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crystallinestars · 2 months ago

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Comforting you when you're sad

Headcanons about the Genshin boys comforting you when you're feeling down for whatever reason.

I don't know what I wrote but I hope it's enjoyable nonetheless.

Characters: Venti, Lyney, Kaeya, Alhaitham, Wanderer, Kaveh

Venti

🍃 When Venti first sees the sullen expression on your face, his cheerful smile wanes into concerned curiosity as he asks what happened to make you so sad. He doesn’t want to force you to answer if you would rather not talk about it, but he can tell the sadness is weighing heavy on your heart, so he takes you home and asks one more time what happened. His words and voice are gentle, his gaze tender as he cups and strokes your cheek, hoping to make you comfortable enough to open up to him.

🍃 His gentle coaxing works to make your guard crumble and the tears you held back come streaming down your cheeks. Venti isn’t used to comforting crying people, but he hugs you, letting you cry into his shoulder while stroking your head, letting you know it’s okay to cry. He doesn’t say a word until your crying fit subsides into hiccups and sniffles, and only then does he let his voice be heard as he softly hums a lullaby he once overheard a mother sing to a crying child a long time ago.

🍃 When you’ve calmed down, Venti asks what you want to do. He'll stay with you if you would rather stay home to keep you company, however, he thinks it would do you some good to go out instead of staying cooped up in these four walls. If you agree to go outside, Venti will stroll around the city market, trying to entice you with this item or that. Do you want to check out the knickknacks at Marjorie’s? Or the new potions Timaeus is brewing? Or what about that one dish at the Good Hunter you’ve always wanted to try but never got around to? Venti would buy them all for you—his treat! He would even brave his cat allergy and stop by the Cat’s Paw so you can try one of Diona’s special concoctions. Venti acts peppy and cheery throughout the impromptu date, hoping to lift your dampened mood with his enthusiasm.

🍃 If the little date doesn’t do the trick to cheer you up, then Venti drags you outside the city walls. Leading you by the hand, Venti brings you to the open grassy plains of Windrise and beckons you to take in the world around you. Look at that beautiful blue sky and feel the warmth of the sun on your skin. Feel the wind play with your hair and hear the rustling of leaves in the great oak tree. Walk along the beach with him while smelling the salty ocean breeze and splashing water at each other as if you were little children. Climb the oak tree at Windrise and watch the squirrels and birds that call it their home scurry about in the branches. Lay in the grass and watch the starry sky with him while he strums a soothing song on his lyre that he composed just for you.

🍃 It's not a guarantee his method will work, but Venti hopes this outing can help you feel free from whatever burdens you. Despite his youthful appearance and demeanor, Venti is an old soul who has seen and experienced his fair share of suffering. He is aware that sadness sticks around far longer than joy, for such is the human condition, but he also knows that it shouldn’t overshadow everything in life. Though life can beat you down and Venti may not be able to solve your problems, there is so much more to the world than the little bubble you confine yourself to.

Lyney

🎩 Lyney’s expression lights up when he sees you from afar, but the tired look in your eyes and the weak smile you give him tell the magician you’re feeling down. He looks at you in concern and gently asks if something is wrong to make you so down. He attentively listens if you want to share the reason, and lets the conversation go if you don’t want to talk about it, but either way, he wants to distract you from your negative feelings.

🎩 Lyney has the most experience dealing with Lynette’s sour moods, so out of habit he brings you to a café and lets you order anything you want from the menu, offering to pay for it. He lets you talk if you want to vent or if you want to stay quiet, he fills the silence with funny stories about people he saw in the streets of Fontaine.

🎩 Though he appears his usual chipper self, in reality, he’s worried about you. If spending time with him isn’t enough to brighten your mood, Lyney drops his cheery façade and gently takes your hands in his. With a concerned look, he persuades you to at the very least stop bottling up your emotions and depend on him. As an older brother, he feels a lot of responsibility to care for those he loves, and that responsibility also extends to you.

🎩 Once he sees that his words touched your heart and you’re on the verge of tears, he escorts you to a private alleyway where you can cry freely without the prying eyes of passersby. Lyney hugs you close and whispers words of comfort in your ear, letting you cry into his shoulder. He has a lot of experience comforting Lynette and his siblings at the orphanage, so Lyney knows what to do to support you during your most vulnerable moment. His reassurances help calm you down, and he wipes your tears away with a handkerchief. Though it saddens him to see you so upset, he’s also grateful that you opened up to him about your feelings.

🎩 Afterward, Lyney offers to take you to play with his animal assistants. He teaches you how to feed them, and watches you play with his animals, seeing you gradually relax and give a small smile as a pigeon coos and cuddles into your hand.

🎩 Alternatively, Lyney might invite you to a private magic show; one he designed for your eyes only. The magician brings you to his room in the orphanage where the two of you can be alone and he has access to his props. With a cheeky smirk and flourish of his hand, Lyney materializes a Rainbow Rose from thin air and hands it to you, telling you to keep your eyes on him. He begins his performance, narrating it like any regular show even though you’re the sole audience member. Lyney shows off all the tricks he is certain you haven’t seen before, even mixing in some new ones he hasn’t quite perfected but included anyway. He injects a dramatic and comedic flair into the performance in the hopes of making you laugh. Once you do, Lyney grins, pleased he could make you feel better. In his mind, laughter is the best cure for sadness.

Kaeya

❄️ When Kaeya catches a glimpse of you, he is instantly able to tell you’re out of sorts. Though you smile at him, it’s weak and does a poor job of masking the sorrow in your eyes. You’re clearly not as okay as you try to seem, but Kaeya is unsure of how to help you feel better. He’s not used to comforting people. His only experiences are helping crying children find their parents during crowded festivals, and clumsily bandaging Diluc’s scrapes when they were little. But you are neither a child nor his sworn brother, so he momentarily feels lost about how to help you.

❄️ Such delicate situations are not Kaeya’s forte, but as your boyfriend, he wants to help you feel better. So, he steels himself and, in his usual teasing lilt, inquires what happened to make you look so sour. Though he sounds playful, Kaeya takes your feelings seriously, so when you look like you’re about to cry, he quickly escorts you somewhere private.

❄️ When you break down, he’s at a loss for what to do since he’s never had to comfort anyone like this before. Then, a memory surfaces in his mind of when Adelinde hugged him as a crying child, so he hesitantly wraps you up in a loose embrace, mimicking her hug the best he could. It’s a foreign feeling, holding you while you cry into his shoulder. He feels helpless just standing there with your shaking body in his arms, but he also knows it’s the best he can do for you right now, so he gently rubs your back the way Adelinde did for him all those years ago and hopes it helps you the way it did him.

❄️ Kaeya stays quiet until your crying fit subsides. He’s unsure of what to say as you slowly collect yourself, but he softly asks if you want to go drinking. Perhaps some alcohol from the Angel’s Share can help you feel better? If you agree, Kaeya takes you to the tavern where you share a drink and watch a bard perform a heroic epic about an adventurer. Alternatively, if you like cats, Kaeya brings you to the Cat’s Paw to play with the cats there and get a specialty drink from Diona (his treat). He also coerces you into a few rounds of TCG and pretends to play fairly but purposely loses to give you the wins in the hopes that the little victories would brighten your mood.

❄️ If you don’t want to drink, then Kaeya invites you over to the Dawn Winery. It feels strange to bring you to his childhood home when he hasn’t lived there in years, but he’s hoping that Adelinde could help. Ever since the head maid found out that Kaeya had a lover, she had asked for details about you, but Kaeya refused to disclose much of anything. Questions about his love life from someone he saw as a mother figure made him shy, so he avoided talking about you.

❄️ As he expected, Adelinde was overjoyed to finally meet you and she welcomed you inside just as warmly as she did Kaeya. She whips up a delicious dinner for your pair and spends the evening chatting with you, asking you about yourself and sharing all of Kaeya’s childhood stories that he never told you about, especially the funny ones much to his chagrin. The homey atmosphere and fun conversation do the trick to take your mind off of whatever bothered you, and though it came at Kaeya’s expense, he was happy to see you smiling like your usual self again.

Alhaitham

🎧 Upon your arrival home, Alhaitham’s brows pinch together in concern when he sees you looking down. He doesn’t pry into what happened, preferring for you to tell him what was wrong when you were ready to talk about it. However, if you don’t share the reason behind your sadness, and your mood doesn’t improve or grows worse, the Scribe gently calls out to you and tactfully asks what happened in a calm and gentle tone.

🎧 No matter how small the reason, Alhaitham hears you out without judgment, understanding that people can have a bouquet of reactions to situations he may not perceive to be as worthy of his concern. Even if he wouldn’t feel the same as you in your situation, he still tries to understand your point of view and help you deal with your emotions. If Alhaitham finds it applicable, he will offer advice for your situation. However, he is perceptive enough to tell when mere advice won’t help resolve your current mood, and that you require comfort.

🎧 Alhaitham’s eyes soften, and he gently pulls you into his chest with a simple comment: “Don’t hold it all in. Cry if you need to.” Sometimes, releasing pent-up emotions is what a person needs to feel better, and the Scrobe doesn’t want you to wallow in your misery all alone. He holds you to him while you cry, placing his chin atop your head and lightly stroking your back in comfort without saying a word.

🎧 His usually calm expression turns somber and his hold on you tightens a little as a dull ache surges through his heart. Alhaitham is not one to become influenced by the emotions of others easily, but despite what some people may think, he is not immune to others’ distress. He doesn’t like seeing others suffer, and seeing you so upset is no exception. Your suffering affects him a little more because he loves you and wants you to be at your best, so he will do everything in his power to help.

🎧 Once your crying fit subsides, Alhaitham lets you choose what you want to do next. If you want some privacy to deal with your emotions, he lets you go and occasionally checks up on you to see how you’re doing. If you say you want to stay with him, Alhaitham fetches a blanket knitted by his late grandmother that she used to wrap him up in and drapes it over you. He brews you a cup of tea before inviting you to read with him on the sofa. Should you choose to join him, Alhaitham will keep an arm around you while reading a book, not interrupting your reading but letting you feel he’s here.

🎧 If you’re not in the mood to read, then the Scribe cuddles with you on the sofa. He lets you rest your head on his chest, running a hand along your back while holding a book with the other. If you want to hear the sound of his voice, Alhaitham will read the book to you out loud. If you prefer the silence and the sound of his heartbeat, then he stays quiet and holds you until you fall asleep, kissing your forehead once you doze off.

Wanderer

☂️ As soon as Wanderer sees you, he instantly realizes you’re feeling down. Even when you smile and say you’re fine, his perceptive nature makes it easy for him to tell you’re not. As a frank person, Wanderer prefers you to be straightforward about your feelings and wants, so it’s frustrating when you keep things to yourself like this. He frowns and asks what made you act like such a wet blanket, but despite his unfriendly scowl, he remains patient and hears you out.

☂️ What he’s not prepared for is your tears. When you start crying in the middle of your explanation, Wanderer’s frown melts into surprise and then concern before quickly pulling you into a hug. He’s not used to comforting crying people, but a part of Wanderer urges him to comfort you, so he follows his instincts. Soothing words and caresses are not his forte, but Wanderer quietly murmurs for you to stop bottling everything inside and confide in him. Cry if you need to, it’s fine. He’s got you.

☂️ Wanderer’s embrace is both tight yet careful as if he were holding something precious and fragile. The way you felt in his arms was certainly fragile. Shoulders hunched and shaking, muffling your sniffles against his shirt and soaking the fabric with your tears. Something in his chest feels tight when he sees you this broken, and it sparks a desire in him to fix whatever happened to make you this upset. Even if the cause is outside of his power to fix, Wanderer at least wants you to stop crying and go back to your annoying and yet endearing self.

☂️ When you calm down, Wanderer acts more mindful around you. He chooses his words carefully and keeps his tone soft as he tells you it’s normal to be upset in this situation, but you shouldn’t lose hope so easily. Usually, he would be blunter with his words, but with you in such a precarious state, he wants to be careful. He knows his bluntness can sometimes upset people, and the last thing he wants is to make you more upset.

☂️ Wanderer lets you choose what you want to do: do you want to stay home or come with him to a secret place? If you choose to stay home, he tells you to clean yourself up while he busies himself in the kitchen. He whips up a few delicious and hearty dishes and tells you to eat and stop moping when he serves them up. When you point out that these are all your favorite foods, he scoffs and says that it’s all he could make with the ingredients on hand, but reluctantly adds that he thought your favorite foods would help you feel better. If you thank him, he grows flustered and tells you not to because he didn’t do anything special, but it makes him feel happy inside that you appreciated his efforts.

☂️ If you choose to come with him, then Wanderer takes you to a secret place of his. It’s a little vantage point he found in the Lokapala Jungle that looks especially pretty at night, and he wanted to bring you here one day but figured today was as good a day as any. He flies up there with you and lets you take in the view. Surrounding you are various bioluminescent flora that disperse the darkness with their soft glow. Fireflies softly float about your pair as you sit on the soft grass and look up at the star-filled sky. There’s an ethereal beauty to the place that distracts you from your depressing thoughts and lifts your sunken spirits. He stays here with you for as long as you want, chatting about various topics and weaving you a flower crown to remember the occasion by.

Kaveh

🍷 When Kaveh sees your sullen demeanor, he immediately realizes you’re feeling down. He knows what it’s like to suffer from sadness and depression all alone, and he doesn’t want you to deal with such feelings on your own. Though it’s hypocritical of him, the architect wishes that you would confide in him, so gently prompts you to share what happened. Even if you tell him you’re fine, Kaveh won’t buy it but won’t pressure you to tell him.

🍷 However, he worries deeply about your mental well-being, and if he sees no improvements or even a worsening of your mental state, he takes your hand and leads you to the sofa. Kaveh cups your cheek and pleads with you to confide in him. Tell him what’s wrong because he wants to help you feel better so badly, and it frustrates him that he can’t.

🍷 His efforts pay off in making you give in and tell him what happened to make you feel this way. Even if there’s no particular reason for your sadness, Kaveh takes your feelings seriously. He wraps his arms around you in a gentle yet firm hug when you start crying, his expression solemn because seeing you in pain like this makes his heart ache. Kaveh holds you close until you let out all your sadness, whispering reassurances and kissing the top of your head. He strokes your back to comfort you, not caring that you’re soaking his shirt with tears and snot. Your well-being is far more important to him than his clothes.

🍷 Once you calm down, Kaveh dotes on you. He gets you tissues, some water, a blanket—you name it, he’ll bring it. With a gentle smile, Kaveh asks if you want to go out and do something to get your mind off whatever made you sad. If you want to stay home to recuperate from your crying fit, then Kaveh will spend the evening cuddling you and making sure you’re okay.

🍷 If you accept, Kaveh will take you out to Lambad’s Tavern. When life beat him down, he turned to heavy drinking to forget his troubles, and though he doesn’t want you to get plastered the way he did (because it’s bad for your health! He says) he offers to buy you a drink, hoping a light buzz could take the edge off your grief. Even if you don’t drink alcohol, Kaveh buys you a non-alcoholic drink and keeps you company. From his personal experience, sometimes a drink and good company are all you need to feel better, so he chats about various topics and gives advice if you need it. He also listens if you want to vent, offering a sympathetic ear and supportive words.

