#// he's winning both me and Lumi over

[viatrixtravels-a]

Nigredo glares at the anons tormenting Lumine and pulls her towards him. He pushes her behind him, shielding her with his body as he speaks in a low, but heavy voice. "I understand that it is very fun to tease her. I do. Because I do so myself. But even I know when to stop it, hmm." He looks at Lumine with concern and then back at the anons. "If you enjoy teasing Lumi so much, how about I tease you all a bit and see how you handle it? If you're dishing it out, you also need to know how to take it back, no?" -@primordial-albedo-official

"...Eh?"

Was this actually happening? Why was the guy who loved the tease her more than anyone, actually standing up for her while she is getting picked on?

It was honestly messing with her head - because part of her wanted to show genuine gratitude for his kindness, but she was also worried that he might only be putting on an act, just so he can deliver the final blow afterwards.

Even so, he did succeed at chasing the bullies away, so she should at the very least thank him, right?

"Hey..."

With a slight tug onto the Prototype's coat, she tried to get his attention.

"T-Thank you..."

[xstarlightxstarbrightx]

thoughts on how the Inazuma Archon quest went [3]

OK, ACTUAL QUEST TIME NOW, I'M DOING IT I SWEAR [COLLEGE PREP IS ENDING MY LIFE]

Lumi: alright, we need to find a way to Inazuma. we've been in Liyue for a W H I L E, and i'm tired of waiting for some sign of needing to head out. Paimon: but isn't it like a closed nation? Kaeya: Atsuko's from Inazuma Lumi: Kaeya, ur a genius. Kaeya: I know~ Atsuko trying to DESPERATELY convince them to just give up on Inazuma should've been my first notion that Inazuma was going to make me rip my hair out, but no i figured it was just a story beat and that i wouldn't actually suffer!!!! no. no, it was real. suffering is real.

I also love Kazuha popping in like "you two give off the essence of wind and earth but also stars" and all i can imagine is he looks at Kaeya and goes "oh, the essence of snow and sorrow is here too". Kaeya: and this must be your bard-for-hire? Beidou: uh,,, no. Lumi: still snickering at "the essence of snow and sorrow"

Beidou: so u signing up for the Clash? Lumi: the fuck is the Clash? Beidou: Beidou: sigh and here i thought u came to sign up.

one long explanation later

Beidou: so, ya wanna win a Masterless Vision? Lumi: to be quite honest. no. i do not care. Kaeya: but we could go for a trip to Inazuma, hmmm? Lumi: ??? Beidou: done. Lumi: ... Kaeya: :) Lumi: u just wanna see me in a tournament, don't u Kaeya: what are u talking about, i'm trying to get us to Inazuma.

whenever they go to check out the competition, Lumi and Kaeya are thoroughly unimpressed, but Kaeya spends the whole time with a shit eating grin on his face. like he already figured it'd be an easy sweep b/c c'mon it's Lumi we're talking about here.

his shit eating grin only gets worse when Lumi signs up and everyone freaks out about her name.

Zhuhan: y-you know only people without a Vision can enter.... Lumi: yeah i don't got one of those. he does, but he's not joining in. Kaeya: i'm here for moral support <3 Paimon: SO IS PAIMON

Zhuhan: what other, uh... qualifactions do you have...? Lumi: uh... I'm an Honorary Knight of the Knights of Favonius? Paimon: she also beat up Childe and also helped save Dvalin after beating him up! Kaeya: that is a Fatui Harbinger and an Elemental Dragon, respectively Zhuhan: intense sweating i-i think that's plenty....

Kaeya and Paimon take bets the whole time on how quickly each opponent flops. Turns out they're both gamblers at heart, but inevitably Kaeya won the most Mora out of her (much to Paimon's dismay). ALSO??? I adore how Kazuha's like "I did notice u withholding strength so as to not harm ur opponent", which is so spicy and good and tasty and i will eat Strong Bad Bitch Lumine any day of the week and still hunger for more.

I do find it interesting that Lumine very clearly is unused to not using elements—something I've pondered a bit about, since she technically had some kind of "element" before she began to borrow the elements of Teyvat. I, for one, am obsessed with this theory and have done some fun deep dives into the animation frames of her and Aether using elemental abilities (i mentioned this before). I wanted to mention this thought because I have a personal h/c and kind-of theory about elements and their dangers, especially to people who are not protected by Visions. Because I do believe certain elements are dangerous.

Also I should doubly clarify that when we get to Inazuma the actual bit, things are gonna be a little different I suppose? I won't be following my original way of doing this, b/c I ,,, really couldn't connect (and personally didn't like) the Inazuma Archon quest, so I'm going to be tweaking it and modifying it to my own needs.

Canon is a white board and I'm scribbling all over it, ok.

ALSO, noting the elemental thing; I find it interesting how Kazuha describes Lumine's ability to utilize multiple elements as "the echoes of nature". Like he just hears the sounds of nature coming from her, and how her scent is complex and strange??? I am beyond fascinated by it, and I REALLY,,, REALLY need to dig into that kinda thing (but i already have 17 different rabbit holes i'm falling down PLUS school is starting tmrw)

Anyway, see u in the next one, where we WILL be in Inazuma (AND WE GET TO SEE THOMA, THOMA IS REALLY SILLY B/C KAEYA'S THERE LMAO)

[rae-writes]

HxH headcanons

Feitan Portor x reader, Hisoka Morow x reader, Illumi Zoldyck x reader, Kite x reader 

prompt : “You’re Perfect” 

word count : 1.k 

warnings : implied smut, I guess? How your imagination continues the headcanons is up to you- 

Part 2 here 

Feitan Portor

Feitan was a quiet, distant type of lover 

Quality time together meant sitting beside each other in silence, just doing your own things

Which is what you were currently doing 

He had just come from a mission, he had a split, bloody lip and his bandanna wasn’t covering his face for once

So naturally, you were staring 

Honestly how could you not

But your sometimes frustratingly blunt boyfriend interrupted your gazing with a “Stop staring.”

You blinked, tilting your head, “why?”

Feitan scoffed, narrowing his eyes at you, “there’s nothing special to stare at so stop.”

The words came out of your mouth almost immediately, “Yes there is. You’re perfect.”

His eyes widened and he just stared at you with a type of disbelief that felt...sad 

“You’ve never treated me wrong despite everyone calling you a monster. The way you subtly grab onto me when we’re in public never fails to make my heart race. You’re usually really quiet, so it’s special to me when you open up and talk to me a lot when we're in private. All of my friends tell me I’m crazy for loving you and that I should leave before you hurt me but I know you would never do something like that. I wouldn’t have my life any other way; I truly can’t live without you Feitan. You’re just...perfect for me.” 

Standing up, you made your way to him with a smile 

The shock on his face didn’t disappear as he looked away from you with a baby pink color coated on his cheeks 

You grabbed his bandanna, preventing him from covering his face, and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek 

Feitan’s eyes found yours for a few seconds before he was picking you up, bringing you to the small bed in your shared “room” 

He was oddly quick to settle down and cuddle you close. Feitan didn’t say a word, but you could feel a genuine smile resting against your neck

The smile was soon replaced by open mouthed kisses trailing up your neck 

When he finally reached your face, despite the smile being gone, you could clearly see the joy in his eyes 

You leaned up, giving him a tender kiss in return but that didn’t seem to be enough for Feitan’s excited state 

He spoke to you in his native tongue, and while you didn’t understand what he was saying, the sound was still alluring 

Feitan leaned in once again, this time only brushing his lips against yours. If this was a game he wanted to play, who were you to deny your ecstatic boyfriend?

Hisoka Morow 

Hisoka was unabashedly getting dried off and dressed right in front of you 

So you unabashedly took the opportunity to stare at him the entire time 

You could practically hear the smirk on his face without even having to look at it 

“And just what might you be staring at darling?” 

“You.”

The chuckle that echoed through the apartment sent shivers down your spine 

“And why’s that?” 

“Because you’re perfect.”

Hisoka just kind of froze, his eyes widening for just a fraction of a second before the smirk reappeared on his face, although this time it didn’t reach his eyes 

“Oh? You think I’m perfect do you?” 

You hummed, going along with his little game

“Yes. Some think your bloodlust is really off putting but I think it’s pretty hot, especially when it’s directed at someone who tried to fuck with me. There’s this certain look and tone that’s only reserved for me and I am certainly happy to be on the receiving end of them. You’d probably deny it, had I ever brought it up, but sometimes when we’re just laying next to each other, you start humming a melody with a really soft smile on your face which makes my heart explode every time. You’re absolutely perfect.”

You had a tiny smirk on your face when you finished because of the look he had taken on 

Hisoka’s usually narrowed eyes were wide, pupils completely dilated. His cheeks were dusted with a dark red and his mouth was slightly parted

He slowly stalked forward, only half naked, and picked you up by your thighs 

Soon you found yourself resting against the nearest wall with Hisoka’s mouth attached to your neck 

A breathy laugh escaped you, your hand coming up to card through his hair

Illumi Zoldyck��

Being with the eldest Zoldyck son was...challenging to say the least

Of course, you understood that he was definitely unhinged and unaffectionate because of his upbringing but sometimes it made you want to rip your hair out 

So you two were sitting on opposite ends of your couch, having just been in an argument

Although it’s more like “argument” considering Illumi will just stand there, emotionless in both look and tone when you’re trying to be serious and express your feelings 

And naturally, that hurt a bit (a lot) 

You’d never tell him but sometimes you felt like you were the only one in the relationship and that he didn’t actually care about you 

So while you were sitting in silence trying to calm down, your eyes wandered over to the man you loved 

You always thought Illumi was the prettiest thing you’d ever laid eyes on

“You’re staring.”

You made a small noise of confirmation and just continued to look over his features

He reached over, grabbing you and pulling you to his side 

The assassin’s mouth parted to speak, but before he could get the monotonous words out you spoke up-

“You know you’re perfect, right ‘Lumi?”

He blinked, visibly perplexed at your quiet exclamation 

“Despite how you were raised you somehow started caring for someone as useless as me. Whether what you feel is really love or...something else, I never really get tired of you being in my life. I don’t care that on most days, I have to wake up at an ungodly hour just to see you before you leave. It also doesn’t matter that you're gone for days to weeks on end as long as you come back to me. You’re all I have and I think you’re just...perfect. Exactly the way you are.” 

You couldn’t see his expression cause your face was now hidden in his chest but you could hear the way his heartbeat quickened and how the grip he had on you tightened 

It was quiet for a while before Illumi’s soothing, quiet voice filled the room, “I love you.” 

You couldn’t fight the smile that stretched across your face as you shyly looked up at your boyfriend 

His hand reached out to caress your jaw and the other shifted you atop his lap

“I promise I’ll start showing you more frequently.” 

Those words rocked you to your core. He was gonna try to go out of his comfort zone just for you? 

“Illumi…” his name was a breathless whisper as he leaned in to capture the sound with his lips 

Kite 

Kite was, to put it simply, not one for a lot of fun 

While he wasn’t exactly stoic, he did take his work very seriously and didn’t care too much for horsing around 

However, by some miracle, you got him to go swim in a nearby lake with you 

And Kite actually let loose. He was laughing and splashing the water around with you- even playing Marco Polo much to your delight (although he kept winning every single time) 

After a couple hours you two were just floating about, having small chit chat 

When you finally stood up and let your feet touch the bottom, you were met with a serene sight 

Kite was floating on his back, long white hair sprawled out in the water like wings. His face was relaxed and dare you say angelic 

“Hey Kite?” 

“Hmm?” 

“You’re perfect.” 

Those simple words made Kite lose his relaxed posture, standing up abruptly and staring at you with a slight blush 

“Eh?” 

You laughed, swimming closer to him, “I said you’re perfect.” 

“I know what you said I mean why would you say that”

You could sit and laugh for hours at the look on his face but instead you cradled the sides of his face in your hands 

“Because. I’ve always thought you were admirable, you know, not just anyone can come from where you did and get the chance to say they’re truly happy. Plus, I get the honor to be the one trusted with your heart. You really do amaze me Kite, whether it be your looks, your brain, or your personality, you never cease to amaze me. And I thought it was finally time I let you in on all those secrets of mine. So yeah...you’re perfect to me.” 

You’ve always lived for vulnerable moments with Kite but this...this would be the most cherished one. 

He was looking at you with such a soft look in his eyes, tears were even starting to form 

Wiping them away, you smiled. “Kite?” 

“I love you.” Those words were spoken with a breathless tone and maybe even a hint of desperation 

“I love you I love you I love you-“ his kiss was definitely desperate, but in a meaningful way. The needy grabbing of his calloused hands almost sent you into a frenzy 

You pushed him back slightly to look into his hazel eyes, which were filled to the brim with all different kinds of love 

Your breaths mingled together from the close proximity and you wanted nothing more than to show him all of your love. “I love you too.”

[shiftynightshade]

Username Guide try to kill me, I dare you: Obi-Wan Brain Parasites DNI: Xanatos Illegally Alive: Feemor Renesmee/Consecotaleophobia: Quinlan Merry: Reeft Pippin: Garen Lumos: Luminara *Brandishes Medical Saw Menacingly*: Bant War Crimes 'R' Us: Nield Platinum Bitch: Siri Pacifism IS MY KINK: Satine

Chapter Text

Centaxday 17th 38 BBY

03:00

[try to kill me, I dare you is online]

Renesmee: EYO WHERE THE FUCK WERE YOU OBES

try to kill me, I dare you: Oh you know, getting stabbed by a ‘fellow’ bounty hunter :)

Merry: I-

Illegally Alive: OBI-WAN PLS

Renesmee: IFE QFIRH

Pippin: obi-wan [b]lease

Pacifism IS MY KINK: Ben.

Pacifism IS MY KINK: Why are you like this

*Brandishes Medical Saw Menacingly*: PLEASE TELL ME YOUR’E IN MEDICAL

try to kill me, I dare you: I am actually

[try to kill me, I dare you has sent an image]

Obi-Wan had evidently taken the picture himself with one arm stretched out to hold the comm while the other was posed in a peace sign. There was a small slice through the already existing slit in his left eyebrow. Bruises were already blooming on his cheek along with a black eye. Dried blood was smeared across his bottom lip under a scabbed over cut.

War Crimes 'R' Us: Obi-Wan

War Crimes 'R' Us: Why

War Crimes 'R' Us: Were

War Crimes 'R' Us: You

War Crimes 'R' Us: Stabbed

try to kill me, I dare you: got into a fistfight with an obnoxious Duros with an equally obnoxious hat.

Platinum Bitch: better yet, did you win?

*Brandishes Medical Saw Menacingly*: SIRI

Platinum Bitch: What? It’s a legitimate question.

try to kill me, I dare you: I’ll be fucked if I knew

try to kill me, I dare you: the little bitch ran off after he stabbed me

War Crimes 'R' Us: oof

*Brandishes Medical Saw Menacingly*: sigh

Illegally Alive: ANYWAYS

Illegally Alive: you need any transport?

try to kill me, I dare you: Nah I’m good, still gonna be stuck here for a few weeks

Pacifism IS MY KINK: Please try to get some sleep Ben

try to kill me, I dare you: No promises :p

[try to kill me, I dare you is now offline]

Renesmee: that was wild

[Lumos is now online]

Lumos: Everyone.

Lumos: Go.

Lumos: To.

Lumos: Bed.

Lumos: Now.

Renesmee: Yes maam

Platinum Bitch: fine

War Crimes ‘R’ Us: apologies Luminara

Pacifism IS MY KINK: Of course Luminara

*Brandishes Medical Saw Menacingly*: Sorry Lumi!

Merry: jokes on you it’s daytime where I am atm

Pippin: going to bed rn!

Illegally Alive: sorry for bothering you Padawan Unduli

Lumos: Good

[9 Users are now offline]

Zhellday 19th 38 BBY

14:00

[Renesmee has changed their user to: Consecotaleophobia]

Consecotaleophobia: obi you’re a kriffing bitch

try to kill me, I dare you: Talk shit get hit quin

Consecotaleophobia: >:O

Illegally Alive: I-

Illegally Alive: CONTEXT PLEASE

Consecotaleophobia: obi stabbed my hand with a fork :(

try to kill me, I dare you: You act like adding a frowny face is going to get you any pity

Illegally Alive: okay I’ll bite

Illegally Alive: Obi, why did you stab padawan vos with a fork?

try to kill me, I dare you: Quin was being an absolute whore of a Kiffar and kept messing with my report >:\

Consecotaleophobia: :p

Illegally Alive: …..

Illegally Alive: fair enough

[Illegally Alive is now offline]

Consecotaleophobia: OI

try to kill me, I dare you: lmao, sucks to suck

Primeday 22nd 38 BBY

17:45

try to kill me, I dare you: So what did we learn today?

Brain Parasites DNI: You have both a severely crippled self-esteem and a god complex….?

try to kill me, I dare you: W̵͕̤̳̎̿r̴̮̰̖̈́ǫ̴̪͆n̴̤̔̀͠g̴͉͛̒ ̶̬̿͌a̸͓͔̲̒̽̚ń̴̛̤̈́s̶͓͓̓̌͜w̷̹̜̟̓e̶̜̰͌͑̊r̶̫̂̽͠ ̴̦̝̊>̵͙͋͘͜:̶̫̋̇͝)̸̛͓̝͋

Illegally Alive: WOW DON’T LIKE THAT

Brain Parasites DNI: YOU DON’T LIKE A LOT OF THINGS

Illegally Alive: AND YET, IM STILL DOING BETTER THAN YOU

Brain Parasites DNI: OI KRIFF OFF IM PERFECT

try to kill me, I dare you: XAN YOU KIDNAPPED AND SOLD ME INTO SLAVERY WHEN I WAS 12

Brain Parasites DNI: OK THAT WASN’T ONE OF MY FINEST MOMENTS

try to kill me, I dare you: NO SHIT SHERLOCK

Illegally Alive: WHY CANT WE HAVE A NORMAL FAMILY

try to kill me, I dare you: SOMEONE FELL TO THE DARKSIDE

Brain Parasites DNI: THAT WASN’T BY MY FREE WILL

Brain Parasites DNI: BRAIN WORMS FROM THE SITH WARS ARE KRIFFING BITCHES

Pippin: WHY ARE WE ALL SHOUTING!?

try to kill me, I dare you: I DON’T KNOW

try to kill me, I dare you: COMEDIC EFFECT I PRESUME

Pippin: WHAT DO YOU MEAN

Illegally Alive: AAAAAAAAAAAA

Brain Parasites DNI: AAAAAAAAA

try to kill me, I dare you: Ā̸͉̤Å̷̩̤͘A̵̢̳̞͋͐A̵̢͑́͠Ã̶̺̱̳A̸̳̠͎̾͋͝Á̸̲̱̩Ā̴̢͓̒̎Ä̵̡͓̞́͝A̸͋͜A̶̦̐̅A̷̛̫͈̘Ā̵̮̰̊̓Ǎ̸̢̘͉͝

Illegally Alive: Okay, we good now?

try to kill me, I dare you: Yup

Brain Parasites DNI: I think so

Illegally Alive: cool

[Three users are now offline]

Pacifism IS MY KINK: Pardon my explicit language

Pacifism IS MY KINK: But what the fuck

Platinum Bitch: oh yeah i forgot that you didnt get any context

*Brandishes Medical Saw Menacingly*: So for some context, Xanatos was training to become a Jedi shadow with Feemor

*Brandishes Medical Saw Menacingly*: I don’t know the specifics of the mission but long story short Xan's brain got snatched by a preserved parasite from the Sith Wars that wasn't detectable and it turned him to the dark side.

Pacifism IS MY KINK: That sounds... like a convoluted ya novel

Consecotaleophobia: ikr!?

