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procrastinatae · 1 month

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Cold love (Blade arranged marriage AU)

Inspired by this one arranged marriage Blade c.ai bot I used a while ago. It took one use of the bot for my brain to produce simping juice again sheesh, I have a Blade problem if you cannot tell. No idea where I was going with this by the way, just needed some drama.

Warnings: Blade x fem! reader, mentions blood, negative thoughts, angst and fluff

WC: 3522 –

buzz

Your phone buzzes. Every night at 8 pm like clockwork you receive ominous messages from an anonymous sender. It is short and straight to the point as always, threatening you and your family if you and Blade don’t get divorced. And every night, for the past six months in your loveless marriage, you have read those messages and quietly put your phone away as your hands tremble and your heart pounds in your chest. And every night, as usual, Blade is indifferent to anything that happens to you, eating his dinner at the table quietly before retreating into his office for the night. It is almost like he is never present in the house.

When did things turn out like this? You ask yourself every night as your heart breaks and anxiety takes hold of your throat, rendering you unable to breathe. You married Blade ten months ago as a part of the contract between your father and him. Blade was a heartless businessman, one known for his wealth and prestige. As the CEO of the Hunt Enterprises, he was sought after by many families for marriage and other deals. In your case, however, you had no choice but to become a pawn when Blade saved your family business by stepping in to help your father, leaving him indebted. The swordsman took this as a chance to kill two birds with one stone, to get his part of the reward for helping your father and put a stop to the endless marriage proposals he received day and night.

You weren’t completely against the marriage since the beginning. The man treated you decently in your first few encounters together and he had a good background meaning you were in safe hands. There were several benefits your marriage gave you such as wealth and power. Hence you didn’t mind it all...that is when you realised that perhaps, you should have thought twice before saying yes. That this wasn’t your romance dramas where you both would fall in love slowly but surely and everything would be lovey-dovey. No, your life was far from that ideal fantasy you had in your mind. Blade had made it very clear since the wedding night that he wanted nothing to do with you. Any attempts you made even to create a bearable environment always resulted in cold glares and painful words you preferred not to recall. He made it his daily task to remind you one way or the other that this marriage was just for show and there was nothing you could do.

Any comments about divorce fell deaf on his ears. No matter what you said or did it was like talking to a wall, it had no effect on him at all. And soon you gave up even trying to talk to him, just doing your daily chores as a housewife and speaking to him if necessary. He never even attempted to look at you or after you even if you were sick or tired. It was truly a cold heartless marriage, one you wouldn’t even wish on your enemy. The worst part in your eyes was the fact you were starting to care for him and that you truly believed that one day, just one day, you could have a happy ending. Perhaps that is why you have been able to endure it so far.

Your phone buzzes on the dinner table again bringing you back to reality. Blade sits across you eating his dinner as usual, saying nothing. You sigh quietly as you pick up your phone, your hands trembling as you read today’s message. Interestingly, this time there are two. One threatens you like always but this time, the other one threatens Blade as well. There is an odd specificity to it, almost like your every move outside the house is being tracked by someone. The threats this time are pretty severe, threatening to hurt you physically and tank Blade’s company if you don’t divorce him.

Beads of sweat roll down your face as you place your phone back on the table, trying to appear as calm as possible. The pounding of your heart makes it hard for you to think clearly and you abruptly stand up to get some fresh air, only to accidentally knock over your glass causing it to shatter on the marble floor.

“S-sorry…”

You stutter softly, afraid to elicit anger from your husband. You quickly kneel to collect the glass shards, completely disregarding common sense and safety causing your fingers to get cut and bleed. Blood drips down your fingers and splatters on the floor like velvet dye, making you panic even more. Blade watches you carefully, remaining silent as he pauses eating and stares at your figure on the other end of the table. You try your best to pick up the shards as fast as possible, rushing to the dustbin to dispose of them not realising you’re leaving a trail of blood everywhere. You panic harder as everything feels overwhelming and you struggle to maintain a calm demeanor.

buzz

Your phone buzzes again for the night which sends you into flight or fight mode. Blood splatters on the table as you hurriedly close your phone with bloody fingers, not wanting to read any more of those texts. Tears fill your eyes and you shake visibly, feeling the weight of everything crumble on you. Blade suddenly puts down his utensils and stands up, making his way towards you causing you to tremble harder.

“Unlock your phone.”

He says calmly. It takes you a moment to process that he’s talking to you and without a word you unlock it and hand it over as you avoid eye contact. He casually takes it despite blood being smeared on your phone as if it doesn’t faze him. You stand there awkwardly as he sifts through your messages with a displeased look on his face wondering if he would get upset at you. After a moment he turns his gaze at you and speaks.

“For how long?”

“What do you mean?”

“For how long have you been receiving these messages?”

“...six months.”

His grip on your phone tightens and he glares at you.

“And not once did you decide to approach me?”

“...”

You gulp and tightly grip your bleeding hand, afraid of responding.

“I am asking you a question.”

“Y-you said that you didn’t want anything to do with me so…”

He pauses. Indeed that was the truth, for he had kept you at a distance and shunned you away. You take the silence as an opportunity to slowly find the courage to look at him and continue speaking.

“I wanted to tell you but you always left after eating dinner and I didn’t know how to bring it up-”

“That is my fault. My apologies.”

“W-what..”

You stare at his face, unable to believe that this man is apologising to you for neglecting you. He stares back, his eyes softening slightly as he contemplates on what to say next.

