#cricket session tricks

[youryanderedaddy]

Yandere! Crazy ex boyfriend

tw: female reader, non - con, heavy degradation, slut-shaming, abuse/violence, mockery of depression, suicidal ideation, obsessive behavior, death threats, dark

It's 2 a.m. and you can't sleep - you keep turning and burying your head into the soft, warm pillow, but something is off. The moon is too bright, coming in from the gap between your heavy curtains. The crickets outside are too loud, playing around and singing the same old melody over and over again. The static silence of the old radio tucked under the drawers is too repetitive, too predictable. All in all, you can feel it in your bones; something is wrong. Very, very wrong.

You hear the steps next. That sinister laughter - getting louder and louder, someone screaming at the top of their lungs, the echo flooding through the thin walls of your small shared flat. Someone's fist is gripping the lock with uneccessary cruelty as if trying to knock it out of the handle. The key falls down in one sharp motion, and your heart stops completely once the door opens with a squeaky, familiar bang - it still makes you jump even after all those months.

"Aww, baby!" The man exclaims, leaning against the door. You're not sure if you are hallucinating due to the countless hours of lost sleep, or there is actually smoke coming out of his old black trenchcoat. You're not even sure if he's trully here, or if this is yet another nightmare. "You didn't bother with locks this time!" He continues, smiling with childlike glee - but you know him too well. He's never peaceful. He's never cheerful. Any indication of happiness the monster exhibits is meant to confuse and trick his prey, and you're not falling for his tricks again. You already got burnt one too many times.

"Does that mean you missed me?" He tilts his head, almost pouting at you. He's all disheveled - a total wreck. The curly, unruly hair you once loved to caress and play with now just seems shaggy and unkept, sticking out like an explosion. His eyes are dark, well, darker, bloodshot, barely recognizable from the warm pots of honey that used to make you melt against him. He's lost weight, yet weirdly enough seems to have gained some muscle. You can't help, but think that it simply looks weird, unnatural even. Adam, the one you remember, was never strong - he was never threatening, never even raised his voice at you. But that was years ago in the sweet, distant dreams of the past, and that boy had died the moment you two moved in together. That's when your hell trully began.

"Were you trying to give me easy access, baby? Hm?" He smirks, interrupting your stream of consciousness. If you were unsure of his physicallity, of his existence, it's bright clear now - because you can never mistake that taunting, humiliating curve to his voice, the one he only uses when he's mad. Really, really mad. "Knew I would be back?"

You take a deep breath, slowly nodding along - maybe if you play nice, he'd just go away. Maybe this time you won't end up in cuts and bruises, all memories, good or bad, completely wiped off your drugged out hazy brain.

"Of course you did." Your ex boyfriend humms in satisfaction, taking a single step towards you - and it makes you tremble all over, no matter how much you wish you could remain calm and collected at the face of Death himself. "Because I told you so, no?" He clenches his teeth, raising his head so his eyes would meet yours. You feel like a deer caught before a trigger guard with an unstable trigger, one second away from being shot in the heart. "I told you-" He steps closer. "That I'll be back-" Another step. "Didn't I, princess?"

You nod again, unable to produce a sound. You almost wish he brought his gun so this little torture session would end quicker. Almost.

"Aww, look at you trying so hard to please me. It's adorable, baby." The man coos, his knee sliding across the edge of your bed. Fear takes a hold of your lungs, squeezing them in until you feel like you're seeing stars - and then Adam climbs on top of you. It all happens so quickly - one moment he's far away, and then he's towering over you, his hot breath ghosting over your sweaty neck, baby hairs sticking out with shivers. You can't shake the terrifying, unescapable feeling that you've been here before. That you somehow always end up underneath him, begging for your life - for mercy he won't ever grant you.

"I wonder where all that enthusiasm was when you decided to run on me." The white part of his eyes suddenly illuminates, brows raised together - he looks deranged. "Huh?" He looks at you, expecting an answer, yet you can't think of one. Your brain is turning to mush, consumed by raw panic - but why does it matter? Whatever you say he'll find a way to use against you. "Answer me, you fucking bitch!" He hisses, voice dropping to a diabolical whisper as his fist snaps around your throat like a metal collar. This seems to break off your stupor, and you open your mouth, ready to yell at whoever is still awake.

"Don't you dare fucking scream, cunt." Adam grips your jaw with one hand, crushing your cheeks into each other. "If I hear a single word come out of that filthy little mouth of yours, I am going to slit your fucking throat." His lips twist in a big sadistic grin you would have wanted to punch had you had the strength to move your arm around. Instead you whimper, defeated. Even after everything, your stupid self preservation instinct won't let you die - so it sacrifices the only thing you have left, your dignity. "And then in the morning your little friends will find you drowning in your own blood." He lowers his face, cold dead lips tracing the rough lines of your collarbone.

"A pretty picture for sure." He bites his lower lip, imagining it for just a second. "Bu-ut I know that even a depressed, suicidal little attention whore like you wouldn't want her friends to be sad." The man adds teasingly, and you can feel the bile back up into your stomach, burning and acidic. You may actually throw up all over him if you're not careful. And then he'd kill you for sure. "I mean, you seem to care for these pesky bugs oh-so much. It'd be a pity to force them to clean up your remains-"

"N-no, that's not true. I don't care about them, I only care about you!" You lie through your teeth, hot, salty tears pricking your eyes as you deny the love you have for the only people who care about you - the ones who basically saved you from a life of abuse and suffering. But apparently nothing good lasts, not when it comes to you. "Adam, I only love y-"

He backhands you - the slap echoes through the roof. Ouch.

"Don't say-" Your ex boyfriend grunts, roughly shoving you down. You take a shallow breath, letting the sting settle in. It's going to leave a red ugly handprint all over your cheek - and yet you stupidly thought your little confession was going to make him happy. Your anchors, the straws that used to buy you time, howerer rare and far in between, are all gone now. You used them up. You've run out of time, out of trick, out of will to keep fighting.

But you know he'll never make good on his threats. He'd never actually kill you - he doesn't love you enough to rid you of this miserable obsession that ties you together. And yet you tremble every time you feel the graze of his knife against your skin - you cower whenever he raises his hand. And you break down when he holds you close, hoping, praying that this time his embrace would prove just suffocating enough for you to stop breathing all together. It never does.

"Don't say you love me. You don't love me." Adam hisses in your ear, venom dripping off each word. "And I don't even care if you love me." He turns you around, pushing your face into your pillow - muffling your cries into weak, hiccuping sobs. "You're nothing." He swallows, averting his gaze to your lower body - yanking your shorts down with little concern as to whether they'd rip or not. "You amount to nothing, you're lower than dirt. You're just a fucked up little bitch." The man keeps mouthing off, and you can't decide what hurts more - his nails digging into your hips, or the razor sharp insults. " I never want you to forget that you deserve everything I give you."

You cry out as his massive length enters you with absolutely no preparation. It hurts - you're dry and it chaffs against your walls with nothing to make it slide freely, bruising your cervix. Your muscles are trying to push the foregin object out, but it keeps pushing in and out of you in forceful uniform thrusts. Between the waves of sharp and stinging-hot pain you manage to form a coherent thought - and you're surprised. Surprised that the man is even able to stay hard when all he feels right now is anger. Not love or affection, not even lust. Just anger. Surprised your body is still going even after your mind has given up. Surprised that, even despite all your protests and agony, you are growing used to this.

"I gave you everything." Adam start off again, picking up the pace of his thrusts. "Everything - but you're too much of a selfish whore to see." He pulls your hair back so you'd face him from beneath - then he slaps you with all force. "I want to mess up that pretty little face of yours." His hand connects to your cheek once again. You know you'll wake up all puffy and blue tomorrow morning - if you even wake up. "I want you so goddamn ugly no one wants you anymore." He pulls you in by your shirt, smashing his lips against yours with a brutal force - as if he's trying to become one with you, and break your face at the same time. "I want you so ruined-" He kisses you again, teeth running into teeth - yet he's the one to bite you first. "And lonely that you have no one else to turn to."

"I want you broken." He pulls away just to stare into your empty eyes, voice now back to a whisper. "As broken as me."

[beefslipper]

Halloween Headcanons (Months early lol)

My last post was such a flop I heard the crickets chirping before I even got on tumblr omg

Since nobody is giving me ideas, I'm just gonna do short n sweet headcanons on one (at least) character from each of the fandoms I'm in... Or at least the ones I can remember. Idk why but I can't wait until spooky month so we're doing Halloween-themed HCs!!!!!! I frickin' love the holidays :D

I won't be using images in my post this time just because I'm like half asleep and I need to yap. (I have no energy and I must yap /ref)

First up, Jason Todd! (Batman)

I think he'd avoid dressing up for trick or treating because his fave is Wonder Woman... Bro's not about to traumatize every child that sees him. However, if he is craving candy hard enough, he'd go in a lazier or goofy costume. You know those unicorn onesies? That's for if he isn't in the mood for ghits and shiggles. An inflatable dinosaur costume is his go-to if he's in a better mood.

I bet he'd have everything planned, too. He knows where all the rich people are and which ones give out the full-sized candy bars or any cool light up toys that make little kids jealous because they have no idea where to find them at.

If he were to go trick or treating with anyone, I think it'd probably be the Batfam as a whole (They don't trust him with not stealing some kid's candy bucket).

Next, Touya Todoroki! (MHA)

This is an AU one where he isn't dying because I don't want him to die (Insert sob emoji).

Since Enji himself is in a wheelchair, he isn't able to push Touya around. He was absolutely devastated by that and begged Natsuo and Fuyumi to take their older brother out to trick or treat since Shoto was with his friends.

Touya would either do a costume to heal his inner child or a lazier one that's comfortable and doesn't irritate his skin. Either way, he's demanding that they go to every house around no matter how long it takes. Any time he gets candy he doesn't like, he asks Natsuo to trade with him LOL

At the end of the night, Enji has to lock away the candy so Touya doesn't scarf it all down and get a stomach ache. He does anyway since it was 'hidden' in the same spot it had always been.

Onto Arlan! (HSR)

My boy doesn't get enough love <3

I think his excitement after hearing about Halloween's existence would be enough to convince the spaceship to set up little stalls for him, Asta, MC, and Peppy to run around to collect candy. He and Asta would probably have matching costumes like ketchup and mustard bottles or pb and j or something cute like that. Or it'd be a three-way deal since Asta would dress Peppy up in some cute little costume.

