#Black Cloud Winery

[glassrowboat]

Daydream in a Nightmare

Authors note: I read a soulmate au where with dream sharing. Everytime you fall asleep you and your SM would meet in a world that would reflect your consciousness and who you were. So down below are the boys and what I think the places their dreams would depict.

Mondstadt

Diluc: The cathedral. His mom, back when she was alive, used to play during service and afterwards Diluc ran over greeting her with the biggest smile, asking her to play him one more song. She never failed to. Maybe that's why there's always a gentle melody playing whenever you see him as he rests his fingers over the same white tiles, simply trying to remember how to play.

Kaeya: The Dawn Winery. Or at least parts of it. Behind closed doors there's the scent of grass, of dirt, and the faintest smell of ash. He says it's simply the vineyard that in the real world would be right outside, but he knows well as he pulls your hand from the doorknob that it's ruins of a fallen nation haunting him right on the other side.

Albedo: Glass walls. A maze of mirrors and reflections. If you ever have stopped to bother to count between Albedo’s musings as he shares with you the secrets of the world, you'd notice that for some reason he always has more reflections in the walls around you than of your own figure. Like there's more of him than there is of you.

Venti: Old Mondstadt. Back before the revolution, back when there were people in the streets wishing their God weren't so unjust, but in his dreams that wall of spiraling wind is never there. A warped perception of a life he wished to have lived as he sits in your lap not as Venti the bard, but a wind sprite trying to bury into your clothes for warmth. Just don't call him pipsqueek or he'll try and bite your fingers. Playfully. You think.

Liyue

Zhongli: A place that no longer exists, one torn away by this world during the archon war. It's unlike him not to comment on a place, a trinket, an item, as you pick something up and fiddle with it, but this place he never goes into full detail on. However, he will tell you all about the artisanship of the table you two are sharing tea over.

Baizhu: His home back in Chenyu Vale, back before the illness hit his village, back before his parents passed away. Just a modest home that shows signs of being truly well lived in and loved. Mindlessly while you two talk he'll be cleaning the place, just the way he always does at the pharmacy. Though it does help give him something to fill the silence. It turns out he's a lot more used to Changsheng chiming in with comments than he thought. He just hopes you two get along when the time to meet in person finally comes about.

Ga ming: A festival. There's water kicking up at everyone's feet, up to everyones ankles as people with their face covered in all manner of masks walk you both by. Ga ming would pull you along from booth to booth, trying his best to win prizes despite the fact you both know they'll be gone by the time you wake.

Xiao: A Chinese pavilion in the sky. You walk among the clouds as you follow the path of the street, looking over the accents that seem somehow both rich in color and dull, muddied all at the same time. Something you've noticed from his dreams compared to yours, his always have a lingering black fog creeping in at the corner of your eyes. It makes you feel like someone else is in this world with you, like there's eyes waiting to do more than just watch.

Inazuma

Kazooha: A meadow. The wind passes you both by, stirring up pages of books you two sit reading in silence. You can't help but wonder if these are all books he's read before, especially the ones that wax poetry or something else. His thoughts, perhaps? Maybe Kazuha's very own writings? But that matters little as his head is resting on your shoulder as you try to catch words between the fluttering sheets of paper.

Itto: A kabuki play. It always ends up in you two hiding away in the back room where the performers would get ready before getting back out on stage for the next act. You would see the brightest of colors, richest of fabrics, and practiced movements so fine tuned that you can't understand why Itto is so focused on taking the makeup on the vanity in the back simply so he can paint your face with red marks just like his. To each their own you suppose, and who are you to complain when it means drawing hearts on his arm when Itto isn't paying attention?

Gorou: A tea house. It's a small place, simple, but certainly not lacking charm as Gorou pours you a cup. At first the fact you could actually taste the rich herbs on your tongue in this dreamscape threw you off, but now it's just another part of this odd reality. But saying that, the first time you spat out the drink he offered as soon as the bitter taste hit you. Apparently he never expected you to not already be used to green tea. The poor fella was apologizing for the rest of the night, ears laid flat on his head and tail tucked between his legs. It's okay though, you made it even by trying to give him dog treats. It was you having to beg for forgiveness then.

Thoma: It was different this time. No glowing blue flowers and a forest that you two would stroll through mindlessly while chatting for hours. No, this time Thoma was sitting on a wooden platform below a giant stone statue. Intriguing, yes, but mattered little compared to the rope burns around his wrist. He tried to tell you not to worry about it. That it was an accident. But that mattered little as your lips pressed to the red, irritated skin and he gave you a strained smile. You knew better than to ask about it more from there.

Ayato: It's ever changing. It's like he is constantly thinking of something whenever He falls asleep and it reflects in his dreams. Once it was a Japanese styled room the next it was some room in Fontaine's architecture. But it's always a bedroom. A place of relaxation as Ayato buries his head in your lap like it was a pillow. He'll whine about being overworked until you're tempted to pull on his hair just to make the man shut up for once, but last time you did that it led to the bed being used for a lot more than just rest. For now just pat his head and let him vent, the man needs it.

Sumeru

Kaveh: A sketch brought to life from his mothers blueprints. One he saw his mother sketching back when Kaveh was a boy and she would let him sit on her lap, let him comment on the drawings. She would always find some way to incorporate his addictions into the sketch. Nowadays he knows the building that was actually constructed in the end to be simpler, duller than the one his mother wanted, but in his dreams with you it stands tall and proud.

Al Haitham: An attic. It's dusty and it clearly had a hole in the roof that was covered over by some wooden planks and nails. A patch work job that needs to be fixed but if you ever take the time to bother with it while Al Haitham sits in an old rocking chair covered by a quilt reading the night away it will only be there the next dream cycle. It pisses you off. He pisses you off. All nonchalance and an apathetic look even as you plop yourself in his lap and take that book away. And what pisses you off even more? How he dares to call you needy as he holds you close. It's best to ignore the fact he started reading over your shoulder.

Tighnari: Pardis Dhyai. He'll sit on the walkway watching you kick the water of the ponds around, paying no mind to when you splash at him. Not anymore at least. He's learned quickly if he makes a snarky comment you'll give one back and it'll go on and on until somehow it ends in him getting dragged into the pond with you. Both dripping algae filled water as he wondered what gods made this numbskull his mate.

Cyno: Lambad's Tavern. Everytime he would come back from treks in the desert he would go there, get a drink, and play a round of cards with whoever was willing. It was a pattern. Work, work, rest, and more work. But now he didn't have to constantly be on work mode as he sat with you in the old booth shuffling cards as he tried to explain to you how TCG works. So far everytime you lose you've thrown those elemental dice and him, and with a smile he lets them hit him in the head despite being fully able to dodge them. His soulmate is such a sore loser.

Wanderer: Shakkei Pavilion. He hates it. Hates that this is the place his unconscious has chosen to sink onto so stubbornly. His wooden fingers would slide over the paintings depicting Scaramouche’s past that has now been severed from him in everyone's eyes but Nahida and the Traveler. If you knew, would you still hold his hand? Would you still trace the details of his joints and comment that you find his pretty face such a stark contrast to his sharp words? He's afraid to find out, the idea that you might be his fourth betrayal always lingering in the back of his mind.

Fontaine

Neuvillette: Under the water where the currents would carry stray bits of seaweed and fish swimming past. The first time you shared a dream with him here he had to calm you down as instinctively you held your breath, taking your hands in his and assuring you if he can talk like this, you can suck in air just as well. It took some time getting used to, but now he watches as you grab starfish off the ocean floor and bring them over to him like a prize to be presented. This is what humans must be like Neuvillette tells himself as you braid them into his hair.

Worcestershire sauce: A home. A nice one at that. Big, had decent furnishings, pictures of kids hung up on the wall. If you listened closely enough you could even hear children playing outside from the cracked open windows that showed the brightest sky outside. Wriothesly would walk behind you as you would watch the grass blowing in the wind, not saying a word as he rested his chin on top of your head. He never thought he'd be back here again. The very place made him feel sick to his stomach, but with you? It was bearable. Even as you tried to grab his handcuffs from him.

Snezhnaya

Childe: His childhood home. Back before the renovations he bought for the place with his money as a harbinger, back before the redecorating of rooms to fit more children, and back to what the house was like when he was just a boy yet to fall into the abyss. Back when everything was simpler. He would pick up toys that have gone missing, never to be seen again and stare in wonder how it all is exactly how he remembers it. It makes it so much easier to be Ajax with you, rather than Tartaglia.

Dottore: The hospital he was working in when trying to help Eleazar patients. For the life of him does he hate it, being back in the desert always having to tip his shoes out of sand that never seems to fully clear off. It doesn't help you try and pour sand down his shirt, but in a way he supposes it's better you two stay out here under that blistering sun than you going inside to be met with the smell of death. No, you don't need to know about that side of him just yet.

Pantalone: His office. It always makes it hard to tell at first if he's awake, not when the same scene greets him either way. You always joke about him being married to his work and you're the mistress in this relationship. At this point he counts on the comment as soon as his eyes flutter open and he's greeted with the sight of you sitting on the desk he's been using as a pillow. Still, he can never help the genuine smile at seeing you once again.

Captain: A flower field. The snowdrops peek out from under the fluffy blanket of white powder, crunching under every step he takes. Even in his dreams the cold of Snezhnaya is ever present, ever biting. It only makes sense you are shivering behind him even as he lets you steal his cloak that is more of a blanket on you than anything. This field, he knows it well, knows that what waters these flowers is more blood than anything else, but that matters little as he wraps his arms around you. Maybe he can find a way to dream you a proper jacket.

Pierro: A grand hall. It reminds you of the way ballrooms are described in romance stories as the couple depicted would dance the night away. Columns so high you have to tilt your head back just to see where they meet the ceiling covered in paintings you've never seen before. That is until Pierro steps into your view. He always offered his hand to you before you could ask, and as your fingers interlocked he would tell you about them. Always ready to answer your questions. It meant someone was curious about a part of his long lost nation. So, of course, he was always happy to share.

Scaramouche: A never ending fire. It's a small shack, engulfed by flames that never seem to dwindle or burn out the wood it feeds on. Like this place was stuck in time in his mind. He doesn't talk to you, not any more than a sharp shut up. The only time that glare he showed you disappeared is when you pulled your hand back from the curious fire with a hiss, not expecting it to actually hurt in this fake reality. For a moment you could have sworn he took a step towards you, but he never came any closer than that as he hissed at you to be careful. Dumb mortals should at least know not to burn themselves.

[marcsburnerphone]

And they were roommates

(Captain John price x F!reader)

Summary: the captain wants somewhere more homely to settle down and when an offer like yours comes alight on Zillow he must take up on it.

Warnings: separation, John being John.

part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4 - part 5 - part 6- part 7 - part 8 - Part 9 - part 10 - part 11 - part 12 - part 13 - part 14

--------------------------------------------------------------

“Oh my god i’ve missed you!” your sister says as she gets into your car at the train station and although a piece of home has left it also feels like a piece has come home.

“Thankyou for coming.” you smile pulling her into an uncomfortable hug over the center counsel. 

“Coffee and a good movie that perhaps includes phone time?” she says as you pull away.

“Good god you mastermind.” you two laugh while  backing out of the busy parking lot. 

“So tell me everything, like what the hell this is?” she asks while grabbing the photo strip of you and john you keep on your dash.

“That day we went to the winery and they have a really popular black and white photo booth.” She smiles at the way your eyes light up when speaking about him.

“You complement each other well.” 

“Thank you, you’d love him, maybe when he gets back you could meet him.” The suggestion isn't one you'd ever see yourself making again after your last embarrassment of a boyfriend.

“Of course.” she says with a soft smile.

—-----------------------

“Do you think she’s okay?” John asks Simon who sits next to him on the foreign base.

“I do.” 

“I wish I could call her already, just to be sure and shake this feeling.” He was told calls weren't permitted until clearance that the location they’re at is secured.

“Captain, she can handle herself, she's going to be fine and if this goes to plan we’ll be back in no time.” John just sighs, his breath making a cloud into the cold air. By no time Simon means a month, a whole thirty days without you, he might just die from heartbreak. 

“You think you'll marry her?” Simon has always been one for deep conversation but it’s always random and spontaneous.

“Jesus son it hasn't even been seven months.” John says with an awkward laugh knowing he has an answer to the question.

“That's not what I asked the captain.” Simon replies.

“I'd be lucky to, I'd give everything to make that woman my wife, it’s just too soon, I don’t want to scare her off.” he says with a hopeless sigh.

“Time is an illusion, captain, don't wait forever.” 

“What are you, A fucking poet?”

“Yeah.” They both laugh as Simon opens a pack of cigarettes offering one to John and grabs one from the pack for himself. 

“Like I said if I'm lucky.” 

“I think the perfect woman falling into your hands proves you're as lucky as it gets, i mean look at those idiots.”he says gesturing towards johnny and gaz who arm wrestle on a wobbly table.

“You're right.” 

—----------------

The days have been stretched long, you think to yourself. It was good though, the distractions of shopping and hanging with your sister was nice and relieving but now it's four in the morning and she's fast asleep beside you and your eyes won't even shut for more than five minutes before the anxiety becomes too much.

It's been a long time since you’ve had a night like this and you don't wish to have many more but while johns away you most likely will. 

You get out of bed quietly and head to his room to grab a shirt of his, anything to feel closer. Walking in you realize you and john are very rarely in here and dust collects on the clothing drawer you open.

“I've missed these.” you say pulling your favorite pair of undies from the bottom of his pajama shirt drawer wondering when he could've gotten them then it hits you, these are from the night of your first date, you laugh quietly before putting them back.

You pull the shirt over your head right then and there, discarding the one you had on before, leaving it somewhere on John's floor before heading back to bed.

“Where'd you go?” your sister mumbles, scaring the life out of you.

“John's room real quick sorry for waking you.” you reply in a whisper.

“Yeah I thought a man got into bed with me.” you figure you've become a little blind to how strong his cologne can be and apologize. 

“Night.” you say before sliding under the duvet.

—-------------

“That was close too close, almost got caught.” John says very sternly to his task force who just returned from their first outing in this foreign country.

“But we didn't.” gaz says, and it's true was it close yes but there've been many other occasions just like it.

“But we were close!” The captain's booming voice makes them all fall silent.

“Next time I say to pull away you listen, do you understand, let me expect more from you.” he pointed at simon.

“Understood.” he says with a nod. 

“I'll see you all in the morning.” the captain says before walking away and into his tent. The boys all spare eachother side glances before Johnny starts.

“He needs to get laid immediately.” 

“He just has something to live for now I think and it's scaring him.” the ghost replies and it's troubling him, because although he understands his captain has to get his emotions under control before this mission blows up in their faces.

“Go talk to him Lt.” Gaz says pointing towards where the silhouette of John is visible through the tarp of his tent. Simon gets up without another word walking to the tent asking if he could open it.

“What do you want?” John says to him, still agitated.

“Captain i understand your emotions are high right now you miss her and you're not allowed to call yet but understand we are soldier and as a team we understand each other-”

“I'm captain and I'm glad you understand each other but it's my job to understand the situation.” 

“You're trying to understand the situation here and at home though, and it's going to get us killed.” Simon says before leaving. John realizes then he has had his mind in two places and he can't afford that. Swallowing his pride he approaches the team who's still sitting where he left them.

“I apologize for my outburst, let's reread some files and figure out an action plan for tomorrow.” 

—-------------

It's been nearly a week and not a sound from John, you're worried sick and there's nothing anyone can do about it. Your sister has a life to return to and you'll be alone with these thoughts for however long.

“Alright babe till next time.” she says hopping out of your car back at the same spot you picked her up from. You get out to help her get her extra bags that she acquired from shopping. 

“I love you, call me when you get home.” you say giving her a big hug trying not to cry.

“Will do, love you.” you watch her board before leaving. You're back home before you know it, getting back basically on autopilot.. You decide to call it a night at six, the emotional baggage of the day and the possibility of going another day without speaking to John is enough to get you to sleep heavily. 

And sure enough not only another day passes with no contact but another week goes by.

—------------

“Good job out there today, that was beyond successful.” John says, patting everyone on the back as they all file back into their temporary base.

“Hey captain, have you spoken to the little lass?” he was cleared his fifth day here to call home but simply hasn't.

“No I haven't.” 

“Why not?” it takes soap by surprise, the captain went from being worried sick about you to not even mentioning your name.

“It's a distraction I can't handle right now.” Simon's ears pick up on this and he just shakes his head in disappointment, that man only ever hears what he wants to. 

“Okay, she probably misses you though.” soap continues.

“Don't johnny.” the captain demands sternly leaving him to just walk away.

John misses you he does, so much so it makes him sick but he can't afford to think about you more than a little before it consumes his thoughts, what're you doing?Where are you?How are you?It's all too much.

He stares at the phone he was issued long enough to the point where he picks it up and dials your number and of course you answer first ring.

“John, good god hon i've missed you.” he doesn't say anything just listens to your voice fill his ears.

“John hello you there.” he stays silent trying to hold in this rush of sadness he hadn't expected.

“Johnnnnnn hello, i think your connection is bad or maybe it's mine.” he feels guilty for doing this to you, just like he gets the comfort of hearing you again you deserve that too but he just can't bring himself to speak, so he hangs up and sets the phone down leaving his tent to drown himself in work and whatever else there is to do.

—------------

The confusion and uncertainty that followed with the click of the phone was immense but there were no tears left to cry by now. You've just accepted the fact that he couldn't talk right now reminding yourself that you knew what you were getting into when he asked you to be his girlfriend or as he says it his partner.

—------------

Another week, then another passes

“He hasn't called, I'm just worried.” you say while on facetime as you fold laundry.

“Maybe it isn't allowed.” she says trying to comfort you by making that stupid face people make when they don't know what to say.

“But he told me he could, so I just don't get what changed you know, but maybe you're right, I just miss him.” 

“And that's okay, it's healthy.” Since she's left, her phone is full with nothing but you and your rants about life, your day, how much you miss john.

“How long has it been now?” 

“Four weeks going on five.” you sigh while getting up to put some clothes away in your closet.

“Well he'll be back soon hopefully, I got to go when my break is over.” she says while blowing you a kiss through the phone.

“Okay bye.” —--------------

You're woken up at four in the morning the next night from your phone buzzing under your pillow, excitedly thinking  it's John. You quickly grab it looking at the number and although it's similar in area code some numbers are different but nonetheless you answer.

“Hello.”

“Hey it's Johnny we’ve met. I'm a friend of johns.” soap says into the phone simon and gaz next to him listening.

“Hey is everything okay, is john okay?” you say in a bit of a panic.

“Yes yeah everythings okay we’re or I’m just calling to see how you are, make sure you're okay?”

“Yeah I'm fine are you?” You say a little mind boggled that Johnny is calling you before your partner.

“Yeah I’m well actually.” He says as if this is casual conversation.

“Johnny, why isn’t John the one calling me?” You finally ask, he doesn’t know what to say he looks at the two other men who shrug and are obviously thinking of what to say. 

“I don’t know.” Gaz rolls his eyes and Simon pushes the side of Johnny's head at the obvious lie.

“Oh okay. If you can tell him I miss him and that I love him.” All their heads fall into their hands as the choke in your words is obvious.

“I will.” 

“Is he avoiding me?” This hadn’t even been a possibility in your mind until right now.

“No, I'm sure he’s just um he’s just busy.” They hear the captain tent start to unzip.

“Okay lass got to go stay safe and do not ever tell the captain about this.” He says before hanging up without another word.

—————

“Who were you talking to?” The captain mindlessly asks as he approaches them sitting down beside Johnny. 

“A little lass I met not too long ago.” Not a lie but not the truth.

“Okay, anyways Tomorrow should be our last day. We've got to secure one more piece of information then we’re out of here.” 

“Excited to get home?” Gaz asks.

“Yeah but I’ll probably stay at the base a little longer to do these files.” 

“Why?” Simon questions, wondering what childish excuse his captain will come up with. 

“I’ll be distracted at home.” Simon stands without another word leaving into his own tent.

“What’s his deal?” The captain asks the other two remaining.

“Just being himself.” The captain nods even though there’s definitely more to it. 

——————-

Thank you for reading, comments and reposts are immensely appreciated<3

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[nanamimizz]

𝐌𝚬𝐋𝐓

tags: diluc birthday fic - fem reader, size difference, accidental creampie, temperature play, possessiveness, established relationship, the first time being intimate, marking, knight of favonius and cryo vision wielder reader. 6.k

synopsis: 𝐖𝐇𝚬𝐍 𝐂𝐑𝐘𝚶 𝐌𝚬𝚬𝐓𝐒 𝐏𝐘𝐑𝚶, 𝐌𝚬𝐋𝐓 𝚶𝐂𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐒.

You regret taking upon this assignment - more like a favor. The next time you see the blonde alchemist, you will freeze over all his ink pots. A small revenge for the suffering he put you through to head to his camp on Dragonspine for research notes he left behind. You sigh, tucking away the wind glider that you had used to descend the mountain, and think back to why you were sent - Klee is currently sick and has monopolized Albedo’s efforts, and you have always been weak to help the needy so you had readily agreed to the errand despite the blistering cold of the haunted mountain.

It seems your time under the tutelage of the Acting Grand Master has done you more harm than good.

Misfortune smiles upon you as you walk down the path that veers off the snowy side of the mountain, to the small river that leads onto the familiar view of tall grass and proud trees that decorate the land of the Anemo Archon. You are still shivering, and there is still some powdery snow on your hair that melts in the presence of the sun but as soon as you blink the sky darkens. You feel a small drip on the top of your head, and your shoulders drop in defeat as the scent of wet earth fills your nose and the sky is bloated black by the clouds - rainfall.

