#and he does nOT KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH feeling that same way towards Scara

[howthesleeplesswander]

The other's eventual answer was far from kind, yet the insults held none of their usual bite. Every syllable dragged with a weight that such a small frame didn't seem capable of carrying. What should have been scathing words now barely crackled with dying embers; a fire that was nearly extinguished.

Childe should be glad that Scaramouche's arrogance had been cut down to size. He should be reveling in this snotty little pipsqueak finally being put in his place. Once upon a recent time, he would have. And not just reveled—laughed and gloated, rubbed the defeat in his face.

Don't ask him why he didn't now. He didn't know. He didn't know how to admit it.

All he knew was that this was wrong.

Above everything else, that thought stuck like a sword plunged straight through his skull. Even lacking fire, each word Scaramouche spoke bloomed an odd pain at the center of his chest. But he was a child of war; that pain should have excited him as it always did. It shouldn't make him angry—it shouldn't cause this white-hot fury that simmered in Abyss-tainted veins, that clenched the fists of his crossed arms tighter with the urge to plunge his weapon into Dottore's smug face, into the Traveler's kind eyes—to inflict equal pain onto those who were the cause.

The truth was that Childe knew this feeling all too well. It was the same unbridled rage he'd felt towards the scumbag who'd broken Tonia's heart when she was fifteen. Towards the hilichurls who'd dared so much as aim their crossbows at Teucer the last time he'd been home for a visit.

This was why Childe didn't work with the other Harbingers. This was exactly why he refused to rely on anyone's strength but his own. Until the pedestal of the strongest warrior in Teyvat was his—rightfully earned through breaking and reforging himself as many times as it took—being defeated in strength was inevitable. But...this? The defeat of fight? Of spirit? Of who a person was, all because of the failure of someone else's strength?

You're better than this. Didn't you used to know that?

For a fleeting moment Scaramouche seemed to regain a flicker of that fire, but it was wielded only as a feeble attempt to order him away. Childe barked out a laugh. "Yeah, I can see that." Even the shorter boy's glare lacked the ardor he'd come to know. His own voice more than made up for the sharpness the other's lacked. "Man, so all it takes is one defeat to reduce you to this, huh? You know, you're a lot of things, princess, but I have to say: I never thought you were pathetic."

The emptiness of his eyes laid bare the storm within; all the anger, the disappointment, the ache. "Fighting you now would be a waste of time. You can barely look me in the eye; you wouldn't be worth the effort of conjuring my blades like this." Childe shook his head. "It's no wonder you didn't bother coming back. I do know just as well what the Fatui is like; and right now, it'd eat you alive."

“Spare me your idiocy just once, Tartaglia.”

The Balladeer—or was he that anymore, he wondered? (Could he even dare to use the name “Scaramouche” when it had never truly been his, but bestowed upon him the very instant he became useful to someone?)—had stayed miraculously silent while the other prattled on, and only given the equally surprising pause did he take the opportunity to admonish him. The edge in his tone wasn’t quite as sharp… not soaked in biting static and poised to strike without a trace of remorse. No, it was as heavy as his first word, almost tired in the way it slid through his teeth without the usual punch: the usual arrogance.

Still, he refused to face the soulless eyes boring into him. Tch. Hardly a need, really. It was obvious, the way Childe looked down his nose at him as if he were in any position to judge, to lift himself up on some imaginary “high horse” the bloodthirsty little leftovers of the Abyss couldn’t dream of riding. Scaramouche didn’t have to look at him to feel a heat wash in a prickling, stinging wave over the whole of him: from head to toe, a flush of something inexplicable attempted to drown him, but—

No.You don’t get that control here. I won’t let you have that control.

“This has nothing to do with trusting him. Don't make me repeat myself on a topic you've already worn out,” Scaramouche noted sternly, alluding briefly to that particular disaster they'd broached a painfully short time ago. “You know as well as I how the Fatui work; we’re duty-bound. Camaraderie or any trace of trust doesn't belong in that.” A restless hand lifted to skate along the edge of his hat, purposefully or not tipping it even further over his face before he spoke again. “The point is, Dottore was useful to me. I was useful to him. That was the only foundation, and the moment either of us no longer could fulfill that, well…”

His fingers twitched. They tightened on the rim, and Scaramouche despised the need to force out his next breath. “His actions come as no surprise. After all, I’m nothing more than a failed experiment, now.”

But this was a farce. Why was he even wasting his time explaining himself? He didn’t owe Childe anything, and the fact that the Eleventh even thought he had a right to this—? (No, you don’t. You absolutely don’t. I could just walk away; I could—)

An agitated growl rumbled in his chest, and finally, Scaramouche lifted his head. His hand dropped back down to his hip, and he met his company’s stare with a narrowed gaze. “If you’re here for a fight, you’re out of luck. I’m not about to offer you that ‘thrill,’ so get lost.”

