#i’ve only known sage for

[speakercrab666]

i made a new friend today and they immediately clocked me as a fnaf fan. he was giving me this suspicious little look while i was talking and i stopped and went “u look like ur assessing me” and he squinted and went “i am… fnaf?” and i was like hahahahaha YES my favourite character is lolbit and i watched the movie in the cinema dressed as the marionette we are going to be good friends you and i lad we are going to get along just swell :)

[saetoru]

[ LOGIC ] ALHAITHAM.

“haitham,” your voice sings, “are you jealous?” you elbow alhaitham’s side, poking his cheek and quirking your brows as an amused grin tugs at your lips. he only grunts, flipping a page of his book without sparing you a glance and pretending that he doesn’t hear you. “i know you heard me,” you pester, “you are jealous, huh?”

“i have nothing to be jealous of,” he says matter of factly, and though you can’t bring yourself to believe him, you have to admire his persistence even if a little.

alhaitham is not jealous—it’s what he tells himself, at least.

jealousy is an irrational concept, especially when two people have mutually agreed they’re exclusive—which you both have done so already. it’s an ugly emotion, it’s unbecoming of the loyalty you’ve pledged and the trust that exists between you both.

therefore, alhaitham is not jealous.

he simply thinks that logically speaking, the general mahamatra has no business standing that close to you when it’s a well known fact you’re in a relationship. based on his observations (which are seldom wrong) making you laugh so easily should be near impossible—cyno’s jokes are about as dry as the desert sand itself. alhaitham thinks it must be a pity laugh. it has to be a pity laugh—cyno is not funny, not in the slightest. and the way your eyes twinkle as you talk to him is not fondness, it’s kindness—because you’re a genuine person, that’s all.

he watches you both talk for one second, then two, and then he realizes he’s frowning. why is he frowning? there’s nothing to be jealous of when cyno is involved, the rational part of alhaitham’s mind knows this.

alhaitham is taller, a lot more muscular, he’s the (acting) grand sage—and though he hates the position, it’s evidently popular amongst the ladies. he’s smarter, and though neither him nor cyno are very social, he likes to think he’s better at analyzing people’s emotional responses and understanding human behavior. and besides that, alhaitham knows your favorite coffee order and where your favorite spot for lunch is. he knows the crinkle of your nose means you have more to say but you’re biting your tongue. he knows you laugh behind your hand because sometimes you get shy about your smile.

he knows more about you than cyno could ever imagine exists. logically speaking, alhaitham understands you far better than cyno, and he should be the optimal choice. there’s not anything to worry about, nothing that should concern him in regards to his (very stable) relationship with you. but then he remembers the way you laughed at something cyno said, the way the general mahamtra looked at you in surprise before letting his gaze soften with a tiny smile.

he grits his jaw and closes his book.

“cyno doesn’t know you as well as i do,” he starts, making you blink before you nod slowly.

“yes, that’s true,” you ponder, “i suppose he doesn’t. you’ve known me for quite some time now—”

“cyno wouldn’t have as much time for you with all his duties. i, on the other hand, leave work as soon as the clock hits five pm.”

“that’s true, you do have a tendency to leave even if they need you to stay—”

“cyno’s position as general mahamatra makes him the target of a lot of angry and dangerous people, which could prove unsafe for you too,” alhaitham continues, cutting you off.

you frown, crinkling your brows in confusion, and you have to wonder—where is he going with all of this?

“well, yeah, sure. but just so you know, i’m not weak. i can take care of myself—”

“i never said you weren’t capable,” he says instantly, “but the optimal choice for who to date would be me—which you made the right choice, of course. congratulations.”

you snort, giving him a side eye that makes him raise a brow.

“you’re hopeless, haitham,” you giggle.

“and why is that? i’ve supplied more than enough evidence why—”

and then you cut him off with a kiss. it’s a gentle kiss, a slow one where you cup his cheeks, rub the soft skin in delicate circles with your thumb, cradle the back of his head and hold him close as you linger and let him steal a taste of you while you steal one of him too.

alhaitham pulls away in a daze, the book in his hand falling to his lap without the page marked before he can even realize it, long forgotten as you press your forehead to his.

“only you would give me evidence why i should choose you,” you say, clearly amused.