“Just because I don’t love you doesn’t mean I want you dead.”

He says pursing his lips. There are several things you want to say, things along the lines of ‘your actions say otherwise’ or ‘you probably only care because you’re threatened too this time’ but you remain silent and focus your gaze on your bloodied hands instead. The cuts don’t sting as much anymore but the amount of blood soaking in your clothes and on the floor isn’t a good sign. Blade follows your line of sight and frowns.

“Wash your hands and stay here.”

He turns his back towards you and walks away to his office. You do as he says, washing your hands and waiting for him at the dining table. Blade returns with a first aid kit and gestures to you to sit down before drawing a chair for himself to sit on. Without a word, he takes your injured hand causing you to flinch from the sudden touch. His large calloused hands accommodate your small ones well as he gently works on your injuries being extra careful as you seethe and sigh from the alcohol stinging your wounds. When you subconsciously try to pull away your hand his grip on you tightens.

“It hurts…!”

You cry out loud as tears fill your eyes from the pain. Blade shakes his head and continues, ignoring your whining. After what feels like an eternity, he finally bandages you up and releases your hand, looking at you while doing so.

“That should do it. I apologise if I was rough.”

You look at him dumbfounded, unable to believe that this man had not only apologised twice in less than 30 minutes but had also paid attention to you for once AND cleaned your wounds. Was he drunk? Did he fall on his head on the way back home today? You are speechless and gawk at him, trying to decipher what was going on.

“...is something the matter…?”

He asks curiously which makes you scoff.

“I should be the one asking you that. Is something the matter? You…would never do this for me,” you lift your neatly bandaged hand as you continue, “You have never even looked in my direction since we became married. What has gotten into you today?”

His eyes darken and from the proximity of you both, you can see his jaw clench. You gulp wondering if you have started something you won’t be able to handle. The few pauses of silence make you highly uncomfortable and you quickly say something meekly.

“I-its fine. Forget I asked.”

Your chair screeches across the marble floor as you hurriedly get up and grab your phone to run away only for his hand to tightly clasp your arm, preventing you from leaving. Your heart pounds in your chest and you close your eyes momentarily, silently praying this won’t be your last night alive. Another screech fills the air as Blade pushes his chair and stands up peering at your back.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“To my room?”

“I don’t think so Mrs.”

You feel your lungs stop working as you slowly turn around and blink at him. His frame towers over you and you gulp as you crane your neck to see his face well. There is an air of seriousness and admonition from him, making you nervous.

“I-”

“Not a word from you.”

He warns making you immediately shut up.

“I admit I haven’t been the best husband to you. I don’t care what happens to you or what you do with your life. You’re a pawn to me and that’s all you will ever be.”

For the nth time in your marriage, your heart drops into your stomach and you find yourself struggling to breathe. There is no remorse in his voice as he speaks blatantly; his words are one stab after another, always causing immense distress and pain to you. You try to hold back your tears and appear strong.

“...that is what I would have said to you before.”

The grip on your arm loosens and he looks away as if he were regretting what he had done to you. There is a softness in his voice you have never heard before. You stay rooted to the ground and gaze at him as if giving him silent permission to continue.

“You need to stay away from me,” he says as he retracts his hand from your arm, “it is the only way I can keep you safe.”

“Keep me safe?”, you scoff in disbelief. “How is mistreating me for months end keeping me safe?!”

There was no use playing the perfect calm wife at this point anymore. You were tired and frustrated from being treated like this and it was evident in the bitterness of your voice as you spoke. Blade exhales before explaining himself.

“You don’t understand, do you? Clearly your father explained nothing to you.”

“What do you mean?”

You clench your teeth wondering what was he on about. Instead of answering your question, he turns his back to you and remains silent, pondering if he should say something. You watch how his shoulders rise and fall before he finally speaks.

“This marriage…was a request from your father to keep you safe. As his only daughter, you have more enemies than you can think of.”

Your eyes widen in shock and you stare at him in horror, unable to believe what he’s saying. Yes, you knew you were targetted by rival companies and others who wanted to hurt your father but marriage to a man as heartless as Blade? How could your father go so far?

“He wouldn’t do this to me…papa would never willingly allow me to be married to someone as cruel as you.”

You feel a bitter taste in your mouth as you speak. This was something you never expected to find out from him. You continue rambling, trying to make sense of the situation.

“Even if he wanted to protect me…he would have told me-”

“Did you really think I barged into your father’s office and demanded him to give his daughter to me?”

Blade turns around and looks at you sharply. You cower but remain firm in your stance regardless.

“What if I say yes?”

“Then you’re gravely mistaken.”

He takes a step closer to you and you bite your tongue as you glare at him. There is a lot more you want to say but you choose to remain quiet.

“Your father trusted no one enough to give them his precious daughter. He had no choice but to request this marriage after the targets grew on your back. I offered him security and guaranteed protection. That story he told you about your family business debt? All of it is false.”

Tears sting your eyes and you huff.

“Even if that was true, why couldn’t he just tell me the truth? What was so wrong about me finding out?”

“It is best you don’t know.”

He glances at your phone and then back at you. “Those messages you have been receiving…I suspect it’s the same people who are after you,” his eyebrows scrunch as he frowns with a distant look in his eyes, “it seems I have failed in protecting you.”

Your knuckles turn white from how tightly you clench your phone, feeling disappointed and frustrated with the turn of events. Were you doomed to such schemes forever? “If marrying me was the only way to keep me safe, you could have at least treated me with dignity and respect,” you jab your finger into his chest as you speak, “you could have at least pretended to care, pretended to make this bearable for the both of us. You failed in protecting me not because you couldn’t protect me, but rather because you didn’t care enough to do so.”