[celabi]

Let me preface this by saying many aren't here for this. But I want to hear if you have any angsty thoughts about creepmouche? What would make him bored in reader, and is there a possibility his obsessions could be redirected to some other person? Or how would he deal with a reader who outmatched his scummy energy and was too much to handle for him? If you have no thoughts, feel free to just not answer this ask, I'll understand, since this isn't the usual cup of tea served here! 💕 thank you so much for writing though!

Honestly… I don’t think reader could ever bore Scaramouche just because he is already way too far into his deep obsession. She (you) excites him way too much to the point where every thought in his head is pretty much revolved around her, leaving no space for any negative or doubtful thoughts that could taint the perfect image that he holds to her. Meaning there’s no way that he could ever think to love anyone that isn’t you, Because just the thought of being in the presence of another leaves a disgusted taste on his tongue.

I haven’t really added Scaramouche’s cannon betrayals in this Au, but maybe (not including his mother, Ei, who I plan on adding more interactions with down the line) he could of had two friends before he met you that had abandoned him, which had left a massive impact on certain questionable characteristics that maybe have overtime, fed into and slowly started to harbour his overbearing and possessive feelings— to the point where he has never thought to ever give up on you, or project these unhealthy feelings to another.

I’d say if reader had the same type of behaviour as him— like a hidden dark obsession or just being a straight up borderline yandere, he’s taking it as a win. With you being as weird as he is, he’s can finally put his embarrassment off to the side and no longer have to feel ashamed when he does these questionable things, like stealing your underwear and setting up cameras in your room. It excites him to think that there is a huge possibility you enjoy it as much as he does.

If you do share these tendencies— he knows that he’ll no longer have to worry about you falling for anyone other then him. He’s already a very jealous person, so if you voice your obsession towards him and distaste towards others, he’s grinning like a maniac and telling you that he always knew you were perfect for each other, like god had handpicked two lovers that were destined to be with each other for eternity. Because that’s how long he will love you.

Nothing is ever too much for him to handle— mainly because he is as far along into his obsession as he possibly can be. Meaning, he’d do absolutely anything for you without a second thought, as his pride lays long forgotten behind him. In his vision— everything you say is automatically correct and anything you do is absolutely perfect, nothing less.

Idk something like that 🤷‍♀️ thanks for the ask! It was really interesting, and very different from what I usually get— because everyone wants scara to be so love drunk for the reader l m a o <3 (me too but like)

i hope this was okay, but I just don’t see him falling out of his obsession, or loving another. I guess that’s what abandonment issues does to some people lol 💁‍♀️

[yostresswritinggirl]

Unspoken angst is Hu Tao’s reaction to the rising costs of Zhongli’s spending habits as he guides and supports Scara and puppet reader. He finds their interactions to be endearing. Childe would be a hilarious addition to the mora woes.

SPEAKING OF DANGEROUS PLANTS AND FAUNA! Have you heard of the nipple fruit? Apparently it’s poisonous. (From what I know, bleeding mushrooms are safe to touch.)

Scara sends Nahida and Traveler postcards of his travels with puppet reader and it’s like… a honeymoon to me. Lantern rite date! And in a quiet spot under the lanterns, they hug and watch. Scara and puppet reader might as well settle with the Aranara eventually.

Modern au when Scara drives, he got one hand on the steering wheel and the other holding puppet reader’s hand and occasionally he kisses their knuckles during the drive. Is it dangerous? I mean yea. It is still cute? Also yea.

I think Dain’s perspective on Scara and puppet reader would be interesting. But I just wanna see more Dain, lol.

Nilou didn’t come home either so I am very sad. Tighnari and Nilou when????? Also, I tend to get my ideas the second I walk into the kitchen so that’s probably why I gravitate towards food ideas. Maybe it’s because my attention span jumps from this to that frequently. I’ve been thinking about bedroom layouts and mattress size. Who is the one who uses organizer bins in the house? Who goes with the Marie Kondo way of organization? What do their aprons look like???? Does Tighnari help tie Cyno’s hair back when he forgets to???? (Yes.) Scara and puppet reader hold hands when they go to bed. Scara sparkling when happy because of puppet reader. Ah. It’s amore.

