#I still don't have time to spear but I took some rest between the study

[eky11]

Ziggy really sang / Screwed-up eyes and screwed-down hairdo / Like some cat from Japan / He could lick 'em by smiling / He could leave 'em to hang / He came on so loaded, man / Well hung and snow white tan

I got the Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars lp today!!! I'm really really happy about it, so I drew the pretty boy from Aoba's team (a true David Bowie fan) and I put him into Ziggy's ICONIC dress ;p 💙

I struggled a bit because this was my reference pick for the back of the dress hahah

Also! For those that are scrolling the tag and don't know who this guy is, he is the captain of Aoba Gakuen, a secondary team in the Holy Road of Inazuma eleven go, Sougetsu Nozomi

(This guy)

Another thing to add, this is part of a rock and roll band AU I have with this team. This is when they are 18, still a cover band ;p <3

[demigodforfend]

Twilight of the Demigods: Forfend Edition - Session 15

Forfend watched the shadows of hesitant, cautious guards move through the shadows of screaming, panicked people on the other side of the thick dust, smoke, and haze covering the battlefield. Subsiding though it was, the gray blanket cut down heavily on visibility. It would take the guards several more minutes to arrive at the center of the commotion at their current pace.

Forfend took the opportunity to wander. It kept a sharp eye out for survivors as it crossed the rubble to the cultist Melzaryn had frozen in place. It saw only corpses.

Steam hissed in Forfend's chest. It knelt by the cultist and hummed thoughtfully. He was heavily entrenched in ice and covered in painful magical wounds. Blood dripped from his temple. But he was alive. Alive and unexploded.

Forfend used the heat of its body to melt the ice spearing the man's leg. It carefully freed the rest of his limbs by chipping the ice away. Once he was no longer encased in frozen bindings, Forfend lifted him and carried him to the gladiator. It laid them side by side.

Forfend's hand hovered over the cultist's chest, magic pulsing between its fingers. It stared for a long moment.

If it healed him with magic, he could awaken. He would be too exhausted to stay awake long and he may risk his runes exploding if he fell asleep again. He'd survived the coin flip once. Forfend feared putting him through it a second time.

It let the magic fizzle out and rifled through the pouches on its belt for mundane medical supplies. It bandaged the man's wounds with precision despite its broad hands.

It noticed, as it worked, the man's build and musculature. He had strong arms and thick legs, but they were not those of a fighter like the gladiator. His tanned skin hinted at a lifestyle that kept him outdoors. He looked far more like a farmer.

But his proficiency with his sword and his longbow had easily been equivalent to trained warriors.

"Was expert swordsmanship and deadly aim part of the runic spells in their chests?" Forfend asked. "This man is a commoner, like myself and my family."

Melzaryn shrugged, one eyebrow raised. "Are you a commoner?"

"These days, yes," Forfend nodded. "Though, I do not have the typical look."

"Sure." Melzaryn shrugged again. "I can't really tell what the runes do beyond the basics without studying them a lot longer, but I'd say enhanced battle capabilities are probably a safe bet."

Forfend hummed.

After a moment, it turned to the rest of the destruction around them. "I am going to search for survivors in the rubble."

"Be careful. Nothing else should collapse, but don't cause any disturbances around the partial wall still standing where the back of the building was," Melzaryn forewarned.

Forfend nodded. It made its way carefully through the glass shrapnel and fallen stone littering the ground. It moved pillars, lifted sheets of glass, shifted mounds of stone.

All it found were corpses. Some had died in the initial collapse, some had been murdered by Envema, and some had died of their wounds shortly after they were trapped.

Forfend found the latter to be easily the most regrettable. If it had been faster, it may have been able to save at least a few of them. Steam hissed, its metal core settling heavy and low in its chest.

It made its way back to its allies and sat down by its new chosen charges, the former cultists.

The guards were nearly upon them now. They were carefully sweeping through the edges of the smoke and rubble, working their way towards the center.

Melzaryn stood up on a collapsed pillar. He raised an arm and waited.

The guards paused. They glanced at one another.

"Maybe we should get out of here," Kagoshi grumbled, tugging Kairi against his chest.

"We cannot run," Forfend pointed out. "That would make us appear guilty and it would explain nothing."

"I'm not saying we run," Kagoshi huffed. He glanced down at himself, covered in blood not all his own. His gaze traced the scattered viscera around them and the corpses of innocents strewn beneath rubble. "Just get away from the bodies."

"You put several of them here yourself!" Forfend protested.

"I only helped a little!" Kagoshi snapped. "I don't wanna hear anything from you and especially not from Melzaryn! I heard that manic laughter! It wasn't just my own!"

"I witnessed a dangerous lack of restraint from both of you," Forfend admonished.

"I witnessed a building collapse." Melzaryn stared off into the middle distance, eyes unfocused and jaw set. "That does things to a man."

Forfend had no idea what that meant, but it hardly sounded like an excuse for killing people.

Kagoshi rolled his eyes and gently shook Kairi. "Wake up, would ya?"

When she didn't respond, he gently and repeatedly smacked her face. "Wake up, Kairi."

A company of knights and guards slowly surrounded Forfend and its allies. The knights wore the typical Tyrwedian armor, but several of them were noticeably more decorated. Those particular individuals seemed to be in charge. They barked orders and moved in first. They were beelining for Melzaryn.

The head knight took the lead, his red cape rustling in the wind behind him. His armor was more ornately decorated than those around him. It was also more heavily fortified.

Forfend didn't think that seemed fair or wise. All armor should be built to the same standard--ideally, the gold standard to ensure maximum protection--and upgraded at every opportunity.

The head knight stared straight up at Melzaryn through his closed helm. His gaze drifted over to Kagoshi and then to Forfend. The tension surrounding him sharpened.

"Halt! In the name of High Knight Erest Ledrian, I demand you halt!" the head knight called out.

Forfend tilted its head slightly. It hadn't moved. Melzaryn hadn't moved. Even Kagoshi was already stockstill. And everyone else left alive out here in the rubble was unconscious.

Melzaryn had his own head tilted as well.

Forfend locked gazes with Kagoshi who shook his head and rolled his eyes. He looked back down to Kairi and continued trying to wake her up.

High Knight Ledrian pointed his longsword at Melzaryn's chest. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" He didn't wait for an answer. "On your knees. Now!"

Melzaryn kicked lightly at the gravel and glass beneath his feet. "Mm, can I sit? There's a lot of rubble."

"On your knees! Hands behind your head!" High Knight Ledrian repeated.

Melzaryn sighed. Rather than kneeling, he instead lay flat down on the ground and latched his hands around the back of his head.

A couple guards slinked past the High Knight and carefully approached Melzaryn. They shackled his hands behind his back.

"What is that?" one of the guards asked, staring wide-eyed at Forfend.

The other one glanced over his shoulder and gasped.

"Hello," Forfend nodded politely.

All of the surrounding guards jolted and raised their shields, their weapons coming up in a clatter of steel.

"I assure you I mean no harm and these people could use some help," Forfend responded evenly.

The guards eyed Forfend's two fallen charges and Kairi with suspicion. They took stock of the dozens of corpses within sight. Grimaces settled on their faces by the time their eyes returned to Forfend.

Melzaryn mumbled into the dirt.

"Get him up!" High Knight Ledrian ordered.

The guards at Melzaryn's back grasped his manacles and yanked him upright.

Melzaryn shifted himself into a crouch rather than a kneel.

The guards hefted him fully to his feet.

"They don't want to talk. Just let them do what they want until they ask," Melzaryn advised.

Forfend hummed low in its chest.

More guards surrounded Forfend, weapons at the ready.

It sat in silence.

Other knights and guards swept through the field of rubble. They searched for survivors and clues across every square inch of the destruction.

The High Knight worked alongside them.

Forfend watched them in its peripheral vision as it monitored its wounded charges.

High Knight Erest Ledrian was of particular interest to Forfend. He was already far more present than King Ledrian seemed to be, but Forfend wondered what his overall reputation was. And how he was related to the king.

"Sir Doverba!" High Knight Ledrian suddenly called.

One of the more decorated knights snapped to attention.

"Secure the rest of the area," he ordered and cast a disdainful look toward Forfend and its allies. "I wish to speak with these individuals."

The knight, presumably Sir Doverba, nodded and set to task.

High Knight Ledrian approached the disheveled party and looked all of them over very carefully, assessing the threat they posed. His eyes lingered longest over Forfend.

Forfend hummed to itself. Kagoshi probably didn't look like much of a threat where he was leaned over Kairi and ignoring everything as he tried to awaken her, but he would always be more dangerous than Forfend.

"Who are all of you and what are you doing here?" High Knight Ledrian asked. He held his shield at the ready and kept his sword in hand. Distrust radiated off him. "You seem to be surrendering, which is unnatural for Envema. What are you and why are you here?"

"Well, we're definitely not Envema," Melzaryn offered.

"Do I look like I'm part of any group?" Kagoshi griped sarcastically.

"I'm the one asking questions here," High Knight Ledrian said. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"We're more or less just passing by," Melzaryn answered. "Pretty sure we have a court date? I don't know. That's not something I was paying attention to." He shrugged. "Anyway, yeah, we witnessed these Envema bastards destroy this beautiful building that I intended to use to get home." He humphed irritably. "And then they started stabbing people, so we fought them. It was a bit of a mess because they explode when they die. Two of them are unconscious."

"You've captured two of them?" He gestured to two of the guards nearby who rapidly took position at his sides. "Where are they?" He pointed his blade at the men beside Forfend. "Them?"

Forfend hovered a protective hand over its charges.

"Before you interact," Melzaryn warned, "I remind you they do tend to explode. It's something of a coin flip when they're unconscious. It doesn't really follow the rules of known magic. Be careful." He paused. "But, yeah, it's those two."

High Knight Ledrian nodded. "While I do appreciate that explanation, you have still not told me who you are."

"Oh, right." Melzaryn tapped his head as though he was surprised he'd forgotten. "I'm Melzaryn Collymore and I won't answer for the rest of these guys."

High Knight Ledrian hissed through his teeth and stood up straighter. The guards at his sides glanced nervously at each other.

The guards holding Melzaryn's bindings immediately loosened their holds. After a moment, they dropped the shackle chains altogether and stepped back. They kept their weapons ready, but made no further move to restrain.

"I see, Sir Collymore." High Knight Ledrian nodded politely and pulled a Sending Stone from his back pocket. He whispered into it, then looked up again. "Please stand to the side while we secure the area."

Melzaryn shuffled off to the edge of the makeshift battlefield. His pair of guards followed him at a slight distance.

High Knight Ledrian turned to the rest of the group.

Kairi groaned and stirred.

"Hey, there you are," Kagoshi muttered in a gentler tone than Forfend had ever heard from him.

Kairi opened her eyes. She squinted against the dusky gray light filtering through the airborne ash.

High Knight Ledrian inspected the crowd of his men surrounding Forfend and Kagoshi.

All of them stood in low stances, shields raised and weapons on full display.

"Everyone back up now," High Knight Ledrian ordered.

The guards glanced at one another for a brief moment. Confusion muddled their expressions.

"Dangerous arcana." He titled his head at the two former Envema members. "Back up. Now."

This time, they scrambled to obey.

High Knight Ledrian strode forward and took in Forfend's massive form with a scrutinizing stare. "Hmph." He eyed Kagoshi over his shoulder. "Are you the one who owns this?"

"Nope," Kagoshi responded without looking up.

There was a moment of silence, but no further explanation was offered.

"I am not owned," Forfend answered for itself. It was very used to the question. Almost every stranger asked.

High Knight Ledrian turned his full attention back to Forfend. His eyes locked onto its runic face. He hesitated, his head tilted.

Forfend gave him several seconds to stare before speaking again.

"I will answer any questions you may have," it offered.

High Knight Ledrian contemplated quietly for another long moment. "I see."

He raised his chin. "Well, as per procedure, I'd like to kindly ask you to come with us to a more secure facility. Some of us will stay behind to scour the area for survivors."

Forfend doubted they would find any if it hadn't, but it hoped anyway.

Forfend turned to its wounded charges. "They are hurt. They need help."

High Knight Ledrian glanced at them. "They will live for now."

"For now?" Forfend balked.

He nodded. "Unless someone comes along and kills them, they should be fine."

"These are innocent people," Forfend insisted. "Insidious mind control magic caused them to act violently. They are free of that curse. They need to be cared for."

"As per standard..." he began, then paused. "I know this is a very tense situation." He paused again and inclined his head.

"Forfend," it offered.

"Sir Forfend. I know this is a very tense situation," he repeated, "but we have procedures we must follow to ensure nothing falls through the cracks."

Forfend failed to see how not tending to the wounded would prevent information slipping through his hands.

"While I do agree that the two Envema members you somehow managed to capture are wounded, they are not dying at the moment and, thus, can wait," High Knight Ledrian stated firmly. "Do you understand?"

Forfend gently touched each of the former cultists scarred chests. It wished it could do more for them. "Do not hurt them," it requested. "Please."

"We would not risk such a valuable insight," High Knight Ledrian assured.

Forfend hummed low for a long moment. It disliked the way he was talking about people like things.

"Now, please come with us," he ordered more than asked.

Forfend looked over the gaggle of nervous guards. "No one will panic when I stand, right?"

The guards muttered nervously amongst themselves.

Forfend's exhausted body creaked and groaned as it carefully got to its feet. Where it had been roughly eye level with the guards, it now towered over them. It pulled the Orison Aegis in tight against its side, but that did not prevent the guards from noticing the obvious absurd size difference between its tower shield and their own.

Several of them looked rattled. Luckily, none truly panicked.

High Knight Ledrian was fully unfazed, or doing a very convincing job of looking as such. Forfend was uncertain which.

"Ouch," Kairi whined.

High Knight Ledrian turned to face her and Kagoshi.

Kagoshi held a finger in front of her face until she could focus on it. "Good, now that you're fully awake... Uh, shit's going down."

"I need to ask you both to come with us as well," High Knight Ledrian informed the pair.

"Did we get the guy? What happened?" she mumbled and pressed massaging fingers to her temple.

"I mean, yeah," Kagoshi shrugged. "Apparently, we got two. Is that the one that was covered in ice? I thought he was dead."

"He was not," Forfend sighed in a rush of steam.

"Get up. We must go," High Knight Ledrian urged. "We must escort you to a more secure facility. Please stand."

"Oh shit, there's a bunch of guards here too," Kagoshi feigned surprise.

"We've been here for five minutes," one of them timidly squeaked.

Another guard elbowed the one who'd spoken. "Shut up."

"Huh. Hadn't noticed," Kagoshi said dismissively.

High Knight Ledrian stepped aside.

All of the guards followed suit, leaving one clear path to exit the rubble.

"Yeah, yeah." Kagoshi stood. Pain shot across his features, followed by a grinding crunch. He nearly fell back down, blood gushing from his impaled leg. "Fuck! Mhm. That's fine," he wheezed.

"Do you need help?" Forfend asked.

"No, I'm good," Kagoshi lied through grit teeth. He shifted his weight onto his less damaged leg. "I'm fine. I can walk."

Forfend glanced at the guards. "May I assist him?"

"No!" Kagoshi snapped immediately.

The guards shared nervous looks.

"Do whatever you feel is necessary," High Knight Ledrian allowed.

Forfend nodded and approached Kagoshi.

"No! Do not fucking touch me!" Kagoshi snarled.

Forfend ignored his protests. It wrapped its arm around him and took as much weight off his wounded side as it could.

"Get your arm off me right now or I'll throw you into these people!" he threatened loudly.

The guards jumped, throwing their shields in front of their bodies and locking them together in formation.

"You think your puny shields will protect you from his stone body?!" Kagoshi shouted.

High Knight Ledrian raised his longsword.

The sharp shing of a whetstone across steel sounded in Forfend's chest. Steam hissed. "I would have picked anyone else up, but I know your pride would not have it. Now hush! We need to go."

High Knight Ledrian's helm tilted slightly. His body slowly relaxed. He finally returned his blade to its scabbard. "Our personnel will escort you."

Kagoshi growled, but didn't make any further threats. He simply pushed at Forfend with his supernatural strength.

If he hadn't been so exhausted, he would likely have been able to push it away. As it stood, however, he was far too spent to put his usual force into the motion. Strong though he was, Forfend was stronger for the moment.

"Before we go," Kairi piped up, "I have one question."

"What is it, ma'am?" High Knight Ledrian asked. His irritation with them was well-masked but quickly growing.

"If I left you lavender so you could make them calming tea, would you accept it and do that for them?" Kairi watched the pair of unconscious men breathe. Guilt tugged her lips down and knit her brows.

"I suppose," he mulled. "Do you have lavender on you at this very moment?"

Kairi scooped up dust and rubble. Inexplicably, lavender burst from the unfavorable filth and bloomed.

"Oh!" High Knight Ledrian drew his shoulders back in surprise. "I see."

"So, would you take it?" Kairi pushed.

"Hm. Later," he promised. "I would prefer not to have any arcana flung about this unstable environment."

"I'll hold you to that," Kairi replied.

He nodded.

A knight made his way to Melzaryn. The guards cleared out and left him to tend Melzaryn alone.

"Sir Collymore." The knight bowed slightly. "We are escorting everyone to a safer location. Please come with us."

"Yeah, sure," Melzaryn agreed readily. "I'd hate to raise tensions by picking up my staff. Could you do that for me?"

"Of course, sir!" the knight exclaimed and stooped to grab the weapon.

"Thank you," Melzaryn grinned.

"Alright, if you'd follow me please," the knight requested.

Melzaryn trotted casually after the man.

Forfend, Kagoshi, and Kairi were led after them by a much more serious and heavily armed escort of knights and guards.

It only took Kagoshi three steps eased by Forfend's assistance to stop fighting. He grumbled and growled, but he let Forfend bear the bulk of his weight.

The slightest flicker of orange light passed across Forfend's chest.

"I hope Erzor is alright," it muttered to itself. The halfling man hadn't been caught in the collapse, but he'd almost certainly been caught in the chaos that followed.

"Who?" Kagoshi asked.

It couldn't tell if he was joking, so it simply chose not to respond.

Forfend's attention was drawn back to the matter at hand by the sight of Cragwall in panic.

Guards tore through the crowds, hunting for any hint of more Envema members. People fled into their homes. Buildings slammed their doors and closed their shutters. A golden shimmer of magical protection surrounded the cathedral.

A small shop near the entrance to the noble district had a red light flashing rapidly by the door. A high-pitch beep followed each flash.

Suddenly, a voice with a strange mechanical undertone not unlike Forfend's own rang out with an urgent but professional cadence, "Attention, customers of Moli's Marvelous Mementos, we are now closed due to unforeseen circumstances. Please vacate the premises."

Steel jutted from the earth surrounding the establishment and encased the building in a thick series of plates.

Forfend titled its head at the interlocking triple "M" logo branded into each metal panel. Was that only the logo for the shop, or had the proprietor actually constructed the security measures themselves?

Up ahead, Melzaryn's knight broke away from the rest of the group.

Before them loomed the starkly imposing military complex with its deep shadows cast by stormy gray walls.

Forfend noticed it, Kairi, and Kagoshi were being ushered towards a fortified entrance that looked to lead directly into holding cells.

Melzaryn and his idly chattering knight were headed toward what appeared to be the front entrance.

Forfend wasn't certain who Melzaryn was for his name to carry so much weight, but it was clear he wouldn't be receiving the same treatment as the rest of the group. He was not under the same suspicion. He would not be treated as a criminal or a threat.

Forfend wondered why he hadn't tried to extend that amnesty to his traveling companions. He knew they'd done no wrong.

A series of heavy clicks and clanks sounded as locks were unlatched from the opposite side of the steel door Forfend was guided to stand in front of.

The door slid open.

Everyone around Forfend hesitated.

The door was above average, but still not exactly comfortable for Forfend to use. It ducked and drew its shoulders in.

"I will manage," it placated. It carefully wedged itself through the doorway and into the hallway beyond. The act was considerably more difficult with Kagoshi leaned into its bulk.

Locked cells, many occupied, lined either side of the hall.

Ahead, a guard opened an empty one and motioned for Forfend to enter.

It carefully released Kagoshi. When it was sure he could stand on his own, it stepped away from him.

It only just managed to shuffle sideways into the more narrow entry to the cell. It sat down in the center of the cramped space.

Kairi was placed in the empty cell straight across from it.

Kagoshi hissed through his teeth as he limped his way into the cell to Forfend's right.

Guards entered each cell. One in each group held his hands out expectantly.

Kairi responded first, handing off her staff, recently purchased sword, and backpack.

"Ah, fuck! I left my kanabo in the rubble," Kagoshi complained. "I don't have anything else. No bag, no weapons. That was it."

Forfend handed the guard its mace.

The man grunted at the weight of it and passed it off to the man next to him. The second guard immediately left with it.

Forfend offered an empty-handed guard its shield.

The man gasped and staggered. "Oh fuck, that's heavy," he swore as he struggled to hold up what was for him an excessive and cumbersome weight.

Two more guards moved to help him. They clambered awkwardly out of the cell. The Orison Aegis tinged off the bars.

Forfend winced. "Be careful with that. It is blessed."

The guards flinched and stared at each other with startled eyes. They looked back to Forfend.

After a moment, they seemed to conclude it was serious. A guard scrambled off and returned shortly with a large silk tablecloth. The set of guards carefully wrapped the shield before they bundled it off.

Forfend nodded appreciatively.

The guard in front of Forfend looked it over. "Your bandolier."

Forfend glanced down at the item in question. The thick leather strip was covered in pouches and clips. "They are tools. Smithing tools mostly."

The guard nodded. "Remove them please."

It carefully unlatched the bandolier from its belt and passed the full length of overburdened leather to the guard.

"Alright, that should be all." He gave Forfend another pass. "Wait." His eyes lingered over the pouch on Forfend's belt.

Instinctively, Forfend pressed its hand to the pouch of Calamity Shards.