Centaxday 1st 38 BBY

Consecotaleophobia: god id dead and everything is worthless

Platinum Bitch: LMAO GET DUNKED ON

Pippin: WHEEZE

War Crimes ‘R’ Us: do we want to know?

Consecotaleophobia: N O

Merry: Obi-Wan and Siri thoroughly humiliated Quin in front of a bunch of initiate Shadow's

Consecotaleophobia: REEFT I TRUSTED YOU RAISIN HEAD

Merry: RAISIN HEAD!?

Pippin: PRETTY SURE AT LEAST HALF OF THE RECRUITS HAVE CRUSHES ON OBES AND SIRI NOW LMAO

Consecotaleophobia: OH KRIFF OFF

[*Brandishes Medical Saw Menacingly* is now Online]

*Brandishes Medical Saw Menacingly*: OK I WANT TO KNOW

*Brandishes Medical Saw Menacingly*: WHY IS THE CAFETERIA ON FIRE

[Lumos is now Online]

Lumos: Oh that would be my fault

Lumos: I would say I'm sorry, but I'm really not.

*Brandishes Medical Saw Menacingly*: .....

*Brandishes Medical Saw Menacingly*: Lumi

*Brandishes Medical Saw Menacingly*: WHY

Lumos: >:)

*Brandishes Medical Saw Menacingly*: Sigh

[charming-2d-boys]

Hc for adult trio where their s/o is being seduced by a handsome strong man? Jealous adult trio please!

Nice, we have some of the most possessive men in the Hunter x Hunter universe being jealous 😂

Thanks for the request, this'll be fun! 🙇

Also, here are the headcanons about Chrollo being jealous, just so you know why it might sound a bit familiar.

Warning: a teeny tiny bit suggestive, barely there, but I thought I should put this anyway

Chrollo

eyebrow raised towards the scene

like really now?

is this guy actually hitting on you?

right in front of him?

is he stupid?

or too brave?

when the guy, who’s pretty good-looking and looks strong, glances at him before a handsome smirk plasters itself on his lips and his eyes and attention go back to you?

oh, it’s on

the guy definitely wanted to hit on you and knew exactly who you were there with

okay, so he’s too stupid

you wouldn’t flirt with him, probably only without realising it

don’t worry, Chrollo trusts you and knows you wouldn’t cheat

you’re just being your kind and polite self

the other man, though?

he won’t be so lucky when Chrollo is done with him

on your side, though

the man didn’t really seem as if he was flirting

he was just asking you about yourself, your life, hobbies, interests

he was being very polite and respectful and while you knew Chrollo was there, you didn’t feel threatened

only when the guy looked to the side with a smirk then back at you did you think that he was a bit... odd

you knew that’s where Chrollo was and you could barely feel a hint of bloodlust coming from him

so, you tried cutting the conversation short and leave, all smiles and politeness

only to feel the guy grab your wrist and keep you close

now there was a distinct feeling of discomfort and Chrollo’s bloodlust seemed to increase

still, he had an image to upkeep, so he smiled politely as he walked towards the two of you, an arm around your waist as he pulled you into his side and away from the handsome stranger

sweet words with a venomous meaning were pretty much just thrown from one to another, with the conversation seeming friendly to an outsider

until Chrollo pretty much won their little game of words and smiled ruefully

We will be leaving for tonight. Thank you for keeping my girlfriend company.

you almost felt like laughing at how Chrollo’s words made the man grind his teeth

he really wanted to piss Chrollo off and maybe win you over for the night

apparently, it didn’t work

or so you two thought

Chrollo, on the other hand, left with you by his side, keeping you close to his body

his smile was gone and his eyes were cold as he stared ahead

Chrollo? You okay?

he only glanced at you, eyes almost calculating

you were confused and a bit worried

had you upset him?

I’m fine, love. Don’t worry.

you only nodded and before you knew it, you had reached your house

you were ready to go inside and call it a night before Chrollo pulled you into his arms, eyes staring straight into yours

Chrollo?

without responding, his hands went to your cheeks and pulled your face to his, locking lips with you as your back hit the front door with a bit of force

the kiss seemed more passionate than ever and you had a feeling about the reason why

his lips then went down, leaving a trail of kisses as he bit into the skin of your neck and soothed the bites with his tongue, leaving little purple and red marks behind while your breath became laboured

one of Chrollo’s hands had gone down your side, to your hip and then your leg, lifting your thigh up and around his hip as he kept you pinned against the door with his body

soon, his lips returned to yours as his kisses were now slow and sweet, before he pressed his forehead to yours

Don’t worry. I’m yours. And you’re mine.

the corner of Chrollo’s lips lifted into a little smile before he nodded, hugging you tightly and kissing your cheek and neck

Spend the night with me?

I could never say no to you, love.

let’s just say that was one of the best nights ever for the two of you as a couple

and, somehow, you thanked the stranger in your mind

you definitely saw another side of Chrollo that night because of him

you’d never see him again, since Chrollo would tell the Spiders that they should let him know when they found the guy

he wanted to bid him farewell properly, after all

Hisoka

Hisoka watched, amused, as you were uncomfortable and probably stuttering while the handsome and seemingly strong man flirted with you

you hadn’t seen him yet and he was still hiding in the shadows, watching the scene between you and the handsome stranger unfold

your reactions were always cute and he almost remembered when you used to look at him like that in the very beginning

Hisoka wasn’t really that worried about the situation

he knew you wouldn’t go to another guy

he was your handsome, strong boyfriend after all

the one who did his best for you and your attention

he smirked at the thought of you and him in a relationship

it was one of the best things in his life

well, Hisoka’s smile disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared when he saw you laugh at something the stranger said

he moved around so he could see the guy

he was in a similar state as you, slightly uncomfortable, but he seemed really sweet and nice

you’d let your guard down pretty quickly around him

now Hisoka felt a bit upset

it took so long until you let him into your life

and you’re letting this little shrimp in after a few minutes of conversation?

he just doesn’t like it

that feeling settling itself in his heart and stomach

like a vice around them

straightening up, he walked towards the two of you, heels clicking against the floor loudly

people actually parted so he could pass, the small hint of bloodlust making them flinch

Hisoka’s smile was anything but good

even you wanted to take a step back

it had been a while since you’d felt his bloodlust up close

the man next to you stiffened, eyes wide and heart racing as Hisoka smiled at the two of you slyly

Hello, lovely~ Who is your new friend? ♣

you didn’t want to make a scene

and when you answered that He was no one, you just looked up at Hisoka with pleading eyes

he only hummed before letting himself be dragged out onto the street towards your home

Hisoka said nothing and neither did you as you both got inside

he was still smiling, but he looked... upset

you couldn’t watch him leave just like that and leave you to stew in your worries and questions

Hisoka?

he stopped walking towards the bedroom, a smile still on his face as he looked at you, waiting

I’m sorry!

what else could you say?

you knew he was jealous and also insecure, no matter how much he wanted to deny it

he was always scared that someone better, nicer, stronger would come along and sweep you off your feet

Are you now? For what exactly? ♣

Hisoka, please... I was only being polite. don’t make me regret my choice, please!

when you had allowed him to take you out, you’d officially sealed your fate

not that you could complain much

Hisoka could be sweet when he wanted to be

and you really didn’t want your relationship to end because of... what? a stupid, innocent conversation with a stranger?

Hisoka was quiet before he hummed, smile now gone

he slowly walked up to you, looking into your eyes as if searching for something

before he picked you up and took you to the bedroom, tossing you onto the bed

you looked up, not really afraid, but more puzzled than anything

I want you to know that you’re mine. No one else’s. Only mine. Right, lovely?  ♣

you nodded, hands going to his cheeks as your fingers ran over his skin

you stared at one another, a silent conversation

I’m sorry. I love you, Hisoka. Don’t forget it.

he only smiled before kissing you deeply, his arms caging you as his chest touched yours

oh, he won’t forget and he’d remind you that you’re his

even until dawn if he had to

he would take his time and show you that you two belonged together

Illumi

Illumi could only stare and wonder why some people were so stupid

what did that person even think he was doing?

why was he standing so close to you?

why were you smiling so much?

as Illumi kept getting closer with the two drinks in hand, you looked up and smiled at him before beckoning him closer

you soon took your drink and held his hand, making him relax a bit

Lumi, this is (M/N). He says we were classmates in school. I’m sorry I can’t remember well.

No worries, (Y/N). Nice to meet you, ...?

Illumi Zoldyck.

your classmate froze, smile tight-lipped and hand in between them for a handshake that never came

As in, the assassin family?

Yep.

Illumi only stared, making (M/N) uncomfortable

Well, umm, (Y/N), it was nice seeing you again. I hope we can meet again soon.

Same here.

he quickly left and before you could actually ask Illumi what his problem was, you were being dragged up the stairs, away from the party, and into one of the many empty rooms available

Illumi, what are you doing? And what was that? That was so ru-

had you not seen that it was Illumi, your boyfriend, in front of your very eyes, doing this, you’d have thought it was someone else, probably in disguise

as his kisses became more desperate, Illumi pulled you onto his lap as soon as he sat on one of the large, comfortable armchairs in the room

you had already lost interest in anything else around you but Illumi as your hands went through Illumi’s ponytail, tugging and bringing him closer, leaving his hair dishevelled

your boyfriend’s lips left yours only to settle on your neck and chest, hands already on their way to tugging your clothes off as fast as possible

as he continued leaving marks, you could hear him mumble Mine. All mine.

how he could be jealous of someone like (M/N), you didn’t know

Illumi was so much better in pretty much every department

apparently, you’d have to show him

if only he’d let you take a bit of control tonight

No one else’s. Only mine, understood?

Only yours, Lumi.

[restlessfandoming]

“the president and the troublemaker” (part 8) (chilumi fic)

“Lumine is the student council president and Childe is the school’s number one troublemaker. They cross paths more than they’d like. Especially when Childe finds out Lumine’s big secret. Highschool AU à la Kaichou wa Maid-sama.”

[part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5] [part 6] [part 7]

existence is a prison :’)

[Fic Masterlist] // [AO3 Link] // [Main AO3]

the president and the troublemaker (part 8)

Cross jab with your right arm. 

Lumine lunged towards her opponent with her right arm. 

Throwaway jab with your left.

As her opponent blocked her right arm, Lumine quickly threw her left arm out, forcing them to blink and react to the oncoming hit. 

Follow the momentum. 

Planting her left foot on the ground, she let the force of the punch swing her body around, then slammed her right foot into her opponent’s head.

And there you have a successful spinning heel kick. 

Lumine let the air relax out of her body as the man crumpled to the floor, and the bells rang. The crowd around swelled into cheers as the referee held her hand up, signaling her victory. Her amber eyes roamed around the arena, noting all the audience reactions: the nods of approval, the tilting heads of curiosity, the quick Internet searches on phones—who is this girl?

She was starting to gain attention here in Snezhnaya, as her win rate at the moment was at an astounding 100% thus far. She had quickly gained the nickname “Abyss Princess” due to Kaeya’s “innocent” portrayal of her in his promotions, juxtaposed with her destructive lethality in the ring. 

“You learn quick,�� Childe said as Lumine walked into the locker room. “I only taught you that move once,” he added. “And yet you executed it perfectly.” 

“That’s Lumine for you,” Aether said, handing her a towel and a water bottle. “Great job, as always, sis.” She nodded as she gratefully chugged the water down (purposefully ignoring Childe.)

Kaeya sauntered into the room shortly after, clapping slowly while a grin pulled at his lips. “I come bearing good news.”

“Free dinner?” Lumine guessed. 

Aether nodded. “Seconded.”

“Even better.” Kaeya held up an official looking document. “Our little Lumine just got her first sponsor.”

Lumine almost dropped her water bottle. “No way!” She ran up to the blue haired captain. “Who is it?!”

Her manager looked down at the slip of paper in his hands. “A wealthy traveling merchant named Ivanovich.” 

Lumine turned towards Aether excitedly. “A sponsor!”

“A sponsor!” he echoed as the two shared a hug. 

“What does this mean now?” Lumine asked Kaeya. 

“It means we get to celebrate!” He gave her a closed eye smile. “How about a little vacation?”

* * *

Wow.

Lumine audibly gasped as she stood atop the hill overlooking the beach before her. 

Being from a poor family, she and Aether never got to travel much; it was the first time either of them had been to the beach (or really vacationed for that matter) and it did not disappoint. 

The glowing sun reflected brilliantly off the vivid blue waves, the water lapping at the fine, white sand with various stations of colorful towels and umbrellas set up throughout the shore. Lumine smiled as she saw families running along the sand, playing volleyball, and children joyfully splashing in the water. 

“So this is the beach,” Aether said in wonderment beside her. 

Lumine nodded as the two of them both breathed in deep, taking in the scent of salty waves and warm summer air. “It’s more beautiful than I could’ve ever imagined,” she whispered.

“Is this your first time at the beach?” Kaeya asked the two of them. After the twins nodded, he smiled, and continued, “Well, I hope you two truly enjoy yourselves then.” 

“I can’t remember the last time we could just relax like this,” Aether said as the trio made their way towards the beach house they were renting for the weekend. 

Since she could remember, her whole life (Aether’s too) had been jam-packed with work or school obligations; it would be nice to get away from everything, even if just for a few days. 

She let out a yawn as she opened the door to the house. “Let the relaxation begin...” She froze in the doorway as her eyes landed on Childe laying on the couch. “...now.”

The orange-haired troublemaker opened his eyes slightly, then sat up and stretched. “Took you guys long enough. I’ve been waiting all morning.” 

Lumine hadn’t moved an inch. “...Why is Childe here?”

“Well, I had to invite your coach, didn’t I?” Kaeya answered. “I hope that’s alright.”

“Is there a problem, Lumi?” Aether asked, concerned. 

Ever since the rooftop incident, Lumine had found herself...restless around Childe. After she had gotten home from studying at his place, she thought about it—really thought about it—and neither of them had mentioned the fact that he had kissed her. 

Had it been a figment of her imagination? Was he just messing with her? 

Romance wasn’t something she knew. She could read textbook after textbook, fight opponent after opponent, but love? She was completely in the dark. 

And it wasn’t something she could casually discuss with Aether or her friends. Her friends knew nothing about her and Childe, and she was sure Aether would murder Childe on the spot if he knew anything romantic was happening between the delinquent and his beloved twin sister. As far as he knew, Childe and Lumine got along well as coach and student, and were friends as a result of that.  

Like at the hospital, she got flustered around Childe. She absolutely hated it, because she couldn’t figure out how or why—she couldn’t control it. And she especially hated it because Childe seemed to relish in the fact that she seemed so affected by him. 

The simplest things he would do—the slightest glance in her direction, a brush of the hands—sent her heart into a frenzy.

Do..Do I love him back?

Her throat went dry at that prospect. 

I don’t know. 

She didn’t know. 

So, she had hoped that the trip would bring her some clarity after time away from Childe, and hoped that upon her return, things would go back to normal. 

But here he stood in front of her. 

“Lumi, is everything okay?” Aether repeated. 

Lumine cleared her throat. “Yup, everything is fine.” She rushed towards the stairs. “I’ll be in my room.” And with that, she disappeared into the closest bedroom she could find, slamming the door shut. 

We’re just friends, she told herself. He is your friend, and your coach. 

She clenched her fists. It was most obviously a joke, right? Why else would he have done it, and not mention it ever again?

Lumine let out a maddening laugh. Yes, that’s exactly it. It’s just another scheme of his to cause trouble for me. 

She looked out her window, at the sparkling sea just lengths away. Well, she wasn’t going to be bothered by it, or him, any longer. Not when she was on vacation at least. 

She rifled through her duffle bag, pulling out a bikini, and slipping it on. It was simple, black, only decorated with minimal frills, but it was quite revealing (especially compared to her normal attire). It definitely wouldn’t have been Lumine’s first choice of swimwear, but it was one of the cheapest swimsuits she could find on short notice. 

She took a deep breath in, already imagining how relaxing the cool beach waves would feel on her skin. Excited, she yanked her door open quickly—

Only to find Childe standing there, his hand outstretched as if he were about to open the door himself. 

Lumine’s face fell. “What do you want?”

“I was just coming to check on you,” he said with a smile. Then his eyes trailed down to her attire, and his face fell as well. “What are you doing?”

Lumine crossed her arms. “Obviously about to go swimming.”

“In that?” he asked lowly.

Feeling the heat crawl up her back, she shook her head. Not going to let him affect me. “Yup. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” She started to push past him. 

He reached out and grabbed her wrist, stopping her. 

“Childe, what are you—”

He pulled her towards him, and then wrapped his arms around her waist, pinning her back against his chest. She felt a sharp twinge on her shoulder. 

...

He was biting her. He was biting her. 

Lumine gasped, and struggled out of his hold. When she finally broke free, she whipped around, her hand rubbing her shoulder. Childe’s blue eyes glinted at her as he used the back of his hand to wipe at his lips. 

“What the hell are you doing?!” Lumine hissed. Her thumb traced over the ridges left behind by his teeth. 

“You know, if you wear that,” Childe said simply, eyeing her swimsuit, “everyone’s going to ask about that bite mark on your shoulder.” An innocent smile. “You don’t really want that, now do you?” 

Her jaw fell open and she ran back into her room, checking her shoulder in the mirror. Sure enough, the area he had bitten down on was blemished red, and only grew more and more noticeable as the seconds ticked by.

She turned towards Childe, who was leaning on the doorframe, her eyes bewildered. “Why would you—”

Aether and Kaeya’s voices travelled up the staircase. There were people coming. And she had a kiss mark for all the world to see. 

She quickly grabbed a t-shirt from the clothes she had just changed out of, and yanked it over her head as her brother and her manager walked by. 

Aether stopped, looking at her curiously. His eyes flickered to Childe as well. “Are you guys going swimming?”

“Yes!” Lumine answered quickly, shuffling out the door. Hopefully, the faster she got away, the less chance there was for Aether to realize something had happened. 

“...In your t-shirt?” Aether asked. 

Lumine shrugged, doing her best to act nonchalant. “I got a little cold.” She started running down the stairs. “Catch you guys later!” 

WIthout looking back, she ran until she had reached the shore of the beach, then let out a long sigh of relief at finally being alone. 

What in the absolute hell is wrong with Childe? 

Her fingers ghosted over the bite mark once again, a fire burning in her core. Why had he done that? Wasn’t that something only lovers did to each other?

Lovers…

!!!

Lumine swore her head exploded, and was sure the rising steam would be visible from miles away. 

She stomped down the shoreline, heels digging into the shifty sands, desperately trying to distract her thoughts. 

Miraculously, her thoughts drowned out as she approached a bustling crowd gathering before her. The noise was instantly familiar—the cheers, whoops, and gasps of an ongoing fight. Raising an eyebrow, she made her way through the people, until she was at the front line. 

In the middle of the crowd, there was a large open space with three different circles—indicated by lines drawn in the sand—and within each circle were two people wrestling. Nearby each of the circles, a tall lifeguard chair stood, where a referee sat overlooking their respective match below. 

Lumine turned to a stranger next to her, and asked what was going on. 

“Oh, it’s the weekly beach wrestling competition!” they answered happily. 

“A competition?” Lumine pondered for a second. An image of a free food voucher flashed in her mind. “...Are there any prizes?” 

“Eh, most people just like to do it for fun,” the stranger said. “But if you win, you get all the earnings from entry fees!”

At the mention of money, Lumine instantly perked up. Not to mention tossing people around in the sand sounded like the perfect way to blow off some steam. “Where do you sign up?” 

They looked at her curiously. “Right over there.” They gestured to a table set up underneath a makeshift awning. “But I should warn you: it’s usually an...all male competition, dear.” 

Lumine was already waking away, stretching out her arms. Wrestling, huh? Not too different from what I do regularly, right?

