#hertas notes

[e6herta]

promo a new self ship/kin blog?

hello there, i'm herta. any pronouns are fine. this is going to be a really self-indulgent blog, and i'll mostly be posting otherkin and self shipping content, with my current main f/os being screwllum from honkai star rail, yae miko from genshin impact, and octavian from heroes of olympus. there's a more in-depth look at my interests and f/os in my #info tag.

i've followed the self shipping community from afar for a while now, and while i've never really been an active participant, i'm hoping to change that now. i'd like to find my footing in the community, so reblogs are appreciated. thank you everyone!

(don't feel forced to reblog, i just @ -ed the self shipping blogs ive been following for a while to get this post off the ground.)

@apertures-angel @lochselfships @canongf @soursorbet @selfloving-shipper

[dizzybizz]

herta 👍👍👍👍👍👍

[akechis-special-case]

Sona Intro (Basics) - Annalise

Fandom: Honkai Star Rail

Paired with: (The) Herta

Temporary(?) Reference - Picrew Link

I will draw them eventually. ... Probably... Knowing me that might take a good while.

Pronouns: She/They

Path + Element: Abundance, Lightning

"But they are green-" Yeah because Aro flag colors. I like lightning shush

Well renowned author and literary scholar. Inexperienced with science yet seems to try understanding it. Usually calm and collected, gentle even (calm older sister vibes). Yet seems to be oddly infatuated with Herta. The dolls are (jokingly) the daughters. It becomes visible when they are in the same room with (The) Herta. Annalise is valued for their smarts in a different field.

As a person focusing on literature they have different views on things and look at things from a different lense, like stories. Has a talent for analyzing speaking patterns and anything written down. If you allow them they might talk your ear off about literary stuff, practical and theoretical.

Their gentle nature results in them being sought out for advice or helping out others, seeming too close to other people sometimes. This could result in jealousy yet Annalise is oblivious to it. They just want to help.

If anyone is ever interested in them, they won't notice. Literally has only eyes for Herta and is the genius's biggest enabler.

Hates being a burden, thus keeping all their troubles to themself. Also doesn't like talking about their past, hence why they bury themself in literature overall. To most they may as well have just plopped into existence.

[endlesslytired]

im actually astonished about how much of this lined up well with the audio.

[the-original-skipps]

can’t wait to dive into amphoreus so I can write for phainon mydei and anaxa hehehe

IM SO EXCITED TO SEE SUNDAY AGAIN

[artheresy]

Okay so uh…

Herta what the f u c k is going on on your space station, this doesn’t look up to code 😭

[laseratingfist]

roadside picnic being referenced in flavor text in belobog -> cocolia and the stellaron paralleling the wish machine & sampo, someone who goes into dangerous "zones" to get relics to sell, being named after another magical wish machine ????

[fatefulrebirth]

everything is ordained by the stars.

asta star rail is so good. not just as in meta but also a character. i know i don’t even know near to everything about her just yet but she and her relationships have already fascinated me so deeply (rant below)

she was never seen for who she was or what she enjoyed. EVER. even as a child she was always belittled for what she loved; it was likened to a frivolous hobby and something valuable to her she’s been honing for forever.

"You like stars? Oh, I get it. You're a little girl. You all like sparkly things."

these are the types of things she had to hear that would have normally deterred someone from continuing. I’m sure many would have pushed the research aside, giggled and laughed things off, or slowly succumb to the pressure. But Asta would just up and Leave when these situations happened. she wouldn’t take no for an answer.

her relationship with her family was bad, and she didn’t have actual friends either because all they wanted was her money. that’s why her relationship with arlan is dear to me — she initially thought he would one-sidedly ask something from her. In fact, she was the one who offered to give him money just to get things over with. when she realized he didn’t want to one-sidedly demand her of something, she remembered and treasured this forever. i think it’s lovely that she was so extremely worried about arlan’s state in their companion quest. he may be one of her first and only true friends, ever. their mutual devotion and respect for each other are so important.

anyway, during family meetings asta would argue. she wouldn’t just sit there and take it, no, a running theme is that she wanted to control her own destiny. the older she got, the worse her talks with her family went. they could no longer state that it was just a girl’s whimsy, but a commitment asta refused to let go of.

that’s when someone i love oh so dearly came in — Herta. The master of the space station, the savior of planets, the one who’s met an Aeon, Herta.

