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[ericagray]

Hidden Rule

Wriothesley x Lumine

Lumine’s feet clashed with the metal flooring as she fled down another passageway, her heart thumping out of her chest. Her pursuers were too close, the sound of their own footfalls clanging against steel grating her ears.

“Come on, little lady! We just want to give you a proper welcome!” One jeered, the sound of raucous laughter following behind them.

Lumine’s lungs burned as she forced her legs to move faster, regret filling every fibre of her being. She had played with fire before, had broken every hidden rule with little consequence, but this– she’d never expected this.

Never leave your dorm on the night of the full moon.

That was what they said.

It seemed such a foolish rule for a place at the bottom of the ocean, leagues away from ever seeing the moon’s glow. So she’d taken the bait, hoping for a new clue, a new lead, anything. And now she was running for her life.

“You can’t run forever!”

“Try me!” She hollered back, taking a hard right down another tunnel. Puddles of water splashed up her legs as she raced through them, tracking her wet footprints across the steel floor.

It didn’t make sense! Where were all the guards? Why did no one care that there was a pack of maniacs on the loose?

The pathway forked in front of her, each a sharp turn that hindered her ability to see which way to take. On a gamble, Lumine swerved left.

And immediately regretted it.

The path ended in a wall of steel, with no exits in sight. By the time she had turned around to backtrack, the trio was upon her. Their expressions were wild, more like slavering beasts than humans, and their eyes glowed a terrifying yellow in the darkness.

Stunned by their appearance, Lumine did not have enough time to react before two of them lunged towards her. Their grimy fingers dug into her arms, hauling her back against the wall with such force that stars bloomed in her vision.

“Let go of me,” She snapped, thrashing against the two fiends holding her down.

“Quit struggling,” The third giggled, on the edge of hysteria, “We just want to have a little taste, that’s all.”

“You heard her, let her go.”

Lumine collapsed against the cold steel wall when they dropped their hold on her in an instant, the rabid prisoners visibly trembling under the intensity of Wriothesley’s command.

“But Your Grace, the rule states–”

“Rules change. Now get out,” He growled, the tone of his voice demanding their submission.

And just like a pack of chastised dogs, the prisoners fled with their proverbial tails tucked between their legs. Wriothesley turned to watch them flee, a quiet scoff leaving his lips.

Lumine sagged against the wall in relief, the tension in her muscles starting to relax.

“Your Grace, thank you f–”

“A pretty princess like you should know better than to break the rules.”

Lumine reeled back in shock.

Lumine could not claim to know the Duke of Meropide well. They had only brushed paths on that first day, but he'd been cordial and polite, if a little blunt. She'd done her best to avoid him since, but the harshness of his tone, the belittling moniker... it left her taken aback.

Wriothesley had not yet turned to look at her, the broad expanse of his shoulders blocking out much of the harsh amber lights swamping the passage. He seemed to be breathing heavily, his muscles bunched tight beneath the fabric of his shirt.

“W-what do you mean?”

“The ocean might stave off some of the moon’s more transformative effects, but the wolves of Meropide can still feel its call. But I can’t blame them, the bloodlust is almost impossible to resist.”

His knuckles cracked as his hands wound themselves into tight fists, and Lumine realised that he, too, was quivering where he stood.

“Wolves? What wolves?” Lumine asked, “You’re not making any sense.”

Nothing about tonight was making any sense.

“The Fortress is home to everyone who has found themselves on the wrong side of the law,” He said softly, his shoulders rolling back with tension, “But it is also a safe haven for those who have become creatures of the night.”

Wriothesley ran a hand through his mussed hair, gripping at the strands and tugging. Between the black wrappings around his palms and wrist, it almost looked like dark fur was sprouting from his skin.

Lumine shook her head, certain the adrenaline was making her see things.

“When the moon calls, they have free reign of the Fortress, and those who do not heed the warnings eventually join them.”

Silence fell, only their breaths and the quiet plink of water dripping from the pipes above them filling the space.

By some unknown force, Lumine was frozen to the spot. The heavy weight of dread fell into the pit of her stomach as the clues started to knit together in her mind.

“Mind you, I wasn’t being entirely virtuous just now. Just because I wasn’t going to let them turn you… doesn’t mean you’re safe.”

“Your Gr-...Wriothesley?”

“You see, the alpha of the pack always gets first pick. And princess…”

Wriothesley turned, the light glancing off his bright, glowing, yellow eyes.