Just your luck, huh?

Your breath still mists over your lips and you shudder - fresh off the mountain and now getting soaked through by the rain a fog settles over your vision and you curse at how it blurs the sights together. Sucking on your teeth you ponder your options, it would be dangerous to use your wind glider now - you can’t see well, the mist of the mountain and the rain clouding what you can perceive even with your goggles. All you do is sigh and tug on your bootstraps, you are going to have to climb down the mountain.

It was easier than you expected if you discount the chattering of your teeth and the loss of feeling in your fingers despite your gloves. As you jump, climb, and trudge down the woods of Mondstadt you fail to notice that you have gone too far to the left of your map, and as you can begin to see the telltale sign of small, modest houses and crystal flies among grape vines; there is a flush that blooms across your face that isn’t from the nipping cold.

You’ve taken a big veer to the left and found yourself at Dawn Winery, subconsciously and purely by coincidence of course. A certain redhead flashes in your mind’s eye and you groan, bringing a hand up to your face in embarrassment. Even during your duties as a knight, your heart still leads you to the man you’ve recently started to court after having a harmless crush on him since his time in the Knights at the tender age of 14.

Lightning flashes, thunder booms, and the wind picks up whipping the hood of your outerwear back, you are so caught off guard you take a misstep sliding down the rocky side of the natural f formations of the mountain until you land at the base of the evergreen trees that reside on the paths that lead to the front door of the manor. It’s almost as if the Anemo Archon was pushing you toward the front door of the man you have loved since childhood. Picking yourself up, you swipe at the mud that mars your sleeves and trudge your way up the first paths that have turned into a mush of mud and rainwater. Arriving at the door you use the knocker, beating on the dark wood once and twice. You don’t have to wait for long when you see the familiar face of the head maid Adelinde, her blonde hair shines in the light of the lamp she holds in her hand. You wave timidly when she gasps your name, worry painting her face as she pulls you inside.

She’s rather strong for a maid, you think amused.

“What in the name of Barbatos were you doing out there?” She asks, lighting the fireplace in the drawing room and taking your outerwear away from you. You wince at how it drips onto the expensive wood flooring and how mud stains her sleeves. Your hair drips down your neck and you shiver, she hands you a towel - kept in the cabinet near the fireplace for emergencies at the table that is first seen when you enter through the front doors of the winery. She drags you to one of the fine chairs in front of the fire.

Before you could answer, a deep masculine voice rings from upstairs, calling out for Adelinde. Steps can be heard on the polished wood and you nervously tuck a stray hair behind your as the all too familiar scent of smokey wood and lampgrass fills your senses.

“Master Diluc, it seems we are having a special guest stay with us for the night.” The head maid says eyes flickering between the two of you as you squawk from your place in the chair. Diluc turns the corner, red eyes wide when he sees you, soaked through and shivering like a stray left in the rain. With the speed you’ve seen him exhibit in battle, he is by your side, his hand outreached to touch you before he freezes and drops his hand, still gloved by his side. Touching you so early into your budding relationship wouldn’t be proper -  and Diluc is nothing but a gentleman first and foremost.

“What happened?” He unknowingly parrots Adeline from before and you shudder before answering him, tentatively looking up at his eyes that flicker like the flames in the fireplace.

“Master Albedo asked me to retrieve research notes he left on the mountains.” You confess and wince at the scoff that leaves your lover and quickly fill him in as to why you went,

“Klee is ill so Albedo couldn’t go - I agreed to go.”Your stammer, feeling hot as the stern look on his handsome face fades to worry, you can still catch a subtle “The Knights are incompetent as ever.”

“You still shouldn’t have been sent alone.” Diluc murmurs, eyes flicking away to the flames in the fireplace. He sighs and goes to remove a red palmed glove, you watch the small action with wide eyes and swallow when you see his hands - pale and scarred, faint red hair glows in the low light of the fire and he says your name softly.

“May I touch you? I can use my vision to warm you.” You nod, wetting your lips as his hand comes to rest on the side of your face, warm and gentle in the way his palm molds to hold the weight of your cheek - red eyes glint pleased by how your shoulders drop and your eyes flutter shut by the comfort his body heat gives you. He smiles, cheeks tinged pink when he hears the small sigh that you puff out.

“I’ll have Adeline run you a bath and set some clothes for you. Have you eaten yet?” Your eyes, cloudy and relaxed, meet his eyes and he feels his heart might burst at how you look at him so trustingly - you shake your head to show that no, you haven’t eaten yet. 

“Some supper will be served for you then.” You think it’s from your long exposure to the elements but you usually would stammer and sputter at such treatment - telling him that he’s spoiling you too much but now you relax like the cat in the sun into the palm of his hand and let him do as he pleases.

“Send her to my quarters after her bath. We’ll eat there.” He instructs, absentmindedly rubbing his thumb into your cheek. Diluc’s blush darkens at the soft sound you make when he releases his hold on your face, he steps closer and your mind clouds as he becomes your world. He settles before you, tucking a stray hair from your face as he takes in your tattered form,

“It appears I’ll have to exchange some words with the Chief Alchemist. I can’t have him sending my love away on such dangerous tasks.” You wince at his words but your heart softens at the worry in his voice and the pet name he regards you with. Clearing your throat you try to soothe him,

“It’s alright Master Diluc - I should have been wiser and not agreed given the circumstances, the mountain has always been dangerous,” Your rambling is cut off by another pleased sound you make. He had momentarily moved away to remove the other remaining glove and pressed his now free hand to your forehead. Warm and dry, you feel the callouses from wielding the claymore against your skin but you could sigh at the touch. The hair there is still wet and you can feel how he gently tucks away the damp strands as he slowly increases the temperature on his hands to keep warming you up.

 “It’s only Diluc when you refer to me, dearest.” He rumbles from his position in front of you - something sweet in his smile as he recounts a fond childhood memory.

“My mother would refer to my father as Master Crepus when she was cross with him so,” Red eyes as warm as the embers in the fireplace before you dance so joyfully and you can’t say if it is the fire that warms you from the inside out or by how Diluc speaks to you as softly as the bat of a crystalfly’s wings. You find that you can’t bear the weight of his loving eyes so you duck, tucking your head into your chest and letting your wet hair block your view. 

“O-of course, Diluc - I’ll keep that in mind.” He smiles at you, the name he is so proud of sounds so sweet coming from your lips and he can’t but give into his lesser nature and hurries for you to say it again. Pushing and tucking away the hair you used to hide your flustered state, the skin where his hand had rested almost aches from his presence,

“Say it again, say my name one more time.” He asks, and you concede with a shy smile - stuttering over the proud syllables of his name. You find yourself unable to meet his gaze, eyes wide and face hot. You hide your face with the back of your hand, from behind the fire cracks. Anything that Diluc wishes to say, from asking you to say his name again or a comment on how you can’t bear his gaze Adeline calls from the staircase - “The bath is prepared, please head this way.” She says, smiling kindly to you as you rise but not without reaching out to squeeze his hand once then twice. 

“I’ll be back, okay?” You manage to squeak out - still timid but ever eager to be at his side. He smiles in that soft way where you can’t help but think he really hasn’t changed since he was a boy that would smile so freely. Adeline leads you to a much more private and grander bathroom than the one you have been directed to use before during your previous stays at the winery. The bathtub is filled with steaming, bubbly water, and the scent of flowers is heavy. Adeline instructs you to strip, turning for privacy and you tentatively begin to under the belts that keep up your trousers and armor.

You soon are undressed, and you are careful to submerge yourself as quickly as possible - clearing your throat timidly to allow Adelanine to turn over. The foamy surface of the bath allows you some privacy and the head maid smiles at you as gently as she usually does, collecting your muddy and soaking clothes into a wicker basket.

“I will set these aside to be washed in the morning - there will be a change of clothes brought to you when you are ready. The supper will be in the Master’s room as well.” She parts with those words and you don’t know if the heat you feel in your body is that of the bath or of the prospect of being in Diluc’s bedroom, alone with him. All the times you have spent with him were under the eyes of the staff - shared dinners and chess games, you playing the lute for him as he rested his eyes and listened lovingly. You don’t think that Diluc allows the staff into his room anymore, he is no longer a young lord that needs help being dressed so as you wash the mud and snow from your hair you can’t help but think of the private affair of dinner. Even the lovely scent of flower soaps and perfumes can keep your mind off it, you tilt your head back until it meets the rim of the tub.

You begin to observe the room around, all dark wood and gold - you see the engravings of grape veins and owls and it’s hard to not let your mind wander to your redhead lover.  You blink once, then twice, and sigh from your heart as you think of his vermillion eyes and delicate touches. Your hand, silky from the soaps and still toppled with foam rests upon your chest where the heart lies and you feel its steady beat rising as you sink further and further into your thoughts of the only man you’ve loved your whole life. The sea of your thoughts and the satin water of the bath have become one - you don’t realize you are in a trance until there is a knock on the door. You call out to let the person in, thinking it to be the ever-so-helpful blonde maid, who holds you in high esteem for making her lord smile so sweetly and boyishly.

Instead, the one who peers through the door is the object of your affection - broad and towering from your position in the bath, holding onto delicate fresh clothes in his arms. Nothing is said as he finally catches wind of your position, dewy and slick with soap studs barely giving you any sort of decency of your more personal affairs. Wide eyes framed by dark lashes from the water gaze at him and if Diluc was a lesser man his resolve would have collapsed to bone and dust. He most certainly found you beautiful but here, served in the luxuries of his home Diluc can’t help but find you divine.

“I have brought you clothes, a nightgown, and something for extra warmth,” He said, eyes to the side as he could hear the splashing of the water - you were raising your arms to cover yourself. DIluc swallows around nothing and lowers his gaze to the corner of the bathroom.

“I apologize, I should have knocked.” He utters his voice uncharacteristically soft and he hopes his ears don’t match his hair. You tuck wet strands of hair behind your ear and shake your head even if he can’t see it.

“It’s alright, I don’t mind.” You say, and it is true. He is your lover. These types of things are bound to happen if your relationship is to continue. You eye the clothes in his hands and bite your lip as you confront the reality of the situation.

“Diluc,” You say his name, and something hot runs up his spine. You say his name so softly it is almost like prayer and he can not deny the pleasure of hearing it be sung too sweetly. “Could you help me out of the bath?”

He wonders if this is his last day on this earth. Diluc lets his eyes flicker to you - eyes bright and hopeful as you look up at him with all the adoration in the world. Clearing his throat he can’t help but think he will never be able to deny you anything if you look at him like that.

“Yes, if that is permissible by you.” He agrees and you smile from behind the water, directing him to where you had seen the towel that the maid who most likely planned this happening had set them. The towel was fluffy and white, encompassing his form as you slowly rose from the now tepid bath water - you saw how Diluc scrunched his eyes shut and tilted away his face until you were wrapped in the white fabric. Clearing your throat was the sign to let Diluc lift his head and you were so close you could see the soft pink flush on the tips of his ears. Nothing was said for a moment - the moment was too precious to spoil, Diluc thinks you must be something divinely made and you can’t seem to wrap your head around how safe he makes you feel.

Is this how the jovial city of Mondstat feels knowing such a gentleman guards her walls with the ferocity of The Four Winds?

“Get dressed when you are ready - the nightgown should fit you comfortably. I’ll wait outside to take you to my quarters.” Diluc explains, eyes on the floor to avoid staring at the exposed skin of your collarbones and shoulders. Your knuckles were wrapped in the fluff fabric of the towel - you brought one up to wipe at your lips as you nodded at him. 

“I’ll be quick, promise.” The words are earnestly said, you mean them wholeheartedly and Diluc fights the urge to clutch at his chest when you speak to him in that way. In a manner that is too stiff but it’s all he can do he nods and departs from you only to bring his hand to his face and groan softly into the gloved palm. How cruel is it that you are so unfairly endearing - how is he supposed to be the gentleman he was raised to be when every action you take seems to erode his resolve?

 You are quick to change - giving yourself only a moment to gaze at the ornate nightgown you have done. It was made of a nicer quality fabric than you owned, silken and white it shined in the candlelight and was tied in the front. It was a bit loose around the shoulders and dragged behind you a tat and you can only assume that this was meant for a taller and more mature woman than yourself. After hearing a knock at the door you hurry to dry your hair some more - only for it to still be wet, sticking to your neck. You go to the door and smile when you see Diluc, a flush to his cheeks and an uncharacteristic wide-eyed look on his face when he sees you like this - dressed in a pretty little fabric that does not hide any of the curves of your body the way your uniform armor does. 

“Ah, do I look odd in this? I don’t really own anything of this sort of style - ah that’s not to say I’m not thankful! This is really pretty and it’s so soft on my skin-”

“You look wonderful in it.” Your rambling is cut off by his comment, there is something devoted in his voice that makes you timid. Face flushed from either the heat of the bath or from his praise you chose not to think of it, keeping your eyes on the dark wooden flooring and letting your hair fall into your face. Diluc can’t help but study you, a dangerous game and maybe it suits a man like him who has always invited danger into his life but right now you turn him into half of a beast and have a stumbling kitten. Lust is not a foreign concept to the Master of the House but it is one he had often thought he could without.

How foolish is the young Master? How foolish is Diluc, who ravaged the lands of Snezhnaya because the want in his chest told him to? Lust is passion, hatred is passion - Diluc though stoic and hard of face is still at the mercy of his passion. The heat of his vision pulses in time with the heat at his core; the one that makes his eyes linger on the swell of your chest for too long and it’s the same heat that makes him think of what your form would be like under his hard hands.

 You, who is kind and loving, who loved Diluc when he was a boy barely capable of picking up the claymore at the shy age of 10, and that you love him now who is dressed in pristine whites and smell of cecilias - how could his passion try to keep itself away from you? As you walk next to him, your elbow crossed with his after Diluc had offered you his arm. You are in his private quarters sooner than you had believed and chills break onto your skin as the scent that always clings to his skin is doubled in the presence of the room. Lampgrass and smoke, grapes on the vine and pine - the smog of the scents are pleasurable as the hand he places on the small of your back to press you forward. The door shuts behind you and it does nothing to break you from your spell until you feel the breath of the one behind you, voice deep enough to be commanding; “Go sit down, the table is set.”

It makes you smile when you see the spread - Goulash, Northern Apple Stew, and Moon Pie are the main dishes. You tilt your head as you near the small table and you can see the smaller dishes that you have mentioned to him that you like. Mondstadt Hashbrowns, Satisfying Salad, and even Mint Jelly. Diluc comes up from behind and blushes when he catches your eye instead of focusing on pulling out a chair for you. He gestures to sit and you do, smiling in that all too delicate way you do when you feel spoiled. 

It’s his favorite smile of yours - he hopes he can keep it on your face for as long as he lives.

“Here let me serve you,” He offers and you nod, watching how he passes you a dish of Goulash, a soup known for warming up those who have recently left the mountain of Dragonspine. It would make your tail wag if you had one as he cares for you and fills your plate as soon as it is empty. Dinner is filled with small moments that keep a smile on your face - wiping the sauce on your cheek and even taking your seat in one hand, tugging it closer to his side so your thighs brushed and pressed against one another. It’s almost romantic, here in the safety of the winery dining with him as you both discuss the simplest and most casual of topics that one only shares with their most loved ones.

You mentioned how the cecilia blooms seem to have doubled this season from the heavy rain and Diluc mentions being interested in a board game similar to chess from Inazuma named shogi. You take note to ask the traveler how to purchase a set and Diluc thinks of bringing you a bouquet of cecilias - the flower you love so much. 

Dinner is over sooner than you’d like but your eyes are half-lidded, the exhaustion of your trip to the mountains and the warmth of the meal making you weary. He notices, laughing softly when he takes note of how you sway side to side in your seat. Faster than you can blink you find yourself whisked away until your back is against the plush mattress and a wine-red comforter is tucked to your chin. With lidded eyes, you realize that he isn’t joining you to bed and you say his name in a voice that is just a tad whiney though you will never admit it.

“Where are you going?” You say with something needy in your heart and Diluc who leans over you, red hair cascading like the waterfalls that litter the landscape of Liyue in the few times you’ve crossed through Stone Gate comes to mind. His face hovers over you, you can see the faintest blotches of freckles over the noble bridge of his nose and you see how the cupid’s bow of his top lip is the slightest bit uneven. He doesn’t quite smile, lips only twitching in a soft way that conveys his affection and his hand - he abandoned the gloves for the meal, comes to rest at your brow and his gaze turns soft like a cloud when he brushes your hair away.

“I’ll sleep in a guest room, you can take my bed.” He speaks softly as if his voice grows in volume in any way you would break in his hold. Your own hand goes to his fingers and palm molding into the grooves of his knuckles with your thumb rubbing at the bare skin. Your hands aren’t as soft but they dry and even at the tips of your fingers Diluc can feel their strength. The fire is dying but something is coming to life inside of you - it makes your heart ache as a new type of heat blooms in your stomach that does not come from any soup or hearty meal. The same heat that pours in Diluc’s vision, the same that fuels his passion, and the same that brings you to your knees.

“I’m still cold.” You say but your eyes say what your heart wants -  “Don’t go, stay with me, don’t leave alone, I want you.”

“Oh?” Diluc speaks after a beat of silence, vermillion gaze ablaze with so many questions and you read them all. Your gentleman in red is installed to care for and protect the weak, the vulnerable, and the needy. You know what he wants to say - “Are you sure? When I start I won’t be able to stop.”

You’ve tilted your head, bringing his hand to your lips to press a kiss to the scared, rough palm. Strength pulses through each digit, much like your own and your eyes are like snowfall. All pure and gentle, he finds it hard to refute you; hard to leave you in bed all alone when you look at him with sweet eyes begging him to stay. How could he say no to you? How could he deny you what it is you desire when all this night he has been attending to your every whim?

His lips are on yours and his hand heads south, cradling your jaw in his vast palm he tastes of apple cider and you taste of mint jelly - his mouth turns ravenous as if it didn’t have its fill at the dinner table. Diluc is still not satiated, his tongue warm and silken in your mouth traces the grooves of your teeth and you sigh into his mouth. Your arms wrap around his shoulders, blunt fingers curling into red tresses and you can’t help but tug the slightest bit. He groans softly at the slight sting and he finds himself tugging back the comforter until you are bare to him, your skin breaks into goosebumps at being exposed to the open air again. 

Diluc pulls away for air and spit strings connect you two until they break, the drops dripping from your chin to your neck. The milk light of the moon breaks through the curtains and Dilu can’t help but give into his lesser nature to drink you greedily with his scarlet eyes. Your face is warm, your breath condensing into steam from the difference of temperatures and he can’t help but find it lewd.

“I suppose I will have to stay with you tonight, won’t I? I can’t have you going cold under my care.” His voice is deeper, ravaged by the lust in his veins and you nod letting your fingers curl into his fur-lined jacket. You nod, head spinning from a simple kiss and you return the gesture to his thumb that rests on your swollen lip.

“Take it off - take it all off and join me.” You mutter, voice sluggish and the flame of your lust turns your mind to mush. Diluc can’t help but laugh - utterly breathless and enchanted by you, his hands leave you to push away his jacket and as it falls to the floor you bring your own hands to his face to keep kissing him. You press your lips to him, to his chin and cheeks panting and mewling into the brief space shared between you both as he can’t help but tease you.

“Haven’t I spoiled you enough? Do you still want more?” You whine and shake your head, eyes hazy by your own inability to be suave and smooth when faced with the enormity of your wanting.

“More - please, please give me more M-mast-”

“Diluc. Say my name and my name alone, you’re my lover only.” He cuts off your begging with a tone that leaves no room for argument. You nod to him hastily, whining as he grabs your wrists in his own hands. You are lovely like this, panting and chest heaving. If he had better lighting he wonders if he could see the hearts in your eyes as he lets his hands go back to unbuttoning, unbuckling, and pushing away the clothes on his form. His vest, shirt, and tie have all been removed and his chest is bare to you - the sight of a thick, burly chest covered in a thin layer of red chest hair makes you moan. When morning comes you are sure to be embarrassed, ashamed of your wanton and lewd behavior but that can come in the light of dawn.

You’re fine with acting like a cheap whore rather than the refined knight everyone knows you as if it’s for Diluc and for Diluc alone.

Everything happens so fast it’s hard to keep up with - his hands are under the skirts of your nightgown, broad fingers meeting the sticky lips of your cunt and mewling under him when they run down the seam of the folds. Your slick sticks to his knuckles and he laughs breathlessly and without mirth when he tilts his head to get a good look at how you whine - bringing the back of your hand to cover your face that grows hot with your own desire. It feels like you are melting, the heat of his hands is nothing compared to the heat of his fingers that sneak their way into you. Index and middle fingers curl inside of you as his other hand curls around the one that lays helplessly amidst the plush pillows and blankets of his bed.

“So demure, so lovely - my sweet knight, how pretty you cling to me.” His face does not leave from above you, lips only a breath away as his words like candle wax, hot and cling to your ears. You brush your lips to his panting and hungry as you nod almost mindlessly only to jolt with a moan when you feel his thumb that was not idle begin to swipe at your flushed clit at the rhythm of your heart. Diluc can’t help himself, tilting his head as he ponders the matter of his mind letting his fingers search for what it is he seeks; hounds sniffing for the rabbit in the meadow. You squeal suddenly, your thighs threatening to shut when the blunt tip of his fingers meets the softer, tender spot of nerves on your upper walls. A flame dances in his eyes as he smiles - a cold and victorious as you moan his name again and again as you melt under him.

