the rough feel of his hands on your skin. They weren’t soft or pampered, calloused and hard, they felt perfect on your tender flesh. Arching your back so he touches you more and whining when he pinches your nipple and tugs.

He nods, leaning down to take your nipple into his mouth, sucking and biting down on the sensitive nub. He switches over to the other nipple, his hands now pushing your pants down, grateful your pants are shoved down to your ankles. He pulls back after a moment, pulling his shirt over his head, “take your panties off and lay down.” He orders as he works on removing his boots.

Moaning, you obey his order and undress completely before you lay down on the cot that served as your bed. Luckily it’s wide, nearly full sized with a thick pad on it for comfort before your bedding adds more cushion to it. You watch as Tovar strips down, revealing tan, scared skin that makes you want to ask about his past. Instead you squirm and reach up to squeeze your tits.

Tovar shoves his pants down along with his briefs, his cock bouncing now that it’s free, and he kneels on your cot between your legs. His fingers trail from your ankle to your thigh until his digits are brushing the curls at the apex of your thighs. “Hermosa.” He murmurs, voice deeper than before, and he slides his digits through your folds, groaning at how wet you are.

You bite your lip and shift your legs further apart. “T-Tovar.” You murmur softly, sighing happily when you feel him rub your clit. You had been trying to goad him when you talked about masturbating but you would rather have sex than take care of yourself.

“Dígame. Are you on birth control? If not, I have condoms in my pack in my tent and I’m clean.” He murmurs, sliding his fingers lower so he can push two into your cunt, groaning softly at how tight you are.

You gasp and your nails dig into his forearm when he pushes his fingers inside you. Loving how thick they are and the pleasure that bursts forth so easily. “I-I have, oh, it’s an IUD.” You moan. “N-no period. Good for f-field work.”

Pero groans in appreciation, “I’m clean. Got tested before we left.” He confesses and curls his fingers as he pushes them deeper. “So tight. Can’t wait to feel you around my cock.” He declares, withdrawing his fingers and he wraps his wet digits around his cock, pumping himself as he shuffles to position himself between your thighs.

Oh. You hadn’t expected him to make you cum by eating you out; but you had expected more than just a few pumps of his fingers. He grunts as he pushes inside you, making you bite your lip and hiss at the stretch without much more than your own natural wetness. “Fuck.”

Pero notices your hiss and stops, looking down at you with a furrowed brow. “Are you okay, hermosa?” He asks softly, his hand caressing your side. He’s many things but he doesn’t hurt women, and he is determined to make sure that you are okay.

You squirm slightly and exhale. “I’m good.” You tell him, not wanting him to think that you are wanting to stop. “It’s been awhile.” You confess quietly.

He nods in understanding. “I’ll go slow.” He promises and leans down to press his lips to yours before he resumes pushing into you. When he’s fully sheathed inside of you, he begins to move, slowly rocking his hips.

You moan after a few thrusts, your pussy flooding itself and making it easier for him to move. This is what you’ve missed, the weight of a man on top of you and the feeling of being full. Something that nothing else but sex could give you. “Tovar.” You whimper, kissing along his jaw and enjoying the way that his muscles strain under your fingertips

“Call me Pero.” He requests, kissing along your jaw as his hand slides up to squeeze your breast while he moves inside of you. “You feel so good baby. So fucking tight.” He grunts, closing his eyes as he tries to contain himself, stopping himself from spilling within a few thrusts.

You whine, feeling his body tense. “Pero.” You try his name out, the first time you’ve used his Christian name since being introduced to him. Oddly intimate considering he is inside you. Your hand slides down his back and you grip his ass while your legs wind around him.

Pero groans at the way his cock sinks deeper into you, loving the way you whimper when he hits something deep. He can’t help but pick up the pace, his stomach twisting as his cock twitches inside of you. “Fuck. I’m gonna- mierda.” He grunts, burying his cock deep inside of you before he paints your walls with his cum.

You can’t believe that he’s already cumming. Your walls flutter but you are nowhere near having an orgasm yourself. Still, you rock your hips with him to help him ride out his high.

He pants, closing his eyes as he buries his face in your neck. He feels guilty but it’s been a while since he felt a woman as tight as you and he couldn’t help but cum. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” He mutters, “lo siento, princesa.” He shifts to pull out of you but makes no moves to help you cum either through oral or fingering.

You lay there for a moment, wondering if you should just take care of yourself or just let your body cool down. You shift, moving off the cot and walking over to the small table you have set up for a wet wipe to clean yourself up and wipe his seed from your cunt.

Pero closes his eyes as he relaxes on your mattress, so much softer than the simple cots he and William have. It’s also so cool in your tent, he is close to falling asleep but he knows he needs to leave and go back to his own tent. He knows you enjoyed having his cock inside of you, so he quickly redresses. “We better get some sleep. Goodnight princesa.” He winks before he sneaks over to his own tent.

You huff, annoyed that you will still have to masturbate if you want to have any satisfaction tonight. Flopping back down on your bed, you don’t bother redressing. Instead you slip your hand between your thighs, determined to do what he did not.

The next morning, you, William, and Perro end up eating breakfast around the now burned out fire, and Pero is looking at you with a cheeky smirk on his lips. “Did you have a good night's sleep, hermosa?“ He asks with a wink in your direction.

William pauses, catching the wink and his eyebrows shoot up as he looks over at you. Amazed that his friend has already managed to slide between your thighs if he’s reading the signs right. You give a small shrug. “Slept fine.” You answer back. “Not hungover at least. Although I could hear your snoring over my AC.”

Pero chuckles, finishing up his breakfast before he gets up to wash his dishes. “Sorry about that. Slept like a baby. Always do after a - well, you know.” He says, not wanting to announce to William what had happened despite the pointed look his friend offered him.

You hum, nodding and shoveling your last bite of food in your mouth so you don’t make some pithy comment that will annoy him. Swallowing, you stand up and pick up your water bottle to drain the last of it. “We better get started then.” You tell them, walking over to wash your own dishes. “Let me get my pack and pee and I’ll be ready.”

Pero watches you go, a smirk still on his face, and William shakes his head. “I can’t believe you fucked her. I told you - did she - fuck. You’ve made this even more complicated, you idiot.” William groans, rubbing his temple.

William listens as Pero argues, telling him that he made it easier. You were going to be distracted by him at night. “Yeah, right.” William huffs, pointing a finger at him. “You better not fuck this up.”