🍷 If you don’t want to drink, Kaveh takes you out on a stroll around Sumeru city. He surmises that a change of scenery can help take your mind off things, so he takes your hand and walks along the streets, showing you all the spots with pretty views. He comments how each location looks especially beautiful during sunset or at night when the stars are shining in the sky and offers to bring you here later if you want to see that breathtaking view. Afterward, he takes you out for a delicious meal at his expense. Kaveh is more than willing to spend his meager savings on you if it means making you happy. He won’t be able to rest easy unless you feel better, so he pulls out all the stops to try and cheer you up if only a little.

#genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #venti x reader #lyney x reader #kaeya x reader #alhaitham x reader #wanderer x reader #scaramouche x reader #kaveh x reader

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satinroses · 6 months ago

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Off the beaten path

Yan! Albedo x reader x Yan! Susbedo

4874 Words

GN! reader

Summary: Albedo has been frantic about keeping you far away from Dragonspine for reasons unknown but when Sucrose asks you to go to Dragonspine to gather some ingredients for her you can’t help but go there however when you arrive Albedo doesn’t seem at all upset over your sudden arrival in Dragonspine… rather he seems uncharacteristically enthusiastic.

guys this is my first fic so erm I'm sorry if it’s really bad :[

Warnings: typical yandere behaviours, non-con kissing, both Albedos being little creeps, Y/N needs a break and has official permission to execute them both, Y/N is a smidge naïve, Manipulation, gaslighting

The brisk air of Dragonspine doesn’t sit gently in your lungs, instead its crispness demands your attention. Each breath is invigorating. You were never one to focus on meditation or breathing techniques, seeing little interest in self-reflection or mindfulness however on mornings like this one on Dragonspine with the bright morning sun rising to full mast you couldn't help but feel rather contemplative.

Admittedly you were not as alchemically inclined as your lover, the chief alchemist of the Knights of Favonius however when sucrose entered Albedo’s office late at night in a state of utter disarray as the samples of flora she had procured from Dragonspine had seemingly vanished from under her very nose you couldn’t help but take pity on the poor girl in her panic. Tomorrow morning she would be too busy refining the remaining electro hypostasis’ lightning prisms from her last journey outside the walls of Mondstadt for yet another experiment… She simply wouldn't be able to make the trek to Dragonspine and back while also completing all of her tasks but despite her pleading the knights were far too busy to waste their time collecting mere greenery.

You shifted on your feet, you always thought she held herself to a far harsher standard than she deserved, constantly focusing on her shortcomings as Albedo’s apprentice rather than acknowledging what an accomplished and gifted alchemist she was in her own right. You walked towards the distraught green-haired alchemist, firmly grasping her on each shoulder. At your steady grasp sucrose looked up at the reassuring smile you gave her “Sucrose! Don’t fret so much, you’ve already done more than enough. I’ve got it handled, I’ll head to Dragonspine first thing tomorrow morning and I'll have the samples for you before lunchtime.” For the first time since Sucrose entered the room you could feel your lover's eyes rising from the notebook where he had been scrawling away his recent findings for the past few hours, his turquoise eyes piercing into your body as though if he stared hard enough he’d be able pierce your subconsciousness and reprogram you, as though if he impressed his vision into you long enough you would eventually be remade in his vision, as though staring could somehow convince you to rescind your offer.

Although Albedo was typically indifferent about how you spent your time and who you associated with, you couldn't help but notice that recently he had been very clearly trying to shepherd you away from the snowy peak of Dragonspine. Any ideas of visiting him while he was working was quickly shot down with a “It’s not worth the trek, most of my work in Dragonspine will be done soon enough, there is no point in journeying all that way”. Any mentions of stopping by to drop off some warm food for himself, Sucrose and Timaeus was quickly halted with a “we pack more than enough food and there are plenty of braziers around the camp, please don't worry yourself” much to the dismay of Timaeus. It felt as though every attempt to come see him working had been instantly stopped by some rebuttal he had regarding it as a waste of time and energy.

It would be a lie to say your heart didn’t ache with every blatant refusal to your attempts to visit him on the mountain. He let Kaeya, Klee and Sucrose visit him freely but he seemed particularly insistent that you do not come to Dragonspine, that you don't even entertain the idea. In spite of Albedo's recent reluctance for you to venture to the frozen mountain, you refused to be deterred. This particular voyage was not a selfish endeavour for your own entertainment… no! Sucrose needed your help and you refused to let her down. It would be a breeze to wander about the mountain picking flowers for a little while before meandering back to Mondstadt to what would likely be a hero’s welcome from the young woman, besides with your pyro vision strapped to your waist you sincerely doubted any hillichurls would be causing you issues and you knew well enough to steer clear of any Fatui outposts placed along the winding frozen pathways.

The mint-haired woman let out a deep sigh of relief, her breathing steadying as she looked at you hopefully “really?! You will? Thank you so much Y/N I- I don't know how to repay you I-'' you laughed warmly at the girl’s gratitude “think nothing of it! It’ll be a piece of cake, besides I haven't left Monstadt’s walls in weeks, going out and exploring will do me some good.” It seemed as though this past month almost every commission took place within the walls of Mondstadt, if you had to clean that blasted statue of Barbatos or tell that creep Albert to knock it off one more time you were going to go crazy, on the rare occasion you were given a commission that left the walls of Mondstadt it was something mundane like a food delivery to Springvale and back. You hadn’t had a single combat commission in weeks. you had filed several complaints to Katherine about the distribution of commissions and despite her promises to reach out to her higher ups regarding potential flaws in the commission distribution system, she still hadn't gotten back to you.

With Sucrose’s issue resolved and her mind soothed you gently guide her to the door of Albedo’s office “It’s getting late and I’m sure you’ll have a busy day tomorrow” you say to her, clasping the bronze door handle and holding the door open “I’ll see you tomorrow, verdure in tow!” you exclaimed as you watched the girl amble over to the exit of the Knight’s headquarters, waving you a polite goodbye.

You softly shut the thick oak door to Albedo’s office not wanting to disturb the diligent genius, taking his silence during your conversation with sucrose as a sign of him returning to his work. Ever the academic, Albedo rarely allowed himself to be distracted from a task once he had dedicated himself to it, however upon turning around you were greeted by Albedo still staring at you intently, his eyes having never once left your frame. His pupils were dilated, the darkness engulfing his iris leaving only a sliver of blue as an outermost ring. He didn’t blink as though afraid you would slip from his grasp the moment he shut his eyes. His body was still, his entire being focused on watching you as though he was waiting for something to happen. He hadn’t written a word since your mention of Dragonspine, his studies completely paused as his pen stayed pressed on his crisp white notepad, a thick ink blot seeping into the page and staining it but in spite of this, the observant Albedo didn’t make any effort to move the pen.

Seeing Albedo so on edge subsequently had you unsettled. You gently walk across the plush red carpet approaching Albedo, taking the pen out of his hand and setting it down on his desk before he could further sully his work. Only upon your contact with him did he seemingly snap out of the daze he was in, blinking softly. His eyes still zeroed in on you but they seemed softer, less frantic. Upon setting the pen down you began to wrap your coat around your shoulders “you know what i said to sucrose is right, i should be heading home soon before i have to bump into the crowd of tavern crawlers on their way from The Cat’s Tail to The Angel’s Share” you joke gently attempting to lighten the mood, Albedo barely manages a smile at your jest. instead getting up and shoving his arms haphazardly into the sleeves of the jacket he stripped off hours ago “let me walk you home. It’s getting far too dark for you to be wandering about Mondstadt alone. I wouldn't be able to rest well unless I knew you made it back safely.” You smile bashfully at the consideration he's shown for you.

“Oh Albedo, i don't want to be a bother I'm sure you have plenty of things to-”

“I insist.”

“Well if you insist” you smile softly, your heart fluttering at his show of chivalry

You nodded and fiddled with the buttons of your coat, your fingers trembling as Albedo stood by the door waiting for you to be ready to leave. Upon noticing your battle with your buttons Albedo quickly faced you as he placed your hands by your side to instead button your coat up himself. The moment you were suitably clothed to brace the cool Mondstadt evenings Albedo’s arm snaked around your waist as he ushered you out of the Knight’s headquarters. Your cheeks warmed at his gesture as the reserved alchemist’s hand enclosed your waist tightly, pulling you closer into him as though he was trying to mould you together, unable to be separated by anyone or anything. You attempted to initiate some small talk as you wandered through Mondstadt, however Albedo hardly noticed. He muttered vague replies or made noises of affirmation as you discussed your day and how cold it had been recently and how excited you were for the next Windblume festival. Instead Albedo’s eyes were fixed intently on the shadows the dim streetlamps of Mondstadt cast as though a ghost was about to peer out from one of the alleys. As you reached your home you opened the door yet Albedo's hand didn't move from your waist. You stared at him expectantly, waiting for him to release you from his grasp but he didn’t move his hand until several awkward seconds had passed before he hesitantly allowed you to walk through your front door. “Goodnight Albedo” you whisper gently before pressing a gentle peck to his cheek. You disappear behind your door trying to forget about Albedo’s peculiar behaviour tonight, fretting about what could have possibly made him so troubled. In spite of your concern about Albedo’s recent behaviours you slipped into an uneasy sleep, unaware of how he remained steadfastly on your doorstep like a statue keeping watch until the sun began to peak over the rolling hills of Mondstadt and he reluctantly retired to his own abode.

●・○・●・○・●・

The crunch of the fresh layer of snow beneath your shoes invigorated you as you continued your trek along the mountainside. Your head felt light as you inhaled the overwhelming saccharine scent of the half dozen sweet flowers you had found, your hand clutching the stems of the flowers gently, determined to bring Sucrose back the best possible samples. Alas you couldn’t help but feel as though your luck had all but run out when you began to search for mint. Perhaps some traveller had plucked the last of it in this area or maybe you were just unlucky. You bent over in the snow, your head almost grazing the ground as you sifted your hands through the snow hoping your fingers might latch onto even a mint sapling, that perhaps the constant winter snowfall had simply covered up all the fresh mint. After a few minutes of sifting through the mountainside snow you began to instinctively reach for your weapon as a distinctly humanoid presence loomed over you… there shouldn't be Fatui this far from the main path but perhaps these were scouts for a larger group. You held your breath not wanting the person to realise you were aware of their presence until you were ready or you were forced to act, likely the latter. As several minutes passed and you still pretended to be focused on the frost dusted ground beneath you rather than the presence looming over your form you were confused as to why they hadn’t approached yet… perhaps it was just some freezing adventurer too sheepish to ask for help so they were simply waiting to be noticed… or perhaps it was an inquisitive little snow fox or boar who would scurry away the moment you acknowledged it yes, that sounded much better. You would turn around and be greeted by some shy little forest animal who would flee the moment you acknowledged it. Yes. That was it. Nothing bad is behind you. You began to repeat in your head as you rested your numb hands on the hilt of your weapon before taking a deep breath and turning around.

Of all the potential scenarios you imagined being greeted by, seeing Albedo staring at you in utter shock was not one of them. You exhaled softly before you began to chuckle in relief, pressing your hand over your thumping heart as you chastised your over-active imagination. You smile gently “‘Bedo I didn't think I’d bump into you, what are you doing on this part of the mountain?” You awaited a response yet you weren’t greeted by one, you looked back up at Albedo but instead of him offering you a small smile or him trying to usher you off the mountain he simply stood there staring at you as though it was the first time he had truly seen you. He drank in deep breaths, his mouth slightly agape as his eyes danced across you, blinking softly as though trying to dispel some sort of illusion “Albedo? Everything okay?” you ask gently, your mind already on slight alert after his peculiar behaviour last night. Suddenly he let out a deep gasp as he stuttered out “what are you doing here? I thought… i thought you weren’t fond of Dragonstone…” you look up at Albedo in utter confusion “Not fond…? Albedo what are you talking about, you’re the one who practically forces me off the mountain” you say, half joking, half serious.

Albedo’s gaze becomes cold as he spits out “of course I do” with a venom unfamiliar to his voice, his eyes glaring into the ground with such profound hatred it startles you. He quickly remembers your presence and haphazardly attempts to regain his composure with a deep breath and a few blinks before he says in an even tone “then what are you doing here then Y/N? Shouldn’t you be in Mondstadt?” Your heart beat steadily accelerates as you feel your skin crawling as Albedo stares at you, his gaze seeping into your skin as he drinks in every little detail, his eyes fixating on every mole and birthmark and freckle, desperately imprinting them into his mind like this is the last time he might ever see you “we discussed this last night remember? I’m looking for some flowers for Sucrose’s experiment” you state, your voice tight as my body tense like a coiled spring ready to launch itself out of the grasping hands of the alchemist.

Albedo puts his hand on his chin as he begins to mutter “Sucrose… Sucrose… Sucrose… Sucrose!” he had sounded utterly befuddled by the mention of her until the final mutter of Sucrose seemed to ignite some spark of familiarity, like Sucrose was more of a passing acquaintance rather than his most promising protégé.

“Yes of course Sucrose needed some flowers like we discussed last night”

“Yes that would appear to be the case” You giggled breathlessly, trying to ignore the pit of bile bubbling in your stomach “I just want to find some mint and then I'll begin the trudge back to Mondstadt”

“Oh… some mint? I think I know where you might be able to find some”

“O-Oh are you sure I don't want to be a bother and I don't want to get in the way of anything or be a nuisance or knock something important over in your lab” You stuttered out sheepishly, trying to find any way to get back to Mondstadt.

“Nonsense I’ve set up a temporary second camp just a little ways up the mountain, follow me. I’m sure we’ll find plenty of flora up there”

“Okay yes you’re right” You beam trying to ignore how tight the grin feels, like your skin is cracking underneath it. He holds out his soft cool palm waiting for you to grab it. You gently settle your hand in his unable to hear how his breath hitches softly as your numb fingers are clutched by his, a barely noticeable flush spreading across his complexion. Each step in the direction of this second camp makes your foot feel heavier until eventually you’re practically shuffling through the snow. As you wind through the passageways of the mountain you can’t help but feel like you’re going far too high but each time you ask Albedo about the new camp’s location you’re greeted by the same excuse “just a little ways further.”

“‘Bedo…” you stutter out “I should turn back, I need to get these flowers back to Sucrose soon. I promised she’d have them by lunchtime and the sun is getting rather high”

He stopped in his tracks, the hand that had been grasping onto yours tightens with an unnatural grip “but we’re almost there” he smiles out, the smile far too large and toothy to look natural on him, mimicking a lion baring its teeth far more than a reassuring grin “just a little further” he repeats once more as he continues up the path, your hand still held tightly in his. You had followed him for as long as your reason had allowed but now you were venturing into parts of Dragonspine unknown even to you as he dragged you up yet another beaten path. You smile half heartedly, trying to ignore the primal sensation of fear when Albedo smiles at you, the undeniable emotion of something being deeply wrong every time he tightens his hold on your hand.