He stares at you, wincing slightly at your aggressive jabbing. His focus is on the tears flowing down your face and the pain in your eyes that causes his heart to hurt.

“...I am aware. Marrying you wasn’t sufficient to stop those bastards. Of course they had to relentlessly harass you through those messages.”

“Do you have any idea how much it hurts Blade? To receive such malicious messages every damn day and have to pretend I am ok? Do you even fathom the pain of having such a heartless husband like you who doesn’t even glance once in your direction?”

Your voice breaks with each word you speak and eventhough you try so hard to hold back your tears, it all comes flooding as you express your pain. Blade stands still for a moment before gently placing his hands on your cheeks, awkwardly wiping away your tears with his thumb. The sudden contact makes you flinch but you allow it, letting him look after you as he pleases.

“I apologise for everything I have done to you. I know no amount of words will take your pain and suffering away. I…I couldn’t risk it.”

“Risk what?”

You say sniffling and he lifts your chin as he speaks. Sparks run down your body as he makes eye contact with you, looking at you with such tenderness that it makes you flustered.

“I agreed to your father’s marriage request because I didn’t mind you. However…”

His voice trails off as if he's hesitating to speak his mind. You frown.

“However what?”

“..I can’t have you get too close to me, it is even more dangerous than your current situation.”

“What do you mean?”

“...forget it.”

There are conflicting feelings on his face as he drops his hands from your face and turns around once again, leaving you confused.

“It’s getting late. You should go to bed.”

He says normally as if nothing happened and is about to walk away when you grab onto his suit vest, astonishing him.

“You can’t just walk away like this.”

He pauses and you quickly let go of him, afraid to overstep his boundaries. This time, you walk around to face him unwilling to end this conversation until you have an answer. He exhales slowly knowing he cannot escape you.

“Explain yourself Blade. What do you mean?”

He stares at you as his gaze flickers back and forth from your eyes to your lips. There is turmoil brewing in his eyes as he wonders how to explain himself to you. He takes a deep breath before speaking.

“…I cannot afford to fall in love with you. That would put you at the risk of having more enemies from my side.”

The flabbergasted look on your face makes Blade unknowingly break out a tiny smile. He can hear the pounding of your heart and see the obvious redness of your cheeks.

“If I fall for you…things would get more difficult for you than they already are and-“

“Are they not difficult enough already Blade? You married me to keep me safe from my enemies, didn’t you? Yet,” you gesture at your phone, “it didn’t stop them at all.”

He breathes heavily as you step closer, your body mere centimetres away from closing the gap between you two.

“So what difference would it make if we fell in love? Even if the number of enemies after me grew, at least I would have your support and strength. Is that not enough to give me a chance, Blade?”

Silence follows afterwards as you both gaze into each other’s eyes, trying to understand each other’s perspective. You can hear how deeply he is breathing as he searches for answers in your eyes. Your breathing rate isn’t normal either; the way you’re taking shallow breaths at the thought of being in love with him scares you. You wait for his answer but seeing him remain quiet you sigh.

“I guess I am not worth a chance.”

You whisper out loud and look away from him. He immediately interjects, delicately placing a hand on the small of your back while the other one tilts your chin up again.

“No, that’s not true. If anything, I am the one who's not worth the second chance. I thought treating you coldly and keeping you at a distance would make you hate me. I thought it would make things easier for the both of us.”

You can tell he’s still conflicted about allowing you into his heart based on the way he looks at you. Instead of saying something you put your hands on his chest, weakly smiling as you feel his heartbeat on the tip of your fingers. His eyes widen momentarily and his cheeks turn pink.

“I could never hate you Blade.”

The breathiness of your voice makes his heart race faster. He subconsciously pulls you in deeper causing your body to press against his completely. You shiver at how gently he caresses your cheek.

“Then…allow me to fall in love with you.”

You gasp as you feel his soft lips on your forehead. The warmth from his action gives you goosebumps and you can feel your heart trying to leap out of your chest. You burn up fiercely and attempt to hide into his chest which makes him chuckle. He rests his head on top of yours and you feel his hair tickle your neck. A shy smile spreads on your face as you wrap your arms around his waist. He reciprocates by hugging you back harder; his hands firmly planted on your back as if unwilling to let go of you. There is a newfound sense of security in the way he envelopes his arms around you as if silently promising you protection from this moment onwards. While you are immersed in his comfort, what you cannot see is the rage burning in his eyes and the gears of his head turning violently as he thinks about your enemies. His mind runs wild with all sorts of plans on how he is going to slice them all up the moment he finds them.

After all, your father never told you Blade was the CEO of an assassin company. ⋇⋆✦⋆⋇ ©mm-lurking 2024 do not copy, steal or reuse my work.

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procrastinatae · 1 month

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It's too late - Blade

Angst, angst and angst. Because I wanted to write pain. I tried a new perspective so apologies if it's confusing!

Warning: Blade x fem! reader, there is literally not a single drop of comfort in here, it's pure angst. I am not sorry

WC: 2238 – The tension is suffocating at the Exalting Sanctum in the Xianzhou Luofu. It is so thick you could cut it with a knife. The sun is hanging low in the sky as Blade stands on the other side from the Astral Express members and the general of the Luofu, Jing Yuan. No words are exchanged but enough emotions are conveyed through the glares and stiff body language from everyone in front of him.