Arlan would definitely sit on the floor with Asta and MC and trade candies so they each get what they wanted. Asta would have some dog treats for Peppy so they weren't left out :)

At the night's end, Arlan would probably be caught falling asleep, still in costume with a half-eaten candy bar in hand.

Now, Bennett! (Genshin Impact)

He, Razor, Chongyun, and XIngqiu would get together and go out trick or treating. He tried to convince Fischl to go with, but she refused, claiming it was far too childish for someone of her status. That meant "Please bring me back some sweets".

He had a bag specifically for Fischl :)

As the night went on, the boys managed to have good luck. Bennett had never been happier since he was internally horrified of ruining the others' night by only getting raisins, toothbrushes, and apples or having someone's bag rip.

All went well and everyone got a pretty good amount of candy. Even Fischl.

Yap session is done! I kinda wanted to do DMCB stuff or Steven Universe stuff, but my creativity juice ran out. I hope y'all liked this one :D I'll probably do another one when it's actually October. (evaporates I FORGOT JJK oh well)

Have a great day, evening, and/or night everyone :DDDD

[arseniy-arsenicum33]

That wasn't the last session, huh? Well, next is got to be the Finale... While we are waiting, how about some Red Skin models? Most of them are simple recolours... Since I still don't know how to link art pieces directly, I will keep doing the second closest thing, until someone teaches me how to give credit, without bothering actual artists with me pushing sliders around in Hero Forge... Scarlet Pearl model was made by taking inspiration from @applestruda 's "DL Pearl Design" and @heavyhandedhex and their "some Pearlescentmoon outfits!" concept... Also, Death from Puss in Boots was a pose reference... I've got very lucky that Hero Forge already had a moon-shaped sickle... Huge thanks to @tibby-art for his GeminiSlay interpretation that served as a fundament for this model... Oh, and I've found the way to put buns and a flower on Gem's head! The trick is to use broken horns... Horn-tech is gonna revolutionize my modeling... Why is Impulse and Scott in kilts?! He-he, "Gem and the Scots"... *Crickets* Does HumanCleo count as their Red Skin? For me, yes... Here is Etho teaching them the zombie dance... RRRRUUUUAAARRRGGGHHH... Scar and BigB were the most straightforward... But with BigB I've had the most fun, coming up with things he can hold, and every one of them being hysterical in combination with his menacing face...

[sergeifyodorov]

Bitter Brit again:

This post gives some indication of what it’s like to experience cricket. And yes it is better listened to on the radio than watched on tv. In person with a TMS earpiece is best.

https://www.tumblr.com/elodieunderglass/178921341318/my-boyfriend-is-trying-to-explain-cricket-to-me

An area of the outfield is called cows corner. The Test Match Special commentators think umpires should be given electric shocks for walking too slowly. Foakes could be out, bowled by Stokes caught by Woakes. In 2022 you could field an England team with half having a name stating with J - Joe, Jos, Jofra, Jonny, Jimmy, Jamie. Salt and Pepper played against each other. Games will stop for bad light. Test match evening sessions can be extended but morning sessions never start earlier than 10am. There are breaks for lunch and tea. Listeners send in cakes for the commentary team. There are three main formats T20 (3 hours, no tv advert breaks), ODI (all day, but only one day), Test (all day, five days, usually over in four). Bowlers can score hat tricks, batters can be out for a golden duck. Both batting and bowling are offence and defence. It’s a bizarre game.

Also Bradman played during an era of 8 ball overs. Today’s game has 6 ball overs. Like Gretzky, not comparable to the modern era.

I understand most of those words separately but not when you string them together like that. I'm obsessed with this. All sports should be either "fastest to run this distance wins" or this needlessly complicated and full of strange traditions. Love it

(also saw your third anon and :handshake: draw it is)

[felixgrows]

Alfie and Billy enjoyed guest coach Sam Heazlett at training on Sunday. Organised by Bangalow Cricket club and Perform Cricket they had a big session full of tips and tricks.

[media-geneous1]

Building a Loyal Subscriber Base on YouTube

Building a Loyal Subscriber Base on YouTube

Alright, let’s cut to the chase. You’re here because you want to build a loyal subscriber base on YouTube. You're sick of posting videos and getting nothing but crickets. So, let’s get real and figure out how you can change that, fast.

Why Aren’t People Subscribing?

First off, you might be wondering: “Why aren't people subscribing to my channel?” Here’s the thing:

Consistency: Are you posting regularly?

Content Quality: Is your content engaging and valuable?

Engagement: Are you interacting with your audience?

These are the basics. Without them, you’re not going to build a loyal subscriber base. Let’s break it down.

Step 1: Consistency is Key

Consistency is what separates the amateurs from the pros. People need to know when to expect your content.

Set a Schedule: Pick specific days and times to post. Stick to it.

Batch Filming: Record multiple videos in one go. It saves time and ensures you always have content ready.

Plan Ahead: Use a content calendar. Know what you’re posting weeks in advance.

Step 2: Create High-Quality Content

Quality over quantity. If your content sucks, no one’s subscribing. Here’s how to keep it top-notch:

Niche Down: Focus on a specific topic or niche. Become the go-to expert.

Value-Driven: Always provide value. Teach something, entertain, or solve a problem.

High Production: Invest in good lighting, sound, and editing. Make your videos look professional.

Step 3: Engage with Your Audience

Engagement isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s crucial.

Respond to Comments: Show your audience you care by replying to their comments.

Ask for Feedback: Encourage viewers to leave comments and suggestions.

Live Q&A: Host live sessions to interact directly with your subscribers.

Step 4: Promote Your Channel

Just creating content isn’t enough. You’ve got to promote it.

Social Media: Share your videos on all your social platforms.

Collaborations: Partner with other YouTubers. Tap into their audience.

SEO: Use keywords, tags, and descriptions to make your videos discoverable.

Step 5: Use the Right Tools

You can’t do it all on your own. Here are some tools to help you grow:

TubeBuddy: For keyword research and optimization.

VidIQ: To track your analytics and understand what works.

Canva: For creating eye-catching thumbnails.

FAQs

Q: How often should I post on YouTube?

A: Aim for at least once a week. Consistency is more important than frequency.

Q: What type of content works best on YouTube?

A: Content that provides value, whether it’s educational, entertaining, or solves a problem.

Q: How do I get more views on my videos?

A: Promote your videos on social media, use SEO, and collaborate with other YouTubers.

Q: What if I don’t have a good camera?

A: Start with what you have. Focus on good lighting and clear audio. Upgrade your equipment as you grow.

Keep It Real, Keep It Fresh

Building a loyal subscriber base on YouTube isn’t rocket science, but it does take effort. Be consistent, create quality content, engage with your audience, promote your channel, and use the right tools.

Want more tips and tricks? Check out MediaGeneous.com, an excellent resource for social media services. Other great sites include Social Blade, Hootsuite, and Sprout Social.

Get out there and start building your subscriber base. Keep it real, keep it fresh, and your audience will follow.

[daddynews247]

Ravi Shastri Underlines Fault in the Strategy of Rohit Sharma-led India’s vs. South Africa

When bad light forced early stumps on Day 2 of the 1st Test, South Africa had already taken an 11-run lead with five wickets remaining courtesy of Den Elgar’s classy unbeaten 140.

On Wednesday, the Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team endured a tough second day in the first Test against South Africa in Centurion. When bad light forced early stumps, South Africa had already taken an 11-run lead with five wickets remaining courtesy of Den Elgar’s classy unbeaten 140. Before that, KL Rahul’s 101 had taken India to 245, which many experts felt was a decent enough total. The start of India’s bowling was not bad either, as Mohammed Siraj dismissed Aiden Markram cheaply.

But after that, Dean Elgar and Tony de Zorzi stitched together a great stand as South Africa went to lunch at 49/1. After lunch, Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur were given the charge. The two bowled eight overs between them before Jasprit Bumrah was brought on. By then, the score had reached 91/1, with Elgar completing his half-century too.

Former head coach of India, Ravi Shastri, did not like the idea of using Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur right after lunch.

Ravi Shatri, former Indian cricket team coach, said during commentary that, “On any pecking order, these two (Shardul and Prasidh) would have been the last to start the proceedings after lunch.”

He also added, “That’s something that we’ve had a discussion about multiple times when I was the coach. And more often than not, we decided to go with the best two bowlers at the start of the session. If you cast your mind back, India would feel they had missed a massive trick in the first half hour of play. Two bowlers they started with, that tactically was a big mistake.”

[kathyprior4200]

Michael Musical draft

“Alright folks! Give it up for the king of all things bluuueee!”

In the Halo of Humility, a Christian rock concert was taking place that rivaled Gabriel’s entertainment venues. It was at New Jerusalem Stadium in Holy City. Despite Gabriel having fame for communication technology, theme parks and generosity, no one could beat the oldest archangel brother remaining in heaven, who loved to show off his muscular physique and heroic charm. Fans were dressed in blue clothing, blue hats and carried merchandise with gold “M”s on them. Several kids carried harmless toy swords that lit up with blue lights that appeared like flames. Every kind of angel was there: saints, cherubs, elves, seraphim, thrones, and even some Exorcists. More Exorcists posed and stood guard with angelic spears around the stadium like honored veterans.

“Heaven’s number one Archangel, God’s right-hand man himself! Protector of all and slayer of darkness!”

There were more cheers from the crowd.

“The Virtue you all love most…Archangel Michael, ruler of Humility…and humanity!”

In a flash of light, Archangel Michael leaped forward and posed on the stage, wearing his signature blue armor, gold shoulder protective armor, gold boots, a gold helmet with red feathers in it and a sheathed sword. Fans swooned over his sleek short blond hair and charming white face that looked very similar to Lucifer. Michael was often called “the obedient counterpart of Lucifer,” by many. In his hands was a red and gold gem-studded electric guitar, with the top part glowing with harmless blue flames. More blue flames ejected from the stage, in the front and off to the sides. His halo was gold and blue and his six wings were sparkly white. His eyes would sometimes shift from blue to gold.

“Hallelujah, Heaven!” he called out, the crowd roaring in response.  Michael’s blue sigil glowed on the red curtains behind him. “Praise the Lord, Jehovah, Yahweh, and all that jazz! Can I get an amen?!”

“Amen, amen!” answered the audience.

“How are all you adherents doing tonight?!”

More cheers and “We love you, Michael!” from the crowd.

“I hope you’re ready for a spectacular show that you’ll remember for the rest of your afterlives!”

“Michael! Michael! Michael!” chanted the crowd.

“Right, I got lots of amazing things planned for you here tonight. But first, how many of you righteous devotees want to be strong heavenly defenders like me someday?”