“I found something, didn’t I?” Diluc is not one to tease but he can’t help but to as your pleasure folds over his hands like syrup. The release of your cunt clings to his fingers like it too, tastes just as sweet. You are open now, wet and darling with the pretty nightgown he gave you rucked up to your stomach and he can see how you twitch for more. The hand that held yours goes to his belt and you mewl from his departure making something smug in him grow three times over. The ever-kind and independent knight you reduced to a spoiled soiled pet, you really are an endearing darling to have his own.

His own, the thought makes him sweeten, pressing a kiss to your pliant and drooling mouth as he frees his cock from the prison that is his trousers. His mouth hovers over your lips and he asks you with his cock pressed between your bodies. It drools onto your thigh as you look down at it, your head swimming as you think about how it will be inside you if you permit.

“Are you warm enough now?” Diluc asks - still playing the game from before and you shake your head reaching down with a blind hand to take the shaft of his cock in your grip.

“No - no I’m still cold, warm me up some more please.” You say and he groans as you squeeze your hand around him with your thumb coming to swipe at its ruddy head. He whispers to you a rugged and breathless “okay” and he slips inside you like you were made for him. Birds have wings, lions have claws and he has you; Diluc not once believed he would ever find completion in his life but now he feels inside of you when you squeeze around the thickness of his length.

Breath-like steam brushes past your face as his hand goes to grip the headboard with a fierceness you’ve only seen from him twice. You are panting, almost going cross-eyed at the stretch, the heat, and the fullness you are feeling. Beads of sweat fall down your back and wads of tears make their way to your eyes and down your cheeks as you begin to hiccup at the first, second, and third thrust he gives you. You moan his name, say it like it's the only word you know - the first one to grace your lips and shape with your tongue. It is what makes lust dance along his spine like lightning, how you squeeze and drip and moan; Diluc is helpless to you, growing more enraptured by your hedonistic beauty with each thrust he gives you.

His grip on the headboard tightens and he feels the wood splinter and smoke, steam rises from his back as he moves faster and faster. It’s almost like you are the metal in his workshop and Diluc the blacksmith; forging you into something new, something whole with the weight of his cock and the blistering heat of his lust. You come without warning - a surprised shout of half his name as you squeeze tight around his cock. The tightness is unexplained and it stops him from thrusting with a sudden washing tide of his own completion. A mix of your own slick and his spent spills from around the walls of your cunt that flutter around his flushed cock as you tremble in the aftershocks of your pleasure.

Dilcu only watches, mouth agape and wide eyes as he takes you in - soaking and sopping, moaning, and whining beneath him. Your cunt leaks, dripping down his balls with the milky white combined release of the two of you and he finds that it isn’t enough. No, he wants more, vermillion eyes drink in the patheticness of your state; the drool that makes your lips shine in the low light and the tremors in your chest. His mind is set in stone, cum still hot inside of you with his cock twitching that the idea of filling you again and again his hips roll back and then forward into you. Gasping, your hands that had hung limp and useless at your side come to clutch at his biceps leaving lines as red as his noble hair - you are helpless in his grasp just like the headboard that smokes from above you.

“Diluc - Diluc wait, too much, too much!” You want to gasp, you want to warn but all you can hear is the wet skin of your ass smacking against his pelvis and his grunts that echo in his room.

“I’m not warm enough, not yet.” You wither and collapse on your back letting go as he pleases moaning when you release in the back of your mind that the ache in your gut each time he fucks both his and your cum back into you. Your head tilts back, empty and so far gone all you can do is hang onto him as you take note of the small specks of melting ice that hangs above the headboard that he grips with all his might.

[bookuce]

Change My Mind

SUMMARY: Josh and Alina are great friends most days. Other days, they want to tear each other apart. Some days, they’re in love with each other, but neither of them will admit it. 

*DISCLAIMER: This is a multi-part series. I do not own any of the characters in the writing except for the OC. The book uses actual names of wrestlers. Josh is Jey, Jon is Jimmy, Trinity is Naomi, and Alina is Alina. The book is not realistic and does not take place during real events, but some actual events (matches, storylines) could pop up in the story eventually. I DO NOT GIVE ANYONE PERMISSION TO TRANSLATE OR REPOST MY WRITINGS ANYWHERE. THAAAAAANKS. *

PAIRING: Jey Uso x Black OC

TROPE: Friends to Lovers

WARNINGS: Language

WORD COUNT: 2,574

PART SIX

PART SEVEN

(1/2)

TWO WEEKS LATER

Wedding days were always hectic. When Cassie got married, it seemed like everything that could go wrong was going wrong. It rained on the day of her wedding, and it was outdoors. Lucky for them, they were able to find another venue nearby to get married. Though it wasn’t the dream wedding she had planned, it was unique to them—making the day even more special. Today’s wedding was sunny, not a cloud in the sky. The only issue now was that the hairstylist who was supposed to do Tasha’s hair today had to cancel—sick kid, she says. 

Finding a credible, available hairstylist in the metropolitan of Atlanta on short notice would be challenging, but lucky for Alina, Cassie was in charge of that. Alina was in charge of making sure everything stayed on schedule. With a clipboard tucked beneath her arm, she and Josh walked towards the Gentlemen’s Hall, where Michael and his groomsmen were. “I’ll come get you when I’m through talking to the decorators.” She says as they cross the yard to a small white house on the side of the winery.

“You do not have to worry about me,” Josh starts. “I’m a big boy; I can handle myself.” He promises. They stop on the porch steps, Alina now turning to him.

“I know,” She says, glancing towards the door. “I just want to make sure you’re comfortable.” Josh knew none of the men outside of Michael; he and Michael had only spoken a handful of times. 

“I’ll be fine.” He assures her. They exchanged stares for a moment before Alina slowly began to nod. 

“Okay,” She breathes, moving up the steps. Josh was close behind, his hand reaching out to open the door for her. Blaring music poured out of the house, with loud laughter following behind. She walks in, instantly greeted by the smell of cigars mixed with expensive cologne. She fans her hand in front of her face, looking at the Eight men peering up at Alina with grand smiles on their faces. A chorus of whistles would come in for the woman, but she ignored them. She was too distracted by the fact that the air was too damn thick in this room. “Damn, can y’all breathe in here?” She asks, making a face of disgust. 

Josh stood close behind her, his eyes scanning the room. For someone who interacts with strangers on a daily, he couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous. He wouldn’t admit this to his girl; she hoped he’d make friends with these men. For her, he would try. After all, they’ll have to get used to him being around for a long time. He wasn’t going anywhere. “It’s to keep the ladies out.” Samuel, Michael’s brother, says, making the men laugh.

“You’re doing a great job then.” She mutters. “Y’all need to make sure yall have this smoking shit wrapped up soon though. Tasha will throw a fit if she smells anything but cologne on y’all.” She says, pointing at the glass of liquor in Michael’s hand. He glances down at the glass, a slight grin on his face.

“I can’t calm my nerves?” He asks.

“With one drink.” She tells him. “You can get fucked up after the wedding. I don’t care what happens after, as long as my best friend is happy.” She tells him, earning a few groans from the men.

“Can always count on you to keep us in check.” A man says, his eyes finding Alina’s. There was a flirty grin on his lips while he spoke, his eyes trailing down her body. Josh notices the look, his brows furrowing slightly. She would peer over to that man, an unreadable expression on her face. She’d take in a breath, reaching behind her to grab Josh’s hand.

“This is Josh. I’m leaving him with y’all.” She points her index finger at the men, allowing it to go around the room. “Play nice.” She says before turning to her man. “Be nice.” She whispers to him. Before he could say anything, she leaned in to peck his lips. “Love you.” She says.

“I love you too.” He replies. With a wave, she spares the room one last glance before exiting the house. Josh watched as Alina left before turning his attention back to the men in the room. They were all quiet, staring at him. “What’s up?” He greets them with an upward nod of his head. Michael steps forward, his hand open for a dap up. Josh would close the gap, their hands coming together for the greeting and hug. 

“Make yourself comfortable, man,” Michael says, pulling back to look at him. “You want anything to drink? We got a cigar left.” He says. Josh shakes his head at the cigar offer. He didn’t care much for cigars. 

“I’ll take a glass, Uce.” He says, moving to sit in an open seat next to the man who eyed his woman. Josh and the guy briefly exchange glances before he returns his attention to Michael. The groom turned to the mini-bar behind him, pouring Josh a small glass of bourbon from the decanter on the counter. When he finishes pouring his glass, he turns to pass him the drink. Josh takes it, saying a small thank you to him. 

“No problem. Let me introduce you to everyone.” Michael says, lifting his hand. He points to a guy seated in a red recliner seat. “This is my little brother, Sam,” He moves on to the next. “My fraternity brothers, Calvin, Malcolm, Shawn, Kenny, Nate, and Theo.” He finishes, ending with the man sitting next to him. There was something off about Theo—Josh could tell, but he wasn’t sure what it was just yet. 

Josh nods once at everyone, giving them a slight smile. “Ay, nice to meet y’all.” He says. 

“So you and Lina, huh?” Shawn asks.

“Yeah, she’s a great woman,” Josh confesses. “I’m lucky to have her.” He adds. The eight men in the room looked after Lina, always ready to protect her. She was like a sister to most of them.

“How long have y’all been together?” Theo asks suddenly. Instead of looking at the man who asked him such a question, Josh glances down at the glass in his hand.

“A few weeks,” Josh answers. “We’ve been friends for two years, though.” Theo hums at the answer. Michael and Sam would exchange glances at the interaction, the brothers sharing some unspoken agreement. “How do you know her?” Josh asks. 

“Ex-fiance.” Josh becomes incredibly still at the answer. “Dated all through college, engaged for two.” Theo finishes. In the two years Alina and Josh have known each other, she had never mentioned that she was engaged. Josh swirled the brown liquid in his glass before bringing it to his lips for a sip. Michael and Sam both knew this conversation was going to happen eventually. It didn’t cross Alina’s mind that it would happen today. Josh was for sure going to bring it up to her later.

The brown liquid warmed Josh’s chest, causing him to clear his throat slightly and clench his jaw. He sniffles before turning to look at Theo. “I didn’t know she was engaged.” He says. Theo and Josh watched each other in silence for a bit.

“I’m surprised she didn’t tell you.” He says.

“Must’ve not been important,” Josh replies, his gaze becoming cold. Theo continued to stare at Josh, a faint grin on his face. The room became silent while everyone watched the two men tied to Alina McLemore stare each other down. The grin on Theo’s face made Josh’s blood pressure rise. He could feel his body warming by the second, his ears getting hot. 

Kenny’s eyes flickered between everyone before he leaned forward on the sofa he sat on. “So, Josh, what do I gotta do to get a few tickets to Smackdown?” He says, pulling Josh’s attention from the man next to him. Theo stands to his feet, walking to the kitchen. Josh’s eyes would flicker in his direction before moving back to Kenny.

“Nothing, what show you looking at?” He asks, giving him a grin. 

“Y’all got a show coming to Savannah later on.” Kenny answers.

Josh answers with a shrug of his shoulders and shakes his head. “It’s done. Just text Lina when the time gets close, and we’ll make everything else happen.” He instructs him. Theo walks back into the room, sitting down next to Josh again. 

“So you’re a…wrestler?” Theo asks, chiming into the conversation.

“Yeah, I fight,” Josh says, looking back at him. It was a subtle warning to the man next to him. Theo peers over, a smile coming to his face again. Warning received.

“And you and Lina work together?” He continues. “Wouldn’t that complicate things?” He asks, insinuating the relationship was due to fail. Theo was on a mission to piss Josh off to the point of no return, it seems. These are typical ex-boyfriend fiancé shenanigans. Josh and Theo would begin another stare-down before Josh looks away from him. Slowly, he put down his drink. He didn’t need that anymore. 

“You want to elaborate, Uce?” He asks, turning his entire body to face Theo. Samuel and Michael looked at each other once more before the youngest brother stood. He glances at his phone before glancing over at Josh.

“I think the DJ just got here. Josh, you want to come with me to grab him?” He asks.

Without breaking eye contact with Theo, Josh stands to his feet. “Yeah, I’ll go.” He says, finally looking away from the man. He looks over to Sam before heading out the door. Sam points at Theo.

“You’re an asshole, I hope you know that.” He says before following the man who just left. Fresh air hit Josh like a ton of bricks, making him close his eyes and gather himself. He wasn’t going to get out of character today. He will be on his best behavior, but that Theo character? Ooh, he ought to kick his ass. Alina had some explaining to do. “Ay, let’s go,” Sam says, appearing beside the man. They’d stepped off the porch together and headed towards the pavilion where the reception was taking place. “I’m sorry about that, man. Theo’s a jackass.” He says.

“It’s all good,” Josh says, his eyes fixated on the ground. “I’m sure he was just looking out for Alina—trying to see if I’m a good guy.” That’s what he planned to tell himself. Theo wasn’t grilling Josh because he was jealous and wanted his ex-fiance back. No, he just cares about her a lot. It’s not because he still loves her—he just cares about her like he does. Yeah, that’s it. Delusion is the solution. 

What he doesn’t see is the expression of concern on Sam’s face at his words. If he would have noticed, there was no telling what he’d do. Sam looks down at the ground briefly before looking off at the vineyard. “It’s not my place to speak on that,” He says finally. “But to my knowledge, Lina ain’t paid that man any mind in years. She just tolerates him because he’s in the friend group.” He explains. Lina is notorious for putting distance between herself and others when she doesn’t want to talk. Josh knew it firsthand. There had been plenty of times she had ducked and dodged him when she was upset. 

“I get it,” He sighs. He had nothing to worry about, really, but still. Four years is a lot of history to have with someone—especially when you almost married them. “I’ll have to ask Lina about it later,” Josh says.

“Ask me what?” Sam and Josh stop walking, their eyes meeting the woman standing on the steps. Alina had just stepped out of the side doors of the winery when she spotted Josh and Sam walking towards the pavilion. They hadn’t noticed her yet, but she spoke up when she heard her name. 

“About your ex-fiancé.” Josh says immediately. Sam looked away from her, his hand going to his neck. 

“I’ll get up with you, bruh,” Sam says, tapping Josh on the arm. He rushes off towards the pavilion, not wanting to be in earshot of that conversation. Alina glances down at the ground. She tucks her bottom lip in between her teeth before taking a deep breath.

“Josh—.”

“You set me up.” He says, pointing at her.  “You knew damn well that man was in the wedding party, and you ain’t say a damn thing.” He says, louder than he should have. Some of Tasha’s relatives had walked by, their eyes now on the couple. Alina glances around them before reaching to grab his hand. “Nah, man.” He pulls his hand back from her grasp, causing her eyes to widen.

“Can we not do this here?” She says through clenched teeth. She snatches his hand up, now pulling him inside the winery. They’d march through the halls of the old building, her eyes darting from left to right for an open room. When she finds a room, she pulls him into it, closing the door behind them. 

Josh leans against the desk, his arms clasped tight in his lap. “I should’ve known something was up with his ass the moment he looked you up and down.” He says, shaking his head. “If I would have knocked his ass through the wall,” He gestures to himself. “I would have been in the wrong.” Alina rolls her eyes at his words, moving to stand in front of him. She grabs his hands, unclasping them to fill with her own. He allowed her this.

 “Me and Theo haven’t been together in over ten years.” She explains. “We don’t see each other, we don’t talk to each other. He doesn’t know me anymore, Josh.” It was true. Who she was at twenty-two was not who she was now. She has grown and lived an entire life since then. 

“Shit, I didn’t know strangers look at each other like that.” A mix of jealousy and insecurity was getting the best of him. Even if it’s been ten years, there’s still something there. He saw it with his own eyes. Delusion has reared its ugly head to work against him.

Alina drops his hands, taking a step back. “Alright,” She chuckles. “You can go home.” She says, moving towards the door. “And I don’t mean my house; cross that state line.” She wasn’t about to argue with someone who wasn’t trying to listen to her. 

“Lina—.”

She spins around. “Don’t Lina me! You just accused me of having feelings for someone who cheated on me. That man got a woman pregnant behind my back and defiled my trust! He broke his promise, Joshua! I don’t give a damn about that man! I love you!” And there it was, the truth he wouldn’t allow her to speak. “That man—hurt me!” She says, her voice breaking. There was a lump forming in her throat, a sign that sobs were soon to come. “And you’re hurting me right now. I–I don’t have time for this right now. I don’t—.” She was not about to ruin her makeup over him. 

“Lina, I—.” He starts once again. Before he could finish, she had already run out the door, leaving him alone in this office. “Shit.” He hisses, running his hands over his face. 

He fucked up.

(2/2)

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A/N: Welcome to the Chaos! There are two parts to this chapter! So be on the lookout for the next half of it soon! I would like to attach what Theo looks like!

His name is Lance Gross for those who don't know him! Fiiiiine actor. Anywho, if you need an idea of what Alina's bridesmaid dress looks like, it's a spaghetti strap brown satin dress ruched on her left hip. I don't have a picture bc I imagined this lmao sorry

BUT ENOUGH ABOUT THAT. LETS CHAT

JOSH WHAT DID YOU DOOOOOOOOO!!!

🏷️ list: @thesamoanqueen @whatdoeseverybodywant @headoftheetable @mzv11 @southerngirl41 @yana3sworld @wanderingreigns @wrestlingprincess80 @siriuslycee @vebner37 @astridxxxxxx @alichesmi @tshepisho @scarlettnoir01 @brokenglassslippers @reignsboy19 @sayyestoheav3nn @cyberdejos2 @empressdede @sisinever @truefant4sy @paigereeder @tbmotw @fearlesschimera @venusesworld @usoholic @sageispunk @bebesobrielo @jstarr86 @vibessonvibes @issahyland 

[nerdieforpedro]

El vino me lo quitó (I lost him to wine)

Part Two (morado/purple) of Coasting through the Rainbow

My entire masterlist and blog are for readers 18+ MDNI. I do not consent to my work being used in AI, recommended on TikTok, borrowed or plagiarized.

Summary: The move back to the US presents Javier with new opportunities and challenges. He felt like he may have found someone to hold onto but is he really holding on to them?

Warnings: Angst, domestic Javier, allusions to smut, alcohol use, no bad jokes this time, and PTSD reference

Word Count: 1936

Notes: We’re moving forward in Javi’s story. It’s very angsty and the angst is strong in this fic but we are working toward a good ending for Javi, I promise!

Main Masterlist/ Javier Peña Masterlist/ AO3 Link

The hustle and bustle of Washington DC are confounding to Javier. Everyone is always moving quickly but seem to be doing nothing at the same time. He appreciates that there’s always something and someone to do, but there little nature. Not like Columbia where a drive could take you along rivers, forests and fields and not like Texas where he’d see animals, different fields and farms.

The overseas transfer went smoothly, due to his decorated history in the agency, the DEA want his knowledge which Peña is glad to be paid for. They included an apartment that had a parking garage. Good because Javier enjoyed driving, letting his mind wander listening to music, though with traffic as it was, it was difficult to get carried away in song while people were honking with all these one way streets.

Continuing to indulge in both women and men, Javier was able to work out some of the growing pains of his new life. None of his partners match Angelo’s looks exactly nor do they have his gentle touch. The loneliness ate at him daily however, there was a period of nearly a year that gave him a small part of familiar warmth from Columbia.

His name was James. He’s not gentle, nor does he allow Javi to hide as he hasn’t been able to being a gay black man. James is six foot three inches, broad with a three cloud tattoos on his upper right arm and a dark trail of hair leading to something Javier enjoyed. His hair is shaved on the sides and he keeps it long in the middle - a faux hawk. It looked goofy as far as Javier was concerned but give how limber his towering lover was able to make him in and out of bed, he never uttered a word about it. Often, when they began, little more than the slaps of skin were heard. Tender words were gone, neither of them had much use for them in the bedroom. Outside of it was a different matter all together.

To start, Javier met James for brunches and a few breakfasts. It was a stark difference in how his outings with Angelo went. Peña told himself he wouldn’t make that mistake again. No one wants to be hidden or a secret, he had realized that too late and been too scared to cross into the daytime. The relationship was one of two driven men.

Javier formed different relationship with agents in his new role and was helping to close cases, getting dangerous drugs off the streets.

James was a sommelier, working in a local winery and building his contacts along with gradually securing funding for establishing his own business.

In this respect, they complemented each other and spurred each other forward. They never lived together despite going from each other’s places freely at all times of day when there was time. Javier enjoyed James and cared about him, but it wasn’t quite the same as Angelo. Two ships floating in the same direction is how Javi would describe it. He did meet some of James’ friends and Javi had him out to dinners with the DEA crew he’d been advising. It was awkward at first as Javi hadn’t mentioned to any of them that he dated men in addition to women. Not that it was any of their business.

Again things were going smoothly and he though that despite not having same sense of security as he did before. Peña figured that having an undercurrent of trepidation would help him keep the relationship going.

Javier Peña finds himself wrong a second time.

James has been working many late nights similar to how Javi used to do in his younger days. He’s brought home some wine to go with dinner that Javier made - simple arroz con pollo (rice with chicken) but he added some asparagus cooked with chicken bullion and seasoned the pollo with tomatoes, lime juice and jalapeño stuffed green peppers. Normally he wouldn’t have added so many veggies, but Javi found that one of his favorite polo shirts - the pink one was a bit tight around the middle.

