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#obligation to draw more ocs but first i have other things to do

cupcakeshakesnake · 6 months

Note

You have m o r e ?!?!? Omg they're amazing, I love them already and it's only been like 90 seconds (I've just been staring at them because. Wow.)

Wait but are you actually getting rid of them/ discontinuing their story? I mean, I saw that post about Sisyphus, but I would love it if we got to see more of these guys. I mean, no pressure if you weren't but I just wanted to let you know that I'm a really big fan of your work. I appreciate that, for your nonhuman characters, while their designs are very visually appealing in the artistic sense, you can tell that they're not at all supposed to be attractive in any modern human idealized sort of way (and what does it mean to Objectively Attractive anyway? Popular opinion is so hypocritcally subjective) but instead that each individual drawing, whether it's a character of your own creation or your take on a preexisting one, is crafted to serve their exact purpose on the page (whether it's Humor of Incongruity, expressing frustration, evoking the beauty in the imperfect, etc.), because you can see both the soul of that being and the way the Otherness of their design sets them apart as new and interesting yet accentuates the uniquely human part of their character (however buried and twisted that part may be, in some cases. Looking at you, Valek.)

. . . I was going somewhere further with this but I lost where I was. I'm sorry, it's late and I'm tired, but I just saw this and felt I had to say something (other than "cool monsters go brrr"). I know we're just strangers on the internet, and I'm not any sort of people person. We don't know anything substantial about each other, and we'll probably never meet. But I hope you know that, for whatever it's worth, there are people out there who see what you're doing. And that it's beautiful in all of it's imperfection, and beautiful *because* of it. And that, miniscule though my knowledge of you may be (because who can truly know anyone?), I can *see* the beauty of your soul shining through the crack of your art. And that I get a little bit of joy and inspiration every time I come across your work, so I hope this clumsily, hasty little message can give at least some of that joy back to you.

(P.S. I wrote this as a AtNC reblog, but by the time I finished writing this I figured it'd probably be better to send as an ask, so that you can decide what to do with it. You are in no way obligated to make any sort of response to this. From what I understand, you don't believe in a benevolent higher power, and that's okay, I'm still on the fence about whether I do or not, but I just... felt oddly compelled to write this. Like something was telling me I had to try to convey this to you, because you needed it. It's fine if you don't understand what I'm saying, I'm not sure even I do, but just hope that wherever you are, whatever you are doing, whatever you are going through, you know there's someone out there who cares for you, and that your existence is w o r t h something immeasurable.)

I hope you're okay. You are stronger than you know.

First of all, thank you. It took me a while to reply because I've been very busy with schoolwork, but I've reread this message at least several times a day and it has brought me such joy each time.

To answer your question, no, I'm not discontinuing or getting rid of anything - I assume this has to do with my monster OCs, and there are two major stories of them so far.

One is Walter, which I simply decided not to use for schoolwork after being told its plot is too boring. That's all. I will do what I want with it in my own time. The other is that one with the mutated office workers, which fortunately got the OK from the professor. Both are still very rough works in progress.

I'm very glad that you like the way I draw... er, things, for lack of a better wording. Things I draw for myself may turn out far from "conventionally attractive", but I like it that way. You made me think about an aspect of my art that I never really considered before, but you have a point; in a way, I could be trying to humanize characters not by giving them a more human face but by giving them their own ways to express humanity.

That being said, I don't know what an "AtNC" reblog is supposed to be, but I wouldn't have minded either way. Your kind words are appreciated all the same.

#snake got an ask #anonymous #Regarding “humanizing”: One thing I like to do is make expressions and body languages out of inhuman features #It's fun

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blissfullyapillow · 1 year

Text

Oh my, oh my God, 예상했어 나

I was really hoping that he will come through

Wanderer x female reader

wc: ~14,138

Notes: Another fic I wrote with my oc in mind but you can read it as an x reader as well <3, this was inspired by the song OMG by NewJeans but not heavily, tons of characters make an appearance (Diluc, Kaeya, Kaveh, Alhaitham, Pantalone, Capitano, Tighnari, Ayato, etc.) the notes will be too long if I list everyone, this is super long but I hope you enjoy lol ଘ(੭´꒳`)°* ੈ‧₊˚

Back to Masterlist A

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ♡　*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

I stare at him across the comically large table (desk? Whatever, it doesn’t really matter) as Capitano updates us on his recent endeavors.

As the others jokingly sing his praises, I study the prickly man in front of me. Scara obviously feels my gaze, if his light foot taping is anything to go by, but he refuses to make eye contact with me as he studies the other harbingers with lifeless eyes.

Out of everyone here, I’m the most curious about him. Pantalone is gorgeous but he’s amiable with the doctor (whom I hate) and the females here scare me.

Seriously. They’re ruthless.

Childe is the only Harbinger I feel comfortable enough to talk to, although I hesitate to approach him at times because it almost always ends in a sparring match.

The outcome is always the same, but despite his many losses against me he continuously asks me to spar. Recently I get the feeling it’s his way of saying he wants to get to know me, so I don’t mind, but my muscles are sore and I need a moment of respite. I eye Capitano as I wonder what he looks like underneath the mask. What kind of man is Capitano truly? There must be more to him that lies beneath the surface.

I have a feeling his story is an interesting one. Even so, my eyes find their usual target ahead of me as I watch Scaramouche. He’s called upon by one of the other harbingers, and I dutifully listen to his report despite tuning Capitano’s out mere moments ago.

Once he’s done we have our usual wrap up before we disperse. I sigh, grateful I wasn’t needed this time around. As I get up to leave I curse under my breath when the Tsaritsa calls for me.

Spoke too soon.

I briskly walk over to her and respectfully heed her orders. My jaw ticks as I conceal my anger that seethes beneath the surface of my cheerful façade. How does she have the audacity to treat me like her daughter?

Deplorable.

“Y/n, it’s time for you to complete your first mission. The beggars we discussed this meeting still haven’t taken kindly to our …requests. We must show them what it means to take our warnings lightly. Since this is your first mission, you may take a harbinger with you.” I feel a cold sweat come over me.

Am I really going to have to kill these people? I shiver at the mere thought, but I have no other option but to oblige. I fear what the Tsaritsa will do to me if I don’t comply, and I rather not experience anymore of her “love.”

My decision is immediately made, but I attempt to make eye contact with him to see what his thoughts are on the situation. His hat was previously obscuring his face, but now an eye peaks out under it to glare at me with murderous intent.

Do not pick me, his expression screams.

I catch Tartaglia’s eye, but I ignore him as Scaramouche’s name leaves my lips.

“Great. Scaramouche, go on. I expect great things from you two.” With that I make my way towards the exit, and I hear Scaramouche’s low grumble behind me as he follows me.

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑

“Why did you pick me?” Hours into our trip he finally talks to me. Throughout the duration of our journey he rotated between making noises of disapproval, insulting me, or just silently glaring at me with the intent to kill.

“Honestly, I’m not so sure myself. Something about you just… draws me to you. I don’t know.” My response leaves him nonplussed as he opts to ignore me as we continue our journey.

We finally reach our destination, and I watch in horror as Scaramouche literally chokes the life out of the man before me. His eyes turn to one of the last people alive, but before he can move towards them I stomp my feet, creating an icy barrier between him and the other person.

“What do you think you’re doing?” His low voice irks me. “What is wrong with you!? This man clearly told you they were holding him hostage and-“ I move away as the man nearly misses cutting off my neck with his knife. Scaramouche is the one who pushes me out of the way.

“You dimwit! He was clearly lying.” He shouts above me. One of his arms cracks as the man pierces it, but it isn’t long before he joins the rest of the corpses that litter the red stained snow.

Scaramouche says nothing as he gets off of me. “Let’s return.” Is all he says. I follow him, hoping he won’t turn his anger onto me.

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑

“How did you know he was lying?” I ask as we near our destination. “His eyes. They gave him away. Filthy scum.” I recall the man's face, and his eyes pop in my mind. I remember the way they kept darting down as he kept looking behind him.

“Huh. I guess my shock clouded my judgment-“ “No shit it did.” It’s my turn to glare at the puppet beside me as he scoffs. “That’s a good look on you. Next time, make sure you’re useful without dragging me down. I know the Tsaritsa wouldn’t take kindly to me injuring her precious child, so you’re in luck.” He laughs at my annoyed expression.

I don’t know how, but he knows. He knows I hate this and the Tsaritsa for what she’s done. Even so, he pokes fun at me some more before we finally return and he goes back to glaring at me in silence.

The Tsaritsa is pleased with us, and we are dismissed. “Next time, don’t pick me.” Are his final words before he walks away with the doctor.

Jerk.

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑

“Scaramouche.” I pick him again, and again he glares at me. The Tsaritsa is easing me into the whole Harbinger ordeal, and I know it’s only because she favors me for some twisted reason.

“Let’s go.” He says gruffly. This time he roughly grabs my hand as he drags me outside. “What did I tell you last time?” He states more than asks.

“Do not pick you. Too bad I don’t follow your orders, nor do I have to.” I relish the annoyed tick that shows on his face. I roughly remove my hand from his as I keep walking beside him.

“Well, at least this time we don’t have to kill.” I cheer. “Tch. You’re more naïve than I thought.” When I curiously question his words, he replies, “You may think the Tsaritsa is being kind, and in a way she is, but these missions are more than just rookie missions. They’re meant to harden you. Those last people we fought? They originally were ordinary civilians turned criminals due to hardships that had fallen upon them. Hmmm, I wonder who backed them into that corner?” Scaramouche wonders aloud.

I stop walking dead in my tracks. “W-Wait, so what she said was-“ “A lie? Yeah. Get used to that. Keep walking.” He says. I do, but I feel sick to my stomach as I pray the tears on my lashes don’t fall.

Now that I think about it, there was a familiar food cart not too far from them. The food cart is well known in Snezhnaya, but it was torn to shreds and ripped apart.

I assumed it had nothing to do with our mission and it belong to someone else, but ….

My thoughts are voiced by none other than Scaramouche as he laughs before saying, “The Tsaritsa’s love truly is cruel.”

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑

I continue to pick Scaramouche as my companion for my missions, and he begrudgingly complies. It’s to the point the other harbingers tease us about it.

“Ah, talking to the puppet again?” The knave snickers as I walk past her with said puppet by my side. “His name’s Scaramouche, and he’s more than just a puppet.” I say. She chuckled before ruffling my hair. “Yeah, whatever kid.” She’s off soon after, leaving Scaramouche to gawk at me.

“Why lie to her? What do you gain out of that?” He grunts. I notice the way his frown doesn’t fully reach his eyes, and his arms are crossed in front of him. As if to protect his heart.

It only takes a moment before I say, “I only told her the truth. Let’s hurry today so we can make it back in time for dinner.” As I swiftly walk past Scaramouche, I take notice of the way he tugs his hat down to hide his expression.

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑

“You’re insufferable. Haven’t you had enough yet, or do you get off on this? …stupid bug.” I try to hold in my laughter at his lame insult but I fail miserably when his serious eyes latch onto mine.

“If you really want me to, I’ll pick someone else. I am interested in getting to know some of the others.” I tell him. His eyes widen a bit but nonetheless he walks off and dismisses me. “Do what you want.”

I knew that would be his response, as he doesn’t truly care about anyone, but I still can’t help but feel a twinge of hurt.

That day, I choose Pantalone.

All heads swivel to face Pantalone, and even he has a rare expression of surprise. “Ah, what a pleasant surprise.” I ignore Scara as we pass him, and the harbingers jabs and jokes fade away as I leave with Pantalone.

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑

My mission with Pantalone went smoothly. He’s…. interesting. He pry's too much though. We constantly tried to outsmart each other in an attempt to get the other to reveal more information about themselves.

It was tiring, albeit exhilarating.

My next choice is Arlecchino, and I chuckle at Scaramouche’s annoyed expression.

If I’m not careful, I would fall for the Knave’s charm. I’m a little weary of her since I know of her dark nature, but nonetheless she doesn’t seem to dislike me and that’s more than enough for me.

Next I choose Tartaglia, and we have a fun time together. We end up racing on the way back, and we both try not to laugh as the Tsaritsa sternly scolds us for our childish and improper behavior as her representatives.

At this point, I am more than capable of completing missions on my own. Despite this, the Tsaritsa still allows me to pick a companion if I so wish. So, I choose the next person of interest.

Capitano stiffens in his seat, but he gets up to accompany nonetheless. Surprisingly, someone speaks up.

“Take me instead.” I hear Colombia snicker beside me as Scaramouche stands where he is. I eye him suspiciously since he was so adamant on me picking others.

When I see something swirl within his usually lifeless eyes, I pick him instead of Capitano.

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑

“I thought you wanted me to pick others?” I ask him. He hums in contemplation, but he doesn’t answer me.

I end up completing the mission on my own as he watches on, and I thank him when he covers me from behind at an unexpected ambush.

“You’ve grown stronger.” He breaks the comfortable silence. I mull over his question as flurries begin falling from the sky.

“Yup. I learned a lot from the others, unlike you.” I giggle at his angry expression. “But… I don’t enjoy myself with them as much as I do with you. Well, maybe Tartaglia. Although I know how you feel about him.” My teasing response results in an eye-roll. “He’s a fool.” “And so are you.” My quick response catches him by surprise, but he’s quick to mask it.

“What do you mean?” He tentatively asks. He sounds so stiff, and I can’t help but chuckle at how unintentionally cute he’s being. “You allow the doctor to use you for his experiments. It honestly infuriates me. No one else sees you as more than a puppet. I would’ve thought the same if I wasn’t so “soft-hearted” as you like to say. I’m actually trying to get to know you, and well…. I’ve drawn my own conclusions about you. I believe my conclusions are in your favor. Oh, we’re here.” I say. I turn to him and he clearly wants me to continue, but I opt for opening the door for him.

“You may enter, your highness.” I gracefully hold the door open for him as I bow. “You’re intolerable. Moron.” He huffs. As he walks in, I stare at his back. His shoulders slightly rise, and a small smile takes over my features.

I’ve never seen him laugh without malice before.

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑

I do what I must to survive, and before I know it I’m a full fledged unofficial member of the harbingers. The Tsaritsa prefers to keep my presence a secret since I may be recognized by those who previously knew my mom.

I can’t help but bitterly laugh at the irony of my situation. Thankfully, I’ve finally devised a way to escape the shackles of the Tsaritsa’s “benevolence.”

There is an approaching snowstorm. The Tsaritsa has an essential task she needs completed before the snowstorm covers the land of Snezhnaya with heavy snowfall. I unfortunately had to beg a little for her to allow me to go, she thankfully relented. I’m much stronger than I was years prior, and anyone here can acknowledge that. I’m allowed to undergo the mission alone on the premise I return before the snow begins to fall in heavy flurries.

The mission is easy. A group of bandits using the fatui’s name to do as they please. I handle them with ease well before the snow begins to fall.

Perfect. I begin making my way towards my destination in haste. The snow shall be my curtain as I make my way towards the one ship leaving Snezhnaya tonight. This is my one and only chance to believably escape the Tsaritsa. Me falling in combat isn’t believable, but getting lost in the snowstorm is much more likely, albeit only a little.

The snowstorms in Snezhnaya are intense and harsh. If you’re unlucky enough to get caught in the storm, you’re as good as dead. Just leaving your home without multiple layers of clothing, on a normal day, is asking for an illness to befall you.

I shiver as I trudge through the cold winter of Snezhnaya. The snow is beginning to fall in earnest now, and it’s getting hard to see my feet in front of me. It doesn’t matter, I need to make it to the ship before it’s too late.

It takes me a while but I make it just in time to board the ship unannounced. Just as I’m about to board, a voice calls for me in the distance.

I freeze.

No, she wouldn’t have.

But she did, and Scaramouche’s short figure is outlined by the thick snow falling from the sky. “The Tsaritsa wanted me to ensure you made it back safely. Honestly, this is a real hassle you know.” He scoffs as he makes his way over to me. My feet are rooted to the spot. Scaramouche isn’t someone easily fooled, but I must leave. My getaway blows its horn once in preparation to depart.

“Well, let’s go. I can’t feel the cold but I’m sure you must be freezing, mortal. You…” his voice trails off once he stops directly in front of me, and his eyes bore into mine. “What are you planning?” He asks himself more than me. He peers into the blanket of white, and he obviously makes out the ship behind me because he starts laughing.

“You seriously think you can escape the Tsaritsa? You’re her favorite you know. She’ll search for you even if I gave her an accurate fake body. You’re not safe in this world as long as she’s around.” He chuckles, but I see a glint of something in his eyes. “Scaramouche, please. Let me go.” I know asking him is pointless. He doesn’t feel emotions like I do, at least in his perspective, and he couldn’t care less about me or my wellbeing.

I look down as tears threaten to fall and my heart lurches in my throat. So close yet so far.

I can’t let it end here.

“Scara-“ “Let’s make a deal. We got separated by the thick snow after we encountered one of Snezhnaya’s infamous avalanches. We pass by a mountain on our way here, so it’s believable. I search for you for hours but I’m unable to find you. I return demanding a search party. When she can’t find you she’ll initially be grief stricken, but I’m sure she’ll only become more determined to find you. I do this on the condition you heed my beck and call in the future, when I put that plan into action.” I gasp at his words, equally grateful and confused.

I purposefully overheard a conversation between the doctor and Scaramouche about their plans for him to become a “false god.” I escaped the doctor’s watchful eyes somehow, and even though I bumped into one of his clones they were too occupied to put two and two together.

I wasn’t so lucky with Scaramouche, but he ultimately didn’t care that I knew so long as I kept that information to myself.

I sigh and pull Scaramouche in for a hug. He groans and complains as I hug him tight. “Thank you thank you thank you!” I breathlessly thank him for his uncharacteristic display of kindness. “Whatever. Now go before I change my mind. You’ll no longer be a thorn in my side, so this is a beneficial situation for both you and I…. and…“ His breath hitches towards the end of his sentence, like he wants to say more but he chooses not to.