A chorus of “Yes! Yes!” and “Me, me’s!”

“Well, I’m happy to announce that I will be starting a new training session where all kinds of angels will have the opportunity to show off their skills. Fighting, healing, properly judging sinners, and perhaps some performing! So many amazing events in one…like a triathalon but better!”

More applause from the fans and a triumphant lifitng of spears from the Exorcist guards.

“And just to let you know, even though I’m personally not a fan of the brutal torture methods of general Adam, the session will still be good for those who want some extra self-defense lessons and to see what being a heavenly warrior is all about. It’s about protecting our wonderful realm and showing true justice to mortals and immortals alike. No killing and torture is allowed, of course. The winner will get a chance to train with me for a day and a free protection blessing for their family! (In Heaven and on Earth of course, because due to the current structure of Heaven, there’s not much we can do about saving sinners in Hell yet.)”

A brief silence with cricket chirping.

“But anyway, there’s always room for more esteemed eliminators of evil! The reward is worth the risk. Now, let’s start the show!”

Angels waved their arms and flapped their wings in excitement as more fireworks lit up the dim sky with teal and white sparks.

Michael played his guitar and flew into the air, doing ariel flips and tricks.

(Michael’s song)

0 0 0

“Dad, enough is enough,” Docile sighed as he sat at a dining room table across from his father, Yeshua Cantus. “I don’t understand why you had to come over and vist me.”

“Docile, this is a chance of a lifetime!” Cantus mentioned. The elf had Docile’s same dark teal face, pointed ears, white birthmark and bald head. He wore a golden suit with a teal bowtie and a matching gold top hat. “You can finally do something worthwhile for the community instead of hunting around for mortal strangers. And I’m visiting for brief missionary work. I heard the news and you were close by…”

“E.L.F. saves lives and makes a difference,” Docule protested. “And I got fired from my last Exorcist job, remember? I refuse to kill any innocent sinners ever again.”

“Sinners are never innocent,” Cantus countered. “They chose their fate the moment they decided to turn their backs on God. There is no use in reasoning with them or saving them.”

“That’s why me and my crew go to Earth to try and stop them from making those decisions in the first place.”

“Interfering on Earth too much will get you in trouble,” Cantus said, blue eyes narrowing.

Docile chuckled dryly. “I’m surprised they haven’t caught me yet. I’ve been down there several times and I’m still here in one piece.”

“If you were really smart, you’d want to work for the very best,” he said.

“But elves are considered the worst in terms of status,” Docile remarked. “I’m surprised they are even allowing elves to compete against saints and the more powerful heaven-borns. Have you forgotten that only saints are immortal?”

“So are angels and God.”

“But not us elves! I don’t think I should even try to win that contest!”

Cantus grew tense. “For the sake of what remains of this family, you’d better change up your attitude and go like your legacy depends on it.”

“No one cares! It’s just a show!”

“A show that will have the winner get the attention of Michael himself and the Exorcists. You’ll get your position back.”

“Why should I? All you ever do is teach choir lessons.”

“Because I want you to be able to stay safe from the darkness. I’m old and you’re young.”

“Like age is an excuse in paradise. I know Mom is gone, but I can take care of myself.”

Cantus pulled Docile back down when he tried to leave the table.

“Prove it, then. Prove that you can take on any attack, any threat, any opposition against your race. Show the officals that you will do what it takes to make sure no one has to be banished from this place again.”

“You know, my co-worker Tirred refused to judge sinners and his mother almost threw him into Hell.”

“What?!” Cantus seethed. “Only the Exorcists and God have the authority…”

Docile interrupted. “Also, haven’t you talked to Soother? He can lull denizens to sleep.”

“Which would be cheating. And you are my son, so respect to you brings respect to me.”

“What if I say no to this contest?”

“…I’ll provide more funding for C.H.E.R.U.B.”

A silence.

Docile sighed and relented. “Fine.”

“I expect you to put in effort,” said Cantus. “It’s only for a day. Wouldn’t want your mortal buisness in jepardy in favor of the offical Exorcist organization if you lose, do you? I’ll just talk to Kiva and Camael; they’d love to make it happen.”

Docile bared his teeth, sweat on his forehead. “Camael sends Good News cherubs to Earth all the time. Why is my organization bad in their eyes?”

“Not approved by the Archangels.”

“It counters I.M.P.”

“Who are still out there, running rampant. Your ideals of saving sinners as well…”

“You’re just jealous that I founded my own business and you’re mad because it goes beyond the ‘all sinners are evil’ mentality of Adam and friends.”

“We can’t trust denizens who are not Exorcists nor those not under the guidance of Archangels to go down to Earth…”

“E.L.F. does fine on it’s own, thnak you very much,” Docile folded his arms. “You and Heaven worried we’ll start a rebellion? Hell’s already doing that. I want to stop it as much as you do. But allowing all demons to be killed is not the answer.”

“Exorcists will always be here for reasons not all of us may like. Only God can truly comprehend the matter.”

“More excuses!” Docile scoffed. “You know, Tirred’s family doesn’t sound as bad as you. I don’t want to kill or judge people...and I don’t appreciate having a father spying on me. Just imagine if Hell’s denizens came to Heaven to kill the saints and we were seen as demons! If I could continue my buisness and go to Hell to find Mom…”

Cantus stared hard into his son’s eyes, gripping his shirt. “You will do no such thing!  I misss her, too, but you and Holly Wata are all I have. Stay in Heaven where you belong. Do something worthwhile…Holly already has a good rep with Camael and does important work on Earth. I may be sort of rich, but I cannot afford to lose you.”

“Nice joke,” deadpanned Docile. “You’re just doing this for more praise. Using me after not talking to me for years. You must have brainwashed Holly to think that trying to convert humans is a good idea.”

“If it means they will get into Heaven, then yes.”

“Imposing on their freedom and judging them even before their death!” Docile cried. “We’re just as bad as humans if not worse!”

“To compare our kind with humans and sinners is blasphemy right there!” Cantus reprimanded. “I was hoping some real world experience would get you to see reason.”

Docile sighed, staring briefly at his hands. “E.L.F. is real world experience. Elves would hardly have any recognition without my company. It’s certainly making more difference than singing the same old hymns about God all the time! And why all the manipulation in society?”

“Passive-aggressive…what else do you expect from a holier than thou world? Or any society for that matter.”

“I don’t know. Unconditional acceptance, maybe? Or maybe you’ll admit that Heaven is not perfect after all. Mom wouldn’t be accepting of this…”

“Enough, son!” Cantus’ face darkened. “Win that contest and I’ll give you some unconditional acceptance,” Cantus grinned, letting go of Docile. “Be the mighty Exorcist you were born to be!”

“So unless I win, you’ll make my life a dying heaven by making me change my job just because it doesn’t follow the beaucratic racist ideals of Adam and the majority of Heaven?”

“Pretty much.”

“In your dreams you snot-faced elf a**,” Docile muttered as he walked away.  He breifly looked back at his father and spoke almost in a somber whisper. “I thought you’d be more proud of me.”

[coolarbiterpersona]

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[atozphantomsquadron]

Chapter Fifteen: War Council

August 8th

            I stand proudly at the window of the Ranch house and watch a mini-skirmish taking place in the field outside. Two groups of fighters from the Attack division are facing each other down. One of them is in torn blue t-shirts, given to them by Gabe: this is a strategy session, and they’re supposed to be the SSA, and as such can only use guns and not their powers. The other side is using their powers to the full advantage.

            A few faces I recognize in the crowd. Lydia Dales is using a trick I taught her to take advantage of her power, rushing up behind opponents and covering their faces with her hands, force-feeding them her wine and incapacitating them. Trent Gracin rolls across the field and bowls into a group of “blueshirts,” knocking them all aside. A couple others I remember from their demonstrations, such as Harry Tyner, a sound specialist who vibrates his arms like a cricket’s legs and creates sound wave attacks. By the end of the exercise, the “blueshirt” force is scattered and beaten, and only a couple of the supernatural team have any wear.

            Gabe walks into the center of the field and claps. I can’t exactly hear what he’s telling them, but I’m sure it has something to do with countering the part of the SSA playbook he was showing them.

            My army, now they’re truly becoming one.

            “Alanna?”

            A gentle voice behind me turns my attention away. It’s Mom, looking even better as the days go along. She’s smiling, but I also see she’s holding her uniform I wore through the Inferno, the one that I thought I had destroyed, but now is somehow just as clean as it was the first time I put it on.

            “Kitty tells me you’ve been wearing my uniform for a while.”

            I’m kind of bashful for some reason. “I hope you don’t mind, it was useful for being able to use my wings without ripping holes in shirts.”

            Mom nods kind of sadly. “What about your … other transformations?”

            I sigh deeply. I know it makes her very depressed that I can grow into a dragon now too, but I’m determined to make that curse into a benefit for us all, just like she has. “It works with those too, just like Uncle Cyrus said it worked with yours.”

            She sighs and smiles again. “Good. I’m very glad it still works.” She turns around and starts walking back down the hallway. I can’t resist, I follow her. We wind up at the room that for two years held my comatose father; he’s now sharing it with his wife, which is certainly proper.

            Then I notice Mom taking off her shirt. “Mom, what are you doing?”

            She slips on the uniform top. “Still fits. Amazing.” She turns around toward me. “We need to take a look at your dragon, and see exactly what she’s capable of.”

            I shrug. “I’ve been finding that out myself for a while, actually. I …” I stop myself short because I realize it’s not for my benefit. It’s for hers. “Okay. I’m running out of outfits, though.”

            “Don’t worry.” Mom reaches down by the bed, then tosses me a mass of fabric. “Cyrus has you covered.”

            It’s purple and turquoise blue, and it feels much the same as the uniform. I hold up the top and find that it’s made to the same design as the uniform, but smaller, which means it’ll fit me a bit better than the uniform did.

            Then there’s the final touch. In the same space on the top where Mom’s maiden name is stitched on the uniform is mine. White embroidery forms SHARPE in military block letters.

            “Put that on and meet me outside. We’ll fly.” Mom punctuates her words with a loving smile.

            Oh God, I haven’t flown with Mom in what feels like forever! I rush back down to my room and quickly change into the flight suit. When I emerge, Mom’s already waiting for me at the front door of the house.

            I’m suddenly caught by the way she looks. Sure, she might be in her fifties, but the uniform still fits her, and she still looks as young as ever. If there’s one thing Gerard wasn’t able to do, it was destroy her spirit. I get an image in my mind of Mom and Dad and Uncle Cyrus and Aunt Kitty in their adventuring days, fighting off demons, making life a living hell for anyone who challenged them.