“I know what I’m doing.” Pero lies, standing up to wash his dishes before he gets ready for the trek to the dig site. Soon enough, the trio are making their way to the dig site and Pero walks next to you instead of ahead of you, keeping his eyes and ears open but he can’t help but be close to you. “You enjoy last night, hermosa?” He asks.

You should have known Pero would want to crow about having sex with you. Disappointment fills you, but you brush it aside. “Dinner?” You ask. “Yes, it was delicious, I’m looking forward to our last fresh meal.” You catch sight of him shaking his head

“No, princesa, I mean-“

“I know what you meant, Tovar.” You interrupt, shuffling your bag higher on your shoulders. “Hard to enjoy it when I was fingered for two seconds, fucked for thirty and then ended up having to take care of myself while you were snoring in your own tent.”

Pero stops walking, staring at you until William catches up. “Not going so well, brother?” The Irishman smirks, patting Pero on the back as he continues walking. Pero feels guilty as hell, wishing he had satisfied you and he knows he’s been a selfish lover in the past but he wants to rectify that. Perhaps it’s some ego trip but he wants you to scream his name in pleasure so loud, the ancient men and women who lived here hear it through time.

Getting back to where you had left off last night was easy, although you groan when you turn a corner to see a portion of a wall has collapsed and is blocking the way. “Fuck.” You hiss, hands on your hips for a moment before you pick up your camera and start documenting the site so you can start moving things. Once you are done, you pull out work gloves; knowing that moving the stones is the only way to get through. “Well, at least I’ll be tired tonight.” You mutter to yourself as you start to move the material.

Pero and William find you moving stones, both of them tutting as they step forward to help. “I’m gonna go get that shovel.” William says after all three of you are heaving and panting as you try to move the pieces.

Pero wipes his forehead with the back of his gloved hand. “I’m sorry about late night. I- it was selfish and I should have at least made you cum once.”

“Don’t worry about it.” You pant out shortly, moving another larger stone and grunting from the effort. “Apparently it’s the Soul Snatcher 3000.” You joke. “At least that’s what my ex used to call it.”

Pero reaches for you, stopping you from lifting another rock, and he glances behind to see if William had returned. When he doesn’t hear the Irishman, he takes his glove off and reaches for you to press his lips to yours. “Let me make it up to you.” He requests, pecking your lips.

You raise a brow and accept another kiss. “You can make it up to me tonight.” You tell him with a smirk. “Show me that famous lover that William had talked about. Unless that was just as good as you get.”

Pero scoffs, “no. No. I - that was not my finest hour. It has been a while since I have been with a woman as - as beautiful as you. It got to me.” He flusters, biting his lip as he leans away from you. He puts his glove back on and kisses your lips again. “Tonight. I will make it up to you.” He vows.

You grin and lean forward to kiss him once more, biting down on his bottom lip. “Okay.” You agree, enjoying the way he grunts and his eyes darken in the light from your headlamp. “I want to see what you can really do tonight. So I don’t have to masturbate again.”

The day passes with no sign of the scrolls but Pero isn’t as frustrated as he was during the first day. He is eager for the night. He wants to see you spread out again so he can taste you. He wants to make up for his disappointing performance. The last fresh dinner is cooked and Pero’s eyes watch you over the flames of the fire.

You don’t give any hint that you are looking forward to later. Talking with Will and moaning over the last fresh meal. It’s delicious and you roll your eyes when you take your first bite. “Oh god, I’m going to miss this.” You huff, closing your eyes in pleasure as the food melts in your mouth.

Tovar tries and fails to ignore the way his cock twitches in his pants at your groans, the way your eyelashes flutter against your cheeks. William can’t help but pick up on the tension, anxious to scoff his dinner and find respite in his tent. “Sounds like you’re enjoying the meal, princesa?” He teases before digging into his own meal, a groan escaping his lips.

“Yes.” You savor another bite and then open your eyes to look over at the two men. “There are plenty of seasonings but nothing ever makes food from a bag taste as good as fresh in my opinion.” You tell him. “Especially after a long, hot day.” You have every intention of finishing your meal and going back to your tent to wash up before Tovar comes to join you. While you aren’t going to go to the nearest river and bath, you still can sponge off and make sure that you are clean enough.

William nods in agreement, hating that he has to rush this meal but it's best that he escapes before Tovar sets his sights on you. "Delicious." William hums as he finishes his food, shifting to stand up. "You know what? I'm exhausted. I'm gonna get some sleep." He feigns a yawn and walks over to wash up his dishes.

You wonder if the Irishman knows Pero is going to be in your tent tonight, not that it matters to you. You are a big girl, a grown up who was perfectly capable of making your own decisions. Turning your gaze to Tovar, you give him an amused look. “Yeah, I’m tired too. I need to wash off and fall into my bed.” You tell them as you stand up too. “Early night for everyone I guess.”

Pero nods, rubbing his sweaty hands on his jeans after washing up his dishes. He is anxious and excited to touch you again. This time, he is determined to hear you scream out his name in pleasure. Loud enough to keep William awake at night. "I'm tired too." Pero announces and William offers him a roll of his eyes along with a "just don't be too loud" before he bids you both goodnight, making his way over to the tent.

"I can give you a few minutes if you wish, hermosa." He smiles softly and shoves his hands in his pockets. "I should wash up too." He blushes a little, knowing the desert has the ability to make you sweat and combined with the dust from the ruins. "Go clean up baby." He jerks his chin as your tent before making his way back over to his own.

Tovar quickly washes off, leaving his shirt off and forgoing boots so he is left in his jeans before he makes his way over to your tent. Sniffing his breath to make sure brushing his teeth had removed the remaining taste of the dinner you cooked. He knocks on the flap of your tent, hearing your soft 'come in' and he enters, his breath leaving his lungs at the sight of you spread out and waiting for him.

“Hey.” You shamelessly watch him as he closes the tent flap and walks towards you. “So what do you want to do tonight?” You ask slightly breathless with anticipation and you spread your legs apart even more.

"Make you cum." He growls, kneeling down on your cot and wasting no time in burying his face into your folds. His tongue sliding through them until he is flicking the tip over your clit. "You taste fucking incredible, princesa." He groans, leaning back in to harshly suck on your clit.

You cry out, reaching up to cover your mouth so you don’t bother William. Moaning into your palm while he licks through your folds. “I want to hear you.” He growls, reaching up and grabbing your wrist to pull it away from your mouth, making you moan again and slide your legs onto his back so he can reach more of you.