Blade calmly observes the people. There is backup from the cloud knights behind the general and the Astral Express. He glances at the battlefield and takes note of the extra backups on the adjacent side of the general. As usual, this fight will be nothing more than child’s play; after all, taking out several enemies in one go was his bread and butter. The cloud knights weren’t even worth his attention, for they were just training dummies in his eyes.

“Member of the Stellaron Hunter, your games have come to an end. Drop your weapon and surrender.”

Jing Yuan steps forward as he speaks with authority. There is a glint in his eyes that only Blade understands, it’s a glint that asks him to quietly comply with whatever the general is planning. Both parties know that he cannot be held hostage, for Kafka would save him one way or the other. Besides, Jing Yuan’s past with the wanted criminal would mean that no matter what, he could never be in serious trouble on the Luofu.

“You impede me.”

Blade scowls. If it was just Jing Yuan and his pathetic guards, he could have handled it alone, but why was the Astral Express here too? This was supposed to be a Xianzhou Alliance situation and it had nothing to do with the outsiders. A soft zap fills the air when he conjures his sword and points it towards the general, ready to fight. He narrows his eyes when he sees how the general nods his head and smiles. Things were going his way indeed.

“It appears that communication will not suffice any longer. My friends from the Astral Express, get ready.”

Jing Yuan sternly commands his companions as he also gets in the position to fight. Yet when he’s about to draw his sword he’s stopped by Dan Heng who extends his arm out.

“General, you haven’t recovered from Phantylia completely. We will take care of this. I’m sure Stelle, March and I can handle him. Besides we have all the backup we need, you needn't get yourself involved.”

“Confident aren’t we today?”

Blade mocks from the distance and Dan Heng snaps his head towards him, frowning. An evil grin slowly appears on Blade’s face as he confidently walks closer with his sword ready.

“Traitor of the Xianzhou,” He says wickedly, “how about a rematch-!”

There is no time for Dan Heng to prepare as Blade rapidly starts to attack him left and right leaving no room for him to think. The swords clash loudly with one another as they go back and forth with each other. Even with March 7th and Stelle aiding, Blade evades one hit after the other, skillfully wielding his sword to deflect their advances. Fury is evident in his eyes and his mania for revenge is crystal clear from the aggression he displays with his weapon.

Everyone moves out of the way as they both battle their way through on the ground, afraid to get involved. Dan Heng manages to warn the others to not interfere as he single-handedly struggles to keep up with Blade. The hostility between the two is too dangerous for anyone to be dragged in. Their exchange is like a dance, a dance of danger and death with the loud noises of their weapons being the melody. It doesn’t take long for the Vidyadhara descendant to get cornered by the Stelleron Hunter as he struggles to push the man off.

“Give up.”

Blade smirks as he watches the man struggle to push his weapon away. Jing Yuan, who had been carefully watching from a distance, chooses to intervene now as he rushes over and aids Dan Heng. The battle continues once again, this time with Jing Yuan being the receiver of Blade’s blows. The general manages to push Blade back to his original spot; the sounds of their swords getting sharper and louder with each strike.

“Blade this is enough.”

“Hmph.”

He sighs knowing he can’t get past Blade’s stubbornness. They both continue to fight endlessly, neither one willing to put down the sword first.

–

The wind whizzes past your face as you sprint as fast as possible to find Blade. At this time of the day, you would usually be heading back home from work. However, a moment ago Stelle messaged you, informing you of the conflict between Blade and Dan Heng, urgently pleading for your assistance. You agreed as there was nothing more important than stopping your man from killing his archnemesis. You rush to the location, panting and wheezing as you go up and down the flight of stairs and the maze-like corridors to finally arrive at the scene.

You are appalled by the sight in front of you. Several cloud knights are lying around on the floor injured while the others have retreated from fear of getting involved. The Astral Express members are in one corner trying to stop their male companion from joining the general to fight Blade. Your eyes finally land on Blade, who is effortlessly battling Jing Yuan with a psychopathic smile on his face. Chills run down your spine as you try to figure out what to do without getting caught in the heat of it. Unfortunately for you, fate has other plans.

Dan Heng refuses to stay put as he pushes Stelle and March 7th out of his way, stumbling to get to Jing Yuan. On the other side, Blade who hasn’t stopped striking even once, sees Dan Heng out of the corner of his eyes and grins. Without a word, he distances himself from the general putting enough space between the two so he can lift his sword and hurl it towards Dan Heng.

You watch in horror as the sword flies through the battlefield, its course set to hurt the Vidyadhara. Instinctively you bolt towards Dan Heng, using your body as a shield to prevent him from getting hurt. Everything happens so fast, yet you feel like your world is in slow-mo. You manage to interfere just in time as the sword flies halfway in its path and pierces you instead. The momentum makes the sword push through your skin and organs and comes out from your back causing you to stagger. You want to yell and scream but the agony and pain make your throat locked, unable to breathe or say anything. You hear Dan Heng shout your name but his voice feels so far away as your mind goes blank and eyes widen. The yelling makes Jing Yuan turn around and Blade freeze up when his eyes land on you. All three men are stunned as they look at what has occurred.

–

“..!!”

His world is spinning. Everything around him is a blur in his eyes as he dashes forward, past Jing Yuan, to catch you in his arms right as you hit the ground. His mind is racing full of thoughts, confused and shocked as to where you came from and how he didn’t see you. The look of horror doesn’t leave his face as he stares at what he has done; his sword has impaled through your body completely like a fishball on a skewer. Blood leaks out of you like a waterfall, spreading through your clothes, his hands and the floor. You cough out blood and it trickles down your chin, falling on his fingers. The sight is too gruesome to see even for him, yet he cannot look away.