You stop walking and begin to try to coax your limb out of his grip but the gentle tugging of your hand out of his makes his smile drop. He balls his now empty fist as he pauses and stares down the offending limb as though it had personally wronged him. you stare at your feet, your eyes darting between your snow scuffed boots and the sweet flowers clasped tightly in your other hand as you try to avoid albedo’s gaze permeating through you. Albedo’s lack of social adeptness was often something you found endearing, another quality which raised the alchemist’s standing in your eyes but right here in the crisp morning air of Dragonspine with the sun shining far too bright, there was never another quality you despised more. The chief alchemist simply stared. you tried to move. You could apologise to Albedo for your behaviour later but as you were about to move your legs his fist grasped onto your wrist with a bruising grip. You reflexively dropped the sweet flowers that you had kept grasped securely in your hand as Albedo’s cold hand fixed around your wrist. You couldn't find it in your panic stricken haze to even think about the flowers that were now resting on the cold mountain snow.

You yelped out in pain before looking up at Albedo for an explanation for his sudden change in demeanour. He offered none, instead he shifted his cold, stiff body closer against yours so your fronts were pressed together, chest to chest. He breathed down on your face, his breath wasn’t warm or wet like you had expected, instead it felt cool on your skin. Snowflakes settled on his long lashes as his pupils dilated, flickering to your lips. You stood stock still as confusion began to cloud your mind. Albedo’s gloved other hand rose to your lips, gently caressing them. “So warm…” he muttered absentmindedly as he traced the curve of your cupid's bow before his finger fell down to your lower lip. You enclosed your only free hand around Albedo’s, coaxing his fingers away from your lips instead you placed it down by his side “‘Bedo… I promised Sucrose those flowers, I need to get back to Mondstadt soon” his expression hardened before he finally acquiesced. Albedo’s dismay at you having to leave so soon was apparent until a mischievous glint alit in his eye. He tightened his grip on your arm before he whispered against your lips “I'll let you return to Sucrose if you promise me adequate compensation…” you could have laughed at the absurdity of Albedo’s demands “compensation?” you guffawed “You can't be serious Albedo.” he pulled you closer, no space was left between you as he tittered airily, running his hand softly through your hair “shh shh shh… I don't want mora and I don't want favours, I just want” his cheek flushed pink in spite of the confidence he exuded as he breathed out “I just want a kiss. That's all.” You were perplexed at Albedo’s request, since your relationship with the chief alchemist had been formalised he had rarely felt the need to formally ask for permission to kiss you but the Albedo here and now was blushing like a virgin at the mere thought of it.

Typically you might have questioned his sudden change in behaviour but with some divine intervention seemingly handing you a way out of this awkward exchange on a golden platter you didn’t feel inclined to throw it back in the face of whichever archon had decided to bless you with this opportunity. Instead you leaned in softly before pressing a gentle, hesitant kiss to Albedo’s lips. To your relief his remaining grip on your hand loosened as your lips skimmed his but the sudden slackness didn't seem to affect just his hand but rather his whole body as he didn't kiss you back. Instead Albedo kept his eyes tightly shut as his entire body froze, the only part of his body that seemed tense was his furrowed brows. It was as though he were in a state of deep contemplation, focusing only on memorising the feeling of your warm lips on his. With his attention completely on the feeling of your mouth slotted against his own and his arms resting loosely by his sides, you took the chance to quickly separate yourself from him, turning away and fleeing along the frosty pathway down the mountain in a desperate attempt to escape the unnerving encounter.

You couldn’t hear Albedo calling out to you or following behind you so once you had made significant distance between where you and Albedo had been standing you turned to face him. To your surprise Albedo hadn’t moved an inch, he stayed exactly as you had left him, as though suspended in the moment in which your lips left his. The only difference is that this time his eyes were ignited with a cold determination, a look you knew to be unique to Albedo when he made a breakthrough experiment, when he found an ingredient he had been scavenging for months to find, when he finally located a dusty old tome or scrap of paper which had the information he needed and now when he stared at your frame scurrying down the mountain. As the base of the mountain came into view and your nerves began to settle you realised that in your desperation to get away you had left the flowers on the snowy ground. You halted for half a second, your foot pivoting as you prepared to venture back up the winding path but as your eyes met the incline up the mountain you were filled with paralysing nausea. Every single instinct in your body was fighting against the idea of going back up the mountain. Whatever interaction you and Albedo had shared up there, a raw, primitive, instinctual part of you knew that it had been wrong, that it had been off, that if you went back up the path then you truly believed you would not make it back down the mountain for a second time.

●・○・●・○・●・

Almost slipping down the mountain in your haste to escape your peculiar encounter with Albedo you didn't dare stop until you reached the Adventurer’s camp on the outskirts of the mountain where you finally felt the hammering of your heart slow for the first time this morning now that you had escaped the sheer cold of Dragonspine but even then with Albedo’s peculiar behaviour these past few weeks and in particular today you still couldn't feel at ease, even as you began to trudge out of the Adventurer’s camp and back towards Dadaupa Gorge.

You almost did a double take when you saw a frantic Albedo hurrying towards Dragonspine, his hand resting tightly on the hilt of his cinnabar spindle, his body tensed and ready to pounce. “...Albedo…? How did you get down here so fast?” you called out, eyeing the alchemist wearily. You had never felt more bewildered. Upon hearing you call out to him Albedo’s hand loosened on the hilt of his blade. He ran to you and wrapped you tightly in his arms, one arm wrapped around your waist so tightly it was suffocating you, the other clawed into your hair, his fingers digging into your scalp. He pulled you close as he had on the mountain however this time he buried his head into your neck as he inhaled deeply.

As you stood there embracing the startled alchemist you could feel just how intensely his hands were trembling but you couldn't help but pry for answers in your state of bewilderment. You were certain Albedo had been behind you as you descended the mountain and even if he had followed you down (which you suspected he had) how would he have gotten ahead of you? Albedo hadn’t been leaving Dragonspine when you met him here but rather he had been approaching, he had to have come from the direction of Mondstadt. You asked louder this time “Albedo, how did you get ahead of me?” You were up on the mountain last time I saw you.” At your declaration Albedo finally peeled his from your neck, his manic eyes darting across you assessing for any damage before he finally seemed to regain some semblance of awareness “how did i… i know dragonspine like the back of my hand Y/N. it wasn’t hard to overtake you” Albedo stated trying to steady his voice. Although it’s likely the Alchemist knew the Mountain far better than you did… you didn’t fully believe him. You couldn't fully believe him. Not when you saw how terrified Albedo had seemed as he bounded towards the mountain in such a distressed state you almost didn't recognise the alchemist, not when you felt just how tightly he had clutched onto you as though you were about to slip through his fingers, not when you could feel how frantically his heart was beating as he held you to him.

You continued to insist Albedo explain what had happened, why he had been acting so strangely. The expression in Albedo’s eyes was unreadable, something you had never seen in the chief alchemist’s eyes before, something almost reminiscent of fear. As you both traversed down galesong hill towards the city of freedom you stopped Albedo and turned him to face you as you whispered in a pleading tone “Albedo please… just explain to me what happened up there. I’m not upset with you, I'm just confused. What happened up there? You seemed rather out of sorts.” Albedo’s lips grew into a thin line, the expression on his face was a grim one but instead of any explanation he simply pressed the back of his palm to your forehead “you’re burning up” he mutters. Yet again Albedo’s actions fill you with nothing but confusion.

“Burning up? What are you talking about Albedo? I feel fine just please, answer my question” you cry out, frustration beginning to rise as he dances around your question yet again

“Yes, you’re shivering too and it’s clear you’re in a state of confusion, from these symptoms I’d estimate that you’re suffering from the early stages of hypothermia” Albedo says in an even, methodical tone

“H-hypothermia? Albedo what on Teyvat are you-?” you pause as Albedo begins to take off his coat, wrapping it tightly around your shoulders

“Honestly you should have dressed warmer if you were planning to go to Dragonstone, you need to take better care of yourself Y/N. now come on, you’ll need to be treated for this but I'll only be able to do it back in Mondstadt where we can warm you up” Albedo said wrapping his arm around your waist as he began to walk even faster towards Mondstadt, keeping you tucked closely into his side. You didn’t feel weak and you didn’t feel tired, the rational part of your mind wanted to doubt Albedo’s diagnosis but an equally significant part of you wanted to accept what Albedo said, to dismiss this whole morning as some strange illness induced hallucination. yes that must be it... You insisted internally. You’re unwell and this illness is messing with your head like Albedo says. You’re not being completely rational so right now just need to trust Albedo and head back to Mondstadt for treatment and you need to forget how Albedo keeps glaring at Dragonspine with pure loathing as though daring the mountain itself to come and try to take you from him, It must just be the cold getting to you.

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alcsec · 10 months ago

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types of writing utensils they use

implied modern au. featuring: albedo, kazuha, tighnari, xiao.

cw. none wc. 196

albedo

he uses a cheap ballpoint pen. used to use an expensive fountain pen but it had too many issues like leaking while in the pocket of his button-up, or constantly being taken and misplaced by his lab partners timaeus and sucrose.

kazuha

he writes artistic pieces containing flowery language on the daily and as much as i want to say he has the nice writing utensils from like muji or something - his most used tool is a wooden hb2 pencil he found inside a random desk next to a slab of dried chewing gum.

tighnari

he uses a 0.5mm lead pencil. he has a delicate hand grip along with an eye for finer details. he's able to sketch his botanical drawings with keen accuracy using a thinner lead.

xiao

he uses a 0.7mm lead pencil with a rubber grip. holds his pencil in a deadlock so the grip helps alleviates the tension on his fingers. has to be 0.7mm because he presses down onto the paper with such heavy pressure that 0.5mm lead would either immediately break or puncture a hole into the sheet which would ruin his mood for the rest of the day.

#genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #albedo x reader #kazuha x reader #kazuha kaedehara x reader #tighnari x reader #xiao x reader

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teaquaccey · 6 months ago

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Okay… soooo… (Eng ver)

Okay so…

I’ve been thinking of this thing for Sagau Genshin for a while but like…

I’m not sure how to explain it…

So, here’s the idea!

I don’t remember where I heard it but it was about the lore about visions.

Archons don’t give them out like candy, but the gods who give them to the inhabitants of Teyvat as a somewhat “help” to the user to achieve their ambition.

But once their ambition has been fulfilled the vision goes out like Tomo’s or something like that and finally the gods receive something greater than what the user wanted.

But it also serves as an “eye” of sorts like a mini spy camera.

I’m not sure how legitimate this info is but, where im trying to go is…

What if the vision also work as a “shield” and blocks the vision holders ability to identify the reader as the creator and such?

Just imagine…

You wake up in Teyvat and the only people that can identify you as a highly being are the npc’s and not the vision users?

Imagine an imposter au with an imposter that is perceived as the creator by the vision users but that is actually a group of gods manipulating their perception or ability to identify the creator by making one of them play the role of the creator.

The reason behind this is because they want to rebel against the creator or something, i dunno maybe they lost badly against the creator in uno or something like that idk.

And because the vision users don’t have the ability to sense anything strange with you they don’t report it to the rest.

And because of how much energy or attention the gods have to keep on the whole creator play they don’t pay any attention to you for the first months?

You would be free from the vision users…

But the npc’s?

Oh dear…

Imagine the gods and imposter finally notice your presence and send the rest to hunt you down.

Imagine the least likely people teaming up together like…

In Mondstadt it would be like…

-Oh! Amber here for the usual?- Sara asks the outrider.

-An imposter?! No! I haven’t seen anyone looking like their grace…- She answered sounding surprised.

—-

-No information about the so called “Imposter” again Master Diluc- Charles informed the red headed that had visited the Tavern with just that exact purpose.

—-

-An imposter? I’m sorry Acting Grand Master, but I’ve seen no one looking identical to their grace!- Marjorie mentioned looking at the blonde.

-I see…- Jean ponders.

-If any information arises please inform us immediately- She mentioned.

-Of course- Marjorie replied as the blonde left.

Jean left as she went back to headquarters.

Finding the imposter was going to be a bit more challenging than expected.

Lost in her thoughts she barely managed to dodge Blanche and Charles who were carrying boxes with what looked to be food and beverages.

-Oh! My apologies- She mentioned.

-Oh no worries Grand Master Jean- Blanche brushed it off as both her and Charles walked towards Marjorie’s shop

She found it a bit suspicious how the three seemed to be together but soon her concerns went away as she realized how paranoid she was that she was now even doubting about Mondstads citizens.

Jean shook her head in disapproval of her eavesdropping and walked away to see how were the others with the search.

Once the three were in the clear they entered the building where a certain Creator was reading a book.

-Glad to see that you’ve been doing alright, your grace-

In Dragonspine:

-Is something wrong, Albedo?- Timaeus asks.

-You see… there have been rumors of a so called imposter…- Albedo explains

-An imposter?!- Timaeus asks in surprise.

-What do you mean…-

-Mmhh, Timaeus… you have been in the city for longer than I, have you not had any encounter with a person with similar characteristics to their grace?- He asks

-No, I’ve seen no one with their appearance…- Timaeus denies.

-Mmhh I see… by the way, I don’t want to sound invasive but why have you’ve been asking about the price of my paintings? I wasn’t aware that you were interested on the arts- Albedo inquired as poor Timaeus tried to come up with an excuse to not expose that he wanted to get one to give it to the creator because they commented that they liked them.

-Well um… because why not?- He mentioned sheepishly

-Huh…- Albedo pondered.

Suspicious.

In Liyue it might be like…

-Mr. Shitou one of my clients has complained over the lack of quality of the Noctilucous Jade you’ve been selling- Yanfei mentions interrogating Shitou.

-Well, you see business hasn’t been going well lately and…- He tried to excuse himself trying to find an excuse after he has been commissioning different hair pins and accessories to be made with said material to later give them to their Grace.

-Huh… this is the same thing Linglang told me at the antiques shop! Is business really not blooming right now?- Yanfei asked herself.

-Anyways, my client would still want to demand you for the low quality of your products-

-What?!-

-We’ll be paying for the troubles Miss Yanfei-

Before she knew it, Yanfei was now in front of the Northland Bank.

-We are the ones who have been buying all the good quality Noctilucous Jade from Mr. Shitou- Nadia mentioned helping Shitou cover from this.

They didn’t wouldn’t want to see their grace upset because one of their followers business broke because of them…

In Inazuma:

-I commissioned a new kimono for you your grace! Is it to your liking?- Hiiragi Chisato asked as she showed her a beautiful made Kimono she had sent from Fontaine.

-Wow…-

-Ah yes, your grace we have been waiting to give you these for quite some time- Xixi mentioned as she presented a bunch of boxes filled with various gifts.

(I dunno why but I feel like being in Ritou wouldn’t be so bad I mean, here is where most Npc’s are at… just be careful with the boats and every should be fine)

(Everywhere else I think you’d be pretty screwed not gonna lie xd)

In Sumeru…

I’m too tired to keep making stories…

But I think people like Dunyarzard would be so nice! Like she comes from money as far as I can remember so I can imagine her taking us to the Grand Bazaar.

