#i also wish i could choose pronouns but i already knew that would not be possible

[fishshapedbun]

it's so harsh that i need 30 [Freedom to be bored] to be able to post in labs more than once a day T__T since on the incubator most times i can only get one at a time, it takes so long to gather 30 c.c

specially bc i like to also go around supporting other ppl's comments HAHAHA i love this function, i just wish it costed less-

#the ssum #the ssum spoilers #the ssum forbidden lab #the ssum city of free men #otome game #i also wish i could choose pronouns but i already knew that would not be possible #so i didnt expect it lol #but damn everything is expensiveeee whyyy #cheritz most of us are not rich;;;;;

[asteroshearts]

From here on out, devoted

You commit a faux pas at your wedding, but look at how handsome he appears today — how can you not?

Nanami x Reader

Tags: pre-canon, she/her pronouns, marraige, breaking tradition (NOT appropriate behavior tho i don't condone it in irl situations💀), religious sacrilege??, familial pressure, fluff

You and Nanami had a traditional wedding.

Unfortunately, it wasn't a choice you made all on your own.

It wasn't as if you necessarily wanted a hybrid or Western-style wedding, but you never had the chance to decide in the first place. It would've been so simple if you were just two people in love, but you two weren't just ordinary joined souls, but jujutsu sorcerers.

And as a lead member of a prolific jujutsu clan, it wasn't just your wedding, but theirs — everyone's. Tonight wasn't just for you and Kento to become one, nor was it only for your close families to unite, but for the entirety of jujutsu society to observe. They could threaten your position as a sorcerer as they pleased, but it was a new matter when Kento was at risk as well.

Every jujutsu higher-up had to be there to officiate, pray, and bless you two as a couple, and every prominent clan had to be there. (Unfortunately for Nanami, that also meant the Gojo clan.)

You tried to think of the positives initially: you had access to one of the most beautiful shrines you had ever seen in your life, one that was hidden away only for those in jujutsu society for hundreds of years. All expenses would be taken care of.

Also, at the end of the day, you were going to get married to the love of your life: Nanami Kento.

That was already the highest blessing that you could ask for.

You were already considered lucky by the women in every single clan— your marriage could have been arranged. Gojo himself was a product of an arranged marriage, as well as almost every member of the Zen'in clan. Yet here you were crying when you were marrying for love.

However, you were constricted by your own lack of agency. You couldn't choose your wedding dress — you weren't allowed to wear one. Your wedding date was chosen by one of the higher-ups. You wouldn't be able to kiss, or hug, or be affectionate for the entirety of the rites. People like Zen'in Naoya had to be invited while the individuals that you wanted to see like Shoko couldn't come until after the main ceremony.

On late nights when the curtains were wide, allowing the city's nightlife to illuminate your room, you and Kento used to whisper, believing that one day when the cherry blossoms fell, he'd be the one to weave a single braid in your hairstyle on your wedding day, or have a hand in tying one of the knots.

It would've meant the world: a representation of how he helped you get ready then, and how he'd pamper you now — until the rest of your lives. Now it was being taken from you.

All the things of beauty that you admired: the lavish bridal nihongami, the intricate shiromuku, suddenly weighed heavy on your heart.

Kento was always on your side. Privately, he brought up to you that you two could elope. The higher-ups couldn't take over your wedding if there was no wedding to control.

It sounded so tempting. However, this wasn't just your wedding, but Kento's. He would never say it out of worry of pressuring you. For as straight-laced of a man that he appeared to outsiders, you knew how sentimental he was, and how much he valued a ceremony that would bind you two from now on to eternity.

In all the aspects of your wedding that you could control, Nanami thrived. Although your future husband didn't show it with smiles or exuberant words, you could tell just how excited he was to plan things like the reception's menu, taking care to include things like seabream and red rice to wish for your prosperity as a couple. He called up restaurants and caterers from far and wide, bringing you to samplings nearly every week, trying to fuse some common dishes with some of his favorite French, Portuguese, and many other restaurants.

He personally designed the invitations, ordered all of the wedding favors with you.

You couldn't steal it from him. Even if you two eloped now and tried to postpone the ceremony, the elders would always be there.

Didn't you already have the most important thing?

Oh, and you adored the man you would be marrying, you thought. The stylist carefully laid down several sets of kanzashi beside you. You were set to get ready for the next nine hours.

Fine. You looked at your reflection in the mirror. The elders can have this one day.

As long as you have your man for the rest of your life.

It smelled like pollen on your wedding day. Inhaling deeply, the shrine's courtyard was covered in sakura pedals, shining dappled light upon you and Kento.

Hair raised on the back of your neck when the shrine masters began to play their shinobue and fue, signaling your and Nanami's descent from the courtyard into the main pavilion.

The high sound reverberated deep into your eardrums, making the clicks of your sandals fall deaf to your ears. This loss — lack displaced you from the present, as if you were never really there. As if you were a ghost under this cold spring when one of your older relatives held the ornate oil-paper umbrella plastered with several jujutsu talismans over your and your groom's heads, shielding you from whatever remnants of the sun were left.

You couldn't see him, not even from the corner of your eye when you were hidden by the bridal headdress. However, Nanami Kento was a yours. The nerves in your heart stirred alarms in his head, calling out to him.

Your right hand cradled the folds of your kimono, lifting it up and holding it to your body while your groom held his hands at his side, with a folding fan in one palm.

You felt the ends of your large sleeve being tugged, pulling you closer. Your breath hitched when you felt that moment again. Eyes darting to the crowd around your escort, the Zen'ins, the Inumakis, all those that your elders deemed as important enough to attend were surrounding you on both sides.

But with how your groom called out to you silently, it gave your heart wings, did it not?

Your proper groom, you thought, who followed protocol and listened to what was right more than any other sorcerer you knew, toeing the line — just to hold your hand.

Quickly and daringly, you quickly switched your right hand with your left, even as you had to awkwardly stretch it over your torso to tuck your hand under the hulking fold. You dropped your hand to your side for your knuckles to brush across layers of silk until you were finally skin-to-skin with Kento's own large hand.

Hidden by a sea of heavy fabric, bones cautiously knocked into each other, skin meeting gently across pads of fingers, and inching closer for your hands to knit —

Smack!

Teeth gritting, you and Kento quickly dropped your hands and separated.

"Have some shame," your relative muttered from behind your ear.

Rolling your eyes, you were finally glad that your glare was hidden under your wataboshi.

In all honesty, you couldn't focus much after that.

The remaining rites were a blur in your mind. When the students asked you years down the line what your wedding was like, you honestly told them you couldn't remember much of it. (The honeymoon was much more memorable, you would tease.)

You returned to earth as Utahime stood in front of you and your groom seated before her. Giving you a stern nod, she handed your groom his first cup with two hands. When he took it with a nod, she held the golden pot in her hand and poured Kento the first cup of sake.

Turning your head toward him, it was as if the veil lifted. The ends of your headdress finally revealed the marvel in front of you.

Suddenly, all you could hear as he brought the cup to his lips were the instruments in the background played by the live musicians.

A silent gasp escaped your lips. It struck you — you haven't really looked at him all day. Until now.

He was too good to be true.

Nanami forwent his glasses, and you can see the ends of his lashes brush the top of his cheeks as his eyelids fell. His hair was done meticulously, and the warm lights of the shrine lit up the strands on his head to be as golden as the pieces on your hair ornaments.

Even as you brought up your own cup to take three sips of sake, the vision in your mind stayed the same —

Of how he took your breath away by the sight of him in his montsuki haori hakama. Your heart bloomed: you stared at the crisp lines of fabric that surrounded his collar, neatly falling against his peachy skin. His Adam's apple gently rose and fell when he sipped his second cup of sake.

Staring down at your two cups placed side-by-side after you had your second drink, you wondered if there had ever been another man like him before. And whether there will ever be a Nanami Kento ever again.

Heart clenching, the music beside you started its slow crawl, carrying low notes that vibrated in your chest.

You wished it so.

For when you lived, died, and are reborn — you shrewdly didn't even want your soul to consider anyone else.

The string accompaniment slowly built up the notes, echoing singular plucked koto strings.

Utahime poured Nanami his third and last cup of sake.

Eyes carrying the reflection of your future husband, tears suddenly fell down in rivulets. Oxygen didn't pass your lungs.

Nanami paused, eyes widened as he carried his last sip, shocked at your sudden onslaught of tears. He turned to you fully with worry.

Oh, you looked him in the eye, you were getting married.

Unable to stop yourself, the song hit its sforzando. You threw yourself at your husband, arms wrapping around his neck, and desperately pressing your lips to his.

Needles and pricks danced around your legs after the kneeing position you were forced in the entire ceremony, causing you to nearly topple over the blond man. Loud gasps rang from the crowd as soon as you committed the scandalous act, but all you could hear was the beat of your hearts following the tune of the music.

And the rule-following man before you allowed it, for whatever you do: right and wrong, he put you first.

Catching you from falling, Nanami corded a singular strong arm around your waist, pressing you firmly against his body, hoisting you up until your knees weren't on the ground. Feet — swept.

Deepening the kiss with the god of a man before you, you were positive — as the warm sake flowed from his mouth to yours, you had taken your final sips.

You were officially husband and wife. By all means and forms of tradition, the gods had decreed it.

"What is the matter with you two?!" Gakuganji roared. Several pairs of hands attempted to rip you and Nanami apart while Gojo laughed merrily in the background.

Staring at you and Nanami making out right in front of her, Utahima twisted her face with annoyance.

"Nothing stays the same. However, for this life and the next, I beg any god that's listening to me...please let me spend every lifetime making our bed together and sharing bread from the bakery," you vowed in front of your guests.

#nanami kento x reader #nanami x reader #jjk #jujutsu kaisen #nanami kento #jjk x reader #jjk nanami #jujutsu kaisen x reader #nanami fluff #nanami

[ummmlife]

Poor, sad, miserable teen!Nanami

Warnings!: post Haibara's death Nanami ; teen nanami ; angst (?) ; fluff (?) ; nanami×reader ; she / her pronouns reader ; reader is Nanami's (check on the translator) senior (aka Gojo's age) ; headcanon, drabble, idk, i wrote. if something doesn't makes sense, my sincerest apologies for not knowing how to speak english properly 🫠

We already know that teenage Nanami was a very pessimistic and unsociable person. While our adult Nanami is an exemplary person who knows social norms well and follows them perfectly, teenage Nanami was not like that. He was trained to be an adult from the young age of 15 (I assume because of Itadori's age).

But what events happened to turn Kento Nanami from an inexperienced (emo) teenager to an exemplary adult?

Tragedies, that's what happened.

In our modern society we know and understand that child labor is something inconceivable and even illegal in many countries, I mean, it is written in human rights. So we could assume that Jujutsu society operates the same way... Hahaha no. Good grief, if that were so there would be no such thing as manga/anime (Akutami you're cruel).

Why would we believe that in a society commanded by conservative and traditionalist elders, who (and this is my thought) surely rejoiced when Japan was a colonizing empire during WWII, would protect children? In this cruel world you learn to survive, and burdened with the curse of being a Jujutsu Sorcerer you have no escape.

So Nanami, against his will and coming from a family of non sorcerers, is forced to settle in this rotten society.

If being a sorcerer is a very low possibility, probably much lower than winning the lottery, it would not be difficult to expect that in a single class there would be one or at most three Jujutsu students. This was the case with Nanami and Haibara. Two kids with completely different personalities and motivations who, by the vagaries of the universe, ended up in the same situation together (and with the same fate awaiting them. Crying).

Nanami, yes, was a pessimistic, introverted, grumpy teenager, but at least he had Haibara with him who, even if he never said it out loud, gave him hope that maybe and just maybe being a sorcerer wasn't so bad.

Hell only knows the pain and despair the death of his only friend caused Nanami.

To be born into a faded world only to meet a rainbow and then have it snuffed out by a typhoon, yeah, it wasn't easy. Nanami could even understand why Suguru Geto, who by the way Haibara was a fan of, decided to become a Curse User. For Nanami himself the temptation was so much, so palpable and easy to choose. But he knew that: 1. Haibara wouldn't have liked it, 2. Following Geto's path would have mentally exhausted him more and 3. He couldn't afford to hurt more fellow Jujutsu Sorcerers.

That is why Nanami was only looking forward to his graduation day, but silently. He wished to simply disappear, not only from the Sorcerer profession but also from this world.

Nanami was lost, mired in depression and no one seemed to care. If everyone was so busy minding their own business then he had to mind his own life as well. Go on missions alone, study alone, fight alone, eat alone, live and wait to die alone.

— "Are you sleeping well? I notice you're more exhausted than before."

Maybe he wasn't as alone as he thought, maybe he mattered to someone: his senior.

Another sorceress a year above him, a classmate of Gojo and Ieiri. A sweet and caring girl for whom, at some point when Haibara was still alive, Nanami felt loving feelings for her begin to surface.

— "Yeah... I'm fine."

Lying is bad but worrying others is worse.

Nanami was eating lunch, alone as usual, a sandwich he made himself. Sitting on the stairs outside the school listening to the cicadas and the sound of the leaves on the trees moving in the soft autumn wind. His senior sat beside him, in complete silence, knowing full well that Nanami is not a big fan of social interactions.

— "I hear you've perfected your innate Cursed Technique..."

Still, she tries to dialogue with him. At least a little bit.

— "Yeah…"

Nanami might feel uncomfortable, but the closeness of his senior makes him feel calm, it makes him feel peace.

In a world where children are forced to live and think like adults in life and death situations, the company of someone who is at least a little more mature is comforting.

— "I miss him too, you know? Haibara."

It hurts, it hurts so much. Nanami stops eating as he feels his stomach twist with the memories of that fateful day when Haibara was killed because of a mistake by the adults, they sent them to their death and it was all because of a mistake. Nanami closes his eyes and breathes in an attempt to calm his anxiety.

This has happened before, indeed, it happens every night. Nanami hasn't been able to sleep well since the Haibara incident, having no one to comfort or hold him when he cries his soul out before trying to sleep.

That's why the moment he felt his senior's delicate hands bringing his head to her shoulder to comfort him it completely threw him off. It felt good, warm for the first time.

— "If you keep holding back you're going to end up hurting yourself even more."

That sentence alone was enough to make Nanami completely break down in tears. It was the first time in years feeling comfort from someone in such an intimate and satisfying way.

Nanami cried, hugged and clung to his senior as he had never done with anyone before, only maybe with his mother when he was a child. He couldn't contain himself when he felt her lips gently pressing against his crown of his head, it was like a dream.

— "Can I ask you not to leave?"

It was so embarrassing but so necessary for him to ask that. Her senior's soft and sweet smile was like a gift to his aching heart.

— "I don't plan to go anywhere."

*sobs* Emo Nanami, so cute ‹𝟹 must protect!!!!!

#jjk nanami #nanami headcanons #nanami kento #nanami x reader #jjk x reader #jujutsu nanami #kento nanami #teen!nanami #nanami drabbles #nanami angst #nanami fluff #nanami headcanon #teen nanami #. bibi's writing

[misty-moth]

Fashionably late Rio fic for his birthday

૮ ꈍﻌ ꈍა♥~(˘ ε˘ )

This takes place when he had only recently met Mc and was therefore a very grumpy puppy 😅 I shall write sweet/precious Rio at some point, but that day is not today

Divider

Rio’s pov, Rio x mc (she/her pronouns), ~640 words, fluffyyyyy~

The eerie quiet at breakfast was my first sign. A worrisome sign. An accurate sign.

“Hey Rio, when’s your birthday?” I was steadily growing accustomed to my new roommate, and I could tell that she had been silently debating asking me something this morning… but why this?

“You know I don't remember my name, right?” Just like I knew that snapping at her wouldn’t dissuade her.

“Well, it would feel weird if we never celebrated it. It doesn’t have to be a grand event, even, just the basics!” She beamed at me, her smile always a little too bright. “Maybe we could go with the day we found you?”

“I'd rather not celebrate or concentrate on that day. It isn’t exactly a great first memory,” I grumbled, doing my damnedest to only let grumpiness show.

“Hmm…” her morning’s look of pondering returned. I swear you could read every thought crossing her mind, and it never failed to make me frustrated… and nervous.

“Give me a week. How does Friday for your birthday sound?”