I know. I understand the unspoken words and feelings he has yet to realize he has. Hopefully that’ll change with time. Time thatI yearn to spend with him, but under more desirable circumstances. Nonetheless, I squeeze his arm as I pull away. “We’ll meet again. You can’t get rid of me that easily. Take care of yourself in the meantime, okay? I lo- I’ll miss you.” I quickly correct myself.

The balladeer stands before me with the most expressive facial expression I’ve ever seen on him before.

“… I like you. People say I have no taste, but I like you. So stay alive so we can meet again. Farewell, y/n.” With that he turns on his heel, unmoving.

I let out raucous laughter before I race towards the now departing ship. I make it just in time to board by making ict pedestals against the side of the ship. As the ship departs the obscure dock, I watch the short figure in the distance. He still doesn’t move even when he’s a mere speck in the distance.

I can’t help but clutch the glowing masterless vision against my chest. My mother’s.

I refuse to weep, but a stubborn tear slips past. If he truly doesn’t have a heart, why did he look after me in his own way? Why did he let me go?

I can only sigh.

Along with the sorrow of leaving Scaramouche behind, I feel a newfound sense of excitement and.. freedom.

Even though I’ll have to live my life in fear of the Tsaritsa finding me again, I’m finally free.

Free from Snezhnaya. Free from the Tsaritsa.

Free from my mother’s lingering regret that she couldn’t escape the Tsaritsa’s watchful eye, which ultimately led to her demise.

As the motherland fades in the distance and I sneeze from the low temperature, a glowing light shines against the darkness of the surrounding sea.

I gingerly hold the Anemo vision in my hands, and I finally allow myself to smile.

I’m finally free, yet there’s a sharp pain in my chest. It doesn’t stem from a physical cause, but from a psychological one.

This feeling…

This must be what it means to have an aching, broken heart.

⁎⁺˳ ✧༚ ˎˊ˗ ♡ ˗ˏˋയ ✩

“Is that the honorary knight?” I think out loud as I peek my head out from behind a building. I swiftly resume my previous hiding place when they glance in my direction moments later.

I breathe a sigh of relief when no one comes to investigate. I continue walking to my destination, and I close my eyes in bliss as the wind carries away all of my worries.

I’m curious about this traveler. Maybe I’ll follow them for a bit and see what they’re up to. Knowing the truth of this world, an outsider is certain to shake things up. And the Tsaritsa…

I scold myself for thinking about her after I’ve already left Snezhnaya. What she did to mom-

A flurry of images of my mom before her death rush back to me, and the Tsaritsa’s face accompanies the painful memories. I clutch the hem of my clothing and take a few, slow deep breaths. My skin feels clammy and I’m suddenly feeling lightheaded.

“Oh? What’s a pretty lady like you doing leaning against the wall like that? We haven’t even been properly introduced yet, but here you are falling for me already.” I ignore the teasing cavalry captain, who was previously talking to the traveler, as I focus on calming my panicked mind.

It takes me a few moments, but I eventually manage to calm myself down. Once my mind is clear I finally feel the soothing hand from the cavalry captain rubbing up and down my back.

Oh, maybe I didn’t do it completely on my own.

“.. Thanks.” I shyly thank him, and when I look up to see his face I’m greeted with his handsome smile. “No problem. How about we sit down and chat, hm? I noticed you staring at the traveler and I earlier, and I’m curious as to what your reasons are.” The man hums and before I know it he’s leading me to sit at one of the table’s outside of Angel’s Share.

Ah, this man is clever. I have to be careful not to slip up in front of him, but I’ve never struggled before.

“So, where are you from? I’ve never seen you in Mondstadt before.” He curiously asks me. His eyes languidly drift over my features before they peer into my eyes. He’s openly reading me, so I take the opportunity to do the same. I sense a familiar pain hidden in his uncovered eye. Before I can search any deeper he closes his eye to smile before leaning back.

“Oh, you’re going to be a lot of fun to have around. I can feel it.”

⁎⁺˳ ✧༚ ˎˊ˗ ♡ ˗ˏˋയ ✩

“I’ll always return to Mondstadt. It’s another home for me now. I’ll see you when I return, okay?” I bid a semi-tearful farewell to the man before me, and he embraced me with concealed enthusiasm.

“Ah, my dear Y/n. Who will scold me now when I’m supposedly ‘slacking off?’” Kaeya pretends to sob as he runs a hand along my back, just like he did when we first met.

“Your brother will, for sure. ‘Oh, the Knights of Favonius, always so inefficient.” I mimic Diluc’s voice. Kaeya bursts into heartfelt laughter as he releases me. I giggle along with him and turn around, only to face the red head we were just talking about.

I feel my cheeks warm as Diluc sports an unamused look. “You too, Y/n?” He huffs. I open my mouth to respond, but no words come out. I stare into his eyes for a moment before I avert mine in embarrassment. He’s so handsome, he makes me feel so nervous around him!

“Uh- It’s just jokes Diluc.” I nervously chuckle. Diluc’s lips quirk into a smirk before he ruffles my hair. As I complain and fix my hair he says “I know. Have a safe trip. Visit the Angel’s Share again if you need anything. I’m sure I’ll be of more use than the ‘inefficient Knight of Favonious.’” This time it’s Diluc’s turn to mimic me, and Kaeya’s non stop laughter only cranks up in Volume.

Kaeya helped me settle into Mondstadt and assisted me in finding my own place to stay. I managed to avoid revealing anything too specific about my situation. Due to something unspoken between the two of us that Kaeya & I mentally acknowledged about the other, he helped me fit right in to Mondstadt. Since we were outside of Angel’s Share Diluc happened to see us during our first conversation, and that’s how I got to know the infamous Diluc Ragnvindr.

I remember the story the other Harbingers told me about the red haired man who decimated many Fatui camps, all on his own and without a vision. They relayed their distaste that he managed to escape, but personally meeting Diluc made me glad they failed to finish him off. He’s awfully cute and sweet in his own way. I recall the nights he let me stay with him at the Dawn Winery when Kaeya was still helping me find a home, and I’m forever grateful to the both of them.

“Well, I’ll be seeing you. Bring back something from your travels, okay?” With that Diluc is ready to see me off, a solemn smile on his face. “Of course! Anything for you Diluc.” My overeager response surprises both of us as I blush in embarrassment. Diluc looks taken aback as he awkwardly coughs into his sleeve. A blush lights up his face like a beacon; I can’t help but giggle at the sight of his flustered expression.

“Alright, alright. Off you go!” Kaeya ushers me forward and I make my way to my next destination: Liyue.

I begin my journey with a running start. I make a brief stop at the big tree at Windrise. I close my eyes and allow myself a moment to be vulnerable as I pray for my mother. “Anemo archon Barbatos, please watch over my journey as I explore the depths and secrets of this world.” I stand, and my prayers are immediately answered.

I swivel around at the sound of a joyful voice. Ah, Venti. The Archon himself stands before me with a goofy smile on his face. “Well hello there! What brings you here? I happened to be passing by and…” he trails off. I’m sure my expression is one of shock, but also glee. I’ve always liked the Anemo Archon most from the stories the Tsaritsa would tell me. “Bar- Ahem. Venti, I’m honored to be able to meet you!” I try to contain my childlike glee at meeting the Anemo Archon.

Venti’s expression is one of surprise and curiosity. “Well well, it looks like the most curious individual has arrived here in Mondstadt. Say, why don’t you tell me your tale? I have a feeling it’s grand, and a story the world shall refuse to find bland.” I can’t help the smile that reaches my ears as the bard before me poetically asks for my story.

“Hm. I’ll save it for another day. I bet it’s not as amazing as yours, little wind spirit.” Venti’s mouth falls agape, and before he can say another word I’m gone from his line of sight in a flurry of snowflakes and a strong gust of wind.

⁎⁺˳ ✧༚ ˎˊ˗ ♡ ˗ˏˋയ ✩

“So, who is he?” The Geo Archon prompts. “Hmm?” I inquire. I watch as Zhongli blows his cup of tea before taking a sip. I follow his lead, and I swoon at the exquisite taste of tea and fine delicacies he’s prepared for our meal.

I got the Geo Archon to sit down with me after confiding in him. I may or may not have been sorrowfully staring at the dark Liyue clouds above as the rain masked my tears.

Zhongli happened to pass by, and despite my insistence that I was fine he ushered me inside and offered to lend me an ear.

Instead of talking about the thoughts that were actually plaguing my thoughts, I end up becoming side tracked as I gush to Zhongli about Scaramouche.

Of course he doesn’t know who it is I’m talking about, but that doesn’t stop me from spilling my heartfelt feelings to him. “Hmm… honestly, I’m not sure. What if I’m the only one who feels this way? It’s likely. You know how he is.” Zhongli nods thoughtfully at my words. “Even so, it’d be hard for him to not feel gratitude, at the very least. If he really is as bloodthirsty and cruel as you say he is, then he wouldn’t have saved you. Although I don’t have all the details, I’m sure this man harbors feelings that you may be unaware of. Whether these are the feelings you hope they are is another issue entirely, but something tells me you aren’t the only one who is harboring feelings for the other.” Zhongli’s words cause the unmistakable feeling of hope to swell up inside of me.

I hate the way I blush and avert my eyes. I start smiling like a lovestruck fool, so I attempt to hide my smile behind my tea cup after taking another sip.

“Ah, there it is. I see the love you have for this man in your eyes.” My mouth falls open as words fail me, and Zhongli lets out a hearty chuckle. “To be young and in love… What a beautiful thing.” I remain silent as I finish the tea, and as the rain pelts a euphonious sound outside I relish in the calm atmosphere that surrounds the Geo Archon and I.

｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ

“What should I do?” I whine to Xingqiu. He hums as he contemplates his response whereas Chongyun responds almost immediately.

“Why don’t you continue exploring? This world is vast, but I’m sure you’ll run into him again at some point.” Chongyun bites into his Popsicle, and I eat the one I begged him to give me.

It’s comforting eating something with no taste. I see why this calms Chongyun down.

Xingqiu bites into his own Popsicle (we may or may not have teased Chongyun to the point he caved and gave us both a Popsicle) as his eyes light up. It seems he’s found his answer.

“I agree. If it’s meant to be, you will see each other again. Don’t hold yourself back, and pursue what it is that you truly want.” I ponder Xingqiu’s words as Chongyun asks him where he learned to tell such great advice.

What is it that I want though?

I feel their eyes on me but I hang my head so my hair will obscure my eyes.

“If you do not know what it is that you want, I hope you’ll be able to find it during your travels.” Xingqiu reads my mind, and his comforting hand running along my back gives me a sense of comfort.

Chongyun joins in on the back rubbing, and I laugh at their complaints towards each other when their hands keep bumping into each other.

I have an idea of where my path lies, and it all starts with the father I have not had the opportunity to know.

｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ

The scenery is beautiful…

I gasp in awe when the sakura petals fall from the beautiful trees surrounding the city. I need to stay on task, but the beautiful sites are distracting.

It took a lot of time and effort to make it to Inazuma while the decree is going on. I also made sure to hide my visions on my person. I can fend off anyone who tries to take my visions from me, but it’s honestly too much hassle. I’d rather just hide them for the time being.

“Now, I have almost nothing to go off of and a father to find. Hooray!” I falsely cheer under my breath. I continue to navigate the somewhat lively streets of Inazuma. I’m sure things will perk up once this stupid decree is over.

I convinced Captain Beidou to take me to Inazuma, with the help of my lovely friends from Liyue, and I had the pleasure of meeting a wandering samurai.

Once Beidou docked at Inazuma I immediately scurried off with a brief farewell to her and the samurai, whose name is apparently Kazuha.

I wind up aimlessly walking around Inazuma for hours before I eventually wander out of the city. I end up in front of a fancy looking building as I walk through the gate. “Oh! Who are you? Are you lost?” A cheerful voice pipes up from beside me.

I jump and place a frightened hand on my chest as I swivel around to face the voice.

Green eyes widen in surprise. “Woah, slow down! I didn’t mean to scare you. …Is everything okay?” I don’t answer as I frantically survey my surroundings. Did I walk into enemy territory?? Will this person try to take my visions? What if-

Oh, wait. My visions are hidden.

I sigh in relief once I remember I hid my visions.

I look down and see a gleaming pyro vision, and the person awkwardly coughs as they maneuver themselves so that it’s out of my line of sight.

“Um… sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you or whoever lives here. I’m just wandering around and looking for my father..” “Oh, no worries at all! Do you have any information about your father? Maybe I can help!” I finally look at the person’s face. He fixes me with a smile, and his friendly demeanor is so warm and comforting I allow myself to relax a bit around him.

“Oh, well-“ “Thoma, would you mind… oh, who’s this?” An audible gasp slips out of me as the most pretty man I’ve ever laid eyes on walks over to Thoma and I. “Oh, Lord Ayato! I was just trying to help this young lady. She seems lost and-“ “Young lady? While I appreciate the compliment, I am of age you know.” I huff. Thoma awkwardly chuckles at that.

“I see. Well, nice to meet you…” Ayato trails off. “Yume.” I supply my name. Ayato’s eyes sharpen slightly in interest, but the coy man before me is quick to mask his expression and continue the conversation. “Ah, an Inazuman name. If your name’s origins lie here, why are you lost? Is it really true you’ve never been here before?” Ayato carefully judges my expression, watching me for any abnormal movements.

Oh?! This man thinks I’m lying!?

I feel my face flush with contained rage as I resist the urge to stomp my foot like a petulant child. “Excuse me, Lord Ayato, I have no reason to insinuate something that isn’t true. I have nothing to gain out of that. I’m simply looking for my father and I was hoping to find any information I could about him. I don’t know him per se because of my.. situation, but I’d love to meet him again. I met him a few times as a child so I remember what he looks like but that is all.” With a huff I finish my tense monologue. Thoma looks on with wide eyes as Ayato chuckles to himself.

“Ah, I see. You really are the little firecracker you’ve been told to be.” Ayato’s words cause me to falter, and I’m quick to eagerly look into his eyes. “You know something about me!? Do you potentially… know my father? His surname is-“ “Haruka. Yes, I know. Say, join me for tea later. I unfortunately have urgent business to tend to at the moment. Another meeting…” Ayato says that last part under his breath more to himself than the rest of us.

Thoma attempts to comfort the pretty lord, and I smile as I witness their cute dynamic. “Alright, I’ll see you later Y/n.” With a swift kiss against my hand Ayato is gone.

I giggle like a silly schoolgirl and swoon. Thoma sighs. “That’s the Yashiro Commissioner for you…” Thoma mumbles. “Alright Y/n, let me show you around the estate until my lord returns. This is also a good chance for me to get to know you better.” I agree, and I follow Thoma around what is apparently known as the Kamisato Estate.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Ayaka and I laugh at Thoma’s flustered expression.“You guys are being unfair y’know…” Thoma groans. “Oh? But surely our assumptions had some truth to it. You haven’t denied our claims.” Ayaka hums. Thoma remains silent which causes me to burst into another fit of giggles. “Ah, whatever. Hopefully lord Ayato will return soon so I can- hey, look who just walked in!” Thoma comically shoots up from his seat to greet an amused Ayato.

Aw man, no more teasing Thoma.

“I have returned. Ah, Ayaka. How was your day?” Ayato takes time to address Ayaka and ask her about her day and what she’s been up to, and by the gleam in her eyes I can tell she appreciates it. I smile fondly as I watch the three of them converse. It must feel to be surrounded by the ones you love.

Ayato catches my eye, and I quickly lower my gaze to the ground and fiddle with the hem of my clothes. Ayato finishes his conversation with Thoma and Ayaka, and I bid them farewell as they leave. Ayato takes a moment to watch them go before he turns around. His eyes are curious, and I hold his gaze for a moment.

He chuckles to himself before he makes his way over to me and sits across from me. He asks me how I feel about the Kamisato Estate, and he leans his head against his propped hand as his eyes bore into mine.

“You’re- I mean!- It’s beautiful, and It’s filled with equally beautiful souls.” I mentally pat myself on the back for my somewhat smooth save, and he looks a bit taken aback.

“Oh? I wouldn’t have taken you for a smooth talker.” Ayato chuckles.

I bashfully laugh off his remark before the room returns to silence.

Come on Y/n, stop being so awkward!

I close my eyes and take a deep breath to calm my nerves. Okay, now my head is in the game.

"So, what do you know about my father? Is he the one you heard that little tidbit about me from?" I ask with an audible quiver in my voice.

Great.

Well at least I got the question out. I squirm and hope he doesn't mention my obvious nerves. “Well, your father... I've met your father a total of three times, and each time is an experience I will never forget. Your father is an interesting man, and I happened upon him numerous times while out on … business endeavors. Thanks to your fathers' actions the most elusive individuals that have avoided the law for years have been caught." I take a moment to absorb Ayato's words. "So... My dad's like Shikanoin Heizou?" My question catches him by surprise, before he laughs with evident mirth. "How do you know about detective Shikanoin Heizou?"

I blush as I recount the sight of Heizou walking around the streets of Inazuma. I have yet to personally meet him, but I got a good vibe from him when I observed him from afar. The only reason I even learned of his name is because citizens nearby started gossiping about him, and I asked them to clue me in.

“People told me that Shikanoin Heizou is the man to ask if I'm searching for someone. Apparently, he's the best of the best." Ayato sips his boba as he listens to me, and I do my best to keep my face neutral when he keeps sipping even though the cup is clearly empty.

I can relate. I do the same thing whenever I'm drinking my favorite beverage.