“technically, it’s not evidence why you should choose me if you already did,” he retorts.

and he’s right—you have already chosen him, and you can’t say you regret it. sure, alhaitham is hard to read and nearly impossible to predict. just when you think you have him figured out, he surprises you in more ways than one. he’s too smart for his own good, and his impressive (and sometimes irritating) ability to come up with a rebuttal to everything has moments that make you want to peel your own skin off. he’s blunt and sometimes dry and it drives you up a wall that he answers you with that know-it-all attitude of his.

he never lets a single emotion sway his decisions, and you often whine over every minor inconvenience. he reads books in his free time while you look for something to watch on tv. he rarely wants to leave the house, yet you always have somewhere you want to explore or a new place you want to try. logically speaking, it shouldn’t work, but it does—and cyno will not disrupt the routine that is you, the routine that has so naturally knit itself into his life, for even one moment.

especially not with those bland jokes of his that don’t even have a proper punchline.

“just because you have an answer for everything doesn’t mean you need to give it,” you huff, “and i’m right this time. you are jealous.”

“like i said,” he shrugs, “i’m not jealous.”

“oh yeah? so if the general mahamatra requested my help for another investigation, then you wouldn’t—”

“the general mahamatra has made it this far without your help,” alhaitham says dryly, and if you look close enough, you might just make out the beginnings of a pout at the edges of his lips.

you laugh, scratching gently at his scalp as your fingers thread into his hair. “why else are you better for me?” you hum, cupping his cheek and kissing the corner of his mouth.

now that—that’s a question alhaitham will always have endless answers too. he relaxes, closes his eyes and lets you kiss along his jaw slowly as his hands find purchase of your waist.

“we’d be here all day,” he mumbles, “it’s a lengthy answer.”

“i got time,” you wriggle your brows. he chuckles—and when you laugh too, the sound of your voice in perfect harmony with the sound of his, he thinks he’s found yet another reason why.

“cyno doesn’t know you sing in the shower when you think you’re home alone,” he smirks, rubbing your hips up and down as you gape at him.

“what do you mean—”

“and he doesn’t know your favorite orders or the way you like your coffee. overall, the best option for you is me,” he nods, fighting back a chuckle when you roll your eyes.

“you sure put a lot of thought into this,” you mutter.

“of course,” he shrugs, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. and perhaps it is—there’s a sense of rationality he loses when you’re around. instead, a sense of rawness, a sense of something dangerously close to hope. “i spend a lot of time thinking about you,” he adds softly.

your face softens, and your eyes twinkle in a way that they certainly did not when cyno was around—and he suspects it’s from a lot more than just a bit of kindness.

“you sure you’re not jealous?”

“no,” he grins, “i’m very sure i’m right.”

“for once,” you kiss the corner of his mouth, watching it twitch as he stares at your lips and fights the urge to chase after them, “i’ll have to admit you’re right.”

[iamgonnagetyouback]

The second one is for Harry. I don’t have a plot for him tbh. Anything works…maybe something like James and lily are still alive and the reader is Sirius’ and Remus’ daughter (if you’re comfortable with that else she’s just Sirius’s daughter) and that her and Harry have feelings for each other but they make sure that their parents don’t know about this because they think they won’t approve but secretly Sirius and James have made a bet even before they were born that they’d end up dating.

Gonna sign off as - 👀

harry potter x black-lupin!reader where you both decide to come clean about your relationship only to realise the bets that were going on before you were even born

The morning started off innocently enough. You and Harry decided, with great trepidation and a little bit of sweaty-palmed hand-holding, that it was time to come clean to your parents. You’d spent months sneaking around, dodging suspicious looks and sharing whispered secrets under that big oak tree in the Potter backyard. But enough was enough. Today was the day.

At breakfast, you sit on one side of the table, gripping Harry’s hand under it like a lifeline. Across from you, James is mid-story, waving his coffee cup wildly, nearly splashing Sirius, who’s cackling in support. Remus stands by the stove flipping pancakes, while Lily is engrossed in her tea. It’s almost too peaceful. Almost.

You exchange a look with Harry, both of you gulping in unison. Here goes nothing.

You clear your throat, trying to sound calm and confident but ending up squeaking, “We have something to tell you.”

Every head swivels toward you. Four pairs of eyes lock on, and it’s like they’ve turned into your jury.

Sirius’s brows lift, eyes flicking to your joined hands, a smirk already forming. “Oh, this is going to be good.”

James takes a leisurely sip of his coffee, not even trying to hide his amusement. “Go on then, let’s hear it.”

