#anyways hehe hope u enjoy!!

[delicourse]

lesbian pride moment 😳🌸

[mirensiart]

pain sharing au feat wild finally gets his haired dealt with by the guys with sisters who know how to brush long hair lol

Super self indulgent to me and also a small offering to @chiangyorange since I know they like wars+wild duo hehehe 🤲🏻💖

[rissaito]

cinders and secrets 🐚

[sideblogdotjpeg]

@purplecladmerchant hi hello happy naddtreat !!!!!!! heres some uncensored zirks for you!!!!!!

for @naddpodgifting (thank u for organizing!!!)

[oppysbabydoll]

I'd like to request tfp ratchet x transmasc reader ^^

hey, thanks for the ask! i appreciate it. sorry for the late reply; i hope you enjoy!

tfp ratchet x transmasc reader (sfw)

once again reiterating: i don’t subscribe to the idea that the transformers follow humans conventions of gender. so hearing transmasc doesn’t equate to man confuses him. i wouldn’t even say he has a hard time seperating the two concepts than just… understanding the differences between gender

for him, our existence itself takes time getting used to. he initially has trouble even identifying one human from the other because he’s so unused to our appearances. it’s like seeing a bunch of quintisessions—you’re so off caught by how… Non Cybertronian they are, you don’t really take into account how each one is different individually. yours included </3

fortunately, he gets better! as you two met on your job as the cybertronian-human relations diplomat, he becomes accustomed to your appearance. from your small height (to him, at least), your soft eyes, your… hair (is what other beings of your species had referred to it) to the scrunched up expression you gain as you perform paperwork, your appearance is a sight for sore eyes

“you changed your look,” ratchet comments. you look up from your papers. for once, he isn’t looking at the computer, completely ignoring your existence. instead, his eyes—optics, you correct yourself—are wide, completely caught off guard. staring right at your hair.

you give a hesitant smile, ignoring the fear of judgement coursing through your body. “yeah.” you resist the urge to play with your hair; the new cut disallows you from doing so. “what do you think? do you like it?”

“it’s much shorter than your usual length.” he crosses his arms. “why?”

you bit your lips. you consider making up a reason, to give an excuse but… you clench your fists. you promised yourself you wouldn’t hide. not anymore. that was the purpose of this haircut.

“i’m trans,” you admit. “transmasc, to be specific. despite being afab—assigned female at birth, i don’t follow their standards.” a hand goes to your hair, touching a few strands. his optics follow the direction of your hands. you watch him carefully. “one standard is long hair. so i cut my hair to go against the mold.” you scratch your head. “to better fit my identity.”

there’s a contemplative silence from ratchet’s end. you ignore your desire to run. yet you cannot help but let your eyes stay glued to the floor, transfixed to a particular crack in the ground.

“my opinion on your… haircut, is irrelevant.” you meet his gaze. maybe it was the light but… the neon blue seem oddly gentle. “what matters is if this style reflects your identity.” head tilt. “does it, [name]?”

you smile; you can see pearly whites reflected in his optics. “it does.”

[yaoiepisode]

Draw me some Tweek x Craig pwetty please

south parks most yaoiful couple celebrate their first valentines day <3 look at tweek. look at him. he deserves to win cmonnnn

[snowangeldotmp3]

face it, tiger.

(or, a spider-robin story - a spin on the "upside down" ronancetober prompt)

“No, I mean who are you. Under the mask.” Robin perches on the ledge of the balcony of Nancy’s apartment, putting a good distance between them. “That’s for me to know, and for you to never find out.” Nancy’s frown deepens into a scowl. Sirens sound in the distance—perfect timing. “Well,” Robin stands. “That’s my cue. See ya around, princess.” It rolls off her tongue with ease now, and she figures that she might as well double down. She gives Nancy a two fingered salute, before swinging from the balcony and towards the sirens. “This isn’t over!” yells Nancy. Robin smiles to herself. This is going to be fun.