So incredibly easy to read while impossibly difficult to understand.

~~~

So I guess today is my birthday.

“Here, Rio! I asked the baker ahead of time to make a variety of treats to try!”

“Thank you…” honestly, everything she had ever chosen to eat ended up being delicious. She was fairly accurate in finding things I like far faster than I did, though that may be because I wasn’t trying.

“I got you a gift, too,” she smiled a little shyly as she rummaged in her bag.

“You already gave me a name and a birthday,” I was starting to worry as she brought out a sizable bundle.

“It’s a new coat! I figured you could use a nice one while it’s still so rainy,” she held it out to me firmly, but her cheeks were tinged red.

“Mr. Akatsuki gave me the coat I’m wearing now. Does he need it back?”

She frowned. “Well, no. That’s yours, too. And it looks great on you, but I think this color really suits you.”

“Well…” her hand hadn’t wavered, but I watched her eyebrows crease. “Thank you. But I’m wearing a coat now, so—“

“Then I’ll trade you! Try this on!” Now that she mentioned it, she wasn’t wearing a coat and today was hardly a day to go without. It seems she’s getting accustomed to her new roommate, too.

Well played.

I shrugged out of the dark blue coat her boss had lended— err, given me, and I handed it over to exchange. The coat she handed me was a warmer brown, small detailing of orange and gold accenting the pockets and collar. Even trusting her choices on things I’d like, this was a tough sell.

I slowly put it on before glancing up to ask why the bright colors, but I froze.

Her eyes were already on mine, her blush far darker than last I saw it, and she was swathed in… my coat. She looked like she was suppressing a smile, though I wish she wouldn’t…

I was suddenly feeling too warm, though it was coming from deep within my chest. I also felt it rising to my cheeks.

Her brow began to furrow again, getting even further away from the smile I—

“What is it?” Ugh, why do I sound so tense?

“If you want this one back, it’s okay.” She was smiling the wrong smile.

I shook my head firmly. “Keep it.”

Her eyes widened. “Rio, this is yours, too. You don't have to choose.”

“You asked for a trade and I agreed to it. It was a verbal agreement, but an agreement no less. If that doesn’t cut it, consider it my one birthday wish.” She looked ready to argue, so I softly interjected with the truth. “It looks great on you, too.”

Her final gift to me was easily my favorite: her too-bright smile.

The inspo for this came from wondering if he celebrated his birthday twice a year after he gets his memory back. He still prefers “Rio” so I can see him preferring MC’s given birthday, too 🥹

Writing Masterlist

#unbearably fluffy as per usual #rio ortiz #ikepri rio #ikepri #ikemen prince #moth’s writing #rio is a very good boi

[neverchecking]

Thank you for giving me permission to let me send any idea I get ^u^ your list has given me more ideas and thoughts 🩵 and it has helped play into a specific one ✨ so I am here to share one that had been at the forefront of my mind that I need to share with you and your amazing brain

Btw will be using fem pronouns cause it’s a bit easier for me to write this all out, but you don’t have to ^u^

I genuinely can’t stop thinking of all the possibilities that could arise from the chain— which now includes Cal and Sage whenever I talk about the chain as a whole, they deserve all the love 🩵— knowing that their goddess has a darker side. Before I get into that, will add that personally, I feel like y/n would never abuse that power, maybe cause she has some morals; never targeting kids ofc, but also those that flirt with her but back down immediately upon seeing her boys? Those people are fine, because they’re respectful at the very least— and don’t have the audacity to think they could ever measure up to even a fraction of her perfect boys. But others that keep pushing? Target acquired. But also I imagine she doesn’t want to abuse her power cause she doesn’t want to be even remotely close to Hylia or even Zelda; she actually genuinely loves and cares about her boys, and they already do so much for her, she would never want them to feel like she’s using them. Which, I mean to be fair, if we’re being technical, she kinda is using them, but it’s for her and her boys benefit ✨ she’s just giving them permission to deal with the scum of the earth

Anyway, back to the number one thought at the forefront of my mind, me thinks, as a treat for the boys since you mentioned that they find it hot as hell, them getting to witness their goddess as she chooses her next victim ✨

Before I do that, I wanna bring up some things you wrote, like from Sage figuring out reader knew what they were doing; “They enjoyed teasing the scum of the Earth, dangling their own supple body in front of them like a treat on a stick only to set their guard dog on them the second they overstepped.” This. This imagery right here is scrumptious. 10000/10 delicious. It sparked this idea in the first place. But also the fact that it’s not just one guard dog, it’s eleven guard dogs at the ready ✨ because even when the chain know the truth, that reader knows about their darker impulses and even encourages it, she still doesn’t stop goading those people into crossing a line so her boys can deal with them— at least, she won’t unless it genuinely upsets her boys, cause while she enjoys riling up the chain and seeing how possessive they can be, she doesn’t want to actually make them upset if they really don’t like it.

Which actually plays into another thing you wrote for the list— thank you for the list 🩵— specifically on Twilight’s part; “He's just a simple country boy who was raised in a village where everyone was honest, so he can only think the same of everyone, especially his Goddess, until proven otherwise.” Which again, this. I love this— I love everything you write but this had me going “awww” out loud, he’s so precious 🩵 but also this plays into the whole thing with reader not wanting to upset her boys. If the chain doesn’t actually like that she uses her body in a way that goads those scum, she’ll respect their wishes and just straight up tell them. Especially since well, she has nothing to hide if her boys know the truth, cause I feel like y/n— in an effort to not be in any way, shape, or form like Hylia or Zelda— would be honest with them about it. Literally straight up about who’s on her shit list.

And if we bring up the point system, the higher on her shit list, the more points the chain gets for dealing with them ✨ like if someone was flirting with her and wouldn’t back down? On her shit list but not very high up there, so extra points if the chain deals with them quickly. Someone saying some insulting shit about her boys?? Higher up on her shit list, extra points if the one who was getting insulted dealt with the person. Someone who insults her boys, flirts with her, and doesn’t back down???? The highest you could ever be on her shit list, extra points if they make it a painful death ✨ no one insults her perfect boys and gets away with it

So imagine this, the chain and reader at one of their castle towns, and y/n overhearing from one of the men they pass making a snide comment about that Hyrule’s Link and the chain getting to witness for the first time the way their goddess’s sweet smile tightens just the slightest bit, how her kind eyes shift into one that craves bloodshed but flickers back into that kind look so quickly, but now her eyes and smile hold something much sharper— except now she’s not directing that smile to them, she’s looking at the man that had the audacity to ever say anything about her boys. Now this is where the idea splits into two routes, cause I can’t be 100% sure whether or not the chain would want her to stop trying to goad the scum of the earth, so I shall give you both versions ✨

If the chain truly doesn’t mind, they would get to witness it with new eyes how their goddess expertly plays into the innocent role, how she maybe pretends to be lost or something and just uses her body in a way that gets her the exact reaction she wants from the man. Just like how you said, she dangled her body in front the man like a treat on a stick, just waiting for the man to overstep, and once he does, whether the chain pull their goddess away or she just drifts back to them, she’s content now that she’s gotten what she wanted, which is a target painted on that man. And she patiently awaits for her boys to deal with him like she knows they will.

Is the chain does mind, she gets closer to the Link of the Hyrule they were in, and since she would be honest, she would ask him if they knew that man, if he was of importance, and if anyone would notice if he just, disappeared. Never to be found again. Whether she has to be outright honest and bluntly asks them to deal with the man, or if that’s enough of a hint for them to have a target painted on the man, she’ll make sure they know exactly who she wants them to deal with.

Regardless of the route, the one(s) that deal with the man get lots of affection after they’ve dealt with the scum ✨

— 🫐 anon

🫐anon. Listen here-

Everything you just wrote up there?

I AM (s)CREAMING.

THERE IS SO MUCH TO GO OVER AND IM SO READY-

First, you didn't need permission lovely! I'm more than happy to read what you guys send and start a conversation. I feel like I've made some great friends here with all of you guys! And I'm so ready to hear all of your ideas. Because your brain=just as amazing man

Now, I love including Cal and Sage because those two when with Wild are such a delicious trio. Full of resentment and bubbling anger just waiting to boil over? Drives me nuts. There is just so much potential there and I wanna love them all because it's what they deserve.

I totally like that entire idea of Reader not abusing their power. I imagine they view themselves as a benevolent being rather than a strictly Godly one. Like you said, kids are out of the question. People who respect their boundaries and understand that they could never measure up to the deities that are their boys are imposing on another person's relationship (Whether it's poly, a cult, etc., etc.) are also safe. It's the ones who don't respect that line. Who cross it and view Reader as nothing more than a piece of meat. Who want nothing more than a quick lay. Those are people who Reader deems as expendable. Because, really, Hyrule would be a better place without them in it.

And they would have to really push it. Reader is only instigating it if they push. From then, it's just baiting the boys into seeing it. Because you're right. She doesn't want to be at all like Zelda- or Golden three forbid, Hylia. They did nothing but use and abuse her perfect companions, with little to no second though to the aftermath. While, yes, she is also using them to a degree, it's more of a trade. She'll give them companionship and someone to lean on rather than them relying on no one but themselves.

When it comes to them knowing their Goddess has a darker side (Should we give this an AU name? I feel like we should-), it absolute riles them up.

🫐anon. Lemme let you in on a lil' secret- When writing that line, I was literally giggling to myself like a whole ass school girl. Like I was damn proud of that line so thank you for noticing.

Imagine having eleven guards dogs, prowling about, waiting to attack first and ask questions later. All their waiting for is the command. If it does genuinely upset her boys, she can definitely step back.

I'm glad you like the list so much! It was fun to figure out! Yeah, honesty is a huge difference between Reader and Hylia/Zelda. They never came outright with anything, lest it be a life or death situation. They've all had issues like this with their Zeldas, who simply didn't tell them something until they were facing down death itself. She'll straight up be like, hey, this happened, deal with how you want to, or, better yet, I'm dealing with it, i'll be back in a few minutes.

Now. A point system.

🫐anon. Your genius knows no bounds.

Now, imagine, if you will, someone not only insults her boys, and flirts without backing down, but dares to try and touch whats not theirs. That is the absolute pinnacle of fuckery.

I imagine this would happen in like Warrior's Hyrule because, let's face it, his is the messiest. Most people, half of them absolutely hate Link for starting a war, the other half want him in their bed, very little in between. And their ballsy because who's gonna stop them? Those jokes they call knights? Yeah, right.

Now, option A)

The man has already pushed. He pushed a fragile dam and it snapped, now he's left to deal with the anticipated torrent. She's sauntering over to him, fluttering her lashes and puckering her lips, doing all of the cheesy moves to get what she wants. And it works. Once he's hooked, his fate is seal. Because the boys are not the one to truly fear. No, Reader is. She makes the calls. She'll determine if you are worthy of their time. If not, if you've failed her test before it even begins?

Count your hours because they are fleeting and they are fleeting fast.

Option B)

Let's say this is Warriors Hyrule, she'll go to him on how to deal with this directly. Depending on the Hyrule, she'll let that Link lead the way. Some, like Wars, require some tact and poise when it comes to dealing with unwanted pests. With populations as heavy as they are, there are some hurdles they have to jump to make sure its done properly. They can't be sloppy, or they'll get caught. If it's someone like Hyrule's or, hell, even Sage's Hyrules, they can get as sloppy as they want as long as they remain out of sight.

You bet your ass that they are absolutely soaking up all the attention bestowed upon them for a job well done. Anything for their Goddess.

#cinder rambles #🫐anon

[soupieoopieisloopie]

I always wonder how Beetlejuice would react to someone who looks very sweet and soft but is actually really hardcore. Like death metal, rage room, loves extremely gorey and disturbing media, constantly wanting someone to pick a fight with them so they could pummel them kinda hardcore.

It would be funny if they scared Beetlejuice a bit more than beetlejuice would scare them haha

Here's some drabbles just to get this idea out of my head lol I'm no writer so aa yeah DJSBJZ idk if I captured his Beetlejuice-ness enough ee

No pronouns used but a little (and I mean very little) nsft bc it's beetlejuice lol

_______

"Hey babes! Ya miss-?" He'd ask as he suddenly appears in their room, loud gutteral screaming stopping him in his tracks for a split second before he basks in it. His breather is glued to the TV as he sways over to their side on the couch. Bloody cries and begs fill the silence between them.

Beetlejuice looks between the TV and his sweet breather, dressed in hello kitty pajamas with a stuffed animal under their arm. Kitten socks on their feet and a bunny hair band holding their hair from the puppy print face mask they have on. Such a stark contrast from the bloody murder playing on the TV. He chuckled to himself as he sat back and continued watching with them, laughing occasionally.

__________

"I'm going out, Beej. Please behave." You absentmindedly say as you grabbed your keys, heading for the door.

"Where'ya goin? Can I come?" Beetlejuice would say hopefully as he shot up from his place on the couch. You were wearing sweats with one leg covered in cutesy anime Chibis and some logo for the anime you were currently obsessed with and a tank top that read 'BE KIND' In bright letters with stars and smily faces surrounding it (If you have long hair it'll be tied up) you weren't dressed up fancy so he didn't have a clue where you'd be going. It was your day off and he couldn't recall any plans that didn't include suffocating you with his 'love'.

"I'm going to a rage room, helps me decompress." You said with a chuckle, wanting to see how he'd react since you knew he didn't think you had a violent bone in your body. You'd shoo out any bugs that got inside, choosing to let the spiders you'd see around your place be as they helped with other bugs, you weren't overly confrontational either and he'd only ever see you cry when you were really mad. He looked at you from across the room confused but intrigued.

"Rage room? Is that some breather code for orgy?" Beetlejuice sat up on his knees from his previous sitting position, looking dopey and cocky as per usual.

"If you wanted one babes all you had to do was-"

"No! That's not what that means!" You cut him off with a laugh, you always appreciated the demons enthusiasm and humor.

"Its a room where you break stuff! Hence 'rage' room." You explained as you put on your shoes. If he wasn't already interested in joining you, he sure as sugar was now. He'd never seen you take your anger out on anyone or anything for that matter. You tended to cry it out, take a moment and sometimes you'd yell a bit while venting to him but usually he was the one who broke things so he was definitely going to tag along for the ride.

"you can come, but I don't go easy on the stuff in there. Also if appreciate it if you didn't distract me. It's the only time I can take my pent up rage out and have zero consequences." You laugh as you pick up your bright bag with some first aid, water bottles and your wallet and things for your phone Incase you were there for longer than you planned.

Cut to you demolishing every piece of furniture in the room, the safety suit hiding the rage and fire behind your eyes as you yelled out and screamed all the things you'd wish you could say to the people that come in and out of your life. Beetlejuice watching in fascination and a little bit of 'im going to screw their brains out when we get home'

He loved this side of his sweet and cuddly breather.

______

You were listening to your usual music when beetlejuice decided now would be the perfect time to yank your headphones from your head and see what kind of cutesy music you were listening to as you went about your day. Safe to say his hears almost bled with the volume of the music, looking at you as if you were an imposter.

"Who are you?? Where's my precious breather??" He'd cry out as he took whatever you were working on from you and held it protectively.

"Beej, stop playing around I want to finish that!" You'd laugh out, only making him back away from you further.

"No! You're not allowed to touch (Y/N's) things!" He'd hiss as he playfully ran around your shared space. He only let up when you managed to bribe him with a few kisses.

______

I'm not a writer so djsbjxhs sorry if this is bad LOLOL I read lots of fan fics tho (⁠◠⁠‿⁠・⁠)⁠—⁠☆ this was pretty fun to do instead of working out tho haha

#beetlejuice #beetlebabes #beetlejuice fandom #beetlejuice x reader #fanfic

[cilil]

How would Yandere Manwë react to his prospective darling (who’s a child of Fëanor) leaving on the Flight of the Noldor? Oh, annnnd the darling miiiight have rejected Manwë’s advances if he already made them. The darling’s too busy having an affair with a married cousin of theirs. (Sorry if this is too specific!)

𝓐𝓝 ~ No problem whatsoever, dear! Hope you like what I came up with!

𝓕𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓰 ~ Gender-neutral pronouns are used for the darling, and the cousin in question is left unspecified, leaving it up to each reader's own imagination and preferences ♡

𝓣𝓦𝓼 ~ Yandere, obsessive behavior, mentions of cheating

ଘ Manwë had always been curious about Fëanor, interested even. He had sensed that this Elf could create great things; and his instincts turned out to be correct when he was introduced to a particular young Elf, one of Fëanor's children, one whom he would come to affectionately refer to as his darling in his mind.

ଘ Like their father, his darling was proud and stubborn. Manwë made sure to invite them to visit him and summon them at every opportunity he found, just so he would have an excuse to be near them and hopefully woo them.

ଘ He was subtle at first, all warm smiles and kind words and sprinkling in the occasional compliment and flirty remark, but his darling was never quite as excited about his attention as he would have liked. Assuming they might prefer a more "direct" approach, Manwë began to show his interest more openly and suggested that they should spend time alone, only to be turned down - to his surprise and indignation. Rejecting the Elder King? Inconceivable.

ଘ Naturally, he suspected that someone else might have gotten their hands on his darling first and had his birds and other servants spy on them until a scandalous secret was revealed to him: They had been seeing someone indeed. And it was their married cousin.

ଘ Manwë wondered what he should do. Should he expose the two and then take his darling under his wing during the fallout, setting himself up to be the one person they can turn to? But wouldn't this make them hate him and never wish to be with him? Should he talk to his darling, reveal what he knew and command them to end this affair? Should he blackmail them?

ଘ Yet before Manwë could come to a decision, disaster struck and the Noldor rebelled against the Valar, leaving Valinor under Fëanor's leadership - including his darling. Manwë attempted to reach them via ósanwë, both pleading with them to stay and furiously ordering them to turn back, and when he sent Námo to pronounce the Doom of the Noldor, he also tasked him with delivering a special message for his darling - "Choose wisely whether you wish to follow your father on a path of doom or to turn back and accept my love and mercy".

ଘ Still, his darling was swayed neither by his threats nor his promises and they followed their father and secret lover to Middle-earth.

ଘ Manwë has long since realized that their decision is final, but he hasn't given up. He keeps watching from his throne on Taniquetil, waiting for an opportunity to either save them from peril and be their hero who still loves them even after everything or to send an eagle to steal them away from their family and deliver them to him. Even if neither plan succeeds, he knows that the Doom of the Noldor will follow them until either they die and their fëa makes its way to Mandos or grief weighs down on them so heavily that they might return willingly, so he tells himself it's only a matter of time until he can finally get his hands on his darling and possess them like he always wanted to.

