#Ein x Pierce

[fartzapril]

I had this idea a while back and I decided to draw it now

[mysticlael]

Ok, everyone gonna ignore Bacon? Like... canon OC material?!

No one knows?!

Bacon, that "child" of Chris and Jason Lord's? The one that looked like Blaze?! No one's gonna talk about him or make a life for him?!

*slams down drink*

As a Blaze-and-Ein-are-exes headcanon lover, I WILL!

Early life:

No one knows where he came from. He just... showed up, referred to Blaze as his dad, and instantly became normal baby

They think he may be stray magic, but... no clue

Ein was still working for Michael, but was going under a fake name and shit

Ein and Blaze were dating, but at the stage where they lived together

Ein had Forever Potions around and was addicted to them

Nearly hurt Bacon under them once

Bacon's name is a nickname. His real name is Joseph. Joseph "Bacon" O'Hara

"Bacon" is because Ein nicknamed him that while they were thinking of names

He really liked pulling on tails and ears

Ein and Blaze broke up, and... well... *looks at canon* they died and Bacon was left with Blaze's parents

Ein was revived due to the amount of Forever Potions in his system, and he figured that Bacon would be better off w/o him (also didn't know where he was)

Blaze revived too, due to the amount of Forever Potions that had gotten into his system when dating Ein

Childhood:

Bacon had little memory of Ein, and was mostly raised by Blaze and Daniel

Ein was dubbed "Papa", Blaze was "Daddy", later "Dad", and Daniel was "DanDan" at first, later just "Daniel"

Met Caleb when Garroth agreed to watch him at the same time that Laurance was watching Caleb

They ended up going to the same school, and became best friends

Bacon once got into trouble at school because he refused to make a "Mother's Day" card

Despite Blaze having a temper, Bacon is pretty laid-back

Teen years:

Bacon and Caleb were sent to PDH

Bacon got both sets of ears pierced (is werewolf)

Befriended more people and got pretty popular

Bacon got into soccer, and Caleb got into art, though they looked the opposite

Was a huge Call of Duty, Minecraft, and Fortnite fan

Got SUPER into Marvel, while Caleb got into DC

Had some of the worst acne ever

Finding Ein:

Bacon got lost in the forest when he was 12

Got found by Zoey Ro'meave

"You look like Blaze. Aphmau talks about you a lot."

"Aphmau? ...Dad talks about an Aphmau! You think she can call him to pick me up?!"

"Yeah, just come with me."

Zoey showed him around, and Bacon ran into Ein

Now, Blaze had showed Bacon pictures of Ein when he'd asked about his Papa, just in case Bacon wanted to find him one day

Found out he had 2 new step-dads (Pierce and Noi), and a half-sister (Penny)

Custody:

Alternated weeks

Ein and Blaze usually fought on holidays, especially if they landed on Sunday (the switch-off day) (breakup was not a good one)

If Ein and Blaze were fighting, he'd either go hide out with Daniel, or with Pierce's sheep

He has no idea how the disputes were settled

Adulthood:

Has so many piercings and counting

Likes driving Penny and her friend, Lukas (Leif's accidental son), and Caleb's nephews (Samuel "Sam", and Jack, Garroth and Laurance's adopted twins) around

Ein paid for his college with his gold

Hair is usually up in a ponytail, unlike his medium-length hair for his childhood

Lets Penny paint his nails

You'd never know he was a soccer nerd, let's just say

Remained really laid-back his entire life

[kimmy17]

Hey Guys I'm going to post some of my Aphmau ships soon I just have to make them

[wordstome]

kosovo maiden (könig x reader)

Well, I did it again, gang. I wrote another story based on a painting. This one is by Uroš Predić in 1919, and was posted to Tumblr here (thanks to arcana-imperii for posting!)

I don't know anything about Kosovo, so the reader here isn't explicitly Serbian ;; please forgive me. Also, apologies for possibly inaccurate ambiguously late-1800s setting, medical information or German. Please enjoy!

2.2k words

There are soldiers in the field.

You heard the sounds of battle early in the dawn, the piercing explosions of gunfire and cannons ringing out as the sun rose. You weren’t concerned at first: it was far enough away that you felt safe enough to carry on as usual. But the gunfire drew closer and closer, and by noon you could hear the shouting and the battle cries, driving you trembling into your attic with terror. Mercifully, the fighting peters out as the sun sinks lower in the sky, but when you finally work up the nerve to peek out of your window, you find to your horror that the grassy field adjacent to your humble little home is littered with the bodies of dead and dying men.

Without a single further thought to your own safety, you grab a lantern and a pitcher of water and rush into the night.

It’s awful. Most of the men left behind are already cold, some whose eyes you have to shut yourself. The ones who were able to be saved were likely evacuated by their comrades, so the only ones left to face the cruel nighttime are the ones who won’t see the morning after. A few are still conscious when you find them, but you have little more to offer them than a gentle touch and one last drink of water. Their eyes are what will haunt you most after today: slick with tears as grown men weep, all semblance of courage and proud masculinity stripped from them as they face down their imminent demise. It’s terrible, heart-wrenching, but you can’t bring yourself to stop. You’re the only living thing left that can offer them comfort in their last moments.

The jug of water dangles from your hand as you trudge through the field, looking for anyone at all that you can provide help to. You’ve long abandoned any hope of finding someone you can save when you come across him: the giant in the grass.

It’s well and truly nighttime at that point, your lamp the only source of light upon what seems like a sea of human misery. The light hits his face, and you gasp. Your first thought is of how huge he is, at least 200 centimeters if he were standing. Your second thought is of how handsome he is…

You jolt to attention as he shifts and groans. He’s alive! Shaking some sense into yourself, you don’t hesitate to rush to his side. Your hands roam across his body, assessing the severity of his injuries. To your surprise, he doesn’t seem to be mortally injured. They’re severe, to be sure—he won’t be able-bodied for weeks. But he’s far from at death’s door, only confused and dazed…had his comrades only left him due to his sheer size?

Using your hand to support the back of his head and neck, you tip some water into his mouth in an attempt to revive him. The man cracks an eye open, regarding you with feverish wonder.

“Ein Engel…” he murmurs. You’re too elated that he’s alive, so you don’t actually properly hear what he said. With light, deft fingers, you tear strips of his tattered shirt and use the cloth to wrap up a scrape on his arm and stem the flow of a very nasty-looking wound up along the broad plane of his torso. To your alarm, however, the man seems to slump, his head laying back as if he’s about to lose consciousness.

“No, no,” you cry in panic, shaking him without heed of his injuries. “Sir, you cannot sleep here, I am unable to carry you…you will die out here!”

He mumbles something inaudible, and you breathe a sigh of relief. He hasn’t passed out on you yet, but you have to act quickly to properly care for his wounds. You shift your body so you can maneuver his uninjured arm onto your shoulders. Luckily, he seems to comprehend what you’re trying to do, and manages to stumble to his feet while leaning his weight on you.

It’s an awkward, fumbling dance, considering your earlier assessment of his height was correct—he’s a huge man, and his torso alone nearly dwarfs your entire figure. But with a good measure of patience, you manage to get him moving towards your house. It’s high time you returned home, as well: your stomach roils as you remember what happens to corpses left outside for scavengers to find.

The two of you stumble through the doorway of your home, you murmuring soft affirmations and encouragement to the man. He makes no indication that he understands what you’re saying, but he’s nodding along, responding to your gentle tone. You guide him to lay on your bed, his body visibly relaxing as he sinks into the mattress.

