#fun fact i used to get in trouble for drawing on the walls when i was younger
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Note
Hey! I love your fanfics! (Especially your arcane and caitvi one's I think their adorable) and I thought I maybe could ask for a parttwo to your jinx x reader fanfic ("your a fun one aren't cha?" Is the one am talking about, it's probably my favorite fanfic so far)-? And have jinx slowly catch a bit of feelings-? And some flirting headcanons would be cute as well!
I have no clue when a part two is coming, but I already have an idea for that whenever I do get around to posting. That being saiddd, I am more than willing to do flirt Jinx headcanons for you! Enjoy!
Wrapped around a Pinky Finger | Jinx Headcanons
╰┈➤ PLOT: Flirty Jinx Headcanons!
╰┈➤ WARNINGS: Flirting, Suggestive Content(?), No Use of Y/n, Not Proofread, Lowkey Lowercase Intended
⍣ ೋ Enjoy!⍣ ೋ
– Jinx LOVES to look at you with wide doe eyes, a pout, and her hands behind her back.
– It was a signature move Powder used to use with Vi or Vander when she got in trouble. She knew the two couldn't say no to her chubby cheeks and bright eyes, so as she got older (and lost contact with them) she decided to use Powder's "power" for Jinx's own personal gain.
– Jinx also loves to add an extra raspiness to her voice when she feels like being extra mischievous with her flirts.
– She'll get all close to your ear, put her chest to yours, and whisper pet names or pickup lines with that extra raspy voice of hers
– Now, her pickup lines are a bit... unusual, but you have such a big crush on her (simp), they work regardless
– The most ridiculous line she said was something about a doll, tomato, and mercury???
– Where in the hell did she get mercury and why is she talking sexily about a tomato?!
– In regards to more physical flirts, Jinx loves to push herself against you.
– I mentioned earlier that she loves to push her chest up against yours, but she will also walk you into a wall or a corner just to make sure "you can't get away".
– if you're the easily flustered type, she finds it kinda hot watching you squirm as she backs you into a wall
– if you're not as easily flustered, she'd find your smirks, cocky smiles, and rebuttals equally as hot. In fact, she would push the extra mile just to finally see you crack.
– Jinx likes to think she's also hard to make flustered, but she's easy to make giddy
– if you talk to her about her special interests, give her a space to be her authentic self, and sprinkle a little bit of praise here and there, she will literally look at you with a sparkle in her eyes
– OH Jinx also loves to tease. But I think that's a given
– she always catches you staring at her while she has her welding mask on. It's like she has a sixth sense for those sorts of things
– when she catches you, she'll be like: "you're staring. what? do i really look that attractive while working?"
– you'll try to claim that you aren't, but she would smirk underneath her mask as she continues to work.
– if nail grazes make you squirm, trust Jinx will always be grazing her nails along her skin.
– She loves long nails and trying different colors anyway, so the fact that using her nails as another way to get her partner flustered is just a plus
– she would drag them up and down your back and arm. She would draw circles and swirls on the palm of your hand just to see your fingers twitch and curl from the gesture.
– whenever you guys are laying in bed, she would drag her nails up the delicate sides of your stomach and trail them down to your navel. using a claw hand, she would graze her nails up and down your stomach.
– obviously you would try to shrug her off or tell her to go to bed, but she would just grin and be like, "what? I'm not doing anything."
– she would giggle mischievously into your ear immediately after and all you can do is ignore her. or really push that you don't want her nails to be messing with you and then she'll back off.
– that is literally all i got LMAOAOAO.
WC: 589
#pastel-peach-writes#gender-neutral terms#pastel peach writes#gender neutral terms#arcane fanfiction#jinx fluff#jinx x reader#jinx fanfic#jinx#jinx league of legends#jinx arcane#jinx lol#arcane jinx#arcane fanfic
374 notes
·
View notes
Text
SAGAU Liyue - Holiday Special 2024
Summary: “A Christmas surprise party with a Liyuean twist — the perfect gift planned for you by the two young girls who wanted you to feel more at home. How could you NOT have fun with it?”
Word Count: ~10.4k
The pleasant fragrance of mixed herbs, similar to the bunches of purple and white ones held in your arms, hit your nose as you stepped through the doorway of Bubu Pharmacy, the figures of two small girls by your side. With the variety of medicinal herbs stored within its walls, it was no surprise that it smelled great whenever you visited, no matter whether morning, noon, or night.
“Your Grace…? Why, I certainly hope you’re not here because you require my aid?”
Your gaze rose from the herbs to see Baizhu with a smile on his face, subtle surprise etched into his expression. Changsheng matched his gaze, raising her head up to better look at you.
“Oh, I’m fine, doc. I was just helping Qiqi with her wildcrafting.” You lifted your arms up just so, showing off everything you gathered with a proud smile, as the aforementioned zombie raised her own arms up to place the batch of herbs she collected on the counter. “I had to climb along so many cliffs and mountain peaks, but I got ‘em! I didn’t let a single one I saw go unplucked!”
Baizhu seemed to get more surprised, but it quickly melted into a calmer smile. “You needn’t exert yourself like that, Your Grace, but I thank you for your assistance. It’s much appreciated.”
You handed the herbs to Herbalist Gui, who visibly jolted when your hand brushed against his during the exchange. He excused himself so quickly after that he almost tripped and dropped the bundles everywhere, but managed to get away with everything held tightly in his arms and a flustered look on his face. It wasn’t anything that you weren’t already fully used to at this point.
“Aw, there’s no need to be so formal with me. In fact, if you ever need some rare or hard-to-get ingredient, you can always ask me. It’s no trouble at all! I like helping you and Qiqu out, honest.”
“Hmm… then I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Your Grace, you worked really hard today!” Yaoyao piped up, drawing your attention to her and her bright smile. “I think you deserve a break! We can handle anything else that comes up.”
You lightly exhaled. “Huh? I know I said I did a lot, but I’m actually not that tired-”
“I insist! In fact, I’m sure my master would love to sit down and have tea with you. It’s been some time since you’ve personally visited her, right? She still talks a lot about the last time!”
“I… guess I can go see her, then?” You were still smiling, if a bit confused now, but you waved off the four as you began to leave. “I’ll see you all around. Don’t get into too much trouble, ‘kay?”
The moment you were out of sight, down the pharmacy’s stairs, Yaoyao turned to her friend.
“You got everything written down, right?”
“...mmm, yeah.”
The zombie slowly took out her notebook, flipping it open to the newest page, which was filled with scribbles. Her handwriting made it hard to make out some words, but a closer look made most of them legible enough to read; some of the words were bigger than others, emphasizing their importance, but the biggest one was centered almost in the middle — “Christmas”.
Yaoyao smiled brightly, gently taking the notebook out of Qiqi’s hands and holding it up as she looked at it. “Perfect! Now we can make sure to tell everyone about everything we learned!”
“And what’s this about?” Baizhu peered down at the girls from his spot behind the counter. “Scheming behind Their Grace’s back after getting Them to leave? That’s not very nice.”
Changsheng scoffed. “It’s downright rude!”
“It’s for a good reason! Well… sort of.” Yaoyao turned the notebook around to show the doctor its pages. “While we were gathering herbs, Their Grace started telling us about Their home, and They mentioned this one celebration… “Criss-miss”? That’s how They pronounced it. And, They seemed a bit sad when talking, so I’ve decided that we should throw Them a “Christmas party”!”
Qiqi raised her arms in the air, mimicking Yaoyao. “Party…!”
“Oooh…” There was a hint of interest in Baizhu’s smile. “That sounds quite nice.”
“Yeah, and everyone can help make it a big surprise!” Yaoyao closed the notebook and gave it back to Qiqi. “So forgive me, Dr. Baizhu, but I have to borrow Qiqi for a bit. We’ve a lot to plan!”
“Very well, but stay safe, you two!”
The doctor called out as the two girls set out, hand in hand as they took the first step towards their goal — throwing the Divine Creator a surprise “Christmas party” with the other vessels.
- - - - -
There was always one thing on the top of your to-do list whenever you visited Liyue, and that was making a trip to Wanmin Restaurant. Even when the other restaurants tried to catch your attention, you usually passed them by; they weren’t bad at all, by any means, but there was just something about Wanmin that dragged you back in for a meal whenever you were in the harbor.
And Chef Mao never complained about the big boost of business he got after one of your visits.
“Chef Mao!”
You smiled at the man as you approached, the delicious scents wafting from the restaurant’s kitchen already invading your nostrils from half a street away. You were able to identify some of the restaurant’s dishes by scent alone, but there were also new ones you weren’t familiar with.
“Your Grace, it’s an honor!” Chef Mao smiled at you from his spot behind the counter. “Are you having your usual today? I always stock up on extra ingredients whenever I hear you’re around.”
You let out a long hum. “Maybe… but I’m also feeling kind of adventurous today…”
The sight of a familiar panda-esque bear poking his head out around the corner of the doorway to the kitchen cut off your train of thought, your smile reappearing as you turned towards him.
“Oh, Guoba! Hello!”
The bear flinched at being spotted, hurrying back into the kitchen and leaving you staring at the spot he had just been in. You couldn’t ignore the clanging of metal that soon followed from inside the kitchen, before hearing a familiar voice exclaim, “They’re here?! Right now?!”, which in itself was followed by the restaurant’s head chef stumbling out of the kitchen, Guoba on her heels.
Xiangling looked a bit unkempt, dusting herself off before looking at you with a smile.
“Your Grace, it’s an honor!”
Like father, like daughter.
“Xiangling, are you…” You gave her a once-over, taking note of the various splatters of colorful spices and sauces decorating her from head-to-toe, like an abstract art-piece. “...okay?”
Her smile became sheepish as she followed your gaze, looking down at herself briefly before looking back up at you. “Aha… yeah, I was just… surprised you’re here. I wasn’t expecting it.”
“Oh… sorry for the surprise. I just wanted to get some lunch.”
Xiangling nodded. “Then I’ll get right on that! The usual?”
“Actually, something smells really good in the kitchen. What’re you cooking?”
“Uh, it’s… um… I’m kind of just working something new out, I…”
Xiangling averted her eyes, her gaze looking at everything but you before it ended up on Guoba, asking him for help. The bear lightly flinched, his own eyes widening as he babbled incoherently.
“Oh, Your Grace.”
The cool tone of Shenhe’s voice cut through the air, cutting off Guoba and almost forcing your attention to shift itself over to her. Her hands held a large wooden crate that leaned against her body, the contents no doubt too heavy for any mere mortal to lift despite the ease at which the woman in front of you was handling it, and you watched as she calmly looked at Xiangling.
“Here. I gathered everything you said you might need for your secret dishes.”
That made you look at Xiangling again. “Oooh, secret dishes?”
The head chef looked ready to pass out, before she quickly shook her head and calmed down.
“W-Well, you see…” Xiangling fidgeted before she sighed, only to perk up moments later as an idea entered her head. “Actually, I could use your help. Yaoyao recently told me that you told her about this thing called “Christmas”...? And she mentioned a few dishes that are supposed to be made for it, but I’m struggling to figure them out since all I’ve got are the names of the dishes.”
“You’re… trying to make Christmas dishes?”
Xiangling nodded. “Yep! Because, you know… it’s food from another world! Your world! I’d really like to learn how to make dishes from your home, Your Grace! I’m sure they’re super tasty!”
That made perfect sense to you.
“You don’t need to be nervous asking for help, Xiangling. I’d be glad to give you a hand.”
“Thank you, Your Grace!”
You ended up sitting down at one of the nearby tables — even though it wasn’t necessarily a quiet hour for business, one table quickly became cleared up once you needed it — after your order was made with Xiangling right by your side, the chef eagerly listening as you told her all about some of the more common Christmas dishes that came to your mind between bites of your lunch. You tried your best to explain the dishes as much as you could, sparing no detail.
The variety was wide, from baked ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, candied sweet potatoes… even if you never personally had some of the dishes you listed out, you still named them and described what you had heard they were like.
“Oh, and there’s usually a roasted turkey.”
Xiangling blinked, an interested glimmer in her eyes. “Turkey?”
“Yeah, it’s… a kind of bird. I don’t think Teyvat has anything quite like them, though… oh!” You raised your utensils up, pointing at Xiangling. “There’s this one dish called a “Turducken” that some people have, where you stuff a chicken into a duck, then stuff that duck into a turkey.”
“So it’s a… three-bird roast?”
“Yep!”
“That sounds interesting… and I could do the chicken and duck part, but without a turkey…”
“I think some people use a goose instead of a turkey.” You lightly tapped your chin with your utensils. “Even in my world, turkeys are only available and easy to obtain in certain areas.”
Xiangling thought for a moment, before a smile returned to her face and she nodded.
“Alright, I think I can do that… no, I definitely can do that! I’ll make the best Christmas dishes ever! I can’t wait to try them myself! Thank you so much for all of your help, Your Grace!”
“It’s no problem.” You laid your utensils down on your empty dish, wiping your mouth off with a napkin before you stood up. “I just hope you allow me to taste-test them when you’re done.”
Xiangling let out a slight laugh, looking away nervously. “Y-Yeah, of course you’ll be able to!”
You gave Shenhe a word of thanks as she collected your empty lunch dishes, and gave Chef Mao and Xiangling a hearty wave goodbye as you left, only making it past the neighboring shop before a horde of people rushed by you. You glanced over your shoulder to see them all queuing up at the restaurant, and sighed from knowing that you were the sole reason for the lunch rush.
Xiangling loudly exhaled the moment you were out of sight, her whole body relaxing at the same time. Guoba copied her movements, before smiling up at the young girl and babbling briefly.
“Shenhe!” Xiangling’s cheeks puffed out a bit as she looked up at the tall woman. “Please be more careful! I’m lucky I was able to get some advice out of it and that Their Grace didn’t catch onto the plan, but it would’ve been super bad if They found out! It would’ve ruined the surprise!”
Shehne blinked. “...ah, my apologies, but I did state that your new dishes are a secret, didn’t I?”
“You’re not supposed to say that it’s a secret out loud!”
“Ahem, Xiangling! Shenhe! I could use a little help here!”
The two ladies — and Guoba — looked over to see Chef Mao overwhelmed at the restaurant’s counter. They could hear most of the customers asking for “what the Divine Creator ordered”.
“Sorry, dad! We’ll be right on it!”
Xiangling and Guoba hurried back into the kitchen, the clanging of metal starting up again as they began to prep food to serve, and Shenhe returned to the dining area to clean the tables so that some of the customers would have a place to sit when dining on the day’s “popular dish”.
Chef Mao sighed. “...and this is why I make sure to order extra ingredients.”
- - - - -
Even with many pairs of eyes staring at you for almost the entire time you were passing by, walking around Liyue Harbor was usually a peaceful and pleasant experience; the stares you received from the locals were mostly of awe, and they never tried to get into your actual space, instead always keeping a respectful distance that allowed your walk to go without a hindrance.