When she came in to the picture she essentially forced Asta’s family to hand her over to the space station. She’s a no-buts kind of woman and showed it, turning down any resistance of the family. Beneath her authority and her pride, Asta’s family members could not fight back.

Herta barged her way in, shifted the tides in a second, and left without turning back. She was the unstoppable force that Asta needed — it wasn’t even a push but a shove into a different fate.

Now we have leader of the Space Station, Asta. Can her family really call her unsuccessful then? Can they say all her efforts were for nought? NO. She made it big through her own efforts and was acknowledged and hired by the famous Madam Herta. The diamond that had been shining and constantly begging to be picked up was now soaring in the skies.

"...I'd rather listen to this girl debate with you." She thought back to the words Herta had casually told her family on that day long age. The Herta of her memories seems to stand out amongst resplendent starlight, giving her the power to control the starry sky — and her own destiny.

Asta’s opinion was raised far above her family’s. She was not only respected but exalted. She had truly become a star that her family couldn’t touch, and it was all through her passion that never faded despite it all. The destiny she’d struggled against finally shined in her favor.

she’s a smart lady. her family must’ve known. and that’s why they were so afraid of her — not only her smarts, but her stubbornness. hell, her line when she dies is talking about wanting more knowledge. i’m sure that in every universe she wouldn’t have given up. but it does make me happy to see one where she succeeded. it’s what she deserves.

[peipurr]

GFMs say love!♡

*notes: I know the timeline of these photos is out of order but those are the ones I can found anyway. oh and credit of the photos to their owners.

[e6herta]

SITS UP.

SLAY THE PRINCESS AU BUT MY S/Is ARE THE PRINCESSES AND MY F/Os ARE THE VOICES

[m00n-sh]

Honkai: Star Rail thoughts.

Herta

ADHD Autism (personal experience).

The hyper-investment followed by loss of interest got to me. And the subjugation of personal interaction. And the acute social distancing.

Aro Ace (personal experience)

Her puppets remind me of L from early Death Note...

Important and slightly menacing digital presence, but then you look closely and it's Some Guy with a pc and a mic on a dark room.

くるくる～

クルリン

I like to imagine her puppets having the classic antenna with red ball/light on the top of their heads. Silly.

space Toph Beifong

^ but less funny

Sampo

Fool (Masked)

Fool (in general)

His gray shirt is just... some curtain????? How do you even wear that.

^ things to wear when you don't really want to wear a shirt at all.

^ despite living in forever snow.

May know how to operate CRT monitors and tube TV.

How the hell did he come up with Mr. Cold Feet. Of all possible names. Are you me or perhaps dead

Him being in the path of Nihility is very interesting.

Life is meaningless anyway so let's do whatever 🤠

Babygirl + wet dog.

hip wimmdows....

Sorry, can't help myself.

^ why the windows, mihoyo. who came up with it.

trying to keep this sfw

He should be scared of the tickle monster.

Love-hate him.

I would fall for his schemes in-person. Every. Single. Time.

And hate myself for it (increasingly).

^ (personal experience). fell to the same scheme like three times already in a span of 5 years. not cool.

But try me online and I'll make your phone unusable forever.

At the same time I think he deserves a kiss on the head. He should be cuddled and tucked to bed.

Just. Yeah. C'mere. *opens arms for hug*

He could use some genuine human connection....

I'm all for it.

^ if we can get beyond the scamming, that is.

Honestly if I didn't fall for scams I wouldn't even care he did that.

sorry, I know it sounds mean

(un)fortunately, I excuse the humor.

Only these two because they are my favorite. May add more characters later.

[arlan-sd-hss]

herta might listen if you slap her REALLY hard

........

[indecisive-v]

it'll be so funny if fugue gets a reaction similar to this out of the pistol

yo, dan heng's rating pistol rating changed! ...kinda! the pistol is confused now lmao

^ this screenshot was taken back in may

^ and this is now! though for all i know it could be because i have dan heng il

[spirit-lanterns]

HAVE A SEAT!

synopsis: co.ckwarming various hsr women

featuring: ruan mei, feixiao, lingsha, herta

rating: 18+ smut (men and minors dni)

warnings: sub! afab fem reader, dom character, strap on usage, strapwarming, co.ckwarming, feixiao and lingsha have d.icks, lingsha has two di.cks, lap s.ex, semi-public se.x, pene.tration, unprotected se.x, riding, oral, slight degradation (herta), slight exhbition (lingsha and herta), established relationship, might be ooc.

art credits: superstar rivalry

RUAN MEI

“Subject Delta’s brain waves are normal. Their behaviors are normal. A change in diet may be necessary however, as th— darling will you stop squirming?” 

