#divider cr: milklemondrop

[generalsdiary]

Sunday x gn!reader (drabble)

“I just finished a part of the renovation in my room. do you wanna see?” you stated in a simple tone to the man with tired eyes in front of you. there was sweetness in them, you knew it. and, at this time, you know he is probably feeling isolated, lonely, estranged, and perhaps very much like a newbie despite the given status remaining on the trailblazer.

Sunday gave you a small nod and quietly followed you up the stairs to your room. at the entrance, both of you put on slippers and Sunday stayed behind to take off his coat.

walking amongst some boxes and clutter, the whole space is not yet finished, you stop by your bed and sit down. he approached the bed, placing a knee on it, leaning forward; making you lay back down and push up more onto the bed until he fully laid on top of you in a warm embrace.

Sunday exhaled quietly, his eyes were shut and he held you tightly. “finally”

“some peace and quiet?” you questioned in a soft voice. your fingers moved to brush through his blueish-grey hair.

“I have always had peace and quiet. it is you, this space... the comfort your presence offers. it soothes the sore wound, of leaving my home behind.”

the outer space offered a pleasant white noise and being closer to the train's engine provided a quiet humming sound. accompanied by your breathing, in harmony with his, and your heart beating strongly in your chest, it all pulled Sunday into a feeling of hope. and perhaps a possibility of a new home.

[generalsdiary]

Lighter x gn!reader (drabble)

you take off his sunglasses. flipping them around in your hand. grey, hazy. what a blurry sight through them. all scratched up over the years. or perhaps from the small sand particles and high speeds on his bike. driving through those hollows as he likes to. "I should buy you a new pair." you focus on him now. his green eyes hang low, set on you. long lashes resting softly against his cheeks. messy hair covering his eye and forehead. you brush a strand or two aside. it is dark in his room. a sliver of light providing a dim hue to the room. enough for you to see him, and not too much for him to feel the pain from his old wounds opening up in his eyes.

"eh, I'm used to this pair." Lighter voices in a smooth low voice, tilting his head a bit.

"I can get the same model" you utter and lean in to press a soft kiss next to his lips. Lighter lazily smiles, his arms wrap around your waist tightly and pull you even more on top of him. a soothing feeling fills you as his hand rubs up and down your back, making you relax completely. "mh, you give it a try finding them and I'll try them out" he hums. his hand cupped your cheek, making you look at him again. a familiar flutter in your stomach makes you smile, he is so handsome.

"gorgeous" Lighter smiles and leans in to brush his nose against yours. a familiar chuckle feels his ears. you live for moments like these. for the soft touch of his lips against yours. the scent of his cologne, not as strong, worn out from the day. the smell of clean cotton sheets. he makes life feel good again.

[generalsdiary]

if you accept requests, can i request sunday with an express crew reader who has a fake halo ring on their head because they think that is pretty, they first meet him on the express and went to touch his halo ring thinking it is fake too? i know it is quite long and a bit specific so feel free to skip. And your writing is so good! your little analysis on sunday's wing ADORABLE.

(theirs is just plain sparkly rubber band😭)

hi anon! I do accept requests. and seriously don't worry, I LOVE THE IDEA, it is not at all too specific or long; actually the perfect amount for me to work with.

I would've written this yesterday when you sent the ask, but I was caught up painting (Sunday of all people lmao). also, I'm so glad you like my writing, tysm! hope you like this one, I wrote it really quickly, cos I'm still busy but this had caught my attention for sure.

Sunday x gn!reader

warnings: none

word count: 400~

One more check in the mirror, yes, it looks good. You nod at your reflection. The golden halo gives the illusion of realness. At least, that is what you tell yourself. It probably looks ridiculous to actual Halovians. Never mind, you smile at your sight in the mirror and head to the main car to greet guests.

Despite visiting Penacony with the crew, you failed to ever meet the infamous Sunday. And he looks even more beautiful in person, it is almost dazing.

“It is a pleasure to meet you.” you chirp, shaking his hand.

“Likewise” Sunday smiles, you can almost hear a choir singing. He looks like an angel. That halo is perfect. Should you ask him for tips? You reach out with your hand. “Your halo looks amazing, how did you make it so perfectly?” and… your fingers pass through nothing. Feeling a bit surprised, you ponder if it is a gadget with a projector? Doubtful. It takes a few moments before you notice that you stunned the poor man.