His tongue slides deep into your cunt, a groan escaping his lips as he dives deeper for more of your tangy arousal. His hands dig into your thighs, pushing them backwards towards your stomach so he can delve into your cunt. His tongue slides back up to your clit and he takes it between his lips, sucking harshly while his eyes look up at you.

Rocking your hips against his mouth you whimper his name. Watching his dark eyes as he pierces you with their gaze. You can see he wants to make it good for you, make you cum. That itself is sexy and makes you reach down to tangle your fingers into his dark curls while you shamelessly use his tongue for your pleasure. “Oh fuck.” You gasp. “Pero!”

He loves how you gasp his name. He is desperate to hear it again and again. “Good girl, hermosa. Cum for me.” He growls after pulling back from your clit for a moment. He needs to make you cum. Sucking your clit back into his mouth, he growls when you squeal.

“Pero, Pero, Perooooooooo!” You cry out, arching your back off the cot as the liquid heat of your orgasm whips through you. Igniting every cell in your body and flooding it with endorphins that seems to make you sing in pleasure. Sobbing his name again when he keeps sucking on your clit like it’s his favorite candy until you are whining and shoving at his head as he resists letting go.

He reluctantly pulls away from you after several more licks that make your thighs shake. “Did I make up for last night?” He smirks, kissing the back of your thigh.

“Oh God. Yes.” You pant and he chuckles.

“Good. Another one.” He orders, pushing two thick digits into your still pulsing walls.

You whimper, grabbing the sheets and twisting them in your hands while his fingers work deep in your cunt. “Oh fuck. Shit, there!” Your hips jerk when he presses against that spongy little spot you can never seem to reach yourself. “Oh god, right there.”

Surging forward, Pero sucks your clit into his mouth with a groan, keeping his fingers pressed against that spot that made you moan. He wants to leave you wrecked, he wants to have you ache in the morning and be reminded of him with every step you take. You're his new addiction, obsessed with the way you cry out his name.

It burns, that’s how good it feels. Consuming everything inside you and leaving you unable to do more than pant out his name and take the way that he strokes his fingers deep into your cunt. “Pero.” Sobbing out his name again, you feel the pressure building up in your core. “Gonna cum.”

He doesn’t let up, sucking on your clit as he breathes harshly through your nose, and he continues pumping his fingers into your cunt, curling them to hit that spot over and over again. When you clamp down on his fingers, he loves the way you squeal so loud, he’s certain people in the nearest village hear you.

Gasping and shuddering your way through your orgasm, you feel like you are soaking him in a flood of your cum. Not that he seems to mind, the slick squelch of his fingers keeps moving inside you. “Oh shit, oh shit.” Whimper and finally having enough so that you slump down and try to close your legs so he can’t touch you anymore. “Pero please!”

He relents, withdrawing his fingers from your leaking cunt, and he kisses your stomach as he snakes his way up your body. Taking a nipple into his mouth, he sucks hard before biting down on the sensitive flesh, his cock pressing against the zipper of his jeans.

You mewl, rolling your hips up and sliding your hand down so you can cup his through the material. “Strip.” You pant desperately. “Want you inside me.” You don’t say that you hope he lasts longer, but you do. Even with your orgasms, you want him to fuck you longer this time.

Pero is reluctant to move off of you but he does, shifting to stand up, and he shoves his jeans down, revealing his lack of underwear. His cock is rock hard, throbbing and leaking pre cum as the need for you burns higher inside of him. He is desperate to feel your tight cunt clamp down on his cock when you cum, soaking him. “Hands and knees.” He orders, reaching down to pump his cock.

You flip over to your stomach and push up onto your knees, presenting your ass to him. Wiggling it around and looking over your shoulder with a smirk on your face. “You gonna fuck me?” You hum.

He nods, kneeling on the bed, and he can’t believe how fucking sexy you are. With his free hand, he slaps your ass cheek, loving the jiggle of the flesh, and he steps closer to slide the head of his cock through your folds until he can notch the head at your entrance. He pushes into you with a hiss, unable to believe how tight you are around him.

“Fuuuuuuuuck.” Your head drops between your shoulders and you rock your hips forward, loving how he feels filling you up. “Fuck Pero.” You hiss. “You feel so fucking big inside me.” You have no problem praising him, because he feels like he’s splitting you open.

He reaches out to caress along your spine before he grips your hips, keeping you still so he can work his cock inside of you. After he is fully seated inside of you, he rocks his hips, barely pulling out of you before he is surging back into you. “I - It’s just that you’re fucking tight. Jesus, princesa. Gonna - gonna make you cum on my cock.” He is glad he jerked off before dinner because he definitely would’ve cum by now. “Mierda.” He hisses when you clench around him.

“Yesss.” You drop down to your elbow and push back against him. “Make me cum. I want to cum on your cock. Soak it.” You whimper and clench down around him again when he gives another rough thrust.

He thrusts into you with a groan, his fingers digging into your hips, and he bends over your body to kiss along your neck. Biting down on the juncture of your shoulder and neck, he thrusts deep and hard, wanting you to feel him in your stomach. “So- so good baby. Taking me so well.”

All you can do is groan, each thrust pushing the air out of your lungs to where all you can manage is pathetic little noises. Squeaks and whimpers every time his cock slams back into you. Your eyes roll back and you whine when his teeth dig in a little deeper into the meat of your skin, marking you with the outline of his pearly whites.

His hand slides along your waist until he is squeezing your breast, while his other hand finds your clit. He’s determined to make you cum as he rubs your bundle of nerves, needing you to clamp down on his cock.

Your entire body reacts to his hands. Tensing and bowing up seconds before you cum. Wailing out his name as your cunt bears down on him in a vice grip, soaking him with your arousal.

"That's it baby. That's fucking it." He grunts through gritted teeth, loving the way you wail and clamp down on him. He works you through it, feeling his cock twitch but he closes his eyes and tries to not cum yet. He has to make up for how he treated you last night. He pulls out of you after you finish shaking from your orgasm, and he slaps your ass again. "Want you to ride me. Need you to cum one more time." He orders.

Moaning, you watch him flip onto his back and quickly straddle his thighs. Wrapping your fingers around his cock, you pump it and hold him steady while you shuffle over him and start to sink down on him.

His dark eyes focus on the way you sink down onto his cock, watching his length disappear inside of your body. It's almost enough to make him cum but he holds his breath and controls himself. "Hermosa." He murmurs, looking up into your eyes and his hands cup your tits, squeezing the flesh with an appreciative groan.