As she passed the brawling rings, she took note of every competitor’s strengths, their statures—any information that would help her win in the near future. The stranger was right: there was no other female in sight, except as spectators.

And when Lumine walked over to sign up, there was a mix of reactions from those all around. Scrutiny, disbelief, doubt and arrogance—there’s no way she’s going to get far, right?

A smirk pulled at the corner of her lips. 

Let’s prove them wrong. 

* * *

Where did she go?

Childe squinted down the shore, eyes searching for that blonde head of hair. After Lumine had dashed out of the house, he decided to wait briefly before going after her. Of course he knew she was freaked out over what happened, but it had to be done. 

One look at her attire, and his blood boiled over the thought of guys looking her up and down, innocence the furthest thing from their minds. 

She was probably out there, kicking up a storm on the sandy shoreline, her head rattling with confusion at his actions. She was so endearingly naive about the intricacies of romance, as evidenced by her reaction to his confession of love, to which they had yet to discuss. 

He wasn’t going to push it; he could always see the gears turning in her head when he showed any romantic interest towards her, and too much stimulation would probably overload her circuits. Not to mention the fact she would run away when confronting her feelings. But they would need to talk about it, eventually.

God, she was going to be the death of him. 

He couldn’t quite put a finger on when he had realized he was actually in love with this short, tempered blonde, but when he did, it only made complete sense.

He wasn’t a stranger to romance. He knew he had the looks and the demeanor that just made girls gravitate to him, but he had never found interest in anyone. He just wanted to fight and train, train and fight—anything to get stronger and stronger. 

But then that night. 

Every so often, he would visit those illegal fighting rings, his interest only piqued for potential worthy opponents. Alberich’s ring was far out of the way, and he visited it rarely. 

That night was the first time he had seen Outlander in the ring. 

They had immediately grabbed his attention: the mask definitely showed they were hiding something. And that always made for an interesting fighter. They then proceeded to absolutely obliterate their opponent in the ring. An even more interesting fighter. 

After the match, Childe made his way around the back, hoping to speak to this Outlander character. And the rest was history. 

It had been the most enjoyable time of his life watching Lumine swap from the diligent student council president, to the powerful, bloodthirsty Outlander. Everything else she did—the way she carried herself, her resilience, her stubbornness, how her face softened when she was thanking him—everything else just pulled at his heart like nothing else ever had. 

He really couldn’t bear to stay away. 

Childe sighed, continuing his walk down the beach. 

And he really couldn’t control himself around her. 

A group of boys around his age jogged past him. He caught a few words they were saying as they passed: “hot,” “blonde,” “fighter.” 

His jaw clenched, and he followed them closely as the sinking feeling grew in his gut. 

The boys disappeared into a large, boisterous crowd, and Childe peered over the heads of spectators watching a wrestling match before them. 

A flash of amber eyes and that gray t-shirt she had thrown on earlier; it was exactly as he suspected. Somewhere, somehow, even at the beach on vacation, Lumine was in the middle of a fight. 

She was winning, but sloppily. Obviously, she was still affected by earlier. Sloppy moves would lead to defeat, and more importantly, injuries. 

Time to step in.

Perhaps this was also a way to get through to her. A common tongue they both spoke. 

He made his way over to the sign-up, paid his entrance fee, and stood before the printed brackets. He traced Lumine’s name, looking over the line of opponents he would need to beat to get to her.

He walked over to the queue of fighters. He started stretching his limbs, feeling the heat of the battle pool in his muscles. 

Get ready, Lumine. 

The crowd burst into cheers as Lumine pinned her opponent to the ground. As she stood, Childe saw her glowing grin split across her face. He smiled to himself as well.

Here I come.

* * *

[part 9]

[anotheranimestan]

Spicy Headcannons

18+!!

Suna, Iwa, Oikawa, Kageyama, Atsumu, Kyotani, Kuroo, Tsuki, Ushijima, Terushima, Aone, Kenma, Ennoshita, Coach Ukai, Tadashi

Head empty except spicy hq hcs 🤤

Suna— rejection kink!! Imma say it again. Reject his ass and his dick will be hard. He’s so used to girls simping over him that he wants to feel like you just slapped him across the face when he hits on you. Loves to watch you strut away from him so he can peep that ass in those jeans, knowing damn well he’s about to chase it (but he acts like he couldn’t care less. Fucking liar). Enjoys some light degrading so when he does actually manage to get you to ride him it’s all the more satisfying.

Iwaizumi— not big on sappy pda like hand holding or pet names (in public!) but is definitely territorial about you in the subtlest ways. Will stand behind you to block other guys views of that 🍑, will sit you on his lap when he senses other guys looking at you, will call you over from across the room just so other guys know you respond to his call (then he murmurs something super fucking cute in your ear as a reward)

Oikawa— is all about the show and gets off on showing you off to other guys. Loves to see you walking around with confidence being the star of the show knowing he’s the guy who managed to pull you. Does not mind if you dress super provocative, and doesn’t even mind watching you flirt with other guys because he’s gonna be simping right along with them (he’s literally obsessed with you) But you better be ready to be moaning HIS name all night long to make up for it. Praise kink going both ways here.

Kageyama— is so oblivious to your advances but is lowkey super horny. So if you surprise him by feeling him up out of nowhere or start kissing on his ears (in public pls) he’s going to get so flustered and doesn’t know what to do with his super obvious boner now! 😩 he’s so embarrassed and needs you to take care of what you did because he doesn’t know how to get rid of it. It’s like his vision blacks out and he can only focus on rubbing up against you literally. He doesn’t ask for much...just make him feel good.

Atsumu— he’s such a piece of shit he cannot let you win anything on him. If you challenge him at anything (games, volleyball, drinking, etc) he’s going to get riled up. But he gets really turned on when you beat him in whatever it is and start teasing him about it. Gloat on his ass. He’s half impressed but is gonna be so frustrated about losing to you that he NEEDS to make up for it by topping you immediately and making you admit it too. He’s wants to hear you SAY it. He won. He’s the best. Moan it in his ear.

Kyotani— this man’s sex drive is damn near animalistic. When he gets turned on by you it’s aggressive. And it’s at the littlest things. You bent over to pick something up? Big mistake. Now his dick is hard and he NEEDS you to take care of it for him. Now. He literally can’t think of anything else. Will try to convince you do it even if you’re in public. Gets really turned on by you scolding him (especially when he starts getting really rowdy) so that makes it even worse. But once you give into him he’s gonna pound you in that dressing room because he cannot get enough of you it’s ridiculous.

Kuroo— mans is a simp for intelligent girls and you can’t tell me otherwise. He’s gonna ask you to study with him but then he’s gonna be adjusting himself while you’re explaining something sounding smart asl. Will definitely try to distract you from doing work so he can put himself into that beautifully smart mouth of yours. Can’t focus on anything school related until he’s had you...whether it’s in his dorm room or in the back of the library.

Tsuki— secretly enjoys watching other guys try to hit on you, loves watching you reject them, LOVES giving them smug looks in the background. Will talk shit about them the whole ride home and definitely will make you tell him all the reasons why you’re his bitch and not theirs later that night while he’s inside you....with details. Cite your sources too.

Ushijima— super visual. Likes to watch you every second. Likes to see him going in and out of you. If you swallow this man’s cum...he is going feral. Will rev him up for like 3 more rounds. Loves to see you licking it off your lips while making eye contact (likes that you have to crane your neck to look up at him too) ALSO has a breeding kink. The idea of making superstar athletes while he’s cumming inside of you......better watch out. He will give you a baby. Into recording just so he can watch you taking him when you’re not around to do the real thing.

Terushima— cat and mouse game. Period. Except plot twists make HIM feel like the mouse. Mans is lowkey super into girls that make him feel like the prey. YOU cat called HIM!? He’s obsessed. He’s going to immediately start chasing you back but dick is throbbing at the sound of you teasing him. Secretly wants you to boss him around, but at the end of the day.....he’s still cumming on YOUR face (hahahah)

Aone— not kinky. But will literally go weak if you tell him what you want to do to him when you get home or vice versa. Whispering into his ear in public and he’s going to freak out. Looking at you like “yes please” give you an excited little head nod with wide eyes. And will follow you around until it’s time to go. Mans is so sweet in bed too. Innocent but packing.

Kenma— is all about head. Giving and receiving. Absolutely cannot control himself when you go down on him. His usual facade is gone and he’s moaning and squirming like crazy under your control. He likes watching you drag your tongue around on it. Gripping. The. Sheets. Is shy about going down on you because one time you said he looked pretty from that angle. But loves making you feel good. His name sounds pretty coming off your lips.

Ennoshita— also not kinky but sis.....physical therapist Ennoshita knows how to stretch you tf out. He will give you private lessons just so he can move you around and kiss your neck while he’s got you bent in all kinds of positions. Is normally super sweet and sensual but not afraid to get rough with you from time to time😳 especially when you start acting up during sessions!

Ukai— has the dirtiest mind. Could be sitting at dinner with your parents and will be staring at you thinking about shoving your face into a pillow and wrapping you around his dick. 🤦‍♀️ makes his own dick hard just thinking about you. And acts like it’s your fault!!! Safe to say he often is begging you to leave functions early with him. And if you say no he’s going to start acting up and he doesn’t care who’s watching!!

Tadashi— mans has a costume kink. Knee high kink. Wearing his clothes kink. Basically loves to see you in cute outfits. Will be literally cumming in his pants if you surprise him. Has a mental shut down and will just be drooling watching you as you go down on him. But once he comes to he cannot shut up with praises and kissing every inch of your body. Is a giver. HUGE giver. Gets off on hearing you enjoying yourself.

~~

Tags from masterlist: @nozahs @rising-lumi @moonxrse @kalizwrld @lovelyrynn @we-areforeverbulletproof @haikyu855 @waywardcowboyllamavoid @bitweird1 @deepesttreecookiebonk @lmelodym @coolfrogprincess @ahererra145-blog @saturateddaydreams @marzzzzzzzzzzzz @hauntedauthortrashrebel @slurrpiefuck @rebelikesfrogs @expertswerver @burntamore0906 @wackichris @chargeandinlarge @dailydoseofinsomniac @fullsundear @stupidbitchtm @tee2cute @kxayaroun @garieee @ded-jelly @dxddydrea @froggymoists @carat-atiny @spicyemokid @natnat646 @channieboiiii @kenmaaaaa @whore4hq @rozesarered @xodrea @nyxiara @lilachusworld @strawberrysalwa @pinoyrella @prayerofthehaim @tendousfingertape5 @loveedoveyyyy @awxward @wiseeggspickleslime @starychann @lalaloverss @sunflowercheeks @silverfire6 @teddybearbunny @dtgirl18 @a-bakuhoe @ceo-of-daichi

Like my masterlist to be added!

[amethystroselilith]

If Lost Return to the 11th Harbinger (Babysitter Childe ft. Chilumi)

Finally, I get to write my first Chilumi fic! Hard to find a peaceful time to write cause of family demanding attention haha

~~~

SUMMARY:  In which Childe has to babysit 3 girls that means a lot to Lumine

Can also be read in ao3: here

“You know, sometimes, I think he’s doing it on purpose.” Childe sulked, wrapping his arms around Lumine’s waist in an attempt to ditch her plans for the day and spend it with him instead.

The bed looks cosy right now and Childe would pretty much like for Lumine to get back in there with him and maybe lure her into various activities they can play on the sheets.

Lumine chuckled, “I’m sure Zhongli doesn’t mean that.” before running her hand through his hair, letting him hold her for a while, a warm feeling blossoming on her chest as she watched them cuddled together in the mirror she was using to get ready for the day.

She wouldn’t admit it, but feeling Childe’s bare chest against her back makes her just want to stay with him a bit longer, but unfortunately for her lover, she knows how to control herself.

“Yeah? You really think he didn’t plan to tag you along with whatever rites he has to prepare whenever I’m in Liyue?” Childe huffed, burying his face against her neck.

“People don’t schedule when they’ll die, Childe.” Lumine rolled her eyes.

“Can’t he find someone else to help him?” Childe pouted up at her, displaying the best puppy eyes he could put on.

“Hm, didn’t really ask.” Lumine shrugged, earning a whine from her clingy lover.

“You mean we could’ve thrown someone else with him? But you didn’t ask?” he huffed.

“He invited me to help. I accepted. Besides, he helps me a lot during my stay here, it’s just fair to help him back. May I remind you he also pulled some strings to have you here without any Milleliths watching your every move?” Lumine hummed.

Childe rolls his eyes, “I’m pretty sure you could’ve convinced them to leave us alone, you’re a hero here, they know you kicked my ass, they trust you and all.” 

“Same hero that’s dating the same man who almost destroyed their city.” Lumine rolled her eyes, “I’m pretty sure they’re a bit wary of me as well ever since you decided to shout we’re officially together in public.”

“First of all, that’s to declare I won against all my rivals and they should fuck off.” Childe shrugged, “Second… I mean, how could they blame you? I’m charming as fuck.” Childe snickered.

“Right. I’m out.” Lumine said as she unwraps Childe’s arms off her.

“Ojou-chaaannn…” he whined as he tries to pull her back, “It’s the truth, come back.”

Lumine was about to say something back, but a knock on the door caught their attention. 

“You think he’ll take Paimon if I throw enough mora on them?” Childe tried, to which Lumine just chuckled and walked to the door.

“Good morning.” Lumine greeted their guest as she opened the door, “Oh?” her eyes widened in surprise when not just Zhongli appeared, but also three little girls.

“Qiqi brought friends.” Qiqi simply said.

“Onee-chan! Klee and Diona found you!” the excitable girl in red waved, “Diona said she missed you! Me too so we looked for you!” 

Diona freaked out, “I-I did not! I don’t care! If she doesn’t want to return to Mondstat and see me then that’s her problem!” she huffed, looking away with a red face.

“You went all the way to Liyue?” Lumine’s eyes widened, “Does… anyone know you two are here?” 

“Yea! Kaeya-oniichan!” Klee smiled.

“Oh,” Lumine breathed out in relief that they’re not alone, “So, where is he?” 

“I dunno, he was sleepy when I asked him, but he said ‘yes’, so Klee is good, no?” she smiled.

“He’s passed out drunk outside of Angel’s Share,” Diona mumbled.

“But we still asked permission and he said ‘yes’!” Klee argued to avoid getting in trouble. 

“No need to worry, Ms Lumine, I have taken care of that. Rest assured that their guardians are aware of their little ones’ whereabouts.” Zhongli intervened when he saw the blonde’s about to have a heart attack.

“I’m glad you found them before anything bad happened.” Lumine sighed in relief, while she knows Klee and Diona aren’t helpless when it comes to fighting, she still can’t help but worry. She’s especially fond of the 3 little girls, protective of them as a mother would be of her child.

“Yea, I recognised Mister during your visit in Mondstat and Qiqi as well! So Klee is good with not following strangers.” Klee nodded with a proud smile.

“Good.” Qiqi agreed, it may not be seen, but she’s also excited with the thought of playing with her friends again, “Play with Qiqi and friends?” she looked up at her with hopeful eyes.

“Ojou-chan, what’s taking so long?” Childe emerged, now wearing a shirt, “Oh?” 

“Qiqi brought friends,” Qiqi informed once again.

“Hi! Will you join us in playing too?” Klee asked excitedly.

Childe caught a glint of mischief in Zhongli’s eyes, “Unfortunately, Ms Lumine and I can not join you, but Mr Childe here will be playing with you for the whole day.” 

“Eh?!” everyone looked at him with wide eyes, additional pouts from the 3 little girls.

Zhongli just chuckled before kneeling at the little ones’, “Ms Lumine and I will need to take care of some urgent errands, but we will try to finish them as fast as possible, but for now, will you be good for Mr Childe?” 

~~~

And just like that, Zhongli had dragged Lumine away for whatever errands he has to do, leaving Childe with 3 innocent eyes looking at him curiously.

Childe hasn’t been around much whenever Lumine visits Mondstat, it’s always been the usual party of Lumine, Qiqi, and Zhongli since Childe still has duties to fulfil for his Queen. Duties that would make things complicated for his relationship with the Honorary Knight, but he believes that as long as they work together, not hiding dirty secrets from one another, they may be able to find a peaceful resolution for all parties.

But that’s something he has to think of for another day, today he has to entertain three little girls.

Three little girls that Lumine holds dearly, and for some reason, Childe feels a bit pressured in trying to win their favours, well Qiqi should already be won with coconut milk and the fact that they both work together in Lumine’s main party, but he’s not too familiar with the other 2 besides Lumine and Qiqi’s story. 

Klee seems to be easier to win over because of her energetic and friendly nature, Diona however, may take a bit of work with her shy and independent personality. 

But they’re still kids. Childe has experience with kids, his siblings love him, so this shouldn’t be too difficult, right?

“So, do you guys have any games you want to play?” he asked after watching the 3 finish the last of their breakfasts.

Klee pursed her lips, “Well, we were supposed to play house but, Mr Zhongli and Lumi-oneechan are gone so we don’t have a mama and papa anymore.”

“Ahaha, why are they mama and papa?” Childe laughed through gritted teeth.

“Are they not Qiqi’s mama and papa?” Klee tilted her head.

“No.” Qiqi answered, “But Lumine can be.” she hummed, “No papa though.”

“Ah, well, ojou-chan and I are very close-” 

“But I guess Zhongli can be papa, he gives Qiqi flowers.” the zombie child hummed.

A vein popped in Childe’s forehead, “Ah, Qiqi-chan, I give you coconut milk too, remember?” 

“But you’re always gone.” Qiqi shrugged.

Childe frowned.

“Ah! Kaeya-oniisan can be our papa?” Klee added, “He’s the bestest!”

“He’s always drunk, he won’t spend time with us.” Diona huffed.

“Diluc-”

“No.” Diona hissed, ears and tail raising.

“Yeah, he’s weird.” Klee nodded, “He doesn’t smile. Weird.” 

‘Just how many men does ojou-chan know?’ Childe’s eye twitched.

“I guess Zhongli is papa?” Qiqi proposed in their little meeting.

“Ahaha, I mean, what about me?” Childe smiled since apparently not smiling will make him weird according to Klee’s logic.

The three looked at him, eyes focused, judging him thoroughly until Klee perked up.

“Does Mr Childe have a huge crush on onee-chan?!” the red girl gasped excitedly.

“Ah, you caught me, you’re a very observant girl.” Childe went along, just glad that he’s getting acknowledge as a potential papa for their mama.

It doesn’t really make sense since he’s the one dating Lumine, but being ignored by the three girls as a candidate as a papa just doesn’t settle well in him. Especially losing to Zhongli… he may have tricked him once, but there’s no way in hell Childe’s going to lose to him again. 

Even as a hypothetical father figure to these girls.

“Hm, well if you want to date Lumi-oneechan, then you have to go through us!” Klee declared with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“I suppose you’ll be a better boyfriend than that drunkard captain and evil Diluc.” Diona shrugged.

“If you become Qiqi’s papa, then will I get more cocomilk?” Qiqi asked with hopeful eyes.

“Eh?!” Klee protested, “We have to give him tests first! Like… like how the prince has to go through challenges to get the princess’ hand!” she huffed.

“Okay.  A cocogoat, please. Thank you.” Qiqi nodded.

“A giant Jumpy Dumpty!” Klee’s eyes sparkled.

“Destruction of Mondstadt wine industry!” Diona requested.

