#and everyone will do adventure content i guess so i want to be a little different

[hunny-bean]

Too Close For Comfort

Pairing: Frank Castle x F!Reader

Summary: Frank comforts you after he is forced to kill a man in your shared motel room.

Word Count: 5.4k

Warnings: 18+ (Minors DNI), Gun Violence, Dead Body (Not Frank's. Don't Worry), Explicit Sexual Content, Little Pinch of Angst, Long Ass Flashback, Porn With 3.5k Words of Plot

A/N: This is the first fic I've ever written! I've been wanting to write for the JB fandom for a while and I finally decided to go for it. I'm planning to write for a lot more of his characters in the future, but I figured Frank was a good starting point. Hope you like it! I'm open to feedback if you've got it. XOXO.

Read on AO3

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After almost three months of living in an old stolen pickup truck and a series of shitty motels, you had learned to count your blessings. An important one, you quickly came to realize, was good water pressure. You were in the middle of your forth shower in the three days you and your new travel partner had been in this town, and you were trying your best to savor the moment. Since the closest companion of long showers is long trains of thought, you allowed your mind to wander back to how your adventure first began.

You took a step back in the cereal aisle in your local grocery store to examine the top shelf and ran directly into someone trying to pass behind you. Startled, you dropped the basket you were carrying full of frozen veggies and canned soups, and watched them roll in all directions. You whipped around so quickly you almost joined your soup on the floor, but luckily a strong hand shot out to steady you before you could.

"Whoa. Sorry 'bout that," the stranger said. And that was how you met Frank Castle. Surprisingly, your first impression of him had nothing to do with his gentle giant aura or his warm, gravelly voice. Your first impression happened before you even laid eyes on him, and that was how backing up into him was like hitting a brick wall with your car. He didn't stumble or falter. He didn't even flinch.

"No, sorry, that was my fault," you replied, your cheeks flushed from creating a loud noise in a public place. The stranger removed his hand from your arm and glanced down at the floor where your bags of peas laid, slowly thawing.

"You, uh... You want some help with those?"

"Oh, I got it, don't worry."

The man mumbled an "alright" and you watched him start to walk away, expecting him to leave the aisle, but he only took a few steps before his foot brushed a stray can, and he bent down to help anyway.

"Thank you. You didn't have to do that," you said when all the groceries had been collected.

"No problem," he muttered. You weren't sure why, but there was something off-putting about him. Later you realized it was the stark contrast between his gruff outer appearance and his quiet way of speaking. He was so intimidating but he seemed so trustworthy. "You have a nice day, ma'am."

Before he could walk away, you found yourself calling out to him, too curious to let him leave without asking any questions.

"Hey, I don't think I've seen you around here before. Are you. . . new in town?"

He seemed amused by your attempt to start a conversation, but decided to indulge you anyway. "I'm just passin' through. So you, uh, you really know everyone that lives here?"

Although he seemed genuinely interested in what you had to say, he kept subtly glancing around like he was about to cross the street or something. When he turned his head, you noticed the remnants of a week-old bruise on his jaw.

"Pretty much, yeah," you responded. "So, life on the road, huh? Sounds pretty exhilarating."

He let out a friendly chuckle. "Yeah, I guess it can be. If exhilarating is what you call lukewarm showers and buying all your food from the gas station."

You smiled back, happy the man seemed to be warming up some. He seemed less on edge, and you weren't sure why, but that made you feel accomplished in some way.

"Well, this isn't a gas station," you remarked, playfully contradicting his earlier statement.

"You're right, it's not," he said. "But I had to make an exception because-" You watched as he pulled a round object from his jacket pocket, holding it up and waving it slightly as if to show it off. "-gas stations don't carry mangoes."

You mock gasped, unable to fight back a smile. "Pocket fruit? I hope you were planning to pay for that. Or are you 'just passing through' because you're on the run from the police?"

You expected him to laugh at this, but instead you saw him staring intently over your shoulder at a man who had just entered the aisle. He seemed to identify the new arrival as some sort of threat. You saw that they were looking directly at each other, and you suddenly felt uneasy. Before you could ask what was wrong, several things began happening at once.

The man at the end of the aisle pulled out a gun and pointed it directly at the two of you. No, not at you, just at the kind stranger, who immediately pushed you behind him as the first shot rang out, followed by a second one. Thankfully, they both missed the two of you, but the second bullet grazed the basket you were still holding which was sticking out from behind the stranger's leg. Instantly, you dropped the basket and began sprinting for the nearest exit with the stranger close behind you.

You ran through a door marked 'EMPLOYEES ONLY,' which the stranger quickly barricaded with a tall shelf packed with bulk boxes of paper towel rolls. As the shooter banged at the door, the two of you found an exit at the back of the stock room, which you flung open and rushed through into the building's side alley. The stranger pulled you behind the building to where his vehicle was conveniently parked, almost as if he'd been anticipating an emergency escape. Too terrified to argue, you didn't protest when he ordered you to get in the passenger seat and jammed his keys in the ignition. He tore out of the parking lot and onto the main road, carrying you away from your home and the man who had tried to kill you both.

It took you half an hour to work up the courage to ask questions.

"Who was he?" you asked, softly. You're sure he heard you, although he seemed happy to pretend he didn't.

After a few long moments, when he realized you weren't going to stop staring at him until he answered, he begrudgingly responded.

"A bad man."

"Why did he wanna kill you?"

"I, uh, took something from him," the stranger said, studying his rear view mirror to see if you were being followed.

"Are you a bad man?" you asked, tentatively.

At first he just sighed, and for a moment you thought that's all he was going to give you for an answer, but then he spoke.

"I'm not going to hurt you, if that's what you're asking."

"Then. . . can you take me home?"

"I can't turn around yet, not 'till I know we're not being followed. Then I might be able to take you back so you can pack a bag or two."

"Pack?! For what?" you exclaimed, dreading the answer. There was another awkward silence while the man planned his answer. "Why do I need to pack? Tell me!"

"That man, the one with the gun? He has a, uh, habit of targeting his enemies' loved ones."

"But we barely know each other, why the hell would he-"

"He doesn't know that."

"Besides," he continued after a while, "I don't really. . . have any loved ones. So he's kinda grasping at straws to find somebody I'd want to protect."

"So, he thinks you would care if I died, and now we're both in danger?" You stared at him in disbelief.

"Pretty much, yeah," he mumbled.

After that, the truck was silent for a long while. The only time you spoke in the next two hours was to give the stranger your address. You watched the trees and road pass by beside you, trying to figure out what you would pack when you finally made it home for possibly the last time. You were lost in thought so long that you were pulled out of your head by the truck's tires bouncing over the dip in your driveway. You didn't even know you had turned around.

"You get ten minutes. We're traveling light, so don't go crazy." You began to hop out of the truck before the stranger's voice stopped you in your tracks. You turned around and saw that he was looking at you for the first time since you escaped the grocery store. "For the record," he began, contemplating what to say next, "I would care if he killed you."

You just stared back at him, not knowing how to respond to that.

"I'm gonna keep you safe, alright?" he promised, and you believed him.

You nodded, and went inside to gather your belongings. There was just something about this man that made you want to trust him. You managed to fit everything you needed into a large duffel bag and a back-pack. Looking around you, you realized something. You lived alone and all your friends lived out of state. This town had nothing to offer you except a shitty restaurant job. Most likely, the only person who would even notice you were gone was your boss. You took a deep breath before returning to the truck, putting your life in the hands of someone you just met.

You hopped back in the passenger seat, and the stranger helped you toss your bags in the backseat after checking that they were of a reasonable size. "You ready?" he asked.

"Fuck, no. Lets go."

The two of you took off down the road in a different direction than before, hoping to throw the bad man off your trail. After about an hour on the road, you looked over at the stranger to find him smirking slightly, lost in thought.

"What?" you asked, happy the mood seemed to be lightening despite your situation. He glanced over at you momentarily, and instead of providing a verbal response, he just reached into his pocket and handed you a slightly dented but still perfectly ripe mango. You took it from him with a smile.

"What's your name?" you asked.

He looked at you for a long moment, before seeming to make a decision. "Frank. What yours?"

You were brought back to the present by a torrent of freezing cold water, telling you you had been in there too long. You were thankful that Frank seemed to prefer morning showers. As you stepped out and dried off, you thought about the man chasing you. Eventually, when Frank opened up to you, he revealed that his name was Jordan Carlisle, and that his father was involved in the murder of Frank's family. You also discovered that the thing Frank had taken from him was his father's life. It had been so long since that day at the grocery store, and you wondered if you'd ever see him again. Maybe by this point, he'd given up on his revenge, and decided to leave Frank in peace. But Frank said Carlisle wasn't the type of man to just give up, and that if you ever wanted to stop running, someone would have to die.

During your few months together, you also learned that Frank wasn't the type to run away or avoid confrontation. The only reason he hadn't met Carlisle half way and taken him down was to keep you safe. That and the fact that he had been forced to leave behind some supplies shortly before you met and was left with nothing but a handgun, two bullets, and a pocket knife. (All things you could use to kill a man, but probably not a trained assassin).

You were both anticipating the end of the chase, however, because Frank had recently acquired various new firearms and a respectable pile of ammunition, and he was getting a little tired of running. Also, there's only so much distance you can put between you and your attacker before he realizes he's moving in the wrong direction. You had just pulled your favorite cotton nightgown over your head when-

*BANG*

You heard the unmistakable sound of the motel door being forced open. You heard a gunshot and something hit the floor. The sounds of a physical struggle just behind the bathroom door simultaneously relieved you and caused your heart to slam against your rib cage. At least you knew Frank was still alive. Unfortunately, so was the person who broke in. You couldn't see him, but you were pretty sure you knew who it was.

Two more gunshots shocked you into motion. You slid under the bathroom sink and tried desperately to remember what Frank told you to do on your first night together in case of a break in. He told you to get outside and find a hiding spot or barricade yourself in a closet or bathroom and wait for him to come get you. His voice in your head was commanding you, "Do. Not. Move." You tried to do as you were told but the urge to make sure Frank was alright was growing stronger. The muffled grunts and thuds were scaring you. You couldn't tell who had the upper hand and you didn't know enough about guns to determine which shots came from which man.

A loud cry of pain from Frank was your final straw. There wasn't a single thought in your head, let alone a plan, but you couldn't keep hiding while someone you cared about was potentially getting himself killed. You ran to the bathroom door, unlocked it, and threw it open with as much force as you could manage. The door slammed into the wall beside it with a loud crash. A distraction.

Just a few feet in front of you, Jordan Carlisle was caught off guard by the sound and he twirled around to find the source. Almost instantly, his gun was trained on you. Suddenly, you felt consumed by fear unlike anything you'd ever felt before. You heard the gunshot and flinched violently backward, as if you could somehow escape the bullet, stumbling back onto the bathroom floor. You screamed and squeezed your eyes shut tight, waiting for the impact, but it never came. You hesitantly opened your eyes just in time to watch Carlisle collapse onto the dirty motel carpet, eyes open and unseeing. He was dead. The chase was over.

Almost immediately you burst into tears, unable to get the image of his lifeless body out of your head. You knew you should be relieved, but there was something about almost dying that made you prone to emotional outbursts. You gazed up at Frank across the room, who still had his gun pointed at the spot where Carlisle had been standing moments before. He slowly lowered it and looked over at you where you were sitting on the floor, sobbing. He seemed angry, like every cell in his body was infused with a furious energy, and he had just shot the thing he was taking it out on.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!" Guess now it was your turn. "I TOLD YOU IF SOMEONE BREAKS IN, YOU FIND A PLACE TO HIDE AND YOU STAY THERE."

"I was j-just wo-horried about you," you hiccuped.

"I HAD IT COVERED."

"I'm sorr-"

"YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN YOURSELF KILLED. THEN ALL OF THIS RUNNING BULLSHIT WOULD HAVE BEEN FOR NOTHING."

You turned your head away from the shouting and found yourself looking directly at Carlisle again. This time, you were unable to turn away. It was like you were completely frozen, tension locking all your muscles in place, rendering you incapable of even the slightest movement. Your tears began falling harder but you were barely making a sound. Your lungs were tight and burning. You couldn't even draw in a full breath. Frank's reprimanding faded into background noise. You found yourself wishing desperately that you were anywhere but in that room.

"Oh, fuck," Frank muttered when he saw you damn near hyperventilating. He calmed down considerably when he realized yelling at you was only making things worse. "Shit, I didn't want you to see this."

He made his way over to your side of the room and knelt down to be at eye level with you. You barely acknowledged his presence.

"Hey, look at me," he asked gently. You didn't move your head. Softly, Frank cupped your cheek, the one farther away from him, and used it to turn you in his direction.

"You're gonna be okay," he promised. "Can you stand, sweetheart?"

Seeing Frank alive and calm helped you come back to yourself. Slowly, you nodded. Frank stood and held out his hand to you, which you used to pull yourself up with a little effort. You managed to get upright, but your legs were shaking so hard you weren't sure if you'd be able to walk. It was pathetic, and you were quite sure Frank would agree, but he didn't say anything about it. He just took one look at you and scooped you up into his arms. You were embarrassed by your incompetence, but you had finally stopped crying, and that was an accomplishment in and of itself.

Frank carried you over to your bed on the far side of the room and laid you down carefully. On your way over, you passed his bed which was closer to the bathroom, and saw two bullet holes in the pillow Frank had been laying on when you left to take a shower. That was when the relief hit you. You felt no more grief or fear or regret, only solaced by the fact that you were both alive and safe at last.

"Stay here, alright? Don't move," Frank murmured. He turned to walk over to the body again but you grabbed onto his arm before he could leave. He looked back at you questioningly.

"I heard you get hurt," you mentioned shyly. "What happened?"

Frank's eyes revealed that he was happy you were talking again. He seemed touched that your first concern when the shock wore off was for him.

"Ran into the nightstand," he admitted, rubbing his side. "It's just bruised, nothing to worry about."

You had a feeling he wasn't telling you the full story, but you decided to accept his answer. As far as you could tell, he wasn't bleeding anywhere and he didn't seem to be in much pain. Satisfied, you let go of his arm and turned to face the wall. You had a feeling you wouldn't want to see what was about to happen.

You laid there for a while, listening to Frank working behind you. You heard something being dragged across the floor, several grunts of effort and a sickening thud. You heard the faucet running in the sink and the sound of the bathroom door closing. There were footsteps moving around the room. . . the sound of someone changing clothes. You smelled the air freshener left in the bathroom cabinet masking the scent of blood.

Finally, after God knows how long, you felt the bed dip slightly as Frank sat down on the edge. You sat up and moved next to him, resting your head on his shoulder after a moment of hesitation. He put his arm around your shoulder and held you closer to him. The two of you weren't usually this affectionate, but you had certainly grown closer during your time together, and you figured the situation called for it.

"Do you think the police are on their way down here?" you asked.

Frank shrugged. "Probably not if they haven't shown up by now." Frank tried and failed to fight back a small smile. "Either that guy behind the front desk is a really heavy sleeper, or he did something to piss off the jackass in our bathtub. The only other people in this dump checked out yesterday," he said. You couldn't help but smile at that along with him. You were just so happy to be alive.

The more you let that thought run through your head, the more you wanted to be close to him. You needed more than an arm around your shoulder after you almost got shot in the head. You wanted to be held. 'Oh, sue me,' you thought. 'Who wouldn't?'

But you tried to let it be enough. You weren't sure how Frank would react to more than what you were already doing and you were too nervous to find out. You felt Frank shift next to you and realized that overthinking had caused you to become tense. The silence between you grew slowly thicker and you were worried he was about to pull away from you. In that moment, Frank standing up seemed like the absolute worst thing in the world that could happen to anyone, and you weren't about to let it.

'Fuck it', you thought, and with one quick movement, you were straddling his lap with your arms thrown over his shoulders, pulling him closer to you. He was caught off guard for a brief moment, but a second later his arms were wrapped around your waist, holding you just as tightly. You buried your face in his neck, breathing him in and savoring the feeling of his pulse against your cheek.

"We're okay, Frankie," you breathed. "It's over."

"I told you I was gonna keep you safe, sweetheart. I don't make promises I can't keep."

The two of you stayed like that for a while, content to just hold each other until the sun shone through the curtains. Well, you thought you were content, but it wasn't long before the closeness started to affect you. He was just so warm and solid, and suddenly you felt like he was wearing too many clothes. You wanted to feel him. Feel his heartbeat and the warmth of his skin on yours.

Your stomach was tight with desperation and you felt tears forming behind your eyes. You needed to be closer. Your thighs tightened around Frank's hips and he felt your breathing get heavier against his neck. You shifted your position slightly to ease some of the wanting in your veins but you froze when you heard Frank's breath hitch.

As you settled your weight on his lap again, your new position provided a new sensation. There was something warm pressing against your inner thigh. Even through Frank's impenetrable denim jeans, you could feel it heating up.

Frank was just as aroused by your position as you were. He wanted you, too, but you knew he would never admit it because he cared about you too much to do anything that could potentially hurt you.

The worst part was, you could feel it getting bigger and pulsing softly right next to where you wanted it the most, and he knew you could feel it. He knew, and he knew you wanted it, but he still wasn't saying anything about it because he was too damn stubborn. He probably thought you weren't in your right mind and would regret it in the morning but that was just such bullshit. You could never regret him, and you were going to make sure he knew that.

There was still some part of you that was afraid to make a move, and that part of you really wanted Frank to break first. So, you decided to make him unable to ignore it any longer. Pretending to adjust your position again, you settled down directly on top of his bulge, making sure it was exactly where you wanted it. The feeling of his cock hardening against you sent another wave of desperation through your body, causing you to tighten your limbs around him again. Still feigning innocence, you rolled your hips once for good measure, grinding down on him to see his reaction.

You didn't see it so much as feel it, when his arms tensed up around you and he turned his head away from you in frustration. You could feel your blood pumping hard, and you were sure your face was flushed. You wondered if he could feel your heartbeat the same way you could feel his pressed up against your clit. You felt his cock twitch again, even through three layers of fabric, and you could barely take it any more. You rolled your hips again, purely on instinct, and accidentally let out a soft moan.

Frank exhaled sharply and slid his arm from around your waist to pull your head away from his neck.

"What are you doin', sweetheart?" he asked, looking at you sympathetically when he saw your wrecked face. Suddenly, it was all too much for you, and there was nothing you could do to stop a rogue tear from sliding down your cheek.

"Please," you whispered, and that was all you had to say.

He put a hand on the back of your neck and pulled you toward him before lightly brushing his lips against yours. You pushed forward, wanting more, but Frank pulled away before you could really kiss him. He just sat there for a moment, searching your eyes for any signs of reluctance or any lack of clarity whatsoever. In the end, he found nothing but pure desire and maybe, just maybe, love.

This time, when he leaned in, you met him half way. This time, it was more than just a brush of lips. Frank kissed you like you were the most precious thing in the world to him. Gentle, yes, but also tortuously deep. You felt his tongue brush against your lower lip and gently coax your mouth open to kiss you harder, and it was warm and wet and perfect. As your need got worse, you began to grind down on him again, sighing into his mouth from the friction.

The hand he had on your neck moved up to tangle in your hair, tugging gently, while the other one shifted to settle on your lower back as he encouraged harder, slower movements of your hips. As he forced you down against him, the feeling of the rough denim on your clit through your thin panties caused you to whine quietly. Every slight movement sent sparks shooting up your spine.

You shifted your body backwards and reached down between you to tug at his zipper, but it didn't want to come down. Frank let you struggle with it for a moment, but just as you started getting frustrated, he took over for you.

In one swift movement, you were on your back underneath him, your legs still hooked around him. He sat up for a moment to pull off his shirt (revealing his fucking perfect abs that seemed completely unfair and you were about to LOSE YOUR MIND BECAUSE HOLY SHIT) and then he was back on top of you, pressing one last kiss to your lips before pulling away to look you in the eyes.

"You sure you want this, sweetheart?"

"Don't you fucking dare leave me like this, Castle."

Frank snorted, rolling his eyes affectionately. "Yes, ma'am."

With one hand, he reached down to unzip and tug down his pants and underwear, freeing his flushed cock from it's uncomfortable confines. It was bigger than you expected it to be, which is saying something because you already knew he was big from rubbing against it. He was so hard it looked painful, and he gave himself a few tugs to take the edge off. Just watching it drip onto the bed had you feeling dizzy. You were unbearably wet and all you wanted was to feel it inside of you.

Luckily, Frank seemed to tell as much, because he slid his hand up your thigh, kissing your neck gently and pushing the hem of your nightgown up to your stomach. He hooked the fingers of one hand in the waistband of your underwear but he paused there, waiting for some sort of go-ahead. You nodded at him, and he sat back again to tug your panties down your legs and pull them off.

