#((OwO what's this? a new tag? and it's an au?

[katsukiizmoon]

Fanfiction Writing / Reading

Hi everyone, I wanted to make a little post on general fanfiction writing and reading etiquette etc for everyone. For reference I've been writing fanfiction since I was 12, I'm now nearing 23 and I've been on tumblr since 2013. There's links to resources for those that would like them.

-> GENERAL ADVICE

Color Coding Dialogue On Tumblr: While using color can create visual contrast in things like titles or description, using it to color code dialogue can cause problems for those who are neurodivergent or vision impaired. For instance, I have trouble reading things where the dialogue for one character is bright in color. This means I miss out and can't read and support many new writers.

Showing support for your writers: I don't think demanding reblogs is an appropriate response. However, as someone who has been here for a long time, it's important. You can show your support by commenting, liking, reblogging (and reblogging with tags gives brownie points). Generally : liking will be lost in a sea of likes over time making it harder for you to find that fic again but shows you thought it was good, reblogging shows you enjoyed the fic enough to share it with those on your blog (you can even have a side blog dedicated to fics) and would like to find it again, reblogging with tags or comments says that you enjoyed it enough to share it, push it higher in the tags and that you had thoughts. This helps motivate writers ! Feel free to send them an anonymous ask if you're shy, expressing that you really enjoyed their work.

Use of italics and bold in works: Italics and bold should be used to indicate stressing or importance of certain words. EX: "no you did it!" vs "no you did it" ! You don't need to italic entire dialogue unless it's in certain situations (flashbacks, memories, whispers, etc)

Plotting & Timing: Plot and timing can be a really useful tool! Understanding what your characters are doing and having the plot move smoothly is important when writing. It prevents gaps and promotes interest. Even some of my works move a little too fast, and it can sometimes cause confusion.

READ, READ, READ: Reading is probably the fastest way to increase and broaden your horizons as an author. It allows you to gain a larger vocabularic range and new metaphors. And it helps you find what could be plot holes and more.

SMUT ; Cum Timing: I've written this before, it can happen but it's unlikely. I'll make a whole post dedicated to.. smut. But for now. Here's some other scenarios and miscellaneous notes: -> bottom cums really early on, then the top cums later -> top cums extremely early on, proceeds with oral on bottom -> top can't get it up (this happens a bit with drugs involved) for a while and gives pleasure to bottom, then stops and gives up on an orgasm

Those are a few of my main, overall tips but I'm going to link you to a bunch of resources, too. I understand more than anyone what it's like being new to this. But one of the biggest pieces advice I'm going to give you is:

Allow your writing to be objectively "bad" at first. It always comes with practice. My first fanfictions I used "~" like it was a goddamn period. It's okay.

-> RESOURCES

"writing resources : words are hard"

"describing feelings, emotions, and tone"

"au prompt list"

"how to write medieval smut"

"starting a new paragraph"

"writing resources: world building"

"writing fight scenes"

"ways to further develop main characters"

There are tons of writing blogs on tumblr. You can send them an ask anonymously if you have any questions and they may respond with some good resources. Being a little more on the accurate side, even if you accidentally fuck up a bit, gives you brownie points a LOT.

Have a nice day OwO !

[transingthoseformers]

So remember that TFA MegOP where everyone gets abducted and becomes gladiators instead of crashing on Earth with Splendid (Sari) being born there and Prowl having a side plot on Cybertron that eventually ends with him and Deadlock/Drift going in search of everybody and the idea ended with them all starting a rebellion in the middle of Quintessa (Planet) before Optimus and Company run off woth the Decepticons?

Well I have been working on it and it might have gotten a bit larger than intended because researching gladiators lead to researching Ancient Rome Empire and Republic and it may have turned into a maybe trilogy because I got too into worldbuilding for the Autobots and Decepticons.

I've got like a third of it done, so it's pretty good so far. And I can't wait to do the sequel because it is in the Decepticon Empire with politics and Tarn and Optimus as Megatron's new consort.

OWO? Yes?

That sounds so cool! What did we call this au again, for tagging reasons?

Like

Ooooo???

[salty-an-disco]

feel free to use this ask to talk about hero?? or contrarian or per chance both :? mayhaps about their hobbies?

*bounces excitedly*

(this is in the context of a general post-leaving the construct AU where the world is relatively modern)

I feel like Hero would get into carving. He really likes the movement of knife to wood, finds it relaxing, and likes getting to see a simple piece of wood slowly transform into a recognizable shape. Maybe not all that recognizable, at first, but he’s still getting the joy of creation! I think he’d especially enjoy carving all kinds of animals. He never saw any animals before, and now not only does he get to see them, he can try to replicate their shape! (I specifically made him take a carving knife in that crows cabin on my fic cuz of that; he took it for Hunted, at first, but Hunted will let him keep it after seeing how much he enjoys carving)

Contrarian would try out all kinds of things once outside, that’s for sure. They’d go bowling, try rollerblading, juggling, magic tricks, and just all kinds of stunts just to see what it’s like (Cold often tags along too, those two are a dynamic duo to me). As for what sticks, though, I think they’d really take to spray painting and performative dancing. I also hc them as really athletic and flexible, despite not having much in terms of physical strength, so I can also seem them taking gymnastics classes then dropping it once they get bored and trying something else.

As for both you say? OwO

Hero frequently goes along with whatever Contrarian’s into atm (it gives him a chance to try new things, and more time with Contrarian! win-win!), and even ends up taking to some of the things they try. I can see him really enjoying bowling too, actually. And everytime Contrarian sees some animal-themed object (mugs, toys, other wooden carvings, etc) he takes a photo to send it/show it to Hero. Hero has a whole collection of animal-themed mugs that are all a gift from Contra. Contra also keeps all of Hero’s carvings on a display shelf; Hero asked them to at least pu away his very first ones, but Contrarian insists it’s important for an artist to display all their stepping stones with pride (also, it kinda looks like a penis, and they find that hilarious).

[ponyponyponyyy]

WELCOME 2 MY HORSE BLOG!!!!!!!

this is where im keeping my magic system au cos ive had it in my brain since highschool & its about time i showed it off alongside my regular horsie art lol

the au is a rework/accumulation of all the bits of mlp that r shared between the generations & will include ponies places & ideas from other gens as i learn about them lol(finding the older shows that arent gen3 is proving 2 be a pain lol im prolly just not looking hard enough) as well as my own headcanons on top of gen4(thats the gen im using as a base)

TAG LIST:

#owo whats this <- the art tag

#whiteboy yammering <- the textpost tag

#magic system au <- the au tag

#horsieposting <- the oc tag(each respective horsie will be tagged w their name too)

ill update the tag list as i make new tags👍

ASK BOX IS OPEN BTW

[goth-automaton]

Fake fic tag, how about dabihawks and "Flown too close to the Sun"? Owo

Ah, mythology references my beloved. 💜

So, it's an university AU! The boys are in the same ancient history class and Hawks is struggling with mythology assignment. He asks Dabi – the very quiet student with mysterious burn scars – for help, 'cause he's noticed, that Dabi is very passionate about the class. Reluctantly, Dabi agrees. They spend a lot of time together and Dabi helps Hawks write an excellent assignment about Icarus. After Hawks hands it in (and gets a very high grade), they still keep hanging out together and, with time, become friends and then boyfriends.

At one point, Hawks asks Dabi about the scars. It's revealed, that Dabi used to be in a mafia. He would have a rivalry with a fellow member, Kai Chisaki – they tried to climb in the ranks and become the boss' right hand. To prove themselves, they both took a very dangerous mission... Which, as expected, went out of hand, mainly due to them both both being a daring idiots, and ended in an explosion (don't ask me, what the mission was exactly about, I have no idea. Maybe some assassination). Kai got killed, Dabi barely managed to escape, but got horrible burns as a result. After that he realised, that he'd be completely fucked, if the boss learnt about it, so he used the opportunity to fake his own death, flee to the other side of the country and start a new life.

Dabi is scared, that Hawks will hate him now, that he knows about his past. However, Hawks doesn't give a fuck – he loves his boyfriend too much for that. And so, they continue their studies, graduate together, get married and have kids. The end.

Thank you! 💜

Fake fic ask game.

[cheemken]

So like, Villain Diantha AU

Where were we again? I honestly don’t remember much from it. But I remembered about it and wanted to talk about the AU

You got anything you want to add to it? Anything you want to change about the plot?

But all I remember is Iris and Hau being manipulated by Diantha, and Cynthia, Lance, and Geeta being simps for her

I would to ngl

Not me mistaking this for the villain champions au bc I remember like the last bit of it was Diantha making Iris her successor as Kalos' Champion so imagine how confused I was going through the Villain Dia au tag and the last three posts were me simping abt her, an anon asking what would happen if Sycamore dies, and Dia manipulating Hau on killing Hala so like😭🤣

But yeah technically the last bit of it was Dia being proud Hau was becoming more of a "true Champion" by killing Hala hahaha

And now that you said it I do wanna change some bits of it y'know, there's just smth abt cunning and really secretive villain Diantha where people still believes she's a really good person (yeah this is abt my post abt villain Dia having the same vibes as Alt Gabriel lmao)

That'd be cool tho I've been thinking abt it bc villain Dia is just sooooo,,,, ough™ y'know, damn man imagine if we really got villain Dia from the start😭

Like imagine her playing the part of a Champion so goddamn well no one even suspects her of anything

Idk what Dia's motives are here na, or maybe she's just built diff hahaha like y'know what if she really just has a god complex, she's suffered enough, and now she's hailed as an angel, it got to her head, but ofc she knows all the things she worked hard for would just crumble before her if she forest the people to worship her, instead she just watches from the shadows, still acting like Kalos' beloved angel, slowly manipulating the people into relying on her and trusting only her

It's just chdnbdnd yknow, that she still has eyes and ears everywhere, that she'd know who'd start to doubt her, and if she finds out well,, ofc her informants can handle that task of taking the doubter out. Who needs people like them, right? And if news goes out that someone died, well, maybe it really was just their time, there were no traces of foul play anywhere anyways.

W the champions, y'know i wanna say she does know who likes her romantically like w Lance and Cynthia, and ofc her dearest Geeta, her childhood friend, how clueless she was of Dia's true nature. And ofc, playing the part of the angelic champion well, being everyone's shoulder to lean on, they can trust her, they can trust her w anything

God can you imagine if one of the champions did go against her tho, imagine her blackmailing them lmfao

But also Dia being so manipulative to the kids and even to Lance, Geeta, and Cyn, keeping them close to her, also manipulation runs especially deep w Geeta bc I've been thinking abt these two for a while owo

Your honour let me be self indulgent again by saying Diantha has Geeta wrapped around her slender fingers. Can you imagine how cool that'd be bcmdnd Diantha wrapping her arms around Geeta's neck, pulling her close to her, whispering in her ear how much she loves her, and how good she was for always telling Diantha everything that happens during the meetings when she's not around, that Geeta is so so loyal to her, that since childhood Geeta's been there, and ofc Geeta just caves in, that's her angel your honour, and that only fed Diantha's want to be called a god

Your honour they make me so ill chmdnd

Anyways hahaha idk I think it'd be cool if Dia's the type of villain that won't do any flashy thing, rather she's there for blackmail hahah and y'know, psychological torment ouo

[safespaceshapes]

OC Tag Game!

Tagged by @voidendron! (Thankee :0c)

Uhhhh I... don't know anyone else to tag?? So whoever spots this and wants to do it, consider this your unofficial tag! :3c

I have so many OC AUs and not a single consistent one sssooooo,,,, you may see some familiar faces in different environments owo

NOTE: These lil critters are *my* personal OCs, I'm not sure why I developed an aversion to FCs, so what may technically have been my Oldest OC will not be as such on this list.

I think this means Mumble won't make it... I should make a whole new list for FCs :'>

Aneeways--

Let's-a go!

Favorite OC: Dare

This was a HELLA toughie run between Dare and Burrow, but ultimately, I fantasize about Dare the most. She's got a pretty conflicting moral compass and is always at odds with herself and the world. Plus, it's super fun to imagine her in different scenarios!

Newest OC: Syrup/Nightshade

Syrup's relatively new! She's a catfolk with a knack for taming wild animals. Her story's still all over the place, kind of, but it's being worked on! Mainly fantastical.

Oldest OC: Princess Acacia

What I believe to be my first ever actual OC, Princess Acacia -- daughter of Betula, Queen of the Charmed -- came to be when I was contemplating on a sort of prince and princess swap plotline. Still heavily under works, but when do I never have anything under works? :'>

Meanest OC: Glowstrike

A mysterious villain hidden behind a visor and under a mechanical suit. Sleek, strong, and powerful. Nobody but those that trained and molded them know their true identity.

They've done awful things, but heroes have noticed they've been... holding back? Something's off.

Softest OC: Black Rosen

This boy just wants to try and make the most of his situation involving demons in his suspiciously-cheap-yet-proved-why home. He's non-confrontational in the slightest, looks like a sleep-deprived vampire, but is an absolute sweetheart that cherishes his suspiciously-smart cat and will take in any strays he finds in need of help.