            Now that duty falls to their daughters. Michi and myself.

            “Are you coming?” She sounds giddy, like she’s been wanting to fly with me as much as I have with her.

            “You got it, Mom!” I rush over to her and we both run out the front door. Once we’re at a clearing near the door, Mom waves me aside and closes her eyes, beginning her transformation. This always fascinates me to watch, seeing my mother change from a tall green-skinned woman into a gigantic dragon. Her neck lengthens, her torso bulks up and her limbs become legs with sharp talons. Her wings sprout and grow to immense proportions.

            The dragon stands before me finally, and I can kind of see a smile on her snout.

“Your turn.”

            It is my turn, isn’t it? I do much like Mom did, close my eyes and focus all my concentration on my body. I feel the changes take place, the stretching of sinew and bone and ligament, pulling my proportions out to the extreme that the dragon would display. I feel my tail sprout, pushing its way from my spine; I feel my wings stretching far over me; I feel my neck and my face lengthening. I finally open my eyes when I sense every change is finished.

            I’m eye-to-eye with Mom now. She takes one pacing look-over of my dragon body. I flap my wings, a little bit of showing off on my part. I hear her snuffle as she looks over my dragon’s haunches, my wings, and even my tail, which is a difference from her own body. It would make me self-conscious, but this is Mom we’re talking about. I’d imagine she wants to know what Gerard did to me and how it compares to what he did to her.

            When she seems satisfied, she comes back around to face me. She flaps her wings a couple times, lifts up to her rear haunches, and leaps. A hard downward flap of her wings launches her high into the sky, and she glides over my head.

            Far be it for me to leave her alone up there! I decide I’m going to try her technique for takeoff: I stretch my wings a little bit, then lift up on my rear legs. The tail helps me to stabilize my posture. I might be overthinking it, but I’m trying to coordinate my jump and my flap, as she seemed to do. Finally, I just decide to do it.

            I jump and flap. My body rockets up into the air, just like hers. I begin my swimmer’s stroke wing flaps, and join her in an easy circling glide over the Ranch. At this altitude, we can see the surrounding area where the place is currently parked, such as the Edmonton skyline and the rolling plains of Alberta and Manitoba.

            My gaze winds up fixed on Mom, still gliding in lazy circles. She flaps her wings and ascends, then starts accelerating. I angle myself so that I can pursue her, beginning my regular fast wing pattern. I find that I’m catching up to her very quickly, to the point that I nearly overshoot her, except I slow up at the last minute to fly alongside her. We turn and bank, creating lazy figure-eights in the air, dipping and chasing each other.

            Mom nods toward me, then turns away, opens her maw, and sends a firecast blazing into the afternoon air. Her face turns back toward me.

            She wants to see me do it, too. I flap faster to come alongside her, and then let fly with my own pillar of flames. The range is similar, but mine is a narrower, fine-tuned beam, as opposed to Mom’s, which spreads out and covers a lot of area in a short period of time.

            She seems impressed. She nods at me, then begins a decent down to the ground. I follow her, and together we alight and land in the same clearing from which we started. A moment’s concentration later, we’re both shrinking back down into our human forms, until we’re face-to-face once again, mother and daughter.

            The adrenaline is still high for both of us. We clutch each other tightly.

            “I’m so proud of you, Alanna. It’s a terrible burden, but you’ve done so much and so well …”

            It feels good to receive this praise. “Thanks, Mom.” I snuggle closer into her embrace.

            Our hug is interrupted by a male voice clearing his throat behind us. I turn and see William standing there. “Ladies, Alanna is needed inside. Gabe asked for you.”

            I nod to my fiancé … call me silly, but it’s really nice to think of him that way … but I squeeze Mom’s hand. “We’ll fly again soon, I promise.”

            She smiles kind of sadly. “I know we will, Alanna. When this is over, we’ll glide in skies of glory.”

            That sounds far too ominous. Come on, let’s keep some optimism here!

            I squeeze Mom’s hand one last time before crossing the plain to join William at the door. He takes an arm and wraps it around my waist.

            “So what’s going on?” I ask.

            “I don’t really know. Gabe seems pretty enthused about his strategy session today, and he told us he wants all of us trainers to meet.”

            I nod. “It’s very hard to figure out what he’s thinking most of the time.”

            “Agreed,” William responds with a low voice. “I’ve never met such an enigmatic man in my life.”

            If only you knew the half of it!

            We make our way into the dining room, where all the other trainers are seated around the table. Gabe stands at the head, while Teresa and Aunt Kitty flank him. Michi sits with Teresa while Uncle Cyrus is next to his wife, holding her hand. I don’t think they’ve even let go of them at all when they’re together lately, and considering the stakes I really don’t blame them.

            Gabe motions for me and William to sit down. I take the opposite end of the table from Gabe, and William puts himself to my left side, claiming my hand in his once he sits down.

            “Thank you for joining me here, folks. I’d like an update on your training.” He motions to Teresa. “Let’s start with you.”

            Teresa takes a deep breath. “With the exception of the rescued SSA supernaturals, most of our forces are terribly out of shape. I’m doing my best with them, but I think we’ll be lucky if we don’t have half the force having heart attacks before the SSA even crosses the fence lines.”

            Gabe nods. “Unfortunate, but we need to work with what we’ve got. How much improvement have you seen out of them?”

            “Little victories here and there, but not very much. It’s all about stamina, really, the staying power of our troops leaves something to be desired.”

            “I see.” Gabe turns toward the next trainer. “Michika, what’s the word?”

            “We’ve got a good amount of battle mages, which we can send out for distance attacks and the like, but don’t count on them getting too physical. Most of them can’t take a punch without wilting like one of Mom’s soufflés.”

            “Anyone who’s better in the physical department?”

            “A couple, myself included, but I’d strongly recommend keeping most of them toward the back of the lines.”

            Gabe nods. “I see. Kitty?”

            Aunt Kitty clears her throat. “Most of them are taking well to firearms training. I got a couple real marksmen among the Support team, so I’d like to place them up top as snipers. Small arms is what most of the others are accustomed to, so they’ll stick with the pistols and slingshots.”

            We all get disbelieving looks on our faces. Gabe’s expression barely shivers. “Slingshots? You aren’t serious, are you?”

            “Deadly serious. If it’s good enough for David, it’s for damn sure good enough for our forces.”

            Silence dominates the room, until Gabe breaks it. “Okay then. William, your report please.”

            William squeezes my hand. “Our medics are getting the best that I can give, but too many of them have too little experience with field triage. If we get into an especially brutal fight, they’ll be overwhelmed, and it’ll be a difficult thing to get our side back in fighting shape.”

            “I see.” Gabe presses forward. “Cyrus?”

            “I think the door’s going to be in good hands. I hand-picked the eight highest-skilled members of our force, and gave them the duty of guarding the door. Among the defenders will be myself and Kitty.” Aunt Kitty squeezes his hand as he says this. “I’ve given the other defenders a crash course in Avalon’s importance, and emphasized exactly how vital it is that the SSA not cross through it.”

            “How much of the stakes do they know?”

            “Only as much as I’ve told them, which isn’t very much.”

            Gabe nods. “That brings us to you, Alanna, what have you to report?”

            It’s my turn to clutch to William’s hand tightly. “I’ve been giving some of our forces some alternative means of using their powers, which they’re taking to pretty easily. I think you saw a couple of those options in your scrimmage today, Gabe.”

            “Yes, I did notice some interesting things going on.”

            “Many of the latents are starting to fully realize their powers, so we should have a fully supernatural force by the time we need it.”

            “And that gets us to the point of this meeting,” Gabe announces. I’m dreading this. “Ladies and gentlemen, you’ve done well in the short period of time you’ve had thus far, but now things have to accelerate.”

            Worried murmurs circle the table. “Accelerate by how much?” William asks.

            “By a tremendous amount, and here’s why.” Gabe tosses the file on Operation Glass Jaw on the table. “I’ve finished my review of this report and battle plan. It’s very thorough, indeed, right down to the projected location of the Ranch in October.”

            We lean in eagerly, awaiting Gabe’s continuation.

            “Cyrus, please confirm if this is correct. Glass Jaw is set to commence on October 27th, at which time they’ve forecast the Ranch to appear 50 miles east of Boise, Idaho.”

            Uncle Cyrus closes his eyes, thinking it over in his head. His face drops when he answers. “They’re only off by about half a mile, but yes that’s where the Ranch will be on that date.”

            “Wait a minute,” I interrupt. “How do we know for sure? Why would we even be moving in the first place? We’re in Canada, the New Empire can’t touch us.”

            “Normally, I’d agree,” Gabe intones, “but now with the focus on placing pressure on the UN, Canada can’t afford to be defiant toward its neighbor anymore. I’ve heard from reliable sources that SSA troops are headed into Alberta, looking for us.”

            “Because of this,” Uncle Cyrus continues, “I’m setting up a spell which will send the Ranch to random locations around North America at random intervals. This way, we can stay one step ahead of the SSA. Unfortunately, someone’s managed to calculate the randomness of the spell, and figured out a pattern which is pretty accurate.”

            “That’s right,” Gabe confirms. “And as such, we need to accelerate our preparations.” He leans forward on the dining room table. “Ladies, gentlemen, I propose that we move up the schedule of Operation Glass Jaw, and drop in on the SSA early … say, two months early.”

            He can’t be serious! That’s suicide! Everyone around the table launches into an uproar. We’re all pretty much agreed, there’s no way the supernaturals will be battle-ready on that kind of a timeline.

            Teresa stands up to Gabe. “What you’re asking is impossible!”

            “You might think so,” Gabe cautions, “but I don’t. I saw how they’re working together out there today. They have strategy, when they have an able field commander to give it to them. They have ability. They have powers at their disposal. Most of all, they have the will to fight. They know that the stakes are very high, that their very existence depends on winning this battle. I have every confidence in these people that they will pull it together, that they will work for you, and in the end they will defeat the SSA.”

            Somehow Gabe’s assurance is less than satisfying. “Are you absolutely sure about this?”

            Gabe smirks. “Positive. If we do this, victory is ours.”

            He truly believes in this plan of attack. He wants to bring the battle to them, not wait around for them to come to us.

            I think I’d want to do the same thing.

            “Okay, Gabe. You got me.” I stand up at my end of the table. “I’ll get their powers working to the fullest.”

            William rises next to me. “We’ll have the best field hospital we can muster.”