You bustle around, lighting candles, stoking your fireplace, and rummaging around for medical supplies. You return to him with a basin of warm water, a cloth, and some bandages—before stopping dead in your tracks.

In the low lamplight out in the field, you hadn’t noticed the color of the man’s uniform, much too preoccupied with his signs of life. But now the truth is laid bare in front of you as you take in his attire, eyes traveling over his broad body—

You’ve just taken in an enemy soldier.

The man has seemingly fallen asleep, likely exhausted by the battle and the effort it took to get into your home. That does nothing to assuage your fear, though: what are you going to do if he passes away right in your bed? Even worse, what are you going to do if he wakes? Will he be hostile? Will he attempt to take you as a hostage to secure safe passage out of his enemy’s territory?

It's clear to you, though, that if you don’t help this man, he will die. His wounds could easily turn septic, and then he’s a goner. You steel yourself and approach him, kneeling at his bedside.

You work slowly and carefully to reveal his injuries, wincing when they’re completely exposed. He’s no longer bleeding profusely, but he will absolutely need stitches. For now, you settle for cleaning them with a damp cloth, trying to keep infection at bay.

He must be well and truly knocked out, because he doesn’t even stir as you wrap his arm securely with clean bandages. You’re much more hesitant to deal with his chest wound: if he wakes and struggles, he could make it much worse. But his unconscious state affords you the best opportunity to stitch him up…

You furrow your brow and go to find a needle.

You’re awoken by a gentle touch on the shoulder.

You stir from your sleep, wondering what your mother could possibly want at such an early hour. At least she put the fire on—you can hear the crackling. But why is your bed so hard? Did you fall asleep on the floor? Actually, now that you think about it, you do recall dozing off on your sheepskin rug last night, because—

Your eyes shoot open to see a huge, hulking figure standing over you.

The soldier startles when you scream, scrambling to move away from him. He cuts an intimidating figure in the early morning light: he towers over you in a state of undress, the bandages you put on him last night splotched with rusty dried blood. But you calm down as you realize he means you no harm, his hands outstretched in front of him as a show of peace: no weapons.

“Wo bin ich?” he asks. You squint at him. That sounds like German, but you can’t speak a word of it.

“I don’t speak German,” you try. He tilts his head, looking as puzzled as you feel right now.

“Never mind all of that,” you say, shaking your head and pushing yourself to your feet. “You shouldn’t be out of bed!” The soldier watches with amusement as you press your hands against him, careful to avoid touching his chest where you know his wound lies, in an attempt to get him back into bed. He allows you to do so, lying back down like an obedient dog.

“Muste pissen,” he murmurs as you fuss over him. You shoot him another confused look as you check the stitches you put in his chest wound. All seems well, you note with relief.

“What?”

He huffs a sigh. He gestures towards the door, and then then to his…oh.

“I see,” you say, cheeks feeling hot. You can’t bear to look at his face, but when you do, you find he’s watching you with amusement.

You tap his chest with a finger, then mime a sewing motion. “Don’t get up on your own from now on, you could tear your stitches,” you tell him, pointing to the door and then to patting your own chest. “I’ll help you.”

He snorts, but nods. You start to unfurl the bandages on his arm, heart twinging with sympathy as he grits his teeth in pain. You bite your lip in chagrin as the wound is revealed. It was much less severe than the one on his chest, but it’s doing much worse: pus and fluids are leaking everywhere, and to your horror, you think some parts of the torn flesh might actually be turning green.

“Es sieht schlecht aus?” he asks, concerned. You put on a smile you hope is comforting and rise from his bedside to go downstairs and rummage through your cupboards.

You return to him holding a bottle of liquor, the strongest you could find. He seems to realize what you intend to do, and shifts slightly to allow you better access to his arm.

“I’m sorry,” you whisper to him. “This is going to hurt.” Without further warning, you dump a good amount of alcohol on his wound.

“SCHEIẞE!” The bellow of pain that rips out of his throat seems to shake the very foundations of your home. You wince as he hollers and lays back heavy against your poor little bed, forehead covered in a sheen of sweat. That can’t have been pleasant…

“Das tat schlimmer weh, als die verdammte Wunde überhaupt zu bekommen,” he grits. You give him a sympathetic little pat before withdrawing to get the bandages.

He’s calmed down by the time you return to him. He watches you curiously as you wrap him up nice and snug, then turn your attentions to his chest wound. The stitches are still in place—it seems he was careful when he relieved himself—but you still need to clean and dress the wound. He lets out a sigh of relief when you opt for a clean cloth to dab away the dried blood instead of the liquor bottle.

You work quickly and efficiently, worried about him catching a cold with his chest out like this. You also can’t deny that the whole situation is starting to make you a bit shy—a foreign man, and an attractive one at that, is in your bed, shirtless, and you’re all but sprawled out on top of him to get up close to his injury. By the time you’re done, you’re fully blushing at the closeness of the contact between the two of you.

“You should be alright, it’s a good sign that you lasted through the night and haven’t developed a fever yet,” you tell him as you gather up the soiled bandages to be washed. “You’ll need to stay in bed so I can keep an eye on you—”

You’re drawn up short when you look up to see his face. Far from the angry scowl he wore when you disinfected his wound, his expression now is almost…admiring? You shift slightly, caught off guard by the adoration in this stranger’s stare, and your arm brushes against something solid and warm.

You stand up as if burned, turning to see what you just touched. To your chagrin, you find that the soldier is…well, he’s hard.

You whirl around to fix him with an outraged look, but he only laughs at you with obvious delight. What a pervert! You’re so flustered you don’t know what to do or where to look, but you’re stopped by the sensation of him reaching up and pressing a hand to your face.

You stare at him, wide-eyed, as he strokes your cheek with a sort of reverence that stops you in your tracks. “Mein Retter…” he murmurs. “Entschuldigung. Ich konnte nicht anders.”

You huff, recognizing that he’s trying to apologize. “You don’t act like an injured man at all,” you complain. A spark of mirth comes into his eye at your pouting tone as he just chuckles at you. You turn to walk away, yelping when you feel his hand brush against your bottom. You shoot him with a deadly look as he laughs again.

You scurry away, feeling awkward and hot all over. You had been so concerned last night about whether you should stay in the same house as the potentially dangerous soldier, pacing the floor and biting your nails as you pondered whether you should give him up to the local authorities. In hindsight, you’re glad you didn’t—they would surely have locked him in a cold cell with nobody to look after that festering gash on his shoulder, to say nothing of his chest wound. It was worth it to risk waking up to a man angry and spitting hatred at you, if you could save his life.

But now you’re realizing that you hadn’t considered the opposite possibility: that the soldier might like you a little too much.

ein Engel = an angel Wo bin ich? = Where am I? Muste pissen = had to piss Es sieht schlecht aus? = Is it bad? Scheiße = shit Das tat schlimmer weh, als die verdammte Wunde überhaupt zu bekommen = That hurt worse than getting the damn wound in the first place Mein Retter = my savior Entschuldigung. Ich konnte nicht anders = I'm sorry. I couldn't help it

Once more, I wrote this in a frenzy akin to being possessed, so it's a little short. But there will definitely be more! Thank you for reading <3

@kneelingshadowsalome @danibee33 @crowbird @poohkie90 @cumikering @iytatsworld @papaver-decervicatus @anxietyrain @riotakire @ax0lotly @cookiepie111 @kacchasu @no1runawaymilkdad @chthonian-spectre @backwards-readings @yxllowtxpe @garbau @hexqueensupreme @queenthorin1 @violetstyless @her-majesty-theking @vegan-peppermint @peonytarian @ghostslittlegf @euuuuuuun @e1x03 @kokonoiwife @deaddainish @dragonfang @teehee-47 @catluvwr @keiva1000 @waves-against-a-cliff @channelsoph @cutiecusp @itsagrimm @dins-riduur-anthe @mantishymns @lexuria @complexivelovely

[my-writing-street]

hey queen what if you made ein and reader into the trope of "oo you wanna kiss me so bad it makes you look stupid" reader x "SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!!!!" (does in fact want them) ein

HAHSHDHD OK LOL

this is being set in highschool btw

anyone else reading this I haven't watched mystreet in years pls forgive any OOC actions

Ein knew you were bad news. Disregarding the fact that you're in the Shadow Knights, something about you just.. makes him feel wrong. His body sounded the alarms whenever you were around, and even the sight of you would make his face red with embarrassment rage.

