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#tts fic
aziraphalesbookkeeper · 4 months
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The name is on the tip of Varian's tongue. The syllables press against the back of his teeth, itching to be let out but never taking shape. It's like dust falling softly on a Sunday morning; it's a thousand tons of iron slamming behind his ribs; it's a virus buried in his blood and sinew. He can't explain why he feels so empty without it, like a piece of his soul is missing. He can't help but think he's lost something -- or someone -- very, very important.
Or, Varian wakes up in the body of a boy he's never met in a kingdom he's never visited. He learns to adapt to Hugo's strange lifestyle, clumsily navigating a sense of normalcy with no memory of what happened the day before.
Until the day he can't.
Chapter 9: Your Name is...
Chapter Summary: Destinies collide at a royal wedding.
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the-reverse-mermaid · 5 months
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If you told Hugo a day ago that Varian Ritter would be passed out on his bed at 5am on a Tuesday, he would’ve laughed and asked the informant if it’s drugs they’re taking or drugs they should be taking that they’re not.
If you told Hugo a day ago that the Alchemist would ever reach out to him, the Red Hunter, for help, well– screw it, maybe he would believe you. They were almost-coworkers after all.
(Danny Phantom AU for a late whumptober treat)
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twotangledsisters · 4 months
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Love all the fics you've got pending!
Can you tell us more about A Hostage Situation and Mirror, Mirror, What You Took From Me?
I'm most excited for these!
Can I tell you more?? That shouldn't be a question, why you are asking me to talk about my ongoing projects, a favorite activity second only to sharing the finished stories once they're done!!
And both are those are ones I'm very excited about too! I'll start with the shorted of the two:
The Hostage Situation
Honestly, there's not much more to add than in the original post, it's one of my rare AUs that hasn't shown any signs of spiralling out of control yet!
This AU has a more... pacifist version of Hector, as rather than fight these strangers off he just snatches Cass and orders them to leave for her safety. Cass is never in any real danger and that becomes apparent pretty fast despite Hector's threats.
While most of them leave the way they came, Eugene is the one to sneak back inside with the intent of rescuing Cassandra. The main goal is to allow Cassandra to open up a bit more about her emotions, it's to allow Eugene who just stood by during the argument a chance to speak his mind, and it offers up some extra bonding with Hector.
I won't spoil the ending but I will say Cassandra manages to keep both hands in mint condition!
I'll add a few snippets to the end after the read more!
Mirror, Mirror, What You Took From Me
This one is waaaay longer! Although the summary focuses on Cassandra smashing the mirror and Eugene becoming trapped, this fic actually is a re-imagining of the show after that point.
The Mirror Realm in this AU is a portion of Zhan Tiri's realm, with Eugene captured Tromus has a different approach to getting the Sundrop and Zhan Tiri took takes a different approach.
If you want to go into the fic fully blind, stop reading now as I'm gonna ramble and spoil parts of it :D
With Eugene trapped, Tromus wishes to strike a deal with Rapunzel, and Rapunzel is willing to give anything to ensure she gets Eugene back. Cassandra doesn't trust Tromus though, and goes behind Rapunzel's back taking down Tromus and causing the shell house to collapse. Staring at the ruins of the home, with Eugene still missing, Rapunzel and Cassandra have a huge fight.
Rapunzel decides she's going to complete the journal, travel to the Dark Kingdom and acquire the moonstone because perhaps that amount of power will be enough to get Eugene back.
Cassandra argues the moonstone is dangerous! But Rapunzel is past reasoning with.
“Oh, so your feelings are valid? You have a bad feeling about the moonstone and that’s valid? But me feeling like trusting that man to get Eugene back isn’t?” “May I remind you had a bad feeling about the shell shaped building from the start? You thought it was swell and look, what happened? I didn’t put Eugene in danger. You did!” Rapunzel glared, then her face straightened and she turned. “Your journey ends here.” “What?” “I’m done with you interfering Cassandra, I want you out of my way.” “I’m not leaving.” “You don’t have a choice. I’m not making a request Cassandra, as your princess, I command you go back to Corona and stay out of my way. I’m going to do what I have to do to get my partner back, and you aren’t coming.”
After Rapunzel orders Cassandra to stay behind, Cassandra does start to walk towards Corona, but ultimately decides against it. Rapunzel is emotional and doesn't know what she's doing! If there is one thing that'll blind Rapunzel's judgement, it's Eugene. So Cassandra makers her way to the Dark Kingdom to take the moonstone before Rapunzel.
In this AU Cassandra takes the moonstone to protect Rapunzel and it's after taking it that Zhan Tiri appears, not to guide Cassandra, but to guide Rapunzel down a path of anger and a path of doing 'anything' to get Eugene back.
Eugene fights for his life in the mirror realm, he is questioned and his knowledge used by Zhan Tirir against Rapunzel.
Cassandra tried to go to the Spire to find something that'll help Eugene but she's already been reported a thief and is ambushed there.