It would still be a bit complicated to go there however since Nilou and Dehya would be there and with the switch that the gods forgot to turn off to recognize you again… yeah it’s gonna be a bit difficult to convince them but we have a sweet, lovely person like Dunyarzard! And the grand bazaar you should be fine… probably…

In Fontaine…

Melusines or Poisson, either place and you should be good at.

But this place is the trickiest however since there seems to be someone with a vision almost everywhere you may go.

Overall…

It would be like a very big game of hide and seek where the seekers(the vision users) are breaking their minds trying to find you while the supposedly spectators that shouldn’t help you are just watching them while helping you, basically cheating in the game.

Just image a war between the two factions like oh my gosh!

There was this Npc’s… I don’t remember her name(also to lazy to search it up xd) that was part of the Aranara quest, like the forest watcher that helped us, you know what I mean? Got into an accident, Aranara help, Aranara quest and finally she went out into adventures with the Aranara that saved her.

Just imagine if we meet her before anything and then she gets her vision like…

She puts it on as an accessory and doesn’t sense the Creator’s aura.

She takes it off and she notices it.

She finds out slowly about what visions really do and with some scholars from the Akademiya they start coming up with a plan or device to take away people visions so that they realize who the actual god is.

The possibilities…

Also dunno where to put the archons here I think they would notice the aura of the creator because they don’t have visions and such so maybe they’re in the rebellion against the gods of celestia and the fake creator.

Neuvillete and Furina would also probably be in the creators side because Furina’s vision is if I don’t remember badly given to her by Neuvillete.

So yeah…

Just something that I’ve been thinking about while I try to sleep.

This is just a very crapy idea but anyways hope someone likes it :,)

Also!

I don’t think my posts are appearing in the etiquettes i’ve been putting them at, because this is a very new blog I made with the only purpose of publishing this.

So if anyone that somehow sees this thread can help me with reblogging it you would be helping me a lot!

I really want to share this Idea with more people!

Once again thank you!

(Also good luck for anyone pulling for Clorinde and Alhaitham!)

(I’m personally pulling for Sethos, fingers crossed that he comes in a ten pull or else I’m gonna be so close to 70 pity and I don’t want neither of the current 5 stars, even though they are cool)

(Anyways good luck and thanks for reading!)

(:D)

#genshin sagau #self aware genshin #genshin impostor au #genshin impact sagau #sagau #genshin imagines

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saijspellhart · 7 months ago

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Thoughts about the Puzzlepile AU. And how it might begin.

Yugi knows about AI-tem, and has been avoiding him because he knows it’s not Atem. And he can’t bear to be reminded that a facade exists of the person he misses and wants to be with, but cannot have. Atem is Yugi’s most intimate friend, and AI-tem feels like a cruel joke to him. Yugi misses Atem so desperately, and despite knowing it was his decision to send Atem to the afterlife, he resents himself for doing it, and wasn’t prepared for the empty void inside.

Meanwhile AI-tem observes Yugi from afar via Kaiba’s network. He watches all the old recordings of Battle City and other events from when Yugi and Atem were still together. He doesn’t have all of Atem’s memories, because Kaiba didn’t have access to such intimate knowledge. What he has is surface level. Enough to make a believable pretense, guise. But he isn’t Atem, he doesn’t know what he is. But there is a part of his program that longs and yearns for Yugi. And he’s convinced it’s a remnant of the real Atem.

AI-tem sees how Yugi suffers, and it kills him seeing the way Yugi looks at him with both longing and agony. But Yugi won’t even give him a chance. Not that they could interact physically.

Then one day above Domino city, there is a blinding explosion of light. Kaiba has used his dimension hopping machine to break into the afterlife to see Atem again, (and kidnap him) after the events of DSOD. The entire city of Domino shields their eyes from the light, feels the aftershocks that shake the city.

Hours later, Yugi is walking down the street, headed into the heart of the city to meet his friends when he spots a strange person standing in the road who looks suspiciously like Atem, dressed in ancient Egyptian garb. Albeit not as opulent and rich as Atem would have worn. The man is scared out of the street by a honking car, and darts into an alley. Yugi gives chase, and when he catches up, the man turns to look at him. And it’s himself.

Yugi is staring into a frightened and terrified eqyptian mirror. The ancient Egyptian Yugi speaks to him in an ancient language, frantic and confused. Yugi tries to reach out and touch him, but the Ancient Egyptian Yugi suddenly flees.

Then Yugi hears a scream, and the city is shaken again as a massive green dragon flies overhead. He runs out into the street to see the dragon heading to Kaiba Corp, where it descends on the tower. He knows this dragon, it’s Timaeus (from season 4). He has a suspicion that something has got to be Kaiba’s doing, and starts heading that direction.

Along the way, he bumps into a what he thinks is another mirror of himself, dressed in period British royal clothing. But upon looking up he’s staring into Yami’s face. He’s bewildered at first. The man stares at him with no recognition. And this “Yami” is also terrified just like the ancient Egyptian Yugi had been. Yugi tries to call him Atem, but the man doesn’t respond to the name. He gets that same uncomfortable feeling he gets from AI-tem. That “this isn’t my Atem,” feeling. And instead of staying, he runs from this British royalty Yami.

He continues to stumble upon a few more versions of himself and Atem on his way to Kaiba corp. that feeling of intense dread growing, something is very wrong. At the base of the Kaiba Corp tower he encounters his Atem. Except it isn’t his Atem. This Atem is pale like Yugi is. And looks like Atem used to look when they still shared a body. This odd pale Atem turns to him, and actually looks upon him with recognition and reverence. This pale Atem speaks to him in a voice he’s missed so dearly, calling, “Yugi!”

Yami runs to him to pull him into a hug, the most tightest of embraces. Because the chaos unfolding in the city frightened Yami. And the last thing he remembered was getting separated from his Yugi by a flash of light and energy. So he’s thrilled to see his partner and he pulls this Yugi into a tight hug, and tells him how glad he is that Yugi’s safe.

And Yugi just short circuits. He just can’t. He hasn’t felt Atem’s touch or presence in YEARS. And this pale Atem recognizes him, sees him, looks upon him with love and adoration and reverence. This Atem is embracing him the way he’d always wanted Atem to embrace him.

And that’s when Yami realizes this isn’t his Yugi. Because he can FEEL how thin and fragile this Yugi is, in a way Yami’s Yugi never was. When he pulls away that’s when he sees the tired, defeated, despondent agony that’s wracked this Yugi for years. Because he’s realizing, this Yugi isn’t his Yugi. This Yugi looks weary, and older. Worn down by grief. This Yugi is thin like he hasn’t been feeding himself. This is not the Yugi he had been with just moments before all the chaos. This is a Yugi that spent the last few years without Atem, and dying inside.

But all Yugi can see is the Atem he used to have. The person he wants most.

Even as Kaiba returns to the present day with having kidnapped Yugi’s Atem from the afterlife. Yugi and Yami (pale Atem) enter Kaiba Corp to find Kaiba being loaded on a stretcher, to be taken to the hospital, his little brother fretting over him. And Yugi’s true Atem is standing in the front room bewildered and raging. Screaming at Kaiba for ripping holes in time and space.

Cue all of them being tasked with combing the city to find all the Yugis and Atems that got scattered across Domino.

Anyway, the whole AU is basically most of the puzzepile gently coaxing DSOD Yugi and his Atem to reconcile, reconnect, and rekindle their relationship. And Yugi being absolutely unwilling to let his real Atem get that close, because he just CANNOT experience that heartbreak again. But it ends up starting with Yugi holding Atem at arms length, not allowing himself to get close again, because he knows Atem will have to leave again and he cannot experience that heartbreak a second time.

They start with a series of small moments that build into bigger moments. Slowly the two of them dismantling walls and rekindling the trust and devotion they once had, but with a romantic element to it now

Meanwhile all this is happening, Yugi bonds with all of the other Yugis and Atems, each of them carving a place in his heart. All of their threads of fate intertwining. Because even across time and space their different incarnations and versions are drawn to each other. A bond that defies even the gods.

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yu-gi-poll · 1 year ago

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ROUND 2A! MATCH 6 OUT OF 8

Monster Stats & Propaganda Under the Cut:

The Fang of Critias is used by Seto Kaiba. Though this is technically a spell card, it was used in a way more similar to a monster card hence why it is included. The real reason why it is included is because Mod didn't realize it wasn't a monster until I already made a bracket listing.

Description (according to the anime): Send this card and 1 Trap Card you control to the Graveyard to Special Summon a fused version of this card and that Trap Card.

Propaganda:

[None Submitted]

The Eye of Timaeus is used by Yugi Mutou/Yami Yugi. Though this is technically a spell card, it was used in a way more similar to a monster card hence why it is included. The real reason why it is included is because Mod didn't realize it wasn't a monster until I already made a bracket listing.

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#yugipoll #round 2 #round 2a #duel monsters #yu-gi-oh #yu-gi-oh duel monsters #yugioh #yugioh duel monsters #poll bracket #poll tournament #polls #the fang of critias #the eye of timaeus #seto kaiba #yugi mutou #yami yugi

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opultea · 2 years ago

Text

Timaeus Isn’t the Only One

Windbloom with Genshin men ft. Cyno, Albedo

Drabbles - GN Reader (No Pronouns) - Fluff (slightest angst in Albedo’s but ends with fluff) - Romantic - SFW

Part 2 for Cyno

It seems that Timaeus isn’t the only one who's gained a love interest this Windbloom festival…

Cyno

Cyno had several agendas for his trip to Mondstadt. Of course his principal reason was Collei’s protection and accompaniment, though another not so secret motivation added to his decision. How could this reason be anything other than Genius Invokation TCG?

Not only did he have the opportunity to commission a custom card back from the famous Calx, but Cyno would also be able to spend his precious vacation hours playing against folks in Mondstadt’s heart of TCG; the Cat’s Tail.

As soon as Collei had gone off with her local friends to catch up and see the sights, Cyno set off to the Cat’s Tail, his deck in hand, hoping to find some worthy challengers in the renowned tavern. Upon entering, Cyno took no time to tarry, immediately challenging the first person he saw with a deck to a duel. The Mondstadtian man in question was naturally a little shocked to be issued such a sudden challenge, but accepted none the less.

It took all of three minutes for Cyno to beat him. After accumulating three more consecutive wins in the next ten minutes or so, Cyno’s table had gathered quite the crowd. The tavern was ablaze with excitement, many players afraid and in awe of the evident master before them.

It was around this time that you entered the Cat’s Tail, planning to catch up with Margret and maybe stretch your card game muscles with a few rounds of Genius Invokation. What you didn’t expect was a crowd of people surrounding one table, holding their breaths and intently watching a game as if it was a chess tournament.

“Hey Prince, Shuyun, what’s going on? Was there a special event today that I wasn’t aware of?”

Prince meowed in response, Shuyun translating,

“Not exactly, but it seems we have a new house champion. And an outlander, at that.”

“A house champion? Is he really that good?”

“He’s beaten some of our best players in mere minutes. I’d say he has earned such a title.”

You’re gaze swept over the crowd again, hoping to see the illustrious card player between the audience members. The crowd cheered, jumping around and indicating that another game had been won by the champion. As the audience parted slightly for the small celebration, you caught a glimpse of the winner, a man dressed in Sumerian clothing, with a stern face that presently held a small prideful smile.

You turned back to Prince when he nudged your arm with his soft head, watching as he pointed his paw and nudged his head toward the man.

“You know what? Maybe I will Prince,” you took a moment to pat his head, being mindful not to topple his tiny hat, before making your way to the crowded table.

“Would anyone else like a game?” The champion asked the crowd, face still flat, though his eyes shone with a subtle sense of fun.

“I’d love to,” you said, sitting down opposite.

“Excellent, let’s begin.”

The game was long and gruelling, with both sides losing two characters and using almost all their cards before the final round. The audience was impatiently watching, eyeing off each player's determined expression and holding their breaths as you played a final card, allowing you to destroy your opponent's last character with your own on only two health points.

The crowd cheered loudly surprised and excited to see someone beat the incredible stranger.

"You play with great precision and thought in your actions, I willingly accept my defeat."

"Thank you, but it was super close, I think that if my deck had been shuffled a little differently I wouldn't have won,"

"Do not underestimate your own skill. But we can test your theory in another game. I am Cyno, the adventurer."

You introduce yourself accordingly and shake hands to initiate another game. The two of you go back and forth in several more rounds of TCG, each losing and winning in equal ratios. You continue on for so long that the crowd eventually dissipates, you and Cyno the only ones left in the tavern.

Cyno used a final elemental skill, destroying your last character card and ending what was likely the hundredth round. You sighed in satisfaction, it had been a long time since you'd had this much fun playing cards with anyone before. Cyno seemed to share your sentiment, sitting still at the table and not bothering to pack away his deck.

"I would suggest playing another game, but I think the staff want us to leave so they can close," You laugh, slowly packing your dice into a little bag.

"Yes, it seems we are inconveniencing the staff. Although I will be back tomorrow. I hope you will come as well,"

"For sure, I've had so much fun playing against you Cyno. You're really amazing at this game, although I think I might be able to one-up you next time," You tease.

"Well, we will T-see-G." Cyno's usual stoicism did not shift with the uttering of the pun, though it did cause your own head to jerk in a chuckle.

"Pfft. I didn't take you as the kind to make jokes Cyno, but it seems to be a CARDinal part of your personality." You laugh, holding up a random card from your deck.

Cyno felt his subtle smile widen and his heart grow in kind. You laughed at his joke. You even returned it.

"Come have dinner with me."

Your head shot up at the sudden request, mind racing and mouth agape. Did... did this guy just ask you out?! Surely he was just making a request to spend time together platonically, right? You hardly knew each other after all, even though you had great chemistry and shared a lot of interests. Not to mention he was attractive, and his hair looked so silky. Okay now you were just complimenting him.

You know what? Whether Cyno was asking you on a date or just as a friend, you wouldn't mind.

"Sure, that sounds great," You smile.

Tighnari and Collei were beyond surprised when Cyno told them he went on a date the next day.

Albedo

You walked through the main square of Mondstadt, admiring the festive decor and lively atmosphere of the Windbloom season. Strolling past the fountain, you spotted Sucrose and Albedo conversing at the alchemy station. A smile lit up across your features, it has been a while since you’d spoken to the alchemists, especially with how busy they seemed to be recently. Your hopefully secret crush on Albedo also meant that you were always looking for a chance to talk, especially during the festival of love. Deciding to take the opportunity, you walked over to say hello.

“Sucrose, Albedo!” You called, turning the two toward you. “How are you?”

“Y/n, we’ve been well. I hope you can say the same?” Albedo smiled politely.

“Yes, I’ve been well enough. I feel like I’ve barely seen you guys though, have you been busy?”

“Yes, my position as Windbloom ambassador this year has certainly kept me very busy, not to mention this strange prophecy we’ve come across.” Sucrose explained, sounding a little out of breath, but satisfied with her work. “How has your Windbloom been? Is there anything I can do to help make it better?”