[wexhappyxfew]

Paulina and Hambone 😭🙌

I need them 🙏

PAULI AND HAMBONE ARE SO SPECIAL TO ME!!!!!!! (you don't understand ive been itching to write them and just haven't had time and now i feel the need to write them so HERE IS A SNIPPET!!!!!!)

(i think we all need a little more howard 'hambone' hamilton in our lives, right?)

"What's that?" Hambone asked, nodding to the letter in her hand. Albeit, the letter was in fact more of a statement - a broad generalization, a solid 'goodbye', a 'no longer want to be seen with you', a rather heartfelt and truthful 'we're through'. She didn't know how else to put it, but it certainly was something she felt ready to discuss with someone quite yet - even the Silver Bullets crew - especially someone, like Hambone, that she'd just met. It was humiliating enough that she still was holding onto this letter like she was going back to home, to him, after all this. "Uh…." Paulina started, staring at the letter 'Dear Pauli' - still with that stupid nickname she'd asked him to quit calling her. That was reserved for her parents - not him. Especially not him. Especially now, after wanting to break this off. After everything. "A letter." she supplemented, folding it quickly between her calloused fingers, ignoring the bubble of emotion inside her as she looked upwards at Hambone again, sticking the crumpled letter in her pocket and smiling. Picking up her drink she nodded, took back a sip and sighed. "Not the best type of letter." she offered, watching his gaze as he carefully seemed to watch her back, "But. A letter. Can't complain." Hambone continued to sit there quietly for a moment, the ruckus and loud-mouthed cackles behind them mixing with the hum of music and glass clinks. It almost felt comical. None of the men owed the women anything - Birdie had told them she'd learned that the hard way. But going out of their way to bridge the gap? Paulina looked at Hambone again - perfectly gelled and styled hair (enough to match that of Douglass), those golden teeth, that….squirrel on his upper lip he called a mustache. Paulina stopped her train of thought. She'd just met the guy - he was that one Lieutenant's bombardier right? Brady? "I'm sorry," Hambone said quickly with a nod, fingers nervously tapping on the beer glass as he shook his head, shooting a smile on his face, "I shouldn't have asked. First impressions, amiright?" Paulina watched him, the corner of her lip perking upward. Emotion swelled in her thoughts, throughout her mind as she thought of first impressions. Meeting Dean, that first night together, all those promises, those broken words. Sitting in front of a bombardier from the Midwest with whom she'd just met, but almost felt more respected by than the person who had said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Swallowing she looked to Hambone again. "No, no, don't worry," she said, waving him off, offering a smile and twiddling her fingers together in her lap, "If you don't mind distracting me, I'd love to hear why you're called Hambone and not Handsome, huh?" Alright, that was pretty bad, but he had a face, that's all she could think. A chuckle escaped Hambone's lips as he leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs as he sipped his drink, a grin riding his lips as she sat there, smirking. A little bold, a little punchy - if Dean were here she'd rub it in his face - look, a guy can talk to me without sounding like an asshole, is that so hard? "So curious to know, huh?" he asked her, before nodding, "Gotta name?" Paulina watched him, her eyes softening - she felt them soften - and nodded. "Paulina Stagliano. From Philly." she offered, "But my friends call me Pauli."

[hashileio]

trying something different with his tentes :3c

[recareels]

the plum boothill drabble was SOOOO CUTE ^.^ you’re always coming up with the sweetest ideas i love you sm clari! (now i want boothill pulling apart plums and feeding me the sweet fruit, caressing my head bc he thinks im a good girl ><)

aw thank you so much sweetpea!!! (ㅅ´ ˘ `) i’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it!!! c: i love YOU sm ehehehe <33 ah!! what a sweet idea!!! shimmery dribbles of fruit juice streaking his fingers, collecting in the lines of his mecha-palms all sticky n fragrant <3 he’ll allow you to sop it up with your tongue if you ask real nicely, real prettily, with one of those precious lil pouts he seems to love so much, perfectly paired with the dainty flutter of lashes and a whined-out please, mister? <3 that lidded bullseye gaze watches, dark and heavy, as the tip of your tongue outlines all of the curves carved into his metal hands—full of care and caution, the utmost precision—before it flattens to his palm and drags up in slow, wide strokes for good measure, ensuring that you lap up every last drop.