She then goes to Varian who listens to Cassandra and understands how Rapunzel feels, blinded by grief. He agrees to start work on a portal to save Eugene and Cassandra goes into hiding.
Rapunzel eventually does locate Cassandra, and they clash. A portal opens, Zhan Tirir exits and Rapunzel sees Eugene, but he is unable to reach her, held back by the mirror-version of Cassandra. But having seen him Rapunzel is ready to listen to anything Zhan Tirir says.
AND... I am going to stop! I could keep going and spoil the entire fic... I WANT TO. But I won't.
I think you get the feel of the fic :D
I am super excited for it! I love switching roles up, letting Rapunzel be the one manipulated and missguided for a change! This fic is going to be a lot of fun, if you like fics of mine like Plus Forts Ensemble I'd say it's pretty similar to that in the way it both follows and doesn't follow the show's outline!
Also, some snippets from The Hostage Situation:
Cassandra struggled against the rope tying her to one of the many trees which had grown within The Great Tree, the binturongs circled her and growled but she didn’t cease her frantic movements. “Let me go!” Hector ignored her shouts as he tended to his garden. “Once your friends are far enough away, I’ll consider.” “You have no right!” “I have every right,” Hector snapped back. “I have a duty to my kingdom and to the entire world, a duty to the moonstone. I warned your group more than enough times, yet you kept going. Be thankful I chose this route. I could have just as easily cut you all down where you stood and eliminated the problem at its route.” Cassandra glared. For a moment the only noise was the binturongs’ growls. “Why am I explaining myself?” Hector turned back to the garden. “It’s not like you’d understand the weight of duty.” And the tiredness in his voice got Cassandra’s expression to soften as she did understand that weight. She thought back to her last conversation with the king prior to starting this journey. It had been in the throne room, while the others packed, Cassandra had been practically shaking as the last time he had summoned her to the throne room it had only been the king and her father and she’d been banished to a convent. She expected to be scolded for disobeying a direct order, but instead the king just looked tired. “Cassandra, you are my daughter’s lady-in-waiting and, more importantly you are someone she trusts.” Cassandra nodded. “I must ask you to protect her on this journey. It’s her first time beyond the walls of Corona and I fear she may not be prepared.” Cassandra felt like such a favour should come after an apology for her near banishment, but he was a king and she but a commoner, so she bowed and promised she’d do all in her power to protect Rapunzel. If only Rapunzel had allowed Cassandra to carry out this promise. “I understand,” Cassandra told Hector, to her own surprise. “I even understand what it’s like for your own to not help with that duty…” she added. Hector looked at Cassandra over his plants. “I heard your woes, the ones you shared with the statues.” Cassandra blushed in embarrassment. “You can kill me now.” Hector laughed. “For coming from such a peaceful kingdom, you show promise. I’m sorry those close to you don’t see that.” Cassandra smiled. “Thank.” “You should consider going to another kingdom to pursue your dreams.” “And leave Rapunzel behind?” “She the princess to whom you have a duty?” “I mean… No, not exactly. She’s my boss and my princess, sure, but… I could leave, I’m just a servant. It’s not about duty, she’s my friend.” “Ah.” Hector turned so Cassandra couldn’t see his expression. “What?” “Nothing.” “Tell me.” “It’s just… My experience with royals is that they’ll be your friend, family, brother, what have you, when it’s convenient, but the day you need them to listen, they’re above you.” Hector’s mind wandered to the moonstone and the mistake that had cost him his home. “Rapunzel… It was just the one time.” “It was just the first time,” Hector corrected. Cassandra didn’t answer. She wanted to argue, but did Rapunzel deserve her defence right now?
Later:
Cassandra could see the stars through a gap in the bark, the moonlight’s glow her only light source. She heard footsteps coming from behind. “Finally! Surely my friends are far enough away for you to release me now?” There was a shuffle of footsteps, followed by a loud thump as Eugene’s bound body was tossed in front of Cassandra. She blinked. He grinned. “Hey, Cass! You were exactly who I was looking for.” Cassandra’s expression darkened. There went her hope of stretching her arms and reuniting with her friends. “I thought I’d rescue you.” “Guessing you thought wrong?” Eugene chuckled as Hector lifted him and tied him to the same tree as Cassandra. “Well… it’s the thought that counts.” “I don’t think that expression favours you, Eugene.” “I am regretting not leaving you for dead.” “I am regretting you not leaving me for dead.” “Leave the bonding exercises for another time, won’t you?” Hector rolled his eyes as he finished tying the knot. “Anybody else I should be worried about in my tree?” “Everybody else voted to leave Cass behind,” Eugene answered. “Good. Then next time I see something move and shoot on sight there won’t be any injuries.” Eugene frowned but said nothing as Hector left. “The others did leave, right?” Cassandra checked. “Yeah. We kind assumed I’d be enough… sorry.” “It’s fine,” Cassandra sighed. “I will never let you live this down though.”