ଘ And another thing that Manwë knows for certain is that once this happens, he will never let them escape again.

#cílil answers #manwe #manwë #manwe sulimo #yandere!manwe #dark!manwe #yandere!valar #valar #yandere manwe x reader #reader insert #x reader #manwe imagine #silmarillion imagine #headcanons #tw yandere #silmarillion

[cutetehe]

Mc sacrifices themselves for the others to live, how do the brothers react?

(He/him pronouns)

I’m gonna give a little story so it sorta makes sense

(If you don’t know Micheal he’s the leader in celestia)

Mc and the brothers were taken to celestia for some reason, Mc had no idea why they were visiting celestia but didn’t complain.

Mc and the brothers were taken to Micheal and Micheal greets them all before making an announcement

“I brought you all here so Mc could make a choice, a choice that decides to either save himself and leave the others to die or face death so you can live on”

Mc looks at Micheal, Mc was in shock as long with the brothers. Lucifer tried reasoning with Micheal but was interrupted by more people running into the building, it was the royals and the Purgatory Hall characters

Mc reaches towards them before getting teleported alone with Micheal

“Well?, what will you choose?” Micheal whispers in Mc ear to seem more intimidating and honestly it sorta was

Mc was silent , they didn’t know what to say

After a couple of minutes pass Mc speaks up

“I want to sacrifice myself”

Micheal smiles and hugs Mc and thanks him for taking care of the brothers, Simeon and Luke

Mc just cries into Micheal chest and hugs him tighter, Mc doesn’t want to die but he also doesn’t want the brothers to die

“I… I don’t want to die but I need to protect them… please make it quick” Mc cried into Micheal chest, he felt so pathetic and weak but in this moment he was

Micheal comes back without Mc and the demons brothers think of the worst

“Mc sacrificed themselves for you, he truly loved you all” Micheal smiled pityingly

Lucifer

This can’t be real

It just can’t

Everything was just fine ten minutes ago and now he’s fucking dead

oh my god he’s dead

Lucifer covers his mouth in shock and looks down in shame

Lucifer should’ve protected you better

He should’ve cherished you more

Lucifer doesn’t know if he wants to attack Micheal or just leave

Lucifer gets set off when Micheal tells him Mc last words

Lucifer just wants to wake up and see mc again

Lucifer stops attacking when he realize all his brothers are crying and just breaks down

He hates crying in front of people

He thinks about all the good and bad times he had with mc

Lucifer falls to the ground on his knees and weeps

Lucifer feels somebody hugging him

It’s mammon and mammon mourns with Lucifer

Lucifer would do anything for him to swap places and to die instead

Mc hasn’t even been dead for ten minutes and yet he already misses him, pathetic isn’t it?

Mammon

Was the closest to your hand and now feels like it’s his fault you’re dead

He was begging for Diavolo or Micheal to bring back mc but nothing works

Mammon was crying before Micheal revealed mc dead

Cursing out himself in his head

He was really hard on himself

He started cursing out Micheal while his voice will crack due to his crying

Micheal pats Mammon head and Mammon just cries harder

Mammon tried bargaining with Micheal, Mammon tried everything to get his beloved Mc back but nothing worked

I’m desperation he asks for him to die in exchange for Mc to come back to life

Micheal interest was peeked but he didn’t wanna bother unkilling mc

Mammon punches the ground in anger and makes the floor crack

Micheal scolds Mammon

Mammon doesn’t listen though cause he’s to focus onto bringing mc back

Mammon remembers all the great times they had together and starts crying even harder

Mammon punches Micheal whole Micheal was scolding Mammon

Mammon wanted to at least hurt him for taking the one person he loved

He knew he could’t kill him

But hurting him will bring him peace

Leviathan

Felt like something was off when walking into the building but now he wished he would mc how he felt

Maybe if he told them they would’t have even came here

Leviathan didn’t want to believe Mc is dead

Almost summons lotan when Micheal came back without mc

Leviathan ran out the building

He didn’t want to hear and speak to Micheal again

He didn’t even want to see him

Leviathan didn’t just stop running when he got out of the building he kept running

He didn’t know where he was going but he didn’t care

He hopes to never wake up or hope this whole thing is just a nightmare

anywhere is better then Mc killer

After ten minutes Leviathan sits under a tree out of tiredness

He felt so drowsy cause of the crying

He fell asleep under the tree

Satan

Took the news as motive

Motive to kill Micheal

But due to him crying and his vision being blurred he lost

Satan didn’t want to stop attacking

Especially after he told him Mc last words

He also covered his mouth in disbelief when Micheal said Mc was dead

Satan knew Mc would sacrifice themselves

Satan wished Mc wasn’t so selfless

Before they came to celestia Mc was nervous and Satan promised to protect them

He was stupid to give them false hope

Satan tries his best to not cry but does

Mc was amazing, able to help him and Lucifer bond, doing anything to protect the brothers

Mc didn’t deserve to die, they were a kind soul with a firey passion, he should’ve been able to live long enough to have a family

Satan tries his best to stay together but just ends up choking on his tears

He felt so pathetic

He gripped onto his own hair in anger

Asmo

Frozen in place

Doesn’t even breath

Doesn’t believe Micheal

Asmo cries, ruining his makeup

Would do anything to get mc back

Mc gave Asmo his jacket before coming

And now asmo crying into the jacket

Asmo wants to fight Micheal

Will do anything to get you back like the others

Also tries to bargain with Micheal and Diavolo

but neither of them can do anything

Asmo cries with Satan

Asmo loved you and you loved him for how he was and not just cause he was good looking

And now you’re gone

He cries so much he is light headed

Asmo would try to get his followers to turn against Micheal

He was pretty popular in Celestia so this should work right?

He doesn’t go through with it

He doesn’t know why

Asmo would probably wear the jacket all the time

He felt bad that he could’t protect you

He isn’t strong like beel, if he was stronger maybe you’d be alive

Asmo truly thinks that if he was strong that mc would still be alive

Beel

It’s like watching his sister die all over again when he heard the news

Beel is shaking

He wanted to see Mc again

Beel also tries to bargains with Diavolo and Micheal

He was more persistent then asmo or Lucifer

Beel cries when Micheal tells him it’s impossible to bring Mc back

Beel doesn’t want to hurt Micheal

But at that moment

He wanted to punch him

He didn’t but he was one motive away from doing it

belphie tries to comfort Beel

But belphie needed just as much comfort as Beel to be able to comfort someone

belphie just pats Beel shoulder

Beel hugs belphie

He wished he was closer to you so he could’ve saved you

If he was closer he would’ve been able to save them

Beel blames himself

belphie

(sorry this one super short☹️)

This was one of the only times he was wide awake

He wants to fight michel

But he doesn’t

He has to comfort his brother and himself

Tried his best to not cry but does after seeing Beel cry

belphie wants to go back home and hug mc

But now he can’t

Why did it have to be Mc? Mc was always so nice and amazing they were the killed

They don’t deserve this

He cussed out Micheal

Masterlist

Royals characters version

Angel version + solomon

#obey me x male mc #obey me headcanons #mammon x male mc #lucifer x male mc #belphie x male mc #beel x male mc #asmodeous x male mc #Satan x male mc #obey me x male reader #obey me Lucifer x male mc #obey me mammon x male mc #obey me Satan x male mc #obey me leviathan x male mc #Spotify

[kxmikomrade]

✧˖࿐ 'Could've been better' - Xiao

╰┈➤Xiao x Reader Order: Qinxin (Xiao), Hot Chocolate (Angst) Genre: Angst gn!reader Pronouns: Y/P (your pronouns) Type: Oneshot Requested! by: Anon in this request Warnings: idk just angst Waiter's Notes: Your Order has been served Traveler! :>, Enjoy your nice cup of hot Chocolate with Qinxin Author's notes: Craving angst i see? well here u go! i didnt have so much motivation while writing this so i asked my close friend @astrilien to help me write it but hey, it works. 2 writers is better than 1. Try not to cry while reading dis

Where did you go wrong? You often ask yourself that nowadays. He, the man whom you've grown to love, doesn't look at you the way he did before. Actually, does he even look your way without that uninterested face? His eyes used to soften whenever he looked at your small smile, his face used to go beet red whenever you had the slightest bit of physical contact. Now, well, lets see for ourselves, shall we?

-

Walking up the stairs of the place known as 'Wangshu Inn', you notice that a part of the stairs are broken. Sighing as you went back your way to go to the elevator, you liked walking from the stairs to enjoy the beautiful view displayed by the tree. Stepping up the elevator as it lifts you up, you look down to the box of food in your hand. It was his favorite food, Almond Tofu. You had known that it was ever since the day you met the said person. Now that you think about it, it was the whole reason that brought you two together. And the mere thought of him choosing you never failed to leave you with a small blush and smile on your face.

To think that the guy who disliked mortals would fall in love with one. I mean, come to think of it, he DID seem pissed whenever you first visited him. But whenever he was offered that dish he would at least give them a few minutes to talk. They were always the key to getting close to the Yakasha. Reaching the balcony, you placed the box on the table. A gust of wind blew, ruffling your hair and yet......nothing. You don't hear him, looking back to check if your thoughts were right, No one was there. 'Huh, he's probably in Qingyun peak' you thought to yourself. He always showed up whenever you reached the balcony, but on some occasions, he's a but busy. Looking around, you spot a vase of withered flowers, specifically Glaze Lilies. Taking some extra silk flowers from your bag, and replacing those Glaze lilies with them. You kind of wish you got extra Glaze lilies, since you know how much they mean to him. 

You dont know the full story, but from what he said, they seem to remind him of a person who was like a mother to him. It's quite adorable. So you planned to grow some Glaze Lilies soon. As time flies quick, it was now sunset. 'Where could he be?' you started to get concerned and as a bit of worry bloomed in your stomach, leaving you feeling uneasy. So, you decided to check with him, with the only way you knew. 'XIAO!!' A mix of black and Forest green particles appear, as Xiao's hair beautifully sways with the wind.

Polearm in one hand, he reached out to take off his mask. Looking everywhere but you. ''What?'' He says, a bit harshly but you brush it off. 'He just had a bad day' was your excuse. ''Sorry, i was just getting a bit concerned since ive been here for a few hours and you havent showed up'' You said, waving your hands in the first line. ''I dont need your pity'' He says as his eyes wandered somewhere else, subconsciously following them, your eyes landed on the vase of Silk Flowers. ''Oh, They were already withered so i replaced them with Silk Flowers'' explaining to him. Xiao grumbled something under his breath, ''Pardon?'' ''Nothing'' ''Dont worry! Ill get some the next time i come across them, and i'll also make sure they dont wither just as fast.'' You continued, being the helpful person you are.  That was the first hint Another day has passed and xiao hasn't even showed himself to you, unless if you call his name. but he does come quite late. This time you decided to make him his favorite, almond tofu, for you had noticed that everytime you make it his eyes just screamed pure happiness. but i guess not today. as you called out his name he once again arrived late. "What is it?" he asks coldly as you just smiled, even knowing that something was wrong you decided to just shake the feeling off. "Xiao look! i've made your favorite!" you exclaimed happily as you handed him a plate full of almond tofu. "this is a waste of time" he just said as he teleports away, 'how rude' you thought as you placed the plate on the table and left hoping that he could at least eat it later if he feels like it The second hint that you had denied to notice it has been a week. a week of xiao constantly avoiding you, a week full of hints. but you again decided to close your eyes and pretend that he is just always in a bad mood. so what do you do whenever he's in a bad mood? not minding the countless hints. you confront him in a affectionate way. As he arrived by the call of his name he was certainly not surprised nor happy, he was pissed. "what do you want" he replied with a cold tone. he obviously wasnt happy to see you. but you denied it and just brushed it off "Xiao, we haven't been out on a date for a month now! why dont we go out for today!" You insisted as you had already planned everything out for the day but much to your surprise, he sighed in annoyance "why cant you just leave me alone" he grumbled, which shocked you at how direct he was. and you had enough of his attitude "look, Im atleast trying to lighten up your mood as you have been ignoring me and was always being so fucking cold" you snapped as he just stared at you then.. "do you even love me?" you said as the place was filled with silence, it hurts it hurts because you can see the answer from his eyes yet you refused to believe it, well at the very least you wanted to hear it exactly from him. you wanted the answer, even if it hurts. "Well then Xiao, answer. i want to hear your answer. i want to hear it exactly from you." you said as you looked straight into his eyes while holding back the tears. his face was just blanked, no emotions as he sighed and finally talked "no, i loved you" he said as you look at him "loved... so now you don't?" you asked as your head hanged low and stared at the ground "no.." he said as you nod your head "alright then, i wont bother you anymore" you said as you just walked away

A week has passed and you kept your word, you stayed away and left him alone. And with that you decided to go travel to another nation. which was inazuma. You thought it was the best so that you could get away from everything that would remind you of him. But to Xiao, he thought he was finally going to be free when you left. But he didn't even felt as if he were to be happy. it felt like he had lost something that completed him. he lost you. So he tried to find you and try to make things good again. but he was too late as you had already left, and wishing to forever forget about him. Would it be selfish of him to wish that you come back and tell him everything's going to be okay? or that if he could just wake up from this horrible nightmare that he had caused.

He loved you, and you loved him. if only he didn't decided to let his emotions get the best of him. Who knows? Maybe everything.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 'Could've been better'

soooo, how r u guys holding up? :D

(1314 words)

#xiao x reader angst #xiao x reader #genshin xiao #genshin x reader #genshin x reader angst #[🗒️✏️]orderserved!

[misc-obeyme]

can you share more about your mc :D

Oh! I mean... yeah, I can... I'm just surprised anyone asked lol!

I haven't really talked much about Ciaran on here, but I'm happy to give you more information about them!

I actually made a moodboard for them when I made this one for Arsenios, but I've been too shy to post it lol. It's been sitting in my drafts for weeks. Maybe I'll do it at some point.

Ciaran isn't me, but I did include a lot of things that I wish I had when I came up with them and their personality.

Anyway, here are the basics: Ciaran O'Mara is a thirty something non binary person who used to work at an art gallery. Ciaran is amab and actually uses he/they pronouns. I tend to use they/them for them most of the time, but sometimes I still use he/him.

The name Ciaran is Irish and is pronounced like the more common English spelling, which is Kieran. Technically it's supposed to have an accent in it - like Ciarán - but I'm too lazy to keep that up lol. And Ciaran doesn't usually bother to include the accent, either.

They're American, but their parents came to the US from Ireland before Ciaran was born. They have an older sister named Fiadh (which is pronounced like fee-uh) who they are very close to. They lived with Fiadh in a somewhat decent apartment until they were whisked away to the Devildom. At which point, Fiadh couldn't afford the apartment on her own and had to move back in with their mother.

Their father passed away a long time ago and their mother is a devout Irish Catholic. If she knew that Ciaran was currently living with a bunch of demons, she would likely have a heart attack. It'd be even worse if she knew that included Lucifer himself or if she heard about Satan lol.

Ciaran is short and feisty, with short blue hair and green eyes. They're a painter. They like to paint with oils on big canvasses but will also do watercolors, especially when they want to paint on the go. They like to do landscapes and sometimes they go abstract. They used to do portraits, but they haven't done them in a long time. (There is a reason for this, but if I get into it, this'll be too long lol.) They work at the art gallery putting together art shows and sometimes they sell their own works.

Ciaran is outgoing and likes people, but they're also kinda short tempered. They really don't get along with Solomon at first because they don't like to be teased. I don't currently have them officially dating anyone because I think if they were dealing with a bunch of people who wanted to date them, they would stay non committal about it. That being said, I do think they'd want to choose someone in the end, but who knows when that might be.

Some of the characters have also met Fiadh, who was not happy about her little sibling disappearing and leaving her with the full rent bill. It took some time, but eventually she figured out where Ciaran went and showed up in the Devildom to complain about having to move back in with their mom.

Anyway, I could write a lot more about Ciaran of course but this is already getting long! If you (or anyone) have any more specific questions, I'd be happy to answer them!

Thanks for asking about them, anon, I love talking about my MC (and my OC)!

#honestly I have so much about Ciaran and Fiadh and Arsenios that I could talk about #I just usually keep it to myself unless someone asks lol #well I've been posting more about Arsenios though so maybe he doesn't count anymore #anyway! thank you for asking <3 #obey me #obey me mc #obey me mc ciaran #misc mc ciaran #anon asks #misc answers

[eltramuffinz]

Zhongli X Reader Fluff Brainrot

Surprisingly this is about Zhongli for once, but essentially I thought of the basic outline for a cute and fluffy Zhongli x Reader fic like… last year or something lmao. I would never formally write it though because that’s not where my interests really are, but I do love Zhongli’s character and voice haha… Anyway I thought I’d share it here since the few people I have shared it with thought it was nice. This isn’t really a formal fic or headcanon list, just my thoughts for a cute little story under the cut. I know some of these ideas exist already in Zhongli fanfiction, but I don’t think I’ve seen them mashed together with my own touch like this (but if this is like any Zhongli fics already published let me know ‘cause I’d love to read them).

Word count below the cut: 3.5k, uses they/them pronouns and then switches to second person POV

Reader would have no Vision, lives in Liyue, and works at Bubu Pharmacy. They often chat and share the workload with Herbalist Gui (I like Herbalist Gui okay). They also are friendly and have a soft spot for Qiqi (I don’t see her enough in fics and I wish we could explore her story more in-game). Baizhu would make some appearances, but usually it’s just Reader and Qiqi or Gui holding down the fort.

Reader is knowledgeable enough in the pharmacy field to handle most day-to-day requests and problems, although they do get the occasional tough customer who forgets their prescription or gets annoyed when they are out of stock… ah, pharmacy worker life.

Reader’s life is quiet and uneventful for the most part, and they are content with their job. They always had an interest in healing and studying how different plants and medicines can cure ailments. When they’re on the clock but Gui has the counter covered, Reader may be tasked with doing other jobs such as: taking stock, delivering medicine around the town to sickly people who cannot make it to the pharmacy, going down to the docks to receive medicine deliveries from other nations, and sometimes they’ll go to the countryside around the city themselves to collect plants or supplies within reason.

Now, one thing Reader loves besides medicine… is tea! They find it a comforting drink and the process of brewing it after a long day of work helps to relax their mind. They find great comfort in having a cup and listening to the atmosphere of the city.

One day while on shift a customer mentions idly that a new tea stall has made itself known in town, a little business trying to gain a foothold in the Liyuean market. A bold venture for sure considering the existing competitors. After their shift Reader gets home they’re ready to unwind, only to find they themselves are out of tea leaves! It seems like a good enough sign as any to venture to this new tea vendor and examine the goods.

So, the next day, when they have their half-an-hour break, they dash off to find the stall, bringing some Mora with them. It is a tranquil afternoon, but trying to find this little stall in peak activity is a job in itself, and they’re conscious of the time ticking down.