            Michi stands. “Our mages will be ready to go kick some blueshirt ass.”

            Both Uncle Cyrus and Aunt Kitty rise in unison. Aunt Kitty speaks for them both. “You have my guns and Cy’s defenders.”

            Teresa’s face appears bewildered, but finally she stands with us. “Well, I can’t promise anything, but I’ll do my best to make sure nobody drops dead on us.”

            Gabe smiles. “It’s settled, then. One way or another, in nineteen days this conflict ends.”

[eportfoliosstow]

Entry 3

At the commencement of my internship I wanted to put my best foot forward and ensure that I lifted my weight. I therefore appreciated being given jobs in which made me feel a part of the team from the get go. For example, I was tasked with organising and recruiting life guards and teachers on my very first day. Although daunting, it made me feel like a valued part of the team and helped me build my confidence. When ringing potential teachers and lifeguards, I ensured that I had a voice message written out on a piece of paper. This was crucial to make sure I went into each call prepared and confident, as I wanted to speak clearly and concisely at every opportunity.

When trying to navigate my way through the first couple of weeks, I leant on both Bella and Jason to try and learn as many things as possible. I made an effort to constantly ask a number of questions in a bid to limit mistakes. Jason in particular was great at making me feel like a valued part of the team through involving me in meetings and introducing me to a number of contacts in which I can utilise throughout my career moving forward. Bella too, was extremely crucial for me in my early stages at sports community. She is such a calm and relaxed person who would back me in to do the role to the best of my ability. If I was too ever make a mistake she would be quick to brush it aside so I could move on without dwelling on it.

When running the cricket bast sessions, I would often communicate directly with the schools PE teacher to try and get them to assist in running these sessions. This made our jobs significantly easier as they often were able to work directly with students who often had learning or behavioural difficulties in which would otherwise make our job running the programs quite difficult as these children tended to have a negative impact on a number of other students (Ogundele,2018). Teachers would also often provide simple advice on how to engage specific children as well as tips and tricks in which they have learnt throughout their careers on how to break down specific skills in order to best teach the students of varying ages. Another way we utilised the schools and teachers was by gaining access to their equipment. This provided us with a range of new resources in which we could utilise in order to play games and get the most out of each session. Things such as hoola hoops and hackie sacks were frequently used to play fun and engaging games at the start of each session.

Ogundele, M. (2018). Behavioural and emotional disorders in childhood: A breif overview for paediatricians. World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics, 7(1), 9-26.

[wesimpforxiao]

Say My Name and I’ll Be There: 8.1

Author’s Note:  As for the next few or possibly several chapters, give me some time to write them.  I want to write the Lantern Rite chapter perfectly and in order to do that I need 1. for us all to experience the in-game event so I can capture it accurately and 2. to catch up on my schoolwork because my college goes by the 10-week quarter system and we are smack in the middle of it.  Apologies for the inconvenience, but I refuse to give a sub-par Lantern Rite chapter as I believe it will be the most important in this story!!  The next one or two chapters should be released by the end of next week.

......

Only on the eve of the Lantern Rite, several days before the celebration, did Xiao come to appreciate the hours of hard work you were putting into practicing music.

He had slaughtered a band of mitachurls, hilichurls, and lawachurls near Lihua Pool when he fell into darkness.  He collapsed to his knees, struggling for breath, spots filling his vision beneath the mask.  While he had dealt with karmic debt for two thousand years, this time had to be one of the worst falters.  He knelt beneath the somber moon that bore witness to his shortcoming.

The waves of pain drove him mad and the voices drowned out the singing of the crickets and frogs.  Xiao clutched at his chest in an effort to rid himself of the agony as he wondered if it was finally his time to die and join the fallen yakshas.  His mask disintegrated as he fell to all fours.  It's fine, just breathe, he reminded himself.

It was then when he heard the tune.  

"B-Barbatos?"  The yaksha groaned despairingly as he forced himself to raise his head toward the sound.  He was being saved by the wind god for a second time--No.  That's her, he realized when he recognized the all-too familiar tune.  But the way you were playing this time...had he only heard a fraction of your practice sessions? You carried the notes so well compared to last time--

Xiao rolled over so he lie on his back, eyes meeting the glints of the stars that shone down upon him.  It was like the pain had knocked the wind out of him.  No matter.  At least he would die listening to you.  The idea was peaceful to think about.

...miss...love you...

Your faint prayers that accompanied the moonsong somehow broke through the crowded shouting of the damned and eased the heavy knot in his stomach while he gasped for air.  The tune continued to build until Xiao could only compare your talent to that of the wind archon.  It was beautiful, soft, and it fit you perfectly despite your stubborn personality that was accentuated by the harbinger's shenanigans.

The image brought a faint smile to his lips, the expression slowly widening as you played on.  Your selfless nature; the need to protect a yaksha from harm's way...Your daring eyes when you butt heads with Childe...The honey-sweet grin you reserved only for Xiao and Xiao alone.  It was  the way you carried yourself in battle, the way you interacted with strangers.  How and when you prayed to him.  Your light humming accompanied your music.

Archons, you were remarkably stunning in every way imaginable.  The yaksha failed to notice how big his smile was as a few of his tears slid down the sides of his face.  It was his own longing for you that manifested and whirled around in his chest.  Beautiful, he thought as the music continued.  So, so beautiful.  It was as if the music described yourself.  For how could he give up and die now, after falling for you?  Maybe...just maybe...Xiao allowed himself to sit in the fluffy cloud of human 'compassion' as he listened to you play.  He wouldn't dare call the emotion for what it truly was.  Not now.  Not yet.  You had to understand something before he could allow himself to love you.  Er, to care for you.  Y-yes.  That's it.  Xiao refocused his attention on your music to avoid thinking any deeper on the subject.

Yet though his mind listened to your moonsong, his heart entertained the possibility of finally admitting his lo--er, compassion for you.

He didn't notice that the pain had long faded, that the spots in his vision had cleared and that the voices of the vanquished silenced themselves.  He drifted to sleep right there in the middle of the dirt road as you played into the night, and for the first time in a long time, he slept with mind and body in peace.

................................

"Morning, Mezzetin," Childe greeted you with two mugs of hot chocolate in his hands.  He gave one to you before indulging in his while he leaned against your door.  "Sleep well?"

"I did, surprisingly.  The pain was pretty bad until I started practicing."  You rubbed your bleary eyes and let out a long yawn.  "Why do you ask?"

"You didn't call for him."

"Hm?"

"You've yelled for the yaksha every night you've been here.  You were quiet last night."

"How would you know that? Are you just constantly sitting outside my room like a creep?"  Your quip brought a smile to Childe's lips as he sipped at his mug.  

"Well then, since you're feeling well enough to banter with me, I guess I have no need to reward you for your cooperation..."

"Huh?  What do you mean, 'reward?'"  You perked up when he faked reaching for the door handle.  "Tartaglia?"  In your effort to get him to explain, you jumped out of bed and subsequently spilled your drink all over the sheets.  A jarring pain shot through your bones, but you ignored it.

"The Tsaritsa has requested I return to my post in Liyue Harbor to...discipline a few underperforming officers during the Lantern Rite.  Since I am in charge of you, I requested that you accompany me.  Her Majesty agreed."

"W-what?!"  Your sudden shout made him jump slightly.  "You...she...you're letting me return?"

"Temporarily, yes, and it is for business reasons.  We figured it would aid in your...dilemma."

"I..."  Your gaze fell to the half-empty mug in your hands.  

"You don't want to go?" The harbinger raised a brow in surprise.  "Why, I thought you'd jump at this opportunity."

"It's not that..." you trailed, your finger absently circling the rim of your cup.  "Would I...be able to roam around by myself?"

"Depends on where you want to go."  His eyes narrowed slightly and he set his cup atop your bedside table.  "You won't be able to visit Qingce Village, nor the Wanshu Inn."  He watched your shoulders drop in disappointment before continuing.  "But I will allow you to enjoy the festival."

"...Am I allowed to talk to them?  My adventure team?"

Childe let out a small sigh before nodding.  "I think it would be good for your health to see them."

"Why are you allowing me?"  It was your turn to narrow your eyes in suspicion against the harbinger.  "Wouldn't this be, you know, a risk for you guys to let me see them?  Aren't you worried about that?"

"There will be several Fatui agents in Liyue during the festival; even if you're 'alone,' one of us will always be nearby.  I don't take you as a complete idiot," he admonished.  "Besides, Mr. Zhongli knows more about adeptal blood than we do at this point.  If you manage to gather more information, that would be a plus."

"I'm not gathering information for the likes of you," you retorted, crossing your arms much like Xiao does.

"I'm not asking you as your superior, nor your captor.  I'm suggesting it as your comrade in arms."

"Ha!"  You couldn't help but let out a full laugh at the set of statements.  "You really expect me to believe that?  All you guys do is manipulate and deceive.  I don't trust a word that comes out of your mouth!"

"Even if you learn something and keep it to yourself, do it for yourself, Mezzetin.  I've realized something after you joined us."

"Oh? What could you have possibly realized?"  You rolled your eyes and returned your gaze to the window, not particularly caring about his side of the conversation and instead wishing he would just leave already.

"I realized some of my actions were not for your wellbeing, but for mine."

........................................

It was sprinkling when Childe, the Eleventh of the Fatui Harbingers, finally tracked your rescue team down in Fontaine.  It really didn't take much of an effort, which was highly disappointing considering the harbinger loved to play cat-and-mouse with his foes.  Oh well.  At least Mr. Zhongli was here; the plan wouldn't work if he hadn't accompanied Aether and the yaksha.

The harbinger stood in the shadow of a nearby tree and scouted the sheltered camp.  Besides Aether, Zhongli, and an apparently-unconscious yaksha, there were two more opponents.  Childe recognized one of them to be the wine master Diluc, but couldn't name the other one.  Maybe he was one of Mondstat's knights, judging by the way he carried himself?  Then again, he seemed to be drinking pretty heavily...

Childe glanced back a ways where a few Fatui agents were waiting for his return.  This wouldn't take long; he knew two of the adventurer's tricks, and the knight didn't look like he'd pose much of a challenge.  All he needed was to speak with Zhongli.

"I have to admit I'm disappointed for finding you so quickly," the harbinger made his presence known and stepped out of the shadows.  A chill ran down everyone's spines.

"I still can't believe you were naïve enough to get involved with the Fatui," Diluc sent an admonishing look Aether's way before summoning his broadsword.  "And hid it from me, no less."

"We're sorry!"  Paimon squeaked with her hands in the air.  "We didn't trust him completely!"