Bloom anon

*searching nipple fruit* oh wow, wait, people grow these for decorations?! That's fucked up, I wouldn't trust myself with that

Don't worry Hu Tao, sooner or later Scaramouche would feel annoyed and think Zhongli is showing off or belittling their reserves, and show off the good ol Fatui salary™ Also don't ever ever mention Childe or even bring him when they're there because hell WILL break loose

Omayghad IT IS A HONEYMOON HAHAHAHA I can't fuckin believe these two, or actually it's probably because of them being puppets so they're neurotic as hell "hey we just wrecked havoc across Teyvat with our terrible life decisions and almost ruined Sumeru but we're cool now and want to go on vacation, see ya" and yes, I think after their honeymoon phase, they end up settling in the forest with the Aranaras cottagecore style

Nahida doesn't mind, honestly she'll visit a lot even, they're all immortal friends so even better. But the funniest imagine I could think of would be Traveler traveling to a new region either Natlan or Fontaine fighting gods and shit, and while running away from authorities, they meet eyes with Scaramouche and puppet Reader who were in the middle of eating on an outside table like 🧍🧍 🏃

Bonus: they don't do anything to help because they don't want to be dragged into whatever archon shit they're dealing with. More bonus: they have the audacity to send the Traveler another post card in that same region, "that restaurant had the best dessert, you should try it once you're not a fugitive anymore"

Dain's narrative would certainly be melancholic since he's reminded of his adventures with the twin. 'Such divine beings tossed away and broken by the reality of the living world, the only ones who can truly understand how their mind works and how they view the world are each other. If gods can roam Teyvat as mortals, then they deserve this period of their life more than anything else.'

Bloom anon, the master of domestic fluff is now your official title, turning even the most painful fic into a wholesome sequel

[merakiui]

I was reading through your tags and you mentioned at some point the kazuscara roommates finding your onlyfans and I think I completely combusted—thus i present to you my brain rot of late: you attend the same school as them but you’re not actually friends, all you know about kazuha is that he’s the friendly regular at the cafe you work at, who makes polite conversation every now and then but otherwise is nothing of note. In reality he’s been stalking you for weeks ever since your first encounter, and is dead set on the idea that you’re this innocent, weak thing that needs to be protected (maybe he stepped in when you had a bad customer and your meek reply helped fester his delusions?). Scara, on the other hand, is only aware of your presence since you’re his favourite cam model that he recently found. (Since he’s a harbinger he’s probs loaded) Weeks of funnelling money towards you cause him to feel this unwarranted possessiveness, believing that since he’s been providing so much in your “relationship” that it’s time you reward him in turn. However, despite the unbridled interest they have toward you neither are aware of each other’s feelings for you— that is, until you happen to run into the both of them heading to your class. While both are known for maintaining their stoic masks, they’re friends for a reason— and instantly can tell the attraction their roommates have towards their own “lover”. After kazuha finds your onlyfans he’s certain that you’ve been coerced and wants to save you, while scara thinks it’s time that he’s stopped letting other plebeians look at his possession—so, despite their initial reservations, come together to form the ideal plan. When you find yourself waking up groggy in a room you don’t recognize, all they can do is look on with glee whilst planning their next course of action with their new belonging. They’re friends after all, and good friends share though, don’t they?

This is v long srry lol you can ignore this ofc!!

AAAH, ANON!! YES!!! <3 I couldn’t resist writing more on this concept. orz They make for such a terrifying pair when they work together!

(cw: yandere, stalking, nsfw, implied kidnapping/drugging, unhealthy behaviors/relationship, delusional thoughts, savior complex, implied violence)

What if Kazuha and Scara were just acquainted with one another and actually became closer through their mutual obsession with you? Yes, they’re roommates and ought to get along because they’re living together but they haven’t exactly clicked yet. They talk every now and then and know little things about each other. Nothing too special. They don’t really hang out outside of their dorm either, what with their class schedules being vastly different. And Kazuha’s always out of the dorm doing who-knows-what. Most of his time is spent at a café, where he’ll write and read and stare at you while you work. On the other hand, Scara prefers to stay inside if he doesn’t have a good reason to go out. He likes his alone time. Although he has enjoyed going to the library every now and then to study.

So maybe they need to find some common ground. Maybe they need a push in the right direction before they get closer.

Kazuha likes to stare. Talking to you is great, but he worries he’ll say too much and then he’ll be a nuisance, or you might not want to talk to him at all since you’re working. But you always regard him with a warm smile, happy to scribble his name on the plastic cup because you remember him. Because you recognize his familiar face and soft, gentle eyes. He’s the one who saved you from that rude customer, after all, and he’s a polite regular. Why wouldn’t you know him? You might look like you can handle those types of situations, but what Kazuha saw that day was something entirely different. You were nervous—so soft-spoken and scared. He absolutely has to protect you from those kinds of people now, doesn’t he?