But those were just the behaviors of the normal folk.
Your vessels were of a completely different sort.
“Your Grace…!”
You had been strolling near the docks, admiring the ships out at sea, only to look in front of you to see Xinyan — who had called out to you — and Yun Jin coming to a stop before you. The two had to take a minute to catch their breath, Xinyan even having to place her hands on her knees.
��Xinyan? Yun Jin?” You looked between the two performers with a concerned frown on your lips, your eyebrows furrowed. “Are you two alright? Why were you running? Is something wrong…?”
The rocker stood up straight with a smile on her face, shaking her hands out as she shook her head. “It’s nothing bad, Your Grace. Whew, I just finished up a real blazin’ performance, so-”
“Halt!”
Your head swiveled in the direction of the shout, seeing the two girls follow suit from the corner of your eye, just to see a couple of Millelith soldiers with gazes solely focused on Xinyan. They came to a stop next to you and the performers, not having to catch their breath like the latter.
The rocker frowned. “Shoot.”
The two soldiers stared Xinyan down, one tapping his polearm on the ground. “Miss Xinyan, you have been charged with multiple fire code violations. You can’t just keep running away from us.”
“The only thing that got burned was the stage I built myself…”
“That’s not an excuse. Someone still could have gotten hurt.”
“Oh, okay… that makes sense.” You smiled at Xinyan. “You were running from the law, huh?”
The sound of your voice, your tone a bit amused, made the soldiers finally take notice of your presence, and the way they were taken aback to realize that it was you made your smile grow just a little bit more. Their eyes went wide, and they seemed to lose any and all strength in their stances — if only for a moment before they corrected themselves, their faces now a light pink.
“Ack- the Divine Creator?”
The soldiers fumbled with their weapons before bowing to you.
“Forgive us for not acknowledging you, Your Grace. It was rude of us!”
“It’s not a big deal, guys. You two are just doing your jobs, focusing on handling crime-”
Your attention briefly shifted itself back to Xinyan, who was clearly trying to tell you something through just her gaze and body posture. Her head made wide turns as she looked between you and the Millelith soldiers, the sparkle in her eyes conveying a plea as dramatic as a rock opera.
“BUT…! You can leave Xinyan to me.”
The rocker pumped a fist at your words, smiling wide once you received her signal.
“I’m sure you have more important matters that take precedence over this situation? I can make sure that Xinyan receives a punishment befitting her fire code violations. Consider it dealt with.”
The soldiers blinked a few times, before glancing at each other.
“Is… is that allowed?”
“It’s the Divine Creator. They should be able to handle it… right?”
They looked back at you after a quiet moment of deliberation amongst themselves, giving you a nod in affirmation. “Very well. We shall leave this matter in your capable hands, Your Grace.”
You continued to smile as you watched the soldiers hesitantly leave, casting glances over their shoulders at you before they disappeared out of your sight, before you looked at the performers.
“...I’m surprised that that worked. I didn’t think they’d accept that I have any authority for this.”
“But it’s a good thing it did!” Xinyan smiled. “Thanks for helping me out, Your Grace!”
Yun Jin hummed as her head tilted. “What kind of punishment would you even give Xinyan?”
You thought for a moment, putting a finger on your chin, before you smiled again.
“Eternal banishment?”
“Aw, shucks.” Xinyan continued to smile brightly, even as faux disappointment laced itself into her voice and a small chuckle escaped her lips. “Ain’t that just a bit too harsh, Your Grace?”
You snorted, rolling your eyes before focusing on the rocker again. “I suppose so. Just be more careful, okay? I doubt you’d actually end up hurting someone during a performance, but still.”
“Since you’re the one saying to, Your Grace…”
You shared another small laugh with Xinyan before noticing Yun Jin perk up, her eyes widening as if she had just had a sudden thought, and you found her red eyes looking right into your eyes.
“Oh, Your Grace, if you have the time, we actually require some of your help-”
“Well, now, what’s with all the commotion here?”
With the suddenness of a cheap indie jumpscare, a familiar figure popped up from between your little trio, springing onto her feet with her usual smile plastered on her face. The question of when she had snuck so close was wholly forgotten as Xinyan, Yun Jin, and you reacted appropriately.
“Wha- Hu Tao!” You clutched a hand to your chest. “Are you trying to give us all heart attacks?”
“Oh, no, no no! It’s far too early for you three!” The unwavering smile of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor director did little too soothe you, especially when she winked. “But… if you’re ever feeling unwell, Your Grace, I hope you’ll choose our humble business to make your exit a smooth one!”
“Director Hu, I highly doubt Their Grace will require our services anytime in the near future.”
“Hehe, you can never know~!”
The director was, of course, accompanied by the parlor’s consultant. His golden gaze moved from his boss to you, a hint of fondness softening the stoic expression displayed on his face.
“Zhongli!” You smiled at the sight of the consultant, Yun Jin and Xinyan greeting him with a bow and a wave respectively. “Am I to assume you two are currently on another advertising kick?”
“Yep, yep!” Hu Tao nodded. “New clients are always guaranteed, but we still must make sure all potential clients know exactly where all their farewell needs will be dealt with the proper respect.”
You hummed before looking at Zhongli. “And how many future clients have you two convinced?”
“The director… managed to get plenty of attention towards our business.”
Hu Tao playfully laughed. “Hey now, only time will tell how many clients take up our offer.”
You snorted and shook your head. “You… are certainly a handful, Hu Tao.”
“Mmm-hmm! But enough about me! What’s been going on with you three? While passing by, I couldn’t help but notice that you three all seemed to be having quite an interesting time together.”
“Just saving Xinyan from the Millelith, I suppose- oh!” You swiveled on your heel to face Yun Jin once more. “Right, you were asking for my help with something? What do you need from me?”
Yun Jin perked up again, seeming to remember she was about to request something before the shock of the funeral parlor’s staff arrival interrupted her, and nodded. “That’s right, Your Grace. I was just going to ask you about… I believe it’s called “Christmas” music? Yaoyao told us about it recently, and we were interested in learning more about it. We hoped that you’d help with that.”
“Huh? Oh, yeah!” Xinyan sported a brief look of confusion on her face before she also nodded, a smile appearing on her lips. “It sounds mighty interesting, Your Grace! I’d love to learn enough to perform music from your world! I’m sure there're plenty of rockin’ tunes you could tell us about.”
It took you a moment to process what they had said.
“You guys… want to learn about Christmas music?”
“Oooh!” Hu Tao leaned over your shoulder. “Music from Their Grace’s world? Count me in!”
Your gaze moved between the three ladies — the rocker, the opera singer, and the poet — who all stared back at you with interested gazes, before it flickered over to Zhongli, whose demeanor was more alert than it usually was around you… which you honestly should have expected; that he of all people would be interested in learning more about you in any capacity was no surprise.
“Uh… I guess I can teach you guys the songs I know? But don’t expect me to write down any of the melodies or anything. I have no skills in musical notation, especially if it’s just from memory.”
Xinyan waved her hand in dismissal. “You can just sing them for us, Your Grace.”
“Wha- wait, what? Me, sing?”
“To hear the Divine Creator sing…” Zhongli mused to himself, arms crossed with a finger held up to his chin. “...that would be quite the honor. It would make Glaze Lilies full-bloom, no doubt.”
You let out a weak laugh. “I-I’m not too sure about that…”
“Aw, come on, come on!” Hu Tao grabbed onto your shoulder, leaning in even closer, her face inches from your own. “Some people would find the chance to hear you sing worthy to die for!”
You took in a sharp inhale as you practically felt the hopes and expectations emitting from the four people around you, and eventually let out a long sigh, your shoulders coming to a slump.
“...fine, but how about we all go somewhere… not so public first?”
- - - - -
The two blue-haired boys in front of you each had a different expression on their face, one of which was a look of concern — though he was clearly trying to keep himself cool at the same time — while the other was fighting to hide the subtle hints of a smirk creeping onto his lips.
Your own face was a perfect display of confusion. “I… I’m sorry? What is this about?”
“Your Grace, I’ve heard rumors of a… a “Christmas” demon! But I’m unfortunately without any knowledge on what type of fiend it may be. I’m going to require your assistance to exorcise it.”
You stared at the young exorcist in front of you for a few seconds before looking to the second son of the Feiyun Commerce Guild, catching him hiding his laughter and disguising a snort that escaped as a cough with a closed fist over his mouth, and you slowly furrowed your eyebrows.
…that explains it.
“Well-” You looked at Chongyun again. “-the only Christmas “demon” I know of is “Krampus”.”
Chongyun raised a hand to his chin. “Such a sinister name… please, can you tell me everything you know about it? I must know as much as I can about the fiend in order to be able to stop it.”
“It kind of depends on who you ask, but, basically, Krampus is a demon who punishes naughty children around the time Christmas is celebrated. You know… the kind of children who cause a lot of trouble for other people, who misbehave and don’t play nice, who lie for no good reason.”
You glanced at Xingqiu, who had gone still with an almost worried smile at your expression.
“He’s covered in dark hair, has horns and hooves and fangs, and a long pointed tongue — oh, and he carries around chains, I think? Sometimes with bells. The punishments he doles out on bad children are stuff like swatting them on the butts with branches… or snatching them away in a basket to who-knows-where. To drown them or eat them… or something along those lines.”
“That… that’s horrible!” Chongyun appeared to actually get a bit heated as you spoke, his hands clenching into tight fists in front of his chest. “I must make sure to stop it before it hurts anyone!”
“Whoa there, Chongyun. Calm down and have a popsicle, ‘kay?” You let your lips curve up into a smile, and put a hand on the exorcist’s shoulder. “Krampus sure is a horrible guy and all… but he’s also fictional; just a character that parents tell their children about to make them behave, to teach them lessons about being nice and stuff. He’s not actually real — well, not that I know of, anyway — and, even if he was, he wouldn’t be anywhere in Teyvat. He’d be stuck in my world.”
Chongyun’s breathing was heavy, his face already flushed, but he managed to take one of his popsicles out and bite into it to calm himself. “Ugh, Your Grace… you could’ve started with that.”
“I know, I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.” You let go of Chongyun’s shoulder. “But how’d you even hear about Krampus? I don’t think I’ve told anyone about him before right now with you two.”
“Xingqiu told me about it.”
The guilty party put his hands up in defense as you looked at him. “H-Hey, I was just having a little fun. I honestly had no idea that there was actually a demon associated with Christmas.”
“An unlucky guess then, huh?” You paused for a moment. “...but how’d you even hear about Christmas? Did Yaoyao tell you about it too? It seems like the talk of the harbor nowadays…”
That innocent line of questioning had a greater chilling effect than his popsicle, it seemed, as Chongyun froze at the moment. Xingqiu stepped in and quickly pushed his friend aside, your hand leaving the exorcist’s shoulder to linger in the air. “She did inform us of it, yes. It sounds like a quaint holiday, so it makes sense that a child such as herself would want to tell everyone she knows about it. I admit, it has even perked my interest too, from everything I’ve been told.”
“...huh, that’s nice. I’m glad everyone seems to be enjoying the concept.”
There was something off about all this, but not in a bad way, so you brushed it off for now.
Xingqiu nodded as he continued to smile at you happily. “But now that that’s settled, we should get going. I’m sure you’ve got a busy schedule, Your Grace. We wouldn’t want to hold you up.”
Chongyun blinked, coming back to reality. “Ah, wait-”
“Tsk, Chongyun, you’re still all red. You should have another popsicle.”
The exorcist didn’t get a chance to speak again before Xingqiu stuffed another tasteless frozen treat into his mouth, the latter then hurriedly pushing his flustered friend away down the street.
“It was pleasant to speak with you, Your Grace!”
The two boys soon disappeared into the distance, leaving you standing there alone.
“Uh… bye, I guess?”
- - - - -
Another day, another surprise.
You blinked a few times, making sure that the lady you were looking at was actually there. You didn’t exactly have a history of having hallucinations, but everything had been… bizarre this last week or so, and it wouldn’t hurt you to just check that you were still all there up in your noggin.
“Lady Ningguang?”
“Your Grace, what a pleasant surprise.”
The Tianquan was calm, politely greeting you with a soft smile on her lips, a smile reserved for you and you alone. Her being was a living display of high-class status, the epitome of luxury…
…and she was currently just hanging out at the docks.
You were not someone who could criticize her for it, though; for some people, it was odd for you to be hanging around Liyue Harbor’s docks so casually, as no one really expected to see one of the gods they worshiped watching the ships or examining the goods of incoming, docked ships.
“Uh… so, what’re you doing here? Taking in the ocean breeze?”
Ningguang chuckled. “I simply have business to discuss with Beidou. It’s nothing of concern, but is important enough that I have decided to come see her myself as soon as she arrives.”
“Wait, the Alcor is docking soon?” You perked up, your gaze glancing between the water and Ninguang, who looked at the water herself. “Wow, my timing’s great! Mind if I wait with you?”
“I’d see it as an honor, Your Grace.”
You got into position beside Ningguang, leaning forward slightly as you looked out at the ships sailing across the nearby waters. The operation at the harbor was always so smooth, orderly, and satisfying — you were embarrassed to admit how much time you had spent just lingering around the docks whenever you visited Liyue, being a bystander to the comings and goings of the ships and the people working here. This time, however, you were trying to focus on spotting the Alcor among the other seacraft, assuming its distinct design would stand out among them.
The moment was quiet, aside from the waves and workers, until Ningguang spoke again.
“Your Grace, I’m planning to do a bit of decorating around the Jade Chamber.”
“Oh?”
“I was thinking about adding a tree.”
You paused for a few seconds, before slowly looking at Ningguang. “A… tree?”
“Yes, a tree. Would you have any suggestions for the type?”
Wow.
You suddenly forgot about every tree you have ever known about.
“Ah, hmm… well, it’s your Jade Chamber. You should choose whichever tree you prefer. I know you’ve got good taste, and will be able to fit anything you choose into your amazing aesthetics.”
“I should choose, you say…? Very well.”
You soon settled back into a comfortable silence, continuing to wait on the docks with subdued excitement pumping through your veins, before finally catching the sight of the Alcor making its way over to the docks. It took a while for the ship to actually dock, having to navigate around the multiple others nearby, but the moment that it had, Ningguang and you made your way over to it.
You passed by some of the crew members unloading various types of cargo, before seeing the captain of the ship walk down the gangplank, who smiled when she saw you and the Tianquan.
“The Tianquan AND Their Grace are here to greet me? Something serious must be up, huh?”
“Oh, no, nothing like that!” You smiled. “I just got lucky to be here as you got back.”
“Haha, you flatter me, Your Grace. I’d typically consider myself the lucky one.”
Ningguang shook her head just slightly, her expression more reserved than yours. “Although it’s not of any major concern, I do have something to discuss with you, Captain Beidou. Shall we?”
“Huh, alright.”