Ruan Mei sighed and stopped her recording, looking down at you writhing in her lap as you tried to get comfortable. It was a long day in the lab for Ruan Mei, nothing out of the ordinary as she just had to get through the list of reports for the week. Unfortunately, (or fortunately) for you, whenever the biologist was starting to get bored in her office, she would always call for you to soothe her boredom.

And in this case, it seems that Ruan Mei had wanted you to get out the strap she loved using and sit on it while she did her reports. You never pegged your girlfriend as the type to be into something so risqué —especially in her lab of all places— yet she was adamant on you cockwarming her while she worked. 

“R-Ruan Mei I can’t…” your voice cracked as she nestled her strap deeper inside you, the girth of her cock stretching you open as slick pooled at the base of the toy. Ruan Mei had definitely noticed the sticky mess, but rather than being a clean freak and wiping it away, she gathered a bit of the essence on her finger instead. “Please move…I need it…” 

“I am not finished with my recordings. We still have to go over six more stages.” She comments curtly, admiring the consistency of your slickness by seeing how far she could stretch it between her fingers. The eyes behind her reading glasses were fogged in what appeared to be pure lust. She really was lost in the sight of you gripping her strap so needily, tightening around her while your nails dug deeper into her thighs. “…What did I say about your nails?”

“Mmngh…sorry…” you could barely contain the urge to bounce on her. Ruan Mei was just too mean… 

“Apology accepted. I should cut them for you later…” Ruan Mei made a mental note for herself and took one of your hands into hers, gently pressing against your nails —which had grown a bit long— and aimlessly began thrusting. 

At the sharp bounce of Ruan Mei’s strap bulldozing its way in, you resisted the urge to cry out in utter bliss. Ruan Mei ignored your obvious struggle and just stuffed her fingers into your mouth, slathering your precum over your tongue and making you gag.

“I need to start again. Please do be quiet this time.” 

She turns the recorder back on, the red light flashing mockingly in your face while Ruan Mei shoves her fake member deeper into your hole, back to being cold and calculating while your walls spasmed over her toy.

“This is take two.”

FEIXIAO

“Don’t grip me so hard…” 

Feixiao groaned and squeezed your waist as you nestled comfortably in her lap. The General thought it would be a fun idea to have you cockwarm her while she worked out, saying that she needed a “spotter,” but the General forgot to anticipate just how good you’d feel tightly squeezing her member. Maybe you’d be even more of a distraction than she thought…

“But General…you’re the one who asked me to—”

“I know what I said!”

She gave your hips one last squeeze before raising her arms to grab the bar above her, keen on doing a few chest presses while her cock was stuffed inside you. This was definitely unprofessional and dangerous by any means, but Feixiao was a strong woman. You trusted her to be able to handle herself during a workout, even if she might be distracted by your fluttering pussy.

“Alright, don’t move. Let me show you how strong your General is…” Feixiao purred and took the bar off the handles. The weights, intimidatingly massive, posed no threat to Feixiao as she pushed them up and down with no struggle. From where you were sitting, the sight of Feixiao flexing her muscles was just drool-worthy, watching as a thin sheen of sweat made her muscles glisten, the way they rippled with each pump of her arms. Not to mention how with each push of the weights, Feixiao’s cock throbbed inside you, almost as if it were aching to thrust with each rep. 

You felt as if you could get pregnant just by watching her workout.

“Babe, babe…” Feixiao grunted, her teeth gritting together. “You’re squeezing me…” 

You snapped out of your daze and looked down, watching as your pussy was practically clamping down on Feixiao and milking her. Though Feixiao hadn’t come yet, it sure as hell felt like it to her. “Sorry!” You exclaimed, trying to relax, though it was difficult to achieve as you couldn’t stop yourself from bouncing slightly on her dick. 