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flossy2003 · 2 months
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I must be in a really creative mood or something recently because I’ve just written a chapter for a fic I haven’t worked on in nearly two years 😆
Guess which fic it is. I’ll be uploading it later ❤️
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vvizardz · 10 months
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Another update to the big ol ref sheet Like these guys? Check out my fic I'm battling dyslexia n adhd brain to get out
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chairmansans · 11 months
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Did some doodles for @lemon-embalmer 's fic "Not all those who wander are lost". Excellent read. I'll add image descriptions/alt text when I'm more coherent I be sleepy.
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keysandopenmind · 8 months
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new New Dream fic - More Than He Could Hope For
So back in July, it was New Dream Appreciation Week and @nerdasaurus1200 wrote this adorable AU for the "forbidden love" prompt, which left me with a silly grin on my face.
And around the same time, I read just this heart with much too much to share, which was written back in 2014 (I bookmarked it then and took nine years to read it, whoops), so before the series or anything. And there's a scene in that where Kristoff and Eugene are talking about their relationships with their respective Princesses and Eugene says he initially wasn't allowed anywhere near Rapunzel once he brought her home, due to his reputation. And while I am quite confident that's not what happened, I thought it was interesting angle to explore and so here we are!
I'm not an especially fast writer, so 7400 words took me a full month to get down and honestly I'm surprised it happened that quickly. My initial plan was just a couple thousand words of angst/fluff followed by a happy ending, but then it developed an actual plot. Which is definitely new for me in terms of fic writing.
Back when I was in my 20s and writing fic regularly before, I generally stuck to short missing scene and character study-type one shots. At the same time, I really struggled with planning and finishing any original projects. So I think the fact that I wrote this and wrote it quickly (for me) is a testament to how my skill as a writer has developed in the last few years, and I'm feeling pretty proud of that!
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frozenwolftemplar · 1 year
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...And posted less than twelve hours before it got devoured by the Archive!
Maybe it’s a little late for a New Year’s Eve fic, but this has been sitting in my drafts long enough; time to get it out into the wild! If you like Little Cass antics and Cap trying his best, then I hope you’ll find something to enjoy in this fic; happy reading!
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monocaelia · 3 months
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fragile.
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' you have broken down my defenses, and i don’t really resent it. ' - vita sackville west
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in which you really don't want to care about him and his careless attitude, but you always find yourself coming back to him. always. feat. diluc ragnvindr & gn!reader w.c : 5k warnings : childhood friends to lovers, diluc lore spoilers, minor angst but ends w fluff, diluc ragnvindr. note : happy new year! sorry for the delay hehe, but this is for @seraphiism's 2023 collab event !! please support the other authors and enjoy the fic ^^
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your mother had always instructed you to stay close to her side, to never stray far away from her lest you find yourself in trouble with the master of the winery or the other servants working the orchards and tending to the land of the estate.
but with a beautiful land of ripe grapes and friendly staff greeting you as you rush past them, how could you ever just sit still beside your mother as she did her job around the winery?
the late summer breeze rushes past your face as you weave through the wooden stakes holding the wiry vines of grapes above you. the warm sun rays heat your skin as you leap over the small rocks that litter the passage leading into the main area of the ragnvindr estate. the wind whispers in your ear, making you grin as your little legs take you wherever it guides you.
you feel free, the wind pushing past your wings to lead you to your newest adventure around the manor.
your feet land firmly on the grounds behind the manor when you hear the gentle sniffles coming from behind a couple of barrels. despite your mother's warnings echoing in your head, you take gentle steps towards the sound as curiosity takes over.
you're not expecting to see a young boy with fiery red hair and matching eyes that hold the warmest, flickering fire glaring up at you with tears at the corner of his eyes and holding a bleeding knee.
"...are you okay?" you ask, kneeling down beside him. you begin to frown when he pulls his knee away from you and his glare deepens.
"i don't need your help," the young boy hisses at you and you roll your eyes.
"really? you don't need my help even though you're crying in a corner all by yourself?" you scoff at him. he doesn't say anything in retaliation and you take it as an okay for you to help him.
you pull a handkerchief from your pocket; nothing too fancy as your family couldn't afford the finest silks like the nobles could. it's cotton, white, and had a simple design of a little sparrow emroidered in the corner.
"i don't have any bandages on me," you mumble softly. your little fingers gently wrap the handkerchief around the young boy's knee several times before tying a small knot on it. without even blinking, you lean down to kiss the wounded knee.
"what are you doing?!" the young boy exclaims, yanking his knee away.
"kissing it better," you say as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "my mother always does that when i get hurt. she says it takes the pain away and makes it heal faster."
"that's stupid," the boy mumbles with a glare.
"says the one who tripped and fell and hurt himself," you argue back. you stick your tongue out when the boy shouts out a 'hey!' and roll your eyes.