Javier only started cooking for one person and he wasn’t the one in the kitchen with him now. He always lingers in the back of my mind. I’m worried it’s always going to be like this. Will I ever move on? Forward?

When he and James sat down to eat, things were fine. They discussed their days like usual, ate a well-cooked meal. Afterword, when they were cleaning the kitchen up, James casually introduced the idea of California. “Going to visit you mean? We could, but we’ve never taken more than a weekend trip together Jay.” Drying his hands on the dish towel, Javi set down the plate worried that he may drop it. That’s a big step, but it has been nearly a year. Time just keeps moving doesn’t it?

“No, well yes we can visit the first time we go but eventually we would move there. I’ve been able to get all my funding, investors and contacts to open my own winery and grow the grapes I know will make an excellent wine.” James’ large palms press into Javi’s cheeks and his thumbs trace his upper lip and mustache. “Come with me Javi. I want you by my side. I’m going to start a wine empire!” The excitement is his dark orbs is accompanied by James’s cheeks puffing out from his wide smile. The bright kitchen light makes the stubble trying to grow back in on his face prominent with rich sepia skin.

“My job is here though James. I haven’t been here long enough for another transfer. Plus with all that the team has going on, it doesn’t feel right to leave them hanging.” Peña places his hands over James’. While correct in what he just said, Javi knows that he’s never told his boyfriend about what he saw in Columbia or California. Not the details that sometimes have him up at night. Make him still drink. Make him still smoke. Have him react to anything that sounds similar to a gunshot or eye any substance that looks like a white powder suspiciously. Javier is removed from most of that here. Just the mention of California has him in a cold sweat, his back starting to feel wet and tense.

James releases Javi and looks at the man he loves, the man he wants to walk long rows of greenery with and finally make a wine he’ll drink more than one glass of. The color has drained from Javi’s face, pallor has taken over. He’s surprised that Peña isn’t trembling, he just might start. “Sweetheart, does going to Cali bother you that much? Javi baby what happened? I’ll be right there with you. This is my dream. I’ve worked toward it for years.”

“Chasing a dream like that is a young man’s game. I’m damn near forty years old. I can consult for a while yet, but I don’t know about being out in a winery out in the hot sun. I can’t give you an answer right now James.” Javier turns away and places his palms face down on the counter, hanging his head. His age isn’t really that much of a factor, but he truly doesn’t want to go. And retirement has been on his mind since his work at the consulate, not that he knew what he would do whenever he did retire, but he didn’t want to be hurting for money like some law enforcement retirees are a few years into not working.

Crossing his arms, James knows Javier focuses more on facts when he wants to mask the real reason he doesn’t want to discuss something. Why didn’t he feel comfortable telling him? He knows that some things went down both in Columbia and Cali, things that made Javier famous in some circles, but only broad strokes. There were times he watched as Javi slept and murmured to himself, tossing in the bed. Peña would never speak about it, only that there were some ghosts that would always haunt him, choices that could have been different and kept more people alive. He holds himself responsible for that. James wanted to know why Javi felt like the world was on his shoulders, he couldn’t control everything. Javi knew that, but he knew it was it youth and the idiotic belief that his small team and the Columbia government at the time would be able to take care of everything eventually. He had been mistaken on every front, costing the lives of so many - some he knew personally, others he did not. “Is this it Javier? We’re not even going to discuss it more and you’re never going to tell me what in California keeps you up at night? It’s been nearly a year for us! I haven’t earned enough trust for you to be vulnerable with me?!” Placing his hand over Javier’s with the other on Peña’s back, James rubbed it in silence. Javi wasn’t answering nor was he looking at him. A hole might form in the counter between Javier’s hands.

Without turning his head, Javier spoke, “We’ve never been about emotions James. You know that as well as I do. Don’t try and act like we ever have been. I’m not going and that’s final. I am proud of you though.” Finally, Javier turns his body to face James head on. A small smirk graces his face. Something else has ended again but it doesn’t cause another chasm, only a fracture - that will heal.

Kissing Peña’s forehead, James has his fingers in the black silky hair he enjoyed stroking after sex and occasionally when Javi would be working at his desk before coming to the table for dinner. It’s the last time he’ll have it in his hand. Embracing Javier and cradling his head near his heart, James knows his periodically cantankerous partner is right, he has not expressed his feelings about what he and Javi have. It’s too late to make him understand what life he wanted to build with the DEA consultant. His heart is beating swiftly, holding on to Javier. He might disappear right before his eyes, fade away. A winery won’t share meals with him or cuddle at night nor will it listen to his ideas - some outlandish and other actual options making them both laugh.

Once they let go of each other James walked out of Peña’s apartment and out of his life.

If there was one thing Javier envied about James it was his ability to press forward with his goal no matter what was around him. It was a quality that Javier used to have and admired in himself and now in someone else. In the past it would be work that would drive Peña but now he wants to put that energy toward a relationship.

Javier can’t seem to find a right path forward in his relationships. After James departs, it’s a few weeks later that he receives a bottle of red wine - a prototype of his brand.

Red wines are supposed to be sweet to Peña’s limited knowledge, but even after finishing the entire bottle in once sitting, there was nothing saccharine about what he just drank. “The shit’s just bitter. Maybe it’s just how I am. Can I even taste anything other than bitter and sour?” The question made Javier wonder if he should even try again. Maybe being by himself would be good for him. Maybe he could figure out what he wanted. Eventually.

Different brands of wine 🍷: @djarinmuse @megamindsecretlair @tinytinymenace @schnarfer @rulexofxnines

@djarins-cyare @secretelephanttattoo @soft-persephone @mysterious-moonstruck-musings @604to647

@morallyinept @for-a-longlongtime @soft-girl-musings @saturn-rings-writes @professionalpromqueen

@angelofsmalldeath-codeine @connectioneverywhere @fhatbhabiee @yorksgirl @guelyury

@readingiskeepingmegoing @survivingandenduring @rosecentaur1916 @westside-rot @romanarose

@lady-bess @sin-djarin @legendary-pink-dot @80ssong @kilamonster

@boliv-jenta

Part One - Rojo. Part Three

[i23kazu]

— MUTUALS , YOU REMIND ME OF ! ( PART ONE )

@starglitterz you remind me of sleeping under the night sky :') the air is warm with the hum of cicadas.

@chichikoi you remind me of a love letter, with gojo doodles all over. hehehheheheehe.

@kazumist you remind me of walking into a gachapon store! :') there's excitement and also kind of a suspense because you really really want that neko keychain.

@kazucafe you remind me of a bunch of pretty wildflowers! yk, the ones that kazuha picked up for you on his walk.

@dawndelion-winery insanity /j . the thrill of willing a valorant game. and all the 'GG's that come after hehe.

@mccnstruck a sunny, cold day!! one of my ultimate favourite weathers :3 truly a W. sunny enough, but cold enough to not sweat, so everything is comfortable!

@faesther ou its you. you remind me of a shield. always, always a shield. as well as a dove! and xiao.

@haliyamori you. you remind me of a brand new watercolour set. hehe.

@oveloof hmmmmmm... dan heng. also chinese paper 2s HELPP but frfr you remind me of the happy feeling i get when i have enough space to download a game

@vennnnn-diagram HMMMM... lightning, and i'll always associate you with royal purple;;; and mcdonalds bc mcdonald joachim

@heiayen SUNFLOWERS. need i say more? and also hilarious japanese english dubs. ily dont kill me /lh

@tiredsleep kaeya. always and forever kaeya – more recently, gojo :') <3

@intothegenshinworld shiro!!! when i think of you, i think of the character shiro from voltron hehe. lovely to be around. also just. such a sweet person

@versadies YOU. i think of emoji reactions. particularly the fire and bangbang emojis.

@xiaoriae AUNI !!! you remind me of clouds! soft, pretty clouds that seem to watch and follow in your footsteps. hehe

@zhongrin MEIRINNNN. remind me of zhongli. always HAHAHHAA but also tea. you remind me of a cup of pu'er. something to share with your husband? ;)

@rintosei the freminet pfp HELP... that funni freminet pfp with the red cross over it. i hope u get him soon hehe. lovable diver boy with social anxiety. ok but fr, you remind me of bubblegum ice cream TuT

@ryuryuryuyurboat YOU. tulips. always. and a dorayaki. hehe. love u 2 bits kisses u mwah

@moonltwltz BABY !!!!! you remind me of soft pink bows... but with a black fishnet on top of them for your alt/grunge side of you hehe. love youuuuuuu with all my heart

@kyouko-writes hi dear!!! you remind me of lollipops ;)) something sweet and familiar.

@dustofthedailylife HI DUST !! you remind me of one of my favourite teachers previously. a sweet soul & kind human and just ??? so approachable ??? n e ways love u have a gr8 day

@mikacynth HAI MIKA you remind me of xiao and kaeya!!! and also a seashell. very pretty but i dont see you often (halp i think we r just missing each other on dash...) hope ur doing well!!

yayayyay part one is done! its something i've wanted to do for a while now;;;; hope yall like it HAHAHHA AND if you dont think thats you, tell me how you see yourself ;)

[metalhealth-willdriveyoumad]

Hottest Drummer Tournament Round 1

Mike Portnoy

Band(s): Dream Theater // Avenged Sevenfold // The Neal Morse Band // Liquid Tension Experiment // OSI // Flying Colors // The Winery Dogs // Metal Allegiance // BPMD // Transatlantic // Adrenaline Mob // Sons of Apollo // Various tribute bands

Albums/EPs as drummer:

When Dream and Day Unite (Dream Theater) Images and Worlds (Dream Theater) Awake (Dream Theater) Falling into Infinity (Dream Theater) Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (Dream Theater) Train of Thought (Dream Theater) Octavarium (Dream Theater) Systematic Chaos (Dream Theater) Black Clouds & Silver Linings (Dream Theater) Wither (Dream Theater) Paradox is (Dream Theater)

Nightmare (Avenged Sevenfold) Welcome to the Family (Avenged Sevenfold)

Testimony (Neal Morse) One (Neal Morse) Sola Scriptura (Neal Morse) Lifeline (Neal Morse) Testimony 2 (Neal Morse) Momentum (Neal Morse) The Grand Experiment (The Neal Morse Band) The Similitude of a Dream (The Neal Morse Band) The Great Adventure (The Neal Morse Band) Sola Gratia (Neal Morse) Innocence & Danger (NMB)

Liquid Tension Experiment (Liquid Tension Experiment) Liquid Tension Experiment 2 (Liquid Tension Experiment) Spontaneous Combustion (Liquid Tension Experiment) Liquid Tension Experiment 3 (Liquid Tension Experiment)

Office of Strategic Influence (OSI) Free (OSI)

Flying Colors (Flying Colors) Second Nature (Flying Colors) Third Degree (Flying Colors)

The Winery Dogs (The Winery Dogs) Hot Streak (The Winery Dogs) Dog Years (The Winery Dogs) III (The Winery Dogs)

Metal Allegiance (Metal Allegiance) Fallen Heroes (Metal Allegiance) Volume II: Power Drunk Majesty (Metal Allegiance)

American Made (BPMD)

SMPT:e (Transatlantic) Bridge Across Forever (Transatlantic) The Whirlwind (Transatlantic) Kaleidoscope (Transatlantic)

Adrenaline Mob (Adrenaline Mob) Omertà  (Adrenaline Mob) Covertà  (Adrenaline Mob)

Psychotic Symphony (Sons of Apollo) MMXX (Sons of Apollo)

Ben Graves

Band(s): Murderdolls // Satiate // Pretty Boy Floyd

Albums/EPs as drummer:

Dead In Hollywood/Right to Remain Violent (Murderdolls) Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls (Murderdolls)

The Anatomy of Heartbreak (Satiate)

Public Enemies (Pretty Boy Floyd)

Guide To Extinction (Nocturne) Kristy Majors And The Thrill Kill (Kristy Majors And The Thrill Kill)

[fleurcareil]

BC: East Kootenay

When I left Nelson, there was no longer ash falling on the car but still a lot of smoke and the sudden 10C drop in temperature from the day before held out, so suddenly I was wearing a sweater & scarf again!

Ferries always make me think of holiday (when we were little, we would take the ferry across the Mediterranean from Tunisia to the Netherlands & France, maybe that's why?), so even with poor view I enjoyed the 35-minute (free!) crossing of Kootenay Lake. Upon landing, I visited the Pilot Bay lighthouse which was in use from 1905 to 1993 to guide ships on the long lake on days like this with poor visibility... I was able to climb tiny stairs to the top but the view remained the same; none! 😂 Somewhat further south, I walked a bit on Lockheart Beach and could only imagine the mountains surrounding it.

Still further south on the lake I visited the Glass House, completely made out of embalming bottles that an undertaker had collected through his job (the strangest hobbies one can have!?!😁) and which is still lived in during the winter by his descendants.

Off the lake now, the town of Creston has two grain elevators that I had wanted to take a photo of (given that we're west of the Rockies instead of on the prairies) but they were in such a bad state that I didn't even bother stopping.

I had planned to do some wine tasting in the famous Okanagan wine valley, so instead I did one in the up & coming Creston wine valley at the Baillie-Grohman winery... out of the four that I sampled, the pinot gris was my favourite to go with the baked brie. 😊

I stayed overnight at a nearby private campground, which interestingly had simple garbage bins right next to my site instead of bear/raccoon/other wildlife-proof ones... having been conditioned to always keep food securely packed away, it was a bit unsettling but luckily the night passed uneventful. 👍

Next day, driving northeast up to Radium Hot Springs where there were another two large fires, the smoke was getting worse so I didn't feel like doing anything and cancelled all other attractions I had earmarked as potentially interesting; any viewpoints ofcourse, paddling on a pretty lake, a trout hatchery and a hike to the source of the Columbia River... With the town of Nelson having been unexpectedly the farthest west on my trip in BC, I had hoped that things would improve going back so it was disheartening that nothing changed. I had not wanted to travel to East Kootenay in the first place, and I did not like it now! 😣😅

Instead, I drove straight to my campround at Radium, set up shop and then had a soak in the nearby hot springs which improved my mood. After a tasty jambalaya dinner, I spent the evening playing solitaire and won three times in a row! 😄

In the morning, it rained but there was no smoke, and you cannot imagine how happy I was... I had not thought that I would be so glad to see proper clouds again!😂

At the hot springs the previous day, I had already spotted the first few bighorn sheep (most without big horns though) and now I saw quite a few more on my way out along the canyon. Bighorn sheep don't lose their horns annually such as deer so they grow longer each year, and you can determine their age from the horn rings just like trees... roadkill is unfortunately a major issue, but this was not going to be by me (the duck was enough!!) so I slowed down properly. 👍

In Kootenay National Park, I checked out Olive Lake which is spring-fed and has pretty colours but the rain made it a brief stop.

The road follows the Kootenay river, which with its light-blue glacial water was a bit monotone with the grey-white sky, but still pretty and with an impressive flow, not to swim in!

I started a hike crossing the river towards a lake but turned around at the bridge, as I didn't feel at ease. August is prime berry time for bears and as I didn't see anyone else on the trail, it felt a bad choice to continue... I'm not too concerned about black bears as they tend to flee when they see humans (unless they feel threatened), but grizzly bears are aggressive and will attack, against which my hiking poles & whistle are not really up to 😯. Lesson learnt; if I ever come back to BC and the Rockies, I would want to be in a larger group so that I can hike more!

I did do a small hike in a fire restoration area as the parking lot was full and there were more people on the trail. The scenery was a bit haunting with a lot of dead trees but at the same time it had a positive feel to it as new plants were taking over. The area has had four fires in the last 20 years, some natural and some burned on purpose to create meadows, which does not only reduces the risk of devastating, out-of-control fires but also provides important habitat for wildlife who depend on the grasses & shrubs for their survival.

Although there was a tiny bit of blue sky during the hike, once I got to the Marble Canyon campground, it rained and rained and rained, so I sat comfortably in the car reading a magazine until there was a dry spell, set up the tent in record time and continued reading there when the rain restarted. 😁

In the morning it still rained on & off but it felt really good to breathe fresh mountain air, so I was not fed up yet. 😅 Out of the 3 Rockies canyons (Johnston in Banff & Maligne in Jasper are the other two), I found my hike at Marble Canyon to be the prettiest, as the river has carved deep into the rocks, leaving a narrow chasm with the water way down below. Impossible to photograph its full length, the waterfall plunging down into the canyon is unbelievable! 😍 As a bonus, the sun even came out!

The other highlight of Kootenay park is the Paint Pots, ochre-red pools that were used by the Indigenous for e.g. body painting. I had a vague recollection that we were disappointed when we were here in 2010 and that got reconfirmed once I got to the 2-3 small pools... nothing special here but the hike to them was pretty enough not to make it a waste.

As the weather was flipflopping between rain & sunshine and I didn't want to get rained on another hike, I decided to spend the afternoon in Banff as there were still several things I was interested to explore & it would be fun to go for dinner in town... Banff was just 30 minutes away on the other side of the Continental Divide, which determines whether a rain droplet flows west to the Pacific Ocean or east to the Atlantic Ocean. Kinda cool to think how different those paths would be if you were to be a rain droplet! 😉

Am running out of my photo limit so next post will be about Banff (2nd visit) and Jasper!

Wildlife: 21 bighorn sheep (only 2 with actual big horns 😜) at Radium

SUPs: none

Hikes: 4 at Kootenay Park

Distance driven from last map: 1,631km

[criss-fineart]

Onishi's projects all begin the same way. The artist enters a room and constructs a rigid grid of wires that serve as a scaffold for his hot glue stalactites. A plastic tarp is placed beneath the array, sometimes wrapped around a recognizable object like a Mercedes CLA, while other times it's draped artfully in space. Like a virtuoso cowboy, he stands atop a ladder with a glue gun in each hand firing salvos of synthetic resin that slowly give form to the empty space between the wires and plastic. The process embraces randomness and Onishi admits that the idea for the unconventional method struck him in an equally unexpected way. "I worked in a huge studio with a sleeping space," he says. "One day I found a long string of glue between my working area and bed."

Random drippings from thousands of glue sticks make the outcome unique every time. When lit, Onishi's works reveal ghostly forms—incorporeal cars zooming through the room or phantom storm clouds cascading through a space. "I used glue basically like you do between layers of paper," he says. "It gives form to the invisible parts."

Vertical Emptiness is the name of his latest series, and the installations represents a subtle, but important shift in his work. "Every time I start a project, the space inspires my work," says Onishi. "I've made quite a lot of installations with black glue and hanging plastic sheets, so I wanted to change how I went about filling the empty space and choosing materials that I can't control."

A recent installation, constructed in the sake cellar of a winery in Yamatokoriyama, Japan, embodies this evolution. Onishi replaced his grid with thick organic stings of glue that droop between contact points in the ceiling. He traded in his trademark black hot glue for the traditional clear variety and coated the skeins with crystals created from a mix of urea and household cleaner. Where his previous projects seemed to float ephemerally, Vertical Emptiness is decidedly architectural, with columns and spans that could be seen as a Gaudí-esqe castle or spider-filled jungle.

Another project in the series comes even closer to representation. Onishi suspended tree branches from the ceiling of a gallery and coated them with strands of adhesive and urea crystals. The result is a surreal, inverted winter landscape, frozen in time. From a distance it's hard to believe these huge, glimmering structures have such humble beginnings. "I understand audiences might think of hot glue as a 'cheap' material," says Onishi. "But it can make huge landscapes and doesn't interfere at all with my concepts."

[commandersulu]

Wine snobs don't know jack, as proven by blind taste tests.

The idea of quality of a brand rests in purely in our minds, the objective view clouded by subjectivity prone to manipulation by external factors. Wine seems to be a clear case where this occurs. Most wine enthusiasts have a favorite wine region and preferred tasting notes. I've always struggled with whether people look for these tasting notes because they actually can taste them in the wine (I cannot), or if looking for these notes in itself is a signal of snobbery elevating the drinkers' self perceived social status. Do they actually believe wines from a particular country are higher quality, or do they rate them as higher quality because of the brand awareness a country or region has carefully curated.

The Concha Y Toro case provides some interesting thinking points on branding wines from a particular region when the region itself does not have strong distinguishing cultural characteristics or associations in the mind of the general population.

I had a couple of key takeaways from the case:

Don't under estimate price as a signal for quality. When entering a new market, pricing decisions need to be taken very seriously. Heavy initial discounting can set a brand up for future disappointment. This was evidenced in the case as a group of Chilean wineries entered the Japanese market in 1998 with low cost wines, a brand image from which they were unable to distance themselves in the future. Essentially the entire country associated Chilean wines with cheap quality.

Use a blind taste test. If you have a good quality product and aren't gaining any traction, promote the heck out of blind test results. We have seen this time and again - it worked in the Pepsi Challenge, it worked in the "Judgement of Paris", and it worked again in the "Berlin Tasting".

Seek the help of a trade association. If the others like you are suffering the same branding problem, joining a trade association may help. Pooling resources to figure out a branding solution might prove helpful.

Create a sub-brand. Having sub-brands that cater to different market segments may prove helpful. We saw this in an earlier case with Black and Decker and DeWalt, we've seen it be successful with Toyota creating a new brand for its luxury line Lexus. This can help differentiate quality in the eyes of the consumer.

Nudge toward objective metrics. Creating nudges for the consumer that highlight objective quality metrics can prove effective. Highlighting the wine enthusiast ratings, or blind taste test results can start to show people that objectively speaking the quality of a particular product is great. Over time, the opinions of the consumers may start to shift.