This time, instead of immediately climbing back on top of you, Frank took a moment to admire you from an upright position. He gazed hungrily at your exposed cunt before swiping a finger through your folds and brushing your clit with the pad of his thumb. You jolted at the feeling, whimpering when he did it again just to watch you shudder.

"Frankie, please," you whined.

Frank decided to have mercy on you, and he came up to kiss you as he lined the tip of his cock up with your aching hole. He pushed slowly until the thick head was all the way in, surrounded by your soft, fluttering walls. It was a stretch, and it wasn't even half-way in. You appreciated Frank giving you a moment to adjust, but you didn't want one. You wanted to feel all of him, even if it hurt.

Hooking your legs tighter around him, you tried to push him into you. It didn't work, obviously. You didn't think you could move Frank if you barreled into him full-force, but he got the message.

In one smooth thrust, he buried himself fully inside you, grunting loudly and whispering an "Oh, fuck" into your neck. Your back arched up off the bed and you moaned loudly as his cock hit sweet spots inside you that you didn't even know existed.

Having Frank hovering over you, connected to you in so many ways, was easily the best thing you'd ever experienced. You were both breathing heavily and shaking as you waited for the initial pleasure shock to wear off.

Once you adjusted, you shifted slightly under him, trying to fuck yourself on his cock. Whatever stimulation you managed to get from that was nothing compared to when he actually started moving. Each thrust was slow and deep, sending waves of bliss coursing through you. You couldn't stop the gasps and whimpers that kept escaping, nor did you want to.

Franks arms were on either side of your head, closing you in so all you could see and feel was him. You had never felt so safe in your entire life. Every movement was so complete and perfect. Nothing was rushed or forceful, but it was still all pure pleasure. You were sure you had never been this wet before.

Feeling Frank's back muscles shift under your fingertips as he thrust into you was mesmerizing, and hearing him moan softly and curse against your pulse point was sending shivers through your body. Every time Frank pushed his cock back inside you, you felt yourself ascending further, rapidly approaching your peak. Every time he pulled out slowly so you could feel it dragging against every part of your sensitive walls, you wanted to sob from feeling so good.

It wasn't long before you were crying out from your release, tightening your grip on every part of Frank and leaving long scratches down his back. When your climax finally hit, you swore you were having an out-of-body experience.

"Attagirl, that's it," Frank whispered as he felt you spasm around him. "Oh, fuck, sweetheart. Where-" he began. Reluctantly, you rubbed your hand on your stomach. You hadn't had access to birth control in almost six weeks and shitty motels don't provide condoms. Even the ones with good water pressure.

You rubbed the back of Frank's head gently as his thrusts grew more erratic, grabbing onto and playing with his hair. Suddenly, he pulled out of you and jerked his cock barely three times before he was finishing on your stomach with a quiet groan, painting it with his cum.

Breathing heavily, the two of you collapsed next to each other, coming down from your highs and processing what just happened. Idly, you began playing with the mess on your stomach as you thought about what was next for the two of you. There was no way in hell you were letting Frank drop you off at your house and just take off after that. You know you said "It's over," but it couldn't really be over, right?

"Stay with me," you whispered.

"I'm not goin' anywhere, baby."

"I'm not talking about tonight. When you take me back home, stay with me."

Frank pushed himself up on one elbow, looking at you in disbelief. "Sweetheart, I don't think I can-"

"Then I'll stay with you. My house is a family heirloom, I've only gotta pay for water and electricity. It'll still be waiting for me whenever I need it."

"I can't let you do that. You have no idea how much I want to, but I'd get you killed."

"Then stop moving for a while. No one would find you in that town. Just stay with me. Please. If you hate it, you can leave."

Frank sighed, glancing around the room before settling his gaze back on you. He brought his hand to your face, brushing his fingertips down your cheek like you were a precious artifact. You both knew he wasn't ready to let you go.

"Okay."

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#jon bernthal #frank castle #frank castle x reader #frank castle smut #jon bernthal x reader #jon bernthal smut #frank castle fanfiction

[perotovar]

baby, i'm-a want you — (ch 1) "session one"

gif by me

pairing: joel miller/dieter bravo (just this time. main pairing is still javi/joel) rating: E (18+) mdni word count: 3.5k content: swearing, joel and tommy's southern accents being cute af, dieter being a menace, joel being awkward af (but it's cute), cringey porn dialogue, male masturbation (briefly), one (1) handjob, one (1) blowjob (it's messy), lmk if i missed anything! dividers: @saradika-graphics beta: @qveerthe0ry (ily ♥)

summary: javier peña has been doing this a long time. he's really good at his job. joel miller? not so much. he started doing this to get some extra cash to support his daughters. what happens when they're supposed to do a scene together? aka, the au where most of the ppcu boys are gay porn stars~

(read this first ->) prologue | series masterlist

Joel never would have guessed he’d do something like this ten years ago. Hell, not even five years ago. He’s not even totally sure how he got here, if he’s honest with himself.

He just remembers an, admittedly shady, business-looking man coming up to him and shoving a business card in his face. He asked if Joel had ever slept with men before. Joel was taken aback and thought he was coming onto him in a really bizarre way. He had, but that was none of this man’s business as far as he was concerned.

“There’s no pressure, I promise. Here, my website is on the card. If you see what you like, you gimme a call, okay?” The man had winked, grabbed his coffee, and left. 

Joel was left sitting in the middle of that coffee shop stunned into silence.

Later that night, sitting in front of the laptop Sarah nearly forced on him, he clumsily typed (using only his index fingers) the name of the website from the business card into the search bar.

Love Bites

The name and the man, Max Phillips according to the card, and his invasive question should’ve told him everything he needed to know, but Joel wasn’t prepared for the absolute onslaught of nudity he was met with.

“Jesus–” Joel mumbled to himself, slamming the laptop closed. Not that that would take it away, but he could hope. He sighed and looked up at the ceiling, shaking his head to himself. “The fuck you get yourself into, Miller?” He grumbled.

Slowly, and with one eye closed, he opened his laptop again. Once he got both eyes on it again, the website wasn’t… too bad. Well, it was still a porn site, but it wasn’t anything he hadn't seen before. He started looking around some more and didn’t bother turning it down. He lived alone now, both girls having moved out within the last year or so. He missed the hell out of them, and frankly, found himself bored more often than not. He and Tommy still owned Miller Contracting, but Joel stuck to the delegating and organizing part now. He had too many knee and back problems to keep up on the actual building part.

His finger rolled over to the “profiles” section of the website. He raised a brow and clicked on the trackpad hesitantly. There were several headshots of the men that made content for the website. He felt his cock twitch in his jeans and cleared his throat awkwardly, exhaling heavily. Well, it… had been a while. What could it hurt, right? 

He did have a lot of options…

Dark eyes trailing over the men on the site, he smiled softly. They all had little biographies that explained what their sexualities and preferences were. He snorted a little at seeing two different cowboys; one gay and a little older than himself, the other bisexual and perhaps around the same age. The younger cowboy had a prominent mustache and had a preference for “tying people up”. Bit on the nose in Joel’s opinion, but there was something for everyone. The older cowboy tended toward more amateur-style, “romantic” videos. Joel’s heart softened a little, but decided he wasn’t really in the mood for that sort of thing. 

In his search, he found just about everything; a messy haired, self proclaimed “adventurous” sort, a masked man that liked to roleplay, a clean cut looking man that considered himself a “romantic”. You name it, they probably had it. But his eyes landed on a particular man…

He had deep, intense eyes and a thick mustache. His hair was styled like he walked out of the 80s and he was wearing a thin gold chain. He had a bit of a Burt Reynolds thing going on, and normally that wouldn’t be something Joel was into, but this time, well… 

Joel clicked on his – Javier’s – page and started browsing the videos he had available. His bio said he was “fluid and polyamorous”, but Joel didn’t know what that meant. Wow, he was… popular. That didn’t surprise Joel at all, but his eyes landed on one of Javier’s “solo” videos. It looked like it was filmed in his apartment, but it probably wasn’t from how well lit it was. The video started off like Joel guessed all of them did; a fancy graphic with the words “Love Bites” in the center of the screen before the sound effect of someone taking a bite out of something, and a faint moan. The tips of Joel’s ears warmed, but he pressed on, watching Javier walk onto screen and sit in the middle of the couch that was in frame. 

Javier’s jeans were very tight, but maybe even moreso because of how fucking hard he looked to be. Joel swallowed a lump in his throat, his cock twitching again. Javier had an easy smirk on his handsome face, but he seemed like he didn’t have the cockiness that Joel expected a pornstar to have. The video seemed like it was personally sent to Joel and that thought made Joel’s cock stand to attention almost comically quickly. Unzipping his own jeans, he groaned at the constriction leaving, allowing him to breathe easier. He squeezed his cock and looked back at the video, Javier already getting started without him. He was stroking his own cock slowly, almost teasingly, biting a plump bottom lip. Joel moaned and shut his eyes for a quick second as he took himself in hand–

Ring, ring.

Joel groaned, squeezing his cock harder, and dug his phone out of his pocket. Tommy. He sighed and paused the video on Javier’s blissed out face and big hand wrapped around his–

Ring, ring.

“Christ, Tommy, what is it?” He grumbled, pressing the too-new-for-his-liking phone to his ear.

“Jesus, who pissed in your oatmeal this mornin’?” Tommy’s easy voice filtered in, a chuckle wrapped around his words. “And why are ya outta breath? Ya okay?”

“What–? Yeah, ‘m fine, Tommy. Why y’callin’?”

“Wonderin’ if ya could stop by tonight. Maria’s makin’ meatloaf and I know ya like it.”

Joel did really like Maria’s meatloaf. He sighed to himself and shut his laptop, his cock having softened considerably since hearing his brother’s voice. “Yeah,” he cleared his throat, trying to subtly zip up his jeans while he held the phone against his shoulder. “I’ll come over in a little bit, just gotta… gonna make a phone call.”

“Ooh, ya finally have a date, old man?”

“Can it,” Joel grunted. “‘M forty-three. Ain’t that old. And no, I was gonna call Sarah. See how her classes are goin’.”

“Send her our love, will ya? ‘N tell her she’ll have a cousin soon. Maria’s ‘bout to pop any day. ‘M scared to death,” Tommy sighed. The happiness was clear in his voice, though. Joel was happy for him, and smiled to himself. “How’s Ellie doin’, by the way?”

“Good. Think she said somethin’ ‘bout joinin’ a… roller derby team? Don’t rightly know, but,” he shrugged to himself. “Sounded like somethin’ she’d like, way she was describin’ it.”

Talking on the phone with Tommy always went the same way. He’d find a way to chew up a couple hours of your time, but Joel never minded. Once they said their goodbyes and their I-love-yous, Joel picked up Max Phillips’ business card and sighed, rubbing his thumb over the phone number.

What could it hurt, right?

That was two years ago. He’s been working for Love Bites for two years and had been avoiding Javier Peña as much as he could.

Joel’s never been good at… initiating conversations. Ellie would always give him shit for it. She usually went up to whoever had caught Joel’s eye and slyly made it her goal to get them to come over to him. 

But Ellie wasn’t here and she never would be. His girls knew what he did and even if they were a little concerned for him at first, they saw how much happier he’d been since joining. He was healthier, gaining a bit of “chub” as Sarah called it, and a healthier glow to his skin. He was on camera more often now, so he had to eat well and work out a little more. He didn’t do anything too crazy, and the audience that watched his videos had a lot of positive opinions and comments about his physique. It made him blush to think about it for too long, so he tried not to.

What was he saying?

Oh, right. Avoiding Javier Peña.

He’d had a huge crush on him ever since that first video he watched, and frankly, didn’t want to make a fool of himself if he talked to him. He’s filmed one video with him and it was the best Joel had felt in years. He almost came too quickly, and the video was supposed to be twenty minutes long. They had to pause so Joel could calm himself down, but Javier was patient and lovely with him. Javier had been doing this a lot longer than Joel had, so he wasn’t worried, which made Joel feel better. Just a little embarrassed. Afterwards, he had to leave, making up a story about seeing his girls for dinner that night.

“Javi!”

Joel’s eyes snapped up from his phone. He was in the middle of texting Sarah, saying that he’d call her when he got home from work. He had a scene with Dieter today.

And there he was. God. Joel’s cheeks flushed at the sight of Javier standing in the hall in his robe. He must’ve just finished his scene with Shane, the new kid. He couldn’t hear what he was saying, but the sound of Javier’s deep, commanding voice was enough to send a chill down Joel’s spine. Before he knew it, Javier was talking animatedly with Steve, another actor, as they walked off down the hall and disappearing around a corner.

He knew, realistically, relationships between porn actors could happen. Silva and Jake had been together for years. Joel’s problem with that was, well… Joel. His last real relationship was with Sarah’s mom years ago, and when the girls were in high school he had a relationship with this guy, Ezra for a while.

Smack!

“Jesus–!” Joel jumped, holding onto one of his ass cheeks protectively. Only one person would have done that.

“Hey, handsome,” Dieter grinned, sticking a hand down the back pocket of Joel’s jeans and squeezing. “Getting lost in Javi’s eyes again?” He winked.

“N-no! I am not,” Joel grumbled, finishing off his text and shoving his phone in his pocket.

Dieter snorted and rolled his eyes, then removed his hand to hold it out for Joel to take. “C’mon, big guy. You get to cum on my face today,” he smirked.

Filming with Dieter always felt good. He was a bit wild for Joel’s personal tastes, but he always made sure Joel was comfortable, and today was no different. 

Joel was playing a “plumber” that needed to work on Dieter’s “pipes”. This of course led to Dieter offering to “pay” in his own way. 

“Oh, come on, big guy like you doesn’t need money, right?” Dieter recited his lines expertly, running a hand down Joel’s t-shirt covered chest. “Bet it gets lonely doing this sort of work, huh?”

Joel had gotten a lot better at the acting part of things over the past couple of years. He was super stiff (and not in the right way) in the beginning, but now, he easily plastered on a smirk, eyes glued to Dieter’s lips. “Sometimes,” he shrugged, a big hand hovering over Dieter’s shoulder. Dieter saw the hand out of the corner of his eye and grinned, curling his fingers around Joel’s thick wrist and moving it down to his ass.

Joel smirked, squeezing the plump flesh appreciatively. “Bit forward o’ you,” he rumbled.

Dieter visibly shivered and bit his lip. “Sexy guy like you, of course I am,” he breathed. He leaned forward and kissed Joel messily, the hand on Joel’s torso moving down to unzip his jeans. Joel was already painfully hard and grunted into Dieter’s mouth when his pants were opened and lowered enough to pull his cock free. Dieter moaned and curled his fingers around Joel’s shaft, pumping rhythmically.

They stayed like that for a while; open mouth kisses, heavy breathing from Joel, and Dieter’s moans being picked up by the mics. 

Dieter pulled away to look down at the thick cock in his hand and bit his lip at the sight. “Fuck,” he groaned, his own cock twitching in his sweats. “Can I suck your cock?” He looked up at Joel demurely, eyes big and nearly black with desire.

Joel forgot he was supposed to be acting for a minute and grunted, hips bucking into Dieter’s grasp. “F-fuck, yeah,” he nodded, eyes glazed over. Dieter smiled and guided Joel over to the couch on the set. Technically, Dieter was supposed to get on his knees in the “kitchen”, but he knew Joel wouldn’t be able to stand for that long with his back problems. Sometimes Dieter’s improv classes came in handy. Max couldn’t complain too much, as long as Dieter sucked Joel off, then the video was still following the script.

Joel grunted as he sat, hard cock swaying slightly. Dieter giggled a little and happily got down on his knees, hands traveling up and down Joel’s thighs appreciatively. “Such a pretty cock,” he hummed, licking his lips as he watched it twitch in front of him, a drop of pre-cum gathering at the tip. 

“Why dontcha put that mouth to use, then?” Joel smirked, gripping the base and tapping the head against Dieter’s cheek. “Want your discount, right?”

Dieter smiled and opened his mouth wide, eyes shut in pure bliss. Joel gripped Dieter’s messy curls and held him still as he hit the head of his cock against Dieter’s tongue. Dieter moaned and opened his eyes, watching Joel’s face for any cues to stop. They never came, but it was something they all had to keep an eye on. When everything seemed to be going well, he happily wrapped his mouth around the head of Joel’s cock and started bobbing his head up and down.

He moaned, the vibrations traveling down Joel’s cock and up his spine, making Joel groan in return. “Mmm, knew you’d be good with your mouth,” he grinned, holding the back of Dieter’s head to set a pace Joel liked better.

Dieter heard a cameraman move to his right to get a better angle of his mouth, so he amped it up a little. He got messier, saliva dripping down along the sides of Joel’s shaft. Joel moaned weakly, resting his head on the back of the couch, but keeping one of his hands tangled in Dieter’s messy curls. Dieter started bobbing his head slower, eyes locked on Joel’s face as he moved further down his shaft, taking as much as he could down his throat. He choked slightly and pulled off, pre-cum and saliva covering his mouth and Joel’s cock. He smiled up at Joel and panted heavily, curling his fingers around the base to pump the thick cock.

Joel’s eyes rolled back and he grunted, hips bucking off the couch. “C’mere,” he breathed, heavy work boots landing heavily on the set floor as he stood. “Gonna fuck your face.”

Dieter shivered at the low timbre of Joel’s voice and nodded happily up at him. He pulled his sweats down and gripped his own cock in hand and started stroking himself rhythmically. Dieter opened his mouth for Joel obediently and nearly choked again when Joel shoved his cock down Dieter’s throat. He moaned weakly when Joel’s hips started moving, his heavy balls slapping against Dieter’s chin.

Dieter just had to take it, the lewd sounds of Joel fucking his face filling the otherwise quiet room. He fucking loved it because Joel was subtly massaging Dieter’s scalp and it sent shivers down his spine. His fist was almost a blur over his own cock and tears leaked out of his eyes, a blush high on his cheeks.

“Mmm, bein’ such a good boy f’me,” Joel grunted, biting his lip to rein it in a little. Dieter moaned at the praise, eyebrows downturned in pleasure. “Yeah? Like bein’ my good boy?”

Dieter whined and nodded as best he could, eyes completely glazed over. Joel slowed down his hips a little and let Dieter breathe for a minute. Dieter panted hard, a near-dopey smile on his face. “Come on my face,” he breathed heavily, extending his tongue for Joel. “Please.”

It was Joel’s turn to shiver as he slapped the head of his cock against Dieter’s face again. “Gonna have to earn it,” Joel smirked, reciting his lines as well as he could. 

Dieter whined and pouted up at him, his own hand slowing down a little. He didn’t say anything, letting Joel continue.

“Make me come, and I’ll paint this pretty face o’ yours.”

Dieter’s face lit up and he curled his fingers around Joel’s shaft. He watched Joel’s face while he wrapped his lips around the head and bobbed his head. His free hand held Joel’s hip and subtly moved to his ass and squeezed. He moaned around Joel’s cock and shut his eyes briefly before obediently looking up at him, big eyes wet and innocent. 

“Atta boy,” Joel grunted, cupping Dieter’s face lovingly. Dieter removed his mouth to kiss down his length as he stroked him, attaching his lips to one of Joel’s balls. “Mmm, fuck,” Joel breathed, tipping his head back. 

The hand on Joel’s ass moved slightly until one of Dieter’s fingertips prodded at Joel’s asshole. Joel grunted in surprise and smiled down at Dieter. “Really want me all over ya, huh?”

“Yes,” Dieter nodded, sucking one of Joel’s balls into his mouth. “Please.”

“Keep talkin’ like that and– ooh, fuck – Jus’ might get your wish,” Joel panted, shutting his eyes. He felt the build up in his lower stomach, his cock twitching violently in Dieter’s hand. “C’mere, baby boy,” he grinned, taking his cock back to stroke himself over Dieter’s face.

Dieter was buzzing, lifting Joel’s t-shirt to lovingly caress his hairy tummy, mouth open wide and obedient. 

Joel felt his balls draw up and his hips buck until– “Fuck–! Shit,” He moaned, thick ropes of come spurting out from the tip of his cock and landing on Dieter’s face and mouth. He caressed Dieter’s hair, thick fingers massaging his scalp while the other hand stroked himself until his balls were completely empty. 

Dieter happily licked his mouth clean, and hid his face in Joel’s stomach, whimpering into the sweaty skin. He moaned weakly, his entire body trembling as he came, completely untouched. Dieter was the only one in the cast that could do that, and he loved showing it off as much as he could.

“Shit,” Joel smiled, petting Dieter’s sweaty curls back and out of his face. “Ain’t you a sight.”

“Cut!”