"who are you and what are you doing here anyways?" you ask the young boy, kneeling beside him once more. he's still glaring at you, but it's less hostile than it was a few moments ago. "my mom said strangers aren't allowed to be here."
the young boys eyes are red, vibrantly so. the life in them burn brightly, reminding you of a fire as it flickers with warmth and a promise of a brighter tomorrow. like the hearth of a fireplace, the young boy seems to be the incarnate of warmth itself with the way he's filled with the flame of life.
"i live here, dummy," he quips back at you with a frown and your eyes widen.
"really? i've never seen you around, and i've been everywhere on this estate," you reply, bringing your thumb and forefinger to your chin as you remain deep in thought. truly, the only people you've managed to catch were all adults working for the master of this winery. never once have you seen a kid running along.
with a bright smile of your own, you lean towards the young boy. "we should be friends! since i don't know anyone else to play with here, we can play!"
the boy looks you up and down with furrowed brows, but he slowly nods. "...okay," he mumbles and you grin brighter.
"great! what's your name then? i'm-"
your name is shouted as hurried footsteps rush towards you. your mother pulls you aside as she looks at the young boy in front of you with panicked eyes.
"young master, i'm so sorry if my child said or did anything to hurt you," your mother says in a rush. she pushes your head down to bow in front of the young boy. she hisses something into your ear and you stutter out your own apology too, even if you did nothing wrong.
you find out the young boy you helped earlier that day was the son of the nobleman your mother works for, diluc ragnvindr. apparently, he's some big deal because he's the young master, but what kind of big deal hurts himself and hides between the barrels instead of asking for help?
you huff as you kick your feet sitting down by your bedside. because of the whole debacle, your mother had ordered you to stay inside to prevent even more debacles from happening even if you explained that the young master getting injured was not your fault. the sun shining from your windowsill feels so far away as you stare outside and ponder what to do.
until you hear a light pattering sound come from your window.
your curiosity is piqued as your small frame approaches the glass panes, wide eyes peeking over the wooden frame as your eyes scan the scenery.
the foliage of the trees surrounding your home cast shadows over your house with small animals running back and forth from the greenery above, causing the rustling of the leaves. the sun trickles in through the gaps of the leaves and your eyes settle on the boy with red hair standing outside your window, a small rock in his hand.
there's a proper bandage on his knee now as it was properly dressed, and his fiery eyes meet yours. he looks hesitant at first, but his brows furrow and his lips open to prepare to speak.
"...come outside and play with me," he tells you when you push open the window in your bedroom, a slight pout in his voice.
"you got me in trouble," you reply shortly, "and now i'm stuck inside because of you."
the young boy bites his lip, pondering what he could do or say to make things better. from the way he's thinking hard enough for you to see steam coming out of his ears, you could tell that he was trying really hard to think of anything to say.
"i'm sorry," he mumbles, kicking the dirt with his shoe.
"sorry, what was that?" you ask, holding your ear out.
the young master huffs, his cheeks puffed out in annoyance. he stomps his foot before-
"i said 'i'm sorry'!"
you smile at him smugly before crossing your arms on the windowsill. it was amusing to see the supposed young master like this; for such a renowned young boy, he was such a cry baby.
"okay, i can't go outside, but we can still play inside if that's okay," you tell him with a bright smile. "i'll let you in!"
"diluc..." he says, red eyes meeting yours. he reminds you of a fire with the way he's looking at you; so full of life but almost burning you if you get him too riled up. but the flames are tame now compared to the anxious flickers you saw earlier before he apologized.
"okay; i'll let you in then, diluc!"
ever since that warm summer, you and diluc have been inseparable; every afternoon is spent exploring the land of the winery but never straying far enough to get lost or end up on the other side of the lake where monsters lurk.
you were there the evening master crepus brought home another young boy around your age home; his blue hair reminding you of the blueberries your mother bought from mondstadt for you to eat. it was a bit of an adjustment with another young boy to play with, but soon you got along well with him as well.
his bright blue eyes always sparkling as you invite him to play alongside diluc and his little hand held in yours. he reminded you of the stars above with the way his eyes twinkle with youth and reflect the night sky above you when the three of you snuck out of your homes to stargaze with your hands holding onto each other until the morning sun began to rise over the horizon.
with your hands held tightly with diluc's and kaeya's, your youth together was only just beginning.
it's a cool morning where the early frost is beginning to melt as the sun continues to rise over the horizon, spreading her warmth and love across the fields of dawn winery. the young master has been gone for a couple days now; something about some sort of knight exam or whatever happening in the city of mondstadt. you would have gone with him, but your duties lie in caring for the winery whilst your friends head off to the heart of mondstadt to finish their training and hopefully become part of the knights of favonius that crepus ragnvindr had always encouraged them to be a part of.
you know having their father's praise meant a lot to your dear friends and you could only hope for the best for both diluc and kaeya as they were off doing their duties.
your ears perk as your name is shouted through the winery along with the sound of hooves rapidly against the dirt road. over in the distance, you can make out a red haired young man galloping over on his steed at near full speed. with wide eyes, you try to tell him to slow down before you get trampled and-
"oof!" you groan as a heavy body slams into you, both his weight and warmth tackling you to the ground. you're thankful that his arms cradled your head as you both go tumbling into the dirt road underneath you and the only pain was that of your body against the floor.
you don't even get to question why diluc had tackled you to the floor when he pulls his face away from you, giving you a clear view of his expression. he's smiling brightly, a wide grin on his face and his eyes of rubies twinkling brighter than any flame you've ever seen. the flames of his soul flicker brilliantly in his excitement and you can't help your own match his energy.