He already knew his day was going to be awful when the two of you crossed paths this morning. Your infuriatingly alluring eyes creased with a smirk as you rounded the corner to him. His back stiffened.

"What's wrong, doggy?" with your hands behind your back, you started to circle him. Each tap of your foot meeting the ground made his ears twitch against his own will, which you unfortunately caught.

"Twitchy twitchy.." you hummed, voice low and taunting. His heart beats faster every time you open your mouth and his face twists into a scowl before you can continue.

"Can't you tell when you're unwanted." He snarls, hunched over defensively. "Or are you just that dense?!"

"Woah oh, and the teeth come out! Did you miss your morning walk, Blue?" Seemingly unfazed by his posturing you continue to rile him up. Even going so far as to laugh at him! Sometimes , Ein wonders if he's even intimidating you at all. Maybe you're just stupid or something...

...

You know what, he's better than this. Ein doesn't have to stand there and listen to you belittle him. He can leave! He can totally leave! In fact, that's exactly what he's going to do!

A puff of air escapes his lips as he purposely relaxes his body. A flint of confusion passes over on your face at his new stance but it's quickly patched over with more haughtiness and just a pinch of interest.

"It's.." He bites his lower lip, giving up on his sentence before he readjust his bag straps and turns to leave. "Whatever."

A scoff sounds out behind him, and as he turns the corner he can just make out your annoyed mumbles.

"...Typical dog. Tch, running away with your tail between your legs.."

Ein's bag was on the floor. Biology homework was still floating in the air by the time he slammed your back against the wall.

Hot breath fanned across your nose and sharp claws came dangerously close to piercing your shoulders. Leaning above you was Ein, ears at attention and glowering.

"By Irene..! You just CAN'T keep your mouth shut!" Shaking with rage, you could practically see the steam puffing from his ears. But even as with his teeth bared and little pinpricks of blood welling up from your shoulders, all you did was grin a wickedly satisfied smile.

"Because you love to hear me talk, Blue." You laughed like you found this whole thing so pathetically intriguing. And he slammed your back into the locker doors once more.

"I'LL RIP YOU TO SHREDS."

Across the hallway, near the doors, three other werewolves stood watching. Dottie, Rylan, and Daniel looked at each other, then at you and Ein, then once more at each other.

Finally, after they had migrated a bit farther from the scene, Daniel spoke up.

"Should we, y'know.. Do something..?" He whispered as to not pique your attention. Dottie slung her head in his direction, in disbelief that he would even suggest a thing like that.

"And get between those two!?" Her yell was not so dramatic that it would alert anyone but their little trio, but was still dramatic enough to get her point across. "Are you crazy!?"

"But, Ein is.. taking it kinda far.. And [Name] is-"

Rylan cut in. "Don't worry about it." He placated, patting Daniel's shoulder. "It's best to just report it and not get involved." Rylan made a gesture like he would start walking away before he paused.

"Besides." He waved for the both of them to join as he actually started walking. "Ein's tail is wagging."

"What??"

"No way!"

Thankfully, the wolf trio had made it out of sight and out of hearing range or else Daniel and Dottie's exclamations would have certainly alerted the both of you.

Still, Dottie couldn't believe it! Lagging behind, she backed up a few steps and quickly turned her head to look at you and Ein once more. I mean, there's no way his is actually wagging-

Ah.

It was.

[shookspearewrites]

Shookspeare Royal Romance: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Hello my ducklings! How are we? You voted on the poll yesterday and you voted overwhelmingly for the completion of the #ShookspeareRoyalRomance mini series from before my writing break. I'm so so glad you chose this! Please have the Mozart instalment - with the Shakespeare instalment to come soon ^^

-JJ x

__________

Thus I imagine Angels, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

MC smiled to herself as she swept the kitchen, humming sweetly as someone played the piano somewhere down the palace corridors. She’d been the devoted maid to Prince Jean for sometime and had become accustomed to the workings of his palace, so she found the twinkling piano music a little confusing, though certainly not unwelcome, as the music room often lay vacant apart from during lavish parties.  The maid continued to clean the kitchen through the evening, even as the piano stopped playing, so dedicated to last little spot on one of the wine glasses that she didn’t notice a handsome man watching from the doorway and paying close attention to her quiet singing, “Du hast eine hübsche Stimme.” MC turned to find the owner of the cool, modulated voice: It belonged to an impossibly beautiful man with white hair like dove’s feathers and eyes carved of piercing amethyst and blooming violets.

"Excusez-moi, monsieur.” The young lady smiled a little guilty, glancing at her feet and not noticing the small smirk on his thin lips, “I’m sorry if my singing disturbed you.”

“No, that’s not what I said.” The gentleman took a few steps towards MC and took her delicate hand in his own, kissing it briefly, his lips almost as soft as the white cotton gloves he wore, “Your voice is charming, Miss?”

“MC, Monsieur?”

“Prince Wolfgang.” The Austrian prince replied somewhat dryly before wandering past MC to make himself a cup of coffee, leaving the maid stunned speechless, her cheeks pink and mouth hung slightly agape as she watched him gracefully prepare his drink.

“Y-your Grace,” MC curtsied, eliciting a small chuckle from Wolfgang who was pouring his coffee.

“As you were, this isn’t a formal setting,” the prince waved his hand in the maid’s general direction, picking up his coffee with the other and making his way out of the kitchen, turning back to MC once he’d passed into the hallway, “I entrust that I’ll see you at my cousin’s dance tomorrow night?”

“I expect I’ll be serving wine there, yes Prince W-wolfgang.” She stuttered over his name quietly, a warm flush on her cheeks, conjuring up the image of him dressed to the nines in a fine suit and silken gloves in her head. 

“Hm, I think not.” Wolfgang replied, turning back towards MC and taking her chin between forefinger and thumb, his amethyst eyes glinting with mischief and something akin to sultriness as he peered into her soul, “You’ll accompany me to the dance. I insist that you be on my arm all night.” And before the maid could object, the handsome prince strode off down the hallway and out of sight, leaving her stunned still and silent. 

The next night, as the sun’s golden rays began to set in favour of hanging delicate, twinkling stars in the darkening sky, MC anxiously brushed her silken hair, the bristles of her brush gliding through her hair. Her pulse raced uncomfortably in her chest as she gazed upon her reflection, her visage painted with intricate makeup, a sparkling necklace of amethysts and pearls adorning her slim, pretty neck and a sour frown on her face, “Maybe I should just forget it …”  she muttered to herself. The sweet maid-turned-faux princess stood up shakily, her ankles not yet used to the heels she wore or the weight of the beautiful plum purple gown that she had borrowed from one of the palace’s ladies. It felt wrong, like she was masquerading as someone she wasn’t as she nervously held her stomach and quietly tottered down the halls towards the ballroom. 