"Please do not take my belt," Forfend requested. It trailed fingers along the hem of the excess fabric hanging down from the front of the belt. "I do not need clothing for I have nothing to cover, but I find people tend to be less uncomfortable if I wear something. The perceived nudity is detrimental to communication."

The guard considered for a long moment. "You can keep the belt, but what's in the pouch?"

A rockslide tumbled in Forfend's chest. "Rocks," it answered vaguely and thanked Fornax for its monotonous voice.

"What?" The guard tilted his head. "Are they, like, healing items for you?"

Forfend hummed. "Rocks do repair me," it replied, sprinkling a little more truth into its severely understated technicality.

Guilt left its core feeling heavy and sluggish, but the full truth would put all of Cragwall in danger.

"Okay, so they are healing supplies." The guard nodded and took in Forfend's battered form. "I suppose since you're clearly injured and I don't really know how you heal, I'll let you keep them."

"Thank you," Forfend said sincerely.

"What are you doing?" another guard whispered. "We're supposed to take everything!"

"Look at that thing!" the first guard whispered back. "Do you think we could take its stuff if we wanted to? No. It's giving up these things out of the kindness of its heart. I'm not fucking with that."

Forfend tilted its head. "I greatly appreciate it. You are very kind."

The guard ducked his head politely. The whole group took their leave.

Forfend looked down at its empty hands. With nothing to do and nowhere to go, it was already feeling quite bored. It could rest, but it would not be night for hours.

Steam hissed long and slow. It shut its rune off.

Hours passed in relative silence.

Eventually, a trio of guards returned. Two of them carried food which was delivered promptly to Kairi and Kagoshi.

The third was the same man who'd allowed Forfend to keep its pouch. He held out a pile of as many rocks as he could carry.

Forfend lit its rune and tilted its head.

"I don't know if these will help you," he mumbled sheepishly, "but I didn't think you could eat or anything, so I just brought these."

"They will help brilliantly. Thank you." Forfend lit its chest up and plucked one of the stones from his hand. It pressed the rock into a small wound on its side.

Immediately, the area heated up. The rock fused into place and transmuted into marble. Within moments, the wound was gone.

The guard stared, his jaw slack. "Holy shit, I gotta tell my friends," he whispered under his breath. He placed the other stones in front of Forfend and ran back the way he'd come.

Forfend watched him go. When it heard the door close behind him, steam hissed in its chest.

It opened the pouch of wrapped crystals and placed half of the rocks over top of them. It gently shook the pouch until the rocks covered the crystals.

The rest of the rocks it pressed into its various wounds. The heat of healing comforted it.

It shut its rune off again and settled in for a more proper rest.

The jail had little in the way of light, only having small, narrow windows at the top of each cell. The bit of light that did filter in slowly dimmed with the sunset. Shortly after, the lanterns along the walls were put out and everyone was plunged into darkness.

Forfend's worries arose with the moon.

It feared for the lives of the former Envema members. It fretted over the lost protestors, and the wellbeing of the wounded and grieving survivors. It questioned its own safety as well as the safety of its friends.

Thoughts of Jessie and Foumedo swirled through its mind. It wished it could know its family and hometown were safe while it wasn't there to protect them. If something like the strange blue demon-like creature happened, it wouldn't find out until it was too late.

And what if there were Calamity Shards it hadn't found? What if someone encountered one?

What was it going to do with the shards it already had? How many more times would it have to lie about them?

The pouch felt heavy on its waist, but not due to the added rocks. Similarly, its core was weighted with guilt and spinning nauseatingly.

Forfend felt like it was being crushed beneath its anxieties. The thoughts droned on and on, jumping from one to the next to the next to the next and back to the first until it was dizzy.

They muddled together until it could hardly tell one from another. Forfend fretted until it could no longer tell what, specifically, it was even fretting about anymore.

The worries faded into background noise, buzzing in the back of its mind. New thoughts pulled themselves to the forefront from somewhere deep and forgotten.

"I want to see them, but I have never gotten to before. I wonder if they would let me?" chimed a thought that felt far away and extremely present at the same time.

Forfend latched onto the distant epiphany.

Its awareness of its true surroundings warbled away, overtaken by its imagination of the dreamlike memory.

Colors slipped into their places. Bloody red skies. Cracked brown earth. Warm orange firelight. Dull gray rocks and iron.

The Sundering.

Fornax's Forge.

Something whirred through Forfend's thoughts: an acknowledgment of its situation, fleeting but important. This was a memory, yes. But it was also a vision.

Forfend would need to heed the message held within.

Forfend took in its remembered surroundings. It stood idly at the edge of an expansive marble floor. Iron pillars soared into the sky in rows to either side.

It stood at the entrance to Fornax's Forge which overlooked...

Forfend tilted its head, staring.

There was empty, untouched earth where the village should've been.

Where the village would be, Forfend realized. This memory was earlier than the last one it had recalled in this manner.

Instead of a village, a village's worth of disheveled, exhausted, wounded mortals quaked.

A flash of these people building their village traced through its mind. It wondered how they'd ever reached that point when they looked so destitute. How could they begin? How had they begun?

Forfend tugged itself from the memory of construction and settled back into its vision of shivering mortals. It could find the answer to its questions here, where they'd first arrived.

A battle raged in the distance, tearing at the bleeding sky. The scale was impossible to determine. One could never be sure if they were witnessing a demon fight a few miles away or some sort of cataclysmic destruction on the other side of the world.

Forfend hazarded a guess that the fight was nearer and the mortals had fled from it.

A handful of stumbling mortals approached the forge. They stared up and up and up.

Forfend became suddenly aware of Fornax's towering presence at its side and just a bit behind it.

"I beseech you please," one mortal begged in a trembling voice. Tears streamed down her dirty face. "Fornax, protect us."

"I do not hand anything out," Fornax replied harshly in his mountain-rumbling tone. "You make do with what you have. You make yourselves what you are. I do not assist in this matter. What you do here is based on your own merits. Who you are here is based on your own merits and what you decide to do."

Fornax turned, thundering steps disappearing back into the forge.

"W-what?" the mortal's broken voice cracked.

Scattered gasps and hopeless mumblings spilled through the crowd.

Forfend stared after Fornax.

It understood what he meant. He had given them permission to stay, provided they prepared their settlement for themselves.

It looked back to the mortals.

They were dejected, sobbing, huddled together in tight groups. They had nothing.

They wouldn't be able to begin.

Forfend looked back into the endless forge. Fornax had to help them. He couldn't deny them when they couldn't work. This was not their fault.

Another look at the stricken mortals was all it took to convince Forfend. It held a single finger out to their representative and chased after Fornax.

Fornax was already hammering away at red-hot metal. He was creating something Forfend didn't recognize. Perhaps something wholly new.

A divine messenger had recently arrived with a concept for a new weapon intended for Iram's warriors. The sea god was not one for dawdling or for unnecessary requests.

Forfend wasn't surprised Fornax had begun work immediately.

Still, there was an even more pressing matter standing on the doorstep.

Fornax returned the hammer to his belt and carefully molded the metal with his bare hands. Holy flames flickered in the seams of his body. The forge in his belly overflowed with a bright white inferno.

He was very busy. Or he was trying to be.

Forfend could tell by the subtle way his hands twitched that he was distracted.

"They need us," Forfend said firmly. "They need you."

Fornax turned one foot to point in Forfend's direction. He didn't pause his work, but Forfend knew it had his attention.

"They need help," it continued. "They are scared and alone. They are in danger. We cannot leave them like that."

He paused his work. A three-pronged spear glowing golden with heat spun in his hands.

"Forfend."

It looked into Fornax's distant face, high above it.

He did not look down. "What do you think will happen if I give into them? I will save them, yes, but what of their future?"

Forfend wasn't sure if it understood. "They would be safe," it stated the obvious and watched Fornax's shoulders heave. "What do you think would happen?"

"They would indeed be safe. I would have saved them," Fornax confirmed. "That is not my purpose." He paused and drew in a short breath. "I am to teach."

The new weapon cooled in the air, a resounding clang emanating from it as though it were still being hammered. Molten slag steeled into cold gray. The strange spear looked complete, but Fornax was studying it with discontent in the slight furrow of his brow.

"If I were to simply save them, they would never learn to live independently. I can offer guidance, but nothing more." Fornax released the weapon, leaving it spinning in the air. "Forfend." He turned fully toward Forfend and knelt.

Forfend stared. It was stunned. Fornax did not emote much or often, and he did not halt his work to acknowledge anything short of an Atroxian intrusion on the forge.

"Mortals are very interesting creatures," Fornax admitted, "but I am the god of all things artificial. They are natural. It is not my place to be their guiding hand. All I can offer for them is new tools and inspiration. That is what I am to do."

There was an undertone to his voice Forfend almost didn't recognize. The emotion was buried, and it took Forfend a moment to parse it. Weariness. Something almost like regret.

He wanted to help the mortals.

"They have nothing. They cannot get started. They cannot try," Forfend pressed. "They cannot build with no materials or tools or supplies. They cannot make with only the blistered skin of their palms."

Fornax watched with the same deep-set frown he always wore.

"So if you are to teach, then I will be to help," Forfend concluded.

There was a shift in Fornax's demeanor. He leaned back slightly and regarded Forfend carefully.

"Is that what you wish your purpose to be?" Fornax asked. There was the slightest hint of a quiver in his voice and Forfend suddenly understood the significance of the question.

It nodded.

"Hm," Fornax vocalized. He looked out towards the entrance of the forge.

If Forfend focused, it could hear pieces of the mortals' conversations. Mutterings of confusion and despair.

"What's happening?"

"What's going on?"

"What did we do?"

"What do we do?"

"How are we going to survive?"

"Where will we go?"

Fornax listened briefly before returning his stern gaze to Forfend. "I reward ingenuity, inspiration, and hard work. If they do not find themselves willing to work hard in order to thrive, then there is nothing I can do for them."

He leaned down a little further. "I can only inspire, but you... If you truly wish, you can help." He reached one massive iron hand down, hovering it above Forfend.

Forfend nodded, determined. "I will. I will help them. And they will work hard," it promised.

"If they do, I shall reward them," Fornax promised in turn."But I cannot make them change. If you simply save a man, all he will do is continue to look toward you for guidance and safety. He will not be his own. That is what I'm trying to tell you, Forfend."

He paused, studying Forfend's blank face. "And yet, you may help them if that is what you wish your purpose to be. But know that eventually they must learn to stand on their own two feet. So go, save them. Save them, yes, but teach them all the same. Do you understand?"

Forfend nodded once again, deadly serious.

"These are troubling times," Fornax hummed. "The world is being sundered apart and, from what I hear, gods are being born from things you would not expect. Things that the world may be better left without are being born into existence as a result. These are trying times, indeed. So, yes, save them. Help them, if that is what you wish your purpose to be," he reiterated. He needed to be certain this is what Forfend wanted. For its part, it had never been more certain of anything. "But teach them too."

Forfend nodded yet again. "I will let them depend on me only until they are strong enough that I may depend on them. We will help each other."

"Hmph," Fornax huffed, the edges of his mouth upturning the slightest bit. "Then this shall be the first of many. I look forward to bearing witness to your exploits."

"Thank you." Pride swelled in Forfend's chest, lighting it bright orange.

"I wonder: is this truly what you wish?" Fornax harped again. He was worried, much moreso than he would allow himself to voice.

"It is," Forfend said. It paused, considering briefly. "I think that it is," it repeated more softly but with twice the conviction.

"If so, you have found your purpose. You wish to help, to create, and to make the mortals into something new," Fornax summarized. "Is that correct?"

"Yes," it answered earnestly.

"You wish to inspire and as such, your soul has been marked by this purpose." Fornax drew in a deep breath. His hand that Forfend had forgotten was hovering over it closed the distance. A single finger tapped Forfend's stone face. "This here. This has changed now. Your soul has changed now. You have found purpose. And as such, you've fully come to realize what your power is."

He stood, rumbling like an avalanche in the motion. He turned back to his forge and the idly spinning weapon.

"You have the ability to make. To forge things from nothing, as you will also inspire them to do," Fornax informed. "You will inspire them to build themselves up, so they may stand on their own."

He did not look down. His gaze was fixed somewhere much more distant than the walls of the forge. "A glorious purpose," he quietly praised.

He pulled his hammer from his belt and set back to work. Heavy metal twangs reverberated through the forge.

Forfend's chest glowed brilliant orange. It turned and tromped confidently back to the entrance of the forge.

Forfend touched its chest as Fornax's words replayed in its head. Creation and inspiration.

The constant hum of energy deep in its center had changed. No longer was it a warbling chaos, capable of anything but meant for nothing. There was order now, a pattern, an intention. A purpose.

It knew that its fluid, random demigod ability had finally settled. And it knew instinctively how to use it.

The mortals were still clustered at the entrance to the forge. They all turned to look when Forfend emerged. Some wore hope, but most were too exhausted for that sort of optimism. They instead looked fearful or despairing or angry.

"Night is falling," Forfend hummed, wading carefully through the crowd until it found their representative. "We must begin work now if we are to have you all in shelter before dusk."

"We can stay?" the woman asked. Her sharp eyes bore into Forfend's face with an expression so determined and hopeful that it knew she would thrive here or anywhere.

"Fornax told you when you arrived that you could stay," Forfend replied. "He only told you he would not help you build. He is to teach. He has, however, built me to help."

It reached up, touched its face, and felt its body heat up. Fear edged into its mind as pain burned from its insides out.

Steam hissed as it calmed itself. Forfend focused on drawing forth the energy into what it wanted, what it needed. What the mortals needed.

The first tool it ever took into its hand was a hammer. Simple but stout, capable of building and defending. A promise of what it would offer and an explanation of what it would expect in turn.

It passed its creation to the representative and set to work making more and different tools.

Pain scorched deep in its center and golden ichor flowed from its face. It did not mind. It would gladly put its heart and soul into assisting these mortals. It would bleed for them the way they had already bled for each other.

As Forfend moved through the crowd distributing tools while the representative dispensed instruction, the memory grayed.

Forfend grasped for it, but the vision was over. The sounds muted, the lights dimmed, the shapes blurred.

It was dropped back into the dark of its cell.

Forfend sat, stunned.

Its purpose was not war. How could it have forgotten that?

It had chosen to help the mortals long ago and it had seen very recently that the world was in turmoil. Now was again the time to help.

A fleeting thought about how troubling it was Forfend had forgotten so much crossed its mind. It had never had memory issues before and it was only now noticing how many gaps there were when it tried to focus on specifics.

It couldn't, and didn't want to, dwell on that thought over the exhilaration of purpose. It knew again who it was and why it had chosen to be that person. It could finally, truly get back to work. And it realized that it had never fully stopped.

Forfend's worries were dashed. The rest of its night was spent in hopeful and dreamy thoughts. Tyrwedia was in turmoil, but it would help. It was sure it could help here. And maybe even beyond if the occasion called for it.

Morning was quickly upon it.

A guard stepped into view, unlocking each of their cells. Forfend recognized him as the same man who'd brought it rocks.

It lit its rune and stood.

"You'll be released and your things will be returned as soon as the interrogation, or, uh... questioning?" The guard nodded to himself. "Questioning is better. The questioning is done."

"Alright, let's go," Kagoshi huffed.

The guard nodded again. "Yep." He escorted the trio to a door at the end of the hallway. "So here's the door. Uh... Good luck?" He shrugged and ducked away as soon as they entered the room.

"I appreciate the hospitality you have shown us," Forfend called after him. It gently shut the door and turned.

A knight sat behind a large metal desk bolted into the floor. Two chairs and a large, low crate awaited the trio.

Forfend immediately accepted the offered accommodations.

Kairi took the middle chair and Kagoshi slinked into the last.

An arcanist stood off to the side, dressed in priestly robes. He held a scale in hand and tilted it idly back and forth. The two empty plates shifted lightly as their weight shuffled.

He was a cleric of Cassis. Forfend was certain of that and quite glad to have a representative of the god of law here with them.

The man muttered a prayer and held up a strange orb.

The knight sitting in front of them nodded politely. "Our friend here is casting a spell to ensure that no lies are spoken in this room. I will request that you do not resist. It will make this process much smoother."

The arcanist completed his incantation. A swirl of holy energy ghosted across the room.

Forfend let the divine magic wash over it unimpeded. As far as it could tell, its allies did the same.

"First things first, what's your full name?" the knight asked.

"Kagoshi."

The knight glanced at the mage.

The mage subtly shook his head.

"That's not your full name," the knight gruffed.

Kagoshi growled. "Kagoshi Senshi."

"Senshi," the knight repeated. "Senshi?"

"Yeah," Kagoshi deadpanned.

The knight blinked, but wrote the name down anyway. "Okay. Where are you from?"

Kagoshi paused. "That's a good question," he mumbled. "North."

"North?" The knight's brows knit.

"Yeah, that's about the best estimate I can give."

"Are you lost or something?"

"No, just traveling." Kagoshi grew quiet. Distant. "Can't remember the location of home."

"Alright," the knight nodded as he wrote the information down. "And what about you?" He nodded towards Forfend. "What's your name?"

"Forfend," it answered. "I sometimes use the last name Smith."

The knight looked it over. "From what I understand from my compatriots, it seems that no one owns you. Are you your own independent construct?"

Forfend nodded. "I was created by Fornax directly. I own myself."

There was a clatter as the mage nearly dropped his scales.

The knight opened his mouth to speak, but stuttered so badly the words were incomprehensible. He stared at the mage.

The mage nodded, equally bewildered.

"I see," the knight managed, turning back to Forfend. He straightened his back as his whole demeanor shifted. "Well, um, in that case, we'll try to get this over with as quickly as we can. I'm sure you understand?"

Forfend nodded. "You may relax. I mean you no harm and I am not perturbed by what you are doing here."

The knight glanced back at the mage. The mage nodded.

"Alright." The knight took a deep breath and composed himself. "And what about you, miss?"

"My name is Kairi Camilla."

The knight scratched her name down as well. He stared at his sheet for a moment, then looked back up at Forfend. "Um, sorry, I got a touch distracted. Where are you from, Forfend Smith?"

"Just Forfend is fine," it replied evenly. "I have been living in Foumedo for the past two years, but I am originally from Fornax's Forge back when he had one here on Altromond."

"Oh!" The knight's hand shook slightly as he took down the information. "And you, Ms. Camilla?"

"I'm from the Adamantine Mountains," Kairi answered.

"Okay. So, first and foremost, why are you all here in Cragwall?" the knight asked.

"Court," all three of them replied flatly.

The guard froze, scanned over the odd group again, and nodded slowly. "Court for what?"

"A friend of mine was wrongly accused of a crime. We are here to clear his name," Forfend answered.

"Ah, you're making an appeal," the guard said mostly to himself. "Could you also recount to me what happened between your arrival in Cragwall and your involvement in the terrorist attack on the Teleportation Hub?"

"Certainly," Forfend agreed readily. "We were receiving a tour from one of Cragwall's citizens very shortly after arriving. During that, we witnessed the protests and, when we went to investigate, the sudden explosion. We got involved fighting the cultists because they had not only caused the explosion, but also because they were killing innocents in the rubble."

"Cultists," the knight prompted an elaboration.

"They called themselves Envema," Forfend supplied.

"Alright. I just wanted to be certain. And the individual escorting you?"

"Erzor. A halfling man."

"Do you know his last name? Could you provide a description?" The knight's pen scratched readily at the paper.

"Erzor Littlefoot. Brown hair, tan skin, dusty like a working man. About this tall," Forfend indicated, holding its hand at roughly the height of its waist. "A kind entrepreneur."

The knight nodded as he hastily wrote down all the information. "Thank you. We're trying to get into contact with all the witnesses we can. If he was escorting you, he would've seen what happened."

"I did lose him very shortly into the altercation. I had to dump him off my shoulders to catch the building," Forfend shared. "I do not know where he ended up."

"You caught the building?" The knight tilted his head.

"Kagoshi and I did, yes."

The knight squinted at Kagoshi.

In his current state, Kagoshi was shorter than Kairi and looked much weaker than he was.

"Could you recount the happenings between arriving at Cragwall and becoming involved in the fight?" the knight requested.

"Sure," Kagoshi shrugged. "We were following this halfling guy. I don't remember his name. I wasn't paying attention. He did a tour, we got to the Teleportation Hub, it blew up. I didn't see the people responsible until after the building collapsed, although I think I was the first one to catch it when it fell."

"You were," Forfend praised.

"Describe to me how you were able to catch the building," the knight prompted, clearly perplexed. "Forfend here is a holy construct who likely has abilities we're unaware of, but you..."

"I can double my size," Kagoshi said matter-of-factly.

The knight once again looked to the mage.

The mage nodded.

"Okay." The knight added the information to its to his report. "And that also affects your physical strength?"

"It does." Kagoshi tilted his head, recalling as much as he could. "If I had to guess, almost a hundred people were able to flee the collapse because of us. Some were injured. I think everyone caught in the first explosion was killed."

The knight nodded. "I regret to inform you that we did find no survivors in the rubble. Nonetheless, I wish to thank you for saving the protestors from the collapse. Your actions allowed many more people to escape quickly and survive."

Forfend ducked its head solemnly, taking a moment of silence for the departed.

The knight softly cleared his throat after a couple of seconds and looked to Kairi. "Could you recount events from your perspective?"

Kairi swayed back and forth a bit in her chair. "I don't remember very much. I had a really nasty headache. I heard the explosion, but I didn't see much."

"Missed the initial event due to experiencing medical issues," he mumbled to himself as he wrote. "And what of the ensuing battle? It seems you were heavily injured. You engaged in combat with the terrorists?"

"We did," Kairi confirmed. "I stayed at range mostly, but I moved in to distract one and he got a lucky hit on my back. It gets a little blurry after that."

The knight tapped his quill against his paper. "So the headache seemed to leave you as soon as the fight started?"

Kairi wavered her hand in a kind-of gesture. "Getting away from the noisy crowd and having adrenaline kick in definitely helped."