Sunday dryly chuckles, “It… it is very real, I assure you.” He takes a small step to the side, making his halo move further away from your touch.

To say you blushed would be an understatement. Hoping the Express would crash at that moment just so you wouldn’t have to deal with this situation, “Uh.. I- I am so sorry- I didn’t mean to-“ you fumble with your words trying to salvage the situation.

“I understand. I can see your… pretend one.“ He smiles. You’re internally cursing at yourself and biting the inside of your cheek, could this be any more embarrassing?

“I just think they’re pretty. Angelic, and wonderfully complimentary on a person.” There’s a proud aura around you, maybe you saved the situation.

“Ah, so you’re a flatterer. Thank you, I do agree they are pretty. Although, they are a genetic part of me.” Sunday smiles. Internal high five, you saved the conversation. Except for the fact Sunday looked at you up and down. Is he checking you out? Or judging the way your halo looks on you? Either way, you avert your gaze, swallowing hard. What a bold man.

“I wasn’t trying to flatter-“ No, you gotta be bolder; match his energy, “I know they’re genetic, as I know that your kind can even influence, some of them, how the halo ends up looking.”

There’s a knowing glint in his eyes and an ever-resting smile. “I’ll happily explain how and why… care to get a drink with me and we can sit by one of the windows?” And there’s no way in hell you say no to him.

[generalsdiary]

analyses masterlist

tragic gays ☾ an analysis of queer depiction in media, games, etc.

Aventio & Johnlock parallels ☾ an analysis and comparison between Aventurine x Ratio and Sherlock x Watson

Aventurine & Dori comparison ☾ an analysis comparing two rich people and the way they treat money and people around them (just drawing some parallels)

Jiaoqiu post 2.5 events analysis ☾ Jiaoqiu (analysis of his mental well-being, angsty)

clouds leave no trace ☾ High Cloud Quintet lore/poetic analysis with Jing Yuan pov (fluff, angst)

[generalsdiary]

Sunday masterlist

after the chains that held me ☾ Sunday (post Penacony events)

the halo on your head ☾ Sunday x reader (drabble)

drabbles:

☾ Aeon!reader x Sunday

☾ Sunday's mannerisms

☾ comments on Sunday's mental wellbeing before 2.7

☾ Sunday (after joining the astral express) x reader

☾ more of Sunday's mannerisms/habits

[generalsdiary]

Dan Heng masterlist

confessions under the moon ☾ Dan Heng Imbibitor Lunae x reader (fluff, with some angst)

flowers... for me? ☾ Dan Heng x reader (fluff)

Dan Heng's diary - about Caelus ☾ Dan Heng x Caelus (fluff)

clouds leave no trace ☾ High Cloud Quintet lore/poetic analysis with Jing Yuan pov (fluff, angst)

drabbles:

☾ gifting your s/o flowers (it isn't the same writing as the one listed above)

[generalsdiary]

Jing Yuan masterlist

lazy mornings ☾ Jing Yuan x reader (fluff)

sunshine in his eyes ☾ Jing Yuan x reader (fluff)

clouds leave no trace ☾ High Cloud Quintet lore/poetic analysis with Jing Yuan pov (fluff, angst)

[generalsdiary]

A name written in water

Aventurine x Dr. Ratio

warnings: mention of blood

word count: 1.2k

description: aventurine pov, poetic processing of his own feelings about his life leading to an unspoken love confession

A name written in water.

My name was written in water. In a passing by invisible surface. Not lasting long enough to remember even the first letter. Carried away, meaningless with the current, taken away by the waves. Swallowed by the depths and forgotten. For it didn't even get a chance to be remembered. To be seen. To be taken.

My name was written in water when all around me was sand and dust. A cradle of white and my mother's smile. “May the Mother Goddess thrice close her eyes for you, keeping your blood eternally pulsing. May your journey be forever peaceful, and your schemes forever concealed…” her hopes spoken in the rustle of the unthinkable rain and the name she bestowed upon me.