Prince Wolfgang was the picture of elegance in the bustling ballroom; His dove white hair fell effortlessly to frame his slender face, his violet eyes sparkled in the candlelight and his suit was tight against his body, showing off his gorgeous body perfectly. He tutted and brushed off another noble woman who had been eying him up, impatiently drafting his eyes around in search of the enchanting maid that he’d invited to dance with him. And then, he saw her - glowing in the crowd, despite the awkward little frown on her painted lips. His legs carried his slender body toward her, taking her warm hands gently into his own slightly cold pair and kissing his thin lips to her skin softly. 

“Thus I imagine angels,” he whispered against her hand, making a peachy pink blush blossom across the apples of her cheeks, before their eyes met with a spark, “You are the picture of beauty.”

MC shuffled awkwardly on the spot, appreciating the Prince’s affections but not so much the slightly stuffy, overly formal atmosphere, “Why me?” she challenged. 

It was now Wolfgang’s turn to be stunned, his eyes widening in shock and his own cheeks now reddening, “Was?”

The young lady stepped closer to the prince, her heart fluttering and her stomach filled with butterflies as she smelt the sweet, chocolatey aroma of his cologne and felt the warmth of his body against her’s. His capable hand slipping to the small of her back didn’t go unnoticed, either. “You’re a prince, you could have any and every woman in the world. Princesses throw themselves at your feet every other day! So,” she peered at him through her pretty eyelashes which only made her ever more attractive to the young man, “Why would you choose a plain little maid?”

The delightful melodies of a beautiful waltz began to play and without warning, Prince Wolfgang swept MC up into an effortless waltz in his lithe yet surprisingly toned arms, the couple gazing into each other’s eyes like they’d fallen in love many moons ago. The crowd around them dissolved away as they felt like the only people on Earth, the elaborate party a distant memory as they danced without a single care for the rest of the world, “There’s just something about you,” he smirked. MC’s delicate little hands grasped at his shoulders, “Something irresistible.”

[linkemon]

Eine Kleine (Zhongli x Reader)

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ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴛᴜʀɴ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴛɪᴍᴇ? ᴍᴏʀᴀx ʜᴀꜱ ᴀʟʀᴇᴀᴅʏ ʟɪᴠᴇᴅ ᴀ ʟᴏɴɢ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ʙᴜᴛ [ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ] ɪꜱɴ'ᴛ ꜱᴜʀᴇ ɪꜰ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪꜱɴ'ᴛ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀɴ ᴡᴀɴᴛꜱ… ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴡʜʏ ʟɪʏᴜᴇ ɪꜱ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰʀᴇᴇᴅᴏᴍ ᴏꜰ ᴍᴏɴᴅꜱᴛᴀᴅᴛ, ᴛʜᴇ ɪɴꜰɪɴɪᴛʏ ᴏꜰ ɪɴᴀᴢᴜᴍᴀ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴡɪꜱᴅᴏᴍ ᴏꜰ ꜱᴜᴍᴇʀᴜ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴊᴜꜱᴛɪᴄᴇ ᴏꜰ ꜰᴏɴᴛᴀɪɴᴇ, ᴛʜᴇ ʙʀᴀᴠᴇʀʏ ᴏꜰ ɴᴀᴛʟᴀɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏʟᴅɴᴇꜱꜱ ᴏꜰ ꜱɴᴇᴢʜɴᴀʏᴀ. ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʜɪꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ᴏꜰ ʟɪʏᴜᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴜɪᴅᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏꜰ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴛꜱ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇᴅ, ᴀꜱ ᴡᴇʟʟ ᴀꜱ ᴏʟᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴇᴡ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱ. ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ɢʟᴀᴢᴇ ʟɪʟɪᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɢʀᴇᴇᴅɪʟʏ ᴀʙꜱᴏʀʙ ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡɪꜱʜ ʜᴀᴘᴘɪɴᴇꜱꜱ…

ᴀᴅᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ɪɴꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ: 1. ᴏɴᴇꜱʜᴏᴛ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀɪɴꜱ ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀꜱ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀʀᴄʜᴏɴ ǫᴜᴇꜱᴛꜱ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ʟɪʏᴜᴇ. ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ɪɴꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏɴʟʏ ꜰɪʟʟꜱ ᴀ ɢᴀᴘ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀɴᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏꜰꜰɪᴄɪᴀʟʟʏ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʜᴀᴘᴘᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴏʀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ɪꜱ ᴋɴᴏᴡɴ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ɪᴛ. 2. ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴏɴᴇꜱʜᴏᴛ, ɪᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡɴ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɢᴜɪᴢʜᴏɴɢ ʟᴏᴏᴋᴇᴅ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴏʀ ʜᴏᴡ ꜱʜᴇ ᴅɪᴇᴅ. ɪɴꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜɪꜱ ɢɪᴠᴇɴ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴠᴇɴᴛ ᴀᴘᴘᴇᴀʀᴇᴅ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴀ ʏᴇᴀʀ ʟᴀᴛᴇʀ.

Morax looked helplessly at the woman holding his hand. Guizhong smiled slightly. Her black hair danced in the crazy gale surrounding them. He was her last resort. His hand was what kept her above the raging river. The water boiled, flooding the entire Guili Plains. With every second he felt his strength leaving him. He wanted to howl. He was a god, damn it! He had no right to be weak. Not at a time like this. In all his long life, he had never craved strength more than at this moment. So why didn't the soil listen to him? The boulders falling on Osial were still too small. The ground could not absorb the sea waters that poured far inland. People looked at him helplessly. They were only a few hills away from disaster. Mothers hugged their children. He couldn't hear their cries. The wind drowned out everything. Yet he clearly heard Guizhong's words:  

— You have to let me go.  

— NO. — He wondered if she could see his face clearly now. The one from which no tears could fall, even though he wanted to. He wanted to somehow let her know how he felt but no words left his mouth.  

She always told him that he couldn't express his emotions. She was making fun of his straight face. He didn't feel the need to externalize what was going on inside him. How he liked Marchosius's dishes. How beautiful the Goddess of Dust looked as she gathered her beloved glaze lilies. How he cared about the happiness of the people under his care. Everyone thought he was emotionless. Only she was able to break through the shell he had surrounded himself with. Their mutual agreement, sealed with a bell that he received from her as a gift. It wasn't a contract like he had made so many before. It was a relationship based on trust. Something so foreign to him given the unstable world he lived in where most gods only wanted to take as much as possible for themselves. She was a breath of fresh air.  

— Please take care of my people. Goodbye, Morax. — The words were quiet and gray. It seemed to him as if she had shrunk into herself.  

Desperately, he reached out his hand but she slipped from his grasp. She turned to dust before she touched the water. He told himself it was better this way. If she wanted to choose her death, he wasn't going to question it. He knew how much the war was tiring her. He had predicted that it might happen but never like this. He looked in disbelief at the hem of the once white robe, now stained with blood and dirt. Drops dripped on it. He touched his face. He cried. His lips stung as soon as it was touched by the salty tears. He got up from his knees. Many people later said that Rex Lapis screamed. And it was a cry like a storm. The sky darkened with dust. Hundreds of stone spears pierced Osial's body. The great serpent fell, sinking into the depths of the ocean for years. And Morax led the survivors towards the place later known as Liyue, where the city he swore to protect was built.  