“My Windbloom has been just fine, thank you Sucrose. A little too regular, if anything. I hope that with all your work you’re still finding time to enjoy yourself. I would believe that as Windbloom ambassador, it’s most important that you are enjoying the festival. Otherwise, how can you help other people to enjoy it too?”

“An excellent postulate, I too believe that Sucrose’s own happiness will affect her ability to help others with theirs. After all, a gloomy person would not do much to sooth your own worries.” Albedo reasons.

“Th-thank you, both of you,” Blushing at both of your concern, Sucrose adjusts her glasses bashfully. “When you said your Windbloom has been ‘regular’, what do you think would make it more impactful? Perhaps there is something I can help you with after all?”

“It’s nothing you’d be able to change Sucrose, but thank you,” you sigh, glancing wistfully across the square at the smiling, bustling citizens. “I suppose a festival of love and friendship just makes the lonely feel a little more alone. But it’s nothing big. I’ve got my own work and things I need to do, as I know you both have, so I’ll leave you to it. It was nice to see you both!”

“Yes, and you as well,” Albedo responded, although both he and Sucrose had a crinkle of worry in their brow.

“Um, we’ll see you later Y/n, I promise!”

You bid the duo goodbye, smiling and slightly regretting saying anything about yourself. You didn’t mean to turn the conversation so somber, hopefully Sucrose and Albedo still kept their lively attitudes despite your sudden sob story.

Although you did truely feel the effect of the events surrounding you everywhere you went. Although the festive air was fun, the novelty ran out quickly for you when you didn’t have anyone to celebrate with. Your friends were busy with their romantic pursuits, and only chatted with you shortly to update you on their success. Of course you were happy for them, but it stung a little to know you didn’t have the same.

Seeing Albedo today hadn’t helped your hurt. Despite the friendly conversation, speaking to him so casually only served as a reminder of what you knew deep down would never be. Albedo was a serious and studious, he would never have time for something so trivial as romance.

You sighed as you entered your home, deciding not to keep throwing the hapless pity party and get some work done instead. You would just have to get over it, you huffed. It’s not like anything was changing anytime soon.

You sat down across the couch, slouching after completing your work, staring into space and trying not to let the sensation of loneliness creep back now that you weren’t up and about. A knock at the door brought you from your stupor, pushing the doubting thoughts back for a moment as you curiously approached the door. You certainly weren’t expecting any guests, but what you saw when you opened to door couldn’t have been expected.

Albedo stood outside your home with a gentle smile and a full bouquet of winding, snow-white flowers the likes of which you had never seen. Your mouth gaped open as you blinked, your chest light as you tried to hold back your imagination. Surely this couldn’t be what your heart desperately hoped it would be?

“Albedo, what are you doing here?”

“Why, I simply wanted to visit you. As well as take the opportunity to present you with my Windbloom. I hope you will accept it,”

Albedo carefully handed the vine-like flowers over to you, your arms cradling them as you admired the otherworldly blooms.

“Did- did you create these?” You asked, wonderment filling your voice and reflecting in your eyes.

“Yes, I believed it was only reasonable to present you with something unique. Something to reflect how I feel... for you.” Albedo's calm features never faltered, his eyes only dropping for a second in what you could only guess was a rare shyness.

“What- I mean why-,” you tried to breathe, not quite sure how to ask the question burning in your mind. You settled with a whisper, “Why are you giving these to me?”

“Is that not obvious? I apologise if I have not been as upfront as I would have preferred, but I did not want to cause you any grief in the case you didn’t reciprocate my feelings,” Albedo explained, voice softer than ever. “I find myself infatuated with you, Y/n. You occupy more of my thoughts than any other, and I feel myself drawn to you at all times. It was only earlier today when you commented on your lonesomeness that I realised it was worth my taking a chance to make both of us happier for it. So if you’ll allow me, would you accompany me to dinner tonight?”

You smiled wide, bashfully taking Albedo’s hand in your own as you stepped closer to him.

“I would love nothing more. Thank you, Albedo. You’ve no idea how much this means, how much I like you,”

“If it is anything like how I feel for you, I’d imagine you are quite spellbound at the moment,” the alchemist chuckled, taking your hand in his and caressing the skin.

It was only that morning that you found yourself tired of the Windbloom festival. Yet now, you wished it would never end.

#fluff #genshin impact #genshin x reader #no pronouns #gn reader #sfw #genshin impact x reader #gender neutral reader #romantic #Cyno x reader #albedo x reader #genshin cyno #genshin albedo #drabbles #windbloom festival #genshin 3.5 #genshin x y/n #genshin impact x you

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tallymonster · 6 months ago

Text

Memories of Us Chapter 19

Nothingness, but shining.

AO3 || Masterlist

A/N: sooo im being a little ambitious and adding a whole other subplot now lol. Let's see where this whole thing goes lolololol

Thanks as always to @cheesy-cryptid for blessing this story that came from me seeing their art ❤️

Also wanna thank my besties @micropoe10 @mj-bites and @tragedybunny for letting me pick their brains, for soothing me when the insecurities crop up, and for adding their flavor to my brain soup. I love you guys so much.

Tags: @justporo @satanicspinosaurus @sleepy-timaeus

@davenswitcher @wayward-hel

@hereliesblackdragon @misscrissfemmefatale

(lemme know if you wanna be added!)

Octavia easily slid back into her role at work after coming back from Wyvern Hills; it had been difficult to concentrate lately with everything that she had come to learn. She sat at her desk, drifting in and out of the current conversation.

The black ink from Octavia’s pen danced around the piece of paper in front of her, mindlessly circling the notes Gale had given her.

It had been about a week that she had been back, and it was difficult to take herself out of the turmoil brewing inside her. On one hand, she started to know Astarion as a sweet man, reserved and private, but kind; and on the other, her eyes were opened to some of the struggles he had gone through. She couldn't imagine the horrors he endured, the loneliness he brought into himself, and the things that brought him to where he is now.

He was a mystery she hoped to uncover on her own terms, but whether or not he would let her in was a different situation altogether. She blankly stared at the ink spot on the page that grew with each pass of her hand.

“Octavia?...hellooo???? OCTAVIA!” Gale’s voice cut through her empty thoughts.

Octavia snaps out of her mind, immediately reminded that she's at work right now, and Gale doesn't look too pleased with her at this moment. “Did you hear anything I just said? Look, this is important, and I need you to pay attention. Now, as I was saying…”

Gale’s voice trails off as Octavia loses herself in her thoughts yet again. She tried to get a hold of herself, but with the heaviness of the information swirling in her head, it was beginning to get harder and harder to keep everything to herself.

“Anyway, my sister is getting married and she wants to have her entire wedding HERE! I don't think I can convince Astarion to do that, he's too precious about the museum. It's his raison d’etre, you know? It would be like asking him to trust us with his first born child.”

Gale drops his head to his desk, his fingers intertwined in his hair in a frustrated grip. “My sister Athena is not the kind to take no for an answer, and I know her and her fiance” Gale spits out the word with seething disdain, “are going to make my life a bigger nightmare than they already have! Could you help me talk to him? He’ll listen to you more than anyone else, and he's been a HUGE pain since you’ve been away, please Octavia? I'm begging you!”

Gale lifted up his head, his brows furrowed in a worried way, his eyes were heavy and tired, and his lip was in a little pout. Octavia stared at him with a puzzled look, she quietly asks “He has? Wait a minute, you have a sister? Does Astarion know her too?”

Gale sits up with a quick movement, he rolls his eyes and he frowns deeply. “YES! He’s been so insufferable, it's as if everything I suggest is poison in his ears.” He pouts and slumps back down in his chair, “And no, I didn't think it was a good idea to introduce them before talking to him. Shes…uh..well..” he hesitates, his eyes nervously glanced left and right, he brings his hands together and fidgets with his fingers.

“Gale, she can't be that bad right?” Octavia says calmly. Gale stares at her, the lines on his forehead sinking deeper. “Right?” she asks again. Gale’s frown grows as he swallows, “Well, she's not not an asshole…..” Octavia grimaces, “Oh no, they're going to rip each other apart aren't they?”

Gale groans loudly, placing his head back on his desk. “The worst part is, she's marrying my academy rival, Sirilus Szerban Amarzian.” his voice was full of irritation. “You know he always says it like that too, all smugly and condescending. Of course she had to marry him, we both come from wizarding families so they had to keep it traditional or whatever. He's Rolan’s grandson. You know, Rolan, Master of Razamith’s Tower? Let's just say our grandfathers were not too fond of each other. ”

“Oh yeah?” Octavia tried to hide her intrigue, but when Gale glared back up at her, she had a feeling she failed.

“Yes, Octavia. It's an old family misunderstanding over my grandfather stealing The Annals of Karsus from the vault underneath the tower. Also, allegedly something else about Gale suggesting a fix to Roland when a flashing lights cantrip wasn't working the way Rolan wanted at a party the tieflings had thrown. Gale was apparently already somewhat drunk and went up to Rolan and said something like ‘You call that a cantrip? Step aside and let a chosen of Mystra show you how it's done!’ but I call bullshit!”

Gale bristled a bit and continued, “I'm pretty sure it was when Tav and Gale helped save some people who got captured in Moonrise Towers and it just so happened that Rolan’s siblings were part of that crew. Rolan said some pretty mean things to Tav and Gale stepped in to calm things down, Rolan said something like ‘Oh and Mystra’s ex boy toy finally speaks!’ and well, Gale took that personally of course. I mean who wouldn't?”

“Uh huh…and how does that concern you and Sirilius? I mean they were old men when the two of you were in school.” Octavia responds, she knows she may be opening a floodgate, but she was glad to have something to take her mind off her own family drama.

Gale takes a deep breath, he holds it in for a couple of seconds before exhaling out slowly. “Sirilius and I used to be really good friends, I would even say we were best friends, or at least I thought we were. He and I knew about the stupid fight our ancestors had and still got along so well. Until we had a disagreement about something, I don't even remember what, but what I will never forget what he said to me. ‘Maybe Rolan was right about you, you're just as much of an arrogant know it all prick like your grandfather was.’”

He sighs, “That was the last time I had spoken to him… Athena knew how hurt I was about the whole thing, I mean we were friends until the last couple of years in our studies. That's when he got extremely competitive against me, vowed to prove that he came from stronger magics than I. Even though he knew I wanted to go into artifact preservation, he wanted to make me know that I was beneath him.” Gale frowns, his body drops and his shoulders slump down.

“All I ever wanted was a friend who understood the uniqueness of being from a well known lineage. To have that kind of comradery with someone who has a similar experience. It wasn't until I met you that I got that, Octavia. So you see, it felt like a kind of betrayal from my sister, picking him and our familial expectations over me. I know she didn't, obviously, but it felt like it.” Gale placed his hands on his face, Octavia rolled her chair over to his side of their desks and gave him a hug.

She could feel Gale’s body tense up, slowly recover, and return the hug. “It's okay, Gale. I will gladly help you. It's the least I can do for you.” Octavia patted Gale’s back, a small sigh followed by him pulling away from her, she could see the wave of relief flood over him. “Thank you. I owe you. Uh…I was actually going to go speak to Astarion after the museum closed, do you mind staying back so we could meet with him together?”

Octavia blinks in shock, she didn't feel quite ready to go speak to Astarion, but with Gale in tow he would have to be professional and subdued. She nods to Gale, who smiled wide in return. “Okay, I have to prepare for it. I have to get hold of Athena so she can send me her pictures and inspiration board, food, flowers…”

Gale turns to his desk and scribbles something onto a piece of paper. Then, he walks up to the window and opens it, he speaks some words and moves his hands around, conjuring up a white and gray spotted bird. He ties the little note to its leg along with a small pouch he ties around its body.

“Okay, Ellie, can you bring this to Athena and come back to me before the end of operating hours? I left very specific instructions for her, so if she tries to have you come back with a ton of stuff, don't let her unless she reduces it and puts it in the little pouch. Be good with Archie, alright? Safe flight, kid.”

Ellie takes off as Gale waves them away, he turns around and laughs as he notices Octavia’s wide eyed stare. “You can make a bird? And it listens to you? That's pretty cool!” she exclaims. Gale smiles with a proud beam, he nods and closes the window halfway.

“Yeah! Ellie is a sea osprey, they're captivating and quite abundant in Waterdeep! Athena and I both had familiars we conjured as children. Ellie’s mine and Athena had Archie, who is a fish owl. We would send Ellie and Archie out to hunt when we would practice our spells. I couldn't bring her around my grandfather's tower because of Tara, they never got along.”

Gale hugs Octavia one more time before walking up to the door of their office. “Thank you again, I need to take a walk and gather my thoughts for a bit before Athena responds. I’ll see you in a few hours?”

Octavia nods, “Yeah, good idea, I might go on a little break too. Lots of stuff to think about, you know?”

Gale perks up, “Oh! Do you want to join me? Maybe we can think of some ideas?”

Octavia hesitates a little before shaking her head “No thank you. I wanted to get some time to walk the halls again, I missed being here while I was in Wyvern Hills. See you later?”

“Yeah, have a nice walk in the halls.” Gale says as he slips out of the room, leaving Octavia alone in silence. She slides into her chair and stares at the ceiling. How would she be able to face Astarion and convince him that a wedding is a good idea to have in the museum??

Octavia closes her eyes and puts herself in Tav’s shoes. How was she able to not only deal with all the enemies coming her way, but now Octavia knows she also had to deal with Astarion as well.

Maybe she’d take that walk after all.

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

Octavia rounded the hallway with various statues.

She stops at the gallery full of beautifully carved marble. The lines of their forms were distracting her, reminding her of the night she and Astarion shared a couple of months ago.

His hands run up her stomach, the rough edges of his nails scrape along the peaks and valleys of her body. His own taught muscles glint with the glow of the firelight softly illuminating them as he dips his head between her legs. She gasps as she feels his other hand lower itself slowly between the slick of her core.

She felt herself flush, her body reacting with a low drop of her belly. Octavia gasps with a sharp inhale, and begins to walk a bit more briskly past the gallery towards the end of the hall.

You gotta get a hold of yourself, not only are you working, but Gale needs you to be there for him.

Octavia briskly walks up to the next gallery with the painting of Astarion. She takes a moment, standing in front of the opening leading to it. Her legs suddenly feel like they have a mind of their own, making her approach slowly towards its direction.

She takes a seat on the bench that is placed in front of it, and looks up at the wall. His sad eyes look down at her and she wonders how she kept telling herself that it wasn't him when it so clearly was. “How could I not see it?” She whispers to herself, eyes firmly stuck to his painted visage.

Octavia sat there, wondering what Astarion had gone through for all those years, how Tav must have felt when he left, so many memories forgotten and lost after she went through with the Unburdening. If Tav hadn't gone through with it, would Octavia even be here right now?

She leans back, feeling the cool stone of the bench underneath her. Octavia closes her eyes and lingers in the dull hushed murmurs of the museum. In her mind, she conjures up images of what she had read in the old, tattered journal.