Ayato hums before he abruptly sits up. I follow his lead, albeit a bit confused, and he leads me out of the Kamisato Estate. As we continue walking, he finally speaks up. "You're one step ahead of me. ..How unusual. I was going to suggest you seek out Shikanoin Heizou since I have no information on the whereabouts of your father. To answer your earlier inquiry, yes. In a way, your father is like Shikanoin Heizou except… the means he uses to seek and destroy his enemies is... well... not entirely legal. Still, in my eyes he's a good man. He mentioned his daughter in a distant land the last time I happened across him. I believe it was a slip of the tongue said in a moment of vulnerability. Nonetheless, I shall introduce you to the Tenryou Commission's best detective. He can guide you in the right direction, better than I ever could." With that, I remain silent as Ayato leads me to my destination.

I can’t help but wonder what you’ve been up to all these years, father. Actually, I guess the real question is…

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

“How have you been?” I nervously ask Heizou in an attempt to break the ice.

“Better now that I’ve finally secured the final piece to this unsolved mystery. Archons! I’ve been so close to catching this man yet so far since I was missing this vital piece of information for months. This is unusual for me, you know. I usually catch my culprits quickly. Hey, how about I treat you to something after this? Only if you’re up to it of course. A pretty lady like yourself deserves such a reward.” I swear all these handsome, beautiful, and downright gorgeous men are going to be the death of me!

Why is Inazuma filled with pretty men??

“I- um, yes! I’ll take you up on that offer. Thank you very much.” I furiously blush when Heizou turns around to send a wink in my direction as we continue our quick pace towards our destination. “If I’m correct, he should be just about ready to leave based on his usual pattern. So right here would be-“ Heizou is surprisingly swift and agile, so he’s a bit ahead of me. He’s even further ahead now, so I quicken my steps and attempt to catch up. I stop when I accidentally bump into a large figure.

“Oh my gosh I’m sorry! I apologize but I can’t stop, I’m in a..” I would’ve kept going if I didn’t catch a glimpse of their eyes under their hood.

Eyes that resemble mine.

We both freeze for a moment.

“Um.. I may be mistaken, and I am I apologize, but could you happen to be-“

I don’t even get a chance to finish my sentence. He’s quick to maneuver himself out of my way and run off.

Oh no he doesn’t.

I give chase, leaving Shikanoin behind.

..well, ahead. I guess.

Only behind for a few moments though, since I see him giving chase when I glance behind me.

“Father, wait!” I grunt as I follow my father’s annoying escape route. Over buildings, over pesky fences, through narrow spaces, he goes above and beyond to shake me off his trail.

He’ll have to try harder than this, but if I don’t do something soon he’ll definitely slip through my fingers.

I pray Heizou is close enough, and I use an object I spot nearby and drop it to the ground, blocking Heizou’s path. I have faith he’ll take the hint, as it’s very obvious, and I continue chasing the person I’m convinced is my father.

It isn’t long before we circle around the small space we’re in, since we’re in a busier area now and it’s hard for them to move around all the architecture while simultaneously avoiding me.

I glance in the direction I hope Heizou is in, and I use my Cryo vision yet again to encapsulate us and anyone in the vicinity in an icy cage.

The person stops and begins to scale the ice.

Why am I not surprised?

I worry that Heizou really wasn’t behind me when the person is at the top of the ice cage. I watch in despair as they carefully avoid the sharp outer edges of my temporary prison.

Before they are able to finish scaling the ice, I hear a familiar voice.

“Can’t fool me!” A whirlwind knocks the person midair.

Game over!

With the wind as my wings I soar into the sky and tightly grasp the person in my arms. They struggle, and because of their build it’ll only be a moment before they’re released from my strong grip.

A moment was all I needed.

I hate to do this, but I use this moment to freeze the individual with my vision.

They cry out for a moment, for me to stop, but it’s only a matter of seconds before they’re a frozen statue in my arms.

I feel myself fall back to the hard ground below as they now weigh way more than they did before. In a panic I create a slide of sorts to bring us back down and away from the gathered crowd of spectators.

I’ll have to thank Heizou later, but for now I have a few words I wish to exchange with my father in private.

…This’ll be really embarrassing if this isn’t my father.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

“What do you want, kid? I swear you got your stubbornness from your mom.” My dad sighs from across the fire I built for him to cool off.

Pun intended.

He was not pleased as the ice around him slowly melted, but I’m more than grateful that he didn��t attempt to run again and agreed to talk with me over the fire and some delicious food.

He eats the food I made while keeping steady eye contact with me. I can’t help but feel a bit nostalgic, even though I have no recollection of doing things like this with him before.

“Hey, father? Why… why didn’t you come with mom to Snezhnaya?” My question catches him off guard. He’s silent only for a moment before he groans as he takes another bite of the food we prepared.

“Listen-“ The look I give him causes him to close his mouth for a moment before he opens it again to properly explain himself.

“Your mother.. I didn’t follow her to Snezhnaya because she planned to move back here with you when you grew a bit older. She lived with you in Snezhnaya for reasons I will not delve into, but I.. I loved your mother. After I found out what happened to her..” He sighs, and that sigh alone holds a lot of weight. I can see the heartache in his eyes as he downs some water. “Let’s just say I took matters into my own hands, and it evolved from there. Unfortunately, I can’t do my work in Snezhnaya since your mother has passed and I’d probably be hunted and killed by Fatui so… I do it here. The place your mother wanted to live and grow old with a family.” My breath hitches, and I wince when he mentions the Fatui.

Does he know what happened to me? I glance at his face, and it’s back to being as impassive as ever. My eyes catch sight of his hands as he drinks more water, and the ring on his finger shines due to the light of the fire.

That ring.. wait, my mother also wore a ring on her finger…

I study the ring on his finger, and suddenly memorizes that I’ve buried from years ago.

No wonder this fire feels nostalgic. Mom brought me to visit Inazuma a few times, and the times I did visit she always had rendezvous with dad. One of the times we had a temporary reunion, we sat by a fire together like this. The circumstances were different and the atmosphere was filled with laughter and cheer, it wasn’t so… solemn.

If only things didn’t turn out the way they did, then…

Mom would still be here, and I’d never have had to commit such atrocities under the Tsaritsa’s gaze.

I don’t notice I’m crying until my father huffs and reaches over to wipe my tears. “Kid, I won’t ask for forgiveness or stop doing things the way I’ve been doing them for years. All I ask is that if you’re ever in trouble, come to me. I will not let what happened to your mother happen to you. I will gladly die if it means protecting you, alright? Now finish eating. It’s getting late and I’m sure that short kid is worried about you.” I sniffle at my dad’s harsh yet kind words, and I do as instructed.

Although the atmosphere is solemn, we reminisce about mom and I tell him about the things she did and the people she helped before she died. We laugh together and bond over memories of mom. We begin to forge a bond that never had the opportunity to develop to its full potential.

Before we part ways, my dad gives me one last piece of advice as I give him a tearful hug. “I know it may be hard, but think about the person you want to become. Do what your heart tells you, but don’t ignore your head either. Although.. maybe it’ll be a good thing if you do, knowing how hot headed you can be.” I smack my dad’s back in a show of exasperation, and he laughs.

He releases me from our hug, ruffles my hair, and is out of sight before I can finish lifting my arm to wave farewell.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Heizou is visibly upset I let my dad escape, since his actions aren’t… entirely legal, but he lets it slide for my sake.

Although now I have to help him solve another case sometime in the future.

I agree to his terms, and it isn’t long before I’m moving on to the next nation with a bit more guidance and feelings of turmoil in my heart.

That is, until I see him.

A glimpse. The soft jingles as his hat sways with the breeze.

He’s going into a.. factory? My throat constricts and my heart pounds loudly in my ears, yet a broad smile makes its way on to my lips.

It’s him! Scaramouche!! In Inazuma!

I’m determined to call out to him, but I stop myself when I see Signora following him close behind.

My cheeks burn and I immediately close my mouth. Damn, I’d sneak around, but that isn’t in my best interest.

So, with a sorrowful sigh, I leave my heart behind and follow my head to my next destination.

…

Which is where my heart is, and my heart is currently in an abandoned factory in Inazuma.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Stealth isn’t my virtue, but I can make it work when the situation is truly dire.

I sneak into the factory and overhear an interesting conversation between Scaramouche and Signora.

As he talks to her, dismissive as usual, I study his body language and facial expressions. Huh, he’s the same old Scaramouche.

Except he seems a bit more…

I pout as I watch from afar. Signora finally leaves, and my heart aches for the person standing alone in an abandoned building.

I restrain myself from revealing myself to greet him since I can’t take the risk of another Fatui member spotting us. I sneak back out of the facility.

Lost in thought, I’m not paying enough attention and I accidentally hit my foot against something. Not only does it create a sound that reverberates throughout the factory, but oh my archons it hurts my foot!

“Who’s there?” Scaramouche is quick to change his stance as he readies for a potential fight against an intruder.

Quick, Run!

I’m out of the factory like lightning and manage to hide outside the factory before he can spot me. He looks annoyed from afar as a lower ranked Fatui member approaches him and asks for something. I hope he thinks it was them.

I can finally breathe easy, and I silently watch on as the man who shouldn’t have a heart unknowingly holds one in his blood stained hands.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

I lurk around Inazuma a bit more and lo and behold, the traveler makes an appearance. I can only imagine what will become of Inazuma with the traveler here, so I choose this opportunity to take my leave before things can escalate.

I bid farewell to my newfound Inazuman friends, and I convinced captain Beidou to give me a ride back to Liyue.

As the ship leaves the dock, my father’s lone figure makes a brief appearance. I smile and wave, and this time, he waves back.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

“Oh my goossshhhh.” I whine. It’s taking me forever to find a totally not illegal way into Sumeru. Judging by the traveler’s pattern, this is sure to be their next destination, albeit not for a while.

May as well explore this place again before the traveler’s influence reaches it.

I have made a singular trip here before with the doctor and Scaramouche before I left the harbingers, and I felt beyond uncomfortable around the doctor. I felt bad, but I did not protest when the doctor said he has business to tend to with the balladeer. So, I let them be and briefly explored the vast rainforests of Sumeru. I didn’t get to do too much exploring, but this time is different.

“Yes!! Finally!” I grin and shout with joy when I’m finally in Sumeru. Which unfortunately catches someone’s attention, and I scramble to hide.

A… fox person? Bunny? No, probably a fox due to their tail.

A fox person enters my line of sight as they scour the area. “People shouldn’t be here. How did this dolt manage to make it through?” They say aloud to themself. They sniff the air and start heading in my direction, so I book it.

“Hey! Wait up!” The voice calls for me. I don’t look back until I’m sweaty and panting as I catch my breath near a statue of the seven above my head. I look up at the statue and groan in dismay.

This is going to be a long journey.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

“Hmm. I see. Thank you for your information.” I thank the scholar. They wave me off, and I leave the area. The more I learn about this nation’s archon, the more heartbroken I feel. How can a nation treat their Archon so cruelly? Just calling her “Lesser Lord” is honestly disrespectful in and of itself.

What I’ve heard from the Tsaritsa about the Greater & Lesser Lord seems to add up from what the residents of Sumeru have told me. For once, I actually anticipate the traveler’s arrival. Hopefully they can fix this mess.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

I make my own acquaintances as I explore all Sumeru has to offer. I’ve grown quite fond of this nation, almost as much as Mondstadt.

Although, nothing will ever surpass Mondstadt.

I often find myself perusing the books in the Akademiya, and that’s how I’ve wormed my way into a particular scholar’s life.

“Alllhaaiiithhhaammmm!” I call. His sigh conveys such unconfined dismay that I burst into a fit of giggles. “Here to annoy me again?” “Yes, and this time I want a bigger book!” “…You got it.” Alhaitham immediately hands me a book, and I’m surprised he already had one picked out.

He eyes my surprised expression and he shakes his head at me like a parent scolding their child. “You should know you always stick to the same routine, it’s hard not to anticipate your actions. I’ve picked out a book for you to save myself time. You can read it here with me, or not. Just don’t disturb me while I read.” With a satisfied hum, I take a seat across from Alhaitham and crack open the book.

My eyes alight at the sound of the hardcover book being opened, and I resist the urge to nerd out about the antique book smell that wafts up to my nostrils.

The first time I came to the Akademiya, I asked multiple scholar’s for book recommendations, but none of them knew any books that described what I was looking for. Eventually one of them referred me to Alhaitham. Alhaitham was quick to help me locate the book I was actually searching for. Of course after that experience I made it a habit to visit the Akademiya everyday.

This is Alhaitham and books we’re talking about. I love books, and the books I’m reading contain knowledge that is not easily accessible. Surprisingly, Alhaitham still lends them to me. Maybe he’s inferred more about me than he lets on? Otherwise it wouldn’t make sense why he would risk his integrity as a scribe to lend me these books.

Speaking of books.

I happily hum as I flip the first page of the book, and the first few sentences have me hooked. This book is about the origins of Sumeru, Irminsul, and the Akasha. Except this book contains more information than what’s available to the public. I already have “forbidden” knowledge because of the Tsaritsa, but it’s always good to read up on topics yourself to make your own judgements and interpretations.

As I flip through the book I feel Alhaitham’s gaze on me, but I don’t say anything about it as I continue to flip through the book.

Eventually he awkwardly coughs to get my attention, and that’s when I finally look at him. We’re not super close since we’re across the table from one another but my cheeks still flush when our eyes meet. He’s very handsome.

“Y/n, what knowledge are you hoping to obtain from reading all these books?” Alhaitham’s question catches me a bit off guard, and I take a few moments to contemplate my answer.

“More knowledge about this world.” Is my simple response. Alhaitham puts his book down, and I’m so shocked by the action his next words don’t immediately register with me. “Well to me it seems that the knowledge you seek will not be found within these books.”

After I get over the fact he genuinely put his book down to have this conversation with me, I stare at his intense irises. His eyebrows are drawn together and he looks oddly serious. “What do you mean by that? I just told you the knowledge I seek is about this world.” Alhaitham acknowledges my words with a nod of his head, yet that expression remains.

“Yes, that is what you told me. However, your eyes tell me there’s more to it than that.” Said eyes widen as Alhaitham reads me like the book he just set down. He continues to speak when I remain silent. “It seems the true knowledge you seek lies within yourself, and you already have all the answers you need. Take some time to yourself to think about what it is you truly want. Scouring these books on knowledge you’ve already attained will not help you achieve your goals.” He intensely watches my facial expression, and although I’m still shocked I’m honestly a bit touched that he cares so much to tell me this.

Alhaitham not only took the time to listen to my request when I approached the Akademiya’s Scribe in search of rare books, but he also trusted me enough to lend me these books, albeit very reluctantly at first.

I wonder how he can read me so well, and since he obviously knows more than he lets on, why did he lend me these books to begin with?

“Hey, Alhaitham?” He hums in acknowledgment and his hand prompts me to continue speaking. “Why did you lend me these books?” This time Alhaitham’s the one who looks taken aback.

His lips subtly form a small smirk before his expression quickly shifts back to one of neutrality, but I caught his shift in expression nonetheless. “Well, it’s not often you see a person with two visions. It’s not hard to infer one is a masterless vision while the other is your own. The real question lies in how did you acquire your visions, and which one is yours? My hypothesis is that you acquired the Anemo vision of your own accord, and the cryo vision is the one you obtained from someone else. I won’t pry for the details but surely there’s more to your story than meets the eye.” Once Alhaitham finishes his explanation he proceeds to pick up his book again and continue reading like his inferences weren’t spot on and scarily accurate.

I close my book shut and sit back in my seat. I close my eyes as I reflect on Alhaitham’s words. “It seems the true knowledge you seek lies within yourself, and you already have all the answers you need. Take some time to yourself to think about what it is you truly want. Scouring these books on knowledge you’ve already attained will not help you achieve your goals.”

I know he’s right, so instead of indulging in the knowledge that rests in the book before me I’ll take this time to really figure out what it is I want.

I have an inkling of a feeling I’ve had my answer from the very beginning.

So, why is it that I’m just realizing this now?

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

I wait for the Traveler to arrive in Sumeru. It seems trouble follows wherever the traveler roams, and something’s telling me it won’t be long before they arrive.

I sigh as I stand up and stretch, taking in the beautiful rays of sunshine. I’ve taken time for myself, and I finally found the answer to Alhaitham’s question.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to pursue what it is I want when an important person who’s a part of that plan is.. well, …I have no clue where they are. I’m hoping I’ll encounter him somewhere in Sumeru, but the odds are low. Maybe I should return to Snezhnaya and sneak my way around Fatui camps?

No, that’s a recipe for disaster. I groan and mess up my hair as I run my fingers through it.

Why are you always on my mind? Why am I driving myself crazy over you? I haven’t seen you in ages, and honestly I don’t know if you even feel the same.. or if..

My thoughts drift away as I catch sight of a tall figure in the distance. I gap at the sight of Dottore walking through the streets of Sumeru, near the Akademiya.

No, that can’t be right. Why would he be here right now?

I quickly hide myself and slowly sneak closer to the man; I want to make sure I’m not hallucinating and it’s really who I think it is. I’d rather hallucinate about any other man over Dottore, but a hallucination is preferable to the real… well.. things.

Once I’m closer and his blue lock of hair is only a few feet in front of me, I know with the pounding of my heart that the man before me is for sure Dottore, if not, one of his clones.

Then that could mean…

I survey the area with a newfound seed of hope. It’s a bit of a longshot, but thinking back to what he told me before..

I cover my mouth before an elated giggle can slip out, and I slowly move away from Dottore.

I remember the promise we made. Does he really expect to find me here, and for me to help him achieve godhood? I wonder if he even remembers the promise we made with each other that day…

With a solemn sigh I continue my trek to the Akademiya, being extra cautious to stay out of Dottore’s line of vision.

Well, until we meet again, I shall find solace in books and the hot men of Teyvat.

…Ignore that last bit.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

When I spot the traveler this time around I decide to tail them and watch over their journey in Sumeru from afar.

I’m not stalking them, but I need to follow them since I’m bound to learn valuable information on new developments in Sumeru if I remain nearby.