"i got in!" diluc says, his boyish smile growing wider. the small divots in his cheeks are cute and evidence of how hard he was grinning at the news. "i passed the trials got to do the oath swear and- oh, i wish you could've been there!"
despite growing up into a more mature-ish teen, it is moments like these where you're reminded that even as time passes and he grows taller than you, diluc is still the bright eyed boy that you've known since you were young. he looks so cute, in an endearing way, when he eagerly tells you all about his trials and how tough they were.
you really hope that the young master stays the same as he is now.
with a gentle hand, you reach up to ruffle his hair; it's soft to the touch and your eyes don't miss the way diluc pauses in his excitement as your fingers weave into his hair. you assume it's because he's not used to your praise and brush it off, even as he leans into your touch and waits for your words.
"why don't we head inside first? i want to hear everything that happened, but inside where it's warm and comfortable rather than on the dirt floor, diluc," you say to him, a slight lilt in your voice. you laugh softly when you see his cheeks flush a little in embarrassment before he gets off of you.
"i apologize, i was just so eager to tell you," diluc says softly, reaching down to offer a hand to you. you take his hand; you can feel the natural warmth emanating from his body through his gloves and, before you know it, you've been pulled up from the ground. his arm wraps around your waist to assure that you're balanced as you stand up.
"i just," diluc begins. you watch him as the young master of the winery averts his gaze briefly before he meets yours, warm rubies enveloping you with nothing but the comfort he holds for you ever since you were both younger.
"i wanted you to be the first person i told and to tell you."
a wave of something pleasant washes over you knowing that diluc, the heir of dawn winery and one of the most hardworking and talented man in all of mondstadt, rushed back home on horseback in the early hours of this chilly morning just to announce the news to you in person.
just so he could be your first in regards to his good news.
you laugh softly as something warm settles into the pit of your heart, squeezing his hand in yours as you tug him towards the main mansion of the winery estate with no intentions of letting his go for the time being.
even with the budding flowers of youth begin to bloom and the happiness that was promised to you has yet to come, you would have never expected for the spring of your youth to end so abruptly.
it happened all so quickly; crepus ragnvindr wielding a delusion, his death and the anger of diluc exploding, and the fall of your friendship with kaeya and diluc.
you weren't given the details of either one's situation, just a witness of a near death experience and the unforgiven apologies spewing from kaeya's lips as he held his injured eye in the midst of the rain washing down on them as if mourning both the loss of crepus ragnvindr and the wound wedged deep between the relationship of the ragnvindr brothers.
it was like in a mere second, the once warm diluc that would blush and hold your hand so delicately had been wiped away and replaced by a diluc grieving the loss of his father as the flames of his anger and betrayal of both his own brother and the knights of favonius for trying to brush the murder of his father under the rug explode and engulf his entire being.
he doesn't even give you a proper goodbye, leaving only a letter dedicated to you and his vision dimly glowing on his nightstand behind.
it feels like a fever dream when you hear the news of diluc finally returning after all of these years. you don't even hear it from the man himself; rather, from the whispers and excited chatter that the master of dawn winery had returned home.
part of you is excited at the news that he's alive; with no news of his existence after he ran from home in search of the truth behind his father's death other than the faint glow and warmth radiating from his vision clutched in your hands when you missed and worried for him, you were ecstatic knowing that he truly was home now.
that he's alive and breathing and still with you.
and yet, another part of you twinges in pain that he didn't come to you and announce that he was home. he had left you without even a single goodbye, not even bothering to visit you and explain his situation before leaving you questioning whether or not he even cared about how you felt about him.
of course, you aren't entitled to being the first to know, but after growing up together and usually being the first to know of everything in your youth, your heart aches knowing you were one of the last to hear of this at the winery.
it doesn't help knowing that you have not even caught a glimpse of diluc after his supposed return.
so imagine your surprise coming home one evening, the cool night air biting against your skin as you return home after a long day's work, seeing a figure leaning against your home.
at first, your blood turns cold as your heart races in your ears; it couldn't be anyone bad... the winery is a safe place and any suspicious figures are dealt with accordingly before they even step close to the winery grounds. you don't even have anything to defend yourself against if they did happen to be someone with malicious intent.
you take a step back to turn tail back to the estate but freeze when you begin to recognize the figure outside your door; red curls resembling that of flames flickering in the air and warm ruby eyes that you could recognize anywhere. despite standing in the dim evening light and having only the glow of the lantern outside of your home, you could make out the injuries through his dark clothing.