"It was my fault for allowing this to continue without your knowledge, Aether."  Zhongli rose from his seat and manifested his polearm.  "Allow me to make amends."

"I assume you're the one we're after?"  Kaeya unsheathed his sword and stood side-by-side with Diluc, much to his bro's dismay.  Despite all the wine he had consumed, he remained unusually composed.

"I've come to speak with Mr. Zhongli," Childe answered, both hands raised semi-defensively while the expression on his face was no less than that of a sly fox.  "And to retrieve the yaksha."

"We don't think so!"  Aether charged first and swung his blade through the air.  It collided against the well-known hydro blades of the harbinger before parrying off.  

Next was Diluc, whose flaming weapon created steam as it sliced through Childe's blades.  His attacks were slower than Aether's, but the amount of power coming from them nearly made the harbinger flinch both in hesitation and in excitement.  It was then that Xiao's eyes had opened slightly before he lost consciousness again.  Kaeya lunged forth and used his skill to send a burst of ice at the harbinger in an effort to freeze him in place.

Childe barely dodged, one blade freezing over.  "Tch."  The last thing he needed was to deal with a cryo user in this weather.  He was already at a disadvantage by wielding a hydro vision in normal circumstances.  His hydro burst threw everyone backwards, and he switched to his delusion.  

Electricity surged through the camp as everyone got to their feet and readied themselves for an onslaught of electro attacks.  None came; instead, the harbinger stared straight at Zhongli, who remained reserved and unbothered as he pointed the tip of his lance at him.  "This is your only warning, Childe," the archon spoke in an especially deep voice.  "Return her to us, or suffer the consequences."

"I only came to speak with you, Mr. Zhongli," Childe's eyes narrowed beneath his mask.  "As much as I'd love to indulge in a fight, I came here with a proposition.  Would you hear me out?"

Everyone's eyes turned expectantly to the archon, and he returned their gazes before allowing his polearm to disintegrate.  "Lower your weapons," he ordered much to everyone's dismay.

"But Zhongli!  He could trick you!" Paimon reappeared before the consultant.  "You can't--"

"Relax, Paimon," Zhongli quietly assured.  "I may not have a gnosis, but a harbinger is still by no-means what I perceive to be troublesome in battle."  He followed Childe a few meters away so the group was unable to hear them.

Childe shifted his mask to its resting place on the side of his head.  "There may be a way to retrieve her," he started in a quiet voice.  "But it would only be possible if you declare war against the Tsaritsa."

"Tell me, Childe, why should I trust you after you breached our trust?"

"You can't, but I trust that we all have our comrade's best interests in mind, no?   If you're able to rally the people of Teyvat, the Tsaritsa may yield.  Her Majesty has no interest in declaring war against the mortals as you are already aware."

It was a fitting task for the God of War; declare a world war against the Tsaritsa, and she'd yield without calling his bluff.  Even so, the former archon was not convinced.  Childe would need to up his charming façade.  He was only lying for your own safety after all; he'd back you into joining the harbingers, and you'd be free of the Fatui's grasp in the outside world.  You wouldn't be hunted for the rest of your life; you could live freely in your captors' backyard.  The suffering you were being thrown into now would last a lifetime if you continued to resist.

Some part of the harbinger knew it was a twisted form of compassion--dare he call it love--for you.  He needed you to free yourself both of the Fatui's and Xiao's grasps.  The only way to do that would be to recruit you, but you weren't so easy to convince.  You wouldn't be in danger of getting hurt by his subordinates his way.  You wouldn't hurt yourself by chasing after Xiao if Childe stepped in either.  He didn't care that it was selfish of him to step between your struggling romance.

What better way to keep you safe, mentally and physically, than to break you into submission?

The two opposing forces continued their hushed discussion for twenty more minutes before Zhongli broke away from Childe.  He was about to fill the group in on the details when Childe attacked him from behind.

[lotzzoforangezoutside]

92 X-Files fanfic, w/ summaries

Quick overall for Winter Quarter (Nov 21-Jan 22):

In The Original Series, the fics happen within the same universe, but they’re completely fine to read as standalone stories.

The timeline is happening, slowly, and too messy to be posted now....

Emily Universe is where Emily lives, is adopted by Scully, who later marries Mulder and have a son named Wiley.

There’s also Jacksons Universe, where Jackson VDK travels back in time and delivers his 7-year-old self to Mulder and Scully. Jackson ends up staying with his birth parents. As a result, Mulder and Scully have two sons who are 11 years apart: William and Fox Jr.

And of course, there’s Cricket Universe, set after the revival, it’s about the lives of Mulder, Scully, William, Kuiper aka Cricket, and William’s best friend/girlfriend Michiko “Millie” Leixia.

So, here we go & thanks so much for reading :)

Original Series

Delayed:  Mulder and Scully go to a costume party.  

Rest:  Post-Unruhe

Surprises:  Post-Detour    

The Mexican Coca-Cola is Much Sweeter:  Post-El Mundo Gira

Have You Met A Stranger:  “Intimacy Compatibility between Pisces and Libra“    

The Unnecessity of Physical Distances: “She sleeps better when he is near.”    

Silence:  Mulder ditches Scully again. Set in season 2.

Things We Say When We’re 700 Miles Apart:  “Once, on the phone, with him in the basement office and her 700 miles away, he asked her to marry him.”    

Cheeks on Desk: Fluff, Sleepy Scully + Jealous Mulder.  

Lunch with You: Lunch with his new partner.  

Sunday:  Sundays, past and future.

2e-10: A riddle

The Secret of the Sky is Not to be Revealed: Palm reading session.  

A Fly on the Wall: Typical day in the basement.  

Pink Piglet and His Baby Mama:  Mulder goes to the dentist.  

With A Cherry on Top:  Fluff.

The Turkey Special: Thanksgiving 1997.

Together We’ll Mend Your Heart:  How traditions are established.

When the Sundog Did Not Come:   Post-dod kalm    

Eight: Set during Chinga. How Mulder keeps busy while Scully’s away.

Man on a Mission:   Can be read as a sequel to Sunday.  

Childish Games:  Cootie catcher and pig Latin.

No Other Fish: How Mulder got his fish.  

The Ancient Secrets of the Bee Pollen: Lunch time.    

The Goddess and the Scholar: Dana Scully, Goddess of the Scholars.  

Breakfast on the Weekends: Breakfast time.  

Particular: What Mulder dreams about.

Pink, Dancing, and Bubbly:  Trick-or-treat memories.

Rent Day Blues:  Mulder muses about his living quarters.  

Salt and Sugar: Post series. The Ultimate road trip.  

Cigarettes Will Kill You: Post-Brand X

Headlong: What falling in love feels like.    

Seven Pound and Six Ounces: Post- Emily.  

Second Christmas: Celebrating Christmas twice.                      

The Next Christmas:  sequel to Second Christmas.

Occam’s Razor: post-How the Ghosts Stole Christmas    

The Answering Machine: Mulder listens to messages on his answering machine

Heads and Tails:  Post-Home

A Month Shy of A Year:  Post-Young at Heart

A Call with Chuck: Dana chats with her little brother Charlie.  

Forgetfulness and Presbyopia:  Post- Nothing Lasts Forever

The Other Dream: Mulder and his strange dreams.  

The Cincinnati Chili is a Sin to Pass Up:  Post-Revelations.  

Pups:  Post-Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster  

Barnes Corners:  Post- Max

True Love Happens Every Day:  Mulder and Scully go to the Farmer’s Market.    

The Meanings of Thermos:  “The first thing she realized was that thermos meant differently to her now.”    

Tuesdays With Mulder:  Past and future lovers.    

Old Friend in Oxford:  Set during All Things. Mulder visits a friend in Oxford.  

Mulder’s Chickadee: Post- One Son

The Broken Pinky Loneliness:  Post- the Pine Bluff Variant

The Markings of a Man:  If Mulder can wear Scully’s shirt, he would.  

The Master Of:  3-person POV,  a scene at a restaurant.

Universes: Fox Mulder and his experiences.    

The Cygnet and Dumbo: How the ugly ducklings marries the elephant that can fly.

Marks and Scars: Number of the scars.  

Waiting for the Ship to Come:   Post Demons    

The Origin of the Walkie-Talkie: First cell phones  

The Excepted One: Mulder’s exception.

AU

A Full House Thanksgiving: A Thanksgiving special.

The Tentative Trouble with Time Traveling: Scully time travels back to the 90′s and meets a very young Fox Mulder...

Emily AU

And They Were All Yellow: Mommy and Daddy are dressing up for Halloween!  

The Spookys: Take your daughter and son to work day, FBI style.

Skinny Noodles: Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Yucky Boys and Fickle Girls:  Mulder’s biggest worry.  

Priceless:  Fox Mulder’s spending habits.  

It: Getting a puppy!  

Spelling Bees and Sing-A-Longs: A fun car-ride.  

Letter to Santa: Emily’s letter to Santa.  

Christmas at Grandma’s: Spending Christmas at Grandma Maggie’s!  

Minime: Mulder and his Mimi Me.  

Faithful One-Hundred Percent: Emily’s favorite book.  

Deep Space Sparkle: Emily gets a teddy bear.  

Sympathy Pox: Emily gets the Chicken Pox.  

Belong:  Emily reads a book for Mulder.  

The Year of the Fox: Emily makes a deal.  

Jacksons AU:

The Boy from the Future:  Life with two boys.  

The Things Said by the Hands: Mulder learns something from his son.

Cricket Universe

Ten Rules of Dating:  Mulder’s dating rules for his girls.

Daddy’s Girl:  Mulder and his girls enjoying the tail of summer.

First Day: Cricket’s going back to school.

How to Dad:  Dad is a verb.

Brought to You by The LGM:  A show. A gift. A trip down memory lane.

For the Life of Pie:  Pie appreciation runs in the family.

Semi-Grown:  William’s act of rebellion.

A Reunion:  Mulder and Scully reunite with two old friends.

The Trekkie Professor:  William meets Gibbs.

Premonition: A typical day set in the future.

An Experiment: William tries something silly with his girlfriend.

A Late Summer:  Haven’t you heard? 30 is the new 20.