Dieter deflated, a huge grin on his face. He started giggling into Joel’s stomach and smiled up at him. “Fucking love your cock, Joel,” he hummed happily.

“That’s what you always say,” Joel snorted, helping him up onto his feet. Dieter was a little wobbly still and cuddled into Joel’s side. He always got a little clingy after a scene, but Joel didn’t mind. As different as they were, Joel would probably consider Dieter one of his closest friends. It always worked in their favor, their natural chemistry and closeness coming through the cameras.

They were handed a couple towels and some water, the both of them taking them gratefully. Max came up to them, his usual shit-eating grin on his face. Joel always thought Max reminded him of a vampire, with that mischievous glint in his eye that always seemed to be there.

“Great show, boys,” Max started. “Dieter, d’you mind if I steal Joel away for a second?”

Dieter whined and clinged onto Joel tighter. Joel grinned and hugged him back. “Sorry, boss, looks like he ain’t leavin’ anytime soon.”

Max rolled his eyes, but continued anyway. “Fine. Meant to tell you earlier, but things got rolling, you know how it is–”

“What is it, Max?”

“You’ve got a scene with Javier tomorrow.”

If there were a record player anywhere, Joel would probably hear it scratching right about now. Dieter paused too, and looked up at Joel with worried eyes. He knew all about Joel’s crush, and was always telling Joel to just go for it. Joel froze briefly, but tried to school his emotions as best he could.

“O-okay, um. What time?” He asked shakily, gripping Dieter’s fluffy robe tighter.

“I’m thinking around noon? That way Javier can prepare, y’know?”

Preparing was always done before a particularly intense scene. Joel tried really hard not to think about Javier wearing a plug for a while before coming to set. 

“Right,” Joel nodded, cheeks going a little pink. “I’ll be there.”

“You’re the best, Joel!” Max snapped his fingers and walked off, talking to a couple of assistants. 

Dieter tapped on his chest and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “You really gotta say something, Joel,” he said softly. 

Joel sighed and nodded. He knew that. 

He just didn’t know what.

#joel miller #dieter bravo #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller fic #joel miller smut #joel miller series #dieter bravo fanfiction #dieter bravo fic #dieter bravo smut #dieter bravo series #pedro pascal characters #pedro pascal cinematic universe #ppcu fanfiction #oaksfics

[da-birb-writes-sometimes]

TWST As Lines I've Written/Said

Content Warning: Shitpost, suggestiveness(idk?) & swearing

Author's Note: These are either things I've said, or things that I've written down but haven't used... yet, might use them in the future, might not. Feel free to guess which is which.

Let the shenanigans begin!

Yuu, upon entering TWST

Yuu: “I’m motivated by spite and getting the fuck out of this damned place!” 

Crowley: “This damned place just so happens to be my school!” 

Yuu: “Yeah? Well, guess what Mr. Mystery Man, I fucking hate it here!” 

Crowley: “Rude.”

Typical Ace Behaviour

Yuu: “Behave, my friends are coming over.” 

Ace: “Weird. I didn’t know you were capable of having those.” 

Yuu: “You know what? You can go out and wait on the fire escape until they leave if you want to act like that.”

Capitalism Isn't Attractive

Deuce: “Do not fall for the pretty man with the fancy clothes!” 

Yuu: “Why not? He’s hot as fuck.” 

Deuce: “... He’s a capitalist.” 

Yuu: “THAT WHORE!”

Pissy Kitty

Leona: “Great, you again.” 

Yuu: “I’m thrilled to see you too, asshole.”

Floyd, just Floyd

Floyd: “Why not?” 

Yuu: “Unlike you, I don’t want to die!” 

Floyd: “Boo, you’re lame.”

Yuu Needs a Raise

Yuu: “My therapist will be thrilled to hear about this revelation.” 

Everyone: “What’s a therapist?”

Why Are You Like This?

Vil: “You are a blithering buffoon.” 

Yuu: “Takes one to know one.” 

Vil: “...Listen here you little piece of -”

Cryptid Hours

Yuu: *walks into room to find Idia sitting in the dark, facing the corner* “Did the voices win today?”

Idia: “Undecided.”

Yuu: “Okay then, let me know if that changes. Since I would like a headstart before you go all *insert demon noises* on me.”

After Any Overblot

Yuu: "I feel like a baked potato." *passes out*

The Adventures of Malleus

Malleus: “Tell me, Child of Man; do humans typically court through the acquiring and displaying of fish?”

Yuu: “Why?”

Malleus: *has been secretly using your phone for research and found himself on Tinder* “Just curious is all.”

Yuu: “... No, it’s not typical.”

Malleus: “Alright then, noted.”

Dear Professor Vargas, I regret to inform you that your attempts to woo a potential mate through your acquiring of fish may not be successful. And does the "DILF" shorts mean, "Darling, I Love Fish?" ... Asking for a friend. Sincerely, Malleus Draconia

Octopus Eyesight

Yuu: “Do you have astigmatism?”

Azul: “Do I have what?”

Yuu: “Astigmatism, like when you look at lights at night do you see lines? Since you have weird ass pupils.”

Azul: “...wait, that isn’t normal?”

Should I Be Nervous?

Yuu: “Have you ever been overcome with the lust for broccoli?”

Trey: ". . ."

Yuu: *squints, thinking* “Break glass in case of sudden lust for broccoli...”

Trey: "Should I leave?"

A Question to Ponder

Yuu: “Why do fictional men slap so hard? Like damn.”

Riddle: “Because they are not real and do not come with any of the negative consequences that often come with real men, also you can better idealize them… And anime, ‘Makes you go brrrrr,’ as you put it.”

College Life

Rollo: “I am running off 3 hours of sleep and a single croissant, do not test me.”

Baby Talk

Rook: “Ah, bonjour chatton!" *proceeds to babytalk to the cat in French*

Yuu's Type

Yuu: “I have 4 types; wet cat, malewife, girlboss, and whore." tag yourself

Crewel: "... You need to focus on your grades, not on some mutts."

What Do You Have?

Jamil: "What's that?"

Kalim: *hiding a cat that he stole from outside* "Uhhh, my love for you?"

Jamil: *annoyed* "Put it back outside, Kalim."

Kalim: *puts the cat in his face* "BUT LOOK AT THEM!! THEY BABEY!!!!"

#twst #twisted wonderland #twst shitpost #twst incorrect quotes #[i think idk] #dove's comedy hour #twst yuu #twst crack #dire crowley #ace trappola #deuce spade #leona kingscholar #floyd leech #vil schoenheit #idia shroud #malleus draconia #azul ashengrotto #trey clover #riddle rosehearts #rollo flamm #divus crewel #jamil viper #kalim al-asim #twst drabbles

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Between the Lines 3

Warnings: non/dubcon, Lee is rude, customer service triggers. and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

Characters:Lee Bodecker

Part of the Bookstore AU

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging.

There’s banging on the door. So loud it wakes you in your bed. You roll over, dizzy with grogginess, and stumble onto your feet. Zuzu, your sleepy calico, only lifts her head before dropping it back down. She doesn’t have energy for human concerns.

You follow the banging as it continues and come out to the main room of your apartment. Your neighbours aren’t exactly peaceful but you don’t expect such a rude awakening. You go to the door and peek through the peephole. You can see nothing as it’s covered from the other side.

The door shakes and a voice holler through, “police.”

You’re not sure you trust the disembodied declaration. You keep the chain hooked but turn the latch back. You lean into the door and inch it open. It’s pushed from the other side to the limit of the links.

“Hel…lo,” your greeting splits in two as the officer drags his hand away from the door. It’s the same man from the bookstore. The sheriff, he said.

“Good mornin’, ma’am,” he drawls with a coy smirk, “we got calls about a disturbance in the building. You hear anything?”

His question hangs between you. His eyes drift down to your crooked pajama shirt and the pajama pants clinging low to your hips. You cross your arms and sniff. You not his badge; Sheriff. L. Bodecker.

“I just woke up. Didn’t hear a thing,” you answer curtly.

“We’re just makin’ sure everyone’s safe,” he looks you in the eye and tilts his head, “ladies livin’ alone…”

“I’m fine,” you feel the way he pushes even more on the door. You almost fear he’ll pull the chain completely loose.

“Ya mind if I have a look around?” He asks.

You stare at him, unflinching. Something about this doesn’t seem coincidental. It’s as ominous as the words that dogged you since your tense meeting in the parking lot.

“Do you have a warrant?” You breathe.

He chuckles and pulls his arm back, shoving his foot into the small space between the door and frame, “now,” he rubs his ruddy cheek, “why would I need that if you’re not hidin’ anything?”

“Hiding? What? I just don’t think it’s necessary for you to come in. I told you, I haven’t heard a thing.”

“Mmm,” the noise rumbles up his throat, “just lookin’ out for ya. Wouldn’t want some creep hangin’ around.” He clucks and puts his hand on his hip, “rough neighbourhood.”

“Thank you for your concern, but I’m fine,” you insist.

He smirks again and gets closer. You keep your hand on the door but lean away, “I’m sure you can take care of yourself. You’re a smart girl and all.”

“Sir,” you eke out.

He laughs and taps the door with his knuckles. He pulls his foot out of the door and you nearly slam it with the release of tension. He backs up, pushing out his stomach as he eyes you from head to toe. You hide behind the barrier but it feels like he can see everything.

“You stay safe,” he winks and turns lazily on his heel.

You snap the door shut and quickly turn the deadbolt. Your heart pumps wildly as you cling to the handle. You listen and hear his soles scuff down the hallway. You wonder how he found you but you guess it’s not that hard given his position.

🚓

The rest of the day holds little of note. No more surprises, even as you watch over your shoulder. Not just for the sheriff but your manager. Colin isn’t subtle as he circles like a hawk each time you’re with a customer.

You’re probably the most helpful employee left in the place. Ever since that older woman disappeared on sick leave, you seem to be the only employee without an addiction to TikTok. You can understand being distracted in a bookstore but definitely not by your phone.

You leave for the day and stop on your way home to get take out at the Lebanese shop at the corner of your street. They have a combo sale that costs you as much as a homemade meal. You’re feeling lazy and too agitated to deal with a hot stove.

You feed Zuzu after she serenades you shrilly. You eat with her pacing behind you on the couch, waiting for any scrap to pounce on as she forgets her kibble. You try to ignore her as you watch a documentary on Alexandre Dumas. You lose interest shortly after you finish your food and shut off the television.

You recline on the couch with your book, too stubborn to go to bed yet. You know you’ll fall asleep the minute your head touches the pillow. You lay against the armrest and ease into the collection of essays on the Victorian era and various strains of relationships; from friendship to marriage.

It’s not the most compelling to the non-academic but you find spurts of intrigue. You yawn and turn the page, the quiet coaxing you further into your fatigue. Your eyes turn itchy and the font begins to smear. You close the book and get up, leaving it under the lamp as you flick off the light.

You collapse into bed as Zuzu claims her spot by your feet. It doesn’t take much to fall asleep, the world slipping into blackness in a blink. 

The sharp hiss brings you back to the world. You sit up, trying to shake away the cloudiness in your skull. You hear Zuzu jump onto the floor and scurry into the next room. Then a crash.

“What the he–” you murmur as you shove yourself to the edge, “Zu, what are you doing?”

You call out to the cat as you follow her into the front room. As you come out, the darkness is thicker than you expect. The curtains are drawn, blocking out the streetlights and the moon, but you don’t remember closing them.

Zuzu hiss again then lets out an angry yowl, her claws tearing into the rug as she rips around the room. Another clatter as you search through squinting eyelids. What is going on?

“Zu,” you think you see her dash across the floor. You bend over and lunge, trying to catch her, “Zu, chill–”

You feel something clasp around the back of your neck, stopping you in place as it holds you bent awkwardly over your knees. You extend your arms, fingertips on the floor as the thick fingertips pinch into your tendons. You whimper in horror.

“Ain’t no good for a girl like you to be livin’ on her own,” the sheriff’s voice rolls through the dark.

#lee bodecker #dark lee bodecker #dark!lee bodecker #lee bodecker x reader #the devil all the time #between the lines #au #bookstore au #series #drabble

[faroreskiss]

The Power of Understanding / Pilot (Part 1 v2)

Rewritten to v2 on: 2023/09/10

Cheat Sheet

Read of Ao3

Chapters: Pilot, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9

Summary: You have been with the Chain for a while now, as their "scholar" and translator. You know everything about them, because you are from our world. But do *they *know the truth about how you can understand everyone?

A little introduction and world building concept for the Translator!Reader and her adventures. Check notes below for more info!

Non-linear fic.

AU fic, prior to TotK (instead of TotK, chain events happen).

Loosely based on the same reader in my NSFW fic, which is a very loose prequel to this one, and a work in progress.

More background info to come, if I feel like it :D

Warnings: None, maybe some cussing, but nothing is censored. SFW content.

Points of interest: This is your thing if you are into the mystery of chain being able to talk to each other. I am an actual trained linguist IRL, hence this HAD to be written!

You were daydreaming in the middle of the day about him again, amidst the smell of horse shit around you, when you're supposed to be finishing the work you have until the end of the day. Or until a new portal pops up to swallow you all to Goddess knows which Hyrule this time. Damned black-blooded monsters. At least, this gave you some break.

You, coming from our own era, have been acting as the scholar of the Chain for the last couple of years, while hopping from world to world with them. Knowing this, Malon put you to work on the books of the ranch, instead of letting you deal with the cows or the horses, even though you really didn’t have anything specific to do with maths. You thought she was being kind to you, not letting you deal with dirty ranch work, you guessed? She was a sweetheart either way.

You wanted to hang out with Twilight at the same time, so instead of using the little study Malon offered, you took the books and went down to the stables. You continued with your own stuff, while he was taking care of the horses.

There was also this little thing: you were the only one who understood every single one of them, (almost) very clearly, comparatively speaking. Sure they could communicate without you just as well, but due to a bunch of coincidences, you were the closest thing to the “translation magic”, if you can call it that. Maybe it was your Hoshi Sato gene*. Maybe it was the fact that you actually stayed with Link & Zelda in the post-Calamity world, around two years prior meeting the Chain**, maybe a bit of magic was also involved. Hylia works in mysterious ways! Did it almost cost you your brain? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely. 

Some Links, of course, understood each other better than the others, especially when their eras were, linguistically speaking, not that far. Time and Twilight were just fine. Legend and Hyrule were already able to understand each other, even a little bit better than Time and Twilight. Sky was a bit further away and had a “funny way of saying things” (according to the Sailor), almost gibberish, but when you listened and when he spoke slowly enough, you could at least get the gist of what he was trying to say. Wind, Time, and Warriors already knew each other from other “incidents” before the Chain, so they already had a way of communicating. 

These worlds also did not have many invasions and wars by “outsiders”, if you don’t count things like the Triforce War, Imprisoning War, Sealing War, and of course, anything that had to do with Demise, Ganon & co. and their horrible reincarnations. This meant, not a lot of language change.

In the end, what happened was that over the two years you have been together with the group, you helped them understand each other better. They adjusted their accents, and somehow warped the Hylian they speak in a way that the group would understand (and especially you), when the dialogue was still within the group. Of course, the Old Man would speak more “naturally” with Malon and vice versa, and some of the chain would adjust better (e.g. Twilight or Smithy) to the language of the era they are in. After some point, communication was not that much of a problem. You learnt it all in the end. 

Writing? 

Funny enough, Wild, Sky, and Twilight had similar scripts. Time and Wind had more similar writing systems. Wild, Wars, Legend, Time, and Rulie were also better at understanding the scripts of their respective eras. Overall, other than a couple of hiccups, most understood the others’ script to an extent. 

And then there was Wild. Also known as “The Cook” nowadays. The rest of the chain didn’t know you called them the Chain in your mind, and had your little nicknames for them. The nicknames most likely revealed a bit too much, and even though most of the secrets were out nowadays… You knew better than to risk more. You have caused enough damage, you would think sometimes. Even though you just couldn’t resist the urge. 

Anyway… Wild, his case and communication issues… were complicated.

According to the rest of the chain when you guys first met, whatever he was saying (and vice versa) was almost complete gibberish at first. Some terms and special names like “deku,” “korok,” “Hylia,” “Hyrule,” “rupee,” and such were still there, albeit with a different accent, and they helped, but it was not enough. You only found out later that it was kind of… your fault. 

In the end, he was also able to communicate with them just fine. Each Link had their own… language variation and accents, so to say. Some of them did not even have the difference enough to call it a “dialect” comparatively. As you thought, language change is a slow enough process, and with the lack of ‘conflicts’ (for lack of a better word) compared to your world, no wonder they were still somehow able to understand each other. . 

The Goddesses work in mysterious ways indeed.

How did it work for you, though? There was this little secret that… First time around, when you first dropped into Wild's Hyrule, “Hylian” was basically a weird mesh-up of English and Japanese to your ears, after the enchantment from the Great Fairies you have received. It was “so you could slowly understand and grasp and communicate”, you were told. 

Oh boy, it really felt like a genie granting you a wish, but in its own twisted way. You found that out later though. 

Second time around when you first met the rest of Links, though? The first enchantment… kind of messed everything up. Second time around, you actually ended up learning real Hylian. At least, the Hylian that was used as a lingua franca between you guys. 

Of course, some learning skill enchantment was definitely not out of the deal this time as well, thanks to Rulie & Time and their fairy friends, and of course the Smithy. But what a disaster it had been! Well, it wasn’t your fault that the first time the enchantment was made, nobody calculated that you would meet the Links from other eras.

You also naturally know the reason behind why Links in kind of irrelevant eras could decipher each other's texts, even when they didn’t understand the words all the time. Some were based on the Latin alphabet, and some were on Japanese kana. No way you could clearly explain it to them.

“Oh, by the way, you are made by a game company called Nintendo, and this guy is called Miyamoto…”

Yeah, no. That didn’t go well last time. Nobody even understood what you meant. 

That was a battle to fight for another day… Now, you need to focus on the budget of the Lon Lon Ranch. And not be distracted by Twilight’s statue.

________________

Notes:

Fanciest and most OP translator you will ever know. Star Trek Universe. 

"You” already spent three years with Link and Zelda in Wild’s world and were enchanted by the Great Fairies (with Zelda’s involvement) for the improvement of learning abilities.

#linked universe x reader #linked universe au #zelda fandom #zelda fanfiction #tloz au #fanfic #link x reader #twilight x reader #wild x reader #flora x reader #zelda x reader #ethical non monogamy #polyamory #linguistics #languages #translation #linked universe #legend of zelda #fluff #pilot chapter #isekai #isekai reader #the legend of zelda #botw link #botw #zelda botw #story concept #fanfic concept #lgbtq community #language

[feligamifebruary]

Parisiens, Parisiennes, dragons and birds of all horizons,

Feligami February is fast approaching, and you may already be thinking of the wonderful art you will bestow upon us throughout the month. It will be our pleasure to share your creations on this blog, and archive them in case our timeline gets erased.

I sense that, like Felix, you have an inquisitive mind. Fear not, for we have prepared a helpful FAQ below:

1. Tell me about the event!

As I’m sure you’ve guessed, Feligami February is a month-long fandom event dedicated to our favourite lovebirds. The principle is simple: to tickle your brains (and hearts!) with our prompts, so you are inspired to create the content you want to see on Tumblr on AO3.

Any and all creative media are welcome: art, fics, AMVs, playlists, cosplays, moodboards, web weaves… No rules and no amoks shall get in your way.

2. Sounds fun! How do I join?

Simply upload your creation(s) to the #feligami february and #feligami february 2024 tags, and make sure to tag this blog. This will ensure we spot your work, as easily as Felix spotted the Peacock Miraculous under Gabriel’s tie.

3. I’m not sure I can cover all 29 prompts, or post on time. Can I still participate?

Of course! The entire point of this event is to have fun. Don’t overwork yourself.

4. I have an idea, but it doesn’t align with any of the prompts. Can I still post it?

Please do! The prompts are here for inspiration, not to suffocate you. Break your chains.

5. Are poly ships allowed?

Absolutely, as long as they include Feligami and exclude any incest and/or pedophilia.

6. What about smut?

Given the age of the characters and the target audience of the show, we will not be allowing any form of smut as part of this event. Similarly, NSFW content will not be allowed in our Discord community (more on that below).

7. What about angst?

Go ahead! Please make sure to tag potentially triggering content to keep the event safe and enjoyable for everyone.

8. The creative process can be a bit lonely. Where can I meet other cool, motivated, brilliant Feligami creators like myself?

Fear not, for we have you covered. By joining our dedicated Discord server, you will get the chance to hang out with fellow Feligami fans, share your ideas, and take a peek at the amazing content coming your way. Think of it as our own little window, on which we all draw hearts for each other.