Tav wrote about walking hand in hand with someone after fighting a spectator in the Underdark. She mentioned how fanciful their footwork was, how they shimmered like the star they were, obviously, Octavia knows now that Tav was speaking of Astarion. Octavia wishes she could see him like that. Covered in blood and grime but so beautiful.

“Having a rough day, my dear?”

Octavia’s eyes shoot open, she turns and faces the silky voice that came from behind her. “Astarion..hello..sorry I hadn't returned your notes when I came back. I’ve been, uh, catching up with a lot of things…Gale left me a lot of stuff..I should probably get back to it, actually.” She begins to stand, but he stops her, taking a seat next to her.

Astarion instinctively takes Octavia’s hand, kissing it before asking, “Wait, I'm sure you can take a bit of a break to catch up,right? How was your trip? I missed you terribly, you know.” he looked down at her with those gemlike eyes, voice softened to a low murmur. She couldn't help the way it made her knees weak and her heartbeat a little faster.

Octavia gasps softly, then clears her throat. She feels Astarion’s fingers intertwined in hers, the coolness of his touch a welcome contrast to her heated skin. “Darling? Are you okay?” Astarion leans in, whispering his inquiry to not draw attention towards them.

“Yeah, I'm okay. Just thinking about things. I…uh…” Octavia hesitates for a moment, before deciding to continue on, “ I found a lot of my mom's personal stuff at my dad’s and there were some things in there that kind of shifted my reality about my family. A lot of things have changed for me, and I’m having trouble coming to terms with it all.”

Astarion scoots closer to her, pressing his shoulder against hers. His whole demeanor shifted to that of a giddy schoolgirl, “Oooh family drama? Sounds delightful! Anything interesting?” He glanced up at Octavia, who returns a mildly annoyed look. Astarion pulls back some, defensively sitting up straight. “From the sudden cloud of darkness cast over us, I would assume not. Do you want to talk about it? Or is this one of those instances where it would be best to forget?”

Octavia couldn't help the nervous laugh that came out of her mouth, she quickly turns away from Astarion, unlacing their hands and hides behind her hair. “Sorry, I..” she trips over her words, unsure of what she should say “I mean..I guess you could say that…part of me wants to keep digging into it all, find out more about why things happened in the past the way they did, but on the other hand…”

She trails off, her hands on her lap, looking at the painting again.

“It’s like that painting, I know I could spend my time figuring out who that is, but what would be the benefit at this point? They're either dead or don't want to be found. I feel like I should leave well enough alone. Maybe some things aren't meant to be uncovered. ‘Not every mystery needs to be solved’, as Gale repeated from you once. Good advice, I should follow it.”

Octavia keeps her eyes on the wall, fingers twitching, unsure of what to tell him. She wants nothing more than to be open and honest with him, but how could she?

“We aren't talking about Gale, Octavia.” Astarion replies. He reaches back out and grabs her hands, steadying them. “You can trust me, but I understand if you don't want to or aren't yet ready to talk about this. Some things take time to come to terms with before you can fully talk about it.” Astarion stands and holds a hand out for Octavia, she takes it and stands beside him.

“Gale asked to speak with me after hours tonight, would you like to go to dinner with me afterwards? Call it an impromptu outing? Although that does mean you'd have to hang back a bit, I understand if you say no, it was a bit last minute.” Astarion seemed a little nervous himself, as he rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. It was as if he was trying to comfort her as he comforted himself.

Octavia gives a small mischievous smile, “Well…” she teased, “I did have a pressing matter to attend to after work. Maybe I could fit you in afterwards, I'm a very busy woman, you know.”

Astarion’s eyebrows raise and he chuckles warmly, “Oh do forgive me, I had no idea I was in the presence of high importance.” He wraps an arm around her waist, pulling her close, “Can’t you spare some of your time for me?” with his other hand he cups her cheek, kissing her softly before pulling back. “I missed you. Terribly so.”

Octavia giggles and sighs, she can't help the spell he has crafted into her heart. Her inner thoughts are in a torment, was this genuine or was it part of a centuries long practice? As much as she was scared to confront him, she couldn't deny that she missed him as well.

"I missed you too,” she confessed, turning her head away in bashfulness like a youth with a schoolyard crush.

“Will you wait for me then? I don't think it will be too long, unless he's going to explain something to me, then we could be here all night.” Astarion chuckles, lifting her free hand to give it a quick kiss.

Octavia rolls her eyes playfully and pulls away from him. “Okay, I can't keep it up. I know what he wants to talk to you about, and I swear it's not bad. If anything, I think it's a great idea.”

Astarion’s head quirks back, a curious sound hummed from his throat. “Really? You and Gale agreeing on something again? This should be good.” He crosses his arms and smirks, “Go ahead, fill me in on this idea of his.”

Octavia smiles, this is Gale’s idea so he should be the one to stake his claim. “No.” she sweetly states, backing away slowly, “You can wait a little while longer." She turns and walks toward her office, leaving Astarion in front of himself.

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

“Alright, Gale. Just remember what we went over, stick to the main points. This is a good PR move, Athena and Sirilius are big names in the wizarding community so that comes with good patronage, people from all over Faerun will see it, the press will love it…all of that. If you need me to cut in, just say so.” Octavia hands Gale the folder he prepared to show Astarion his sister's notes.

“I’ll be fine, Octavia. I’ve done these kinds of project proposals many times before, Astarion may look intimidating, but he's not. As long as I explain things succinctly, he’ll absolutely agree.” Gale puffs out his chest as he knocks on Astarion’s office door.

They hear Astarion’s response and Gale opens the door.

“Alright, Gale, what are you two planning that was so important that I meet with you after hours?” he asks from behind his massive wooden desk.

Gale and Octavia sit down across from him, Gale places the folder on top of the desk and shakily opens it. He clears his throat and begins to speak.

“As our busy season comes to an end, the amount of patrons we're expected to have is going to dip significantly. I was thinking about ways we could have some sort of capital to keep the museum in the black until the next fundraiser.” Gale wavered a bit, before continuing on.

“I was talking to my older sister Athena, and she's getting married-”

“No.” Astarion cuts Gale off immediately. “Gale, I will not have my museum with very delicate and priceless items be put in harm's way just so your sister can have a party and brag about it.” He waves a hand and looks over to Octavia. “And you! You knew about this? Why didn't you say something earlier?”

Octavia frowns, she couldn't believe the audacity of Astarion to disregard Gale so quickly. “Excuse me? This is a wonderful idea! If you didn't know, Gale’s sister is marrying into a prestigious wizarding family. They're loaded, and that means all their guests will be as well. This could be a huge opportunity for us to not only do this massive favor for Gale, but to raise the reputation and the possibility of potential donors for the museum! Think about it, Astarion. Think of the money.”

Astarion folds his arms, leaning back into his chair. “Octavia, do you really think-”

“No, you don't get to cut Gale off, shoot him down, and then think you can do the same to me. Hear him out, it's a good idea. I won't let you deny him this one favor. Not when he's done so much for the museum. This place wouldn't run half as smoothly as it doesn't if it wasn't for Gale. I’ll help and so will you, don't think you're getting out of this just because you're the boss.” Octavia passionately argues. She wants to help Gale and nothing, not even a patronizing vampire, can get in her way.

Astarion sighs, “Fine, go on, Gale. Convince me it's not a giant mistake.”

Gale looks between Astarion and Octavia, he stutters a bit before resuming, “Uh..Athena and Sirilius, her fiance and my..ahem..former friend, were wanting to get married and have their reception here.” He passed Astarion the folder, it was full of pictures, fabric samples, ideas, and countless notes about his sister's preferences and wants.

Astarion’s forehead wrinkled as he went through the massive file, his face changed in expression as he flipped through it.

“Your sister has questionable style, Gale. These dresses look like a bard that took up dressmaking and kept adding bells to everything. Gods, some of these are gaudy as hell.” Astarion remarks, eliciting a quiet giggle from Octavia and an irritated protest from Gale.

“I will have you know, that her style is very much the same as every other woman in my family. Waterdhavian culture is a little more showy than some others in Faerun..my own mother had a cathedral style wedding veil that was covered in black pearls that were sourced from the seas of Waterdeep. We show our pride in our family by having heirlooms pinned to our clothing and having family help us prepare for the wedding. That's why Athena is asking me to do this, why it means so much to me, Astarion, please allow this. I’ll work seven days a week even though the museum is only open six. I’ll do your laundry. I’ll get you one of Grandfather Gale’s spell books from his time adventuring, whatever you want!” Gale was almost begging, he spoke quickly and desperately.

Astarion could feel the love and obligation coming from Gale’s pleas. He may not like the request, but Gale is one of his most trusted friends. Besides, Gale doesn't ask for much. In the 8 years he's worked with Astarion, Gale has only taken a break once much to Astarion’s chagrin.

Astarion sighs and relents, “Fine.”

Gale’s jaw drops and Octavia’s eyes grow wide, both of them reply “What?!”

“Astarion, are you serious??” Gale breathes out, his eyes show the shock and relief build and crash, the tears begin to form behind them. “I can't believe this. I…I don't know what to say.”

“Start with thank you.” Octavia squeezes his shoulder, in a supportive and comforting touch.

“Yes, of course…thank you, Astarion. I'm so relieved that I can tell Athena that you approved of this! She's going to be so excited!” Gale was practically bouncing in his seat. Octavia and Astarion laughed at his giddiness. Gale inhaled sharply and laughed embarrassingly.

“Sorry, I’ve been worried about this for a minute. Thanks again, Astarion. Oh, and to you as well Octavia. Thank you for having my back.” He smiles, grabbing her hand, giving it an affirmative squeeze. He turns to Astarion and grabs the folder, but before he can pull it away, Astarion grabs his hand, staring him down.

“Hold on Gale. I have some conditions of my own. Go ahead and take your seat, please.” Astarion lets go of Gale’s hand and motions for him to take his seat.

Gale and Octavia shoot each other worried looks and then look back at Astarion. Who has his hands pressed together in front of his face. His eyes shift between Gale and Octavia, before he closes them and takes a sharp inhale.

“Condition one: I want to meet the couple. I need to know who they are, and why they insist on having their entire event here. We shall have dinner at the restaurant we had our last meeting, Gale. Let me know what date works for them.

Condition two: I want to join you and work on this together. Three people would be suitable for this type of event and while I trust the both of you, I feel like this will make things even and less stressful.

Condition three: I want to attend the wedding if I'm putting all this work into it. It's not fair that I'm letting you all use what I consider my home for a little party and not expect me to attend.

Condition four: I get final approval on what they wish to-”

“Absolutely not. You get to consult, but you don't have final say. Athena and Sirilius do. You are not the one getting married, Astarion.” Octavia sternly cuts him off, waving an angry finger in front of his face.

Astarion sulks, he didn't like giving up control, and this was going to be the ultimate test of that. He grumbles and lets out a low growl from the back of his throat. “Fine. But no one goes into the offices, basement, archives or galleries with delicate items or statues. No drinks near the paintings. Food outside ONLY.”

“Fine, you can put up ANY AND ALL safeguards to prevent people from going into places you don't want, Gale and I can assist you with that.” Octavia states firmly. She has had it with Astarion’s aggressive negotiations, if his plan was to barrel over Gale and pull some demeaning power play, he definitely underestimated Octavia’s tenacity.

The air between them felt heavy and electrified with Astarion and Octavia’s back and forth. “If I may cut in?” Gale’s soft voice called out from between the two.

Astarion and Octavia turn to Gale, both of their faces flushed and visibly irritated. “Go ahead, Gale, let's just finish this for tonight.” Astarion huffs, arms crossed defensively.

“My sister did write a note to me in the folder. May I read it to you both? I think this might ” Gale asks, unfolding a small piece of paper.

Astarion nods, motioning Gale to continue. Gale smiles and reads aloud.

“Hello little brother!!

I'm so excited that you actually want to help! Siri and I were just talking about how much we were hoping that you could assist us with this whole venue situation. To be honest with you, I can't think of a more perfect place for us to get married. Not only did Siri and I have our first real date there, but the gardens dedicated to the heroes would be the most fitting place for he and I to recite our vows. Right in front of Grandfather, as if he were giving us his blessing and favor for our new lives together. Write back as soon as you're done with your meeting. I’ve sent Archie along with Ellie, so you have no excuses.

Toodles, little bro!”

Gale folds the note and looks up, smiling with a giant grin. “She's going to be incredibly grateful for this, Astarion. You won't regret it. Now, if you two will excuse me, I have a very anxious bride to be to write back to. I will let you both know when she and Sirilius can meet up.” He gathers the folder once more, quickly exiting and leaving Astarion and Octavia alone.

The silence is awkward, they both stay in their seats not looking in each other's direction. Finally, Astarion is the one to break the moment.

“Well, if I say no now, I'll look like a heartless bastard won't I?” He produced a low groan as he laid back in his chair, draping his arms on either side of the armrests.

“Gale has been by your side for almost a decade. He’s given up so much of himself for this place. What he's asking for is not that much in comparison to what he's done for you and the museum.” Octavia flatly replies.

“Are you upset with me?” Astarion asks, his voice a mix of worry and slight annoyance, “Is it because I didn't say yes right away?”

Octavia stiffened a bit and looked away from Astarion, she fought every instinct to interrogate him about what she knew. She settles on a reasonable lie. Shaking her head, she begins to speak in a terse tone. “I can't believe you would question Gale, as if he wouldn't treat this place with the utmost respect?” she folds her arms and turns away from him.

Astarion frowns and gets up from his seat behind the desk. He walks over to Octavia’s side, and sits on the edge of the desk. This position was very reminiscent of their last argument. Octavia’s heart flutters a bit with anxiety, her knees buckle a bit with anticipation.

Astarion leans on the desk, placing his hands at his sides. He gazes down at Octavia with a softened look. “You’re right, but you have to understand. I’m not a terrible person. No matter what my standoffish attitude might tell you. I’m very protective of this place, it’s my home after all, so I hope that you understand if I get defensive.”

Octavia sighs. She couldn't mask her disappointment, but she understood. She quietly asks, “Can we raincheck the dinner tonight? I'm a bit tired from coming back after being away, I think I’d rather go home and turn in.” She turns her head down and looks away.

Astarion places his left hand on her chin and guides her head back. “Has something changed?” Octavia’s eyes meet his, he looks worried. She shifts a little in the chair. “No. Everything is fine.” Octavia replies with a small smile.

Astarion releases his hand from her chin, brings it down to her hand, pulling it close to his lips, and kisses it. “Glad to hear it. You had me worried, dear. The last thing I want to do is hurt you.”

Octavia bit her lip. I bet you said that to her too.

#bg3 #astarion #baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 #astarion ancunin #bg3 astarion #astarion bg3 #fic: memories of us #gale of waterdeep #bg3 au #bg3 au headcanon

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glassrowboat · 9 months ago

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Yellow Ribbon. Albedo.

Summary: Sometimes when you want to do something for someone else, to let them know they are in your mind, in your heart, in your soul, it's harder than the way you imagined it going. Words tumbling out of you in a jumbled mess as a gift is held in your hand. Would he see this is because you love him?