"Alright," the knight hummed as he scribbled down more notes.

"May I ask a question?" Forfend ventured.

"Sure," the knight allowed.

"The two surviving members of Envema. They were mind-controlled and we rescued them," Forfend emphasized. "They are innocent people. Are they alright?"

The knight's eyebrows shot up. He looked to the mage.

The mage nodded slowly.

"How are you aware that..." The knight trailed off and started over. "Envema is a group of individuals that has been extremely difficult for us to track down. They've been plaguing Tyrwedia for quite some time now. They attack major cities for currently unknown reasons. The fact that you manage to take, not one, but two of them in alive is a miracle. What makes you so certain these terrorists were brainwashed?"

"We saw it," Forfend asserted. "Once they were severely wounded, it was almost like they woke up. They had no recollection of where they were or what they were doing or what had happened to them." It placed its hands on the table and leaned forward for emphasis. "We were only able to speak to one of the two after the battle, but his last memory was of being in Riverhead. Three months ago. He has no idea what happened between then and now."

Kagoshi piped up, "I saw one of them open his eyes real wide, scream 'oh, gods,' and then blow up."

"Most of them did some variation of that," Forfend hummed grimly. "They did not know what they were doing and then they were dead."

The knight scrawled as quickly as he could. He flipped his page and continued rapidly recording everything they'd said.

"These are very interesting insights," he said shakily when he was done. He swallowed hard and composed himself before he continued. "We are aware of their spontaneous detonation upon death. That's what makes it so difficult for us to capture them. Any time we've knocked them out or cornered them, they've detonated themselves."

"Melzaryn referred to it as a coin flip as to whether or not they explode upon unconsciousness," Forfend informed.

"You're traveling with Sir Collymore?" the knight asked.

Forfend nodded.

"Eh, kind of," Kagoshi shrugged.

"He called us interesting and has been tagging along since," Forfend clarified. "Perhaps it is more accurate to say he is traveling with us, rather than us with him."

"Huh." The knight glanced at the mage.

The mage nodded. "The spell is still active. It's all true."

"Alright then," the knight chuckled at the absurdity. He shook his head and straightened his back. "Did you notice anything else during the incident that we should be aware of?"

"Well, stoneface here said most of them were built like farmers, but they were using their weapons like seasoned warriors," Kagoshi noted. "Takes years of training to use a blade or a bow like that."

"Melzaryn told us a bit about the runes carved into their chests. The two spells he named were Glyph of Warding and Geas. He said neither should have been able to have been used in the manner they were," Forfend added. "There was more to it than what he could glean in such a short time, but those were the basis."

The knight turned to consult the mage.

The mage nodded. "Yes, I can see how those two spells might..." he trailed off. "It's impossible, except in untested and, frankly, dangerous theory." His face screwed up in intense thought, theories swarming in his head.

"This has been extremely informative," the knight commended. "I very much wish to thank you for your time and I apologize for the accommodations we gave you last night. It's all we had on such short notice. We tried to make it as comfortable as we could."

Forfend felt the platitudes were empty and only offered because the knight now knew more about who and what they all were. It looked to the mage.

The mage returned an awkward half-smile and subtly shook his head.

Forfend huffed steam, but let the knight's little lie go.

"Before you go, do you have any questions for us?" the knight offered.

"Yeah, one," Kagoshi grumbled. "Did you go through my stuff?"

"We did not. We respected your privacy," the knight replied.

"Hm. Well, thank you."

"Would there have been anything in there that we should be aware of?" The knight cocked his head and squinted.

"No, not really," Kagoshi shrugged.

"Anything in your belongings we should worry about?" the knight directed the question at Kairi and Forfend.

"No," Kairi answered easily.

Forfend's core spun sideways. "Everything you took from me was benign. Most of it was simple tools."

The knight nodded. "Alright. I'd like to kindly thank you for your time. I hope the rest of your stay in Cragwall is pleasant despite recent events and I hope that your trial goes well. You are free to leave now."

A sudden thought struck Forfend. "What were the protestors protesting?"

The knight paused and scratched at his face. "It's rather complicated. The earth genasi claim they're seeking their land back, though the history I've heard is at odds with that. They were liberated from dragons in the past. Despite the king's best efforts, their relationship with the Tyrwedian monarchy is... poor. They seem to dislike the fact that we have settled anywhere around here at all. We've attempted diplomatic relations with them, but we've gotten nowhere."

"I see," Forfend hummed, though it was certain that was not the whole story. Likely, that wasn't even half of it.

"Any other questions?"

"When will court resume?"

"Given the recent attack, it'll be a couple of days before it reopens," the knight sighed.

"That gives us plenty of time to meet with our lawyer and perhaps sightsee," Forfend figured.

"Sightsee, sure," Kagoshi waved dismissively. "You guys wouldn't happen to have a knowledgeable wizard around, would you?"

"There are a number of arcanists here," the knight offered.

"Cool, cool. Got anybody that studies strange creatures and mythical beasts?"

"Well, for something like that, I'd say to try the Tyrwedian Grand Library." He paused to think a moment. "Or for the more mythical creatures specifically, you could speak to one of the clerics in the Grand Cathedral."

"Great," Kagoshi huffed.

"Alright, well, if you're all set, then you're free to leave and you can just ask the front desk to bring you your things. Have a pleasant day." The knight ducked his head politely, gathered his things, and left.

"Thank you," Forfend called after him.

Another guard arrived a moment later to escort the group to the actual front entrance of the military complex.

With their things returned in short order, they stepped out into the brisk morning air.

"Where's Melzaryn?" Kairi asked.

"Right here," Melzaryn answered as he walked up behind them. "Everything good?"

"In a relative sense," Forfend replied.

Its gaze had caught on the aftermath of the Teleportation Hub explosion. Makeshift fences had been put up all around the destruction. Guards patrolled the perimeter.

"I want to get this divine shit out of the way. I'm going to the temple. Have fun, assholes," Kagoshi gruffed and started to walk away.

"I intend to go to the temple also. I will accompany you." Forfend didn't ask.

"Mm," Kagoshi vocalized, loudly annoyed. "Mm-mm."

Someone cleared their throat right behind the group.

Melzaryn stiffened sharply. "Oh no." He turned around very slowly like a child caught doing something he shouldn't have been.

Forfend followed his gaze.

A little black pseudodragon perched precariously on a thin branch protruding from a small decorative tree.

"Welp, my trip to the library is getting delayed," Melzaryn sighed.

"Who is this?" Forfend asked.

The pseudodragon's concerningly intense gaze bore into Melzaryn. It looked up at Kagoshi, then Kairi, and finally Forfend. It fixed its stern gaze back on Melzaryn.

The pseudodragon spoke improbably with the voice of an adult man. It used a gentle, lilting language. Forfend recognized it as Elvish thanks to Jessie's occasional swearing.

Melzaryn responded calmly, though he looked nervous.

The pseudodragon just looked annoyed.

Forfend wasn't certain what they meant exactly, but it certainly recognized a series of Elvish swear words from the little creature.

After a bit of back and forth, the pseudodragon seemed to settle on a decision. It hopped onto Melzaryn's shoulder and stretched its neck out, indicating a specific direction.

The little creature snapped and huffed, arguing with Melzaryn again immediately.

Melzaryn seemed to be attempting to placate it.

The pseudodragon sighed and rubbed its little face. It grumbled something.

"Alright," Melzaryn suddenly dropped back into Common as he addressed the rest of his companions, "I have a talk to talk. If you want to come along, feel free."

"Sure," Forfend agreed. It was curious.

Melzaryn started walking, following the occasion direction indications from the pseudodragon.

Forfend followed.

Kagoshi and Kairi were close behind.

They didn't have to walk far.

The pseudodragon led them into a cluster of tightly packed houses. The alleyways were narrow and twisting.

Melzaryn stopped suddenly. He turned and peered into a tiny, hole-in-the-wall knickknack shop. He entered.

Kairi and Kagoshi herded straight in after him.

Forfend stooped and twisted, carefully easing itself through the doorway and into the cramped shop.

"Welcome in," the ancient, wheezing voice of the decrepit shopkeep called. The man shook with the effort of standing, his skin so thin it nearly looked translucent.

The pseudodragon spoke to him in Elvish.

Immediately, the man stood straighter. "We are closing very soon," he announced.

He hobbled across the shop and flipped the open sign to closed. He locked the door as well and turned, examining the group.

"Closing very soon, very soon," he muttered as he crossed the room again and trailed his fingers across a bookshelf.

He tugged a particular title. The bookshelf slid backwards and sideways, revealing a hidden alcove. "Get the fuck inside," the elderly man gruffed, losing his breathless cadence.

Melzaryn tilted his head at the narrow hallway. He looked skeptically at Forfend.

Steam hissed long and slow. "I am quite used to this."

Melzaryn shrugged and sauntered straight into the tunnel.

The shopkeep stepped in behind him.

Kagoshi and Kairi followed, eyeing their new surroundings cautiously.

Forfend ducked and hunched and drew its shoulders in tight against its sides. It wedged itself into the tunnel. Despite its best efforts, its highest stovepipe and both its shoulders scraped the ceiling and walls periodically.

As they moved, the shopkeep drew himself fully upright. Broad shoulders now filled out what had originally appeared to be a baggy cloak. Bold musculature defined his new silhouette. Color returned to his pallid skin. He was a wholly different person.

He pushed past Melzaryn and flipped through a ring of keys. "Meeting room's yours," he grumbled, unlocking a door at the end of the mercifully short hallway. "Give the signal when you're done."

The tiny black pseudodragon locked eyes with the shopkeep. "You do realize who you're speaking to?"

The man averted his eyes. "I meant no disrespect. The room is yours, sir. Please alert me when you're finished."

"Better," the pseudodragon praised condescendingly.

The group sidled into the meeting room.

Forfend followed, stone scraping against the door frame as it finally squeezed itself inside.

The shopkeep ducked his head and took his leave.

The pseudodragon flit down onto the table and turned to glare at them all. "Melzaryn, sit the fuck down."

Melzaryn sat down immediately.

Kairi took a seat next.

Kagoshi reluctantly sat next to her.

Forfend knelt at Melzaryn's side. It didn't trust the chairs to hold it.

The pseudodragon paced back and forth.

"Mel, you're explaining this later," Kagoshi growled.

"I'm explaining it now," Melzaryn hissed through grit teeth.

The pseudodragon suddenly stopped. "What the fuck did you do? What the hell?!" it snapped. "You walk into the capitol city of the vassal state of Tyrwedia and get arrested?!"

Melzaryn pressed his lips together and evaded eye contact.

"What happened?" the pseudodragon demanded.

"The big one's friend got into some kind of trouble," Melzaryn started, pointing at Forfend. "Probably falsely, I admit. That's why he had to come here and I figured why not? There's a Teleportation Hub here that I could use to go home. Which is now gone!" Melzaryn took a moment to seethe over that. "I love those buildings. I hate when they get destroyed."

"Ain't that the fucking truth," the pseudodragon huffed. "Libertalia's got blown up just last week. Don't worry, they've gotten it fixed."

"Uh, was it blown up by the group that we--" Melzaryn started.

"Nah," the pseudodragon interrupted. "Just some fucking pirates."

"Okay. Good?" Melzaryn hazarded.

"Listen. It's one thing to happen to be in a place when shit goes down," the pseudodragon growled lowly, steering them back on topic. "I get that. Coincidences, bro. But why the fuck were you in the middle of it?"

"Well," Melzaryn began.

"I thought you were traveling and trying to get your business established!" the pseudodragon yelled.

"In my defense," Melzaryn tried again, "we were nearby, these guys jumped in, and the building collapse made me just a little bit upset."

"Your fucking demigod bullshit," the pseudodragon groaned. "Sometimes, I can't tell if you're a genius or a godsdamned idiot. Who do I have to pay off?"

"Everything's fine with the explosion incident. It's taken care of," Melzaryn promised.

"How about this then: who brought you in?"

"Who brought me into this incident or who brought me into custody?" Melzaryn asked.

"Into fucking custody!" the pseudodragon clarified indignantly.

"High Knight Erest Ledrian," Forfend offered before Melzaryn could speak.

"The fucking king's son?!" The pseudodragon paced in circles and settled down only to lay its paws over its face. "Oh gods. By the triplets, what the fuck, Mel?"

"Hey, it's not that bad. The situation handled itself," Melzaryn tried.

"No, see, if the king's son was there then the king is absolutely going to hear about this."

"Is that a bad thing?" Forfend asked, genuinely perplexed.

"No, the king knowing what's going on isn't bad." The pseudodragon stomped over to Melzaryn and jabbed a tiny claw at his chest. "But the fact that you were there and involved? That's bad! Soon enough, everyone is going to know about it! It's going to cause problems for me and for you and for everyone else involved!"

"Yeah, I'm not exactly happy about it either," Melzaryn sighed.

"Okay. Alright. Okay, okay, okay," the pseudodragon mumbled under its breath as it reordered its thoughts. "Who the fuck are the rest of you?"

"Forfend."

"Kagoshi."

"Kairi."

"Alright, now I have names. Now I have connections." The pseudodragon pointed menacingly at all of them. "If you guys fuck him, I'll kill you."

"He's not even my type!" Kagoshi argued.

"Oh! I mean, he's handsome, but I really just don't know him like that," Kairi blushed.

Forfend glanced at the two of them and assumed it had misunderstood the original context. "I am physiologically incapable."

"He didn't mean like that," Melzaryn laughed. "Or, maybe he did?"

"I mean both ways!" the pseudodragon bristled.

It sat back on its hind legs and drew in a deep breath. "Mel. All of you. Word of advice for the future: keep your fucking heads down. Don't get in anymore trouble."

Forfend raised its hand. "I have been specifically requested not to keep my head down."

"By who?"

"Fornax."

The pseudodragon groaned and clutched its horns, shaking its head and stamping its feet. "Oh, gods-fucking-dammit. Mel, I'm so glad you didn't have to go through this weird fucking prophetic bullshit when we found out about you."

Forfend drew its shoulders back. It wasn't sure if it was offended, but it certainly wasn't content with that response. Its abilities and visions were a blessing, not weird bullshit.

"Alright, Mel," the pseudodragon refocused. "Here's what's going to happen: I'm going to handle the situation. I know you think it's well, but it really isn't. There are a lot of political moving parts in Tyrwedia right now and your arrival puts all their eyes on you. You're a Collymore. So I'm going to work on averting gazes." It turned to the rest of the group. "Please, for the love of the gods, try not to get involved in too much bullshit." It spun back to Mel. "And if you do, let me know ahead of time so I can prepare for that shit!"

"Noted," Melzaryn nodded. "Not much I can do about spontaneous explosions. However, I do have a court date."

The pseudodragon paused and closed its eyes tight, its face scrunching up. "When is that?"

"Couple of days."

"Explain what exactly that's all about."

"I mentioned his friend was wrongly accused," Melzaryn thumbed at Forfend. "That's why we came here specifically in the first place. It's a whole thing. Forfend's been keeping better track of it than I have."

"Forfend, explain," the pseudodragon ordered.

Steam hissed long and loud as Forfend heaved a heavy sigh. It looked to Melzaryn. "How much do I say?"

"You can tell him. He's probably handled them before," Melzaryn assured.

Forfend nodded and hunched down to be nearly on the same level as the tiny pseudodragon. "What I am about to tell you is information that I have been explicitly ordered not to share with anyone. I am making an exception because of your relationship with Melzaryn and I must request that you do not... fuck us either."

The pseudodragon nodded grimly.

Forfend launched into the story right from the top.

The pseudodragon sat stockstill for several seconds after Forfend finished speaking. It slowly pulled its hands up and pressed its palms together, radiating concern.

After half an eternity, it came to a conclusion. "Thankfully, I have contacts here who can dispose of those."

Forfend pressed its oversize hand to the pouch of Calamity Shards. "Dispose how?" it asked suspiciously.

"By getting fucking rid of them!" the pseudodragon barked. "I'll get them smuggled across the border away from here and dump them into the Azure Sea or something so some Carnifex Divinitus agents can think they found them all by themselves. They'll take them away."

"No."

The pseudodragon froze, jaw halfway open. It looked as though it hadn't heard that word in a long time. Probably too long.

"Mel, who the fuck is this?" it snapped.

"I think I actually agree with the tiny dragon on this one," Kagoshi piped up.

"The biggest concern here is whether they'll be destroyed or used," Melzaryn informed the pseudodragon.

"They need to be destroyed," Forfend added.

"They can't be," the pseudodragon said flatly. "It's best that the Carnifex Divinitus just pick them up. I'd rather them think they found it on their own."

Forfend worried with the pouch's drawstrings. "I would not want them left to chance long enough to do that."

"Couldn't we just bury them at the bottom of an ocean?" Kagoshi grumbled.

"Something down there would find them," the pseudodragon griped.

Melzaryn lightly nudged Forfend. "Generally, these dead drops do tend to pan out whenever my brother makes them."

"I can't believe you got into all of this," the pseudodragon said, pointing at Mel. "I can't believe you're okay. If I were actually there right now, I'd slap you in the face and then hug you."

"That's fair," Melzaryn conceded. "I'll accept that. I probably deserve a slap."

"Listen, first and foremost, do you want me to dispose of the crystals or not?"

Forfend hummed lowly.

"It's probably your best option," Melzaryn nudged.

"They are causing me a great deal of trouble," Forfend admitted, "but I am afraid to lose track of them."

"I run a very effective business," the pseudodragon preened proudly. It swaggered toward Forfend, the effect diminished by the creature's diminutive size. "One that, I can assure you, will not lose them."

"And they will not be misused?" Forfend immediately asked. Losing them was not the only danger. In fact, it could be the least of the dangers.

"Nope," the pseudodragon said confidently. "If I were to find out they had..." A fanged grin briefly crossed its face. "Let's just say the situation would be handled."

Forfend leaned away from the pseudodragon and pressed the pouch tight to its side.

"Just give the damn dragon the crystals already. Shit," Kagoshi swore.

Forfend reluctantly opened the bag. It touched the mundane stones covering the true threat beneath.

"I'm not going to let Midnight touch them. No one is touching them," the pseudodragon promised.

"Is that your name?" Kagoshi asked.

"No, it's not-- Agh!" the pseudodragon yelled irritably.

"It's the name of the creature," Melzaryn answered.

The pseudodragon, Midnight, twitched slightly and suddenly slumped into a lazy, hunched posture. It rolled onto its back and flapped a paw, begging belly scratches from Mel.

Forfend guessed Melzaryn's brother had dropped the spell out of sheer frustration.

Midnight made a barking squawk noise and wiggled.

Melzaryn gently scritched its belly.

Midnight twitched again. It pushed Melzaryn's hand away and shook itself off.

"Yeah, she's a treat," Melzaryn's brother spoke through his familiar again. "Alright, so... Where were we?" The pseudodragon shook itself again as though trying to gather its thoughts. It turned to face Forfend. "I can assure you, the situation will be handled and handled correctly."

Forfend slowly removed the mundane rocks from its pouch, transferring them into another. They could still prove useful as healing supplies, projectiles, or perhaps as cover again should it encounter anymore shards.

"I am placing a great deal of trust into you," it hummed, spacing its words slightly to put emphasis on every single one. "I will be highly disappointed and quite vengeful if I find that trust was misplaced."

"Let me lay this out in a way you'll understand: this situation affects Mel. As long as you have those, they will be a problem that directly affects Mel. I don't want that," the pseudodragon heavily emphasized its own words. "You've got your little friend Jessie. I've got Mel. It's the same sentiment. I don't want anything to happen to him the same way you don't want anything to happen to your friend. It will be taken care of because I don't want anything bad to happen to Mel."

Forfend hummed deep in its chest.

"I'm not going to misplace or misuse anything that could theoretically be traced back to Mel," the pseudodragon summarized. "And me," it added. An uncomfortable shiver ran through the pseudodragon as the gravity of the situation fully sank in. "Especially not something of this scale."

Forfend nodded. It wasn't certain it was convinced of the stranger's ability, but it was convinced of his loyalty to Melzaryn. It would have to trust Melzaryn's word on his brother's capabilities.

Steam hissed for a long moment. It placed the bag of Calamity Shards onto the table. "I have thirty-one of them."

"Thirty-one!" the pseudodragon balked. "Mel, what in the fuck?!" The little creature paced in circles, growling. "You know what? It's fine. That's fine. I'll handle it."

The pseudodragon lifted itself into the air on its tiny little wings and flit over to the door. With some effort, it unlatched the door and pried it open. It disappeared down the unlit hallway.

"So that miniature dragon thing is your brother?" Kagoshi asked, arching an eyebrow.

"No, that's Midnight. The person speaking through her is my brother," Melzaryn explained exasperatedly.

"You have family?"

"I would think most of us do."

"You have not spoken about them or where you are from at all," Forfend pointed out.

"Every single time I say my family's name, what happens?" Melzaryn inquired.

"Strange things," Forfend responded.

"People are nicer to you," Kairi piped up for the first time in quite a while.

"Their whole demeanor changes," Kagoshi noted.

"They respect you a lot," Forfend added.

"Yeah, so that's why I tend to avoid bringing my family up," Melzaryn said. "I care for them a great deal. It's just that I get treated differently when people know who I am."

"Well, good news," Kagoshi grumbled flatly. "Even if I knew who your family was, I still don't care."

"And good on you for that!" Melzaryn exclaimed. "That's one of the reasons I keep you around."

"I had never heard the name Collymore before meeting you," Forfend shared.

Melzaryn clapped. "That's two for two!"

"I do know the name and a bit about the family," Kairi said.

"Damn! Two out of three." Melzaryn shook his head.

"They're basically nobles," Kairi explained to Kagoshi.

"The family is pretty extensive. There are three branches making up the three primary governing bodies of the Kuumedian Desert," Melzaryn elaborated. "Each family has several seats on a council and we take care of business. Governing and all that. There are other families on the council too. My family isn't the only one with any sway. Anyway, the Collymore branch is the original bloodline, but all three are effectively considered nobles. I'm the middle child in the current generation of that generalized main branch and that's why my older brother is upset I've got so much attention on me."