If you’d like to join, please follow this link to the art room, where you will not be subjected to a creepy, hallucination-based play.

9. You guys sound cool! Where can I find your work?

🐈‍⬛ Paracosmicat (any pronouns)

The best Adrien expert there is, and a reference for all Manon-is-Lila conspiracists. They are also the instigator of this beautiful adventure!

Tumblr | AO3 | Senticousins sideblog

🕊️ Nina (she/her)

Thinker of thoughts and rotater of blorbos. Our marketing and communications expert.

Tumblr | AO3 | Senticousins sideblog

🧬 Helix (she/her)

Artist extraordinaire, romance lover, and our much needed IT expert. If this blog doesn’t explode by the end of the month, it will be exclusively thanks to her.

Tumblr | AO3

Without further ado, we wish you all a lot of fun, inspiration, and bone-chilling musical numbers! 🎶

#miraculous #miraculous ladybug #felix graham de vanily #argos #flairmidable #kagami tsurugi #ryuko #feligami #feligami february 2024 #feligami february

[genshin-squabbles-and-wobbles]

The Enraged Inferno || Part 3

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Character: Diluc

Type: Angst, tragedy, Revenge and Reader in her villian era

Tags: Fem!Reader

About being Taglisted in my stories: Here

Requester: @sailorstar9

Content: You traveled to Mondstadt to deliver a medicine order for Baizhu. You decided to stay in Mondstadt and expand his buisness there. You just met with Jean and treated her like the way she treated you but worse, but then...you met Diluc, he was all over the place, as his facade fell apart immediately once he saw you. It was like the light of his life was brighten again, only that...you were...different.

Trigger Warning: I might be a little violent in this story to stress the Villain Era the reader is in, and also, dealing with trauma so please proceed with caution. I might add cursing a bit, please let me know if you can feel the idea of the reader without the cursing. I might've also like included something about the idea of lobotomy in there so please, be careful.

Part 1: Here Part 2: Here

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[ 9 Years ago, 12 year old ]

"Aha Luc! Look! Look! I found wild grapes!" You smiled as you showed him healthy fully grown grapes.

Diluc smiled and blushed at you. "Those look pretty...would you want to maybe...grow a large grape farm together...?"

You widen your eyes and jumped happily. "Yes! That is sooo cool! Imagine all the grape juice we can give to everyone!?" You hugged Diluc. "You keep being so smart, Luc!"

Diluc smiled and blushed more. He hugged you back, as he imagined a future where you and him would grow grapes together, and sunbathed under the sun together. Then drink grape juice, laying in the grass under the moon.

Kaeya then joined in on the hug. "Hey guys, why not do wine? Dad says it cost money and we can have a lot fo money!"

You looked at him. "Oh wow. That is so true!"

You three laughed together, in ignorant bliss.

[ 5 Years ago, 17 year old ]

"Hey Luc." You slumped down next to him and handed him a grape juice box. You poked a hole in yours and took a sip.

Diluc looked at you. "Something wrong?" He did the same, as he took a bigger sip.

"Nah, I am okay." You smiled at him, kindly.

"I know you better then that, don’t lie to me now." Diluc leaned back and stared straight. He didn’t need to try and guess your emotions. You became second hand nature for him to read.

You chuckled. "What gave it away?"

He shrugged. "I just know...what's wrong..?"

You smiled and sighed. "I..."

Diluc interrupted. "You saw adventures and the monsters fought brutally and you feel troubled. You want everyone to get along and live in peace?"

You looked at him shocked. "H-How did you...!!"

Diluc laughed. "Haha you are too cute, of course I'll know. You are such a gentle soul, with a kind heart. I could never get over that. I can indulge you in that forever." He smiled at you.

You blushed and looked away.

[ Current ]

Diluc was looking down at you, at your dead face. You pushed his away from your chin, and sighed. "Diluc, please sign the receipt so I can leave, I have things to do." You spoke coldy to him.

He looked at you, dumbstrucked once more. "Diluc...? You won't call me Luc anymore??". However, as a defense mechanism of his he will pretend this didn’t bother him, despite the mess he was right now. He sighed and nodded slowly and turned, pulled a pen from his desk and sighed the receipt. He then turned to you, and handed you the receipt.

You then turned and walked away, no goodbye, no nothing. Diluc tried to watch you walk away, however this was too much for him, he immediately put his head in his hand, desperate once more. He immediately ran ahead of you and came in front of you, preventing you from leaving his office.

"I-I love you!" Diluc said desperately. "I have always loved you! I left that stupid arrange marriage for you, I left Jean for you, I love you! Please just listen to me! I've always loved you, since we were young! Your smile, your playful natu-"

"Diluc move." You spoke sternly with a red glint in your eyes. You pushed him aside, and opened the door, left. You had no time for some dumb romantic shit. You had no space in your heart for it, anyways. But at the moment, you didn’t care.

Diluc obediently let you pushed him aside and he stood, watching you leave his vicinity. He slowly clenched his fist, with trembling jaw. Small tears streaming down his face. Perhaps...it was still the same tragedies in his life, nothing changed.

You walked out, and sighed. You had one goal in mind, revenge. You walked back to your new home in Mondstadt, and mailed the letter to Baizhu. You began cleaning up your new home, and throwing things away. Keeping somethings. You began turning the living room into a pharmacy with shelves and turning some rooms into patient rooms. After all, you were a dendro healer like your uncle. Just, without that cursed snake.

You were success, you made the place look homey and decent. You made one room your office, and kept the upstairs part as your home. A kitchen, a bedroom, and a smaller living room. You didn’t need much. You didn’t have much anyways. Not anymore. That version of you was lost long ago.

Next week, you stocked shelves and made proper arrangement for patient rooms, with tools and necessary items, thanks to Baizhu. He approved, and everything was shipped. You now deal with orders coming from Mondstatd, and anyone who needs assistance. You created a partnership with the church, specifically Barbara, who was happy to be in a partnership with you.

As she can bring her patience over, or be the doctor in charge if she liked, while you handle pharmaceutical things. You can send your customers to her, if you notice something serious within their health. This was perfect, as now that you had two sponsors, that were certified healers and doctors, you felt confident enough to open.

You were about to start a new life, on your own. This was a first step towards healing, as you never knew it at first. That was until you saw that face. The one you wanted to strangle. Immediately, you had eyes on her. This was the first servant, the phase one servant you called it, that one that lured you. She lured you to the area of the supposed accident. You lifted your sleeve up looking at the scars and back at her through the window.

Your face darken immediately, you walked to the window, and used your nails to scratch at the window.

The noise caught the servant's attention and turns towards you, as her blood ran cold. All she saw was your darken angry face, with scratch marks at the window. At first, she assumed she was being haunted, but once she realize you were real...you were alive...immediately, she turned and walked away. Running away.

Immediately you followed after her, you had a dog collar, a syringe and other medicinals on you. Pondering what to do to this little shit stain here. Strangle her? Comatose her? Keep her as a pet in the basement? Naked or rotten clothed? Poison? You wanted to give this women hell like no other, worse than death even. Maybe you can lobotomize her, make her bedridden, see how she likes it if her family relied on your pharmacy to get medicine for her.

All of a sudden you bumped into someone.

"My My...it has been a while, and it looks like you are on your way to d some..."business"..."

You looked up and widen your eyes. "Kaeya.." You muttered and slowly backed away.

"It has been quite a while...I knew you weren’t dead but I am actually glad to see you in the flesh again, old friend." Kaeya had a teasing smile, but you know it was genuine. He placed his hand on your back.

"I don’t know what is going on in that head of yours...but everyone has been telling me how scary you have become...what happened to you?"

"What happened to you? And your eye?" You made a rebuttal, as you remember Kaeya as a shy cry baby, who would always ask you or Diluc for help. But this man is entirely independent and ferocious. Manipulative and sly. He smelled like he drinks alcohol on a daily basis and...he was a knight.

Kaeya chuckled. "I guess we both have some explaining to do...let's have a drink. On me. We can do it at your place, since you have it empty right now." You looked at him and sighed. For some reason, Kaeya brings out a different side of you, a more vulnerable side, as if, he see right through you. He wasn’t like this before, however, it seems he can tell, or you are just showing your emotions too much and he can read them like a book.

As you Kaeya walked in your new home, and pharmacy, Diluc watched you both from a distance, as he was in the middle of entering Angel Share for his Shift. He tightened his grip on the door knob, as he was jealous. Why did he get such a cold treatment but you welcomed Kaeya with open arms...has he brainwashed you? He had an angry glare as he watched the door shut with the two of you in there, alone.

One thing for sure, you two were getting closer while he was in the sidelines watching.

#genshin headcanons #genshin impact x reader #genshin drabbles #genshin scenarios #genshin impact #genshin angst #genshin fluff #genshin #Genshin Tradegy #genshin impact story #genshin impact scenarios #diluc x reader #diluc ragnvindr #genshin diluc #platonic diluc and kaeya #diluc x you #diluc x y/n #diluc x fem!reader #jean genshin impact #jean gunnhildr #genshin charater x reader #kaeya x reader #kaeya alberich #genshin kaeya #genshin impact kaeya #kaeya

[lenaperseveranceoxton]

Questwatch really has the brainworms going...

Listen, I know it’s canon-compliant, seeing as Kiriko and Orisa shouldn’t be with Overwatch by this point, but it was cute to hear that Genji had been working on his Role Heroes’ backstory with Emily for weeks. They’re actual friends!

We could already assume Emily was part of the Overwatch family with how close she is to Winston and Mei (They are her siblings-in-law, your honor). There was that Overwatch 1 interaction where Winston invites Mei to hot pot with Lena, Emily, and Athena that was followed by an Overwatch 2 interaction where Winston says he can’t wait for the next hot pot with Mei. Then, there was also the 2018 OWL spray where they’re all watching sports on a couch. Classic Lemon Tea history right there.

What makes me upset is the fact that Emily doesn’t seem to be living at Watchpoint: Gibraltar. London Calling ended with Lena and Winston saying “We did it! We saved London!”, but we know Iggy is in danger in the upcoming co-op mission. That’s the thing that’s always annoyed me with the plot armor our heroes have. You’re telling me that Lena and Emily have been living safely in London for over five years while Talon has Lena on a hit list???

On one hand, a bit of angst where Emily says her goodbyes to Lena would make me cry, in a good way. (Their love will persevere through anything, damn it!) We see how appreciative Emily is of Lena’s vigilantism in London Calling. She would give up having her girlfriend by her side for the betterment of the world. Also, I love the idea of Mei being subjected to Lena being a sobbing mess without her girlfriend in the crew quarters. On the other hand, Emily is not safe in London. Period.

Let me make one thing clear: I do not want Emily as a hero. Ever. Not only do I not want the possibility of Lena and Emily killing each other (it’s heartbreaking enough with Winston), but I think Emily is perfect as a civilian. She reminds Lena what she’s fighting for, but she’s also a great parallel to Jack’s relationship with Vincent. Jack forgot what he was fighting for, putting his duty above all else, and distanced himself from everyone. Emily is the reason why Lena kept up with being a vigilante, the reason why Lena bumped into Iggy, and the reason why Lena and Iggy were able to stop Kace’s uprising.

All of this is to say that I love the idea of Emily being at Watchpoint: Gibraltar with the new blood of Overwatch. It’s as safe as she’ll ever be with Lena as her girlfriend, after all. I want to see her interact with more heroes, and I guess I’m a little disappointed by the heroes playing their Role Heroes campaign. If we could get Kiriko and Orisa, who are not there in canon, why couldn’t we get Jack? Have you SEEN him being an absolute nerd over chess in the Sojourn novel? It would be a great way to show players who don’t view external media that Jack isn’t just a grumpy old man.

Also, can we talk about Adventurer Tracer’s lines? “Was your knight on holiday?” when eliminating Mercy? “Sorry, I’m the knight in this realm!” when eliminating Pharah? HELLO??? I need to see a Lemon Tea and Pharmercy double date this instant. (People can grow apart after five+ years of not seeing each other. Sorry, Gency shippers.)

I haven’t even seen the rest of Questwatch. I’m “only” tier 42 as of writing this, and I haven’t seen anyone post all the chapters in their entirety. Still, I am LIVING for all this Emily content. Now, give her a voice. Give her a 3D model. Let her show up in Story Missions. I am BEGGING.

(I am so normal...)

#overwatch #questwatch #tracer #lena oxton #emily #lemon tea #kiriko kamori #orisa #genji shimada #winston #mei-ling zhou #iggy #soldier: 76 #jack morrison #vincent #pharah #fareeha amari #mercy #angela ziegler #pharmercy

[breadarcade]

Ah okay cool! I guess I'll be the first request then?

Can you do Radish Cookie admitting her feelings for her crush?

★ 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲: 𝘇𝗼𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗺𝗮! 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁! :𝗼

𝗣𝗔𝗜𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚: 𝗥𝗔𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗛 𝗖𝗢𝗢𝗞𝗜𝗘 𝘅 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗥

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚: 𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗘𝗣. 𝟯, 𝗮 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗣. 𝟯

★𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗖𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗕𝗟𝗬 𝗧𝗘𝗟𝗟 𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗗 𝗦𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗔𝗦 when she caught you in her trap; to think it was someone else, or something else, but only to see a cookie as gorgeous and pretty as you, along with Gingerbrave and Gingerbright holding you, the both of them, along with you being caught off guard from the sudden impact of being dropped to the ground. Yet among the group of stand outs, you in her eyes stand out the rest, she couldn't help but be flustered.

When she let your group come into her hideout, her face and pride was high when she told everyone about her integrity and capability in tinkering. Specifically when she looked at your face in awe and curiosity, what were you thinking? How awesome is she? well of course she is! How did she make all of this? most definitely she will tell you, if that makes you interested! It was painfully noticeable when she became a rambling mess when she talked about her interests and her story about the syrup garden.

A shame that both of you have to meet in such a strange and unfortunate predicament, when the garden wasn't in its full glory, she thought, it would have been more pleasant if that wasn't the case──wait, what is she thinking?!

Yet, when she stopped talking and everyone aside from her just stared at the group of vials of syrup, resting on that basket, she could not help but be a little petty. When she promised to take care of that problem, you just stared at syrup? Who do you think she is?

But at the end, when Gingerbrave, Gingerbright, Wizard and Strawberry Cookie. She cannot help but bring herself but lend a bottle of syrup to you, when the both of you are alone, claiming it was ‘something she wanted to give away’. Was that a blush in her cheeks, you see? Hm, no, you probably convinced yourself.

Across the adventure everyone began to share with Radish Cookie, one thing you cannot help but notice was the subtle stares you felt, but you didn't even know it was Radish Cookie was staring at you, how can she not? She began to learn that not only are you pretty, but pretty brave too! You help her, then she helps you! That's how it works between the both of you for now, and she was content with that.

A lot of events happened, no one knows how long was it, a day? a week? a month? Time apparently does not work in the syrup garden, but that one moment that cannot make her help but be happy was the moment when you smiled so brightly when the sound of music was playing in the background, the brightest smile you had. Radish Cookie cannot help but awe at that, why were you smiling? Nonetheless, she also smiled at that sight, not only because she managed to fix the syrup garden and everyone was happy but got to spend some time with you.

The worst one was the emotional conflict that she felt when ROSEMARY COOKIE, was finally in her desperate embrace, and the sudden realization that she felt when everything, her beliefs and effort was wasted and used for something that happened because of her, but then, when Gingerbrave and the others ran to tend to someone else in need, you simply stayed, only to hear her thoughts, her mind, and trauma.

And that moment too, your bond with each other began to be closer than anticipated. You cannot help but imagine the face she made when she ventured out her frustrations, saying everything she had done was a waste, something that could have been avoided in the first place.

That was the reason why she felt pain when she realized that you have to leave the garden once everything is over and resolved. Why were you leaving? She understands that outsider cookies probably have somewhere to go but you? why? That’s when she decided that she should at least say a final goodbye then, if that were the case.

★𝗥𝗔𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗛 𝗖𝗢𝗢𝗞𝗜𝗘 walked across the floor in sheer desperation to find you, calling your name in a loud voice

“YN COOKIE? YN COOKIE!” she yelled, thoroughly going through every room in hopes to find you to make one last conversation with you, her intrusive thoughts getting the best of her ‘What if they left already?’ ’What if they left and didn't say bye?’Her face fell from the thought, what did she mean to you exactly? She knows that everything you, Radish Cookie, and the others have been through was fast paced, and heavy to cope with.

But there were good things that happened, right? If you have left the garden, left her already, would you even remember her? Her state of curiosity is turning her to crumbs! She felt a little panicky before she finally looked over a secluded room.

One of the syrup faucets was there, and another thing that was there was you, dozing off. Your gorgeous and sleeping face cannot help but make her chuckle from the welcoming sight, relief washing over her as she walks towards you quietly and crouched to your level.

A soft smile on her face. So you were not planning to leave her, but instead you were busy dozing off? How comedic in her case. She cannot help but admire your appearance, you were pretty when sleepy, a faint blush on her cheeks as she tried to decide whether she woke you up, or not. But ultimately, she reluctantly did so, waking you up by shaking you through your shoulder

“YN cookie… Wake up… YN cookie!“ she shook you gently. Receiving a small groan in response, making her release your shoulder and took a step back as you flutter your eyes open. “Radish Cookie? Is something wrong?” You ask, rubbing your eyes as you see that your vision was monetarily blurry, your voice was tired and groggy, making her guilty for waking you up for something personal as this. “No, I just──yeah I-I just need to talk to ya for a moment.“ Radish Cookie stammered with her words, internally cursing herself for that, but it have thankfully gotten unnoticed by you.

“Yeah? What's wrong, Radish Cookie?” your eyes lace some concern, making her heart get pierced by an arrow.Radish Cookie sighed, trying to regain some confidence, it wasn't like her, it wasn't like her at all… “You're going to leave, right? You will..?” her voice was soft, her face was gloomy, a sharp contrast of her usual demeanor, she didn't want you to leave at all. You, in response just avert her eyes, “Well, that's the idea, I cannot just leave them, I cannot leave Gingerbrave and the others.” you admitted, earning a disappointed sigh from Radish.

“So soon? but there's lots of stuff you gotta see, the fruit residents are planning to have this meet up and──” “Radish Cookie.” You cut her off, concern and confusion is evident and clear on your face, making Radish Cookie try so hard to not give away her intentions, but she failed as she noticed your serious and hard face, her shoulders was slump and her mouth formed a pout.

“I should not beat around the bush, should I?” she ask, her hands were trembling as her face was red as her hair, “Radish Cooki─” ”I like you, YN cookie, you are one of the most──amazing cookies I have ever met, you did a lot for me and I am thankful for that, I-I, I don't want you to leave YN cookie, please don't… '' Her hands grabbed yours as her eyes gleamed with hope in it, her lips were trembling and she was anticipating an answer, she needs to know what you think of her so she can be at peace if you leave.

“YN cookie──please-” “YN COOKIE?” a series of voices call out for your name, making Radish Cookie’s face fall into a more saddened on, it was time for you to leave, you really had to leave, didn't you? You stayed silent as you stood up, to her dismay and surprise and started to walk towards the group of voices, saying that you are coming. Before you actually go, you felt a pair of hands keeping you in place, which is Radish Cookie holding your arm “Wait! I still don't have an answer, YN cookie, please! I─” a small, gentle and quick kiss was left onto Radish Cookie’s lips, leaving her to shut up and be more redder. “I─” ”Radish Cookie, I like you too, but I cannot stay, I have a responsibility and you have yours… “ you gaze become attractively softer.

“YN COOKIE!” Strawberry Cookie’s voice was heard, making you sigh, making you take a step back “But I promise that I will be back, and we will talk about this──I promise… “ Radish Cookie’s hands let go of your hand, allowing you to take another step back before Radish Cookie’s voice call you out one, last time. “Here.” she trailed off as she scurried her pouches to give a glass of syrup “To think of me, ‘kay? Don't you dare forget about me, while you're at it. “ she huffed, her smile was evident as she leaned close to give you a kiss on the cheek.

“And be on one piece, alright?”Radish Cookie’s words cannot help but make you smile, as you clutched the bottle of syrup and turn your back on her to walk away. You looked at her over your shoulder and smiled “I promise──I expect you to do the same by the way.” you replied earning a chuckle.

“Please take care─” Radish Cookie murmured as she watched as you walked away to be with your own group of cookies.

★well, here you go! I hope you enjoy it! sorry if my grammar is kinda shady ^^

#cookie run x reader #cookie run witch’s castle #cookie run x you #radish cookie #cookie run #x reader #×🍓:★❝BREADARCADE❞

[theresattrpgforthat]

THEME: Rootin', Tootin' and Shootin

Today's games are Wild-West-flavoured TTRPGs, complete with desert cacti, Smith & Wesson revolvers, and Cowboy Hats.