a soft chuckle vibrates in his throat, mirth and adoration swirling in his irises, and he brings his glistening hand to his nose, inhaling deeply. the scent swells in his chest and he holds it there, savours it in his body, lets it ferment and cling to the tangle of wires. he refuses to wash off your thick, syrupy saliva, drying hard and tacky on the iron, because he loves carrying the smell of you with him, on him, as a part of him, your candied spit bonding itself to his touch <3

[padfootastic]

exam szn is coming up which obviously means ore distractions, as everyone knows. so what better than to come back to tumblr lol so many tag games etc piling up that i wanna dooooooo

so. let’s have a lil snippet time!

thanks for the tag @in-flvx 💜 this one’s from a wip that was supposed to have been finished & posted for jilypad week but,,,,here we are,,,,,

“Sirius!” Lily exclaims. “We were looking for you.”

“Oh?” He presses a quick kiss to her cheek before bending down to pick Harry up, who immediately cuddles into his arms with a tired sigh. Poor baby, must’ve been exhausted by all the excitement at the beach.

“Yeah, regarding tonight—“ Sirius gulped quietly at the way she said that “—Your room is a bit…messy, I’m sorry. We were reorganising and well, y’know how it goes…”

She shrugs apologetically but all Sirius can think about is how she called it ‘his room’. Not the guest room, not the spare, but his room. Sirius’. He once again pushes past the mushy feelings that rise in him at that little distinction.

“Oh, it’s—it’s fine, I can just take the couch, no problem.” Even if his feet tend to hang off the end, and the edges are a bit lumpy, it’s fine. He resolutely doesn’t think about his comfortable Alaskan King at home.

“Of course you can’t!” Lily scowls at him. “We’re not gonna put you in a couch in your own house, Sirius.”

There it was again, the reference to him belonging here. It was a bit presumptuous, slightly possessive but Sirius was a dog at heart, he was never going to turn down ownership.

“Er—the nursery, then?” he asks, confused.

“What, crammed up in Harry’s crib beside him?” she says with a scoff, “Don’t be silly.”

Sirius blinks. “Where am I sleeping then?”

“With us, of course.” He jumps at the voice booming from behind him, clutching Harry tighter to his chest, whirling around to find James munching on a carrot.

“Where did you come from?” Sirius mutters under his breath before straightening up and saying, louder, “And what do you mean with you?”

“Well, like Lily said,” and here he sends a meaningful, entirely undecipherable, look towards his wife who…blushes? “Your room’s temporarily indisposed, the couch isn’t even an option—don’t give me that look, you barely fit on the thing—and the floor is gonna mess up your back worse than it is.”

“Oi!”

“So, our room it is.”

Right. Of course. Because that’s the obvious conclusions. How could he say no?

(Again, he can’t so he doesn’t)

It’s twenty minutes later, after Harry’s been put to bed, thoroughly kissed by his parents and godfather, after James is done with his nighttime turmeric milk and Lily’s put her hair up into braids and Sirius has taken out all his rings and chains and bracelets—that’s when he’s stumped by yet another problem.

How, exactly, are they going to sleep in one bed?

“We’re just going to expand it a little, Pads, don’t worry,” James says, supremely unconcerned.

He goggles at that, staring at the casual wand work. A part of him wonders why this is the extent of magic they’re using to solve this problem—James can conjure a bed Silenced, with his eyes closed—but promptly decides to not dwell on that for everyone’s sake.