Finally they locate the little stall, tucked away from the main crowds. They almost missed it, for there were no customers browsing the wares. The seller looks a little deflated, but they perk right up when Reader approaches. Feeling a little pity for the vendor, Reader examines the choices of tea leaves for sale. The vendor, eager to have someone to talk to, tells them about the different leaves and the flavors they should produce. Reader thought they knew a decent amount about tea, but a lot of these types of leaves were completely new to them!

They’re completely torn between which leaves to choose, so enthralled and looking down, they don’t notice the vendor look behind them and beam even bigger. Reader jumps comically when out of nowhere, a voice they had never heard before speaks up.

“Pardon me, but I couldn’t help but note an indecisive expression on your face. Are you unsure of which tea from this collection to purchase?”

Heart still pounding from the shock, Reader looks to the person they now register is standing next to them. They glance upwards, and a small part of their brain notes how formally and neatly dressed this man is. He looks quite regal in fact, hardly dressed for a casual stroll to an out-of-the-way tea stall. He is looking at them with nothing except curiosity, and they hurry to nod in affirmation.

They hurry to stand aside since they now felt they were holding this man up, but he simply looks from them to the choices and puts a finger under his chin, eyes squinting, as if he was scrutinizing and thinking deeply.

The vendor went to repeat the same spiels to him, but the man spoke first. Reader’s eyebrows slowly rose the longer the man talked. He proceeded to name each of the tea leaves by their proper name which the vendor had just told you, the leaves’ native growing sites, their current popularity in the tea market, random history trivia about tea, the differences between preparing each kind of tea, and the flavor the leaves would produce. The vendor had only been able to recite a fraction of that information, and the two of you stared in awe at the man. Along the way Reader almost zoned out to the words the man is saying, the deep and smooth pitch of his voice starting to capture their attention instead. Oh, he would be the perfect man to be a storyteller…

After a while his eyes relaxed, like he had finished reading through a book of information inside his head, looking at Reader once again and lowered his hand. He asked if that had helped Reader in choosing which tea to buy, and surprisingly after a second of collecting their thoughts, they find that they do know which one they’ll buy. When they smile at him, nodding and asking how he possibly knows so much about tea, the man smiles warmly back and replies he simply enjoys the drink and its history.

Reader purchases their chosen tea leaves and the man then steps forward to make his own choice. Reader is just putting the leaves away for later when they hear the man speak again.

“...Ah. My sincerest apologies. It appears I have… er, forgotten to carry sufficient funds.”

The vendor chuckles and waves a hand. “For all the new information you gave me, I’ll give you a discount!”

By this point Reader has faced the two again, and they watch how the man clears his throat and appears slightly embarrassed. “... By sufficient funds, I am referring to any funds.”

The vendor is gobsmacked. “Ehhh?! You came here with intention to buy something but you didn’t bring any mora!?”

The man is visibly flustered, a soft flush coming to his cheeks and he makes to move away, apologizing once again.

Before they know what they’re doing, Reader is placing the required sum of mora on the counter. “Here.” They look at the man and smile again. “For the information, from one tea-lover to another.”

The man starts shaking his head, insisting they don’t need to cover him, even grabbing the coins and moving to give them back. It was at that moment Reader remembers something, and they gasp.

“W-wait, what time is it…?”

The man tilts his head, eyes darting to the sun in the sky, and tells them his estimate. Reader makes a noise and immediately panics, having a realization.

“Oh no, oh no, my break ended half an hour ago! I’m so late, I-” They bow their head and smile at the man. “Please keep it, I have to go, goodbye!” And they all but sprint away, leaving the man stunned, his hand still outstretched with the mora Reader donated in it.

The vendor coughs into their fist, asking if he’s going to buy the tea or not. He blinks at the coins in his palm, and then makes his purchase. 

Later that evening, as he is drinking the tea in his home, he notes two things: The tea is rather lovely, and that he never got that generous person’s name…

In another part of town at the same time, looking out a window, Reader notes the tea is particularly delicious as well, all the while thinking of the knowledgeable stranger with gleaming amber eyes…

Skiiiiip forward some time. Reader is low on tea again! They could have gone back to the main stores, but being honest, they wanted to try the tea from the little stall again. So, like last time, they use their break to get some shopping done. Now that they know where it is, they get to the stall quickly this time.

They didn’t expect the vendor to cheer when they arrived. “Yay, a repeat customer! Ah finally, you two can talk again!”

Reader asks what the vendor means, but they gasp when that calming voice speaks next to them as the pair stand in front of the tea leaves.

“I’m so glad you have returned. I was beginning to worry I may never possess the chance to converse with you again.”

Of course, upon looking to their side, they meet the amber eyes of the man from last time they were here. The vendor makes a noise and nods at you and then to him. “Mr Zhongli here has been coming to my stall this time every day since you were last here!”

Reader looks in shock from the vendor to the man. “Zhongli?”

He extends a gloved hand out, and reflexively they take it, his fingers curling gently to hold theirs.

“I would take great pleasure in introducing myself in proper fashion, as our first meeting ended before I could do so. My name is Zhongli, and I am indebted to you for purchasing the tea from our last meeting on my behalf.”

The whole time he was gazing warmly and sincerely into their eyes, and suddenly they felt both underdressed for the occasion and overwhelmed with his formality.

The feeling of his amber eyes on them and their hand resting in his was… something. Like they weren’t standing in front of a tea shop and that they weren’t basically strangers. Instead they felt like the moment all of a sudden became so much more rich in detail, that only Zhongli and themself existed in this sleepy corner of the harbour town.

They managed to stutter out their own name, and he repeats it in his own rich voice.

“That is an exquisite name, worthy for someone such as yourself, who has an exquisite heart.”

Oh boy, it had to be the warm seasonal sun making their face feel so warm. Zhongli was certainly a gentleman.

They laugh airily and carefully slide their hand out of his, if only so their sweaty palms wouldn’t ruin his gloves. They then address what the vendor said, looking at Zhongli.

“You came here every day since then? That was weeks ago! And why did you come the same time every day?”

He explains that he wished to thank them properly for generously buying the tea for him, but they ran off before he could do so. He didn’t even know their name, nor knew anything about them, other than they had a break from their job at that time in the day, and that they liked tea. Having no other option and refusing to let a debt go unpaid, Zhongli returned to the stall daily since then, hoping to catch sight of them. The dedication and commitment was astounding, all for a cheap sum of mora… (I’m switching to second person POV here because it’s more natural for me and it’s getting tiring saying Reader LOL)

You insisted it was alright and it really wasn’t anything troublesome, but Zhongli shook his head and gestured to the tea leaves.

“Please, allow me to return the favour. I have made sure to bring sufficient funds this time, and I would like to purchase tea leaves of your choice for you.”

You were both grateful and a little exasperated at how insistent he was about it, but caved since it seemed like it would make him happy. The vendor was just looking between the two of you for the whole exchange, sipping a cup of tea of their own.

After thanking him, you picked out another flavour you were thinking of trying. True to his word, Zhongli swiftly stepped forward and almost proudly produced the sum of mora from a surprisingly cute coin purse.

Pocketing the tea leaves, you watched as Zhongli pondered the choices and then looked at you. “Could you tell me, what were your feelings about the variety of tea you purchased last time we met?”

You responded that you thought he was an expert in tea, and that surely he didn’t need your opinion in order to decide which to choose. He merely gazed at the teas, that finger once more resting under his chin. He proceeded to tell you about how a large part of the joy of drinking tea for him came from knowing others too found it enjoyable, for it created a sense of closeness and connectedness when the memory of drinking the tea was formed.

It was all rather deep and philosophical, at times making your head spin from the level of thought Zhongli talked at. But you liked listening to him all the same. So you told him what you thought of the tea, how your thoughts weren’t as nearly as profound as his, but you liked the taste, and it was relaxing.

He nodded at this, and bought the tea you had last time. You don’t know what came over you, but as he reached once more for his purse, you were quicker and slammed the required mora down before the vendor. Zhongli was still, lips parted slightly as his eyes slowly ran from the mora up your arm to your face.

You cleared your throat and spoke a little defensively. “You have mora this time and I wanted to do this, so it’s not some kind of debt you need to repay Zhongli!”

The vendor took the coins and squawked for the two of you to take your little stare-off away from the teas, as more customers were coming in and needed room.

You moved first, thankful for the distraction since any longer and you would have looked away from those amber eyes first, for their gaze was unwavering and intense.

As you left the stall, you glanced at the sky and noted the time. “Oh, it’s time for me to leave if I want to get back on time.” You glanced at Zhongli who had followed behind you. “Goodbye Zhongli, it was nice to see you-” You were already turning and beginning to walk away when you felt a warm hand softly land on your shoulder. You could have kept walking, but turned back to look at him.

His brows were furrowed, looking somehow wistful as he called your name.

“Please, wait a moment before you depart.” Seeing that you were indeed waiting, he spoke to you with all the sincerity you could imagine. “May I know if or when you will return to this location?”

You blinked. “Well… I run out of tea ingredients about once a month. That was when I came here last time. But, my longer break is at this time in the day each shift.”

As nice as Zhongli was, you were still wary of letting a practical stranger know where you worked. He either noticed your subtle avoidance of the topic or had no plans to ask, since that was not what he asked next despite it being a somewhat obvious question to want an answer to.

“Then, I hope it is not a troublesome request, but may I ask that I meet you again here once a week during your break?”

You scrunched your brows at him and couldn’t stop yourself, unintentionally using many young children’s favourite word. 

“Why?”

You hadn’t seen the expression he displayed next, but after witnessing it you briefly had a thought you’d never forget it even if you tried, for your mind snatched the memory with an iron grip as soon as it formed.

His eyes practically glowed as the sunlight hit them, and his lips curled into a thoroughly amused smirk, coupled with a deep and rumbling chuckle.

“Because, despite your fervid insistence, I am now once again indebted to you. One can adorn a contractual clause with colourful and extensive descriptors, emphasise and redirect its readers, but remove said language, and the factual core of the matter becomes apparent.”

His smirk softened back into a small grin as he addressed you by name.

“Of course, while Liyue Harbour is a city of trade and contracts, I will not treat this matter as such. I suppose if I were to expose the core of this matter, as my previous words referred to, it would be that I desire to converse with you again, and learn more of your character.”

Well damn, if that wasn’t the most eloquent way of being told by someone they wanted to get to know you better.

All you could do was blink at him dumbly, your cheeks feeling warm again. Dumb warm season sunlight. “O-okay. We can do that. How about…” 

You suggested a day you figured would work, and Zhongli smiled happily. The swaying of his long ponytail and brown locks in the cool breeze were the subject of your attention until he moved. You looked down as he reached out to you, his palm up.

“May I take your hand for a moment?”

You took his hand, regarding him with curious eyes as he held your fingers in a soft grip, his thumb resting on your knuckles.

“Then, until we meet again. I shall await our next time together with much anticipation, for I am eager to hear your thoughts of the tea you purchased today. Concerning your last critique, you were certain your opinion held less value than mine on the basis you could say no more other than it possessed a pleasant taste. From my experience, while words themselves in their purest form can determine the bindings of a contract or the foundations of order and law, the sincerity and strength with which we voice such words can transform a pebble into a mountain.”

The amber-eyed man took a step closer, and your nose picked up on the faintest hint of tea leaves as he squeezed your fingers.

“When you spoke of your enjoyment, I saw brightness that could illuminate the darkest of caverns and clarity that could polish the roughest of stone. In the eyes of a fair judge, your words, while few in number, hold equal weight as mine.”

You were speechless, clueless on what to do other than gulp and scramble to find a response.

Yeah, your heart was definitely beating faster than normal.

Zhongli released your hand, bowing his head slightly. “Please, I do not wish to hold you from returning any longer. I will wait for you here at our agreed time. I look forward to seeing you again.”

You don’t really remember what you said, your mind only catching up to you once you were long gone and walking up the steps to the pharmacy.

Two things were definitely for certain. 

First, Zhongli was one of a kind. Secondly, you suddenly couldn’t wait for this time next week.

AND THAT’S ALL I’M GONNA WRITE PROPERLY FOR HIM BECAUSE I’VE ALREADY GOTTEN CARRIED AWAY 😭. This post was meant to take 15 mins to write, not hours… Carried away yet again. The rest of my thoughts are remaining general dotpoints

- After that, you and Zhongli would meet at the tea stand and take turns covering each other’s tea costs

- You went on many walks with Zhongli where he told you amazing stories

- You eventually told him where you worked, and a few weeks later he showed up asking for pain medication (He assured you it was not for himself at your voiced concerns, rather for a friend (Read: Xiao).

- Eventually Zhongli asks if they can spend Reader’s days off together now and then rather than just their 30 minute breaks, and they say yes because they too were craving to spend more time with him

- They learn of his own job and sometimes end up helping with his own work tasks, like handing out coffin coupons or fetching supplies

- Zhongli takes them to opera and theatre performances and shares knowledge and stories with them, and they enjoy the outings very much

- He saves up and treats you to a nicer and more expensive dinner, insisting this was all on him and he wants to enjoy the food with you.

Other more general points of brainrot:

- You and Zhongli ending up going to one of Xinyan’s concerts

- You would inevitably end up meeting and figuring out how to approach Childe, oh joy

- Zhongli made a habit of holding your hand and voicing his parting words to you each time you meet up, and then one day instead of letting go, he ducked his head and pressed a kiss to the back of it (a gentleman I tell you).

- He would probably use his knowledge to spoil some plot about pharmacy supplies being shipped in from another nation at an outrageous price or something

- While he can talk for hours, he highly enjoys listening to Reader talk about their own interests and sharing their pharmacy knowledge

- They would at least be aware he has a geo ‘Vision’ and find it fun when he boosts them up high using geo constructs

- Peaceful times and vibes all round (except for when it’s not but oh well)

AAAAND that’s all! Other concepts like an actual plot line or source of conflict or the whole god x mortal dynamic and that associated angst I haven’t thought of, and I’m not really going to either. I just wanted to get all this Zhongli brainrot out there into the world for people to enjoy. He’s prob not perfectly characterised in this but oh well. Like I said, I know similar concepts exist I think already, but this is how I would go about having their meet-cute. I might have played up his gentleman-ness, but I do think he’s got a damn way with words…

Anyway, if you liked this I’d love to know!

#zhongli #zhongli x reader #zhongli fluff #zhongli genshin x reader #zhongli genshin impact #zhongli fanfiction

[amethystblack]

Why is there an ever increasing amount of people on internet demanding people refer to them by weird ass pronouns (like bun/bunself or wtv)? or children supposedly needing novel hormones and their perfectly fine genitalia chopped off or else they'll kill themselves? This has never been documented in history... am i the only 1 seeing this nonsense is clearly astroturfed? asking in good faith

oh boy there is so much to unpack here.... you say you're asking in good faith, so i'm going to choose to believe you, but let's come back to that.

i have a number of issues with the way you've phrased this, but i think what you're trying to ask, to put it another way is-- "Why is this happening now? Why are there more and more people with non-cis and divergent gender identities now, and, rather than being a genuine human problem, is it not being artificially pushed as an agenda?"

You're right in your implication that the answer to 'why now' is the internet, but not because of astroturfing or any kind of disingenuous plot. I believe the internet, and the distance, anonymity, and resources it provides, has finally given a large number of people the privacy, confidence and understanding they need to express who they are in ways that most rigid local societies simply would not have permitted before. In addition to that, there have been many in-person LGBT circles over the pre-internet decades and centuries, but the internet has also made all of those communities more visible than they were in the past.

Contrariwise to communication in the present giving people the space to be open to other possibilities, and making it more visible, there is already documented history of divergent gender identities having been actively excluded from history even when they are known to have existed for hundreds of years. History is written by the winners, and for years, the winners have been old christian white men who do not abide homosexuality, let alone practices outside the gender binary. Why would they write into history books for children to learn about?

Your recourse, as I take from the astroturfing comments, is to doubt the sources of those accounts as I doubt the intentions of your history book writers. There are plenty of articles about it all across the internet though-- could they all be lies? Neither of us can actually prove the accuracy of history, so I believe it is best to not waste our efforts with it. Let's focus on the present, and I will give you my personal experience.

I assume you've asked this question to me in particular because you already know I'm trans (which to be fair, is perhaps a mark in the 'good faith' column for you). When I was growing up, I met exactly one other trans person. As a twelve year old, I vaguely felt like, wow that's cool, i wish i could just be a girl too (lol), and to my memory we never talked about it in depth. I also recall, around the same age, having a chat with two other teenage friends who also knew her, where we all agreed in confidence, yeah, being born a girl would've been preferable. To my knowledge, both of them still identify as male today and are happily married to women. A few years later I would ask my first boyfriend to call me his girlfriend, but I had completely forgotten about everything related to being trans-- I just thought, if I were in a gay relationship anyway, that would feel better. Later I had difficulty with a girl I dated because I told her, again having forgotten trans people existed, that I wished to be a girl. My discomfort with my own body and my resulting disinterest in intimacy ultimately led to us breaking up. Three years after that something online finally reminded me that trans people exist, and I finally realized, wait, maybe I am trans??? And began looking into the matter seriously.

The point of me saying all this, is that nothing pushed transness on me in those seven years. I had fully forgotten that it existed even when I technically knew it was a thing, and I felt the way I did independently of it. When I started exploring transitioning, it was because I sought it out. I had those feelings, I wanted a solution, and turned out a solution existed. The increasing prevalence of non-cis gender identities in all directions is because these feelings are, to varying personal degrees, normal, and the means to act on them finally exists. And as society as a whole becomes more accepting, it is safer to make the leap too. Had I been born in a more transphobic time, I might not have decided to transition, opting instead to swallow the dysphoria and self-hatred and live miserably. Or not live at all. In this epoch, I had permission to transition, but I did not get an invitation, let alone have anyone pushing it on me. Hell, I would've liked an invitation.