Beidou gave you a nod as she walked off with Ningguang to talk, the two women leaving you on your own. You found yourself curious about what they could be talking about, but figured it would be rude to try and eavesdrop or force yourself into the conversation; that, and your attention was finding itself quickly caught by something — or, rather, someone — else that you noticed nearby.
“Kazuha!”
The lips of the wandering samurai turned up into a smile after he heard you call out to him, your form practically bouncing over to him. His eyes followed your movements as he turned to you.
“Greetings, Your Grace.” He gave you a polite nod. “You appear to be in good spirits.”
You waved your hand to the side, before letting it fall to your side in a loose fist. “Aw, I’m always happy to see you. It’s probably impossible to not be; actually, no, it definitely is impossible.”
Kazuha let out a soft chuckle, his shoulders bouncing with the tiniest movements. “Your words today are as warm as the mid-afternoon sun, Your Grace. I’m glad. How have you been lately?”
“Mmm… normal, I guess. Though it feels like something fishy is going on around the harbor.”
“Oh…?”
You held back a snicker. “Get it? Fishy? But, really, I feel like something’s up.”
“That’s troubling. I can lend you my assistance if you desire?”
“Huh? Oh, no!” You waved your hands in front of yourself, your eyes widening just a bit as you continued to smile. “I’m sure it’s nothing big, and, besides, I wouldn’t want to bog down our time together with worries. I don’t see you often enough since you’re always on the road, traveling.”
“Ah, of course. If you’d like to hear it, I’ve come up with some new poetry since we last met.”
“Oooh! Then go ahead and bless my ears, Kazuha.”
The hustle and bustle of the docks faded away as you chatted with Kazuha, intently listening to each and every one of the poetic words falling from his mouth. You even tried coming up with a few poems yourself, but it was difficult to do it on the fly; the praise Kazuha gave your attempts kept you from being discouraged, though some of the metaphors you tried to use felt a lot more poetic in your mind than when you said them out loud. You were in the middle of thinking up how to describe a certain line in your next masterpiece when you realized a lot of time had passed.
You felt a presence approach from the side, and looked up to see Beidou standing there.
Ningguang was nowhere to be found when you gave your surroundings a quick once-over, her elegant presence absent from the nearby crowds, and that meant she must have left long ago.
The captain looked between you and Kazuha, her smile apologetic when her gaze stopped on you. “Sorry, Your Grace, but I have something to talk about with Kazuha. Hope you don’t mind.”
“Hmm? Oh, well… that’s fine. I should probably be going anyhow. See you around!”
You bid the two farewell, seeing them respond in kind, and started walking away from them.
Beidou kept her eye on you until you were completely gone, and she turned to Kazuha.
“Okay, so, there’s this thing called “Christmas”...”
- - - - -
“Please accept my offering, o’ great adeptus, and bless me with your presence this quiet night.”
“...you don’t have to do that, Your Grace.”
The evening air was cool, gentle breezes rolling in from the distance and brushing against you where you stood on the highest balcony in Wangshu Inn. The lanterns from inside and hanging by the doorway cast a warm glow outwards, giving the balcony a cozy atmosphere despite how it faced the dark landscapes of Bishui Plain, the warm hues of the land hidden within shadows.
Your hands held tightly onto a plate of Almond Tofu — expertly and lovingly crafted by your own hands, you were proud to admit — as you smiled at the familiar figure that appeared before you, the sight of the inn’s resident adeptus never failing to bring you joy. The dim lighting made it hard to tell, as well as his usual distant demeanor, but you swore that he was looking a little flustered.
“Aww, why not? Everyone else does it.”
Xiao crossed his arms over his chest. “But you’re not “everyone else”.”
“Hmph.” You pouted, extending your arms out to present the Almond Tofu to him. “Here, you can at least take this. I made it special, just for you. I worked hard to learn the recipe, from the best.”
He stared down at the plate in your hands for a few seconds, before he slowly uncrossed his arms and carefully took it from you. The adeptus continued to stare at the food you prepared while you stared at him, the faintest hint of a blush on his cheeks — you internally cursed to yourself about the lack of decent lighting in this moment — before he finally took the first bite.
You spent just a moment watching Xiao carefully savor your expert culinary craftsmanship, and then looked out at the water and shadowed silhouettes of the nearby mountains, leaning yourself against the wooden railing of the balcony. The wood was cold and rough within your tight grip.
“...you know, everyone’s been acting really strange lately. Not in a bad way, but still.”
Your lips parted as you sighed, adjusting your arms to have your elbows on the railing.
“Even the other adepti are being weird. I tried to visit Cloud Retainer in Liyue Harbor, but Shuyu told me that she was really busy, even though she’s normally willing to take a break to chat with me whenever I drop by. Don’t even ask me how the other two are doing, I spent a good amount of time looking around their domains but wasn’t able to find them. It just feels like… like I’m being left out of something; like everyone is hiding something from me. Something that feels… major.”
You turned your head to look at Xiao. “Would you have any idea why?”
The adeptus briefly paused, his gaze meeting yours after having seemingly moved to you while you were talking, before wiping off the almond tofu around his mouth with the back of his hand.
“I…”
He hesitated, his eyes shifting away from you.
- - -
“As one of the Divine Creator’s vessels, you HAVE to come.” Hu Tao had a wide smile on her lips, her hands clenched together into tight fists in front of her chest. “Besides, it’ll be totally fun!”
The adeptus looked uncertain, his gaze shifting to the man accompanying the funeral director.
Zhongli met Xiao’s eyes with a soft smile, giving him a nod as well. “Indeed. Their Grace seems to also be quite fond of this “Christmas” business. It would be a shame if you did not participate.”
“Yeah, yeah!” Hu Tao nodded frantically, bouncing into the space between the adeptus and her consultant to direct the attention back to herself. “Come on…! It’ll only be the other vessels and adepti there. There’s no need to be all cautious and standoffish about it, so what do you say…?”
Xiao still looked conflicted, his eyebrows furrowed, before soon letting out a sigh.
“...very well. For the Divine Creator’s sake.”
Hu Tao clapped her hands. “Yay!”
“Just make sure to keep it a secret from Their Grace, if you end up encountering Them before then.” Zhongli looked pleased with Xiao’s answer, although he was much calmer than his boss was. “It’s supposed to be a “surprise party”, so try to avoid spoiling its existence at all costs.”
The adeptus nodded, crossing his arms.
“Got it.”
- - -
You couldn’t say for sure what exactly was going on inside Xiao’s head, but the expression on his face made it look like he was having some kind of internal war with himself, a struggle with the proverbial “rock and a hard place” that left him not looking forward to picking either option he was presented with. This was probably the most readable his feelings had ever been to anyone.
“Uh… hey, you don’t have to answer, Xiao.”
The adeptus appeared to snap back to reality, blinking as he looked at you.
You slightly smiled as you pushed yourself off of the railing. “I can kind of assume what’s going on. I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't going crazy and seeing something out of nothing.”
Xiao’s lips parted, the softest exhale leaving them. “...I can’t lie to you, Your Grace.”
“Then just don’t say anything.”
You winked at him, your tongue sticking out from your lips. “And you should be busy eating the Almond Tofu I made you, anyways. It’s rude to speak while your mouth’s full, don’tcha know?”
Xiao briefly glanced back down at the plate in his hands, before he nodded.
“...okay.”
- - - - -
“Your presence is requested at the Jade Chamber.”
That was what you were told, but you weren’t able to think of any important reason of why that might be. You had always made sure to greatly distance yourself to the extreme from anything major regarding Liyue’s leadership — no political decision-making or “ruling with an iron fist” for you, even if some folks acted like your word was the single most important thing in all of Teyvat.
The Yuheng and the general secretary both knew that about you very well.
“Is… it for something important? Or does Ningguang just want to, like… play chess with me?”
Ganyu and Keqing shared a brief look with each other, before the former looked back at you, a bit of a nervous frown now on her lips. “It’s… nothing bad, but you should go see for yourself.”
“Here.” Keqing gestured for you to follow after her. “We can escort you.”
You looked down at Keqing’s hand for just a moment, before everything clicked.
The stranger-than-usual behavior of everyone lately… the random-but-very-frequent mentions of Christmas… and now you being requested to such a place as the Jade Chamber practically out of the blue. You even thought about how you couldn’t find a single one of the vessels around the harbor today, despite how you walked through the entire city front-to-back and back-to-front and side-to-side, checking each and every nook and cranny with the hope of finding someone.
You smiled.
“Oh, no, that’s okay. I can get us there quicker.”
You grabbed Keqing’s outstretched hand, the warm hue of her face matching Ganyu’s after you had grabbed the half-qilin’s hand too. Your grip was gentle but firm as you stood between them.
“You- Your Grace…”
“H-Hey, wait-!”
Within seconds, you heard the familiar teleporting sound resonate inside your head before you and your two current companions were warped up onto the platform of the Jade Chamber…
…only to hear a muffled thud accompanying a sudden cold, wet sensation that landed on you.
It felt like a worse version of getting an ice cube put down the back of your shirt.
The powdery substance slid off of the upper-half of your face after you blinked your eyes a few times, which revealed to you that what had just covered you was a thick blanket of snow, and it had also trapped Keqing and Ganyu, turning you three into vaguely self-shaped snow mounds.
You were completely befuddled at this situation.
Snow? At this time of year, in this part of Liyue, localized entirely within the Jade Chamber?
You attempted to shift around, eventually managing to catch sight of the cause of the surprise snowfall. There was a strange machine that almost resembled a snowblower from your world, water being poured into one end and snow coming out of an upwards-chute-like exit located on the other end. The snow coming out now fell softly to the ground, unlike what had just hit you.
The one who created the device crossed her arms, pushing her glasses up slightly.
“Hmph. If the Divine Creator wishes for it to snow, then one shall make it snow.”
“Wow, Aunty Cloud Retainer! You’re amazing!”
Yaoyao looked up at the adeptus with awe, clapping her hands with a bright smile.
You continued to look around — as much as you could in your new form as a snowman — and saw several others lingering about the area, all of which had been mysteriously missing today.
The musicians and performers were all gathered near a small stage that had been set up, doing last-minute checks and practice from what you could tell. You took a few moments to take in the sight of it before you snapped out of your thoughts and focused to hear them through the snow.
Gaming shook his hands out, Man Chai following his lead and shaking his whole body out. “Aha, I’ve been practicing for days and everything, but I’m still getting so nervous all of a sudden…”
“Pre-show jitters, huh?” Xinyan stood on the stage, fiddling with her guitar as she looked down at the Wushou dancer with a slight, unsure smile. “Can’t help but have them myself right now too.”
Yun Jin walked across the stage, her head tilted up to check the decorations hanging up. “Their Grace is so kind, there shouldn’t be any reason to worry… but I can understand the feeling.”
“Hey, hey, just don’t get so nervous you have a heart attack.” Hu Tao had the only smile near the stage free of hesitation. “The business would be nice, but it would be way too inconvenient now.”
There was another section where a buffet had been laid out, Xiangling hovering over the spread with her gaze flickering around to all the various dishes, almost like she was looking for anything that needed any last-minute adjustments made. Guoba stood on a chair next to the chef, putting his paws on the edge of the table as he looked between the dishes and at her with a happy aura.
“I had to make a few guesses here and there about the recipes, even with the advice from Their Grace…” Xiangling furrowed her brows before letting out a sigh. “I hope They like everything.”
“I’m sure They will.” Madame Ping had a gentle smile on her face as she glanced at the food the young chef had prepared. “It all looks and smells absolutely wonderful, there’s no doubt about it.”
Beidou nodded and chuckled. “Now, this is what I call a feast! You outdid yourself, Xiangling!”
“It all sure looks… interesting.”
Yanfei tilted her head, her eyes moving down along the long buffet table as she spoke.
“I… I’m having trouble making out what some of these dishes are, though.”
Xiangling smiled at the reassurances. “Oh, don’t worry. I can explain everything, if you’d like.”
Your attention, however, was soon captured by the main centerpiece of the whole occasion: a beautiful Sandbearer tree decorated with lanterns of all colors, all organized to create the most breathtaking sight you had seen all day. There were actually a lot of lanterns hanging around all over, now that you were conscious of their presence; it almost resembled Lantern Rite, in a way.
Well, a Lantern Rite that was being held on a very miniature scale.
“This is very pleasant.” Kazuha looked up at the tree, his hand over his chest. “I never imagined that a “Christmas tree” would look like this. It brings to the mind a kaleidoscope of Crystalflies.”
Ningguang had her arms crossed, also standing nearby to admire the tree she had put up and decorated to a degree befitting her luxurious aesthetics. “I was informed that the tree was to be decorated in lights and ornaments. I believe Their Grace will be quite pleased with the result.”
“Their Grace has some intriguing traditions from Their world.” Zhongli placed a hand to his chin in thought, his eyes briefly breaking away from the tree. “No wonder They spoke of it so highly.”
By this point, you were getting cold. Way too cold. So cold you felt stiff.
You shook the snow off as you took in a deep breath.
“Okay, that was an experience…”
“Your Grace?!”
You felt two dozen pairs of eyes land on your form as everyone’s head snapped towards your direction, the sound of your voice might as well having been a siren to their ears — your arrival had been expected to be normal, after taking the long route instead of the shortcut you chose to take instead, with some semblance of warning. You smiled bashfully, pulling a now-unconscious Ganyu and Kequing out of their snow piles since you were still holding their hands all this time.
“Hehe… guess I’m not the only one surprised at this surprise party, then?”
- - - - -
Today was the day you discovered how good Guoba and Man Chai made for living Warmies, your once-shivering and soaked body able to warm up and dry off after only a short but sweet cuddle session with them. The party couldn’t start until you were comfortable, after all… as well as until Keqing and Ganyu finally regained consciousness and also got themselves warmed up.
…and the start was unforgettable.
“Behold, Your Grace-”
Truly unforgettable.
“-for one has donned the appearance of a Christmas hero spoken of in tales from your home.”
There, standing in front of you, were some of the adepti, and although the three ladies and Xiao were in their human forms at the party, the other two men were not. That included Moon Carver, the one who had spoken to you first when they approached, who proudly stood in front of you in his stag form… with a glowing red nose — likely made possible by adepti magic, you assumed.
You briefly recalled telling Yaoyao and Qiqi about some stories related to Christmas, which, of course, included “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. Turning slightly away for a moment, you raised a hand to cover the smile slowly growing on your lips as you tried to calm yourself down.
“Yeaaah…” Your voice wavered, you being unable to stop your eyes glancing to and from Moon Carver. “Christmas would’ve been cancelled if not for Rudolph. He’s a… a true hero, alright…”
The snort that slipped from your lips went unnoticed by Moon Carver, the adeptus preening at your approval. The planned festivities luckily continued on before you actually started laughing.