[ayatomic]

BLOW MY BREAKS !

catching you getting off (ft.: diluc, kaeya, mona.)

warnings: sub fem reader, individual warnings alongside each character.

minors do not interact.

# . . . DILUC RAGNVINDR.

warnings: fingering, cunnilingus.

“'luc, pl- please, faster,”

you slurred, thrusting your fingers in and out of your sloppy hole. your boyfriend had been occupied with work for the entire week, barely having any time to spend with you. whilst you knew that diluc's after hour activities were of utmost importance, necessary for keeping the city of wind safe for its citizens, you couldn’t ignore your very own needs. 

diluc had told you that he wouldn’t be home until late, and that you shouldn’t worry your pretty little head about waiting up for him. so surely, it wouldn’t hurt for you to indulge yourself for a short while. you slipped out of the day’s clothes, replacing them with one of your boyfriend's crisp button ups, and rested back against his pillow as your hands trailed down your body.

thoughts of the way that diluc touched you flooded your mind - how his lips painted dark marks along your skin, how his tongue swirled around your hardening nipples, how his lithe fingers ghosted across your clit. the next thing that you knew, you were knuckle deep inside of your own cunt, middle and ring finger pumping into your entrance as your thumb toyed with your puffy bud. your other hand rotated between fisting your sheets and lazily groping at your tits. 

whilst moans and whimpers filled the room, you couldn't quite hit the spots that diluc could. he was so damn big, and your fingers could barely keep you satisfied in the way that he did. you could feel the knot in your stomach begin to build up, yet nothing you did was enough to make it snap. tears of frustration began to cloud your vision as you grew desperate on reaching an orgasm. 

diluc was planning on heading home early to surprise you. he'd already set up a picnic blanket and a few bottles on the balcony of the angel's share — he was going to take you into the city on his black stallion and sit and watch the stars with you. however, when he had arrived back to the winery, you were nowhere to be seen.

upon approaching your shared room, diluc was met with the faint sounds of strained moans and the barely audible noise of your fingers working on satiating your drooling cunt. he could hear you whimpering his name, begging for him to fuck you on his cock. the angelic melody made his pants grow tighter, wondering if he should just turn away or lend you a helping hand. he settled on the latter, pushing the large wooden door open to the lewd sight of you playing with your pretty pussy. unable to contain himself, diluc made his way towards you, giving you a fright as you felt his stray hairs tickling your inner thighs; yet these were quickly replaced with louder moans as the man replaced your fingers with his own calloused digits, and wrapped his warm lips around your puffy clit. 

“‘s it, darlin’, i’ll make you cream f’ me,”

# . . . KAEYA ALBERICH.

warnings: wet dream, toys (vibrator), mention of anal, mutual masturbation.

“i’m g’na- kae- just for you!”

it was never a secret within your relationship that kaeya had a high sex drive. he wanted his wandering hands on your body constantly, keeping you close and usually feeling you up. when he was away on a mission, saying that you missed him was an understatement. you craved his touch, his sly words whispered into the shell of your ear, the feeling of his cock bullying its way into you. 

such thoughts invaded your dreamscape now and again, lewd memories of all the ways that kaeya had made you scream his name plaguing your mind. after a particularly salacious dream of him refusing to leave your overstimulated cunt be, you found yourself unable to control your urges as you made your way into the drawer that kaeya kept the toys that the pair of you occasionally used. sure, he wouldn’t be the happiest man if he came home and saw his pretty darling getting off on anything that wasn’t his cock, but you couldn’t contain yourself any longer. 

it was a vibrator that caught your eye. you recalled how kaeya normally used it to tease your stiff nipples until you begged for him to fuck you, how he held it against your twitchy clit as you creamed around his length. he’d even used it now and again to fuck you whilst he played with your tight asshole, revelling in the way that he could feel the toy’s vibrations against his pulsing cock through your walls. 

your thighs pressed against one another at the sheer thought of the acts that the pair of you had engaged in, glad that you were clad in only one of kaeya’s old shirts and your panties. you lay back against your pillows once again, dragging your fingertips down your body and doing your best to imitate the movements of your lover. soft groans of his name fell from your lips, becoming marginally louder as you approached your heat. 

initially you began with the lowest setting of your toy, circling its head around your pretty clit. having not been touched for a while, you found it easier to get yourself all hot and bothered. it didn't take too long for you to slip the toy into your weeping hole, crying out for kaeya as you fucked yourself as deeply as the toy would allow. nothing but your whines and the sloshing of your messy cunt filled the bedroom, loudly enough that you didn't hear the turning of the doorknob. 

and there kaeya stood, a smirk on his face. he knew you could be needy, and expected you to have your own fun whilst he was away. (hell, he'd been thinking of you and your sweet pussy as he fucked his fist each night.)

he watched as you squirmed, eyes screwed shut as you shamelessly moaned his name. each syllable went straight to his crotch, hardening cock becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. the unbuckling of his belt was what finally alerted you to your boyfriend's presence, freezing in place from the sheer shock. meanwhile, he continued slipping out of his own clothing, unfazed by your reaction.

you could only gaze at his thick length, jaw slackening as he began pumping his tan shaft and smearing the pre from his glossy tip across it. 

"don't stop now, princess. i was certainly enjoying my 'welcome home' present."

# . . . MONA MEGISTUS.

warnings: degradation, pussydrunk mona, cunnilingus, one slap, pillow humping.

"m- right there, mo- ahh!"

mona was never one to deny her pretty little pet.

the astrologist could spend hours between your thighs, working to make you see stars. she was addicted to the taste of your cunt, no matter how many times she reprimanded you for being a filthy whore and cumming over and over again. mona refused to punish you, instead resorting to a simple slap to your skin as a reminder to stay in line. she could never be a brat tamer, for she enjoyed the sweet symphonies that she tore from your throat all too much. 

she had told you that she'd be out all afternoon, assisting the knights with a particular mission that required her particular area of expertise. this rendered you left to your own devices, stuck in your shared home with a pooling wetness between your thighs, complimented by a temptation to break the one rule that mona had set out for you; you were never allowed to touch yourself without her permission. 

only mona was allowed to touch you, as she often reminded you that your cunt belonged to her, not you. you'd gotten her addicted to the taste of your flowing juices, and nobody else was allowed to indulge — not even you. 

yet the mere thought of your girlfriend's possessiveness struck a nerve within you. surely if you shut yourself in your bedroom and played with yourself a little bit, it wouldn't hurt, right? how would mona even notice?

you convinced yourself to perch on the edge of the bed and across from the full-length mirror, legs apart as you trailed your hands down towards your now-naked lower half. you spread your weeping cunt lips apart with one hand, admiring the way that your slick shamelessly coated the two digits. after tracing figures of eight around your swollen clit, you gave in. 

within the bat of an eyelash, mona's pillow was between your thighs. you grinded down against the silk sheets, throwing your head back at the friction. not thinking this would be enough for you cum to, you let yourself loose. you gripped the headboard for stability as you humped your girlfriend's pillow, imagining that it was mona's thigh. it was almost as though you could hear her nasty words degrading you, her mocking smirk bullying you for getting off on her thigh like a bitch in heat. her laugh rang through your ears, alongside a barrage of the most disgusting names.

it was only when they began to sound too realistic that you paused your antics. glancing to the door, you were met with the silhouette of the great astrologist leaning against the wooden frame, and embarrassment washed over you. 

"my my, it looks like my filthy little pet can't keep her hands to herself. and with my pillow too. you truly are needy for me, darling. perhaps i'll have to tie you down and satisfy you until you positively can't cum anymore, hmm?"

© ayatonomy 27.06.22

do not repost — reblogs appreciated.

[dewdrop-writes]

Divine conspiracies

<< First | <Previous | Next > (N/A)

Length: 2k words

Hurried steps echoed against the pavement, sounding hollow against the backdrop of an empty city and raging winds. The gusts grazed against anyone daring to be out still - piercing one's skin harshly and leaving behind a trail of chills.

The captain was careful with his movements, eyeing his surroundings with a predatory gaze. As a cavalry captain of high ranking, he had many nosy busybodies to worry about when it came to his actions.

He slowly made his way up the grandiose staircase leading up to the looming gothic church, his form hidden by the jagged shadows the brief glimpses of the moonlight left behind. He moved with light steps, creeping like a cat up to a mouse, towards a side door. There was no need to alert the other members of the church, after all, when he was only seeking out one in particular.

His gloved fingers reached for the small metallic knocker, and tapped it against the door in a rapid succession of threes. He paused, waiting on bated breath for an answer.

He could hear light shuffling behind the door - which was opened by a pale woman cloaked in black darker than the night sky itself.

"Captain Kaeya," she spoke in a frosty tone, glancing his form over with shielded curiosity. She leaned her hip against the worn frame of the door, her vision casting a dim glow into the darkened room behind her.

"What brings you here?"

"I have something to show you. Something important."

"Oh?" she leaned closer. "Care to give me any details?"

He flashed a lazy smirk her way.

"No can do. Meet me at Dawn winery in an hour."

She raised a brow, before casting a glance into the darkness behind her.

"Very well. I'll be there, captain."

Kaeya nodded. "Good. I'll be expecting you."

With a swish of his cape, he turned on his heel, stalking off into the night once more.

Eula awoke to the sound of soft clanks against the marbled floor of the knights of Favonius. She was wide awake in moments, her vision casting a dim cold light on her quarters. With a muffled rustle of her covers being drawn aside, she rose to her feet, reaching for the weapon propped up by her bed. She was light on her bare feet as she approached the door, ever vigilant as she heard the stifled footsteps nearing her door.

The air around her was frigid - something she had grown used to, comfortable with, even. She breathed in quietly, exhaling out oh her nose. Her breath fogged up in a faint cloud that dissipated quickly.

The footsteps stopped in front of her door.

Ah. So someone was coming for her.

She bristled.

Would it be another one of those vengeful people who wished harm upon her due to her family?

It wasn't entirely unlikely.

Before she could ponder too much on it, however, there was a faint series of knocks on the wooden surface.

Her brows furrowed.

An attacker wouldn't knock, surely?

Still clad in her frilly nightgown, she slowly pushed the door open, keeping her right hand still clutched around her weapon's hilt, concealed by the door.

In front of her, stood Kaeya Alberich. The cavalry captain of Mondstadt.

She felt her brows pull into a harsh scowl.

Why was a fellow captain sneaking around at night?

"Kaeya?" she asked, her tone icy as she looked him up and down, taking in the sight of his weapon on his belt.

"I have a favor to ask of you," he spoke simply, casting her a signature smirk.

One Eula wanted to punch off his face.

"At this hour? Couldn't this wait?" she asked, growing more frustrated by the moment.

First, he interrupted her sleep. And now he was trying to pull some silly prank on her by the looks of it.

"No," Kaeya responded, his tone dropping the playful edge it had teetered on. Suddenly, his face was stony - gaze icy as the vision he carried and determined.

"It's very important. And crucial that you tell no one about this."

"Why?" she asked, still feeling standoffish. The weapon in her hand felt heavy.

"Because it is a matter of life or death. For me and- other parties."

Eula sighed, her shoulders dropping.

"Fine."

"Thank you. Please meet me at Dawn winery in about an hour," he instructed, rising his head up high.

Eula nodded.

"Alright. But you will pay for waking me up, sooner or later."

Kaeya's stifled chuckle made the corners of her own lips twitch upwards.

You were barely awake, sat by the fireplace Diluc had lit up for your comfort - a soft chill having seeping into your frame from running out in just sleepwear earlier. You pulled the blanket he'd graciously offered you closer, inhaling the scent of cuihua wood and ripe grapes clinging to it. It felt comforting. Almost like home.

"Your grace, would you like me to fetch you some tea?" Diluc asked, smiling at you faintly from the armchair he'd been planted in, watching over you.

"There's no need - I'm plenty warm now. Thank you, though."

He nodded, not taking his eyes off you.

Finally - there was a series of knocks on the heavyset doors of the manor - a pattern you had agreed on with Kaeya.

You perked up, peeking over the sofa you'd taken a seat in and trying to see out into the darkness of the night.

Diluc was quick to get on his feet.

"I'll get it," he reassured you, before briskly walking towards the door.

You heard the wooden doors creak open, and heard a hushed exchange of words, before multiple pairs of feet echoed across the wooden floor.

"Now, remember when I told you to keep it all hushed? I meant it," Kaeya spoke, seemingly leading the way.

You gulped.

Who would you be coming face to face with?

You watched as Kaeya entered the room, your breath caught in your throat.

Rosaria was quick to follow him, Eula next. Then, Amber. Then - a pop of color in the form of Klee, who was succeeded by Albedo.

Rosaria and Eula appeared taken aback - the rest having already met you.

You awkwardly waved, a nervous smile breaking out on your face.

"Hi," you spoke softly, allowing the blanket to fall away from your form as you stood to your feet.

"You're..." Rosaria began. Eula rushed to finish off her half-baked statement:

"The imposter. But...you're...not an imposter, are you?"

You shrugged nervously.

"I guess not."

A heavy silence hung above the room, suffocating and thick like smoke.

"They're great! Plants and animals love them! And snow melts on Dragonspine for them!" Klee exclaimed, rushing to your side and looping her arms around your frame. You smiled down at her, patting her head.

"It's true. I've seen it too," Amber admitted, sheepish. Eula cast her a betrayed glance - one which had Amber making apologetic eyes at her.

"I...see. So this is why it had to be kept under wraps? Because of...Mondstadt's and other nations' actions towards them?" Rosaria piped up, her voice icy as she glanced at Kaeya. Her expression had not shifted - her pokerface much stronger than you could have imagined.

The cavalry captain nodded.

"Exactly. I figured you all would be willing to go along with our plans. Celestia knows how stubborn the rest of the knights of Favonius were regarding this matter."

There was a grim silence once more - each person in the room remembering the day you'd been captured - the day you'd been sentenced to death as some lowly criminal for no real wrongdoing.

"It's no wonder the winds have been that harsh. And that all wildlife seems to flee hunters - and that crops have been dying. Teyvat's expressing it's anger towards us," Eula spoke after a while, glancing outside.

"It's perfectly calm here, though."

You smiled awkwardly.

"Sorry about that - I haven't made it do that on purpose..."

She shook her head, stepping closer, her heels clacking against the polished floors. She bowed her head, bringing her hand to her chest.

"You have nothing to apologize for. It's divine retribution. Deserved, at that."

You were taken aback by the harshness of her tone - feeling chills creep over you as she neared your presence.

"I, Captain Eula Lawrence, Spindrift Knight, Knights of Favonius Reconnaissance Company, pledge my allegiance to you," she spoke, lowering herself to one knee.

Your lips parted in surprise - not expecting such grandiose display of loyalty from someone you'd never met before.

Amber grinned and rushed to Eula's side, taking in a similar position.

"I, outrider Amber, pledge my allegiance too, your grace," she chirped, a wide smile on her lips.

Your mouth formed a nervous smile, your gaze flickering towards Diluc and Kaeya.

"I, Rosaria, pledge my allegiance."

"I, Albedo, Chief Alchemist of the Knights of Favonius, pledge my allegiance to you, creator."

"I, Kaeya, cavalry captain of the Knight of Favonius, pledge my allegiance."

"I, Diluc Ragnvindr, pledge my allegiance."

You felt tears brimming in your eyes at the sight. Your throat tightening as you tried to fight the tears.

Klee finally released you from her hold, animatedly bringing a fist to her chest.

"I, Spark Knight Klee of the Knights of Favonius..." she glanced around nervously, her cheeks pink as she tried to recall the words the others had used, "Pledge...myself to you!"

Finally, the dam broke - tears streaming down your face as sparks of joy lit up within your chest - blooming into colorful fireworks of adoration.

"I...you guys....thank you. It means a lot..." you managed to stutter out the words, fumbling as you uttered them. You crouched and pulled Klee into a hug, laughing through the tears.

"Your grace! Are you alright?" Diluc asked, rising to his feet.

You swallowed, nodding your head.

"Yeah...it's all just...overwhelming," you laughed. "They're happy tears, promise," you added, wiping at your watering eyes in vain.

Diluc's concern melted away, his lips forming a soft smile.

Slowly, the others, too, rose to their feet once more. You patted Klee's head and did the same, still wiping at your eyes fruitlessly.

Eula reached into her pocket and pulled out a lovely white handkerchief, one with frilled edges, and her initials embroidered in a corner with shimmery blue thread. She handed it over gracefully, bowing slightly.

"Thank you, Eula," you spoke through tears and accepted it, dabbing at the corners of your eyes. Finally, the floodgates were slowly sealed up, the pouring tears coming to a slow, dribbling end.

You sniffled, trying to blink away the last of the tears.

Kaeya placed a cold, yet comforting hand on your shoulder. You felt the coolness seep into you, soothing your nerves in a gentle caress.

You shot him a weary smile. He simply nodded.

"So, what's the plan, your grace," Rosaria asked, her tight lips forming the faintest hint of a teasing smile. You found yourself relaxing somewhat at that - that she felt comfortable enough with you to teasingly address you with such formalities.

"Well..." you bit your lip, your gaze gliding across everyone in the room.

"I say we reveal your true identity. Publically," Kaeya began, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms. Diluc raised a brow, wanting to see where Kaeya was headed.

"You do a whole showcase of your powers - appear in your fancy golden robes and all that. Maybe even shed a little of your blood-"

"Kaeya!" Diluc snapped, his brows furrowed and a silent, hot wave of rage radiating off of him.

The air was tense once more.

"What?" Kaeya asked, glancing at the man he once called brother lazily. "It'll be undeniable proof that they're the creator," he added, shrugging.

"He does have a point," Amber agreed. "But still... shouldn't the powers be enough?"

Kaeya hummed. "It'll be a last resort - how about that?" he looked to you.

"Yeah...I'm fine with that."

"What next, though?" Eula piped up.

"Well, The Creator will berate and publicly shame the others - maybe show some divine retribution, all that fun stuff."

You stifled a laugh.

All eyes were on you, as though bewitched by the sound.

"I think I like the sound of that."

TAGLIST

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[intothegenshinworld]

Hey since we already had used to luxury reader how about a complete opposite

A reader who was used to barley making the ends meet

Ps sorry for bad lenguaje English isn’t my first language

No worries! I could understand what you wanted to say! :D Hope you like it!

Note 2: Idk might have included too many people. I didn't know how to tag this bc there were so many but sksksk I hope this is okay

Normally you don't spend a lot of money on clothes and luxury stuff, only when you needed it.

Your most prized possession was your phone. Not only could you contact your friends but you spend many hours playing Genshin.

The game really helped you on your bad days.

It distracts you and you love the characters. You feel as if they truly understand you and will remain there, no matter how bad things will get.

When you were playing the game and your screen died you freaked out.

What were you supposed to do without your phone?

Shortly after your phone breaks, you black out. Or at least, that's what you think happened.

When you wake up, you feel like you're laying in clouds. The bed is so soft and warm, silk sheets are draped over your figure and you're wearing new clothes made from the best materials.

When you see Ningguang walk in with Ganyu and Keqing you're in shock. How did you get inside your favorite game? Meeting your characters was possible now so you won't complain!

The Qixing take good care of you when you first wake up. There are a bunch of new clothes to choose from, and while you're grateful for so many clothes, you stick to choosing one outfit.

When learning that you're God!Reader you're so shocked, because why would you be a god?

When you get hungry you don't need to cook. Within minutes someone else is prepping the best meals for you, providing you food until your appetite has left. No longer do you need to worry about money either. Teyvat will gift you everything you need,

You're still getting used to this luxury, yet you keep accepting the gifts Childe brings you. Each one is personally chosen by the Tsaritsa, and sent from Snezhnaya to Liyue. Childe is a harbinger carrying out his duties as a diplomat, yet when you accept the gifts he can't help but be selfish and believe that your smile is meant for him, instead of the Tsaritsa.

During your stay in Liyue, you'd continuously get spoiled by the Qixing. If you tell them your concerns about money, they would reassure you that the mora is well spent. Ningguang would keep sending you the best outfits, hand-tailored with the highest materials just for you to wear.

When you meet Zhongli he too would show up with something valuable. He doesn't have money, yet he always has something to give to you. He ends up telling its history as well, keeping you for himself as the two of you share tea.

Xingqui as representative of the Feiyun Commerce Guild and practitioner of the Guhua Clan would visit you as well. Amongst the gifts of the Guild is his own book. He considers it a personal gift for you.

When you head to Mondstadt, the Acting Grand Master Jean would request that the big clans in Mondstadt send representatives to give you their welcoming gifts.

The Adepti would express their gratitude for your presence. Their gifts might not be as 'expensive' as Ningguang's but hold more meaning. You'd probably end up with some relic Xiao gifts you for protection.

Diluc would give you a few of his finest bottles of wine and would make room at the Dawn Winery should you request to stay over.

The Lawrence clan had some disagreements but at last, Jean had asked Eula to represent their clan. She'd be nervous, not wanting to offend you with her words. When you finally arrive you would tell Eula that meeting her was the best gift. She'd start to stutter and fumble over her words after that.

Later in Inazuma, you'd be welcomed by Ayato and Ayaka from the Yashiro Commission. As Cultural representatives, they'd make sure your welcome is as spectacular as can be. Thoma would be there as well, following the orders that Ayato gives him.

There are some members of the Knights of Favonius that would go out of their way to welcome you. Yet Kaeya, Lisa, and Albedo were the only ones who got to spend time alone with you.