Wrapped in a sheen of gold and stars, a blanket of luck gifted upon me, from which even the goddess herself doesn't remember my name. No matter which one I wear. The one of the innocent boy. The one of the overly confident man. The white shirt that has turned a muddy brown or the white fur of a once free animal. The rain that fell on the day of my birth created concentric circles on the surface of the water. Not allowing even the letter K to stay visible.

It was meant to be swallowed down with the depths of the seas, drowning in the everlasting abyss, just like my people in the pools of blood. The same river of blood my sister and I swam over. Hidden by those same people. Not living… people. A name not meant to be seen on the fragile water surface. A name plunged down, choked by the stream before it got a chance to get wings and fly away.

I have forgotten it. Forsaken it. Cursed it. Hidden it. The only thing that ever mattered to the ones around me, while I lacked any freedom, was my physical form. A name is never physical. It never mattered. I abandoned it, rejected it. Leaving no room for prayer. … I… have hidden it. Tucked it deeply far away inside. Somewhere, only out of memory, respect, and love for my people. My mother. My father. My big sister. Seemingly, to never see the light of day again. …

My name was written in water.

If only my name was written in wind. To be carried by song, by a kind word, by an old story, an ancient legend, a mere folk tale. It could have danced with many other, be adored, be worshipped, be hated, be loved. Never forgotten. Memories turn into stories. And stories, eventually, turn into songs. If it was written in the storm winds of Sigonia it could have been sung. The wind would have given me freedom. Given me wings. If only.

Yet… His name was written in wind. It travels through the flow of the cosmos, flowing amongst the stars even through the atmosphere of no air. It is sung with praise and cursed with tears. His name falls off of lips of those who worship him for the people he saved. His name is sung, his name is adored, his name is hated, loathed, spat, kissed, danced, uttered, prayed. The man, whose name swings off of the lips of more and many, sits beside me. And he speaks my name. He forces the river to freeze the surface so my name may be written in the thin ice. He commands the ocean to turn solid so that my name may be written in the snow that falls atop it. “The ice will melt”, I tell him. “The snow will evaporate”, I assure him.

Alas, he shakes his head.

Even if my name were written in the sands of my homeland, the same wind that carries his name would blow mine away. The dust particles of my name would dance in the wind, however the wind would not carry it like it does his. “But it would remain visible for a period of time”, He tells me. “It would be seen, remembered”, He reassures me.

Only the sweetest of names fall from those lips. “My love, my darling, my beloved, my precious, my treasure, my heart, my stars, my moon, my sun, my air, my, mine.” Liquid honey poured off of his tongue and found solace on his lips, dancing amongst his vocal cords. Sending vibrations upon which they caress my ears. Fireflies that fly around us reflect in his dusk-colored eyes and I swear the only stars I ever want to see are the ones in his eyes. Why does he look at me like that? It hurts. It makes me want to cry and fall into the deepest pit. It hurts to be looked at like… like I’m loved. Appreciated. More than what I pretend to be for the audience of the world. Less than what I deem myself worthy of. The gaze with which he holds me immobile, incapable of turning away, despite that I’m still a breath away from the tears rolling down my face. Can love truly feel this way? Can it ache my heart so much that I cannot bear it? That it feels too much when in fact I feel unworthy of it.

I’d relive my whole life again sooner than- it is fear. The corner of a dark room. The person throwing glances at the bar. I am afraid. Loving means being there, staying here, living here, having a reason, having someone to come back home to. It means respecting my own life. To love is to yearn, to bleed, to yell and shout and whisper and utter and plead and, and… to love him I am frightened. Terrified to speak it out to the universe. To dare imagine a world where I could be happy. Reluctant to care so deeply when it could all be taken away.

In spite of all that, oh Goddess, I love him. I love his name written in wind. I love him. I love him. I love him. And it hurts. The dread of losing him. Nonetheless, the hope in his eyes steadies me. Grounds me in the dark, cool soils of the earth. So I may one day, once again, allow my roots to find the dirt and grow my leaves again. To let them turn green. To stop being a dried down, branch naked tree with decorations thrown on top to hide the rotting insides. His eyes tell all I need to know. That we are worth it. The fear. That we will overcome it. That we will be alright. Although, I will need to also hear it aloud. Often. The soft smile on his face convinces me he will say it aloud. The love I see in him confirms that he finds no weight in it. No issue in saying what I need to hear.