- - - - -
They had only had about a week to prepare, but the musical performance was probably one of the, if not the, best thing you had ever witnessed in your life; most everyone had gathered into a crowd in front of the stage as Xinyan, Hu Tao, and Gaming took their places in the spotlight. You were almost too enamoured with the show to notice how Yun Jin occasionally snuck a couple of glances at you from her spot in the crowd next to you, a smile growing on her lips at your own.
The musicians had taken the songs that you told — or, rather, sang to — them and used them as inspiration to come up with a brand-new Christmas song, complete with Xinyan’s rock guitar and Hu Tao’s iconic rapping. Gaming had even created a special routine to go along with all of it.
“Bravo!” You clapped your hands frantically after the performance finished, a whoop escaping your lips as you cheered. “That was… incredible! I loved it! I’ve never seen anything like it!”
The sense of relief that left the performers’ bodies was noticeable, their forms relaxing as your praise finally casted away all of the tension that had plagued them from their pre-show nerves.
“I’m glad, Your Grace.” Yun Jin smiled. “We only had so much time, but we worked really hard.”
“I can tell.” Your cheeks hurt a little from how much you were smiling, and you tilted your head. “I hope I get to see it again someday. That was way too good to be just a one-time performance.”
Gaming let out a chuckle, a sense of weariness in his tone. “I’d be happy to dance for you again, Your Grace. Just… I still need a moment to calm down from the excitement of the first time.”
“Oh-ho! But I’m ready for round two right now!” Hu Tao pumped her fists as she snickered. “I knew Their Grace couldn’t resist my excellent rhyming skills! I could do this all day, any day!”
Xinyan adjusted her grip on her guitar as she looked back at the stage they performed on. “Uh, I think we may have gone a little overboard with the pyrotechnics, though… even for me, heh…”
You followed the rocker’s gaze to the stage, seeing that it… kind of didn’t exist anymore, with all that remained being a stage-shaped pile of charred wood. Given that three Pyro users had used it for their performance, where they had turned up the heat to give you the show of a lifetime, you should have expected this, especially considering Xinyan’s track record with this sort of thing.
You couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
“Yeah, okay, I think one performance is enough for today, then.”
- - - - -
“Wow, I didn’t know you had such an appetite, Your Grace.”
Xiangling’s eyes were wide as she looked at your plate, which was piled high with servings from the buffet. There was a little of everything, as you wanted to try all of the different dishes that had been prepared by the chef; some looked traditional, and very close to what you had described to her about, while others clearly had creative choices made during their creation. There were also some traditional Liyue dishes being offered — considering how many people were present at the party, Xiangling really made sure that there would be enough food for everyone to have their fill.
You held your plate carefully in front of you. “I can’t help it. Everything looks so good.”
It appeared that many others also held the same opinion, almost everyone filling up their plates with various dishes from the buffet. There were plenty of options; everyone could eat something.
“What is this…?” Ganyu observed a red jam-like substance in one of the bowls, tapping it gently with the small spoon that was provided for folks to scoop it. “It smells like some kind of fruit…?”
“Ah, that’s Valberry sauce!” Xiangling piped up and moved over to the half-qilin. “Their Grace mentioned a dish made with this type of berry called a “Cranberry”, so I had to find a similar substitute. You should be able to eat it, Miss Ganyu. It doesn’t contain any animal products.”
“What I’m more interested in is that!” Beidou pointed to what-could-be-considered the main dish of the whole spread, her eye and smile both wide. “Now that looks like something real special.”
Xiangling smiled as she made her way over to the captain. “That’s a three-bird roast called a “gooducken”. It’s a chicken inside of a duck inside of a goose. I had to do a lot to get it right.”
Beidou let out a long hum. “Oooh, that sounds impressive! I’ll have a big portion, then!”
“I should try something new too…” Keqing looked between her plate and the buffet, a small frown coming to her face. “...but all that I’ve got on my plate is Golden Shrimp Balls so far…”
“Ah! Chongyun! Qiqi! The cold dishes are over here.” Xiangling directed the two over to one side of the buffet table, waving them over while gesturing to the dishes. “There’s plenty for you to try.”
“Here, I’ll help!” Yaoyao scooped food onto Qiqi’s plate. “This looks good. Make sure to eat it all!”
“Okay.”
Chongyun held his plate away from Xingqiu, his eyes shifting between his friend and the food he was putting onto his plate. “Please don’t try to sneak anything spicy onto my plate this time.”
“Why, I would never.” Xingqiu chuckled, a hand held up in defense. “What a random accusation.”
“Your Grace…” Baizhu eyed your plate as you took a seat next to him, his gaze scanning all of the generous portions you served yourself. “I’m not entirely knowledgeable on how much a god can eat, but make sure not to overstuff yourself. I can’t imagine it’d be good for your stomach.”
“I’ll try, but I can’t make any promises!”
And after stuffing yourself full of Xiangling’s cooking, it felt like a happy mistake in the end.
- - - - -
The party was going well so far; after the performance and initial serving of food, it was nice to see everyone mingling together and having fun. You scanned the area, taking in the groups that the characters formed amongst themselves, before refocusing your attention back on what you were doing: being busy at the “Winter Weather Device” Cloud Retainer built for the occasion.
And snow was actually a lot more pleasant when you weren’t buried under a heavy blanket of it.
“Shenhe, if I ever get into a snowball fight, I’m recruiting you to my team.”
The woman stared at you, seriously. “I would slay all your foes if need be, Your Grace.”
“Aha… snowball fights aren’t that serious, but thanks.”
You continued to pat down the snow you held into a snowball, the cold flakes a higher-quality than what nature ever made. The water used to make them apparently came from the adepti abodes, which, of course, was why the snow was so soft and powdery, like from a fairytale.
“I’m…” Yanfei stood by you, also crafting a snowball in her hands — which shook slightly from the cold steeping into her fingers — at your insistence. “...not sure I see the appeal in this.”
“The appeal is the glory of victory over your foes.”
“...right.”
Yanfei left the snowball she had made in the growing pile by your feet. You watched the younger partygoers play in the snow, stomping around and making vaguely snowman-like structures out of the cold flakes, before you felt someone approach you from behind, and turned to face them.
“Yelan! Hey! I didn’t notice you were here, are you having fun?”
Yelan let out a soft exhale, the warm light of the nearby stone lanterns illuminating her face from below as she faintly smiled. “It’s hard not to have a good time when you’re around, Your Grace.”
“D’aw, you’re just flattering me. I know how you work.”
You snorted as Yelan chuckled at your comment, before a thought struck you.
“Oh! I just realized I haven’t seen you around for a while! Where’ve you been this entire time?”
“Places.”
“Doing what?”
“Things.”
You stared at Yelan for a few seconds, her gaze amused as she stared back.
“...okay, then. Keep your secrets.”
You played with the snowball in your hands, rolling it back and forth between your palms as you briefly pondered all of the mysterious — and probably legally-dubious — things Yelan must have been up to this past week and a half, before you were snapped out of your thoughts by the sight of a wrapped box being held in front of your face. The hand holding it was Yelan’s, the shiny bow adorning the tiny rectangular container bending in the gentle evening breeze that was blowing by.
The box was pushed into one of your hands, the snowball now held in the other.
“Here. For you. I hear giving gifts is a custom for this little holiday we’re celebrating, hm?”
“Where’d you hear about… no, wait, never mind. I’m not gonna get an answer, am I?”
“You know me too well, Your Grace.” Yelan chuckled again, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly as she smiled at you. “If you were anyone else, that’d be a problem. But if it’s you, it’s just fine.”
You had never felt so lucky to be yourself as you did right now.
“I suppose I’ll let you rejoin the rest of the party now. Everyone worked so very hard to put this whole thing together just for you, I shouldn’t keep you from rewarding them with your attention.”
Yelan turned away from you, glancing over her shoulder as she walked away.
“I’ll be watching. May we meet again soon, Your Grace.”
- - - - -
Despite all of the fun you were having, the party sadly couldn’t go on forever.
The daylight soon blended into night, and with it, the guests started to take their leave. The first to go were the youngest of the characters — Qiqi left with Baizhu and Changsheng, Yaoyao with Cloud Retainer, Madame Ping and most of the other adepti. Yaoyao had even started to doze off at that point, requiring her to be carried by Cloud Retainer. Shenhe also left with the latter group.
Then went the next youngest: Xingqiu, Chongyun, Xiangling, Hu Tao, Yun Jin, Gaming… before they left, you made sure to give both Guoba and Man Chai another extra tight hug for the road.
Those who had work the next day soon followed. Yanfei, Keqing, and Ganyu all gave you polite goodbyes as they left, and Yelan vanished into the dark as easily as she had appeared to you.
Beidou left after saying goodbye to you and Ningguang, who simply headed inside of the Jade Chamber after bidding you a good night. Kazhua left with the pirate caption, his farewell another one of his poems that you were unfortunately too tired to think of one of your own in response to.
The harbor seemed to glow below the Jade Chamber as the city’s lanterns lit up in the absence of the sun. You fiddled with the gift from Yelan in your hands, still wrapped up and unopened.
“Your Grace, would I be correct in saying the surprise party was a success?”
You brought your gaze back up from Liyue Harbor and turned to see Zhongli approaching to stand beside you, his arms politely folded behind his back and his eyes focused on your face.
You smiled, giving him a nod. “Oh, yeah! It was so much fun! And I’m definitely going to figure out how to thank everyone for it, especially Yaoyao and Qiqi since they planned the whole thing!”
His lips turned up into a soft smile. “I’m very pleased to hear you say that, Your Grace.”
Your gaze shifted from the man standing next to you to the roof of the Jade Chamber, and you waved at Xiao to come join you and Zhongli. The legendary boy-adeptus had kept his distance from most others during the party, opting to watch from the rooftops as an onlooker rather than an active participant in it, though you were just happy that he was near all the festive energy.
With a sudden burst of green and black wisps, Xiao was at your side.
You looked at the adeptus with an enthused smile. “Sooo… did you enjoy yourself, Xiao?”
“...as long as the party made you happy, then I’m happy, Your Grace.”
You clutched a hand over your heart. “Xiao… you’re too sweet.”
This felt like the perfect ending to a perfect celebration, and as you looked between the adeptus and the Archon, you only felt all warm and fuzzy — it was almost too much for you. Almost.
“Hey, I don’t feel like sleeping just yet. Let’s go for a walk around the harbor together.”
“We’d be honored to, Your Grace.”
#genshin impact#genshin impact oneshot#liyue#genshin sagau#sagau#genshin impact x reader#sagau x reader#genshin impact reader insert#sagau reader insert#christmas oneshot#christmas special#x reader#reader insert
57 notes
·
View notes
Text
who asked for this. nobody. but unfortunately as a creator i actually have to CREATE for my au 😞😞😞😒😒😒 jk fashion au ink and swap designs ig,,,,,,
ink. ink. ink. she's totally not holding a gun to my head as i type this,,,,, because she CANT break the fourth wall ok she totally doesnt realize that she's forever gonna be stuck living life as a high schooler with no chance of ever graduating or progressing in life,,,,, BECAUSE THERE'S NO ANGST IN JK FASHION AU HAAHAHAH 😁😁😁😁 anyways she's soooo silly :3333 i'm not a connoisseur of anyone that's not the mtt (biased 🙂🙂🙂) but i wanted her to be silly but also a bit freakish,,,, ya!
what do the people think about INK???? featuring everyone in jk fashion au so far 😇😇
dream: "ink is another one of my close friends. she's been there for me when even nightmare couldn't, and i've supported her likewise. sometimes her head is in the clouds, so i send her texts to remind her of things like homework and such. maybe she forgets lunch sometimes, so swap and i give her a share of ours. and when ink wants to talk about anything she's thinking of, whether it's a painter's use of color or the reason we exist, i'm always open to listening. she's an amazing person, really."
nightmare: "ink. ah, that girl is an enigma, truly. somedays she supports me on my path to world domination, and other days she just laughs at me and says as if it were a fact that i would never achieve it! ugh... but despite my slight grievances, she's dream's friend, and i've grown fond of her. quite often, without me even requesting, she gifts me paintings. now, they may seem normal at first, but recently i've discovered a pattern with them. as if ink had peered into the mind of god and depicted it visually, the paintings assist me in handling dream appropriately. i must say, she's skilled as well..."
killer: "see now ink? she's my type of gal. we get along pretty well, hehe! we're on the same wavelength or something, i dunno. not like she can predict what i do, but i wouldn't be surprised if she could, but ink and i just click. we talk about all sorts of silly stuff; similar sense of humor, after all. ink and i can yap about different shows and movies we've watched and stuff, she gives really good insight on the more technical stuff like color psychology and framing, and she once drew me art for one of my big follower milestones on twitter! she's suuuuper cool, haha!"
dust: "okay, just... keep this between me and you, but i think ink has some sort of secret sixth sense? i dunno. nothing against her, she's a fun person. just that, uh... sometimes she just comes up to me when i least expect it and starts asking me about my progress on my writing. which is... confusing. i've only ever told killer and horror about my writing, so i don't know how she knows...?"
horror: "y'know, dust and i have a bit of a bet going on. all jokes and all, but i've got a feeling ink's pulling some sort of elaborate spying prank with how much she knows about us... dust doesn't think so. but i'm betting 20 bucks she does. like, once i was at a vending machine and the stupid thing didn't give me my goddamn candy bar, ugh. i had to stay cool. but then ink just pops out of nowhere, says its okay for me to drop the act and get mad around her, and then does some sort of vending machine trick to get the candy?? yeah, she's definitely a wizard or something. in a nice way, i guess."