“It’s…fine…” Feixiao’s chest heaved as she stared down at you squeezing her length, some of your slick pooling at her base and forming a creamy ring. “…Fuck.” 

Your girlfriend suddenly lifted the bar up to the holders and set it there, carefully shimmying down so she can sit up and grab your hips. At the sudden movements, her heavy cock dragged wonderfully against your walls and caused you to let out a whine. “Maybe today should be a leg day instead.”

She chuckled and firmly grabbed your ass before making you bounce up and down on her lap. The sudden propulsion of your pussy getting pistoned by her dick had you throwing your head back sharply. “Feixiao…!” 

Your beloved General simply flashed you a wolfish smile before leaning in to bite your neck, deciding right then and there that fucking you incoherent would be a better workout than chest presses. At least for today.

LINGSHA

“Yes, I’ll get back to you as soon as possible once the results come back. How does an appointment in four weeks sound?” 

“Sounds good! Thank you Miss Lingsha!”

Your girlfriend smiled and waved off another customer coming to her for her remedies. However, despite her calm exterior, her thighs were quivering under the desk, all tension leaving her brow as she exhaled shakily and reached under. There, hiding just below her desk was you, pumping one of Lingsha’s cocks in your hand while your mouth pleasured the other. Just feeling the way you licked and stroked her two members had Lingsha whining and dropping her pen, unable to resist pushing your head down to bob further along her length. 

“You really have no shame, do you?” She sighed, running her fingers across your scalp and moving down to tilt your chin upwards. Your eyes flitted up to meet hers, lips still suckling greedily on her cock as your hand paused its motions. Both of Lingsha’s hemipenes were erect and dripping with precum, spilling onto your lips and fingers as she resisted the urge to just take you on the table. 

“Sawhy…” you said in a muffled voice, mouth too full of cock to respond properly. Lingsha just chuckled at your attempts to apologize, gently pulling you off her length so you could speak. “Don’t talk with your mouth full.” 

You swallowed the saliva and precum that had built up in your mouth and groaned, clearly drunk off Lingsha’s scent now. You tried to go back to sucking her off, opening your mouth to take her in again, but Lingsha playfully pushed you away with a finger to your forehead.

“Ehh?”

“Calm down, I need a break…” Lingsha heaved, her cocks twitching with need while she steadied herself. “I have another appointment soon. I don’t want to make a huge mess under—”

There was a knock at the door, causing Lingsha to groan. “Yes, come in.” She responds, casting a glare towards you so you don’t get any ideas. You simply smile at her and lick your lips, trying to play innocent as the next customer comes inside. As Lingsha is talking however, you knew you wouldn’t be able to keep your hands off her, her cocks throbbing tantalizingly in front of you just begging for you to touch her. 

It didn’t take long for you to grasp one of her shafts again and take the other one in your mouth, causing Lingsha to stutter mid sentence.

“Is something wrong Miss Lingsha?”

“N-No— nngh…everything is fine!” 

Her thighs twitched as she felt your mouth engulf her bulbous tip, biting her bottom lip as she shot a messy load down your throat while the other one completely coated your hands in her cum. It was a miracle she even managed to keep quiet as she did, especially in front of another customer.

“Oh, alright then. So, I was looking for a remedy…”

As the customer trailed off, Lingsha subtly shot a glare at you from above the desk, watching as you licked up traces of her cum and cleaned her cocks up. Nevertheless, it was still quite a mess down there, but Lingsha had bigger things to worry about. 

It will be a long day before her lunch break with you under there.

HERTA

“Madame Herta! Are you in there? Madame Herta?”

Furious knocks rapped at Herta’s office door, but the scientist didn’t utter a single peep. Too engrossed in showering you with affection as you sat on your mistress’ lap, all Herta could hear were the cute whines that left your throat and the lewd squelches of your cunt gripping her strap like it was the last one in the universe. 

“Madame Herta! Your meeting is in half an hour!” 

Herta simply rolled her eyes at her assistant’s frantic words. The other society members wouldn’t dare start the meeting without her, they could wait a little while longer while Herta busied herself with you. Yes, there’s no need to rush. Herta is just going to sit right here and have you squirm on her cock until you can't take it anymore. It had been weeks since she finally had the chance to be alone with you, and she wasn’t going to pull out anytime soon. 