And he does exactly that. He’s your second pair of eyes—your valiant knight in shining armor—who sees and hears all. Sometimes he goes to the café with the intention to simply watch over you and make sure no one’s bothering you. He can recall one time when a customer was speaking rudely about you because her drink hadn’t been prepared in a ‘timely manner.’ In reality it’s impossible to make a drink within a few seconds, especially when you’re already preoccupied with making another customer’s drink. She must’ve woken up on the wrong side of the bed, or maybe she’s just a hateful person in general. You didn’t deserve to be on the receiving end of such fiery insults, though.

Her eyes just can’t see your perfection and therefore she does not deserve to see out of them.

Kazuha’s willing to wrestle with all of this darkness if it means you’ll stay safe, oblivious, and pure. You’re like a defenseless kitten, unable to protect yourself from the scary world. He writes about you a lot in his journal; you’re his muse—someone who constantly shows up in poems and short paragraphs where he tries to describe what your dream date might be or what type of wedding you’d prefer. Things get darker the deeper you delve into his writings, where you’ll find entries in great detail. Kazuha writes a lot and he doesn’t even mean to. He just has to get all of his thoughts on paper before they abandon him and he’s left with emptiness.

Everything you do is pure; you’re almost an equivalent to a holy being. Your smell is pure. Your body is pure. Your actions are pure. Your smile is pure. Even when you’re on the verge of crying from harsh customers or when you’re turning down a confession, you’re still pure. And Kazuha likes that about you because it’s special. There aren’t many people in his life who are completely pure. He’s been through a lot of rough things and has seen firsthand how impure people can be. It’s only fair that he gets a chance to protect purity itself.

He might have some impurities, but that doesn’t deter him from watching over you. As gentle and unassuming as he is, there are times when even he loses his composure. Not many are privy to these dark emotions of his. His smiles are sharp and venomous and his eyes fill with a gloom so dark it can swallow you whole. You’ll never see this side of him; he won’t allow it. Instead you’re treated to his sweet, calm side, where he feigns perfection in hopes of catching your interest.

As for Scara… He doesn’t really care about Kazuha in the beginning. He’s just someone he has to live with. It’s not a big deal and as long as he doesn’t try to make lots of pointless conversation everything will be okay. He prefers the peace and quiet, considering he’s acquainted with people who are far from peaceful and quiet. Scara’s relieved that Kazuha leaves the dorm so often because it gives him an opportunity to watch his favorite cam star’s most recent video. He’s your most loyal follower—someone who’s paid lots of money just to have access to the highest tier of rewards and such. He even got a private video where you addressed him and moaned out his name with lustful thoughts of him. Having lots of money comes in handy.

When he finds out that you go to the same school as him, he’s a little shocked. He didn’t expect you to be so close. You’re practically within touching distance. If only he knew your schedule. If only you were in one of his classes. It’s really annoying that he only knows your online presence and not who you might be in your personal life. The last thing he’s going to do is consult Childe, that popular athlete who knows literally everyone in the school for whatever reason. Surely he knows you. But he’ll die before he ever asks Childe for a favor.

Scara loves you out of every other cam model because you’re different. You’re not just trying to get fast cash. You’re genuine. You listen to your subscribers and their feedback. You do your best to improve and do even better streams than the previous ones. All of your hard work is overlooked by the other fools who watch your streams, but it isn’t overlooked by him. Scara appreciates your attention to detail and the way you’re able to hook him with your breathless voice alone. You’re very skilled at what you do, so it’s only fair you get paid for it.

But buying your services isn’t enough. It’s not a real relationship, but it certainly feels like it when he buys preferential treatment. Private shows, special requests, odd favors—you do it all because he pays for it. But this relationship isn’t going to be one-sided forever. You’ll have to pay him back in full eventually. Scara likes to think he has patience and that waiting is fine. It gives him more time to plan his next move—to figure out what he should do to finally have you all to himself. So that those private shows he watches through a screen can finally be real.

Scara finds the journal sitting innocently on Kazuha’s bed, its maroon cover and maple leaves pulling at his curiosity. He might not know everything about Kazuha, but he’d recognize this journal anywhere. His roommate almost always has it on his person. Scara wouldn’t be surprised if he slept with it. To say he’s curious would be absolutely correct. He can only wonder what Kazuha writes in that thing. Perhaps it’s just notes for a class. That’s what anyone would think, right?

Scara opens it and flips through the first few pages. They’re normal for the most part. Just a bunch of haikus and other useless scribbles. When he skips over some pages, he starts to find things that are far more interesting than poetry and doodles of cats. He finds the majority of the journal is comprised of information. More specifically, there are facts and other knowledge about you—the cam model he’s been obsessed with ever since he stumbled upon your onlyfans. He reads through as much of the journal as he can and instantly learns so much: your address, your roommate, your workplace, your friends’ names, names of any potential exes. The list goes on and on.