just what did he get himself into?
you hesitate at first, but eventually let your instincts take control as you begin to walk over to your home. it's as if you were both in the blooming stages of your youth again, bringing diluc home to mend his wounds after training for the knight exams.
caring for him was like muscle memory to you, even after all of the events leading to him leaving you in the dust.
you don't say a word as you open the wooden door and guide diluc in, pulling out a chair by the fireplace. wordlessly, he sits in it as you leave to prepare to clean his wounds.
your fingers shake ever so slightly as you remove diluc's coat from his shoulders, the heavy fabric falling to the floor with a thud. you apologize softly as you begin to unbutton his shirt and, as each button is undone and reveals more of his skin, your fingers begin to flinch every time your skin brushes against the skin of his chest.
his breath is warm, you can feel it against your skin as you slide off the remaining clothes on his torso. his chest is bare to you, and normally you would be gawking at how much he has physically changed since you were younger. but you cannot help but stare at how much he had been injured in the last few years you have seen him.
aside from the scratches from the most recent scuffle which led him to your quaint home beside his manor, scars litter his chest and arms. although most of them are healed, the damage that he had experienced was still evident on his skin and you hold back a gasp at how deep some of them had been; there's a huge scar that runs diagonally from the top of his chest to his stomach and you could already feel your stomach churning at the pain.
you couldn't imagine having to sustain those injuries for so long, and being alone through it all.
and, now, you hope that the injuries currently on his body heal faster knowing that he isn't alone this time. not when he has you by his side.
diluc's eyes burn holes into your skull as he watches you dip a towel into the bucket of warm water at your side; you pretend to ignore him. twisting the soaked cloth to rid it of the excess water, you gently begin to clean the wounded man in front of you.
a man you consider an old friend, but you fear he doesn't hold the same sentiment. not anymore.
it's quiet, the only sound shared between the two of you being the occasional sound of the towel dumped back into the bucket and the crackling of the fireplace in your living space. the moon casts her illuminating rays through the window of your home, but her light is nothing compared to the comfort of the fire in your home.
the comfort of the man in front of you, even if you didn't want to ever admit it to him now.
the glass jars containing the disinfecting ointment for diluc's wounds clink gently as you open them to spread over his skin.
"why are you helping me?" his voice breaks the thick silence between you two. his sudden question makes your hands pause, but you don't raise your head as you think of something to reply.
"and let an old friend bleed to death outside my door? you think i'm that heartless, diluc?" you ask him. your fingers resume their previous job of slathering the medicine over his new wounds. "i could say the same to you, why show up to my house like this?"
another silence follows your words and you assume he's done interrogating you for your kindness to him.
"i had nowhere else to turn to," diluc says after a while. your eyes catch his fists tighten on his lap as he takes another breath. "you've shown me nothing but kindness even after i was so cruel to you."
you exhale softly at his words. of course he thinks dealing with his own problems this entire time was the worst thing he could do to you. if you were being honest, it did hurt when he seemingly pretended you didn't exist or pushed you away when he had returned home from whatever he was dealing with away from mondstadt.
you had hoped for a joyful reunion, one filled with tears as you finally welcome home your old friend. but he never announced when he was coming home and you only figured out through the grapevine. he was never home when you looked for him and when you finally caught a glimpse of him, your eyes would meet for barely a second before he rushed off elsewhere and leaving you in the dust.
according to kaeya, his brother whom you've kept in touch with throughout the years. diluc had changed even more ever since his return; he kept his feelings to himself and his face remained 'constipated,' as per kaeya's words, due to his inner turmoil.
but from everyone else, he had always been so kind to them. the old women in the city would always praise how gentle the young master was, helping them walk across the city or carrying their groceries if they needed it. the young women also constantly swooned over how mysterious, yet warm-hearted diluc was; seemingly cold in nature but treating children and animals with such tenderness.
"it did hurt knowing you were ignoring me," you confess as your fingers begin to unravel the gauze to wrap over his wounds. "even if you wanted everyone to think you've changed and have become cold and guarded, i know you're still the same caring boy i've known since we were young. i hope so, at least."
his skin is warm to the touch, another feature you realize has never changed about your old friend. with bated breath, you lift your head to let your gaze finally settle on diluc's own. just as you predicted, despite the physical changes, you can still see the diluc you once knew within the scarred and older man in front of you.
diluc has definitely gotten older; the baby fat on his face slimming down slightly to reveal a more defined jaw and the bags under his eyes were evidence of his restless nights away from mondstadt. there are light scars on his face, nothing too deep to keep from his princely demeanor but are definitely proof of a troubling journey, and he has grown taller than the last time you had seen him in your youth.
but one thing that has never changed is the fire the lights up his eyes. so red and warm, you're tempted to hold his face in your hands to get a closer look. they're so vibrant, alive like the embers that flicker in the fireplace that lights your home, as they stare back at you in anticipation of your next words.