‘What the actual fuck…’ Childe gulped.

~~~

Childe likes to pride himself as an ‘amazing storyteller’. 

His finest work is “Snezhnaya’s Greatest Toy Seller”.

He just released 3 new stories;

“Unfortunately, the Cocogoats have to be Kept in a Special Cocomilk Production Place to Spread Cocomilk Joy”

“Oh, Have You Not Heard of the Secret Survival Rule? A Giant Jumpy Dumpty, Leads to Confinement Solitary”

“Destruction of Mondstadt Wine Industry Will Make The Good Lord Barbatos So Mad He’s Going To Destroy Us All”

The 3 girls are in awe as he tells an elaborated story, each nodding in understanding, though he’s pretty sure Qiqi will most likely still look for her cocogoat, Klee will still create a huge bomb, Diona will still try to destroy the wine industry in Mondstadt. 

Childe wonders what kind of environment Mondstat is that turned Klee into a pyromaniac and Diona having such strong ambitions… 

He’s going to beg Lumine to take him there soon.

“That’s so pretty, Mr Childe!” the three awed as Childe finished weaving a flower crown made of Violetgrass.

“A pretty flower crown for a pretty princess.” Childe smiled placing the crown on Qiqi, who was beaming at the new hair accessory, hugging her hat tightly to her chest.

His little sister had always loved flower crowns, and with some random flowers he found nearby, Childe had made one in hopes of impressing the girls. He was testing it on his head when it immediately attracted Qiqi’s attention. With some spare Violetgrass she has with her, she shyly asked if Childe can make her one too. The pretty little crown on Childe’s head had also caught Klee’s and Diona’s attention by the awed look on their eyes, and Childe offered to make one for them out of the flowers that catch their eyes.

“Thank you…” she smiled shyly, carefully checking if the crown is secured on her head.

“Me next! Me next!” Klee jumped, plopping some silk flowers she gathered around Wangshu Inn on Childe’s lap.

“Oh, these will be very pretty as well.” Childe complimented, earning an excited squeal from Klee, “Have you found some flowers you like as well, Diona?” he asks.

The catgirl blushed, turning away, “I don’t want one anyway.” she huffed, crossing her arms.

“Hm?” Childe frowned a bit, he was sure Diona was also excitedly looking around, but then it hit him, there was not a lot of choices for flowers around Wangshu Inn, and it looks like she wants a unique one as well and with only Silk Flowers nearby, she came back to him empty-handed and disappointed. 

She can also feel the disappointment coming from Qiqi and Klee, who had been talking about taking pictures with their flower crowns with Childe’s Kamera.

Childe’s face softened, “Is it because there are not enough flowers that you like nearby?”

Diona just looked down in embarrassment, ears flat on her head and tail wrapping around her leg.

He just chuckled, “Well, don’t worry, there’s a village here with some glaze lilies nearby, maybe you’ll like those?” 

“T-that’s still far though…” Diona mumbled. 

Childe chuckled, “Don’t worry about it, I know a fast way to get there.” he said hydro vision glowing.

~~~

Despite Diona’s displeasure with water, she ended up having fun sitting on Childe’s shoulder as he literally rode the waves to Qingce Village, the other two clinging on both sides of his waist, secured by his arms wrapped around them protectively. 

The girls giggled as Childe softly landed them on the flowery field. Their entrance would’ve given them weird looks, but Childe had already done this a couple of times with Lumine. It’s one of his favourite moments to spend with Lumine, they would just chill in the flowery area, Childe’s head on Lumine’s lap, his hair being played with while Lumine sings softly, Glaze Lilies blooming beautifully. 

The thought sends a warm feeling in his chest, smiling softly at the thought of being lucky that the blonde made him a bigger part of her life.

“They’re beautiful!” Diona’s excited gasp pulled Childe from his thoughts.

“Well, then go and pick them while I’ll work on Klee’s crown.” Childe smiled before sitting down on the flowery field.

The three nodded and began collecting the flowers. Childe checked his surroundings first to make sure everything’s safe before taking his eyes off them. 

Childe was halfway done with Klee’s crown when he noticed that it suddenly got too quiet. His head raised, heart stopping when the 3 girls are nowhere in sight. 

He rose to his feet and began searching through the fields, hoping that they’re just hiding within the flowers. 

He started panicking when he can’t find them. Not only are these children his responsibility right now, but he’s sure his beloved ojou-chan will murder him if there’s even just a small scratch on them.

“Qiqi, Diona, Klee!” he shouted as he searches, cursing under his breath when there’s no villager nearby to help him.

A patch of frost caught Childe’s eye. 

Qiqi and Diona are cryo users, and it’s a high possibility it’s from them. There’s a burning patch just ahead of it, and Childe’s certain it’s from Klee.

The relief within him didn’t last long when a realisation hit him.

If they’re using their vision, it must be because they’re fighting someone. 

And Childe needs to move fast.

~~~

Childe followed the tracks, his pace increasing as soon as he heard even the softest sound from the three. 

As soon as he reached closed enough, his hydro daggers appeared on his hands. It has to be treasure hoarders.

He jumped in the area, a clever phrase in the tip of his tongue.

“Mr Childe!” Klee cheered.

His eyes widened, there was no treasure hoarders insight. Just the 3 girls with a mora weasel in Qiqi’s hand.

“...Wha…?” he stared at them in shock as his daggers slowly disappeared. 

“We caught a mora weasel!” Diona said proudly.

“Oneechan always runs after them so we thought we’ll help her,” Klee explained.

Childe took a deep breath, relief washing over him as he lives for another day for escaping his lover’s wrath, “I understand that you want to help her, but please don’t run off like that without me, okay?” he gently smiled as he walks to them.

“It runs too fast,” Qiqi said, raising the animal to Childe.

“Are we in trouble?” Klee asked in worry, “We just want to help.” she said looking down.

Childe chuckle, “I’m just glad you all are safe, but please let’s avoid doing that next time, alright? Liyue is a bigger place than Mondstat so it’s quite easy to get lost.” he explained before patting her head.

He then took the weasel from Qiqi, retrieving the mora before letting the animal go, “Now, why don’t we get back and finish your crowns, yeah?” 

They smiled and followed Childe back to the field.

~~~

It was late at night when Lumine got back to Wangshu Inn thanks to Zhongli’s high standards when picking the materials for the rites. Paimon hadn’t even bothered staying around when it started getting late, making an excuse about meeting Xiangling for an important taste testing. 

Though the whole experience wasn’t bad, she was just worried about how Childe can handle looking after the three alone. Zhongli assures her that Childe is probably experienced looking after children since he’s from a big family. Which worked and all, but she also remembered how busy Childe could be from that experience with Teucer, what if they run off when Childe wasn’t looking?

Zhongli shut that down by reminding her that the three are vision holders and Lumine just huffed and pouted, but agreed.

She opened the door to their room, careful with her steps assuming Childe must be asleep. 

When she opened the door to their room, she can’t help but have her heart melt at the sight.

Three little girls are asleep on their bed, a sleeping Childe sat on the chair beside the bed, a forgotten storybook on his lap.

With a soft smile, she made her way to Childe, chuckling softly when she caught glimpse of a photograph on the side table.

It was of them 4 posing for the camera, each has a flower crown adorning their heads.

“Ojou-chan?” a tired voice called softly.

“Look like you all had fun.” she smiled warmly.

Childe returned the smile, pulling her gently on his lap. His arms quickly wrapped around Lumine’s waist, face nuzzling against her neck. Lumine sighed in relaxation, leaning back and running her fingers through his hair.

“I’m guessing they liked you a lot they decided to sleep over?” she teased.

Childe chuckled, “More like the Knights were a bit busy to get them, and sent a letter to apologise for the inconvenience. Klee and Diona don’t seem to mind though, and I’ve never seen Qiqi excited for having her friends stay for longer.” 

“Hm, well that shouldn’t be an issue, we can bring them home ourselves tomorrow, I do have some things to go over with Jean.” Lumine hummed at the thought.

“Do you think they’ll welcome me warmly?” Childe teased.

“If you behave.” Lumine rolled her eyes.

“Shame. I was planning on picking a fight against the Cavalry Captain and the Dawn Winery owner.”

The blonde shifted to face him, her eyes glaring, “You will not. Why would you want to in the first place?” 

“I heard they’re great opponents.” Childe just smiled, hiding the jealousy from Klee’s story about how these men had also shown interest in his beloved ojou-chan. 

Lumine rolled her eyes, “I’ll make sure to tell Zhongli to keep an extra close eye on you.” 

“I’ll fight him too.”

“Promise me you’ll behave and I might just invite you in the shower.” 

“Bold of you to assume I won’t do it anyway,” Childe smirked.  

“Behave and you’ll be thoroughly rewarded after.”

“Oho, what reward are we talking about?” he grinned.

Lumine just chuckled before unwrapping his arms off of her, “Depends on how good you will be.” she smirked before heading to the shower.

Childe grinned before following after her.

Deciding that he’ll just pick a fight with said rivals another time.

[big-dong-zhong]

2 - A Gleam In Eye

[Previous Chapter] [Next Chapter]

Words: 2,831

Rated [PG]  - Here is an explanation of my rating system.

Pairing: ChilLumi

Summary: Childe follows Lumine to Mondstat, unaware that he is about to stumble upon an object that will set everything into motion.

Read on Ao3, or continue to read here on Tumblr under the cut.

This chapter was originally going to be much, much longer, but I had to cut it into two chapters to get it out sooner. Now it's been cut into three chapters thanks to the addition of a new scene, so there's a lot to look forward to in this "Mondstat arc" it seems! We'll get to see some more characters next chapter, too!

Apologies for any formatting errors, it doesn’t copy/paste to tumblr very well.

Tartaglia knew he had it bad before, but since he’d had a taste of normalcy with that one-day respite he couldn’t stop thinking about Lumine, calm and sleeping wrapped around him. It had been the first peaceful sleep he’d experienced in years. Saying goodbye so soon after felt wrong, so he made excuses and lied to the Fatui in order to pursue his own interests. That’s why he found himself approaching the front gate of the City of Bards.

“Mondstat, uh…welcomes you?” the nervous guard muttered, knitting his brows and curling his lips downward. The man tensed his body, gripping the hilt of his sword tighter. Tartaglia smiled and lightly waved his hand, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. It seemed to have worked because the guard loosened up just a bit, enough to convince him that he wouldn’t be accosted by The Knights of Favonius as soon as he crossed the city’s threshold.

He had been to Mondstat before, but never for long enough to get to know the city. The smell of food wafting down the main corridor was the first thing to catch his attention. Tartaglia thought perhaps he could buy something to tide him over until-

“WHAT THE-?!” That voice echoed through the main street, bouncing off of the outside walls of the shops and drawing the attention of everyone around. Tartaglia looked up the stairs, immediately catching sight of exactly who he wanted to see. Lumine’s arm was outstretched and pointed directly at him. She quickly covered her mouth when she realized the attention she had drawn to the both of them. He watched as Paimon took advantage of the distraction to steal the food of the skewer in Lumine’s other hand. Another companion peered from behind her, red ribbon headband twitching with her motions.

Two patrolling knights walked toward him from either side, alerted by the commotion. He lifted his arm into the air and waved.

“Hello Lumine, Paimon!” He called out to them in order to diffuse the situation before it began. Lumine looked at the knights approaching him and then ran down the stairs, waving them away as she approached.

“Honorary Knight,” one of them addressed her, “is this man causing trouble for you?”

“No, no!” She shook her head and laughed awkwardly. “I can take care of him, don’t worry about it.” She then leaned in close and glared up at Tartaglia.

“What are you doing here?!” she whispered through gritted teeth.

“Would you believe me if I told you it was for work?”

“I hope not,” she groaned. “Jean has enough on her plate as it is, she really doesn’t need to deal with you too.” She brought the hand holding the skewer to her forehead, now realizing that her snack had been pillaged. She turned around to her floating companion who was now making her way toward them along with their other guest.

“Paimon!”

“I was hungry!” she tried to defend herself. He laughed as Paimon dodged Lumine’s strikes with the empty skewer, apologizing profusely.

“Well if you’re still hungry, let me buy you an early dinner. I was about to grab something to eat anyway. I’ll treat the three of you.” He smiled.

“Oh!” Lumine stopped her assault on Paimon and turned back around. “Sorry Amber, this is, uh-”

“I’m Tartaglia but please, call me Childe,” he introduced himself with a smile.

“I’m Amber, Outrider for the Knights of Favonius!” She put her hands on her hops and grinned. “I’m the best guide when it comes to exploring around Mondstat!”

“Hey!” Paimon whined. “Paimon is the best guide!” Her complaints went ignored as Amber continued.

“I’m gonna have to pass on that early dinner, though. Kaeya gave me a huge list of jobs to do today and I’m only halfway done.” She rested her face in her palm and sighed.

“He’s been really piling the work on you lately,” Lumine frowned.

“I know, right? I can’t stand it!”

“Might I suggest a solution?” Tartaglia interjected. Amber turned her head and looked at him quizzically, headband bouncing in the air. Lumine grinned with her eyes narrowed and arms crossed, ready for him to announce his grand plan.

“Fight him and win! Then he won’t be able to boss you around anymore.” Paimon palmed her face while Lumine chuckled and shook her head.

“Yeah, right. Like I could beat the Cavalry Captain in a fight,” Amber sighed.

“Then train and become stronger. I know!” he clapped his hands together and smiled. “Start by sparring with me!”

“Are you crazy?!” Paimon yelled and glared at him.

“Actually that doesn’t sound like such a bad idea,” Lumine said. Paimon tried to argue, but the arrival of a man in blue grabbed everyone’s attention.

“Oh, it’s Captain Kaeya! Hi Kaeya!” Paimon stated aloud and waved to greet him.

“Picking a fight with our outrider? You Fatui do love your political scandals, don’t you?”

“I only offered to spar with her. What are you gonna do, arrest me?” Tartaglia held his hands in front of himself in surrender, giving the captain a sly wink. “Handcuffs will hurt my delicate wrists, you know. Or maybe you would prefer if I picked a fight with you instead.”

Kaeya let out a hearty chuckle in response.

“Oh you’re funny! No wonder Lumine likes you, Childe.” So this man already knew who he was. It made sense, him being a high ranking officer for the Knights of Favonius. Kaeya looked him up and down, and he could tell he was being sized up. The captain didn’t seem to have so much of a possessive aura, though. It felt more as though he had a more simple motive to protect his fellow knights. The Fatui had a tendency to cause a lot of trouble in Mondstat, so of course they would want to keep a closer watch on any Harbingers. They may have been keeping even closer tabs on their Honorary Knight as well. Either Lumine wasn’t keeping their friendship as much of a secret as he thought, or they didn’t trust her to the extent that they let on. Despite how he felt about it, it was in their rights to be suspicious of her, and especially of him.

“You’re in my city now, so step lightly,” Kaeya continued and narrowed his eyes. “We don’t want any more incidents with the Fatui. Anyway,” he turned to Lumine, “an emergency commission just came in. A ruin guard was spotted near Starsnatch Cliff. There’s something strange about this one, so Amber,” he nodded toward the other girl, “you should go with her.”

“I’m on the case!” Amber brought her fist to her chest.

“I’d be grateful if you would help them out as well, Childe,” Kaeya suggested. “It would comfort me to know that Lumine and Amber are keeping eyes on you. As for compensation though-” Tartaglia cut him off.

“Don’t worry about it. Of course I’d be happy to help Lumine out with her commission. Not that she really needs it, but it gives me an excuse to spend time with her.” He winked at Lumine, which was met by her slapping his arm in frustration. She looked cute flustered like that. Tartaglia felt his face relax into a soft smile, and in that moment he didn’t care that the others could see how he looked at her.

“You should come too, Kaeya! That ruin guard will be toast in a snap if you all go at it!” Paimon said.

“Unfortunately I have other matters to attend to, so I won’t be able to go with you this time. I’ll catch you later, then.” With that Kaeya turned and walked away waving goodbye to the four of them.

“Well let’s get going,” Lumine said. “Kaeya did say it was an emergency, so we should take care of it immediately.” She looked at the empty skewer in her hand and sighed before tossing it into a bin nearby as they all walked through the city’s front gate. Tartaglia knew she would want to take care of her commission before eating, so he didn’t push the subject of food. It was only one ruin guard anyway. If anything he figured Amber, as a Knight of Favonius, could take care of it herself. Well, with three of them fighting it should be easy to dispose of quickly, and then he could treat Lumine and her friends to a proper meal.

“So, Amber,” he started as he stepped between her and Lumine, grinning, “when’s our first sparring match?”

“You were serious about that?!” Amber averted her gaze. “I’m not really sure…” she trailed off, looking into the distance with an indecisive expression.

“Geez, Childe, stop harassing her already!” Paimon stomped into the air. “Didn’t Kaeya just warn you not to cause trouble?!” Tartaglia laughed.

“Oh? But Lumi said it was a good idea!” He side-eyed Lumine, admiring the light blush on her cheeks when he shortened her name. When she saw him staring she jabbed her elbow into his ribs and looked away without a word. “Okay, I’ll drop it,” he sighed. “You’ll just have to fight me twice as often, Lumine!”

The rest of the walk was filled with nothing more than simple talk amongst themselves until they approached what they assumed to be their target.

“Is that it?” Amber tilted her head, puzzled, and he could see why. The ruin guard looked ordinary enough to be of little concern, and it didn’t even seem to be active. They all approached the machine to get a closer look, but it still just appeared to be nothing differing from the usual specimens as it peacefully sat on the grass.

“This is supposed to be an emergency?” Tartaglia chuckled as he reached out to touch the ruin guard. “I wish my work was this laid back.”

“Hey uh, Paimon has a bad feeling about this…”

“What the-?!” he gasped as he pulled his hand back, shaking it off as he did so. The thing was scalding hot, much hotter than what would be normal for sitting in the sun all day. Was it sitting on a flaming flower? If that was the case then it was a good thing he had accompanied them as neither Lumine nor Amber had a chance of cooling this thing down with their abilities alone. Still, it didn’t make sense for the situation to be that simple, and as if on cue, the ruin guard powered up. As its core glowed he could see something inside of it: the muddy glow of an abyssal spell. Now it felt like more of an emergency.

“Watch out!” he warned. Amber leapt backwards an impressive several feet and grabbed her bow, prepared to fire. As the automaton stood up Tartaglia confirmed there was no flaming flower beneath it. He wondered if the spell somehow harnessed some kind of pyro energy. He wanted to find out, but there was no time. Amber fired rapidly on their enemy, and Tartaglia fired a hydro-charged shot at it. Steam rose from it as it hit.

Lumine ran straight up to the machine, uncomfortably close for him to witness. She tried to create a swirling reaction, but there was no elemental affliction to be seen in the result. Perhaps this thing was being shielded from elemental reactions with that spell. He couldn’t think about it too long, distracted by how close Lumine was to the burning hot ruin guard.

“Hey! Fall Back!” he called out to her. She ignored him and kept slashing at it with her sword. Now wasn’t the time for her willfulness, but he couldn’t think of how to get her to listen to him before flames erupted from the machine’s front core as she tried another swirling attack. The sudden burst caught her off guard and sent her flying.

“Lumine!” Tartaglia screamed out as he ran to the side for her to crash into him, sending them both to the ground. At least he managed to break her fall with his body.

“I’m fine,” she huffed, lifting herself from her position on top of him. He grabbed her arm to stop her from running right back to a repeat of what had happened.

“You’re reckless,” he chided. He looked her up and down but didn’t spot any obvious injuries. It was possible that he had slightly overreacted.

Amber was still firing at the machine with charged shots, its metal chassis was starting to glow with how hot it was becoming, and the grass around it steamed and withered away with each step, too hot to even catch fire. At the rate it was heating up, Tartaglia thought the automaton might even begin to melt soon. Seemed like sending a pyro user was working out for them after all. In fact, she was doing more damage than he and Lumine combined. He had to fix that.

“Lumine, do you have a large amount of anemo energy ready to use?” He let go of her and stood, offering his hand to help her to her feet which she promptly slapped away and stood on her own. She nodded in response to his question.

“Fire away,” he said. Lumine put her hand on her hip and frowned.