It’s not like I haven’t followed them briefly in various nations to obtain crucial information on recent developments. I was able to witness some of the events the traveler underwent, while others I’ve heard of through gossip among the locals.

As I follow the traveler I learn more about them, and I’m a bit impressed. Not enough to want to befriend them, but they’re definitely someone the Tsaritsa would want me to keep an eye on-

Ugh.

I shake my head to rid myself of the deplorable thought.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

I wish I brought snacks, since this is getting good.

I eagerly follow the Traveler as they discover what the Sumeru scholars have done to the poor dendro Archon. I only follow them a few miles into the desert before I return to Sumeru since it’s too hot for me to handle.

I’ll bring myself up to speed when they return.

Once gossip of the Traveler’s return reaches my ears I’m quick to track down the Traveler, just in time to follow them into a domain.

Okay, this was not the plan.

I didn’t mean to follow them into an enclosed space since it raises my likelihood of getting caught, but I’m here now so..

I maintain an adequate distance from the traveler and stifle my laughter as they struggle to solve some of the puzzles within the domain.

My heart sinks as we continue to explore the domain, and Paimon’s booming voice from afar does nothing to soothe the rapid pace of my heart when I come to a realization.

I know where we are and what lies in this domain.

I glance around me at the scenery. Yup, I’ve been here before with Dottore and Scaramouche. I recall the time I insisted on tagging along with Scaramouche, before I left this domain to explore Sumeru on my own. What I witnessed here made me uncomfortable, so I welcomed the escape I was offered when Dottore told me he had plans needed to pursue in private with Scaramouche.

I fidget as a feeling of dread overwhelms my senses. This place never gave me good vibes. What if I have to witness that again and- wait.

Is this the place I’ll be able to see him again?

My questions are soon answered, and I’m glad I remain hidden through it all.

My heart breaks and a tear slides down my cheek at what Scaramouche has chosen to become.

I sigh and watch from far away as Traveler fights the “god” before me. I hope I can still help him once this is all over, although.. not in the way he probably meant.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

I have a hard time finding Scaramouche after his “fall from godhood.” I wanted to run and catch him as he fell, but then I would give myself away.

So instead I grit my teeth and watch as the traveler didn’t even attempt to help him, which is understandable (he was being a bit of an ass), but still…

So it’s quite a shock when I stumble upon a short male clad in blue while I’m restocking my food supply. I almost don’t interact with the man since the man before me could easily be a manifestation of my yearning for Scaramouche, but when our eyes lock I know for certain that Scaramouche is the man standing before me.

My palms sweat and I pray my voice doesn’t crack.

“Hello there traveler! Would you like to-“ I don’t let him finish and ignore his oddly polite tone. I jump on him and embrace him tightly.

“Scaramouche!! I’ve missed you so much. You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to see you again. So, what’s with the new look?” I almost reveal how I saw him back in Inazuma at the factory, but I keep my mouth shut since we’re in a moderately busy and public area. I know he’ll probably shove me off of him, annoyed that I’m hugging him, but I can’t help but give in to my desire to hug him after being apart for so long.

The man standing near the beautiful array of fruit for purchase chuckles. “Is this someone you know little guy?” The man turns towards Scaramouche and I, and I wait for Scaramouche to answer.

Except, his eyes meet mine and there’s no hint of recognition in them. I feel my blood run cold when he gives me a polite smile before he slowly peels me off of him. “I’m not sure who you’re referring to when you call me Scaramouche, but I’m sure it was an honest mistake on your end. I can help you find him. What does he look like? Where did you last see him?” I feel sweat gather upon my brow when he stands before me and denies having any sort of recollection of me.

Wait, the traveler. And everything that happened. Could it be that he has amnesia? Or does this have something to do with…

To test my tentative theory, I ask him a question he has to know the answer to if he truly is Scaramouche. “Do you remember what the weather was like the day we last saw each other?” The only response I get is an awkward cough from the man beside Scara as Scara awkwardly laughs away my inquiry. “Again, I’m not entirely sure what you’re referring to. If it’ll help-“

I break off into a sprint as I run away from the man who can no longer recall my face. My eyes water and I angrily rub the droplets off my eyelashes before they can fall. I refuse to cry before I figure out what exactly is going on, and if this is a result of what I think it is then I may not be the only one whose memory was altered.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

Sure enough, any memory of the man named Scaramouche has seemingly vanished. The only way I could really confirm this was by questioning the Fatui who were left behind. I disguised myself as best I could, making sure to hide my hair and face, before questioning them about the harbingers.

They were overly suspicious of me and immediately attacked me, as expected, so after a good beating they spilled the beans.

Thankfully Itto isn’t around.

To the lower ranked Fatui members, the Harbinger Scaramouche didn’t exist. I was tempted to bring up his name, but I didn’t want to cause any complications for myself or him in the future. So I released the Fatui members and immediately returned to the Akademiya to scour books.

Books on Irminsul, which I recall is the tree that holds all the information and memories of Teyvat.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

Judging by the information from books, it is hypothetically possible to erase past events and memories from all people of Teyvat if Irminsul is tampered with.

If that’s the case, then I can still recall Scaramouche and Greater Lord Rukkdehvata…

I close my eyes and recall the many tidbits of knowledge the Tsaritsa has bestowed upon me, coupled with the knowledge of other harbingers and the books I’ve been scouring for the past couple of days.

Could it be that I’m…

I shake the thought away and return to the objective at hand. If the memories of Scaramouche were removed from Tevyat then it could potentially be restored under specific circumstances which are highly unlikely..

But this is Teyvat we’re talking about, and the traveler is involved. I recall the words a mysterious man once told me. “There are no coincidences in this world.”

Alright, that settles it then.

With a start I spring from my seat, hearing a startled yelp from the blonde man sitting across from me. “Oh, I’m sorry!” I sheepishly apologize to the man. He shoots me an inquisitive look, but accepts my apology nonetheless. I try not to laugh at his annoyed expression when he spots someone walking in behind me. I don’t waste time in leaving, and I exchange brief hellos with Alhaitham on my way out.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ♡　*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Locating the traveler is a bit of a difficult task, but my previous experiences from my days with the Fatui come in handy. Unfortunately, I’m pretty good at recon and tracking people down. It’s even easier since the traveler is a well known individual.

When I finally spot the traveler from afar, they’re walking into a building, so I quickly follow them.

It’s a pain getting into the building without being spotted, so unfortunately I miss some information. When I notice the dendro Archon talking to the traveler, hope blossoms in my chest when Scara- … the man in blue is seen with them.

I sneak closer and have to close my eyes and strain to hear, and when I tune in I’m surprised by what I hear.

Scaramouche now refers to himself as Wanderer, and his “former” self, Scaramouche, attempted to erase his existence in hopes of changing past events in Inazuma.

Oh, Scaramouche..

I tune the others out for a moment as I mull over the information I gleamed. It’s hard to continue moving forward with your sins weighing upon your soul, and he must’ve truly felt that erasing his existence was the best outcome not only for others but for himself as well.

How heartbreaking.

I tune back into the conversation. The dendro Archon, Nahida, discusses how it’s possible for Wanderer to regain his memories. Once the Wanderer finally agrees to the plan they create, I silently leave the building. I could follow them and see his memories for myself, which is tempting, but I’d prefer to hear about his past from his own mouth. I’d rather not invade his privacy by seeing his past without his consent.

It’s funny, since in the past I probably wouldn’t hesitate to do so.

…

Aw well, it’s better this way.

I leave the premises and choose to aimlessly wander Sumeru as I wait for Scara to regain his memories.

I know I’ll eventually run into him again.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ♡　*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

I hug my knees to my chest as the breeze lifts my hair in the wind.

Scaramouche- no, Wanderer…

It’s been a few days since I saw that confused look in his eyes when I hugged him. I clutch the hem of my clothes as I curl in on myself further.

What if he still doesn’t remember me? What if he forgets his time as a harbinger?

I know the weight on his shoulders would be lessened if he did forget, but a selfish part of me hopes he remembers, solely so he won’t forget the time we spent together.

Wanderer, I hope you remember me.

My thoughts begin to spiral, and a familiar tightness constricts my throat.

I hate to feel like this in a place where anyone can see me, but my body freezes and I’m afraid I’ll trip over myself like a fool if I try to get up and leave.

My breaths come out faster and I squeeze my eyes shut in hopes of blocking out the dizzying lights.

Deep breaths.

The moment I take a deep breath, I feel someone’s presence nearby. I hope they keep walking and don’t ask questions since I need to focus on calming myself down.

I sense the person lower themselves to sit beside me, and they place a comforting hand on my back. The sensation of their hand running up and down my back helps calm me down, and soon my breaths even and my heart rate slows its rapid march.

“You imbecile.”

My body freezes yet again, but for a different reason this time.

My head shoots up from my knees and I swivel my head so fast I’m surprised I don’t get whiplash.

Next to me sits none other than Scaramouche, or well, Wanderer, and a frown is on his lips.

“How long has this been happening?” He asks. He stares me down, and I feel my heart beat a steady rhythm. His presence alone calms my racing heart. “Sca- Wanderer… I… Do you remember me?” I hate the way my voice cracks, and his face shows mild surprise.

“Of course I do. You still owe me you know. Come with me, I don’t have time to waste.” He stands, but he leans down to offer me his hand.

“Get up. The ground is no place for you to stay, you need to stand up.” His words offer me a strange sense of comfort, and I hesitantly take his hand.

“So, it seems you know more than I thought. You called me Wanderer instead of Scaramouche… tell me what you know.” With that, he begins walking. He slows when he sees I’m not following, and he turns around. “Are you coming?” “Do you want me to?” “Why wouldn’t I-“ “You forgot about me.” My emotional statement causes him to wince.

He lowers his hat to obscure his face as he looks down to the ground for a moment. When he looks up again, it’s into my eyes. “I’m sorry. I was being foolish at that time. I’m not one for promises, but I’ll promise you this; I’d never forget a human like you.” His words steal my breath away, and when I run into his arms this time his eyes shine with recognition.

“I missed you.” I whisper against his clothes. I hear the sharp intake of breath he takes at my words. He doesn’t return my hug, but I enjoy the comfort of his body against mine regardless.

I jump slightly when I feel a pair of arms wrap around me moments later. “You’re so…” His whisper is carried away in the wind, and I chuckle at his obvious loss for words.

I’m glad he can’t see my silly, lopsided smile.

I start giggling, full of glee. “What’s so funny?” He asks. I shiver when one of his hands brush across my lower back.

I rest my head against his shoulder, and I’m surprised by the unusual temperature of his body.

“Your body… is warm.”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ♡　*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

“Oh, wow… I correctly deduced some parts of your story but others.. not so much. I still can’t believe the doctor did such a horrible thing. Well I do believe it but for a person to commit such a heinous act is so… wow, Dottore.” I clench my teeth as I utter that disgusting name. I hate that man with a burning passion, and hearing Wanderer’s story reminds me of a sweet girl I encountered in a village when I first entered Sumeru.

She helped me find my way to the Akademiya, but before I could leave she collapsed where she stood. She said it was normal for her and she was just exhausted, but I had a feeling there was more to the story so I stuck around and cared for her in the best way I could.

Turns out the fox person I originally ran from is named Tighnari, and he returned to the village to care for the collapsed girl named Collei. That’s how I learned of the cause of her exhaustion.

Since I have more information than the forest ranger, I quickly pieced everything together. I knew what really occurred with this sweet girl, and it pained me to know the doctor could inflict so much suffering on a child like her.

I’ve never despised a man so much. I’d go so far as to say hate, but no one, let alone him, deserves me putting that much energy into their irrelevant existence.

I sigh as my mind returns to the present. Dottore. This man has done so many horrible things to people and puppets alike. “I can’t stand that man. I’m sorry you’ve experienced so many traumatic events, but thankfully now you can take your life and your future into your own hands and grow as a person because of it. This doesn’t erase the wrongs you have committed, but that doesn’t mean you can’t grow and become someone better. I’m proud of you for how far you’ve come.” I flash him a smile, and his eyes widen as his mouth forms the cute shape of an ‘o.’

“Speaking of past events, I went on a journey of my own and I figured out what it is I’m truly searching for. Ever since I left you that day I didn’t know what direction I wanted to take for myself. I did some wandering- haha, pun intended, and a scribe of all people helped me come to a conclusion. Although, my father also played a major role in my journey. Anyway, I discovered that I…” My words trail off and I watch in awe when Wanderer averts his gaze.

He turned too late though.

“Wanderer, did I just see..?” “Shut up, moron. Continue. What did you discover?” Wanderer indiscreetly runs his hand across his eyes.

I decide to let him have his privacy and not pester him on the unshed tears I saw on his lashes.

I move a bit closer to him and offer a silent hand of comfort over his. I’m thankful he doesn’t move my hand away.

“Well, I discovered that what I really want is to find the truth of this world. But I also..” I tentatively glance in his direction, and I’m surprised by his focused gaze on me. He’s never been one to care for other’s affairs, yet he seems so invested in what I’m saying. The thought brings a silly smile to my face that I hope he dismisses.

“I also want to create genuine bonds with others and grow to be the best version of me that I can be.. and there’s a certain someone I’d like to have by my side..” I fully turn towards Wanderer and squeeze his hand as I tell him, “I want to do this with you. I want to experience many days to come with you by my side, or well, me by your side as you probably prefer I phrase it. I.. I..” I nervously chuckle when his expression remains unreadable, but I won’t back down now!

“When I’m with you, my heart races and my palms get sweaty-“ “Trust me, I noticed.” He interrupts me dryly. I glare at him and he only smirks in silent reply. He nods to prompt me to continue, so I do.

“I.. You.. You may not feel the same way I do about you but-“ “Just get on with it and stop beating around the bush-“ “I love you, okay!? Gosh let me finish speaking before you interrupt me. Anyway-“ I freeze when I realize he provoked the answer out of me, and my face burns in embarrassment. I attempt to remove my hand from on top of his and make a break for it, but he predicts my movements.

His hand laces itself together with mine and he pulls me in so I fall against him. “Wanderer!” I shout in embarrassment. I close my eyes and hope his rejection isn’t too harsh.

Oh, who am I kidding. This is the former Sixth Fatui Harbinger we’re talking about.

I brace myself for rejection, and the silence is awfully loud. The thing that breaks the silence catches me off guard, and I can’t help but smile when his laughter cuts through the tense atmosphere.

His laughter is much cuter and lighthearted than I thought it would sound, and it soon ropes me in. We’re a bunch of giggling idiots sitting side by side on a bench, and passersby give us a mixture of sweet and curious glances.

Once our laughter slows to a stop, I wait with baited breath for his next words. “Oh, you fool. You’ve always been very perceptive, but never with the things that are most obvious.” Hey! He chooses to reject me with a roundabout insult!?

I quickly turn my head to scold him, but the words get caught in my throat as he chooses that moment to close the distance between us.

I’m surprised by how soft his lips feel gently pressed against mine.

It takes me a moment to process what’s happening, and once I do my already vibrant world bursts in an explosive array of bright colors as I realize the implications behind his actions. Before I can return the kiss he pulls away, and he smirks at my expression. “You dolt. Didn’t you just tell me you love me? Why didn’t you return my kiss?” Wanderer ‘tsks’ and begins to move away from me with that annoying smirk still on his lips. So, I do the only plausible thing that comes to mind.

I kiss that stupid smirk off his face.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ♡　*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

P.S

When he kisses me back, it feels as if my heart is glowing.

I really am a lucky girl.

#genshin x reader #genshin x you #reader insert #genshin x y/n #genshin reader insert #genshin x female reader #genshin impact x reader #wanderer x y/n #wanderer x female reader #wanderer x you #wanderer x reader #scaramouche x reader #scaramouche x you #scaramouche x female reader

64 notes · View notes

pansear-doodles · 10 months

Text

here are some interesting graphs from my art fight hitlist because im feeling the tism and sometimes people give me funny responses

yes! 143 responses! keep it coming!

hi werewolves

did you know that for the past three teams im in they all won?

do you want to break that streak? good luck!!!

oh i can take any species and character type. im not sure why i put this to be honest but i guess i was just curious

but then...

I FORGOT TO ADD FERAL AS AN OPTION!!!!!!!!!! (warrior oc owners mad!!!!!!)

it seems everyone whos filling out my hitlist is fully aware im primarily a mass attacker

hihi 25 people as of writing! ready for another round?

good! don't have to worry about someone for now.

lol only one of you said no

i am glad a majority of you picked yes. making mass attacks is difficult but ultimately rewarding. you have to plan the layout, core theme, study each and every character you're including so you can have them do something and create scenes, hope that none of the characters get hidden while you're drawing (which is the most annoying part but understandable) and then submitting, and much more.

the three people who answered "ive known you for a long time" are all incorrect (youd have to know me longer than you know me from drawception, which is likeeeee late fnaf fandom i think???). a good chunk of you are from rain world!

rain world ppl youre in for a treat hehe. this is like the month of the year where i go tism on your characters, studying them under a microscope (and then probably most for them ill let them wear jackets or cool scarves)

you guys are right tho. neither of them would want to fight each other LOL

i saw that a good number of you pondered on attacking with my artihunter. do be informed that i also love rogueval art and was very crazy about it last year (and i think i still am)

i even made a comp of sorts, containing a chunk of cool rogueval art i got from af 2021 haha

ill be happy regardless on who you want to draw, whether its my fan ocs and aus, or my original original characters

either way

youre all getting souped

now finally.... the remarks....

some gold ones here here...

we have a lot of lovely nice comments. there are so many i could only grab a handful. thank you for your kind words. ill be sure to take easy this time this year.

and then we have the funny ones lol

sincerely, thank you everyone for supporting my endeavors this way. seeing everyone unite and be giving to one another- i enjoy it a lot. art fight is easy on the first half, but it does get stressful later on based on my experiences. dont be afraid to take breaks and dont feel bad if you only manage to put out a couple of attacks in the end. your participation and willingness means well.

keep this one thing in mind: you are never obligated to attack back, and you are never obligated to have your art be at your best.

the overall goal is to have fun.