And only when we are alone. When it is just the two of us. Does he hold my face gingerly in his hands, as if I'll break from too strong of a touch... as if I was something fragile. Someone precious. In the space with just the two of us, he speaks the words too intimate and personal, not meant for anyone's ears because they mean too much. They hold too much weight.

“Your name was written in water. And it courses through my veins. Every day. Every waking hour. My blood creates pressure against the thin walls and with each beat, it is your name” his next word is softer than what I'd imagine touching a butterfly's wings would be. 

“Kakavasha”

[generalsdiary]

I've written quite a bit of drabbles and while they are organized here on tumblr and my masterlist, on ao3 I didn't see how they would work given their low word count. so, I put them all together and separated them into chapters.

if you're interested in keeping up with my drabbles (aka, my work which is not longer than 1k words) I'll leave the ao3 link for that here and you can just bookmark it. whenever I post a drabble on here, I'll just add it as a chapter on there.

(all of my other work is posted normally, separately on ao3 and here)

[generalsdiary]

zenless zone zero masterlist

sunglasses ☀︎ Lighter x reader (fluff)

drabbles:

☀︎ Kavetham in ZZZ au

[generalsdiary]

Jiaoqiu masterlist

Jiaoqiu post 2.5 events analysis ☾ Jiaoqiu (analysis of his mental well-being, angsty)

the spice will warm me from the inside ☾ Jiaoqiu x Moze (hurt/comfort, angst, fluff, living their life post 2.5 events, healing their traumas)

domestic husbands ☾ Moze x Jiaoqiu (fluff)

drabbles:

☾ taking a walk with Jiaoqiu

[generalsdiary]

Moze x Jiaoqiu masterlist

domestic husbands ☾ Moze x Jiaoqiu (fluff)

the spice will warm me from the inside ☾ Jiaoqiu x Moze (hurt/comfort, angst, fluff, living their life post 2.5 events, healing their traumas)

Jiaoqiu post 2.5 events analysis ☾ Jiaoqiu (analysis of his mental well-being, angsty)

[generalsdiary]

Dr. Ratio x Aventurine masterlist

a tired gem ☾ Aventurine x Dr. Ratio (Aventurine pov, comfort oneshot)

legato ☾ Aventurine x Dr. Ratio (fluff)

A name written in water ☾ Aventurine x Dr. Ratio (Aventurine pov, poetic)

what if ratio breaks down and falls apart ☾ Dr. Ratio (angst, fluff, x Aventurine)

drabble ☾ Aventurine x reader (he leaves you for a man; Ratio)

is this enough for a love confession? ☾ Dr. Ratio x Aventurine (fluff, a sprinkle of angst)

sculpture ☾ Dr. Ratio x Aventurine (fluff)

Aventurine's nightmares ☾ (post Penacony events, x Dr Ratio, hurt/comfort, based on his message in game, angst, fluff)

there is no rain without clouds ☾ Dr. Ratio x Aventurine (rain deity x human) - complete (original drabble here)

the amethyst siren ☾ Dr. Ratio x Aventurine (siren!ratio x human!aventurine au)

Dr. Ratio w/ Kavetham parents x Aventurine ☾ (fluff, nostalgia)

Aventio & Johnlock parallels ☾ an analysis and comparison between Aventurine x Ratio and Sherlock x Watson

drabbles:

☾ hybrid cat!Ratio x Aventurine

[generalsdiary]

Aventurine masterlist

drabble ☾ Aventurine x reader (he leaves you for a man)

a tired gem ☾ Aventurine x Dr. Ratio (Aventurine pov, comfort oneshot)

legato ☾ Aventurine x Dr. Ratio (fluff)

A name written in water ☾ Aventurine x Dr. Ratio (Aventurine pov, poetic)

Aventurine's nightmares ☾ (post Penacony events, x Dr Ratio, hurt/comfort, based on his message in game, angst, fluff)

the amethyst siren ☾ Dr. Ratio x Aventurine (siren!ratio x human!aventurine au)

what if ratio breaks down and falls apart ☾ Dr. Ratio (angst, fluff, x Aventurine)

is this enough for a love confession? ☾ Dr. Ratio x Aventurine (fluff, a sprinkle of angst)

sculpture ☾ Dr. Ratio x Aventurine (fluff)

there is no rain without clouds ☾ Dr. Ratio x Aventurine (rain deity x human) - complete (original drabble here)