Most Aloof/Standoffish OC: Syrup/Nightshade

During the day, she's Syrup: A young catfolk with no family to call hers. During the night, she's Nightshade: A vigilante-type character with no mercy. She's currently working day and night to find a certain someone. She doesn't trust anyone save for her loyal companions.

Dumbest (Affectionate) OC: Jackie Vera-Alvin

It's gotta be Jackie in any universe. She's just a girl who wants to make friends and sees past the obvious red flags that scream "Stranger Danger! WILL most likely gut you!"

Somehow, things still work out in the end. 🤔

Smartest OC: Coy Paxton

In a world full of superhumans, those that have no superpowers to call their own would mostly live in the support roles. Some end up working office roles, others genuinely enjoy the coziness of local business-owning. Coy, however, began working on his own inventions that could mimic the more 'iconic' powers: flight, invisibility, and speed. (Super strength is a WIP right now). His knack for technology actually got him into the city's hero academy!... But some say it's to keep a closer eye on him...

Horniest OC: Uuuhhhhh

OC You'd Bang: UUUUHHHHH

OC You'd Be Friends With IRL: Kolin/Pup

He's just a timid lil guy!! But such a sweetheart!! Just wants to prove himself!! Plus I remember (cringe) when I was but a smol I wanted to be a shapeshifter as well. Pup's eager to help and while it may take some coaxing to get out of his shell, he's a nice guy you can relax and joke around with!

[mdhwrites]

I think Dana explained the betas though, it was the characters in a much different, heavier and darker story, that probably would have leaned more into the idea of witches and… well hell. Since Hieronymus Bosch drew lots of purgatory images. But you cant really do that for Disney. Plus to be fair, you’re meant to be able to throw ideas at a wall (even if they are very unlikely to work) for concept art and then be willing to immediately dump stuff and try new ideas without getting attached.

 Side note, while the big selling point for the Betas is that they are edgy or can be used to explore darker subjects, people sometimes just make them borderline evil, or just… actual evil, did you know its very easy to find beta fics tagged with non con and/or underage? Yea. They make Willow actively hateful and sadistic or make the Lumity ship a copy paste of Catradora, aka have them beat the life out of each other but then say uwu owo its not toxic, they love each other.

(seriously i cannot take ship discourse in fandoms seriously, they'll say one ship is toxic or problematic and turn around and ship the same thing but worse.)

For the first point... You're absolutely right. I should not judge for someone exploring different possibilities in concept art because I have no idea when in production that art was made or what the idea for the show was at the time. A LOT of things go through a half a dozen rewrites before the public ever sees them. Frozen apparently came down to the wire for its final plot and it's a miracle we got what we did at all. And even then, I think that movie is still a bit of a mess at times.

Also, fun fact, I have considered an Owl House AU where Luz went to hell instead. In that, Eda would be a demon looking for redemption and her only real ally, but also the only one trying to be real with her so Luz keeps thinking the demons who want to manipulate her are the ones to trust. Amity would have also been an angel undercover and supposed to be giving reports to god about the comatose child who's soul went to hell for some reason when the worst she deserves is Limbo. I could do a concept pitch blog for it but *shrug*

So I think it's personally wrong to conflate canon material with fan material and what is being criticized. Fanworks and the like are one of the safest places to explore different topics or express pain and the like you've had. It also only commonly has one or two eyes on it to say something might be toxic while media on tv usually has a few dozen and the fact that no one catches the red flags is... questionable. Especially why those red flags exist.

(As a note: I can't weigh in on if Catradora is toxic or not because I have watched only one episode of that show. Not even the first. I really ought to though since it seems up my alley.)

WITH THAT SAID, fanfiction authors aren't exactly going to always be respectful about such topics and the like and it took the majority of a year for anyone to tell me people used the Betas for more than murderous, drug addicted psycopaths. Even those people praised a story for having the two get into random fist fights with strangers in a Denny's parking lot so... Yeah. I'm not going to say the characterization of the Betas in the fandom is the best, or their use for that matter.

With all that said, I feel like the nicer Amity has become, and the more the two have come closer and closer to their Beta designs, the less I see of the Betas. Even now, I see lot less blood smears and sadistic grins and a lot more "It's just a normal Lumity picture except a different design." These aren't criticisms really but more just me ruminating on the fact that I think the fandom lost a lot of people who liked the edgier possibilities because of how poorly the show handled its own edge.

As for me as a content creator, have I ever considered using the Betas? I mean, I have for a one off or two, notably a one off where Luz is a dragon and Amity the willing sacrifice to her, but a one off can be hard to capture anything really interesting about them. I'd say I've only had one idea where I maybe wanted to use the Betas and that idea is a Noir Mystery? (It's complicated) story where Amity is a brothel owner in part to make her mom mad, Boscha is both bouncer and stripper for said brothel and dating Amity and Luz is a detective but not super gritty or the like. More Columbo (from what I hear, haven't seen it myself) than normal pulpy fiction Noir types. Also her detective style would lean a lot more into reading people and connections than forensics.

Another story I could do a concept pitch blog for since god only knows when or if I'll ever get to it. That idea is WAY more fleshed out than the going to hell one though.

But yeah, the betas are fine in my opinion to exist and mostly fine in how the fandom uses them because... I mean, if you don't like what they're being used for, just don't consume it. It's not necessary AT ALL to be a part of the fandom and I think a lot of fandoms really need to learn to chill about content creators creating content they don't like.

I don't think people realize the sorts of spaces they're creating within their own fandom because of that or the damage to their show's popularity either. It's a complicated topic and one I've had to give a lot of thought as, well... Ex-erotica writer, remember? And I've still done one erotic story for TOH too, even if it's aged up.

[ao3feed-nalu]

All That Glitters is Not Gold

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/1tdoQ73

by Its_Icecream_BB

After transferring to a public school, Lucky Lucy tries to find a way to fit into her new life. Unfortunately for her, the Lucky part in her nick name is beaten with a stick and tossed into a dumpster, just like her book bag. It was only a misunderstanding, but now the entire school practically pushes her around in an attempt to knock her down a peg. Being mislabeled as a bully in the beginning of the school year was not at all what she had in mind when starting a new life. But for some reason, she actually..kind of..likes it? Why? What will it take to get people to realize she never lied to begin with? And will it be to late before people realize the truth?

School AU where magic still exist and the world functions pretty similarly to canon.

My take on the ' the guild hates lucy! owo so sad-' NOT a Lisanna bashing story. I honestly hate those with a passion. May be a lil ooc but will try my very best to keep the characters close to canon!

Words: 4922, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Fairy Tail

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Characters: Lucy Heartfilia, Natsu Dragneel, Levy McGarden, Lisanna Strauss, Gajeel Redfox, Happy (Fairy Tail), Virgo (Fairy Tail), Erza Scarlet, Gray Fullbuster, Loke (Fairy Tail), Cana Alberona, Juvia Lockser, Droy (Fairy Tail), Jet (Fairy Tail), Vijeeter Ecor

Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia, Levy McGarden/Gajeel Redfox

Additional Tags: I cant name every character cus that would take to long, Minor Injuries, Minor Character Death, Grief/Mourning, Sick Character, Misunderstandings, like holy shit plot practically built on a misunderstanding, Bullying, nothing too severe, Slow Burn, Friendship, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Original Character(s), Alternate Universe - School, Magic, it still exist, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Lucy Heartfilia-centric, Poor Lucy, BAMF Lucy Heartfilia, Not Beta Read, We Die Like Men, Isolation, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/1tdoQ73

[ashkazora]

I thought about mha/mp100 crossover and 1) Body Improvement Club would have loved Izuku, like no matter the universe they appreciate kind people who work hard and Izuku works the hardest. 2) Reigan the rat bastard that he is would absolutely con his way into getting a hero license WHILE being quirkless or having weak quirk. I believe in him and I believe in his ability to bullshit his way into any godforsaken fucked mess

OKAY ANON YOU'VE GOT ME THINKING Reigen is a bastard little man who's quirkless but either a) lies and says he has a 'quirk' but gives an explanation so long, convoluted, and confusing that no one really knows what it is therefore gets away with it, or b) bullshits and exploits every little loophole in laws to get his grubby little paws on a hero licence. In such a flawed society Reigen truly thrives in chaos and being a disaster of a human being while somehow becoming a hero. And y'know what? We stan him for that.

Maybe in this AU, Mob is a late bloomer who goes to Reigen for help with his insanely powerful quirk as Reigen's 'quirk' is known to be confusing and overly complicated. Thus starts a disaster of a duo.

And the first point? You are so goddamn right. The Body Improvement Club is peak inclusive, no matter who comes to them. So when Izuku, a scrawny, weak, quirkless kid comes to them and asks for help improving his fitness? Instant comradeship. Now I kinda want to draw this LMAO.

[ask-dnd-sides]

New Game <Select>

Continue

Quit

-

A gentle breeze blows through the trees of the forest. The tips of the trees swaying like the ocean from up above. Above the trees there is a solitary half moon among a sea of vibrant stars that bedazzle the sky. Below the vast expanse of the sky there is a break in the trees as a path makes it’s way through the slightly misty and ominous woods.

The woods are almost silent save for the sound of wind and the various subtle sounds of nocturnal creatures skulking around. Bird song has ended hours ago and is a long ways away from beginning again to start the new day.

The smell of the woods is strong, the smell of wood, of the breeze carrying a hint the scent of a civilization just beyond the trees nearby. Everything feels exactly as a forest should be... but....

The forest is mostly silent until...

Clop. Clop. Clop. Clop. Clop.

Off in the distance is heard the far off pounding of hoofs layered to almost unintelligibility. It is not for another minute or two that the source of the noise finally comes into sight. 

A covered wagon comes around the bend in the path through the trees, pulled by a team of two horses, plodding along at a steady pace. The driver is able to be made out at a distance, but blends in with the night as they appear to be wearing pure black.

As the wagon is coming into view, from the opposite direction is heard a far off rustling. But nothing is visible initially from that direction except for fast movements far, far off. 

Seeming to sense this, the driver pulls back on the reins to pull the horses into a slower pace. Their cloak is now distinct as the wagon slows. It is pure black as some may use for stealth at night. 

However, something that betrays the image of stealth the cloak is seemingly meant for are the bright yellow gloves of the figure gripping the reins. They look out at the night, searching for something in the forest from where the rustling was heard.

They turn to look into the covered wagon and say something that is not made out, turning back quickly to again search the forest to see if there’s an ambush around the bend.. 

And then the light of a torch is seen. And then another. And then another. 

They are moving fast as they flicker in and out of sight behind the trees.

And they are moving towards the wagon.

It seems the inhabitants are going to be in a very sticky situation very soon.

-

The start of..... something..... truly intriguing.

Whisper into listening ears your questions and thoughts.

Game Start!

Next

Available to ask: ???Yellow Gloves???

[silverleaf-muses]

"Hmm... I wonder if you can tell the difference between this sap and blood..."

"Like there's the obvious taste and stench, but say you were to plunge an axe into someone's head atop one of these stumps, would you actually be able to see a difference between the sap and the blood?"

"...I gotta tell Anna about this!"

Pterocarpus Angolensis is a tree native to South Africa. It’s also commonly known as the bloodwood tree due to the fact that when it’s chopped or damaged, a deep red sap which looks eerily similar to blood, seeps from the tree. In fact, the purpose of the sap is to coagulate and seal the wound to promote healing, much like blood.

[versadies]

CHAPTER TWELVE || MARJORIE

SYPNOSIS (of chapter). in which you and diluc spend the rest of your night together in the streets of mondstadt after the reception.

SYPNOSIS (of series). breaking up with your first love was heartbreaking, but not as heartbreaking as getting invited to his wedding after years of not seeing him. that is, until things seem to be easier when you encounter a certain guest, who could end up being more than just a blooming friend to you.

CHARACTERS. kamisato ayato and diluc ragnvindr (w/ gn!reader)

CONTENT. fluff, modern au, cheesy, no pain just pure fluff, ooc!diluc (?), not properly proof-read, no tw as far as ik :))

PENPALS. @scaraslover @saving-for-xiao @dawgimsohot @kazu-topia @chiruru @aqualesha @renamichii @mrkamisato @shenhesl0ver @serami00 @serenareiss @hiqhkey @emperatris-rinaka @bystander36 @irisxiel @ladycoleigh @034ven @dear-dairiess @owozi8 @hadesaedes @chiro-chiro-kun @hersscherofyatta @mariusvonhangme @yuzuricebun @hoshikistarlette @solaaresque @crowbird @lordbugs @flowersforayato @headintheclouddd @estelwrld @giyusimpsassemble @irethepotatosblog @moonlightaangel @alice0blog @shotosbrainrot @sniffoat @chihawari @mxsomn @kuni-kuzushii @jiminscarmex @mitsukii14 @nejibot @ylimeprive @sachispet @loreleis-world @sn-owo @starforecasts @someonetookmynamelmao @ceylestia @koshiisu @ymikkos @reallysporadicarcade @elychee @rion-s @denkineptune @franini @sophisticatedleslie @thedivinepriestress @smashsubs @httpmitsuya @bl6o6dy @cottonkendi (please visit this post if you'd like to be tagged!)