#art fight #thoughts

34 notes · View notes

poodle-anon · 8 months

Text

Poodle Anon’s Fic Directory

Hey there! I’ve written a bunch of stuff that’s had to be on anon, and since to my knowledge you cannot add them to a series within Ao3, I thought it best to collect them all together here in one post with a semi-arbitrary order. Currently doing this all on mobile so things may be a bit off in formatting but they SHOULD all be under link/link on ao3.

Most of my things draw from the Townhouse AU created by the lovely @st0rmyskies, but I do NOT consider my own works to be related to Linked Universe, personally. We serve linkshipping here, sir.

Have fun!

Ceremony

Champion's upbringing was not as easy as some. Extension of lore from Home Sweet Home: The Brave, and the companion piece to HSH:Run, and I suggest you read that one first. Gen fic, Champion-only. HSH/DF compliant. Heavily features hallucinogens/bad trips, cults, and hazing. Oneshot, 3,008 words. Mature

Digital Footprint

Champion returns to his body and all of Wild’s leftover possessions and data. Like nudes. So many of his own nudes that he does not remember taking. Self loving (in many forms) ensues. Champion/Wild. Attempting to be HSH Compliant. Cis!Champion (started before trans!Wild was canonized). My smut magnum opus for some reason. Work in Progress. 6/? chapters, 14,624 words (so far). 18+

Breathe Out, So I Can Breathe You In

This one's The Weed Fic (™) where Legend and Champion smoke some, have a heart to heart, and get handsy. Legend/Champion, background Legend/Hyrule. Digital Footprint compliant but not really canon. Semi-HSH compliant. Trans!Champion Oneshot, 4,632 words. PG-13

Once, and In a Fantasy

Champion finds an old video of a fling he had with his longest running crush (Sky) once. Jealousy and jacking off ensue. Wild gets to have all the fun, doesn't he? Sky/Wild, Sky/Champion (unrequited). Digital Footprint compliant but not really canon. Semi-HSH compliant. Cis!Champion. Oneshot, 1,750 words. 18+

What I Am

Champion has a bad time with some of Time’s old habits, and both are terrible at communicating. This is their get-along lakehouse. Followup/hypothetical addition to What We Are. Involves heavy discussion of dysphoria, discomfort, and failsex/sudden safewording. Champion/Time. Based on LMTCOY Oneshot, 2,000 words and counting. Unpublished wip you can ask me about. 18+

Unexpected Obstacles

Champion has some old trauma that dies pretty damn hard, sometimes getting in the way of his sex life. Or: champion accidentally pulls a knife on Twilight during sex and is then sad about it, but everything turns out fine because Twi is a goober. Champion/Twilight. Sorta HSH compliant. Oneshot, 998 words. 18+

Poodle Anon’s Speakeasy Kinktober Collection (2022)

Super secret server I’m in did a kinktober! Had a lot of fun with these, it’s all over the place but just oneshots. Many different ships (primarily HSH), but includes OC Link, and canon-inspired situations 7 chapters, 6,861 words, 18+

Playing With Your Food

Collab with our dear St0rmy! Wild and Dark as vampires, per Blood Lust, give gorey head to their boyfriends. Under-discussed kink, CW for dick squick, and blood/minor gore. There are Flesh Descriptions. Wild/Time (my bit), Twilight/Dark (Stormy’s bit). Blood Lust compliant. MIND THOSE TAGS. Oneshot, 3,016 words, VERY 18+

Broken Mirror

Time is goaded into fucking Dark over his desk, harkening back to the days of their misspent youth under control of various entities where they also fucked against a wall when they were supposed to be killing each other. Not really a hatefuck, more like an annoyed-fuck? Smangst. Dark/Time. LMTCOY/HSH compliant-ish. Kinda rough but Dark is into it. Mind the tags. Oneshot, 2,348 words. 18+

Practical Exam

Direct followup to Chapter 18 of Let Me Take Care of You Sky gets a final “test” before “graduating” his Dom training. The test? Time has wanted this flyboy's dick since the first day of their training, Sky sweetly obliges and Time gets turned into a puddle of mush (rare subspace). It’s very cute. Time/Sky. LMTCOY compliant. Mostly aftermath of their scene and some aftercare. It’s cute. Mind those tags!!! Oneshot, 3,538 words. 18+

Bunny Love

Legend and Hyrule mess around and get all cute and gross like the happy couple they are. They’re going to give me fucking cavities. Legend/Hyrule, established relationship. LMTCOY compliant. Short and sweet. Oneshot, 899 words. 18+

Bonus: Followup to @miniscrew-anon's febuwhump fill! Champion wakes up from his second bonkening that returned him to the world, and starts getting caught up on what he’s missed. Guard boys being friends. No ship (gasp). HSH: The Brave compliant. Oneshot, just under 500 words. PG-13

#poodle barks #poodle writes

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chibi-pix · 3 months

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Chibi Doodles!

$15 chibi commissions!

Heyo, lovelies!

So, I think I'm gonna try and finally get past my anxiety and open up to do commissions. Mama was helping me gauge prices and as a chibi can typically take one to two hours to draw, she feels $15 is reasonable.

As a note, though, while it can take me that long, it may look like it's taking longer due to other projects I have going for me or other things in life.

But, let's get going with some information, right?

To start, while you may have seen previous posts of mine, but these are examples of my chibis.

Examples!

Now, I don't know if I can legally do fan art for commissions. I don't know all the rules and conditions and whatnot for that. But I am more than happy to do OCs and even try to chibify you or a loved one.

In fact, the chibi with the bandana and pink and purple outfit is based on my sister. The green and black haired one next to her is an OC of mine. The bottom two are fan arts I've done.

Though, I possibly can do fan art. I think some commission artists do, too. Hmm.

Payment!

Payment is important. Due to a mutual hate between Paypal and myself, I am not (and kinda can not) use that. However, I am able to work with Venmo for payment.

If there are questions about other potential payment methods such as Zelle, feel free to ask me.

The price also covers ONE (1) chibi, fully coloured and lightly shaded (I think that's what people call cell shading?). If you are wanting two chibis together, we will need to talk about that to figure out pricing.

The Process!

It starts out simple. You contact me in messages. Easy. And you inquire about a character/person and send references. Picture references are preferable for me to work from.

From there, I can work on the base of it. Now, this is equivalent, to me, to what people call a sketch. For my works, it's like these examples.

And I will show you the base.

If you request specifically for me to not show you the base so you can be surprised by the end result, I will try to remember to oblige. Otherwise, by default, I will show you the base.

From there, I will line, colour, and shade the chibi.

You can choose to have a solid background (white or coloured) or transparent background.

You can also choose to have a "scenery" circle (seen in the completed examples) behind them or not.

If the scenery circle is chosen, please specify or give an idea of what you'd like and I can talk with you to see if that is within my ability.

All chibis are saved as a PNG file.

When I am done, I will inform you. It is then that I would accept payment; after the payment is received, I will send you your chibi.

You can choose to have your chibi sent here or to your email. If sent to email, please be sure to provide it.

Will and Will Not Draw!

Like many artists, there are things I will and will not draw.

This section is subject to change as needed.

Will draw:

Original characters

chibis based from photos (within reason)

Minimal nudity (butts and breasts; if you request this, for safety reasons, I will prefer to email you the results)

Minimal blood

Will NOT draw:

Full gore

Explicit nudity (genitals)

Overly detailed things.

These chibis are small and simple. Extremely tiny details are not easy; I will consider, if asked, to simplify, though.

May consider drawing:

These are things I may consider; please talk to me about them first.

Animals

Furries (I am not skilled, but I can attempt)

Some mech and armour (again, not skilled, but I can attempt depending on what is asked of me)

If you have any further questions about what I can and cannot/will not draw, please feel free to message me about them. And again, I do not know of the legalities of drawing fan art of existing fandom characters for profit. So, I don't know how to go about that.

The Recap!

So! Let's recap and summarize.

Payments are through Venmo.

Chibis cost $15 each.

A base WIP will be sent before continuing.

Payment is needed before I send the final product.

Refer to the list and ask any questions needed as to what I will and won't draw.

If you're unsure of something or curious, feel free to ask. It never hurts to ask.

This post and all guidelines and such are subject to change as needed.

As a final note. I am NOT obligated to accept every person who commissions me. I do not have to justify myself as to why I am declining the commission request.

Added note!

Due to existence outside of the computer, I do apologize if I do not respond right away. I may sometimes not be responsive due to being away with errands or sleeping. These things may also affect art timing. So, please be patient with me if I do not respond instantaneously.

Feel free to directly message me here on Tumblr. Or on discord, username " chibipixmama " about chibis, whether you're ordering or have questions.

If needed, you can contact me at [email protected], too.

With all that said and done, hopefully this is good enough and goes well.

Thank you for checking this post out and maybe I'll see y'all!

Until then!

#chibi commissions #commission #commissions open #commission details #chibi doodles #slightly updated

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godbirdart · 1 year

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Hi! I've found you on Tumblr and I'm extremely happy for that (a divine find!). I know your art from FA and I love your style.

The prompt suggests a question, so here's a small one. Do you enjoy much art outside of the one that's similar to yours?

Well, that's it. All good wishes. ^^

oh hell yes of course i do!!

when asked what my Favorite kind of art is my mind IMMEDIATELY goes to Northwest Coast art. ever since i was a kid i've been VERY obsessed with formline art and still very much so am.

[artist: trevor angus]

as a kid my first interaction with formline art was in the form of The Spirit of Haida Gwaii by Bill Reid - a sculpture formerly featured on the canadian 20 dollar note. there's a copy of it hanging out in the museum of national history and i really need to go back to appreciate it now that i'm not a kid with an obligation to stick with a tour group. i DID get to glimpse the Jade Canoe edition in the vancouver airport for a fleeting moment between late connections - needless to say i was very heartbroken that i couldn't stick around to appreciate its detail.

the thing i absolutely go feral for are orcas in formline art. nothing - i repeat - NOTHING can compare to the sheer grip this animal in this art style has on me. i do not really have words to explain it, how i came to love this or why, i am just very enthusiastic about orcas in this style and have been for as long as i can remember.

i have a tiny handful of pins and merch made by various Haisla, Namgis and Haida artists - though only a few artists offer orca art. i don't want to just impulse-buy whatever orca i can find [etsy for example is a hellhole of stolen / appropriated art and i ain't for it] so i'm just patiently waiting around until an artist from a pacific northwest community puts up an art piece for sale.

[artist: Cori Savard - this particular print is on my to-buy list i just need to save the coin for it hhhhh]

now, completely unrelated to formline art.

i am also a fan of The Voice of Fire by Barnett Newman; if only for the fact that the museum bought this piece for 1.8 million and then proceeded to display it in the most OMINOUSLY EMPTY ROOM THEY HAD IN THE WHOLE BUILDING. my love for this painting isn't necessarily in the painting itself, but the presentation. i have stood in this room. occasionally there are other sculptures in there, but for the most part it just lingers there, isolated, glaring at you.

if we're going more into fandom culture and independent artists online, while i cannot say I've a particular Art Idol, i am a huge fan of [for lack of a better word for it] the kemono art style. i don't want to go and repost other artist's work without permission here, or make this post Even Longer, so i'll just point you in the direction of a few artists that draw in the style i'm talking about. it's first thing in the morning and i'm just barely waking up so i'm only going to post a small handful

terenry / terenryrm

mochiri

ev-oo

moonagvaze

i have a character design by terenry so i can post him as an example since i own the oc now [this is the watermarked art i pulled from my Toyhouse. the watermark is there to deter oc / art thieves but the artwork itself is by terenry]

sorry this ended up being really long aAaAA don't get me started on my favorite art i will never shut up about it. i can and will ramble for Hours about it. to say art is a passion of mine is a criminal understatement.

#long post #art

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practically-an-x-man · 1 month

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what is the stupidest hill your ocs will die on? lol

Haha I love this, thank you

Rae: People in non-Anglophone countries are not and should not be obligated to switch to English. If you want to visit you'd better fuckin know enough of their language to get around, it's not their job to learn English just to babysit you

Robin: Why tf does the alto clef exist? I mean, seriously. Anyone who's enough of a music nerd to read alto clef in the first place is enough of a music nerd to be able to read things above/below the staff in the other clefs.

Madison: Being alone and being a loner are two completely different things. She has had multiple arguments over this distinction.

Ophelia: If people want high-skilled jobs, why do they make you pay exorbitant amounts of money just to have the skills to get those jobs? She has a doctorate in biomed engineering, she's helping people, but if it weren't for scholarships and funding from Oscorp she'd be drowning in debt just to... be able to help people? College tuition rates make zero sense to her.

Gia: Every single one of the Avengers is physically or mentally disabled in some way, she could list each one (Hawkeye is Deaf, Bucky's an amputee like her, almost everyone's got PTSD, etc.), and she's tired of people just... not acknowledging that? Their superheroes, that they look up to, are disabled, yet half the time people won't even give up the disabled seats on the bus for her.

Jasper: Medical dramas ruin people's perceptions of medicine. They still love to watch the medical shows, sheerly for the sake of making fun of them, but they firmly believe that House MD has led people to self-diagnosing some absolutely wild conclusions for the mildest symptoms. No, you are not like that girl who had the bubonic plague. No, you do not have lupus. You have chills and fever and joint pain because it is flu season and you have the flu. Go home.

Kestrel: Animal taxonomy is... kind of a fucking joke. It works, it's a good system for cataloguing things, but... it's also a joke. Things don't make sense. If you get deep enough into taxonomy then birds don't exist. Either nothing's a fish or everything is a fish. Don't even get them start on hybridization.

Katherine: Realism artists aren't better artists than abstract artists, or any other kind of artist, just because they can do realism. Stop trying to compliment her by saying "I need a ruler to draw a stick man" or "I could never draw like that". Pick up a pencil and practice.

Quinn: People seem to feel the need to critique her choice of footwear when she's out walking with her crutches. No, thank you, her combat boots are more than fine. They're a little heavy, but they're familiar and comfortable, and they're already made for walking over tough terrain. Tennis shoes, or even orthopedic shoes, just throw her off-balance and make things worse. Shut up with the WebMD talk.

Eris: What hill wouldn't they die on? They'll die on hills they don't even care about, just for the sake of having an argument. He finds it fun.

Nikoletta: People who come to New Orleans just to dunk on the haunted history are just as annoying as people who come to New Orleans to rave over the haunted history. Come, enjoy yourself, but understand that it's a city with real history, and real families live there. She was just as annoyed with the people who would come for a "voodoo reading" and gush about it as she was with the people who would come in just to tell her to "do her best, I know it's all tricks". (even if her readings were just a scam, that still takes effort and skill, and besides that she knows there's a lot of people who have total faith in their abilities as mediums)

#my friends!!!#answered asks #my ocs #jasper wilson #ophelia octavius #madison douglas #oc quinn/aces #oc kestrel #rae mckinney #robin cassidy #gia pantazis #oc eris #oc katherine johnson #nikoletta bordeaux

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neonsix67 · 8 months

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My lamb!! (This pic has already been posted by @spotlightstudios per my request because I thought I wouldn't get around to actually posting about it, but here I am so awe well)

My little thing ♡

Physical concept explanation -

-> As always, I live to add a tail to everything I can but I mainly did it here because it helps me understand how to be more expressive with this specific creature, because I'm not the most comfortable with drawing animals.

->I mainly used the Tarot fleece for this because that the fleece I main-ed, but I did just unlock one of the second round of fleeces so idk...that may be subject to change but I really do like the design of that one for the Lamb.

->Can't really see it, but this Lamb has some heavy eyebags. Earned through extreme devotion and hard work, the stress of managing 24 idiots 27/7 has its weight over time, and never being able to sleep, eat, or die has some more...visible side effects.

I didn't change a thing with Narinders' design, at least not his Bishop design. I expect something a bit more...indulgent when I get to his defeated follower form.

But now a quick question (not really heavily ruling on answers but I am a little curious) but I have this idea for another Lamb OC/self-insert. Adding her would mean the existence of another Lamb with this version of the story, and I would likely pair it up with the other Lamb, or should I keep the Lamb of this one as the last and just make this other one a separate story? So the question is-

My version of the lore under break

Okay so I am running very heavily on a family dynamic here. Spot can advocate... but the whole idea is that Narinder kinda adopted this thing and it was SO gosh dang grateful that it worked, lived, and breathed for him. It wasn't long that Lamb starting viewing Narinder as a sort of father figure, never having one for itself since lambs were hunted down to extintion. Lamb would use every death as an opportunity to see Narinder and tell him about the Cult, or the most recent crusade, or just what sort of people Lamb has been meeting, anything to keep his attention.

The first time Lamb called him "Dad" was a slip up, quick and accidental, but Lamb never really apologised, and seeing that Narinder didn't really get mad at the title, Lamb just kinda kept calling him Dad, and eventually even gets cute with it and calls him Papa Nari (this is a reflection to me playing the game...but I met him one time and was like...yeah that's Papa Nari, no one can tell me otherwise). Eventually Lamb hangs around enough during that little bit of time that it takes for it to be resurrected it begins to talk to Aym and Baal as well, who both, seeing that their Master favors this one, oblige to conversate with. It wasn't much longer after that that Lamb began to really view the two as older siblings, playing knucklebones or sharing cult dynamics like a sort of gossip with the two.