A gasp escaped Lumine’s lips, and she scrambled against the wet floors to put distance between them.

“...You smell delicious.”

His handsome face contorted with lupine hunger, the bridge of his nose wrinkling as a feral grin split across his lips.

And all Lumine saw was a set of fangs, glistening in the amber light.

“Run.”

- Fin -

[ericagray]

[ericagray]

Letter

[ericagray]

Alhaitham | his private documentary

Pairing: Alhaitham x [f]traveler/Lumine

Genre(s)/theme(s): fluff, fantasy, romance, hug.

Summary: Reading was what he does during his spare time. But something new has begun to change in how he uses his time...

Word count: 900+

A/n: I'm writing this because I was inspired by the way he sat in the game. As well as some memes of his sitting posture posted around. Anyway, hope you all enjoy this fic! | Masterlist

Kindly help me reblog pls. Thank you :)

A fresh scent diffused from the grass and flowers, tickling his nose as the morning breezes blew across. Sitting on the stone-carved bench in his usual sitting posture, his light-turquoise eyes focused on the pocket-sized book in his hand. 

Researching anything that gained his interest was one of his priorities, which was what most of the scholars from the Akademiya do. 

Gaining new knowledge. 

To fill up his thirst for knowledge, he would read a comprehensive collection of books during his spare time after his missions assigned by the Akademiya had been completed. No one would be able to disrupt his attention, once he engrossed himself in his books. 

However, something new has begun to change the things he usually does during his spare time.

As his gaze continued fixating on his book, he sensed a faint floral scent gradually fusing into the fresh scent in the air. That scent was unique as none of the flowers that existed in all continents of Teyvat had a similar scent. No record of this foreign flower could be found in the archives, books, or canned knowledge capsules from the Akademiya either. 

Nevertheless, he already perceived its name and its origin after an encounter with her.

The corner of his lips curved up a bit as the faint scent was turning stronger, and stronger every minute passed…

She’s here.

He remained seated on the bench without moving an inch, pretending to read his book in a studious manner.

“Alhaitham!” her lips curled up brightly with her hands at her back, standing in front of him.

Her blonde hair was glittering as soft sunlight shone upon her, appearing like a moon goddess in his eyes. The flowers pinned on her hair remain blooming in their prime, diffusing a pleasant scent that has kept stirring up his sense of smell. 

He closed his book with one hand, softening his gaze as he turned to face her.

“You’re here.”

“Reading again?” her amber eyes shone with curiosity at him, “what book are you reading today?”

One side of his lips curved slightly.

“Why don’t you take a seat here first?” patted his lap.

Her cheeks blushed immediately after taking a peek at his muscular lap. Astonished, yet bewildered by his alluring action at the same time, she took a few steps away from him.

“Isn’t here your favourite seat whenever you want to get a glimpse of my book that I’m reading?” he smirked.

The pale redness spread further to her face. She shut her eyes tightly, covering her flushed face with her hands. Hiding away her awkwardness from his piercing gaze.

Well, indeed she often sat on his lap to get a glimpse of what he was reading. Though that was to tease him for being overly attentive to his books all the time. 

Unexpected that a day he would use this fact and tease her in return by referring to his lap as ‘her favourite seat’.

‘AHHH…I shouldn’t have teased him THAT much!!!’ her mind began to crumble with embarrassment after realising what she did.

He placed his book aside, stood up from his sitting posture, and walked leisurely towards her. 

Her ears could hear his footsteps getting closer, and closer as every second passed. Her heart pounded faster, and faster at the same time.

‘H-He is getting c-closer?!’ squeezing her eyes shut under her palm as she could not bear to face him.

A sudden warm sensation touched her back and legs.

“A-Alhaithiam?!” she squeaked in shock.

He lifted her up into his arms, carrying her like a princess as he walked back to the stone bench. He sat down with her on his lap, then picked up his book before opening its page to read. His right muscly forearm was hugging her slender waist, keeping her back close to his well-built chest.

Her heart skipped a beat as she could feel his strong broad chest touching her skin.

‘Was his chest always this muscular?’

“Aren’t you going to read my books?” he whispered onto her left ear.

His hot breath tickled her flushed ear, burning it up while she squeezed her eyes tightly, trying to bear the ticklish feel.

She released her hands from her face, and slowly opened her eyes, taking a glance at the book in his hand.

“Eh?” she blinked her eyes.

An empty blank page was placed in front of her. Nothing was written in his book this time, not even a word.