WORD COUNT. 4.3k words

LINKS. EVERMORE MASTERLIST \ MAIN MASTERLIST \ EVERMORE SURVEY

POST SCRIPT. feel free to check my notes for any clarifications from certain sentences that has (1), (2), etc.. :DDD

PREVIOUS || NEXT

It was at this night when Diluc realizes you’re one unpredictable person. 

When he suggested to go and explore more around Mondstadt after the reception party, he never thought you’d ask if he’s going to go with you. Of course, he accepted seeing how he has no other things to do tonight, much to your delight. 

Hence how you find yourselves walking out of the hotel together, the bouquet that somehow managed to land on you is now in the hands of Zhongli, who’s willing to bring it up in the room as he bids you farewell and a safe trip. 

To his relief, the both of you agreed to come explore around a certain area of the city that’s quiet. The last thing he needs is people being curious and spreading news of why the wine tycoon’s with a “mysterious stranger” who’s just a friend to him.

The whole time throughout the stroll, the two of you were chatting about what you’d want for your weddings thanks to how you’re supposedly the next person to get married because of the bouquet of flowers(1). 

Diluc honestly never thought he’d ever have a comfortable conversation with someone about what they want with weddings until now – if anything, your conversations with him brought him the simplest things he didn’t even know about himself. 

“If you’d have to choose your cake for your wedding, what flavor would it have?” You ask. 

“...Anything, I suppose. It all depends on what makes my spouse satisfied, really.” He answers. “But if they’d ask what I want if they can’t decide, I suppose chocolate flavored doesn’t sound bad.” 

Before you could enter your own opinion about your question, you perk up at the sound of someone playing a violin somewhere near the area around you. People can still street perform at this hour? (2)

“It seems there are still street performers at night.” Diluc commented, looking around to look for the source of the music. “Would you like to see one?” 

Your eyes brighten. “I don’t see why not.” 

The both of you then look for the performer, relying on the sound to find your destination. It wasn’t really difficult nor did it take you long, it was only a few minutes of walking and turning directions while you grin in excitement when you two finally found the person behind the music. There were a few people around him –  his audience – who all happily listened to the beautiful sounds of the violin playing. 

You and Diluc decided to stand idly by and watch from a spot that’s near where everyone is, it’s enough to be far from those watching but near enough to see the performer and hear the music more. The performer is effortlessly playing the violin that’s in sync with the speaker behind him that’s playing out the piano. 

You can’t help but sway left and right a little, something that did not go unnoticed by your companion, who can’t help but watch in adoration and amusement. 

He immediately looks away from your direction as soon as you turn your head to the side to look at him. “Do you play any instrument?” You asked suddenly, your tone hushed but curious. 

Diluc glances at your way before looking back at the performer, trying to act natural. “...Yes. I play the violin as well.” 

You felt taken back by surprise. “Really? Do you play on a daily basis?” 

He shakes his head. “I don’t use it as a hobby, I just know how to play it because of the lessons I took when I was a kid.”

“Would you play it if someone requests you to?” You ask. 

“Depends on who it is.” He responds, crossing his arms. 

“What if it’s me?” 

“That’s debatable.” 

“Is that a yes or no?”

“What do you think?”  

“...Yes?” 

Diluc can’t help but chuckle at that. “...I’ll think about it.”

You cheered. “That’s the spirit.” 

After a few minutes, the performance finally ends. You and Diluc decide to come up to the performer and place a few mora on the violin case that seems to be piled up with other mora given by the audience, who are giving him an applause.

“Thank you Mx. and Mister. May the wind lead you.” The performer spoke up gratefully, not recognizing Diluc much to your relief. 

You and Diluc nodded in acknowledgement. “Likewise. Your performance is beautiful, Mister.” You replied happily before walking away with your companion. 

In just a few moments, another song starts playing, this time it’s more of a romantic one as the performer glances at where you and Diluc left off.

“Ah, that was a nice performance, isn’t it?” You comment happily, continuing your stroll around the quiet streets. 

“It is.” Diluc hums, hiding his small smile from the amusing image of you swaying while watching the performance.

“Where should we go next?” You wondered, looking around your surroundings in hopes of finding something that catches your eye. “Do you have any place to go in mind?” 

The man thinks about it for a moment. “We could visit the Market District. They sell foods and items that I think you’d like.” He suggests. 

You didn’t give it any thought, agreeing to his suggestion straight away. “Let’s go there then! I think a cute souvenir to bring home sounds nice.” 

“Let’s go then.” 

And so you’re off to your next destination. 

Unlike how you found the street performer, it took you and Diluc quite a while to get to the Market District until you arrived at last after a couple of turns. When you arrive, you’re met with the sight of the area that’s filled with shops, food booths and people walking around, who didn’t notice the fact that Diluc Ragnvindr himself is among them.

The aroma of foods being cooked and served instantly hits your nose, and you could almost feel your mouth watering at the thought of getting your hands on those delicious snacks. 

“Shall we?” Diluc spoke up, causing you to look at him. 

“We shall!” You replied enthusiastically before dragging your companion towards the bustling streets.

The both of you look at each shop and food booths you pass by, not noticing how close you two are due to the crowd around you. 

You then stop when you see the sight of keychains displayed that have flowers, birds, wine bottles, and everything that represents Mondstadt as designs. Bingo! 

“Do you want to get one?” Diluc suddenly asks, pointing at the booth that sells the said keychains. 

You nodded in response. “Yes. I can use that for my bag.” 

“Let’s go then before it closes.” 

As you and Diluc walk towards the booth, the person selling the items quickly notices you both and waves at you. “Ah, welcome, welcome, Mx. and Mister! You made a good choice coming here to buy my products! Which one catches your eye?” She chirped. 

You look at each keychain that’s displayed in front of you until you notice a keychain that resembles Mondstadt’s beautiful Anemo symbol.

You pointed at the keychain. “I’d like to buy that one please.” 

The woman looks at where you’re pointing, letting out an “ah” before grabbing it. “Good choice, Mx! We hope you show the symbol of this land off with pride and happiness.”

“I certainly will.” 

“And how about you, Mister? Would you like to purchase a keychain as well?”

Diluc shakes his head in response. “No need, I’m just here to keep them company.” 

The woman nodded, walking towards her cashier as she brought out a paper bag. “You can just give me your payment and you’re good to go. That will be 1000 mora please.”

You then give her your payment as the woman hands you off the package that has the keychain inside, bidding you goodbye the moment you and Diluc walk away.

Throughout the walk, you and Diluc saw a lot of things and tried out almost everything. Be it the sunglasses booth whereas you try to find a good sunglasses that matches Diluc – only to find yourself making him put on a huge star glasses that made you laugh so much from how he looked so serious, the perfume booth where you tried out some perfumes with your companion, and mostly food booths where you ate snacks that originated from Mondstadt, Inazuma, and some other regions. 

The one that’s memorable for you is certainly when you and Diluc encountered a photo booth, causing you to persuade your friend into taking pictures together to have at least something that has a reminder of this night. To your delight, he accepted it. 

You two then proceeded to enter the booth, settling on your seats and preparing for the camera to shoot you. 

“Alright, ready?” You ask as Diluc fixes his clothing.

“Yes.” He responds. 

“Okay, I’ll press the button then!” Without another pause, you instantly pressed the button at the bottom of the screen that shows you and Diluc, causing a 10 second countdown to begin. “Since the photos are only five, we could do two casual pictures and three poses?” 

“Sounds alright to me.” 

After a few minutes, you walked out from the photobooth with Diluc, excited to see the pictures that’ll come out from the booth. When you did, you were satisfied with it. 

In all honesty, it was you who did most of the poses and facial expressions. Diluc was either having a blank face, a confused look on his face, and hilariously: a thumbs-up as a response to your hand that’s making a half heart, and a half-heart as a response to your hand that’s making a peace sign, something that made you laugh endlessly the moment the pictures were processed outside. 

He’ll admit, it was funny to see the last two pictures, but what made him almost laugh was how infectious your laughter is. Anyone who’d look at your direction would be able to notice how his shoulders are shaking due to him holding his laughter.

As soon as your laughter dies, the two of you then go to the last stop, which is a food stall that’s selling the infamous chicken-mushroom skewers, causing you to tap Diluc’s arm and gesture him to the food stall eagerly the moment you see the booth. 

The red-haired man looks at where you’re pointing at and agrees to go there, causing you to drag him to the stall much to his surprise.

“Welcome, Mx. and Mister! What would you two like for this fine evening?” The vendor greeted you with a smile. 

“Two chicken-mushroom skewers, please.” Diluc responds, a bit breathless from you rushing towards the food booth while dragging him.

As your orders are being cooked, you two wait beside the booth and continue your conversation. 

“Are you having fun?” He asks. 

You nodded happily. “Yeah, I enjoy our time here. It was a good idea for us to come and stroll around the city after the reception, thanks for keeping me company.” 

“It’s no problem. I’m happy I was able to take you around Mondstadt.” He responds, his lips twitching upwards. “If you’d like, I could take you to the Plaza Park that’s somewhere near the Market District. Not a lot of people visit there at this hour as far as I know.”

“I’d be delighted! We can go there once we get the skewers if that’s alright with you.” 

“Of course.” 

As if on cue, the vendor is finished with your orders at last, handing it out to you both. 

“If I may, I can’t help but want to comment about how you two are one wonderful couple! You certainly remind me of my youthful days with my dear wife.” The vendor explains honestly with a laugh, causing you and Diluc to feel flustered. 

“O-Oh you got it all wrong, Mister! We’re not a couple.” You clarified with an embarrassed laugh. 

The vendor stops laughing, looking shocked. “Oh, my bad! I apologize – I assumed you were together that way..” He said in embarrassment. 

“It’s alright, here’s your payment for the food, Mister.” Diluc said, giving the mora to the vendor.

“Oh you didn’t have to pay for my food too, Diluc! I could always pay on my own.” You spoke. 

“I insist. It’s on me.” Diluc reassures you. “Shall we go then?” 

Reluctantly, you agreed, causing the two of you to start walking towards the nearest street that can lead you to the park. “Alright, if you insist.” 

As soon as you and Diluc are out of the vendor’s sight, the vendor can’t help but sigh. “What a shame, they look like they’d be a wonderful couple.” He commented to himself.

The two of you spend the entire journey towards the park eating your chicken-mushroom skewers, making sure to stick together to not get lost from the crowd. It doesn't take long before you’re finally out of the place and see the park that’s not too far away from where you and Diluc exited from.

When you arrive at the park, you’re already finished with your snack. 

“Ah, I’m so full.” You comment, throwing the stick to the trash bin that’s beside the entrance with Diluc following. “What’s the park like?” 

“It’s quiet and peaceful. Usually I’d come to visit whenever I encountered it. They have a good view of the stars above.” Diluc answers, causing you to look up at the sky when he mentions the stars, only to be in awe at the lovely sight of the night sky above you two. 

“The stars are beautiful tonight.” You spoke. “Usually I only look at it when I want to stargaze or wish for something.” 

“Oh? What kind of wish is it?” 

You smile sheepishly. “It’s kind of embarrassing and super cheesy…” You comment shyly. 

“Try me.” Diluc said, now curious. 

Hesitantly, you gave in. “Fine, I usually just wish for my dreams to come true.” 

“Don’t worry about it being embarrassing and cheesy, everyone does that.” He reassures you. 

You raise an eyebrow with a teasing smile. “Even you?” 

He clears his throat, turning away. “...I suppose.” 

“What do you dream about then?” 

Diluc thinks about it for a while before he answers, “I dream of.. feeling home again.” 

Your eyes widen a bit. You expected his dream to be somewhat related to his business – or even love – but not this. “What do you mean by that?” You ask.

“...The place I live in is anything but home.” He answers honestly. “I’m only living there because it’s one of the only things I have left that belongs to my father. It just feels… wrong for me to leave it.”  

You frowned. “Won’t your father want you to leave it?” 

“I’m not sure.” He responds with an unsure tone, looking up at the sky. “There’s a lot of things I’m not sure about my father anymore, but… maybe there’ll come a day when I decide to leave it. For now, I’m content with what I have.” 

Diluc then looks at you. “What about you? What do you dream about?” 

You think about it as well, then the memory of your conversation with Chisato’s father as well as what you found out about Ayato’s suffering from that cruel man flashes in your head, causing you to frown a bit. “I guess… I dream of the world to shine true.” 

The man raises his eyebrows upward in surprise. “What does that mean?” 

“I dream that someday, the world can be a place where evil can’t go unpunished as dawn comes and goes.” You explain, letting out a longing sigh as you look at the stars. “Isn't it sad that there are evil people who are getting away with what they’ve done?” 

Something flashes in Diluc’s eyes. “Of course..” 

You then smile, looking back at him. “Enough about that, shall we find a spot and stargaze?” 

Without a thought, he agrees willingly. “Of course.”

It took you and Diluc to find a good spot to look at the sky for only a few minutes, when you did, Diluc was kind enough to put his tuxedo jacket on the grass for you to lie down on. 

For the next hour, you spent your last destination looking at the stars, pointing out all the constellations you see all the while you talk to him more about your dreams and his, your laughter and his chuckles fills the silence of the park. 

“Ooo I see the Noctua constellation!” You point out, staring in awe at the constellation that has the shape of an owl as you lie next to each other. 

“Which one’s your favorite?” Diluc asks. 