As time progresses and the Cult grows, so does the family dynamic, and the Lamb is viewed as Papa Nari's golden child, which doesn't really bother anyone other than Narinders siblings, who catch on that this Lamb is successfully a killer by nature and is learning to be loved by The One Who Waits. Slowly, as they each fall to its blade, does it really sink in that this mission may succeed in the Fifth Bishops' favour. Well, that doesn't quite sit right with Lamb... what will happen when they complete Papa Naris' mission? Don't get it wrong...it WILL complete what was asked, but Lamb has this nagging fear and anxiety that this happy afterlife, this second chance at a real family, will be stripped when they kill all the bishops and provide with Narinder the freedom he so deserves.

So far, that's all I care to type out for now, but boy has this been lingering on my mind for the past couple of days.

Oh and quickly back to the idea of a second Lamb! Spot! Know that this doesn't stop me from crossing our headcannons together. In my mind, your Lamb still exists somewhere out there and just ticks off Papa Nari by not doing anything killing wise. It does not like it one bit but doesn't mind it enough seeing as it makes Papa more proud of it when it continues with the mission.

#neon!drawn #colt fanart #neon!headcannons #cult of the lamb #this has been a weight on my shoulders for a while #and i am so happy to get it all out #i aslo have a sort of oc with all of this #but she is not going to mentioned for a while #because thats a problem for another time #anywhk #this post is already long enough #so imma head out and draw some more concept doodles #i really wanna get aym and baal out on paper and into this style im using for cotl #which byw i have no idea hoq i managed those sketches above #it was like i was possesed #it all just came so naturally

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ao719 · 1 year

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The Pact (Part 4)

This is a submission for @choicesflashfics, using prompt #2, “You just don’t seem like yourself tonight.” and prompt #3, “That’s a little melodramatic, don’t you think?”

Song inspo: Daydreams - We Three

A/N: This is an au mini series to my Hopeless Hearts story. Thank you to @burnsoslow for prereading! Please excuse any errors.

Pairing: Liam x OC (Aria)

Rating: E • Warnings: 🍋 (ns*fw, 18+ only), language

Word count: 2453

Catch up here

In a secluded area down the beach from the private villa, Drake and Lea walked along the shore at sunset; she was unaware of their group of friends that were huddled together, hidden from view. The girls had wanted to witness the moment, and Drake obliged them, knowing Lea would want her closest friends there to celebrate should things go according to plan.

When they neared the grove of palm trees, Drake placed a hand on Lea’s elbow, drawing her to a stop.

Behind the trees, the group watched and, close enough to hear, listened.

Liam marveled at how one woman could have his best friend — a cynical man of few words, one who often masked his thoughts and feelings behind a gruff and impassive exterior — pouring his whole heart out to her with a smile. She changed him, for the better, of course.

It was the first time Liam felt envious of Drake, finding himself wanting what he had.

Liam’s eyes shifted to his left. He slightly tilted his head in thought as he looked at Aria; she was watching the exchange between their friends with a wistful expression.

A chuckle escaped Aria when she saw the moment Lea realized what was about to happen. Six months ago when Drake asked her to help him choose a ring, she had no doubt about the answer he would receive; she knew Lea was head over heels for him.

And as she helped choose the pear-shaped diamond he would give her best friend, as happy as she was for them, Aria couldn’t help but feel a little envious of what they shared.

When Drake dropped to one knee, Aria glanced over, meeting Liam’s gaze. “You drive me crazy in the best way, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you …” Drake’s words slowly faded as the two stared at one another. While neither was willing to admit it … they shared similar sentiments toward each other.

Something about their secret rendezvous that happened at least once a month — sometimes more — was starting to lose its appeal. Not because they were bored with it, but because they wanted more from it. However, both stubborn and convinced the other saw them as nothing more than a revisited notch on their bedposts, they stayed quiet about how they felt. They stuck to their usual: banter, sabotage, and falling into bed.

In their eyes, it was easier than the rejection they expected to come with any confessions.

Then there were moments like this, however, when they would catch each other’s gazes and could swear there was something else there, like something was longing to be said between them. And something about that particular moment, seeing two of their friends get engaged, seemed to heighten everything they weren’t saying.

A squeal from Lea pulled their attention back to the beach; they looked over just in time to see Drake slip the ring on her finger before standing and lifting her into his arms. Maia waited impatiently for them to have a brief moment before pulling Aria and Korinna from their hiding spot. The guys followed as they all approached the newly engaged couple; Liam saw Lea turn towards the girls with tears in her eyes as they rushed toward her first.

Liam grinned as he extended his hand toward Drake. “Congrats,” he said as he shook it.

“Thanks, man,” Drake smiled before Rashad and Maxwell offered their own congratulations.

As the guys talked while the girls fawned over the ring and Drake’s touching proposal, Aria’s eyes kept shifting toward Liam; she noticed him doing the same to her. She needed a moment, one to collect herself if nothing else.

“Let me run back to the villa and see if I can find some champagne so we can make a toast,” Aria offered. Not waiting for a response from anyone, she turned and hurried down the beach in the direction of the villa.

Liam’s eyes slid from the others to her retreating form. “She doesn’t even know where the hell it is,” he huffed in feigned annoyance before stalking after her.

No one else thought much of it as they turned their attention back to Drake and Lea.

As Aria trudged through the sand toward the villa, her mind was jumbled. Why was he looking at me like that? And why the hell was I looking at him that way? She shook her head, forcing the thoughts away from Liam and back to finding something to drink as she walked up the stairs and slid the back door open.

Aria didn’t make it but a few steps inside when she heard shuffling behind her; she turned just as Liam stepped through the terrace door. His eyes remained trained on her as he slid the door shut, neither one saying a word.

And then, he was moving toward her.

Liam’s hand reached up and curled around the back of her neck, pulling her to him; Aria went all too willingly, meeting his lips in a fierce kiss as he walked her backward until she was pinned between him and the wall. She moaned into the kiss when he pressed his knee between her legs and she unwittingly rolled her hips, quelling her ache for friction against his thigh.

“Mmmm, someone’s eager,” Liam rasped against her lips.

“Shut up.”

Liam dipped his head. “Well, go on then,” he urged before his teeth nipped the shell of her ear. “Ride it, Aria.” When she let out a soft whimper at his words, he couldn’t suppress his smirk.

Aria, stubborn as usual, refused to do what he asked. “We’re supposed to be looking for champagne,” she breathed, closing her eyes when she felt his tongue press against her pulse point.

“It’s in here.”

Liam quickly pulled her into a darkened wine cellar built off the kitchen. He spun her, closing the door with her back as he pushed her against it before capturing her lips again. He reached down and hooked a hand under her knee, raising it to his waist. His other hand slid up her supple thigh and under the ruffled hem of her cami dress to the lace hidden beneath; he pulled the thin strip of fabric to the side, hearing her moan as his fingers stroked her.

“Poor thing. How long have you been this wet for me?” Liam teased with both his words and his fingers.

Aria let out a frustrated breath at his teasing. “Liam, if you don’t—” The threat died on her lips when he pushed two fingers inside her; her mouth fell open with a moan as she arched into his hand.

“There’s my girl,” Liam whispered with a smirk. “Fuck my fingers, Aria.”

And she did.

Rolling her hips against his hand, Liam’s thumb rubbed against her clit as his fingers curled inside her. He brought her right to the edge, but when he knew she was about to tip over it, evident by her ragged breaths and moans, he abruptly pulled his hand away.

Aria’s eyes snapped open. “Liam!”

“You didn’t think I was gonna let you get off that easily, did ya, Princess?” he whispered wolfishly. A whimper escaped Aria as she reached down and her hands fumbled hastily against his belt and zipper, working to undo his pants; he chuckled mischievously. “I think you like when I call you that.”

The smirk Liam wore fell with a groan when her hand wrapped around him. He surged forward, capturing her lips in his again as she stroked him; he became impossibly harder under her touch until he was aching to be inside her. He effortlessly lifted her in his arms, spinning and taking a few long, impatient strides before laying her back across a small tasting table.

And taste he would.

“You ready for me?” Liam asked as he flicked his wrists, flipping the hem of her dress up and exposing her from the waist down. Aria nodded eagerly, biting her bottom lip as she stared up at him. “Let’s make sure,” he winked. Pulling the lace to the side, he leaned down, his tongue licking a long, tantalizing stripe up to her clit.

“Oh, fuck,” Aria gasped as he wrapped his lips around her, and her hands fell into his hair. He devoured her, alternating between slow swirls and flicks of his tongue. It didn’t take long for him to bring her right back to that edge, but just when she thought he was finally going to let her tip over it, he pulled his mouth away from her. “Goddammit, Liam!” she lamented.

Liam smiled impishly as he pulled her to the edge of the table. “I want you to come with me, and I want to see your face when you do.” Keeping his eyes trained on her, he gave himself a couple quick strokes before lining himself up to her entrance as he gripped her waist; he drove into her with a powerful thrust, watching her lips part with a moan as he filled her. “Fuck, I love watching you take me,” he groaned.

Aria shuddered at his words, staring up at him with a lascivious look in her eyes as he set a rough and steady pace. She rolled her hips, meeting him thrust for thrust as she moaned. Liam had a bruising grip on her hips as he drove into her; he shifted one hand, pressing it down against her lower belly before thrusting harder and deeper.

“Fuck, Liam!” Aria moaned, writhing beneath him as he hit that perfect spot. “Don’t stop,” she mewled. “Please don’t stop.”

“Let go, Aria,” Liam grunted. His eyes were transfixed on her face, and he let out a deep, drawn-out moan when a moment later, her back arched off the table as she came undone. “Do you have any idea how fucking sexy you are when you come, Princess?”

Drawing another whimper out of her from his words, Liam bit his lip through a grin as he slipped his hands beneath her, raising her hips just slightly. His thrust became more frantic, watching her ride out the rest of her release as he chased his own. He tipped over the edge just after she did, holding her firmly against him as his muscles went taut and a gravelly groan rumbled from deep in his chest.

Their shuddered pants mingled as she rested her back on the table again, and he placed a hand on either side of her, leaning against it as they tried to catch their breath.

“We gotta stop doing this,” Aria breathed.

“What?” Liam snapped his head up, knitting his sweat-beaded brows. “Why?”

Aria shook her head. “This … it’s not healthy.”

“That’s a little melodramatic, don’t you think?” Liam quipped, and she gave him a look. “Ok, I don’t know about you, but I certainly worked up a sweat. How’s that for healthy?”

Aria let out a breathy chuckle, earning one from Liam in return. He pulled her to sit up in front of him, searching her eyes for a moment before he captured her lips; his tongue curled languidly against hers as he weaved his fingers through her hair. “They’re going to start wondering where we are,” Aria whispered against his lips.

Liam kissed her again before drawing back to look at her with a subtle smirk. “So … until next time?”

*******

Sitting inside his quarters, Liam nursed a scotch, staring off in thought as Drake, Maxwell, and Rashad conversed amongst themselves. The three men were discussing Lea’s arrival tomorrow morning; in the two months since the proposal, after she and Drake weighed the options on where they wanted to start the next chapter of their story, she was making the move to Cordonia.

The other girls were planning visits already but had no intentions of making their own moves. Despite their relationships with Maxwell and Rashad, Korinna and Maia didn’t feel there yet, and Aria … well, she had no reason to come.

No reason that anyone knew of anyway, especially not one that she or Liam would acknowledge.

In the two months since witnessing the engagement of their friends, not only had Liam’s mindset on wanting a serious relationship started to change, but things seem to slightly shift between the two foes as well. No confessions had been made, but Liam and Aria’s secret moments together felt different. They were more passionate in ways that he couldn’t quite explain. They still bantered and sabotaged, but when it ended with their usual fall into the sheets, the looks, the touches, even kisses, they almost felt more … intimate in a sense.

Pulled from his thoughts by the men rising from their places on the sofa, Liam looked up at them. “Heading out?”

“Yeah,” Rashad nodded.

As Liam stood to say goodbye and walk them out, Drake watched him curiously, lingering behind. He’d noticed Liam had been acting oddly the last week or so, seemingly quieter than usual. Once the other two had left, Liam turned to see Drake. “You heading out too?”

“Yeah, but … are you ok?” Drake asked.

Liam nodded. “Fine, why?”

“I don’t know,” Drake shrugged. “You just don’t seem like yourself tonight. Not just tonight, actually; all week you’ve seemed … off.”

Liam chuckled wryly as he looked down at the glass in his hand before tossing back the rest of it. Drake knew him well. In the two months since the engagement of his friends, things had started to shift in Liam’s life as well. Almost 24, more expectations were being placed on his shoulders … from all sides. “I, uh … I’m going to be going away for a little bit.”

“Away?” Drake questioned, furrowing his brows.

“My father informed me that it’s my time to head to Leventis …”

Drake’s brows raised in surprise. “The military academy?”

“Yeah,” Liam nodded.

“For how long?”

“It’s only four months. Which I know isn’t terrible …”

“I mean, no … it doesn’t sound too bad.”

“It is what it is,” Liam shrugged. “I’m just not really looking forward to it. 16 weeks of military training isn’t exactly my idea of fun.”

“Well, you’ll still be able to check in and talk, and we’ll fill ya in on stuff, but I doubt you’ll miss much other than bickering with Aria and your chances at arguing the fuck out of anything and everything with her,” he laughed.

“Yeah,” Liam chuckled ruefully with a nod.

That would definitely be something he would miss. And despite their push and pull and constant bickering, things with Aria were what he was worried most about changing — or altogether disappearing — while he was away.

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lightningonatether · 1 year

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this is a kinda gruesome ask so don't feel obligated to answer, but i'm genuinely curious - what's the dissection like? are drunz trying to find out if being revived changes the internal composition of the body? also congrats on playing it cool when cc!sam found out about your au (/pos) i would have walked into the sea

the dissection actually happened prior to them finding out!!! of course theres pleeenty of gruesome shit that happens afterwards but its.. mostly punz satisfying their need to finally get sam back for all the bullshit he pulled.

dreams original interest in plushie is scientific. in mc canon i cant really imagine a great way of studying creepers up close and capturing them is a fucking hassle. so there probably isnt much written on them. nobody wants a study subject with a built in self-destruct button. so dream finds a creeper that cant blow up, chalks it up to some kind of genetic defect, and concludes that it can still serve as at least a ROUGH base for creeper study. maybe his essays on why taking out a persons heart affects the state of their limbo wont get him respect in the scientific community but a study of creeper anatomy would be so cool and useful and exciting. so hhe shrugs, ignores any and all alarm bells ever, and takes the creeper to the lab.

first things first, xrays and mris and blood samples, all the stuff he can do thats non-invasive. thats when he and punz notice a small(empty?) cavity below plushies heart that... doesnt really look like anything on any other animal they've seen. they cant really find out more without cutting him open to take a look so... they do. its dry with a passage to the lungs. really weird fucking thing to have inside your body unless youre a creeper with a(notably empty) gunpowder pouch. its VERY cool and very exciting and dream reaalllly wants to see if they COULD capture an actual life-size creeper and somehow sedate and cut the powder out of it and- . to which punz says no cause dude we're supposed to be focused on the plan. we have no time for this beyond what we've already put aside. so they never do get a bigger plushie 2.0 :(.

i even drew a lil drawing of it :3

re: testing the internal composition of the body... these bitches insane. theyve already tested that on each other.

AND ALSO I WAS TRYING SO HARD TO PLAY IT COOL. believe me i was Freaaaaking tf out. i considered!! walking into the sea for a brief second. i think if sam actually saw my art i would have stood up right there and headed for the nearest large body of water.

(on the other hand sam finding out about dreblr insanity has only ever worked out in our favor. source: whatever the fuck happened yesterday) so i digress. hi sammm hiii would you like to see some horrible things about your mentally unwell minecraft oc

#asks #swordfries #plushie au #c!sam #c!dream #c!punz #i dont think i need to tag gore however let me know if you think otherwise <3

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natsmagi · 3 months

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i was typing this in the notes to an ask but it gogt waaaay too long lol sorry. prefacing it with you know i love your artwork & i have nothing against what you choose to draw. also possibly worded weird cus i didnt write it in the sense of talking only to you alone

there is certainly this conflict between artists as random individuals and artists as a collective when it comes to how to approach this issue… as a hobbyist you can draw whatever you like but also when you have trends like a lack of fatness thats going to be disheartening too. i think the answer is getting more people into making art (& like general societal change of course since its an issue baked into bigotry.)

because as much as i agree with the sentiment of "there is significant under representation of fat women" (or characters in general) at the same time fandom is a hobby space and i dislike the notion of badgering individual artists to draw any particular thing especially when the source material does not have that thing. if you are looking for artwork of fat women thats great but i would not ever recommend something like enstars that has 1. no fat characters and 2. no women, barring a few exceptions. i think expecting to find fanart of fat women from a source entirely composed of thin men is unrealistic, even with the relative popularity of femstars.

plus there are other complications such as the typical modern fandom f/f scene sometimes being very strict and even vicious at times with their standards of what's enough diversity or what content is appropriate. ive heard a lot of anecdotes about people who WERE contributing to these things but whom were still harassed or got threats from other users over it not being good enough, and that's just not conducive to creating the environment or diversity you want. nobody is going to want to be in a fandom space where they have to walk on eggshells all the time. and i bring this up because of how you were clearly harassed by randos. accusing you of misogyny or shaming other womens' bodies as being "unrealistic" is not the way to go

the only reasonable solution i can think of to this is, again, to just encourage more artists to start drawing in the first place, or even better start contributing yourself. individuals should have the freedom to draw what they like without getting flamed for it AND people should be able to see themselves represented in artwork. i would like to see some more fat characters too, this is definitely something ive thought about before myself

(personally all the fat people i draw are ocs or portraits of people i know that i dont want to post online but maybe if i get some inspiration i will draw the long-sought chubby mugi myself. i am not super interested in femstars though so whether or not itd actually be fem mugi is up in the air. but all the talking here about this topic has had me thinking about following my own advice and putting what i want to see into the world.)