[Reader] looked at the table, wondering how much longer she should wait. Does she look pathetic enough already? Judging by the way the waiter looked at her after the last refill of tea, it was almost time for her to pay and leave. She felt it was a stupid idea. She met this guy through letters. They were supposed to meet here and he didn't show up. The thought was running through her mind that maybe something had happened to him. But even if it did, she won't be here soon. She had no idea when the next opportunity would come to return to this area. She felt disappointed and angry with herself. She had been here for another hour. If she had at least taken a book with her, she could have pretended to be busy. She crumpled her napkin and took the last sip of her drink.  

— Excuse me, can I have a moment? — A low, warm voice came from somewhere high.  

For a moment she thought that maybe her torment was finally over. Unfortunately, the man standing in front of her did not match the one she saw in the photo attached to the letters. She looked behind. No one else was behind her.  

— Mrs. [Reader], right? Can I join you?

She nodded.  

She looked carefully again. Slim and definitely tall. Brown hair tied in a long ponytail fell freely over a long coat. Only when she looked closely at his eyes did she come to the conclusion that she recognized the unexpected guest. For some reason, those amber irises stuck in her mind.  

— Mr. Zhongli? From Wangsheng Funeral Parlor? — His gentle smile let her know that she had guessed correctly.  

They had met several times in their lives. However, none of them were associated with happy memories. As is usually the case with funerals. However, she remembered that he had always been tactful and understanding.  

— It's me. Although I must admit, I didn't expect you to remember me. The circumstances were usually not favorable for making friends. — Saying this, he summoned the waiter. — I'd like this blend. It has a unique taste. — He turned back to [Reader]. — It's as if someone had trapped the essence of the earth in these leaves. This is first-quality dried fruit harvested in the north. Difficulty in selection leads to a high price but this is justified.  

The woman was sure she had never heard anyone know so much about tea. It wasn't that he didn't let her speak but the passion with which Zhongli talked about it made her not even want to butt in. He seemed to fluently jump from topic to topic, bringing out new interesting facts and anecdotes. She had to admit to herself that she had not expected such extensive knowledge from him. She thought that as a consultant, he would be a rather boring person and there was certainly no indication that he had traveled to the distant corners of Liyue. But where could he get so much practical knowledge?  

[Reader] looked sadly into the cup. Once again that day, its clean, white bottom appeared. Even professional tea making was no problem for this man. She usually just poured hot water. Her excuse, however, was the fact that her trips usually forced her to spend the night in places where a proper tea ceremony was not even possible. She had to admit that the taste of the drink was wonderful. Deep and strong, with the addition of a floral note. It was as if she had immersed herself in the soil and learned all its secrets. And now she has returned to the surface because all that was left was an empty teapot and the feeling that she should be gathering herself. Captain Beidou won't wait forever. Soon it will weigh anchor and sail away.  

— I haven't actually said what I came here for yet. — Zhongli took something out of an old bag. — I wanted to ask for an autograph.  

This was another surprise of the day. Especially since the time passed so unexpectedly that she actually stopped wondering why the man had approached her at all.  

— Do you read my guides? — She accepted the book with genuine surprise. Her fingers touched his gloved hand for a moment.  

Yae Publishing House signed a contract with her a long time ago. It was what allowed her to visit other places in Teyvat. She then earned her first real money and took a risk by going to Sumeru. Soon after, she met Captain Beidou, becoming a frequent guest on her sea voyages. Plus, it allowed her to travel cheaper. Since then, she has already made a name for herself. However, it still could not compare with the leading items produced in Inazuma. Her genre was mainly targeted at new merchants, tourists and people looking for adventure. Average residents usually didn't know who she was unless they needed to go on a foreign vacation.  

So, while it wasn't the first time she had been asked for an autograph, it was a rare occurrence. Fortunately, she carried a pen with her everywhere. After all, she never knew where inspiration would strike her.  

— I think they capture the atmosphere of places very well. You have the gift of describing what is important to feel their spirit. When I read them, I feel like I was there. Honestly, they pushed me to make a few decisions that helped me start traveling again. — His smile was delicate and barely noticeable. As if with a touch of melancholy.  

— I'm glad to hear that. — [Reader] felt a little embarrassed and handed the book back to him.  

— I've always wondered why there was never a guidebook to Liyue. — Zhongli's gaze was piercing.  

— I guess I was afraid I wouldn't be able to do this. This is my country after all. I've been to so many places and I still love Liyue the most of all. If I had to do it wrong, I'd rather not do it at all. — She stared ahead.  

That was the truth. The freedom of Mondstadt, the infinity of Inazuma, the wisdom of Sumeru, the justice of Fontaine, the bravery of Natlan and the coldness of Snezhnaya. She met them all. And yet her heart always returned to the Nation of Contracts. She grew up here. From an early age, she lived with her family, dreaming of the big world. And when she finally experienced it, she decided that Liyue was the most beautiful. With its own port where you can stroll and feel the sea breeze on your skin. Where sailors brought fish to market, telling stories of legendary creatures sleeping at the bottom of the sea. In the mountains where powerful adepti lived and the slopes were covered with glaze lilies. Grandmas always had the best stories about them, selling kites during the Lantern Rite when fireworks dominated the sky. There was also beauty in the bamboo forests near villages full of acquaintances and friends, statues of ancient gods forgotten by time and Lady Ningguang's Jade Chamber heralding a new time for people. Everything was so wonderful that she was afraid to describe it incorrectly. She expressed these concerns to Zhongli and he listened the entire time.  

— That's why you would be the perfect person to describe Liyue. — The man's gaze was fixed somewhere far away.  

— Only if you would give me some advice on good tea houses — [Reader] laughed.  

Maybe she should actually do it. This would be the perfect ending to the series. She could finally live at home for a while. It would be a nice change after such a long time wandering abroad.  

— Always available. I hope to see the next volume soon. — Saying this, he stood up. — I won't take up any more of your time. — He bowed elegantly and disappeared into the street crowd.  

The woman wanted to follow in his footsteps but she remembered about the bill. She had spent so much time here waiting for someone who never showed up that she felt the cost would be high. But when the waiter told her how much mora they were talking about, she almost choked.  

— How much? — she asked again.  

— The gentleman who was here with you ordered the most expensive mixture of all and several times at that. I don't understand why you're so surprised — said the irritated waiter.  

— He didn't pay for himself?! I'll give him a guide! I swear on the dead Rex Lapis! 

— I'm nervous — [Reader] admitted.  

The climb to Aocang Mountain was long and arduous. She was sure that if it weren't for her years of traveling, she would have given up halfway. Even beautiful views did not reward the effort.  

She wished Zhongli was with her. Hu Tao urgently needed his help, so he stayed at work. Despite everything, she decided not to give up. It would be rude to cancel now.  

— You really don't have to be stressed — Ganyu assured. — Cloud Retainer will definitely like you. — I'm just asking you, if she starts talking about my childhood...  

— I must change the subject categorically. I remember. — She smiled broadly.  

The secretary had asked her about it several times. She had to admit it was funny imagining someone telling childhood stories about such an important person. Besides, Ganyu was very easy to embarrass herself with anything and sometimes she felt like teasing her just to see her grab her horns in embarrassment.  

Thoughts about meeting the adepti kept running through her mind. It wasn't that she was afraid of them. Like everyone in Liyue, she had often heard about their strength and the respect they deserved. They were just a bit of a mythical idea until it turned out that Zhongli led them and saw them quite often. The problem was how she viewed her visit. In her mind, it was something like visiting her loved one's family. He didn't have the real one. After all, gods do not have parents or grandparents. Not that she knew any others for comparison... She just wanted to look good in front of his closest friends. It was a kind of next step in their relationship.  