“I’m not sure, all the ones I know of are definitely beautiful. What about you?” 

He points at where you’re pointing at. “The Noctua constellation. It reminds me of my pet bird.” 

“You have a pet bird–?!” 

“( Name )? Is that you?” 

Your conversation with Diluc is stopped abruptly when you hear a familiar voice, one who you never thought you’d see in a place such as Mondstadt, causing you to sit up and look around to find the source of the voice. 

Your eyes brighten at the sight of a familiar man. 

“Heizou!?” You exclaim, quickly standing up from the ground. “Is that you?!” 

If there’s one person you can count on when it comes to police-related matters, Heizou is your guy. The two of you go way back before high school and have always teased you whenever he has the chance, but you’d be lying if you said you didn’t like his company back when you were kids. He’s also incredibly smart, so it’s no surprise he ended up being a detective in the infamous Inazuma Police Force. 

The young man laughs in shock when he learns it’s you, immediately walking towards you. “Well consider me impressed, I never thought you’d be in Mondstadt! weren’t you working in Liyue?” He asks, wrapping his arms around you happily, causing you to laugh in response and hug him back. 

“Of course I am! I’m just taking a vacation here.” You explained, not noticing how Diluc stands up as well from the ground and watches you two with a complicated look on his face. 

“What about you? What brings you to Mondstadt?” You ask. 

“Ah well, let’s say it’s work related.” He said, scratching his head. “But enough about me, may I say how absolutely breathtaking you look? Wait, are you on a date?!” 

Suddenly, Heizou looks at where Diluc is. “Hey Mister, you better be treating ( Name ) good–”

You immediately stop the young man from talking any further by covering his mouth with your hands, flustered by his quick assumptions. What’s up with people mistaking you and Diluc as a couple?! “Oh my gosh, Heizou no! My friend Diluc and I are just spending time tonight after a reception party. We were exploring all around the street and was just stargazing.” You clarified, letting go of his hand.

“Diluc? Why does that sound familiar?” Heizou asks before looking down at his watch. “I’m sure it doesn’t matter, but I should be going now before I’m late. It’s a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Diluc, and it’s a pleasure seeing you, ( Name )!” 

“Aw, it’s a pleasure seeing you too, Heizou.” You said, giving him one last hug before seeing him off. “I’ll text you when I get back!” 

“You better! We should get out and eat sometime!”

“Only if you pay!”  

As you watch Heizou walk away until he’s out of your vision, you immediately look at where Diluc is, who’s still standing there with a blank expression on his face. 

“You alright?” You ask, coming towards your companion. “Sorry, I hope you weren’t bothered by what my cousin said.”

“...Cousin?” Diluc raises an eyebrow from that word. “Wait, he’s your cousin?” 

“...Yeah?” You raise an eyebrow as well, confused with what your friend is trying to imply. “What did you think we were?” 

He clears his throat in response, a bit embarrassed. “I thought he’s an old friend of yours, that’s why I was surprised. He’s a nice guy, I suppose.” 

“He is.” You agreed with a happy hum. “He’s a great detective. I haven’t seen him ever since I left Inazuma.” 

Your face slowly fell. “I guess… the same goes with you when I come back to Liyue. I’m not sure when I’ll ever get back here anyway.. I won’t be able to see nor talk to you at all.” You spoke, shoulders slump when you realize you won’t be seeing Diluc next week. 

The same goes with your friend, who is a bit taken back when he realizes that fact too. 

You then look down at your phone for the time and see 00:00, causing you to look at Diluc with an awkward smile. “I should come back now to the hotel, it’s already midnight and I’m sure Zhongli’s going to worry that I’m out for long.” You said, keeping your phone away. 

“I’ll come with you.” He said, getting his tuxedo jacket from the ground and shaking the grass off.

“Oh no need, I don’t want to–”

“You do know I’m still staying in the Goth Grand Hotel… right?” 

“...Oh right…” You said, feeling your cheeks warming up in embarrassment. “I-I thought you were invited to serve the drinks?” 

“Not exactly.” He responds. “I’m invited as a guest due to how the Kamisato family often collaborates with Angel’s Share in the business world, so you could say Mr. Kamisato and I are acquaintances.” 

“Didn’t you say something about being invited to the wedding and reception because they liked your drinks?” You ask, recalling the time when you manage to encounter him in Angel’s Share. (3)

“I… I didn’t mean it when I said that.” He said, a little embarrassed. “I was too focused on making drinks to uh… realize what I said until it’s too late.” 

The both of you remained silent, now embarrassed and awkward from the conversation you had.

Diluc clears his throat. “..We should get going.”

“Definitely.” 

–

By the time you arrived at your doors, the two of you were reluctant to go to your respective rooms, still having a lot more to say to each other despite spending time for literally hours together. 

“...I guess this is it.” You spoke up. “We can always chat tomorrow when we can, won’t we?” 

Diluc nodded in response. “Of course… As long as we’re free.” 

You then look at your door, but before you could reach out your hotel card to the door knob, the man behind you speaks up.

“Or… We could always message each other.” He suggests, causing you to stop yourself from unlocking your room. 

You immediately turned around. “Are you serious?” You ask with brightened eyes. “You’re really willing to give me your number?” 

“I trust that you won’t share such information with anyone, won’t you?” He said, bringing out his phone from his pocket. 

You nodded in response, bringing out your phone as well. “Your secret’s safe with me. Here’s my phone number.” 

The both of you then proceeded to exchange each other’s phone numbers willingly before bidding each other goodbye. 

“It was nice spending time with you, Diluc. I had fun the whole night.” You said, unlocking your hotel room. “See you tomorrow.” 

“Likewise, ( Name ).” Diluc responded. “Have a good night.” 

“You too!” 

As soon as you enter your room and close the door behind you, you immediately rush towards Zhongli, who’s surprisingly still awake at this hour. 

“Zhongli, Zhongli! Guess what happened with Diluc!”

Meanwhile, as soon as Diluc enters his own room and closes his door, he immediately heads towards his bed and sits on it, covering his face with his hands with a loud sigh.

He has to admit, he hadn’t had so much fun until tonight. There was never a time when he thought about going back to the hotel nor did he think about other things besides the ones you’re talking about. 

And before he knew it, his thoughts slowly drifted to you. 

He remembers the time when you swayed from left to right slowly as the performer plays with the violin and later on starts playing a romantic song as soon as the both of you had left, the time when you and him were almost touching from how crowded the Market District was which led him to be in a daze from how flustered he was, the time when you were laughing so hard at what he did in the photo booth that made him feel starstrucked at the sound that makes him want to hear it again and again, the time when he looks at you as you point out all the constellations you see at the sky as if the both of you are lying down on the softest bed you’re sharing, the time when he gained the courage to ask for your number, 

And the time when he felt jealous because of Heizou, who turned out to be just your cousin. 

Get it together, Diluc. He thought to himself strictly. You don’t deserve this. It won’t happen at all, you have no right.

Suddenly, he hears his phone vibrating in his pocket, causing him to put his hands away from his face and pulls out his phone to look at the message sent, his eyes brightening when he realizes it’s your number and quickly opens his phone. 

His lips twitched upward when he reads your message, his fingers start typing out a response and press the send button.

Diluc doesn’t know why, but he starts feeling nervous the moment he sends his message, waiting for you to reply as well. Does his message sound too cold? Did he use emoticons right? 

A minute later, you responded.

He sighs in relief that you didn’t point out anything about his message, but he feels a bit disappointed that the conversation ended so shortly. He responds to your last message with a simple one. 

With that, he turns off his phone and puts it aside, letting out yet another sigh.

If he’s nervous about how he responds to your messages, he can’t imagine how he’ll feel later when he wakes up.

PREVIOUS || NEXT

DAN'S NOTES

"...thanks to how you’re supposedly the next person to get married because of the bouquet of flowers(1)."

there's a belief that whoever catches the bride's flowers is supposedly the next person to get married or have a wedding.

"People can still street perform at this hour? (2)"

in this au, one of the things that makes mondstadt different from the rest of the regions is the fact that street performers can perform all night as long as they're far from apartments and houses, unlike the rest of the regions.

“Didn’t you say something about being invited to the wedding and reception because they liked your drinks?” You ask, recalling the time when you manage to encounter him in Angel’s Share. (3)

this was actually an oopsie of mine and forgot the fact that he was personally invited by ayato and chisato when i wrote the angel’s share scene so sorry for that ( >_< ) !!!

“but dan, who would invite a guest to their wedding and make them work?!?!?!”

obv it’d be rude to invite someone to your wedding and make them work, so chisato and ayato wouldn’t dare to do that. it was diluc himself who offered to serve drinks to other guests since he isn’t much a fan to waste time doing something such as eating and watching people play games and dance instead of doing work, so the wedding couple — tho a bit reluctantly — accepted it.

[earthnashes]

In which Pauline and Peach officially meet! owo

I’m very happy to finally release this little comic page; I’ve been trying to think of a way to introduce Pauline officially in the AU, and I think this will do nicely. uwu I’ll eventually do a dedicated post for her and her headcanon, but for now.. Some lore context! In this AU, there is an alliance between the major kingdoms called the World Convention. It's the largest standing alliance in this world's history, and is how they managed to essentially obtain world peace. Instead of wars, they settle any grievances with competitive sports and games, which is how you get events such as the Grand Prix, Brawl, Strikers, so on. They're extremely intense, but it works very well in maintaining the peace without resorting to lethal violence. When a new ruler or leader of a kingdom is made, all kingdom of the Convention is invited to the coronation. In this case, it's Peach who's having the coronation to be officially crowned queen of Mushroom Kingdom. In this instance, she's greeting and meeting all of the other rulers of the allied Kingdoms that came to her coronation (hence the fancy getup), and Pauline decides to charm the hell outta Peach. >:] Some funfacts! -Peach is indeed officially Queen of the Mushroom Kingdom. That said, she insists on being called "Princess" instead; it's her own feeble way of latching to hope that her father will recover from his illness and regain his crown as king, but things aren't looking good for the poor king. :c -Pauline may be called "Mayor" of Metro Kingdom but her role resembles something more of a president or monarch. She was voted for the role though, so there's no blood succession in that regard. In addition to that she's an extremely popular musician in her kingdom. -Despite Metro Kingdom being more of a democracy than a monarchy, it is still considered a "kingdom" in this world. In fact, all of the countries in this world is essentially labeled "kingdom", regardless of how their government is set up. The only way a country isn't considered a kingdom is if it isn't a part of the World Convention alliance. -Pauline and Peach is indeed gonna be a featured ship in the AU. uwu ------ If you'd like to read more of the lore in depth instead of in the bits and pieces I offer here, feel free to scroll through my Super Mario tag!  :] I hope you like what's shown thus far! More to come soon! ^.^

[ackerfics]

sunshine (iii) — levi ackerman.

chapter iii ; a river of gold and silver

— levi ackerman x female reader (tangled au | royal au (in a way))

— warnings: none <33

— series summary: a story of an orphaned thug, a locked-up flower, and their dreams. the former is fated to have one of the most sought-out treasures inside the island’s walls; while the latter will once again retake her destiny as the brightest star in the kingdom. it’s safe to say that their lives begin the moment they met each other.

— chapter summary: your ride to the capital is cut short and you're placed in a chase that would most likely have your head on a chopping block if you and your guide are caught. secrets are exchanged, walls are crumbled, and two hearts start connecting with each other through an invisible thread.

— word count: 10.4k

— notes: hello hello !!! sunshine (tangled au) is back and i am actually excited to post this one owo. it's nice to write for levi these days bc with the release of the new part of the final season, writing this au is my coping mechanism for the suffering the episodes will offer. i actually tried to make do with flynn's lines and fit them in a levi-like manner dnejdne spoiler alert: it's pretty hard. nonetheless, here you go — the new part of this mini series !! have fun reading, loves ^^

reblogs and feedback are greatly appreciated !! <3

repost bc tumblr hates me rn ^^ i hope this shows up in the tags now or else i'm gonna bury myself :>

series masterlist | sunshine taglist

A deafening silence occupies the carriage like another passenger.

After having his attention falter when you smiled at him, Levi mostly keeps quiet for the two hours the carriage has been moving. It was uncharacteristic of him to feel a certain way for a person, especially someone he only knows for a couple of hours. He sighs, running his hand through his hair as he continues glaring at the flower trinket as if it’s the decoration’s fault for the uncalled pattern of heartbeats lurching in his chest. Did he look so stupid staring at you like that? He can’t help but think. It was only a simple smile and suddenly he can’t think of anything else but that image in his head. He knows that his accompaniment to the capital will test something in him that he never wants to admit. Once again, Levi aggravatedly sighs while digging his fingers through his locks of hair at having to spend three days with you in the woods.

Against his will, he secretly glances at you from the corner of his eye, hoping that you never notice how he’s having a dilemma that’s revolving around you. Levi completely turns his head at the uncomfortable position you’re donning — head lolling to the side, bumping on the wooden wall of the vehicle as it bumps on every rock on the path. Still, he never makes a move. Instead, he stares at you with pensive eyes.