Scara doesn’t have anything against Kazuha. His first impression of him wasn’t anything groundbreaking. He thought he was a pushover at first. But now that he knows what this journal holds… Well, it sheds an entirely new light on his roommate.

Just days before Scara took a peek inside his journal, Kazuha discovers your secret online life. He snoops through Scara’s laptop when he steps out, having left it open and unlocked. He’s just trying to find what could have caught Scara’s interest, as he’s almost always glued to his laptop on specific days at specific times, with his headphones on and his gaze unyielding. He doesn’t intend to find the file of one of your private videos—something that was meant only for Scara’s eyes.

He clicks on the video out of interest. He’s not sure what he was expecting to see, but it definitely wasn’t this. Kazuha sits there and stares at the sight before him. You’re dressed in skimpy lingerie and you’re muttering the dirtiest things while coating your fingers in lube. And your hands are stroking a thick toy and you’re addressing Scara and you’re lining it up to your hole and— He shuts the laptop before it can get even more explicit than it already is. He’s so conflicted, fraught with a betrayal so strong it weighs his heart down.

Why would he have this sort of video on his laptop? Did you give it to him? Did he make you do this? Are you in danger? Are you still pure?

Kazuha can’t kill on campus. It’s way too risky and he’d be one of the first suspects if Scara’s body is found. Besides, it’s not like he has the full story. He doesn’t know whether or not Scara’s done something that’s worthy of death. You could just be in a tight spot. He knows how easily you give in when you’re under pressure. Maybe you’re just doing this because you feel like it’s the only thing you can do. Not to worry; Kazuha will save you before Scara can ruin your purity with his twisted fantasies.

They confront each other when the time feels right. Kazuha struggles to keep a smile plastered to his face for the sake of politeness, while Scara holds in his raging temper so that he can bear some semblance of cooperation. Neither of them is happy to hear that the other went through their stuff, but they force themselves to make up because a more pressing issue is at hand: their connection to you.

Kazuha says he’s your secret admirer. Scara says he’s in a relationship with you. There’s no way you’d ever date someone like Scara—Kazuha knows this for a fact. Yet he falters at the confidence in Scara’s tone. That can’t be the truth, right? Despite this, Kazuha still strikes up an offer: If they work together to get what they both want, they’ll be unstoppable. With Scara’s riches and his influence and Kazuha’s charisma and clever thinking, they can easily get their hands on you. Of course this means they’ll have to share, but it’s not a big deal when they’re already in so deep. They both know the other’s secret; now they’re swearing to keep it in the pursuit of having you all to themselves. And luckily Scara agrees to the deal, but that doesn’t give Kazuha a reason to lower his guard.

However despite how well they work together when it comes to planning the kidnapping and actually executing it, they both have their own reasons for wanting you. Scara wishes to make his relationship with you a reality—to toss aside the screen that once held him back and finally do all of the things he could only do in his dreams. Kazuha seeks to protect your fragile heart, lest you crumble under Scara’s intense way of doing things and cling to him for salvation. You can’t do those sorts of things with Scara; he won’t allow it. Your purity is meant for him and no one else.

But sharing is caring and some have to learn that the hard way. It definitely brings Kazuha and Scara closer together, even if neither of them will admit it. If they look past their desires, they can be friends. And soon enough they’ll have to accept this new friendship if they want to avoid any unnecessary complications.

However there are times when they’ll cooperate in order to do things with you. They’re a packaged deal you can’t get rid of.

[cinnamonest]

which yan do you think would react the best and worst at a darling who just tries to make themselves smaller? like in the sense of they’re kind of listless and tend to either give simple answers to their yan or none at all. just tends to avoid doing anything out of fear of getting punished.

Oof that's a good question I like this one

Three best, I'm gonna say Zhongli, Diluc, and Venti

Three who would be pretty bad, probably Xiao, Xingqiu, and, hear me out, Bennett.

It's also worth discussing Scara and Razor here bc they're kinda unique cases, also a Childe/Kaeya bc their reaction would be more or less the same