Forfend nodded, finally understanding. The Kuumedian Desert wasn't a large territory, but its geographical position set it as a vital trade hub for the entirety of Rozdarta. They held a lot of influence and they had to remain neutral on every front to preserve their primary income. No enemies. No favorites.

Midnight returned, gliding into the room with an empty pouch laid over her neck. She landed and began loading all of the carefully wrapped shards from Forfend's bag into the smaller pouch.

"That should do it," Melzaryn's brother spoke through Midnight again. The pseudodragon turned to Melzaryn. "Make sure you're taking care of yourself. Seriously."

"Thanks, I'll try," Melzaryn promised.

"If you visit Moli's shop here, you might get a discount. I figure you probably don't care much though," the pseudodragon shrugged.

"It's not a big concern," Melzaryn returned the shrug.

"You're free to leave whenever. Don't do anything more stupid than you already did. I'm going to take care of this mess."

Midnight and the bag she held suddenly vanished.

"I hope he is careful with those," Forfend fretted.

"He's always careful," Melzaryn said.

"Who the hell is Moli?" Kagoshi interrupted.

"Eh, I'm sure you'll meet her eventually," Melzaryn didn't really answer. "You want to go to her shop?"

"I really just need to go to the temple," Kagoshi growled.

"Well, my research has been delayed by several hours, so I'll do that while you do your temple thing. I'm sure we can meet up at her magic shop after we're both done," Melzaryn suggested.

"Sure," Kagoshi waved dismissively.

"I don't think we should leave the way we came. Let me get the guy." Melzaryn exited the room.

A moment later, he returned with the shopkeep.

"Follow me," the gruff man ordered.

The group made their way back into the main shop and then into a storage room.

Forfend inspected the storeroom contents. There was nothing of value here at all. Most everything was either junk or empty boxes.

The whole setup was just for show. This was never intended as a real shop or a real storage area. It was a front. Presumably for whatever business Melzaryn's brother was running.

The shopkeep shoved aside a large chest and pulled a lever hidden behind it.

A trapdoor opened.

Melzaryn squinted at the opening and then eyed the exceptional width of Forfend's shoulders. "Do you want to try to figure this out or do you want me to teleport you to the bottom?"

Forfend stared down at the opening. If it scrunched its shoulders in as tight as it could and angled its body very carefully, it might be able to squeeze through the opening without damaging anything or getting stuck. It didn't like the risk.

"Teleport me please." Forfend hunkered down the way it would need to be to traverse the tunnel below.

Magic swirled around it. The world dropped out from beneath it.

It was jarringly deposited into the dark tunnel.

The rest of its companions climbed down behind it.

The trapdoor was closed and a series of locks clicked shut followed by a heavy grinding sound as the chest was pushed back into place.

The tunnel was pitch black, but it only led one way with no room to turn around. They couldn't get lost.

Forfend followed the winding twists until it finally pressed its hands against a wooden obstruction. It shoved the blockage and was immediately rewarded with dim sunlight.

It pushed what it could now see was a crate out of the way and entered a hidden alcove tucked beneath a staircase.

Melzaryn, Kairi, and Kagoshi filed out after it.

Forfend returned the crate to its original location concealing the tunnel.

It stepped out onto the street. They were quite a ways away from the neighborhood they'd started in. The shift was disorienting.

"The rest of the day is ours to do what we want with," Melzaryn grinned and placed his hands on his hips. "Let's get to it."

[ikaroux]

Xiao: Always (part 2) (EN)

f!reader

The Japanese dubbing of Kirito (Sword art online), helped me a lot to imagine how Xiao's emotions would be expressed.

The ost that inspired me a lot for most of the scenes:

Ori and the will of the wisps: Fading of the Light and The story of Niwen (The ost in general fits Xiao perfectly <3)

Masterlist

Part 1

You had been in Liyue for several months now for your research. You had met several people there, some of whom had turned into real friendships. Hu Tao, Ganyu and the lovely Qiqi were the only girls with whom you had formed a real friendship and then there was Mr. Zhongli with whom you liked to talk a lot.

But above all you met Xiao, a taciturn young man with a cold look in his eyes. After some research, you learned who he really was, a follower protecting Liyue at the risk of his life. He was also known as the last surviving Yaksha, fighting day and night against the emanations of the ancient evil gods killed by the Geo Archon.

Zhongli, who had revealed to you who he really was, often spoke to you about Xiao. Sometimes he would ask you to bring him some medicine specially designed for him to relieve the pain that was eating him up inside.

This was not a big problem for you, as you were staying at the Wangshu Inn. It was perfectly located in the centre of Liyue, making it easier for you to get to different research sites. Zhongli had explained to you that this inn was a front, built mainly to relieve Xiao a little from his eternal burden.

Since your meeting with the adept, you had never dared to call him, for fear of disturbing him. You simply left Zhongli's small gifts in his flats, placed prominently on the table in the centre of the room.

A gift... you had wanted to give him one for some time, but not knowing his tastes, it was difficult to decide. What if he doesn't like it? What if he got mad at you? What if... You then thought of the innkeeper in Wangshu who had known Xiao for a while, she must have known a thing or two about the follower's tastes!

After consulting Verr Goldet on what Xiao liked, she taught you how to prepare the young man's favourite dish. So you prepared tofu with almonds once or twice a week as a gift to him. But even so, he never deigned to show himself to you again.

Yet Xiao was never far from you, always hidden in the shadows watching you, protecting you from the dangers that lurked.

The bond he felt between you and him had never disappeared. Near you, all the pain, all the suffering he felt disappeared. He knew that you were human, so fragile, so fleeting compared to him who had lived for millennia, yet in his eyes you were a true goddess. The night he saw you surrounded by this halo of light, his world was turned upside down. Of course he had discussed this with his master, Morax, or rather Zhongli as he liked to be called from now on.

Xiao asked him during one of their conversations:

"I don't understand, I can never take my eyes off her and my heart - he placed his hand on his chest, clutching the white tunic he was wearing - hurts when I lose sight of her for even a few seconds. I don't understand... Sir Zhongli, I don't understand..."

His voice often broke at such moments. Zhongli then placed his hand on the follower's shoulder, a gentle smile on his face.

"Talk to him and you will finally understand. "he would say to her each time.

"I can't... If I stay around her too long... the darkness around me will eventually engulf her too. "

The sadness in Zhongli's eyes matched the sadness in Xiao's. The adept would often leave without the answer he so eagerly awaited, going to the balcony of the inn to sit on the railing and gaze at the stars. When his gaze turned to his room, more precisely to the small round wooden table in the centre, he was looking for proof of your presence. Almost every day you would leave him an offering, medicine, the almond tofu he loved so much, a flower, a mineral or an artefact you had found on your expeditions. Every little gift you gave him made him forget his torments for a short while, savouring the joy he felt at the time. He treasured every item you gave him, carefully stored in a small gold box encrusted with jade.

When the moon was high in the sky, Xiao would sometimes go to your room, passing by your balcony to see if you were sleeping. Sometimes he would go inside the moonlit room to see your sleeping face. He thought you were terribly beautiful, he had never been so fascinated by anyone, let alone a mortal. He would sometimes tuck a strand of your hair back behind your ear, slightly disturbing your sleep, and you would wrinkle your nose with a groan, causing him to back away hastily.

When Xiao was sure you were still asleep, he would take the opportunity to give you a gift of his own, placed on your bedside table.

As he did every night, he would end up sitting on the roof of your balcony watching for any threat to you.

By the time the sun came up, Xiao was already gone. When you woke up, you would find objects that were not there the day before. It could be a crystal nucleus or sometimes a Qingxin flower, which made you smile every time. You kept all the gifts he gave you as a treasure.

Today you had to go to Mondstadt to visit your friend Lisa, whom you had met in Sumeru. She had come one year to visit her former teachers, introducing herself to the students in the class. The two of you had talked a lot, creating a bond of friendship that you had maintained through correspondence.

In your last exchanges, she expressed a wish to see you, which you gladly accepted. You had planned to stay there for a week, so it was not surprising that you were preparing some things to take with you.

Even though your protector never showed up in front of you, at least not since that night when he gave you his name, you wanted to leave him a letter to explain that you would be back in Liyue in a week.

Before leaving, you left him a plate of tofu with almonds, your letter carefully placed next to the plate.

You didn't think that the wind would blow your letter away from him before he had even read it.

Xiao was accompanying Aether and two other companions for the day. They were to help him confront creatures once sealed in an ancient temple near the nine pillars of Cuijue Slope. The battle was long and difficult, but in the end they managed to exterminate the monsters, allowing Aether to retrieve the treasure that lay deep in the ruins. Xiao hurried back to the Wangshu Inn, feeling a bottomless pit forming inside him. He had been feeling uneasy for a while, a part of him wanted to make sure you were okay. When he arrived at his flat, he saw that you had left him a plate of tofu with almonds, and he took a bite, although he was too nervous to really enjoy them properly.

Xiao put his hand over his face in great pain.

His chest hurt terribly, the voices in his head tortured him again and his body seemed to be chained by the darkness inside him. Why was this? His karma hadn't weighed so heavily on him since he... since he... had met you.

He exhaled loudly, a sudden fear filling his body, making his hands tremble. Without further questioning, he quickly disappeared through his anemo vision and landed in your room. It was pitch black and looked horribly empty. The books usually scattered around your room were gone, your things were gone, your wardrobe was empty.

"No... no... don't go... (Y/n) don't go..."

His voice trembled in shock as his eyes still searched for traces of your presence.

"(Y/n)..."

Nothing. There was nothing. Nothing left. You were gone.

He couldn't even feel your presence on Liyue's land.

Had something happened to you? What if you had been attacked by monsters? The thought terrified him. He thought of your sleeping face, so peaceful. He thought of the promise he had made to himself to protect you.

Your absence was as painful to him as the day Aether told him Rex Lapis was dead. He couldn't bear it.

Xiao vowed to find you again and if you accepted him, he would stay by your side, he would not run away again.

He would listen to you sing again.

He searched for you for seven long days, which was a real physical and psychological torture for him. Aether, worried about his friend, helped him in his search, informing Zhongli, Ganyu and Hu Tao of your disappearance and the state in which the follower was.

Xiao always carried one of the gifts you had given him, holding on to it in the hope of finding you safe and sound.

With his mask over his face and his spear in hand, he slaughtered every hilichurl camp, hoping to find some trace of you, something that would prove to him that you were still alive. Disappointment after disappointment, the anger and hatred grew inside him every day, struggling to control it. He was leaving behind a pool of blood, soon he would sink into madness, feeling the sting of the karmic chains that made him sink a little deeper. How could he have formed such a strong bond with someone that he lost control?

"Xiao, we're going to find her. "

Zhongli's reassuring hand rested on the follower's shoulder.

Xiao had not removed his mask, but the former Geo Archon could still see tears of pain flowing from his eyes. His hand moved from his shoulder to the top of the young man's head. He knew what Xiao was going through, after all he too had lost loved ones in the past.

A varnished lily flower suddenly appeared under Xiao's nose. Ganyu held it out to him with a thin smile on his face. The Yaksha, who had watched you for a long time, knew that this flower was your favourite, many times he had seen you studying it, drawing it, smelling it, admiring it...

He could clearly see your face beaming as you drew it, singing a Sumeru tune.

He slowly grasped the flower that the young woman was holding out to him with renewed hope.

You had been leaving Lisa for a few hours now, promising her and your new friends that you would return to see them soon. You were anxious to get to the Wangshu Inn to rest. You missed your friends in Liyue and the absence of the Yaksha warrior around you left your heart empty.

You knew that he was never far from you. You knew that at night he sometimes stroked your hair, thinking you were asleep. You knew how soft his eyes were when he watched you draw.

You knew that he loved to listen to you sing.

Your lips curled upwards, happy at the idea of finding his presence. For this occasion you had grabbed an anemo crystal core which you intended to offer his.

When you reached the border between Mondstadt and Liyue, the atmosphere suddenly seemed heavy. You could not hear the birds singing, nor the wind cradling the trees.

Time seemed to stand still.

Alerted, you quickened your pace, crossing the wooden bridge that separated you from the shore.

The sudden sound of a branch breaking made you jump. You looked towards the source of the noise, finding yourself face to face with a Brutorocheux chief surrounded by some Brutoshamans and common Brutocollinus.

Your voice and body trembled.

"Why are they here? There have never been so many monsters on the border..."

The Brutocollinus came forward, threatening, it screamed, the breath knocking you to the ground. The smaller ones stepped forward, weapons in hand, while the Brutoshamans chanted their incantations.

Fear froze you in place, you were not a warrior, far from it. Your pupils dilated with fear and shook as the Brutoshaman ran towards you, fist in the air, ready to crush you. By reflex you had grown brambles around you to protect yourself.

But the creature in front of you was of a geo nature, impervious to the little thorns in your plants. Your trembling hand rose before you, summoning a flower capable of projecting poison, but again the monster crushed your hopes as did the flower beneath its feet.

"As long as you are in Liyue, I will protect you. Call me and I'll be there in a second."

Fear choked you, tears beading in the corners of your eyes as you remembered the words of the man you loved.

Xiao.

The sight of his gentle smile as he looked at you, thinking you hadn't noticed his presence.

Xiao.

The tender look in his eyes as he listened to you singing hidden behind a tree.

Xiao...

His hands savouring the feel of your hair between his fingers as you slept.

"XIAO! "

The moment you shouted his name, a gust of wind swept through the area. Blows rained down before you, and the brutocollinus and brutoshamans were the first to perish.

There he was, leaping to an inhuman height, a mask hiding his face and a menacing black aura covering him completely. The spear he always carried with him was pointed at the enemy as the Yaksha fell violently to the ground, sending out anemo illusions from his weapon that skewered the creature. He repeated his move once more, shattering its shell, before finishing it off by charging it with extreme speed. The Brutorocheux fell heavily to the ground, disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

Xiao moved his hand in front of his face, making his mask disappear, and then planted his spear on the ground. He ran towards you over the brambles you had created, not caring about the thorns that tore his legs. He knelt beside you, his eyes filled with terror and concern.

You looked into his eyes, shocked and trembling.

Finally you exploded, screaming and crying now that it was all over. You fell into his arms, your head resting in the crook of his neck, partially muffling your screams and tears.

He had found you. At last...

His heart broke free from its chains, relieved to see you safe and sound.

He felt as if his heart was going to burst out of his chest, so strong was it beating.

When he had reached you after your call and had seen you surrounded by monsters, monsters that were there because of him, because of the slaughter he had made in the camps of his creatures, the rage had risen in him. If you had been hurt because of him, he would never forgive himself.

He would never have forgiven himself.

He was surprised by your sudden embrace, not really knowing how he should react. What did humans do in such moments?

He raised his arms hesitantly, placing his hands gently on your back. Seeing that you didn't reject him, he hugged you a little tighter, soothing his soul and body with your warmth.

"Don't disappear again..."

His voice was husky, vibrant, emotion knotting his throat. He buried his nose in your hair, inhaling the scent of the flowers that covered you.

"Xiao..."

Your tears continued to fall as your hands clutched at his clothes.

He surprised you by planting a kiss on your neck. He left his face hidden there, not wanting to be seen so vulnerable. His trembling hands around you were more than enough to describe the emotions that were currently running through him.

When your tears stopped, his hands gently grasped your shoulders, pulling you back to get a better look at your face. He wiped away the tears that remained on your cheeks before placing the palm of his hand on them, caressing you with his thumb. Your hand joined his, closing your eyes to savour the sensation.

His forehead came to rest against yours, exhaling a shaky breath.

The happiness of finally having her so close to you involuntarily activated your dendro vision. Varnished lily flowers bloomed around you, and firefly-like particles of light swirled near your faces.

"Stay close to me. Always. "

"Always. "

Xiao didn't know exactly what he was doing as he tilted his head to your lips. The only thing he knew was that he wanted this connection badly.

The bond between you was stronger than any contract, he loved you, by the archons, he loved you more than anyone else.

An emotion so human but so beautiful...

Your lips... tasted like a sweet dream.

Bonus n°1:

"Ah, there they are! "

Paimon yelled to his companions, pointing at you and Xiao. Zhongli was the first to arrive and observed the scene unfolding before his eyes.

"XIAO! "

Paimon shouted, his voice carrying to you. Xiao parted violently from your lips, falling on his butt in the process, his face completely red with embarrassment.

Aether, who had arrived just after Zhongli, grabbed the little fairy in his arms, planting his hand over her mouth to silence her. Hu Tao and Ganyu were waving at you, reassured that you were okay. Xiao had completely forgotten that they had come with them.

He knew that with that chatty fairy and Hu Tao not far away, the rest of the day was going to be hell for him. He wanted to grab you in his arms and run away from his troubles, but when his gaze turned to Zhongli's, his heart was suddenly lighter with a burden. The gentle smile of his master and the kindly gaze he projected upon him broke the last remaining chains of doubt within him.

Bonus #2:

Xiao had offered you on the way back the varnished Lily flower that Ganyu had given him earlier, hanging it in your hair. You walked behind your companions towards the Wangshu Inn, laughter and loud discussions (too loud for his taste) were going on.

Xiao stood very close to you without physically touching you. You never took your eyes off his face, which he noticed. He abruptly turned his head in the opposite direction, the tips of his ears glowing crimson, forcing an affectionate smile on your face.

After a few minutes of silent walking between the two of you, he finally asked you a question.

"Why did you leave? -He looked at you again, his eyes full of emotion-"I thought you were gone forever...or worse, dead. "

His voice trembled at the thought, making your eyes widen. In a comforting gesture, you grabbed his hand, interlacing your fingers with his. The gesture surprised him, he was not used to physical (or emotional!) contact.

"Didn't you read my letter? "

Xiao blinked, once, twice, three times.

"What letter? "

"The one I left on the table next to the tofu dish. "

Xiao's face became totally impassive. He tried to piece together a visual image of his room in his mind, seeing your dish on his table very clearly, but no matter how hard he concentrated, no letter came to him.

"There was no letter. "

"Oh... Maybe it was blown away then?"

Xiao remained silent as you explained that you had gone to see a friend in Mondstadt. He listened to you without really listening, an array of emotions passing through his eyes. He needed someone to blame, anyone he could vent his anger and frustration on.

The wind... The wind...

A malevolent smile spread across his face and his amber eyes glowed with a menacing gleam.

He brought his hand up to his face, a gesture he made to reveal his Yaksha mask.

His hoarse voice whispered dangerously:

"Barbatos..."

Further on, in Mondstadt, Venti felt a shiver run through his body, freezing him in place.

[smallraindrops-blog]

If you’re not too busy, could we get a 5th part of the son au? Where Hypnos is trying to get Y/N to rest after he comes back from a fight with some injuries and he’s just super worried while Y/N’s denying he need to sleep (cause y’know he’s dead), and he’s just patching up those injuries

Wake Me From This Dreaming

Word count: 5K

Warning: Inaccurate medical stuff, injuries, kissing, topless!reader, arguments, intimacy, romantic/sexual tension, yarning, implied homophobia, fighting, trauma, hunting/fishing, no beta.

A/N: I kinda knock this out in the last 48 hoursish to celebrate my new job and I wanted to write kissing so I hope that okay! I hope you guys liked this! It was fun to write. I have some stuff planned out for upcoming part but don’t hesitate to shoot a request just like always.

Quick note on injuries as an dead person: since shades in the game seem to be made of light, I went with that. Rest is 100% needed for a shade to rebuild health, however cleaning and caring for the wounds help a ton but its not clear if because of a placebo effect or if is physically beneficial.

Please keep in mind everything is fictional.

Enjoy!

Link to last part and the rest of it

Y/N’s Codex:

My pride and joy, Y/N is the child I raised with Patroclus. His origins remain a mystery even to this day.  Even as a child, he was quiet and headstrong. He does have a mischievous side that I or Patroclus ( and some of our servants) could tell you stories about.

I do wish I had put less expectations on him and his training, allowing him more time to be a child. Regrets of a father or an old man, I suppose as Y/N would call it.

He was unique as a warrior for his natural skills in close combat and his strength along with his ability with the spear. Although he was one of the youngest warriors, he quickly became invaluable on the field.

While I had known in the same way all parents do that one day he will pass into the underworld, my heart still broke when we were reunited, especially since he had died younger than I or Patroclus did. I had hoped foolishly that he would die of old age with a full life, sadly it was not to be.

Now he will be taking over my former guard post in the Master’s house, and the Prince’s training. I can only hope that the house will be good to him as it was to me.

~

You were eight, tiny and skinny when Achilles took you fishing for the first time. You sat on the sand, far away from the water, using a finger to draw lines. Slowly an awkward shape horse formed in the sand, and you stopped to look at it. After a second, you gave the horse a small tail.

“It looks very nice, Y/N.” Patroclus murmured, his dark eyes studying the awkward horse. You just nodded and started on a new blank part of the sand.

“Alright. I think we got everything. Are you sure you don’t want to come along, my beloved?” Achilles made his way over to you and Patroclus, two poles and a spear attached to his back by a thick bag.�� A fishing net was bundled up in his hand.

“Yes, I need to talk to Chiron about the sickness that has been sweeping through the nearby towns.” Patroclus stood and brushed the sand off. He placed a hand on your head, prompting you to look up. He smiled at you, “Your father is taking you fishing, be a good lad alright?”

“Yes, Pa.” You replied, eyes darting between the two men. You didn’t return a smile but Patroclus didn’t seem bothered by that.

He moved away from you and went to Achilles. Achilles gave Patroclus a warm grin and pulled him into a hug, his hand cupping Patroclus’ neck.

You gagged at the sight of your parents kissing and went back to your drawing, trying to ignore the sounds. There will be no kissing in any of your drawings ever, you decided firmly. Nor would you ever kiss anyone.