You are a conundrum waiting to be solved by the kingdom’s finest scholars. A girl living in a secluded glade whose controlling mother prevented you from seeing the world in person. Not exactly the best combination in the lands of Paradis. The more Levi thinks about it, the more he discerns that this girl sitting on the other side of the long seat speaks so many dangers that he can’t comprehend yet. As the carriage bumps on another rock, Levi automatically juts out his arm to catch you from toppling down the seat. Your head seeks refuge on his arm now and he inhales when he feels how soft your skin is. At the adrenaline rush earlier in the tavern, he never realized just how perfect you felt in his hold. It’s only at this moment that he notices how delicate you are. He needs to take care of her, was what he thinks. Acquaintance or no acquaintance, you’re his responsibility now. Judging from your mother’s reaction in the tower, you’re never to have harm be placed on you.

“Kindly wake her up.”

Levi shifts you until you’re pressing on his chest, the hand that was holding you up right now pulling on the hidden dagger in his boot. His face appears to be dangerous enough to garner a tense reaction from this tall fortune teller. He feels you stirring from your nap, which only spurs him to keep you close to him. The fortune-teller then holds an unreadable expression, her eyes drifting to the luminous hair that glows underneath the stream of sunlight from the window. Levi follows her eyes and instantly becomes even more apprehensive. Are they trying to take your hair? If so, Levi won’t hesitate to jump out the window with you. To hell with getting to the bustling capital using a vehicle, you two will just have to make the journey by foot.

“Relax, shortstack,” the fortune-teller placates, hands raising in defense. “I’m not here to harm you.”

She might just be talking to you but Levi is the only one who’s wide awake at the moment. Eyes flashing in alarm, Levi hisses, “Why did you save us?”

The fortune teller’s eyebrows rise in amusement. It looks like she doesn’t expect this turn of events. Truth be told, the first time she saw you inside the tavern, she instantly recognized the glow you emit. The very same one that’s been told in her line of occupation. The glow of the legendary flower many fought to have, the flower that painted an entire field with the most ideal shade of red. See, one of the many gifts the flower gave to the bearer is the gift of immortality, of rejuvenating what was lost in time. The fortune-teller remembered hearing from her mentor that this flower became lost in the flow of time, never to be seen again. Until today. Lanterns took over her vision when you met her gaze in the tavern. It might be wishful thinking but you’re starting to burn like the flower that embedded its roots across the walled city’s seas. You’re fated for something you’re not even aware of. And the fortune-teller lets her eyes follow the waterfall of hair cascading over the floor of her carriage.

“Trust me, it’s not out of my own free will that I saved you, shortstack,” the fortune-teller answers. Her hand takes off her hood, making way for short blonde hair and dull eyes. “Now, kindly wake the lady with the sunlit hair.”

“Who are you?” Levi demands.

The fortune-teller fixes her dark eyes on his narrowed ones. “Yelena. I don’t like to repeat my words, shortstack. Wake up the lady because I have something to tell her.”

Without looking away from the newly-introduced fortune teller, Levi gently shakes you. He continues doing so until the trickle of annoyance starts seeping through when you’re not making any movement at all. Looking at you becomes one of his many mistakes while going on this trip. Your face is closer than he anticipates. He can see the individual eyelashes resting on your skin and the little breaths you exhale. He dare not lower his eyes to your lips. That’s a dominion not worth exploring. Yet. Angry at himself for the word, Levi clenches his jaw and shakes you, even more, the gentleness gradually vanishing. “Hey, sunshine, wake the fuck up. Don’t make me throw you out of the window.” Of course, he means well but the chuckles coming from the standing tree are starting to get to him.

You groan in his arms, straightening your posture on the plush cushion. You fail to notice the tense hold Levi has on you, continuing rubbing off the sleep from your eyes. “Levi?” you call out, turning your head to the said person, who’s leaning back from you.

It’s comical, how you squeal at the proximity and find yourself on the floor again. Levi lets you fall this time.

“Y-You’re too c-close!” you scream with locks of your hair covering your face. Your finger is pitifully pointing at your companion, whose face can rival all the expressionless portraits you saw in books. “W-Why was I there?! From what I remember, I was sleeping there!” You point to where you were napping before helplessly fumbling for your words, cheeks too warm to the touch. “How did I get to you?!”

“Relax, sunshine,” Levi blandly drawls. “It was against my will, too.” Everything concerning you is against my will at the moment.

“Had a good nap, I hope,” Yelena asks from across the carriage.

You abruptly turn your head towards the fortune teller, slightly shocked that she reaches the roof of the vehicle. For a moment, you forget the reason for your fast-paced heartbeat. Yelena looks like she can throw the crystals she just placed on the table and you find yourself inching closer to Levi’s legs. The said man stares at you as if you made a grave mistake to mankind by touching his boots. Taking him by surprise, you stand up with your hair bouncing alongside your skirt. You can’t seem to look your guide in the eyes, cursing every heart-lurching moment you had with him. You were too close to him. So close that you could see every single detail in his handsome face. The dots of freckles on his nose, the bags under his eyes, the sharpness of his cheekbones — features that accentuate him just fine.

The universe might be too hard on you. They gave you a guide that’s exactly like the knights you read in your books.

“What are you doing?” you ask Yelena as you watch her take a chest with a keyhole right in the middle. A mysterious object that piques your interest for tendrils of light peeks through the keyhole as if the chest holds the world’s most prized treasures.

Yelena spares you a glance. “I’m going to read your future.”

You brighten like the sun. “Really?”

“Uh-huh.” Yelena finishes her preparations with a flourish of her cloak. She walks over to you and pulls out a chair, her smile secretive yet knowing. “For you, Your Highness.”

You play along, pulling your skirt in a curtsy. “Thank you.”

Yelena drops her smile, fixing Levi a cold stare. The man is perfectly content with sitting far from the fortune teller and when he feels the eyes boring on the side of his face, he scoffs in disdain. There is no way he’ll let this woman near him. A minute passes by and he continues staring into the forestry, arms crossed on his chest in a clear sign of defiance. As the minute runs out of sand, he now feels another pair of eyes pleading for him to join them at the fortune-telling table. He clenches his jaw to strengthen his resolve. If only he can see those two pairs of eyes now. One is blatantly glaring at him while the other screams like a wounded puppy. He rolls his eyes, already deciding that he won’t join whatever circus Yelena has in this carriage.

“We won’t start without you,” Yelena informs.

“Levi, it won’t be that bad.”

Levi snorts with a mocking smirk, still not looking away from the window. “Are you trying to convince yourself, sunshine?” His eyes narrow at the set of hooves in the dirt path. They’re going in the direction of the tavern. It must be the squad of royal guards with the bloodhound and the mad person. Levi’s scowl deepens as he shifts on the cushion to sit on the other side, careful not to let his head be visible. There must be more guards ahead, stationed for checkpoints all the way to the capital. Shit. This is why it’s much better to travel on foot. Three days will be a flash if you put your mind to it. Yes, your journey will be cut down to a day if you keep riding the carriage but the threats ahead the dirt path doesn’t sit right with Levi.

“Levi?”

He turns to you. Another mistake. You’re staring at him, pleading with him to sit beside you. His eye twitches, letting himself be sucked in your endless irises.

“You don’t even have to worry about paying. It’s just,” you glance at the fortune teller impatiently shuffling her deck of tarot cards, “Yelena won’t start if you’re not present and besides she said this is free.” You fiddle with a lock of your hair, eyes downcast. Suddenly, Levi feels guilt pooling inside his stomach. You’re closing in on yourself like when you talk about your mother. “She said that it concerns you — my destiny.”

He doesn’t want you looking at him like that.

Levi groans. “Alright. Only because sunshine over there says so.”

He has to squint at your smile.

“Perfect!” Yelena claps in satisfaction when Levi begrudgingly sits beside you with his arms crossed. She snaps her fingers, shrouding the entire carriage in darkness.

You yelp and wrap your arm around Levi’s, whose suspicion rises again because of the fortune teller’s theatrics. Unaware of his actions, he faintly runs his hand over yours.

Then, a floating flame lights up the table.

Now, Levi is on high alert, raising his chin in the air. You, on the other hand, are questioning where the flame comes from when there’s no sound of a striking match. In front of the two of you, Yelena’s face becomes illuminated with the small ball of fire zipping around the round table. Her finger is poised like a candle, her face contrasting with the warm palette the flame gives. The hand brushing over yours is now gripping on your fingers as if Levi is ready to whisk you away out of the carriage.

This is no ordinary fortune-teller.

“What the fuck are you?” Levi interrogates.

Yelena shrugs. “I am known to have many personas. Seeker of Truth. The Traveling Gypsy. Paradis’ Seer. One of the Moirai. Though the last one is purely fictitious — the mind of man rivals the raw creativity of artists, I say. But the title that I proudly wear is Teller of Destinies. I assure you that the spectacle you see is merely a small portion of what I can truly do. Don’t look at me like that, shortstack. I speak of the truth and I take pride in my fortune-telling. I’ve told kings, queens, heroes, and rulers their destinies — what awaits them at the end of the tunnel. Of course, I always say that it might not come too easily for them. The destiny that I speak of guides them through their actions, not hinders them from doing more. It is their choice, however, if they let destiny play after knowing of their glory and power in the end.

“Now, do you wish to know your destiny?”

“Yes.”

“Fuck, no.”

You and Yelena blankly look at the only man inside the carriage.

Levi glances at you. “What?” When you don’t respond, he rolls his eyes. “Oh, fine.” He meets Yelena’s gaze from across the table, the smirk on the woman’s face making his lips curl in distaste. “Yes, tell me my destiny, for all I care.”

“Then, we start with you.”

The next thing Levi knows, golden dust is blown into the small flame, igniting the entire carriage in an explosion of sparkling shapes and trails. The magic that Levi only hears in whispers in the underground city unfolds in front of his eyes. They say that just a single drop of magic is worth millions of any kingdom’s currencies — that one will be richer than any mogul or scion known to man. And in the four walls of this measly carriage, it effortlessly flows like any running body of water. He detects movement in the corner of his eye, turning his head to see you touch your fingertips on the floating glowing sand. It makes your eyes shine as no star can ever achieve. You lift your head until you catch his stare. Electrocuted with alarm, Levi looks away so fast that he fails to notice how you duck down as well.

“A thief born of unconditional love and unfortunate circumstances.” The sand engulfs them in an image of a faceless mother holding her child close to her chest, where her heart lies. Levi’s eyes flicker at the vision. A burn starts to creep in his throat and nose. “You will be blessed with a miracle of beauty and wealth that many failed to seek.” War from different generations plays out from the sand, then, a drop of gold bursting into flares of sand. “A life of extravagance will be waiting for you on two routes that ask for something in return.” Levi furrows his eyebrows at Yelena’s sentence. “At the end of a block searching for justice or a dagger point driven by madness. ‘Till then, a death will be reversed in the hands of an unconditional love born from two hearts merging into one.”

The sand calms down and Yelena opens her eyes.

“How long have you been pretending to read fortunes or destinies or whatever the fuck you call them?” Levi jadedly inquires.

You elbow Levi before flashing a smile at the fortune teller. “That was amazing! Where did you learn that?”

Yelena smirks, getting a handful of the sand from the opened chest. So that’s what the chest contains. “From places here and there. Nowhere, if I do say so myself.”

“It looks like—”

“Bullshit?” Levi sneers.

“Magic,” you ignore Levi as you finish your sentence.

The blonde once again blows the sand in front of the floating flame. “I’ll let you dwell on that, Your Highness. Now, it’s your turn.”

“I can’t wait,” you whisper almost giddily. Even the click of your companion’s tongue doesn’t deter you from seeing the glowing sand form images that connect with your destiny.

Yelena’s expression becomes blank, unnoticed by you but not by Levi. Whatever destiny the blonde fortune teller will tell you, it surely won’t make sense. However, Levi can’t shake the uneasy feeling that he has after listening to Yelena narrate his supposed death. Is he really going to die? The fortune that he got continues to circle in his mind like a broken record. He wants to turn it off but it comes back on and sets a pit of apprehension deep inside his body. He feels his stomach churning at the thought of him dying — the first time feeling this way even after escaping the daily dangers of the Underground. He merely stares through the morphing sand, not realizing that your hold on his arm slowly vanishes until they rest on your lap.

Yelena glances at Levi before turning back to you. Death is not something uncommon in her prophecies, in fact, it’s almost a rite of passage for heroes she encountered throughout her lifetime. The man with the slight yet muscular build will be one for the history books across the kingdom, if only he goes past that shock upon knowing his momentary doom. Blinking herself to maintain concentration, Yelena opens her mouth to start with your prophecy. The sand glows even brighter than Levi’s visions and that alone proves that you are more special than you think. Your mother will surely agree with that.

“Journey to where the sun shines eternal to find the answers you seek. There, a union of souls will light up the sky, brighter than the dream you wish to chase. However, the withered hand that unearthed a treasure will take you away and unveil an exchange. Your North Star will fade but once the reaper’s deal has been set in stone, it will glow most splendidly. A lost legacy will be found and the heavenly bodies rule the heavens once again — whole, just as it should be since the luminous beacons floated in the sky.”

There’s no reaction coming from any of you.

With a bated breath and a childlike tilt of your head, you ask, “What does that mean?”

Levi, who’s staring into space and not paying attention to your prophecy, turns his head to you. “Bullshit.”