Weird Weird West, by Tom G.

A weird western TTRPG about cowboy monster hunters.

This is a Powered by the Apocalypse game with a little bit of Forged in the Dark, so expect an emphasis on narrative, with pieces of the book to set up the tone of the game - without a section that gives you specific pieces of lore. It follows much of the conventions of PbtA games, including the expectation that you play to find out what happens - but there's also some add-ons, such as inventory, special tracks for harm, and a weird power that you get when you choose your playbook.

There are two options for Weird Weird West: a free option, which should get you everything you really need to play the game, and a paid option. For $8, you get extra content, character art, and fully-coloured playbooks.

18XX Outlaw, by Deep Light Games.

AT THE OLD WEST, YOU CAN'T BE PICKY: law is corrupt when not far between. Most riches are with the rich people and tend to keep going there. So I guess it’s only natural someone brings some balance to it, right? And the Lord is my witness that there sure are many pals available for that.

You are free people doing what you need to survive at this weird heated place. Some authorities call you gunslingers, mercenaries, robbers, killers. Others call you bounty hunters, bodyguards, vigilantes. But that is their opinion. The real question now is: which job are you fancying, next?

18XX Outlaw is a 24XX micro-game, so it is a quick read, easy to pick up, and requires little prep. The missions can be put together using roll-tables, and if your character dies it's pretty easy to make a new one. Perhaps not the best game for long, drawn-out play, but if you just want something quick and in the genre, this game might be worth looking at. It's also only $3!

Dread Revolver, by kay w.

Welcome to an almost-eternal nightmare trek through a post-post-apocalyptic wasteland, pushed onwards in the face of near-certain death.

It is a fantasy Western nightmare after the second end of the world, where your Revolver binds you to vile existence no matter how many times you fall, until you earn your Doom.

It is loaded with one bullet and one ending.

This game is based on Charge and Blades in the Dark, but unlike the tendency for these kinds of games to operate in the theatre of the mind, it provides a hexcrawl for a sample adventure, called Thousand Damned Deep. This is likely a darker game than some of the other ones on this list, with an expectation that the players won't necessarily get out of this alive. I'd pick up this game for a group who wants to explore some heavier themes, or at least who aren't afraid to kill off their characters at some point.

Knights of the Road, by bordercholly.

The Western States have entered an age of wonders. Technological innovations transform the lives of her people. Automobiles connect vast distances over glistening highways. Radio waves carry new voices, thoughts, and art to ears around the nation. Neon lights hold back the night on the shoulders of massive dams. And the train—ceaseless, thundering, unrelenting—powers it all; pumping food, material, and people through the veins of this great extractive beast.

But these new wonders have not brought blessings to everyone. With the Federal Government in the pocket of powerful Robber Barons and Vampires; the poor, and the land itself, are dispossessed and exploited. In The Western States, many stow away on the freight trains in search of paying work.

And then there are the monsters.

Knights of the Road has you playing monster-hunters on a train in the 1920's, protecting folks the government doesn't bother about, working for whoever will give you a meal. Character creation is pretty simple, and the rules require at least 2d20's for your basic rolls. You'll also need other dice for roll tables, damage dice, etc.

There are some mechanics that require you to keep track of your gear, as well as special rules for Hired Hands and vehicle combat. This game also comes with multiple pdfs - for players and GMs, as well as a map and a bestiary of sorts. Quite a lot for only $5!

Drifters, by Spencer Campbell of GilaRPGs.

The wastes call. Not to you, but the iron hanging on your hip.

Drifters is a tabletop RPG of cursed gunslingers, wandering the wastes of the frontier in search of problems, and purpose.

Carrying a capital-G Gun, you have been granted near immortality. It only costs everything in return. 

Drifters is a hack of the Slayers RPG, also by Spencer Campbell, which means that it imports the Slayers style of play by giving the player asymmetric playbooks: your experience of the game will be different depending on the kind of playbook you take. It's not a carbon copy however - there's new Patrol mechanics that help you slowly chip away at a corrupting threat.

The book itself looks gorgeous, and beautifully laid-out.This game has both a pdf and a print version, so if you prefer physical books, that option is there for you.

The Great Soul Train Robbery, by Cloven Pine Games.

On the road to hell there was a railway line. An express train to the infernal city of Dis, crewed by furies and carrying treasure and souls to damnation. You’re going to rob it.

Spin an allegorical Weird Western yarn as your sharpshooters, fiddlers, homesteader widows, and other Desperados attempt a Hellish train heist. Will you claim your prize from the train, or be overcome, damned, or broken by the heist?

This game uses a simple system based on Rowan, Rook, & Decard's Honey Heist. Your Desperados are a motley crew with mixed motives, so they all have two stats: Lover and Sinner. Use one to make human connections and perform selfless acts, and the other to do dirty deeds and brutal acts. 

The Great Soul Train Robbery actually has multiple formats: a zine pdf, a two page edition, and a print version. With the full version, you get more detailed character options that you normally do in a Honey Heist game. It also has significantly more GM advice than a regular Honey Heist game, which might be a good resource for newer GMs.

Fistful of Darkness, by monkeyecho.

Imagine a world with the magic and mystery of the frontier: wide open plains of the Old Wild West in all its beauty and madness, where violence and sacrifice dominate every single day. Now add the Hellstone rush, underground mayhem in mines and brand new sciences & machines. Don’t forget immigration, injustice, vigilante justice, outlaws, gunslingers, slick talkers and setting suns. This all in the face of an impending doom: Demons and the four riders bringing the end of the world as you know it. How do you make it to the top of this powder keg, which side will you take in the impending war and how much will your soul suffer?

A Fistful of Darkness is a Weird West Fantasy hack of Blades in the Dark with heavy emphasis on the fantasy part. It’s not intended to be an accurate history lesson or a simulation of past times. It is designed to be a cinematic game which lets you play all those Weird West tropes towards the end of the world.

A Fistful of Darkness is not a complete game. It’s a hack for Blades in the Dark by John Harper, and therefore needs the Blades book in order to play. If you like the streamlined action and simple dice system of Forged in the Dark games, you're likely to love A Fistful of Darkness, with its rich setting and intriguing playbooks. A solid find.

#indie ttrpg #dnd #wild west #western #cowboy #roleplay #game recommendations

[cainluvr69]

Cooking Lines - Full Cast

i found out a couple hours ago that what the cast says in their cooking lines is for the most part completely unknown to the eng-only fans, so i sat down and slammed this out in a couple hours! technically each character has six lines, not five, but the final one is only available some of the time. so think of it this way: next time you remember the translations of these lines exist, the whole thing should be filled out!

thank you to @Lenofauris on twitter for recording cain's hated food line for me!

Oz

Loves: Did I…look properly happy just now?

Likes: I am content.

Neutral: Thank you.

Hates: Do not come close if you value your life.

Thinking of: You watch the people around you well.

Arthur

Loves: You must've gone out of your way to prepare something I liked. Thank you very much.

Likes: There are so many new flavors in what you cook, Master Sage, that it's like going on an adventure!

Neutral: You're very good at cooking, Master Sage. Thank you so much for everything you do for us.

Hates: This tastes off, but…it is important to face life's challenges directly.

Thinking of: I'd just been thinking of how I wanted to eat that, so I admit I'm a bit surprised. Is this that "telepathy" thing I've heard of?

Hungry: It's difficult to do my professional duties while hungry. Thank you very much.

Cain

Loves: Ah, this is one of my favorites. But knowing it's been made by you will make it taste even better.

Likes: Mm. The things you make have this relaxing taste to them.

Neutral: Eating that made me feel like I got refreshed a little. Thank you, Master Sage.

Hates: I feel bad saying it after you made it for me, but this flavor's not really my thing.

Thinking of: I was just thinking about how much I wanted to eat this! I feel so lucky.

Riquet

Loves: It feels like my mouth has gone straight to heaven…

Likes: …Delicious…This is very delicious…!

Neutral: Thank you very much… I must be sure I don't let myself fall to depravity…

Hates: I…will not put corrupted food into my mouth.

Thinking of: To think the outside world would have such wonderful things…

Snow

Loves: I adore this! Even the inside of my mouth is happy!

Likes: Wah, I'm all full! Thanks for the food!

Neutral: Your cooking is so delicious, Sage. Perhaps because our love is in it?

Hates: Trying to feed me something like this… You must be in your rebellious phase…

Thinking of: I should've only expected you could know what I wanted to eat, Master Sage.

White

Loves: I must extend my appreciation for grasping my tastes. Mm, delish!

Likes: Ahh… My heart and tummy are both satisfied. Thanks for the food!

Neutral: Sage, thank you so kindly for always making us such wonderful food.

Hates: …Are you trying to feed me this…because I'm a ghost?

Thinking of: Ooh, I was just thinking of how I wanted this!

Mithra

Loves: Thank you. (this is the same for real food and charcoal)

Likes: It's chewy.

Neutral: Well, everyone's the same in your stomach…But this is tasty.

Hates: If this were the North, you'd be dead now.

Thinking of: That filled my stomach pretty well.

Hungry: I've seen this before. It must be delicious.

Owen

Loves: I want more of this.

Likes: …I guess I can compliment you a little.

Neutral: Hmm. It's okay at best.

Hates: Thank you. I won't forget this meal for the rest of my life.

Thinking of: I wanted to eat this.

Hungry: I was hungry, so it was tasty.

Bradley

Loves: Yeah, that rules! The guy who came up with this one is a genius, if you ask me.

Likes: Damn, that hit the spot. So what's up next?

Neutral: Nero's cooking is pretty damn good, but yours is up there too. Thanks. Lemme have a bite again sometime.

Hates: How 'bout I make it so you can never pull that move again?

Thinking of: Good work telling this was what I wanted. I'm in a good mood, so I'll even let you have a bite.

Faust

Loves: This is…as good as I should've expected.

Likes: I'm satisfied. Can't you tell just by looking?

Neutral: The food you make isn't bad. …I guess I could eat it again sometime.

Hates: Should I remind you not to irritate me? Or are you trying to get cursed?

Thinking of: Heh… Looks like our Sage has the power to read their wizards' minds.

Shino

Loves: …! This is…on par with the Mistress's pie…!

Likes: I really am happiest when I'm eating good food.

Neutral: The food you make isn't awful. Make me more, Master Sage.

Hates: If there's no other option, then I'll eat it. But only because I hate wasting food.

Thinking of: Could you tell that was what I wanted?

Heath

Loves: Wah, this is my favorite. Munch, munch…mm, I'm so happy…

Likes: This is amazing…! Master Sage, how did you make this?

Neutral: Thank you so much, Master Sage. I feel much stronger now.

Hates: Umm, this isn't something I like very much. I'm sorry.

Thinking of: I was just thinking about how I wanted to eat this. How did you know?

Hungry: This is a little embarrassing, but I was feeling rather hungry… It tastes even better than usual.

Nero

Loves: I'm surprised. I mean, my favorite food's always tasty, but it feels like this was the tastiest of all. Have you been practicing your cooking?

Likes: Hey, you ever consider opening your own restaurant? With food like this, I know it'd be popular.

Neutral: When it's this freshly made, anyone's cooking tastes good. Thanks.

Hates: Hold on, are you really sure you can call this "food"?

Thinking of: I just popped open a new bottle of liquor from the stock, and what do you know. This would go with it perfectly.

Hungry: Damn, hunger really is the best spice. This tasted extra good.

Shylock

Loves: Gulp. …Fufufu.

Likes: It seems you know what I like, Master Sage.

Neutral: Shall I open a bottle of wine in return?

Hates: You're terrible.

Thinking of: What a luscious flavor. Perhaps I'll add this to my menu.

Murr

Loves: I love this! So much I could ask for seconds!

Likes: Nomnomnom… Mmmm, delish!

Neutral: Wah, Master Sage, thanks so much! I'll be able to bounce around even more now!

Hates: Wow, even Mithra couldn't eat this! I'd love to see inside the head of whoever made it!

Thinking of: Oh, this is perfect for me right now! Exactly like the moon hanging there in the sky!

Chloe

Loves: Wah, I'm so happy! Is it really okay for me to eat this?

Likes: Thanks for the food! Master Sage, I feel all pepped up now!

Neutral: Is it really okay if I eat something this tasty…? Master Sage, really, thank you so much!

Hates: I'm so sorry, Master Sage. It looks like I don't really like this dish… Uugh…

Thinking of: Ah…! I was totally just thinking about how I wanted this. You're amazing, Master Sage!

Rustica

Loves: What a lovely aroma… I've fallen in love at first scent.

Likes: Haha, I can feel your love in this, Master Sage.

Neutral: My heart is at peace. Thank you, Master Sage.

Hates: Must I eat this no matter what?

Thinking of: Master Sage… Surely, Master Sage, you must know the intricacies of my heart. For you see, I had just been thinking I'd like to eat this.

Figaro

Loves: Mm, perfectly delicious to make me perfectly happy. As thanks, you can eat me, too.

Likes: Now I can keep up the hard work. Dr. Figaro's perfectly satisfied!

Neutral: Living here really lets me eat so many delicious things. Thank you.

Hates: Hmm, I wonder if I can accept just your feelings here.

Thinking of: Thank you. Say, are you trying to hit on me?

Rutile

Loves: It's really okay for me to eat all of this? Thank you so much. I'm so happy…

Likes: Eating delicious food will put a smile on anyone's face.

Neutral: Thank you so much for everything you do, Master Sage. The food that you make for me is always so delicious.

Hates: I know it's unbecoming to be picky but…I'd still like to skip this…

Thinking of: Master Sage, can you read minds? I'd just been thinking I'd like this.

Lennox

Loves: This is my favorite. …Thank you very much.

Likes: That was satisfying. Thank you very much.

Neutral: Thank you very much. I'll work extra hard in return for what you gave me.

Hates: Hmgh… It's a bit difficult, but I'll do my best.

Thinking of: I was just getting hungry for this.

Hungry: I was so hungry I thought I might collapse.

Mitile

Loves: Mmm, I'm so happy… Thanks to you, I can do my best, Master Sage!

Likes: This is delicious! I didn't know you were so good at cooking, Master Sage.

Neutral: Master Sage, thank you for making me something so tasty!

Hates: Uu… Is it okay if there's leftovers? I'm feeling tired of eating…

Thinking of: Just now, I was thinking I really wanted to eat this. …How did you know, Master Sage?

#.mhyktl #.othertl #watch this be the only post in that tag #mahoutsukai no yakusoku #i've been awake for 27 hours i don't know how to tag this #.full cast

[supernovafeather]

Hi! i love your writing and I was wondering if you could write a leto atriedes fic where the reader is a princess from another planet and they get arranged married, the reader wants him to be loyal and that clashes with jessica, the reader runs away, finds out she’s pregnant, the maids inform leto, he finds her, reader has another guy that likes her and leto hates that and tells her he wants only her and that he’ll do better?? i hope it’s not too much hehehe thank you in advance <<3

Thank you for your message and here is your fic, enjoy !

Sour Reality

Leto Atreides x F!Reader

Content : toxic relationship, arranged marriage, cheating (both sides), pregnancy, couple arguments, angst.

For the fourth day in a row, you don't leave your secondary quarters. The difference with the main ones is that it's made for you and you only. Not so secret as anyone close to the House Atreides could tell where they are situated in the castle but at least this is where you can find some peace or at least try to tame some inner conflict.

Your main goal was to stop seeing your husband. This might sound something a coward would do but that wasn't even the question. For someone claiming caring about his family and the honor of his House he clearly didn't show much care in his actions. This was not a marriage of love. You were aware of that, him as well. And yet that man dares to let his duty aside to go see his beloved Lady Jessica. He fucks you then goes to see her, certainly to seek that love he misses. And you in all that ? Does he think you are not lacking of love in all that story ? He is not the only one that had to leave a partner behind.

Laying on your bed with your hair still wet from your shower, you watch the sun rising from behind the curtains.

"My Lady." The only maid you kept by your side calls you before standing next to your bed. "Are you feeling any better ?"

"No. No I'm not."

Was she talking about your mental health ? Your nausea ? Your insomnia ? Good question, not that you cared enough to look for a better answer. Everyone was going downhill anyway. They made you believe you would live in a dream thanks to that wonderful and perfect man. What a joke.

"Please my Duchess, have a seat so I can give you your breakfast. I made sure the cook used the best food available."

She's nice and genuinely concerned unlike to all those idiots. But the mere mention of food upsets your stomach and you sit up on the edge of your bed, a hand rubbing your belly through your top as you take deep breaths.

"I won't eat anything for now. I can't."

"As you wish my Lady."

A part of you wanted that morning sickness to be caused by some nocturnal adventure with that mysterious and seductive man you spent the night with after you ran away from your husband. But in all honesty it was obvious that this potential pregnancy was the consequence of your marital duty. Why couldn't you be some sterile Duchess that would have to accept a divorce in favor of another woman ? Why can't life stop being the ruthless bitch she is ?

"I am worried for your health my Lady." She confesses as you stand up cautiously. "If you feel so tired maybe you should try to eat and rest a little. You look exhausted. Things could get better after this."

"It won't solve pregnancy symptoms." You protest quietly without paying attention to her shocked face. "The best I can do is wait for it to be over."

"Oh is... is Duke Leto aware of it my Lady ?"

"No. He's not. But I guess you won't keep your mouth shut ?"

She lowers her gaze nervously and you sigh as you walk slowly towards your bathroom.

"Go tell him. He's the father after all. Or the impregnator depending on how you see things." You scoff.

"Is he the father ?"

"He is. No mistake possible. I already had symptoms."

You can't hold back any further and run the rest of the distance before emptying your stomach from some acid and saliva. There's not much to get rid off. Your morning sickness have been extremely present all day long for the past few days. How lucky you are to be in that situation with a difficult pregnancy ahead. At least you are generous for letting Leto have fun with his witch whore. You are definitely too good for this world.

The day after you wake up in the dark of your bedroom. Eyes closed, you try to understand what woke you up. No nausea for now, it's not your maid.

Then the knocks on your door resume.

"My Lady. I need to talk with you."

Here he is. After almost a week he comes to you. Must have felt tired of his brief break from reality.

You stand up, and open the door after he knocked again. His uniform is perfect, as well as his dark-haired beard and his curls are still in place. The only details betraying some disturbance are his frown and serious eyes.

"One of your maids told me you were sick and I.."

"Yes I'm pregnant."

He winces and lowers his gaze to your belly. Even without any exterior sign of pregnancy he can certainly tell it is true. Between your face and the fact that you are still wearing your nightgown there must be no doubt remaining.

"I'm sorry." He says.

"That kind of things happens when you ejaculate in someone. There's no sorry to say."

Your blunt comment isn't an enjoyable surprise for him and suddenly, his face falls into some despair you would call similar to yours.

"May I come in ?"

You let him in, turning the lights on with a sigh. You wanted to sleep, not to deal with all that stuff.

"I'm sorry about everything." He precises as he turns to you with a guilty look. "Our marriage started in the worst way possible and I betrayed your trust and our union."

"Did she tell you I had sex with someone else ?"

"She did." He growls with a dark gaze. "She did tell me bit I was fully aware of this and that man is not a problem anymore."

This sends cold goosebumps all over your already feverish body. Leto is not that kind of tyrant, right ? You may not trust him in your personal life but at least he is a honorable man whenever it comes to his duty.

"He's dead ?"

"No but he should be." He groans with his chin up and a defiant glare. " I exiled him with no possibility of returning. He had no excuse and knew who you are. According to him he really liked you."

"Lady Jessica doesn't have an excuse neither. Why don't you send her away too ?"

"You did that to hurt me with a man you don't even know because you needed to feel like a spoiled brat tortured by life. I did that because I am a man mourning a serious relationship that got to end precociously."

You snort and walk up to him, now unbothered by his displeased gaze. He's not dangerous.

"How dare you, you, Leto Atreides, tell me that it's not the same ? We both broke our marriage vows. You did. I don't have to forgive you, nor to forget about it."

"Me neither. I don't even know if my potential future heir is mine or not."

"It's our future child. Be sure of that. I regret it's not a bastard."

Anger makes him open his mouth before he manages to break your eye contact to calm down.

"As I said, I am sorry. And whether you trust me or not I didn't have any other involvement with Lady Jessica in the past few days."

"Not even tearing up goodbyes as you give up on her for your betrayed wife ? I'm disappointed."

It stings him, he wants to get rid off that rage filling him up. How hard he wants it.

"You are my wife and I am your husband." He says before looking at you again. "I know I hurt you and I sincerely apologize about it. My relationship with Jessica was serious and I was planning on marrying her before I had to marry you. She was the woman of my life. I hope you understand that I can't mourn her and what she has been for me in only two months."