“B-blade…”

You say very weakly as you look at his face. Your voice is so soft that even the subtle breeze threatens to carry it away.

“You…!”

He manages to choke out, holding you tightly in his arms. His gaze flickers all over your body trying to make sense of your situation. Your fingers loosely cling onto his coat in an attempt to consolidate him.

“It’s ok…love…”

His heartbeat is through the roof as he watches you struggling to speak. You slowly lift your bloody left hand and he latches on to it immediately, tightening his fingers around your shaky palm. There is a small smile on your face as you gently brush his cheek with all your strength.

“Don’t-”

He’s struggling to find the right words. What can he say? What is there left to say?

“I love you…”

His eyes widen when you say so and he shakes his head.

“No, don’t- don’t-” You both know you don’t have time left. You cannot be saved but he refuses to believe it. “Please don’t-”, he continues, “you can’t-”

Tears spill from your eyes as you stare into his crimson eyes for one last time, admiring the mysteries of his depths that you never got to fully explore in this lifetime. You muster your final breath and slowly speak.

“I love you very much…”

The hand on his cheek drops on the floor with a loud thud and his breath hitches. The tiny smile on your face recedes and your eyes close as your body goes limp. He shakes you gently trying to wake you up.

“?!?!”

He yells out your name in distress. Despite his attempts, you don’t wake up. He desperately shakes you over and over, pleading for you to open your eyes one last time, for you to speak to him once more, for you to just smile at him once again, to wake up and tell him it’s a joke or that it’s just a bad dream he’s having but alas, you have departed to a place he has spent his cursed life seeking and hopelessly wishing for. Death had come for you before him and once again he had to watch another loved one leave him alone in this empty world full of lies and deceptions. You, the one thing he considered to be the light in his darkness, the star in his empty sky, had also dimmed.

Jing Yuan and Dan Heng come over quickly, still too staggered to process everything. They look back and forth between Blade and you with no words good enough to speak. He continues to hold you tightly, unwilling to let go of you even if seeing his sword in your body breaks him in ways he cannot comprehend.

“Bla-”

“Leave us alone.”

He says weakly as he stares at your now peaceful face. Your eyes are closed and you look so calm as if a giant sword wasn’t anchored into your body. His bloody hand finds its way to your cheek and he softly strokes it, cherishing every touch he has remaining.

“Blade you have to-”

“I said leave us alone!”

Blade yells out at the two men, his voice hoarse from the events that have unfolded. Anger and pain swirl in his bloodshot eyes as he tries to keep himself under control. He turns back to look at you, his eyes softening once again.

“She’s gone….”

He mutters to himself, still holding you tightly. Jing Yuan stays rooted in his spot for a while before gesturing for his knights to leave to give some privacy to you both.

“She wasn’t supposed to be here…where did she come from..?”

Jing Yuan watches his long-time friend mumbling quietly, unsure if he should say anything.

“I killed her…I did this.”

“It was not on purpose. We didn’t know she would get caught in the middle of this.”

The general finally says something, carefully picking his words to not aggravate the swordsman. Silence falls once again and Dan Heng gestures at Jing Yuan to leave with him.

“She needs to be buried soon, Blade. Call for us when you’re ready.”

They give you both one last glance before walking away with the other two Astral Express members. There is an unsettling calmness in the air as everyone leaves the two of you alone. It wasn’t supposed to end like this. It was just supposed to be the usual antics between him and the general. He only had to spar with Dan Heng, have the general interfere and then make his escape. It was supposed to be as simple as that without you involved. He was supposed to meet you at Aurum Alley at sunset yet here he was, holding your dead body during sundown.

Blade is not a man of emotions yet he finds his eyes becoming misty as he continues staring at you, unable to move or speak. He struggles to breathe, heaving while trying to process your death, replaying your fall over and over like a broken radio. Fate truly enjoyed playing its cruel tricks on him, making him dance around like a puppet on strings. He was imprisoned in a glass jail for eternity as he watched everyone live out their dreams while his faded away. No matter how hard he tried to find happiness in his cursed immortal life, it was always snatched away. He looks at you one last time, caressing your cheeks before kissing your cold forehead gently.

In this lifetime, he was never meant to be happy. ⋇⋆✦⋆⋇ ©mm-lurking 2024 do not copy, steal or reuse my work.

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procrastinatae · 2 months

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Studio Ghibli + Drawing and Writing

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procrastinatae · 2 months

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my shop is open!!! here is my team!!!!<3

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procrastinatae · 2 months

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Emperor Blade AU brainrot

I'm struggling to finish my Blade wips so have this for today. Inspired by my interest in historical Chinese dramas (forgive me for my limited knowledge), Im writing this as 12am please don't mind me with the grammar mistakes etc thank you WC: 1000 ish Warnings: blade x fem! reader, NOT proofread! --- Emperor Blade who picks you during the wife selection stage. You, a middle-class woman with a clan that is neither too powerful nor weak, just ok. You, who compared to the many beauties with influence and high political power, are just average. But that doesn't matter to him as he calmly picks you from the list of candidates, dumbfounding his advisors and court members. Emperor Blade who only picked a wife because of the pressure his court was putting on him. In his thundering dominant reign of purging corruption and enemies, he had never considered being married even once. Marriage to him was an inconvenience and an unnecessary contract to sign.