The Tenryou Commission would be there as well. Not interacting with you but focusing on your safety. Kujou Sara would lead this department. If you choose to personally thank her for her hard work she'd act as if it was a normal thing to do, yet from the inside she's screaming because you gave her your attention.

When you arrive at the Tenshukaku you meet Ei, who came out of the Plane of Euthymia to personally greet you. She wants everything to be perfect and requests you to start wearing inazuman clothes.

Overall you'd get spoiled everywhere. You might need some time to get used to it but they will never stop loving you.

[pastel-omegas-blog]

⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️WARNING!!! THIS BOOK WILL CONTAIN MATURE THEMES AND VIOLENCE PLEASE LEAVE IF IT WILL MAKE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE. I DO NOT NEED THIS BOOK TO BE REPORTED . YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.( Mentions of suicide, bullying, blood/torture ⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️( This book is going to have more matured themes  compared to my others, from smut scenes to non-con, lactation, drugging, hypnosis, abuse of power and over obsessiveness.

Chapter five. Chapter seven

CHAPTER SIX

The sweet scent of expensive wine and Savoury food wafted in the air of the huge room. Wine glasses were filled to the brim with only the very best winery's in the whole of the Trovian Empire. 

The ' simple ' meal laid out on the table could easily be considered a buffet with how many dishes were laid out. The beautiful culinary sight had both food native to that of the land and foreign dishes, their appearance drawing in people to have a taste. The meals had been prepared by the most renowned chefs and cooks in the land, who had taken their time to prepare such a wonderful sight, wanting everything to be absolutely perfect. The meal was  served into only the finest beautifully designed plates with polished silver cutlery and neatly folded napkins by the side of each platter. 

The room had a large bow window designed with beautiful stained glass and it was currently opened with the curtains pulled back, giving way too the lovely scenery outside.

Big blue skies and soft fluffy white clouds, the sun shining warmly, it's soft rays passing through the open windows, also letting the cool breeze in and the sweet smell of flowers from the garden below, butterflies flying through the air and drinking the sweet nectar from the flowers. A truly marvelous sight.

Maids and butlers waited patiently by the sides of the room with their heads bowed as a sign of respect and submission to the persons seated.

Knights armed to the teeth stood guard at every possible entrance to the room, hands on their weapons and at high alert ready to lay down their life if needed too.

Such a pleasant meal and a strong assurance of one's safety would have made for a lively atmosphere between the two people seated.

But the air was tense and heavy as the pheromones of the two dominant alphas present,  the beta servants had to tighten the grips on their palms, drawing blood in the process to stop themselves from fainting and the recessive alpha knights weren't doing any better and they had to stop themselves whimpering out like pups in search of their mothers. It didn't help as the thickness of their merged scents fighting for dominance grow worse.

It felt like any small thing would make the two figures charge at each with an intent to kill.

Marrav didn't bother to his growl as  it made past his lips. The black haired male brought a glass filled with thick red wine towards his lips, his silver eyes glaring at the  light skinned woman seated in front of him matching the glare in her teal reptilian like eyes.

 the black haired alpha ran a hand through his silky locks already feeling a headache coming up, he already had his head pounding  from the rising  matters in the northern part of the empire. The usually vast ever flowing river that ran no matter how cold the harsh winds of winter got was suddenly drying up.

This huge wonder of nature that was as old as the empire itself, a vast stream of pure clean water that  that ran from the very edge of the north of the empire and flowed to eastern part was beginning to dry up.

It started about a month ago, with the water decreasing little by little, the council members of the north had notified him of the strange occurrence and it had caused a small stir for so many different reasons.

Firstly it was currently winter in the north, so the problem they were meant to be having with the river would be it was freezing up and making it hard for the commoners to draw water. Not that it was starting to dry up. 

Secondly, the north and the east were not on best terms with each other  ( more specifically the ruling grand duchy and the imperial family weren't on the best  terms ) so it was quick for rumors of conspiracies from both nobles and commoners of the region start to spread like wild fire.

" It's the easterners that did this! Their always so jealous of our richness that their jealousy has finally made their hearts vile and cruel enough to curse us! "

" The imperial family really must not think of us as their citizens if they could support such a thing! "

* Their going to let innocent children suffer simply because they can't handle been overshadowed by us. How cruel! "

 Other rumors ran around, but all of them had something in common. They were all blaming the imperial family and the east as a whole. The rumors had even started a small stir with the eastern nobles who were all feeling targeted and were beginning to retaliate to the rumors.

" Serve those snow savages right! Their arrogance is finally catching up to them ! "

" They deserve every bit of this. Maybe now they'll know how to bow their heads to their superiors "

Marrav had to intervene before things turned into a full out brawl between the two sides.

He had  sent some higher class tower mages to meet up with mages from the northern side so they could find a spell to reverse the whole thing and with collaboration from the two sides they were able to stop whatever phenomenon that was happening to the river stopping it f going down. They couldn't reverse the effects, but they were able to stop it from completely drying up  and for a few weeks things calm down and everything almost returned to normal.

Then the river started drying up at a scarily fast rate, reaching half in just a matter of days. Nothing could stop it this time around. 

No tower mages.

No månå stone

The black haired alpha would rather choke on his sword than ask the holy temple for help. Those high and mighty bastards already had to much leverage over the imperial family and he would be damned if he gave them more, the power of the temple was becoming to hard to keep in check he didn't need to be owing them favors.

So with his hands tied behind his back Marrav had no other choice than to reach out for help during this crisis. That help came in the form of the Pentigrian Empire.

The Pentigrian Empire. 

A huge  nation that nestled deep within a gigantic canyon like area and was surrounded by magnificent of heaps of golden coloured sand dunes. A beautiful sight to imagine at first, but experiencing such a thing first hand would quickly change one's mind.

The harsh sun beating down onto the cracked earth, sand storms forming frequently due to the harsh winds making sharp sand get everywhere, the hard infertile land made it impossible to preform farming of any kind, dangerous creatures hid under the vast blanket of sand like beetle snakes made traveling dangerous and risky, then there was the lack of any source of water around the place for miles upon miles. 

Yet Pentigria itself was a marvel to behold. It was a land people would usually narrate in stories. A place that went beyond one's imagination. A land known for their advanced architectural skills, a place filled with vibrant colours, exotic fruits and animals, exquisite music and culture. It was a land riddled with gold, silver, diamonds and jewels, a place with different rare mineral caves and flora breeds that could only be found there and no where else on earth. 

It was an Empire that people refered to a land of paradise and dreams

A nation known for its advanced knowledge in månå and were the very first to start the manufacturing of månå technology.

Something Marrav was hoping could bring a solution to his problem. So he had reached out to the current Empress, hoping that they could have a discussion and get together to reach an agreement. 

But it seems like the woman herself didn't want any of that.

" Empress please. We've been going over the contract for the last four hours. If you can lend us help to overcome this problem Trovia in return will open up some of private månå stone mines to repay you for your generosity, We'll let you use some of our trading paths to make trade between your Empire and others more quicker, we've even agreed to share some of our knowledge on the månå affinity research and what we've been able to discover so far. That and Trovia has promised to lend you our military power if your nation is ever to engage in war. I've offered you this and much more yet your still refusing my offer. What more do you want from me ?! "

Marrav was getting tired of this. He had thrown it every available offer to the woman on a silver platter,  but she had dismissed every single one of them without a second thought. Not even showing the slightest bit of interest and the black haired alpha didn't know what pissed him of more, how she refused to acknowledge his efforts to make the deal more appealing to her or the fact that she the expression she had on was clearly looking down on him. If it wasn't that an attempt to attack her would cause a war ( something he didn't need now of all times ) he would have grabbed a sword from one of the many knights standing guard and launched at her.

But all that ever seemed to come out of that dumb mouth of hers was asking about that devil omega's whereabouts.

And for some annoying reason that pissed him off even more, still he had to calm himself down and remain civil if he wanted this deal to go through.

She was the only one  that could help him in this situation.

After all the only reason Pentigria started been such a great Empire was because the people could finally stop worrying about dying from dehydration and focus on other things was because she created the first man made waterfall with her own hands.

Empress Shiva Ame had the ability to control water. Another very rare månå affinity and she had used her powers to create a whole new era for her people. The black haired male had been hoping she would use that power to help him.

The light skinned woman again ignored the man, choosing to focus more on the wine in her glass, before bringing it deep red lips humming a bit at the taste. At least the wine was up to her standards. She only looked back at the younger man when he had finished his ranting, her teal hues sizing him up  before she clicked her tongue in annoyance as she brought her glass down to the table.

" Well if your done with your blabbering.... " The caramel haired woman started ignoring the growl directed her as she crossed her legs in her seat  bringing her arms to rest on her knees as she put her full attention on the Emperor her gaze becoming sharper as she continued. " You haven't answered my question as to why I received a from tiger lily wanting to meet up and have lunch, but instead I'm led here and was forced to sit down and listen to you chat my ear off and not once in those four hours have I seen my tiger lily. " There was an unsettling silence in the room and for once Marrav didn't have anything to spit back at her.

Now it was Shiva's turn to let out a growl, the anger that she had been trying to bury down finally bubbling in her chest. " You mean to tell me you tricked me into coming to your kingdom by posing as tiger lily and you haven't even apologized for such a lowly act! Yet you expect me to put my trust in your words and a mere sheet of paper when you've broken my trust multiple times and treated my Empire like dirt and even mocked my peoples culture and way of life. You even dared to let  your tramp run around placing curses on our god's in the name of ' he's the holiest saint ever given to the Trovian Empire and his words are never wrong '. After all that you expect me to happily sign a contract to help you and throw all that insult behind me as if nothing ever happened? You must be joking "

The only reason she had left her empire to even meet up with the arrogant prick was because she had be tricked into it.

A few weeks back she had received a letter from her​​​​​​​​​​​​ the male omega, apologizing for not​​​​​​​​ responding to her letters like usual and to make it up to her he invited her over for lunch. She had been so happy she would be able to see her little tiger lily after such a long time that she didn't pay attention to how sketchy the letter itself was. Her ignorance to that small detail led her to the being stuck in the same room as this black baboon in her front. The most vexing part was in all those four hours she had been made to sit down she hadn't even gotten a glimpse of the h/c male that caused her to come all the way here.

" Empress Shiva please refrain yourself from insulting the Saint Leon. Not only is he a high member of the temple. He is also going to be ruling Trovia by my side. This will be your last warning "

Marrav's words snapped the woman out of her thoughts reminding the woman of her misery.

Letting out a sigh Shiva resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the male, taking another sip of her wine. Of course that was all he heard. Saving the tramps image instead of the man who dedicated his life to him.

A vivid image of a  feeble s/c male with h/c hair crossed her mind. His small form had been claded in a ridiculously large  green coat, his silky  looking hair had been tied in a tight bun. He stuttered anytime he talked and always had his head bowed low, his soft e/c orbs hardly ever looked up to meet hers, and he looked like he was trembling in his spot. Then again he had been there on behalf of a great sin and any minor mistake on his part could lead to a war, so he had a right to be fearful.

Shiva's original thought seeing the shaken male for the first time had been anger. HOW DARE  that blue haired tramp who called himself a saint insult one of the  scared Pentigrian statues, undermining her religion and trying to prove his was better, yet when had been ordered to face punishment for his crimes went and hid in the arms of that black haired bastard, sobbing his eyes out and feigning ignorance to what he had done. She had expected the Emperor to send him over to her only to receive a cowering small h/c male in his place and she had every right to be angry. Did the Trovian empire take her for a joke just because she was a woman ??!!!.

She was still an alpha and a dominant one at that. How dare they try to undermine her!

She was originally just going to kill him and send his head back as a warning, but his pitiful look softened her heart and she decided to give him a minute to explain himself. 

Much to her surprise the male was actually smart. Smarter than she thought he would be and  very understanding.

He understood her anger and didn't even blame her for overreacting like the Emperor had done. Didn't call her a Savage or mock her people's culture. He listened to her vent out all the rage that had been building up inside her, even brewed her tea to calm down. He was soft, caring. Sweet. 

She could still smell the sweet scent of peach that had been clinging to him.

They reached a conclusion quickly and  two years worth of Trovia's best månå stones were given to her as a compensation for all the disrespect she had to endure.  That time she had thought he was just a minor officer working for the imperial family, ( and she knew he was the only reason the empire hadn't fallen into ruins yet. From what Marrav had showed her in the ten minutes they had been together,she knew he was unfit to rule ). Her surprise to learn that he and that  bastard were actually married left her feeling disgust and resentment. 

Disgust that the Emperor treated his tramp better than his actual spouse and resentment that the h/c male allowed himself to be treated like he was dirt. Though it wasn't her place to judge. It wasn't her empire or her spouse so she couldn't be the judge of anything, but she would be lying if she said sending the small male back to those animals hadn't been heart breaking to her.

She clicked the her tongue and took in another sip of the liquid in her hand, trying to calm down the raging anger brewing in her chest only feeling it getting worse. Another image of the h/c male crying flashed into her mind all because of the Emperor and Shiva saw red.

Everyone present in the room flinched when the woman suddenly slammed her empty glass on the table, everyone could practically feel the waves of anger seeping off her and some of the servants couldn't handle the pressure anymore and collapsed to the ground, their mouths foaming as they began to gasp for air. Their senses being forced to a stroke like state by the clashing pheromones, sadly none of the other staff made a move to help. They were to afraid of the consequences of doing so.

Seeing the commotion around her the caramel haired woman tried to calm herself down and found herself failing to do so. She had had enough of this. Shiva stood up without a word and began to walk towards the doors ignoring the younger man desperately calling out to her. If she stayed any longer she would cause a scene, a bloody one no doubt so she needed to leave her as fast as possible.

Walking out the doors her presence caused her guards stationed out the door to straighten up their posture and now their heads in respect. She paid them no heed instead gesturing towards her advisor 

" Get the carriage ready. We're leaving right now " the advisor quickly nodded and went ahead to get things ready, he had picked up the anger in her voice and he didn't need it directed towards him.

Shiva walked the pristine halls with dignity and grace, making the people that passed to look at her with awe and respect, no matter how angered she was she couldn't let the people know. She had the reputation of both her and her people to uphold after all. She wanted to get far away from this damned place as fast as possible and without making a scene as well. At least the Emperor was smart enough not to chase after her.

She needed to get out of this suffocating atmosphere.

         ¶•¶•¶•¶•¶•¶•¶•¶•¶•¶•¶•¶

Leon couldn't stop the smile on his lush pink lips from spreading as he's pretty purple hues spotted three pure white carriages riding through the towards the front of the imperial palace were he stood, his eyes brightening even more as he recognized the insignia painted with gold paint in the doors. A golden halo surrounding a unicorn like creature with two tail, a crest only used by important members of the holy temple.

Looks like Alvar received his message.

Perfect.

The smile on his lips grew bigger as he watched the first carriage come to a stop, a butler quickly rushed to open the door and out stepped the dark skinned pope in all his glory.

" Ally~ "

The blue haired omega's voice rang in the air as he rushed forward to the silver haired male, his sky blue locks flowing freely around his form not packed together in it's usual braid style. Leon's smaller frame stuck it's self around the recessive alpha's larger body his small arms wrapping themselves around his body. He managed to bit back the smirk that tried to creep up and ruin the angelic smile he had forced on when he felt the pope's body flinch to his touch. The reaction he was expecting.  He had gone out of his way to make sure of it by dressing up in way that would reel in the  other to make him more wrapped around his little finger.

The omega hated having his hair all over the place but he had left it free so it would tussle softly in the breeze. Just like Alvar like it.

He wore a soft plain baby blue long sleeved silk shirt that exposed his shoulders and neck showing off the porcelain like unmarred skin ( it had been a pain to use make up to cover up the hickeys Marrav left behind and using masking perfumes to get rid of his scent. ) Just like Alvar liked it.

And he wore a pure white hight wasted pants that show off his lithe hips and was tight against his ass showing off the shape whenever he walked. Just like Alvar liked it. 

Burying his face deeper into the dark skinned man's chest leon spiked up his phermones a bit so the alpha would become more putty in his grasps. He made sure to let out a soft purr to increase the effect, knowing very well how alphas found it hard to resist a happy omega. Especially of they thought the omega was happy because of them. His purple eyes drifted slightly to watch the servants try their best to discreetly whisper to one another and he could already imagine how furious the dark haired dominant alpha that proclaimed himself to be his future mate would be.

Good! Served him right for ignoring him for the past few days.

Separating slowly from the hug, trying to make sure his lingering touch would make the Pope start to become more submissive to his will Leon beamed up at the other as he walked a few steps backwards, completely removing himself from the silver haired man enjoying how the practiced smile on his face seemed to falter.

" Oh thank you so much for coming Ally~ I didn't think you would come here on time so I didn't prepare anything in advance for you.... "

The smaller man started out with an up beat tone, the tone becoming softer and more quieter with his words , his smile falling softly as his eyebrows furrowed a bit, making a saddened look appear on the omegas face making him look pitiful for a moment.

Lies~

He knew very well the Pope would come as soon as he received he's letter. Even if the journey from the holy to the imperial palace took almost a day , Leon knew that Alvar would use transportation magic to get there on time. 

All just to please him.

But he couldn't let the other know that. Besides being purify made other people more susceptible to manipulation and they would play right into his hands. 

Like right now.

Alvar moved forward with a worried look on his face going to touch the omega but stopping when he realized it would be inappropriate for a Pope to place his hands on an engaged omega, especially one that was engaged to the Emperor. Instead he tried to speak softly to the saint even though his instinct screamed at him to reach out and comfort the omega.

" Ah. It's not a worry your highness, I came without sending a word in advance so don't beat yourself over for it " the silver haired male tried to assure as he stood in front of the smaller blue haired man who looked up at him with a worried expression.

" B..but you've traveled all this way and I..I prepared nothing for you.. " the omega continued as his face fell into a more crestfallen look , making the Pope panic a bit. " It's nothing really. " The man assured again Makin the omega perk up a bit.

" R.. really? " The omega stuttered out as he looked up at alpha and Alvar nodded.

" Yes really. You've done nothing but good so don't beat yourself over something you had no control over. You even called me here for e good cause too. Because of you a pained soul might get the chance to pass into the afterlife. That's a very good thing so please be more proud of yourself"the alpha said, his milky white eyes peering through his bangs to stare into Leon's teary purple hues, desperately wanting to reach out and wipe away the tears that had gathered at the corner of the omega's eyes but not been able to do so.

Watching the pope's smile become more strained made the blue haired man satisfied with his acting knowing that he had tightened the leash he has around the alpha's neck so he quickly wiped away the tears on his face and nodded his head, the angelic smile from before appearing back on his lips. " D.. don't be like that. I..it was the right thing to do. I know lord M/N and I aren't very close but it would be pain me if he was to pass away just like that without seeing the light. "

Now that he had Alvar wrapped around his finger tighter than before he just needed to reinforce his saintly image on the people around them and judging by the touched looks on the servants and temple attendants faces it worked.

Looking around the people dressed in the temple robes was when the blue haired omega managed to pick out a familiar face. Blonde hair and striking green eyes. Green eyes were a rare thing in Trovia and the only person working in the temple that he knew had them was Louis Leoht.

Pope Alvar's right hand man and a bastard child of the Leoht Ducal family.

He only remembered him because of his unique eyes. That and at some point the man had been so in love with him that Leon classified it as an obsession.

No not had been, because with how his green eyes seemed to stare at him in a love struck manner he could tell the other was still infatuated with him.

Disgusting.

The only reason he hadn't discarded him permanently  yet was because he was good at making mixing herbs and creating medicinal remedies and elixirs.

He was also very good at creating poison.

For example the one that was currently flowing through a certain h/c lord's body.

That and he knew how to follow commands. Well most of the if he didn't screw them up. Just like the last time

His original plan of framing the h/c man for poisoning had gone down the drain because the idiotic blond had somehow manage to fuck up and pour the position into the h/c male's glass. The only reason he hadn't strangled him yet was that things didn't stray to far from how Leon had originally planned things to go and he was milking of of the lord's current state and if he had been the one to drink the poison he would've have been put in such a state, because it seemed like louis poured enough poison to kill and not just cause fatigue for a few days.

The blue haired man had a feeling he should keep a closer eye on the blonde man. He would talk that person later about it.

" Well. We should hurry up, we don't know how much time the Lord has life so we can't waste even a second. Lord M/N needs to be purified so he doesn't pass away without a chance of being accepted "

The omega said raising his voice softly a cute determined look crossing his face. He needed to know why Basil had been ignoring him and running away to that living corpse.

Alvar couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped his lips at the sight. " Yes, yes. We must make haste to at least give him a chance of a good after life " the Pope added and for a moment the atmosphere became light hearted.

" What did you say about lord M/N ? " 

The sudden appearance of the new voice made everywhere seemingly pause and it felt as if the world had gone still.

Leon felt his heart drop as he recognized the voice and felt a shiver run down his spine as he recognized the scent of ripe dates and jasmine flowers.

Everyone turned to look at the woman standing behind them, a flock of soldiers standing behind her intimidatily.

Leon bit back the whimper that threatened to leave his lips as a brief image from his stay in Pentigria flashed in his mind. A very specific image of the same light skinned woman with a scowl on her red tinted lips as she asked for his head to be delivered to her. The same scowl she was currently wearing on her lips.

' shit. Shit. Shit. Why is she here??!! How did I not know about her arrival " The blue haired omega's mind was screaming as he tried to figure out a possible explanation as to why the empress of the Pentigrian empire was standing behind him.