“Uh… well, Harry and I…” You glance at him, wide-eyed. “We’re together. Dating. You know, in a relationship.”

Silence. Deafening, horrible silence. You brace yourself for the absolute chaos about to ensue—a dramatic gasp from Sirius, a whole speech from Remus, something. But instead…

“Oh, finally,” Remus sighs, flipping another pancake like he’s completely unfazed.

“Pay up, Padfoot.” James holds out a hand to Sirius with a smirk that could only mean one thing: they knew.

“Are you—are you betting on us?” Harry sputters, his face turning beet red.

Sirius lets out a long, overly dramatic sigh as he fishes out a handful of Galleons and plunks them into James’s waiting hand. “Yep. And I had my money on last Christmas, but nooo, you two had to make it as painful and drawn-out as possible.”

James shrugs, looking positively delighted. “I told him you two would take forever. I mean, you’re related to Sirius, for Merlin’s sake.”

“Oh, come on!” you snap, indignant. “You didn’t even wait for us to tell you?”

Sirius leans forward, smirking like he’s the world’s wisest sage. “Kid, you were about as subtle as a hippogriff in a teashop. ‘Oh, dad, we’re just going out to ‘study.’’” He air-quotes aggressively. “Or, ‘Oh, daddy, it’s so peaceful under the oak tree.’”

“Do you know how many times I nearly hexed you?” Remus says, shaking his head, clearly unimpressed. “Once or twice would’ve been fine, but the ‘study dates’? Please.”

Harry’s face falls into his hands, groaning. “So you… knew? This entire time?”

James snorts, leaning back with the air of someone who has been utterly vindicated. “Son, I’ve known since you looked at her like she’d personally invented Quidditch.” He raises a smug eyebrow at Lily. “Which, by the way, was second year.”

Lily laughs softly. “Second year, James? Don’t you think that’s a bit much?”

“Oh, not at all,” James replies with a flirty expression. “I’d know that look anywhere—it’s exactly how I used to look at you.”

You and Harry exchange an exasperated look. “So… none of you are upset?” you ask, bewildered.

Remus grins, nudging you both toward the table. “Not at all. In fact, this is excellent news because now I can finally use your time together as leverage for chores.”

Lily laughs, patting your shoulder with a wink. “Honestly, we were all just waiting to see how long you’d last before one of you cracked.”

Sirius, meanwhile, is dramatically clutching his chest. “I was holding out for the Christmas confession! So many prime opportunities wasted! I could have retired on those winnings!”

“Oh, get over it,” James says with a slap on his back. “We all saw it coming from a kilometer away.”

And as you and Harry sit there, faces hot with embarrassment and disbelief, the rest of them toast to the “official family binding,” clinking glasses and laughing like this is the best entertainment they’ve had in years.

thank you so much for requesting, 👀!! If it is no trouble, could you tell your age and gender?

[klaus-littlestwolf]

you can do a one-shot about human yandere klaus mikaelson in his viking age in a universe where esther never turned her kids into vampires and they lived a normal human life, klaus has known y/n in town since they were kids and he was a small crush on her and when they meet again as adults he resumes his crush on her which becomes an obsession.

Okay, this turned into something different than what I think Anonymous asked for so if you want me to try again in a more Yandere way, just let me know but it became this and I wrote it almost all at once!

Please note: that this is NOT historically accurate, I just made it up, I get that people lived differently to what I’ve portrayed, I just wrote it as I needed to. Also there will be Smut and they’re drunk (as most people are after a wedding) so it’s Dub-con in a way but not really.

DD:DNE

Y/n had been Klaus’ best friend when they were children, he also had a bit of a crush on her but no one needed to know about that. When her family had left to be with her moms family when he was 10 and she was 8, it was the first moment he had known heartbreak.

Klaus missed Y/n every day and not one day went by that he didn’t think of her and as he got older his feelings…changed. His feelings for his best friend became something more, something darker and more serious. He was 14 the day he decided she would be his, no matter what it took to find her, and no matter who he had to get rid of if her father had already married her off. He didn’t care if he had to slaughter 1000 men to get her, he would do it.

Klaus noticed his brothers spending their time trying to get girls attentions and they often made fun of him because he did not, he didn’t need to. You were already his. And not even Tatia and her incessant flirting with him would sway him, eventually Elijah got her attention for the most part and he was left alone.