“…Herta?”

“Quiet now.” She tsks and drums her fingers against her desk, not even facing you as she was staring directly at the way her strap sucked deeper into your cunt. She chewed her bottom lip and noted how much slick was gathering at the base of her cock, the white ring surrounding the silicone making her imagine you cleaning it off with your mouth. ‘Her lips would look beautiful sucking me off…’ Herta wonders to herself ‘Maybe I can hide her under the table at the meeting…no, too risky. Ruan Mei would notice easily.’

“Herta…” You whine again, wanting her to pay attention to you. She was, technically speaking, but you wanted her to look at you instead of drooling over your pussy. “What is it, you needy girl?” Herta exhaled sharply, finally looking up at you and pinching your cheek. “I’m just admiring you for a second and you’re already complaining. Honestly, I should leave you here right now and not even bother to make you come.”

“No!” You exclaim desperately, clinging to her shoulders and looking up at her with big, teary eyes. Herta could be so mean to you sometimes! You just wanted her attention, and it didn’t help that she kept edging you instead of moving like she promised. “Oh, don’t look at me like that. Now you’re going to make me look like the bad guy.” Herta sighed and cupped your face, giving your cheek a small pinch. “I am merely teasing, little one. But I can see when you’ve had enough.” 

She kissed your pouting, plump lips and shifted her hips, the snuggled strap on starting to plow into you at a shallow pace. The tip of the faux cock pounded relentlessly against that little bundle of nerves that had you arching your back. Oh how pretty you looked whining in front of Herta…your girlfriend had to hold herself back from reaching for her phone and taking a few photos of you bouncing. Tits in her face and your pussy creaming around her cock, Herta was starting to lose her cool. 

“Mm, that’s right…bounce on my cock little one, you need to come don’t you? Come for me…” Herta gave your rear a tiny pat and pulled you in for a kiss, lost in tasting your tongue and swallowing up any moans you let out. 

“Miss Herta!”

“Mmmph…five more minutes!” Herta pulled away from you with a growl in her tone, glaring at her assistant through the door as the string of saliva connecting you broke. “Tell the other members to wait just a little longer, I am finishing something important.” 

Right on top of the papers that Herta needed for her meeting, she grabbed your waist and hoisted you up to sit at her desk, pounding you into the table and soiling her precious reports with your cum. She didn’t care, honestly. So long as she had proof of your private time together, Herta was satisfied. 

[toruskiii]

The Kiss Economy!

Synopsis: What's a more charming way to trade things than using kisses as currency? Genre: Fluff Character: Veritas Ratio x Gn!reader Warnings: Smooches, established relationship, both you and Ratio are teachers! Maybe a little ooc [masterlist] [about me]

Ratio sighed, running a hand through his hair as he paced the halls of the space station. Sometimes, he simply couldn't stand the reckless fools who were his students. It hadn't even been half a day, yet there was already so much to do— or more precisely, so much to clean up.

His classes ranged from young, aspiring teens to adults, who, in his mind, should be capable enough to handle equipment properly and behave responsibly in his absence.

But no.

The moment he stepped into the laboratory, his eyes fell upon a scene of chaos. Panicked students darted about, glass shards littered the floor, and expensive apparatus lay broken in the sink. Imbeciles, he thought with a mix of frustration and disappointment. Why did they always have to prove him wrong about their competence?

Now, he found himself troubled with seeking out you— another teacher who happened to be his dear beloved. He wasn't one to shy away from ranting about the incompetence of his students in private, often grumbling about how he wished his students were more like yours. After all, you never seemed to complain much about your own classes.

His perspective shifted, however, when he knocked on the door of your class and swung it open, only to be greeted by an expression of dread on your face—an expression he found somewhat amusing.

"Hm? You look distressed. Care to explain?" he pointed out, observing as you hunched over the lab sink, your expression deadpan as you glanced back at him.

"Veritas," you whined, facepalming yourself with a groan. "One of my students accidentally disposed of the platinum black powder while clearing out the empty containers." You could feel his stare, his raised eyebrow silently questioning how your students could mess up this badly.

"I think Herta is going to kill me when I report this to her," you added with a fake sob, walking over to him and tugging on his shirt for comfort. He let out a huff, shaking his head and ruffling your hair in a gesture of reassurance. "Just report it to Asta, she'll help you deal with it."