So this is all to say, though it may not be your experience, dissatisfaction with one's gender and body are not new in the human condition; we can just finally act on them. Thanks to advances in medicine and culture, it is safer than ever, and sure, there are more trans people, but that also means that people have more agency, and are less miserable.

...Now let's talk about all the problems I have with your ask. Let's start with the questions themselves.

Why is there an ever increasing amount of people on internet demanding people refer to them by weird ass pronouns (like bun/bunself or wtv)?

So I read this as two separate questions -- why weird ass pronouns? -- why are they demanding it?

Okay, so neopronouns aren't everyone's cup of tea. I see their increased usage as a matter of-- 'as long as we on the internet here are exploring new ways to respect people and use language, why not have some fun with it?' It's not hurting anyone, so why not? Unfortunately, it gets strawmanned as a way to take trans and especially non-binary people less seriously, so that just sucks for everyone, but I really don't think it's that serious. In my experience, I've never actually met anyone who's been obtuse about them-- it's just "it would be nice" and they've always been reasonable about if people aren't up for that or don't remember it. There is a basic level of flexibility and understanding to assume from normal social conversation, and I assume that most people who use neopronouns aren't about to insist on them right off the street.

...But, shitty people exist in all demographics. And I'm sure there are some who use neopronouns and are very obnoxious about it out there. I really consider that to be a problem with the specific people rather than the concept of neopronouns... but for how often it gets brought up in these arguments vs my personal experience, it really seems blown out of proportion for the sake of delegitimizing trans people. Let me ask you anon, have you ever met someone like that, who asks for that and is combative when it isn't followed to the letter, or is that just a story you've heard secondhand?

or children supposedly needing novel hormones and their perfectly fine genitalia chopped off or else they'll kill themselves?

I think I've answered the why of this already, so I'm going to skip that and just talk about the phrasing-- the hormones are not novel. they are just the normal hormones that exist in people already, and they have the normal effects, but for the opposite gender. it's also pretty rare for children to go out and request that. teenagers, maybe. i would have loved to get on some blockers as a teenager though. as it is, i don't feel like i had much of a teenage life, and that's exactly because i was already so uncomfortable.

'perfectly fine genitilia' is also such a gross phrase. it might be 'perfectly fine' in your view, but it is not your body to make the call on, and you are not the soul living with the discomfort from it. that also is definitely not a thing that happens as much with children, and the reductionistic point of view where [this thing that some trans people choose to do] is now applied to children as a growing social problem sounds to me like some well-workshopped rhetoric. moreover, why are we making an argument over other people's genitals??? to whoever is spreading that one, gross, mind your business.

i imagine the last few paragraphs inspire some amount of defensiveness because i'm just ripping into your phrasing. and that's fine, but set that defensiveness aside and come back to the table with me. i said at the start that i am choosing to believe you're in good faith here, but for reasons apparent in the prior two paragraphs espeically, you really do not sound like you're in good faith here. like, just saying that does not make it so. i am hoping there are real intentions behind those words you've typed.

and if that is the case-- if you really mean that, then respect to you firstly, but i want you to know that, rather than you being in bad faith, wherever you're getting these talking points from, about 'novel hormones', 'bun/bunself', etc, they are not in good faith. you are concerned about disningenuous information in the internet environment, but the arguments you're representing in this ask are coming from people who are themselves disingenuous, taking only the most extreme parts of gender divergence, and needlessly applying them to children as a moralistic charge. i implore you to prioritize your own, personal, actual experiences with real trans people in the world when making judgments about them-- not just the talking points of others about them.

#tw: transphobia #ask ame #deep sigh

[bricommissions]

I couldn't check if you were doing this still, or how early the post was for the commission for the ask starter. Though I'm shooting a shot haha! Do ignore if you're not doing it ✨️

Preferred Name: Nyx

Age: 20 (Turning 21 this year whoop!)

Pronouns: She/They

Personality: I don't show too many emotions really. Most of the time I bounce off of other people's emotions/energy. What they give I give back. Otherwise I'm pretty laid-back and nonchalant. I also keep everything to myself, unless I choose to tell something. I might drop hints at wanting to, but I will not outright say what secret I want to tell about myself. I don't mind making new acquaintances or friends. I'm just super shy about it and anxiety ridden haha! I'd rather someone talk to me first. I don't open up easily and it takes time for me to actually trust someone with personal details about me. My friends say I'm the therapist and the mom of the group. I look out for other people more than I look out for myself. I'm empathetic and sort of a day dreamer. I may or may not also like to give random trinkets to people I care about as a symbol of trust

That's about it! I know Genshin Impact more than Emsamble Stars, so I'd like to see who my possible match could be from Genshin Impact.

I hope you have a great day/evening/night and a fabulous time in getting writing commissions! Wish you the best of luck!

hello & happy early 21st birthday to you, nyx !! i hope your special day is super awesome when it happens <3 thank you for the good luck wishes :D

DRUM ROLL, PLEASE . . .

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

i'd ship you with : KAEYA ALBERICH !!

as soon as i read that you tend to keep to yourself & have a hard time opening up most of the time, i knew kaeya would be the man to want to genuinely understand all of you. he would try to get a read on you on numerous occassions. you capture his curiousity.

let's say you were in mondstadt for personal reasons that are entirely up to you. maybe you swing by the tavern to get to know some of the locals, but you don't go inside since you cannot legally drink just yet. kaeya would instantly notice the new face seated outside of the tavern chatting with passersbys.

he'd sit across from you in an empty seat with a polite "may i?" & instantly introduce himself. he catches the vibe of your somewhat secretiveness right away. he's pretty secretive himself. he'd make sure to remain friendly & talk in his low, soothing voice in case you're feeling anxious. a new city can be quite overwhelming, after all. he'd ask if you're settling in well & you both would hit it off pretty quickly. he forgets all about going inside of the tavern for an after work drink. he's far more interested in you.

every time you throw out a hint, he takes the bait. kaeya admits that you're the most interesting person he's spoken to all week. says that luck must be on his side for him to cross paths with you. the air between you is filled with warm laughter. he respects that you don't open up very easily since he is the same way. he doesn't pressure you.

once every single star is out in that night sky, kaeya walks you to your hotel room & bids you farewell. he's already excited to cross paths with you again. the cavalry captain hasn't felt excitement like this in far too long. for the duration of your trip, he makes an effort to cross paths with you & make sure you're doing alright. he is a gentleman, after all.

even though your time in mondstadt is not permanent, you see each other almost every day. when the time comes for you to leave, you take one of kaeya's hands & place a trinket of your choice into his hand with a promise to write. he keeps his hold on your hand as he gives you a deep bow of respect, letting you know that he greatly anticipates the day he receives the first letter. should you be alright with it, he even places a featherlight yet romantic kiss to the back of your hand.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

THANK YOU FOR READING !!

if you are unsatisfied with the results, feel free to shoot me an ask or im !!

if you'd like to receive one of these yourself, they are still open at the moment. please refer to THIS POST if you're interested. they just come out a bit slowly since they're lengthy.

if you liked my writing, please consider commissioning me !! it is my only source of income at the moment. i offering writing commissions such as custom character x reader fics, comfort character emails, ship fics, & more <3

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

#genshin impact imagines #genshin impact x you #genshin impact x reader #genshin x you #genshin x reader #genshin impact fanfiction #genshin impact fanfic #kaeya alberich #kaeya x reader #kaeya x y/n #genshin x y/n #genshin impact x y/n #genshin impact #genshin reader insert #genshin impact reader insert #genshin impact requests #itsactuallynyx #thank you for the ask!!

[sophieakatz]

Thursday Thoughts: Pride Asks!

It may be August, but I’m a big believer in Pride Year, so today I’m going through the list of questions I found on this post and answering the ones I feel like thinking about!

(Turns out I felt like answering all thirty-four of them. Have fun!)

1. Which labels do you use?

I am greyromantic and demisexual! I also use aromantic and asexual, or aro-ace.

2. Do you like to use the term queer for yourself? Or just LGBT, etc?

I’m here, I’m queer! I understand why some people aren’t comfortable with reclaiming this word, but it works well for me. You can’t leave out the A when you call it a queer community.

3. Which pronouns do you use?

She/her

4. Are you "out" to your family and friends?

Yep!

5. Are you "out" publicly?

Yep!

6. (If you're out) do you wish you came out sooner? Later? Or was it the right time?

I wish I’d known it was an option sooner. I couldn’t have come out before I knew about it, so I suppose it was the right time. But I wish I’d spent fewer years thinking there was something wrong with me.

7. Are you the "token" queer person in your family?

No, but when I came out, I didn’t know that there were other queer people in my family.

8. Describe your gender without using any words traditionally related to gender:

My gender is “respect me!”

9. When did you realize you weren't cishet?

In middle school, I knew I wasn’t feeling the same thing that my peers were describing when they talked about crushes. But it was easy enough to dismiss it as just another thing that was different about me. I was already anosmic and autistic, and always the first Jewish kid that anyone had ever met. I assumed I was “straight but broken” for the longest time. I didn’t even really believe that I could be asexual the first time I heard the word, in college. I joined my school’s Feminist Union, and that’s where I learned that there are more options to sexuality than straight or gay, more options to gender than boy or girl, and that romantic and sexual attraction weren’t the same thing. I went on Tumblr and followed as many queer blogs as I could find – I was determined to learn everything I could about all the identities, so I could be the best ally ever! One day, I saw a post with the word “demisexual” in it, and I Googled it. I read the definition, and it clicked.

10. Something that gives you gender euphoria (whether you're cis or trans):

When people call me “sir” or “ma’am.”

11. Favorite (or just one you love) piece of LGBT media?

Technically You Started It by Lana Wood Johnson. I wish I could reach back through time and hand this book to my preteen self.

12. Name some queer artists/bands or songs you like most:

“For Me” by Dearlie and “Never Been in Love” by Will Jay stand out. I’m not sure if it was intentional, but “Good Thing” by Zedd and Kehlani is SO aro.

13. Do you choose to reclaim slurs, why or why not?

Every word we use to describe ourselves has been used against us pejoratively. If I find a word works for me, I use it. If someone asks me not to use a word for them or around them, then I won’t use it for them or around them.

14. How do you think other factors like neurodivergency or upbringing have impacted your identity?

I’m Jewish, anosmic, and autistic. I understood from a very young age that there were things about me that made me different from other people, that other people wouldn’t be able to see right away. Once they realized that that difference existed, they would doubt me, question me, negatively judge me, and distance themselves from me. In a way, that all prepared me to realize and accept my asexuality and aromanticism.

I also give my parents a lot of credit for never putting any pressure on me to date when I was a kid or a teen. In hindsight, my childhood home was a very safe place to be aro-ace. Queerness wasn’t something we ever talked about, so it’s not like they encouraged me to explore, but they never discouraged it, either. When I first told my mom I thought I might have a crush on a girl, she immediately hugged me and told me she loved me, and that was the end of the conversation. I knew I could come to her and my dad with whatever new discovery I might make about myself.

15. How has your identity changed over time?

I went from “I have no idea” to “straight but broken” to “panromantic demisexual” to “greyromantic demisexual.”

16. Do you attend Pride in person every year?

No. I’d like to, but there’s a pandemic going on out there. And I live in Florida.

17. Have you ever attended Pride in a big city/ large metro area?

I went to Orlando Pride once with my then-boyfriend. There was a big, colorful parade, I bought a demisexual pride flag, and someone gave me a pair of rainbow sunglasses that I wore til they broke.

18. How old were you when you got to attend your first Pride? Who did you go with?

I think that Orlando Pride I mentioned was my first Pride. I was twenty-four or so.

19. Do you feel safe and accepted in your local community?

Safe enough, and accepted enough, given that it’s Florida. I stay in the Disney bubble enough that I don’t feel the need to constantly look over my shoulder. I have a girlfriend I love and friends I adore. That said, while no one locally is actively out to hurt me, it’s rare that anyone besides my girlfriend and a few key friends is actively out to understand and support my queerness, either. I try to find other aros and aces to hang out with in person, but it’s hard.

20. Do you feel like you "fit in" with the queer/Pride community overall?

I feel like I do. But I don’t think that they feel like I do.

21. What message would you give to your younger self?

Everything about you – everything you feel, everything you experience – is just as good, just as valid, and just as important as anyone else.

22. How do you usually celebrate Pride month?

These days mostly through TikToks.

23. Do you prefer loud parties or quiet?

Game night!

24. Do you practice any religion, if so how does it play into your LGBT identity? Do you feel welcomed by your spiritual community?

I’m Jewish. Masorti/Conservative. Like I said before, being Jewish in a predominantly Christian area prepared me in a way for being aro and ace. People struggle to understand it in similar ways; people are nice to me until they learn about it in similar ways. My community is pretty chill about it. They know I’m queer. My girlfriend and I met at synagogue. It doesn’t come up much, really. They’re more interested in the fact that I’m a twenty-something in a congregation where everyone is either much older or much younger than me.

25. What queer discourse frustrates you the most?

“Aces and aros aren’t LGBT!” “You’re not queer enough!” “You’re not oppressed enough!”

We have nothing to gain from shutting each other out, and everything to lose from perpetuating hate.

26. How do you feel about the term partner rather than husband/girlfriend/etc?

Partner is a great word! One of the ways my aromanticism shows up is in a fluctuating romance-repulsion. Sometimes I’m happy with romantic behaviors and ideas, and sometimes I’m really not okay with any of it! Right now, I’m calling my girlfriend my girlfriend, but sometimes that word doesn’t sit well with me. When we first announced our relationship on social media, I called her my “person.” I’m a big fan of having more words, more options, for how to describe the many ways our lives and relationships can be. “Partner” is great.

27. What gender-neutral terms for yourself or others do you use (i.e. joyfriend)?

My person. My partner. My friend. Babe.

28. Do you experience both romantic and sexual attraction? Do you experience them the same across any gender(s) you are attracted to?

Great question! I experience both at times, rarely. I’m demisexual – I only experience sexual attraction towards someone after I have an emotional connection with that person – and I’m greyromantic – I sometimes experience romantic attraction to others, without a clear pattern to it. Gender has never been an important factor for me. I’ve been in love with he’s, she’s, and they’s, and it comes and goes the same either way!

29. Are you currently partnered, or if not are you interested in having partner(s)?

My girlfriend and I have been a romantic couple for about three months. We were friends for about two years before that. I want to build a future together with someone, to make big life decisions together, to create a home together and have each other around for hugs whenever we need them.

But I feel fine when I don’t have that. Who I am when I’m in love and who I am when I’m not in love – it’s both me. I’m whole either way. But I know what I want.

30. Are you monogamous or polyamorous?

Not sure! I’ve never been in love with more than one person at a time, but I’m pretty sure I could be. I think it would be amazing to have more than one person you have that kind of understanding with and can count on like that. But I’m comfortable with monogamy. It’s not like my romantic partner is the only important person in my life; my family and friends are just as important.

31. Post a pic in your pride gear (or it can just be a selfie or anything else lgbt):

I don’t have any good pride pics right now, but I found this picrew I saved, like, two years ago:

32. Do you do arts and crafts? Post a pic of a project you've done:

I’m a writer, so have a poem instead:

I am yours to sit up with past midnight I am yours now to hold very near I am yours to give flowers and chocolates I am yours when I tell you my fears

I am yours when you soothe all my worries I am yours when you calm all my rants I am yours here beside you for always I am yours since you gave me the chance

I am yours when I tell you you’re silly I am yours when you tell me the same I am yours now to keep us both mindful I am yours in both sunshine and rain

I am yours when we meet in the morning I am yours when I tell you goodbye I am yours, though the allos will tell us That love without sex is a lie

Incidentally, I’m working on a book of Aromantic Asexual Love Poems. If you’ve read this far and you’re interested in beta-reading a queer poetry book, please reach out!

33. What about your LGBT identity do you feel proud of/ want to recognize/celebrate?

The freedom! The freedom to not know what’s going on with me, to be inconsistent, to figure out what’s best for me and my relationships, to build my future day by day by day. Recognizing my aromanticism and asexuality has opened so many doors for me and given me so much hope!

34. What are you needing most right now (what would make your life easier or more fulfilling in regards to existing as queer)?

More people who are neither aro nor ace mentioning aro and ace people in queer contexts. We can’t be the only ones speaking up for ourselves. Y’all need to be positive and noisy about us, too. That’s how we know we’re safe with you.

#thursday thoughts #pride #pride asks #queer #aroace #aromantic #asexual #greyromantic #demisexual #coming out #poetry #queer community #aro #ace #aromanticism #asexuality #aro pride #ace pride #aroace pride

[odd-cosplay]

Hello hello! Could I request a platonic headcanon/oneshot (you can choose) of the fandom DSMP?

(They/Them pronouns pls)

The format is that the reader fell from the sky/appeared out of nowhere after a meteor rain, and they have powers related to the cosmos and the stars, like: they can create portals through time-space, they can project small stars out of thin air with their hands(which can be used as attacks or artificial light), and float from the ground to a certain height(cuz gravity), and a bonus if they can glow in the dark like a star and have star-shaped pupils, and little star-shaped freckles on their cheeks like glitter.

And Phil just randomly found the reader in a forest in the middle of the night and went "my kid now", and just brought them in as his own, so now they're one of the many kids Phil had adopted and their now the younger sibling figure of Techno and Wilbur. BUT in the NEXT meteor rain that happens they disappear just like they came, and they leave a letter for each of the SBI members+ Ranboo, Tubbo and Nikki saying their goodbyes and thanking them for taking them in and for being their friends/siblings.

(Mini Bonus: the reader leaves a gift among the letters that is a neckless/earring with a crystal star on it that it's labeled as "friendship stars" for each of them, inspired by Techno's friendship emeralds)

Hope that made sense :)

- 🌟

UHM. YES?!?! WHOLESOME?!?!?!

Meteor Shower~

Pronouns: They/Them

Genre : Fluff/Angst

TWS : None!

Writing Type : Headcannons/Oneshot? (Only for Phil), and the letter.