Aventio & Johnlock parallels ☾ an analysis and comparison between Aventurine x Ratio and Sherlock x Watson

Dr. Ratio w/ Kavetham parents x Aventurine ☾ (fluff, nostalgia)

Aventurine & Dori comparison ☾ an analysis comparing two rich people and the way they treat money and people around them (just drawing some parallels)

drabbles:

☾ hybrid cat!Ratio x Aventurine

[generalsdiary]

the amethyst siren - series

Chapter 1 - The Crash

[generalsdiary]

the amethyst siren

Dr. Ratio x Aventurine

warnings: mention of blood, one (1) curse word

word count: 3.3k

a/n: the making of this series was, truly, inspired by my wonderful mutual @kimeoshi and their amazing artwork of siren ratio here

description: siren!ratio x human!aventurine strangers/enemies to lovers, a ship crash forces them to work together for the best outcome for both sides (in this chpt)

Chapter 1: The Crash

Dark clouds in the distance covered the horizon, forewarning rain, and the flashes of white, an oncoming storm. Aventurine stepped out on the deck to confirm this information the captain of the cruise told him, he didn’t want the rain. it hadn’t come when he needed it, when his people needed it. the betrayal sits deeply in his bones. the easy line that falls off his tongue “I don’t like getting my clothes wet, they’re too expensive” a superstitious lie that also makes him look shallow which works in his favor. Better than people asking why he dislikes the rain.

thinking about it now, he regrets going onto the deck. The waves were looming high, sending a warning. The ship nearby that had the intention to raid them ended up crashing into them and Aventurine took out his gun in an attempt to defend himself. the water made the floor slick and the ship he was on slowly tilted… crashing, sinking. The pirates weren’t without damage, but Aventurine fell off board. With a scream that died in his throat and a gun that was now useless, he sank under the waves.

the sea was calm below the waves… quiet, not pushing, rushing. Yet the serene peace did not reach Aventurine, the slow burn of his lungs like timber slowly getting stronger and the helplessness isn’t allowing him to appreciate it. although he’d never appreciate it, the ocean is still a form of water. Betrayal runs deep.

Despite the current events the man blessed with luck still had hope, he’d somehow swim up and reach the surface, have his lungs fill with oxygen. Hope is a fragile flower, an anemone, the petals which bruise and break at the lightest touch. and the hope began wilting as Aventurine felt fear. Goosebumps rose on his skin, and if he wasn’t wet already, he’d be covered in a cold sweat. His eyes widened, trying to take in more information upon the sight opposing him. a merman…? a beautiful merman had his gaze set on Aventurine. with a long thick violet tail, his arms and lower torso trailed with small purple scales, and long dark nails, his hair was wet hence too dark to distinguish the color. the merman was a majestic, otherworldly view. The end of his tail was a royal ocean blue and he had many accessories decorating his appearance… along with a piercing glare. Except, Aventurine had human eyes and his vision underwater could only allow him to recognize the tail. Not human. Not a human, nope. The gun left his hand, floating beside him before it started slowly sinking. trembling upon the sight, an unnatural amount of fear kept him frozen and terrified. No escape, no running, no exit. this creature stared down at him and Aventurine’s vision grew dark… finally feeling the sensations in his body again only to sense the burn of his lungs and weakly attempt to swim up before it all went dark.