Finn was married to Sage when Klaus was 18 and not a year later, Elijah was married to Tatia despite Mikael wanting Niklaus to take her believing he could only deserve a girl who had already given herself to another man. As soon as they were married though Klaus began to worry, Mikael would be pressuring him to find a wife to fuck some grandkids into and he would have no way of avoiding it.

It turns out Klaus’ luck was about to change.

A few weeks after Elijah and Tatia were married, Y/n and her family moved back to the village, to their old home as her grandparents had passed. Klaus could honestly say he hadn’t been so happy for people to die ever before.

Klaus was now 19 years old and you were nearing 18, almost 10 years since you had seen each other and his breath was taken from him when he set eyes on you for the first time. You had become the most gorgeous young lady he had ever seen in his life. You nodded and waved as you saw him a few yards away and he was nervous that maybe you didn’t remember him the way he did you, you had been younger than him, not by so much that you could forget him though, surely…could you?

Klaus had left his home early the next morning under the guise of going hunting and he watched you from the woods, watching you interact with your family and friends, doing your chores and helping your parents before eventually leaving before the sun went down to go and bathe, you always did prefer to do so in the evening while other women seemed to prefer the morning. He followed you down to the water, it was a place you both went often to spend time together and just as you were about to undress he stepped on a stick loud enough to startle you and cursed himself.

‘Niklaus? Is that you?’ You sounded…hopeful? Is it wrong of him to hope for that to be true?

‘Hello love. Apologies, I didn’t mean to startle you.’ She shook her head as she approached him before throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. Klaus wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her into his arms, twirling her around happily.

‘I’ve missed you so much Niklaus! Not a day went by I didn’t wish to be with you again!’ In that moment he didn’t care how people would react if they were to see them together, he didn’t let her go, pressing his lips to her hair excitedly.

‘Do you really mean that?’ He felt her nod and he felt as if his face would split in two from his smile. ‘I missed you too, every single day! I thought I was going to have to come find you myself!’

‘Really? Why would you do that, I…aren’t you happy?’ She asked and he was confused instantly.

‘Happy without you? Impossible! How could I?’ He pulled back, looking down at her sweet face and noticing she had untied a few of the laces holding the front of her dress closed, as she had been about to bathe.

‘Is your wife not everything you imagined? I thought-‘

‘Wife?! What are you talking about Y/n?’ Where had she heard such nonsense?!

‘Tatia, you got married, didn’t you? I was told it was lovely, I’m sorry I couldnt-‘

‘Elijah! Elijah married her, not me. Mikael wanted me to, he thought I deserved only a women who had already given herself away but I wouldn’t, I…couldn’t. My heart belongs to another already.’ Y/n had smiled upon his explanation before her face fell once again.

‘Oh! Well that’s wonderful Niklaus! You must introduce me to-‘

‘Y/n! It’s you!’ Her mouth hung open as he said it and she didn’t seem to know what to say. ‘It’s always been you Bunny. You’re my everything, that never changed…’ her face was red and nervous but she placed a hand on his cheek.

‘Niklaus. That was lovely…I love you too. That will never change, even if we can’t be together. I have never stopped loving you-‘

‘But we can! We can be together now Love, and I can give you a life. I can give you our own home and food every night, give you a warm bed by a fire and children to raise, we can-‘

‘Niklaus!’ She shouted, stopping his rant from continuing. ‘My darling, you paint a lovely picture as you always have.’ He couldn’t help his smile at her speaking of his paintings that he had only ever shown her which he had only gotten better at these 10 years. ‘My father has promised me already. Bjorn has asked my father for me…I’m sorry but it is done. I would give anything to change that but I cannot go against my father…’ Klaus felt his heart shatter as she said this, knowing that no other man could love Y/n the way he could. She deserves to be worshipped, to be cared for like the Angel she is and he would give anything to worship at her alter, spend his days kissing her perfect cunt before filling it with his seed so many times a day that they’re expecting 2 days after they get married.

‘I will just have to change his mind then-‘

‘Niklaus, my father does not change his mind. He likes you but we were told you were married already.’ It had to have been one of his parents but as Mikael hated him and Esther disliked Y/n, it could have been either.

He took hold of her cheeks and forced her to look at him, wiping her tears with his thumbs. ‘Trust me my Bunny, I will take care of this. You will be mine, you have my word…do you believe me?’ She hesitated but nodded her head none the less.