~~~

Phil :

- Poor Philza, he had known you since you had first dropped from the sky and now your just gone.

- He would be looking for you for hours before he sees a pile of letters, addressed to your friends and family.

Philza walked into your room. “Y/N? You here?” He calls as he sees the pile of letters. His heart drops. He would sit on the bed, looking at the letter addressed to him.

-To Philza,

Every since I had dropped from the sky you’ve taken care of me. I never knew why you had given me such kindness, but I was forever more grateful as time went by. Though I will have to return to the stars again, so when you find these I will already be gone. Please take care of everyone, and make sure they all get their letters aswell. Thank you, and I will always remember you.

Best Wishes, (Y/N)-

Phil looked down at the letter. A child that he had only known for a few months had left but also left a big hole in their family. Before delivering the letters to everyone else, he saw a small shine in his letter. A small crystal, with the words ‘friendship crystal’ engraved in it with sloppy handwriting. It had a clip, and Phil immediately recognized it. He took it and clipped it onto his hat, a charm that he will never take off.

Techno :

-Techno was anything but surprised when he saw a letter on his door. He knew that you were not from this world, and that you would leave eventually.

-But that’s not to say he was sad. Techno was never one to show emotion around people, especially sadness. Though you were his best friend, his sibling.

-You two had shared everything together, and now, you were gone.

-Techno,

I know you are not one for sad and sappy goodbyes, but I am! In these days I’ve been on the SMP, you have been my best friend. You’ve taught me how to fight, farm potatoes, and just been a great brother. I will cherish the times I spent with you, I hope you have an amazing life, and maybe we will meet again in the future.

Best Wishes, (Y/N)-

-Technos friendship crystal was an earring. It had a small gold chain that let it hang, and still had that familiar sloppy handwriting on it.

Wilbur :

-Unlike Techno, Wilbur thought this was a joke when we got the letter.

-He laughed and thought it was all fun and games until he saw the look on Phils face.

-He would put himself in solitude and remember all of the times you had together, writing songs, making plans of a new nation, and just talking.

-Dearest Wilbur,

This must have been a surprise huh? I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth earlier. But you might’ve guessed I’m not from this world. My place is in the stars and if you received this is back where I belong. I will miss you dearly, but I do have one request. Please, make a song about something happy instead of your imaginary ex girlfriend. I will always remember the songs we made, and hopefully we can make one more in the future.

Best Wishes, (Y/N)-

-Wilburs friendship crystal would be a ring, it was made of silver and the crystal of course, had the same old handwriting he remembered from when you wrote down ideas for songs.

Tommy :

-Tommy wouldn’t believe that you were gone. But when Phil and the rest of the SBI told him it was he lashed out and yelled at them. Saying that you would come back.

-He refused to open the letter, saying you’d come back. But after a few months he finally accepted that you were gone. Then, he would open the letter.

-Tommy,

When I first arrived you were the first to come up to me, your energy made even me exited. I knew we would have great times and we did! Playing pranks, forever trying to protect your disks, and so much more. I’m sorry I had to leave you so suddenly, but I’m back where I belong. I will watch you from the stars, and maybe one day I’ll come to visit. Stay strong.