“T-There's nothing written in the book…?” slurred her words, unable to articulate well after staring at his book. Shocked.

“Well…” he took out a pen from his pocket, “there is from now,” filling its ink onto that clean page.

The record of the Inteyvat Flowers

`Isn't this the name of the flowers pinned on my head?’ her eyes widened.

The Inteyvat flowers consist of five petals. Four of them were white and one was light blue…

“And the smell…” he sniffed the flowers on her hair, leaning closer to her.

“A-Alhaithiam!” her cheeks blushed again.

She could feel her heart pounding when he leaned toward her.

“I’m writing down my findings in this book.”

She turned to him, staring incredulously.

“Isn’t my job as the Scribe of the Akademiya to record my findings?” he grinned.

“Well, that is correct! But…why does the topic have to be the flowers on my head?” she fixed her baffled gaze at him.

He gave a chuckle.

“Because…the owner of these flowers has gained my interest.”

Published on 18/11/2022

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[ericagray]

The astral express' hunter

Mao heng 🐈‍⬛ and the crew

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[ericagray]

Dan heng cuddles stelle for warmth 👍

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Pretty man

Happy Birthday, Kaveh!

Huh? Why are you here? There's still some time to go before our gathering, right?

Smile at the camera? Oh, right... I remember now. The Akademiya mentioned that we have to take commemorative photos when I return as a visiting professor to give lectures.

I see that they've commissioned you guys with the job. Umm, does this work?

It's nice to take photos on your birthday, sort of like a little memento.

[ericagray]

Irresistible Longing

1.3k words blade fanfic

Ehe, this is the first fanfic that I wrote here, I hope you enjoy it ~

Note: the reader is the path of abundance

As if the sky had wiped away the sting of iron blood from your nose. Your surroundings were replaced with earthly odour after rain. It was only after the downpour of water had stopped that you are able to continue to search for your companion Blade - your footwear tramping through the mud and blood; continue to trace his location based on Elio's instructions. Although the more you are getting close to the location, the smell of blood from who blade killed reappeared unless the sting was getting denser. 

The light on your holographic screen flickers as you stumble upon a formation consisting of rocks and a tract of ground which almost makes up a cave for dozen people to take shelter from the rain. But before your orbs stir into your devices once more to check whether it's the correct place or not, you notice a familiar male figure leaning over back to back from the cave wall. Sitting down - bending over one leg, arm staying put above his stomach as he closes his eyes - he tries to stay on guard as his body slowly heals punctures wound in his left shoulder and abdomen.

You tread closer to his resting body and despite your slow movements - trying not to disturb him too much, his body instinctively grabs his sword almost just to slash out the remaining enemy he left behind.

"Wait... Blade, it's me-" his movements are abruptly stopped by the sound of a familiar voice. A few moments have passed, and his crimson eyes glare at you. his eyes are more darkened than usual, perhaps from scowling his eyebrows in pain. 

He lowered his weapon as soon as he realized it was you who dare to step in a sleeping wolf. Sword scraping through the dirt as he drags it to his side - his fist clenched as he pulls it above his abdomen - It must be painful even for him.

"Please don't move too much... I'll heal you in a moment" You waste no more sentences in your mouth and start envelope Blade's wound with the light of your healing. 

Another moment passes with no words exchanged from either of you. It's not like Blade wants to be bothered by what you're trying to say, not to mention how he has avoided you in the past. Each time both of you cross-path one another; even in necessity mean as Sterallon Hunters, he would avert his gaze in the opposite direction of where you are and walk away even when you're just trying to show gratitude from the mission. He must've been hating me for some reason - you thought.

Even when I know from the bottom of my heart that it is drawn to you - belong to you, but I know you don't feel the same way...

Yet with all of those thoughts drowning your mind, your orbs finally notice that he's been staring at you throughout the time you heal him. The expression on his face appears unreadable. Unable to tell what he's feeling, you quickly assume he's annoyed by how long it took to fully treat him.

And so, your healing lights dimmed down as you finally finished recovering his scars to his original state.

"I'm sorry that it took too long, it's finally done now." 

The same expression still adorns his face as he looks at you.

"We should get going now-" Your skin brushes with him as he grabs your wrist before you stand up. His grip was a firm one yet gentle enough for your soft skin.

"Blade?" Tendons stand out in the neck, a visible pulse as you swallow your own saliva. Did I do something wrong? - Subconsciously putting your thoughts into your mouth.