“So I just needed to sleep with you to sweeten that sharp tongue?” You tease as you roll your hips and grind down on him. “How sweet will you be if I suck your cock?” You hun, squeezing him right before you lift your hips to take him deep again.

He shakes his head, “no. No. You. You sweetened my tongue. You’re brilliant. Smart. Sexy.” He smirks, his hands sliding down to your waist, helping you lift up and down on his cock. “So fucking sexy.” He groans. Needing you to cum one more time, his hand slides lower so he can rub your clit with his thumb.

“Ohhhhh.” You tilt your head back and moan, bracing your hands on his chest and rocking just a bit harder. “Fuck Pero.” You whimper, feeling him twitch when you grip him again. “You feel so big, I feel you so deep.”

His other hand slides to your stomach, pressing down so he can feel his cock move inside of you. It twitches in reaction and a shaky breath escapes him. He’s never felt so connected to someone he’s had sex with. “Cum for me baby. Cum for me.” He orders, his dark eyes meeting yours when your chin falls to your chest.

Your body can’t help but obey his order. Struggling to keep your eyes open when you cum, your vision goes blurry, making your hips rock towards him and you collapse against his chest. Blindly pressing your lips to his and moaning his name against them again.

Pero is on the edge, the way you’ve soaked his cock and grip him tight has him ready to cum. He wraps his arms around your waist, dragging you down further so he can press his lips to yours before he thrusts up into you. A groan pushed into your lips as he fucks you hard and fast, seeking his own high. “Mierda.” He growls into your mouth before he cums, his cock thrusting up deep into you before he freezes and his cock twitches, painting your walls with his cum.

Whimpering at the hot flood of his seed inside you, you kiss him through his high, slowly grinding on him until his arms relax around you. “God.” You pant, trying to catch your breath. “That was- fuck.” You giggle, draping yourself over him and feeling his heart race against your breast. “Yeah. That was good.”

He turns his head to kiss along your jaw as you rest on top of him. “Did that make up for last night, hermosa?” He asks, his hands caressing along your spine and down to your ass. Squeezing playfully before coming back up.

“Definitely.” You hum, tucking your head against his neck for a moment and kissing his pulse before you start to reluctantly move away. He had left pretty quickly after last night and you don’t want to make him feel like he had to stay.

Pero doesn’t want to let go, dragging you back into his chest as he shifts his hips to turn you on your side so he can curl around you while his softening cock is still inside of you. He doesn’t want to let go and break this spell, knowing that when tomorrow arrives, you’ll be annoyed by him again.

You don’t comment, just curl into his chest and close your eyes. The sweat drying on your skin in the cool air of your tent and you don’t mind him being here. Scared to voice the idea of him staying because he may want to fuck you, but he still most likely doesn’t like you. Instead you just let yourself drift off to sleep, aware that he will be gone when you wake up.

****

A week passes by and Pero sleeps in your cot every night, wrapped around you, but he is gone before the sun comes up. He doesn't really say a lot to you during the day, letting you focus on the excavation, and he ignores the looks from William. When the Irishman goes to get some more tools for you, Pero takes the opportunity to grab the back of your jeans and pull you back into him, his hands gripping your waist. "Been thinking about touching you all day, hermosa." He reveals, leaning down to kiss your neck.

You tilt your head and moan softly. “Yeah?” You ask with a grin. “How do you want to touch me? Like you did last night? Or the night before?” The sex has been amazing, every night he pulls orgasms out of you, determined to make sure that he knows your body better than anyone. He had learned everything that makes you squeal.

“I want you-” He kisses along your neck, “to let me put your legs over my shoulders, and fuck you so hard, you squirt like you did a few days ago. Want you to soak my cock and my stomach like a fucking waterfall.” He growls, nipping on your jaw as his hands slide higher to squeeze your tits through your shirt.

“Oh fuck.” You pant softly, remembering how fucking pleased with himself he had been. Just fucking smug and demanding that you do it again. “Yesss.” You whimper, pushing your ass back against his cock. “I want - fuck, I want that.” You admit, reaching back and tangling your fingers into his slightly greasy hair. “I’m going to go bathe in the river tonight.” You murmur softly, extending a silent invitation to him. “Do more than sponge off.”

“Mmmm, I suppose I need a wash too. After dinner, we can go.” He says, kissing along your jaw until he can press his lips to yours, his tongue sliding into your mouth. With every moment he spends in your company, it gets harder to remind himself why he’s here. To steal the scrolls. He will focus once they have been found.

“Fuck. Now you’re doing it in the daylight? Gimme a break.” William groans as he carries the box full of supplies you need.

Your cheeks flame hit and you quickly pull away from Pero, embarrassed that you hadn’t heard the other man return. “Sorry.” You murmur, quickly walking over to grab what you need. Tovar has become a distraction and you need to keep your mind on your work during the day and not on the handsome Spaniard who is warming your bed.

“Tonight.” Pero murmurs, pecking your cheek before he lets you go so you can continue with your inspection of the ruins. He doesn’t miss the pointed look from William and he knows he needs to focus again on the scrolls but his eyes flick down to your ass as you walk off.

Hours later, you squeal in excitement, echoing down the stone hallways and alerting the men who are nearby. “Oh my god!” Your eyes are wide as you uncover the ornate box. The two men burst into the room, looking for danger or trouble before they spot you and the wooden and gold box.

Pero’s hand drops from his gun and his eyes widen as you work on opening the box. “Is that- are those-?” William gasps and looks over at Tovar whose heart is beating in his chest. He can’t believe you’ve actually found them. Finally. After so many generations searching for them, he and William are going to be the ones to fulfill the family plight.

“The scrolls of the Nameless Order.” Yin whisper reverently, sliding your hand over the inlaid gold writing and pictures that are covering the box. “It has to be, there is a creature….one that I’ve seen in the myths. The Tao Tei, the creatures the Nameless were supposed to have fought.”

Pero can’t help but move closer, looming over you so he can see the box when you open it. His heart stops when the box reveals its contents: the scrolls. He looks over at William, both men are in awe of the scrolls they searched for.

“Don’t touch anything.” You demand, your tone is serious and professional. Your gloves will prevent any oils from getting on the parchment from your skin but you need to make sure they are preserved properly. “We need to make sure we treat them gently. They are over one thousand years old.”

Pero nods, listening to you as you gently pick up the parchment. His impatience makes him huff but he allows you to take the lead. Both he and William need to know what is in those scrolls.