You cross your arms with a huff. “I didn’t ask for your take on the matter, Levi.”

He snorts, rolling his eyes. “Sure,” he drones before standing up from his seat and peeking through the curtains. He stays there unmoving, eyes sharp as the carriage rocks against the trail. He feels your eyes on him but he chooses to brush it off. Movement at the end of the dirt trail catches his attention. He leans forward until he has his face pressing on the glass window of the carriage. In front of them is a line of vehicles, trickling towards a bridge leading to a village. “Fuck.”

Meanwhile, you are trying to grasp what Yelena just recited to the two of you. It’s almost like the excerpts from the novels Mother brought home, only this time, it features you and your supposed future. In contrast with Levi’s prophecy, yours hold a lighter note. You wish you wrote everything down and decipher it for later reference. Who knows how much help this can give you in your rebellion? Right when you’re about to ask for Yelena’s help in decoding her destiny-reading, Levi releases a string of expletives as he gets up from the window seat.

“Levi, what’s going on?” you ask him, trying to get through his panicky state.

From how Levi’s acting, it seems like he doesn’t hear you from how tense and rapid he is while putting your hair in his arms. Yelena raises her eyebrow at the glower Levi throws at her, his voice earning a guttural growl, “Why didn’t you tell us there are palace guards stationed further down the trail?”

You turn to Yelena. “What?!” you all but shriek.

“I knew we shouldn’t have trusted you,” Levi snaps.

Your breathing picks up again. Your eyes are unfocused just thinking of the possibilities after the palace guards catch wind of you. They’ll contact Mother and you’re going to be inflicted with the punishment of a lifetime, one that you won’t escape. You press your hand on top of your pounding chest, right above your heart. Your shoulders start to cave in and your hair creates a curtain around you to hide from the two occupants in the carriage. Black spots are now dotting your vision. What Levi said about having no regrets starts to fade away as the impending wrath of Mother comes into mind. Even though she shelters you and showers you with obvious affection, her anger is something you don’t want to witness.

You don’t want to go back to the one place you call home.

A ginger touch on your shoulder makes you jump, your knees banging on the table from fright. Levi is looking at you with inexpressive eyes. You fail to notice the hint of concern and the slight furrow of his eyebrows as he trails his stare from your rapid blinking to your constant lip bites. Your hand raises to stroke a lock of hair back and forth. Your hearing sounds like you’ve been submerged in a tub of cold water. Palace guards at the end of the forest trail? Sounds like a death sentence. Right around your birthday, too.

“Hey,” a soft voice enters your ear. “Hey, sunshine, look at me. Come on.” Levi crouches in front of you, your hair draping on his thighs. He looks up at you, his then expressionless face making way to a softer and calmer look. The hand on your back travels to your nape, keeping your head in place so that you truly return his gaze. His other hand holds your arm in place, both of his thumbs creating circles on your skin to further calm you in your seat. “I’m right here, I’m not on the floor. There you go.” When silver irises meet your distinct ones, the most minuscule of smiles tugs on his lips. “Hi.”

You shakily return the smile (it’s more like a grimace but you can tell Levi accepts it nonetheless). “Hi.”

Levi tucks your hair behind your ear. His soft demeanor changes once he looks back to Yelena, who’s watching the moment between you and Levi with clear amusement. “Did you know anything about the guards that are probably going to kick open this carriage like they own everything?”

Yelena shrugs as if the situation doesn’t affect her at all, which it doesn’t. “I don’t. Onyankopon doesn't either. I have a feeling that they’re going to be there. It’s a fact because you,” she points at a scowling Levi still rubbing circles on your skin, “are a felon before I even came to the tavern for some breakfast. I swear I saw some posters nailed to some trees along the way. That’s how fast the palace guards are, though I think they didn’t get your nose right. Nonetheless, they won’t stop until they catch you. They’re persistent enough as it is but since you stole the princess’s diadem, you just made them even more persistent.”

Levi clicks his tongue in irritation. He looks at you again, his hand now cupping your face, an action that you find comforting. “Think you can run a couple of miles, sunshine?”

Your voice is small when you answer, “I’ll try.”

He nods, not looking away from you. “Just tell me if you feel tired, I’ll carry you.”

“I think that won’t be necessary,” you whisper, turning away from him and hoping that your hair hides your uneasy expression.

Levi stands up from squatting in front of you. He picks up your hair and proceeds to walk towards the back entrance of the carriage. The vehicle jostles and eventually stops, the voices of some palace guards bouncing through the wooden walls. You don’t have to wait for Levi to tell you to start moving because the man instantly opens the back entrance with the stealthiness of a predator.

“If you wish to get away from them, try trekking the path towards where the water never runs empty.”

“Would you stop talking in prose?” Levi says brusquely.

Yelena shrugs. “Adds to the experience, if I do say so myself.”

You tug on Levi’s sleeve, making him stop for a moment. You turn to Yelena with both of your hands pressing on your chest. Timidly, you smile at the teller of destinies. “Thank you, Yelena. I hope this is okay.” You press a kiss on her cheek, stare softening at the sight of the woman’s pink cheeks and flustered blinking.

The black-haired man rolls his eyes, successfully opening the latch to the carriage. He briefly looks behind him to cooly acknowledge Yelena for the last time, “Thanks”. And with that, he carefully pulls you to him. The gravel clashes with the soles of his feet the moment he steps out of your ride to the capital. Knowing the palace guards and their ferociousness in finding things, Levi won’t risk hiding inside the carriage for fear of being discovered not even five minutes after concealing your tracks. He keeps his arm around your waist as he looks from left to right. At every blinding reflection of the sun’s beams on a palace guard’s uniform, Levi immediately pushes you out of view and ducks down as well.

“This is ridiculous!” A palace guard with light brown hair barks to himself. “Shouldn’t we be searching the Underground for that runt?”

A sigh came from a blond guard. “That would be the last place he’ll hide, Oluo.”

“Well, I won’t be surprised if he hid there. He came from that place.”

You curiously peer at Levi’s expression, only to find it stony and impassive.

A feminine voice chimes in next. “This seems like a reminder of what happened nearly twenty years ago. And right around the princess’s birthday, too. It’s supposed to be a festival but here we are.”

“I agree, Petra,” the blond guard backs up. “Whoever that Underground rat is, he’s a heartless piece of shit for stealing the diadem.”

“I mean, he came from down there,” Oluo supplies.

Another guard with black hair joins in. “He’s probably working with the witch who took the princess.”

“Gunther, that’s … not exactly a bad theory,” the woman, Petra, agrees.

“That’s a solid lead, one that will alert Commander Erwin if we have enough evidence,” the blond guard murmurs with a hand on his chin.

“You know what’s better? Finding that Underground thief and getting the prize money for myself!” Oluo laughs haughtily.

“You disgust me, Oluo.”

“Oh, lighten up, Petra—Ow, fuck!”

“How many times is it this day?”

“Probably four? I don’t know, I lost count when he bit his tongue the second time while riding out here.”

“Hey, I think I see something over there!”

“Fuck, really? Where is it, Eld? Is it the thief with the large nose?”

“Sunshine.”

You expectantly stare at Levi, eyebrows downturn at his tone. All the concern and softness he showed you in the carriage vanishes without a trace while hiding from the guards. It started when the two of you heard their conversation, his face smoothening into a blank slate when the topic of the underground city came into play. His stare appears to be dead, with no hint of the caring Levi at all. You wonder if the underground city has anything to do with the change in his demeanor. Then, the remark of the large nose befuddles you. Levi doesn’t have a large nose. It’s actually nicely shaped and fits with his facial aesthetics.

“What is it, Levi?” You try to keep your voice as low as possible.

“When I tell you to run, run with everything you’ve got, you hear me?” You nod. “Okay, they’re getting closer. Don’t ever look back no matter what, alright?” The footsteps become louder every ticking second and Levi is slowly getting up from his squat. He wraps his hand around your arm, pulling you up and pushing you to the side without looking away from the direction of the guards. He stays silent even when the guards appear too close to where the two of you are hiding. The hand on your waist remains secure, reminding you that he’s by your side. The murderous glare on his face intensifies as he says one word,

“Run.”

You’ve never run so hard in your entire life before this day.

Yelena was talking about a dam.

Levi keeps steady hands around your arm and back when you both stop in front of a cliff overlooking a rocky plain. A couple of pebbles trickle down the cliff, the gushing from the water wheels drowning the length of the drop. Down across the barren plain of the dam, a familiar figure dashes out from one of the hidden entrances.

“Who is that?” you whisper to Levi.

“They don’t like me,” Levi sneers.

The guards are just about to come out of the cave that led you two to the dam when a shriek of excitement echoes through its walls.

“Who’s that?” Your tone carries disbelief and perplexity as a brown-haired person emerges in between the many palace guards, their eyes twinkling in glee at the sight of you and Levi, their smile devious because of your hair. Levi notices the blatant staring of the weird person and tenses beside you.

Levi transfers his hand from the small of your back to your waist. “They don’t like me that much either.”

A guard then follows the brown-haired person with his nose in the air.

“Who is that?!”

“Sunshine.” Levi grasps your shoulders. “Let’s just assume that everyone here doesn’t like me.”

“Are you sure that’s him, Squad Leader Hange?” The female guard, Petra, meekly asks. “He doesn’t look like the posters. I mean, his nose is different.”

“I’m sure that’s him!” Hange exclaims, looking back at the last guard who joined his fellow soldiers. “Right, Mike?”

Mike hums, his hand moving closer to his sheathed sword without taking his eyes off of Levi. “His scent is the same as the ones we captured.”

“See!” Hange cheers. “You can blame Jean for the nose problem in the posters. That kid just got in our ranks so he’s bound to make rookie mistakes like this. He drew our descriptions in under an hour so cut him some slack. Erwin even said he’s one of the best artists the guards have had in ages. I bet he’s crying to his fellow recruits about his current predicament right now. Who knows!”

“So that’s the name of the person who’s responsible for the nose inconsistencies in the posters,” Levi mutters under his breath.

“That’s what you’re concerned about?!” You turn to him in bafflement.

The man shrugs nonchalantly.

You narrow your eyes at him before shoving your satchel with your frying pan on his torso, receiving an oof and a look of irritation. You eye the ledge right in front of you, hoping that your makeshift rope of hair loops around the wood to support your weight, and hopefully Levi’s. The said man, however, is still preparing to take down a total of twelve guards at most. Both of you are back to back against each other, each of you gauging what’s standing in the way of those lanterns. You and Levi glance at one another. A wordless agreement travels between you two. Then, you throw your hair around the ledge, twirling around it exactly like you hope it would. Levi takes out the frying pan from your satchel and swings it to the nearest guard, which is the guard named Oluo.

“Be careful, sunshine.”

“Always!”

You swing towards the other side of the dam, away from Levi’s fight with the palace guards.

“By the Walls, did you see how cool the girl is?! The way she used her long hair to swing to a nearby platform like that? I want her, Mike! Her hair is a perfect specimen!”

Once you land on a rock formation, you check Levi. For some reason, you’re not surprised when you see him obliterate every one of the so-called obstacles until all that’s left is the bespectacled guard, the bloodhound as Levi calls him, and the ginger woman who looks like she’s about to piss herself. He’s glowering at the brown-haired person, twirling the frying pan in his hand.

“If you want her, you have to get through me.” Levi wipes the blood that trickles from his lips. That Eld certainly packs a punch. “And I won’t let you touch her or a single strand of her hair, you. shitty. four-eyes.”

Your heart skips a beat.

Before you can dwell deeper into that now-familiar fluttering emotion that you feel around Levi, you blink yourself to the reality that you’re standing near another long drop, with midair waterways being supported by thin planks of wood. The lone person who came from another cave in the dam spots you, sending a wave of panic through your veins. You look back at Levi and you see him saying a bland ‘I’m sorry’ before rendering the female guard unconscious with your frying pan. The brown-haired person squawks at that, now trembling behind the tallest blond since Levi has no remorse for knocking out a person regardless of their gender. You watch with mild adoration when your guide dodges, parries, and attacks Mike with light feather-like agility.

Movement in the corner of your eye catches your attention. The unknown man is starting to kick one of the wooden planks holding the waterways. You feel your blood running cold. He’s directly below you.

“Hey, sunshine! Do you mind if I keep this?” Levi brandishes the frying pan in the air. A few seconds later, a thud resonates from Mike’s fallen body.

A blinding glint glares at you. You gasp, “Levi, look out!”

“Ah, shit, I forgot about shitty four-eyes.”

Shitty four-eyes unnervingly snickers. “Give us back the diadem and we’ll let you go, shorty!”

Levi clicks his tongue. “This is so fucking troublesome.”

“Then it’s better that you give yourself up to us and return the princess’s crown.” Now, the guard sounds angry. How dare this midget disrespect the royal family. A midget from the Underground who looks like he’s so above the monarchy keeping the entire island afloat. Hange wants this man to suffer in the death block. It is what Erwin commanded a few minutes after the theft occurred. And being the follower Hange swore to be, Erwin’s voice is absolute.