“Have fun, don't take too long.” Patroclus said after he pulled away from Achilles, gave you both a wave as he went back into the woods.

You and Achilles stared at each other, both of you unsure of what to make of each other. Patroclus was the middle ground for both of you to meet.

Achilles had started your training soon after taking you in. He was never unkind to you, his voice was careful when he spoke to you.  But you saw how he moved with a spear, with his hands and it made you wary. Lesser men  were quick to raise a hand against a child and you didn't know where he landed.

Achilles held a hand toward you, large and calloused from years of playing the lyre and training. You blinked at it and stared back up at him.  “Come on lad, I bet we will be done in an hour or two.”

You took his hand with a nod, “An hour or two.” You repeated.

~

In hindsight, You should have seen this coming from a mile away.

You knew that Zagreus was getting help from the Olympians, have seen it yourself even. Artemis, Demeter, even Zeus himself.

You chuckled bitterly to yourself, Ares though surprised you. You didn’t think the bastard even knew the word 'help' unless someone was screaming it from pain he caused.

Ares was still the same monster as You knew in life.

And he had been very pissed off to see you again.

You hissed as you tried not to limp into the house of Hades. You kept a firm left hand on your right side, with your arm somewhat pressed down on the gash across your chest. You were covered in dozens of little cuts and along with the deep cut in your knee. At least you weren’t leaving a trail of blood everywhere.

Whoever thought it would be a good idea to have the dead’s bodies still able to get cut and hurt was an idiot, you decided. It didn't serve any purpose you could make sense of. No need for food or water or even rest but bodies still hurt like they were mortal.

Maybe it was to teach mortals that even in death, pain will follow.

You swallowed and took as deep a breath as you could. You tried to block out the screams ringing in your ears.  You were almost there, just a few more steps.

You removed your arm and saw dim light shining from your wounds. Where blood used to pour out, now light shines through. But it still throbbed and burned like normal wounds.

There was no hiding it, you thought bitterly since parts of your uniform got cut up as well, even your metal breastplate. At least you didn’t have to worry about your parents seeing any of your wounds. You placed your arm back so at least no one could fully see how deep it went.

You stepped into the great hall, keeping an eye out for Zagreus if he came out of the Styx. You didn’t blame him, not really. He didn’t know how bad it was between you and Ares, one of these days you would have to tell Zagreus whose blood in the vial Ares so kindly gifted him

Your mind flashed back to the betrayed look Zagreus gave when Ares’ attacks went rogue. Thanks fates for Hypnos and his armband, it might have been the only peaceful way out because you refused to die to that monster again even if it meant Zagrues missed his chance to see his mother.

“Y/N! You returned- what happened?” Hypnos’s cheerful voice went quiet. You shrugged as you walked past him, just barely able to hide your limp. “One of the prince’s kin was able to get a few hits in.” You tried to smile but it came off as a grimace.

“Excuse me, Hypnos.” You muttered as you hurried away. The sooner you can get to your room, the better.

Of course, that meant Hypnos trailed after you. “That doesn’t tell me anything, Y/N. Who was helping Zagreus?” Hypnos easily caught up with you, you realized displeased. His golden eyes watched your every move, trying to see where all the wounds were.

“I’m fine. Sometimes the other guy gets a hit in or two,” You hissed when the cut on your knee throbbed again. You stopped for a minute, not wanting to limp in front of anyone, let alone Hypnos.

The little god scoffed at you, and touched your forehead carefully. “I will say it looks like they got more than one hit in.” You flinched at the burn, you didn't realize you got a big cut on your forehead as well. You pulled away from the warmth of Hypnos’ fingers and started moving again.

“I’m fine, Hypnos. Don’t make me say it again.” You muttered, and Hypnos said nothing in reply. He didn't need to, you could feel the waves of concern and disapproval coming off of him. He never was good at hiding his emotions, too bright and too loud and too good for a dreary place like the underworld.

Finally you made it to your room, Hypnos beat you to the door and held it open for you.  His lips pursed as you made your way in.

“You can go now, thank you.” You grounded out, not looking at him. You leaned against your desk. Just get the uniform replaced, wrap the injuries and head back out to resume guard duty, you told yourself. The pain will stop soon.

“No, I’m staying to help you.” Hypnos closed the door and turned to stare you down. You made yourself look at him, meeting his stare head on.

“Excuse me?” You warned as you force yourself up. “I don’t need you hovering over me like some mother hen.”

“You are not even planning on taking a break, are you?” Hypnos titled his head, unheeding of the warning in your tone. He floated over to you, unafraid of your glare.

“Don’t need it.” You shrugged. “The wounds will knit themselves back eventually.”

“You need to rest and recover.” Hypnos crossed his arms, “I don’t know why you're acting like this, but-“

“Don’t need it.” You interrupted. “Hypnos, it's not like I’m still alive. I’m dead, one of the perks is that I don't need rest.”

Hypnos shook his head with a mocking laugh, “Oh that is news to me! Y/N, everything needs rest, even the dead. Especially the dead if anything. And just look at you.” His hand rested on the armband, his eyes pleaded with you. “It was a bad enough fight that you used this.”

You sighed, you were already tired when you got to the house, let alone now. He wasn’t wrong and you knew it. You studied his hand and noted to yourself how much more delicate his fingers were. You always knew he was slender but always held back on actually looking at him because you knew once started, You wouldn’t be able to stop, wouldn’t want to stop.

Now all you saw was how slender his wrists were, the line of his nose and bow of his lips.

He really was a lovely creature, all soft lines and curls.

And you always gave in to him, even when you didn't want to.

“Fine, Just a short break, I won’t sleep or anything.” You snapped. Your whole body ached and you didn't want to admit that sitting down sounded amazing right now.

“Fine," Hypnos snapped back, "I will take whatever I can get.  Come on, let's get you on the bed.”  Hypnos hooked an arm into yours and led you to the bed in the corner.  You propped yourself against the headboard, even the hard surface felt comfortable.

You felt fingers on your knee and opened your eyes, not realizing you had closed them. The bed wasn't big enough for you, let alone Hypnos and you both. The little god had squeezed himself between the wall and your leg. He wiggled around until his back against the wall, his legs curled under him and he was facing outward.

He touched your knee carefully and he brushed off the dirt and gravel from the wound. His mouth twisted in that same worried frown you saw before, the one you never want to see again.

“It won’t get infected.” You spoke in the quiet air. Hypnos looked up,"It's not about that. I know it won't."

His golden eyes flicked to the cut on your chest than to your forehead. He leaned forward, studying the cut. His eyes seem too bright in the dim room.

He went to your chest next, the wound started shallowly at your left side and slashed its way across to the gap in your right side.

He moved the ripped fabric out of the way, and You stared at the wall, trying not to focus on how close he was, how careful his touches were. It was one thing to touch your arm or chest when you had the uniform, it was another thing entirely to feel his fingers on your bare skin.

Hypnos hummed low in this throat, "No wonder you're so cranky, it looks like they tried to cut you in half."

"I'm not cranky." You muttered back, sounding like a child.

"Yes, you are." Hypnos said, amusement lightens his tone for the first time since you came home to him. His fingers went to your right side, gentle on the torn flesh.

You didn't argue back.

Ever since you had given Hypnos the nectar you felt like traded one uncertainty for another. You knew Hypnos and you were… Something but you weren't sure what.

It doesn't help that the house had been unusually busy and you were often sent out to the field, making alone time with Hypnos a scarcity.

You haven't even had a chance to hold him yet, you thought, sour and tired of the demanding job you had found yourself tasked with. You thought about Elysium again, if you could, you would find a quiet spot just for you and him.  No more demands from uppity gods, or endless lines of shades or anything else; it would be just you and him.

"Is that leather?" Hypnos poked the brown strap around your stomach and you pulled yourself out of your thoughts.

"Oh that." You glanced at the normally hidden strap, the sheathed blade tucked against your back. "It's my backup weapon."

"Can you remove it? It isn't in a good spot right now for your injury." Hypnos moved away. The dim blue light was harsh on his face, showing how tired he was.

You felt guilt weight down in your gut like a rock. This was Hypnos, you reminded yourself, it was different with him.

Wordlessly, You sat up and undid the shoulder clasp. You tossed the metal carelessly on the bed and began to pull the fabric off, leaving the top half to pool around your hips. You hissed when you peeled the leather strap off, you haven't noticed how it dug into your ribs under the wounds. You moved the breastplate off next, or tried to.

Hypnos reached over and helped you unbelted the armor. He placed it on the ground, alongside your weapon before he glanced at you again.

Hypnos looked away, a blush quickly filling in his face.  "Do you have anything? To clean these cuts or even bandaids?" He questioned, his voice a little faster than normal. It cracked a little at the end.

"I got some wraps in my desk drawer, go over there and get them." You told him, firmly ignoring your cheeks flush. It was just a patch job and would be over quickly.

"Alrightie." Hypnos patted your thigh, and vanished. He reappeared and ransacked your desk drawers, moving papers and quills around. "Where is- oh."

He went quiet and you glanced over to him with your brow furrowed, "Did you find them?"

"Oh, um yeah I did." He murmured, and floated over to you. His golden eyes firmly on the ground.

"Thanks." You muttered,"You don't have to stay if you are uncomfortable." You unwrapped the roll and pulled your injured knee up to you.

"Oh no I'm staying." He glanced up, and gods, he did look good with a flush high on his cheeks. "Besides, I know you won't get any rest if I leave." He turned around and spotted the basin and floated over to it, “I will be right back with hot water, don’t try anything until I get back.”

He vanished again and you rubbed your face with a weary sigh. You haven’t had anyone fussed over you like this since you were a child, let alone an adult.  Patroclus was always straight to the point and had no problem telling you exactly how not to get hurt again.

Hypnos reappeared, steaming water dripping from the basin along with several rags on his arm. He floated over to you and carefully placed it on the table next to the bed. A rag was already inside the basin and he hissed as he pulled it out and wung it dry.

"You know about cleaning wounds?" Your eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Haha, no. Not really." He shrugged, his eyes sharp with humor, "But a lot of the shades I get to talk to just love telling all the gory details. And what they do to try to fix it." Hypnos wrinkled his nose in disgust which only made him look adorable. “But most agreed that washing out the gross stuff was important.”

He wung out the rag and shooed you to move. You groaned but moved closer to the wall. He sat on the edge of the bed, uncaring of little space there already was.

He gave a pointed look as he took your arm closest to him. He removed the armband and placed it gently on the table next to you, but you could already feel the absence of it.

Hypnos retook your arm and dapped at the worst of the cuts first before moving on the minor ones.

You stayed quiet, not used to this intimate kind of touching from someone not your parents, touching purely to show care and not wanting anything in return.

“You know just because you’re dead doesn’t mean you can’t take care of yourself, right?” Hypnos ran the rag down your arm, and tossed it back into the basin. “Just because you don’t need something doesn’t mean you shouldn’t want to. Ya know like food and sleep. It's good, its- it's healthy for the mind. ”

You nodded, not sure what to say in response and took your arm back. You unraveled part of the wraps you had and covered up the worst of the cut, one that started from the elbow and went halfway down your forearm, only stopped by the metal armband.

Hypnos repeated his action and took your other arm when you finished wrapping the injury. Quietly, you both worked together on the wounds, Hypnos quickly cleaning them and you wrapped up torn parts on your arms and knee.

For the side and chest, Hypnos had to help you hold the wrapping in place, his hands warm against your skin.

"It was Ares, wasn't it?" Hypnos asked, smoothing the wrapping together.

“Yes.” You looked away, not wanting to talk about it, not now when you were laid bare and hurting. Hypnos must have seen the look on your face and kindly let it go for now and you wanted to kiss him just for letting you have this small mercy.

Lastly your forehead was cleaned up with gentle touches, and you covered it with a small patch of wrapping.

With a huff, Hypnos dropped the rag down in the basin. "I will say next time maybe move just a little tiny bit faster."

You blinked before you breath out a laugh, "I will take that into consideration."

Hypnos gave a wry smile, but stayed quiet. Exhaustion lined his face, his dark circles a little deeper than normal. You frowned, and reached out to cup his face between your hands. He blinked, surprised for a moment before he closed his eyes and gave a sigh in relief. He pressed a cheek into your palm and your heart ached with how grateful you were to him .

“Thank you, I mean it.” You whispered. Guilt ate at you, you knew you haven’t been easy to deal with.

Hypnos opened his eyes, “I’m here for you. I always am. I want you to remember that for me, please.”  You rubbed your thumb on his soft cheek, enjoying the blush you saw on him. “I promised I will, for you.”

Hypnos closed his eyes again and nuzzled into your hand, and pressed a kiss against your palm.

Your breath hitched, just for a second but Hypnos heard it. His eyes opened again, luminous and golden and you swallowed, unable to look away from Hypnos. In the candlelight, he looked like something you dreamt up. Too beautiful to be anything but a god, and it hurts just to look at him.

His face went through a series of emotions, hope and nervousness before it settled on something you thought looked like determination.

He placed his hands on top of yours, more delicate than yours. His hands were softer and so, so warm.

“If someone was to knock right now, would you answer it?” Hypnos whispered, his soft question loud in the almost dark room.

He watched you, as if he had all the time in the world to wait for your answer.

If you could, you thought to yourself almost dizzy, you would build temples for him, go to war for him, die all over again just for him, anything he asks of you, you would give it all to him. But you just stared at the little god, helplessly and stupidly in love with him.

“No.” You said finally, feeling like you had leaped off a cliff and you could feel the air rushing past you, like there was no more breath left in your lungs and there was only Hypnos at the end of the fall, at the end of everything. “No, I don’t think I will.”

With hands that almost shook, you moved one hand under Hypnos’ chin, fingers tracing his cheek and jawline as you did.  The hand he placed on that hand dropped down and curled into the fabric that pooled around your hips.

With much more gentle fingers, you held his face like you did that day in the training room and stared at him.

“Y/N.” He whispered, his eyes dark and heavy-lidded.

You pulled him into a kiss. It was a slow, lingering chaste kiss. But one you hoped that told Hypnos everything you couldn’t.

He gasped slightly against your lips as if he couldn’t believe it was happening. You  hummed in agreement.  His lips felt so soft against yours, and you thought for a moment you could taste honey. Your stomach swooped at the taste and it took all your willpower to not push for more, to pull him flush against you and to know him in every way you could.

After countless moments, you both pulled away. Hypnos’ hands moved up to cup your face, his fingers caressed your warm cheeks. He came back for another lingering kiss and you pressed into the kiss, just as sweet before but just a little deeper. A little more hungry, a little more greedy for the little god and the taste of his lips.

Between quiet breaths, you and him met again and again to kiss. No words were needed, not when the kisses and the soft brushes of hands already said everything for you and him in this quiet, dark room.

For those few fleeing hours, all that existed was you and him.

~

The lake felt warm even with the cool breeze coming from the mountains. You stood on an underwater boulder, the water up to your knees when you stood up on the rock. You were too short to follow your father to the deeper waters. You blinked up at the skies, pink and lavender clouds seem to stay still, pleased with their place in the sunset.

The plan had been only to be at the lake long enough to get dinner tonight, but it appeared the fates had other plans. After the first hour, Achilles moved to a different area to fish and after that still failed to produce any fish, he moved again.

Unlike your father, you have resigned yourself to another night of soup and berries from Chiron’s wife. At least, she knew how to pick the best ones, ripe and full of sweetness.  You liked it when she took you along to pick some, pointing out how to tell which ones were ready.

Still, you mused, you were looking forward to having fish tonight.

You glanced back at Achilles, his face tense and his blue eyes glared at the water.

It wasn’t like the rage you had seen before, the one against other adults who pointed at you, at Patroclus as they murmured behind their hands. How grown men would coward the moment Achilles’ eyes found them. Of the respect his presence commanded.

But, you remained wary, unsure if it will change on you and wished that Patroclus had come along, to smooth and guide you.

It was when you looked down to your feet that you saw it.  A slow moving dark shadow, almost big as you. You looked up with your mouth opened to call for Achilles, then you paused. You stay quiet, you remembered Achilles said the best way to hunt anything was by silence.

You closed your mouth and looked at the water, it was still there you noted with relief. It was too far away for you to touch and you bit your lip, trying to think what to do. Then you remembered.

Bait.

You reached down into your pouch Achilles tied to your waist and pulled a piece of the flatbread. You crumbled it up and tossed into the water. You held your breath for a few moments, and slumped when the fish didn’t move, thinking you wasted food for nothing.

But then it moved. It took some bigger chucks first but you waited for its return, when it wouldn't be as nervous. The second time the fish returned, you dived into the water, and somehow your hand went into the fish’s mouth and it closed around your arm.

You wrapped your other arm and legs around it as it trashed, its flesh felt slimy against your body but you just desperately tried to hold on.

You didn’t know how long you were under but your chest was starting to burn and tighten your mouth closed. Don’t open your mouth, don’t open-don’t-don’t-don’t-

And a large hand wrapped around your ankle and pulled. You gasped when you were lifted out the water, upside down but still holding on. Achilles yanked the fish off your arm. He held the flopping fish in one hand easily and stared at you.

You took a deep breath, and then another. You pointed at the fish, “Dinner.” You wheezed, unsure of yourself under Achilles’ unreadable stare. He blinked at you, looked towards the fish then back to you.

Then Achilles laughed, full and loud in the quiet woods.

You don’t remember much after that, but you do remember how big Achilles’ hand felt on your shoulder as he told Patroclus what happened. How he praised you and the warm feeling in your chest. The feeling of pride, of finally impressing your father.

~

Later, with bruised lips from the kissing and his head tucked between your shoulder and neck, Hypnos laid next to you. He was far more careful of your injuries than you were. You held on to him, arm wrapped around his shoulders, brushing your fingers against his arm.

You told him, your voice careful and not giving away the rage nor the hate, and especially not the fear you felt during the battle.

You had changed into another tunic but kept it loose around your body and Hypnos had removed his cloak, using it as a blanket for the both of you. It was too small for you, but Hypnos was able to curl his whole body under it and just tried to cover you as much as he could.

His fingers curled into your tunic, quiet as he listened. When you got the part about how you made the call to use his keepsake to give Zagreus what you hoped would be a quick and easy death before Ares took you out, he buried his face in your neck.

You let him, only pausing to press a kiss against his temple, his white curls brushing against your nose. It only made him tighten his hold.

“And it was quick.” You continued, still impressed by how strong Hypnos’ magic was. It was a thing of beauty to see the magic in action. “I didn’t know your magic was that fast. You will have to show me more sometimes.”

Hypnos nodded, his curls bouncing when he moved. His sleep mask had ended up on the table and you couldn’t stop touching his hair. With the arm that held him, you moved your hand up to play with them.

“So soft.” You muttered. You spied the little white wing that once you thought was a  wayward curl. Without a moment of hesitation, you ran a finger along the edge of it, and the wing fluttered away from your hand.

It finally made Hypnos glared up at you, and he batted your hand away.  You caught his hand and pressed a kiss against his knuckles before letting go. The fates help you but you don’t think you could ever stop kissing him.

“I’m glad that you used it.” Hypnos whispered as he propped himself up on his elbow.

You nodded, "Thank you. I don't know what I would've done otherwise." You cupped his cheek and he smiled, nuzzling into your hand. You soak in the sight of him, of the fact that right now Hypnos was with you, of the fact that he wanted to be.

"Come here." You commanded softly, and a glint appeared in his eyes. Hypnos sat up and placed two hands by your head, caging you in. The cloak slipped off and onto the floor. He gave a cheeky grin as he loomed over you.

You scoffed at him, not letting a smile form at Hypnos’ pleased look. “That wasn’t what I meant.”

Hypnos crocked his head, making his eyes wide and innocent. “But you told me to come here and I did. You didn’t say how.”

You reached up and grabbed his chin and pressed your thumb on his bottom lip, but kept your grip gentle so he could pull away if he wished. But Hypnos stilled at your touch, mouth parted slightly as he waited.  His golden eyes darken and you ran your thumb over his lip.

Hypnos kissed your thumb, his eyes never leaving yours.

“Come here.” You told him again. Hypnos leaned down, his white curls brushed against your forehead. The wing that had pulled away from earlier returned to brush against your hair. In the candlelight, leaning over you with his lips full, he looked ethereal to you.

You swallowed, “You’re incredible.” And he chuckled, almost breathlessly.

When he pressed a kiss against your lips, it felt like the first sharp breath after swimming underwater, like the sweetness of honey.

It felt like salvation.

[melodyofmbaku]

In Between the Lines Chapter 2 (Erik Stevens x OC)

Teaser [1]

Prompt: “C'mon, I wanna hear you say it.”

Word Count: 2.5k

Warnings: Angst... I can’t help it.

That was her problem.

Elloise couldn't see. So she liked to touch.

It was how she was able to experience the world. It was also the bane of Erik’s existence.

She was always fiddling & touching and it drove him right up the wall.

Didn't she know that some people would misinterpret her actions?

That’s exactly why he hung around her so much, she was entirely too trusting. And he didn't want someone with ill intentions to take advantage of her.

That’s what it was.

Not because he wanted her hands to be on him and him only.

Or because he wanted to see exactly what that mouth could do.

It was because she had a bleeding heart for every seemingly suffering individual and it would be her downfall.

That’s what it was.

As such he made it his mission to weave his way into her days because Elloise was one of the few people he actually liked around here.

He remembers the first time he met the woman who had ownership of his heart.

~~

It was 2 years ago when hehad just arrived at the palace. The place that was supposed to be his home. After he decided to work alongside T’Challa to better improve relations between Wakanda and the rest of the world it was decided.

He could learn more about his father, his birth place, and detach from his old hobby.

Killing people.

So when the young man approached him with a smile on his face and gesturing towards his gear he put a stop to it quick.

He still had some of his pieces on him and he didn’t want that getting messed with.

He rolled his eyes and mumbled an “nah I’m good boss” under his breath before walking around him.

The man began to follow him, looking intently at him with a confused look on his face.