A sudden movement, he pulls in your wrist just as your body flung into his. A brief time ago, his body was surrounded with blood infused with a stench of iron, but in your arm - nose buried in his shoulder, you sense a hint scent of warm lemon in his body.

"Blade?" You repeat as soon as you snapped into reality. His arm slowly circles around your body, making sure there's no distance between you and him. 

Gaped by his sudden gesture, the gear in your brain tries to process the reason behind his actions. His breath quietened upon the contact, cradling your waist so close like an irreplaceable treasure - thus, heeding his heartbeat thrashing loudly in your chest whilst noticing the size difference between your body and his. 

"... You..." 

He murmured into your shoulder, eyes observing your orbs once more. His low and raspy voice, It felt like forever since you heard him.

"You... Absorbed my nature as a whole... My soul..."

"Blade... I--"

"You... Always haunts my mind...The thought of you was inevitable to me... I yearn for you as a whole and I am no longer my own master because of you" 

"... Yearning me as a whole...?" - such profound word bewitched your body so deeply that you felt your heart beating for him in response. You too, know really well that you've desired him as much as his.

"Don't you hate me...?" 

you swore his hold tightens and his gaze shifts into a cold one that would cower his enemy. Your question is simply to assure your heart that you didn't misunderstand his intention.

A rush of frustration hits him, and within the blink of an eye, Blade's warm lips find their way into yours. He hungrily claims your lips into his as you let out a small gasp. 

For Aeon-knows how long he's been longing for you yet keeps withdrawing himself since he set his own path into a way of the sword.

He let out a small growl before pushing you to the ground, pulling you close to him, feeling your body against his. As the kiss deepens, he runs his hands up and down your back, relishing the feeling of your body against his.

Your voice, your smell, your taste. It's the other thing that would drive him insane than almost being a Mara-Struck. You are the curse that he would gladly suffer.

"B-blade..." You mumbled when he finally parted ways from your mouth and snapped back to reality. He towered his body over yours as he watches you gaping for air. Blade slowly cupped your cheek and caressed it gently.

"These feelings... Is there anything I can even do about it...?" He rambles to himself as he rubs his face to your shoulder, hand clinches above the ground.

As if you see his perspective of his own immortality, You knew that he'd think that the death that he wanted so much cannot be achieved if he focus on something else; He'd think there's no point in putting faith in someone else.

"Blade... Listen to me..." 

Unable to resist his anguish, you slowly fold your arms behind his head - keeping him close to your body.

"You don't deserve to live with all of those sufferings, You know?" Your lips pressed into his forehead, kissing his hair bangs as you stroke the back of his neck.

"I know that you always longed for death as far back as you can remember and to achieve what you wanted... You don't have to beat yourself up. A bit of comfort and joy wouldn't hurt, no?"

Even without him saying anything, you could feel his embrace trembling - In spite of his stoicism, he really is someone fragile. 

"Until that time, let's be there for each other," you vow.

And despite what happens

The future may never spoke

Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice 

But in your arms

Ice or fire

Day or night

In life or in death

Let's make a promise never to never separate

[ericagray]

Kissu kissu

[ericagray]

[ericagray]

i love you || jing yuan, blade, dan heng, gepard

the first "i love you" in the relationship.

a/n: i keep saying i write for hsr and then run back to simp for leona kingscholar this is very unfunny of me >:( these are smol drabbles btw

w.c: 388 words

jing yuan doesn't really quite hear you whisper i love you into his shoulder immediately, too focused on completing the task in front of him to provide you any attention. when he does hear it, however, he whips around to look at you waiting for him to finish nearby, scrolling through your phone with a bored look on your face. "love you too, [name]," he says with a grin, as if it was the simplest sentence in the world.

blade, unknown to you, has worked up his courage to tell you a very simple 3-word sentence. kafka and silver wolf would be laughing their heads off, he sighs as he makes his way to you with a small bouquet of lilies. he rings your doorbell as he waits, resisting the sudden urge to chew on his lip. "you're here!" you smile as you let him in, marveling at the tiny bouquet, immediately putting the lilies in a vase filled with water. "[name]." "hmm?" you call back. "i love you."

dan heng, you note, is an attentive but nervous lover, unused to open affection, often preferring to relax alone in his room. of course, you're the only one he lets in on the days he feels low on social energy, because talking to you doesn't need energy. hanging out with march 7th and stelle? no. "you alright? feel any better?" you whisper as you pass him a mug of hot chocolate, the warmth making his fingers tingle. "mm, not yet," he responds honestly, and he stiffens as he seems to mull something over. "hey, it's okay. take your time," you smile as you mae a motion of tucking his hair behind his ears. "love you."