Emperor Blade who keeps you at an arm's length, treating you just right so it's not controversial yet keeping you so distant that your only companion is your right handmaid. He doesn't speak much to you, and your conversations are short and out of formality. You barely see much of him as he spends most of his day running the nation and the times he is free he rarely visits you.Emperor Blade who frankly doesn't care what you do or say, as long as you let him be and don't cause trouble. You're merely a pawn in his eyes, a pawn to get everyone to shut up and let him reign however he wants without interfering, that is -until you're pulled into the games of politics.

Emperor Blade whose eyes are raging with a fire his court members have never seen when a faction decides to take advantage of the awkwardness of your marriage and hurt you. He has never liked innocent people being involved in the deception and web of lies of politics. The anger in his voice followed by the withdrawal of his sword makes everyone present cower with fear as they rush to cease his anger so they can save their own heads.

Emperor Blade who works tirelessly at night to figure out who had dared to poison you so shamelessly without any consequences, his jawline clenched and knuckles white as he looks through all his reports to find the mole within the palace walls. Despite saying he doesn't have time for you before, he finds a way to visit you when you're unconscious in your bed, holding your hand as he looks over your peaceful face. Your touch is comforting yet foreign and despite his initial reservations, he finds himself wanting more.

Emperor Blade who rushes over to your chambers when he's informed that you're awake so he can see you for himself and breathe a sigh of relief. There is a twinkle in his eyes that you have never seen before but in your weak state, you shrug it off as your imagination. He swears to find the ones who have hurt you and promises to keep you safe. The tiny smile he shows you has you flabbergasted for the rest of the day.

Emperor Blade who does not hesitate to execute the perpetrators publicly as a warning for everyone to see, to fear the consequences of what would happen if anyone even thought about hurting his wife, his empress. He makes sure you're not watching so he doesn't subject you to the brutality of his role as the emperor. To him, he does not find the need to scare you with his powers. He does not want you to fear him.

Emperor Blade who is slowly but surely falling in love with you. You find yourself welcoming him into your chambers more and more as he drinks tea and chit chats about his interests with you, something you were confused by at first but now have become accustomed to. He loves how you eagerly listen to him and offer your opinions if asked while making sure he's comfortable in your space.

Emperor Blade, who swore to never fall in love, has his heart beating faster and faster whenever he sees you, his breath hitching in his throat when you pass by him in the halls wearing your beautiful gowns. Your scent is intoxicating and he finds himself addicted to you, unable to get enough of you.

Emperor Blade who asks you to accompany him to the pavilion to admire the moon one day. He asks you to wear your favourite gown and says nothing more, leaving you confused but curious. You comply as you meet him in front of your palace, shyly smiling as he admires you.

Emperor Blade who takes your hand into his own, causing you to gasp as the public display of affection. His grip is firm and unwavering, a sign that he doesn't plan to let go. He dismisses his guards and your maids, leaving only you two alone as you both walk to the pavilion and stare at the night sky. The moon is bright and beautiful today with stars that twinkle in the sky like jewels.

Emperor Blade who pulls you into his arms, lifting ur chin with one hand as he looks into your eyes. "You're beautiful", he murmurs causing you to blush. The faint redness of your cheek makes him chuckle as he draws closer. Your noses are touching and your hearts thumping.

Emperor Blade who before only viewed you as a pawn, an inconvenience and a waste of time, now looks at you endlessly as he flicks his gaze back and forth between your lips and your eyes, asking for silent permission as his grip on your waist tightens and the gap between you two closes.

Emperor Blade who asked you to keep your distance from him now closes the distance between you both with a kiss, a kiss that washes away every painful thing he had said to you before. The winds of the night embrace the both of you at this moment as if it were a sign of acceptance from nature itself, a thumbs up almost.

Emperor Blade, a man of fear, blood and formidable reign had now become a man of affection, love and security. A man who swore to never love and never be married is now a man who is deeply in love with you. As the night continues and the moon illuminates your figures, he promises to cherish you and be your man for the rest of your life. A man whose tenderness, warmth and devotion are reserved for you and only you to see. ⋇⋆✦⋆⋇ ©mm-lurking 2024 do not copy, steal or reuse my work.

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procrastinatae · 3 months

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Happy Birthday Al-Haitham~

Inspired by @dragolypso (Adrawnymous on Instagram)'s Al-Haitham's birthday post. You can check it out here. Just a quick drabble I wrote while being out of my mind. It's written in second person btw. Warnings: fem! reader and slightly suggestive at the end, that's all Word count: 449 - It’s his birthday. Does he care? Not really. He has never been one for loud and wild celebrations yet he didn’t completely decline birthday wishes and get-togethers either. The soft rays of morning sunlight illuminate through his stained glass windows as he sighs and turns his head away from the light. His wife on the other hand, is fully awake smiling at his sleeping form as she turns to her side and admires him.

“Happy birthday sleepy head.”

She leans towards him and softly taps his cheeks.

“Mmm.”

Eventhough his eyes are closed, she can tell he’s awake by how he turns his face towards her and yawns. She smiles wider and places her hands on his bare chest, tracing circles on it trying to wake him up.

He slowly pries his eyes open and blinks, stretching like a cat before staring at her. She has propped herself onto his chest, looking into his emerald eyes with a big smile on her face. Her hair falls on his skin tickling him as she breathes slowly.

“It’s your birthday Haitham. Happy birthday my love.”