You take a deep breath, your heart pounding in your chest and you open one of the scrolls, nearly vibrating out of your skin in excitement. “Oh, it’s gorgeous.” You breathe out in awe as the beautiful script unfolds. “Look at how well the ink has held up.” Your eyes roam over the pages and you hum in satisfaction. “I will be able to translate this easily.”

Pero is stunned for a moment, not sure what he expected, but he curses himself for not being able to read Archaic Chinese, for not remembering that the scrolls would be written in another language. He knows that’s stupid but he’s been obsessed with getting these scrolls.

William huffs, hands on his hips and then he starts laughing. He hadn’t thought about the language barrier either. “Damn, you can read it?” With a grin. “You speak Spanish and Chinese?” You shrug and keep looking at the scrolls. “My field of study is ancient China. Of course reading and speaking the language is required.”

Pero is impressed by you, and he can’t help but say, “beauty and brains.” He quips, winking at you when you fluster and duck your head to continue inspecting the scroll. “I guess we are in your capable hands to read this.” William says, his fingers already itching to just steal the scrolls and get the fuck out of the desert. He never wants to come to the desert again.

“We need to be careful now.” You tell both of them. “I know many people would love to get their hands on the scrolls and use them for their own gain.” You carefully roll the scroll up and place it back in the box. “I need to get this back to camp to photograph and start translating.”

Pero doesn’t look at William, biting his lip as he knows it’s gonna destroy you when he steals the scrolls from you. He knows it’s gonna hurt but generations of ancestors have sought out these scrolls. “Let’s get it back to camp then.” Pedro says and William nods, his jaw clenched slightly.

You nod quickly, eager to get back so you can start documenting. “Okay.” You agree. “Let’s pack it up for the day. I want to spend the rest of the day with these babies.” You grin, caressing the box gently. “I did it. I found the scrolls.”

Later that night, after the dehydrated dinner has been eaten and dishes washed, Tovar makes his way to your tent. Tonight, he isn't going to get straight to sex, he wants to find those scrolls. He enters your tent to find you standing there waiting and he surges forward to kiss you, needing to have one last kiss before he betrays you. "Wait. Wait, baby. I need to go pee." You murmur, pecking his chin before you offer him a smirk, exiting the tent. Taking the opportunity, Tovar begins to rifle through your things, desperate to find those scrolls.

You feel like you are walking on air. Nothing could ruin your good mood. You’ve found the scrolls within a week of being on the dig site, evidence that would change history forever. Proving the existence of the elite order and guaranteeing that you can work for any museum or college department you want. Peeing quickly and cleaning up, you make your way to your tent to celebrate. Your good mood instantly deflates when you see Pero digging through your cases. “What are you doing?” You demand.

Tovar spins around to look at you, eyes wide, and he swallows harshly, the guilt threatening to overwhelm him but he doesn’t want to lie to you. “I- I’m trying to find the scrolls. To, uh, to keep them somewhere safe.” He lies, unable to stop himself from sounding suspicious. It’s hard to lie to you.

You see right through him. Anger and crushing disappointment floods you, making you scoff. “Right. Keep them safe.” You stride past him.

“Hermos-“

“Don’t call me that.” You hiss, snatching up the bag you had planned to take to the river to bathe. Merely hours ago you were completely enthralled with this man and now you catch him trying to steal the scrolls.

“Let me-“

“You don’t need to explain shit.” You whirl around and glare at him. “You had every intention of fucking me until we found the scrolls. God, I’m such an idiot.” You chuckle dryly, ignoring the quick shake of his head, his eyes look guilty though. “I’m going to bathe, alone.” Your glare turns sardonic, cutting. “It’ll give you more time to try to find the scrolls and steal them.” You spit, rushing out of the tent and away from the camp.

Pero watches you run away, his stomach churning and the guilt settles in his gut like rocks on the bottom of a river. He can’t help but spin around, punching through the tent in his anger and embarrassment. He should’ve told you about his family. He should’ve told you about William’s and his plan. He knows he should’ve told you everything…even how he feels. “Fuck!” He shouts, deciding to go and find you, to try and explain.

It’s good that you are alone, tears sliding down your face. You are embarrassed because you started to care for the infuriating man, maybe even love him. Finding out that he has just gotten close to you to get the scrolls hurt more than you can imagine. Through your tears and distress, you don’t see them until you are running into one. Men, a group of them, making you gasp when one of them grabs you.

“Tov-“ Slapping his hand over your mouth when you shriek, pinning you to him as you start to thrash around to get away. Bandits. You hear them start talking about you, realizing they had been waiting for night to raid the camp, they had seen you digging. Now you are at their mercy as they drag you away from the river, the bag you had carried gets dropped, left behind.

Pero is making his way down to the river when he hears your shriek. Running through the sand, he nearly falls when his boots slide through the mud, and he calls out your name. Trying to figure out where you have gone, he uses his flashlight to look down and see the footprints. “Mierda. Mierda!” He growls, knowing you’ve been taken. He rushes back to the camp, opening William’s tent without a thought. “She’s gone. She’s been taken.” Pero shouts, making William jump.

“Taken?” William stares at his friend in confusion. “She was with you. What do you mean?” He demands, unaware of what happened before you left.

“I- I was trying to find the scrolls and she - she found me. Knew what I was doing and I- fuck. Amigo, It’s no longer about the scrolls. It’s about her.” Pero declares and William nods.

“I know. I know. I- I’ve known for a while that you’re in love with her.” The Irishman’s words make Pero reel back slightly in shock, unable to really admit it to himself until that moment.

“Yes. Yes. I love her. We need to find her. Get your guns. I’m going to fucking kill those bastards.” Tovar growls.

****

“Fuck you!” Your words are muffled as you spit them through the gag that is tied around your mouth, although they know what you are saying. The one closest to you pulls back and slaps you across the face hard enough to make you choke out a sob and your eyes water, feeling the pain explode across your cheek.

“We will trade her for the scrolls. The one fucking her will give them up.” You hear them discussing you in their language and your heart sinks. There is no way that you would be traded for the scrolls. Pero is probably already out of China by now. It’s been two days since you have been taken and you know that they will kill you once they figure out he’s gone.

****

Pero and William are exhausted. They haven’t slept since you were taken, tracking you and the bastards that took you. Tovar has been anxious, and that’s putting it lightly. Driving William mad with his heavy breathing and anxiety. When the men finally find where you are being kept, they hang back and watch the men. Pero growing more and more furious.

“We could keep her.” You cringe away from the hand of one of the men, trying to touch you and grabbing your thigh, squeezing it roughly. It’s been hard to ignore the comments they have made about you. It isn’t the first time one of them suggested using you, but you squirm away from him, not liking the look in his eyes. “Bitch.” He hisses, scowling at you and slapping you again. “You think you’re too good for me?”