====================

The thing with Zhongli is he has supreme patience and knows that these things take time, you know? So like, it doesn't bother him too much at first. What's a year when you've liked like, thousands of them? So while with most yans you run into the issue of impatience, that's not an issue with him, especially if there's a way to make darling immortal. He won't force anything, he won't push you to do things you're uncomfortable with. He'll just isolate you. If you want to be away from him, well, that's fine, you can enjoy being completely an entirely alone. Eventually, you will give in, and you will realize that your silent streak and cowering only makes you more miserable, and when that day comes, you'll come running to him. Diluc would have some issues, but the good thing about him is that he's sorta good at giving space and he's very good with silence. He wouldn't solve the problem, but he'd kinda... effectively avoid it, because he's a man of few words, and he's ok with you not having many words either. He can just kinda live silently, and be ok with that, he might not even realize there's a problem because he himself is so used to being reclusive and quiet. Cowering is a different issue. Even though he's one of the better ones overall, he is still the worst out of these three, because although he would make an attempt to deal with it gently and patiently, his patience will eventually run out, and he'd get more irritated and force physical interaction. Venti would work things out to the best of his ability. He tries to even hide his hurt for a while because he doesn't want you to feel bad, tries to keep a smile on and make the best of things, but it does wear him down eventually. But he really tries hard in the beginning to act like it doesn't even bother him, like he doesn't notice, his logic is that maybe if he keeps a smile and acts like it's all fine, then you will come around. Of course, as time goes on, it falters, and he becomes a lot more depressed about it all. Now the three worst. The thing with Xiao is that he doesn't know how to handle it, which, to be fair, is true of him for a lot of situations. He's easily frustrated and doesn't know how to go about anything in a gentle, normal way - his world is one in which physical violence solves all of his problems and he doesn't know any other way of making people do what he wants. He likes his darling talking -- he can take some nice silent times, but unlike Diluc, he can't handle it all the time. He gets frustrated and well, he resorts to that one thing he knows -- violence. And it works, so it's just positive reinforcement when you respond.

Xingqiu's just... kinda a brat. A lot of mature yanderes prioritize what makes the relationship between them and darling better, they think about the long run, or the more selfish manipulative ones work towards what works out in their best interests in the long run, which often means sacrificing or doing things they don't enjoy in the here and now. Xingqiu, however, has a strong immature streak, his focus is on getting what he wants and getting it now without a lot of thought about the bigger picture. So while he's not one to physically hurt his darling too much, he's willing to do a lot more in terms of being difficult to deal with because he doesn't really consider that he's just making the problem worse long-term, his focus is on what he wants in the moment.

Now, Bennett probably seems like an odd choice because he's a mild yandere, but he can be, without even realizing it, so manipulative with pity and guilt that he'll more or less force you into a state where you either are forced to talk to him more, or live with feeling like a monster. He's one that never really lets you out of his presence, and is a master of pity-fishing. So that guilt and pressure is constant -- the sad puppy eyes, the soft hurt voice, and especially the self-deprecating comments and apologizing. In the end he kinda unintentionally psychologically forces you into talking to him and being with him because otherwise you literally cannot escape the emotional, psychological pressure of it. Being talkative and accepting him is better than dealing with the emotions. And to be fair, he'd probably choose a darling that he knows is sensitive to that sort of thing, and will take pity on him like he wants.

Unique cases. Razor is a mix because he can tolerate wordlessness better than anyone, after all, he spends most of his life not using words. Once you actually come to the point of living with him, he too resorts back to his natural state and stops using words as much, communicating with a lot of grunts and gestures. But if you won't communicate at all? Razor's problem is similar to Xiao -- most of his problems can be solved by killing it or maiming it. His mind is fairly simple. He gets almost conditioned to it, begins to become habitual and so he just asks a question while holding your arm or hand -- not in affection, but a subtle threat. He's got his usual thing going on where it's not malicious, not mean-spirited, like most would be, he just kinda... does what works.

Scaramouche is... temperamental. See, sometimes he's fine with it. He gets a powerful feeling from other people's fear. So really? The cowering is fine by him. ... Well, he says it is, but deep down it does bother him a bit, not that he'll ever let himself dwell on it or let it show. The communication is a different issue. Especially if he's talking to you, he expects a response back, and will bark at you to be louder because talking quietly is insulting to him. Of course, he'd get mad at you for talking too loudly too, but, well, you get the idea. That's the issue -- for a timid darling, you just never really find respite because he likes having something to get mad over, really, he likes having an excuse to punish you so he'll intentionally find problems in your behavior no matter how you behave.

Childe and Kaeya both would be really, really bad, because that would be like, the worst thing for both of them and drives them up the wall, they’re both talkative people and feeling ignored is a blow to their pride. So both would get physical about forcing you to talk back to them, although Childe is notably more patient and will do things like starve you or isolate you until you’re willing to talk, whereas Kaeya, as a less patient person, would be more about physical pain right then and there. Both will condition you to talking to them pretty quickly out of fear of consequence. Childe likes to smother you with physical affection, so cowering isn’t going to do you much good, he’ll just pick you up and hold you no matter how much you squirm. Kaeya less so, but he still suffocates you with his presence all the time.

[sanne-star]

Don’t Challenge A Promise Between Friends

Kinda sad that this is my first fic here. Well, better write now than never, am I right?

TW: spoilers for Demise, backstabbing, blood, and death/death mention.