NOW SWWAAAAAAPPP she's silly. i included the bit of her getting into trouble because of her good will SOLELY because swap gets bullied a lot in other aus 💀 (askerror, something new, etc,,,,,,) i also read a canon underswap doc??? SWAP IS SO SILLY!!!!! i cant really explain her personality through text i'd need to draw comics for her which uhhhh,,,,, (looks away)
THOUGHTS ON SWAP????
dream: "ah, swap! she's one of my dearest friends, i truly care for her deeply. out of sheer coincidence it seems, that she, ink, and i were chosen to be the star students of the school, but surprisingly it works out well... swap's truly a delight. she's a great motivator, and she's saved me from a few situations that would've ended up terribly had she not been there, hehe."
nightmare: "sometimes the world hates me. ah- well, what i meant was, the path of fate has me set on a predetermined path of struggle! and yet, when even i, the queen of negativity, could not stop my kin from slipping on a ridiculously placed banana peel and almost breaking her neck, swap was her knight in shining armor and caught her. needless to say, just as fate despises my bloodline, fate also has angels sent down from heaven. i do suppose swap is one of those, bless her soul."
killer: "heh, swap?? that girl's a riot! couple years ago i tried convincing her to show me some of those sick moves she learned at kickboxing, or karate, taekwondo, whatever... she broke my wrist, haha! but then i pulled a knife on her and then we both got in trouble. hah, good times, good times. no, i didn't stab her?! in fact, she's very good friends with mr. mew and the grumpen, thank you very much! a friend of my kitties is a friend of mine!"
dust: "she's nice. her type of energy is something you only see is like... a sugar-rushed ink, and killer normally. but anyways, swap's a good help around the school. she's a bit ridiculous every now and then with all her "the magnificent swap" and how she's a bit of a showoff, but whatever. aren't we all? anyways, at least the scavenger hunts she makes during school dances are fun."
horror: "swap is uh... she's something. gotta admit, she's pretty normal compared to some of the people at this school. but man... enthusiasm, much? eh, whatever. i'm not the type to complain when her burritos are to die for. we're partners in cooking class... let's just say, she carries us hard."
anyways jk cross and epic soon. sooner than you think heheheh
#jk fashion au#banana peels and dream are a reoccurring theme btw#nightmare has NIGHTMARES of banana peels. they are her biggest opp. DREAM KEEPS ON FUCKING SLIPPING ON THEM HELP#FOR CONTEXT THE STORY KILLER WAS TALKING ABOUT HAPPENED IN 2020#so killer was a bit deranged back then! haha! good times indeed#so ink MIGHT be self aware she might not. i've just decided now that she wont be alone in the self aware club (error......pspspspspsp)#star students are best buddies!!!! theyre best buddies!!!!!!!! i love friendship and kindness!!!!!!!!!#also technically ink could go by she/they in jk fashion au (i MIGHT forget this detail later on sorry!!!!!)#cant wait to make classic and fell so swap can also have an alternate group of buddies#it might seem like jk mtt think well of swap individually but dont be fooled#they bully her (/pos) when theyre all together 😭😭😭 its all in good fun tho :333#ink doesn't have the tattoos og ink does because no multiverse shenanigans#so in replacement!!!!! the doodles on the legs :3333#this was so fun but also difficult figuring out dynamics between characters i wouldnt normally think about#like fucking horror and ink???? craaaazyyyyy. killer and swap was all on purpose tho#for context on killer's story about swap and her kitties read the next upcoming jk fashion au hcs (hopefully i will post soon :3)#ANYWAYS im a bit scared to go outside of my usual mtt corner of the internet...... but whatever!#whyyyy am i even tagging this LMAO i just need the references and the character interactions#if this flops that will be ok with me i only use these posts to stay in character if i ever make a 4koma or whatever :p#ink sans#swap sans#star sanses#utmv#sans au#dream mentioned in this..... idk about the others but MAYBE ill tag that too just out of association#dream sans#thank you to the Two JK Fashion AU fans you guys keep me going ‼️‼️‼️
25 notes
·
View notes
Text
Twisted Monsterland: Messy Toddlers
Little kids can always cause a mess, whether it’s with paint, markers, food, or dirt and mud. It’s a fact of life, and while a hassle to clean up, it can be fun!
So what happens when you have a tiny human living amongst the monsters in Twisted Wonderland who tends to get messy? How about we take a look at some of the dorms and see!
//At Savanaclaw//
Mini!Yuu: *playing in a mud puddle, singing random things as they smoosh and stir the mud with their hands*
Grim: “What’cha doin’, Yuu?”
Mini!Yuu: “Makin’ mud pies for everyone!” *pulls out clumps of grass before sprinkling it over the mud pile* “Time to add the sprinkles~!”
Grim: “What a waste of perfectly good grass…”
Ruggie: *walking up to the two* “There you are, Bugaboo. What’cha playing with this time?”
Mini!Yuu: “I made a mud pie!” *scoops up the pile, globs falling onto their clothing as they hold it up to him* “Try some!”
Ruggie: “Oooh, looks pretty tasty.” *pretends to get a piece and chews, grinning as he gives a thumbs up*”"Mmm…perfect blend of flavors, though you might wanna ease up on the seasoning. Shishishishi~!”
Mini!Yuu: “Hooray!”
Ruggie: “Wouldja look at the time? It’s almost time for you to head back to the teachers, and you’re a mess.” *hoists them into his arms* “Come on, it’s bath time.”
//At Diasomnia//
Mini!Yuu: *playing with finger paints on a canvas*
Lilia: “I’ll be right back, little one. Silver? Would you keep an eye on the little one while I’m gone?”
Silver: “Of course, father.”
*ten minutes later*
Lilia: “I’m back.” *pauses before snorting, smiling at the sight of Silver asleep on the couch with paint on his face and tusks* “My, my. Had I known you needed a bigger canvas, I could have gotten a white tarp for the floor.” *glances over at Malleus before bursting out laughing* “Oh! It looks like you two are having fun.”
Malleus: *sitting nearby with mini!Yuu standing on his lap, painting his horns with bright colorful flowers* “The Child of Man wished to do face painting.”
Mini!Yuu: *has paint on their face that looks like scales and sticky fake stones on their forehead like Malleus’* “I’m making Mr. Horns feel pretty!”
Lilia: “So you are, little one. And what are you supposed to be?”
Mini!Yuu: “Silver made me look like a dragon, just like Mr. Horns! Rawr!”
Lilia: “And a mighty little dragon you are~!”
//At Pomefiore//
Mini!Yuu: *scribbling on a wall in the hallway with a pen they found, singing a happy song as they’re drawing swirls*
Epel: *comes across Yuu and yelps* “Yuu, no! What are you doing?!”
Mini!Yuu: *startled* “Drawing?”
Epel: “Oh no…oh no, Vil is going to throw a fit if he sees this!”
Vil: “If I see…what?”
Epel: “Ack!?”
Rook: “Ooh, it looks like mon chou is showing their creative spirit!”
Mini!Yuu: *nervously looks between the wall and Vil’s stern stare* “Am…I in trouble?”
Vil: *hums for a moment before kneeling down, pulling out his own pen* “Your form is good, though perhaps we can add a little something to this one.”
Mini!Yuu: “What?”
Vil: “I’m thinking…leaves would be a good start.” *begins drawing, creating beautiful shapes following the swirl that get bigger and bigger* “What else should we add to it?”
Mini!Yuu: “Mmm…flowers!”
Vil: “Very well. Will you help me draw them?”
Epel: *staring wide eyed between them and Rook as the two continue drawing, leaning in to whisper to Rook* “Am…am I dreaming? Vil would have gone bonkers if any of us ruined the walls!”
Rook: “Ah, but why stifle the creativity of our little mon chu when they are clearly expressing their individuality? Even Roi du Poison sees the beauty in this.” *goes to kneel next to them, pulling out his own pen* “May I join in?”
Epel: “…huh.”
(Later, the art is still on the wall, a mix of child-like drawings mixed with elegant and fun pictures depicting rabbits, apples, and a peacock)
//At Heartslabyul//
Mini!Yuu: *sitting on a stool, watching Trey mixing dough into balls for bread and trying to mimic him with their own ball of dough*
Trey: “Oh, I need to get the butter out of the fridge. Sit tight, okay?” *dusts hands off and goes over to the fridge*
Mini!Yuu: *hums as they look at the one they’re working on* “Mmm…needs more flour!” *reaches for the bag of flour, trying to lift it up*
POMF!!
Mini!Yuu: *coughs as they’re covered in flour, the bag on the ground and the counter coated in flour*
Trey: “Huh?? Pfft…I should have known something like this would happen.” *reaches out to pat away some of the dusty flour* “Guess when we’re finished baking, it’s bath time again.”
//----------//
That’s all I can think of off the top of my head, but these are just some cute things that came to mind~
The Pomefiore part was actually based on this one post I came across, though I could only find the pictures. While I had initially thought of it happening at Heartslabyul or even Scarabia…I just got soft thinking of Vil indulging mini!Yuu and helping to create good art QvQ/)
#twisted wonderland#twst#twisted wonderland monster au#twst monster au#savanaclaw#diasomnia#pomefiore#heartslabyul
327 notes
·
View notes
Note
The person that asked about L with a reader with motor tics made me want to ask about headcanons for Mello and Near being close with someone who has both verbal and motor tics?
Reader with Tics ╾ Mello and Near
I was going to put verbal and motor in the title but it was so long... M & N (m'n'm haha) separately let's go!
★━━─・‥…━━━☆
Mello
the main canon thing I know about Mello is he's a bit of a dick. so I hate to say it but he's probably going to poke fun at you. until he realises he's genuinely upsetting you, at which point he mumbles something and stops.
you might find a box of chocolates outside your door as a wordless apology.
there will still be the occasional jab
but he's going to go "secretly a sweetheart" mode
because if he's close with you, he's close with you for a reason and that reason is that he cares about you. (even if he kind of hates himself for it)
So, like L, he'll start asking questions, some insensitive, but he's trying to learn so he is no longer such a dick. unlike L he won't do any research at all lmao so the most obvious things will leave him with a shocked Pikachu face...
I actually think if your verbal tics are words as opposed to simply humming or clearing your throat etc, he'd start saying those words more often. just using them in general conversation no matter what they happened to be.
that's actually something that a lot of people do, did you know? we tend to use words more often if we're close with people who say them often
someone will have to tell him eventually that drawing attention to tics can make them worse, at which point he'll freeze up for half an hour and stare at the wall - probably in embarrassment, it's hard to tell. for a few days after that he'll be really awkward just because he's not used to not talking about things.
Mello is the kind of guy who completely blows past taboos, but knowing that focusing on your tics makes it harder for you means he won't want to bring it up anymore
but yeah after maybe a week or so things go back to normal
well as normal as things can ever be with Mello around...
Near
Near, on the other hand, will seem not to notice you have tics at all no matter how disruptive they are to you or how often they show
but of course when you tell him he just quietly says "I know" and goes back to building a tower out of pipe cleaners. though he might invite you to join in considering you're already there
He's so much better about it than Mello lol
he just doesn't really care either way if you have tics or not...
you're still you.
I also hc that Near has some kind of motor disability that affects his legs so he probably is more understanding of potential discrimination or struggles you may have faced
if one of your tics led to you knocking down one of his buildings he'd get a little upset but definitely not as much as if anyone else did it.. he'd probably make you help him rebuild it... that or make you sit five feet away for a while
Like L, I think Near would probably get a little bit scared if your verbal tics were yelling out words. no, actually, he'd probably get a little shocked at any sudden movement or sound. he's not obvious about it though, his body just jolts a little and he goes still for a moment, then returns to normal
he doesn't really ask any questions because he probably already knows everything he wants to know, but he's happy to sit and listen while you talk about anything - tic-related or not - if you'd like that. he will probably not talk back though haha
er
I think if he heard anyone, particularly Mello, giving you trouble over your tics, he'd throw dice at them
... anyway
yeah he's just chill about it in general. Doesn't see it as anything that needs particular attention: he's more interested in your hobbies and whether you like solving puzzles than the fact that sometimes your body acts in ways you can't control.
bodies are pretty stupid, aren't they?
mmm, I think that's it. thanks for reading :)
★━━─・‥…━━━☆
𝖎𝖋 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖑𝖎𝖐𝖊𝖉 𝖎𝖙 ˏˋ⋆˖⁺˖⁀➷ 𝖕𝖑𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖊 𝖗𝖊𝖇𝖑𝖔𝖌 + 𝖋𝖔𝖑𝖑𝖔𝖜
#sorry this took so long sfdhshgkh#death note#death note headcanons#writing#dn#lei writes#near death note#nate river#mello death note#mihael keehl#near x reader#mello x reader#x reader#death note x reader#headcanons#anons
97 notes
·
View notes
Note
Lucas: if you wanna save your team, youre gonna have to play my little game.
Chris: go to hell, baker.
Lucas: oh ho ho, didnt you hear? Hell is empty redfield. And All the devils are here! Right in this house in fact!
@rebelwithoutaclock
Excruciating pain shot through Chris's arm, the agony climbing his nerves like fire. He felt the bones in his left index finger snap—the sickening crunch reverberating through his spine. A broken finger wasn't the worst injury he'd endured fighting monsters over the years, but it was enough to draw a sharp hiss through his teeth as he gritted them, stifling the scream clawing at his throat.
Insult to injury came in the form of Lucas Baker's laughter, echoing off the walls of the pitch-black room. The bastard was savoring every second of his suffering.
"Looks like you wanna scream a little, don'tcha, Chris?" Lucas jeered.
Chris responded with only a hardened grunt as Lucas stepped out of the shadows.
"Aw, c'mon. Don't be like that." Lucas chuckled, sidling closer. "Someone's not havin' fun—and this is just the demo!" He finally slid into the dim light, his crooked grin gleaming as he licked the cracked surface of his lips.
Dropping into a chair across from Chris, Lucas leaned forward, eyes glinting with mockery. "Like I told ya: if you wanna save your team, you're gonna have to play my little game."
"Go to hell, Baker," Chris spat.
"And he talks! Soundin' real spicy, too." Lucas threw his arms wide in mock celebration before pulling them in again, his grin widening. "But didn't ya hear, Chris? Didn't ya hear? Hell's empty, Redfield—and all the devils are right here. Right in this house!" He leaned back, a hand gesturing vaguely at the walls. "I'm doin' you a favor. Savin' you the trouble of fightin' all those nasty monsters lurkin' bout'."
Chris's jaw tightened. "You're wrong," he growled. "Because I'm looking at one."
For a split second, Lucas's grin faltered. His right hand curled into a fist, slamming against the table. The click of a machine followed, and Chris watched as Lucas trapped his own fingers in a device mirroring Chris's restraint.
"Now, if I was a monster," Lucas said, his grin returning with a twisted edge, "would I be playin' fair like this?" He raised his eyebrows in mock innocence.
"Here's how it's gonna go, big guy. We're gonna play us a nice game of blackjack. You win, you get to keep all those pretty fingers, and I'll tell you exactly where your team is. Hell, I'll even let you laugh it up while I lose mine." He wiggled his trapped hand for emphasis, his grin widening. "But if you lose...well, let's just say I've gotten real good at makin' corpses look ugly. And that's after I have my fun. Wesker told me ya'll play a mean hand, and I take that seriously."
Chris's blood boiled. How many people had sat where he was now, forced to play this sadistic bastard's games? His mind racing, he clenched his fists as much as the gadget would allow. When—not if—he got out of this, broken bones be damned, he'd make sure Lucas Baker wouldn't laugh again. And once he was done with him, Wesker was next.
If you like my work and feel generous, feel free to donate to my ko-fi account or my cash app account!
Cash App: $JayRex1463
#drabbles#lucas baker#chris redfield#resident evil#resident evil fandom#re lucas#re chris#resident evil chris#resident evil lucas#mentions of wesker
12 notes
·
View notes
Text
what lies beneath
falling stars fic masterpost
The manta ray battleship was a prototype. It was easy to forget that fact while lounging in the cabin, but down on the lower deck, it was impossible to ignore. It was stuffier, for one thing. And it reeked of budget cuts.