gepard is largely an absent lover- he spends most of his days on the front lines, serving belobog, and even on the days he's in the city, he's too exhausted to go outside. you don't resent him for it- soldiers are far and few in between, and the ice outside the city walls is a terrible curse. "[name]." you hear your lover groan from the couch, his leg supported by several pillows, neatly bandaged. "coming! how're you feeling? still groggy? that's the medicine, i think," you murmur, pressing a hand gently on his forehead. "mhm, love you," gepards whispers, and your whole world stills.

[ericagray]

Look at my husband playing with miss Christine

[ericagray]

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈ emotionally unavailable

⊹ character(s) - gepard landau, jing yuan, sampo koski ⊹ word count - 3.3k ⊹ notes - gn!reader (sampo, gepard), fem!reader (jing yuan, you're referred to as 'lady'), reader is emotionally constipated or just kinda stoic as the title suggests, I guess you could say tsundere?? mostly fluff -w- ⊹ part 2 here!

sorry for the delay on new writing!! honestly I've had a bit to do around the house and the inspiration hasn't been inspiring Σ(;Φ ω Φ) if you want to send in a request, feel free! I could use some new ideas ♡(ﾐ ᵕ̣̣̣̣̣̣ ﻌ ᵕ̣̣̣̣̣̣ ﾐ)ﾉ thanks for the support!

⊹ Gepard Landau

You honestly didn't have much to think about the Captain of the Silvermane Guards.

Aside from the due respect and mild admiration that just about everyone in Belobog held for him and his military group, you didn't have much else to say. The two of you had never even spoken.

The only connection you could possibly have to him was via his sister, Serval Landau. She was your friend (a tentative word for your situation, you surmise) and would often have him over at her store.

You also tended to lounge about the Neverwinter Workshop ("hanging out", Serval would call it, but you begged to differ), but you had never really paid him much mind, and you assumed he had paid you the same.

Serval's favorite nickname for you is "lounging stray" due to the way you came in and out as you pleased, staying only for food and rest when it was available.

The most you recall interacting with the imposing man was a hesitant wave when he had entered the shop while Serval was out.

After all, it would have been quite rude to completely ignore him—though, honestly, you never cared much for politeness, so you had always mulled that incident over in your head. Why had you greeted him?

About a week later, you were mildly surprised to see a bouquet of flowers in Serval's hands from Eversummer Florist.

It wasn't exactly an unusual assumption to make that the down-to-earth rock-and-roll enthusiast would have her share of admirers, but they were typically more forthcoming with their affections from what you'd observed.

But then, upon spotting you, she promptly shoved them into your arms, announcing that they had been addressed to you, not her.

You hadn't felt your face shift that much in years, nor had you ever experienced that level of shock before.

"Looks like someone has a secret admirer," Serval touted, tuning her guitar on the side with a smirk playing on her lips. Her tone was drawn out, knowing, as if this were some elaborate prank she was in on.

"Wow, Ball Peonies, even? What an expensive spread! Lucky Y/N!"

You didn't even spare her a glance as you took your usual seat in her workshop, thumbing one of the petals with mildly intrigued contemplation.

In your rush to lounge about the workshop and ignore your friend's loud teasing, you failed to notice Gepard at his sister's side, nor the way his ears turned red and he hurried to hush Serval.

"I don't get it," you murmured at last, both siblings' heads whipping over to you. "I don't talk to anyone. Except you, that is."

"Well, I didn't send them. Sorry, my little stray, but as much as I adore you, it's not in that way!"

You gave Serval an unamused raise of your brow, then huffed, mumbling a 'whatever' as you lay on the windowsill in the corner of the shop.

However, that pair of blue eyes sneakily noted that your attention was still taken with the flowers, far from your usual routine of pulling out your phone to scroll.

Eventually, you held them on your chest, deigning to stare out the window as you began drifting off into a half-conscious nap. Your rest, however, was awoken by the sound of loud whispering. Serval noticed the unimpressed look on your face and laughed, clapping her hands together before patting Gepard on the back, who looked thoroughly embarrassed. His face was bright red.

"Well, I gotta head out and run some errands! Keep Y/N company for me, huh, Geppie? They can get lonely."