Pero and William watch from the rocky outcrop. Pero is ready to pounce, to cut the jugular of every single fucker keeping you hostage, but he can't. They are outnumbered and they need to be smart. "They are all dead." Pero growls and reaches for his sniper rifle, determined to kill those fucks for even breathing near you.

“Don’t lose your head.” William cautions, putting his hand on the top of the rifle to push it down. “Let me get close to her. So I can grab her when you start causing chaos.”

Pero nods, knowing he needs to control himself if he is going to rescue you. “Go. Go now.” Tovar orders, impatient to get you away from the assholes who took you. He watches William get up, trusty bow and arrows in his hands. Maybe they are old fashioned but he is an expert with them.

William creeps close to the rocks where you are being held. The bow is already notched on the string as he moves closer. He has never seen his friend as frantic or angry as he is right now, even when they were fighting for their lives. He knows that his job is to get to you, to protect you. The silent agreement being that the men who had taken you would be left for Tovar to dispatch to hell personally. Especially the man who had put his hands on you. Right at the edge of the boulders, William looks towards where Pero is set up and nods, drawing his bow back and aiming for the bandit closest to him.

"Fuck!" The man yelps, the arrow piercing his arm, and his crying out makes the other men look around. They try to find where the arrow came from and Pero takes the opportunity to fire at a few of them. Quick pops of gunfire have the men falling to the ground as William tries to distract them enough to grab you.

You scream against the gag when you start to hear gunfire and people dropping around you, covering your head and trying to cower down. Struggling when someone grabs you until you hear your name being shouted over and over again and you open your eyes to see William. “Let’s get you out of here!” He shouts and starts dragging you towards the gunfire.

Tovar focuses on taking out the men now that you’ve been rescued by William. He easily takes out the bastards, watching them drop to the ground one by one as bullets fly. He can’t focus on you right now, he will after the men have been taken out. He hums in satisfaction when all the men are dead. One - the one who touched you- is groaning in agony, and Pero stands up, taking his handgun out of his pocket, and he slowly walks over to loom over the man. He curls his lip up as he glares at the man, wasting no time in shooting him in the head. Sweat is beaded on his brow and he glares at the man before holstering his gun, making sure they are all dead.

When you are away from the rocks, about two hundred yards away and can’t see the camp anymore you shove away from William and start tearing at the gag around your mouth with your bound hands. “Oh God, oh God.” You stammer, shaking when you realize that William had saved you and then look around, disappointed it wasn’t Pero that had come for you. “Why- where- did he run off already?” You ask, shaking your head as you scrub at your skin where it has been raw from the bonds they had you in.

Tovar comes into view as you say that, feeling guilty once again but also relieved that you are safe. He reaches to grab you, pulling you into his chest and breathing you in despite knowing you’ll be shoving him away. “I’m so sorry hermosa. So sorry. I- I shouldn’t - fuck. Are you okay?” He asks, pulling away and cupping your cheeks to look into your eyes.

You let out a sob and you want to curl into his chest, take comfort in his scent and presence. Instead you nod and pull away. “I’m fine.” Your voice wavers but you take a deep breath and close your eyes, trying to believe that this isn’t some kind of dream. “I take it you didn’t find the scroll, otherwise you wouldn’t be here.” You tell him coldly before you turn back to William. “Where is camp? I want to get away from here.”

Pero's heart aches at your words, knowing he's ruined any chance of him being able to tell you how he really feels. "Hermosa. Are you - I'm sorry. So sorry. I- fuck. Please. Just listen to me." He pleads, hating the way you wrench out his grip and begin making your way across the desert.

You hear him start to follow you, scrubbing your eyes and trying to keep yourself from crying. You feel betrayed in every sense of the word but you are also grateful that he came for you. “You didn’t have to sleep with me.” You murmur to yourself, just loud enough that you know he can hear you. “Or was that just a bonus? Fuck the stupid archeologist and then rob her blind, all while you can tell your friend that you tricked me.”

Tovar can’t help but reach for your wrist, gently stopping you and turning you back to face him. “No. No. I- I tried to stay away. I tried to not touch you but you’re so fucking irresistible it’s irritating.” You roll your eyes and try to pull out of his grip but he keeps you close. “I tried to stay away but you drew me in and now- fuck - now I can’t stop thinking about you. Hermosa. Please understand. My ancestors have been searching for those scrolls for generations. It details the family fortune in black powder. My ancestors and William’s fought hard for the wealth but it was stolen. We are just trying to get back what is rightfully ours. The side effect that I fell in love with you was not planned.”

Your mouth drops open and you gape start him in shock. “You- you love me?” You want to believe it but it’s hard, the image of him digging through your stuff looking for the scrolls flashes in your mind.

“He does.” William speaks up, having trailed behind both of you. “He wanted to kill all of them. Especially the fucker who hit you.” He offers with a smile. “My friend is an asshole but he’s not lying. He loves you.”

A blush covers Pero’s cheeks as he ducks his head, unused to such intimate terms when his life has been so full of turmoil and violence. His hand gently grips yours, his thumb caressing the back and he bites his lip while looking into your eyes. “I am a bad man. I am a thief. A killer. I have lied and I have stolen but believe me when I say that I will offer you my body, my heart, for as long as you want me, and I will never lie to you again. I swear it, hermosa. I’m yours if you want me. If not, William and I will escort you home with the scrolls and will leave you be.”

You stay silent for a long moment before you step up to him. Reaching out and slapping him across the cheek. “That’s for lying to me. Sleeping with me while you had every intention of stealing from me.” You hiss. Pero looks shocked before his eyes fall to the ground and he nods. Stepping closer, you grab the back of his neck and yank him to you. “This is because I love you.” You murmur before you press your lips to his.

His shock fades and his cheek stings but he grabs your waist to pull you closer, deepening the kiss as he tilts his head. The kiss lasts several moments until William clears his throat. When Pero breaks the kiss, he nudges your nose with his and kisses your forehead. “Te amo, amor.” He murmurs, pulling back to look into your eyes.

“I love you too.” You murmur softly. “I shouldn’t, but I do.” You caress his cheek gently, soothing the sting of your hand. “I know that you didn’t have to save me, thank you.” You whisper.