OUGHH THESE ARE ALL GOOD POINTS!! and i agree! the main thing we should be doing is ENCOURAGING people to add more diversity, not harassing them into it! people who only draw for fun arent really obligated to draw anything outside of their comfort zone, which again is why i think its better to simply uplift the idea of trying out new things and new appearances that you dont often draw

theres also SO MUCH room for more femstars artists too! and like ive said before if you wanna see something done right you gotta do it yourself. and i kind of like that. i like that everyone gets to craft their own little femstars variant of the enstars cast, and you can make them look however you want! and honestly? you SHOULD! seeing personal touches to designs always brings me joy, so even if you dont feel very confident in your art, if you have a specific vision for a character that you want brought to life please go ahead and draw it!! (or if you really dont want to you can always commission someone)

i also wanna highlight one of ur last points too bc yea. its unfortunate but often times whenever i see someone try adding diversity to their art for the first time they end up getting flamed because its not an accurate depiction of what they were trying to represent. and that really sucks! obviously we should strive to have accurate representation, but if its an artist that hasnt tried their hand on it before, ESPECIALLY a beginner artist, we shouldnt flame them for it. rather we should educate them on what went wrong and how they can improve for the future. these are people who actually WANT and are TRYING to add diversity to their art, but because in animanga circles theres a lack of education on how to draw more diverse features of really any kind. which is why trying to educate is far better than shaming. because if you shame these artists theyre gonna be too scared to try again, giving us less diversity once more

so yes basically what im saying is i want us all to encourage diversity and to help each other out by sharing resources and tips when it comes to drawing it!! one person is Obviously not gonna be able to do every single thing, which is why i want more people to pick up the pen and bring life to their visions!! also i really want more femstars food pelase pick up the pen i am a starved orphan and only femstars yuri can satiate me!!!!!!!!!

#long post #<--felt warranted KAHJSDFK #but genuinely though i want diversity to be requested and desired #and i want it to be done so in a positive and respectful manner towards hobbyists #if we're talking megacorps u can shittalk them all u want and send all the angry emails in the world #but for artists on the internet who are only here to have fun its important to remember to be kind and encouraging!#bc asking them for rep in a hostile manner is only gonna create negative associations #which. would be counterproductive #diversity is a wonderful thing so please do not make people resent it by being rude!!!!#that is not what we should strive for!!!!#ask

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alwaysoc · 1 year

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This is the first Corpse Party OC I'd like to show off, here's Riko Saruwatori! She's for Dead Patient, so if you haven't played it there will be *slight* spoilers.

How she was drawn on paper (needed to separate the possible expressions and body+face because I end up screwing up the face when I draw on top of it... I'll need to practice getting over that)

Here's her body and face when digitally drawn, I'm not gonna claim it's the best, but it could be worse. It's good for someone that hasn't touched digital drawing in around 2 years, lol

Took me forever to find the English layout of the card layout.

Anyway, about Riko:

Design:

Riko is a 5'7 young girl below average weight with light blonde hair, resembling the jasmine she's named after (Riko meaning jasmine-child with certain kanji). Her hair is short, so that it won't get yanked on by her little brother, Kentaro, when she gives him piggyback rides. She also has deep emerald eyes that resemble her father's.

Personality

Riko loves to explore and find out new things and new places, adoring the quiet (or not-so-quiet, depending on if she brought her little brother) forest walks next to her home.

However, ever since her parents divorced (after an unfortunate accident involving her falling from a tree) her mother moved closer to the city, causing her to enjoy walks like that less than ever before. She has also recently become more timid and unsure of herself. Being less-social and overall making little contributions to group activities, becoming more indecisive by the day, and letting others take the lead.

Something that hasn't seemed to change, however, is her protectiveness towards her 11 year old brother. In fact, after the separation, it seemed to have strengthened considerably.

Story Integration

You'd find her in Dead Patient, in the 1st Chapter, in the normal ending. After Ayame encounters her nametag in the Locked Puzzle Room (via Ritsuko giving it to her), and after Ayame encounters Tomohisa freaking out.

Riko is running away from a walking corpse, screaming, "THEY CAN REVIVE THEMSELVES!?" Ayame, being too lawful-good for her own self-preservation, helps Riko. Riko gives Ayame a brief thank-you before telling her and Ritsuko to look away for a moment. They do so as the screen fades to black, while the graphic sounds of cutting and ripping something apart can be heard.

The screen goes back to normal as Ayame sees that Riko tore apart the zombie's head from its shoulders with a scalpel she apparently "found" in one of the rooms earlier. Riko tells the two that it's to try to ensure the zombies don't come back to life.

Ayame tells Riko about the check-in card that seemed to belong to her. Riko seems to panic for a moment before asking for it back, Ayame obliges and gives it to Riko. Riko thanks her and joins the party.

Once the group gets to the door Tomohisa was seemingly running away from, Riko decides to stick outside, while Ayame and Ritsuko go in.

Once the door shuts and the two on the other side are locked in, Riko tries her best to get the door to budge, along with Ritsuko on the other side, but there's no progress until Ayame defeats the hulking zombie inside.

After Ayame and Ritsuko finally get out, with two new members added to the party, Riko introduces herself to them, and follows along, trying to find and get through the exit.

#for a certain friend: Sachiko We Beg Of You #i spent way too long on this #mostly the digital drawing was a pain in the butt #so much i need to improve on #I'm gonna have most of the tags be stuff i need to work on to remind me what to improve on when bored #drawing eyes and hair on face #it's fine if the hair covers the eye you don't need to move the bang-tufts when they look so good!#making shoulders less stiff #Riko has stiff shoulders on purpose bc she feels awkward #but apart from that i just have so much shoulder and arm-bending trouble #does anyone else struggle with shoulders and sharp elbows? I'd legit love to know #if I'm gonna get back into digital art i should just try to improve and work on it more in general...#EYES! I need to work on making the pupils #whites and irises have a more natral blend #bc rn they are originally seperated by a thick black line and doubled back over with one of the colors #i just realized i forgot to layer-check the highlights in the eyes...#the left eye isn't right bc of that and it's really bugging me... I'll do a redraw or smthn at some point #to summarize #future-me that looks at this:#Eyes #shoulders & elbows #layer-checking #expression & hair in harmony #and... hands #if possible

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colorsunimaginable · 1 year

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the spare // chapter fifty-one // death eater ! tom hiddleston oc x plus size ofc - voldemort wins au

story summary:

While on a mission to avenge the death of her best friend, Ilvermorny graduate Melisa Alder finds herself in the middle of the fight to defeat Voldemort. Upon capture after the Dark Lord's triumph, she's being sold at an auction with other muggle borns and blood traitors. Her only hope is also her only bidder - the tall, dark, and handsome Thomus Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy's younger half-brother. Is he just another Death Eater or is he hiding more than just his face beneath the mask? Will she realize her true potential to be one of the resistance's greatest weapons?

*a Voldemort Wins AU with Tom Hiddleston cast as an OC x a plus size protagonist* *takes place in The Auction universe by Lovesbitca8*

words for this chapter: 4.2k warnings for this chapter: angst? I think it's angst, alcohol, depression

CHAPTER MASTERLIST

Chapter Fifty-One:

The cottage is in quite the state after whoever'd come in here and trashed the place. I'd practically begged Thomus not to use magic to reverse the mess. October 13th is just around the corner, so I'm going to be grateful for anything that keeps me busy.

The only room Thomus doesn't oblige me with is the office.

"I'm not going to wait for you to reorganize everything when I can just -" He waves his wand towards the heaping piles of books crowding the office floor. The mess reverses itself, the organization I'd put hours of effort into previously resumes, everything sliding back into place.

He walks behind the desk, sliding a briefcase onto it. Another flick of his wand and Mary's miscellaneous desk things are replaced with Thomus' as they come flying out of the briefcase.

I make a face. "You're going to be working here?"

His eyes flicker up to me, his expression impassive. "Is that going to be a problem?"

"No," I say slowly, drawing out the 'n'. My eyes jerk around the room, avoiding eye contact. "Um, will it bother you if I play music while I clean?"

"I'll just use the Imperturbable charm." He closes the suitcase and places it beside the desk before sitting down. The cheap plastic office chair squeaks under his weight and he jumps up immediately, pushing it away. "Blasted thing. Was there anything else?"

"Um -"

"Because I have rather a lot of work to do."

I blink. Oh, I'm being dismissed. "Right."

I close the door when I leave. This is going to take some getting used to.

~*~

I'm going one room at a time, just like when I first got here. My room is first. Strip the bed, throw everything into the wash, vacuum behind and under furniture, and dust, making sure to nab cobwebs from the corners of the ceiling.

Of course, I'm done with all of that before the bedding is even finished in the wash.

The real work is organizing the wardrobe. Since Thomus is here, there's no quitting once the bed's got a mountain on it, and so it actually gets organized. I even pick out the dress I'm going to wear next time we go to Edinburgh.

Then of course the bathroom. There isn't going to be a single surface left untouched by the time I'm through with it. It's still too early to try to get over Thomus' suppression potion, so I don't have my Occlumency. Luckily for me, the next best thing is a thousand one square inch tiles and the record player.

I'm so zoned out that when Thomus knocks on my bathroom door, I realize the Disney classic vinyl had stopped playing long ago.

"Are you decent?" he asks.

I blink and look down at myself. My t-shirt is damp and my fingers are red. It feels good to close my eyes.

"Watch your step, it's still wet," I say as he opens the door.

He leans against the door frame, his gaze taking in the room. He has a plate in his hands, but from this angle I can't see what's on it.

Finally, he looks at me. "A lot on your mind?"

"What makes you say that?"

He shrugs one shoulder. "You've been at this all day."

"What?" My eyes shoot to the window. It's dark out. "It's only been a couple hours."

His eyebrows come together. "You started this morning."

I sigh. "Guess that means I should stop for the night."

"Come on," he says, taking a step back. "I, um, I made you a sandwich."

When I get to my feet, my knees are stiff and I'm a little light headed. "Oh."

I focus on stepping over the wet floor with my socks still on – ew – and immediately pull them off when I'm on the carpet of my room. As soon as I straighten, his hand clamps down on my shoulder and his face gets close, his eyes zeroed in on mine. He tries to use Legillimency to push into my head.

I quickly close my eyes and shake off his hold, backing away. "Bro, what the fuck?!"

He straightens. "Those who're new to Occlumency will often space out for hours at a time –“

"New!?" I snap. “I –“

“It would mean you have your magic… already.”

His words make me freeze, my mouth still open from trying to speak. His gaze is unwavering, both of us still in the quiet of my bedroom.

“Is that a statement or a question?” I ask.

Thomus doesn’t answer me, but to fill the silence, my stomach gurgles painfully. His lips press together into a thin line and he holds out the plate. I take it, scooping up a sliced half of the sandwich into my hand. The bite I take is embarrassingly enormous, and I turn away, aimlessly pacing. The elves must’ve sent a roasted chicken, because it’s that with some mayo and cheddar cheese.

“Thanks,” I mumble once I’ve swallowed. It feels weird for him to have made me something, and that he’d even paid enough attention to consider if I’ve eaten.

“Goodnight,” he says softly, and leaves.

~*~

Eventually, the bathroom gets finished, as does the kitchen and the living room. I spread it out enough so it takes me a week. Thomus’ room is next on my list, but since he’s been here, the politeness in me finds me knocking on the office door in search of permission.

“Come in,” I hear. I push the door open, but stay at the threshold, leaning against the frame.

He has his glasses on and is scribbling away at a roll of parchment. His hair’s a mess, like he’s been running his fingers through it. I find myself staring at him because he’s just – ugh. He’s so fucking handsome.

When I don’t say anything, he pauses and looks up, “Yes?”

I quickly avert my gaze, folding my arms over my middle. “Um, I was wondering if it’d be okay for me to clean your room. Vacuum, change the sheets, dust – you know, the whole shebang.”

“Fine,” he replies instantly, attention returning to the work before him.

Hm, that was easier than I thought. I’d been mentally prepared for a whole argument. So I don’t leave immediately, watching him. I gasp when I notice something on his desk.

“Is that a typewriter?” I ask excitedly and take a few steps into the room.

He glances at it. “Um, yes.”

I get closer. “And it works?”

He gives me an irritated look. “Of course.”

It looks old, but well taken care of. Black, no scuff marks, still shiny. With the exception of the space bar, the keys are circles. He has a sheet of paper rolled in it already, but it’s blank. “Is it an enchanted one? That’s all that Skeeter used. Kinda like her Quill, but legible.”

“No,” he replies, definitely annoyed now. It’s kinda fun to annoy him, and I’m biting my lip to keep from smiling.

The typewriter is facing him on his right side, sitting on a part of the desk that pulls out, a spot I’d assume that’s specifically for a typewriter. There’s not much space between his elbow and the keys.

I pause to lazily scan the book shelves and hear his quill continue scratching onto the paper. Slowly, with half an eye on him, I meander my way around the desk. Thomus isn’t oblivious to this, his eyes flicker to me as his writing picks up speed. He quickly finishes his thought and lets out an exasperated sigh.

“Can I help you?” He pulls off his glasses and stares up at me.

“Can I, um –“ my eyes jump from him to the typewriter “ – try it?”

He sighs again. “I suppose, but –“

I don’t wait for him to finish and shove my hip against the corner of his chair. He’s replaced Mary’s plastic one, now it’s a wooden cushioned thing. I bend around his shoulder and arm, popping my knuckles before hovering my fingers over the keys. My eyes scan the keyboard, noting all the differences than from what I’m used to. I could type eighty words per minute on my laptop, but I’m sure this is much slower.

I start typing out the first thing I could think of, my favorite poem. The typebars slap against the black ribbon, leaving behind the classic lettering every time I hit space.

I get to the end of the line and pause, fingers hovering. There’s no return button. Before I can figure it out, Thomus’ hand reaches out from my left, pulling a bar that brings the page back to the start. His hand retreats back behind me and I assume I’m good to type out the next line. When I get to the end of that one, I know what to do, and it gives me a thrill to hear the classic typewriter noises. I try not to pay attention to the words on the page, knowing I’d only focus on my mistakes.

When I’m done, I type out the name of the poem and the author.

“Funeral Blues?” Thomus says. I glance at him to see he’s turned his chair, facing the typewriter, leaning his elbow on the desk so he can watch me over my shoulder.

I shrug. “It’s my favorite.”

I look back at how I did, noticing immediately I spelt juicy with an ‘e’.

“That one?” he questions and I hear the disbelief in his voice.

“The last two verses really just… resonate with me, I guess,” I say, my eyes still on the page. “Give me lines that start talking about stars and I’m a sucker. Dream A Little Dream of Me has it, too. Stars shining bright above you – stars fading but I linger on, dear –“

“Still craving your kiss,” Thomus finishes. I straighten and take a step back, my eyebrows coming together. He’s looking at the page, but then at me. “Ella Fitzgerald.”

“Yeah,” I say slowly, kinda surprised that he knows it, but also happy that he does? “Well, I think her recording’s one of the more popular ones. I don’t think she wrote it. I like The Mama’s and the Papa’s version, too.”

“The what?”

“It’s a band,” I reply as I move away from his desk. “Want some lunch? Sandwich or something?” Ever since he made me one, I feel compelled to return the favor a million times over. Not like an ‘I owe you’ kind of way just… because I want to.

“Um, yes.” He looks distracted by something, so I turn to leave. “Wait.”

I turn in the door way to see him get up and walk to a box sitting next to one of the bookcases. When he brings it to me, I see it’s full of records.

“I’ve been meaning to let you use this, but I kept forgetting,” he says. I take it from him, balancing the box on my hip while leaning it against the doorframe so I have a free hand to look through it. There’s a real hodge podge of albums in here.

“Dirty Dancing, Katy Perry, Lorde, Bobby Gentry… oh fuck yeah.” I pull out an album by The Wrecks. “I didn’t know they were popular here.”

Thomus is still standing next to me, hands in his back pockets. “I, em, was more inclined towards those that were specifically marketed as American.”

“From every genre?” I ask, remembering how he’d pulled out the Twenty-One Pilots album.

“Yeah.”

The last time he’d gotten vinyl with me in mind, he’d just left them on my bed. I’m not sure how to react with him doing it in person. The nice part of me wants to think it’s sweet and god damn if my heart doesn’t pound a little faster in my chest. But I don’t know him well enough to assume it’s just a kind gesture.

I peek up at him. “Is there a catch?”

He shakes his head, looking at me. “Not at all.”

I can’t handle looking him in the eye this close, especially right now, when I’m feeling the opposite of angry. Shifting the box back into both of my hands, I step back into the hallway.

I give a polite smile that I hope reaches my eyes. “Thanks.”

~*~

October 13th is when Thomus finally leaves the house, which is good, because I want it all to myself. I’ve spent the last two weeks cleaning. Minus the few days I focused on overcoming Thomus’ suppression potion. I didn’t need the electricity spell for that one, it just wore off on it’s own.

Kyle’s third dose didn’t give me much trouble either. I’d had the idea to try to use the spell to light a lightbulb. I’d held the end in my hand and watched the insides glow. It was pretty cool.

Now it’s finally the day I’ve been dreading. The day that I’d lost her. The day I waited for her at Alonzo’s but she never showed.

I plan to spend the day doing the same things I did last year and the year before that. Drink and make brownies.

Last year I did the drinking part secretly, hiding in my corner of the tent with a flask. I’d slept the day away and made brownies. With the four of us, the ultra-fudgy brownies did not last long.

When I’d cleaned Thomus’ room, I’d snuck out a bottle of No-Maj coconut rum, prepping for today. The rum plus orange juice and I’m going to be a very happy camper.

~*~

Okay, I lied. I’m not a very happy camper right now.

I don’t know what my goddamn fucking problem is, but I just can’t get these goddamn brownies to fucking come out right. The fact that I don’t have a physical copy of the recipe with me is my first mistake and honestly should have stopped me in the first place. But do I listen to my gut feeling? Of fucking course not.