"Do you know how much that powder costs?!"

"Of course I do. But do you think this will make a dent in any of their accounts?"

"...Ah."

You let out a pout, smoothing your hair before directing a confused gaze at him. "Anyways, why did you come to look for me?" you questioned, genuinely curious. It was a rare occurrence for him to seek you out during work hours; he usually adhered strictly to his schedule and dismissed any potential distractions. A mischievous grin spread across your face as you continued, crossing your arms playfully. "Orrrr…did you miss me? Hmmm?"

He scoffed, flicking your forehead lightly as you yelped in surprise. "Don't be foolish," he retorted, but there was a faint hint of amusement in his eyes. "I came to ask if I could borrow some equipment from your lab."

"Equipment? Why? Don't you have everything you need already?" you asked, rubbing your forehead in mild exasperation as you watched him rummage through the cabinets in your classroom. "Those idiots managed to break almost half of everything in the lab, including several crucial apparatuses," Ratio grunted, rubbing his temple in frustration. You couldn't help but silently pray for his students, who would soon face his wrath upon his return to the lab.

Shrugging, you gave him a nod of confirmation to rummage through your cabinets for whatever he needed. "Yeah, go ahead. My class won't really be needing anything today anyways."

As he finished grabbing the necessary items, he paused when he felt another tug at his shirt. Turning around, he looked at you with a puzzled expression, noting the mischievous glint in your eyes— he knew that look all too well. "What is it?" he inquired cautiously.

You grinned cheekily at him, chuckling softly. "Just because I'm allowing you to borrow my stuff, doesn't mean I'm giving it to you for free."

He frowned, genuinely puzzled as to what you could possibly want in return. If you were anyone else, he might have already told you off and demanded you keep your hands to yourself. But you were his dear significant other, so he decided to play along. "Do tell me what it is that you want."

You hummed thoughtfully, continuing to fiddle with the purple fabric draped over his shoulder. "Hmm… I don't know. Why don't you take a guess?" you teased, a playful glint in your eyes. "It's something you forgot this morning," you added cryptically.

He stared at you with an unreadable expression, his mind working to decipher your words. "Something I forgot?" he muttered to himself, setting the basket of apparatus onto the table before narrowing his eyes at you. "I'd appreciate it if you'd get straight to the point, my dear," he said, a hint of impatience creeping into his tone.

With a sigh, you raised a finger and tapped it against your pouty lips, gazing at him with a mock frown.

Ratio paused, his mind working through the puzzle until the realization finally dawned on him. Ah, so that's what you were huffing about.

How childish.

"You want a kiss? Is that it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, half-amused and half-exasperated.

When you finally nodded with a triumphant smirk, Ratio felt his shoulders relax, shaking his head in quiet amusement. The corner of his lips twitched as if fighting the urge to curl into a smirk at your foolishness. "You're so childish, my love," he murmured, his voice soft but teasing.

He leaned in closer, his arms slipping around your waist, pulling you gently toward him. His other hand came up, fingers brushing your chin as he tipped your face upward.

You couldn’t help but smile giddily, heart fluttering in anticipation. And then, with a warmth that melted every teasing remark, his lips met yours in a soft, lingering kiss. It was gentle, affectionate— everything you had wanted.

He pulled away, a soft blush dusting his cheeks and the tips of his ears, though he tried to maintain his composure. His thumb brushed teasingly against your bottom lip, causing you to meet his gaze with playful mischief in your eyes.

"That's it?"

He blinked, confusion flickering in his expression. "What do you mean 'that's it'?" he scoffed, gently pinching your cheeks in mild exasperation. "I gave you what you wanted— what else is there?"

You pouted dramatically, crossing your arms. "You took so many of my apparatus and other equipment. You think one kiss is gonna be enough? Scam!"

Ratio’s eyes widened for a moment before he let out a low chuckle, realizing you weren’t going to let him off the hook so easily. "A scam, you say?" He leaned in close again, a smirk tugging at his lips as his fingers traced your waist. "Alright, what will it take to settle this 'debt' of mine?"

You pretended to ponder, your eyes tracing over the familiar contours of his face. "Hmm… your total will beee…"

"Ten kisses," you declared proudly, flashing a playful grin. "And that’s with a discount!"