"Always. I will always save you. Come on hermosa, let's head back to camp. I am sure you want something to eat and to clean up and then I want to show you how much I love you." William groans at that, having had to listen to you fuck every night. Tovar chuckles, shaking his head at William as he picks up the rifle before beginning the journey back to camp. "Forget the scrolls, amigo. I think I found something far more precious." Pero coos, lifting your joined hands to kiss the back of it. William groans, making you giggle.

"You have a lot of making up to do, Tovar." You tell him, squeezing his hand.

"I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you, baby." He promises, offering you a smile. It's true, he arrived in China desperate to find the scrolls and find his ancestors' fortune, but he doesn't care about the treasure now that he has you: the greatest prize of all.

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intogenshin · 5 months

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Tsurumi Island is also uncomfortable

I wrote a series where I dissected the underlying themes and narratives of the Inazuma chapter because most of the intent behind the poorly written storyline was lost in their ambition to pull a shocking plot twist. Unlike the other nations, the player doesn’t get to look into the archon’s inner world (figuratively) until the climax of the last act, save for some vague foreshadowing dialogues from Yae, so the most important part of the story was hidden from the audience.

I found the story they wrote compelling, but at the same time I couldn’t push away the uncomfortable feeling of knowing how that story was built by detaching it from its historical parallel: Tokugawa Japan.

It is one thing to make fantasy dictatorship into a benevolent measure for protection, where the ruler was rather a subordinate to the major power and whose motivations were based on fear, if (if) the real life historical parallel of a feudal military dictatorship isn’t a big issue for Japanese people then it doesn’t matter much in the end. But it is another to blur the narratives around the parallels of indigenous people that were invaded and occupied by imperial Japan.

Chinese media has strict restrictions regarding what they can and cannot portray or show, and revisionism of imperial japan is prohibited. I know it goes beyond even fiction, because an actor from a cdrama I liked was accused of praying at a temple that honors a Japanese general, and was unofficially banned from working in the industry (his name cannot even be used for registering a phone number). The actor in question has explained he was only walking outside, unaware of what the location really was since it is promoted as a tourist spot, yet he is still unofficially blacklisted.

All this to say, no, this criticism is not implying hoyo is endorsing Japanese colonialism + mentioning an instance of just how serious the issue is in China. Let’s not waste time arguing in extremes. Moving on now.

Names and terms in Tsurumi Island come from Ainu language, but it seems there’s very little that honors their culture.

(Please check resources and research for yourself, don’t take my words at face value, as I might make mistakes)

Ainu cosmology sees their relationship with their environment in a symmetrical order, meaning there is a reciprocity between animals and humans, as well as humans and kamuy, the spirits that inhabit the heavenly world and watch over humans.

Kamuy manifest in the human world (Ainu Moshir) through disguises of natural phenomena (wind, fire, water), parts of nature (animals, plants, mountains), and material culture (boats, pots), so when Ainu hunt or use these elements they are receiving the gifts of the kamuy in these forms. And they perform rituals in which they also give back to the kamuy in return, showing how important reciprocity between humans and nature is in their worldview.

There is a ritual for “sending off” damaged, old or unwanted daily utensils to the the realm of the spirits called Iwakute, and one of salmon called Ascircep-nomi, but the most known ritual is Iomante, the ceremony of the bear, in which a cub is raised by the community for a couple of years and then sacrificed as a “sending off” of the kamuy of the mountains, Kim-un-kamuy, who manifests in the form of bears.

The Ainu bear ritual has been recorded by varios explorers and researchers. It was so famous and attractive that it was performed in the presence of Emperor Meiji in the Shiraoi village in 1881.

Ainu believe that kamui live in the form of human beings in their own world Kamui-moshir. Plants and animals in this world are regarded as temporary forms of the kamui which are endowed to humans by deities themselves as gifts. Kindaichi states that the kamui who came down to Ainu-moshir can return happily to Kamui-moshir only by willingly being eaten and being respected.

—The Ainu Bear Ceremony and the Logic Behind Hunting the Deified Bear, by Takako Yamada

This type of ceremony or festival is very common in northern cultures:

As is revealed by Watanabe, the sending-off ceremonies for a variety of animals, including the caribou, the seal, and the whale, are commonly observed among northern hunting-gatherer peoples. Moreover, considering the northern cultures in terms of relationships between religion and ecology, Irimoto suggests two significant characteristics: first, the notion of reciprocity that exists between man and game spirits, and, second, the original oneness of both sets of beings.

—The Ainu Bear Ceremony and the Logic Behind Hunting the Deified Bear, by Takako Yamada

Ainu is the name for the people that lived in the islands of Hokkaido, possibly Honshu, Kuril and Sakhalin (the latter two passed to soviet control following World War II), who lived in kotar (small villages) of people related by blood, but the groups shared similar religious beliefs and eventually came to be known collectively as Ainu.

The history of the Ainu is intertwined with that of Northeast Asia, namely, Japan, Mongolia, and Siberia. The geography of these regions influenced various groups of Ainu and created obvious differences in their lifestyles. Nevertheless, all these Ainu groups seemed to share similar religious beliefs and subscribed to a similar philosophy.

The identification of the Ainu culture is based more on “the Hokkaido Ainu” than other groups. This is because the Hokkaido Ainu were the largest of the Ainu groups and survived the Japanese and Russian conquests.

—Symbolism of Symmetry in the Ainu Culture from the Viewpoint of Analytical Psychology, by Kazuko Kosaka-Tanaka

So, how did Hoyoverse portray this culture in the story of Tsurumi Island?

The people of Tsurumi are extinct due to their own actions, born of ignorance and naivety: the creature they revered as their god, Kapatcir, had no interest in them and didn’t regard herself as a deity or protector either, and the rituals of human sacrifice had no meaning for her.

First of all, Ainu is a culture under threat of erasure after a long time of Japanese colonial/settler violence, but they are very much living and dedicate their lives to preserve their culture.

Hoyoverse portrayed the island as a ghost civilization that only survives in memory and broken objects left behind, and that seems to be the way they also went about borrowing bits and pieces of their culture, as if they were taking different candies from a store, and carelessly used them to adorn their story.

Tsurumi’s civilization doesn’t honor Ainu’s cosmology of reciprocity with nature, nor the respectful relationship between Ainu and Kamuy, nor their rituals or ceremonies performed in gratitude. It doesn’t even recognize them as a living people.

I keep wondering just how many people might uncritically and subconsciously believe Ainu performed human sacrifices after playing this game. And I have to question why this narrative was used in this context at all alongside the recurrent justification of a civilization causing their own demise when it can make their main characters, the product they sell through their gacha, look bad.