You chose to ignore that last bit, raising your hand and waving at your friend who practically flew out the door.

An awkward silence settled over the room, which miffed you a bit. What did you have to feel awkward about? This had happened before with other people.

Even then, you weren't keen on breaking it. It seemed the Captain had other plans, though.

"Um..." Gepard spoke up from across the workshop, standing just a bit uncomfortably as he shifted from foot to foot. You glanced over your shoulder at him from where you lay, waiting for him to speak. "Sorry about Serval. She can be a bit much."

"I know," you replied simply, unable to meet his eye for some reason. "I'm in here a lot."

"I know," Gepard echoed. Then, his face went back to tomato-red. "Um, I mean, I see you around a lot in here whenever I visit. Not that I'm intentionally staring at you, or anything of that sort! I just notice—"

"It's okay, I got what you meant."

"Right! Right." The Captain shut himself up, thorough mortification making its way back to his face as he scratched the back of his neck. "S-Sorry, uh, for rambling."

"It's fine."

Well, this was getting painful.

You stunned yourself momentarily when you opened your mouth to speak back first.

"So, uh... How's being Captain and everything?" you murmured, almost too quiet for Gepard to hear. When he realized you had spoken first, his face brightened just a bit, though he still appeared to be fighting the humiliation off his face from his earlier verbal blunder.

"Well, how much would you like to hear about?"

You shrugged. "Anything, I guess. Got any cool stories from the front lines?"

The blonde man smiled, taking the chance to tentatively move closer, pulling over Serval's stool and taking a seat.

"Well..."

About ten minutes later, Serval had decided to spare her poor brother from any more awkwardness, completely sure that the workshop would be thick with silence due to his bashfulness and your nonchalance.

To her surprise, though, she heard muffled voices from within. Serval opened the door as carefully and quietly as she could, peeking her head in just enough to see a sight she never thought she'd see.

You were smiling, even laughing a bit, engaging in conversation about Gepard's duties and your own daily activities (even if there were little of those) from your place on the sill. Her brother seemed to be enjoying himself too, gesturing with his hands as he talked up his own underlings' achievements in battle.

The eldest Landau watched for only a moment longer before shutting the door softly.

"I should go get something to eat... give them a little space."

⊹ Jing Yuan

You liked to call your relationship to the General of the Luofu strictly professional at most.

To call it anything more, in your mind, would be disrespect of the highest order to the man who has defended the fleet for centuries.

Besides, you didn't know if you were exactly capable of anything beyond that. Even your limited friends agreed that you were just about as stoic as one could get.

You frequently heard of their debates with other workers within the Seat of Divine Foresight even as you worked—who was more difficult to approach, you or the General himself?

You scoffed to yourself whenever your so-called "friends" argued that you were, in fact, harder to speak to.

What's so wrong with being professional? If anything, you should be telling them off for gossiping in the workplace.

Still, you couldn't exactly argue with them.

Being the right-hand of the General was enough for you to learn his mannerisms even over a short time, though now, after serving at his side for several decades, you could confidently say he was far less intimidating than everyone made him out to be.

Not that you cared, of course. Strictly professional, you told yourself. His mannerisms had nothing to do with you unless they affected work.

Even with your indifference, though, the General was being... odd lately.

Jing Yuan let out an unabashed yawn as he slumped into his chair, tugging at his hair as he polished off the last of his paperwork.

For once, you thought to yourself with a huff of amusement, going through your own papers at an impressive speed. Read, approve or deny, sign, move on.

Considering he hadn't skimped on his own work, there was no real reason for you to be giving yourself early onset carpal tunnel as you typically did, but you figured it would be best to finish the work as soon as possible anyhow.

It meant less work tomorrow, the day after, and the day after that, for not only you but the other Luofu staff as well.

"...ey."

Your brain tuned out all other noise as you moved past yet another proposal, flicking to the next page of your increasingly shrinking stack.

"Lady Y/N. Hello?"

You ignored the growling within your stomach. After this is done, you thought to yourself, I'll treat myself to a meal at home.

"Lady Y/N."

You jumped nearly ten feet out of your seat at the low voice whispering in your ear, clapping a hand over the side of your head as red-hot mortification set in. You glanced to your side to spot the culprit—none other than your General, Jing Yuan.

Had he just whispered into your ear?! The feeling of his warm breath still lingered.

"General!" you shouted, taking a deep breath as you tried to reel back your attitude and present yourself with decorum, as always. "I am working on these proposals, so if you could please refrain from pulling pranks, it would be much appreciated."