“Do you need some help with your bags?” He gestured to his belongings once more.

“I’m good man.” He responded back again lowly. What was this dude’s problem?

Then he heard it. Her.

"Would you quit mumbling under your breath? If you have something to say, speak up, if not, you'd be better off shutting up".

He looked to the side and took in the woman who emerged from one of the many entrances that lead to the front hall.

She looked lithe and soft. She had dark skin and plump lips, wild coily hair, and a dress that accentuated her waist dangerously. Her cleavage was artfully on display and he was definitely taking a look.

This was the exact kind of woman he enjoyed whining, dining and bending over at the end of the night.

He would also probably do something wicked to that mouth…

He cocked his head and the corner of his lip lifted up in amusement.

“What you say ma?”

He watched as she walked towards him with intent and an odd aura of grace.

Interesting.

She stopped much too close to him.

"Erik... when you entered these grounds — the palace — my house — because that's what this is... my house — you consented to abiding to the rules of this household”.

"Some of which include forgoing your "I used to kill people for a living" vibe so that the differently abled individuals in the residence can comfortably get their jobs done".

What was she going on about? Differently abled?

She gestured to the young man who came to take his bags.

"James is hard of hearing. It helps that you speak clearly, and preferably facing him, so he can better assist you".

Erik turned to take him in. Then he saw it.

James smiled politely and gestured to the tiny hearing aid that was discreetly placed behind his ear.

Erik swallowed. He felt like a dick. He palmed the back of his neck.

"Nah uh... I'll carry my own weight." he responded after clearing his throat.

James nodded and looked back at the woman as if waiting for a command.

She turned to him "Thanks James, it seems like Mr. Stevens has it covered. You can go now."

The young man nodded and went on his was and Erik could’ve sworn he heard a snicker from him as he retreated. He glared at his retreating back.

"Can I touch you"? she asked tilting her head.

"What"? he asked confused.

She gestured toward his face. “Can I touch you? Your face specifically”. She repeated.

Erik squinted still trying to understand what exactly her problem was.

"Why the fu —". She never let him finish.

"We'll be spending a lot of time together now that you’re officially part of the royal family”.

“What’s that gotta do with you touching me?”.

"To save you further embarrassment, and a repeat scenario… in case you missed it Mr. Stevens... I'm blind". She pointed to her eyes to convey her point.

There was a moment of silence before Erik realized.

He wasn't sure how he missed it. He was getting comfortable and terribly out of practice.

She had done a very good job of presenting as normal as possible.

He ducked lower to her level to meet her eyes. True enough her deep brown eyes were unfocused and there seemed to be a gray film over them but they were brown nonetheless.

She repeated her question.

"Can I touch your face, so I know what you look like?” she gestured to him leaning forward invasively close.

“What if I say no”? He responded back defiantly. She wouldn’t catch him slipping twice.

“Then you say no”. she shrugged leaning back.

“I wouldn’t touch you without your consent, another one of our house rules that I hope you’ll remember”. She replied in a patronizing fashion.

He took offence.

“I’m a killer, not a rapist.” he spat out.

“That’s good to hear”. she commented before walking up the stairs encouraging him to follow.

“I’ll show you to your room, and it’s a pleasure to meet you Erik.”

And that was the beginning of their relationship.

~~

He idled about and nursed a drink in his hands and tried to look the least bit engaged at this donor dinner. He hated these dinners.

He’d have to watch Elloise on his cousins arm the entire night. Not to forget the attendees who were there for selfish political gain alone.

He watched closely as she made the rounds with T’challa around the room. She had chosen a deep green dress with a dangerous V that held his attention throughout the night.

T’challa paraded her around the room like the gift she was and he knew this was the part of him she fell in love with.

That’s why he was surprised to find her alone and still dressed to the nines in the palace kitchen in the middle of the night.

He had changed into his comfortable sweats and made his way over to decide on which concoction of alcohol would knock him out for the night.

She had a plate of lamb and potatoes untouched in front of her.

She didn’t startle when he spoke. She probably knew he was here based on his cologne or possibly just heard him when he came in.

“Midnight snack?” He paused and sat in the seat across from her.

“I got the chef to make me something then sent him away.” She spoke clearly. He heard the hardness in her voice.

She was upset.

He saw that the lamb sat on the play uncut and her hands lay in her lap.

“Let me get some of that.”He reached over for the plate and she stopped him.

“Erik. I like lamb.” She held onto the plate refusing to let up.

He sighed.

“Here, I got it.” He stretched his hands for the cutlery.

“I can do it myself.” She protested eyebrows furrowing.

“I know that.”

She still held onto the fork with hostility. She was upset.

“I like doing this so relax okay? You know it’s not like that.” he sucked his bottom lip into his mouth and awaited her answer.

With that she reluctantly released the cutlery to him and folded her hands in her lap carefully.

She heard the fork and knife scrape against the plate as Erik cut it into pieces. She couldn't help but inhale a little bit deeper.

She liked the way he smelled. Erik always smelled like warmth..

She didn't know what to do with her hands. They were always doing something. Touching, feeling, studying, working.

She tried so hard to not be caught lacking, to be looked at as unable.

She would always have an excuse, because of her condition, but she pushed herself to insane lengths to never have to use it.

With Erik she was able to relax without being scrutinized, when it was just the two of them it was different.

This was... nice. She liked it.

"Potatoes too?" he asked wondering if he should slice up the baby potatoes that accompanied the lamb on her plate.

She shook her head — negative, she liked them whole.

"Thank you". she replied back softly.

"Don't mention it". He responded before carefully handing the fork back to her.

Her fingers lingered on his hand a moment before she pulled them away seemingly unaware.

Erik lived for moments like these.

He watched attentively as she speared the tender meat and placed it in her mouth and began to chew.

“Where’s T? Why isn’t he here with you right now?” He was sure he’d be tearing it up tonight. She looked that damn good.

She paused and looked down. “He… got called away for an emergency.”

They both knew what that meant. Erik wanted blood.

“You can’t let him get away with disrespecting you like this El. Tell somebody. The elders. Anybody.” He urged with subdued rage.

“Would they blame him? Or would his actions be chalked up to something else?” She shifted in her seat.

“Maybe how in more than one way I’m not enough.” She placed another piece of meat into her mouth and chewed slowly.

Despite the hot anger that flowed through his veins, he knew it was the truth.

He hated that it was the truth.

He despised his cousin for taking that vulnerable woman and turning her into this.

He was going to end him.

They weren’t that close anyways.

He could see it now.

He’d start from his left hip bone and do a clean cut — probably with something classic. Like a black pearl switchblade. Then he’d —

“You can’t say anything Erik.” she commanded. It was if she heard him plotting.

He scoffed.

“It’s not your right.” She said.

Her mouth was sharp as ever.

He hated that mouth.

He dreamed of that mouth.

He was the forgotten cousin. An honorary royal. Offered a position for blood ties and even then, it was decorative.

An outcast.

Maybe that’s why they got along so well.

She placed another potato between her lips.

He rose from his seat and stood behind her.

He began to remove the large decorated pins from her pressed hair. His fingers reached the nape of her neck and she finally released the tension that her body held.

“I didn’t say I was going to do anything.” He spoke lowly above her, focused on the task at hand.

She leaned into his hand and he snuck his fingers into her hair and found her scalp.

He rubbed at it gently, product would cling to his fingers later but he didn’t mind it.

“We’re the same you and I.” She hummed.

He cocked his head and continued his task.

He never understood her when she said that. But in fear of being scolded he kept quiet.

She was good. So good. He was bad bad bad.

He felt her shuffle to rise and he stopped his actions unwillingly.

She sat up and he reluctantly removed his fingers from her head.

She ran her palms down her dress to straighten it out before she looked in his direction.

“You’re harmless. ” She joked lightly before lifting her hand awaiting his arm to lead her back to her room.

He raised an eyebrow.

“Girl, you should be scared of me.” He murmured slyly.

She rolled her eyes.

He offered her his arm and she grasped it in a familiar fashion and let him lead her.

They walked leisurely through the hallways. When he didn’t get a response to his last statement he assumed his previous joke fell flat.

“Erik, when are you gonna go?” She asked softly. Her fingers added more pressure into his arms, concern lacing her tone.

She’s been pestering him for months to go to therapy — deal with his murderous thoughts.

He didn’t like the idea.

So he wasn’t going to do it.

“I’ll go when you go.” He shot back.

She sniffed and turned her face away from him.

He grinned cheekily, dimples shining through.

“You know why I can’t go. It’d be taboo for me. Plus, they treat me like an invalid.” he watched her mouth twist into a scowl.

He scoffed, and continued to lead them to her destination.

Their route was coming to an end and he knew she felt it.

As they got closer and closer to her quarters her grip tightened on his bicep. And he paused.

“Erik I’m scared.” she whispered.

“If he can do this. Openly. In our room. In our bed, then...”

“What’s next? What’s next for me?“ she looked in his direction — lost.

“If he don’t got you, I got you.” He crowded her space and bent down so he could be level with her.

She needed to understand that she could rely on him for anything. He wasn’t sure he knew just how deep his feelings went for her.

She lifted her hands to hold his face. It was how she saw. Her hands immediately found his beard. He saw the tears pool in the corner of her eyes.

“Anytime you get scared you call me. You hear me?”

Her gaze was downcast. This wouldn’t do.

“I’ll gut em. Like fishes. The whole lotta them.” He pushed out huskily.

“Erik...” she murmured disapprovingly.

“You believe me?” He asked.

“I —“

“C'mon, I wanna hear you say it.” He pushed lowly committed to making her see that she wasn’t alone, he was there.

“Yes Erik, I believe you.” She whispered lowly. She quickly wiped the tears that had slid down her face disobediently.

“Good.”

“Goodnight E.” She stepped back and turned to her door. He watched as she steadied herself.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets to stop himself from grabbing her and crushing her in his embrace.

He wanted to grab her and kiss away her fears.

Instead he subdued his wants and watched her walk through her door.

The door to the room she shared with T’Challa.

He spun around and began the familiar path back to the kitchen.

After knocking back the drink of the night he steadied himself.

Erik walked to his chambers in the same manner he did every night — longing for his cousin's wife.

Taglist:

@fd-writes @amorestevens @raysunshine78 @adreamsublime

__

Idek what I’m even doing with this story but lmk what you think 💜

If you want to be added to the taglist just comment.

[astriefer]

Please have this messy, badly written scenario as a humble gift to you, because I wanted to do something since I reached 200 followers!

Bits of Truth

They stood in front of the Carstairs' townhouse in Cornwall Gardens. Christopher seemed mildly confused about what they were doing there as if he had not been paying attention. James shared one last glance with Thomas before he knocked on the door.

A few bits of silence flew by, in which they had held their breaths. Then footsteps tapped on the floor, and the door cracked open.

A wave of relief passed through James that not Sona nor Risa or any other maid came to open the door. Then he thought what a peculiar thought it was for him to be relieved by. Alastair looked at them, frozen in place, blinking a few times as if he didn't believe they were truly there. He rejoined his composure hastily. He didn't let them in - he stood in the front door and his eyes searched theirs for an explanation. It was like a weird staring contest. Eventually, Alastair spoke first. "Cordelia is not here. You know it fairly well."

He moved to close the door. "We haven't come for Cordelia," he said quickly, which received another incredulous glance from Alastair. "Well, we have. But not because we thought she'd show up here. We came to talk to you."

Alastair narrowed his eyes, expressionless, and considered James. Then he glanced at Christopher and Thomas, noting their desperate eyes. "About my sister?"

"We won't take long," promised James, despite he wasn't sure it's true. Alastair studied him, and James felt himself going rigid. He leveled Alastair with his indecipherable gaze.

Then Alastair had stepped back from the door and ushered them in. "My mother is in her bedroom, resting, and Risa went shopping for supper. So, you have to be quiet. Make it quick.'

~~~~

Alastair took their coats and tilted his head towered the parlor. A kettle whiselted in the kitchen. As he gestured them inside he turned the other way. A fire burned in the chimney, and a book rested peacefully on the armchair. When James examined closer he discovered it was written in Persian. Thomas mumbled something about Persian poetry.

Alastair came inside with a tray and James thought he was, for a change, being hospitable, but he ignored them and disappeared up the stairs. When he got back, empty-handed, James assumed the tea was for his mother. Alastair placed the book on the table as he sat down in front of them. Thomas and Christopher set on a love sofa and James set stoned on another armchair. He didn't waste time being the kind host, James presumed. "What it is about my sister?"

The golden-eyed boy decided the best tactic was started from what he knew. That wasn't much, but it was the most important thing, and he was certain about it, at the very least. "I love your sister."

Alastair raised his eyebrows, amused. "Yes, that's something that tends to happen between married couples, I've been told."

James shook his head. "This marriage, of Cordelia and I," just saying her name on his lips made a treacherous skip of his heartbeat, full of hurt and love. "It was a sham marriage."

Alastair pools of dark marble were fixed on James when he explained, rather awkwardly, the events that led to their marriage. And then events that led to Cordelia leaving the country. He prospected Alastair would be outraged, throw spears at them, maybe even recite some very angry poetry phrases in Persian. Instead, Alastair was very still for very long. When he did speak, the words weren't the James expected them to be. "I knew the marriage wasn't out of love," Alastair said calmly. "But I didn't expect you to tell all that rubbish."

James blinked. "It's the truth."

"Oh, I know," Alastair returned with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I doubt you would come up with such a ludicrous idea on your own, even if just to spite me. and I also know Cordelia wouldn't have slept with you unwedded, no matter how much she loved you."

All the thieves caught their breath when Alastair leaned forward, his month curving in an odd angle. "I also know being married to you was a wish she never thought would come true, and that you cared for her. You claimed her as yours and you defended her. It was good for Cordelia, and so I said nothing."

James snorted, although he hadn't found the conversation funny. Not the least. "I thought I loved Grace at that time. I felt bad when the thought of living with Cordelia was more appealing than I expected." The thought of Grace made his features harden. "And because of Grace, for years I've been blind. Manipulated. I lost my wife and Parabatai. She played with me like a doll; messed with my feelings, messed with my life. This is unforgivable."

He did not notice Christopher who tensed up and fixed his spectacles on his nose. "She did some bad things," he said, surprising them all. "But I don't think she's evil."

James furrowed his brow. "She's like a siren: beautiful and compelling, but going after her will only end in you being drowned."

"I see," Alastair said, turning back to James. "But why? Why did she do it?"

"Does it matter?" James asked. "She hurt so many people. She doesn't even deserve to apologize. It won't matter anyhow - the damage is done. After all she has done...sorry will never be enough. Nothing will."

"It matters," Alastair said. "Because you don't know her side of the tale. You don't know what she thinks. What she feels. You don't know if she had to do what she did."

He was tempted to say Grace has no feelings at all. "I believe I'm allowed to be angry."

"I do agree that what she had done to you is far above a jest or a play with hearts," there was a strange flame burning in the deep ponds of Alastair's dark eyes. "And you have no obligation to forgive her. But why not hear what she has to say? You are the one with the power. You know the truth. She can not affect you any longer."

James shook his head. "You don't know Grace," he said coldly, gravely. "She will try to use me. She will try and make me do as she wishes. I will not be a pawn in her game again. She controlled my life long enough."

Alastair glanced away, pondering over something. Thomas turned his head nervously between James and Alastair. For the first time since the beginning of their conversation, Thomas inquired, "Why do you insist James will hear her out?"

"You have no idea of her motives," Alastair retorted. "What she's done - she must know it's wrong. And she will have to live with this knowledge for the rest of her days. You are allowed to be angry, James, and rightfully so. But don't let it blind you. That you have been kept from certain kinds of evil doesn't mean everyone else had. You have no clue what led her to those decisions." Alastair looked distanced. James managed to guess he's not been talking only about Grace. "You should talk to her. You may not forgive her, but you deserve to understand, to know why to hear the plain truth. And you should let her mourn what she could have had and lost."

James wasn't sure he fully comprehended. "I wouldn't have loved her. Even without the bracelet issue - my heart belongs to Cordelia."

"What do you mean?" Christopher asked. "That not everyone had been kept from evil."

Alastair shrugged. "I met Tatiana Blackthorn only once. She's a madwoman. She doesn't seem like the kind of caring, kind mother to pet her daughter's shoulder. Besides, Grace seemed to be controlled by Tatiana, rather than working alone or alongside her."

"She took the love of my life away from me," James growled. "Nothing can atone for that."

"The love of your life is my sister," he reminded James. "I can hardly find the idea of her being heartbroken a good thing. And the one who caused this pain is not much liked, as well. But you shouldn't think that just because you would've done it otherwise, it was an option for her. You can't know what are the options in front of people. You can't know how they feel unless you talk to them. So talk to Grace, James. Then seek out my sister. If you love her like you claim you do, will you give up on her so easily?"

"No," James stood up, "I will not."

Alastair nodded. "why did you come and tell me about your little schemes? Why now?"

Now, after so much time of lying, why tell the truth? Why not keep it in its cage of delicately made lies?

James cut his gaze to the book on the table. Thomas answered instead in a quiet voice. "She is your sister. You must have been worried about her. We wanted to tell you because - because you deserve to know the truth and understand why things happened the way they did."

What Thomas did not say was what none of them wanted to admit. Cordelia ran away to Paris with Matthew. Even if she'll be back in only two weeks - they all were worried sick. James couldn't blame her, he was awful and blind. All of this was a mess. If she needed time to calm down in Paris, he couldn't deny it of her, even if he had a say in this choice.

Alastair studied Thomas, and James felt the half-Persian hadn't quite believed them. It was true - they needed his help in the future. But it was a start. "Anything else? A ghost friend? Another evil aunt?"

"No," Christopher affirmed.

"Good," Alastair said. James might have imagined it but he thought he saw Alastair sneak a glance at Thomas before standing up. "Now get out of my house. Risa will be here any minute."

~~~~

I- how?? Thank you so much, everyone!! 🙈 Thank you, you can't understand how much it means to me. 🥺

This is mind-blowing. Truly. For whatever reason you follow me, know that I love you <3

Tagging some of my mutuals, you are all wonderful and make my time here so much better (not all of them because my brain is all wonky, but I mean all of you): @kit-12 @littlx-songbxrd @pink-party-dino @shadowhuntertrash @gummybears-4u @itsdaughterofthemoon @mcrrythievcs @fictionally-fantastic @reyna-herondale I'll tag more but I don't want to bother anyone so... thank you!! I don't know what people find in my blog, but I am grateful, and I appreciate all of you endlessly.

[puckwritesstuff]

I guess we're now at the King Loki AU! I thought of a prompt for them. King Loki achieved peace with the Jotuns and they held a banquet to celebrate. It's also the debut of the soon-to-be Queen of Asgard, Sigyn. A former Jotun lover still having feelings for Sigyn vaguely told her about the secret deal Jotunheim had with Loki. Before she could understand, Loki took her away then killed him. Loki will not allow that secret to ruin his future with Sigyn. Luckily, Sigyn was still oblivious.

While Sigyn is 100% the "beauty" half of most of her "beauty and the beast" stories, the way I've written her, most of those don't end so well for her, so a Jotun that she once courted isn't necessarily going to be a welcome sight initially.

Thank you for the ask!

---

The Jotuns entered the hall and Loki offered his hand to Sigyn. She took it, holding on tightly.

“His Majesty, King Laufey of Jotunheim,” the guard announced.

Laufey stood tall before the throne and Sigyn noticed for the first time the familiar shape of his eyes, the structure of his face, the way that he stood— in short, she marked just how much he and Loki looked alike. But no one knew of course. No one but her, Frigga, and Loki. She studied Loki’s face for his reaction. He didn’t seem to have one.

“King Laufey, I welcome you to the halls of Asgard,” Loki said. “I hope that this is the first of many such peaceful meetings between our peoples.”

“My men will require rest before the celebration tonight,” Laufey said. “We are, as of yet, unused to travelling by the Bifrost.”

“Of course,” Loki said. “We are equally unused to hosting Jotun, but a hall has been prepared for your party. The guards will show you there.”

Sigyn looked at the Jotuns and suddenly recognized one. She gasped softly, squeezing Loki’s hand. Loki looked at her for a moment.

“If I may introduce my betrothed,” Loki said. “Sigyn Heimdallsdóttir, soon to be Queen of Asgard.”

“My lady,” Laufey said, nodding in the direction of a bow.

Sigyn snapped back to where she was.

“Your majesty, we are honored by your commitment to this new era of peace,” she said. “We hope this finally begins a true friendship between Asgard and Jotunheim.”

“So do we,” Laufey said. “If we could be escorted to our hall.”

“Of course,” Loki said.

He signaled for a guard to take the Jotuns to their room and Laufey and his train left.

“What’s the matter, darling?” Loki asked.

“One of the Jotuns,” Sigyn said. “It was Ölvaldi.”

Loki blinked. “The one that kidnapped you?”

“The first one that did, anyways,” she said.

“I’ll double your guard,” Loki said, bringing her close. “Making certain you are safe is of the highest priority.”

“We don’t want it to look like we don’t trust them,” Sigyn said. “I should be fine, I was just startled, that’s all.”

“If you say so,” Loki said. “But you simply say the word and I will make certain he does not bother you again.”

She shook her head. “Hardly necessary. Now, come, my heart, we have some time before we must prepare for tonight.”

Loki grinned. “As you wish.”

---

Sigyn stood off to the side, taking a break from the festivities to people watch. The Jotuns were slowly getting more comfortable with being where they were, and most seemed to be enjoying themselves now. She had also managed to avoid Ölvaldi the entire night, which wasn’t going to last long as she saw him approaching. The Einherjar guard Loki had placed on her (he insisted on at least one, and she didn’t have the will to argue with him over that) gripped his spear tight, but she waved him off. She had to hope that he was there in the name of peace and friendship.

He knelt down so he could speak with her privately.

“My lady,” he said.

“Ölvaldi,” she said. “It’s been a while.”

“Yes, since your mercenaries took you from me,” Ölvaldi said.