Veritas could hear everything. The rumble of the clouds in the distance, the wail of the waves getting stronger, the man on the front deck mumbling and lighting a cigar, the captain laughing, clinking his cup, loading his gun. The sea glided across the sides of the ship, the distant people casually chatting on the ship while the men here were about to raid it. Soft mumbling of a man hoping it won’t rain. with all the noise so diluted in the sea, his hearing outside of it was turned up a whole notch, overwhelmingly so. Veritas tried to meditate, something to not think of the dirty algae-covered glass box he was in, the ropes around his body, the future that was stolen from him and where he may be taken- simply worse than death. So, when the sea whispered to him of the ships crashing, he fought tooth and nail to get out. the sharp sting in his side from the shards of glass, the burn of the ropes on his arms, splinters of the dirty wooden floor, and cuts and bruises as he fell back into the sea- none of it mattered, as long as he got free again. The sea welcomed him in its cold embrace, like a protective parent, pushing him deeper and deeper making sure he was out of anyone’s grasp. Salt on his lips and oxygen in his gills, safe, quiet. If only he didn’t give his voice away. Veritas could’ve sung his way out of this. he didn’t expect to regret his lack of singing ability to bite him back that hard. Back then, what he got in exchange for his song was worth much more. His hazy thoughts were interrupted when he saw glowing blue and pink eyes staring at him. extraordinary… they are shining… Veritas swam closer, this human- how is he human? Is it not another of his species? those eyes are not ones of a human. Impossible. Another train of thought stopped when the human’s eyes closed and Veritas saw the slow rise of his chest, his hand immediately pressed against the human’s mouth and pinched his nose. A line of rose prickly curses fell from his lips as he swam to the surface. Damn you, Veritas. Always helping. Always saving. From his knowledge of humans, inhaling water will kill them, and choking will make them lose consciousness for a few minutes but will keep them alive. Finally reaching the surface, a shiver runs down his spine, he could be captured again. Maybe he could throw this human onto a ship? Yet his captor’s ship ran away and the other one was slowly sinking. Veritas kept the human’s head out of the water and kept himself hidden underneath the small body. watching the ribcage. Come on… contract, expand, come on. you can breathe. I was fast, I was fast enough. Veritas finds the lack of patience getting to him and he lists the information he knows in his mind. Humans cannot stand the pressure of the water and it may also push on their ribs… could that be… with his other hand, he pushes the human’s chest above the surface. Breathe. It is oxygen, you should be able to inhale- and he feels the contraction of the muscles. A sigh of relief.

After a few minutes of swimming, he fails to find a surface to leave the human upon. Turning it into his problem, or a death on his hands. He is a healer among other things, he will not have more blood on them. Veritas spends the next hour or so learning the pattern of the blond’s breathing, also noting the fact the human is still out cold. After the learned pattern he waits for the next inhale and- dives under. His hand covers the mouth and pinches the nose once more, he refuses to jump out like a dolphin- someone could see. but for each duration of a breath, he’d dive under and swim at a great speed in the direction he hoped the waves sounded right. A cave. The way they swished and kissed the walls, it had to be a cave.

Aventurine awoke to a dark area, the sun barely rising to light it up, covered in greenery and small waves splashing his clothes. He sat up, a strange tug around his fingers. a thin green weed. He quickly shook it off and tried to make sense of his surroundings, with a coughing fit scrubbing at his lungs. And a pair of eyes. They weren’t there a moment ago. There it was again. The fear. His breathing sped up, one of the hunted prey and he quickly met the wall behind him with his back, cornered and lost. No pretty words could salvage this, is this a person? Can he communicate? His luck has to be good for something- how did he get here, is it-

“you have awoken.” Frozen. Aventurine couldn’t move, his limbs stilled, and muscles stiffened. Where is his façade? why can’t he…

“I have tied a piece of grass to your finger and connected it to a shell, were you to tug it you would have opened the shell and it would’ve screamed. Which you did and then it, also did. How is your comprehension? I lack in experience of treating humans post accidents. I’m not particularly familiar with… ones that look like you. legs and… lungs only. I, uh. I brought food, it is beside you.” Veritas pointed to a couple of figs. Aventurine had so many questions, and he wanted to take control of the situation yet his mind remained empty with all but paralyzing fear and he takes a bite out of the fig, and only then does the fear loosen its grip on him.

“hello, friend~” he flashes his usual smile, a hand coming to rest behind his back, “I am Aventurine”

“that is a lie. I know of human names, and that isn’t a common one.” Veritas narrows his eyes. Aventurine in hopes of not angering the creature quickly corrects himself, “Kakavasha. I am Kakavasha. Aventurine is my title. Sort of. Anyways, and you, my dear merman are…?”

Veritas glared. A quirk of his eyebrow revealed he was insulted. “I am not a merman. Veritas.”

Aventurine ate more of the fruit. Not a merman… a mermaid? Perhaps he was wrong? It seemed impolite to intrude- but he had to play the cards he was given. “in that case, what is a beautiful creature such as you, my friend?”