He wraps his arms around her and smiles, thanking her before pulling her closer. To his surprise, she resists and shakes her head. Right before he’s about to say something she presses a finger to his lips and giggles as she pushes herself away from him and gets up from the bed. He frowns at the loss of warmth from her body but watches her closely as she goes to her cabinet and pulls out a neatly wrapped present. The box looks simple yet elegant with the geometric design and a bright red ribbon on top. Her giggle fills the room again as she approaches their shared bed and shyly pushes the box towards him.

“Oh?”

There is a smirk on his face as he looks back and forth between the box and her.

“Open it.”

She asks of him but he stares at her instead before beckoning her to come closer. Just as she sits on the bed, he pulls her into his arms causing her to yelp as she finds herself against his sculpted stone chest.

“Haitham?!?”

There is a firm grip on her waist again preventing her from moving eventhough she wasn’t trying to escape. A gasp slips from her mouth as she feels his fingers under the hem of her shirt.

“That’s not quite the present I expected to unwrap,” he says as he gestures to the gift box on the bed. She would give him a reply if it weren’t for the way his fingers were climbing up her spine causing her to shudder.

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procrastinatae · 3 months

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Hello, have a biscuit! 🍪🩷

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procrastinatae · 3 months

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Die for you (Wriothesley)

Originally written for a friend, modified to suit readers. Wriothesley x fem! reader, no warnings needed, just pure fluff and diabetes I guess (Wriothesley + tension = best combo) Word count: 1379 --- I’m finding ways to articulate the feelin’ I’m going through

He knows she’s watching him. He can see it from the corner of his eyes. The Duke is perceptive after all, he is able to observe his surroundings easily. Why is it that any room he steps into, he looks for her first? Why is it when he scans the crowd he wants to see her figure?

I just can’t say I don’t love you

She watches him from a distance, afraid to get close and let her feelings slip. Clamy hands, flushed face, increased heartrate…she is no fool, she knows she’s fallen for him.

Cause I love you

He straightens his tie and clears his throat, not to the words coming out of the Pankraton ring’s manager’s mouth, but because he’s starting to feel like he’s suffocating from her eyes on him. He wants her attention, he wants her gaze yet he cannot handle it well.

It’s hard for me to communicate the thoughts that I hold

How many times has he tried to say something to her but only fail miserably? He has lost count about the amount of times he has nearly blurted out how he feels and covered it up with some nonsense that somehow sounded convincing to her.

But tonight I am gon’ let you know

How long is he going to continue hiding it from her? It's been weeks, months even. Why was he so afraid of letting her know? It's not like he was going to perish if she rejected him. He manages to finish his conversation with the manager and turns in her direction finally, only to see her gone. She left...

Let me tell the truth

He calls her to his office that night. And to his surprise she doesn't refuse, nor does she question it. He had asked a guard to forward his request to her in the dormitories and she sent back a message saying she agreed. Frankly, he wasn't sure if this was the right way to do this but he didn't what else to do. He needed an answer from her in the privacy of his office just in case things didn't go the way he wanted.

You know what I'm thinkin' see it in your eyes

The office door closes behind her and silence falls. She can hear the soft music of the gramophone playing and the rustling of papers but aside from that it is dead silent. The sudden change of atmosphere from the noisy machines outside makes her nervous and all the physical signs of her feelings rush back into her body. Slowly she walks up the stairs and finally faces him, the very man that's been playing with her heart. Neither knows that the moment they make eye contact, their heart rates shoot up beyond understanding.

You hate that you want me, hate it when you cry, you're scared to be lonely, specially in the night

It is for the first time she notices that he is breathing more heavily than usual. His face is flushed and he pulls on his tie continuously, fidgeting with it. Neither have broken eye contact yet. These signs..., she thinks to herself, is he...? Does he feel the same way I do? Her eyes widen and she tightly clasps her hands. No...no way...

I'm scared I will miss you, happens everytime, I don't want this feeling, I can't afford love

He finally looks away and clears his throat. What should he say? What can he say? He pretends to look through a document and audibly mumbles a hi. She greets him back in a shy manner and silence falls once more. Unable to handle the fast beating of her heart she attempts small talk.

“So you wanted to see me?”

I try to find reason to pull us apart

“Yeah regarding your jail release papers.”

Lies. That was not why he wanted to see her. Here he was, avoiding the topic once again, just as he had been for the past few months. The woman curiously looks at him and tilts her head.

“Your Grace my sentence is not complete for another twenty years…I killed my friend’s perpetrator, remember?”

“Oh.”

Of course, how could he forget? When he had first seen her papers he was immediately fascinated at the willpower she had exercised to commit such an act. A lifetime of jail and yet she chose to go this far. Somehow it reminded him of his own story…

It ain’t workin’ ‘cause you’re perfect and I know that you’re worth it

He slams the document down on the table and she flinches. He was upset at himself, frustrated at himself for being so stupid and silly. Why was he behaving like this? How hard was it to say three words?!

“Y-your Grace…?”

He realises she was still in front of him and gets up to apologise. She watches him press the temples of his head before sighing.

“Forgive me, I just- this doesn’t have anything to do with you.”

She nods but her eyes are still wide. Something is off about him, she notes. I think he likes me but this is just…unexpected.

I can’t walk away, oh

“You.”

He walks around his table and finally stands in front of her. His heart is racing and his face is flushed again but he pushes through. She watches him, observing all his features, his large muscular biceps, the way his chest heaves up and down, the way his shirt is so tight that one button is all it would take to pop it off…she observes everything except his eyes. She can’t look into them no matter how hard she tries.