“You mean the King and Prince of Asgard?” she asked.

“You don’t understand the power you wield,” he said. “And it is by that power I wish to petition you for something.”

“You are in no position to ask anything of me,” she said, backing away.

Ölvaldi put a hand down behind her, blocking her exit and separating her from her guard.

“Ask yourself this question: how did the Jotuns get into the vault?” he said.

“Ölvaldi.”

Laufey and Loki came over and Ölvaldi backed off. Loki took Sigyn in his arms.

“I apologize, my lady,” Laufey said. “Ölvaldi has been… hesitant about this new peace.”

“Of course, your majesty,” she said. “I’m sure he meant no harm.”

Laufey and Ölvaldi left and the tension in Sigyn’s body released.

“He didn’t threaten to take you again, did he?” Loki asked.

“No,” she said. “No, he just… talked. Sounded a bit like you, actually. At least, how you sound when you’re trying to manipulate someone.”

Loki paused. “Is that so?”

“I will pay him no heed,” she said. “Laufey seems genuine in his commitment to peace, and I will place my faith in that. And in you, my heart.”

Loki smiled. “I’m glad to hear that, darling.”

He gave her a quick kiss.

“Now, we should return to the celebration we are hosting,” he said.

“Of course,” she said.

---

When Ölvaldi returned to his home, he went into his study. At the center of the room was a scrying crystal.

“Show me Sigyn,” he said.

The image appeared in the crystal. Sigyn was with Frigga, looking at lace patterns and pairing them with fabric samples. Ölvaldi shook his head.

“You didn’t get through to her.”

Ölvaldi looked to the door and saw Loki walking in, Gungnir in hand.

“You have her quite assured in her confidence,” Ölvaldi said. “What are your plans for Jotunheim?”

“Is peace not enough?” Loki asked.

“There has yet been an Æsir that has come to Jotunheim seeking true peace,” Ölvaldi said.

“Perhaps,” Loki said. “But I am no Æsir.”

Loki started to shift forms and Ölvaldi backed away as the King of Asgard’s skin turned blue and was traced with lines he knew immediately.

“You are a Jotun,” Ölvaldi said. “Of the Line of Laufey.”

“You are smarter than you look,” Loki said.

Ölvaldi was pulled to the floor by chains that appeared around his wrists. Loki held the blade of Gungnir to his throat.

“If you kill me, there will be consequences,” Ölvaldi said. “The tenuous peace that you bargained for will shatter.”

“If I do it wrong,” Loki said. “If they know it was me.”

He summoned a small pellet of metal that floated above his hand.

“It wouldn’t take much, would it?” Loki asked. “Your throat swells up, asphyxiating you. It would look like an accident, even an allergic reaction. Your sorcery involves dangerous materials after all. And your over-confidence led to… error.”

“What is that?” Ölvaldi asked.

“On Midgard, they call it a bullet,” Loki said. “It doesn’t look like much, but when they fire it with an explosive powder it can tear through flesh and bone. It is… less effective on creatures like us, but it is far more dangerous as it is on its own.”

His magic shredded the bullet into barely visible particles.

“See, a bullet is made of lead.”

Ölvaldi’s eyes went wide, and he struggled against the chains. Loki approached with the lead dust and held it towards his face. Ölvaldi struggled to hold his breath, but his body could only take that for so long. He gasped, inhaling the metal.

“You won’t get away with this,” Ölvaldi said.

“Oh, but I will,” Loki said. “I intend to watch you die. I’ve wanted to see you dead since the first time you laid a hand on Sigyn. That it also protects my throne is… convenient.”

Ölvaldi could feel his throat closing up. He was dying, and there was nothing he could do.

“Take comfort in the fact that this is more than just political,” he said. “And would have eventually happened one way or another. Your death will not affect my efforts for peace, believe me.”

Ölvaldi collapsed to the floor. Loki vanished the chains and removed any evidence of his being there. He took the scrying crystal from its pedestal and replaced it with a duplicate. The image of Sigyn and Frigga was still going, and Loki smiled at seeing Sigyn’s face light up as she picked out a gold velvet lace. He vanished the crystal.

“That should be useful someday,” he said.

[straydawg-writing]

𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞'𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦.

- 𝓚. 𝙯𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙮𝙘𝙠

• hunter x hunter series

⋯✰⋯

Chapter 3—

"Don't they have anything at least a LITTLE flattering? I get they're like hippie-extremists, but not all of us want to look like a sack of potatoes," you complained, swiping through their clothing racks that screamed no-potential-whatsoever.

You'd finally arrived at NGL headquarters, only for them to make the three of you throw out your phones and clothes. It's like they were still living in the 18th century.

"It's only clothes. Just pick whatever," Killua replied while browsing through the selection, though he looked equally as aggravated and bored. He did have at least some style that he wanted to upkeep.

Gon on the other hand didn't seem to care.

"You think they have anything green?" He wondered out loud.

You pulled out a set of white pants with a blue long sleeves top.

"Hey Killua."

"Yeah?"

You shoved the set into his arms, giving him a bright smile.

"Try this on, I think it would match your eyes well."

"Idiot. The Chimera Ants won't be looking at my eyes when we're fighting them." Pink dusted his cheeks as he looked to the side, avoiding eye contact.

He bought the outfit without even trying it on.

Gon pouted. "Wait, what about me?"

You pulled out two more similar sets. One was a pair of green pants and a white tank top, while the other was burgundy pants with a black top. That one was yours.

"We can all match!" You grinned, relieved you finally found something that wouldn't make you all look like homeless children. "Well, sort of." The sets were still different colors, but they retained the same general style.

"Oh, great idea Y/N! I'll go change into it now," Gon beamed, nearly skipping all the way to the changing room with his brand new green pants. It was about time he put on something different for a change, you inwardly joked.

Killua was already walking back from the stalls when Gon ran past him.

"Wow Killua, look at that drip~" You whistled, checking out his new outfit.

"You're so hopeless," he sighed, bonking the top of your head.

You rubbed where he had hit and stuck out your tongue, pretending to be hurt. It was the truth though, he looked really good in the outfit you had picked out. Peeking at him while he wasn't looking, you discovered that the tight-skinned long sleeves accentuated his arms in a way you'd never noticed before, hugging his lean muscles. You were right about the royal-colored shirt bringing out his pretty blue eyes. And the way his pale skin and white hair contrasted them even looked a little heavenly...

God, what were you thinking? If Killua heard you right now he'd hit you over the head another 20 times over. You looked to the floor, hoping he wouldn't see your growing blush.

After all three of you had changed into your new clothes, the hunt for the Chimera Ants began. Kite was on his own horse, while the rest of you fit on the second one due to your small frames. You were holding onto Gon's torso as he took control of the reins.

He was like a natural, his whole body moving in sync with the horse in strong determination. You trusted him, knowing that wouldn't just let you topple over. You weren't really used to horses, as they weren't typically found roaming around the jungle.

Then there was Killua, who was standing stick-straight on the horse like it was nothing.

"How do you even do that?!" You called out over the sound of galloping hooves.

"Huh, Do what? You mean this?" Killua smirked, doing a handstand.

You couldn't believe him. The boy had no fear at all.

"You're crazy," you stated, turning around to face Killua and leisurely leaning your back against Gon.

You had finally mastered balancing on the horse without having to hold onto him— but you had nowhere as near the skill Killua did.

"Maybe I am, but you love it," he teased, still upside-down. Temptingly enough, his white locks of hair were hanging upside-down too.

Slowly, you leaned forward on the palm of your hands, steadily closing in the distance between you two.

"Sure, I do. You got me there," you cooed, catching him off guard.

"Huh.." He sweatdropped, turning bright red. Killua's balance was starting to wobble.

Then, exploiting his moment of weakness, you tugged on his hair knocking him over.

Satisfied, you rested against Gon again. Thankfully the boy didn't seem to mind.

"Show off," You said, sticking your nose in the air.

"Man, that was so unfair!" Killua whined, sitting back down on the horse and dragging his hands down his face.

You crossed your arms, ready to deliver some witty comeback, when you noticed some bees in the distance that looked like they were carrying something. Squinting your eyes, you saw that they were flying in closer.

"Hey guys, look at that," you pointed out. The horses stopped as one of the bees dropped the paper in Kite's hand.

Help!!

Chimera Ant Nest, Rocky Area

Notify Hunter Association!!

An SOS? And it appeared to be written in blood.

You cast a worried glance at Gon, who looked disturbed.

"It's Ponzu..."

Ponzu...? The name wasn't familiar to you at all. That must be somebody Killua and Gon knew from before you had met them.

The bee fluttered defeatedly around you before making its landing on your ring finger. Kite made the decision to leave the horses, with a message for the Hunter Association.

Even though they ran faster on foot, it didn't take much time until you came across an unsettling scene.

Or, what was left of Ponzu.

Blood soaked the ground. Articles of ripped-up clothing scattered the dirt, and there was not even a bone in sight. The putrid smell of iron overwhelmed your nostrils.

It was fresh blood.

If you had arrived even 15 minutes earlier, maybe Gon and Killua's friend would not have so barbarically killed. You felt sick to your stomach.

'This wasn't done by a human'

"This was done by a Chimera Ant," Kite finished your thought.

The look on Gon's face scared you. Most of the time, Gon was a sweet boy on a journey to find his father. But sometimes, you could spot a festering darkness threatening to take over his very being. You knew he would never tolerate his friends getting hurt, but you couldn't help but wonder if Gon was self-sacrificing, or perhaps selfish?

"I hate to consider the possibility, but it's possible that NGL's underground rulers have already been fed to the queen. What will happen if Chimera Ants are born with their genes..?" Kite trailed off, studying one of the bullet casings in the murder scene.

An unprecedented biohazard never seen before in human history, is what that meant. The worst-case scenario had just happened.

⋯✰⋯

That wasn't the last disturbing scene the four of you came across. In front of you now were three decaying horses, each speared through the stomach by its own tree. They resembled grilled chicken and steak kebabs.

The scent was even worse than the last incident. This time, they were rotting. Killua and you both covered your noses, in an attempt to block out the stench.

"It's like a morning sacrifice," Gon stated.

You remembered what that was. Back at home, sometimes birds would impale their prey on sharp objects like branches. It wasn't a pretty sight, but it was the circle of life. What kind of monster could do this to not just one, but three 1,000 ton horses?

Your question was answered quicker than you had hoped.

"Trash. Those are mine!" The monster in question growled as he stepped foot out of the dense forest.

He looked like an overgrown bunny, with wings of a bird, thick-ass thighs, and seaweed green hair. And as for the vibe he gave off? You could safely assume he was just a stupid man-child.

"Wow. You're ugly," you deadpanned.

"You wanna say that again little brat?" He snarled, making the first move and charging right after you.

You quickly dodged his attack, but not before he came in contact with your arm. That was gonna leave a bruise.

Kite activated his aura, temporarily distracting the bunny-monster. It seemed to have noticed the change in atmosphere.

No way...was it possible? Had it already learned about the power of nen?

"Y/N, Gon, Killua... You three must deal with him yourselves. We'll be encountering more Chimera Ant soldiers like him. I won't be able to help you during combat, so if you can't defeat him, you will have to leave." Kite stepped back from the fight.

You nodded, Gon and Killua mirroring you. The three of you understood what hung in the fate of this fight.

"We told you before Kite, we're pros, not just kids!"

In sync, you all activated your nen together.

"Did you hear that bunny? I'm about to blow off those weird speedos of yours into the next dimension." You raised your hand in front of you, manipulating the wind to blow him away with every step that you advanced.

Killua was already in the air, prepared to test his thunder-bolt. In a flash of blue, dozens of lightning strikes were being zapped into the ant, immobilizing him. Gon's charged punch was enough to send him flying across the sky.

You saw his tail-puff shrink and sparkle in the distance as he was about to disappear, until something fast and unidentifiable swept him away.

Someone had been watching.

"He let his soldier do the fighting so that he could learn our abilities," Kite explained while walking towards the three of you again.

Gon and Killua looked disappointed. You hadn't even gotten a chance to use much of your powers during that fight. If you had finished it off, would that have been enough to prove yourselves?

"Are you coming?"

You looked up at Kite.

"There's no need to feel down, your attacks weren't that bad. You just need experience now. If you wish to become stronger, this is a perfect opportunity... But if you aren't prepared, you won't be able to endure it. Whether we win or lose, hell lies ahead of us." Kite finished off, looking at each one of you in the eye with a resolute stare.

You knew that. Gon and Killua knew that also.

Even so, all three of you were prepared and eager to do whatever it takes to strengthen yourselves and help Kite save NGL.

⋯✰⋯

Kite looked serene as the light of the small campfire lit up his features. He and Gon had caught some fish for dinner earlier, while Killua and you set up camp. Now, you sat brushing arms with Killua, who was sitting next to Gon, who was huddled up close to Kite. The night was quiet, except for the cicadas singing in the trees and the thoughts running through you and your friend's minds.

There was a lot to think about.

Gon and Killua hadn't even been given the time to grieve over the loss of their past acquaintance, before being hit with the hard-hitting truth that the Ants were already evolving at a nightmarish rate. Nobody knew how many had gone missing or even more so been eaten. Yet everyone knew that the death count had already surpassed comprehensible numbers. Most likely, not everybody here would make it out alive.

But, the three of you consistently have proven the odds wrong. You held onto that fact like you held onto your pendant.

It reassured you.

It was obvious that the three of you had become inseparable over the past two years.

After you met Gon and Killua at Heaven's Arena, you'd never left each other's side.

Nobody would be going home without the other, because you had all found home within each other.

"Hey, Kite? What was your dad like?" Gon asked.

Kite looked up at the boy, surprised by the sudden question. Turning his eyes to the starry night sky, he exhaled a breath of cold air.

"I didn't know him. He disappeared when I was a child."

Gon hummed, waiting for Kite to continue. He knew that feeling too. It was an icy and empty feeling, not having a father figure in your life to guide you, praise you.

"I have very few memories of him, but they've all muddled together by now. Sometimes I can't tell if they're real or if I've convinced myself they are."

"....I think Ging would thank you."

This brought Kite's attention back to Gon.

"Thank me for what?"

"Well... You've been like a sort of mentor for me ever since we met, back on Whale Island. If it weren't for you, I would never have even become a hunter. Maybe I'm just a kid, but the past month it felt like I.. like I had a dad."

Your heart ached for Gon, who had been searching this whole time for his father in everyone he met and everything he saw. Gently, you placed your hand over his and squeezed it, wishing you could be of more comfort to him. Wishing you could turn back time and bring Ging back to his home, to Gon.

Kite's eyes softened as he looked at the boy, who offered a wobbly smile.

"Ging would be proud of you," he said, ruffling Gon's spiky hair.

That night, the glimmering moonlight had brought out your most vulnerable selves. You felt a honey-like warmth grow inside of you— a new member had just been added to your family. Killua seemed content, happy that his friend was smiling. And Gon's eyes matched the twinkling stars as he looked up to Kite like he was the most wonderful thing.

It was a special night. You knew deep down that you would treasure it, for a long time to come.

⋯✰⋯

[40sbarnes]

Medici: Spymasters of Florence

Chapter 17: Every Rose Has Its Thorn

me??? posting early?? but 17 chapters that is insaneeee! nervous to see how you guys find this one... enjoy !!

pairing; slowburn lorenzo x reader, friends? francesco x reader

taglist: @brynthebulldozer​ @mythicalamphitrite​ @nana035​ @valravnsraven​ @hannahhistorian92​ @not-thatweird @isaac-lahey-is-bae​ @angrygardendeer​ @unstoppable-xavi​ @johnbolton @voidmalfoy​

"But you're just so irresistible, can you truly place the blame on me?" You looked up at Lorenzo through your eyelashes, the smirk on your lips making your sarcasm painstakingly obvious. You both moved in sync to the music flowing throughout the hall.

Lorenzo's tongue poked the inside of his cheek as he raised his eyebrows, looking up at the ceiling to avoid eye contact. "Perhaps not," his focus was back on you, "but a veil of professionalism every now and then wouldn't cause any harm," he teased.

You tutted at his words, "It's as if you don't know me at all," you pouted.

"I don't," he reminded you, "I've never had the pleasure of meeting you," he spoke his words a little louder, only joking with you now. If anyone was actually listening in to you two you were being more than obvious.

"Oh how I wish that were true," you leant up to whisper in his ear, before stepping away for him to spin you.

He pulled you back closer than before once you finished your twirl, stooping down to whisper back. "Now we both know that's a lie," you rolled your eyes, going to move away once again but his hold on you only grew tighter, "they're watching, I think it's time."

You just chuckled, as if he'd said something hilarious, before you got ready to change partners. Lorenzo didn't let go of your hand until the last second, and you stepped up to the next man, who was smiling at you already. You curtseyed to him, but when you looked up from your feet you saw Francesco beside the man, asking to cut in. Your partner agreed with an air of confusion about him, and your new one took your hands into his own.

"Couldn't wait your turn?" You teased, as you began to dance together, grinning at him.

"Not with you in that dress," he kept his voice low, his tone serious, smiling for a moment.

"It goes with your shirt quite nice, wouldn't you say?" You continued, glancing between the two fabrics.

Francesco let out a single breathy chuckle, before leaning in and lowering his voice. "How was your last dance partner?"

You studied him as he pulled away, his own gaze fixed on you. "Great. Although he was certainly following my lead," the insinuation of your words was clear, "and if we were to dance again I imagine I could lead him anywhere," you whispered your last sentence to him, and he nodded curtly.

"I'm sure he would be happy to dance again, soon," Francesco watched you carefully.

You nodded back. "Soon? As in a song or two?"

"Why wait?" he smiled, twirling you under his arm. Your heart sped up as you realised you had to figure a way to stop him now.

"Are you ready?" Your voice was serious, looking between his eyes to gage his reaction.

"Ready as I'll ever be," he glanced over to where Lorenzo was laughing with a new partner for a split second, before looking back down at the ground between your feet.

"You don't have to do this, you know," You told him, squeezing his hand slightly.

"That's where you're wrong. I do," he sighed. You opened your mouth to retort but he spoke again before you could. "You know how my uncle is. I don't have much of a choice." It was if a knife had been struck through your heart. He didn't have a choice. And you were going to punish him for that.

"What if you did?" You furrowed your brows, in desperate search for a different solution.

"I don't," he promised you, his voice unwavering and his grip on your hands right, "Besides, it will always come down to this. He's a Medici, I am a Pazzi," his voice was solid but his gaze was not. You decided that your plan with Lorenzo was probably still the best option for everyone involved. Lorenzo would be able to live and Francesco would be able to live with himself.

"Yes you are a Pazzi, but you are also so much more," You reached up to cup his cheek, and he melted into your touch, showing exactly how easy he was to mould to your will. You felt horrible, manipulating him exactly as he had been his whole life, but you couldn't let him kill Lorenzo. Your eyes locked and you felt him inching closer.

You were so focused on one another you didn't notice that you were supposed to have swapped partners. Both of your new ones stood waiting, but Francesco ignored them, taking your arm and beginning to lead you off of the dance floor, through the crowd and towards the hallway you had decided on. With your free hand, you slid your index finger into your pocket, retrieving some of the lip paint and smearing it over your lips to ensure it was fresh and would have its desired effect. As you did you glanced over your shoulder, looking for Lorenzo still on the dance floor, to see him already staring at you. You shared a look, so he knew to follow you after five or so minutes, to make sure you had already kissed Francesco and sealed his fate. Francesco stopped you after you walked through the doorway into the empty hall, standing just to the side of it, the wooden door now separating you from all the people.

"Francesco," your lips tickled as his name fell through them. Your hands moved to his shoulders, pulling him back towards you as your back rested against the wall. His hands fell to your waist as if they had done it a thousand times already.

"y/n," his gaze was steady on yours, "I've wanted this for so long," he tucked a stray hair behind your ear, his hand coming to rest under your chin. You felt your body seize up as he did, your head spinning.

You were so close, tingles skipped across your lips as you leaned up towards him, watching for his reaction. He didn't move, his eyes fluttering as they tried to decide which of yours to focus on. You were millimetres from his lips, when he turned his head to the side, and you froze, glancing at him to see his expression was one of shame. You ignored the ironic déjà vu. You were more focused on your own confusion, you were certain he would kiss you. You felt dizzy at the rejection, until you realised it wasn't the rejection making you feel that way at all. Everything became fuzzy, and your stomach felt as though a hot spear had been shoved through it. Your brows furrowed, blinking forcibly, trying to focus your vision again. You hunched over from the pain, leaning against Francesco, until you lost your balance completely, falling to the side. His arms caught you right before your head could come into contact with the cool tiles of the floor. You looked up to him, forcing your eyes to focus, to see him staring back at you, brows knitted together in guilt and concern. As you looked up to him in confusion, the all too familiar sensation of everything going black began to grab at you. You desperately pushed through it, willing yourself out of it, but you no longer had feeling in your limbs.

"It's okay," he whispered, and those words had never been less comforting to hear. Why wasn't he helping you? Your weak voice tried to call out for him but you couldn't produce so much as a squeak.

Your eyes watered out of frustration, hearing footsteps approaching from down the hall. You were slipping more and more away as the seconds ticked by. Had Lorenzo come? You couldn't see past Francesco to confirm your hopes, but after a sharp jab to your jaw, you couldn't see anything at all.

—-

[maskthesimp]

Cold Blooded, Warm Hearted - Malia Tate x Self-Insert

Warnings: mentions of child abuse, general violence and gore, crude language, monsters

If you wish to follow this fanfic more closely (as it will be a full on book hopefully) check my Wattpad in the Pinned post! It just makes everything easier~ XOXO

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Chapter 1: Paths Crossed

"Bring him," a voice rings out, fire crackles as chains gently rattle against parallel stone pillars. Echoes of footsteps ring through the halls, coming to a whisper as they enter an open space, the ground lined with sand, crunching under the small boots of he who entered the ceremony room.