Best Wishes, (Y/N)-

-Tommy’s friendship crystal would be nothing more then that. A crystal, raw and beautiful, with “Friendship Crystal” engraved on it. He was treasure it, and always keep it on him for good luck.

~~~

I’m sorry this took so long, and I’ll have to split this into two parts, so yea- I’ll definitely work on this when I can!

#DSMP #SBI #sleepy bois inc #tommyinnit #wilbur soot #philza minecraft #techno blade

[theteasetwrites]

The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning

Chapter 65: Flowers For the Dead

❧ Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Reader ❧ Era: Season 9 ❧ Pronouns: she/her ❧ Warnings: scary situation, violence, mild swearing, mentions of child abuse/trauma ❧ Word Count: 7.6k

❧ In This Chapter: Daryl gets to work interrogating the mysterious prisoner at the Hilltop, and learns that there might be more going on than meets the eye. Meanwhile, you attempt to take Robin out to pick flowers, but the dead are lurking even in flower patches.

❧ A/N: I'm having a lot of fun playing with Daryl's experience as a father, and how he develops a protective bond with Lydia, in whom he sees not only himself as a child, but his own daughter. Plus, he's also basically Henry's dad at the moment, so he's got a lot going on. So does Reader, of course, and I think she's doing a pretty good job. I mean, being a parent in a time like this is certainly very difficult, so props to her and Daryl! Robin is a little treasure, also. I'm having so much fun writing her, and combining traits and mannerisms from both of her parents, as well as coming up with her own identity. So fun!

“What the hell were you thinkin’, anyway?” Daryl asked the young man as they both sat watching Jesus’ grave being dug that afternoon his body was brought back.

“I wasn’t,” he replied. “(Y/N) told me to make friends, I guess I thought that’s what I was doing. Anyway, fresh air’s helping.”

“Well, don’t get too used to it. Two minutes your ass is goin’ right back in there.”

The boy looked at Daryl dumbfounded. “Seriously?”

“(Y/N) says you got one more night,” replied Daryl. “So you got one more night.”

You didn’t want to be responsible for choosing how long Henry was to stay in there, but you decided two nights and three days seemed adequate for him to learn his lesson.

Daryl didn’t even know how to deal with the teenage boy at all. He’d treated him more like an adult than a kid, and now he saw himself in the young man, with how he’d gotten himself into trouble.

Perhaps Daryl was glad to have had a daughter instead. A son would’ve been too close to home.

“Daryl, I’m sorry,” he said. “Really.”

He nodded, unsure if he accepted the apology. Getting himself into trouble just put more strain on an already troubling situation with the death of Jesus and the presence of the young woman in the cellar. That combined with the stress of making sure you and Robin were all right was a lot to have on his plate.

“I—I guess I wanna find my place,” the boy continued. “And I knew who I was at the Kingdom… but who am I here?”

Daryl was silent at that, pondering his own version of that question which often haunted him, ever since he was around Henry’s age.

On a basic level, he knew who he was, but certain situations would call that identity into question. He wished he could say it got easier, that finding yourself was only something you worried about as a young adult, but that wasn’t the case. There would always be questioning. It would get better with time, but it would always be there.

That next morning, Jesus was laid to rest, and you watched in silent, steadfast tears as you held Robin’s hand, and Daryl had his arm around your waist.

You kept seeing him eye that cellar door, where the girl was being kept, and Henry, too. You knew that look in his eyes—anger.

“Who are you?” he asked the girl, in that low, quiet hiss of a voice which threatened to increase in volume.

The girl moved from her seat in the cell to the corner, where she cowered before Daryl.

“Answer the question,” he said.

She remained quiet, only breathing heavily with a terrified look upon her dirtied face.

“You wanna die?” he asked. “Is that it?”

“Daryl, what’s your problem?!” shouted Henry from the neighboring cell.

“Quiet!” he replied, then lowered his voice before speaking again. “Do you? People up there just buried a good man, and they’re ready to string you up right now. All I gotta do is drag your ass up them steps… How many in your group?”

“I already told you,” she responded, but that didn’t satisfy Daryl, who elicited a terrified whimper from her as he pulled her up by the wrist.

“Get up!” he yelled, then held her by the neck against the bars of the cell. “How many?!”

“Ten!” she cried. “Ten! There were ten of us. I think… We wore skins to blend in, we didn’t have names. I mean—I mean we did but we didn’t use them.”

She breathed heavily, her throat still under pressure from Daryl’s grip.

He glared at her. “How long you been out around here?”

She shook her head as she panted. “I don’t know. We moved around with the—with the dead. I mean, the skins made them leave us alone. They protected us so we protected them.”

“You got a camp?” he asked. “Walls?”

She narrowed her eyes and scoffed. “Walls? Walls don’t keep you safe. Places like this don’t make it. They never make it, that’s how it is. My mom and me, we saw it happen, over and over. I—I barely remember the world before all this, but my mom, she told me how it was changing, how we had to change with it, how we needed the dead and each other to keep safe. We were never alone.”

“Why’d your people kill our people?” he asked. When she didn’t answer right away, he procured his large serrated hunting knife and pointed it directly in her face. “Tell me!” he bellowed.

“We were always gonna kill you, okay?!” she cried. “It’s just what people do now. Everybody still alive is a threat, it’s us or them.”

He kept his knife situated near her face, glaring at her. “How many people in your group?” he asked again.

“I already—”

“The truth!” he yelled.

“It is the truth!”

He pushed the tip of the sharpened knife further into her face. “Don’ lie ta me!”

“My mom!” she cried. “It’s just my mom. She’s a good person. Please don’t go looking for her. Please. She’s just one woman, out there alone.”

“You said your people were never alone.”

“She—she was at the cemetery,” she continued. “She got separated but just her.”

“Liar!” he bellowed, and grabbed her wrist to begin dragging her out of the cell.

“No, no!” she screamed. “I told you the truth!”

“I told ya what was gonna happen!”

“Daryl!” shouted Henry.

“Shut up!” he yelled back.

“That was everything,” the girl said. “Please, please let go of me.”

“Daryl, stop!”

“Please, Daryl,” the girl said. “Please don’t kill me, please… please.”

Upon utterance of his name, he let the girl go to cower back in her cell, but not without glaring her down, and locking the cell door with a brutal look upon his face.

Crossing over to Henry’s cell, he gave the boy an accusatory point with his hand.

“Thought I told ya to stay quiet,” he said.

“She’s just a girl,” replied Henry.

“You wanna know what your place is here?” he asked. “It’s right where you’re at, for as long as it takes for you to figure out how to wise your ass up.”

His jaw dropped slightly. “But (Y/N) said—”

“I’m here now,” he said, glowering at him. “She ain’t the only one in charge of you.”

When he emerged from the cellar, he crossed over to the Barrington House, where you sat on the steps, watching Robin play fetch with Dog.

He sat next to you with a grunt, and resting his elbows on his knees, cradling his chin with his hands and chewing on his bottom lip as he watched the little girl attempt to throw the stick with as much strength as she could muster, almost hitting one of the stablekeepers in the process.

“You find anything out?” you asked.

He huffed. “Nah. Only that she ain’t tellin’ the truth.”

You hummed in acknowledgment, then remained quiet as you contemplated whether or not to present Daryl with your idea. “I was thinking,” you began, rubbing your thighs nervously, “it’d be nice to make a bouquet for Jesus’ grave.”

He nodded. “Yeah, that’d be nice.”

“Well, I was thinking… Maybe I could go out and pick some flowers… with Robin.”

He looked at you in disbelief, then shook his head as he looked down at his feet and rubbed his face with his hands. “I don’t know,” he said. “Jus’ seems too soon.”

You sighed. “There’s a little patch of wildflowers just outside the walls, and we’ll take Dog.”

“Jus’ you, Robin, and Dog?” he asked.

You nodded. “If that’s okay.”

He raised his head to look at Robin, who now kneeled on the dirt floor as she rubbed Dog’s belly. He laughed a little to himself, admiring how precious she was as she giggled in delight at the canine’s legs kicking in satisfaction.

“You be careful,” he said to you sternly. “Keep your eyes open. Don’t want anythin’ happenin’ to either of you.”

You kissed his cheek. “I will.”

Flower arrangement was a hobby you’d picked up in the last few years, and Daryl never had any qualms with you going outside the walls alone to pick them. This was the first time you brought Robin with you, however, and the first time she’d ever go out, aside from traveling.

You held her hand as you walked with her, the both of you holding wicker baskets and stepping over patches of mushrooms as you walked, always careful to never disturb the “fairy houses.” Even Dog avoided stepping on them as he obediently trotted beside you.

“Do fairies live in flowers, too?” she asked.

You smiled at the thought. “Well, I don’t know if fairies live in flowers, but I know they take care of the flowers, and they make dresses out of the petals, and wear foxglove on their heads like hats.”

“And they dance in fairy rings,” Robin added matter-of-factly, as if it wasn’t up for debate.

“Yes, they do.”

You kept walking for a little while, rounding the corner of the wall of the Hilltop as you approached the patch of wildflowers, all of different species. Long ago, someone must have thrown a handful of seeds there, because that patch had been there eight years ago, when you first came to Hilltop.

“Here we are,” you said. “I don’t want you going beyond this patch, you hear me?” You felt like you were talking to both Robin and Dog, who both looked up at you with large, curious eyes.

She nodded, marveling at the bright profusion of perennial wildflowers sprouting up from the dirt below. “Yes, Mommy.”

As always, you brought along your field guide to Virginia plants, and helped Robin identify everything she pulled up from the ground. In just a half an hour, your baskets were filled with bluebells, dandelions, chicories, daisies, buttercups, primroses, irises, skullcaps, larkspurs… Practically every kind of flower you could have imagined. It was one of the better patches you’d come across in a while.

“Can we make one for Daddy?” asked Robin, bundling up the last of the white daisies as you prepared to leave. If you spent any longer than an hour outside, you knew Daryl would come looking for you.

“When we get back,” you said, rising from your knees and lifting up your basket. You walked over to her, careful not to trample the remaining flowers, and touched her shoulder. “I think he would really like that, sweet pea. Which ones are you going to use?”

You pulled her along as you began to walk back towards the gates, with Dog following close behind. You watched her look down at her basket, and her small hands rifling delicately through her collection. “I think he’d like the… these ones!”

She picked up a handful of blue flowers by their stems. They had a bundle of tiny indigo florets, with a burst of purple in the center. The light picked up the veins in their petals, and the shimmer of light periwinkle amidst the dark blues and purples.

Robin had decided long ago that Daryl’s favorite color was blue, because when he told her it was black, that didn’t satisfy her. “Black is a shade,” she had said pointedly that day. “Not a color.”

“Cornflower,” you said, knowing the common weed by name now. “Bachelor’s button. They’re called that because they used to be worn by young men when they were in love, back in the Victorian age when people liked to symbolize their feelings with flowers.”

“You think he’ll like them?” she asked innocently.

“He’ll love them. They’ll bring out his eyes.”

The two of you continued walking several more steps, with the sun warming your cheeks and highlighting the natural honey streaks of Robin’s wavy hair, and everything seemed right with the world, as if nothing could disturb this moment, until you felt Dog’s presence stagnate behind you, and you turned to see the brown and black canine arching his back and growling.

He began to bark, and you followed his eyeline to see what had caught his attention. As you pinpointed your sight on the three walkers in the distance, hovering over something and feasting on its remains.

“Mommy…” Robin peeped, and in your frozen state, you managed to move her behind you with a stiff hand.

“Just ignore it,” you said shakily. “It’s nothing. Come on, Dog!” you called to him, but he stood in place, with his fur on end and still barking at the undead. You began to panic as the walkers slowly turned to face you, and began making their way towards you.

“Mommy!” Robin cried in fear, clinging to your body and tugging you away. “Dog!”

You looked down briefly at her, and then back up at Dog, who was running towards the walkers.

“Dog!” you bellowed, then looked back down at Robin as you retrieved your axe from your belt loop. “Stay right here. Anything comes at you, you run to the gates and don’t stop,” you said, against all your better judgment, but you weren’t about to let Dog get eaten right in front of her, and you kind of liked the creature, even if he was a pain in the ass at times.

You didn’t stay at her side long enough to hear her cry out to you, and by the time you got to Dog, he had tackled one of the walkers, and was successfully attacking it, but the other two were closing in on him. You took them out quickly, and then moved behind Dog to plunge your axe into the last one.

Before you could collect your thoughts, you felt Robin run into your arms and cry into your shoulder. You had no idea what to say, how to explain to her what she’d seen, other than that her greatest fear was real, and she’d just seen it.

As you held her, you saw Dog messing with the face of one of the walkers near your foot. It wasn’t unlike the canine to bring walker parts home to you as a kind of gift, but this was different, as he’d never removed one of their faces.

He dropped the rotten piece of flesh by Robin’s foot, and you quickly shooed him away, and picked up the thing in an attempt to throw it away before she could see it, but you noticed a strange stitching on the back behind the hair, as if it were a mask.

You carried Robin through the gates, as the little girl was too distraught to even walk, along with both of your baskets of flowers in your free hand.

Dog came running behind, and when you were back in the trailer, you sat her on her bed to check her for any injuries, though you knew she was probably all right, just shaken up from what she’d seen.

She wiped her tears with her balled up hands as you hugged her tightly, rubbing her back and trying to soothe her.

“W-were those the monsters, Mommy?” she asked with a whimper.

You closed your eyes and sighed. “Yes. They were monsters, but they’re not going to hurt you. I would never let them… I’m just sorry you had to see it.”

She wrapped her arms around you, as much as she could, and clung tightly to your blouse. “You killed them,” she said quietly. “I—I thought killing was bad.”

You pulled away to look at her, with that teary-eyed, questioning look on her face. “It is,” you said. “Killing people is bad, but those weren’t people.”

“What were they?”

This was the conversation you had dreaded since Robin began to talk. How could you explain something to her that didn’t make much sense to any living person? They were dead people who came back to life. That was all you could think of saying, and Robin was still mystified by the concept of death itself.

Still, you couldn’t sugarcoat it now that she was asking you point-blank. In all her innocence that you tried to preserve as best you could, you couldn’t deny her the right to know about the very thing that had changed the world she now lived in.

“We call them walkers,” you said. “Some people call them different things, but that’s what we call them. They’re not really monsters, because monsters don’t exist. They’re just… Well, they were people, once, like you and me. You know how… people die? They get old, or they get hurt really badly, and they sleep, and they don’t wake up again?”

She nodded shakily, trying to understand. You couldn’t imagine how confused she must’ve been. You yourself were still confused.

“Well, a long time ago, before you were born, this… sickness broke out, throughout the whole world. Things were different before that, a lot different, but when the sickness spread, it killed people, and they went to sleep, but they woke up again, and they came back as those walkers.”

“So they are people?” she asked, now holding tightly to her white stuffed rabbit.

You slumped your shoulders and sighed. “No, sweet pea. They’re not people anymore, they turned. They don’t… They don’t think like people. They’re not even really alive, they just move, and they eat…”

“They eat people? Like Judith said?”

“They do,” you said. “That’s how they spread the sickness, biting people.” Of course, it was even worse than that. Any dead body would turn, because everyone was infected. You weren’t sure you could explain that to her all at once, though.

“How many are there?”

You shook your head a little as you wracked your brain for the answer. “I—I don’t know, honey. Lots of them, more than us… The sickness spreads so easily that it took over most of the world when it started. That’s why we stay in the walls, to keep the walkers out.”

She was silent for a while, and wordlessly laid herself down facing away from you. “When you tell that story,” she began to say, “those are the creatures? The walkers?”

“Yes,” you admitted. “I didn’t want you to find that out yet, but I guess it had to happen sooner or later.”

Her small whimpers and cries were subdued after a while, as you sat beside her and stroked her hair until she fell asleep. Dog curled up alongside her sleeping body, and you covered them both in her plush pink blanket from home.

You little shit, you thought to yourself, in regards to Dog, who had more or less ruined your fairytale afternoon with your daughter. Still, you loved the pup.

You never wanted him— you actually wanted a cat, if anything. Daryl brought him home from a long winter hunt. Robin was only two, just learning how to talk, but she loved the dog immediately, clinging to him constantly. Daryl was already quite attached to him, too, so between the two of them, you couldn’t say no.

She was still so young, so when you asked her to name him, she chose the rather practical name, Dog, because that was precisely what he was.

While your two “children” slept, you worked on the bouquet for Jesus, and set aside Robin’s basket of flowers, and every bachelor’s button you had in yours, for when she’d wake up.

In the cellar, Daryl was preoccupied, interrogating the girl who he’d found out was called Lydia. Though she was more open to talking with Henry, she was starting to come clean about her origins, and revealing details about the kind of person her mother was.

“Two of ours went missing,” he said to her as he sat on the other side of the cell bars. He was referring to Luke and Alden, who hadn’t returned back from their search for Daryl’s search party. “We found their horses though. Half skinned, half eaten. You know anything about that?”

“How could I?” she retorted. “I’ve been here.”

“What would your mom do,” he asked, “if she crossed some of our people? Would she kill ‘em?”

Lydia was silent for a moment. “She would if she had to.”

She recounted a memory in which her mother had killed a man, to save her group. Her father sang to her after that, calming her down, comforting her. It didn’t match a story she told earlier, in which her father was a callous, unlovable man.

“He used to sing that to me when I was scared,” she said. “Which was a lot back then.”

She also said earlier that her mother was the one to sing to her, but Daryl didn’t buy that. She seemed much more ruthless, especially if she was now leading this band of hostile skin wearers.

“How old were you?” he asked.

“Five,” she said with uncertainty. “Six, who knows.”

Robin’s age, he thought. He couldn’t even imagine his little girl having to see her own mother kill someone, though from Lydia’s story, it seemed like there was no other option.

“Your mom—your mom did what she had to do,” he said.

Lydia nodded in silence, as she tugged on her ear, which had been hurting her since she arrived. Daryl noticed this, and procured a bottle of pain medication from the Hilltop doctor.

He whistled, shaking the bottle and tossing it gently through the bars. The orange bottle landed by her feet, and she picked it up to examine it.

“Doesn’t have to be like that, though,” he continued. “There’s a lot of good people here. They’ll help you if you help them.”

Certainly, Daryl had changed his interrogation tactic, trying to be more compassionate to the girl, who was no more than Henry’s age, probably about sixteen. He could tell she was quite troubled, not only from years of living amongst the dead, but from some kind of trauma.

She fiddled with the bottle of medicine in her hand, then looked up at Daryl through the bars. “Can I have some water?”

He rose from his chair to fetch a ladle full of water from the bucket behind him. Lydia stood at the bars of her cell, waiting for Daryl to hand her the ladle, but he only held it an inch or so away.