— Here we are! — her friend announced happily.  

The small lake was surrounded by green hills. The red leaves on the trees were moving steadily due to the light wind. She had to admit it was a beautiful abode. The place breathed peace and quiet. She didn't really want to disturb it. However, the girl was apparently used to it because she led her along the round stone islands to the middle of the lake.  

— This is [Reader]. [Reader], this is Cloud Retainer. — The woman bowed. Immediately afterwards, she took out a gift wrapped in a decorative box from her bag.  

— It's a lens with an interesting mechanism. I brought it from one of my trips to Mondstadt.  

The study Lisa helped conduct at the time was long and boring. It involved running around the city and looking at people through a glass. To this day she regretted agreeing to it but the librarian could be scary when she wanted to be, so she somehow overworked the challenge.  

The crane looked at the object, then nodded with satisfaction.  

[Reader] breathed a sigh of relief. It's good that Zhongli told her that she was interested in engineering. No one came to such a place empty-handed. This was considered something of an insult. And although she was here on different terms than most mortals, she preferred not to take any risks.   

— Nice to meet you. It's good that today's youth is at least a little educated. Last time I was in port...  

— Moon Carver and Mountain Shaper didn't come? — Ganyu looked around.  

— These old folks prefer to sit and keep their noses shut. Or maybe they met alone without me like last Lantern Rite? — Cloud Retainer spread her wings angrily and ruffled her feathers.  

— And this is…— Ganyu began.  

— Adeptus Xiao. We have already met several times.  

Yaksha nodded to her in greeting. She had passed the Wangshu Inn many times, especially recently. Anyone who stayed there overnight would encounter him sooner or later. Most people, however, had no desire or opportunity to see him up close. He definitely didn't like the company of mortals. However, she did visit him once. Zhongli once asked her to bring him some medicine from Bubu's pharmacy. He appeared before her only when she placed a plate of almond tofu on the porch. Gloomy but polite — that was the impression he made on her back then.  

[Reader] and Ganyu unpacked the meals from their travel backpack. The stone table under the tree was filled with various dishes. Of course, everything went with the tea blend chosen by her beloved. She brewed the drink proudly, remembering the time when she didn't know how to do it properly.  

Time passed lazily. The hostess tended to move slowly from one topic to another. She did it less interestingly than Zhongli but still enough to provide the girl with a lot of facts that will certainly be useful for her guidebooks. Xiao disappeared as soon as she started to bore a little. He mentioned something about mortals not being able to handle his loads of bad karma and he actually had a lot of work to do, so he took off right after eating dessert.  

— You must hear this story! Well, when Ganyu was still tiny, she was so chubby that she rolled down the hill and...  

[Reader] stifled a laugh, pretending it was caused by a piece of cake. She had to admit that it was going to be quite an anecdote. Her friend looked at her pleadingly. The woman was tempted to keep listening but she kept her promise anyway.  

— Change the subject — the secretary mouthed, clasping her hands as if in prayer.  

— An extremely entertaining story — the [Reader] coughed. — But I wanted to ask about…— she looked around — about these chairs. Even if everyone showed up, there would be one too many of them. Are we waiting for someone else?  

— You're smart. You remind me a bit of her. Cloud Retainer nodded. — There are usually only three chairs here. Mine, Morax's and the extra one you're asking about, belonging to Guizhong.  

— Is this about the Goddess of Dust? The one who died on Guili Plains, right? — [Reader] made sure.  

— It's about her. — The bird looked for a moment above the mountain peaks. It clattered quietly. — I told Morax he shouldn't try to meet her. The dead have the right to sleep peacefully. This artifact will not bring him luck. — She pointed with her beak at the necklace hanging around the girl's neck.  

This was the first time she had even heard of it. And she didn't like it. The magic of the moment disappeared, filling her mind with questions.  

She had been carrying the gem with her since she found it while researching a book a few months ago. She didn't think much about it at the time. One of the merchants mentioned some strange legend but she didn't believe him. It looked beautiful, although its glory days were certainly long behind. She failed to fully clean it. Zhongli did ask about it but only once while purchasing and never after that. She didn't want to jump to conclusions just yet. She'll have to find out more.  

— Sometimes I think they were in love — Cloud Retainer sighed. — These conversations have tired me, girls. I think it's time for you guys. — With these words, the crane rose into the air.  

[Reader] made her way back, trying to ignore Ganyu's confused glances. She could tell when she felt uncomfortable and this was definitely one of those moments. She wasn't responsible for her mentor but she tried her best to talk about anything to cover up the earlier conversation. It didn't work out but the woman appreciated the effort.  

[Reader] spent the last few days searching through old notes, legends and in Wanwen, digging through piles of books. She wanted to visit the original buyer of the artifact as well but there was no need. Everything became clear as much as such myths could be true. The stone decorating her neck was part of a larger ritual. There was disagreement as to whether it allowed the dead to be brought back to life but it supposedly allowed one to at least see them. The opportunity to perform the rite appeared once every few thousand years and according to all predictions, it was supposed to take place today.  

She looked out the window, sighing loudly. She had had enough.  

— What are you thinking about, darling? — Zhongli hugged her from behind and kissed her on the head.  

For a moment she savored this moment. The view of Liyue was beautiful. The city was bustling with life, although the sun was slowly ending its daily journey. Wangsheng was quiet and warm. Her lover was right next to her but deep down, she felt like she was cheating on him.  

— Nothing important. — She closed the thick volume. The dust flew away in the sunlight.  

She knew she should talk to him but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Ever since she heard what Cloud Retainer thought, doubts began to form in her mind. She had no doubt that the man loved her but that was now. What if Morax really could turn back time, in a sense? Given the choice between her and the Goddess of Dust, would she still come first?  

— I wanted to ask you something. — Zhongli moved away gently. — Would you lend me your necklace today?  

This made something break inside her. The knowledge she had gained over the past few days had accumulated pain within her, which now manifested itself in one simple question:  

— Why didn't you tell me about Guizhong?  

Her eyes welled up with tears but she blinked rapidly to keep them from falling.  

— [Reader]…  

— Cloud Retainer said you two were in love and you were interested in this whole ritual… so I was looking behind your back, even though I know I shouldn't have…

She took a deep breath. The truth was cathartic in a way. Confronting the situation that had been on her mind for the past few days was quite a challenge but at least she would know where she stood.  

— It doesn't matter. I should have told you from the very beginning. — He frowned slightly, as he always did when he was thinking about something but the amber irises didn't seem to bear any trace of guilt.  

— Mr. Zhongli, if we want to make it on time, we must leave now! — Keqing rushed into the funeral parlor.

— Wait a minute — the man began.  

The road to Guili Plains was quite long. Young Yuheng was always busy. [Reader] knew this well. If she showed up here, it must have been planned some time ago. Several Millelith were waiting outside the building. So that's how many people knew besides her...  

She took off the necklace, looking at it one last time. It seemed to weigh more than usual. As if under the weight of her decisions.  

She took her beloved's hand and pressed the object into it. It glowed with a faint light. The legends were true.  

— You have to go. — Seeing that he wanted to interrupt her, she put a finger to his lips. — Listen. Cloud Retainer advised that the dead should be left alone. I think so too but I will never stand in the way of your happiness. If you need to see her, please do so. This is not the end of this conversation. I need some time. I'm going to go and finish the last chapter of the guide. We'll talk when I get back. — Saying this, she reached for her bag. Without waiting for an answer, she left Wangsheng.  