[gingerpeachtea]

🛠⚠️ <33333

(an ask game for procrastinating my wips)

HIIII :DDD

🛠Is there a scene or anything in the WIP you are struggling with right now?

i did talk a lil bit about a sentence in my morgan ocd wip in a previous ask BUT. since that has since been resolved, i will confess something to u all. the reason i haven't come close to posting something's in your eyes yet is because THE MORNING OF MIKE'S BIRTHDAY aka THE DAY I WAS PROMISING TO POST IT ON FOR MULTIPLE WEEKS i decided to rewrite the entire beginning from scratch in such a way that would probably require another thousand words to fully convey my vision/ideal tension build correctly. i also went ahead and dove headfirst into my mikefather flashback vision because i decided last minute that it was 100% fully necessary and the fic would be incomplete without it. and now, in my usual violently indecisive fashion, i am debating how necessary it actually is, solely because i cannot find a good place to fit it into the fic (because i've had it plotted out a certain way for over a year, so now the already-written parts of the fic are attacking the New Additions like white blood cells to a virus). soooo........ something's in your eyes mike bday fic 2026......? (...........assuming ao3 is still available in the US by then ummmmm has a heart attack and keels over and dies stupidly and horribly and badly)

⚠️Which wip your most likely to finish or update next?

(starts shaking like a scared dog bc i was supposed to post siye almost a month ago and have instead finished 5/6 other fics instead of that one) okay that aside. definitely my second requested fic for @right-on-therocks :DDDD !!! he requested a graceland fic w the prompt "you look like hell" and i've turned it into an opportunity for mcb sickfic hehe. it's at 2.4k so far and i'm on the last scene !! this year i've been trying to get better at actually sitting the fuck down and finishing shit (siye manifests into a fully-fledged human form and comes in and shoots me with a gun) and i'm also working to be able to write more in one sitting rather than hindering myself with constant second-guessing and incredibly indecisive endless editing as i write. SO. finishing that fic is part of achieving that goal!! i'm still impressed that i was able to finish stretched over flesh and water in mostly 24 hours, i've never been able to finish a oneshot that quickly before!!! i genuinely think my record before that was like. THREE MONTHS. so. yay!!!! i was aiming for it to be another oneshot finished between 24-48 hours, but then school got in the way, and then i couldn't figure out how i wanted to finish it because all the ideas i had felt out-of-character BUT luckily for all you fellow crazy gay bitches I HAVE FOUND A FINAL SCENE THAT WORKS :3 and is also incredibly self-indulgent. but so is the entirety of the fic from start to finish.

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

friend i listened to “spring thief” by yorushika and it’s been on repeat for the past hour… please give other song recs by yorushika that you like 🫡 ALSO YOUR FIC WAS SO PRECIOUS AND THE SONG WORKED SO BEAUTIFULLY WITH YOUR WRITING/REALLY ENHANCED THE VIBE OMFG oh 2 live in an apartment w sashisu and get breakfast made daily by suguru <3 - @dollsuguru

KAIROOO MY ANGEL i still haven’t read ur rb of the fic (saving it as a treat for later today :3 hehe) BUT TYSM FOR READING AND FOR UR KIND WORDS ILYSM 🥺🥺🥺 with that being said ……..

WAHHHHH I’M SOOO OVERJOYED THAT U LISTENED TO THE SONG???? ISN’T IT AMAZING????? yorushika makes me fully insane they’re my favorite band Ever hhhhh i’m so glad u thought it added to the fic 😭😭 their songs are all super nostalgic and bittersweet and summery so they’re just . perfect for sashisu & stsg.. u asked for more recs so ofc i will deliver >:3

i genuinely don’t think there’s a single yorushika song that doesn’t hit so i have like 25873 favorites BUT here are some standouts….. some have mvs and others don’t but yorushika’s lyrics are genuinely so so beautiful and incredible so i’ll make sure the links take u somewhere u can read them <3

blooming in that summer

my absolute favorite <333 like, absolute favorite. it changed my life. i want to live in it. the lyrics are insane the instrumental is out of this world and the final chorus always always gets to me. i’ve cried listening to it bc it’s just so so good AND it’s also the most stsg song ever so i cry when i listen to it and think of them (someone made an animatic of stsg with this song that quite literally lives in my brain rent free u can find it here) <33

hachigatsu, bou, tsukiakari

another of my absolute absolute faves!! lyrics are so good i cried, instrumental is so good i cried, and the final chorus . makes me cry. notice how i’m already repeating myself bc literally all of these songs are incredible in every possible way aaa ALSO the singing 😵‍💫😵‍💫 esp at the end. there’s so much emotion in it and it makes me sick actually whewww