An unamused expression Veritas usually had around the little ones came to shine upon the human. “a siren.” Aventurine quickly hid his reaction of shock. He nods as he processes this information- it makes sense. The fear. He is lucky this siren didn’t sing to him. drown him. kill him. jump him off the top deck and drag him under with a sweet, lovely lullaby.

“this was the… closest land I could bring you to. I assume you’re familiar with these waters?” Veritas quickly got to the point, he didn’t want to spend a moment longer in the presence of a human. In the presence of the kind that kidnapped him.

Aventurine slowly snaps out of his thoughts, his eyes meeting the siren’s. “I am not. I… I was here on a business trip, I can’t say that I know the surroundings. Thank you for… saving me.” He came upon the conclusion, it must have been the siren, who else would have it been? The ship surely crashed and sank. And since the siren has an uncanny glare, making Aventurine feel uneasy with shivers down his spine, he decided not to lie.

“I do not need your gratitude, I am a healer after all, and all lives matter.” Veritas says the ever-practiced line, spoken often, falling easily off his tongue. But the underlying edge to it doesn’t escape Aventurine’s ears. The blond tries to switch the power dynamic and make the air light with a flashy smile, “ah, so you’re a doctor~ how lucky for me”

Veritas shakes his head slightly, a hand reaching out of the water to facepalm. The sharp long nails, a dark purple shade which lightens and turns to scales the higher it goes up to his biceps. Veritas uses the motion to also scrunch his face into the palm, to ease his breath and not wince from the constant pain burning in the various cuts over his body. the cost of his escape was not high, and if he were at his home, or at least in the area he was familiar with he could have… gathered the necessary medicinal plants to treat them. the water around him slowly turned darker while one of his injuries, still filled with glass shards, slowly bled into the sea. In and out. breathe. breathe. The end of his tail, a brilliant blue shade, flicked, Veritas thanked the sea for hiding it- he was in pain, a lot of pain sending white flashes behind his closed eyes. And the density of the oxygen out of the water was much lower, upon the fact he usually uses his gills and not his lungs, adding to the lightheadedness he was feeling. Or is the blood loss? Or mayhaps the fact he struggled to eat anything? Paler in face by the moment.

Veritas removes the hand, a neutral expression again, everything hidden, like a perfect clay mask, one of the sculptures that he swims by in the depths. “a doctor? I- actually, it doesn’t matter, you have no information to give me, yet I cannot leave you here, for you would die. And the nearest land to here is something you wouldn’t be able to swim to.” The dawn eyes meet the watercolor ones.

“so, you don’t live here? Like… you can’t just swim back home- I mean dive?” Aventurine inquires.

“do you know every corner of the land, Kakavasha?” Veritas smoothly countered back. and Aventurine hangs his head a bit with a nod, understanding why the siren is still sticking around, and his eyes notice the shade of the water changing, the bruises on the siren’s body; different shades of purple than the ones of his scales and tail, various of red blotches and cuts. “what happened to you? how did you get here?”

“why does it matter to you?” Veritas cautioned.

“well, doc~” another one of those brilliant smiles, “it seems you need to find out where you are and I need help getting to the shore, perhaps we can make a truce? Work together?”

“I don’t trust you” the siren voiced firmly, and sighed. Veritas had no other options. He needed more healing factors, he needed to get home and away from the ship. The pirates. The humans. “I will check if there is any nearby.” And he dived off. Veritas couldn’t speak a word longer, wailing in pain as soon as the water covered his head, desperately he sought for any weeds that had the capacity of healing- anything, I will take anything. Mumbled words, exhausted body, barely holding himself above the sand, searching for a trace of hope.

Now alone again the smile fell off. Aventurine was stuck with the stoic siren, far away, if he wanted him dead that would’ve happened already. All the facts proved to work in his favor, as they always do. Such is his luck. The fresh fruit tasted sweet on his tongue and satiated his thirst. Would the siren value gold? He could give his jewelry in turn for guaranteed protection. The day turned to night, the cave turning dark. It was a chunk of covered rock, with not much room to walk around, Aventurine laid down to sleep, hoping Veritas would show up in the morning.