Seeing him on the verge of tears and shaking with rage is unsettling so you walk away not to let any chance to remorse to bite your heart.

"You should have learnt to mourn her before burying any potential genuine relationship that could have bloomed between us."

"There is nothing to bloom and you know it."

"So your Atreides pride is not sufficient all of a sudden ? That was not a problem to breed me. Tell me, are you the kind of man ready to abandon their child because they want to make life impossible for his wife ?"

"What are you on about ?" He finally raises his voice as offence is written all over his face. "Why do you think I would try to hurt our child because of our mutual decisions ? I let you alone despite knowing what you did with that man because I didn't want you to feel too hurt. No matter what I would have done you would have found a way to make it sound like I did it to torture you. I know how it feels to get cheated on in case you suddenly forgot."

"Tell me : if I was unable to give you a child and more specifically an heir, would have you dumped me already for her ?"

He doesn't answer right away. Your calm voice and tears might have calmed him down as soon as they appeared.

"You are my wife. I won't."

"Do I exist to give you a child ? Or do I exist because..."

"You are my wife and you are pregnant. That won't happen. Nothing else is going to happen. I spent the last few days to talk to Jessica about her and me. Nothing else happened this time. You are the only one I want."

"You don't want me, stop that. At least be honest with me if you think we can start over."

Your stomach begins to misbehave again and you rub that part slowly, shutting Leto's mouth by doing so.

"I'm tired." You sigh. "I'm not ready to have that kind of conversation. It's just a nonsense."

"We need to talk." He says more softly as he comes back next to you. "At least for the kid. I won't force you to love me just as much as I hope you won't try to force me to love you."

"Do I sound like someone trying to force you to anything ?"

"I will never do that again. We are having a child. You are an Atreides, and this kid will be one. I am loyal to my family. Are you going to be loyal as well ?"

His gaze is dark. Full of sorrow and warning.

"Remain loyal and I'm going to remain loyal as well." You say coldly.

"Flirt, kisses and sex only between us. You are mine and I am yours."

"Indeed."

He nods at your agreement and you are tempted to shake his hand like you would with an associate. This is when you notice how far away you are from the actual loving family you had dreamed of.

- - - -

Thank you for reading please comment and reblog if you liked it ! 😊

@salome-c @stevenngrant @lavenderluna10 @one-hell-of-a-disappointment @dailyreverie @thecursivej @lady-targaryen @general-latino @harrys-tittie @laura-naruto-fan1998 @later-gators12

#leto atreides #leto atreides x reader #leto atreides x you #duke leto x reader #duke leto x you #duke leto

[poisonedsimmer]

🍰💜🖤💋❤️‍🔥 for zomboyfriends!

The boys! Thank you for this, I have been missing them like crazy lately. <3 Under the cut cause I couldn't shut up apparently. XD

🍰: You know, I'm not really sure, they both have seperate songs but I never thought of what their 'together' song is. For now I'll say this one, it's not a love song or anything but the lyrics just remind me of these two way too much. Lonely Together ~ Avicii ft Rita Ora 💜: Mostly it's just little touches here and there. A brush of a hand as they walk by each other, a press of lips against the others shoulder, a hand curled in the back of the neck when one of them feels the hunger creeping too high, a hand on the thigh when they sit next to each other. Veli's hand lightly resting at the small of Zer's back or Zer's hand cupping the side of his face. It's basic and cliche I guess but it's just soft, simple touches that mean everything to the both of them, especially Zer since before Veli he was INCREDIBLY touch starved. For Veli it's the fact that Zer ALWAYS comes to him when everything is too much, that trust shows exactly how much Zer loves him because he trusts literally no one else. 🖤: Honestly... So far they don't have regrets. They are that disgustingly sweet couple who are just good together. They haven't really done anything regretful in their relationship anyway. 💋: Veli ~ Zer's hips and stomach. He gives out the softest, sweetest noises when he does that and just melts into mush. Zer ~ Veli's neck. It's the one place that makes his grumpy protector turn soft and do anything Zer wants him too. They BOTH enjoy leaving marks though. Biting is their love language! I mean, zomboys you know? Plus it keeps Zer from biting others. XD Veli leaving a mark on Zer is a reminder of who he belongs to, that he's loved and wanted. Zer leaving a mark on Veli makes Veli feel so content, because he knows once again that Zer trusts him with everything and this is his way of showing it. ❤️‍🔥: Veli has more experience. He has been with others before Zer. Zer was not just inexperienced, but also mostly uninterested. Plus, the whole zombie thing and being locked away from everyone made it all but impossible. Zer is the more adventurous I guess. He's always willing to try new things and wants Veli to experience them with him. Veli is more than happy to go along with it and try new things but Zer is the one who brings it up usually so I think that counts as him being the more adventurous one. He's a curious, bitey little puppy of a zombie. lol

#ask game #Sims 4 #The Sims #TS4 #The Sims 4 #Zombabes #Zombiehusbabes #zomboyfriends is my new fav thing to call them #zomboys #hehehe #TW: Blood #TW: Mild Gore

[quadrantbot]

Jake and Dirkjake and other mildly related tangents. (Additional paragraph on alpha kid romance, because I guess that was necessary to me.)

Heads up this post is not positive about Dirkjake like, at all. I'm not saying you can't like it or do anything with it, I am just sharing my own personal opinion and analysis on it. And Jake in general. (I'm not going to tag with Dirkjake because that's a dick move, but I'm not going to intentionally avoid saying it in NON tag text either. Scroll on if you don't like Dirkjake hate. Okay? Cool.) 

Jake is one of those characters that fandom wise, is super mischaracterized. This includes the mischaracterizations in postcanon as well, which also at least to some degree includes Pesterquest. It's confusing to me for several reasons why so many major changes were made to Jake outside of the main comic, but considering how most of the fans do not seem to take him seriously and the writing team for the dubiously canon content seem to lump his existence purely in with Dirk, it's a little understandable.

Jake isn't really too complicated of a character when it comes to likes, dislikes, motivations and issues. Jake likes his movies, the IDEA of adventure, and he loves blue ladies. He doesn't really care for romance at any major point in the story, especially considering his entire friend group had feelings for him, and when it comes down to actual adventures, actual conflict, he's freaked out. Jake has a great deal of care for his friends, even despite the weird romance shit occuring in the group, and his main issue when it comes to that friend group is a lack of communication from everyone involved. Jake "wants" to be important, Jake "wants" to be a hero, Jake "wants" to be a brave adventurer, but these "wants" don't ever appear to reflect in his actions, even so far as contradicting them, leading to conflict between his supposed wants, and what he actually seems to go for. Jake is often seen as a "himbo" by the fandom, but even that is not really all that accurate. Jake isn't stupid. Jake does have some issues when it comes to reading the room, but even when he DOESN'T, it's usually picked up whenever he's in a weird situation that he doesn't want to be in, which can be seen in his conversation with Jane about her romantic feelings for him, or the proposed lack thereof. Should be pages 4587-4593, but I'll screenshot the notable parts I'll be referencing and put them below. 

Jake didn't really seem very convinced when Jane said she DIDN'T have feelings for him, but he just continued along with the conversation, expressing his relief because even if she was lying, he didn't really want to face that sort of thing head on. Jake then goes onto explain the weird shit with Dirk and doesn't exactly seem very interested in him either, but seeing as Jane supposedly has no interest in him, there's a weird sort of obligation going on where he feels he HAS to just let this happen, which doesn't really seem like the common fandom idea that he was like, head over heels for Dirk. There's a vague mention of jokes from "years ago" where they could like each other if Dirk was a girl, but seeing as these are 15 year olds, "years ago" is a pretty vague period of time AND teenagers will say shit like that all of the time! Mostly younger ones, yes, but I think a good portion of teenagers have joked about having feelings for/WOULD have feelings for someone if they were a gal or a guy. Nothing when it came to Jake's behavior was intentionaly shitty or leading Dirk on or anything, because Jake can't always be aware of literally everyone's feelings for him? 

On a vaguely related tangent, I used to be large on the "bi Jake" being canon thing, but just taking the bare minimum look into some of this just makes it seem like he's got no interest in men at all, and his interest in women appears to be from both a jealousy/almost gender envy standpoint (in the way he seems to WANT to be like them,) and a genuine attraction, especially when considering his blue ladies and more specifically, Aranea. (I do not like Aranea/Jake for the record, and if somehow you guys who enjoy that pairing (or any pairing with alpha trolls/anyone who isn't an alphatroll, I'm looking at you Meenkat, Vrismeen and other freaks,) have made it this far, PROSHITS GET OUT!! I am a normal consumer of darkfic not a FREAK!!) I think I can understand those who read Jake as not aromantic, just uninterested in romance with his current issues, but I also thoroughly enjoy reading Jake as arospec as someone who is both arospec AND someone with several arospec friends who like the reading just as much, Jake never seems to take a genuine interest in relationships with anyone, only considering one with Jane or Dirk because they're his friends, and if he's good friends with them, they MUST be good partner options for him. While it's true there can be a good basis on friendship, I don't think the two major Jake ""romance options"" are all that fit even with the basis of friendship, seeing as neither Jane nor Dirk communicate well, and Jake really doesn't either. 

The thing about the base alpha kids (excluding cherubs and any of Dirk's robots, whic includes Lil Hal, despite being a copy of his brain,) is that when it comes to the most prominent "proposed" canon pairings, Dirkjake, Janejake, Dirkroxy, it just seems they only exist because those four are each others only options romantically. Jane likes Jake, so Roxy feels like Dirk is the only option. Dirk, though unlabelled, only has a canon interest in men, so Jake appears to be the only option. Jane seems to like Jake to a degree, but I think that primarily stems from the fact that Jake is extremely kind and caring to all his friends, so she really does see him as HER only option as well. Again, I do think some of the base alpha kids pairings are alright, but that mostly relies on things AFTER the trickster mode section completely explodes all over everyone and the conflicts reach a boiling point. Dirk and Jane make up, and I do think there's something good that could be said about some form of moiraillegiance between the two, because even despite their issues with each other prior to the Dirkjake breakup, they still do care about each other. I also like Jakeroxy as a pairing option, though mostly in a queerplatonic sense, because when Roxy took a step back from any form of romantic interest in Jake because of Jane and later Dirk, Roxy is more capable of having some form of bond with Jake that wouldn't automatically feel like a necessarily romantic thing, and I think their shared caring for their friends and each other could make them closer. The thing about the base proposed pairings between the alpha kids is that, at least in the case of Dirkjake, it's overglorified by the fandom, even if there are ""nuanced"" readings of them. 

This isn't to say that you can't interpret the text however you want, but when it comes to the bare minimum in canon Dirkjake doesn't really work at all. Not as a fluffy pairing, and not as a strange, codependent teenage relationship where they're mutually obsessed with each other and tearing each other apart. Jake has no romantic interest in Dirk. Jake also has a completely reasonable extra reason why, even if he DID have feelings for Dirk, which, according to canon, he doesn't really, they still wouldn't be good together. I definitely understand the value in exploring negative relationships via fictional means, but when it comes to Dirkjake, their conflict isn't complicated, or nuanced, or even really that complex to understand. Dirk didn't know how to properly go through with his feelings for Jake, so he did fucked up shit, and Lil Hal did fucked up shit, and it very easily came crashing down on him. Even without every strange and fucked up thing Dirk and Lil Hal did towards Jake in order to express those feelings, the biggest point of conflict, the decapitated head kiss in front of the volcano, was definitely enough to state that there's nothing really all that great between them, and there's nothing to take from it that really requires or calls for an exploration of the fucked up side of their relationship, because every way I've seen that handled, it's just as full of mischaracterization as fluffy Dirkjake is. I can understand the excitement at "canon gay representation," but at the end of the day, all Dirkjake really is is a one sided relationship between Dirk and a guy who doesn't have any feelings for him outside of platonic ones, a guy who felt an obligation to be with Dirk just because Dirk was his friend. Could that be explored in an interesting and angsty way? Definitely, but that is a Dirkjake interpretation I've seen the least of, if any at all, and that's literally what's set up canonically! 

"But Ro, what about postcanon?" There's a lot to be said about postcanon, and a variety of things that make any form of romantic feelings on Jake's end completely unbelievable to me. For starters, Ult Dirk is in control of postcanon, Alt Calliope is also, to some degree, but anything that may or may not ""confirm"" romantic feelings on Jake's end is being told to us by two unreliable narrators. But also, postcanon is stupid, existed to get Hussie out of debt, and overall was a piece of garbage that didn't do anything for canon whatsoever. So I don't consider it canon. At all. But if you do, the unreliable narrator argument above is for you. 

#jake english #homestuck #homestuck analysis #alpha kids #dirk strider #roxy lalonde #jane crocker #Jake english analysis #hs analysis #hs character analysis #Homestuck character analysis #Ro's Character Analysis Tag

[dango-milk]

champagne problems (diluc's version)

Your mom’s ring in your pocket, my picture in your wallet; your heart was glass, I dropped it.

an ode to heartbreak masterlist: (x)

word count: 8278

genre: fluff, angst (but mostly angst)

pairings: diluc x gn! reader

content warnings: symptoms of depression, drinking as a coping mechanism, arguing, combat, mildly suggestive, spoilers for Diluc's backstory and story quest

additional notes: ngl this is the work I looked forward to writing the most, so I kinda went all out with it. I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I did crying over writing it!

want to be tagged when future oth works come out? click here!

Diluc Ragnvindr would like to think he has quite a lot of gifts. He finds that the gift of foresight, however, is not one of them.

In hindsight, he should have guessed that the constant traveling between two places, although expected of an Adventurer, would still take a toll on your body, and that knocking on your door just after sunrise would not merit him an answer. But his muscles had moved before his brain had a chance to process anything, and immediately after his hand had made contact with the wood, regret stabs through him like an ice-cold dagger.

Which is why, after hearing various items being toppled over and crashing onto the floor, when you finally open the door, the first thing that leaves his lips is an apology.

“I was just on my way home and I just wanted to see how you were doing,” he blurts, feeling the tips of his ears rapidly warming at the sight of your groggy and confused face. “And, well, I just wanted to—”

You turn your head slightly, as if to try and hear him better, and it’s only then that he sees the plugs in your ears. Diluc sighs, before motioning to his own ears to let you know.

“Oh,” you croak, and now it’s your turn to look embarrassed as you pull out your earplugs. “Sorry. You would not believe how loudly Charlie next door snores; it’s like his walls are made of paper.”

Diluc only nods, clearing his throat before he continues. “Would you like me to ask him to be a little more…”

You wave your hand dismissively, yawning as you rub your eyes. “He’s been working nights, anyway, so I doubt that asking him to sleep more quietly is going to do anything. Anyway, is there anything you need?”

He opens his mouth to answer, but the smell hits him before he could say anything. Had it not been for his years of experience as both a winery owner and a bartender, he would have instantly recoiled at the scent wafting off your figure. “Have you been drinking?”

“Just a little,” you reply, a little too quickly. “It’s really just to loosen up after work—”

“Bennett tells me you haven’t been at the Guild lately.”

“Yes, well, I took a leave of absence, so…” You pause, suddenly pouting as you fidget in place. “What about it? Am I not allowed to drink? Not everyone enjoys being perpetually sober like you, you know.”

Diluc frowns, before allowing himself a peek through the small crack in your door. “May I come in?”

You blink, taking a while to process his question before you finally relent, pushing your door wide enough to let him enter.

Diluc doesn’t remember the last time he’s been inside your house. It was most likely a time when your father had still been alive, sitting at the dining table preparing the meat he’d caught earlier in the day.

Now, all that’s on the dining table is a clutter of hunting items, empty bottles, and plates yet to be washed. Though Diluc tries to be respectful by keeping his eyes trained on you, it doesn’t help that he keeps tripping on articles of clothing and other items that had been strewn across the floor.

You collapse onto the couch in front of the empty and sooty fireplace, groaning as the sudden movement had most likely aggravated your headache. You attempt to push what seems like a heavy chest out of the way with your foot, but you struggle with the weight until Diluc steps in to help. Sure enough, the chest feels like a hundred kilograms.

“Never took you for a Treasure Hoarder,” he remarks, trying to lighten the mood.

You snort. “That’s not treasure. Well, it kind of is—open it.”

He obliges, popping open the chest to see chunks of luminous ore tucked carefully into a ragged piece of cloth. Gingerly, he lifts one up into the light, and though crudely cut, Diluc didn’t need to be a blacksmith to understand its value.

“It’s beautiful,” he says, as he examines it from every angle to admire its iridescent glow.

“The Traveler came by the other day to drop it off,” you explain, now flat on your back on the couch. “It was something they came across in The Chasm, and couldn’t make heads or tails of it. Paimon said it might strike my fancy.”

“They obviously came to the right person, then.”

“Hah.” You watch as Diluc put the ore back into the chest. “I’m not looking to turn it into jewelry, but I don’t think I’ll let it lie around there and have it oxidize into some dull lump of metal.”

“Then turn it into a weapon,” Diluc suggests. “I’m not sure how Wagner would be able to work with this kind of ore, but I’d be willing to check with some of my connections.”

You glance at Diluc, a dopey smile on your face. “What?”

“Always as reliable as ever," you say. "I thought you'd be different after all those years you were away, but you're still that eager little puppy under all that toughness, huh?"

The muscle in his jaw jumps. "I am not."

"Hehe, if you say so." You flop onto your belly, sighing as you fumble around for a pillow to shove under your head. You're barely able to make yourself comfortable before you suddenly sit up. “Sorry, did you want anything else? A cup of coffee, maybe?”

“Feels like I should be the one making you that.”

You harrumph in response and push yourself off the couch, and he keeps a respectful distance as he watches you sway from side to side on your way to the kitchen. While you rummage around in the pantry, Diluc takes it upon himself to dispose of the dishes and bottles littering your kitchen table.

The house is filled with a comfortable silence, insomuch that the fatigue that would have normally hit him later in the day makes its appearance now, as he watches you get the stove going. If he’s not going to be careful, he might as well pass out right there, on your dining table, the last thing registering in his consciousness being the way the earliest patches of sunlight casts your face in a brilliant glow…

Diluc shakes his head, ridding himself of those intrusive thoughts. You’d just gotten out of a relationship, patched up the loose ends that had unraveled during a run-in with the Fatui (and a Harbinger, to boot), and returned home after spending months in the neighboring region of Liyue. He figures you’ve had a lot on your plate since then.

He’s broken out of his inner monologue by the sound of sizzling, and he looks up to see you cracking a couple of eggs into a pan already lined with strips of bacon. He wants to insist that he prepare breakfast, or at least protest the idea of you doing it, considering the way your (rapidly paling) face scrunches up at every sudden movement. But even so, you move with such determination that one would think your life depended on making a perfectly cooked egg, sunny-side up.

Diluc instead gets up to wash the mugs sitting by your kitchen sink, finishing just in time for the kettle to start whistling. You two work in silence, with only the clattering of utensils and the chirping of birds to interrupt the small bubble of peace that had grown all around you.

“Feeling better?” he asks, as soon as you’ve both cleared your plates.

“Much, thank you,” you reply, and he doesn’t miss the way you clutch onto your cup of coffee like it was a lifeline.

“No, thank you for going through the trouble of cooking.”

“It was no trouble at all.”

Diluc lets out a breathy laugh, which you return at the sudden awkwardness of the situation. This is nice, he has to admit to himself. He decides he wouldn’t mind spending mornings just like this; it would definitely beat the extravagant—albeit lonely—breakfasts he was so used to getting.

You seem to enjoy it too, or perhaps that’s just wishful thinking on his part. But still weighing on his thoughts is a matter that he’d brought up earlier, that you’d simply brushed aside.

“You said you took a leave of absence from the Adventurer’s Guild,” he mentions. “Are you feeling ill, perhaps?”

“...you could say that,” you respond. “I just needed a break, that’s all.”

Diluc eyes you carefully. You sigh. “Out with it, Diluc. You’ve never had to worry about being frank with me before.”

“Those were different times.”

“I’m no different than before.”

“...so you say.”

You laugh, almost incredulously. “Well, I will admit that a lot of changes have happened over the past few days, but we could sit here debating about which of us has changed the most until I sober up.”

Diluc sighs, punctuating the silence that had fallen following your remark by sipping from his mug. Out of all the people he knows, you’re probably the only one who knows exactly which buttons of his to push.

No, no, you tied with Kaeya in that regard. He thinks you’re the only one who can push his buttons and get away with it, probably because he knows that you’re right—this time, at least.

“Sorry,” he mumbles. Your features instantly soften, and you seem to retract your words without saying anything at all.