Rex Lapis gripped the item tightly and set off for the mountains. He couldn't concentrate. His thoughts swirled around everything that had happened. It was bad that he left in such an atmosphere. Especially since he didn't get to say any of the things he wanted to explain.  

A cool wind blew on Liyue. The sun was going down. The time for the ritual was approaching inexorably. He took care of everything and yet the anxiety would not go away, even though he repeated the steps in his mind over and over again. The glaze lilies swayed steadily in the shade of the trees, reminding of everything that once was. He was lost in thought. Maybe that's why he didn't notice three hikers appearing on the horizon. They were pale and terrified.  

— Everything's all right? — Keqing was the first to fire at the strangers.  

— We were at Luhua Pool — the woman began. Speaking was clearly uncomfortable for her.  

Her dress was torn. She had to escape in a hurry.  

— Monsters. And…— the man next to her coughed. — And the mages of Abyss.  

The third hiker was in much worse condition. He was speechless with shock. He just sat on the ground and started sobbing quietly. They must have barely escaped alive.  

As the soldiers helped him recover, Zhongli realized one thing. This was the only place missing from the Liyue guide. [Reader] could have gone anywhere but this was the most likely.  

— Xiao. — At the sound of his name, Yaksha appeared right next to him. — A group of monsters at Luhua Pool.  

That was enough for the demon to disappear back into the dark cloud.  

— Shall we move on? Now we really don't have much time left. — Keqing left the people in the care of several Millelith.  

Zhongli stood in the middle of the road for a moment, not saying anything. He clutched the jewel in his hand, looking at his reflection in it. He looked again at the Guili Plains visible in the distance.  

— Go back to town. I'm sorry I brought you here — he just said, quickening his pace.  

— You're running to her, aren't you? — Yuheng's voice came from a distance.  

He didn't answer because she knew the answer well. She was always smart. He appreciated her. Even if she really disliked him and denied everything he had done over the years. However, he had no doubt that such people were needed in this city in the new era belonging to the people.  

He was no longer as fast as Xiao. Some time ago he could outdo him. Now, after the surrender of Gnosis, his strength was gradually leaving him. He wasn't weak but he definitely wasn't what he used to be. This was the price he had to pay if he wanted to remain an ordinary Zhongli and not Morax, the Great Rex Lapis.  

The Demon Slayer could probably handle everything on his own. If Zhongli looked at it coldly, there would probably be no need to run at all now. He could stay and perform the ritual. Will he have the opportunity to see Guizhong again? Who knows. It was hard to tell how long his body could go without what had fueled it for so long. Maybe a few hundred years, maybe another millennia. Everything indicated that the necklace would remain only a souvenir, unfit for use during his lifetime.  

And yet, if there was even the slightest chance that [Reader] was out there somewhere right now, surrounded by monsters, he had to check it out because he would never forgive himself if something happened to her.  

That's why the sight he saw made his blood run cold. Alatus held a cloak covered in bright red in his hands. Zhongli looked into his eyes for confirmation. However, before he could ask anything, he heard a cry for help. The voice was familiar. Never in his long life had he felt more relieved to hear someone scream.  

He ran to the edge of the cliff, where he saw first the hand and then the rest of the body. [Reader] held on to a protruding rock with one hand, looking for support for her legs. In the blink of an eye, a pillar grew from the side. The woman carefully placed her feet on it. Immediately after, she grabbed a warm, familiar hand and was pulled up. She fell straight onto the man. She was about to get up when Zhongli hugged her tightly. So she gave in, burying her head in the crook of his neck. They didn't say anything for a moment. They were just lying in the meadow of glaze lillies. The sun disappeared below the horizon and the flowers spread their white petals, facing the moon.  

— Why are you here? — [Reader] asked quietly.  

— I heard about the Abyss mages and had to check if you were alright.

— Did you send Xiao? — she made sure.  

— Yes — Zhongli replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.  

— And yet... you came here anyway? — A smile spread across her lips.  

He had to admit that smile was beautiful. As always. He was lucky. He was never going to lose it.

He just nodded.  

— When I saw your coat, I thought something had happened to you — he confessed.  

— I ran into Jueyun Chili on the way and then some slimes stuck to me and pushed me to the edge.  

That explained why her eyes were red and swollen. They must have burned her severely.  

— What about Guizhong? — [Reader] asked, looking at the necklace around his neck.  

— I'm not sure I'll ever see her again. I wanted... I wanted some closure from my time as Rex Lapis. I don't know if I loved her... — He stared into the distance. — I think at that moment I didn't really know what emotions were. Her death was the first time in my life when I cried. I really wanted to meet her. Tell her I kept my promise. That I miss her. That the descendants of her people are in safe hands and our friends are well. That I am grateful for the many things she taught me. And that I'm in love with you...  

— I'm sure she knows that. She hears you now and is happy. — [Reader] hugged his arm. — I would like to tell her that I love you too and that I will take care of you as best as I can.  

A light wind blew. And for a moment, the woman felt as if the glaze lilies around her bowed their heads, then returned to their original position. Or maybe she just imagined things...  

— Are you crying? — Zhongli asked, glancing at her from the corner of his eye.  

— Come on... it's just... ahem, chili. — [Reader] sniffled.  

— The mortal is definitely crying — Xiao stated. Saying this, he gave her the dirty coat.  

— Were you here the whole time?

However, she didn't get an answer to this question because the demon raised an eyebrow, muttered something under his breath and then disappeared.  

So [Reader] and Zhongli stood up and holding hands, went back to Liyue. They closed an old chapter. It was time to start a new one.

[0maisie0]

Rainy Christmas Eve - The toymaker x fem!reader

(Merry Christmas Eve (I'm so ready for Ncuti's first ep)

The deep red building stared at you from across the road. It illuminated the foggy street around you. The rain cut into your skin under the cheap umbrella you kept in your bag for moments like this. The toy-filled windows watched as you walked up to the door. Their heads seemed to turn as you approached. Teeth catering as the bell signalled your arrival. 

Inside, the shop was filled with toys and games. A row of perfect marionette puppets stared, glassy eyed at you as you walked towards the wooden counter. A dripping trail of water left a mark of your presence.

A grey haired man leant over a broken doll. His hands worked quietly to fix the young porcelain child on his desk. As you took a step closer his head snapped up, his dark eyes piercing through you.

“Oh! Ein new customer, terrible wetter für Weihnachten eve, ja?” 

His distorted German accent cut through the hum of toys. His speech jumped between English and German, all you could do was nod in agreement as he continued to speak and become more animated. 

“What brings schöne Dame to mein store, maybe eine puppe oder bear for the little kinder oder train going rund und rund und rund?”

You stared at him, mesmerised as he spoke and moved. His hands lead the conversation more than his speech. The toymaker looked down at you with a grin and sneaky wink. Your coat still dripping onto the worn carpet.

“My sister chose to tell me she was pregnant a week ago, I haven't had much time to get her anything for the new baby,” you explained.

The toymaker's face lit up at the mention of a child. “Ein baby! Are du thinking von einem little Teddybär or blocks? Es gibt viel choice. Here, ich will helfen you.”

He guided you over to the right side of his counter where a small christmas tree sat undecorated. A wide eyed teddy bear sat with his head resting against the tree. His fur was brown and felt soft to the touch as your hand combed through. Beside it was a smaller blue bear. Its ocean blue skin and shorter fur made the body feel squishier. You gently felt both.