He rolled his eyes, letting out a barely audible groan. "You minx," he grumbled, though the way his fingers squeezed your waist and the softness in his eyes betrayed his affection. "Fine then, I won’t bargain any further."

With a defeated sigh, he leaned in and began peppering kisses across your face; nine quick ones, each accompanied by a light laugh from you. He saved the last one for your lips, pressing against you gently but with a familiar warmth that fit like the final piece of a puzzle.

Just when you thought it was over, he decided to push it a little further, keeping his lips locked with yours for longer this time. The kiss lingered, deep and slow, until you playfully smacked his shoulders with a soft whine. He finally pulled away, chuckling at the flushed look on your face, only to sneak in one last kiss— an eleventh.

You blinked in surprise, staring at him in mock disbelief as he casually turned back to pick up the basket of equipment. "Wha— that was eleven kisses!" you protested, though you weren’t exactly complaining.

He shrugged casually, walking out the door with a final glance over his shoulder. "Keep the change, sweetheart."

Before you could protest with a panicked look, he was already gone.

---

Ratio returned to his class a few minutes later than he'd intended, the usual sharpness in his stride slightly softened. As he entered, he noticed his students staring at him. Some with wide-eyed confusion, others with flushed cheeks, and more than a few giggling quietly amongst themselves.

Frowning, he set the borrowed equipment down on the table, neatly arranging it as he always did. "If there's something you'd like to ask, do speak. It is rude to stare," he said curtly, glancing up at them with his usual sternness.

There was an awkward pause before one of the braver students spoke up, trying to stifle a grin.

"Uh, Sir Ratio…there's lipstick on your lips."

His hand froze mid-motion, eyes widening slightly in realization. The clatter of glass breaking followed as two of the newly borrowed apparatus slid from his grasp and shattered on the floor.

The room fell silent.

He shuffled awkwardly, bending down to collect the shards of broken glass, his face a deep shade of red. Raising a hand to cover his mouth, he muttered curses under his breath, embarrassed by the situation. Clearing his throat, he tried to regain some semblance of composure. "Ahem— I apologize. Please continue with your reports while I clean this up."

Now he was 10 kisses in debt.

[another-goblin]

I found a great way to measure and compare characters' strength in the game. Forget stars, rates, OPs, and metas. I present you The Child-Beater Scale, where a character's strength is measured in Yanqings (YQ):

Feixiao: she was able to easily overcome both Yanqing and Yunli (who are about equal in power), so her strength is definitely over 2 YQ;

Jingliu: easily defeated Yanqing. Over 1 YQ;

Trailblazer: we fought Yanqing and won, so our power is over 1 YQ;

Jing Yuan: used to be able to defeat Yanqing while sparring. Currently unknown. A bit more than 1 YQ, I'd say;

Yunli: they seemed to fight on equal terms, so her power is about 1 YQ;

Blabe and IL: were barely able to defeat Yanqing together. So each of them is slightly more powerful than half a YQ;

Boothill: avoided fighting Yanqing, expecting to lose. Below 1 YQ;

Luka: lost to Yanqing. Below 1 YQ.

Yunli and Luka are about the same age as Yanqing (probably children too), so I'd hesitate to put them on The Child-Beater List Scale. We can measure some characters' strength in Lukas (Lk) though! (The exact numerical relation between YQ and Lk is unknown. To clarify this, we'll need Blade or IL to fight Luka. For science.)

Boothill: easily defeated Luka. Over 1 Lk;

Gepard: over 1 Lk;

Argenti and Topaz: technically they lost, but they were holding back, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and say over 1 Lk;

Svarog: lost to Luka during Luminary Wardance. Below 1 Lk.

Additional notes:

March considers Yanqing a teacher, so probably <1 YQ;

Dan Heng in his human disguise lost to Blade (who is about 0.5 YQ), but he used to kill him before, so he's about 0.5 YQ too;

Welt was able to easily subdue the Trailblazer when they were losing control back on Herta's startion in the beginning. So I'd say he's stronger than TB (who's >1 YQ), therefore >1 YQ too at least;

Aventurine was definitely stronger than the party of TB, Welt, Himeko (power unknown), and March, so >2 YQ at least;

He was then defeated by Acheron; she's at least >2 YQ too.