Word count: 1,800+

Authors note: Just pure fluff really so enjoy

So, maybe this was a bad idea.

It seemed like a lightbulb had gone off in your head the first time the thought occurred, a ding and suddenly light would be shining over even the deepest crevices of your brain, not much unlike a cartoon. Now though it was hard to tell. Though it's hard to tell much of anything with The sound of teeth chattering blocking out every thought that wasn't about how damn cold it is up here.

Dragonspine truly is the devil's anus.

“I told you you didn't have to follow me up here,” a voice called out. Soft and understanding despite the fact the owner of said voice himself seemed unphased by the bite in the air. Short sleeves in this weather? It was enough to make anyone believe Albedo was eccentric. Though meeting him would do much the same.

“I'm getting tired of hearing that.” It's been the third time already and it was beginning to get annoying. No matter how soothing a person's voice is it loses its effect once they start repeating themselves as if they were a parrot.

“And I can hear you shivering.”

Well, someone's not afraid to call you out, but your entire goal for coming up here has yet to be achieved. Even as the snow crunched with every step Albedo took up here to the white dusted laboratory as you tried to step in the indents his footfalls left behind you couldn't do it. Not when anxiety was such a bitch that it kept that pretty box teetering on the tip of your finger rather than being passed along to its intended recipient. The soft blue paper something you picked on a whim to wrap the box up with when Marjorie held it up asking if you wanted the item wrapped up.

But reasonably speaking, how could you not when it was the same color as his eyes?

So even with the sun high in the sky during what was supposed to be a bright, warm day, you sat on a wooden seat that creaked with every move trying to figure out if the reason you couldn't move was something as plain as simple nerves or hypothermia.

What a great guessing game.

Maybe you just just say somethi- “I'm curious about that item you're carrying around. You have been fiddling with it for a good half hour now.” Or you don't have to be the one to start the conversation. That works.

“Timing me now?”

“Well, your constant shifting has proved to distract me from my experiment. It seems,” Albedo picked up the stack of papers he had been reading over, your eyes barely catching a name and scrawled out words in messy handwriting before Albedo set it back down, “I cannot focus with you like this. So let us address this now.”

Wow, the clear favoritism. “Poor Timaeus put in so much work in that report for you though, and you're just putting it to the side over little old me? I'm using this information to blackmail you later.”

“I can handle this later, but if you insist, feel free.” Yeah, maybe you should have expected him to be so unphased by that. “As for now?”

Even with the boards of wood laid out on the ground in his not so formal laboratory up here, the snow kicked up with each step he took closer to you. White powder covering the base of his boots. His thigh high boots, specifically. Something anyone would have to take a moment to appreciate. Anyways- “I can see where your eyes are going, dear.”

“No, you don't.”

His hand grasped the blanket wrapped around your shoulders, tugging it tighter around you as he bent down to your height in the chair. It was almost funny how Albedo tried his best not to touch the box as he did so, purely focusing on keeping that fluffy warmth wrapped around you. “If you say so. Is this satisfactory?”

“I have no clue how you're so unaffected by this weather.” That is, unless he finally finished that potion he had left half finished months ago. Something about keeping people warm even in the most frigid of places. Some say a shot would do the job just as well.

“Personally, my mind is more focused on what you have been toying with than the cold.”

Well some of us have this thing called heat sensors. “Good to know that I have your interest, though I'd much prefer it on something like a date. Maybe a picnic or we can watch Klee blow up a lake.”

A chuckle fell from his lips at your words, one that even despite your best efforts, had you leaning in closer just to hear that sweet pitch a little clearer. A little closer. A little louder. It's only natural to seek out something you're interested in, right? “I can't say I want to clean up that mess today. Maybe Monday?”

“Monday then. I'm holding you to that. If I don't hear a bomb going off and her cheerful little voice exclaiming ‘(y/n) look here’ then we're going to have a talk, buddy.”

“I will gladly talk with you as much as you like.”

Ignoring that for the sake of your heart, you grabbed his hand, peaking your own out of the wooly layer of warmth that you're wrapped up in. The blue box you've been debating over now placed in his hand, a soft contrast to the brown palm of his gloves and chilly air that seemed to tint everything a slight blue. It was enough to recall the last moment you two were up here, complaints about the cold on the tip of your tongue until he shared a little tidbit about how when the snow reflects the sun's light back to the atmosphere it is called a snow albedo.

“Just take it, it was for you anyway.”

“I suspected as much.” His fingers grazed over the box, the pattern one of polka dots as he examined it, like a new object of interest. It only stood to reason he'd scrutinize it so. “Thank you.”

“Just open it, I don't like you dallying over this.” It meant awkward silence just watching him, and as pretty as Albedo may be, that isn't exactly a great pass time when your heart is fluttering from the anxiousness the spur of ideas in your head was encouraging.

What if he didn't like it? What if it was presumptuous? What if the color was off? What if he does accept it but forgets about it when a new curiosity pokes up?

“You're so impatient all of a sudden.” Even with his teasing words Albedo pulled the lid off the box, pinching the cardboard as he lifted it up to reveal a charming yellow much like the tattoo, or birthmark as he liked to call it, on his neck. A silk ribbon raised up between them as Albedo lifted it from its confines, eyes focusing in on the charm hanging off the end. A citrine quartz held on by a string of gold.

“So,” you cleared your throat, trying to get rid of the raspiness the freezing air you have been breathing in left behind. “I know you have been…”

Start again, (Y/n).

“You and I both know what it's like to have our social batteries drained to their lowest point.” You have even seen him a couple of times having flipped the sign to his laboratory back In the knight headquarters to signify Albedo is going to be running experiments only for him to plop down on the couch, and with some insistence from you, use your lap as a pillow. In those moments, he truly looked angelic, a star on his skin and blond hair framing his face as the sun peeked through the open windows lighting up the space with its shining rays. “So I thought this would work. I went around and told a handful of the people we talk to the most that if you're wearing this ribbon it means you're fully charged and willing to talk. I hope that isn't," trying to find the right word you took a moment of pause until finally deciding on: "rude of me to do.”

And It could have been explained a lot better. Maybe you really should have spent some time before the bathroom mirror practicing this sad little spiel.

“You did that for me then? It is certainly practical.”

“That was kinda the point.” Taking the ribbon from his hands, with a good amount of struggle seeing as mittens aren't made to be worn for people trying to actually do anything, you slipped it through the metal band on his arm. Though you did have to ignore Albedo laughing at your attempt after the third try of doing so. At least he sat patiently, waiting for you to finish. “I just thought, well, I don't really know what I was thinking anymore.”

Maybe you were just hoping to ease that tired look in his eyes as someone prattled on when he clearly wanted out of a conversation.

“Then let me assure you of something. Ribbon on me or not, dear, you can always talk to me.”

“So you actually intend to use it?”

“You clearly put quite a bit of thought into this, having already explained it to the knights. How could I possibly ignore all that effort?”

Well, easily.

“(Y/n),” grabbing the corner of the blanket Albedo slid in next to you, his cold skin enough to have you squeamish and trying to pinch at him just for the small hope of mercy from the chill. Though you already knew he never would, not after being subjected to his cold feet every night. The fuckin- “I truly meant it when I said thank you. Not to mention, if this truly has been explained to a good number of the knights, this means I can take the ribbon off as Kaeya passes us by just to see his aghast expression.”

“I-” trying to keep from laughing, you dropped your head on his shoulder, the layering of the hood on his jacket a decent pillow for what that was worth- “You're a menace. And no one would believe me if I shared what you just said either! All they see is your impassive face and the nice way you treat your students.”

“I know, but that's alright. I much prefer this information to stay between us.”

“...So we're totally messing with Kaeya later, right?”

“In time. For now let us just stay here for a moment longer.”

Yeah, that doesn't sound bad, a moment longer. That will do. His cold skin didn't even bother you as much anymore as he slowly warmed up in your cocoon of blankets.

“Five more minutes, then I want off this blasted mountain.”

#genshin impact #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #hoyoverse #x reader #gn reader #albedo #albedo x reader #banner by cafekitsune

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galactic-duo-blue · 2 months ago

Note

Hey, eight-eyes, pick on someone your own size.

- @timaeus-tumbled

AG: No, I'm gonna steal this chump's Pokemon 8ecause he's fun to mess with.

[because]

#Timaeus tumbled #homestuck #pokemon #vriska serket #commander scorpio #pokeblogging #ask blog

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the-dark-magicians · 9 months ago

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Dark Magician Girl the Dragon Knight ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Must be Fusion Summoned with the above Fusion Materials or with "The Eye of Timaeus". Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can send 1 card from your hand to the GY, then target 1 face-up card on the field; destroy that target.

#yugioh #yu-gi-oh!#ygo dm #dark magician girl #duel monsters #ygo duel monsters #y2k anime #anime gifs #my gifs

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lovelyney · 2 years ago

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───────BREATHE IN, BREATHE OUT──────

DESC: For this Windblume, the Knights of Favonius decide to hold a grand ball, and Albedo decides to ask you !!

PAIRINGS: Albedo x (F!) Reader

SCENT: Fluff with a hint of hurt/comfort

WARNINGS: Panic attacks, Albert being a creep (don’t worry it isn’t anything too bad.)

FLORIST’S NOTE: I need to stop making empty promises, LMFAO. I’m proud of this piece, ngl; it’s 4,000 words long, which is why it forever to edit. . . Let me know if you want a continuation !!

SONG: I Hear a Symphony, Cody Fry.

ALBEDO SAT AT HIS DESK, pen resting between his fingers as he scribbled down some notes from his latest experiment. After meeting the others, he wanted to take some time to himself—the silence bringing him some sense of tranquility.

A soft knock on the door burst the silence like a balloon. “Come in, but please watch your step.” Albedo forewarned, gaze primarily focused on the various papers littered on his desk.

Sucrose walked in, quietly shutting the door behind her. “Um, my—my apologies if I’m interrupting something important, mister Albedo. I just found something that I think you might be interested in,” she said.

He raised an eyebrow, his interest piquing. “Oh? Does it have to do with that paper you’re holding?”

She slid the flyer she held over to him, a confident look in her eyes. “The Knights of Favonius are holding a ball for Windblume this year! I—I know you don’t really prefer social gatherings, but I remembered you mentioned something about wanting to take (NAME) out somewhere. . . So, I figured this was something you could consider.” She acknowledged.

The gentle tapping of his pen against the desk stopped at the mention of you; you were a popular baker amongst Monstandt and one of a few of Albedo’s close friends. He met you when Klee dragged him to your bakery one day and found himself enchanted with how you carried yourself.

The alchemist skimmed through the flyer’s contents while remaining deep in thought. He couldn’t help but smile at the idea of dancing with you—one of the many things he’s dreamed of doing with you.

His fingers drummed his desk as he sighed; “as much as I would love to take (NAME) to this. I am. . . unaware how she feels about these kinds of events herself.”

Sucrose nodded and held back a giggle, not used to her mentor being so love-stricken. “I considered that as well. . . I believe Timaeus is asking his crush to go with him! So it wouldn’t hurt to ask! I know how long you’ve been wanting to confess to her. . .” The girl encouraged.

A shiver crawled up Albedo’s spine at the contemplation of confessing. There was nothing more he wanted than to be with you romantically, but aside from the notes he documented, he didn’t know a thing about pursuing that kind of relationship. What if he screws it up and hurts you in the process? The thought alone made him want to throw up. But then again, Sucrose proved a point; he wouldn’t know without trying.

He exhaled slowly, “alright, I’ll go and find her when I’m finished up here. Thanks, Sucrose.”

She nodded excitedly. “n—no problem! I’m pretty sure she closes at six today. . . Good luck, mister Albedo!”

The rest of the day seemed to fly by without Albedo noticing. with thoughts of you engraved in his head and his research, he never bothered to peek outside his window or check the time.

After locking up the lab for the day, he peered up at the city’s clock, eyes widening when the time read 6:02. “Was I really working for so long? She should still be cleaning up. . . Hopefully, I’m not too late.” He thought and headed to the bakery. When he reached there, he breathed a sigh of relief at seeing you wiping down the counters.

The sound of the doors opening caused your head to turn. “‘Bedo? What brings you here at this time?” You wondered.

He smiled, “hello, (NAME). My apologies for coming in rather late, but I was hoping I could ask something of you.”

Your lips pressed together as you nodded timidly. You weren’t sure what you could offer him since your guys’ jobs were completely different. “Oh! Of course, what is it?”

Albedo pulled out the flyer and handed it to you. “The Knights of Favonius are holding a dance for this Windblume. . . If you wouldn’t mind, I would like you to accompany me to it,” he requested blatantly.

You blinked in astonishment, the heat of a volcano suddenly soaking you. “A—Accompany you to the dance? Um. . . are—are you sure you’d want me too?” You doubted, voice hushed. It’s not like you didn’t want to go—far from it, actually.

He tilted his head, carefully studying your expression. “I don’t see why not? Is there perhaps something I’m missing in terms of bringing someone along? Or do you not want to come?” Stewed the alchemist.

Your eyes dilated, feeling your heart sink to the bottom of your stomach at his tone; you’ve never heard him sound so deflated. “Nonono! Of course, I’ll go with you! It’s just that I thought you’d want to bring someone a bit more. . . closer to you.” You interjected and fidgeted with your fingers underneath the table. “I cannot believe I just said that. . . I probably sounded so desperate.”

He quietly sighed in relief, sapphire irises picking up your nervous habits. “Well, (NAME). . . Statistically speaking, I consider you the closest person to me in all of Monstandt,” he laughed heartily.

Oh.

“So shall I see you there?” He asked and tucked the flyer in his jacket pocket, eagerly awaiting your response.

Letting out a quiet breath, you wiped your palms against your pants. “Y—Yeah! I’ll be there. . .” you muttered, the sound of your heartbeat plugging your ears.

Albedo grinned, lightly holding your waist and laying a soft kiss on your forehead. “That’s my girl. . . I’ll see you then. Until then, love.”

“Albedo asked you to the ball? (NAME) That’s adorable!” Amber beamed from the opposite side of the table.

“Haven’t you had a crush on him for months now? why are you so on edge about going?” Eula piped in and swished her drink around before sipping it.

Blood promptly rushed to your face as you frantically looked around town. “Shushshush! He could be around here, you know!” You spluttered and slapped your hands over your face, embarassed.

Eula and Amber were both good friends of yours and knew of both your anxiety and massive crush on Albedo. With the dance closing in, you asked them to meet you at Good Hunter in hopes of them offering some kind of advice.

You clarified, “it’s not him that worries me, Eula. I’m scared I’m going to get overwhelmed with how many people will be there.”

The outrider’s expression slightly withered, but she nodded sympathetically. “Oh, I see. . . Is there a reason you haven’t mentioned anything about it to him?”

You propped your chin on your palms and sighed; “I don’t think so. . . Albedo is really kind and patient with me, so I don’t think he’d make fun of me for it. It’s simply that what if he finds me a nuisance and doesn’t want to go with me anymore?”