Conversation in the Very Very Late at Night….

thirteen: talk about pick up lines

fourteen:  talk about summer camps

100 word drabbles…. tau |  upsilon | phi | chi | psi |

[b4kubiddies]

how bakugou would interact with animals: scenarios

characters: bakugou, gender neutral s/o

warnings: mention of bugs

okay so i saw this drawing of bakugou w/ a cat and i can’t stop thinking abt it so i wrote this 

i have so many pets

hope everyone had a great day :))

bunnies: I think he’d be okay with bunnies, he’s probably used to them from koda’s being around the dorms (have y’all seen the pic of him chasing koda’s bunny-). he spent lots of time outdoors as a kid, he was bound to cross paths with one sometime in his life. He probably wouldn’t want to hold yours if you had one, but he wouldn’t mind it, maybe even stroking it on occasions. 

you sat on the couch watching a show, your soft plush rabbit seated in your lap. katsuki sat to your left, switching his gaze back and forth between the tv and your lap, starring your favorite ball of fluff down. the bunny ruffled in your lap, shaking slightly from the look it had received from your partner. you looked down at the rabbit, soothing it by rubbing behind it’s ears and offering it another piece of lettuce. as it settled down, you saw bakugou reach his hand up, gently flattening the ears of the bunny with his large hand, a soft scowl on his face as he did so. you smiled, your heart swooning at the thought of such a big tough guy being soft for a silly little rabbit. 

guinea pigs: Bakugou is scared of them omg. I’ve had quite a few guinea pigs (i only have 2 rn), and every grown man i’ve showed them to was lowkey scared. They do bite on occasion, if you tickle them or if they simply don’t want to be touched. 

taking your tiny pet out of the cage, you set it down in it’s playpen to get some time to safely run. you stepped over the barrier, seating yourself on the floor with some treats in your hand. your guinea pig loved carrots, especially fed straight from your hand. bakugou walked in to your bedroom, cocking a brow at the sight of you sitting on the floor near the edge of the pen before he sat on the edge of your bed. you got out when you noticed him, scooping the small animal back into your arms. you sat next to him, noticing his intense stare at your guinea pig. you gently set the guinea pig on his lap without warning. the look of pure panic on his face was priceless, a grown man terrified of such a small creature. “scared, suki?” you teasingly asked, your partner looking up with a look mixed with anger and fright. the guinea pig nibbled at bakugou’s lap, you laughed slightly as you picked it back up to rid him of his fear. just as you were headed towards the cage, the fuzzy little thing peed on your arm. bakugou laughed incessantly as you stood there in anger and disbelief,telling you that karma sure is a bitch!

cats: he probably hates cats, they’re adorable but so so spiteful. he also hates that the cat gets most of your attention. 

katsuki was lounged on the couch, watching you play with your cat on the floor near his feet. you’d had it since before you got together, and it was almost heart wrenching to hear he wasn’t fond of your furry friend. as you swung the feather ended stick back and fourth, the cat darted in the same direction. as you moved the feather closer towards bakugou, the cat lept and clung to his calf, digging and sinking it’s sharp claws into his skin. katsuki hissed angrily, mumbling something along the lines of “shitty cat” as the feline released its claws and resumed playing. god did he hate that cat, constantly jumping on him to get to you, nuzzling in between you both to separate your cuddle sessions. you often heard him fight with the cat, yelling at it to move while he was cooking, then yelling when it spitefully pushed something on the counter. telling it not to come in the bathroom while he showered, not to scratch at the couch. their relationship was comedical to you, but god did he wish you’d get rid of that shitty cat. 

dogs: he loves dogs, especially big ones. he thinks they’re badass, “manly” as kiri would say. he loves the loyalty and strength dogs tend to have, finding it similar to himself. he wouldn’t mind a medium sized dog, but he wouldn’t like small dogs. there can only be one angry yapping pomeranian in the house, and he’s already filled that spot. (i’m not a big dog fan, don’t like the way they constantly lick you)

starting off so small and tiny, a pretty puppy with a bow collar in a box, the dog you had surprised your partner with for his birthday had grown as big as a beast. bakugou loved the dog, loved teaching it tricks and commands, even loved cooking it a spare piece of meat when he prepared dinner. this was hands down the best present he’d ever received, he’d put years and years of pride into making the clumsy lil’ pup into a well behaved companion. the dog often sat or layed with him on the couch, never straying far from katsuki’s side. as you stood up from your seat next to bakugou to get a drink from the kitchen, the dog stole your spot in an attempt to be closer to it’s favorite owner. you huffed as you sat down on the other end of the couch, katsuki chuckling at your reaction as he stroked the head of the pup laying in his lap. 

turtles: i think he’d find them intriguing. not his favorite animal, but he doesn’t mind them. 

you went to take the turtle out of the tank, ready to clean and scrub it. bakugou watched as you struggled to catch it, the damn thing swimming away every time you went for it. he walked over as you groaned in frustration, ready to help you catch it. he had seen wild turtles before, caught them in the river growing up with his friends (and that damn nerd deku). he knew you had to be patient, wait until they settle down before sneaking up on them. he took your hands out of the tank, giving the turtle a chance to calm down. he gently reached his large  hands in, grabbing and catching the small thing in one go. you scowled at his success, him smirking back at you as a silent brag. he helped you clean the tank, you scrubbed the turtle’s shell to reduce the risk of shell rot. when you were finally done you thanked him, joking that if he hadn’t helped you would have had turtle soup for dinner.

lizards (this ones abt geckos): i think they also kinda interest him, there are some really pretty lizards and he likes the pattern of the one you have. he likes to watch them hunt their food, he thinks its badass. 

katsuki watched you scoop the lizard up, softly placing it near your neck. they always love the spot, it’s so nice and warm that they often fall asleep. he watched it crawl around you, running up your neck before settling in it’s favorite spot. you began to clean it’s tank, ridding it of all the bugs that had not been eaten. he watched as you changed it’s water and the matt on the bottom of the tank, the lizard sitting nice and pretty the whole time. it was as if it knew it had pretty colors, wanting to display them for everyone to see. you set it back down in the tank, watching it crawl into the safety of it’s dark hiding hut. bakugou made his way over to you, startling you as he slipped his arms around your waist. he peered over your shoulder as you dropped in some food, closely paying attention to the way it lunged at the crickets, unapologetically devouring them. you both cheered the lizard on, somehow fit was fun to watch the small thing eat.  

[fa1rytunes]

pairing: xiao/chongyun rating: mature word count: 3k tw: implied rape attempt tags: atypical angel/demon au, suggestive themes, dirty talk, finger sucking, mutual pining, soulmates

> NO ONE UNDER 16, SUGGESTIVE CONTENT <

ao3 link: here other notes: written for xiaoyun weekend day 1, angel/demon au

When faced with the fact that they have all eternity to be together, angels Xiao and Chongyun choose a path much different from that of their demons.

It was a rite of passage. Usually, they’d have done it alone, but Xiao and Chongyun were like two peas in a pod. One moved, the other followed like his shadow. They completed each other so perfectly, so uncannily perfectly that they had to do it together.

Meeting their assigned demons for the first time, that is.

Both of them sort of hoped that, after meeting their demons, they’d be able to safely return to the tranquil life they’d been living as companions.

They didn’t know why they had been matched together, but it was not exactly uncommon for angels to work in pairs. However, at first glance, Xiao and Chongyun made an odd duo.

Xiao had become an angel after living a very troubled mortal life. He had his fair share of blood on his hands. And… It wasn’t all good blood to have on one’s hands. While he had spent most of his mortal life working as an emergency surgeon in an ER, he had also lived a double life, helping criminals. He wasn’t sure he really deserved to be made an angel, but the role seemed perfectly suitable for him, because of his tendency to save and protect anyone who asked.

As for Chongyun, he wished he could remember his mortal life. Instead, all he had to cling onto was the immediate pull he felt towards Xiao after he opened his eyes next to him in the afterlife. Like quite a few angels, his memory had been wiped clean. This was a new beginning for him. No one really knew why some angels remembered their mortal lives and some didn’t, but all figured it was part of someone’s plan. Nevertheless, what remained of Chongyun’s mortal life was his personality: meek, but always cheerful, trying to keep a positive outlook on everything—quite the opposite of Xiao, who had a temper that pushed away pretty much everyone else. Only around Chongyun did his temper mellow out, but nobody quite understood why.

The both of them spent some time in the angels’ realm, getting acquainted with their new state of existence and learning how to use their wings. They knew that this time wouldn’t last.

The notion of time had little meaning to angels, but all angels were fated to meet their demons, and to engage against them into the eternal struggle to keep them from wreaking havoc on the mortal realm. But just like no one had had to explain angels how to fly, or how to cross the boundary between the angels’ realm and Teyvat, nobody had to tell Xiao and Chongyun that the time to meet their demons had come. It was a question of instinct, really. Nobody had to tell them where to go, either.

And thus, they found themselves in familiar territory—for Xiao, at least. The high cliffs surrounding the pool in the middle of Wuwang Hill were a sight he remembered very well from his mortal life. Fireflies floated around the calm waters of the pond, and the sound of frogs and crickets singing into the night filled the atmosphere. Many times he found himself in this area for stargazing. Part of him feared that the fond memories attached to this place would be tainted by what they came there to do, though.

Chongyun gave his hand a firm squeeze.

“It’ll be alright,” he said quietly.

Xiao gave a silent nod in response. He didn’t have the heart to explain Chongyun how he felt, but maybe he didn’t need to. It seemed like Chongyun could read him like an open book, and that was often a relief, for Xiao was not particularly skilled at putting his feelings into words.

They walked alongside one another, their steps in sync on the rocks in the pond, and then on the dirt path that meandered through the hills and the forest. A warm, humid breeze swirled around them. Chongyun’s hand felt cool and soft under Xiao’s fingers. It always did.

They exchanged a quick glance as a wave of shivers ran down their necks. They’re here.

A honeyed laughter echoed from their right, just beyond a large rock on the side of the path. When they came into view, Xiao and Chongyun frowned in unison.

It was easy to guess that those two really were Xiao and Chongyun’s demons. Their resemblance was uncanny. The other Chongyun looked like a splitting image of the one standing next to Xiao, only, he was dressed in navy blue instead of white, with lighter blue details. The other demon was bare-chested, and dressed in red instead of jade green and purple.

What was most troubling, though, was how they acted.

They were laying down in the grass, the demon who looked like Chongyun on top of the one who looked like Xiao, and it took both angels a moment to realize where the demons’ hands were going. They were going in… not very appropriate places. One was firmly groping the other’s ass, and the other’s hand was dangerously close to the first one’s crotch. And they were… aggressively making out. The demonic Xiao lookalike interrupted his kissing session to look up.

“Oh, look, there they are, finally,” he said.

The Chongyun lookalike turned around to stare at the two angels.