Water starts dripping down from the dam. The main beam supporting it is shaking from a constant, rhythmic force. Its creaking becomes deafening as the thin piece of wood comes off and a gush of water rapidly flows from the huge aperture. You look around and focus on the man with a sinister grin on his face. That’s the third beam he destroyed. At each one, his unhinged smile turns into something more malicious until it’s fixed on his face at the successful beam that will flood the entire place. The look on his face is something that Mother usually describes when she talks of the people in the outside world. It’s a face full of animosity and eeriness that preys on naive people like you. Hastily, you prepare to throw your hair at your companion.

“Levi!”

At your shout, Levi stops trying to hit the bespectacled guard with the frying pan and another flash of understanding sheens his eyes. He catches the end of your hair and loops it around his hand. At the same time, you’re looping your hair around the protruding rock acting like an eyesore in the rock formation you’re standing on.

With a confidence that you don’t know you possess, you yell, “Jump!”

For a short period and for some reason that he doesn’t know, Levi trusts you completely to jump off a cliff with only your hair as the lifeline. He can tell you’re straining to hold up his weight, trying his best to lessen your burden by controlling how he holds up to your hair. A panicked call of his name alerts him. Right below him is one of the chaperones that somehow followed him despite separating while entering the dense forest. The goon is holding up a rapier that’s most likely stolen from an unsuspecting palace guard, the tip of the weapon supposedly aimed at his crotch. Like his saviour, you pull your hair up to not let the blade graze Levi, making the goon chase after the gunmetal-eyed man until he lands both feet on the dusty ground. Your guide coughs as the particles cloud his vision for one moment before he jumps back at an idiot’s battle cry. Without exerting that much effort, Levi merely flicks his wrist and gives the man a concussion with your trusty frying pan.

Levi hums, eyeing his newfound signature weapon with a raised eyebrow. “Not bad.”

A shadow looms over his figure. Dread washes over him upon seeing the huge wave of water promising an early death. The briefest sign of panic visible on his features is the slightest twitch of his left eye. On impulse, he searches for you before he gets washed up by the dam’s water capacity. He perks up at your voice. It’s a distinct way of saying his name. If someone were to compare, they’d say it’s the normal way of pronouncing his name. For you, however, you sound so different to his auditory senses, almost like the very first brush of the sun’s fingers on his skin. A sure way of pinpointing you in a cacophony of sounds that would most likely drown you while trekking this trip with him. It’s not working this time. For one second, he even lifts his finger to clean his ear because your voice is literally above him. He thinks the dam’s onslaught of water is playing tricks on his hearing. But when he looks up again, you’re there — falling for him with your hair creating a halo of reflective light.

Just like he promised, he carries you with the smallest of huffs at the impact of your fall.

“I can run, Levi!” you protest in his arms.

He adjusts you in his hold, with you now facing the massive wave gaining speed, hitting rock formations as it destroys everything in its path. Not only is there a dam-worth of water closing in on you, but there’s also a huge boulder coming towards you. It’s enough to keep your mouth shut.

Levi glances at you before hastening his run. “Oh, really? Hold tight, sunshine.”

In the nick of time, the two of you enter a cave on the side of the dam.

Darkness swallows you whole.

Sheltered in a tower your whole life, sensations were never much introduced to you. What it feels like to have each blade of grass tickle your toes or what it sounds like when birds chirp by your ear. The most you know about these things are from the books you re-read every single day with the most jaded countenance. One of these sensations that you never thought you’d experience is drowning. You always picture the ocean when that word comes into a paragraph. An ocean or a deep body of water that renders you immobile, with imaginary shackles pulling your ankles down until you have no choice but to let it drag you to the deepest trenches. You’re not drowning at the moment per se but everything is suffocating you, the cavern’s walls and the rushing water. You’re desperately pounding the frying pan on the rocks surrounding you and your guide but to no avail.

Levi is going back in the rising water to find a loose rock to drain everything. He keeps coming back for air before diving back down. Your frantic state matches with his as you meet gazes — gunmetal irises clashing with yours. At the sight of your crestfallen expression, Levi resolutely slams his body against the cave’s walls, hoping that a slight movement offers you your freedom. Then, he goes to the top of the cave and pushes with all his strength.

“Agh!” His face is lethal as he stares at the darkest hue of gray, almost black, inside the lightless cavern. He hears your gasp but he only grits his teeth and dives down to the bottom of the cave. He glares at nothing the moment he comes up for air. He digs his hands through his hair while saying, “It’s no use. I can’t see anything.”

This frustrates you. You’re at a loss for words. A few minutes earlier, you felt so imprisoned in this cave, now, you’re just angry at yourself for so many reasons. Your breathing becomes ragged. Without thinking about your decision, you mimic Levi and duck yourself in the dark waters filling the small space. Not even an entire minute after you search the bottom in a futile attempt, Levi pulls you to the surface.

“Hey,” Levi’s hands are firm on your arms. “It’s pitch black down there.” He appears to be careful as he tucks your wet hair behind your ear just to see you better in the dark cave. The two of you stare at each other for a lengthy second, his warm fingertips lingering on your chilly skin. He slowly pulls away when you stiffen before wrapping your arms around yourself. “We can’t do anything about it.” He watches you lean on the cave, your lips quivering. He wonders if the cold is starting to creep on you or if you’re preventing yourself from crying. He can’t exactly tell because you’re also shivering in the chest-high water. “Sunshine—”

“This is all my fault,” your voice cracks. “I never should’ve done this. Mother is always right. What you said about making a choice with no regrets … I don’t think I want that anymore. I regret doing any of this. I regret ever taking that leap from the tower.” Your breathing picks up, your fingers tangling with your wet hair until you can feel the stinging pain in your scalp. “I regret—”

“Do you regret saving me?”

When you make no sound at his question, Levi continues, “Do you regret letting me inside your tower? Would you feel better if instead of taking me in and dressing my wound, you threw me out the window?”

Again, you offer no answer. You only tuck yourself in your little ball of solitude. You turn around so that Levi is faced with your back. He sighs at your silence. Even though you’re uncooperative at the moment, he never looks away from your figure. The more time he’s staring at you, he’s losing the tightness of his shoulders and letting himself lean his head on the rough rock. There’s no light filtering inside the cave but his eyes are glowing like stars while checking up on you. His alertness only enhances when he can hear slight sniffles coming from you. He knows that there’s nothing he can do. He has no talent for cheering people up, at least from what Isabelle and Farlan told him a couple of times. Your shoulders are shaking from your low sobs. He can tell from the way you hold them that your answer is yes to his every question.

Levi sighs before opening his mouth again. It stays that way until he clears his throat, at a loss with what he should say to you. Then, after a while of closing and opening his mouth, he settles for, “I’m from the Underground.”

Finally, he can see your face. He fights the urge to tuck your hair behind your ears like he always does. For now, seeing half of your face uncovered with hair is enough for him. Levi gulps down since he has your full attention right now.

It’s bizarre to think how he can maintain eye contact with you while telling his story. “I came from a place called the Underground.” You raise an eyebrow since this is the first time you’ve ever heard of such a place, except for the time when the palace guards were talking about it before the whole chase. “It’s not that different from your tower. Life there is pretty shit, that’s all I can say. You have to endure a fucking lot to be able to survive in that place.” He looks away from you when your eyes lose the glassy sheen of tears. “Thought you should know.” He shrugs as if telling his background to a person he just met is nothing to him.

“I’m happy that you finally experienced the outside world, Levi. If it’s anybody who deserves that, I know it’s you.”

His heart raced against his chest.

You think you two are sharing secrets so while clutching your hair, you utter in a soft voice, “I have magic hair that glows when I sing a certain song.”

Levi slowly turns his head to you. “What?”

“I have magic hair,” you murmur the words slowly before breaking into a smile, “that glows when I sing!” You place your hands on Levi’s shoulders when you feel the water now coming up to your neck. “Flower, gleam and glow. Let your power shine—”

You gasp your final breath.

Suddenly, the cave glows as if it contains a thousand suns.

“Her hair fucking glows.”

Levi saw everything revolting in the Underground. Given the fact that he grew up with the nastiest pieces of shit of any talent, he’s not phased when placed in peculiar situations. He distinctly remembered how Yelena was not the first fortune teller to ever give him an eerie reading. It was an old lady saying something about how he would grow to be the richest man alive and have a taste of the aboveground. He merely scoffed at the reading and went on his way stealing food from unfortunate dealers. That old lady even vanished without a trace after he decided to come back to her stall, thinking that a piece of stale bread from the surface was enough for payment. (His guilt always ate him since he was young.) Now, it’s your fucking hair. Hair that glowed so blindingly like Levi accidentally swallowed piss water upon seeing it happen. It’s awfully similar to the glow behind his eyelids while you were healing him from his arrowhead wound. It felt like it, too.

Now, his nickname for you sounds fucking fantastic.

“Did I swallow too much water in that cave or am I just seeing things?”

Yeah, great, this must be it. He’s going insane. For someone who maintains his facade in an expressionless state, his eyes are wide and his mouth is in a grim line. He can’t comprehend how your hair actually glows like the fucking sun or something. Well, another weird thing about you he knows. You have hair the length of a tower and it glows. How brilliant is that? He’s starting to spiral and it shows how he remains lying on the grassy riverside while you’re rejoicing a few feet away for being alive.

“Her hair … glows.” He trails off. “Why does her hair fucking glows?!”

He’s been saying fucking a lot this day.

“Levi?”

“Is she eating sunlight or what?”

“Levi!”

“What is it, brat?!”

You two stare at one another like each of you is crazy.

You softly smile at him, trying to appear as if revealing your life’s secret doesn’t bother you in the slightest. To a stranger no less. You pull your hair from the river and attempt to squeeze out the water from the strands. “It doesn’t just glow, Levi.”

Why do you look angelic with the strawberry sky behind you like that?

Levi shakes himself from admiring you like a bumbling idiot when you two need to talk about how your hair was glowing like it has a mind of its own. “Sorry for calling you brat,” he grumbles while picking himself up from the ground.

Great, his clothes are wet. The least he can do is take off his boots and vest and set them aside for the entire night. He starts taking off his vest, glancing at you every so often. He hopes you don’t see him gauging your actions like a schoolgirl who just got their first dose of attraction. His movements start to slack when he sees you putting your hair over your shoulder, giving him a glimpse of your collarbones and neck. It stays like that for a solid minute — you, squeezing water from your hair while he’s gawking like you’re a painting in a gallery. You look up through your eyelashes and meet his gaze. He swears he hears a choir singing in the background at the sight of your smile. A sharp pierce through his chest jolts him out of his trance. Fuck, you’re still looking at him.

Praying that you won’t see the telltale signs of a flush coloring his skin, Levi turns in the direction of the woods. Conviction molds with his steps, never looking back at you because he might bury himself six feet underground if you’re still appearing radiant as a newborn goddess.

“Where are you going?” He hears you shout for him. Still, he continues walking.

“To gather firewood.”

“But aren’t you injured?”

Levi looks down at the gash on his palm. He clicks his tongue. “I can manage.”

Coral skies turn inky black, the stars peeking through the heavens with each chirp of the crickets and forest animals through the night. The tangerine flames of the fire dance alongside the tunes of the fauna. The wet clothing sticking on your skin warms up in an hour of just sitting by the fire. Levi once again volunteered to find any food in the forest and he’s been absent since the night has started. You notice how he never looks you in the eye no matter how many times you try to catch his gaze. He always looks down while moving around your little campsite, occasionally glancing at you when you least expect it but swiftly turns away once he does so. It’s almost like he’s avoiding you. The layer of confusion settles into a pit of nervousness around this man. Maybe he’s doing this because he finds you unconventional.

“I hope you tolerate fish.”

He’s still not looking at you. He’s busy tending to the fish he’s flipping on the frying pan that looks like it’s gleaming against the flames. He must’ve scrubbed it clean so many times before cooking the fish.

You observe him before answering, “That’s the only thing we can catch in this forest, right?”

Levi grunts. “I can’t exactly hunt a deer with a frying pan.”

You hum, patiently waiting for him to finish cooking dinner.

Once he does so, you two enjoy the silence offered by the night. The frying pan is between you two on the grass, both of your hands taking pieces of fish alternatively. Even though there are no seasonings to the fish, you find yourself feeling full from the bland dinner. Since then, you miss the savory soup from the tavern. As if lightning strikes you down, you deflate when you realize that all those garlic bread you salvaged from the establishment was all for naught because of the chase. Just a hint of flavoring should be enough for your tastebuds. You think of surviving with these meals for the next three days and you feel yourself crying internally. If there’s one thing you regret now, that is, not bringing some fruits from Mother’s basket. An apple could’ve been a great addition to the dinner you just had.

“Levi, can you sit here?” You pat the patch of grass beside you, your smile amiable so as not to make him avoid you more.

He narrows his eyes. “Why?”

You roll yours. “I don’t want you getting an infection from that cut.”

“What are you going to do about it?”

“I’m going to … heal it.”

With a skeptical raise of his eyebrow, Levi carefully sits beside you. Your hand gently takes his wounded one and he hisses in reflex. You apologize and oddly enough, you wrap your hair around his palm. He looks back and forth between your concentrating face and hand, not comprehending why you’re using your hair as the dressing. He leans back a little, eyes narrowing as he mutters, “You’re being awfully cryptic as you wrap your enchanted hair around my hand.” His dry tone makes you look up from your handiwork, your tiny sigh never misses his ears. He can tell you’re uncomfortable as well so he tries to contain his comments to himself. He has to commend the way you’re handling his wound though. It nearly makes him laugh, nearly, because he’s anything but fragile.