Eula scoffed with a roll of her amber eyes. “If he mentions anything even remotely similar to that, he won’t live to see another day.” She threatened and flashed you a smile.

Amber smacked her shoulder. “Eula! (NAME), from what I’ve heard, Albedo rarely even makes small talk with people. . . So for him to ask you to the ball, he must trust and care about you a lot! And if it’s any consolation, Eula and I will be there, so we’ll make sure to check on you!” She assured.

The corners of your lips tugged into a half smile, your friends’ words bringing down your anxiety a little. “Thank you, guys. . . I really appreciate it.” You said. “Except there’s one more problem. . .”

“And what might that be...?”

“I have nothing to wear. . .”

After what felt like an eternity of shopping, you finally settled on a white and puffy gown. You rarely dolled yourself up, but Amber and Eula insisted that you go all out for this occasion—with Amber declaring, “we have to secure your chances of Albedo falling in love with you!” You had no clue where she got that idea from. Still, it was nice to think about. . .

“You’re going to look so pretty, (NAME)! I guarantee all eyes will be on you!” Squealed the brunette as you three stepped out of the incredibly costly dress shop.

Eula nodded and ruffled your hair. “I second that. if Albedo won’t dance with you, then I sure as hell will,” she affirmed.

“Oh? Out shopping, are you, (NAME)?” A familiar voice said from behind.

You nearly fainted when you turned and saw Albedo standing there, a smile gracing his lips. “A—Albedo? I wasn’t expecting to see you out here. . .” You commented, your voice growing significantly smaller and quieter.

Amber giggled and stood in front of you so he couldn’t get a glimpse of what was inside your bag. “No, no! You’re not allowed to see yet, Albedo! No peeking!” She gushed.

The alchemist crossed his arms, finding your sudden coyness nothing short of amusing. “Is that so. . . How cute, no wonder (NAME) has turned so shy. . .” He expressed, glacial irises observing you delicately.

As if gasoline coursed through your veins, and he lit the match, your skin engulfed in warmth. “Did he just call me cute? Did I hear that correctly? Barbatos, please give me the strength not to pass out right now. . .”

Eula huffed and pressed you forward. “Yes, yes, we know. She’s cute. Now, come on, (NAME). . . Don’t you know it’s bad luck to see your bride before the day of the wedding?” She teased.

“BRIDE?! E—EULA!”

Albedo chuckled as he watched the spindrift knight drag you away, your face rivaling the color of a ripe apple. “Hopefully, one day, (NAME). . .” he murmured.

Attempting to focus had never been so difficult. . . While Amber excitedly talked to Eula, all you could concentrate on was the excessively deafening music that echoed through the room—well, that and your racing heartbeat. You couldn’t tell if it was because of the crowded room or because it longed to see your date.

“What if he forgot and I came here for no reason?” You panicked internally and rhythmically tapped your heels against the marble floor, fingers absentmindedly fumbling with the pair of white gloves which adorned them. Truthfully, the ball had barely started yet, so you didn’t really know why you felt so doubtful.

A small figure wrapped around your legs, forcing you out of your withered thoughts. You looked down, only to smile when you recognized a familiar tuff of light-blonde hair. “Oh! Hello there, Klee!” You smiled and crouched down, letting the girl properly wrap her arms around you.

“Big sis! Klee’s so happy you’re here! Your dress is super pretty!” She bubbled and pulled away, the twinkle in her eyes challenging the stars in the night sky.

You giggled, your worries briefly melting away at the girl’s excitement. “And your braids are super cute!~ Who did them?”

“That would be me. . .”

Startled by the familiar voice, your eyes flew up to confirm who it was. Your heart nearly jumped out of your chest when you saw Albedo dressed in a well-fitted white dress shirt, light blue vest and tie, and black dress pants.

He simpered—his cyan irises sizing you up. “I’m very rarely taken aback, but wow. . . You far exceeded my expectations, (NAME). Your glow far passes the moonlight as if it’s but a cheap imitation of you.” He voiced and helped you to your feet, his lips igniting multiple sparks where they lay on your wrist.

You opened your mouth to speak, only for the words to fizz away on your tongue. Did he drink some kind of potion before coming here? Was this the same Albedo you knew? You couldn’t be too sure. . .

“You’re going to have to forgive her. . . She’s a little starstruck!” Amber disputed and wrapped one of her hands around your arm, giving it a comforting squeeze. “Look at you, Klee! You look so pretty!”

The small elf giggled, her small hand enveloping her brother’s. “Thank you, miss Amber! Oh! Oh! Doesn’t (NAME) look like a princess from a fairytale, Albedo? Klee thinks she looks super pretty!” She bubbled and tugged excitedly on his sleeve.

“Oho, so Klee already approves of you guys? Look at you go, (NAME). I told you you had nothing to worry about!” teased Eula as she walked over, grinning cheekily at you. “She wouldn’t stop talking about you on the way here, Albedo.”

“EULA?!” you screeched and hid behind your other friend. You know, the one who didn’t rat you out.

Despite your impulsive embarrassment, Albedo bit his lip and chuckled softly, amused by it. He cooed, “really now? I suppose I can only hope her lips are as sweet as she is.” He then walked up to you, grabbing your arm and pulling you closer to him so he could see you. “You know, (NAME). . . Klee’s not wrong, now is she? You certainly do look like a princess straight from a fairy tale. . . You fit that role quite flawlessly.”

You shuffled through your brain for something to say, struggling with how countless thoughts spilled over. Looking away coyly, you spoke barely above a whisper, “would that make you my prince then. . .?”

Adoration glazed over his eyes, oh how he wished you would look at him; he adored your pretty (COLOR) eyes. “Hm? That depends. . . Would you like me to be? I would be more than honored to have you as my princess.” He crooned.

Eula crossed her arms, staring intently at his hand on your arm. “And this princess is irreplaceable. . . So you’d better handle her as if she’s the most treasured glass statue in all of Teyvat,” she quipped sharply.

Albedo nodded and offered a tranquil smile. “Eula, if we were to play with the idea of fragile pieces of art, then I must admit—(NAME) is more akin to a statue crafted entirely out of the purest diamond as her value is boundless. I believe it was once said that diamond was a symbol of eternal love. I will ensure she’s treated as such.” Reassured the alchemist, his fingers smoothing circles on your wrist.

Amber looked over at you, laughing sympathetically as you kept your lips tightly pressed together. “Alright, let’s give these two some alone time, Eula. . . You come too, Klee!” She butted and beckoned the two to follow behind her. “I’ll come back to check on you, alright, (NICKNAME)? You’ve got this!”

Albedo tilted his head curiously, worry casting over his eyes. He wondered, “hm? Why does she need to check on you? Are you by chance feeling anxious or something of the sort?”

Almost resigned to his accuracy, you let out a sigh, dreading how he could get it so right from just one sentence. You felt vulnerable yet comforted that he could grasp you so effortlessly. “Only a little. . . I tend to get a little overwhelmed in crowded places. I’ll be alright, though!” You informed.

He frowned and pressed his lips to your pulse point. “And you still agreed to accompany me here? Your compassion shows no bounds, (NAME). . . I do wish you would’ve mentioned this earlier; I could’ve created a potion that could help numb those types of feelings. Regardless, make sure to take deep breaths to help ground yourself. I promise you wholeheartedly that I’ll take care of you.” He consoled, voice as smooth as the silk he adorned in that night.

As he finished speaking, a pair of voices shouted for him. “Albedoo ~ Over here!” Venti crowed and waved his hands like a maniac, most likely already intoxicated.

With an exasperated sigh, Albedo kissed your jaw, his heart fluttering when you let out a short laugh. He lamented, “I can never get some time alone with you these days. . . Let me go see what they want, and I’ll be right back, alright, princess?”

“Mhm! I’ll be over here if you need me,” you replied and watched him leave your peripheral vision. Deflated, you strode over to the food table and grabbed a water bottle, hoping a drink of water would help alleviate your nerves. You took a few sips and looked around the room to get your bearings and remind yourself why you agreed to come. Where was Amber when you needed her?

“Excuse me. . .”

Your shoulders tensed as you swung around, an overpowering panic settling in your gut when you saw a male with choppy blonde hair standing there. “Yes? Can I help you?” You gulped and stood stiff as a board; you weren’t comfortable with strangers, and the way this guy stared at you made you feel trapped. The feeling was similar to that of a small animal cornered by a predator, anxiously searching for an escape route but none being available.

He smiled, resting his hand near yours. “I couldn’t help but notice you were standing by yourself and thought you wanted some company. . . The name’s Albert; what’s yours, pretty one?” He hummed and reached to grab your hand

Your water bottle crinkled as you squeezed it, retracting your hand and pressing it to your chest. “I feel like I’m going to throw up.” You thought and frantically looked through the sea of people in search of someone you knew. “I’m fine. My date’s just talking to someone at the moment; please—”

“But it’d be a real shame to leave such a pretty woman alone. I bet I could treat you so much better than whoever you’re with.”

“Judging by how uneasy she is and how unmannered you are, the statistics that you treat my date better than me are meager.” Albedo spoke coldly and shielded you away from him. “To treat women with so little regard is quite the pathetic trait to hold; it’s that same reason why you have not got a date yourself.”

Albert’s eye twitched, his knuckles turning white from how hard he clenched his fists. “Excuse me? Just who do you think you are?” He snarled; his face contorted in rage and teeth bared as he glared at Albedo.

Your heart hammered in your ears as you desperately sought to bring yourself down from an upcoming panic attack. You could feel your breath becoming shallow and your chest tightening as you clenched your fists and reminded yourself to stay in control. It was like trying to battle a tidal wave with a sandcastle—no matter how much you tried to resist, the surge of anxiety was almost staggering.

Through the sea of voices and blur of faces, Albedo’s voice echoed in your thoughts. His steady, soothing voice like a beacon, guiding and leading you through the stormy waves of uncertainty.

“(NAME)? Goodness, you’re trembling. . . Focus on my voice and breathe for me, okay? He’s gone now; he can’t hurt you. . .” The boy muttered and cradled your face in his gentle hands, peppering it in small kisses. “You’re going to be okay, sweet one. . . Come on, breathe with me mhm? In. . . and out.”

Binding his instructions, you followed his breathing, and the tingling in your fingers gradually decreased. One by one, everyone’s voices filled your ears, and you could see clearly again. “Where—where did he go?”

He shook his head and carefully rested his hand on the small of your back, his thumb tracing circles. “The knights escorted him out, love. They’ll probably have him thrown into confinement; you’re safe.” He assured, gently wiping sweat beads off your forehead. His head lifted when a slow song played on the speakers. With a warm smile, he offered his hand out. “Shall we dance? By focusing your attention on something else, it should distract you from the event that triggered your anxiety.”

Your heart catches in your throat at the proposal, eyes glued to his extended hand. “A—Albedo, I can’t. . . I don’t—”

the dance i had in mind !!

“—know how? You don’t need to, love. All you have to do is follow my lead.” He cajoled and took your hand in his, leading you to the centre of the room. “You don’t mind me being this close, do you?” He murmured right above your ear, his hands enveloping your waist.

“A—as long as you don’t. . .” you uttered breathlessly, struggling to hold yourself together. His touch was feather light, yet it made your heart ram against your ribcage—his slender fingers drawing shapes on your hips. “What if people think we’re dating. . .”

He spun you around so that you faced him, his eyes—deep pools of glacial blue—glazed over with raw adoration upon meeting your (COLOR) ones. He cooed, “oh? Then let them think that, princess. . . When you are as ravishing as you are, I could not care less who stares. I am rather honored to be your date, and to be perceived as your partner is a rumor that I’m far from concerned about.”

You bit the inside of your cheek, your senses infiltrated by Albedo’s gentle touch; his hands seemed to perfectly fit your figure as if they were made for you. his fingers moved lightly across your body, caressing you with a tenderness that left you speechless. “When did you get so daring, ‘Bedo? I’m so used to you engrossed in your research. . . It’s a little jarring.”

Albedo chuckled. “Daring? Is that what you’d call it? I certainly don’t hear you complaining. . . Teasing aside, I’m only speaking from my heart, love. You’re truly captivating; I know I haven’t been vocal about it until now, but I’ve always thought of you as such.” Hummed the blonde, his words like a steady stream of honey to your ears—sweeter than any melody you could recall. He always seemed to know exactly what to say to get your heart beating louder.

Thinking on your words carefully, you rested your hand on the back of his neck and indistinctively drew him closer. You stood in a moment of contemplation, trying to gauge his reaction and measure the weight of your words. “Hmm. . . and what if I told you I felt the same?”

He couldn’t fight the smile that blossomed on his lips, like a blooming flower that had been touched by the sun or a sudden splash of colour in an otherwise gray landscape. “Well, pretty girl, I’d be truly and utterly flattered that you find me as captivating as I do you. However, I believe you to be the very definition of beautiful, so I don’t think my attractiveness quite matches your own,” he swooned.

“Don’t be so modest, Albedo. . . Kreideprinz literally translates to “chalk prince.” Not only that, but you’re incredibly intelligent,” you said. “Many girls are smitten with you, which is why I’m surprised you chose me out of everyone.”

Albedo quietly tutted and tilted your chin up, biting back his desire when his eyes met yours. “And you call me modest? Oh, princess. . . if only you could look at yourself through my vision. My heart isn’t set on other women but on you. you’ve had my complete attention and devotion since we first met.” He professed, watching your pupils dilate with the very same desire held back.

Hearing the music slow down, he caved in and placed his forehead against yours, his nose gently nudging yours. He closed his eyes and breathed you in, his hunger for you causing his breath to waver. He was starved of kissing you for months, and holding you so close made him tremble. “F—forgive me for being so brash, but my sense of control slips through my fingers the more you look at me like that. . .” He muttered and thumbed at your bottom lip. “Feel free to call me out if this is inappropriate, but can I kiss you?”

Without skipping a beat, you looped your arms loosely around his neck and pulled him flush against you, brushing your lips against his. Electricity surged through your veins as his hands rested on your hips. You tilted your head and gently deepened the kiss, exploring the contours of his lips.

He responded eagerly, pressing his body against yours and letting out a low growl against your mouth. You tasted of strawberry champagne blended with desire, and it intoxicated him more than any other alcoholic beverage could ever do. Resisting the want to poke his tongue through your parted lips, he reluctantly parted from you—heart whirring with desire at your flushed face and half-lidded eyes.

“I sure do hope that whoever thought they had a chance with you saw that. . . Because as your prince, I hereby declare that you’re mine.”

“THAT’S OUR GIRL! GET IT (NAME)!” “Venti, I believe my prediction was correct. . . Now, as for the payment?” “PLEASE, NOT MY LIMITED EDITION WINE.”

#|✿| — 𝐅𝐀𝐖𝐍’𝐒 𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐒 #|✿| — 𝐂𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐒 #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact #genshin impact x you #genshin impact x y/n #genshin x reader #albedo #albedo x reader #albedo x y/n #albedo x you #albedo fluff #genshin fluff #fem reader

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