“It’s just not like you to…do this.” Diluc gestures all around him. “Drinking past your normal limits, leaving the Adventurer’s Guild—”

“Not indefinitely,” you argue.

“Not indefinitely, yes, but you know what I mean.” Diluc peers at you over the rim of his mug. “[Y/N], it’s just a break-up.”

You scoff. “Please, Diluc, I’m not that shallow.”

“I would believe you if you looked me in the eye and told me that that relationship didn’t mean so much to you.”

To your credit, you do look up at him, that defiant glint in your eyes just daring him to overstep his boundaries with you. If he were a lesser man, he would have definitely backed down.

But he waits. And waits.

And you say nothing.

Diluc takes one last look at your house—in shambles, a bucket placed under a leak in the roof, items you’ve most likely strung along on your adventures littering every nook and cranny. He looks at your disheveled state, the skin around your eyes sunken and your lips now permanently pursed.

He makes up his mind, right then and there, and stands up. “Come with me,” he says, rounding the table and taking your wrist in his.

You stumble to your feet, tripping over your steps as you try to keep up with him. “Where…where to?”

“You said you needed a break,” Diluc replies. “You’re staying with me for a while.”

“What?!”

“I’ll send someone to get your stuff.” Diluc glances over his shoulder, and spots a portrait of your father sitting on top of the fireplace. He gives it a firm nod. “For now, let’s go for a ride.”

In hindsight, Diluc should have remembered that Varka had taken almost all of the horses in the city with him on his expedition.

He saves the cursing of the Knights for another day and instead focuses on the way your arms wrap around his waist as he urges the horse (that he managed to borrow from poor, sleep-deprived Charlie) forward. He handles the horse with the same ease he had as a former captain of the Knights, and though the thought brings him bitter memories, he can only wonder what thoughts were racing through your mind. Regrettably, he was at the reins facing forward, so he couldn’t really tell.

But he could only hope for the best, as the sun climbs higher and higher into the sky, bringing with it the warm winds of the incoming Mondstadtian summer. He keeps himself on high alert, open to the possibility of any trouble on your way—slimes, hilichurls, the Knights of Favonius—but he puts faith into the work he’d made last night. The way should be clear.

And despite the dark memories that had bombarded him since mounting the horse, he eases into the feeling of peace. Peace, and the feeling of your head moving to rest onto his shoulder.

The first few days, he’d really started to rethink his decision—how on earth was he going to spend time with you, ensure your well-being, in the midst of all his work with the winery? Not to mention, he had his ties to the underground intelligence network and all the time he spends protecting Mondstadt at night. No, no, he would rather feed himself to a slime than to let you get involved in all of that.

So, he spends his first few days with you in his care practically cleaving himself in multiple parts, working as much as he could at the winery and avoiding trips outside as much as he could. Try as he might, but he’d found he could not compromise at all on the threats to Mondstadt—as soon as you’d be snoring away, he would leave to take care of things.

Diluc doesn’t think he’s been this tired in years. But the sight of you padding into the winery’s library, joining him for meals, and keeping him company in his office as he works, and he feels all the fatigue dissolve into nothingness.

So imagine his joy at seeing you make remarkable progress: your face was no longer as gaunt as it had been when you’d first returned home, for one. You’d started to regain your humor, laughing a lot more even while the sun beats down mercilessly on you whenever you help out in the vineyard. To his own personal delight, you’d also started limiting your alcohol intake at his behest.

The days stretch into weeks, then into months, but time seems to slow down for you and Diluc. He catches himself staring at you a lot more often, losing himself in thought as he counts the sunspots splashed across your face. He also takes to initiating contact with you more than he used to, whether it be a hand on the small of your back as he passes, or even pulling you in for a hug after a long day at work.

He remembers the way your face feels cradled in his palm, but he could never really find the time to do it again. That is, until one night, you’d fallen asleep against his chest as he was reading to you in front of the fireplace. It was laughably ironic that he, as a wielder of a Pyro Vision, had survived the heat that would have reduced even the greatest heroes to ashes—but the mere feeling of your cheek against his hand seems to have burned away all the walls he’d painstakingly built over the years as if they were pieces of paper, taking him along with them.

In the roaring flames of what he felt for you, he should have evaporated into smoke. But there he was, letting himself slowly be consumed along with his rationality.

You recover just in time for your leave of absence to expire, and you go back to work as if nothing ever happened. To celebrate, Diluc presents to you the sword he had forged out of the ores given to you by the Traveler. The blade glows with the same strange iridescence the chunks had before they were broken up. If one were to listen carefully, the blade cutting through the wind sounds akin to a segment of an unfamiliar, yet lonely-sounding song. But you handle the sword with ease, and hold your own against Diluc, and for a time, Diluc thinks everything’s going well.

In hindsight, he should have known better.

It should have been a simple operation.

Some Abyss Mages were spotted frequenting the ruins nearest Mondstadt. Even you had been complaining about the number of spooked merchants you’ve had to escort outside the city as a result of the sightings.

Thankfully, you were out on a particularly tricky mission the night he’d decided to check out the scene. The Abyss Mages weren’t anything particularly out of the ordinary, only that they were simply as annoying as ever.

As soon as he steps out of the last of the ruins, however, he finds himself—for the first time in a long, long time—ambushed.

He’s barely able to summon his claymore before the first hilichurl lunges at him, and the club misses the side of his head by the skin of his teeth. But he regroups quickly, taking the first of those who had rushed forward out.

Did the Mages call for backup? he wonders as he picks up a nearby arrow to drive into a hilichurl archer’s front. It’s nothing new, but I’m sure I wiped the rest of them out…

Diluc slams his ignited weapon into the ground, sending a wave of fire down the last line of hilichurls in sight. Now, to figure out—

“Ika yaya!”

He nearly breaks his neck swiveling around to see a hilichurl that had somehow hidden itself within the bushes, a large rock in its hand, moving quicker than he can grab his weapon—

Thump.

Diluc steps back, staring at the arrow that had gone straight through the hilichurl’s head. It gives a groan before keeling over, and dissolving into the ground.

Revealing you crouched behind it, your bow in hand.

For a minute, neither of you speak. Diluc only watches as you straighten up and stuff your bow away, brushing the leaves sticking to you, most likely from the tree that he realizes you’d been watching from.

“That was easier than I thought,” you remark. He couldn’t decipher your tone—were you angry? Relieved?

“What was?” he decides to ask.

You fish around in your pockets for a piece of paper, which you hold up in front of him. “A special commission from Donna,” you say. “She apparently really wants to extend her gratitude to the Darknight Hero, who saved her one night.”

“Hmph.” Diluc puts his claymore away. “You should have known better than to take on an impossible commission.”

“The pay was really good, and Donna makes good Moon Pies. Plus, it’s cute to hear her fawn over you and the Darknight Hero.”

At your words, Diluc clicks his tongue and walks away, ignoring the hammering of his heart. Of course, you just had to trail after him.

“Of course, we received news of the Darknight Hero a long time ago,” you continue. “Nothing more than idle chatter, as you often say. But something urged me to take on this mission…for some reason, I knew I’d come up with answers.”

“Really? How did you know?”

“Just hunter’s intuition.”

Diluc only hums, trying to remain impassive while he figures a way out of the situation. It frustrates him to no end how often it slips his mind that you had once received an offer to join the Knights—and how much it makes sense, considering your intuition was practically second to none.

“The Abyss Mages were a threat, that much was true. But it was a perfect way to draw out all those dedicated to keeping Mondstadt safe. At least, to draw out the ones that mattered.

“I’ve heard the Darknight Hero operates under the cover of darkness, hence his name. He also moves swiftly, so there's a chance I might be too slow to catch him. So, I had to figure out a way to slow him down.”

You hold up one of your arrows. “Seems it worked.”

“Except for one important thing,” Diluc says. “I’m not the Darknight Hero.”

“I had my initial thoughts,” you continue, as if he hadn’t said anything at all. “But it’s been so long since I’ve seen you in combat, I also had to check. Donna says she saw a burst of light, like fire. There aren’t many Pyro Vision wielders that I know of.”

“Sounds like a very simple thought process.”

You shrug. “I considered Klee, to be honest.”

Diluc shakes his head and picks up the pace.

“Okay, chat time’s over.” You grab his arm, and he’s stunned long enough for you to pull him towards you. He’s close enough to you that he can breathe in your scent—had you been at Good Hunter today?

Why the hell am I thinking about that at this time?

“Diluc, this is serious,” you say.

“What’s serious is the lack of expertise amongst the Knights of Favonius..”

“So you are the Darknight Hero.”

“You forced me to listen to your line of thinking as to how you tracked him down, and yet you sound so surprised,” Diluc snorts.

“I didn’t think you’d admit to it that easily,” you confess.

“I know better than to lie to you.”

You open your mouth as if to argue, but you shake your head. “No, no, that aside…Diluc, this whole “Darknight Hero” business—”

“Stop calling me that.” He turns on his heel.

“It’s dangerous!” you shout, grabbing his sleeve again.

“Again,” he says, gritting his teeth. “It will be far more dangerous if we leave all threats to Mondstadt to the Knights.”

Diluc turns to you once more. “Well? Are you going to tell them?”

“I—” You stumble over your words. “I—why would I—”

“Oh, please,” Diluc sneers, coming up to you and looking you straight in the eye. “They’ve been pressed about the Darknight Hero for ages. Can’t handle the thought that someone else is doing their job for them. So go on, go. Tell them. Provide them with intel. I’m sure that’ll send Kaeya straight back into your arms.”

You recoil as if he’d struck you. “Diluc, that’s not fair.”

He doesn’t answer, only walks away, concentrating on regulating his breathing. He’d already said too much; if he’d stuck around for too long, he might really say something he might regret.

He hears you calling out to him, and he only picks up the pace. Already, he is making plans for you to vacate the winery. Surely the workers have finished patching up your house, and if he could just locate the damned invitation he’d gotten from an establishment in Fontaine, he could take some time away from Mondsta—

“Diluc Ragnvindr,” you fume as you dart in front of his vision, blocking his path. “You listen to me right now!”

Diluc’s jaw clenches. “Move,” he snaps.

“Or what, you’re going to leave me behind again?”

His heart briefly stutters.

He did not at all miss the way your voice cracked when you said it, which had otherwise betrayed the fierce expression you were wearing. He does not miss the way your eyes shimmer in the dark of the night, and he’s seized with the sudden fear that you might start crying right in front of him. He’s only ever seen you cry twice in his life—the first, at your father’s funeral. The second, when you and Kaeya had broken up.

Both times, his resolve to build a world that would never again make you cry had grown only stronger.

(In hindsight, he should have known exactly how this world works.)

Diluc sighs, rubbing his face in frustration before finally coming up to you, working up the courage to cradle your face in his palms. Thankfully, you don’t protest; in fact, you seem to melt into his touch.

Here you both were, under the night sky, impeccably close and still so far…where has he seen this sight before?

"Everything I do," he whispers. "Is to protect the city I grew up in. The city I love. The city that you and I call home."

"There are others for that," you protest quietly as you clutch his wrists. "You're not a one-man army, Diluc."

"I've always done things alone," he declares. "So you have to trust me when I tell you this: stay out of it."

You stare up at him, your brows furrowed as you try to make sense of his words. He counts five seconds, six, seven…before your expression finally changes.

"What was that about Kaeya?"

Now it's Diluc's turn to recoil, as if your skin had suddenly scorched his hands. "Forget about it."

"I won't," you persist. "And I won't let you put yourself in danger."

"When I tell you to stay out of it, it's for your own good," Diluc growls. "I couldn't bear it if—if because of the utter incompetence of these—"

"You underestimate the number of people who would do anything for Mondstadt, and in case you've forgotten, I'm one of them!" you shout.

"And if I lose you I won't have anything else!"

Your eyes nearly pop out of your head, and you instinctively take a step back at Diluc's sudden outburst. This was the most unhinged you've ever seen him: breathing heavily, hair disheveled, his eyes looking everywhere else except into your own.

Diluc barely spares you a glance before he takes off down the road.

Foolishly, he waits, but you don't come to stop him this time.

In hindsight, he probably shouldn’t have expected you to.

You move back into your house as soon as the workers give the all clear. Diluc had taken all your thanks (which sounded to him as nothing more than pleasantries at this point) with his back to you in his study, and nothing more than a curt nod and muttered well-wishes.

He doesn't move from his seat, even as Adelinde comes by to inform him that all your belongings had been cleared from the room he'd given you. He hears the curiosity in her tone, and what he thinks is an inkling of sadness. But he doesn't indulge her, and she remains silent, as of course she should.

He doesn't move from his place for a very long time.

Wolvendom was normally quite troublesome, especially with the strange wolves that often traveled its borders.

But today seems to be different, what with the forest unusually quiet save for the typical howling that wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Diluc decides to set up camp to see the area through the night, and if it would continue to be as peaceful as it was today, he decides he'll go back to the winery to catch up on work.

Just as he finishes setting up his tent, he hears the gentle pitter-patter of raindrops making a percussion out of the fabric. He pushes himself further into the cramped space, trying to keep himself as dry and as warm as possible.

Thoughts of you had consumed his every waking hour since he'd left you there on that dirt road, and in between the feeling of frustration over losing his composure so quickly and the mortification at knowing how close he had been to confessing to you, he couldn't help but wonder what you'd felt when you watched him walk away from you again.

He'd initially thought you'd left Mondstadt again. Gone back to Liyue, or took on any other project that would have taken you anywhere else. He'd feared the worst possible outcomes: that your encounter with him had driven you straight back into Kaeya's arms, as he had dared you to do. And though it makes him sick to the stomach to think it, he'd also considered the possibility that you'd tap into your surprising connections to the Fatui, and that you and the Eleventh Harbinger…

But Diluc's intel had suggested otherwise, and the news had him practically melting into his armchair in relief.

He wonders where you are now—at home, perhaps. Your home, not his. Maybe you're running some reconnaissance reports with the other Adventurers. Or perhaps you were in the library, engrossed in a book on the Seven.

A twig snaps just a few meters outside his tent, and Diluc tenses. He shifts into a crouch, ready to summon his weapon at the slightest movement.

"Diluc?"

His breath hitches. "[Y/N]?"

The front flap of his tent lifts up, and by all the gods, never in his life has he seen a face as glorious as yours, even in the pouring rain.

You shiver. "I knew y-you'd be here."

His body moves before he can think, and it isn't long before he has you in the tent with his coat over you, doing his best to start a fire as the rain outside picks up.

"Well?" he says, as soon as he'd gotten the fire going.

"W-what?"

"Are you going to talk my ear off about how you found me?"

You roll your eyes, but he senses no hostility from you. "I come from a f-family of hunters, you know."

Diluc raises an eyebrow.

You sigh. "I r-ran into Razor on the way home."

He only nods, and presses himself closer towards you—with the sole intention of trying to warm you up, of course.

You spend the next few minutes in silence, and despite what had happened just a few weeks prior, the air between you isn't as heavy as Diluc had worried it would be. He just feels the same comfortable silence that had fallen over the two of you all those months ago, eating breakfast in your house—the same silence that had given him the room to really think about what he feels for you.

You're the first to break it. "I'm sorry."

"...you don't have to be."

"But I am." You wrap his coat around your shoulders tightly. "I'm sorry I p-pushed you too far, and that I yelled at you. And I'm sorry that I couldn't understand. I also made a different story up f-for Donna."

Diluc only looks at you, and pushes the damp strands of hair away from your face. You take a couple of deep breaths, your body occasionally getting racked by shivers.

"Can I…can I ask a question?"

He only hums in reply.

"Well…I think you know what I'm about to ask."

Diluc sighs. He finds himself bold enough to lace his fingers through your hair, cradling the side of your head as if it was the most precious jewel he'd ever come across (and it could very well be the case).

But his voice seems to fail him, what with his heart pounding erratically against his ribcage and making breathing all the more difficult. He isn't sure he has the courage to risk years' worth of friendship with you, and he sure as hell knows he hasn't got the words to properly express how complicated all this was.

The answer suddenly comes to him, clearer than a beacon in the night sky: keep it simple.

"I love you," he says, and the weight of the world is lifted off his shoulders. "I have, ever since we were six. I loved you in all that time I spent away from Mondstadt. I loved you when you were Kaeya's, when you left for Liyue, even when you showed up with the Fatui."

He fiddles with the laces of his boots. "I wish things had been different," he continues. "That Father and I had never gone down that path that day. That Kaeya was never a part of a plan I couldn't save him from. That the Knights are indeed the heroes everyone believes they are to be. Above all, I wish I'd never left you waiting on the dance floor."

You gingerly reach for his hand, and lacing his fingers through yours, he finds the strength to carry on. "But we did go down that path. Kaeya is always going to be stuck between two worlds. The Knights are, well…you know. And I did leave you. I spend nights wondering what could have happened if I hadn't."

Diluc meets your eyes. "But I love you," he says. "I did then, and I do now. Always will."

Your features soften, and you reach out a trembling hand to lightly trace his cheek. For a moment, the sound of the rain is drowned out by the ringing in his ears; his senses shut down temporarily when you shift closer to him.

You were close, so close, too close. He could count each and every drop of water that had collected along the edges of your lashes, and the expression you were making was one that he had only seen in his dreams. Surely, soon, he would wake up, and the feeling of your breath fanning against his lips would only have been a manifestation of his deepest desires…

Was this okay? Was this really okay? Just months ago, you were on the verge of a breakdown, and while his intentions of taking care of you were completely pure, had he always secretly hoped that they would lead to this very moment?

Diluc swallows thickly, trying to control his breathing as he shifts to give you more access to him. You were no longer reacting to the cold now, and yet you occasionally tremble—could this mean—

Snap.

You withdraw sharply, and out of pure instinct, you both reach for your weapons. Diluc reassumes his ready stance, an arm protectively reaching across your figure.

“[Y/N].”

You relax as quickly as you had tensed up. “Razor?”

Sure enough, a mop of wild, unkempt grey hair comes into view. The boy-wolf that Lisa occasionally mentors regards you and him with mild curiosity, completely uncaring that he was soaked to the bone.

“Razor, hello,” you say weakly, your voice undoubtedly tinged with embarrassment. Diluc, for his part, wants nothing more than for the ground to snap him up right then and there.

“[Y/N]. Fischl, waiting.”

“Fischl is waiting for me?” You shrug Diluc’s coat off your shoulders.. “Did she say why?”

Razor scratches his head. “Uh…Fischl says many things. I don’t understand. But purple bird says to find you.”

“Right, right. Thank you, Razor.” You peer out from under the tent, surveying the sky above and the area outside before turning to Diluc. He’d be lying if he’d say he wasn’t disappointed at how quickly the moment dissolved, like a bubble drifting over a lake.

But even so, something changed. He could feel it, see it, even—if the look in your eyes meant anything, at least.

You bring your lip in between your teeth, sucking in a deep breath before letting it out in a breathy laugh. Diluc laughs as well, the connection he’s always felt with you seemingly humming like a tuning fork in delight.

“It’s, um…” You gesture lamely outside. “It isn’t raining as hard now, so…”

“Yes…yes, I see that.”

“I have to see what Fischl wants. Then I’ll go back to Mondstadt, I think.”

He gazes up at you. “May I escort you back?”

You raise your eyebrows in surprise, before putting on a teasing smile. “Fischl can take a while, you know.”

“Precisely.”

You shake your head, your expression as soft as the breaking dawn. “My knight in shining armor.”

Diluc snorts. You laugh, holding your hand out to him, which he gladly takes.

Fischl’s parents had been gracious enough to offer dinner, which allows you and Diluc to walk back home with full bellies and high spirits.

You regale Diluc with stories of your adventures, of your time in Liyue, in particular, as you take the road leading to Springvale. In turn, Diluc finds himself slowly opening up about his missions as the so-called “Darknight Hero”, taking great pleasure at the way you complain about the levels of danger he constantly experiences.

The summer was nearly over, but the heat radiating from the dirt path was as potent as it was in the beginning of the season. But the heat radiating from your touch, which he feels as his hand occasionally grazes yours, is not at all scorching; your touch was warm, comforting. Your touch felt like home.

He dares to link one of his fingers around yours as you near your newly-renovated house, and you indulge him, up until you have to let go to unlock your front door.

“Today was fun,” you tell him.

“It was,” he agrees.

You watch with a fond smile as he reaches for the hand he’d held just seconds prior, pressing his lips on top of your palm. “Good night,” he whispers.

“Good night.”

He turns at the same time you do, and he takes a few steps away before stopping to listen to your front door close.

He counts three seconds. Four. Five.

Silence.

You glance over your shoulder, barely halfway through the doorway. Diluc stands with his back to you, unmoving. Seemingly…unwilling to go.