“Hm… They look so stiff. Are they made out of cardboard or something?” He nonchalantly trailed his hand on the other demon’s chest.

“Darling, you know all angels are made out of cardboard. They can’t take a joke, can’t have fun, can’t have sex. That’s how dull they are,” he sneered.

Xiao turned around, letting go of Chongyun’s hand, but Chongyun caught his arm.

“I’ve seen enough,” he hissed through his teeth.

He spread his wings, ready to fly back to their home, but Chongyun held firm.

“Are you sure that’s all we need to see?” the blue-haired angel asked.

“Whatever more they have to show us, I don’t want to see,” he replied.

“Oh, a little flustered by our display of affection, are we?” Chongyun’s alter ego asked, smirking.

“Oh, don’t tell me… Those two haven’t fucked yet?! Wow, I’m impressed. Maybe angels really are that prude,” the other demon replied, chuckling.

Xiao itched to shut them up, but he knew that the demons were deliberately provoking them. Getting them to react was, without a doubt, the demons’ goal from the get go. That was the reason Xiao wanted to fly away. That, and the fact that seeing both demons so obviously touching each other, making it very visible that their relationship went way beyond Chongyun and Xiao’s companionship, roused a strange confusion deep within his heart, and he was not sure he wanted to face those feelings.

“Oh—could it be…?! Could it be that they haven’t even told each other they like each other? Oh, dear Abyss, I don’t believe it!” Xiao’s lookalike added.

Chongyun scowled. For the first time since Xiao and him had met, the contact of his hand on Xiao’s arm felt warm, not cool. Concerned by the sudden change in his companion’s energy, Xiao turned back to Chongyun.

“Let’s just ignore them and get away from here, they’re doing this on purpose, they just want to provoke us,” he whispered next to Chongyun’s ear.

Chongyun gulped. His face was painted red all over and, if he had been a mortal, his heart would’ve been racing in his chest at that moment. Xiao felt a squeeze from Chongyun’s hand on his arm and guessed how flustered the blue-haired angel was.

Chongyun wouldn’t have had any qualms about leaving right away if the demons had been wrong about everything they’d said so far. But they weren’t.

The two demons burst into a fit of laughter at the same time.

“Oh, in the name of the Abyss Prince, just look at them! They’re so stupid, they haven’t even realized why they feel pulled towards one another,” the demon who looked like Chongyun exclaimed.

He wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes.

“Damn, guys, you’re really passing on an occasion. Did you know that Xiao has a huuuuge cock?” he added. “I mean, look at that bulge!”

Just as he spoke, he stroked the other demon’s crotch through his clothes, and the other hummed in satisfaction, canting his hips under the touch.

“And it just so happens that my darling right here has a mouth perfect for dick sucking, among other things,” the demon looking like Xiao added, grabbing the other demon’s chin and pulling his mouth open.

Without any care in the world, he shoved two fingers inside the blue-haired demon’s mouth, to which the demon replied by greedily licking and sucking on them.

Chongyun was standing there, speechless, and Xiao spoke into his ear again.

“Let’s go, I’ve seen enough,” he growled.

Chongyun snapped back to his senses.

“I… Yes, okay, let’s head back,” he said.

They both turned their backs to the demons and spread out their wings, ready to take flight.

“Oh no, look, honey, it seems like our little angelic guests already want to flee! We can’t let them get away with this, now, can we?” Xiao’s alter ego cooed. “The fun is only starting…”

“Got it,” the other demon replied.

The next moment, Xiao and Chongyun had to jump back to avoid getting slashed by the greatsword the demon waved in front of him. The air temperature dropped sharply, and the angels’ exhale produced mist in front of their mouths.

“Out of our way, hellspawn,” Xiao snarled, calling forth his jade polearm.

“Funny you should say that,” the Xiao double said from right behind the angel. “With the kind of blood you have on your hands, don’t you think that I should be the angel, and you the demon?” He let out a sinister cackle.

Chongyun moved behind Xiao, facing his companion’s red-clad lookalike.

“Careful, demons, you know our strength is equal. There’s no use in fighting,” the blue-haired angel declared.

“Yes, we may be matched in strength, but as for cunningness, we certainly are not,” the demon replied. “Be careful, you two, we just might be able to trick you.”

He smirked, and winked. Chongyun’s claymore materialized in his hands and he lowered his stance, waiting for the demon to attack. On the other side, Xiao and Chongyun’s demon glared at each other with eyes that could kill, silently observing each other, waiting for an opening to strike. As soon as the blue-haired demon moved to swing his blade, Xiao got ready to parry. They engaged in a fierce battle behind Chongyun, delivering hit for hit, without any sign that one of them was going to win over the other.

The noise of the struggle distracted Chongyun for a moment, and thus, he barely had the time to jump to the side to avoid his opponent’s spear. The demon used this opportunity to sneak much closer to Chongyun, grabbing him by the collar and knocking him off his feet. He then jumped on top of the blue-haired angel, holding him down with his spear across the throat.

“Hey, Chongyun, I should take you for myself, make you my little fucktoy, don’t you think? Since Xiao is too stupid and too much of a coward to take you…” the demon said, licking his lips.

“You’re dreaming, malignant spirit,” Chongyun uttered through clenched teeth.

He kicked his knee up into the demon’s stomach, knocking him off from him. While Xiao’s double was getting back up, Chongyun sprinted to Xiao, who was barely dodging the attacks from his opponent. Without a word, the blue-haired angel spread his wings and kicked the ground, and flew just above Xiao, grabbing his outstretched arm in the process and lifting him up in the air. Once they were out of sight of Wuwang Hill, Chongyun dropped Xiao down, and Xiao stretched his wings to fly alongside Chongyun.

Their trip back to the angel’s realm happened in a stunned silence, both of them too unsettled and confused by how the encounter went to dare speak up yet.

Once they finally settled down under a tree, sitting side-by-side, gazing far away into the horizon, only then did Xiao speak up.

“I’ve never heard of demons being this aggressive before,” he let out. “We’re not supposed to fight, it’s pointless.”

“I trust you on that one… you’ve hung around other angels for a long time before we met,” Chongyun replied, and his hand found Xiao’s.

“I have… I was waiting for you,” Xiao quietly said.

As he intertwined their fingers, Chongyun thought about their alter egos’ words. The sight of them making out on the grass had felt surreal. Deep down, the blue-haired angel knew that Xiao and himself were soulmates. There was no denying the pull they felt towards one another. It was magnetic. Most angels met their soulmate in the afterlife, that much was to be expected. But a soulmate could take on the role of a friend, of a sibling, of a parent, and, of course, of a lover.

And although they had spent all this time together, none of them had dared to make the first step towards making their relationship more than platonic.

Now that their demons had made it very obvious that this was a possible outcome for their relationship, the idea seemed almost repulsive to him. Wouldn’t it be the equivalent of giving their alter egos victory over them, to make their relationship more than friendship? Chongyun shuddered at the thought.

And yet, when he looked at Xiao, when he felt the warmth of his fingers between his own, when his eyes dived into the smouldering amber of Xiao’s eyes, Chongyun had to admit to himself that he had thought about kissing him.

He’d thought about it, and then abandoned the idea, because what if Xiao doesn’t want their relationship to be that way? What if they were only meant to be friends?

Chongyun wished that the mysterious entity who was in charge of all of this—angels, demons, soulmates, the structure of the universe, everything—had provided them with more than instinct to deal with all of this.

As naturally as the leaves fall down with the coming of colder months in the autumn, Chongyun’s head fell onto Xiao’s shoulder, his eyes still lost on the horizon. In front of them rolled the grassy, soft hills of this corner of the angel’s realm. Trees grew behind them, forming a dense forest, and the singing of birds and the soft rustling of the wind through the tree’s leaves filled the air. There was nothing but peace, nothing but softness to be found in this realm, and yet, Chongyun’s mind was filled with confusing thoughts brought about by their arch nemeses. They had introduced chaos in their blissful retreat, and for that, the blue-haired angel could not repress a hint of anger.

Xiao wished he could ignore it, too. He knew, deep down, that what he felt for Chongyun was more than friendship, more than a family bond. But he was in no hurry to explore that, since they had all of eternity to fall in love. He wanted to discover Chongyun piece by piece, to learn every corner of his soul, patiently. But their encounter with the demons had casted a seed of doubt in his mind. Xiao had never been one to be forthcoming with his feelings, but perhaps taking his time was a waste, since he knew what the outcome would be, in any case.

He looked down at Chongyun, at the crown of icy blue hair, soft against his bare shoulder, and sighed. Why did it have to matter that their demons teased them about taking their time? Why did it have to matter that they handled their relationship how they saw fit? Just because their demons were very obviously much more than friends didn’t mean that Xiao and Chongyun had to be more than friends right away.

Plus, just because the Sustainer had intended for their demons to be romantic soulmates didn’t mean they had the same plan for Xiao and Chongyun.

But… There was little doubt in Xiao’s mind that this was what the Sustainer had intended. The flutters in his stomach when his gaze crossed the crystalline purity of Chongyun’s eyes, or when the other angel leaned against him like this, or when their fingers intertwined like it was the most natural thing in the world, none of it could lie.

And so, when Chongyun sat up to ask Xiao if he was okay, sensing the trouble within his heart, it was a bittersweet smile that painted itself on Xiao’s lips.

“I’m fine… it’s just…”

“They… they were right.”

“Yes. But… it doesn’t mean that we have to be like them,” Xiao said.

“No, it doesn’t,” Chongyun said, and he smiled.

He took in a sharp inhale before continuing.

“But… I still want to kiss you. And I know that it’s giving them—”

Chongyun could not finish his sentence, not as Xiao leaned forward and closed the space between them in a soft, warm kiss.

“It doesn’t matter what it’s giving them. This is us, it’s none of their business,” he huffed, softly cupping Chongyun’s cheek.

Chongyun’s face had heated up a few degrees, his cheek now feeling warmer than usual under Xiao’s fingers.

“Y-yes but… a-are you…” Chongyun mumbled, trying to get a hold on himself.

“Sure about this? Yes.”

The blush on Chongyun’s face was renewed, and Xiao let out a light chuckle. They were definitely quite different from their demons. Time had little meaning to angels, yes. But it was because they had so much of it that they could afford to take things slow, to savour every bit of the pleasure of falling in love gradually, to learn each other’s mind patiently like a map, one street, one avenue at a time.

“Okay,” Chongyun murmured, and he laid his overheated cheek back against Xiao’s shoulder as he leaned against him once again.

There was not much to add, for everything left unsaid would eventually be said, when the time would be right.

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