" I'll ask again... " The dominant alpha started again, her scent flaring up as she stared down at the people.

 " Where is MY​​​​​ tiger lily "

    ¶•¶•¶•¶•¶•¶•¶•¶•¶•¶•¶•¶

M/N sat in his bed surrounded by multiple blankets a small smile on his lips as he brought the steaming hot cup of tea closer to his lips, taking a soft sip of the hot liquid enjoying the small burn at the back of his throat. 

He wished his day had been like this, quiet, peaceful, just enjoying the tranquility of nature from the comfort of his room, but with the news he had received from the butterflies he sent out earlier he knew the peace was going to end soon and his life will now be thrown into chaos once more.

They had reported spotting a few carriages entering the palace grounds and had described the crest painted in the door.

The holy temple.

Those fucking religious pricks where going to be the start of the new mess he had to clean up.

Of fucking course.

Well he would be lying if he said he hadn't been expecting them sooner or later, but he honestly preferred later. 

" Wouldn't you just be postponing your plans if it was later. "

​​​​​​The voices creeped up at the back of his head making the s/c omega roll his eyes. " It's not postponing if I'm planning my next move carefully " he mumbled softly, being cautious because Basil was guarding the door to his room. " Sure keep telling yourself that "

The voice said again, but this time the s/c male refused to reply focusing more on trying to enjoy the sweet tea in his hands.

When he had emptied the cup was when his ears picked up the yelling from downstairs and multiple voices talking at once. Aria's been the loudest. Then he heard Basil's footsteps walking away from the door.

M/N took that as his sign to intervene. A smirk came to his lips as he softly untangle himself from his blanket cacoon and came down from the bed,

He wonder what his esteemed guests would think when they saw him.

            ¶•¶•¶•¶•¶•¶•¶•¶•¶•¶•¶•¶

Aria didn't bother to hide the growls leaving her mouth, her lips were pulled back into a snarl revealing her fangs. Her golden eyes glowing a sickly yellow as she glared at the men dressed in all flowing white.

" Yes I'm Aria Lescort. The countess of the Lescort manor and care taker of lord M/N "

She didn't know how long she had been repeating the same words over and over again, but the shocked expression on the faces of the people who had barged into her humble abode with a notice made her feel smug deep inside.

She knew what they were expecting to see. A broken woman and a nearly dead man. They were expecting to see a devastating wreck , an unfortunate sight to make them feel better on their high horses.

Absolute jackasses.

She looked at the faces of the men present, not recognizing any of them, there was no pope present among the midst of the stunned temple members, that made her confused. What would a bunch of mindless sheep be doing here without there leader. " I'm so very sorry for the inconveniences we've caused you " a soft voice spoke up catching Aria's attention, the omega looked towards the the person and she felt every hair on her body stand straight, her core filling up fear and anger. Both emotions swirling up and putting her in a choke hold.

Green eyes.

Before she could even get the chance to comment on it a woman suddenly walked through the door, a pissed off look on her face as she stormed in through the doors , the Pope and the saint following hurriedly right behind her.

" Where is he ?!! " The woman yelled, her phermones flaring everywhere making the brown skinned woman realize that she was a dominant alpha. 

Just what in the world was going on ??!!

Again before she could even question the woman her attention was taken away by a pink recessive haired alpha entering the room, a stern look on his face with his sword drawn. The sight of the armed man caused the chaos to increase and everyone was screaming, no one seeming to understand the other through to everyones voice molding together to become one gibberish mess of panic and anger.

That stopped when the sudden thick sweet scent of honey, ripe peaches and warm milk filled the room, literally stealing the air from the lungs of the people present.

All eyes focused on the stairway where the scent seemed to be coming from and everyone watched as a soft fluffy head of h/c locks gently peeked from behind the wall, noticeable tears running down his shining s/c cheeks and his plump soft red hued lips were pulled into a small pout, occasionally trembling. The satin night dress he had on fell on his form exposing his curves to the audience, the trembling of his small form very noticeable.

The tears rolled down his cheeks softly as a scared look appeared in his gem like e)c eyes.

" R..ria? I..is everything okay. I..I heard yelling and I g...got scared " his soft voice came out in a small whimper making the hearts of everyone watching melt at the pitiful sight.

Inside M/N began to panic as he recognized the face of the Empress and the ' holy ' saint. Two faces he wasn't expecting to see anytime soon.

What the fuck was going on?!

[intertwinedtruth]

I just read your post about different au’s you would do, I was wondering if you could do a vampire au where some genshin boys, maybe accidentally drink to much blood and their s/o passes out but they don’t die or anything (also could you include diluc if you want and include characters you want)

You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to :D

𓆉

file details various x gn!reader genre - short headcanons and scenarios  cw - blood, needles, slightly suggestive (?) a/n - i was feeling unoriginal so i did the dckz gang plus kazoo man god this is so shitty im sorry 

diluc

diluc often deprived himself of blood. he was supposed to be the hero of mondstadt, and if he fed on the people of his beloved city, he would never forgive himself, so he’s very lucky to have you, who’s willing to let him feed on you so that he doesn’t die. 

you originally let him start feeding on you because you realized that he constantly deprived himself of blood, and he always looked pale

, so you wanted to help out. 

one night, when he’s feeding, he goes a little too far, and you start to get woozy. 

he had just finished feeding, carefully taking the fangs out of your neck and slowly patching the wound with a few licks. 

“hey... diluc?”

“yes?” he looks at your face and notices how sickly it look. “are you ok?” he cups your face in his hands and stares at you intensely. 

“i... i think so. i’m going to go to bed now.” as you walk up the stairs of dawn winery to get to your room, you drop to your knees and feel black spots clouding your eyes.

“y/n... y/n!” diluc cries out before it all becomes a black mess.

when you wake up, he’s over you, with tears in his eyes. you’re in bed and you have a small needle stuck into your arm that’s feeding blood into your system. 

“y/n... i don’t think i can feed from you ever again. if that happens again... i don’t think i could ever live with that. the shame would kill me.”

“diluc... i’m going to be fine. it’s really ok.”

“no. it’s not. i’ll find another way.”

the next month or so is spent with you in bed, and diluc trying to find alternatives to satiate his bloodlust. he’s determined to make sure it never happens again.

kaeya

kaeya often starves himself of blood, though not on purpose. most of the time he just forgets. 

he only remembers when it’s been about a month and he comes home and he smells you. you seem to trigger his bloodlust just by being there. 

it usually goes ok, but you do always feel lightheaded afterwards. you also try to remind kaeya to feed earlier, but he keeps forgetting as he’s often caught up in his work. 

kaeya hadn’t fed in two months, which was dangerously unhealthy for a vampire. if it weren’t for the fact that he had conditioned himself to survive without blood (as per the knights of favonious’ job requirements) for at least three months, he would’ve been dead by now. he was still alive, but very sickly.

he finally came home after a week at work. the missions the knights gave were strenuous, especially since the vampire outbreak. 

when he came home, he fed like there was no tomorrow. he desperately needed blood, and you noticing his sickly face offered it. 

he couldn’t control it this time and by the time he was done, you were already passed out, the color drained from your face and cold. he immediately takes you to barbara to have you healed, and barbara prescribes that kaeya feed more often to stop this from occuring. 

he keeps it in the the back of his mind, for he couldn’t never risk loosing you. he starts a schedule of feeding once a week (which is no doubt going to be broken by the end of the month). 

childe

i don’t think i need to say this, but childe is reckless. dangerously so. 

when you offer for him to feed from you, he gets slightly giddy, but promises he’ll be gentle. 

he often feeds from you once a week, but maybe less if work has him caught up. there are plenty of fatui agents who are willing and able to give up blood, but he prefers yours. 

however, sometimes he goes a little overboard with his feedings, though it’s never fatal.

that night, he had forgotten how long it had been since he had started the feeding session. when he finally pulled out from your neck, you were slumped on his shoulder, drooling. 

in an instant, you were placed on your bed and multiple of the best doctors from around the area are there to take a look at you. they deduce that you have lost a severe amount of blood (duh), and they start to flow some blood into you. 

out of all the boys, childe gets you woken up the fastest. you’re back to full health in an hour, and childe is sweating from worry. 

“congratulations, you almost died. good thing i won’t let you,” he says with a smirk, but you can see the fear in his eyes. “i promise that’ll never happen again. pinky promise.”

zhongli

i personally don’t think this ever happens. if it does, it’s not because he hasn’t fed in a while, since he’s quite diligent with his feeding.

no, it’s because he gets carried away. when he’s feeding, time stops and he forgets what’s going on. he usually has you remind him when he’s gone too far, so it never does. 

he rarely feeds on you anyways. it’s usually once in a blue moon if his blood replacements aren’t enough to satiate him. 

he didn’t hear you when you said he needed to stop. there was no way for him to be pulled back to reality. so he kept going until he felt your body slump against his after you passed out. the thump awoke him and his fear increased.

he laid you on your bed and started brewing some tea he knows that will increase your blood circulation. the taste is bitter so he layers the tea in honey so it is more enjoyable. you’ve just been in pain; even the slightest amount of discomfort will not please him. 

when you awake, he forces you to drink the tea (which with the honey is quite enjoyable) and you are soon back to full health.

“i apologize for my lack of awareness. i will be more aware next time i feed from you.” he’s a gentleman, and apologizes in an orderly fashion. it never happens again after that one incident. 

kazuha

kazuha definitely gets carried away a lot. when he’s feeding, all he can hear in his ears are haikus and poems being spun into a web of words. it’s only after the wind awakes him that he snaps back to reality. 

he feeds on you often. you and him are often travelling across the sea so finding someone else who’d be willing to let him feed on them would be hard. 

even though he gets carried away, he relies on your heartbeat to tell him if he’s going too far. sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. 

kazuha’s fangs were in your neck deep. his mind seemed to have drifted to an entirely other place. 

the lilies bloom in the land of the soft grass plains. what else could be there?

he expected to wake up from the fever dream that was feeding. the wind would wake him up any moment now, right? or perhaps it was not the right time. when he is finally woken up, you are out cold on the floor. perhaps this is the world’s way of teaching him a lesson?

he lies you on your bed and tucks you in. he takes your cold hand in his, rubbing it with his thumb. then he starts singing your favorite songs, hoping that you will awake faster, though he knows it doesn’t help, it’s more of an emotional consolation to him. 

when you finally awake, you awake to this angelic voice serenading you. he opens his eyes when he finally finishes the tune and stares at you.

“i’m sorry that had to happen. i got carried away. next time it will not be so.”

[intangibly-here]

it’s a fact (that i want you in my life)

various (diluc, kaeya, xiao, zhongli)

- scenarios; 6.8k words - gn!reader - fluff & angst - hurt/comfort - warning: description of injuries/blood, mild cursing

————————————————————

is it really so hard to be understood?

[argument & reconciliation scenarios]

title from mckay, jeff bernat - angel 2 me.

requested by @nanana-kashi

————————————————————

❥ diluc

it’s a chilly evening, as always. 

you trod down the dusty path, steps kicking up clouds of dirt and sending pebbles skidding as you walk. the dim glow of street lamps illuminate the edges of your figure, passing under them on your stroll returning home. you take carefully measured steps past the countless rows of grapevines, past the stone walls of the building’s perimeter, and arrive at the polished front doors. 

the dawn winery is quiet in the evening, only the chirping of crickets filling the silence, whereas servants would fill the air with talk and work during the day. fishing out a key from your pocket, you unlock the door with a click. 

all that meets you when you enter is more silence. empty again.

diluc has always been a busy man. he’s a hard worker, as are all of the people that surround the two of you are, and he carries the heavy weight of an entire legacy on his shoulders. recently, however, he’s been especially illusive, managing the angel’s share during waking hours and working undercover as the “darknight hero” so to speak throughout the evenings. 

while it’s not out of the ordinary for diluc to work nights on end, it is unusual that you haven’t caught a glimpse of him at all, between visiting the angel’s share during his usual shift or roaming the paved streets of mondstadt. even asking charles himself remained fruitless. 

“my sincerest apologies, but i haven’t seen him. i’d thought he was with you.”

it’s even more unusual that he hadn’t told you a word of what he’s been up to. were you that untrustworthy?

you close the door with a resigned sigh, removing the bow that’s been strapped to your back and resting it against the wall across from the entrance. your pull your gloves off, the mahogany leather of it reminding you of ruby eyes and stiff clothing. they drop into a box rested on a nearby shelf. the unsettling silence closes in around you, and for a moment, you breathe in a strikingly painful loneliness. it fills your chest uncomfortably, like it’s carving out a hollow space in-between your ribs, gnawing at your heart. then, you breathe out, and the discomfort dissipates. no, he trusts you. you know you both do.

even so, something shifts wrong inside you without diluc here. 

you’re not sure how to feel about it.  

you minutely fiddle with your ring, cool silver pressed against warm skin, finger tracing the simple engravings carved into it with care. it’d been your request for something subtle, away from the flashiness of blinging jewels and rare stones. 

he’ll be back soon. 

you say this, turn the words over and over in your head just as you turn the ring on your finger, but you know better than that. you had truly believed it the first day, but then the first day bled into a second, a third day into a fourth, a fifth, sixth, seventh—

and now you stand here on the eighth day by the arching doors, inside the enormous mansion, cold and disappointed and alone. 

you shake your head, chastising yourself internally. it’s no use worrying yourself down over it. dropping the rest of your belongings in a pile by the foot of the bed, you scratch the back of your head and turn to the bathroom. best to run yourself a shower and get to bed quickly. the whirring of crickets and fireflies keep you company ‘till the sound of splashing water erases the quiet. 

you’re toweling your hair off, foggy wisps of steam trailing behind you as you leave the bathroom, when you hear the resounding click of the front door. 

diluc?

leaving the towel hanging around your neck, you walk to the entrance room where the man you’ve been waiting for stands upright, glancing at you when you enter. it only lingers for a second, before darting back to his own hands.

“welcome home.”

“thanks.”

the clock ticks in the heavy silence. 

“not going to say anything?”

he lifts his head up to face you properly for the first time in a week, confused. fiery red hair shuffles with his movements, and he releases it from the confines of his hairtie. “what is there to say?”

you take a deep breath, shoulders rising, then falling again. you fiddle with your ring again. “we haven’t seen each other for days, and there’s nothing you want to say?”

“...” he purses his lips. 

“i’ve been looking for you.”

diluc looks away. “..i’ve been busy.”

your stare turns frostier by the second, the beginnings of a bonfire starting inside you. oh really now? just an ‘i’ve been busy’? “busy enough that you couldn’t spare even a second to let me know that you were doing okay?”

he bristles at your chilly tone, hackles rising, and body turning sharply away, apparently preoccupied with hanging his coat up. “i don’t need you to fret over me like— like this.” 

the words have you suddenly losing all your temper, leaving behind only the dredges of a deep-seated sorrow.

“am i not allowed to worry about my husband?”

his untold frustration seems to only grow at the dimming fire flickering out in your eyes, and his eyes narrow. still, he stays silent, a brooding look on his face. it wars with the thinning desperation you unconsciously let yourself show tonight. 

“ —even if you won’t tell me what you’re up to, why won’t you see me at all?”

the loosening hold on your emotions is gripped tight once more at the deafening silence not unalike how it were even without him. your face is drawn neutral once more, and you turn to make your way back to bed. 

“..alright, diluc. goodnight then.”

seems like tonight was a lost cause as well. you trail through the hallways, pausing before the door to the study. you enter against your better judgement, something pulling at you to not do this— but really, did you have to listen to that voice? something curls inside you, hurt and tired. that voice never helped with anything anyway. diluc’s still drifting, far, farther away from you and you’re still alone. 

(you know your emotions are getting the better of you, but you just can’t help it. how are you supposed to handle something you’d never dealt with before?)

standing before a relatively smaller bookcase, you reach up to pull out a book rather carelessly—

diluc opens the door, a regretful nervousness on his face and brow furrowed, to see the heavy wooden shelf tumble onto you. his eyes widen, and he lunges forward. 

thud.

- 

you blearily blink your eyes open a couple times to dim spots floating across your vision. two distinct voices murmur somewhere in the vicinity of the room. last you remember, you’d left diluc at the front door... and went to pick out a book for the study.. and oh.

so you’re recovering now, you’d assume. 

you trace the bandages on your head with sublime caution. the door clicks shut, bringing you out of your thoughts, and you tilt your head on the pillow. red. it’s diluc. he’s in his casual attire, plain white top and black slacks, but is still so stunning. maybe even more so than his regular clothing. 

diluc whips where he was staring at the door towards you, eyes wide and hand flying to his face. it’s flushed a brilliant crimson pink. 

oops. 

snapping out of his daze, diluc rushes to your side and kneels by the bedside. your mouth opens to protest his actions, then pauses, and closes again. it’s about time you receive an explanation. you two are past unnecessarily polite formalities. he grasps your hands in his calloused ones like a lifeline. 

“i’m so, so sorry, my love.” he stumbles over his words, almost like he’s choking them up from the bottom of his heart. maybe he is. “i didn’t want to get you caught up in the— the incompetence of the knights, and all the troubles that come with cleaning up after them.”

he glances away at the floor, gazing somewhere you can’t reach him. 

“...all it brings is sorrow.”

he takes a shaky breath, and his eyes glisten from underneath his mussed bangs. his hands tremble in yours, and your eyes soften. you run a hand through his hair in a silent gesture. continue when you’re ready. it’s alright. 

“a-and so i didn’t tell you, didn’t go to find you. there was a really— really unexpected gathering of abyss mages, and i didn’t want you to get involved. but you’re right— i shouldn’t need to hide it or avoid you because of it. i’m—” 

he chokes back a sob, wiping furiously at his eyes, and for a moment, it reminds you of how he was before everything happened. how bright he was. how open. but it’s of no importance any longer, and you brush the stray thoughts aside. mature or not, cheery or not, he is still diluc. he is still the man you love. 

“it’s okay, love. it’s okay.” you shush his sobbing gently, cupping his face in the palm of your hands. “i forgive you. i always will.”

you nudge him up from the floor and into downy bedsheets, nestling him in front of you. encircled in your embrace, diluc huddles closer to you, sniffling all the while. 

“when the bookcase fell on you, i was so scared. i— i thought you’d...” 

he trails off, face buried in the crook of your neck. you can feel him pressing his cheek into it, nuzzling closer. you lean your head against his in a comforting manner, i’m here love, and the heavy conversation peters into a soothing silence. you both move in tandem with your breathing, intertwined and floating in the newfound peace. 

“..’m love you...” 

but a whisper in the (welcomed, for once) silence, diluc drags out the mumbled syllables childishly, probably embarrassed from the entire ordeal. you press a warm kiss to the top of his head and smile for once, affectionately, softly, sweetly—  

“love you too, diluc.”

❥ kaeya

sometimes, just sometimes, the personality of kaeya alberich, mister cavalry captain of the knights of favonius, gets on your nerves.

kaeya is sly and sweet-talking, words sharp and lined with double meanings left and right. even at night, tucked into each other and settling into the quiet of drowsiness, teasing words will slip out of his lips and leave you either furiously blushing, firing back at him, or cracking up in full blown laughter— most of the time.

his joking manner is what drew you to him, the way he’s the spark in the room and how he brightens up your life with every passing moment.

it is also what is pushing you away now.

you know you’re being stupid. his joking and teasing is just one of the many parts of the man you fell in love with, inseparable and intertwined. it’s just kaeya being— well, kaeya. and it’s a wonderful part of him that you’d never want him to give up on.

the thought itself doesn’t exactly help when you’re spiraling into a pit of unwanted emotions.

lately, you’ve been heading home late, exhausted and worn out from putting everything into your job during the day. you hadn’t anticipated the rain to come down so hard and in turn didn’t bring an umbrella, resulting in absolutely waterlogged clothes and soggy shoes as you neared the pathway up to your home. today, you’d just like a little soft peace and quiet.

the thought stings like a sharp slap to the face when you open the door to kaeya’s unusually boisterous laughter (usually it’s less... annoying than this...), the room smelling thickly of wine. you can hear the clink of glass against glass from where you’re standing in the doorway.

whenever kaeya happens to consume alcohol, he becomes rowdier than ever; this incident is no exception. you shake your head and sigh. apparently kaeya is sober enough to notice you, because he looks over at you and grins in a telltale sign of mischief.

(not sober enough to recognize your breaking point it seems.)

“kept me waiting long enough, sweetheart! look at poor lil’ lonely me, sitting here with only this wine to keep me company.” he shakes the bottle in his hand, pouring another glass, taking another sip. “don’t you think i deserve a little something? maybe—”

the rest of his words are drowned out in the buzz of your mind, piling on your strained emotions. it’s so much. too much. (it’s unreasonable, you know you know you know, but you can’t stop, won’t stop, it won’t stop—)

does he not see you?

the words fly out of your mouth before you can reign in your haywire thoughts—

“would you just shut up? asshole...”

—anddd you didn’t mean to say that.

the rainwater drips from your clothes and pools onto the floor in a miserable puddle. the shocked look on his face and the thump of the wine botte falling to the floor says enough to send you turning on your heels back into the pouring rain. the door slams shut behind you almost achingly as you run wherever your feet will take you.

stupid stupid stupid! why did you say that! your head throbs in a mixture of hurt, guilt, and confusion. you stumble on rain-sodden ground and stray pebbles as your feet rapidly grow sore, unable to keep up with you anymore. 

your legs give up from under you, and you collapse to the ground, face buried in your hands. even if you were tired, you shouldn’t have just shouted at him like that — he didn’t even know what you were upset over! you didn’t tell him!

picking the pieces of your thoughts back together as the adrenaline wears off, you unsteadily rise to your feet once more, knees shaky and weak. it’s as you’re preparing the walk home from who knows where you ran to, you hear a loud grunt from the vicinity behind you. 

oh no.

just as you feared, when you turn around you’re greeted face-to-face by a shield-bearing mitachurl that’s likely strayed from its camp. its shadow looms in front of you, crawling forward as it slowly makes its way to you. you scramble for your sword, fingers digging at the buckles of your belt, then realize you had left it hanging on the sword rack at home. 