"you would never intend to hurt me on purpose. so if i should have to wait forever for you to be ready to come to me like you've had in the past, i don't mind doing so."
diluc's stoic expression wavers at your words. a sliver of guilt shines in his eyes and he looks away briefly as he digests the words you've spoken to him.
he couldn't tell you the reasons why he always kept you at arm's length; was he wary of your intentions for always being kind to him despite how he treated you or was he so used to people close to him lying to his face that he feared you were also pulling a facade?
or was he scared of you sharing the same fate as his family should he loved you with his heart on his sleeve, a fate of being held in his arms as he feels the warmth that once comforted him when you were young fade away like the embers in the hearth of a fireplace?
diluc did not want to know and he did not need to know, not when you're looking at him with such trust and compassion that he finds it hard to even hold any distrust towards you.
his dear friend from his youth who was always there to pick him up when he fell.
you did not break through the walls shielding diluc's heart for you had already found your place beside it, holding he's life with your gentle hands and protecting his soul's flames with your faith in him.
"i'm sorry," diluc apologizes to you, looking into your eyes. one of your hands is grabbed to be held by him, rough and scarred and so calloused as it held the memories and grief of what he went through to become like the man in front of you, the gauze held in your other. his warmth seeps into your skin, heating up your skin as the flames of his heart grow and encase your entire being within its embrace.
your lips part to say something, but he continues to speak.
"i thought keeping you away would benefit us both," he takes a breath as his eyes scan over your own features, taking in all that has changed since the last time he saw you in your adolescent years; how much you've grown both physically and emotionally. you look so much more mature than the naughty child who ran around breaking their mother's rules just to play with him or the dear friend who would bicker with him endlessly during their teenage years.
the years of their beautiful youth, years that he wished so dearly he could go back to and live in that peace for eternity.
but while the winds continue to blow and move time along, you've continued to stay the same despite the change.
you're still so kind, so inviting to someone like him.
you treat him like the friend you've remembered in your adolescence, even if his hands were bloodied with vengeance and his heart is scarred and wounded from betrayal and deceit.
he is still diluc, just diluc in your bright and beautiful eyes; he always had been.
his hands squeeze yours tightly, hoping that he has the courage to say what he wants to say.
"i don't deserve your kindness, or your love. but if i imagine a life where i have succeeded in pushing you away and we no longer talk," diluc begins, the fire in his eyes wavering as they hold your gaze.
"i don't think i would ever want to live a life where you're not in it."
diluc's words shake you to your core; it's something you wouldn't expect him to say now after all these years. as much as you want to immediately forgive him and push back the years of agony, waiting for any sign that he was alive while leaving his vision behind, or even watching as he ignores you despite being home after all these years, your heart aches knowing knowing he even did this to you in the first place.
"how can i know that you won't leave me like you did?" your voice is small despite being so close to him. in fear of having him see how much his actions have affected you, you face tilts down to your lap to avoid his gaze. "i can't just wait for you forever, it hurts sitting here all these years with a promise i don't even know if you'll keep."
you take a shaky breath as you speak again.
"you didn't even say goodbye."
your voice breaks as you say those words and you can feel the burning sensation as the tears threaten to spill over your eyes.
there's a moment of silence between the two of you before you hear him gently call out your name. his free hand reaches up to cup your face, tentatively guiding you to face him. he says your name again, softly as if even saying your name too harshly would cause you to break, and you hesitantly meet his gaze.
there's a tenderness that you recognize deep in those fiery pools in his eyes, one that flickers like the hearth of your fireplace and suddenly you feel like you're experiencing the most beautiful yet fleeting moment in life once more. diluc's thumb gently presses against your cheek to wipe away any tears that overflowed from your already wet eyes.
his pinky links with your own, a childish thing to do but one that you still hold dear to your own heart.
a promise between the two of you bathed in firelight and your youth reflected back at you in the shape of the young man sitting before you.
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msbarrows · 2 months
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Argh... so I've been reading in Scum Villain's Self-Saving System (SVSSS) fandom recently. And it's given me a new pet peeve about formatting and TTS. A bunch of the authors in that fandom are using black lens brackets to indicate the 'system' voice, 【like this】, because the original novels do, and, yeah... unfortunately that's not always compatible with TTS (definitely not with google's TTS engine, and testing with various other online TTS engines gives mixed results).
Guess how I know they're called black lens brackets.
Go on, guess.
YUP! They get read aloud! Every. Single. Time. They. Appear. Open black lens bracket like this close black lens bracket.
Please resist using the novel's formatting and just use regular square brackets instead! Which do not get read aloud unless there's a space in a bad position, [ like this ]. If you want to be fancy, maybe use <tt>...</tt> formatting or a monospaced font such as courier to make it stand out more as something mechanical.