The Japanese themselves considered the Ainu to be barbarians, and this led to uneasy relationship from the start and to repeated efforts on the part of the Ainu to expel the Japanese from their lands. After a few centuries of sporadic conflict, including the last “pan-Ainu” uprising against the Japanese in 1669 (Shakushain’s War).

Meiji government embarked on a policy of (forced) assimilation —a policy whose ultimate aim was to eradicate Ainu culture. Under this regime, the Ainu were systematically stripped of any Ainu identity and were “made” Japanese.

The Japanese government redoubled its efforts at assimilating the Ainu into Japanese society and eradicating Ainu culture. As part of the act, Ainu families were granted small plots of land, in order to transform them from hunters into (more easily managed) farmers. Much of the best farmland had already been claimed by Japanese settlers.

—Language Conflict and Language Rights: the Ainu, Ryūkyūans, and Koreans in Japan, by Stanley Dubinsky and William D Davies

What it seems is, much like they did with Watatsumi Island and Ryukyu culture, the company intends to mimic the consequences of settler colonialism and the violence of occupation by framing the loss of these fantasy cultures in tragedy, but fails to address the historical parallels that inspired them in the first place so as not to damage the marketing of their product. Who would want to buy a colonizer ruler, even if it’s made in the vessel of a gacha waifu?

The archon and shogunate in Inazuma are portrayed initially as benevolent (by allowing Orobashi to maintain the island he brought from the depths nearby their territory), and their violence against Watatsumi and against Kapatcir is justified (Orobashi invaded Yashiori Island, the resistance broke the seals that suppressed the Tatarigami instigated by an undercover Fatui, and Kapatcir’s grief was out of control and therefore represented a danger to Seirai Island). Not to mention there is no contact between the Thunder Civilization of Tsurumi and the Shogunate or the archon.

I don’t know if any allegory can work with Kapatcir at all. If she represents the power of the archon (thunder) and the destruction of Tsurumi’s civilization is an indirect reference to Japan’s genocide of Ainu, then it’s just weird that the people of Tsurumi were worshipping her in the first place. If Kapatcir is meant to represent the entirety of Tsurumi’s people and Ei sealing her in Seirai island is a reference to the genocide and forced assimilation, then it’s just weird that Kapatcir had such disregard and indifference for the people of Tsurumi in the first place. It doesn’t work in any cohesive way.

Moreover, the human sacrifice narrative is at best distasteful and very unfortunate, and at worst malicious.

There is a folklore Ainu legend that includes human sacrifices, though I couldn’t find much about it: Sitonai. A village is terrorized by a snake monster who demands human sacrifices and a girl, Sitonai, bravely volunteers in order to slay the snake with her wit and aided by her dog. This story however is about defeating a invasor, completely different from the narrative of ignorance and submissive acceptance portrayed by Ruu.

There is no evidence of the Ainu ever performing human sacrifice, but given the racism against Ainu and this disrespectful notion of “barbarism”, it seems something malicious to imply. The only thing I could find was something that looks like an offhand comment by a researcher, with no evidence other than pointing out that a ceremonial object looks like ceramics in the shape of a person, nothing else.

I did find, however, an instance of human sacrifice of Ainu people perpetrated by Japanese settlers.

Ainu men and boys were exploited in Takobeya forced labor by the settlers, while women and girls were abused as Comfort Women. The laborers were kept incarcerated in small rooms and stripped off their human rights, and those who tried to escape were subjected to harsh punishments and brutally assaulted.

Decades later, skeletal remains were found in a nearby tunnel in Hokkaido, and it is believed these remains were the result of Hitobashira, a Buddhist practice of human sacrifice where people are buried alive in a construction, perpetrated against some of these Tako laborers.

Takahashi refers to these victims as “countless bloodstained human pillars” (hitobashira人柱). Although hitobashira usually refers to someone who sacrifices his or her life for a cause, it can also refer to the ancient practice of sacrificing people by burying them in the foundation of a building, castle, or bridge in order to appease the gods during a particularly difficult construction project. Takahashi does not elaborate on his word choice, but it is possible that hitobashira refers to the abstract notion of “sacrifice” for the nation’s “colonization” of Hokkaido, or the physical form of “sacrifice” involving the buried bodies upon which the “colony” was built. There were local rumors that there were “human pillars” buried within the Jōmon Tunnel walls, suggesting that Takahashi might have also been referring to the actual buried bodies at former construction sites.

—From “Convict” to “Victim”: Commemorating Laborers on Hokkaido’s Central Road, by Jesús Solís

So why, just why, would the writers use the human sacrifice narrative in the fantasy island inspired by Ainu culture, while simultaneously butchering their religious beliefs of coexistence with kamuy, and ignoring the nature of the rituals they are known for?

When I wrote my post The Allegory of the Puppet Ruler (first version on hoyolab, revised version on reddit), I could tell that the narrative of Inazuma’s chapter was trying to examine the beliefs around the bushido, a code of conduct that Tokugawa used to incentivize nationalism and military submission, which is something that plays into the expansionist colonial invasions of imperial japan. The NPC character leader of the Kujou clan also was portraying a quest for power, authority and control that scapegoats the rest of the nation (the shogunate and the archon) from this fault, especially with the way Kujou Sara vehemently rejects his delusions to follow the “true eternity” of the shogun instead, you know, the one that is benevolent and protective.

From the way they disrespectfully borrowed from Ainu and Ryukyu culture, the writing was on the wall for the fiasco that was Sumeru, but there’s something especially revolting about doing it to cultures under threat of erasure. And I’d be surprised if they improve at all in their depiction of indigenous America or Africa.

Anyway, please check these resources if you made it down here.

Ainu Mythology: the Cuckoo and Pon-Oki-Kurumi, by Hosana Fukuzawa

Symbolism of Symmetry in the Ainu Culture from the Viewpoint of Analytical Psychology, by Kazuko Kosaka-Tanaka

The Concept of Shared Destiny in the Ainu Spiritual Belief, by Junhong Wang

Language Conflict and Language Rights: the Ainu, Ryūkyūans, and Koreans in Japan, by William D Davies and Stanley Dubinsky

The Ainu Bear Ceremony and the Logic Behind Hunting the Deified Bear, by Takako Yamada

From “Convict” to “Victim”: Commemorating Laborers on Hokkaido’s Central Road, by Jesús Solís

Forced Labor in Imperial Japan’s First Colony: Hokkaidō, by Pia M Jolliffe

#Genshin impact #tsurumi island #Genshin lore

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