replicant

another absolute favorite :33 (i’m gonna be saying this for all of them i think but i mean it sincerely ok…) kairo this one makes me ill. it’s so gojo coded. it’s Him. the lyrics just remind me of him sm (they’re incredible btw the final line makes me batshit insane) AND THE INSTRUMENTAL??? might be my fave yorushika instrumental ngl don’t quote me on that tho 🙏🙏 just such a lovely summery song it smells like seasalt and tastes like clouds :3

kamisama no dance

AAAA ANOTHER ABSOLUTE FAVORITE kairo this one is getocoded. i knowwww you’ll understand. some of my favorite yorushika lyrics Ever and that’s saying a lot. it also has crazy lore bc it’s connected to this whole story being told in some of yorushika’s albums and :((( yeahhh. this one feels kairocoded to me but that might just be bc it’s so getocoded LMAO i have a feeling you’ll like it though!!

robber and bouquet

THIS ONE IS SOOO LOVELY the instrumental…. 😵‍💫😵‍💫 i love it sm. i’d say this one is kinda different from classic yorushika stuff but in a very good way!! also i’m legally obliged to inform u that this one is tojicoded as HELL i associate him w the lyrics so much…. also i adoreee the way suis sings in this one her voice is so gorgeous wowowow… the sense of fatigue…… so good

just a sunny day for you

A CLASSIC but for very good reasons . the mv is just gorgeous, the lyrics are stunning and the instrumental is sooo nostalgic and summery n bittersweet :((( just the best. sashisu coded also!!!

aaaand finally here’s their yt channel!! there are so many other songs i adore that i wanted to mention but i think these r enough for now 😭 oh but here’s also a yt channel that makes lyric videos for their songs in case u wanna find some more!! :3

[feralghxuls]

dorito. dorito.

BLEASE

ask and ye shall receive <3

contains: sub mountain, dom dew, spanking, pet play, implied temperature play

words: 1,152

He'd lost track of where he ends and where Dew begins a long time ago. He's been in this room for years. His knees are sore. His ass stings. He's bent over a dresser, struggling to keep his eyes focused on his reflection because Dew told him to. He can't quite manage to lift his eyes to his own face, instead staring at the blurred dark streak of the collar around his throat, the bruises and bite marks framing it, trailing down his chest, across his shoulders. His brows draw together as his eyes track over the marks, fighting to remember what he'd done to earn them. 

The collar tightens around his throat without warning, pressure against the front as Dew pulls hard. His face appears floating over his shoulder, and in the space of the seconds it takes him to drag his gaze up to look at the razor-sharp grin splitting his face, Dew's palm cracks across his ass, makes him jump and groan. The sound is disconnected, far away, but he knows he's the one who made it because it reverberates in his chest. 

"Mountain," Dew growls, his voice rough and low right in his ear. "I asked you a question."

Did he? He's struggling to parse meaning from words. The name Mountain feels so distant. It does on the best of days, but especially now, when he doesn't feel even remotely tethered to reality. Only the pressure on his throat and the insistent burning sting of his skin feels real. 

I– he starts, pressing the word into Dew's head. He's interrupted by a sharp strike across the back of his thighs, a yank on his collar. 

"Out loud. Words, Mountain." Dew's tone is sharp, and all he can do for a moment is groan unintelligently. He works his heavy tongue in his mouth, trying to remember how to form voluntary sounds. He's drooling. He manages a slurred, barely coherent version of the heavy growls and clicks of ghoulish.

"I don't–"

Again, Dew yanks and strikes. Simultaneously this time, making his body jolt and slump forward with a soft groan. It only puts more weight on the collar; Dew offers no give, no mercy. 

"English. You remember English, right?" He sees the sneer on Dew's face out of the corner of his eye and just groans again, something deep in the pit of his belly tightening. "It's a simple fucking question." 