His pale lips trembled, a metallic taste rested on his tongue, pushing himself closer to a possible shore. Long mossy vines, which were wrapped around his body, swished as he swam. A weak attempt at helping himself. bright lights, noise, little boats, lighthouse. There is a shore. Quite far away. It will have to do. Veritas swam back swiftly to get away from the population and once far enough he slowed down, painfully dragging himself back to the cave. The sting of the incorrectly treated wounds made themselves excruciatingly present in his body.

At dawn, he observed the sleeping human. Seemingly harmless. But his kind did enough harm to him already. “Kakavasha.” The blond stirred, rubbing his eyes, acting relaxed and failing in Veritas’ trained eyes, the flex of the muscles showing obvious tension. The same one the little ones have when he tests their knowledge. “there is a fishing village nearby. It is far away for you, I can take you there the same way I got you here. Might be easier now that you’re awake and conscious.”

“good morning to you too, doc~ no figs today? Awh, how am I supposed to go into the sea on an empty stomach?” Aventurine chirped a melodic tone, wishing he didn’t have to be inside the water. Rain echoing its patterns on his skin. He didn’t want this.

“You can eat amongst your own kind, we shall go. in turn, the truce you mentioned, you can provide me the location of where we are. save your strength I will not go near the shallow water, you will have to swim alone at the part. Now I hope you are ready, we will go now, the small boats always leave early in the day and we should have a clear way to where I can drop you off.” A silence envelops the cave. Thick with tension, the one between predator and prey, yet they were both scared like prey. What will the other do? Who will harm the other one first?

“what happened to you?” Aventurine can’t stop himself from asking, damn his luck, this siren isn’t here because of his luck and to act as his savior, something fucking happened. a simmer of oncoming anger bubbling inside him.

“must you keep pushing that?” Veritas shook his head, the blue gills moving with his indigo hair. “I..” he swallowed hard, will he tell him? should he tell him? Kakavasha could easily do the same thing, take him away, hurt him, treat him like an object to be looked at. “Your kind took me, kept me chained, tied, in a small glass box with dirty water.” Veritas says coldly, an ice knife cutting the tension. “I am not interested in seeing any more ships or people for that matter. I want to do my part here and be on my way. Are you capable of respecting the truce, or do you plan on lying to me again, Aventurine?” Veritas glared, using the man’s title on purpose. if he still had his voice… the things he could do. He would never have to worry about having to trust a frail being which could easily end his life as he knows it. a being capable of crushing the fragile petals of his future days and nights. immortality is a curse if he is taken, experimented on. trust is an expensive thing.

Aventurine swallowed, he hated it, the simmering anger rising, bubbles popping up on the surface, “I am sorry that that happened to you. humans...” he spat his words, “humans can be disgusting creatures.” Aventurine’s gaze was distant. Veritas quickly caught on, eyes linger on the strange mark on the human’s neck. Ink. Dark, liquid substance. Humans make permanent markings with it. Veritas decided not to push for information, a rare occasion on his side. He recognized that Kakavasha was speaking from a place of pain, darkness and honesty. Trust is becoming less of an expensive thing. “shall we get going?” Veritas softly asked, offering his hand to him.

with a shaky breath, half of his mask off- both of them with half of their masks off, such are the circumstances to establish a crumble of trust, he takes the hand and jumps into the deep water, eyes closed shut at the feeling he despised.

“hold onto me, eyes closed, and breathe only above the surface.”

Aventurine nodded, embracing the muscular body of the siren, strangely not cool to the touch as he expected. A gentle warmth, a mixture of smooth skin, silky scales, and a heart beating… he could hear it as he leaned onto him. “I can’t hold my breath for long-“ “I know. I brought you here, remember? I know your breathing pattern.” Veritas adds softly and with a firm grip around the human they dive under.

Sirens, or mermaids for that matter, have the capability of super swimming at great speeds. With a keen hearing and carefully paying attention to the rise and fall of the smaller man’s ribcage, Veritas swam below and above the water level. The small village slowly appeared in his line of sight.

a/n: took a bit longer to write than I planned to, I was busy working on my bacc., chpt 2 should be posted rly soon- within a few days I think. lmk know what you think! and any predictions for the next chapter maybe? <2