As if he’d read your mind, he steals a look at you over his shoulder.

You don’t need to say anything—you only crack your door a little wider.

Diluc stares at you for a good while, before shrugging his coat off and following you inside.

“You’re in a good mood, aren’t you, Master Diluc?”

Diluc’s eyes flicker up momentarily, before he returns his concentration to the drink he was making. “Whatever do you mean, Acting Grandmaster?”

“I haven’t seen you this…lively. In forever, it seems,” Jean remarks, stirring the cup of coffee in front of her. “Did the trip to the Golden Apple Archipelago improve your mood?”

“I jumped off a dragon, took an unexpected dip in the ocean, and supervised Klee as she bombed countless fish,” Diluc says flatly.

Jean laughs. “I suppose a lot happened.” She turns to face the other side of the tavern, and Diluc follows her gaze. There you were, groaning as Kaeya gleefully takes all the bets you’d placed on the table.

Diluc sighs. “That’s the fifth drink they’ve had tonight.”

“Might have a tough time bringing them home.”

He finishes up on the orders and spends the rest of the evening slowly getting ready to close up, while making sure to keep an eye on you. Surprisingly, Jean takes her sweet time finishing her coffee; must have been a slow day for the Knights, he thinks.

Seeing as she had more time on her hands than usual, he assumes it wouldn’t hurt to ask…

“Jean, would the Deaconess happen to be free anytime within the next few months?”

“I haven’t quite kept up with the Church’s schedule recently,” Jean answers, lifting the cup to her lips. “Why do you ask?”

“I’m planning to ask [Y/N] to marry me.”

Jean all but spits out her coffee.

Diluc hands her a napkin, trying to maintain his composure despite the burning in his ears and the stares he and the Acting Grandmaster were getting. He glances at you, and sure enough, you regard the sight with a curious look in your eyes; he dismisses you with a small shake of his head.

“My…my sincerest apologies,” Jean manages, her face bright red as she dabs at her mouth. “I don’t know what came over me.”

“It’s fine,” Diluc assures her. “I suppose I should have been more…discreet.”

“Not at all, just…” Jean takes a quick look around the room, fidgeting in her seat as she does so. “Pardon my rudeness, but don’t you think it’s too soon?”

“It’s been a year.” Diluc hands Jean another cup of coffee, to replace the one she’d spilled. “I’ve also known them forever, and…well, it just seems like the next logical step.”

“I suppose so, but…what about Kaeya?”

He fights the urge to roll his eyes. “What about him?”

“You don’t suppose there could be any sort of conflict of interest?”

“Would there be one?” Diluc narrows his eyes. “Is there something I need to know?”

Jean holds her hands up. He sighs. “I have been…thinking of letting him know. But everything between them is history now.”

Jean seems to mull the idea over. “I suppose I could ask Barbara when she’s free.”

“Oooh, you two look like you’re sharing secrets,” you say, sidling up next to Jean. “Can I get in on it?”

“Have your savings run dry already?” Diluc asks.

“I managed to redeem myself in the end, thank you very much,” you assert before sticking your tongue out at him. “Jean, make sure a portion of Kaeya’s salary this month goes straight to me.”

Jean laughs nervously. “I’m sure you two can work something out.”

Diluc looks at you. “Ready to head home?”

“Mhmm.” You hold onto Jean like an anchor of sorts as you shoot Diluc a dopey grin. “Can we go for a ride again?”

“Last time that happened you threw up on the horse,” he replies, handing Charles the rag he’d been holding on to all evening. “Jean, do stay and enjoy yourself. The rest of your orders will be on the house.”

Jean blinks in surprise. Diluc manages to turn you away long enough to give her a knowing look. “I—thank you,” she manages. “Take care on your way home, Sir Diluc. [Y/N].”

“Bye, bye, Jean,” you sing. “Bye, Kaeya! Bye, everyone!”

The entire tavern seemed to bid you goodnight as Diluc ushers you out the door, holding you around your waist.

“It’s so hot,” you complain.

“Well, summer’s almost over, so just hang in there.”

“Don’t want it to end,” you mumble. “I don’t like the cold.”

Diluc raises an eyebrow. “You just said it was so hot.”

You nod solemnly before pulling yourself out of his hold, only to loop your arms around his shoulders, waddling backwards as he continues his pace. “Will you carry me?”

“Absolutely not. You’ll thank me tomorrow morning if you sober up on the way home now.”

Your eyebrows furrow, and you suddenly dig your heels into the ground, forcing Diluc to a stop. He regards your small pout with amusement. “Yes?”

You say nothing, and for a minute he thinks you’re just going to keep pouting up a storm until he gives in. He’s about to, before your expression suddenly changes as you take his face into your hands.

He whispers your name in concern, but you only continue to run your fingers across his cheeks, occasionally tracing the slope of his Cupid’s bow. He presses his forehead against yours, paying no attention to the wine on your breath.

“Is everything alright?”

You give the most miniscule of nods. “It’s nothing. Just…nothing.”

You’d always been a good liar.

Among all the family heirlooms that had been passed down to Diluc, he believes his mother’s wedding ring is the most beautiful.

He remembers Crepus presenting it to him shortly after his mother passed. “This is yours now,” his father had said. “Someday, when you find the right one for you, you give them this. No other promise is as binding; no responsibility is greater than that of having someone’s heart in your possession.”

He had never felt the weight of his father’s words, not until he’s painfully aware of your presence just a couple of rooms away. You’d been called away for work so often recently, that he had only managed to lure you away with the promise of a candle-lit dinner “just because”. Though you’d looked at him warily at his choice of words, you’d agreed, to his immense relief.

Diluc had been sweating from the minute you’d walked into the courtyard, just barely concealing his anxiety as you take in the scene in front of you: a table set up as if for a banquet instead of a simple dinner for two, illuminated only by the candles in the middle and the nearby crystalflies floating around the vineyard.

He’d been so absorbed in his own head to notice that a troubled look had been on your face all evening, which you’d dismissed as your general worry over a concern you’d gotten at the Guild. He could only wonder what sort of problem you’d encountered at work that had you stressing over it, even when you were together. He tries to look back to the first time he’d noticed something was wrong, and only remembers you spending most of your recent time with him reading through a pamphlet you’d gotten from work—a pamphlet you’d never offered to let him read.

But Diluc takes your word for it, and the dinner progresses to its end with ease—well, with as much ease as his thrashing heartbeat would allow him to feel. He’d briefly considered putting his proposal off to a different date and whisking you away into the bedroom anyway, and at the height of the pressure he was feeling, he’d nearly caved.

But one smile was all it took from you; one smile, and a brief brush over the top of his hand. He’s been on the receiving side of your touch multiple times before, and even in much more lascivious situations. Immediately after, however, he’d excused himself, rushing off to grab his mother’s ring from his study.

And there he was, shivering despite the warmth radiating from the fireplace, the box in his hand about to make a permanent dent into his skin. He could stop here, really. Perhaps Jean was right, and it is too early…

But who else would he ever want by his side for the rest of his life? He could finally keep his promise to your father’s spirit, save you from the heartbreak that had brought about a tumultuous turn of events. He could see his father now, nodding in approval, telling him how he’d always known this day would come…

“[Y/N]?”

You jerk your head around at the sound of his voice, following it all the way up to the top of the stairs where he was currently standing. Diluc takes one look at you, the tension practically oozing off your figure, and he’s temporarily brought back to earth.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“I…” You clear your throat. “I don’t know how to answer that.”

“Tell me, please,” he says, coming down the stairs. “There’s nothing we can’t fix together.”

You seem to be in even more of a dilemma than he was, and he wonders just what could be more serious than him about to ask you for your hand in marriage. It couldn’t be that serious, he thinks. The Guild’s never in real danger, and there’s never been an issue you’d never been able to resolve…

He watches as you finally make your move, fishing around in your pockets and finally pulling out a hastily folded piece of paper. When you hand it to him, he realizes it’s a pamphlet—the same pamphlet that you’d been so conflicted over these past few days.

He only needs to read the first line to understand what was happening.

“The Guild has proposed permanently stationing me in Liyue to prepare for a higher position in the Intelligence Department,” you say, your voice now starting to ring in his ears. “I’m quite familiar with the region now, and the pay is much better, so there’s really no reason for me to turn it down.”

Diluc, for the first time in a long time, finds himself speechless. Mouth dry, thoughts racing, heart about to implode. You seem to notice his predicament, and you come over to run your hands over his chest, as if to smooth over the crater that had formed at your words.

“When were you going to tell me?”

You look up at him guiltily. “I tried to,” you reply. “But your head’s been in the clouds lately. When I saw the dinner you’d put up outside, I…well, I panicked a little.”

“Panicked…why?” The ring in his pocket seems to weigh him down like an anchor.

“I—well, I thought you’d figured me out.” You wring your hand helplessly. “When you said you wanted to have dinner, I thought it was to celebrate this. Even though I hadn’t told you yet. Even though…I’m leaving.”

Permanently, he finishes for you, as he wordlessly hands you the pamphlet back. Time, which had always seemed to slow down for him and you, seemed to kick back into the speed that it had always been associated with—uncaring, unmerciful, trampling over plans and visions that even he thought set in stone. All he can feel is the whiplash from the sudden shift in atmosphere, all he can hear are his father’s words echoing in his head, and all he can think about is how Jean and Kaeya and Fischl and all the people you both cared about are waiting in the tavern, expecting the best of news—

“Well,” he manages, reaching over to cup your face in his palm. “I suppose some congratulations are in order.”

You finally break into a smile, the most genuine one he’s seen on you all evening, and his battered heart stutters pitifully in his chest. Despite the chaos in his head, one thought makes itself known to him: that adventuring has all you’ve ever dreamt of doing, and any advance in your career means more opportunities to explore the world.

“I couldn’t have gotten here without you,” you whisper. “If you hadn’t gotten me out of that slump I was in…if you hadn’t taken me out on that ride that day, or if you hadn’t taken me in until I felt better…”

You shake your head, a short laugh escaping your lips. “Who knows? I probably would have been stuck here forever.”

He remains silent as you lean over to press your lips against his cheek, and the action feels more familial than anything else. It was absurd of him to think so, considering you’ve both done so much more, and surely at one point you’d have felt the same way he did…

…to be fair, he never really got to ask.

In hindsight, you’d never really said anything.

taglist:

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[thelaithlyworm]

Daomu Biji in a Bottle

Since I’ve been posting a lot about the Daomu Biji|Lost Tomb seriesincessantly lately, to a bunch of mutuals I made friends with over such extremely related things as Star Trek and The Musketeers, I thought I’d… make a potted summary? Possibly I’m shilling for new viewers. Come. Join. The water isn’t deep at all…

Book Summary: Wu Xie, a respectable young man and trained architect, is also the descendant of a famous tomb-robber and wants an outing in the family trade. (Say good-bye to a quiet life, Wu Xie.) Adventure + Horror + Comedy + Epic Love Story + what looks like some pretty sincere zen philosophy. If you like epic platonic relationships, this series has your back. If you like epic, slow-burning romances, this series also has your back.  Books are up to around volume 16 I think? Which is a good thing because you’ve got lots to read, right? Right?

It also has a lot of adaptations…

(Note: Audience preferences can be very individual things. I’ve tried to give the vibe of each adaptation and what I think is good and what’s iffy, but honestly? Like what you like and watch what you want, more power to you.)

The Lost Tomb 1: The ‘A Little Clumsy But We’ve Got The Spirit’ adaptation. Wu Xie’s introductory tomb! Clearly on a budget but the scene composition is so nice and most of the characters so crackling I’m not going to sweat the flaccid snake tree or Xiaoge’s Emo Hair. The court drama flashback makes an interesting extension of the ‘unreliable narration’ theme the books love, and they throw in an Action Prologue and Epilogue.

Iffies: Wu Xie is a little mealy-mouthed in this version? The OCs High Jr. and Chastity Chen are frustratingly squeaky, even if they finish the story strong. The Action Epilogue got raided from a later book so it can be startling when you see it again.

The Lost Tomb 2: The ‘Do You Like Extra Content? We Like Extra Content’ adaptation. Covers the trip to the undersea tomb and the weird magic tree in the mountains, but also throws in a truckload of side stories, especially about characters who will become important later like Xie Yuchen, A-Ning, and Cox Hendry, and manages to sneak in some foreshadowing for the end of the main series. Scenery and action scenes are very nice. My favourite Young Wu Xie - so baby, so cute, so cheeky. (Weirdly good at continuity with Lost Tomb 1, down to Pangzi’s slightly grown out version of his LT1 hair.)

Iffies: If you prefer your leads on screen at all times, this is going to be a frustrating watch. The tomb scenes can be a little dark for some display-screens. Ends on a weird cliff-hanger.

The Lost Tomb 2.2 (Heavenly Palace): The ‘Hurt/Comfort’ adaptation. An extra-whumpy version of the first trip up Mt Changbai with, again, some side stories for Xie Yuchen & co. Weirdly out of continuity with Lost Tomb 2, considering it was made by the same production crew, but by this point I have embraced the weirdness. The sets are even more beautiful than for LT2 - lots of Shape and Chiaroscuro. An interesting if angsty relationship arc between Wu Xie and his bff Pangzi. Takes some liberties with the ending, which are rad in-and-of-themselves but mess with continuity for later seasons.

Iffies: Many long sequences of travelling quietly through wilderness spaces which isn’t everyone’s cuppa, I guess. Wu Xie has solid in-story reasons for being a nervy little bitch in this arc (recovering from a traumatic accident) but he’s still a nervy little bitch and not the plucky boy of earlier stories. He’s an acquired taste, is what I’m saying.

Ultimate Note: The ‘Genre Romance’ adaptation. The action scenes and Big Visuals were stripped down harshly, possibly for budget reasons. There are a couple of exceptions like Xinyue Restaurant, but mostly the action is bland connective tissue between shipping scenes and hurrying through the plot. It is definitely good at romance vibes: the leads have good chemistry, they get a lot of face time, the camera is good at picking up their interplay. It’s just weak at the Adventure/Thriller side of the story. If you like the leads on screen at all times, this is the one for you.

Iffies: Watching this after reading the books is a long litany of, ‘it was too much trouble to film this moody scene in the rain like canon so we did it on a sunny day, you don’t mind do you?’, ‘we couldn’t afford wildcats so you get spiders’, ‘that intense, fraught, and beautiful scene with the snake in the underground river was a bit tricky so we replaced it with a tank of shrimp’. Pop-music soundtrack. Nerfs the female characters. Chops out an important plot point - probably to appease the Airing Board tbf, but it doesn’t help story coherency any. 

[The Finale of the main book series is probably unfilmable; Tibetan Sea Flower hasn’t aired yet.]

Time Raiders: The ‘Steampunk AU’ adaptation. Ridiculous and beautiful. Tweaks Wu Xie to be even babier and his noodle-limbed love interest into a Big Buff Guy and I don’t care because they’re so much fun together. Kinda meta? (ie. If you take it as, ‘Series Wu Xie had this made just before Sand Sea’ it makes more sense.)

Iffies: Runs a little long for a movie. Has an ambitious ending which doesn’t quite land. It’s fun along the way, though.

Sand Sea: The ‘Book Plot But Glam’ adaptation, from that time where our plucky little hero Wu Xie has become a jaded and terrifying mob boss on a mission to destroy an ancient illuminati cult. Hooboy. It’s got the big action scenes and sweeping visuals; it’s got dust on the lens; it’s got tender emotional moments; it’s got utter goofballing. Amazing. Superb. Some good fucking food. Fills in gaps implied by the book plot (eg. what’s going on with the Jiumen) and buffs up a few story arcs (for example, the first trip to Gutongjing is considerably more fraught than its book version, and it’s strongly implied that Liang Wan gets laid. Good for her!)

Iffies: None. It’s perfect from start to finish. 

Reunion: The Sound of Providence: The ‘We Rewrote Almost All of the Book Plot’ adaptation. On the one hand, this is telling the story of the protagonist, now middle-aged and facing his mortality and it’s all poignant and touching and fraught and so on. On the other, the producers were trying not to lock out potential new viewers with all the previous continuity. So they did some rewrites - for example, Third Uncle’s time in the South Sea King Tomb now has a similar emotional weight as his time in novel-canon’s Shipwreck Tomb while being completely different in the details, and so forth - you get the vibe but not the continuity. I’d say that approach worked pretty well - this is the entrance point for a lot of fans. That said, it can be a touch confusing if you start here and then go to the earlier stories. Still, it’s a grand time - like Sand Sea it’s a lovely mix of action, angst, goofiness, and heartwarming. Cinematography is v. strong, though runs a little monochrome for my tastes. This is an adaptation that loves minor characters: along with the adventure shenanigans of the leads, key plots turn on the emotional lives and choices of a middle-aged hairdresser and two semi-random mooks. 

Iffies: Maybe two-thirds through Season 1, most of the lead characters disappear off-screen for the rest of the season and the lead gets to know A Whole New Bunch Of People (which can be a little startling). Season 2 blows right past the big climax of the book, then gives the characters a bit of a holiday, then throws them into another smallish adventure that technically ties up some loose ends while also being a bit, ‘Huh?’  (Being a bit ‘Huh?’ is a common feature of these stories.)

The Mystic Nine: The ‘When We Promised You Hijinks We Weren’t Lying But Please Also Ponder The Bittersweetness of Life and Love’ adaptation. This is a prequel centred on Fo-ye, a controversial figure by the standards of ‘the present’ of the series, but right now he’s a fairly uncomplicated hero. Fairly. When a good guy both works for the military while there’s a war on AND is firmly rooted in his city’s criminal underworld there’s a lot of chaos baked into his life. Action and scenery is a bit cartoony but well done cartoony, if that makes sense. There’s fairly tight plotting for about… 16 episodes? (once again, they rob the Xinyue Restaurant) and it’s great times with a train heist, and then the plot gets more discursive and jumpy and wandering. I liked it better the second time when I knew the shape of how things go? For all the tombs and jianghu feuding, a significant amount of time is spent on the Er-ye/Yatou and Fo-ye/Yin Xinyue relationships but I wouldn’t call them romances per se. They’re stories about love. ‘When you find the one who completes you and life is bliss for years but then they get sick and you go a little mad.’ ‘When you find the one who you might dare to open your heart to and it’s amazing! but also you’re a soldier and there’s a war on and they will spend so much time waiting for you…’ Bittersweet, is what I’m saying. 

Comes with four side movies about supporting characters and they are both interesting character studies and hilariously different in tone - Er-ye gets lofty opera vibes, Chen Pi is dirty and nasty and everyone’s horrible, Jiu-ye gets complicated, claustrophobic intrigue, and San-niang gets a deeply sad one about the horrors of the human heart when she’s only 15.

Iffies: As mentioned above, it can get v. discursive and the drama runs long. There are some neat female characters, but most of them don’t get much screen time.

Escape from the Monstrous Snake: the ‘Schlocky B-Movie’ adaptation. Features Hei Xiazi, the half-blind, corny, (very kind), immortal mercenary supporting character and a female OC who has absolutely zero useful skills, a tendency to scream, and relatable motivations. (I love her.) Mostly filmed on a sound-stage, and the version I watched on youtube has slightly dodgy sound. Good pace, good atmosphere, lovely character study of Hei Xiazi.

Iffies: It’s a schlocky B-movie: you get what you get. And Qi Ba and the other female merc didn’t die, no, they uh, they rescued themselves off-screen and then went home and got married…

Grave/Mystery of the Abyss: the ‘Schlocky B-Movie But We Have A Budget’ adaptation. Another reasonably simple monster movie with Hei Xiazi but this time with another recurring character, Xie Yuchen, as the co-lead. And those two go back a way. Whether you want to read that relationship as entirely platonic or ex-lovers, there is so much intimacy and care and regret in how the two characters move around each other it’s breathtaking. The action scenes are both fun in and of themselves and support the love story (how they move around each other taken up to 11).

Iffies: Well… the bugs and body horror can be unsettling? Otherwise, no iffies, it’s perfect of its kind.

Green Mountain Begonia: the ‘Homoerotic Subtext’ adaptation. Set in the Mystic Nine era but made by a different team so the cast and the continuity is a little different. This one covers Fo-ye first coming to Changsha and meeting Er-ye, a young opera-singer/action hero for the first time. It’s very, very pretty but I have trouble warming to it. Maybe its plot is a little fast to get to know the characters? Maybe I’m just too attached to the other M9.

Iffies: Paced a little quick. Well worth a look, though.

[There’s a donghua adaptation of the Qinling God Tree arc, and a manhua currently coming out, but I haven’t seen either. Likewise, the Time Raiders on-line game.]

Honestly, it's all good. Play around and have fun.

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