“Don’t tell me what to do.” The automaton approached them, ignoring the shower of flaming arrows pelting it from above.

“It’s going toward you guys!” Amber shouted. “Lumine, use your vortex!”

The corner of her mouth twitched and she let out a loud sigh, clearly irritated with their demands. She lifted her sword and readied her attack.

“I’m getting the most expensive dishes at Good Hunter after this,” she growled. “Paimon, too. You’re paying.”

“Why of course,” Tartaglia sang as he lifted his bow and prepared a charged shot. “Didn’t have it planned any other way.”

As soon as Lumine unleashed a huge burst of anemo energy he fired into it, infusing the whirlwind with hydro energy. The current crashed against the ruin guard and stopped it in its tracks. It fought against the immense pressure while the sudden coolness caused the metal to hiss and steam. It cracked and popped out bolts and metal plates as it struggled. One object in particular caught Tartaglia’s attention as it flew from the machine. As soon as the automaton collapsed he rushed over and grabbed the it from the ground, quietly pocketing it before the others noticed. He also picked up a couple of components as to not look too suspicious.

“Careful, it’s still steaming!” Amber called after him.

“Let him get hit by stray bolts if that’s what he’s into,” Lumine sneered.

“So cruel to me, Lumi,” he smiled as he approached the girls. “And even after I rushed into danger to pick these up for you two.” He handed each of them the components he had picked up; Lumine snatched the piece out of his hand while Amber smiled and thanked him politely.

“That thing was crazy! Paimon was so scared!” Paimon reappeared, excitedly bobbing in the air.

“You didn’t do anything!” Tartaglia laughed. “In fact, I’d say you made this fight even more difficult.”

“What?! How could I have possibly interfered with your battle if I was hiding?!” she argued.

“Well,” he grinned and pointed at her, “Lumi is extra grumpy and uncooperative because you stole her lunch.”

“Wha-?! I-! Ooh…” Paimon conceded. “I’m sorry,” she pouted. He had learned that she was a pushover when it came to Lumine, which made it easier to get along with her. He might have even been inclined to call it a sort of common ground between the two of them, if such a thing existed. At the very least, doting on Lumine was something that they could agree on, even if Paimon forgot sometimes.

“I forgive you,” Lumine said as she pat her on the head. “If only because Childe will be the one treating us to our next meal.” She grinned at him with a light of accomplishment in her eyes, a light he got lost in for a moment before Paimon’s cheering tore him from his emotions.

“What are we waiting for?! Let’s head back to the city and eat!” She floated toward the path to the city, Amber close behind her. When he started to follow suit, Lumine grabbed his sleeve and stood still. She waited until the others were no longer within earshot before she spoke.

“What did you take from that ruin guard?”

“Those components I gave you, of course,” Tartaglia answered.

“No,” she said. “What did you take?”

The weight of the object in his belt bag was undeniable proof that he would brand himself a liar if he didn’t tell her. He couldn’t stand even the thought of that.

“I’m not sure myself,” he admitted. “Let’s discuss it later.”

“Promise?” Her brows knitted as she frowned and gripped his shirt sleeve tighter. He smiled at her.

“I promise.”

[goldshitter]

A Study in Light - Chapter 1

ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28095522

Summary: There will come a time when Childe will betray her, and Lumine knows this from the start.

There will come a time when Childe will betray her, and Lumine knows this from the start.

She’s wary of him, from the moment her heart slows its pounding from the chase and subsequent escape from Liyue’s guards. He’s altogether too charming, all easy smiles and fond vernacular, with his closed-eye smiles that she imagines do not quite reach his eyes. She tells herself that even if she did not find out he is a Harbinger, her guard would be up around someone like him. As it is, the memory of Signora is enough to overwhelm Lumine, her memory of her own helplessness and despair colouring her mind’s eye until all she could see was red. Still, as angry as Lumine is, she’s not a fool. There’s no point in picking a fight with an unknown factor like Childe, not until she fully gets her powers back and is able to compete on par with the gods. So she reluctantly accepts his help, his charity even (as uncomfortable as she is when it comes to money - she hates being in people’s debt waiting for them to collect), telling herself that she will keep her eyes open every step of the way.

He wins over Paimon first, wearing down her, albeit minimal, resistances over time and mora. To be fair to Paimon, Lumine knows that despite her greed, should she ever express any discomfort, Paimon would willingly cut off her mora supplier for her friend’s sake. Paimon says as much to Childe’s face, a few days after his timely rescue. Lumine and Paimon have been keeping their heads down with the help of those at Northlander Bank, and Childe has made it a habit of checking in on them in the evenings. He had offered to bring them take-out several times, but Lumine refused, much to Paimon’s chagrin until she reminded her floating companion of their good friend Xianling, who would surely both feed and hide them.

“Why am I not surprised you’ve made friends with everyone of note? Your Anemo god, Acting Grand Master, famous genius this, prodigal talent that.” Childe munches on his own order of fried noodles. Paimon glares enviously at his takeout box.

“I make friends with people of no importance too,” Lumine says drily. “I met you after all, haven’t I?”

Childe chokes, and doubles over coughing.

“How rude, ojou-chan! Had I known of your lack of social graces, perhaps I would have let the guards chase you around much longer.”

“And deprive yourself of such brilliant displays of charity?”

“If I couldn’t tell any better, miss, I’d say you’re almost resentful of my ‘charity’.”

“And risk the wrath of a Fatui Harbinger? Never.”

He looks at her, caught between one of his usual smiles, only this time, she notices that she’s right, they don’t reach his eyes. Paimon’s almost vibrating and drooling at the rapidly disappearing meal across from her, nevermind the fact that they’d had a generous helping of Xianling’s latest invention but a few hours ago. Childe finally sighs and pushes his leftovers in Paimon’s direction.

“Your floaty friend here doesn’t seem to mind, at least.”

“Hey, said floaty friend is right here!” Paimon says through a mouthful of noodles. She swallows, and puts on a show of pushing back the dish. “And Paimon only accepts your charity because all that mora is probably going somewhere less than legal, so it might as well go towards filling Paimon’s stomach - I mean Paimon and Lumine’s pockets!”

“A right good samaritan you are, Paimon,” Childe says without a trace of guile in his voice. Paimon huffs.

“That being said, should you ever do anything to harm Lumine, Paimon will - Paimon will kick you in the shins so hard you can’t walk and you can say goodbye to your sense of goodwill!”

“Well, I’d better never hurt the traveller here then, shall I?”

He and Lumine don’t quite meet each other’s eyes.

A few days later, he calls on them to meet his contact and acquaintance, the quaint Mr. Zhongli of the Wangshu funeral parlour. Lumine’s guards are up so high around Childe, that she barely has any space left to build walls against Zhongli’s presence. He seems an odd enough fellow, with his deep knowledge yet mora-less quirks, and had Lumine not been so busy trying to figure out Childe’s motives in appearing every day and in being so helpful, she might have picked up on Zhongli’s identity sooner. Even so, she senses Zhongli’s presence, steady and grounded, and he is a welcome distraction from the impromptu eating competition between Paimon and Childe.

Childe stubbornly keeps at his chopsticks, which puts him at a distinct disadvantage as Paimon has already cleared her side of the dishes, and is eyeing the others’ still full plates with a gleam in her eyes. When she dashes in to grab one of his buns, he deflects her with a deftness that has Lumine wondering if the earlier clumsiness was just an act.

But no, the moment he goes to pick up his food, he’s fumbling again. Lumine wonders at the speed at which he’d fended off Paimon’s grab, how easily controlled his movements were in not hurting Paimon, and she recalled the frightening precision of his attacks on those Liyue guards. He would make a worthy and challenging opponent in a duel, Lumine thinks.

“Mora for your thoughts, ojou-chan?”

She tears her gaze from his hand holding the chopsticks, looks up to see that Paimon has indeed won the impromptu competition, and is now even taking jabs at Zhongli’s dish. To his credit, the consultant merely sips at his tea, serene as ever.

“Hasn’t anyone ever tried to show you how to use those?”

“Oh, they’ve tried. I just don’t take well to others’ charitable attempts at teaching someone as stubborn as me.”

And yet he doesn’t hesitate to extend that same level of charity to someone as stubborn as Lumine.

She watches him poke and prod at his food for a bit longer, before sighing a world-weary sigh.

“Here,” she says, and reaches over to take his hand in hers, “you’re trying to hold it like a pencil. No, now you’re holding it like your fingers are trying to cut like scissors. Relax your hand will you? I’m surprised you haven’t pulled something holding these for so long when you’re as tense as that.”

“Hahaha,” Childe lets her maneuver his hand around for a few seconds longer, before she huffs and lets go. “See? I’m hopeless.”

“I’m not giving up.”

“Oh?”

“I just need to finish my own food before Paimon takes it all.”

True to her word, whenever Childe takes her and Paimon out to eat, sometimes with Zhongli in tow, Lumine spends time maneuvering Childe’s grasp on chopsticks. Lumine likes looking at people’s hands over looking people in the eye. She can pick up fidgeting or other movements that are descriptive of the person’s personality. Lumine likes to think that Childe’s hands say more about his thoughts than his words or eyes. At least she hopes that’s the case. For all she knows, he’s trained every muscle to do what he wants, just like how his facial expressions or the lilt of his voice never betray his true intentions.

Still, she likes the way his hands look, their precision and deftness, despite his fumbling with chopsticks. Lumine is not naive; she knows that taking someone’s hand in hers can be misconstrued as flirting. Perhaps it had been on impulse that she’d reached out to him. Perhaps she just wanted to see him react. Either way, he hadn’t stopped her or expressed any discomfort, and still showed up in the evenings, and later in the day when Lumine started taking commissions. The Liyue Qixing’s interest in her, now turned less “arrest on sight” and more “grudgingly keep an eye on her”, came at a good time. Lumine had become restless, keeping her head down all that time, and she’s been itching to go out and explore the country, to draw her sword against something other than a few straw dummies the people at Northland bank had put up for her. Childe, of course, had picked up on her restlessness from day one, and even offered to duel her.

“All that pent-up energy has to go somewhere, ojou-chan. It might as well go towards battling someone who will give you a harder time than an inert dummy.”

“Yeah, but at least said inert dummy doesn’t talk back,” Lumine said, the first of many excuses she had to come up with to decline Childe’s offer. Back in Mondstadt, Lumine practiced fighting with various citizens, Knights, friends. Fighting for her was either an act of violence, or a way to get to know someone. She does not wish to fight Childe with the intent of hurting him. She also does not want for Childe to learn her vulnerabilities, even if it was just in her movement or attacks. She does want to spar him, wants to see if his movements are as fluid and refined as his hands, or that glimpse of his fighting those Liyue guards, made them out to be. But seeing as the last person Lumine had sparred with ended up in her bed later that night, she had yet another reason to keep Childe away from her sword’s edge.

So Childe resigns himself to trailing after her during her commissions to clear out hilichurl camps, slay slimes, or even make food deliveries under weird conditions. He doesn’t always stay around for the whole day, off to what Lumine assumes to be Fatui business, but some days he’s there for hours, humming to himself or chattering back and forth with Paimon when Paimon does decide to accompany Lumine. Other days it’s just the two of them, Paimon claiming that she’s too tired or wants to hang out with Xianling or even go bother Xingqiu when he’s around town. It was actually Lumine who suggested for her friend to go off and do her own stuff, reassuring her that if Childe wanted to hurt her, he would’ve already made his move, and that if and when he did decide to fight her, she would hold her own.

“That’s not reassuring at all, Lumi!”

“Yeah, but Paimon, you wouldn’t be good in a fight even if he does turn on me. You might as well go try out that new bakery store or convince Xingqiu to spend his family fortune on you. It’s not like I make for a very entertaining companion anyway. I know you like to talk and actually have someone respond beyond a few grunts of assent.”

“That’s not true!” Paimon says, even as she’s eyeing the direction where Chef Mao’s restaurant lies. “Paimon enjoys hanging out with you even if you’re silent!”

“It’s alright, Paimon. I’ll see you later tonight? We’ll meet to go see the poetry reading.”

Lumine likes her friend, likes having a constant presence by her, and the back-and-forth banter they have. But Lumine is also used to silence, companionable back when she and Aether traversed the cosmos, but solitude nonetheless. She is grateful for Paimon’s presence the past few months, would not ask her friend to be any different than she is, but Lumine misses having her own space, with her own meditative mindset.

So she sets off to pick some violetgrass for a commission posted by Bubu Pharmacy, looking forward to keeping companion to her own thoughts. She travels near Mingyun village, hops and glides across mountain faces, swept by the breeze and the fragrance of wild flowers. She’s hit with a sudden urge to jump, to fall hundreds of feet before sweeping up with her glider. Lumine loves gliding, loves the rush of wind against her skin, her clothing sturdy but insubstantial enough so that she can feel the air through the fabric. She wants to fly again, not just glide, with her own wings that she once had, a perfect match for her brother’s. They had spent aeons sweeping through the stars, their wings fluttering through time and space, and even though she’s been to worlds she’s grown fond of, she always landed with the hope of soaring back into the skies once again.

It’s another reason why Lumine wanted to be alone. She wants to get lost in her memories, has barely given herself space to process the cataclysmic event that tore Aether away from her. She’s been swept along, first by rescuing Paimon, then by all that had happened in Mondstadt, and she’s never been truly alone since. She needs to let herself feel the anguish of being torn apart from her twin, the guilt that she wasn’t doing enough to find him, the sputtering hope that he’s still alive and well, somewhere in this world. Lumine doesn’t cry. She’s not open to being vulnerable enough to cry. But she does let herself rise and dive with the wind, letting out a shout and a whoop as she rides the currents, and drops against the rush of gravity rising to meet her.

She swoops out her glider wings at the last second, floating the last few feet to the grass underneath. Her momentum comes to a halt as she catches her breath, her heart pounding from both exercise and exhilaration. She feels the high off a fight, her every sense alert and pinpointing sounds, smells, sights. There’s a soft rustling coming from behind her, and she whips around, her sword materialized in hand.

“Woah woah woah, girlie. I come in peace.”

Lumine blows hair from her eyes, contemplates for a moment if Childe’s sudden appearance is really as innocuous as he will probably try to make it out to be. But his weapons are nowhere to be seen, his stance relaxed and nowhere near one she’d recognize for fighting, so she lowers her sword but doesn’t let it dematerialize.

“Childe,” she says, “what are you doing here?”

He jabs a finger over his shoulder, up on a ledge some distance away, where Lumine can just make out a few masked figures. They’re looking in her direction, but the shovels and other impromptu weapons aren’t raised, and they seem to be conferring between themselves.

“Fatui business,” Childe says, his stance still casual and open, as if approaching a tense wild animal. “It was going well too, until one of them pointed out a falling figure coming down from the clouds above. It looked like quite the drop.”

“Yeah,” Lumine says, suddenly feeling awkward and forgetting how to ease back into their easy banter, “it was. It was fun. Sorry to have distracted you all. Shouldn’t you get back to your... associates?”

“We just finished up. I’m sure they will be able to find their way back to their hideout without my help. Are you out on a commission?”

“Yeah. Collecting violetgrass. The usual. You coming along?”

Lumine never asks Childe to come along, he usually just inserts his presence into her routine whether she wants him there or not. In all fairness, she’s never asked him to leave her alone. She doesn’t actually mind his presence, his silent companionship when she doesn’t feel up to talking, the ease at which he keeps pace with her movements. She did feel uncomfortable leaving her back open to him, but he’s always so languid in his movements, never a stray or sudden shift, that even if mentally she wants to stay guarded against him, she’s considerably more physically relaxed around him than in the beginning.

The awkwardness she feels this time around comes mostly from her previous mental state, swooping in and above the mists around Liyue’s mountains. Her emotions and thoughts were for her and her alone, and to have to suddenly build her defenses up right after easing herself into vulnerability was jarring to say the least. Lumine is tired of being so tense all the time. She wants to trust, she’s used to having first her brother then her Mondstadt friends having her back, she wants to befriend this easy-going Fatui Harbinger and let her guard down. She just really, really does not want to deal with the emotional shitstorm that will come of their inevitable opposed agendas. Her brain is practically screaming at her to play smart, that in the end she would be the only one getting hurt, but maybe it’s the rush of her earlier flight, the adrenaline roaring in her ears, because she’s holding out the bag she’s been carrying, traces of violet petals trailing from its opening.

“You coming?”

“Yeah,” Childe says, his voice hitched with an emotion Lumine can’t quite place. “Yeah, let me just grab that for you.”

Lumine knows she will regret this. She just hopes she gets something out of this that makes her regret worth it.

[wrestlingisfake]

NXT Fake Rankings, 8/7/2021

Last night saw another wave of releases in WWE, which drew attention to a report that WWE is overhauling NXT with "a focus on younger talents." With that in mind, I'm going to list the ages of the current NXT roster (as best as I could determine), so we can try to get a sense of what "a focus on younger talents" means.

One other note: For this list, the final word on who is on the NXT roster is WWE's own website, which fails to reflect a lot of recent debuts and reported trades. (Top Dolla and Mandy Rose aren't listed as NXT performers, but Veer/Rinku still is.) Anyone who isn't listed on the official roster, but has wrestled on NXT or 205 Live in the past 30 days, will be noted in italics.

Men's singles division - heels

Kyle O'Reilly (34)

Dexter Lumis (37)

Cameron Grimes (27)

Kushida (38) (NXT cruiserweight champion)

Drake Maverick (38)

Men's singles division - heels

Karrion Kross (36) (NXT men's champion)

Adam Cole (32)

Johnny Gargano (33)

LA Knight (38) ("million dollar champion")

Santos Escobar (37)

Ridge Holland (33)

Roderick Strong (38)

Austin Theory (24)

Unranked: Andre Chase (32), Carmelo Hayes (27), Duke Hudson (32), Grayson Waller (31), Guru Raaj (26?), Ikemen Jiro (28), Joe Gacy (33), Josh Briggs (?), Odyssey Jones (27), Trey Baxter (24)

We can begin to see NXT's age issue right here. All of the top male wrestlers are over 30, except Grimes and Theory, who are both playing lackeys right now. A lot of these guys are over 35, which isn't old, but doesn't fit the narrative of NXT being the future. Guys like Lumis, Kushida, Maverick, Knight, Escobar, and Strong are not here because they're being groomed for the main roster. They're here because they'd be misfits on the main roster.

I am not saying the over-35 crowd on NXT is going to be released. (The 2021 releases have been remarkably difficult to predict.) But if the reports are true, and WWE wants to refocus NXT on youth, then I would expect an "up or out" mentality, where the older talent is moved to Raw or Smackdown to sink or swim.

Most of the twenty-somethings here are new to the roster, slotted into the Breakout Tournament or backfilling the 205 Live mainstays who got cut. And even then, it seems only one of those newcomers (Baxter) is under 25. Chances are he'll be 30 before he gets a real push on the main roster. WWE's process makes it very hard to promote someone like Jungle Boy, which has been a huge opening for AEW.

Men's tag team division - babyfaces

Top Dolla (31) & Ashante Adonis (31)

Timothy Thatcher (38) & Tommaso Ciampa (36)

Men's tag team division - heels

Pete Dunne (27) & Oney Lorcan (35)

Raul Mendoza (29) & Joaquin Wilde (34)

Fabian Aichner (31) & Marcel Barthel (31)

Grizzled Young Veterans - Zack Gibson (30) & James Drake (28)

Aichner and Barthel are still listed on WWE.com as NXT UK guys, even though they've wrestled exclusively in Florida for over a year.

This division is a bit lopsided due to the champions, Wes Lee and Nash Carter, being out of action lately. In the meantime, the main storylines have been Isaiah Scott & Dolla & Adonis vs. Santos Escobar & Mendoza & Wilde and Thatcher & Ciampa vs. Lorcan & Dunne & Ridge Holland. It doesn't even seem like anyone's even pursuing the tag title, so maybe it's just as well that the champions have been absent.