“What, you think I’m gonna hit you with it or something?”

He huffed, and eyed her suspiciously as he brought it closer to her.

She cradled the piece of metal in her hand for a moment, bringing it to her lips, but moved her other hand quickly to swat at Daryl.

The ladle and the water fell to the floor with a clatter, and Daryl moved quickly to dodge her hand, and grabbed her arm to see a tinge of red poking out from under her sleeve.

Moving her sleeve up as he held her arm by force, he revealed a smattering of red, bruised streaks on the inside of her forearm. They weren’t recent, but they hadn’t scarred over yet, still he recognized what it must’ve been from.

She pulled her arm back inside the cell quickly, as she spat in Daryl’s face. In frustration, she tucked herself back in the far corner of the cell, and Daryl left her again, deeming it too volatile a situation for him to continue until later.

After nightfall, he returned, this time with the thin branch of a birch tree. He had a theory, he had told you in between the interrogations. A theory that he believed could explain the bruises.

“You know,” he said, approaching Lydia’s cell, “some dads would come up with any excuse… just to beat the shit out of their kids.”

He started peeling off the dried leaves from the branch as he spoke. “Maybe they’re drunk, maybe they can’t get drunk. Belts are good, but these assholes, they ain’t picky. They’ll use whatever’s lyin’ around. But a good switch from a birch tree… That’ll work.”

He held up the branch, eying Lydia to see if it sparked something. “Your dad sounds a lot like one of those dads,” he continued to say. “‘Cept the part where he sang to you when you were scared. Those dads… They like it when you’re scared. Thing is, that’s the only part of your story that didn’t sound like bullshit. Now, you knew exactly what this was when I walked down here, and those bruises on your arm, they come from a beating. So let me ask you, if your dad’s dead, who gave ‘em to you?”

“My mom,” she said.

He knew it.

“Where is she?”

She flashed a small, slightly sinister smile. “Be glad you don’t know.”

“Where is she?” he asked again, this time more impatiently. “Where’s your camp?”

She remained silent.

“Why are you protectin’ her?” he asked pointedly. “Huh? You’re safer here.”

“This place isn’t real,” replied Lydia. “The world changed, and you’re all acting like it’s gonna change back. My mom walks ‘cause that’s what the dead do. It’s their world and we have to live in it.” She held her arm out and pulled up her sleeve. “And what my mom does, she does for a reason.”

“Your mom beats you because she loves you?” he asked dismissively. “That’s bullshit.”

She shook her head. “No, it isn’t. When you stay soft, people die.”

Lydia began to recount the moment her father died, when he sacrificed himself to a walker so she wouldn’t get bit. To her, that was weakness.

“You were just a little girl,” replied Daryl. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“I was stupid,” she said. “I deserved to die, but my dad was soft, and now he’s the one that’s dead.”

It was something her mother must’ve told her, drilled into her head to make her believe it until it was true. That kind of emotional abuse was not unlike what Daryl had experienced in his childhood, too, both at the hands of his brother and his father.

“What was he supposed to do?” asked Daryl. “Jus’ watch his little girl get bit?” As a father, he couldn’t even bear the thought.

“When you can’t bend,” she said, “you break. He broke. He was weak, just like everyone here.”

“That’s not true,” he replied. “We’re making it better, building it back up again, changing it back.”

“Yeah?” she asked, her voice becoming more impassioned, and filled with misplaced confidence. “You don’t belong with these people.”

Daryl felt fire in his veins, a burning in his chest reaching his throat. He’d spent years convincing himself that he did belong here, with you and everyone else, not out there, alone and in the harsh wilderness. Anyone who questioned his belonging now, after everything he’d been through, after how much his life had changed, had a storm coming, but the strange, troubled teenager in front of him would only receive it in a cold, deathly stare.

“You’re hard,” she continued, “they’re soft.”

He narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice to an eerie tone. “You don’t know shit about me.”

Robin awoke from her nap around nightfall, as Daryl was interrogating Lydia. She seemed eager to forget about the incident outside the walls, and you helped her take her mind off of it by helping her with Daryl’s bouquet for whenever he felt he had gotten enough information from the girl.

Lighting the lanterns around your trailer, you watched in delight as Robin splayed out her assortment of flowers on the coffee table, and had a thoughtful look on her face as she arranged them in the small glass vase you provided her.

She chewed her bottom lip and squinted her eyes just as her father did, and it amused you to no end how much she looked like him, and how much the two of them were both such perfectionists when it came to certain things—Daryl with mechanics and his crossbow, Robin with arts and crafts. Both of them were immensely creative.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, you thought.

As she set aside her completed arrangement, you were about to sit down and help her construct a flower crown of bachelor’s buttons for Daryl until a knock came at the door.

To your surprise, it was Henry, looking rather downcast and upset. You knew Daryl had let him out earlier, which you supported, since Daryl had been keeping in there longer than you suggested for his punishment, but he hadn’t come back to the trailer, and you assumed he just wanted his space. Besides, what was there to say to the boy, other than that you were disappointed? Daryl and Earl had already given him those talks, and you weren’t about to be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

“Henry,” you said. “Hi… Is everything all right?”

He nodded. “Can I come in?”

You tilted your head and smiled. “Of course. You live here. Well, temporarily. Come in.”

You sat him down on the couch, and made him a cup of tea while he helped Robin with her flower crown.

“It’s for my daddy,” she said proudly, twirling the stem of one of the flowers around the wire you had given her for the base of the crown. “Do you want one?”

He smiled. “Um, sure.”

She excitedly lifted herself from the couch and reached over to grab her basket. “I think you’d look nice with daisies,” she said matter-of-factly. “Daisies and dandelions.”

“Robin,” you said, carefully handing Henry his cup, “let him pick his own flowers. Maybe he doesn’t want daisies and dandelions.”

She raised her eyebrows in questioning. “What kind of flowers do you want, Henry?” She tilted her basket forward to show him the array of choices. “Don’t take any of the blue ones, they’re for Daddy.”

He shook his head in amusement. “You know what, daisies and dandelions sound great, Robin.”

She smiled shyly, a rose color blossoming on her plump, childlike cheeks as they often did when she spoke with people she didn’t know too well. The duality of her ever-growing personality continued to amaze you—the stark contrast between her gregariousness and her introverted tendencies. Seeing her grow was truly fascinating.

“Okay,” she said, and turned to put the last cornflower in Daryl’s crown before beginning Henry’s, which she couldn’t finish before she began dozing off on the couch.

You grunted as you picked her up, her limp, half-asleep body loosely clinging to her white rabbit’s arm as you carried her to her bed, then tucked her in and kissed her forehead. You closed the curtain between the room where all your beds were and the living area, then sat yourself on the armchair across from Henry.

“So I’m assuming you learned your lesson?” you asked.

He shrugged. “I guess… Really sucks being down there, all cooped up.”

You nodded, remembering living in prison cells for half a year, though you were fortunate in that you could get out whenever you wanted to.

“Well, next time you’ll think before getting drunk like that. It might seem fun at first, but soon you find yourself doing stupid things you’ll regret the next morning. It’s best just to steer clear of alcohol, trust me.”

“I will,” he said.

You were silent for a few moments, picking at the cuticle of your thumb until you ventured to say something.

“Daryl told me you two had a little disagreement,” you began. “What was that about?”

He shrugged. “Didn’t Daryl tell you?”

“It’s good to get both sides of the story,” you reasoned. “I’m assuming you weren’t just being a ‘snot-nosed little brat,’ but I could be wrong.” You flashed him a teasing smile.

He scoffed. “Yeah, and he was being an asshole.”

“Yeah,” you sighed. “He can be an asshole.” But he’s my asshole, you thought, and then quickly realized that didn’t quite sound right. “He told me he heard you telling Lydia about the Kingdom, that that’s why he took you out of your cell.”

Henry lowered his head. “Yeah, that’s true. I don’t think she’s a bad person, though… I mean, she doesn’t seem like a bad person.”

“Appearances can be deceiving,” you said. “I know you want to see the good in people, I’m like that too, but I’ve also trusted a lot of people who I shouldn’t have ever trusted, so you have to be careful, not trust too easily. This girl could be dangerous.”

He shook his head. “But she isn’t. She’s just scared, and it doesn’t help that Daryl’s being a dick to her… What do you see in that asshole, anyway?”

You raised an eyebrow, then let out a snort, to which Henry smirked at you.

“Oh, boy,” you sighed. “Well, lots of things. Where you see an asshole, I see a person who’s trying to keep us all safe. He’s a protector, and he’s loyal… He cares about his family, not just me and Robin, and Dog… but you, and your mom, and everyone else. Beyond that, he makes a great squirrel stew.”

Henry went to bed after a while, opting to sleep in the bed you prepared for him in your trailer for the first time since he’d come to Hilltop.

Daryl came home shortly after his conversation with Lydia, which ended on a sour note.

“There ain’t no helpin’ that girl,” he said to you that next morning, sitting with you on the couch and lacing up his boots. “She ain’t my problem no more.”

You nodded as you worked on Robin’s flower crown. You took the liberty of hiding Daryl’s crown and his bouquet in the kitchen cupboards until she awoke to give them to him, but you wanted her to have one of her own, too.

“Henry seems to like her,” you said. “He trusts her, for whatever reason.”

He chewed on the inside of his bottom lip, as you admired his old mannerism. “‘Er mom beats her,” he said, and looked at you seriously. “Hits ‘er with a stick, and makes her think she deserves it, that it makes her strong. She tells her that people like us are weak, soft… Dunno what we’re gonna do with her, but we ain’t sendin’ her back to that. No one deserves that, don’ care how messed up they are.”

Dog rose from his place by your feet, and nuzzled his head unto Daryl’s hands, noticing how a sadness had overcome him.

You placed the last daisy in Robin’s flower crown and set it aside before leaning forward to pet Dog’s back as Daryl massaged the canine’s pointed ears.

“How could someone do that to their child?” you asked quietly, as if asking no one in particular, because you knew there was no logical answer. “What kind of monster…” You trailed off, remembering the pain and suffering inflicted upon Daryl as a child. “Tara will figure out what to do with her. I just hope this doesn’t start something, having her here.”

Daryl sighed and turned his head to look at you, a small, comforting smile on his tired face. Wavy brown locks framed his high, almost elf-like cheekbones, and the scruff on his chin appeared to have even more gray patches than you remembered. Still, he always looked the same to you—beautiful.

“Don’ worry,” he said, removing one hand from Dog and grasping yours. “It’ll work out, always does. Jus’ gotta worry ‘bout Robin and Henry now. Few weeks, I’ll bet Henry’ll be jus’ fine on his own, and we can go back home.”

You flipped his hand around and traced his little stick-and-poke skull tattoo on the back of his hand. “Since when did you become the optimistic one?” you asked with a smile, getting lost in the inky design.

He lifted your chin with his other hand, and you heard Dog let out a little whine at the lack of Daryl’s pets. He kissed your nose, to which you giggled at the scratchiness of his sparse, stubbly beard on your lips.

“Since I found you,” he said. “Made me realize how nice it can be.”

You furrowed your brow at him. “How nice what can be?”

He shrugged, as if the answer was obvious. “Bein’ alive.”

The more time Daryl spent with you, the more romantic he became. You couldn’t say you minded. You leaned forward to kiss him, closing your eyes and feeling your eyelashes tickle his. As you parted lips, he caressed your cheek with his thumb.

“Forgot to ask ya how the flower pickin’ went,” he said.

You looked down at your feet and sighed, still holding Daryl’s shoulders. “It went well… Robin had a nice time. It’s just… Well, she saw some walkers.”

He nodded solemnly as he thought.

“Dog chased after them,” you continued, now looking at the canine on the floor, who rested his chin upon your foot. “I had no choice, I had to kill them in front of her, before they could get to Dog.”

“Was always gonna happen,” he said. “Like you said, we can’t keep ‘er inside forever, and if she starts goin’ outside more, she’s bound to see ‘em. How’d she handle it?”

“Well, she was terrified, of course. When we got back, she asked me if those were the monsters Judith told her about. What else was I supposed to tell her? I explained to her where they came from, at least, the basics… I didn’t know what I was doing, but I had to tell her something, and I couldn’t lie to her anymore.”

“Was never lyin’,” he said. “Jus’... not tellin’ her. You did good.”

“Now we’ve just got to teach her how to kill them,” you said, and Daryl had the reaction you assumed he’d have—eyes wide and filled with anxiety.

“One goddamn step at a time,” he said. “She’s just a baby.”

You smiled and squeezed his shoulders. “She’s five years old, honey. That’s really young, but that’s about how old Judith was when she started learning. I don’t want her to grow up, either, but I don’t think we have much of a choice.”

He scoffed. “I know. Like to hold it off for as long as possible, though. Not puttin’ one of those undead assholes near our little girl till it feels right.” He nodded to himself, as if in confirmation.

“You’re right,” you said. “I just hope you come up with a technique other than throwing a walker head at her.”

He raised an eyebrow, and tried to hold back a laugh so as not to wake Robin. “Worked didn’t it?”

You snorted, and out of the corner of your eye you saw little Robin, stumbling forward and rubbing her eyes as she usually did when she first woke up. Upon opening her eyes, she saw Daryl, and smiled widely. “Hi, Daddy,” she said. She hadn’t seen him since yesterday morning, as he’d been on interrogation duty all day yesterday, with only brief intervals to let you know how it was going.

He beamed at his little ray of sunshine. “Hey, sweetheart.”

She was about to skip over to him, but quickly remembered her presents for him. “Mommy, where are—”

You rose to your feet and jogged to the kitchenette. “I’ve got them,” you said, pulling out the objects and holding them behind your back as you walked over to her. “Close your eyes!” you said to Daryl, making sure he did so before handing the bouquet and the flower crown to Robin.

She exchanged her white bunny rabbit and happily skipped over to Daryl. Dog watched in fascination as she reached up to place the rudimentary ring of blue flowers upon her father’s head. He let out a chuckle at the feeling, and straightened the crown when it started to fall, his eyes closed all the while.

Robin held the bouquet with both hands now, looking nearly cross-eyed at the thing to make sure it looked perfect for him. “Okay,” she said. “Open your eyes.”

He blinked exaggeratingly, and his eyes and mouth widened in surprise at the bouquet of flowers in front of him, with flowers of every color, but a special attention paid to the blue cornflowers, which stuck out at every angle. The arrangement was much more sloppy and crude than your bouquets you put around the house, but he loved it nevertheless.

At this moment, you wished you had brought your film camera—you would have loved to capture Daryl’s joyful face.

“Wow!” he said, taking the glass jar in his hands and studying every inch of it. “You made this just for me, birdie?”

She nodded shyly, shrugging her shoulders and smiling a small, close mouthed grin. “And your crown.”

His eyes raised as he took in the edges of the indigo petals protruding above his head. “I love it,” he said, and looked back down at Robin. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she said. She was always so good at her manners. She pointed at the crown upon his head. “Mommy said they’re… um…”

You folded your arms and laughed. “Bachelor’s buttons,” you said.

“Yes,” she said with a nod of her head.

Daryl carefully placed the jar of flowers on the coffee table, and opened his arms up for a hug, which Robin gladly accepted, throwing her arms around his neck as she usually did, and kissing his cheek before he kissed hers. “I love you,” he said.

“Love you, too, Daddy.”

Yeah, you really wished you had brought your camera.

Daryl made one last attempt to talk to Lydia again that morning, this time joined by Henry, whom Lydia seemed to trust. She revealed more about her mother, about how her mother would never come looking for her, because that simply wasn’t what people in her group did. Alarmingly, she revealed more about her mother, how her father wasn’t really bitten by a walker to save her, but that her mother made her believe that, when really she had murdered her father right in front of her. Years of being brainwashed changed her perspective of her own past.

“So this whole time,” Henry said to Daryl as they walked away from the cellar, “Lydia’s mom made her think it was her fault her dad died?”

Daryl stopped in his tracks.

“Why would a mom do that to a kid?” Henry continued to ask.

Daryl thought back to something you had said back at the farm, when the two of you bonded over having at least one not-so-great parent.

“Some people just ain’t meant to be parents,” he said, repeating the phrase you’d said. He remembered almost everything you’d ever said.

“So what happens now?” asked Henry. “Can she stay here with us?”

Daryl thought for a moment, and knew the answer Henry wanted to hear, though it might not have been the most realistic one. He compromised. “We’ll see. Should get ‘er some fresh clothes. I’ma talk to Tara, see about that camp.” He began to trudge towards the Barrington House, when Henry called out his name.

“Hey, Daryl?” he said, to which Daryl turned and looked back at the young man. “I’m glad you and my mom are friends.”

Not five minutes later, as you exited your trailer with Robin, intent on helping out with the milling of the grains for the day, and showing the little girl a thing or two about the process, you heard Tara shout out Daryl’s name from the guard post.

Turning frantically, you saw Daryl running towards you, and stopping abruptly to push you back towards the trailer. He had no idea what was going on, all he knew was that something must’ve been happening at the front gate in order to elicit Tara calling for him.

“Get inside,” he said sternly, looking you in the eye briefly before continuing to jog to the guard tower.

“Magna!” you heard Yumiko yell to the other newcomer.

You held Robin behind you as you watched the two climb the post, and in your intrigue you desperately wanted to stay and see what was going on yourself, but you didn’t want Robin to see anything more of the part of the world you weren’t ready for her to see just yet.

Turning to see the other children retreating into the school trailer with the Hilltop teacher, who made eye contact with you as she rushed them in, you grabbed the girl by the shoulders and lowered yourself to her level.

“I want you to go with the other children,” you said.

“But—”

“No buts.”

“What’s happening, Mommy?” She looked with frightened eyes at the guard post, watching her father as he peered over the gate.

You turned her cheek, diverting her gaze back to you. “I don’t know,” you said. “But I need you to do as I say. Go. I’ll get you when everything’s safe.” You kissed her forehead and sent her with the other children. It was the constant struggle of being a mother, knowing when to stay with your child and when to fight. Either way, you were doing it for her safety, to save her life.

Daryl stood atop the lookout with Tara, Magna, and Yumiko, looking down upon a strange sight—several living people in tattered garb and walker skin masks standing just outside the gates. A maskless woman, with pale, sickly skin and a shaved head, came forward through the crowd.

She looked up at the four of them, and spoke loudly and with a straightforward, deep southern accent. “I am Alpha,” she said. “And we only want one thing from you.”

Daryl glared down at her, having a deep, penetrative feeling in his bones telling him that this was the deranged mother of Lydia’s confused and traumatic stories, the woman who led these… skins.

When she spoke again, he knew this was the beginning of something terrible, because he wasn’t willing to give her what she wanted. As a father, he couldn’t, he wouldn’t.

“My daughter,” she said.

~

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