The first batch comes out like a fucking rock, and I wonder if I’d somehow manage to spontaneously recreate these rock cakes I’d had from a half giant named Hagrid. That’s who Harry said they were from anyway.

The second batch is practically swimming in oil. I only realize afterwards I’d grabbed margarine instead of actual butter. That plus the oil I’d lined the pan with makes the house smell like a mixture of canola oil and the bitter cocoa powder.

By the third batch, I’m on my fifth mixed drink, and if this one doesn’t come out right, I think I’m going to have a meltdown.

Thomus had given me another suppression potion this morning with breakfast because in his mind, it’s been two weeks. On a day like today, I’m powerless to my emotions.

The third batch is in the oven when Thomus returns. I’m cleaning up the kitchen from my mess for the third time, pausing every few minutes to move the record player needle to a song I actually like. The songs from Dirty Dancing aren’t terrible, but with the exception of Be My Baby, Stay, Hey Baby, and Love is Strange, I prefer them in the movie. Maybe it’s because of how drunk I am, but my patience for songs I don’t like is zero, even if I have to mess with the player a million times.

For the moment, the songs are placating my mood. I’m being an idiot, strutting around the island with the baking spatula acting as my microphone as Hey Baby plays. I close my eyes, picturing the scene with Baby and Patrick Swayze dancing on the log. My body mimics their dance, one foot in front of the other, wiggling around like I’m on the log with them. I bark out a laugh when I stumble and lose my balance, tipping sideways right into Thomus’ arms.

When I open my eyes and realize it’s him, I laugh even harder, but this time from embarrassment, my face hot. I don’t focus on his expression because I can’t trust myself to read it accurately.

“Hi!” I say loud enough for him to hear over the music. The song ends and I launch myself out of his arms when a song I don’t like comes on. The room is silent only briefly before Love is Strange starts to play. I turn the volume down only slightly. Before I turn back to him, I’m already moving to the beat.

“What’re you doing?” he asks, utterly bewildered.

“Party for one!” I reply, dancing around the island, away from where he stands. My mixed drink is iced with a little coffee straw swirling around in the glass. I grab it and take a long swing, finishing it off. “Want one?”

He leans on the island, expression laced with disbelief, but also… humor? “Sure.”

I grab another glass, fill it with ice, and grab the orange juice from the fridge. I’m heavy handed with the rum in mine, but make sure his is the better ratio. By the time I hand him the drink, the catchy guitar riff plays and I mimic the notes with some quality air guitar. My favorite part starts and I snatch the spatula off the counter.

“Sylvia? – Yes, Mickey – How do you call your lover boy?” I say the words right as the come out, making outright embarrassing faces at Thomus. The corner of his mouth is quirked up in a smile as he watches me. “Come here, lover boy!”

“And if he doesn’t answer?”

“Oh, lover boy!”

“And if he STILL doesn’t answer?”

“I simply say babbeyyy –“ I only sing Sylvia’s parts now, acting an absolute fool. My face is burning hot, but it’s too late to stop now. I saunter over to him, singing the words around him, but not getting close enough to touch.

Thank god the song ends so I can momentarily stop making a fool of myself. The next song starts and I rush to the record player again, this time stopping the vinyl completely. I can feel sweat dripping down the back of my neck and on my temple. I hold the drink up to my forehead and flap my hand in front of my face, trying to cool down. “It’s hot in here.”

Thomus strides to the back door, opening it enough for the cool fall air to glide in.

I wave The Wrecks album up. “Have you ever listened to these guys?” He simply shakes his head. “Well, let me tell ya, they are exactly my kind of music.” I set the record up, the first song I Don’t Like You plays. “Every single song on this album is a banger.”

“What’s a banger?” he asks, and I don’t realize he’s gotten closer. Not touchy close, but close enough that I’m hyperaware of it.

“You know, makes you wanna bang your head.” I back away, taking another swig of my new drink. “You’ll see.”

The song picks up and I get to demonstrate what I mean, and can’t help but laugh again. My heart races for a reason other than exertion when I hear his laugh, too.

He takes a seat at the table. “You muggles sure have weird customs.”

I resume my cleaning of the kitchen, tossing the spatula into the sink. “I don’t think acting like an idiot is exclusively a No-Maj thing. Wait, you lived in America for like a year, how do you not know what a banger is?”

He shrugs. “I’ve heard the term ‘gangbanger’, is that close?”

I nearly choke on my surprise. “What?! No!” I laugh again. “Actually that’s what you are. I’d say the Death Eaters count as a gang.”

Thomus has the audacity to look offended.

“What?” I ask. “You can’t say that I’m wrong.”

“I’d like for you to not say anything about it at all.”

“Oh, come on,” I tease, leaning against the counter. “Weren’t you recruited?”

“No,” he insists. “It was a… family affair.”

“Right, familial gang relations, classic. The family business.”

“Stop calling it that.”

I snicker and turn around, taking a long drink before diving my hands into the soapy dish water. “You only say that because you know I’m right.”

He doesn’t respond and I get lost in the alcohol and music, laser focusing on the dishes. I glance over my shoulder after a while and see that he’s left. Damn. I really know how to clear a room, don’t I?

A few moments later, my nose starts to pick up something stronger than the green apple dish soap I’m using. And then I shriek when I realize.

“Fuck!” I half scream, hastily drying my hands and grabbing an oven mitt.

I yank open the oven door, the smell of burnt chocolate immediately assaulting my senses. Lifting the pan out, I toss it onto the island, and slam the door closed with my foot. I pull the oven mitt off and stare at the charred black void.

A split second later, I burst into tears. I end up on the floor, hugging my thighs and sobbing.

“Alder?” Thomus calls, entering the kitchen. He spots me on the floor and kneels next to me. “Melisa, what happened?”

I try to stop blubbering enough to speak. “I burnt the brownies.”

He lets out a relieved chuckle. “Is that all?”

“Don’t laugh at me,” I sob, turning away. I feel a river of snot threatening to burst out of my nose.

“Darling, I’m not laughing at you,” he says, his hand reaches over and cups my cheek. He turns my face toward him, his thumb wiping away tears under the edge of my glasses.

I turn my face away again, using my t-shirt sleeve to dab at my nose. “That was my third try – I kept fucking them up. It’s impossible without the recipe.”

“There wasn’t one in any of the cookbooks?” he asks, surprised. “I could’ve sworn I saw a dessert one in the office.”

“They wouldn’t be the same,” I mumble. “They wouldn’t be her favorite.”

“Whose favorite?”

I take in a shuddering breath and finally look at him. “It’s October 13th,” I whisper. More tears flood down my cheeks. I can’t even say her name today.

Thomus’ eyes search my face for meaning behind my words and I can see when realization dawns. His face visibly pales and his eyebrows push upwards. Then he closes his eyes and pulls his hands away from me, his chest rising and falling with his telltale signs of masking. When he finally looks back at me, I know he understands.

“I’m sorry for making such a fuss,” I whisper. My face twists up again. “Today is just so hard.”

My eyes are wide as I stare at him, knowing that despite everything, I want him to hold me. Despite the role that he had in her death, in causing me such terrible heartache, I want him to comfort me. It’s so many different levels of fucked up.

I’ve never really been mad at him for it, but the fact always lingers in my mind. He didn’t know me, he didn’t know what Voldemort wanted her for, he was following orders. I’ve killed someone – right at the auction – and it’s amazing I haven’t received any blowback for it. Maybe that’s just how it is in war. Too many lives lost on either side to uphold classic tales of revenge.

I want Thomus in ways that terrify me. If she knew, if anyone knew the truth of how I feel, of how much I want him, she’d never forgive me.

Thomus pulls away and stands, striding to the table to turn off the suddenly misplaced music. When I get to my feet, more music plays, but this time it’s gentle, slow. The Dean Martin record.

The smooth baritone voice serenades the quiet room and Thomus turns to me, holding his hand out. With wide eyes, I place my trembling hand in his and he pulls me close. His arm encircles my waist, our chests touch. He leads me in circles, his expression unreadable, even though I’m blinking away my tears as fast as I can. He twirls me as the songs play, swaying back and forth in the small kitchen.

Innamorata, one of the few songs I can name from the album, plays and he nudges me even closer than before. My cheek presses into his shoulder and I can’t help but cry some more. This is the most romantic thing to ever happen to me and I’m a monster because a part of me so happy it’s happening. Thomus is holding me close like this, he’s dancing with me, he’s pressing kisses to my crown and temple.

I cry because I love it. I cry because he hates me, hates who I am. I cry because tomorrow I’ll have to pretend like this never happened.

And he will too.

Thank you for reading! It's officially been a year since I first started posting this fic! Reblogs, likes, and especially comments are deeply appreciated 💕

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lorei-writes · 1 year

Text

Goodbye, 2022: year in review.

I never truly fancied summaries, yet this year I've been craving to write one. Perhaps because all things which happened were rather... Unexpected? It almost feels as if I crashed through a surface of a mirror and entered a different world. My health, my family, my goals and obligations -- for the most part, so many things I thought to be set in stone turned out to be birds which merely decided to perch on a branch for some time. I was thrown, sentenced to exist upside-down.

I think it showed in how this blog operated this year. It was definitely full of new experiences and experiments.

All editions of @flash-exchange ran this year were a team effort. It was a big change to adjust to, but it would be impossible to ever regret it. @nuttytani & @cheese-ception are the best co-ducks (aka staff members) I could be working with. I can't wait to see just what we can come with in the future.

Anna is the first OC I've created that I have further plans for. Generally, my OCs live for the story, not the other way around. The story ends, and so do they -- Elisa, Magdalena, Maria, and some which didn't even get a name, they don't generally occupy my mind once I finish writing. Anna is different. There are more stories with her than the ones I've written down as of now, and I hope to eventually put them to paper.

I started drawing again! I used to draw portraits. I never thought I'd have enough skill to draw two characters kissing, digital art or not.

Samurwise Advice -- the first collaboration event of this kind I contributed to. Asking @the12thnightproject whether she wouldn't want to maybe collaborate with me was a thought that followed me around for entire days on end. It seemed impossible at first. After all, why would she? The very idea behind the concept of the event isn't even mine, it's hers. She's probably busy. She probably has better things to write. Can I even collaborate with somebody this inspiring? -- And then she agreed, much to my disbelief and joy. It was an utter blast.

Canva fever. It just so happens that one of the perks of working with @nuttytani is seeing her prepare graphics, and she's the absolute Queen of Aesthetic. She introduced me to Canva and so, I've started making wallpapers, banners, and just generally having lots of fun with putting together simple designs!

One or three shots? I feel like my stories this year were somewhat unusual overall. They definitely felt too long to contain within a single one-shot more often than the year prior.

That's weird, but I'm writing them either way. On the topic of weird -- I think I explored things I didn't necessarily dare reached before, even if sometimes I retreated as not to dip into genres I wasn't ready to try. Gen Fics, Slavic demonology combined with retelling of a Greek myth, grief and dealing with an illness, but also experimenting with form, sneaking music into words, parallels in construction of a story itself.

And lastly:

Slow down. Some weeks I posted daily or nearly daily. But I'm things other than what's visible online. It's good to focus on them too.

Perhaps falling ill (and then more ill, this time not chronically so) was not so bad after all... Farewell, 2022. What a year have you been...

#update #personal

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xenonmalachite · 1 year

Text

TW: (alien) blood

image under cut. putting image ID up here so you know what is going on and you can decide for yourself if you wanna see. there’s also a short story under the cut. not gonna say much else about it other than I'm not dead and i am just in assignment purgatory rn. but this is a good thing that’s gotten me from my art block so i hope you enjoy [image ID:

a drawing of the artist’s rendition of Crosshairs holding his hands up with a soft but slightly confused look on his face in a scrapyard. a scar on his face is dripping energon/blood. the artist’s oc, Truss, stands in the panel below in the same scrapyard from a different angle and wields a wrench. she’s crying, scared.

dialogue reads as follows Crosshairs: hey. hey. easy, kiddo. I'm not gonna hurt ya Truss: STAY THE HELL BACK! End ID]

Scouting was Bumblebee's job, however, given a new hideout, it had to be shared to see if it would be eligible as a resourceful and safe base. Crosshairs hated that responsibility with a passion, but Loco Motion, his Conjunx, gave him a nudge to just do it this once and he can stay by and guard next time if this place didn’t work out. He obliged with a huff. He was tasked with the east area. There seemed to be a lot of used and dead technology in that area. Perfect. If the place worked out then there was his escape. Blend in amongst the tech and everyone will stay out of your way.

It wasn’t until mid afternoon did he catch something unusual. At first it was a clicking sound. He assumed at first it was rats or bugs and thought about asking Cade to hire an exterminator. But then... was that the sound of a music box? Crosshairs never believed in ghosts, so there was one explanation. Someone was there. He was on high alert when the music stopped. He stepped closer to the source to investigate so he knew what to tell the others.

One more twist he didn’t expect... was a youngling cybertronian. She was close to about 11-12 if she were a human. She wasn’t at an age where she could transform, not on her own at least. Crosshairs didn’t have time to fully process what was going on when she spotted him. She grabbed a drill and aimed it. She pulled the trigger and the drill bit fired from it. Cross was very unlucky in that it hit him, close to the optic. He let out a yelp and stumbled back in surprise

He wiped the energon bleeding from the drill bit hitting him as he got a few seconds to ponder the situation. There’s a youngling here with 1 of 2 options. 1, She was with an adult and that adult would be coming back. or 2, The youngling was by herself.

The youngling fiddled for a weapon, being “out of ammo”. She started to cry in panic, but was more focused on finding a weapon then sobbing. Cross piped up with a comment “You’ve got an aim on ya, I'll tell ya that” He said.

The youngling then let out as much of a roar as she could as she lifted up a massive wrench, wielding it like a battle axe. She started to swing at him. Crosshairs jumped back in surprise, hands up in surrender. He saw her panic and fear. She didn’t hesitate to attack. He took a better look at the area and made a chilling discovery, at least to him. There was no evidence of an adult around. “Hey. Hey. Easy, kiddo. I'm not gonna hurt ya” He told her, softening his voice before she took another swing at him again.

Then she spoke “STAY THE HELL BACK!” She shouted. There was a slight accent to the Cybertronian reverberations in her voice. While she spoke English, there was still the undertones and reverberations from her voice that communicated a possible origin. And hers were from Caminus. She’s too far from home. “Get back!” She growled in warning.

“I'm not going to hurt you” Cross repeated. “I want to help you”. This wasn’t like him but this kid seemed to be afraid for her life... or something. If she was afraid of something, it’s likely she may have encountered the TRF. And a kid being face to face with a TRF solider didn’t sit right with him.

The youngling threw the wrench which he caught. She froze before running behind a pile of junk and hiding. Cross sighed. He turned his back to the pile and sat down, taking out a small medical kit to treat his wound.

The young cybertronian walked out of hiding slowly. Cross still kept his back to her, not wanting to scare her. It must have been a long time since she’s seen a grown up. She sat down with her back to him too, seeing he was not a threat.

“Where did you get that drill?” He asked her

“I made it.” She answered

“Made it? You mean you rigged up a drill to act as a gun? That’s incredible! Genius even! You’re talented. I'll give you that.” Cross told her with a smile, trying to appear not threatening. “Your parents teach you to do that?”

The youngling shook her head “No. I don’t have parents”

“Don’t have parents? What do you mean? Are they... with the Allspark? Did they leave you here?” Cross started asking

“I don’t know” The youngling shrugged. “I don’t remember my parents or how I got here. All I know is is woke up here and I live here now...Unless you want me to go?”

“No. Please stay.” Crosshairs told her, slowly moving to face her. “It’s too dangerous out there for you. You could stay with me and my team. I'm sure my conjunx wouldn’t mind having you around”

the youngling just shrugged in response with “Okay. I'll stay”. She shifted herself so she and Cross sat next to each other instead

There was a silence between them for a brief moment before Crosshairs asked “Do you remember anything about yourself at all?”

“I remember I like trains and fixing things. I like seeing how things work.” She responded “I also know my name”

“What is your name?” Crosshairs asked her

“Truss” She responded.

“Crosshairs” Cross responded, introducing himself, holding onto his goggles and dipping his head as if tipping a hat. It managed to bring a giggle out of Truss.

“You’re not wearing a hat.” Truss smiled, starting to feel safe.

Cross chuckled “No. But sometimes it’s fun to pretend. Slip out of reality for a bit. It never hurt anyone”

Truss stretched and laid down on her back, which Cross followed.

“Do you know how long you’ve been here, Truss?” Crosshairs asked.

Truss shook her head “No. I've never left here. I like it here. so much stuff. I never get bored”

“I can see why. You’ve got a talent” Crosshairs commented. “It’s getting dark. You got somewhere to recharge? Keep warm?”

Truss shook her head again “No. I just kinda move to a comfy spot wherever and just pass out there.”

Crosshairs sat up “Well that can’t be healthy. Tell ya what. You can stay with me and my conjunx until we re-group with our team in the morning, okay?”

Truss nodded as she got up and started to pack her things. Cross offered his hand when she was ready. Truss was hesitant but held it so she wouldn’t get lost. this was new but she was up for a new challenge in life. Hey, she woke up one day in a scrap yard with no memory of how she got there or her origins, this might as well happen.

Loco Motion was investigating something she thought was of use when her Conjunx Endura, crosshairs shouted her name. She looked up at his direction and was rendered speechless. There was Crosshairs... with a youngling in tow?

“Loco! honey! look what i found!” Cross called to his conjunx before picking Truss up. Truss giggled at being lifted high up, almost in the style of Lion King “Can we keep her?”

#tw blood #transformers crosshairs #crosshairs #bayverse crosshairs #tf crosshairs #bayformers #bayverse #bayverse transformers #transformers bayverse #tf oc #transformers oc #my art #malachite arts #maccadam #maccadams

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