Going back to the age thing, Ciampa, Thatcher, and Lorcan are all in that range where WWE may be re-evaluating what they're doing here, or at least what they're doing in the minor league. I know Ciampa talked a lot about preferring to spend his career in NXT, but a lot has gone down since then, and that goal may not be plausible except as a player/coach.

Women's singles division - babyfaces

Raquel Gonzalez (30) (NXT women's champion)

Ember Moon (32)

Sarray (25)

Women's singles division - heels

Dakota Kai (33)

Xia Li (33)

Unranked: Aliyah (26), Gigi Dolin (24), Jacy Jayne (?)

Women's tag team division - babyfaces

Kayden Carter (33) & Kacy Catanzaro (31)

Women's tag team division - heels

Franky Monet (37) & Jessi Kamea (32)

For a long time it was rare to see women wrestlers make it in WWE past age 30, so it's been good to see the company move away from that with women like Franky Monet and Mercedes Martinez. Then again, Martinez just got cut yesterday. Ever since WWE brought back John Laurinitis (who infamously scouted female talent by perusing lingerie catalogs), there's been a lot of concern that the "divas revolution"/"women's revolution" is getting rolled back. And it's telling that the NXT women who've been getting dark match tryouts have tended to be under 30.

No TV matches in 30 days

Boa (26?)

Brian Kendrick (42)

Candice LeRae (35)

Indi Hartwell (24)

Io Shirai (31) (NXT tag team champion)

Isaiah Scott (30) (NXT North American champion)

Nash Carter (27) (NXT men's tag team champion)

Samoa Joe (42)

Saurav (37)

Wes Lee (26) (NXT men's tag team champion)

Zoey Stark (27) (NXT women's tag team champion)

For whatever reason major NXT acts like LeRae & Hartwell, Lee & Carter, Scott, and Shirai & Stark have not been in the ring lately. It could just be a timing issue. Although I think it's striking that almost all of NXT's champions have not wrestled at all in the past 30 days.

Samoa Joe, of course, has been brought back to build up a big grudge match with NXT's top champion, Karrion Kross. Given that Kross has been called up to Raw, where there is no interest in presenting him as an unstoppable badass, it's almost guaranteed that a 42-year-old is going to win the NXT title from a 36-year-old who already couldn't last two minutes with 43-year-old Jeff Hardy. So if NXT is going to refocus on younger talent, I think we can expect some drastic, monumental changes, going all the way to the top.

It's baffling to me that Kendrick and Saurav have survived the past 18 months of cuts. Not that I want them to be cut, of course. But they're both never used and getting up there in years, which is a bad combination in this company. I keep thinking Kendrick must have become an agent or a producer or something, but I've never seen anyone report that.

Inactive

Danny Burch (39) (right shoulder - separation)

Nobody ever reported that Burch needed surgery for his shoulder, so I'm optimistic that he'll be back before too long. Of course, nowadays even being injured isn't enough to protect people from getting released.

[placetobenation]

When it comes to this year’s Survivor Series, things look great at the top.

We’re all excited to see just how The Undertaker will give his Final Farewell and just how will the WWE present it to us. It’s rumored that we could have guests like Kurt Angle, The Godfather to be joined by Triple H and Shawn Michaels. The Phenom deserves a proper send=off! 

Outside of the traditional 5-on-5 matches, it’s champion vs. champion across the board. Roman Reigns vs. new RAW champion Drew McIntyre has that big fight feel. Asuka vs. Sasha Banks, although we’ve seen it before on multiple times, is still very good no matter the venue. Plus, The New Day and The Street Profits looks really good on paper and actually has some history lately with Big E supporting his teammates from across the show on SmackDown. I wonder if we get a heel turn for TSP and they end up beating up Big E at some point. Not really feeling the Sami Zayn vs. Bobby Lashley match as there’s no real consequence and no real heat between the two.

As for those elimination matches, both have done nothing in the build-up to their respective matches. It’s been all about how Team RAW hates each other. What a difference a year makes as one year ago, we were all excited about how Team NXT would fare across the board against RAW and SmackdDown. This year, do we really care which side wins? Not me folks. All of the bickering has left me disinterested as I’m sure the WWE will try to force some kind of Lana survives angle only to be dropped through a table again.

We’ll have predictions later, but for now, here’s the updated card:

The Undertaker’s Final Farewell

WWE Champion Drew McIntyre vs. Universal Champion Roman Reigns

RAW Women’s Champion Asuka vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks

RAW Tag Team Champions The New Day vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Street Profits

United States Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn

5-on-5 Women’s Survivor Series Elimination Match (RAW – Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler, Lacey Evans, Peyton Royce, Lana vs. Ruby Riott, Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, Bayley, Natalya)

5-on-5 Men’s Survivor Series Elimination Match (Keith Lee, Sheamus, Braun Strowman, AJ Styles, Riddle vs. Kevin Owens, Jey Uso, King Corbin, Seth Rollins, Otis)

Dual Brand Battle Royale (Kick-off Show)

"I'm nobody's joke."

#WWENXT @LEONRUFF_ @RealKingRegal @ArcherOfInfamy pic.twitter.com/oD0UqkJRe7

— WWE (@WWE) November 19, 2020

Star of the Week:

Leon Ruff – Why not?! In the past two weeks, Ruff’s won two matches over Johnny Gargano and the North American Championship to boot! He’s stood up to Damian Priest and shown he’s more than just a jobber. Well done Leon!

RAW

RESULTS

Asuska, Dana Brooke, Mandy Rose defeated Shayna Baszler, Nia Jax & Lana

RAW Tag Team Championship Match: The New Day defeated Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin to retain titles

RETRIBUTION defeated Braun Strowman, Riddle, Sheamus & Keith Lee

Bray Wyatt defeated The Miz

WWE Championship Match: Drew McIntyre defeated Randy Orton to win title

HE DID IT!!!!!@DMcIntyreWWE is once again #WWEChampion! #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/XtVtVSGeZG

— WWE (@WWE) November 17, 2020

Monday Night RAW was all about the main event folks. Putting the title back on Drew McIntyre, as we’ve said before, is a good move. Randy Orton earned his win at Hell in the Cell, but Orton vs. Reigns had no feel for it. In just 5 seconds last Friday night, McIntyre and Reigns already felt like a heavyweight fight. They have history in the Royal Rumble. And they have the look of two big behemoths battling for one night and one night only (for now). I ilke it. I love it. I want some more of it. Good move for Survivor Series and for Monday nights beyond. Now, where does this leave Orton for Survivor Series? Also, I am digging the McIntyre/Sheamus vibe with their backstage vignettes. I wonder if Sheamus is lulling his old friend to sleep only to turn on him for a title show?

WHAT A MATCH!#WWERaw #TagTitles @TrueKofi @AustinCreedWins pic.twitter.com/zAeN1DdFxb

— WWE (@WWE) November 17, 2020

Now, outside of The New Day’s title defense of the RAW Tag Team Titles, the rest of RAW wasn’t really that good.

RETRIBUTION vs. Team RAW was just a waste of time and I’ll be ecstatic that we don’t have to hear about captains and who doesn’t like each other between Keith Lee, Sheamus, Riddle, AJ Styles and Braun Strowman any more. I have no rooting interest in any of it. The same can be said on the women’s side of Team RAW as well. Enough of Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler against Lana. YAWN! And now they drop Dana Brooke & Mandy Rose for Lacey Evans & Peyton Royce. Does nothing for me either way, although Evans is an upgrade, not that they’ll do anything with it, though.

.@LaceyEvansWWE and @PeytonRoyceWWE have been added to #TeamRaw at #SurvivorSeries.https://t.co/2FCVGuwtUM

— WWE (@WWE) November 17, 2020

Another Angel Garza vignette. Why?! Ditto for Jeff Hardy and Elias dredging up the whole car angle again. It wasn’t believable then. It’s not believable now. Move on!

NIGHT NIGHT!#WWERaw @WWEBrayWyatt @mikethemiz pic.twitter.com/WhpvW2D5UR

— WWE (@WWE) November 17, 2020

Bray Wyatt vs. The Miz was kind of just there. How quickly we forget that The Miz hated Wyatt/The Fiend for being in his daughter’s room, right? If nothing else, we got a really cool Alexa Bliss flip over John Morrison. Speaking of Bliss, I guess we finally have the kick-off of the Bliss/Nikki Cross feud.

NXT

RESULTS

NXT North American Championship Match: Leon Ruff defeated Johnny Gargano by DQ to retain title

Blindfold Match: Dexter Lumis vs. Cameron Grimes went to no-contest

Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell defeated Kayden Carter & Kacy Catanzaro

KUSHIDA defeated Arturo Ruas

Ember Moon & Toni Storm defeated Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez

Timothy Thatcher defeated August Grey

NXT Women’s Championship Match: Io Shirai defeated Rhea Ripley

Ladies Night. War Games. OMG! NXT worked on every level this week.

W A R G A M E S !

#WWENXT #NXTTakeOver #WeAreNXT pic.twitter.com/dZE1HXpAo1

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) November 19, 2020

THIS IS AWESOME

,

,

x INFINITY #WWENXT #NXTWomensTitle @shirai_io @RheaRipley_WWE pic.twitter.com/ktlfcwFtIj

— WWE (@WWE) November 19, 2020

Wednesday night was on fire at Capitol Wrestling Center. Kudos to the women’s division that stole the night! Io Shirai and Rhea Ripley absolutely ripped it apart in the main event in another NXT classic championship match where both ladies come out strong and Shirai looks unstoppable at the top. Adding to that, we got the announcement from Shotzi Blackheart that War Games is coming December 6th. It looks like we’ll get Candice LeRae, Indi Hartwell, Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai against Blackheart, Ember Moon, Toni Storm and TBD in what is shaping up to be an amazing match. BTW: Moon and Storm are everything Dana Brooke and Mandy Rose whould be on RAW. I can see them being future tag champs if the WWE wanted to go down that route. They are that damn good! Another good showing too for Kayden Carter & Kacy Catanzaro. Losing to LeRae & Hartwell is nothing to be ashamed of as they’re getting better each week.

Toni Storm & @WWEEmberMoon working together. We love to see it.

#WWENXT @RaquelWWE pic.twitter.com/Scf4U1gYw9

— WWE (@WWE) November 19, 2020

The cat, @FinnBalor, is BACK… and LOOK who he dragged in with him. BOOM.

#WWENXT @AdamColePro @theBobbyFish @KORcombat @roderickstrong pic.twitter.com/wRMsEMBpsC

— WWE (@WWE) November 19, 2020

On the men’s side of War Games, NXT Champion Finn Balor returned to close the show. But, when Baor was challenged to bow down his title to Pat McAfee and his new crew – The Kings of NXT, Balor brought out the returning Adam Cole and the rest of The Undisputed Era. Chaos closes the show as McAfee takes a wicked stiff shot to the face from Cole to end the night. TUE are veterans of War Games and it should be interesting to see how McAfee, Oney Lorcan, Danny Burch and Pete Dunn fare in their debut in the cages! It’ll also be interesting to see if McAfee actually gets into the match or if there’s a fourth member coming to join The Kings of NXT.

Elsewhere, good for Leon Ruff! Good to see him standing up to both Johnny Gargano and Damien Priest as he hangs on to this title when Priest clocks him to give him the DQ win, a DQ finish that actually works for the storyline, unlike so many of the DQ finishes on RAW and SmackDown.

We all could’ve done without the Blindfold Match between Dexter Lumis and Cameron Grimes. But then again, we told you that was coming last week and we’re glad it’s over!

KUSHIDA still rocks. Tommaso Ciampa vs. Timothy Thatcher will be a physical beating for both men.

Finally, who is the “she” that is coming according to BOA?

SMACKDOWN

RESULTS

The New Day & The Street Profits defeated Sami Zayn, King Corbin, Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode

Last chance Survivor Series Qualifying Match: Natalya defeated Tamina

Murphy defeated Seth Rollins

Daniel Bryan defeated Jey Uso

Good to see The New Day and The Street Profits playing nice before their Survivor Series match. No shortage of bravado on either side, but they put it aside for an opening 8-man tag team victory over Sami Zayn, King Corbin, Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode. Good match to kick things off, but they continue to misfire with Big E. Otis gets the nod to join Team SmackDown. Meh. Would’ve rather seen Big E get the nod. Looks like he’ll be limited to have some type of invovlement in the tag team match.

#TeamSmackDown is STACKED!#SmackDown #SurvivorSeries @itsBayleyWWE @RubyRiottWWE @YaOnlyLivvOnce @NatbyNature @BiancaBelairWWE pic.twitter.com/KeETofOmM0

— WWE (@WWE) November 21, 2020

Nice to see Bayley trying to unite the SmackDown Survivor Series women’s team now that it’s complete with herself and Natalya being added Friday night. I agree with Corey Graves. The SmackDown team looks stacked in comparison to Team RAW. Natalya’s match with Tamina was a snoozer though.

"@DMcIntyreWWE you will always be my favorite #2."@WWERomanReigns has been on

tonight.#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/qE2cIFdcvn

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) November 21, 2020

Less continues to be more when it comes to Roman Reigns. Perfect placement of course with Roman at the head of the contract table. Even when faced with a challenge from another show, WWE Champion Drew McIntyre, it’s still the same message. Reigns is THE CHAMPION and your tribal chief – the head of the table. All the arrogance continues to flow with a line of love. “You will always be my favorite #2” will live in WWE history as a great line from Reigns to McIntyre. It’s going to be a war come Sunday night between these two! Now, that’s good business for everyone.

Murphy vs. Seth Rollins put forth a good final chapter as Buddy finally gets the better of his former mentor, the Messiah. Murphy’s Law says Rollins is in for some time off after Survivor Series to welcome the birth of his child with Becky Lynch. It’s a good time for a break and to see what’s next for Murphy, Aalyan and the rest of the Mysterio family. I did think the celebration was cut short, maybe due to time constraints.

"I told you to watch your back, Banks! I just checked, and Boss Time is OVER." – @CarmellaWWE

@WWEAsuka isn't the only Superstar @SashaBanksWWE should be worried about. #SmackDown #SurvivorSeries pic.twitter.com/0kXjNFKkl4

— WWE (@WWE) November 21, 2020

SmackDown had a little too much talking this week, but it did get all of the main stars together from both shows to hype the PPV, which, at the end of the day, is the main job of the go-home show – give me a reason to want to watch the PPV. In that vein, it worked. It was kind of odd having Asuka just watch as Carmella beat Banks down in front of her though. Doesn’t help Asuka to help her and it moves forward Carmella’s story to take Banks out for a title shot after Survivor Series. So, for that reason, it worked on both fronts.

Jey @WWEUsos sends @WWEDanielBryan through the announce table!! #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/YVpMrjOwzH

— WWE (@WWE) November 21, 2020

Daniel Bryan is a national treasure! Returning to face Jey Uso in a hard-hitting main event, Bryan again saw himself going through a table. Uso tried to make Bryan see there was nothing personal, but of course it’s all personal with family business. But, in true babyface form, Bryan gets his revenge with a sweet rollup for the victory. Could we get Bryan vs. Reigns up next for the title when Uso couldn’t get the job done? Sign me up!

Parting Shots:

So, will we really get The Rock vs. Roman Reigns at the Main Event of WrestleMania 37? The only way it happens is 1)it has to fit into The Rock’s schedule 2)there has to be fans. We would all love to see the fight for who’s truly at the head of the tribal table and just watching to see Reigns believe he is on The Rock’s level would be interesting. But, no fans = no match. No need to waste it with no in-person reaction.

It’ll be interesting to see how the WWE changes the look of ThunderDome when it moves from the Amway Center in Orlando to the spacious Tropicana Dome in Tampa. Going from a 20,000 arena to a indoor stadium will create different opportunities visual and could lead to letting in fans if the COVID-19 pandemic allows.

Survivor Series Predictions:

WWE Champion Drew McIntyre vs. Universal Champion Roman Reigns has a funky finish. Either it goes to a no-contest or Reigns wins via DQ with Randy Orton and The Fiend involved.

SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks defeats RAW Women’s Champion Asuka

RAW Tag Team Champions The New Day defeat SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Street Profits

United States Champion Bobby Lashley defeats Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn

5-on-5 Women’s Survivor Series Elimination Match – Team Smackdown (Ruby Riott, Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, Bayley, Natalya) defeats Team RAW (RAW – Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler, Lacey Evans, Peyton Royce, Lana) with Bianca Belair surviving

5-on-5 Men’s Survivor Series Elimination Match –  Team Raw (Keith Lee, Sheamus, Braun Strowman, AJ Styles, Riddle) defeats Team SmackDown (Kevin Owens, Jey Uso, King Corbin, Seth Rollins, Otis)

Coming up this week:

RAW: Survivor Series fallout

NXT: The Road to WarGames continues Kevin Owens guest commentator

SmackDown: Survivor Series fallout

Thanks for letting us share our thoughts! Shoot me an email at jcrowe567@gmail.com. We’d love to hear your comments and suggestions! You can also check out my blog, The Crowe’s Nest as we delve into more pro wrestling, sports entertainment and the World of Sports. My apologies ahead of time – I AM a Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins fan! If you’re not down with that, I’ve got TWO WORDS for you… NEW ENGLAND

[impracticaldemon]

Sweet Success

Ikemen Sengoku fanfiction by impracticaldemon for lulidrafts [art by lulidrafts]

Words: 2500 Rating:  M for sexual situations Also read on:  Will be published on AO3 and Fanfiction.net

Author’s Note:  I was fortunate enough to win a piece of art from lulidrafts, and we got to talking about Ikesen characters while discussing possible scenes.  Ms. Luli was working on some steamy Nobunaga art at the time, and asked if I’d be interested in writing a story for it.  I hope that you enjoy the result of the collaboration! The Nobunaga art is reproduced by permission.

Sweet Success (or, Nobunaga’s Kiss)

The corporate gala was always a black-tie affair, and the one time that the designers—most of them—wore their own creations, although not necessarily creations they shared with the rest of the world.  After all, haute couture and comfort rarely went hand-in-hand, and designers had the luxury of making outfits tailored to other than runway-model proportions when sewing for themselves.  Lumi had chosen to wear a plain, but beautifully cut, little black dress, since there would be a riot of designs and colour aboard the luxury yacht chartered for the event.  She preferred to highlight her work on others.

It wasn’t the first big party that Lumi had attended with Nobunaga since they’d started dating, but it was the first business affair at which Nobunaga had been Lumi’s guest, instead of the other way around.  She’d worried at first that he’d be put off by being reduced to the role of companion, but in retrospect she should have known better.  For one thing, it was virtually impossible to ‘reduce’ Nobunaga regardless of role; for another, he was endlessly curious, especially about those things of importance to Lumi. He’d been quietly entertained to find himself more of a bystander than a central figure, while Lumi took the lead, greeting both colleagues and wealthy patrons alike with her usual candid charm.  At least, that’s what Nobu called it.  Lumi’s boss frequently rolled their eyes over the way the young designer tended to speak her mind, for good or for ill.

“I believe that I have helped to raise your status among your peers,” commented Nobunaga, as they slowly made their way off the boat at the end of the glittering evening.  His dark eyes glinted with amusement, and one corner of his mouth curled up to match.

“How could you not?  I got to show up with the city’s most wanted—I mean most eligible—bachelor on my arm—”

“Putting to rest the rumours that our relationship was no more than wishful thinking on your part—”

“I never started those!”

They stopped beside a sinfully expensive black car—the kind that more or less required a vanity plate—and Nobunaga pulled Lumi into his arms, enveloping her in warmth and the delightful scent of his cologne.

“I know that, of course.”

“Of course.”