“I like the blue,” you muttered mostly to yourself but the toymaker interrupted quickly after. 

“Ah, ja, the Blauer bär. ich machte her myself, beautiful fur, ja?”

He picked up the bear, showing it off to you. A red ribbon wrapped around its neck and held together with a tight bow. The toymaker smiled and winked again.

“Sie will be perfekt for your neffe or nichte.” 

“Yes, I think she will.” you smiled back out of politeness, the toymaker already starting to wrap up the little bear in paper.

“Das wetter is zu bad for you, kommen, stay bis clear.” he placed the wrapped bear onto the desk. Its soft head poked out of the top, making it seem like the teddy had been wrapped up in a blanket. 

“Are you sure? I don’t want to be a bother. I mean you must be preparing for christmas.” 

“Nothing das kippen wait.” his voice suddenly changed. His broken German became smooth English and his accent disappeared. 

“let's play a game.”

[kittycoffeeheart]

I've been planning on rewriting some old fanfiction of mine, that includes Aphmau SMP x reader preferences since there is way too little ASMP x reader content on Wattpad. These rewrites are currently only available to read here on Tumblr and not Wattpad yet. Here's what I've rewritten so far.

How you met: Aphmau

Aphmau loved playing on Hypixel in her free time. You enjoyed it, but you wouldn't say "love" if you were being honest with yourself. You both met through a game on Hypixel, more specifically a game of Spleef. She was obsessed with that specific game and even when she lost, she was persistent when it came to winning. You just wouldn't let her win. You managed to smoke her a few rounds in a row and got her pretty riled up, which led to you both focusing on only each other. You on not letting her get a win, and she on getting you back for targeting her. She was ecstatic when she managed to spleef you after so long. You had to admit, playing with her was pretty fun. Soon you found yourselves getting into a routine of sorts, logging in at similar times and seeing who would wipe the floor with the other player that day. You occasionally would check out other games, but Spleef became a favourite between you two. A long while in, you realized that you two should maybe get to know each other since you see each other so often. She introduced herself to you as Aphmau. She offered for you to join a server of hers that she and her friends play on, seeming hopeful that you would get along with the rest of her friends. Well, you didn't have any reason to say no. So she gave you the server IP quietly and logged off of Hypixel. It took you quite a bit to find her server because she never actually gave you a name to go with the IP address. You soon found a server called "Aphmau SMP". You didn't know what to expect, so you entered the IP and hoped for the best.

Other characters I write preferences for:

Aaron

Zane

KC

Ein

Pierce

Noi

Kim

Mac

Rhys

[randokatz]

APH CREW SHIP NAMES

(BUT COOLER‼️)

Since I'm in the Lego ninjago fandom (aka the fandom with THE BEST ship names) I've decided to take it apon myself to create rlly cool and awesome list of ship names for the aph crew

DIS-FUCKING-CLAIMER

I do NOT. ship every ship you see in this post. If u see a ship u dislike, that's fine, don't harass me or others who might ship it this is jst 4 fun.

LET'S GOOOOO

Aaron x Aphmau: ew /hj, scars, cuts,

- Red colour of blood, & purple colour of bruises it made sense 2 me

Aaron x Ein; opposites

-pretty obvious

Aaron x Kim: apple

-red apple green leaf

Aaron x Mac: primary, maroon

Aaron x Nana: caked fur

-they got primary colours

-idk it sounded cool

-ultima Aaron, + Nana like 2 bake

Aaron x Noi: fire

-red & orange are the main colours of fire so it made sense ig

Aaron x Pierce: opposites, blue blood

-same as ein but I chose blue blood cuz deamos have diff colour blood & normal blood is red so ye

Aaron x zane: midnight, blood moon

-I feel like blood moon makes more sense cuz yk zanes all dark and emo

Aphmau x Ein: analogous, galaxy

-there colours r beside each other so they look nice & galaxy cuz blue & purple are the main colours when u think of one

Aphmau x kim: feather

-aph has Irene's wings purple and teal r cool brid colours

Aphmau x mac: complementary

-self explanatory

Aphmau x Nana: sweet potato

-ONE OF MY FAVE RAGH

Aphmau x Noi: fragrant, orange lavender

- orange & lavender apparently taste/smell good 2gether, 2nd 1 is self explanatory

Aphmau x Pierce: navy

-purple and blue make navy

Aphmau x Zane: black lavender, mist

-1st is obv 2nd mist is dark but also calm like the smell/colour of lavender

Ein x kim: glasses,

-Ein can't rlly read Kim likes books

Ein x mac: Ena /j

-I couldn't think of any srry lol

Ein x Nana: exploding cupcakes,

-Nana's r always great this one's a bit long tho

Ein x Noi: complimentary,

-self explanatory + I couldn't think of anything else

Ein x Pierce: piercing

- cuz I said so

Ein x Zane: bombs

-they both work on bombs n stuff (also ref 2 that 1 vid where they fall inlove)

Kim x Mac: nature

-Kim's all teal/green and Mac likes giraffes

Kim x Nana: cook book

-again Nana at it again with the best names

Kim x Noi: fantasy

-Kim likes books Noi is a deamos from another realm

Kim x Pierce: tertiary

-there a mix of primary&secondary colours

Kim x Zane: nerds, sci-fi

-I don't think I need 2 explain

Mac x Nana: exotic

-Nana bakes giraffes r cool mix em together boom exotic ass cupcakes

Mac x Noi: sunset

-simaller 2 Aaron there right beside each other & r colours in sunsets

Mac x Pierce: Ena /j

-again I'm srry mac

Mac x Zane: bumblebee, bees

-NVM MAC PULLING UP⁉️

Nana x Noi: cupcake, Sweet's

-There both cuties

Nana x Pierce: bby shower(get it cuz), cotton candy

-1st ones a joke but they both got them cotton candy colours

Nana x Zane: catnip, robo kitty,

- cat rlly explain the first one but the second one is just based off that one animation meme trend

Noi x Pierce: deamos, dusk, dawn

-very boring but the pics of dusk & dawn I found had rlly pretty mixes of blue and orange

Noi x Zane: pornhub,(JOKE) Halloween, autumn, Lantern

-there colours r great! (Not just cuz of the 1st one sicko) lanterns my personal fav

Pierce x Zane: Android

- again don't rlly know how 2 explain it, it jst seemed right

AND THAT'S IT GOD THIS IS GONNA BE A LONG POST

[aphblr-shipfessions]

we, as a society need more cross series ships

Lorelai (mid) x nana (mys) and ein (mys) x pierce (mid) supremacy!!!!!!!!

—

[kimmy17]

the ships I like and ships for my au Noi x Kim cause yes UnU Aphmau x Aaron Ein x AvaPhmau(my oc) Zane x Kawaii-Chan and Pierce x Lucy-Chan(my oc) this is my au!

[lggy]

pierce x ein is now real

[itzcreator-com]

Me when

Me when MyAU!Aphmau + C?Aphmau x FPE au

(Ein isn't a Jerk, neither is pierce and Zane and Ein are Blood Brothers)

(there's going to be multiple versions of them? yes. do i care? nuh uh)

[dummyboidraws]

What I think the ships in Aphmau's Mystreet should be *EDITED BECAUSE ME OPINIONS CHANGED*

Aaron x Kacey (OTP)

Katelyn x Aphmau x Kawaii~chan

Travis x Dante

Daniel x Kai

Dottie x Lucinda

Zane x cheeseburger extra

GARROTH X LAURENCE

Gene x Ein

Noi x Pierce

And thats it

They're all gay

Sue me