Eggman was a man with very clear priorities. He would allot as much time and money to things as he thought they deserved. And when it came to something that was never supposed to leave the garage, he skipped out on lights for the underbelly.
It wasn't like he was going to answer the door if the Federal Aviation Administration came knocking for a safety inspection.
The oppressive darkness of the lower deck was assuaged only by Omega's eyes. Twin red beams cut through the blackness, revealing a space cluttered with walkways and skinny guardrails. Thick metal tubes snaked around the space as well, and far off, beyond the reach of Omega's eyes, the three Team Dark members could hear the pulsing sound of the engine as it kept the manta ray airborne.
Rouge stretched her hands above her head. "Well, boys," she said. "Let's get to work."
Omega, being a robot, had no problems seeing in the dark. And Rouge, being a bat, also didn't have much trouble. Shadow, however, was cursed by his hedgehog genes to struggle, so he let the two of them lead the way as they explored the lower deck.
Shadow kept his ears standing straight up, listening for anything that might sound out of the ordinary. What he heard was a lot of whirring mechanisms and hissing pipes. The heavy clanking of Omega's footsteps also filled his ears as they descended deeper down the outer staircases. And as they approached the engine, the sound of its roars nearly drowned out everything else.
But not entirely.
Shadow's ears swivelled. He stopped in his tracks, his hands clenching the guardrail as he stared out into the darkness. But the black wall didn't move. There was nothing there. He let go of the guardrail, only to stop for a second time, his finger catching on a nick in the metal.
"Omega," Shadow called. "I need your eyes."
Omega rotated his head like he was an owl, illuminating the guardrail that Shadow was still standing in front of. Now bathed in red light, the metal revealed a secret: two sets of five lines gouged into the metal. They were thin and straight, almost like someone had dragged their fingernails across the guardrail. But even the toughest claws would need to apply a lot of pressure to dent metal.
Rouge walked up to Shadow. When she saw what he was looking at, she muttered, "How kind of the Doctor to put together this surprise for us…"
"Be on your guard," Shadow said. His ears twitched again. "We're not alone down here."
Beneath them, the landing gear shuddered. Omega looked down at it, and through the lattice of the staircase, everyone could see a dark shape dart across the wheel. Shadow lost sight of it when it left the scope of Omega's gaze, however.
Omega started to get excited. But before he could draw his weapons, Shadow said seriously, "Hand-to-hand only. We can't afford to damage the engine with stray projectiles."
Omega's shoulders slumped. If he had a mouth, he'd be using it to pout right now. "FUN LEVELS DROPPING," he said. "EXCITEMENT DECREASED TO 'BELOW AVERAGE.'"
"Oh, please," Rouge said. "Aren't you forgetting about something? Or were you being too generous before, and those hands of yours can't really crush cars between them?"
This reminder perked the robot up. With newfound excitement, he scanned the space below them, but whatever had been there before was gone now. The only things caught in the red beams of light were dust particles and the dirt stuck to the landing gear.
A sudden bang made everyone turn to look at the engine. Standing on top of it was the figure from before. It glared menacingly at Team Dark, its black body glinting when the red light from Omega's eye beams hit it. It focused its orange gaze on Shadow. Even from this far away, Shadow could feel the coldness of its stare.
It was the Shadow Android.
Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the claw marks weren't just on the guardrail. They were all over the landing gear too. The fake hedgehog must've clung to it when the ship had taken off, and made itself a stowaway within the bowels of the manta ray.
And now it was raising its hand up, preparing to smash down on the engine.
"Omega!" Rouge said, her eyes wide with alarm as she realized what the Shadow Android was planning. "Throw me!"
"QUERY: WOULD YOU NOT COUNT AS A PROJECTILE?"
Rouge stomped her foot. "Oh, for the love of--"
Shadow intervened. "I won't miss," he said as he picked her up. Then, he threw her at the Android. With his superior accuracy, he managed a direct hit, and Rouge knocked the fake hedgehog off the engine right as it was about to ram its fist into the power core.
The two of them disappeared over the side of the large engine, locked in an intense struggle.
Shadow and Omega leapt over the guardrail and chased after them a moment later. They landed on the landing gear, and the mechanism shuddered from their sudden weight. But Shadow ignored the creaking metal--his eyes scanned the darkness, his ears held as high as they could go.
Then, he heard it. The faint sounds of someone choking.
Shadow didn't hesitate. He raced toward the far end of the lower deck, where the noise was coming from. As he got closer, he could begin to make out the orange glow of the Shadow Android's eyes. It illuminated Rouge's face as well as the pinched expression she wore. The Android had her pinned up against the wall with its hands wrapped around her throat, squeezing.
Rouge's fingers weren't strong enough to pry the Android's metal ones off of her. Thankfully, Shadow's were, and he wrenched them free before the bat's lungs could start to burn from a lack of oxygen. She gasped, her heels clicking when they reunited with the floor.
The Android swung around to face Shadow. In the low light, it almost appeared to be glowering at him, the darkness creating the illusion of a vitriolic expression. Shadow matched it with one of his own, his heart clenching painfully as he stared back at his own face.
Why should this thing exist? Shadow still wasn't sure who he was, or who he was supposed to be. To create an imitation of him was to paint a picture of nothing.
But this Android wasn't nothing. Unlike Shadow, it knew its purpose. The machine was comfortable in the knowledge that it was a pawn. Shadow, meanwhile, despised the thought of bending to Doctor Eggman's will.
And yet, the Shadow Android still had something that Shadow didn't.
And it made Shadow sick.
The dark hedgehog slammed the fake into the floor. The force of the impact dented the ship, but the Android remained unharmed. It attempted to break free of Shadow's grasp with a kick to his stomach, but Shadow wouldn't be shaken off so easily. He held firm to the Android's neck with one hand, and drove a punch into its jaw with the other.
But again, the Android was unharmed. Its head whipped to the side, but there was no dent left in its cheek, and when its eyes returned to meet Shadow's, it was as if to say, Is that all? Pathetic.
The Android's stripes began to glow. Its body grew hot, too hot to touch, and Shadow was forced to let go, his glove smoking from where it had been grasping its neck. Then, the Android slid back before jumping onto its feet, its whole body shimmering like the hood of a car that had been left out in the summer heat.
Shadow got back to his feet and balled his hands into fists. He wondered how long the Android could keep up this impression of an oven before it started to melt.
The fake hedgehog surged forward, still radiating heat. It raked its claws at Shadow and managed to graze his cheek, the superheated metal slicing through his skin like it was wet tissue paper. With a hiss of pain, Shadow backed further away, realizing he wouldn't be able to rely on the Android self-destructing. He needed a new plan, and fast.
Omega chose that moment to rejoin the fight. The large robot grabbed the Shadow Android with his big mechanical hands, unfazed by the extreme temperature the Android was letting off. He then tore one of the Android's arms off, and the detached limb sparked hideously when it hit the floor.
"HOSTILE HAS BEEN DISARMED. LIMBS PENDING REMOVAL: 3."
A second later, the Shadow Android slammed a kick into Omega's chest, and the subsequent clang rattled the robot enough that the Android was able to wriggle free from his hands' iron grasp. Now on the floor, the Android grabbed its detached arm with its one good hand before hurling the broken limb at Rouge's head.
The bat easily avoided the arm. But the Android hadn't actually been aiming for her--instead, it was trying to hit the button behind her on the wall. And when its detached arm smacked into it, the mechanism holding landing gear in place released, and the floor of the manta ray ship suddenly had a great big hole in it.
Wind rushed up from the gap in the floor, and the air inside the engine room was pulled out, toward the hole. With nothing to hold onto, the four combatants struggled to retain their footing as they were all dragged across the deck by the wind.
And then the Shadow Android grabbed Shadow's shoe. Taking advantage of the hazardous conditions it had just created, the Android kicked itself up off the floor, and flung Shadow at the landing gear. But Shadow wouldn't go without a fight, and he snagged the Android's wrist at the last second.
The two of them sailed through the air, the suction from the outside of the ship drawing them in like water to a drain.
"Shadow!" Rouge cried, but her voice was drowned out by the wind.
Thinking fast, Rouge reached into her pocket and pulled out a big green gem. How something that large had managed to fit inside of her pencil skirt's pocket was anyone's guess. Maybe she had picked up a trick or two from Amy, and developed her own sort of hammer space. Or maybe it was just a really good pocket.
Regardless, she now had the gem in her hand. With a pained expression, she thought, He owes me big time for this.
Then, Rouge threw the gem to Shadow, hoping it would reach him in time, and that he would catch it. Thankfully, he saw the flash of green over the Android's head and reached up at just the right moment.
The Chaos Emerald smacked into Shadow's burned hands like an oversized baseball. And he could feel it--that mystical, familiar energy. Unlike the kind his own body generated though, the energy emanating from the Emerald was soft and warm. He knew it wouldn't hurt him to use even before he tapped into it.
And as the gem hummed between his fingers, he remembered something.
A phrase.
He said it now.
“Chaos Control!”
The Android attempted to knock the Chaos Emerald out of his hands with a kick, but Shadow was faster. He let the Emerald's Chaos Energy fill his heart, and he kneed the Android in the chest with a javelin of green energy. It pierced the Android's metal chest plate and short circuited the imposter, its orange eyes flickering out instantly.
Dead.
The sight of it unnerved Shadow. He hoped he would never have to fight another fake of himself again.
And then the wind pulled Shadow and the corpse of the Android out over the gap in the floor. Shadow kicked the Android downward, where it was taken by the wind and presumably fell to the desert far below.
Before Shadow could meet that same fate, Rouge grabbed his arm. With her other hand, she held onto one of Omega's fingers. The robot had torn a hole in the floor with his other hand, keeping them all anchored.
"Sorry, sweetheart," Rouge said to Shadow, "but I've had enough of your dramatic exits for one lifetime!" A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face, but she still managed to wink.
It gave Shadow pause.
Rouge’s words. Her actions.
Because Shadow didn't need her or Omega to save him. With the Emerald, Shadow could've easily teleported himself back onto the ship if he fell. And yet, it was only because of Rouge that he now had the Emerald in the first place. And that meant something to Shadow.
It meant that when she held his arm, he didn't try to wrestle himself free, and instead he allowed her to hold him there, dangling precariously over the ten thousand foot drop.
Then, the landing gear groaned as it pulled itself back up into the ship, and the three Team Dark members quickly followed suit. They all turned to look at the wall where the button was, and Omega's eye beams revealed Sonic standing there with a buzzy bomber hooked under his arm. Once the wind was no longer ripping through the lower deck, he released the buzzy bomber, and it hovered by his shoulder.
The blue hedgehog waved at his friends. "Not too shabby," he said. After speeding over to them, he knocked Rouge on the shoulder. "Maybe there's somethin' to this 'team' thing after all. You ain't half bad, Rouge."
Rouge puffed up, a little indignant. "Obviously!"
Shadow asked, "If you're here, then who…?"
"Don't sweat it! My copilot's the best there is." Sonic snickered at the stares he received. "What? You guys were takin' awhile, so I figured I'd teach Buggy the ropes. And it's a good thing I did, too, cuz Mr. Ivo forgot to install the switch for autopilot!"
190 notes
·
View notes
Text
Chuggington Headcanon: Wilson The Artist - WE WERE ROBBED \😫/
So if you know the CGI TV series Chuggington, you know its three main protaginists, Brewster, Koko, and Wilson, who is ultimately the main character overall, and TOTALLY THE BEST AND MOST RELATABLE talking train with face to grace the face of the earth and I'M TOTALLY NOT SAYING THAT OUT OF BIAS I'm NOT obsessed I'M PERFECTLY NORMAL I totally didn't kidnap him from his roundhouse to adopt him as my son I don't know WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CRAZY A-
...Anyways, yes, Wilson is in fact the overall main character of Chuggington. He is mostly known for showing severe signs of ADHD, including having a short attention span and getting easily distracted, particularly in the first three seasons, and then in season 4, when our beloved trio move up to advanced training, Wilson becomes promoted as an apprentice for Chug Patrol Rescue Squad, due to various past occasions of him rescuing his friends from certain disaster.
Wilson has always been my favorite characater because he has the most relatable character of the main three, his fun personality is always so well-written, coupled with the voice acting from Morgan Overton and Tony Terraciano in the UK and US dubs respectively, and while his dodgy attention span, cheekiness and foolishness can get him into trouble, he always comes through to put things right and has creative and ingeniously unique ideas to solve problems. But you know what people DON'T talk about? >:( The fact that Wilson is CANONICALLY an ARTIST. 😎👌🎨
Let's quickly go over three examples:
Exhibit 1: Wilson and the Paint Wagon (Season 1 Episode 41)
So naturally, we must first go over the one that started it all: In "Wilson and the Paint Wagon", our trio learn how to use said wagons. Wilson struggles at first like the ADHD boi he is, but with Old Puffer Pete's help, he quickly learns how to control his paint wagon. 🎨
Right afterwards, see Wilson paint a yellow butterfly on his roundhouse door with some basic 2D detail. 🦋
And at the end of the episode, Wilson's newfound talent comes full circle when he demonstrates his skill to his friends as paints a picture of the main trio with Dunbar on the wall in the Training Yard, and coming from someone who's been drawing since three, I think it's safe to say he's got quite the unique artstyle for a beginner. 😎👍
Exhibit 2: Trainer Wilson (Badge Quest Season 2 Episode 13)
In the 13th and final second series episode of the Badge Quest short series, Wilson is to teach Hoot and Toot how to use the paint wagon, where he graces us once again with his painting skills with a picture of Hoot and Toot. 😌
Not too much difference in the artstyle compared to last time, but still a vitally noteworthy mention nonetheless.
Exhibit 3: Chug-O-Flage (Season 3 Episode 4)
And last, but definitely not least, "Chug-O-Flage" from season 3.
After unsuccessfully trying to make a camouflage net for safari training with Mtambo, Wilson decides to instead camouflage himself by getting painted as a parrot (Big mistake, it almost got him killed lol 🦏) but I'm sorry, the fact he got himself painted as A PARROT?🦜 HE CAME UP WITH THAT PAINT JOB, He TOTALLY DESIGNED THAT and somehow programmed it into the spray shed computer or something- THERE IS NO OTHER WAY- I SWEAR TO GOD, he HAD to- You can't tell m- there's NO WAY-
Your honor, my boi is an artist, I rest my case. 😌
This is why Wilson is best chugger. He's not only my inner child, (yours too, don't lie 😈) he's an artist. CANONICALLY an artist. He has ALWAYS had talent, Why wasn't there MORE of this, LUDORUM YOU ROBBED US ALL-
So finally here's where my headcanon comes into play:
Whenever Wilson makes the time for it, he likes to make paintings with the paint wagon just for the fun of it, usually of his favorite things like butterflies, ice cream or even his friends.