“And I found it rather enchanting to be your trophy for the evening.”  She felt his lips against her hair, and knew he was smiling.

Lumi huffed a small laugh. “As if!  But yes, it was different for me to be looking down from a podium at you, even for just a little bit.”

“I was pleased to watch you receive the recognition you deserve.  In fact”—one arm tightened around her waist, and a strong hand suddenly cupped her chin and cheek—“it was rather intoxicating to be in your world for a little while.”  His lips found hers, demanding and sure, and his fingers slid around her face to tangle in her hair.  She shivered from something other than the night air as his other hand caressed the muscles of her lower back and derrière through the soft, clingy material of her dress.

For a long moment, Lumi gave into the kiss.  She could feel the aroused tension in Nobu’s body from each point at which they touched, and desire buzzed in her ears and flushed her cheeks and skin.  With an effort, she pushed back a little when they finally came up for air.

“We should go home, Nobunaga.  This is, ah, awfully public.”  She was breathless, and conscious that it was exciting to embrace so intimately in full view of any other party-goers in search of their cars.

“Oh?  You don’t look like you want to stop—and most people are taking cabs, or being chauffeured.”

It was true, and the parking lot was mostly deserted, as well as rather dimly lit.  The realization that the venue continued to ignore all requests for better lighting decided Lumi in favour of going home, even though her body was suggesting that another kiss was in order.  Resolutely, she turned her face away as best she could.

“Unhand me, sir!  I wish to depart.”

Her flippant, challenging words made Nobunaga chuckle.  He pressed a lingering kiss to the side of her neck, causing her to gasp and lick her lips, but then he released her.

“Yes ma’am.”  He held open the car door in the manner of a respectful chauffeur, but his gaze was hot and hungry, and seemed to roam over her body as she tried to slide gracefully into the front seat.  When he leaned in after her to buckle her in—ignoring her feeble protests—he paused to breathe a few words into her ear:  “You may find it a long ride home, my dear.”  The hand he rested briefly on her thigh seemed to convey heat to her whole body.

Lumi took several careful breaths as Nobunaga closed her door and walked unhurriedly around the car to the driver’s seat.  Tonight had been her night.  She’d received praise from her colleagues, recognition from her employers, and public respect from a number of VIPs—including several top models.  Nobunaga had finally gotten to see her wholly within her own sphere, and he’d been impressed.  And turned on. That thought was exhilarating.

“Nobunaga…”

“Yes?  How may I be of service?”

The car hummed into life, and Nobunaga backed smoothly out of the parking spot.  She found him almost indecently sexy most of the time, but there was an extra patina of sexiness when he was driving, especially at night.  She’d have to be careful.

“What do you think of this dress?”

“That’s an odd question.”

“Still.”

There was a smile in his voice as he answered, “I like the way it looks on you.”

“Just the look?”

“Hmm?”  She saw him consider her words.  “…No.  I suppose there’s the material, too.  It’s smooth, and as soft to the touch as it looks, which isn’t always the case.  Many pretty materials look nicer than they feel.”

“You’re right, as usual.” Lumi smiled at him, and then ran her hands down the fabric of the dress, deliberately reveling in the wonderful material she’d chosen.  “Of course, it’s rather thin”—she casually stroked the fabric clinging to the swell of one breast, aware that her inhibitions were submerged in champagne—“but it breathes well, and has enough give in it to show off the curves of the wearer’s body.” She thought she heard the tiniest hitch of indrawn breath from the city’s hottest bachelor (as voted by the listeners of the city’s biggest radio station).

“Lumi.”  The hint of command in his voice made her look over at him. However, she gave him a cheery smile instead of the lovelorn—lustlorn?—look she was afraid she had too much of the time when they were together.

“Sorry, Nobu!  I didn’t mean to bore you…”  She clasped her hands girlishly—and quite obviously deliberately—under her breasts.  Nobunaga started to say something, but he stopped abruptly when she started to play with her visibly-hardening nipples, first stroking, and then pinching them, before forcing her hands away—and it was an effort—to start pulling hairclips and pins out of her hair.

There was a low chuckle from the driver’s side.  “Power suits you surprisingly well.  You are most enticing, this evening.”

“Am I?”  Lumi ran her fingers through her hair, releasing it from its artful knots.  Without looking up, she leaned back in her seat, toed off her pretty heels, and put her feet up on the dash.  The skirt of her dress slid up her thighs revealing smooth skin and the hard-won muscle of her lengthy walk to and from work.  “Oh dear,” she murmured, giggling.  She couldn’t help the giggle—she didn’t think she’d ever had Nobunaga’s attention quite like this before, and it was fun.  Among other things.

After a brief, and wholly fake, struggle to tug down her skirt, Lumi tilted her head winsomely at Nobunaga.  His sensuous mouth was curved up at one corner, as though he were fighting a smile. One large hand reached out to stroke her thigh, and she felt her eyes slide part-way closed.

“Mmmmm…”  Her head tilted back involuntarily when his fingers began to brush against the rapidly dampening silk of her panties, just at the top of her leg.

“Oh?”

“Oh, yes—definitely.” She wriggled around in the seat a little, unabashedly pressing herself toward Nobu’s hand.  The motion against her intimate folds became more direct and more satisfying. With a view to sharing the pleasure, she reached out—a little blindly—and traced her lover’s cheek and chin before leaning even closer to him in order to find and caress the hard bulge just below his belt.  A sharp intake of breath acknowledged her foray, which pleased her.  Nobunaga rarely gave up his tremendous control.

“I don’t know whether to drive faster—mmm, that’s very nice—or stop, for fear of crashing.”

“You won’t… nnnnngh… crash.”  The silk panties were wet through now, and his fingers were pressed as firmly against her clit as their positions allowed, though not directly against her slick skin—quite possibly on purpose, knowing him.  Her toes were curled against the invisible glovebox, and not-so-small jolts of sensation made it difficult to focus.

There was an intense silence, as they each concentrated on the other’s touch, and presumably—in Nobunaga’s case—the road.  Lumi had no idea where they were, exactly.  She prayed they were close to her place, because she knew Nobu would insist on driving until they got there, since she’d made it a challenge of sorts.  Just as she was about to try for a glimpse of their whereabouts, the car slowed and made a sharp turn followed by a sudden stop. They were in the driveway of Lumi’s townhouse-apartment building.

Nobunaga pulled away long enough to turn off the engine and unbuckle his seatbelt, and then he twisted around and kissed her hard enough to bruise, one hand tangling tightly in her hair, and the other sliding up her thigh and rubbing insistently between her legs. Lumi found herself gripping the sides of her seat as she pressed her whole body into the kiss.  A deep moan escaped her, even as Nobu’s lips and tongue claimed her mouth.  She could smell the musky scent of sex.

“Nnnnnngh… should go… mmmmm…”

The hand driving her wild slid away, and the sharp click of her seatbelt made her stifle her protest at the loss of heat and pressure.  Nobunaga’s mouth suddenly left hers, and closed over the engorged tip of one breast, teasing it through the material of her dress in a way that left her panting with desire.  She wanted to respond with—with something—but she couldn’t unclench her fingers from her seat.  When he lifted his head and grinned at her no-doubt lust-filled countenance, she just licked her lips and smiled back.

“You want to go inside, I take it?”  His words might sound cool, but his feverish eyes and flushed cheeks told a different story. His attempt at control gave Lumi the incentive she needed to uncurl her fingers and reach out to grip and then rub the tip of the hard shaft pressing against the fine material of his dress pants. His breath hitched and she heard herself chortle.  She’d always wondered what a chortle sounded like—now she knew.

“Yes… Please, my lord”—it was lovers’ game between them, to be lord and maiden—“please do come inside…”

They both laughed, a little breathlessly, at her unsubtle emphasis on the last words, and then in the time in took her to blink, and register his absence, Nobunaga was opening the passenger-side door of the car and lifting Lumi into his arms.  They kissed again, passionately, with all the promise of a night’s love-making ahead of them, and Lumi muttered, “Key.  Damn—”

“I grabbed your purse.” Amazingly, he had.  She didn’t protest leaving the shoes.

Somehow, they managed to get into the building—it had a key code—and then Nobunaga took the stairs two at a time before setting Lumi down in front of her door, at her slightly muffled insistence.  Find key, put key in lock, open door—

The door swung open and Nobunaga seized her from behind, caressing her breasts before spinning her around  into his arms. His lips closed on hers as he walked her backward into her small living room, kicking the door closed behind him. She automatically started to unbutton his shirt, returning the kiss and stretching up a little to grind her hips against him. He stopped when her back hit the wall beside the archway into her kitchenette, and let her tug the now-open shirt down off his shoulders to hang on his wrists.

“Cufflinks…” they muttered at the same time, panting.  Lumi grabbed for a wrist and stared blindly at the offending jewellery.  Focus. Her fingers were usually pretty good with clasps and clips and stuff like this, but even as she gripped the gold, falcon-engraved cuff-links, Nobunaga’s tongue swept over the curve of her ear and she faltered.

“…Do you… want these off… nnnnnggghhh… or not?”

“Mm-hm.”

His teeth joined the assault on her ear, and heat swept her body.  Sometimes it’s good to be stubborn. Years of helping models dress and undress came to her rescue, and for thirty seconds Lumi tuned out everything but the—stupid, freaking, why is he so extra anyway, who wears these things anymore— cufflinks, which finally dropped to the floor.  The shirt followed in a whisper of expensive silk-linen blend, and then demanding fingers clasped the back of her head, and a strong arm pulled her firmly against a hard body.

“Is this private enough, Lumi?”  Nobunaga bent his mouth to her neck, and she whimpered.

“…’essss…”  Her body was writhing against his, and she craved his touch—on her breasts, belly, and thighs, and—so much—on and inside her wet, sensitized, most intimate places.

“Good…” He kissed her lips again, but lightly, teasingly, although his eyes were burning.  “Now I will kiss you all over… in celebration of your… mmm… so notable successes…”  The words ghosted against her parted lips, and she swallowed.  The muscles of her core clenched and fluttered in anticipation.

For a short time there was silence, and then Lumi moaned, quivering.  Her head tipped back against the wall, and her knees started to buckle. One hand twined itself in Nobunaga’s hair as he knelt before her, at once servant and master.  It was almost unbearable.

“Nnnnnnnnnnggggghhhhh! ….Aaaaaahh!...”  Pleasure, hot and sweet, coursed through her, and her hips would have bucked hard, but for the strong hands clamped around the tops of her thighs.  His lips, his tongue, his mouth! “…Nnnnnnnnnggggghhhhhh!  Nobu—Nobunaga!”

It was one hell of a kiss.

[END]

Full Image (credit lulidrafts)

Hope I’ve done it justice for you lulidrafts! ♥

~ Imp

[sepublic]

Behold! The completed story bible/plot summary for Part 2 of Bionicle: RaE! Adapting the events of Bionicle 2016, the story really begins the change near the end. Once we’re done with Part 2, we can finally move onto the new storylines I wrote for Bionicle: RaE, because believe me; Even AFTER Part 2, we’re not even halfway done yet!

Below is an excerpt for those interested;

           Ever since Ekimu and the Great Forge’s reawakening, the Okotan alliance has grown to greater power than ever before. The City of the Mask Makers, reclaimed from the Brotherhood, has begun to function as the new capital of Okoto, with thousands making new homes in the once-abandoned City, giving new life back to it. All the while, infrastructure and technology is improved, each day becoming closer to what it once was in the Creation Age; And while still far from that ancient progress, the Okotans remain hopeful.

           Deep in his forge, Ekimu the Mask Maker labors endlessly, refusing to give himself breaks. While he has been willing to stop and sit down to explain the nature of Life energy, and has considered taking a break to teach others of Mask-Making, he is mostly concerned with creating new tools, weapons, and Masks of Power for the Okotans to use. Dimly aware all those years, trapped and suspended in a crystalline prison, Ekimu has been wrought with guilt over his complicitness in the Great Cataclysm and the death of millions, as well as failing to see Makuta’s corruption and stop it. To cope, he furiously makes himself work day and night to give the Okotans the fighting chance they need to stop Makuta, desperately hoping to fix the mistakes he blames himself for.

           Naturally, people have noticed this and are AWARE, but are helpless to do anything about it. The main priority is to improve Okoto’s infrastructure, technology, and power, while also reclaiming lost lands before the Brotherhood of Makuta begins its inevitable counter-attack. The Toa are training with new Masks of Power, weapons, and tools, and Okotan cultures mix and clash in the City of the Mask Makers as people recover from the old wounds of the Skull Spider wars. The Red Serpent, the legendary Rahi controlled by Fenrakk, has continued its residence in the City of the Mask Makers, now a vehement ally of the Okotans. Likewise, the Skull Slicer has been rehabilitated and reforged by Ekimu, reclaiming his lost name Matau and becoming the colloquial, unofficial, ‘Toa of Air’ after absorbing Lewa’s Mask of Air during their battle. With new, sleek, aerodynamic armor and upgrades, Matau promises to be a welcoming ally, though others are wary.

           Regardless, beggars can’t be choosers when the Brotherhood of Makuta, after a few months, launches its inevitable counter-attack against Okoto. Furious over the loss of his Skull Spiders and Fenrakk, Makuta unleashes from the rivers and wilds his new army of Energy Leeches, organic, writhing, and ravenous creatures that constantly hunger and can drain Life energy by latching onto a victim. Many Okotans, caught off-guard by these new enemies, die horrifically as Makuta seizes huge amounts of Life energy to support his campaigns. Nevertheless, the Toa and Okotans quickly learn to adapt, fighting off against these new threats, led by Jumala, Lord of Energy Leeches and another one of Makuta’s sons, the Rahkshi. Also aiding the Brotherhood is a new generation of Skull Spiders, controlled by dozens of smaller, less powerful Command Spiders. The Skull Puppets and Warriors also provide aid, with their commanders returning for vengeance, now led by Kodo the Skull Basher.

           As new battles recommence, and formerly vanquished foes such as the Nui-Jaga return to assault the Okotans, the Toa maintain a steady and fast alliance, learning to better be a group, team, and even unorthodox family of sorts. While it’s a bit unusual learning to live in the City of the Mask Makers together, the Toa become accustomed to one another and form closer bonds. Meanwhile, an imprisoned, incapacitated Kulta and Kojol are interrogated beneath the City of the Mask Makers, to no effect.

           Takua the wandering vagabond eventually takes a journey to the Swamp of Secrets, meeting with an old friend; A reclusive prophet who gains visions by inhaling the decaying fumes of a dead beast’s corpse, said to have come from the future. These visions warn the prophet of future events.

           During the Skull Spider wars, the prophet had requested her existence be kept secret, with Takua honoring these requests while still trying to convey them to the other Okotans by ‘suggesting’ courses of action that aligned with the visions given by the prophet. Amidst conversations, it’s revealed that Takua knewabout Makuta, a few years before the Toa arrived; The dark spirit himself had appeared to her once and attempted to sway her to his side. Takua refused, and Makuta in turn haunted her every now and then, threatening to kill everyone she cared about if she explained his presence and role with the Skull Spiders.

           Scared and feeling helpless, Takua didn’t bother mentioning Makuta, feeling it wouldn’t change anything and she’d just get a lot of innocent people killed. Now, with Makuta’s identity and role revealed anyway, she’s considering revealing her dark secret, but is at the same time unsure…

           Regardless, the prophet receives a particularly brutal, staggering vision, in which she warns Takua of a horde that will raze Okoto to its foundations, releasing a horrific ‘Darkness below’ that will consume everything. Concerned, Takua ponders if she means the Energy Leeches; Either way, Takua takes it upon herself to investigate ‘The Darkness Below’ and see what it means, venturing into the tunnels beneath Okoto and going farther down than usual.

           In the aftermath of one battle with the Brotherhood of Makuta, Lewa, Toa of Jungle eventually comes across a strange phenomena in the jungle, feeling a consciousness that is moving through it. Surely enough, he tracks it down, and the being manifests as a Dragonfly-esque creature. Introducing herself as Uxar, she has initial reservations towards Lewa, but his bright earnestness wins Uxar over as the two become quick friends. Their day ends when Lewa is called back to help, and he promises not to tell the others about Uxar on her request. And from the shadows, someonewatches…

           The two eventually meet once more, only to be interrupted when Uxar is suddenly ambushed by a dark, oaken being she calls ‘Umarak the Hunter’. Leading a pack of vicious, metallic Shadow Traps, Umarak pins down Uxar and begins draining her Life energy. Naturally, Lewa attempts to stop him and briefly engages in a conflict- He’s easily defeated, but it provides a distraction for Uxar to escape. Frustrated, Umarak lets go of the matter, warning Lewa that darkness is rising and that he, of all people, can’t stop it.

           Lewa eventually regroups with the others and attempts to research into the matter, casually asking about Uxar and Umarak without mentioning he met the two. Takua ventures deep below Okoto, travelling through long-abandoned tunnels as she nears a massive, living presence beneath…

           She eventually comes across a massive pit that extends infinitely, seemingly solid-black near the bottom; And surely enough, tendrils of shadow suddenly burst and emerge from it, thrashing wildly and causing the earth to shake as they reach for Takua. With quick-thinking and action, Takua narrowly avoids the shadows, and heads to the surface, shaken. Lewa learns about the Elemental Deities in Kokoro, learning how each one is the conscious manifestation of the six elements; And Uxar is one of them, representing Jungle.

           Takua inevitably overhears Lewa’s mention of ‘darkness that is rising’ and questions him on it, and vice-versa. The two exchange a coy, awkward series of interrogations where both try not to reveal directly the secrets they have, while still implicitly telling that the others DOES have secrets. Nevertheless, the two are sympathetic to each others’ situation and try not to press further until express permission is given. Meanwhile, the other Toa battle with the Brotherhood of Makuta, and notice phenomena as well; While in the drifts, Kopaka notices what seems to be a wolf-like being bounding through the snow, chased by metallic monsters. He tries to investigate, but is left behind. Tahu spots a moving, slithering trail of flame deep in the Region of Fire and is momentarily baffled by it.

           Takua and Lewa’s research culminates when the two consult Lumi and learn the story of how the Elemental Deities fought an ever-encompassing darkness named Umarak. Unable to defeat it, they formed the island of Okoto, trapping Umarak underneath it and seemingly imprisoning him…

           At this point, the duo desperately wants to talk, and so make concessions and agree to mutually break promises. Takua explains about the prophet and her warning, and Lewa talks about his meetings with Uxar and Umarak the Hunter. They figure out that Umarak, somehow, is on the surface, but at the same time below it, and is trying to free the darkness below. Takua, recalling the nature of the Skull Spiders to Fenrakk, wonders if the Hunter is actually just a receptacle for Umarak, the darkness below, to act and function on Okoto’s surface with.

           Either way, they consider this important and ponder discussing the recent events to the others, and likewise hear of what is clearly the Elemental Deities moving throughout Okoto, active. Lewa tracks down Uxar, admitting he broke their promise, and asks what’s going on. Uncertain and unsure, Uxar finally cracks and explains how Umarak managed to somewhat escape his prison by tunnel a portion of his darkness to the surface, infecting a tree and forming a receptacle for him to act through.

           Ever since, Umarak has been slowly, gradually draining the Elemental Deities of their power, ambushing them with guerilla tactics, seizing a portion of power, before fleeing. Over the centuries, the Elemental Deities have become weakened, helplessly unable to stop Umarak’s efforts despite best attempts.

           Lewa naturally offers to help them, mentioning Takua’s prophecy, to Uxar’s concern, who sees it as an omen –along with their current state- that the Elemental Deities are soon to be fully consumed by Umarak, their power used by him to raze Okoto clean to its foundations, breaking apart the island and freeing the darkness below. Lewa wonders where all the stolen power has been hidden, and Uxar admits that the others tried finding it, yet failed.