Jing Yuan gave you a wry smile, raising his hands innocently.

"Is part of your job description not answering to me?" he asked unfeignedly, golden eyes twinkling. "I called your name about ten times."

"Well, yes, but..." You raised a brow a moment later. "Surely not ten. I heard my name a total of twice."

"So you were listening." You heaved a sigh. Ever stubborn, he was. "Does that mean you were consciously ignoring me? My, the gall, Lady Y/N."

"Not at all, General," you assured. "Only absorbed in my duties. Now, do you need something of me?"

Jing Yuan tapped his chin, settling into the seat next to you and stretching out. He didn't get too comfortable, though, you discerned. Was he planning to head out for the night?

"Well, yes, I suppose I do. I'm sure you'll only listen if it's a direct order from me, after all."

"Of course, General. I am at your beck and call." He chose to ignore the edge of sarcasm in your voice as you resumed your proposals, trying to finish as many as you could before he announced his task.

"Lady Y/N, I'd be delighted if you would join me for a meal. Anywhere of your choosing, and it will be my treat."

"Right, of course. It will be done, General," you mused half-heartedly, before your froze in your tracks, hand stilling midway through a signature. "...Wh—"

"Fantastic. Then I will await you at the door," Jing Yuan smiled again, and you felt yourself welling up with exasperation at the cockiness displayed in it. "Please don't keep me waiting too long, Lady Y/N. Those proposals can always wait one more day, but I am short on time myself."

You were about ready to protest, dropping your pen as you nearly rose to your feet. Your face was hot.

"General, I—!"

"You wouldn't think of backing out after agreeing so openly, would you?" the white-haired man teased, and then, after contemplating for a moment, he held out a hand. "In fact, why don't we depart right now? Just so I can be sure you won't get absorbed in doing more advance work."

He had completely trapped you. You furrowed your brow in disbelief, and then heaved a deep, long sigh. Finally, after leaving him to stand and await your decision for just a few moments longer, you took his hand.

"Very well. But General, if I may..."

"Of course, my dear."

You flushed again, but remained steadfast in your words.

"To make up for this trickery, please do not skip out on your paperwork again."

Jing Yuan's low, rumbly laughter caused you to look away, lest your feelings show on your face. He still did not let go of your hand.

"I suppose that is only fair. You have a deal, Lady Y/N."

⊹ Sampo Koski

You would be completely remiss to allow anyone to refer to you and Sampo as acquaintances, much less friends.

Although the two of you had grown up fairly close, he allowed you no clemency from his constant scams.

It turned into more of a game for him as time passed, though—your natural stoicism and good head on your shoulders didn't allow any of his jabs or tricks to pull through.

That was perhaps what kept him stuck like glue to your side all these years, though... The fact that you were the one person he couldn't quite swindle.

Not that he actually wanted to, anyhow.

As much as Sampo was a slimy businessman in the eyes of pretty much everyone, he didn't seek a profit from someone as close as you. Well, not unless he did you a favor first, of course, but that's basic reciprocation.

You, on the other hand, found yourself perplexed as of late.

Sure, you had known Sampo for practically your whole life, but getting close to someone or being close by birth didn't make you any less inclined to cut them off if they interfered with your life to a degree that you found to be annoying.

You enjoyed the predictable, the mundanity of your daily life working as a trainee doctor under Natasha. You didn't need anyone in your life who might throw a wrench into the ordinary you currently enjoyed.

So why was Sampo the exception?

It was a fairly typical, ordinary, boring evening when you walked into the clinic—12am sharp, just as Natasha had requested of you. You were frankly quite lucky that she didn't ask more of you, but you supposed she was already pushing her own ability to ask favors of you by requesting you watch the overnight patients while she rested.

You didn't mind, of course. You'd always been a bit of a night owl, especially with the somewhat perpetual darkness of the Underworld thanks to Belobog looming over top of you.

Not to mention, you and Sampo had always spent most of your time together in the evenings anyways, the nighttime routine well suited to both of your sleeping schedules.

You felt a twinge of annoyance shoot through you at the thought of the blue haired man, and quickly placed a hand to your forehead between bandage changings for the patient on the table.

There he was again. Sampo, Sampo, Sampo!

Though you could usually push him out of your mind without a second thought, it was beyond you why he was suddenly popping into your brain more nowadays.

Sometimes it was a mere, 'I wonder what Sampo is up to right now. Not more trouble, I hope.'