An unpleasant aura filled the air as the greyskin entered the Deadquarters as he came back from setting his own trap. He may not have made as many explosive traps as Cub had for the alive hermits, or made any misleading deals as some other greyskins did. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t doing anything useful in regards to Demise.

In fact, he was doing his part of a deal- one he’d made when there weren’t as many greyskins walking the earth as there were now. Disabling traps and what not to get right where he wanted. For when he makes a deal, he does all things necessary to stand by that deal.

So when he entered the meeting room and read that yet another rather cruel trap was set up in the book of secrets, he wasn’t too pleased. The greyskin wasn’t too keen on getting out to disable it, since he had just come back from doing a few errands in his base. But he couldn’t just sleep on it, especially when there wasn’t as many live hermits left in demise as there were greyskins, and a promise on the line of breaking because of this very same trap.

So emptying his inventory of any important valuables, but keeping his trusty sword in its place. In case he ran into a mob trap on the way there of course. He flew out of the Deadquarters and into the portal, heading straight to New Hermitville.

The only thing he could think about was how it all went down, and when it started getting so serious. Ever since Cub demised, almost all the traps afterwards were somehow related to TNT and Cub. And while it was funny at first, seeing the remains of the blown up builds wasn’t that great.

That’s why he went into hiding. To disable traps quietly and stay out of the Vex’s sight while doing so, only going to the Deadquarters to catch up with the others, and see if there were any traps that got in his way plan-wise. He really wasn’t expecting the game to get this dangerous, and the letter warning he got after making that deal wasn’t making things easier either.

And before he knew it, he was in New Hermitville. And the builds around him still roared with life and energy just as they were first created in that build-battle. The dragon on top of Grian’s stacked houses looking over the horizon ready to strike, the dabbing penguins taking a sweet nap to ignore the happenings around the village, and the Scara plant eyeing him with a look of hunger, ready to take another taste of the player in front of it. But he was too occupied with the mission at hand to take a look around the place.

Flying over the Area 77 gates he saw two things that definitely weren’t supposed to be there. A small half-dirt covered obsidian box, with the top open, and his fellow greyskined friend holding a minecart TNT.

He slammed into the ground behind the greyskin with an audible thud in anger, causing the builder to jump a little back in surprise. Looking back at whoever interrupted their moment of peace. “Who’s there? This isn- oh, it’s just you. How’s it going? You gave me quite the scare there!” The perpetrator- revealed to be Grian- gave a warm smile to a very contrasting cold scowl.

The greyskin glared at the TNT minecart in Grian’s hand before clearing his throat to speak. “You do know that log in traps aren’t allowed, right?”

The builder looked quite confused, noticing the tension change he glanced around for a way out. “Um, since when was that a thing? Was that discussed in a meeting? Because I can assure you, I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Trying to get out of a possible bad situation through a scared-lie turned out to be successful, in some sense. Because the greyskin before him was taken aback by the response, walking up to the prankster in question with careful steps, with a look of both sympathy and guilt.

Grian could feel himself shrink back in fear as the person in front of him set a gentle hand on his shoulder. Which further deepened the guilt in the other’s eyes as they spoke softly. “Are you scared? It’s alright, I won’t judge you for not knowing.”

Grian felt tears welling up in his eyes, latching into the man’s robe unexpectedly, words flowing out of his month like a waterfall. “I don’t like this game anymore, I’ve been trying to end it ever since Cub died, I’ve been putting traps all over the server but someone keeps breaking them. I’m just- really scared, I keep starting all of these problems all throughout the season and leaving others to fix them. There’s only two people left, please let me fix it this time, let me be a good guy for once, please.” By the end of his rambling he realized he wasn’t looking up anymore, but more so being held in a comforting way as he cried, clutching the robed person tightly as if they were his lifeline.

Grian almost didn’t notice they were walking away from the trap. He almost wanted the man holding him to take him away from this mess, he couldn’t deal with it anymore. All the stress, all the blame, all these fun ideas turned upside down because of him and him only. There’s only so long til you realize you’re just a walking curse to your friends. But he couldn’t, he had to fix this mess, he pushed out of the greyskin’s grip so that Grian could see the trap straight on while the other could just see the builder’s growing curiosity in his eyes.

The dragon bro had so many questions, but only one screamed louder than the rest. “Wait a second, are you helping Doc? But why? It’s not like he helped you-“ A sword swinging at him had almost caught him off guard before blocking it with his own.

“You really think I’d forget everything I’ve been through with him? Of course I’d help him! And if you don’t approve then why not fight it out? Fair and square.” The greyskin’s eyes held a slight glint of light as he swung again, while the other’s still had some tears in it as parried the hit with haste.

Weaving and dodging, the swords kept clashing together.