He's not sure if Dew means his thinly veiled insult, or the question he doesn't remember being asked. He drags his eyes up in the mirror to meet the reflection of Dew's gaze, watches his lip curl in distaste. 

"You don't even know your own name right now, do you," Dew mutters, wrapping the leash around his hand, once, twice, a slow and deliberate movement. He’s mesmerized by the movement, and it’s the only warning he gets before Dew yanks hard, down and back, makes his back arch and his head drop back, a wrecked sound punching out of him. He can't breathe like this, the ceiling swimming above him. Dew's upside-down face fills his vision, rolling his eyes at him as he pulls him back even more, forcing him off the dresser until he's standing unsteady on his own two feet. 

His vision starts to go dark and distantly, he hears Dew huff a split second before he releases the pressure on the leash. Not all the way, of course not, but enough. He sucks in a lungful of air, eyes wide and wild, hands reaching in front of him to brace against the dresser. He catches sight of his own cock in the mirror, hanging hard and heavy between his legs, watches it twitch as Dew's hand splays against the front of his throat. His palm is hot on his skin. His cock kicks again, drooling, and all he can do is moan, a wanton sound high in his throat. 

"Dumb slut," Dew murmurs, his tone neutral, almost sweet. Like how poisonous plants paint themselves bright, enticing colors. He licks a long, hot stripe up the side of his neck, sending a shiver down his spine, settling as heat coiled at the base of it. "Come here." 

Dew doesn't give him time to comply on his own, or try to figure out where 'here' is supposed to be, simply tugging on the collar, jerking him to his feet again. His hand stays at his throat as he pulls him across the room, stops him just in front of the bed. There's a metalic snick from behind his skull, and the pressure is gone. Dew appears in front of him, his expression focused as he clips the leash onto the ring at the front of the collar. It morphs into a dangerous smile as he looks up, gaze boring directly into his soul as he slowly lowers himself to sit on the edge of the bed. 

His thoughts are thick syrup, unable to predict where this is going as he watches Dew lay back, spreading his legs, tail relaxed and flicking lazily between them. "Well? You gonna just stand there, or are you going to do the one thing you're good at?"

It's a lot of words. They sink in slowly, a little jumbled, and he's struggling to untangle the meaning. Dew props himself on his elbows and wraps the leash one more time around his hand, pulling it taut and forcing him a shaky step forward. 

"Mount me. Like a fucking dog," Dew says, the last word punctuated by a lash of his tail, the spaded tip whipping up to snap against the underside of his balls. He bites back a moan, knees threatening to buckle. He understands these words, his body moving without him telling it to, nearly falling forward onto the bed. He kneels over Dew, feeling taller than he should. Instinct takes over and he's watching his hands reach down and grip his waist and a thigh, neatly rolling him over. He takes a handful of Dew's tail, right at the base, dragging his hips up. He's jerked down by the neck, that leash still in Dew's hand, still controlling him, but he pays it no mind. 

He's focused, hands on Dew's ass, spreading him open and sinking into wet heat, listening to Dew's harsh exhale as he buries himself balls deep. His own voice startles him, a low, gutteral growl as his claws sink into Dew's hips. He plants his knees wide, bracketing Dew's legs between them and braces against the pressure of the leash, leaning into the weight at the back of his neck, even as Dew pulls harder and harder. He has orders, and he's going to follow them. 

His hips snap forward. Dew yanks on the leash. He buckles forward, has to shift his hands to Dew's back before he faceplants. Just in time to hear Dew hiss out, "Brat."

[thecruel]

Omg please send us the whole interview 🥺🥺 I need more of this man (he looks so crazy good here i'm going to die haha.... help)

no worries my friend! you can watch or download that interview right here 😁

[viaetor]

a near-electric spark courses through kazuha's fingers as he gently presses his palm, freed from its usual wraps, against the famed traveler's chest (stars and skies dangling at his fingertips as he does so). a gentle smile lightens up his features, creates crinkles at the corner of his eyes. how long has it been, since they'd last bid each other goodbye on the docks of inazuma? "i have missed this scent of burning stars..." the samurai mutters; crimson eyes rising up to meet molten amber, up close, so close their noses are practically touching. ah, how oft he had dreamt of this reunion; and not once in his wildest dreams, had it been as sweet as the real thing. "and i have missed you."