Sometimes it was something more bordering worry, and those passing thoughts irritated you the most. What did you care? If he got hurt, it would likely be justified in the wake of one of his scams.

You could rationalize those ideas with the notion of not wanting more work at the clinic should he get injured, but even that was weak. Sampo deigned to avoid Natasha for his own wounds, not wanting to burden the leader of Wildfire, likely more out of fear than actual selflessness.

Still, though—

"Heeeey, Y/N! Miss me?"

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

"What do you want, Koski?" Your tone was flat, not even sparing him a glance as you moved to your next patient. Changing bandages again, a simple routine that could hopefully keep your mind occupied this time.

"So cold..." You could hear the beginnings of a pout on his lips, finding yourself sighing irritably. "I came to see you, after all!"

Your hands paused for a moment, stilling. A minute tremble in his voice. You whipped your head around to focus your sharp eyes on him, and he winced back, his typical happy-go-lucky smile faltering.

"H-Hey, what's the matter? Helping Miss Nat out with some late night patients aga—"

"Show me," you ordered, finishing the bandage you were currently on and standing up, moving towards Sampo with your arms crossed. He backed up, hands raised in surrender.

"Whaddya mean, I'm— Ouch!"

The conman couldn't help the yelp he let out when his back made contact with the wall, wincing painfully as his wound hit the hard surface. You raised a brow, unimpressed.

"Shirt off, Sampo Koski. Now."

"Woah, woah, at least take me to dinner first!"

Your glare worsened into something stormy as you pointed at the chair nearby.

"Sit down, shirt off, now. Don't make me repeat myself again."

With the face of a wounded puppy, Sampo slunk over to the chair, doing as you asked. He hissed through his teeth as the cloth of his outerwear dragged against the wound, the layers giving way to a deep trio of gashes on the skin of his back. Even with all your medical training, you found yourself cringing at the sight.

"So, Doc, what's the prognosis?" the man laughed weakly, still trying with his jokes even through his pain.

When you remained quiet, his smile fell, and he turned to look at you. If it were anyone else, you might've mistaken that frown for concern.

"Y/N? You... okay?"

"Be quiet," you huffed out at last, grabbing your rolling table of medical supplies and bringing it around, pulling out a chair as you began to inspect the wounds. "What was it this time?"

"Ah, you know, same old, same old! Just some disgruntled robots, not too keen on letting me make a profit with their buddy's parts!"

"You're an idiot."

The usual Sampo would've shot back with some witty or flirty one-liner that was sure to earn him a smack over the head, but when he heard the slight tremble to your voice, he decided it'd be best to keep his mouth shut for now.

"This'll sting. Don't shout, or you'll wake the other patients."

He bit his lip, expecting a harsh serving of antiseptic, but your hands were... gentler this time. You tenderly cleaned the wound with a water-soaked cloth, and though it did sting a bit, it was far nicer than your usual tough treatments from the ire he earned getting injured all the time.

Soon after, he felt you gently patting the wound down with a soft towel, bandages following soon after that you reached around his torso to wrap around him.

Then, you reached for the pack of painkillers.

Sampo was quick to laugh nervously, pushing the pack away when you held it out to him along with a glass of water.

"Hey, hey! Thanks, Y/N, but I really shouldn't be using Miss Natasha's painkillers. Besides, with how sweetly and tenderly you just patched me up, I'm feeling better already!" he fake-swooned, clasping his hands together like a maiden in love to ham up his act.

You were far from impressed.

"You're a bad liar, Sampo Koski," you scoffed, shoving the water and pills past his defensive hands. "Take it. I can't convince you to stay here and actually rest for a change, so it's the least you can do."

When he still looked apprehensive, you swallowed your pride, lowering your gaze and averting your eyes as your face went just the tiniest bit pink.

"...For me."

Sampo honestly thought he misheard you for a moment, but he finally, hesitantly, took the medicine you offered. You led him over to the door, and he laughed breathlessly, finally giving you another smile as he shrugged his shirt and coat back on.

"All right, all right. I'll get out of your hair, and take these. Just for you."

The conman cackled and ran all the way down the alleyways as you shouted after him, fist raised. Once he had disappeared, though, you let it fall to your side, sighing again.

This time, there was a hint of fondness... but that was something else you would be remiss to admit to.

[ericagray]

They are my favorite freaks

[ericagray]

Me too I feel free in here

i love how quiet tumblr is

[ericagray]

Little witch