'Course, he already knows he can't just do it anywhere without permission, cuz dat's graffiti which is illegal, he usually uses whatever flat junk or scrap he can get hold of such as old metal sheets or wooden boards, even unused hopper cars rusting away in sidings that haven't met the cutter's torch get a touch up.
Sometimes, he does have actual canvases for painting (Lori gives them to him 😊) and he even puts them up in the wall in his roundhouse. Whatever he can't put in there is safely put in a storage unit located behind the Loading Yard.
It's safe to say his artstyle has improved quite a lot since what we've seen on-screen. 😉😎👌🎨
#Chuggington#Wilson#Chuggington headcanon#character headcanon#headcanon#Wilson is CANONICALLY an artist#canon artist#canon#chuggington wilson#wilson is best boi#stanwilson#wilson my child#my boi <3#wilson is my son#stan wilson#stanchuggington#stan chuggington#Chuggington Classic Series#Chuggington Season 1#Chuggington Season 3#Chuggington Badge Quest#Chuggington Badge Quest Season 2#Wilson and the Paint Wagon#Trainer Wilson#Chug-O-Flage
12 notes
·
View notes
Text
Another DOL post..I'm never stopping with these, it's just fun for me to share my characters which I am disappointed to not be able to draw. My art skills can be easily bested by that of a six year old's hand paint.
He indeed identifies as a male though if you saw the previous post about him (the first post about him really) Elias can change his genitals, due to his human DNA being mixed with several different animals.
Degrees of Lewdity :
ReLaTiOnShIpS :
ROBIN
"Robin? You better be careful with him, if I find out that you're planning something- Uh? Oh, you just want to get to know him? Very well, I guess that's alright, I'm not even sure why I got worked up. It's his fault if he gets into trouble...doesn't mean I wouldn't go out of my way to protect him."
Looks after Robin.
Acts like a mother for him, highly strict and demanding when interacting face to face but behind the scenes, he does everything he can to look after him and make sure he's safe.
The only one Elias genuinely cares for.
*pat pat* you stay there and play games while I sell my body to take your debt okay?
Good.
Manipulates this one like crazy, "I'M DOING ALL OF THIS FOR YOU HOW DARE YOU TALK BACK TO ME-"
His words not mine.
SYDNEY
"He's my partner if that's what you were wondering, I've spent quite a good amount of time with him. Don't fill his mind with too many lewd thoughts if you plan on seducing him, his purity is rather useful. He even gifted me a dress last week..Mhm? Yes..I am fond of Sydney."
Elias doesn't particularly understand his own emotions.
He just likes having Sydney since his privileged life/status makes it easier for him as well.
Did go out of his way to spend time with him at the beach, proceeded to question every single idea which led him to do so.
WHITNEY
"Whitney tried to use me for quick money making on multiple occasions, you ram your knee in the balls and run, he doesn't take hits there very nicely."
Yeah no.
They don't get along.
Elias just ignores him whenever he tries to interact, will dismiss him when the time comes.
I've tried to allow it, but from the shaming to the constant abusive scenarios, there isn't much to allow.
KYLAR
"He got his ass thrown into prison, and for all I know, he just belongs to the asylum. I assure you that I attempted to aid him, he wasn't treated very kindly so I assumed to have found someone I can understand and relate to. Turns out he was a perverted psycho...Oh really ? I'll give you this one fact, Kylar never loved me, he just wanted to keep me as a possession."
Dismissed Kylar.
You think this guy wants to make out with the equivalent of a pathetic wet rat ? He doesn't even know if he likes the librarian who treats him with kindness.
Nuh-uh.
Nah.
Stans are coming after me, but my boy openly defended a dude who decided to stalk him in response.
BAILEY
"...What about Bailey? He has done many things for me as a child, I know that our hearts have never been one, I see that now. But if it means seeing her again..I'll pay him off, I'll pay Robin's debt along with my own and we'll run from this god forsaken swill of a town."
The first reason as to why Elias is so hardworking is because he believes that once his debt is fully repaid, he'll be able to see Monika.
Otto Hightower and Alicent toxic dad and daughter~
Woohoo and the line of trauma doesn't stop there cause Elias also treats Robin like SHIT-
The pressure of needing to save those he cares for is so great that it causes him to install his own suffering on them as well.
You're stronger than you think Elias, you're strong enough to stand as a wall between Robin and Bailey, between Sydney and Himself, between the Orphans and this Fucked up Place.
Burn your feelings to the ground and carry on.
Woah too emotional on the last one chill-
#degrees of lewdity pc#degrees of lewdity oc#degrees of lewdity#dol sydney#dol#dol kylar#dol pc#dol robin#sydney the faithful#kylar the loner#dol whitney#whitney the bully#robin the orphan#bailey the caretaker
36 notes
·
View notes
Text
The ajaw brainworm won't go away SOS
so I know I just published a fic about Kinich and Ajaw (found in my pinned post) but I kind of want to write another one. I've tried to write both of the following ideas already and hit various walls despite being crazy about them, so if any other fic writers/artists want to pick them up or use them for inspiration, that would be amazing. Always Ajaw - Does anybody remember that one audio that was on TikTok that was like a mother talking about her son and the fact that no matter what trouble he got into, there was always the same person with him? That but it's Mavuika as the adoptive mother, Kinich as the son, and Ajaw as the one who's always with him. Bonus points if Kinich and Ajaw don't even like each other and they're not even friends, but somehow they just keep running into each other. Like their apartment building burns down and that's when they figure out that they've been neighbours this whole time and Kinich calls Mavuika and she's like "is there anyone with you?" And he's like "yeah, Ajaw." (They're co-dependent frenemies guys!)
Sacrifice of Dragons - I got the idea for this while listening to Harpy Hare, so that's probably saying something. Basically, Kinich has the same kind of backstory he has in canon, but in a different universe; in this one it's fairly modern but with the addition of demons. He's been picked on and bullied more than anyone can imagine just because he's the 'parentless, friendless freak.' One day some of the older kids (think like 15 year olds) get this grand idea to sacrifice him to a demon as a prank; none of them actually believe in demons, but it would be fun. (They're not actually planning on killing him; they were just going to tie him down, light some candles, chant some spooky words, and maybe rough him up a bit.) They take him to this abandoned building on the edge of their town and invoke the name of K'uhul Ajaw; and then get scared out of their minds when Ajaw actually shows up. Ajaw can't believe that humans are out here sacrificing literal children, and though he likes killing people and causing general chaos, Kinich is clearly no more then 11. He also can't let Kinich go because it's against ritualistic demon law, so instead he offers Kinich a choice; he either dies, or he can take the role of Ajaw's companion and assistant. Kinich chooses the latter, and from there the fic would just be the kinds of mischief they got up to, and some nice bonding time between a demon dragon and his child assistant. i really just needed to talk and get these brainworms out because they're taking up all my mind and I kind of it to do other more important things like working and procrastinating.
If anybody decides to take inspiration and write/draw something for these prompts/ideas, be sure to send it my way! I'd love to see it :D
#genshin impact#kinich#k'uhul ajaw#genshin kinich#genshin ajaw#writing prompt#writing ideas#au ideas#fic ideas#please someone do something with one of these please please please#im going to explode
12 notes
·
View notes
Note
hello! you asked for winter prompts? ❄️🌨
- first snow
- baby, it's cold outside
- holidays in the city
- hot chocolate
and i have a hankering for some Fivan but anything you want to write is lovely! 💙
The wind off the water stings like a whip, and the stormclouds roiling in the northern sky are laden with the promise of snow, the first of the season -- which in Weddle comes much later than it did back in Os Alta, where winter often lasted five or six months of the year. Fedyor isn't entirely used to the gentler, warmer, mistier climate of Novyi Zem, or Novyi Zem in general, but he can't say that he objects. In fact, it's nice not to freeze his arse off in a tent, or a battlefield, or wherever he was spending the latest campaign. Of course, Ivan is worried that it might turn them soft, but that's just Ivan for you. It's three months since they arrived in Weddle and got a small apartment in its city districts, settling awkwardly into their new life, but he still stays on his toes, tense and watchful, just waiting for something to go wrong. Even here, on the far side of the True Sea, far from Ravka, his face could be infamous, and if Queen Alina is inclined to pursue the vendetta that drove them into exile in the first place....
Fedyor sighs, shakes his head, and continues on his way. By the time he reaches the market square, the first flakes are swirling down, and he pulls up his hood -- it's still strange not to be wearing a kefta -- and greets the merchants politely. Neither he nor Ivan speak Zemeni particularly well, but Fedyor is a quick study and Ivan is extremely stubborn, so between the two of them, they've picked up enough to get by. There are enough immigrants around here that they can get by in a rough polyglot of Ravkan and Kerch, but it's better not to draw attention to themselves. You know. Just in case.
Fedyor finishes his shopping and heads home through the narrow streets, windows lit with candles and pine wreaths hung on doors, kids laughing and looking at the sky in eager expectation of snowballs with which to wreak generalized havoc. He likes the energy of it, the ordinary vivacity of living among regular people and not shut away behind the cloistered walls of the Little Palace, and he stops to savor it for a long moment. Then he ducks into a narrow stone doorway, fumbles with his mittened hand for the key, and opens it, ascending a creaky staircase to the second floor. Pushes the door open and calls, "Vanya, I'm home."
His husband glances up briefly, his scars looking particularly pronounced in the grey light, and silently satisfies himself that Fedyor is in one piece. Then he says, as usual, "Any trouble?"
"No." Fedyor knows why he asks, but he does feel that if there was, he could handle it, lingering parem hangover or otherwise. He carries the shopping into the crammed galley kitchen and begins to unload it, as Ivan pads in, leans against the doorway, and watches him like a lone wolf. Over his shoulder, Fedyor adds, "We could even go out and do something, you know. Something fun."
Ivan snorts. Ravka or Novyi Zem, it doesn't matter; Ivan and fun simply do not go in the same sentence. "Or not."
Fedyor raises an eyebrow, but decides not to press. Instead he fills the kettle with milk to warm it, melts some chocolate in the tarnished tin pan, and stirs it into two cups, handing one to Ivan. "Fine, then. Suit yourself."
They sip the hot chocolate for several moments, neither of them speaking, falling into that long-married silence where they don't need words to communicate. Then Ivan says at last, "I wish we could, Fedya. I just -- I don't think -- I'm not in the mood."
Fedyor could remark that when it comes to doing anything frivolous, Ivan rarely is, but he knows the feeling. Part of his eagerness to go out and socialize and make the best of it, in the way he habitually does as much as Ivan glowers in solitude, is to cover up that bone-deep pain, the sundering and the loss, the knowledge that it might be a very long time -- if ever -- until they go home again. He's grateful for the new life they're building in Weddle, even though it's decidedly out of the pulverized ashes of their old one, but that can't whisk away the ache. Then Fedyor finishes the hot chocolate and sets aside the cup, puts his arms around Ivan's neck, and snuggles close. "In that case," he orders, "keep me warm some other way. It's cold out."
Ivan smiles, just a bit, the way he does with Fedyor and no one else. He brushes a kiss over Fedyor's temple, slips his arm around him, and holds him close, and they stand there in the kitchen, listening to the shared echo of their heartbeat -- always, no matter where they are in the wide world, the one thing that feels like home. Then he shifts his position and lifts Fedyor up onto the counter, moving close to kiss him and let everything else fall away. "As you wish."
22 notes
·
View notes
Text
“I don’t care, I haven’t snuck out like this in weeks!” Donnie answered before turning and flipping dramatically into the shadows. He scuttled along the wall like a bug until he could peak around the next corner. Tim just casually walked along behind him.
Chapter art for Chapter 10 of Snapper and Stinkpot, THE BUG.
Timothy belongs to @/PineTreeVillain (I linked him on the actual fanfic chapter, not sure what the proper etiquette here is, lol)
Also fun fact, the reference art I used to draw Tim had him with a chain hanging from his jeans, but I literally drew Angel with a chain on hers last week so I switched it up and gave him a little keychain instead. His keyfob is the same as my car. Would Tim drive a Miata? I don't fucking know. Gave him a Septic Sam too to match the t-shirt (of himself?) he wears, hee hee.
Y’all it took 10 chapters but we are here! The plot is plotting, the art is arting, I am so happy with what I have putting out on this silly blog for the last two months, it’s been fucking crazy. I’ve never done fan art or written anything this substantial ever, it is so creatively fulfilling and I just want to thank everyone who likes and reblogs these posts because y’all have no idea how fucking excited I get when I get feedback on it. I’ve never been more happy in my life, no fucking lie. Thank you so so much, but especially to @lizardlover67 , @entspiderty , @spl00n , @theosb0rnway , @allyheart707 and @caaaaaww for being so supportive in my art journey.
Gonna blab about the art now for a moment because I want to! I cannot believe it took me this long to post art about Donatello. He is the 10/10 the best turtle, and all I have to show my love is a handful of stupid doodles from over a week ago. It's probably a crime, honestly. I need to draw him more; him and Raph, their heads just give me so much trouble idk what it is, but I haven't figured them out yet. I have more trouble drawing Donnie than I did Tim and this is literally the second time I've drawn Tim (and the first was just a dumbass doodle I never posted lmao.) I have a bunch of alternate art that I had drafted up for this that will come out later this week, as well as a draft comic I never posted where April was breaking into the school with Donnie instead. And... I'm sure I've probably said enough now. It's late, and I gotta write chapter twelve or something, idk (this is a scheduled post).
I love it here, hope y’all have a wonderful day. 🥹
#rottmnt fanfiction#rottmnt#rottmnt donnie#rottmnt timothy#snapper and stinkpot#casey sas au#chapter art
20 notes
·
View notes
Text
cant believe i was so fucking delusional about Flamebringer and Enforcer interacting in some way that it came into existence
actually can we talk about that
listen i already Hortus de Escapismo would be a treat because its a Laterano related event and it involves my wife. actually he got an alter even i knew it i KNEW IT I WAS AN EXALTER TRUTHER AS SOON AS I SAW THAT BOUJEE WINCHESTER 1887 MY FUCKING WIFE IS HOME MY WIFE
and then they dropped the operator records for the Notarial Hall trio and for anyone who has not read those yet tl;dr from somewhat dubiously google translated chinese text:
in Insiders oprecs theres almost an all out brawl over a family heirloom donut recipe. its so funny to me that we all made fun of him cause his halo looked like a donut and he really is Donut Man™
actually his personal donut recipe is so sweet and greasy that the doctor nearly chokes to death on it. im pretty sure if you eat it you can physically feel your arteries popping shut
apparently he likes sweets so much because when they picked him off the streets in some small town bordering siracusa and brought him to laterano they gave him some candy and it just left such an impact on him
do all of you have dead parents is that like a requirement
he has donut pajamas
Executor oprec is kinda cute honestly. this guy is autistic. he has joined the war on autism on the side of the autism. anyway what we learned is that apparently his lack of empathy (as in the sanktas 6th sense) is something hes had from birth and not in fact due to his job as an executor
and also he has always had a black halo and wings. according to the manhua they also dropped his entire extended family has black halo/wings it has absolutely fuck all to do with him being willing to kill sankta if his job necessitates it its just genetic
he doesnt actually have that much of a problem recognizing what people are feeling, its more that he has trouble piecing together cause and effect or what those emotions mean to people. and his parents (before their tragic demise) taught him to like draw shapes on paper matching different emotions to parse it? cute
anyway the other executor that was on a mission with him when he was still a rookie bites the dust and Executor takes it so so so seriously and fucking tries to eat 100 scoops of ice cream because his senpai made a joke and he was just like "okay so that can count as a last will and testament i guess" like babe. babe. he applied for executive gelato funding
and they leave us hanging but i genuinely wonder how many he managed to eat before he probably vomited and couldnt see gelato for the next 3 months
Federico Giallo? no. Federico Gelato
also hes only around ~25 as of Exalter
Enforcer goes around asking various sarkaz about Kazdel cause obviously hes intending to go look for Cecelias dad with her
actual live reaction as soon as i saw 炎客 BEYONCE?! FLAMEBRINGER?!