@apocryphis ㅤㅤ/ㅤㅤUNPROMPTEDㅤㅤ/ㅤㅤalways accepting!

ㅤㅤseasons change, time passes, and new scars are collected like trophies. 

ㅤㅤsummer winds warmed ships’ sails, testing the resiliency of masts, captains and crew alike—so agitated some parts of the ocean got that it was easy to lose sight of fellow boats, shrouded by hills of hungry waves. the sky of scorching sun rays would quickly transform into thunderstorms as well, and much to the dismay of specialised navigators, the wind was either ferocious or lethargic, harder to predict this time of the year. on all accounts, it was ill-advised to travel to inazuma during such months; the trip was long and perilous and, therefore, more expensive. in short, not worthy to anyone. many sailors promised interested travellers at the docks that it was best to wait for the autumn breeze, it’d soon come about in a few weeks, provisions would be easier to administer, and many lurking dangers would be minimised. they even patted aether’s back, giggling at his eagerness. aether had time, they assured him. indeed, he had all the time in the world. perhaps even more.

ㅤㅤhe could’ve waited, it’s true. no matter how fleeting, there would be other autumns, winters, springs and summers. despite having written kazuha a letter telling him he’d be there on the next crescent moon, aether knew kazuha would understand if he was late. by a month, by a year, by a decade—only gods knew how gentle and forgiving that samurai could be. he could visit him another time, and tales foretold that the stars would compensate for his patient mind and spirit. there was no virtual reason for him to be in such a hurry. a whim was all that moved him. desire, passion, yearning, call it what you will—surely, it could be subdued with reason. but not this time. so instead of sitting and sulking, the caeling set sail by himself, leaving behind concerned shouts at liyue harbor. if there was one thing he had learned in all his fables, it was that, sometimes, you needed to pick up the pace. he’d apologise for taking one of pinghai’s boats later.

ㅤㅤwith scrapes on his cheek and arms from battles fought against sea monsters and lightning, unkempt hair and maresia glued to his lips, he docked his ship on ritou. he looked around as if looking for something (someone), until a smile was coerced from his stoic expression. he was really there. just like the last time. and the last. and the last. and the next. amongst the waving trees, loving crimson hues ran in his direction. aether dropped the ropes and whatever bags he held in his arms—and ran where the wind guided him.

ㅤㅤinside his chest, beat no heart. a burning star core was all there was to it—a pragmatic thing it was truly, akin to a battery to let others know that the caeling lived still. nothing as magical as a human heart or that precious little grin on the poet’s face. yet… when kazuha caressed there with curious fingertips, he almost felt like he could have one. he wondered if kazuha felt the same way when aether caressed his silver strands and calculated how much they had grown out since the last time they saw each other. he wanted to take in every fibre of his being and cherish them. he hoped his companion felt as alive—as intoxicated—when he dared to adventure his touch. but aether’s love was of the whispery kind, so he wouldn’t ask—he preferred to lean in, grazing the tips of their noses slowly, longingly. he wondered if he tasted as sweet as his voice. it’d have been so easy to brush their lips together, to dive in for a kiss, to sigh in relief while drinking from maple pits. but for this? for this, aether had time; plenty of time. for this, he could wait for autumn, or for winter, or for spring, or for the next summer. even if his claws and fangs itched, he had all the time in the world. for this. for him.

ㅤㅤ“hmmm, is that so…?” there was a throaty hum as the outlander breathed in the herbs on pearly hair before touching their foreheads together, followed by a loose grin of a voyager who seemed to have found a treasure worth detouring for. he thus wrapped a strand of the ronin’s hair on his gloved index right before kissing the tips as melting gold met reds. yes. he had all the time of the world. “then we should watch the beautiful moon together, kazuha.” but that didn’t mean he could tease him just a little bit.