Grian tried to reason his way out of this situation as adrenaline filled his system. “Why are we fighting?! I know you want this to be over as much as I do! So why can’t you let me be good and end it for once?” He was about to throw an ender pearl far away to recharge, when he noticed that he didn’t have anything on him, he wasn’t even wearing any armor.

Looking at the hooded man he could see a grin starting to spread wider across the man’s face as he ran toward him with a dangerous aura, realizing in horror right as he accidentally blocks the hit with his arm. That the greyskin had taken it all for himself.

All he could do in this shocked state was jump a couple feet back, and clutch his bleeding left arm. There was no backing out of this situation now.

With an unknown anger entering his system. He charged toward the greyskin, slightly grazing their cheek as they just barely dodged the attack.

Slash. Dodge. Block. Repeat.

It went like that for a couple more minutes, it was like a dance sequence at this point. Only really changing after every few swings that hit.

It came to a point where both greyskins were bloodied and at their last three hearts just staring at each other, waiting in anticipation for the other to make their move.

Grian had an abundance of scenarios running in his mind of how this fight would end, many ending in his demise. But he didn’t know what to think when the man in front of him dropped his sword and raised his arms as a sign of surrender. “Alright, alright. I give up, can we talk it out? You wanted to know why I’m protecting Doc, right?”

Completely caught off guard from the sudden change of tension. Grian almost slipped on nothing, accidentally dropping his sword to gain balance. “Uhh.. I guess so, uh sure..?” He wasn’t too sure about this whole thing, but if it meant ending the game quicker, then he’d have to bite the bullet on this one.

The hooded person chuckled with a bittersweet smile. “It’s simple, really.” He looked over his shoulder, Grian following his gaze to the trap he’s yet to finish.

He suddenly feels a burning sensation in his body, looking down to see the blade had been lodged in his stomach. The greyskin’s eyes going cold as he continued, slightly twisting the weapon with every passing second. “One of the players of Demise will suffer a very painful and permanent death.”

The builder’s eyes widened in fear. Permanent death? One of his friends never coming back? Because of this game? This news has ironically brought some devastating memories of his own friends back. “Wait- does that mean-“ His question was cut short as he coughed out blood.

But the hooded person seemed to have already known what he was about to ask, because he chuckled sadly at the failed attempt of a question. “That’s right, it means we might lose either iskall or Doc in this game of ‘trick or treat’.” He frowned, glancing back at Grian’s trap. “It was very difficult to choose who to save, because they’re my friends too. But I’m sure iskall can handle it just fine, he’s been through worse.”

Nothing could describe the amount of emotions Grian was feeling. But the look on his face summed it up quite nicely. He was absolutely terrified.

Especially after hearing the last thing they said. “So, no hard feelings my dude, ‘kay?” Twisting the sword before he even had a chance to respond, Grian was no more.

Grian was slain by Renthedog

The reaper looked at the bloodshed left by his former friend with little to no emotion in his eyes. Maybe this will teach him not to mess with me again.

DocM77 joined the game

Falling to the cold obsidian floor, Doc let out a yelp. Confused and dozed from the sudden change in surroundings. He was sure there was a lava trap waiting for him here, so where did it go?

He didn’t bother with the question as he noticed light was coming in from above him. As though there was some kind of greater being above him, the top half of the obsidian box wasn’t there to begin with. But that raises the question of why, Grian wouldn’t just, remove his own trap, would he? “I guess there’s no other way to find out other than getting out of here..” Doc muttered to himself before climbing out of his prison. Only to see a hooded grey figure standing silently over the grass at the top.

And although they weren’t facing him. The air around them felt familiar in a way, more familiar than Area 77. Somehow drawing him in closer to the hermit. But they didn’t seem to notice his presence, not even giving a reaction to him dropping down from the prison. They were more focused on a spot of darkened grass to pay attention to their surroundings.

Something in Doc suddenly clicked when he heard them let out a low chuckle. “Ren, is that you? Wh.. what happened? Wait, what are you doing here?” A storm of questions danced in his head, confusion and suspicion rising with each new question.

Ren wasn’t startled by the sudden second presence accompanying his own, rather he just turned to look at Doc from the side, revealing the blood that coated his robe. In a very protective but mencing manner to anyone that wasn’t Doc, he answered with an actual smile. “Don’t you remember? I promised I’d protect you.”

Doc was about to ask what he meant when a beep on both their communicators grabbed both of their attention. And while Ren was grinning ever so greatly, Doc couldn’t help but feel his blood go cold at the sight of the message. Something big had gone down between the time he was out and now. Doc couldn’t take his eyes off the message, re-reading it to make sure what he’s seeing is actually there. But that didn’t reassure him in the slightest.

iskall85 was slain by his worst nightmare