[Like this]
Which reminds me, another bad formatting choice I've bumped into multiple times (and I can't remember if I've mentioned this one before) is where authors use something <like this> to indicate things like speaking mind-to-mind, or that someone is speaking a foreign language (despite the actual text still being in English). Cool. Neat. Also not TTS compatible, unless you like repeatedly hearing less than and greater than mixed into the text. But guess what - there are already perfectly serviceable ‹single› and «double» angled quotation marks that could be used instead - and since they're recognized as actual quotation marks, they don't get read aloud! Shocking, I know.
Those angled quotation marks could also be another decent option for indication of things like the system voice, obviously.
«Like this»
Thanks to everyone who is already using more TTS-compatible formatting, and to anyone who decides to make some changes to theirs after reading this :)
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sboochi · 1 year
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Inevitable outfit line-up from the RotBTD x Frozen ep. Jack is actually the only one who gets the second change of clothes, but designing these was fun!
The fic I wrote for this is also done, if you have an hour to waste you can read it on AO3!
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aziraphalesbookkeeper · 4 months
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On the road to a new hunt, Varian gets sick.
This, in itself, is not cause for concern. Or at least it wouldn't be, if he didn't have the immune system of a toddler.
Because, y'know. Vampires can't catch a common cold.
- Or: the JuiceBox AU where Varian gets sick, forcibly taken to a hospital, and nearly gets vamp-napped in the process. Eugene's having a long day.
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twotangledsisters · 8 months
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Always By Your Side  - Fic Guide
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Fic guide for my newest fic which started uploading a few days ago and will have weekly updates every Saturday.
The most common question I get on any fic where there's a coming of age element is how old are they in any given chapter as it's easy to lose track. So even though it's a year each chapter, I thought I'd make this to help!
Chapter 19 onwards is pretty much a separate arc so that's why I just did the 19 chapter guide!
Also... for some reason Canva refuses to export in the same font I was working in which means of course the sizes are messed up and... I need to stop using canva. It's easy but recently it's just not working...
Regardless of formatting, I hope this helps and can't wait for you all to see the adventures these two get into!
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mochinon-yah · 4 months
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Would Dr Ratio be like this? Honestly, I haven't meet him in hsr yet, but he seems like an insufferable man lmaoo
"Go ahead, Y/n, finish it."
He smiled somewhat warmly, yet it didn't calm your anxious heart at all. With how he presented himself, you could've believed that he was one of those genius people. Okay, fine, he was smart. But in your defense, you would believe that wholeheartedly if he didn't do stupid stuff like this to you.
"Come on now, Y/n. I believe our frequently 'tutoring session' have brought you some new knowledge, does it not?"
"Well—"
"Ah, of course it did. I was the one who teach you, after all. There's no way you wouldn't be able to understand them."
His once furrowed eyebrows relaxed a bit as he eyed your figure. His stares, always unnerving. It made you uncomfortable on many occasions. Whether it'd be the stares that had always been there, or the fact that he was now assessing you with some kind of test was absolutely outrageous. Why would he — of all people — put so much interest on you?
"In any case, I assure you that even those simpletons could solve this equation, so no need to fret over it like you're not above them. You'll be able to finish it."
"Oh, really now?"
You weren't a genius like him or even near his intellect, no, you were only a normal person who had an average iq! Seriously, by now, you were just tired of him being all bossy with how you do stuff in life. Even the time and limit you do your bath was managed by him! So, how could you not get angry? It was your time to relax down from all his antics. Ugh.
He was being overly insensitive with your boundaries. But despite you always telling him that, he always thought that it was you being a dramatic person you always were and dismiss every other reasons you had.
"Alright, I have some other errands I need to do, so I expect you to finish the test in 30 minutes. I'm giving you a lot more time than usual, aren't I being so nice now?"
"... if only I could say that about you ...."
"What did you say?"
"Nothing."
You had no choice but to try and finish the test. After all, there was no way out from his stubbornness. He would somehow always know where you were despite you not even telling a single soul about your location. It was scary at first, but now, you just didn't care anymore. In your mind, you just hoped that he wouldn't be as cruel as he would always be.
If this test was not finished in time, you knew that whatever he had planned for you after was not going to be fun.
In the end, though, you did not finish the test.
Time went by too quickly that you didn't notice before he eventually told you oh so nicely. You then ended up getting punished by him. By the end of your punishment, your legs were a little wobbly with how hard he was going. Huft. At least, it felt good when you both did it. Well, except for the fact that he was still teaching you things while going down on you. That part was the most exhausting one.
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theatricalmage · 24 days
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The juice box chronicles!! (@glitter-lisp n @eggmuffinwaffles )
I just HAD to make some fan art of the lil guys
Please read I beg!! 🙏
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nart-is-a-monster · 2 months
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Ok now, since my tablet seems to be an absolute failure in uploading things and most of the times something goes wrong with either the wifi or Tumblr itself
ITS DONE!!!!
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:3333
And also green in several places ¡For reasons!
AND HERE'S THE LINK OF THE FIC 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️
And also go and give some love to @aziraphalesbookkeeper bc she wrote the thing
Close-ups 🗣️
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