"You, child of Connor, Lord of the West Territories; Here you shall evolve. Shed your skin, accept your heritage and become one of us! Take your first kill, and burn away the weakness that plagues you," the voice continues to boom through the vast space, voices whispering and muttering as the small figure makes it's way closer to the rattling chains, "Are you ready, my child?" The voice booms as a man groans, his chains shake and knock together, the heat of the fire laying ontop of his skin like a blanket waiting leap and turn him to ash, "...I am!".

Two cloaked men, jam their spears to the ground next to the younger figure, and take their place next to the chained man, "It's time for you to evolve," says the left man, "Shed your humanity." Says the man on the right. A chant erupts in the observing crowd, 'kill, shed, evolve...kill, shed, evolve...'

The young, small figure slowly walks towards the rattling chains, and the bare man constricted by them. He looks at his hands as ash red claws crawl their way out of his formerly human finger tips, wine red scales peel back up his arm, waist, chest, neck, and face, amber rings brand his once ivy green orbs. "Kill, shed, evolve," the two men echo, gripping the edges of two stone bowls on either side of the chained man, filled to the brim with molten rock, glowing with the licks of flames. The ash red claws glint in the light of the flames, and swing down, sending flicks of blood to the ground, as they melt into the already red scales of the young figure's hands.

The chant continues, over and over again, 'kill, shed, evolve, kill, shed, evolve..', the first stage having been complete. The child winces in fear and nearly stumbles back, but holds himself steady, as the two men release the heated rocks onto the scaled child. A piercing scream erupts into a roar as flames slither their way across the child's body, when he opens his eyes in agony, the burning Amber rings are replaced by a now cold, blue glow.

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[Beacon Hills High-school, Last Period]

"Hey do you guys wanna study after hours?" Stiles asks, standing up from his seat. "I need to, I have a maths test coming up soon," Malia responds, a slight pout growing on her face as she reminds herself of her least favourite class. "Cool, I'll help you out!" A tall, dark boy stands from his seat aswell, Scott, he follows his girlfriend, Malia, and his best friend, Stiles, out of the classroom. They make their way up the stairs, running into their resident Banshee, and Stiles' girlfriend, Lydia, eventually reaching the doors of the library.

They settle down at one of the central desks, each opening their books and beginning to study for their respective classes. "Ya know, we haven't had anything supernatural happen in the past few months, it gives me bad tingles in my feet, like something is gonna happen soon," Stiles squirms in his seat with his his chin resting in his palm, Lydia agrees with Stiles, "Yeh you're right, it does seem weird doesn't it? Maybe The Beast was the last big bad in Beacon Hills. Seems fitting that our last one would be the first Werewolf killed by an Argent." Scott turns to his friend, somewhat rolling his eyes, "C'mon Stiles, you're being paranoid! Not everything is supernatural in this town, we can go one year without finding a body, or having kidnappings, or giant phantom werewolves tearing people apart!" Stiles looks down at his open book, a concentrated frown on his face, "Yeh I guess you're right.."

The conversation moves on, everyone but Stiles focusing on other things. A few minutes pass, before Stiles pipes up about a new face who's entered the library,with long brown and blonde hair, light denim jeans, and a black jacket. "Who's that? I don't recognise them from the new Freshmen, are they a transfer student?" The person wanders over to the Anthropology section, also known as where the stories on Mythological creatures are, "I think so, I've seen them at the Jujitsu hall, I think they were signing up," Malia answers Stiles' characteristically unrelated and random question. She gazes off at the new figure, watching them wander around, their raw fingertips glazing over the spines of each book they pass, until eventually they stop and open one, setting themselves down at a desk behind theirs. Scott turns to his girlfriend, a confused expression stapled to his face, "Why were you near the jujitsu Hall? None of us have a single class near there." Malia directs her attention back to Scott and her friends, her focus on the new teen broken, "Hm? I find it entertaining, why else?" She says as if it's blatantly obvious, which to her friends; it is, almost confused as to why Scott would even bother asking. "They seem like they're around our age, I'm just surprised anyone is even bothering coming to Beacon Hills High anymore, let alone what appears to be a transfer student." Lydia looks up from her notes, also oddly transfixed by the person, who is now deeply involved in their own selected book, "You sure they're our age, Lydia? They're kinda short, maybe puberty is stuck in traffic for them," a chuckle comes from the group's friends Liam, Corey and Mason as they sit down next to the main four, with Scott's Beta, Liam glancing at them each one at a time as a silent greeting. "No, they likely have some form of Dwarfism, a condition that essentially puts a limiter on how tall someone can grow, although there's hundreds of different types so I can't for sure say which one they may have.." Lydia responds almost distantly, still keeping a keen yet seemingly misty eye on the new kid, everyone taking a glance at her, not at all surprised by her scientific knowledge anymore, before they all go back to silently watching the figure.

After a while Stiles stands up, and begins making his way towards the new kid's desk, but not before Scott questions what he's doing, "I'm gonna go talk to them! Every time a mysterious new student shows up something happens, what if we have another Liam? Another time bomb?" Stiles points out, accidentally taking a small dig at their friend with I.E.D, "Hey! That was Scott's fault, I didn't come here as a wolf!" Liam retorts, glaring at Stiles with a frustrated gesture, "Well technically you got yourself tossed off the side of a building, so it was sorta your fault," Mason pipes up, "That was the wendigo's fault! Not mine!" The Beta reminiscences over the time he got bitten by Scott, when he fell off the hospital roof after he was hunted by a hungry Wendigo. "Alright enough! I'm going to talk to this kid and see what their deal is, okay?" Stiles eventually interrupts the debate, settling to try and conversate with this strange new face, "Who's to say they're anything at all? You don't need to be suspicious of every new person ya know," Malia points out to Stiles, shrugging her shoulders, "listen I always trust my gut, they transferred to Beacon Hills High even after everything that's happened here, and oh look! They're reading a book on supernatural creatures! That's not suspicious at all!" The skeptic says sarcastically, before stumbling over to the desk the young figure is sitting at.

He sets himself down clumsily, glancing between the person and their book, "So..a fantasy lover?" Stiles awkwardly asks the stranger sitting before him, he looks up from his reading in an almost panicked state, suddenly closing his book most of the way, "Oh um--..Hi, yeh, just studying for History," They let out a small, awkward chuckle before introducing themselves, "Cael by the way!" They reach out, shaking Stiles' hand as he too introduces himself, "So, you a fan of Mythology too, huh?" Cael attempts to break the Ice a little, worried that his social anxiety was showing, "Yeh," Stiles stares at the back of Cael's chosen book, somewhat zoning out while reading the title; 'The Extensive History and Physiology of Dragons throughout History'. "So, you're a dragon lover aswell then?" Stiles questions the kid's taste in History so Cael explains their history project, "Pff no, I have quite the distaste for them in fact, the history project is to study a part of any culture that we fear, whether it be real, religious, or historical events that took place in a Country's past," he awkwardly shifts in his seat, explained away by his discomfort with the Winged creatures depicted in his selected book, "So, what makes you dislike them so much, just scary? Or a separate reason..?" Stiles lightly stares at the androgynous figure sitting across from him with suspicion he hopes isn't noticeable, "Because they're the most scientifically realistic, in most cases," he responds with a deadpan and almost cold stare. Stiles' mind starts running wild with theories on every word Cael spoke, the way he said them, and other meanings of what he could've meant, his gut giving him more feeling than ever that Cael wasn't who they said they were.

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[Scott's House]

"Scott I'm telling you! This kid is shifty as hell! I checked with some of the people in his class, and they don't have a history homework even close to what he described!" Stiles points out his evidence for Cael's lying, showing his continued distrust for the young lad, "Maybe he just wanted to learn about Dragons, people have interests, Stiles!" Scott argues with his friend, while he watches him rummage through his desk, clearly searching for something, "Why would he lie about something like that? What's the point of lying about an interest in something such as dragons? Why not tell the truth, unless the truth is something you wish to keep hidden?" Stiles finally appears to find what he's looking for, he holds up a hard drive that Scott recognises, the Bestiary that used to belong to the Argents.

Stiles plugs in the Bestiary to his computer, and loads up the index. He scrolls down to the Dragons section and look through it for a while, reading some useful parts out loud; "Much like other shape shifters, dragons appear as human...Dragons have various species among their communities...they have a similar hierarchy system to ancient Kings and Queens of the English Empire..." Scott looks over Stiles' shoulder, silently reading along with him, "Stiles you should head to bed, it's late and we can talk more tomorrow. Listen if something is up with this kid, then we'll eventually find out, but other than a natural interest in fire breathing lizards, he hasn't acted suspicious in the slightest." Stiles turns his spinning chair around to face Scott, "Scott, he said he hates dragons and has a fear of them," Scott's face sinks with confusion, he asks what the skeptic is talking about and Stiles responds, "Whenever I was talking to him, he said that he had a really bad fear of Dragons, when I asked why all they said was because they're the most likely supernatural creature to be exist, is that not in the least bit suspicious?" The Werewolf stands up properly, thinking in silence for a few seconds, "Scott you didn't trust me with Theo, or when I realised I was the one who wrote Kira's name on the chalk board, I just need you to trust my gut this one time!" Stiles begs his friend to go along with his hunch, but Scott seems to be somewhat distant, until he snaps his head up "He could be a hunter! Maybe he's not a supernatural but a hunter!" Stiles claps his hands and points a praising finger towards his best friend, "Yes! Now you're following along! That explains why he was researching dragons, he wasn't studying them for himself, he was trying to figure out ways to defend himself or--"

"Kill them.." Scott quickly interrupts, his gaze sinking to the floor, "That's it, tomorrow we inform the rest of the Pack, and we find him. We'll question him, if my hunch is right and he's a hunter, then he poses a risk to all of us. Including any humans who are involved with protecting the supernatural, aka me! I only have a metal bat to protect myself so it'd be nice to have a heads up on this guy!" Stiles retorts with a snarky undertone, Scott nods his head, agreeing and saying goodnight to his partner in crime before heading home, the last thing he needs is his girlfriend climbing through the window to find his room Scott-less.

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[ikaroux]

Xiao: Who are you ? (part 1) (v.EN)

f!reader

I want a sweet Xiao <3 and then when you have Matsuoka Yoshitsugu as a seiyuu, how can you not love him?! (even if it will surely be complicated for him to understand the emotions that go through him!).

Zhongli being written.

Masterlist

Part 2

Who are you?

The last Yaksha guardian was collapsed on the ground, wounded, exhausted. His last battle with the darkness had lasted most of the night, further weighing down the karma of the young man with dark hair dotted with emerald strands. The voices of those he had killed fogged his mind, causing excruciating pain to his soul and body. Lying on his stomach unable to open his eyes, his hand struggled to find his winged jade spear that had fallen to the ground with him. A groan of pain scraped his throat at the movement.

The young man flinched briefly as he heard footsteps approaching him quickly, feeling hands grasp his shoulders to carefully turn him around.

He tried again to open his eyes, his vision was blurred and foggy. He could not distinguish the features of the human who had seized him, feeling only his hand gently caressing his hair in an attempt to soothe him. The voice he heard calling him with concern sounded like a woman's, soft and warm.

A soothing light enveloped the young woman, the boy did not understand what was happening because in the second that followed, his body lightened, his pain evaporated, was he dreaming?

Although his vision was still blurred, he nevertheless managed to distinguish a little better the contours of the young woman with long hair (color).

"Who are you? "

His voice was marked by fatigue. He managed to distinguish a thin smile on the face of his rescuer. He repeated more weakly:

"Who are you...? "

His eyes sank, the ethereal form of the young woman reminding him of distant memories, a sudden warmth burst in his heart. Tears beaded in the corners of his eyes.

"Gui...zhong? "

The landscape around him darkened, leading him straight into a soft torpor.

Xiao woke up with a start. Where was he? The Wangshu Inn? Yes, he recognized his quarters, but how did he get there? He still remembered his fight against the horde of monsters he had defeated. He raised his right hand to his face, examining it more closely.

He had no more wounds, no more pain, which brought him back to the young woman he thought he had seen. Had he hallucinated? Had she really healed him? Everything seemed to be a blur. He got up from the bed without difficulty, heading directly to the balcony which was on the top floor of the inn. He looked around, hoping to find the woman who had helped him. The sun was beginning to set, so he had spent the day resting here. It was unusual for him, not being human he didn't have the same needs as them, sleeping, eating, living with others, all that seemed ridiculous. He was almost angry at himself for staying unconscious for so long, hitting one of the wooden columns on the balcony.

Xiao turned around, heading towards the stairs, quickly walking down the steps to Wangshu's innkeeper, Verr Goldet.

"Verr. "

The young woman turned her attention to Xiao.

"Good evening lord Xiao, have you recovered from your last fight? "

"Did you see who brought me here?"

Verr didn't take offense to his curt tone, simply shaking her head to indicate that she hadn't.

Xiao clicked his tongue, annoyed. He needed to know who this mysterious woman was who had taken care of him. The memory of the warmth that emanated from her gripped his heart again, drawing his steps back towards the exit of the inn.

He suddenly bumped into a young man with blond hair, accompanied by his annoying little creature.

"Xiao?"

Aether looked at Xiao with big round eyes, he was not used to seeing him with such an expression. He was confused, frustrated and angry, these were all emotions that were running through the yaksha since he woke up.

"Xiao is not in a good mood"- Paimon twirled around him- "You should come eat something with us, nothing beats a good meal for..."

"I don't need that! "

Paimon gasped, hiding behind Aether. Xiao tried to calm himself by inhaling a deep breath of air, passing by the traveler without saying a word.

"Wait Xiao! Where are you going? "

Aether stopped him, grabbing his arm loosely so as not to rush him further. Xiao immediately gave a sharp blow on his arm to disengage himself, he regretted his abrupt words, he hated it. Before he met Aether, he never had to worry about others or how to behave with them, he was alone and he was fine with that. It was all too... human for him. Slowly he turned his gaze to the traveler.

"Aether I... am sorry. "

"Xia...! "

Without saying another word, Xiao disappeared in a draft.

When you landed in Liyue from your native land, Sumeru, a few months ago, a terrifying battle took place at the city's port. An ancient God who had once been sealed by the rock lord had broken free from his prison, attempting to destroy the port of Liyue in the process, but fortunately he was quickly stopped.

Since these events, you had started to travel in the lands of the geo archon, studying the local fauna and flora. Flowers had always fascinated you, their shapes, their smells, their meanings or their benefits, you studied absolutely everything, noting and drawing in a notebook everything you saw.

In Sumeru, you joined the prestigious magic academy to perfect your Guizhong, that was the last thing he said to you. Who was he? It seemed to you that you had already read this name in one of the books you had borrowed from the academy. You couldn't ask him, tiredness taking him away from you. You knew that not far away there was an inn, it was going to be difficult but you had to take him there so that he could rest. When you picked him up, wrapping your arm around his shoulders for support, his spear on the ground disappeared by itself. You had adjusted your grip before you began your walk.

After several minutes of recalling these events, you noticed that you had finally arrived at the high cliffs of Huaguang. Taking your courage in both hands, you prepared yourself mentally to climb the cliff. Up there was a flower that you wanted to study, the Qingxin flower. They grew exclusively on the highest stone peaks, avoiding heat and humidity, a lonely and hard to reach flower.

"It's okay! "

You rolled up your sleeves, putting your feet and hands where they could grip, slowly you began your ascent.

Night had fallen on the Liyue plains, and it was at the top of Qingyun Peak that the Yaksha had taken refuge, watching the stars brighter than ever. Sitting on the edge of the cliff, the memory of the young woman haunted him. The pain in his chest made him clench his fists, he had never felt like this, he didn't even know what name to put on these feelings.

Xiao was a thousand year old follower, human feelings didn't concern him, so why? Why such pain at the mere thought of a... stranger? But was she really a stranger? This woman had reminded him of an old friend, Guizhong, who died during the Archon war. Could she have come back in an ethereal form? Or maybe it was a new trick the demons had found to torture him a little more.

In the distance, Xiao saw a faint jade-colored light coming from the Huaguang stone forest. He widened his eyes, remembering that glow that had saved his life. His heart began to beat furiously in his chest.

"This is... impossible... I found you. "

His voice trembled at the sight of the sweet emanation. It warmed him, soothed him, the voices that constantly hammered him fell silent and his usually aching body was now light. At last he understood his obsession with you, when you had treated him earlier this morning, a bond had been established between you, a bond as strong as the one that bound him to Morax for whom he had the greatest respect and devotion.

Xiao stood up, looking in the direction you were facing. He disappeared into the wind.art and deepen your knowledge. More than once your teachers told you that your manipulation of your dendro vision was exceptional, some city-states were already looking to recruit you as a researcher or healer, but you always refused, preferring to remain free of your movements. Once you had finished your studies, you quickly decided to leave your homeland, wanting to learn more from your neighbors. Your steps finally led you to Liyue.

You had left early that morning, heading towards the Huaguang stone forest from the Dihua swamp. On the way, you passed a badly wounded young man with emerald tattoos on him. His face, despite the wounds, was beautiful and when he opened his eyes, the amber color immediately fascinated you.

You couldn't leave him like that, wounded and bruised, using your Dendro vision to heal him. When you used it, it projected a jade aura on you and a flowery area grew around you, releasing energy that allowed you to heal even the deepest wounds.

He had tried several times to ask you to identify yourself, which you did, but his apparent fatigue had closed off his senses.

Guizhong, that was the last thing he said to you. Who was he? It seemed to you that you had already read this name in one of the books you had borrowed from the academy. You couldn't ask him, tiredness taking him away from you. You knew that not far away there was an inn, it was going to be difficult but you had to take him there so that he could rest. When you picked him up, wrapping your arm around his shoulders for support, his spear on the ground disappeared by itself. You had adjusted your grip before you began your walk.

After several minutes of recalling these events, you noticed that you had finally arrived at the high cliffs of Huaguang. Taking your courage in both hands, you prepared yourself mentally to climb the cliff. Up there was a flower that you wanted to study, the Qingxin flower. They grew exclusively on the highest stone peaks, avoiding heat and humidity, a lonely and hard to reach flower.

"It's okay! "

You rolled up your sleeves, putting your feet and hands where they could grip, slowly you began your ascent.

Night had fallen on the Liyue plains, and it was at the top of Qingyun Peak that the Yaksha had taken refuge, watching the stars brighter than ever. Sitting on the edge of the cliff, the memory of the young woman haunted him. The pain in his chest made him clench his fists, he had never felt like this, he didn't even know what name to put on these feelings.

Xiao was a thousand year old follower, human feelings didn't concern him, so why? Why such pain at the mere thought of a... stranger? But was she really a stranger? This woman had reminded him of an old friend, Guizhong, who died during the Archon war. Could she have come back in an ethereal form? Or maybe it was a new trick the demons had found to torture him a little more.

In the distance, Xiao saw a faint jade-colored light coming from the Huaguang stone forest. He widened his eyes, remembering that glow that had saved his life. His heart began to beat furiously in his chest.

"This is... impossible... I found you. "

His voice trembled at the sight of the sweet emanation. It warmed him, soothed him, the voices that constantly hammered him fell silent and his usually aching body was now light. At last he understood his obsession with you, when you had treated him earlier this morning, a bond had been established between you, a bond as strong as the one that bound him to Morax for whom he had the greatest respect and devotion.

Xiao stood up, looking in the direction you were facing. He disappeared into the wind.

You had finally reached the top of the cliff, immediately spotting two-three Qingxin flowers. You immediately knelt down beside one of them, taking out your notebook and pencil. You began to draw this beautiful flower from every angle, noting here and there the characteristics you could observe. Satisfied with everything you could see, you finally turned to the landscape plunged in the darkness of the night. Liyue's sky was dotted with stars that shone brightly. Sitting cross-legged in the center of the cliff top, your gaze turned back to the flowers of Qingxin, suddenly reminding you of the young man you had rescued. When you looked into his eyes, his eyes seemed so sad, so lonely. The pain that seemed to be emanating from him had struck you at the highest point.

You turned your attention back to the stars. Your mind was obsessed with this boy and it was with him in mind that you began to sing an ancient poem by Sumeru. The words, although sung in your native language, were undoubtedly sad and melancholic. Your hands were placed in front of you, palms up, eyes closed, activating your dendro vision. A jade-green circle encircled the entire surface of the cliff, particles of light streaming from the ground. Gradually, luminescent blue flowers began to grow around you, following the rhythm of your song.

It was a violent draught that cut you off, opening your eyes in surprise. You gasped as you saw the young man with the amber eyes standing before you.

He was out of breath, stiff as a board, his eyes never leaving yours. Something in him seemed different from this morning, in his eyes you could see... peace?

He cautiously approached you, kneeling down in front of you to get to your level. He took one of your hands in his, squeezing it gently. The particles you had created swirled around you, lighting up the scene. Your heart was pounding now that he was in front of you, you found him even more attractive under the moonlight. His eyes shone with an incredible brilliance, his tattoos also glowed with a soft emerald glow.

Your voice, your appearance, everything seemed sweet to him, no wonder he confused you with Guizhong, you looked like him in some ways.

His lips trembled slightly as he continued to examine your face, a question seemed to cross his lips.

His free hand went up to your face, tucking one of your locks behind your ear.

"Who are you? "His tone was more brutal than he had intended it to be.

Your eyes widened at the question. Of course you couldn't introduce yourself or learn who he was, his name, what he did. You wanted to know everything about this man who had marked your heart.

Seeing that you didn't answer, he asked again in a soft whisper, making you blush.

"Who are you? "

"(y/n)..."

And for the first time since you met, a smile stretched his lips, a silence accompanying your answer. His smile disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, his hand dropped yours.

"Xiao. "

You looked at him intensely, your face completely red as he straightened his legs.

"As long as you're in Liyue, I'll protect you. Call me and I'll be there in a second."

You slowly nodded, fascinated by this man who was decidedly not human. He watched you for a few more seconds, his eyes entranced by your presence before disappearing as he had appeared...

"Xiao..."