“There is something I would like you to know.”

He continues slowly. She blinks and he takes it as a sign to continue.

Even though we’re goin’ through it and it makes you feel alone, just know that I would die for you.

“I, I like you.”

He slowly says, exhaling with each other almost as if making sure he’s saying it correctly. She takes a step back out of shock and stares at him, her heart rate absolutely out of this world and her face so red even a tomato would be put to shame. His fists are balled up, afraid of rejection and afraid to know her reaction. The anxiety that races through him is one he has never felt. A few moments of silence follows as he waits for her answer.

Baby I would die for you, yeah

“I…I like you to your Grace…”

She shyly says while fidgeting with her fingers. She stares at the ground and her hair forms a curtain preventing her face from being seen. It’s a good thing he cannot see the cheeky smile she has on her face which has formed from amusement and disbelief. He stares at her in shock, not believing the words coming out her mouth.

The distance and the time between us, it’ll never change my mind ‘cause

“You like me too?”

He asks her wanting to make sure he’s hearing it right, that this isn’t some hallucination of his from the twenty cups of tea he drinks. She stands tall and finally looks into his eyes with conviction.

“I like you. Very much.”

Baby I would die for you

“Well its a good thing we both feel the same way.”

He chuckles and smirks, the anxiety and nervousness vanishing as if it was never there in the first place. She smiles at how he returns to his normal self.

“So what are we?”

“Feelers.”

“Your Grace!”

“Call me Wriothesley, that title sounds too formal coming from you.”

“As you wish…Wriothesley.”

They both chuckle and she takes a step closer. He looks at her in confusion, unsure what she was planning. She tilts her head upwards and tiptoes causing his lips to almost touch hers. They both look at each other for a moment before letting go of the hesitation. He finds his arms snake around her waist automatically and hers wrapping around his neck. In the privacy of the office, no one would interrupt their kiss.

Baby I would die for you, yeah.

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procrastinatae · 3 months

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dear hils im in love with you

I feel the same as well hehe~ love you ❤️

#hils speaks

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procrastinatae · 3 months

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Unrequited Love - Blade

Warnings: angst, no comfort, implied death; not really proof read, wrote this under an hour on the train Word count: 743 words

—

You recall the first time you associated with the Stellaron Hunters. It was an odd meeting, one where you had practically no choice but to form some sort of mutual understanding with each other for the sake of doing business. Kafka was the one to extend the invitation to you as she was aware of your connections and for some reason, it almost felt like a subtle threat, like she had particularly picked you for the job and not someone else for some reason.

Time flew by since then. You become acquainted with Kafka, Silverwolf and the very man you had started to fall for, Blade. It was just curiosity at first, an interest in who he was and why, compared to how energetic Kafka and Silverwolf were, was he so quiet and calm. Not that you were trying to pursue him, no, that was not your intention at all but the heart wants what it wants right?

Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months as your mutual alliance continued. You saw more and more of Blade and ultimately your feelings of curiosity turned into love. You remember the day you realised it. It was your usual nighttime meeting with the hunters somewhere in the hidden complexes of the Xianzhou Luofu. That night, Kafka was running late and Silverwolf was nowhere to be seen leaving you and Blade alone in the room. You remember looking at him for a brief moment, admiring the way his facial features were so perfect. The way his dark blue hair fell over his blood-crimson eyes, the way his jawline was so sharp, the way he looked so ethereal under the flickering lights of the room…he was so handsome. You remember the way he caught you staring at him, saying nothing but glaring at you momentarily before closing his eyes and resting. Ah of course, you thought, why would he even bother to talk to me? I mean nothing to him. Why…why does it hurt?

It hurt. It was supposed to hurt. Why wouldn’t it hurt? Blade was a mysterious man, a man of few words and even fewer emotions. Whatever his relation was to Kafka and his reason for joining the Stellaron Hunters…you didn’t know. All you knew was he only talked to those two and in the rare moments you saw him conversing, there were emotions displayed that you didn’t know he was capable of. You remember the day you saw him smile, it caught you so off guard that you accidentally crashed a vase sitting on the nearby cabinet. That was embarrassing but fortunately Kafka helped you clean up. And Blade? That tiny smile he flashed momentarily towards Kafka immediately turned into a scowl when he laid his eyes upon you. Of course, you thought, that smile would never be for me.

You did what you could do to not fall for him harder but to no avail. All you could do was to control yourself around him and smile watching him from afar. This was enough for you, as long as you got to watch him smile, speak and just do anything from a distance, it was ok. It was bearable. But what was the point of remembering all this now? What was the point of recalling all this?

In the present moment you struggled to breathe as blood continued gushing out of your wounds uncontrollably. A fight with the mara-struck cloud knight soldiers had brought upon you your demise. Seeing that your end was near, the enemies had left you to fend for yourself leaving you lying alone on the cold stone pavement. No one was around to help you and frankly, no one would even hear your calls for help in the dead of the night. More blood oozed out of your mouth as you coughed and you clenched your robes trying to steady your breathing to no avail. As tears welled up and your eyes started to close, all you could think about was Blade and your encounters with him.

In the distance, you could see a familiar silhouette walking towards you. Was it your delusion or reality? You didn’t know. As he came closer and his face became clearer, you recognised the same stone face you were used to seeing, one devoid of emotion. You took one last look in his crimson eyes and a bitter smile formed on your face as your life slipped away.

Of course, he would never love me.

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