           Regardless, Uxar hesitates on accepting Lewa’s offer, mentioning that the Elemental Deities have a complicatedrelationship with the mortal Okotans. Things are quickly made more complex when Jumala, having tracked down Lewa, ambushes Uxar, hoping to drain her and Lewa’s energy, ever-starving and ravenous. This in turn summons Terak, Deity of Earth, who vengefully battles against him, and the chaos attracts Umarak’s attention. Another battle is held, and a few of Lewa’s allies arrive to help. Terak and Uxar escape, but not without Terak losing a portion of his power, much to his chagrin. Terak angrily regards both the Okotans and the Brotherhood as he and Uxar flee, and Umarak chases after them.

           The others interrogate Lewa about his relationship with Uxar, and cracking under pressure, he explains everything, except for Takua’s prophecy, not wanting to out her. Recognizing the threat of Umarak, with the Elemental Deities now concerningly low on power and thus close to being completely drained, the Okotans consider forming an alliance with the Deities, realizing they could be beneficial in the war against the Brotherhood. Meanwhile, Jumala reports to his father Makuta, explaining the situation.

           Makuta reflects, recalling how he once tried to form an alliance with Umarak and was declined. At first he let it go, but now that the Toa know about the Elemental Deities, they’ll likely try to ally with them. And needing assets and advantages desperately, Makuta decides he refuses to let the Okotans to have any advantages over him, and decides to recommence attempts to ally with Umarak.

[heliothen-stories]

“Describe your characters lives as The Life of __” Tag Game

Thank you so much @strawberryspaceship for tagging me in this!! It was super fun :D

Rules: describing your characters the way I did bellow I guess :P

I will be describing my main characters from my wip “Supernatural Shenanigans”. (If anybody is wondering: yes none of them have last names yet)

The life of Lethe: The curious witch who gets into lots of trouble but never seems to get caught?? You go to a school for Sorcerers. You hate it. You decide to run away. Your plan actually goes better than you imagined. You manage to steal your part of your bedroom and run away with it. In the process you petrify two teachers. A win-win situation. You reach the big city. You are pretty sure someone is following you. You break into someone’s house to hide. You get knocked out. You wake up to a scary lady interrogating you. She learns your story and decides to take you in. So I guess you are staying with a werewolf pack. They are suspiciously kind. You don’t trust them. But I guess this is your life now.

The life of Jaelyn: The sweet werewolf who can and will kick your ass. You are the daughter of a werewolf pack leader. You freaking love your pack. Someone breaks in your house. You knock them out with a chair. For some reason your mom decides to let them stay with you. They turn out to be a witch. A rather quiet witch. You don’t trust her. You keep a close eye on her. Shit, she is actually really nice. And you might be crushing on her. Oh no, you are not doing this thank you very much. You are supossed to be studying. But hanging out with the witch is a must since she can’t be trusted. Must keep the pack safe. I guess this is your life now.

The life of Brooks: The poor werewolf just trying to study his cello. You want to get into the city’s most famous orchestra. Practicing day and night. Yet somehow you always manage to get caught up in the pack’s shenanigans. At this point you have forgotten what getting a good night’s sleep feels like. The new witch accidentally summons a plant spirit. They take a liking to you. Well at least they know sign language. However, having plants take over your bedroom is rather uncomfortable. Well I guess this is your life now.

The life of Forest: The rather tired Sorcerer. You go to a school for Sorcerers. Your roomate runs away. You are pretty okay with that. Well turns out that she stole your tarrot cards. You are getting those cards back. Tracking her turns out to be harder than you thought. Now your teachers are after both of you. City life is fun. You are not going back to school then. Oh shit your teachers are pissed. You fall through a ceiling into a pool. Turns out that people have pools indoors. Oh wait there is a mermaid here. They are also pissed. You ask for their help. I guess that’s how your life as a runaway starts. 

The life of Lumi: The extravagant DJ mermaid. Hosting your weekly party when a Sorcerer falls through the ceiling?? And not only that. He lands in your pool. Can’t someone just hold a party in peace? Also he is being chased. He asks for your help. More like he threatens you. When you have a water sword to your throat the only asnwer seems to be yes. So now you are running away from some Sorcerers. With another Sorcerer. You decide that you hate Sorcerers. Well I guess this is your life now.

The life of Laidy Wilhelmina: The Laidy who got turned into a cat. Turns out that stealing jewels has consequences. But damn if those weren’t some fine jewels. Also turns out that you are immortal now. And super agile. Time to get more jewels. You stumble across a tiny human witch trying to steal a scroll. She thinks it was fated that she met you. She asks you to be her familiar. You ask if you she will give you jewels. She agrees. It is a deal. This is your life now.

Tagging: @realashergray, @cherish-writes, @ink-on-poppies, @rosequills, @thewriterkatie, @human-nonsense, @jess---writes, @thewritertiffany, @psychedelicwriting and @lightningandthetumbllr

[danwhobrowses]

NXT TakeOver Stand & Deliver Day 2 - Review

Alright, onto part 2 Day 1′s Stand and Deliver was a strong showing but there was plenty of chance to top it, so it’s time to see if Day 2′s strong card can do it

This will be later than I intended, mainly because I have been swamped with other stuff, I wanted to watch this after work but time is not on my side

read part 1 here

Spoilers for Stand & Deliver Day 2 (and tidbits of Day 1), you have been warned

Pre-Show As with Night 1, the good stuff is mainly the Samoa Joe interviews. I did find it humorous of Kross saying ‘I’m gonna throw bombs at him’, that’s a mental image. The F bomb kinda contradicted him being asked if he was too emotive, unless that was intentional. Joe’s shade at Balor was good though, let them fight again! The Shotzi stuff in the tag champs’ interview was a bit off-putting for me, I know she’s supposed to be wild but like, if you wince at a babyface it’s not good.

Number 1 Contendership Match for NXT Tag Championship - Killian Dain & Drake Maverick def. Breezango (Pinfall by Maverick on Fandango via Dain’s Powerbomb) Kudos to start with for Breezango dressing as pirates even for the Pre-Show, these two deserve more what they’ve gotten (I know injuries have hurt them but they could’ve had a longer reign). Drake and Killian also deserve more than they’re getting, Drake should look at going for the CW title again. We started with a bit of character stuff, Fandango and Drake lead to Drake doing Fandango’s hip swivels which angered Fandango, then Dain tagged Drake in which hurt him and then Drake put the pirate hat on the bemused Dain. Dain’s time in-ring was short though as Drake did a combo move, Breezango then took control of Drake. Dain handled the hot tag well, handling both men, but after an attempted combo move Breeze superkicked Drake, double team for 2 but then Dain pushes back, Drake hits the super rana as Dain dumps out Breeze, Dain then powerbombs Drake onto Fandango whose limp body covers for three.

It was a fine pre-show match, still short but not abrupt. It was kinda weird narratively though because it felt like Breezango, in spite of their entrance, were playing heels. The matchup is kinda odd too, MSK vs Dain and Maverick makes for a face vs face match but hey ho

Main Card This time a music performance by Poppy, it was like Paramore and Evanescence had a one night stand, not bad but not necessary lots of shaky cam though.

Cruiserweight Championship Unification Ladder Match: Santos Escobar (c) def. Jordan Devlin (c) Santos came in like a true Luchador with the cape, mask and another mask while Devlin walked in no-nonsense with his Irish Cruiserweight attitude, a true division of style preluding the fight. Devlin and Santos work some chains and reversals, few lifts here and there but nothing too flashy until Devlin took advantage, an Asai Moonsault onto the outside is followed by Devlin getting the ladder. Cleverly, Devlin evades the ladder lower-rope dropkick and hits Santos in the head, but his climb is denied. Santos has a worried look when Devlin is about to Irish Whip him into the ladder on the corner but he reverses, he squashes Devlin against the chain that surrounds the outside of the ring before getting a second ladder. This time Santos plays clever, dropkicking the ladder he was setting up onto Devlin, before driving it into his gut, Ladder 3 comes out immediately after as Santos lays stomps onto Devlin.

Devlin regains control by slamming Santos’ face onto the bottom of Ladder 3 which Santos placed on the top turnbuckle, every attempt by Santos is responded by Devlin, his monkey flip launches him into a climb, Santos’ pull down into a DDT, Santos does get a suicide dive to drive Devlin into Ladder 1 set up on the wall but Devlin pulls off a counter suplex on Ladder 2 which is on the floor, Spanish Fly counter then a cutter. Ladder 2 is set in the corner as Devlin lands a top ladder moonsault, he has it dead to rights but Legando push the ladder leading to a nasty-looking fall and Devlin being thrown into the steps. Gesturing to climb, Santos foolishly dismisses his faction allowing Devlin to throw a ladder at Santos to bide some time, he sets up Ladder 1 adjacent to 2, a tussle leads to a ladder Spanish Fly. Devlin makes the climb but with fingertips on the belt Santos comes back, clubbing blows are traded but Santos headbutts Devlin through the slanted Ladder 3. Santos claims the belts and celebrates with his faction and son.

It was a good ladder match, but I didn’t think it needed Legando’s interference, the culture clash wasn’t sold so much either, Devlin did more Lucha moves and the finish of a headbutt was a bit lacking, but a strong opener.

MSK Interview MSK were less insufferable on this interview, bit of character there too with them disagreeing on predictions.

NXT Women’s Tag Championship: Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon (c) def. The Way [Indi Hartwell & Candice LeRae] (pinfall by Shotzi Blackheart on Indi Hartwell via Senton Bomb) The Way continued the Gargano tradition of comic attire with Candice wearing Thor attire, while Shotzi and Ember (let’s call them War Girls for now, reference to Mad Max War Boys, the Tank and Ember’s War Goddess) come out on their usual tank. The Way start with the advantage jumping the champions and zoning out Shotzi, Ember gets the hot tag even sneaking in a DX Suck It during her forearms. An Indi Distraction averts the Eclipse but Indi pulls off the Tower of Doom Powerbomb for 2. Pop-Up Spinebuster hits 2 again but Shotzi is tagged in when Ember escapes the double team move, Shotzi hits a crossbody then an assisted suicide dive, Ember then goes outside with the senton and then the team Dominator for 2, Candice sneaks a roll up for her own 2 though and gets a chance for their own double team move (flapjack flatliner), Ember breaks that pin though. A middle rope knee by Ember and an Enzugiri by Shotzi clumps both women together for a 2-for-1 Eclipse and Indi is prone to the Senton Bomb for 3.

Nice little tag match there, Indi was impressive and the right person won, we need a long reign for the War Girls to build prestige for these new titles.

North American Championship: Johnny Gargano [w/Austin Theory] (c) def. Bronson Reed (pinfall via One Final Beat x2) After the video package but before the match we saw Steph with another acquisition, Gable Steveson. Bronson’s attire is unchanged but Gargano comes out with what looks like the Infamous Iron Man (Dr. Doom in an Iron Man suit, it was actually awesome).

Reed’s power influenced the start of the match as Gargano picked at every body part to chop down the Colossal. A Tope is caught but Gargano wriggles out with an eye rake and drives Reed’s ribs into the Announcer’s table. Reed is not kept down for long, but his power moves are followed by a pause as the ribs are sold, a lovely Jagged Edge though since Reed re-lifted Johnny when he tried to knee an escape, the deadlift corner suplex gives Gargano the chance for a corner backstabber but Reed rallies back with a counter suplex. The Senton is missed and turned into a cradle, Gargano spikes a poison rana and then latches the Garga-no Escape. Reed rope breaks and blocks the interceptor, Razor’s Edge from ramp to ring, Tsunami misses, Superkick by Gargano gets 2 though. Reed hits a short-arm clothesline to set up another Tsunami but has to swat Theory away giving Gargano time, top rope rana is averted and Reed hits the Powerbomb, it should be 3 but Theory moved Gargano’s leg. Annoyed with Theory, he throws him into Gargano on the outside, suicide dive takes all of Theory but none of Johnny, who drives Reed back into the ringside. Rolled back in the ring, Reed counters One Final Beat with a Beach Break for 2, sets up the Powerbomb but Gargano gets out, 2 superkicks stagger but he’s flattened by a mule kick, Reed goes to the top but he’s not thinking Tsunami - he goes for the Moonsault but Kurt Angle rules apply, Moonsault misses, Gargano hits two successive One Final Beats to get the 3.

I’m a little let down that Reed didn’t win but it was a solid match, good title match and Gargano keeps on going. I guess Lumis’ feud may continue or Reed will get another chance, just hope they do something with Reed’s momentum.

NXT Championship - Karrion Kross [w/Scarlett] def. Finn Balor (pinfall via Running Forearm Smash TITLE CHANGE) Dunne, Burch and Oney are seen on the outside as both men prepare, Kross always having the BW filter still doesn’t do it for me, nor does Scarlett’s mannerisms. I mean the outfit was great but other than that she kinda stands around or flails around. Balor’s entrance a lot more patient but the intense staring did not go unseen. Balor with a big red X painted over his heart to sell that he’s not gonna fight on emotions. Balor’s lock ups to start are powered out by Kross, but every time Balor is hit he smiles, the mind games slowly eating into Kross. A slap in the face sends him over the edge though, ‘now you’re gonna get it’ Kross says as he punctures Balor into the corner, Balor dodges the second to hurt Kross’s shoulder then moves for a submission, once again powered out into the corner.  Kross drove his knee into a Tree of Woe Balor but his stalking made him fall prey to an Armbreaker, he rolls out and tries the powerbomb but Balor floors him with a shoulderbreaker, another submission and then pulling the shoulder against the ropes. A delayed pause happened when Kross went to lunge but stopped and collapsed, no sympathy from the champion as he went for a kick in the gut. Advantage got traded as Kross went corner to corner with powerslaps but then was dropped with a reverse DDT. Kross then smashes Balor with a cradled suplex, rolled into a lariat and then a shoulder powerbomb for 2, Balor then counters with submissions and a sling blade but then gets hit with a clothesline and then an exploder. Balor senses the finisher and hits the Pele Kick, Shotgun Dropkick on 2 corners, Coup de Grace! 1, 2, NO! Kross has rolled into the Straitjacket, Balor rolls into a stomp though, Rings of Saturn on the hurt shoulder, facing Scarlett in pain Kross snaps, powering out and clubbing Balor before hitting a release German Suplex. Kross squishes Balor again then lands the Forearm Smash on the back of the head for 3.

Biiiit of a weak finish I think, considering the array of attacks Kross had there could’ve been more to finish off Balor, but I’m not mad at Kross getting the title back, there’s clearly plans to make him dominant and we’ll see what challenges await.

Franky Monet Teaser and Santos Escobar Interview Another Franky teaser with the dog running around the gym now, bit excessive to go 2 straight days. Santos was interviewed on his victory and to his credit he does put Devlin over regarding his resilience while crowning himself the ‘Emperor of Lucha Libre’, can someone send for El Rey?

New NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez was also in the crowd with her gold as we did more recapping of Night 1

Unsanctioned Match - Kyle O’Reilly def. Adam Cole (Pinfall via Knee Drop) Anticipated throughout with shots of both men surrounded by security leads up to the main event - touted to have been put on last because ‘we don’t know if we’ll still have an arena’. Security separates the men in the ring too, not much peacocking just staredowns, it’s all business and mind games, Adam Cole making sure to do ‘Adam Cole BayBay’ in O’Reilly’s face.

The bell rings but no man makes a move, a calm before the storm as they explode at each other, O’Reilly with running corner boots, Cole with a Pump Kick, O’Reilly with the tope and the Armbar, Cole with the stomps and Barricade throws, O’Reilly launchpad into the barricades and then the chair comes out. Kicks on the seated Cole and a body press leads to Cole rolling back to the ring, O’Reilly locks in a corner guillotine but Cole throws him off the apron in a nasty looking bump that sells O’Reilly’s injured neck. A UE-painted Chair is used for damage as Cole lays into O’Reilly, also shoving O’Reilly into a production tower before returning to the ring, Cole uses the point of another Chair on his neck as he maintained control, O’Reilly gets a submission but Cole drops him with a neckbreaker, mocking O’Reilly as he tells his former friend ‘I made you’. This sets off O’Reilly though, fighting through all Cole’s strikes to counter with knees and clubs, the submission mind comes into play with a leg-first drop onto a chair and then a kneebar, an apron stomp onto a seated Cole took both men out. Back in the ring Cole raises a chair but O’Reilly kicks the gut and then punches the chair so the lid hits Cole, he goes to get a chain from under the ring but gets hit with a twisting neckbreaker on his way back. Cole tries to rake the chain on O’Reilly but he fights back and kicks Cole with a chain-wrapped leg, Cole then wrenches in a Figure Four which rolls back and forth. Cole then floors O’Reilly by using the chain to clothesline him on the rebound, then a chain assisted backstabber for 2. Cole sets up a triangle of two chairs but doesn’t get to use the points, he Germans and O’Reilly sits on one chair that sets up a Shining Wizard for 2 again. Cole then goes for the steps, O’Reilly lands on his feet and hits a Guillotine, he releases to knee Cole down, he was going to flatten Cole but hesitates and gets driven into the barricade. The fight moves on top of the Announcer’s table but it does not give for O’Reilly’s brainbuster but Cole wastes O’Reilly with a TV Monitor, a toolbox introduces pliers, tire iron, bolt cutters and another chain. The pliers and tire iron are blocked and O’Reilly hits the Dean Ambrose-style rebound clothesline.  After a brainbuster for 2, O’Reilly uses a chain assisted armbreaker, then a chain assisted triangle but Cole grabs the tire iron to break the hold. Both men set up a chair to face one another and trade shots, O’Reilly hits harder but Cole hits the low blow. Superkick hits for 2, so Pillmanizing Con-Chair-To is attempted next, the Official disagrees and gets KO’d, Panama Sunrise would get the 3 but the Ref is now out, some pretty stiff hits from Cole on the guy actually easy does it. The fight moves to the ramp as Cole throws a chair at O’Reilly and throws him into the barricade, O’Reilly jumps for the Guillotine but gets thrown into the Barricade again, another Guillotine on the ramp sends both men through the middle of the ramp but Cole is the one who rolls out, kicking out the side of the ramp to pull O’Reilly out. The Ref has returned to life as Cole brainbusters O’Reilly on the steel steps but it hits 2 (bit of a quick 2 I admit), he goes for the last shot but O’Reilly collapses, he tries again but O’Reilly dodges, heel hook, Cole tries to stomp but then both legs get hooked, Cole wraps the chain around his hand and socks O’Reilly to break the hold. Cole looks for the Panama Sunrise again but is caught, neckbreaker, pele kick then a Last Shot of his own for O’Reilly: 1, 2, No! O’Reilly sets up the chain and wraps Cole’s leg in a chair, but Cole then hits O’Reilly with the chair and sets the unfolded chair legs up ready to drive O’Reilly into it, his trash talking though is responded with a low blow, wraps the chain around his leg as Cole lies on the chair, knee drop and that’s 3.

Welts surrounds O’Reilly’s body as Cole is stretchered out, O’Reilly slowly walks away from his fallen friend with some glances back and raises his hand to close the night. A definite main event caliber match to finish off a feud, O’Reilly really steps out of Cole’s shadow in this match as we found newer unique spots with a chain and the ramp itself. The post-match felt like O’Reilly wasn’t sure when his cue was but we can allow it what with the war he went through

Conclusion Overall it was another solid night, I think both nights were pretty on par with each other really. I think I’m only really miffed a little by the NA title scene and a few abrupt endings in Night 1 but Night 2 never overstayed its welcome, it was perhaps a little more predictable but NXT has never shied away from telling you who the ‘right person’ to win is in its builds. What’s next for NXT is Tuesday Nights but what’s next for WWE is Wrestlemania, the Black and Gold has set the bar, can the flailing Main Roster rise to it though?