(kaeya...)

the stomping grows closer, like an ominous sign, and you curse under your breath. as much as you’d like to believe you can survive this relatively unharmed, your wobbling legs and unarmed hands say otherwise.

without another moment to spare, the mitachurl dashes forward, swinging its shield as if it were weightless. you put all your effort into dodging its sweeping blows, the embedded stones whistling by your face as you scan the area in another attempt to run—

as you turn your head, the mitachurl charges in from your blindspot, slamming straight into the side of your head. 

fuck. 

the impact sends you falling backwards in a tangle of uncoordinated limbs and stinging scratches. the throbbing at your temple doubles over, and when you tentatively reach up to touch it, you feel it’s sickeningly sticky. blood. a lot of it. 

black spots swim across your vision, and hazily, you think you hear a voice call your name in the distance. whatever it was, it’s soon drowned out by the sound of the creature stomping towards you impendingly. 

hallucinating already? you bark out a hysterical laugh in spite of it all, then hunch over in a fit of hacking coughs. red streaks across the dry grass. it burns. you rub at your throat. any further efforts would be futile. you know a hopeless situation when you see one— or in this case, are in one. 

thump.

another bruise blooms on your leg, and you wince. closing your eyes, your fuzzy conscious awaits its silence. there’s a swoosh, the raising of the mitachurl’s shield, and you brace your body for the impact—

“love, you— what— i—“

something, someone, lifts you up, up, up. and you’re drifting, carried in gentle arms and smooth fabric. the air grows heavier, the whistling of finely honed swordsmanship hanging in the wind, and the thundering steps draw to an abrupt stop. a familiar voice trickles into your ears, but your mind is sinking sinking...

(it trembles.)

on the edge of your sopor, just before you fall into its depths, you feel a clammy hand clutch yours. it’s warm. 

mind empty, the bone-deep exhaustion swallows you, vision fading to black. 

-

you awaken to soft white sheets and bandages looped round your arms. your muscles scream at you when you try to rise, flames of pain crawling up your torso and singing your nerves. a grimace paints itself across your face, and you slump back against the pillows. what had happened again...?

the lock clicks, door swinging open, and you turn your head to face it. kaeya steps in, a tray in hand as he closes the door with a twist of his hand. when he raises his head, his eye widens, and you can see the faint bags under it, red rimmed at the edge. you purse your lips, heart panging in your chest. 

neither of you speak when he shuffles to the bedside, setting the tray down on the nightstand and picking up a stray pillow that had fallen to the ground. it must’ve been when you’d just woken up; you hadn’t noticed. he tucks in back into its spot behind your back, propping it to help you sit a bit more upright. he doesn’t retrieve his hands from where they rest on top of yours. 

you start, “kaeya, i’m so—”

he doesn’t let you continue, pressing a finger to your lips. 

“sweetheart, i should be the one saying that.” he ruffles your hair endearingly, expression both relieved and pained at the same time. “i was drunk and just let you run out there—” he pauses. “i pushed it too far.”

you can feel the start of tears welling at the corners of your eyes, hands trembling and teeth wearing at your bottom lip. “...i still should’ve spoken up. you wouldn’t have known otherwise.”

he smiles warmly, genuinely, the cheerful glint in his eye sparkling at you through glossy eyes. “then next time, speak up, alright darling? we both can learn from this.” you nod, and he cups your face, thumbing the rims of your eyes and the side of your cheeks where rivulets of tears paint transparent rivers.

“may i kiss you?”

there’s a lot more to unpack to your actions, both your physical injuries and mending the worn strings of your minds, but for now—

you nod wordlessly once more and lean in, meeting him in a soft, sweet kiss. he wraps his arms around you in a familiar hug that you’ve sorely missed and pulls back, pressing more small, but equally as sweet kisses across your face. 

—for now, this is enough. 

❥ xiao

“you need to take better care of yourself!”

xiao rolls his eyes, crossing his arms in protest like a child. he sure is acting like one right now. why is it that he’s only like this when it comes to medicine? every time... you grimace at him, glaring threateningly and shaking the porcelain bottle in your hand. the round pills roll over each other, rattling in the container. 

“xiao...”

xiao just huffs and snarks back, turning his face away as if it’d do anything. 

“i’m doing fine. adepti don’t need medicine.”

it’s a weak argument, and he knows it. why is he fighting this so much? it’s just taking painkillers. no matter; it’s time to put in the finishing argument. 

“it’s from zhongli.”

the statement has him freezing in place, chewing his bottom lip nervously. of course it’s the mention of zhongli that has him finally seriously considering listening to you. petulant kid. can’t believe you’re really dating this thousand-year-old child. 

“i—”

he cuts himself off and goes silent for a beat, another argument on the tip of his tongue, but accepts the medicine in defeat anyway. you drop the little jar into his outstretched hand, and he pockets it in a flash. now if it were only that easy from the beginning...

“fine. but you have to stop nagging me so much.”

you can agree with that one. 

“alright, it’s a compromise.”

unconsciously, his mouth draws into a pout, and you chuckle, dipping down and kissing his cheek. his face shifts from awkward confusion to sudden realization, immediately stiffening up and stalking off in a mere shadow of his usual cool. 

if you spy the pink flushed tips of his ears and the prominent blush on his cheeks as he leaps off the balcony, you keep it to yourself. 

-

so much for taking care of yourself.

“and you were saying?” 

the door slides open, frame rattling as the illustrations of one panel swallows the other. xiao in all his midget glory strides in, footsteps careful as he closes the door behind him. a tray is balanced in one hand as he does it, somehow steadier than you’ve ever actually held a tray before. even with two hands. is this an adeptus thing too? expert, perfect, unbelievably infallible tray holding? you can tell from the expression on his face as he makes his way over that something’s tipping him off. he’s definitely grimacing, like he would when you said something unbearably stupid— in his terms of course. not yours. 

is he a mind reader too? wasn’t that only a rex lapis thing? like with the prayers?

“you look like shit.”

even worse than earlier goes unsaid. his face is typical frosty-xiao, but his brows are furrowed and disbelief shines in his eyes. guess it wasn’t your thoughts after all. but actually, did you really look that bad?

“yes, it’s that bad. now sit up so you can eat.”

whoops. 

holding yourself from making any snide comebacks, you move to touch your cheek as you sit up, a little shocked when it actually makes contact with the back of your hand; it feels as though your face was set in front of an open fireplace. a damp towel drops off your forehead, plopping on the blankets. it’s lukewarm. huh, didn’t notice that before. 

removing the used towel, xiao sets the tray down on your lap meticulously. now closer, you can see the plates of cold noodles and steaming bowls of jewelry soup sitting on the wooden tray. the smell is incredibly appetizing, as expected of smiley yanxiao, and you take care in preparing to eat the sumptuous meal. 

“aw, thanks xiao.” 

he turns his head away habitually, too shy to meet your eyes. you can, however, see his fingers subconsciously fiddling with the edge of his sleeve. the sun takes that moment to peek out of the clouds and through the window, outlining the contours of xiao’s face and soften his sharp features. it makes him look almost luminescent, like an angel descended from the skies, and you’re drowning in his being. he’s stunning. 

feeling your stare, xiao whips his head back around, narrowing his eyes and nearly growling. like a cat, your mind supplies. your cat. 

(and then you laugh at your thoughts, because xiao isn’t anyone’s. you just happen to be by his side for as long as wants you here.

and yours, him.)

“don’t stare,” he hisses, and then you can’t hold your laughter any longer, hacking out laughter at his defensive demeanor. “you- !”

he hastily picks up the pair of chopsticks on the tray, taking a mouthful of mushroom-topped noodles between them and stuffing it into your mouth. you immediately cease your chortling to chew, else you shove yourself into a choking fit. 

floating bits of dust fade in and out of the sunbeams falling on the floorboards, as if playing peekaboo with the air. the noodles are perfectly seasoned, mixed with just the right amount of sesame and savory sauce to not be bland, but not taste overpowering. they’re light and easy to swallow, and xiao hands you a cup of tea as you finish your bite; his fingers brush against yours, soft and warm. you sniffle. your runny nose hinders your senses, but you can still smell the faint scent of qingxin blossoms, and a relaxed smile makes it’s way to your face as you take a sip. 

this is nice.

❥ zhongli

you’d first seen morax in the midst of a fierce battle. 

jueyun karst was as empty as always, save for the presence of several adepti crouching in the shadows, more than the darkness would usually hide. then, as you sat high in the branches of one of the many golden trees in the valley, feet swinging over spikes of climbing amber protruding from the ground, you sensed a change in the atmosphere. the wind whistling through the treetops and over your head shifted sharply, soft gusts transforming into howling gales that had you falling backwards. 

cursing under your breath, you gripped the branch tightly, face scrunched in a grimace. by the time the turbulent winds had stopped, your hair blown astray in a hilarious mess and your back rebalanced against the trunk of the tree, a squirming, inky mass of something had appeared, hovering in the air just above the ground. it steadily grew in both physical size and energy, the air humming and pulsing with it’s indiscernible movements, until it towered at the height of the larger trees, far larger than any human could. 

you could feel the surrounding adepti grow increasingly concerned, their energy fluctuating wildly, but they showed no signs of movement. why? shouldn’t they be neutralizing this threat? your feet pick up their movement again from where they’d stilled during the storm, swinging back and forth. forwards. the lump of dark energy steps towards the harbor. backwards. another step. forwards. it pauses in its steps, unfurling its wings. back-

thump. 

so that would be why they hadn’t moved. almost as if heaving a sigh of relief, the chaotic energy of the adepti lurking nearby immediately deflate, retreating back into a neutral state. oh hoh, a big shot? when a gold-pattern embellished white robe emerges from a tear in empty space, you nearly topple over from your spot in the tree. bingo. 

the storm clouds in the sky poured as they fought, the sound of pattering raindrops both filling your ears and serving as a backdrop to the clashing of metal and vicious growls. as you watched him fight, the prime adeptus rex lapis, lithe form crossing blows with the distorted form of an abyssal beast, you knew from somewhere deep in your soul that something was bound to change. 

(it was when you were leaping down from the tree to leave, silently thanking him with a glance in his direction, that your gazes interlocked. morax made for an awfully odd sight when he had both a curious spark gleaming in his eyes and a dissolving corpse at his feet. and well, if it got even odder when he invited you to tea, that would be his problem, not yours— even if you had accepted the offer.) 

soon after, in the days following that first “meeting”, you’d seen zhongli (as he preferred to be called) in town, lingering indecisively around various stalls both big and small. noticing his dilemma, as a good friend (if you could be considered that; you’d only watched him slaughter a demonic monster and talked over tea once after all) you walked over and helped him out. 

multiple tea outings, three bags of mora and several weeks later, zhongli is looking into your eyes— and wow, this is really reminding you of your first meeting, where he was beating the shit out of that thing while you all just sat around and waited for him to be done and— he’s getting closer? please say this is going where you hope it’s going—

evidently you win this time, because zhongli moves forward and presses his (soft, soft, soft—) lips to yours in a breathtakingly warm kiss. 

he tastes faintly like the sweet syrup of the almond tofu you’d shared earlier, and the moment he draws his head back to allow you a breath, you pull him back in for another. 

-

your shoes step soundly against polished flooring as you enter the doorway of liuli pavilion, soft chatter drifting between the rhythmic click-clacking of your stride. the waitress greets you politely as you walk in, taking a glance at the clipboard she’s holding, then gesturing for you to follow her. 

“based on your attire and the time, you must be the one mister zhongli is waiting for, no?” 

to the assenting dip of your head she gives her own in return, leading you through the back doors and to a secluded table out in the open. settled by the railing overlooking the harbor is zhongli, pristine as always, sipping a steaming cup of tea. 

he doesn't notice you at first, attention trained on the book lain out on the table, but then you're sliding into your seat with a quiet thank you to the waitress, chair audibly scraping against the pavement, and he looks up. remarkably deep amber eyes meet yours, but then again, you’re not meeting a random passerby now, are you? 

(you’re not wooing just anyone.)

or at least, that’s what you’d thought. however, by the time he’s mentioned guizhong for the— what, 5th time tonight? you can’t say you’re completely unfazed. guizhong was his partner in war, best friend, closest companion; of course he would talk about her. it’s only natural now that you’re getting to know each other more. 

yeah. natural. 

you rest your head on the palm of your hand, leaning forward onto the table. the glass of wine in your other sloshes against its confines. your eyes follow it as the liquid tips and turns over itself, deep mahogany flowing into semi-opaque purples and vibrant reds. 

guizhong. she’s an inarguably important part of his very, very long past. you understand this— but really, did he have to talk about her regarding every single thing? it’s as if— as if you were just— just there. you’re missing something. there’s a label for this feeling, you know there is, but it’s only escaping your mind the more you think about it. just what is it...?

“the leaves of this tea have been harvested from wild glaze lilies themselves, then additionally infused with the purified essence of glaze lily blossoms. countless meticulous steps and tremendous efforts must have been taken to execute this brew as splendidly as it was. it is most definitely an exquisite tea befitting of guizhong’s legacy.”

zhongli pauses, then sighs wistfully, a reminiscent expression painted on his face. 

“an... unfortunate end she had. time never stops, neither for gods nor mortals alike.” 

ah, yes. irreversible, unalterable, set in stone. you’ve heard these words so many times over, no matter how eloquently they’d been reshaped and rephrased. no matter how different they’d sounded every time. no matter how much you wished you could stop overthinking it. 

looking less like a new romantic interest and more like a replacement, you chuckle inwardly to yourself as zhongli stares out over the harbor, a new mortal friend to chat with. the thought hits a little too close to home, and oh that was the word you were looking for. 

you are just a replacement. 

how could you not be? you see how zhongli looks when he talks about her. though he doesn’t say it outright, you know he loved her.

still loves her. 

and so, who— no, what are you but just another someone? 

and here you were thinking you were someone special. of course you just had to stick your nose somewhere it didn’t belong. 

you’d really thought you could keep your head cool in all situations; no, before all this you really had—  but suddenly when emotions and love are involved, everything spirals out of your control. vile thoughts crawl up from the depths of your soul, clawing at your rationality and eating away at your want want want. 

and so when zhongli turns to look into your eyes again, mixed emotions rise in your heart like bile would up your throat. the wine you’d been drinking all night loosens your tongue, and the words are slipping out of your mouth before you can take them back. 

“are you really going to talk about her all night?“

fuck.

zhongli frowns for a fraction of a second, his head tilting to the side in contemplation, then parts his lips and replies:

“is there a problem with it?”

his answer makes you want to throw your head back in hysterical laughter. his energy is completely placid, which actually might make it even worse. he’s genuinely asking. genuinely fucking asking. here your head is, overrun with thoughts left and right, mind fraying at the seams, and that’s what he’s asking? is there a problem? your hand clenches and unclenches, nails digging crescents into the palm of your hand. he has to be joking. 

a waiter arrives to change and refill the empty pot of tea, but immediately stiffens at the silent atmosphere. once the new tea leaves have been added and begun to steep, he immediately hightails it out of there, nearly slipping in his haste.

clink. 

you set your wine glass on the tabletop. need to sober up after that one. zhongli still looks faintly puzzled, but allows you to do as you wish, and you both watch as steam floats up from the spout of the teapot. pouring a cup of glaze lily tea, your mind taunts, you take a sip to clear your head. 

huh. that’s odd.

you pull the porcelain rim away from your mouth, tilting the cup to stare at its contents. nothing is out of the ordinary, and the tea smells as fragrant as ever, but there’s a particular... sweetness to it? if it were any more bitter you wouldn’t have payed it attention, but the brew shouldn’t be.. sweet?

“zhongli, did you add anything to the tea?”

the bewilderment on his face only grows. 

“i don’t believe so? nothing other than the tea itself should be present...”

the corner of your mouth quirks down, eyes still inspecting the tea dredges in the cup. then why was the tea... was it really just your taste buds? a foreboding feeling sends shivers down your spine, and it’s building building building—

zhongli’s eyes suddenly widen, and he startles back from the table like a frightened colt. his head whips to the side, spear immediately appearing in his hand, and he draws his shoulder back at a speed you hadn’t seen before. the tip slices through air and hits its mark instantaneously, pinning the waiter from earlier to the wall he was lurking behind. zhongli rises from his seat, the tips of his hair glowing amber, and promptly knocks the man out with a blow to his neck. the waiter lets out a choked sound, then slumps unconscious. a crumpled piece of paper falls from his pocket. 

instructions. zhongli understands what’s happened the moment he picks up the piece of parchment. most likely sent because of the swindling incident yesterday. a desperate last-resort attempt at ridding the millelith of a witness. 

dexterous fingers begin to unfold the note. 

but why implement such an unskilled assassin? they barely had any killing intent whatsoever, else they would have been noticed sooner. there are no weapons other than this dagger on them either... his eyes swiftly scan the contents of the note, and all at once, everything falls into place.

the tea. he should’ve realized it sooner. 

the clatter of rattling dishes sounds from behind him, and he spins on his heels, staring wide-eyed—

red red red stains your hand and drips through your fingers, spilling out of your mouth and splattering the ground. red. your throat makes a garbled noise, not unalike the one made by the waiter just moments before, and your eyes dilate out of focus, rapidly glazing over. red.

you collapse in your chair, and all he can see is red. 

picking you up carefully in his arms, he closes his eyes (from the red red—) and teleports to the pharmacy. 

a single plead hangs in the air. 

- 

you jolt awake, hand flying to your mouth and chest heaving anxiously. you can still taste the metallic tang of blood. your blood. 

then, as you’re trembling from what could have been a brush with death, firm arms wrap themselves around you, tucking you securely into a warm chest. 

“shh... it’s okay. it’s okay.”

a low voice murmurs reassurances to you, cradling you in safety and tranquility. zhongli runs his hand through your hair soothingly, bringing you down from the frantic state you’d awoke to, and now you can recognize where you are. zhongli’s living room. you’re settled on his lap, gathered in his hold, and you can feel his steady breathing against you, a stark contrast to your own labored breaths. it’s when he’s sensed that you’ve regained rationality that he begins to explain. 

“you were out for a few hours and collapsed due to the poisoning that was originally intended for my consumption. i sincerely apologize for that. it was an unfortunate mishap.”

his voice is smooth and saccharine sweet as he talks, a deep rumble that you can feel as you lay your face on his chest. he takes it on himself to explain a little further of what happened while you were unconscious, which you are grateful for so you can sort your... thoughts out, from before the interruption.

(while he brushes over the matter of carrying you in his arms rather perfunctorily, it still lights a warm flame in your heart. you want this to work out. desperately.)

when his narration peters out to a natural quiet, the muffled hum of early morning workers bustling about outside, you ask the question that’s been on your mind since the very beginning of your outing. 

“is this,” you gesture to him, to you, to the comfort, the hugs, the love, “because of guizhong too?”

understanding finally washes over zhongli’s face in subtle waves, and he gives the most mesmerizingly fond smile to your doubting question. a rich chuckle bubbles up from his chest, the endearing tinge to it only pushing your slight confusion forward. 

“ah, so this is what your previous question was mentioning.”

his eyes soften, the smudge of red under them only making the gold of his irises bloom even further. the hazy look in his eyes makes you feel like he’s drifting. you can recognize that well enough.

(drifting away from you, a faint bite of a bitter voice whispers.)

“yes, i did love guizhong. she’d departed from this land all too soon for me to convey it, and it is one of the few things i still regret to this day.”

the words spark a pang in your chest, the sharp, tingling-sour kind that reminds you of unripe sunsettias and overly spiced mint, but you take a deep breath and it fades. you should hear him out. you need to. you want to.

“i retold my memories with her to you because they were... my happiest memories. they were all i had to speak of, other than the redundant miscellaneous knowledge i’ve retained over the years. i’d thought you’d rather hear of happy experiences rather than the long tangents i can run myself off of. i’ve been properly chastised by this incident nevertheless.”

he gently tilts your head up from where it’s buried in the front of his silk shirt, wiping away the stray tears that roll down your cheeks. you sniffle and wait for him to finish speaking, chest already lightening. 

“however, remember this— while i did love guizhong, you are not a mere semblance of her for me to retain by my side.”

he calls your name softly, reverently.

“my love, you are not a replacement. the one i’m in love with now is you.”

relief, warmth, and love love love surges in your chest altogether as he smiles gingerly, and you cup his face with your own hands, feeling the heat of his flushed cheeks against your palms. 

his lips are plush, soft against your own chapped ones as you draw him into a kiss spelling all the things you couldn’t say out loud. that you were frustrated at the thought of being a rebound for him. that you were terrified at the thought of dying with regrets. that you were unimaginably relieved at his explanation. 

that you love him too. 

zhongli takes it all into stride, leading your hands to rest on his waist as his own cup the back of your head and nape of your neck. he kisses fully, wholeheartedly, lips moving tenderly against yours, giving back what you’re bringing forward to him, for him, in equal measure. it feels right. 

thank you, zhongli.