You sheepishly look at him again. “Just,” you sigh, “don’t freak out.”

“I’ve seen grotesque things in the Underground, sunshine, this should be nothing compared to those.”

You purse your lips. “If you say so.” You take a deep breath, close your eyes, and ready yourself in singing that olden tune Mother used.

“Flower, gleam and glow. Let your powers shine.”

Levi’s eyes gradually widen, the glow from your hair reflected in his scleras. He follows the glow from the roots of your hair down to every single lock. He sees some strands glowing brighter than the others, almost like a golden thread has been woven in your scalp. There are shining silver ones, too. You’re like a beacon in this forest. He leans away when the glow comes to his back.

“Make the clock reverse. Bring back what once was mine. Heal what has been hurt.”

It’s tickling, how the wound is starting to close itself. It starts at the edge of the huge cut. There’s still blood seeping through your hair. However, when the glow reaches where his cut is, he can feel the viscous liquid trickle back to his veins. Everything is moving backward in his palm. Are you worth more than any treasure inside the walled kingdom? Because it looks like you’re worth even more than the entire continent combined. You have magic in your veins, in every fiber of your being, and Levi is merely mortal compared to you. Even though he was gifted with adept endurance and prowess in battle, you’re out of his league, everyone’s league for that matter. He can’t conjure a healing spell with a song. You even look so serene while doing that. His wound is stitching itself, every cell rejuvenated to its optimal condition before he recklessly ruined the skin.

“Change the fates' design. Save what has been lost. Bring back what once was mine.”

His pupils are shaking and his breathing picks up as he stares at you. Then, you finish the song and he can see your eyes glowing with your hair. It dims down at the last syllable of the tune. “What once was mine.” You look so wary and you’re trying to make yourself look small by shrinking in yourself again. He can’t help but stare at you though. He just witnessed you execute the most arcane of abilities. Magic was never prevalent in Paradis and those that were capable enough for such an advanced feat were few and far between. There were no people who tampered with the enchanted arts who publicly announced their talents in front of others. Mostly, they’re like Yelena who hides behind masks, catering their learnings to an unaware audience. They say it’s easier to push for folly when ignorance is in play.

It’s only then that Levi detects your dainty hand unwrapping your hair from his now healed one. He raises his clean appendage in the air, his blank face not betraying what he thinks. Your mind is a mess at this point. He opens his mouth but you stop him before he utters a word.

You hastily wave your hands in front of you. “Please don’t freak out!”

Levi closes his mouth. Now, he’s thoughtful. He unconsciously hums like everything that happened during the day sounds so interesting to him all of a sudden. “I’m not freaking out,” he bluntly tells you. You brighten a little at that so he continues to make you feel better without him realizing it. “I’m just interested in what your hair does and the magical qualities that it possesses.” He raises his chin in observation. “How long has it been doing that exactly?”

You twirl a lock of hair around your finger, a nervous chuckle spilling from your lips. “Since as long as I can remember.”

“Is this the reason why your mother has been overprotective of you?” The annunciation of the words starts slow, tentative. He has no plans of you putting on your shell any time tonight. If he has to be beside you for the next days leading to the festival, he should understand how important you are and how much magic you are carrying inside your little body. That way, he will do a better job at fending off threats that dare breathe in the same radius as you, like those weird palace guards that look like they’re going to dissect you any time of the day.

As expected of your guide, he nails it with his perceptive guesses. You laugh a little yet it doesn’t contain the same lightheartedness that you’re attempting to portray. “Mother told me that people tried to cut it when I was young, that a single strand can cure epidemics and a whole lock can bring back the dead. But once it’s cut,” you put your hair over one shoulder, letting Levi see a piece of hair on your nape that’s slightly different, “it loses its magical qualities and turns darker in shade. It will never grow back again.” You thoughtfully run your hands over the hair that’s slinging on your shoulder. “A power like this has to be protected. That’s why Mother told me to … that’s why I never …” You hum, tightly closing your eyes simultaneously to the painful clench to your heart.

“That’s why you never left that tower,” Levi finishes, eyebrows furrowing at the revelation. A puppy can be put into shame at the way you’re staring at Levi right now. God, please don’t look at him with those eyes. You look so lost that he’s starting to feel sympathy. “And you still want to go back there?”

Your breathing hitches. “No! … Yes?” You groan, burying your face in your palms. “I don’t know, Levi.” Your tiny reply compels him to wrap his hand around the crook of your elbow, rubbing comforting circles on your skin. “It’s complicated.”

“Hmm.”

“So,” you prolong the syllable to change the subject.

Levi rolls his eyes, knowing what’s in store with your tone. His shoulders are still relaxed so he’s not as guarded as he expects himself to be.

“If you don’t mind, I’m actually curious about the Underground.”

He snorts. “Figured.” Levi stares at the flickering flames of the fire. “I don’t want to spare you the details of my orphaned life. When I told you that life there is pretty shit, I mean it both literally and figuratively. Everything stinks — the alleyways, the houses, even the streets. It’s fucking rancid there, wonder how I survived my whole life.” The idle noises of the forest fill in the gaps. He hears you scoot closer to him, your chin resting on your propped hands. It’s refreshing to see someone so invested in what he’s about to say. Eyeing you in the corner of his eye, a small smirk lifts his lips. “Just like any other kid down that shithole, I constantly dreamed of seeing the stars, tasting the sun, and feeling every sensation nature offered. My friends used to talk about their goals with each other and they all align with mine. But what really made me want to go to the surface, are the lanterns they released during the princess’s birthday. Someone important to me told me that they're nothing like the stars because you can reach them with your hand.” He nudges you with his shoulder, eliciting giggles from you. “Sounds familiar, sunshine?”

Admiration blossoms inside your stomach. So you share the same dream. Partnered with the orange flames, your eyes earn another shine that nearly made Levi choke in his saliva. You look so childishly innocent. You tilt your head and a lock of hair covers your eye. With half-lidded eyes, Levi reaches out and tucks it behind your ear, his touch lingering on your earlobe.

You smile. “I’m so happy we share the same dream, Levi.”

A fluttering occupies Levi’s stomach, something he has never experienced before.

“This becomes even more special now, knowing that I’ll get to witness the floating lanterns with you.”

Warmth creeps up his neck, cheeks, and ears. It’s the domino effect — starting with the foreign fluttering, then the fast-paced heartbeat, finally the warmth. Now, he can hear the walls in his chest breaking.

“I look forward to seeing them with you, Levi. For some reason, I’m glad it’s you.”

Fucking hell. He’s in danger.

Levi clears his throat, looking away from your beautiful visage. “You should sleep. I’ll take first watch.” He stands up from the ground and excessively pats his pants free from dirt.

“Good night, Levi.”

He looks back at you and sees that you start surrounding yourself with your hair as if it’s a makeshift pillow and blanket. He pauses for a moment before softly returning, “Good night, sunshine.”

That night, you dream of small wishes flickering their glow in front of you, their surfaces clear to you as they reveal images you never saw in your life. You drift yourself to sleep with a small smile on your face, giddiness overtaking you at the thought of having your dream within your reach for once, and you have one person to thank that for.

sunshine taglist:

@leviskata @lynnleanist @chloe-loves-levi @midaribaby @tenaciouswritersheep @araveticazx @coyloves @hanges-gf @regalillegal @p1nkfl0wers @icansmellsouls @hehesafa @cherrytomato2 @notplutos @roseabelle21 @misslovingpearl @podochu @lattebabie @levislovingwife @langaslefthairstrand @bratckerman @bokkunto @butterfly-skinnylegend @notgoodforlife @fvckingeetar

[bertolts]

Maddie, I think you've finally done it. I think you've converted me to the Dramione side. Do you have any suggestions for fics?

OwO Oh boy do I. I have so many suggestions but I’ll just link a few that I’ve read and reread. I tend to lean toward angsty romance fics so I’m unsure if I have any fluffy fics. Unsure of what exactly you’re more into but these are some of my faves:

The Rights and Wrongs series by @lovesbitca8 : An excellent series focusing on Hermione’s and then Draco’s POV in a 2 part story of their post-war relationship. It’s filled with intense pining, angst, sexual tension, and slowburn. Part 1 is ‘The Right Thing To Do’ and Part 2 is “All The Wrong Things” Part 3 is a ‘Voldemort Wins’ AU set in the same universe. This part ‘The Auction’ is currently WIP and is quite dark so I’d recommend checking the tags before proceeding. Hermione is captured and sold into the service of Death Eaters. “But despite the horrors of Voldemort’s new world, help - and hope - seem to arise from the most unlikely of places.” There’s also a few ficlets/oneshots in this series. (Part 1 & 2 Complete - Part 3 ‘The Auction’ In-Progress)

Wait and Hope by @mightbewriting : Is a fic I love so much I just finished rereading it for the third time this past weekend. It’s a memory loss fic. Hermione loses that past 7 years of her memory and finds herself married to Draco Malfoy. It’s a bitter sweet and angsty fic about Hermione relearning her own life and relationships. Some of the chapters really punch you in the gut. I’m tearing up just thinking about it. (Complete)

Shattered Oaths by @ JustAlongTheMirrorOfErised : Just picked this up this past weekend. “There have always been whispers of old magic in the woods. Some say that you could make a promise to an ancient creature for whatever your heart desires. What the stories never told her is that all magic comes with a price. Hermione could never have known that the oath she broke as a child would threaten to destroy everything that she worked for and everyone that she loves.It all started with the being who spoke to her with words forged from liquid silver. Destiny is just as fickle as it is inevitable.” It’s a Fae AU and it is a delicious slow burn. Draco is a Fae and Hermione essentially stole his magic. together they have to try and restore the imbalance she created before they die or WORSE! It’s the type of trickster dangerous Fae lore too. The whole ‘power in a name’ type of magic(In-Progress)

Bittersweet and Strange by @ UndiscoveredQueen19 : “ Trapped to share the same cursed fate in a world ruled by Voldemort, Draco and Hermione find that their differences are what make them similar and that their flaws are what make them whole. Dramione AU with a Beauty and the Beast twist.” Draco is cursed, Hermione is a desperate order fighter, and the two get bound together and locked inside a manor. Very much angst and fluff. (Complete)

Isolation by @ bexchan : This fic has somehow become a staple to the Dramione community. This takes place post-Half Blood Prince. “ Ron and Harry are Horcrux hunting and Hermione has been left at Hogwarts to help the Order make it safe for the other students. Draco is forced by Snape to stay in Hogwarts for his own protection, but he can't leave the room he is given; Granger's room. Hermione is the only student trusted with this information, so her and Malfoy share the small space, and Draco tries to avoid insanity as he becomes increasingly isolated with only the Mudblood for company. Something's going to give.” Read this one awhile ago. I think I’m due for a reread because I don’t remember all of the details. (Complete)

Never In Heart by @ In_Dreams :  “ Hermione Granger had never anticipated that Draco Malfoy would be her best friend, a decade after the war. She'd also never meant to wind up trapped in a marriage pact, borne of one late night with too much wine. But as his thirtieth birthday draws near, time will either seek to push them together or drive them apart.” This is heavy on the pining and is definitely a Friends to Lovers fic. It’s uber sweet but can get a bit heart-achey at times cause they’re idiots in love. I think this is also the shortest rec I’ve put on this list... (Complete)

Splash of Colour by @ kyonomiko : Here’s a fun short fic rec. This one’s 3 chapters and just recently finished updating. Hermione accidentally has a spell cast on her that makes her see the entire world in a different colour of the rainbow every day. But for some reason Draco is a different colour from everyone else. I thought it was pretty cute. (Complete)

Literally anything and everything that @senlinyu has ever written. Literally all of it. I’ve read every fic they’ve put on AO3. Manacled, All You Want, Love & Other Misfortunes, The Creature Anthology, etc. These works tend to lean towards darker themes, heavy smut or both. They also write a lot of creature fics which is my absolute favourite kind of AU. Sometimes the Omegaverse is traipsed into *coughs shamefully* I blame reylo tumblr for exposing me to that. Love & Other Misfortunes is a Veela!Draco vic and also the first Dramione fic I ever read. I fell in love with it. Manacled is my favourite fic I’ve ever read. Like out of any fandom. It’s so tragic and has what I consider the best portrayal of a morally grey Hermione that I’ve ever seen. However it is VERY dark and can be very triggering so please be careful and check the tags before even attempting to read it.

There are literally hundreds of one shots that I’ve read. Most of the soulmate oneshots are lovely and I’ve gone through the ‘Pining Draco Malfoy’ tag one too many times now. Also the ‘Veela Draco Malfoy’ tag.

I think I’ll cut myself off here. I definitely also recommend going through that list of Dramione fics I just recently reblogged as well. They have a lot of fics on there that are great and I intend to check out some of the ones I haven’t read yet. I really should start utilizing the bookmarks feature on AO3... That would’ve been a lot easier T^T But I had a lot of fun just gushing about some of my favourite fics. Dramione has been such a massive fixation these past 7-8 months.