Flamebringer is a wanted criminal the Notarial Hall has his mugshot on the office notice board (which tells me that there is NO WAY that Executor doesnt KNOW him or about him please i am so delulu rn Lowlight i fucking beg you let them interact kiss. violently suck face, even. "Dino wasnt this a 炎见 post?" if you were paying attention to my Twitter youd know i really like 葬炎见 in that exact order but ill take any combination of just two of them) and also he absolutely does not give a shit he just keeps watering the plants while Enfocer talks at him
Enforcer gets slammed against a wall and maybe choked a little unbelievable and Flamebringer is like "go bug someone else, blood is not for watering flowers" like oof ouch the edge on this guy
Mudmud helps Enfocer in the end tho :)
also he might be like 19 while my conservative estimate was at least 25 i THOUGHT the Notarial staff had law degrees now i get why everyone in Guide Ahead was like "waow, so young :o and already an executor!"
#arknights#flamebringer#enforcer#flameforcer#being held at knifepoint can be something so homoerotic#blood#going apeshit under the readmore#炎见
23 notes
·
View notes
Text
CHARACTER INFO SHEET
TAGGED BY: no one but i've seen it a few times now and y'all know i love a good info sheet so i'm stealing it
NAME: yeong-hwan byun / 변영환
NAME MEANING: something to the effect of eternal shining or eternal brilliance
ALIAS(ES): byan
ETHNICITY: korean
PICTURES YOU LIKE BEST OF YOUR CHARACTER: i'm no artist so you'll have to accept some of my favourite fc images that exude byan vibes / energy / looks
THREE HEADCANONS YOU'VE NEVER TOLD ANYONE:
ㅤwhile english is their most used language, their phone's default system language is always set to korean because it's a bit more agreeable with their dyslexia than english has ever been. this also has a bonus perk of being a bit more difficult for most people around them to navigate, so nosy foster parents, caretakers, etc. have a slightly harder time trying to snoop.
ㅤrooftops are their favourite places to hide when they're distressed or running from something. they've always proven to be the last place most people look and, all things considered, it's pretty easy to lose someone by just climbing straight upward.
ㅤwhen taking their emotions out with violence isn't an option, byan takes to drawing instead. a lot of the drawings in their sketchbook(s) that aren't fashion or tattoo related are visual expressions of their emotions, and occasionally glimpses into some of the more traumatic scenes in their past — sometimes images as they remember them from the moment, sometimes from a more outside perspective, and sometimes even the end result they wish had happened. it's not always incredibly clear, sometimes the images are more representative of something they've been through, but the emotion behind it always comes through. this is one of the major reasons why they don't like letting anyone flip through their work. this was also the main and only real way they coped with their emotions throughout much of their childhood, and they still have some of the more violent scribbles they did at a younger age when their anger was a lot more repressed.
THREE THINGS YOUR CHARACTER LIKES DOING IN THEIR FREE TIME:
ㅤcrime. pickpocketing, shoplifting, vandalism, burglary, arson — you name it, they probably engage in it and have a great time in the process. breaking laws and causing trouble for others is fun, and doubly so when you get something out of it for yourself.
ㅤart. whether it's simply drawing, spray painting the blank wall of an alley, making or altering clothes and accessories, doing their makeup or painting their nails, or giving themself a new tattoo, they love being creative and expressing themself.
ㅤphysical activity. never one who's been able to sit still for any length of time, you'll always find them moving, even when they're not at track practice. they're regularly parkouring and freerunning across the city, are found getting themself into fights with just as much regularity and, once they're a more functional adult, they're going to the gym every day to burn some of their overwhelming energy (and maintain muscle ofc).
EIGHT PEOPLE YOUR CHARACTER LIKES/LOVES: sol, lena, ardaka, peter, claudette, kit, ...? —with the exception of sol, these are all cases of familial (specifically sibling) love.
TWO THINGS YOUR CHARACTER REGRETS:
ㅤblindly trusting anyone, especially those who should have had their best interest at heart, without first having them prove themselves.
ㅤkilling the man who assaulted them. and the fact that they even regret killing him because they know they damn well shouldn't. it was him or them, and he got exactly what he deserved.
TWO PHOBIAS YOUR CHARACTER HAS:
ㅤbecoming dependent on someone other than themself. allowing themself to rely on another is a recipe for trouble, they almost always end up with the rug pulled out from under them when they least expect it, left miserable and hurting and in a much worse position than they were to begin with.
ㅤlosing their freedom and control over their own life. no one who has ever had power over them and their life has used it to benefit them — only to hurt and use and control them. they are the only one who can be trusted with their own wellbeing; their control over their life and their freedom are the only thing they really have, and it's something they've fought impossibly hard for.
#━━ ˟ ⊰ ✰ dash meme.#i forever love shit like this sm#every time i see a new one i HAVE to yoink it#the way byan just collects siblings for themself is my favourite thing actually#a couple of them could be seen as vaguely parental too but. byan has a Thing about parents so they don't tend to look at it that way.#and i actually have so many headcanons that i haven't shared but?? sitting down to figure out what three of them were took me a minute lmao#almost resorted to some of the darker ones but decided to keep things on the lighter side. ...or as light as they can be around here anyway#━━ ˟ ⊰ ✰ headcanon ⋮ danger in the fabric of this thing i made.
9 notes
·
View notes
Text
@midnightcityx0x0 I'm not reblogging that fuckmassive post AGAIN but this got too long for a reply so. On its own post now
Anyway i actually have so much trouble thinking of anything for gustavo ever lmao. Everything i have for him I've adopted from other people; rem [brickattack] as mentioned on the big post, and @synthlet/softersynths for a lot of other things. [and a couple others too but iirc synths was the one who started those ppl on it as well gfjdjds] which is to say, you'd probably get better/more interesting answers from those guys :p but yeah, fp and gus are pretty close. It's the general exposure/familiarity, the fact that fp is just a happy/pleasant and easy-to-like dude personality-wise, and for gus specifically there's also a level of "he shares a lot of traits with peppino, without peppino's Baggage™"
that last point is very very interesting but i dont know if i'd Actually get to doing a lot with it bc i typically make fake pep His Own Guy, with his similarities to peppino being almost sort of coincidental. i really really really like coming at peppino and fake pep from the "equals and opposites" angle, which like, that Can still apply for that last bit abt gus, but it's not something i've put a lot of thought into. it's also just fuckin hard to articulate outside of just showing it lmao. [i mentioned like, predator/prey animal nervousness + their reactions to fear vs aggression on the other post but to pull one for here: fake pep still has his own brand of Baggage to deal with too--different stuff than peppino's--but fp is way more open about it when it comes up as opposed to peppino having 50 fuckin walls about everything.
besides that, i also see a lot of general banter about gus being a very Nature Guy™ who likes to find beauty in all the weird fucked up shit nature does [especially in a world as cartoony as theirs], which i enjoy a lot bc girl same. fp may be the farthest thing from natural, but i certainly think there is a lot of beauty to be found in his fucked-up-ness. and i'm sure gustavo sees it too.
and then a fun one i've come into pretty recently for them is that they both care abt peppino a lot, but peppino is very bad at...being cared for. so because you can rarely approach pep directly about anything if it involves vulnerability [again: 50 fuckin walls], and because they both know him very well in different ways and can get through to him about different things, they end up working together a lot in sort of a conspiratory way. plotting scheming etc. 'have you noticed anything wrong lately + how are we going to help this guy out today', that sort of thing. the idea there can go a lot of ways but i'm partial to them using like goofy cartoon antics to set him up for something that'll be beneficial to him. [also brick is in on it too technically but brick is a rat and therefore only sapient when it's funny.] peppino rarely realizes what theyre doing until it's too late. get loved idiot
TANGENTIAL. DONT even get me started on the angst oh my god. you. i am pointing at you you made me think about this. i am not usually one who likes doing angst or making things excessively bad for the hell of it but. a bitch may be considering. under cut bc its unrelated to gustavo stuff but this is as good an excuse as any to share. [+ also extra thoughts on it bc of COURSE]
so i said that at the end there but then a few hours later i found myself toying around with a script and getting a good way to set it up.... im hoping i hit a roadblock on it and drop it because if i DO end up getting it all the way written i will definitely end up drawing it at some point and that would be uh... a big undertaking. it would also be one of the last ones i do bc there's other stuff i still want to build on, so IF, i cannot stress enough IF i go to make it a thing for real, it won't be this year.
for the bits i have so far though it's interesting how much it's shaping up to be like. a showcase of just how well peppino knows fp. which is surprisingly well? even better than gus, despite gus' being WAY more emotionally perceptive. peppino doesn't engage with fp more than necessary and rarely acts interested in his business, but i do think he spends a lot of time just... observing him. if only because pep is neurotic and anxious and fp is weird and freaky so it is a constant thing of "ok what the hell is this. is this something i need to be worried about?" whenever fp is doing shit, and the answer is always ''no'', but it's the sort of instinct that never leaves you yknow. so he's just very familiar with all fp's mannerisms and reactions and whatnot, even if he doesn't really use that knowledge much.......except when things go south. he's a lot more perceptive of fp acting 'wrong' or 'off' compared to gus, who would just be seeing it on a more normal 'aw he looked upset' kind of level.
i talk a lot abt fp's nervousness but the other negative thing that's just as strong with him is frustration. it doesn't usually get to him too bad, and he doesn't really show it around people outside of the occasional eyeroll; but it's stuff like not being able to communicate properly with anyone and getting constantly [negatively] misinterpreted; knowing he's Kinda Shite at his "purpose" [i.e. being 'better peppino' or whatever] and not being able to do anything about it [i don't think he cares about that much any more but i imagine it's still gotta be a bit annoying to remember]; not getting closure for like Anything that happened at the tower, etc... and while i DON'T think this would be the kind of thing to make him go berserk [i still don't really have any idea or framing for that lol; the script starts off a couple weeks in the aftermath and i pointedly don't do flashbacks], it's definitely the kind of thing that would get exacerbated by isolation. the kind of thing that's easy to focus on and spiral about without anyone to ground him; the kind of thing that could keep him from thinking clearly and he might just need to Take It Out on something after awhile.
peppino remains a terrible mediator but he is wildly resilient and tenacious, and if you need a guy to slap some sense into you... i mean he can very literally do that, and do it better than just about anyone.
#IF anyone is reading this whos been with me since the first pest control comic#i rescind the stuff i said about gustavo and fp there. i changed my mind it's this now#pizzaposting
13 notes
·
View notes
Text
The old men were by far the most diverse bunch. Old billionaires wear whatever the fuck they want. One man wore a maroon, velvet, three-piece suit and a paisley cravat, and he must have been sweating in it, but I couldn’t tell because he had doused himself in a cologne that I’m going to call “A Million, Billion Different Kinds Of Fruit, by Calvin Klein.” There were two shaven-headed men of Caucasian descent, wearing black hakama robes and some kind of pendants. They had white socks and sandals, and from the way people were bowing to them, I’m guessing they were some kind of religious officials, but I can’t be quite sure. Whatever faith they practiced, it wasn’t Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Baha’i, Taoism, Shinto, Confucianism, Voodoo, Wicca or the Dreamtime Faith of the Aboriginal Shamans. If I had to guess, I would say they were either members of the Illuminati, or we are living in the Matrix and they are priests from the remaining human city in the real, outer world.
I don’t know what religion they were from. Do we get why that’s scary? Aside from the fact that a vast chunk of my education centered on world religions and mythology, religions really want you to know about them. That’s their whole business model. They tell you why things are the way they are and then you give them money. So the fact that there’s a religion that I’m too poor to know about is deeply troubling.
These rich old billionaires were the kindest, sweetest old gents. In conversations I overheard more than once, a man worth more than my entire extended family (which is Irish and therefore vast and mighty) talked about another man at the party as “just being the sweetest soul,” or referred to a cupcake at a certain café as “sinfully seductive.” And I realized, these men may have been cutthroat sharks before, or they may have inherited their fortunes, but none of that matters now. They won. They won life. They are lions that, having killed enough gladiators, are now left gloriously alive to become old and toothless. The host of the party had an entire wall covered in plaques and trophies. I read most of them, and still couldn’t tell you what he did for a living. Because whatever he had done, he certainly didn’t need to do it anymore. His accomplishments referenced his humanitarianism, his civic heroism and his contributions to culture and civilization. So whether or not this man had worked at Bain Capital gutting companies in the American Heartland didn’t matter, because he had rescued a bunch of Tibetan art and now he was kissing other billionaires on both cheeks and saying, “Tom, I’m in love with you!” because who gives a fuck, I’m rich!
I watched these crazy old holiday wizards and their jeweled scarab wives, their Oxford sons and Cambridge daughters, and thought to myself, “This is the most fun I’ve ever seen anyone have. Louis the XVI would've shit a brick if he'd ever thrown a party this good. This is… so great. This is… completely fucked.”
I began to notice that people were looking at me funny. For a moment I became scared that they realized I was poor. Perhaps I had used the wrong fork, or a moth had flown in lazy spirals out of my wallet, or my toes had popped out of the holes in my shoes. But then I realized it was my expression that was drawing looks. I looked flabbergasted and astounded. And they didn’t.
That’s when I realized it. These motherfuckers weren’t going to the best party of their lives. They weren’t even necessarily going to the best party of their week. Who knows? Maybe one of these plutocrats was sneering at the lack of a third fortuneteller. “No augur divining mysteries from the movement of birds? No oracle breathing poison and screaming prophesies? You call this a Christmas Party!”
Well fuck that!
_
Suddenly I am thinking about that article written by Brennan Lee Mulligan about being witness to extremely hyper-wealthy people believing they were going to live forever.
Not if the rest of us have anything to say about it, said the guy with words on his bullets to the heart of a health insurance CEO.
1K notes
·
View notes