‘How? Bjorn is determined, and he will be here tomorrow. I don’t-‘

‘He can’t marry you if he never gets here. And your father will take it as an insult to his name if he does not. I will have you in my bed by the weeks end, you can be sure.’ With that he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers tenderly making her gasp, pulling back quickly. ‘It’s okay my love, I mean what I say. You are mine, he will not come for you, trust in me.’ His lips found hers again but this time she allowed it, allowing him to enjoy the feel of her warm lips on his so tenderly and it was everything he dreamed it could be. ‘You are so perfect. I imagined what you looked like for years and none of my fantasies did you justice. So perfect Bunny, just look at you.’ His fingers trailed from her neck down her collarbone and to her chest making her gasp and pull away, hiding herself as if just noticing.

‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-‘

‘None of that my lovely. Just…allow me to watch.’ She looked up at him, confused. ‘Finish your bath Bunny…I will watch over you.’ Y/n’s eyes went wide but she paused, blushing a dark red as she stepped away from his body, unlacing her dress and turning around, dropping it and revealing her backside to Klaus for the first time since they were nothing but children, the action meaning so much more now than they ever imagined. She pulled the pins from her hair and let it fall behind her as she sank into the water, turning back around and Klaus groaned as his cock hardened so fast it hurt. He sat on a log not far from the water and covered his length, ensuring he kept it hidden so as not to upset his girl, and there he stayed, watching his girl as she washed her hair in the water, staring at her glorious chest as he ground his hips up against his hand like an animal. She was everything he knew she would be and more, leaving him no option but to turn and leave, barely getting far enough away before pulling up his tunic and wrapping his hand around his angry, red cock. It hurt how badly he needed to be inside of her and he felt as if he was going insane.

She is his and no one can take her away from him, not Mikael, not her Father, and definitely not Bjorn! How dare he try and steal his wife, she belongs to him! She’s been his since they met when he was 5 and she was 3, nothing could take her from him, he would make fucking sure of it! He would get rid of this idiot and then he would ask her father for his permission to wed her, she would be his in 2 days time and he would fuck her so hard that everyone in the village knew who she belonged to!

That was the last straw for him before he began spilling in white ropes against a tree, groaning out her name and trying to come back down to earth. Y/n would know who she belongs to very soon. He’s going to make sure of it.

That next morning Klaus was up before the sun and on his way. It didn’t take long to find Bjorn at all, he was only about an hour from the village, following a worn trail with a bag over his shoulder and as soon as Klaus knew who he was, he had run his sword straight through the man’s chest. He felt a shooting pain through his head but ignored it as it passed quickly. He needed to get rid of the body and get back to the village with some kind of game to show he had been hunting, and that’s what he did after taking the money that Bjorn had brought with him. Something about the idea of this man spending his money on Y/n was enraging to Klaus, a white hot anger coursed through him that he had never felt before and he needed to see her, needed to get to her now before someone else does. Klaus isn’t there right now, any man could make his way to her home and steal her from him. He took care to put the body somewhere it wouldn’t be found by anything but animals before he was sprinting back to the village. His need for Y/n felt like it had tripled almost instantly and he just needed to hold her to him and breathe in her scent, feel her soft skin on his and rut his cock into her cunt so hard she wouldn’t leave his bed for weeks…Klaus didn’t know what was happening to him but he loved it. All of a sudden he felt faster, stronger, he felt more possessive and needy for his Bunny and it made him almost deliriously happy…if this is the feeling you get when you kill people why don’t more men do it? It’s fantastic!

He caught several rabbits on the way back to his home, dropping 3 of them onto his mothers table for her to make dinner with. He knew that his mother would bring one to Elijah and Tatia who were still ‘honeymooning’ before taking off down the path to Y/n’s home.

It was well into the evening and Klaus could instantly see that her father, Erik, was upset, leaving him to approach cautiously.

‘Niklaus! Lovely to see you again son! How is your family?’ He asked immediately.

‘Oh, very well sir. Mother is doing fine, and Elijah and Tatia are enjoying married life, they’ve barely been seen in 3 months.’ He joked while also ensuring Erik knew that Elijah was married to Tatia and not him.

‘I’m sure they won’t be for a while.’ They laughed together and he invited Klaus inside where he saw Y/n and her mother getting ready to make dinner.

‘I’ve brought you something. I hope you hadn’t had dinner prepared quite yet.’ He handed Y/n’s mother the rabbits and she was stunned, grinning ear to ear as she realized he had brought them food for the evening and she wouldn’t have to buy their dinner from another hunter tonight. Y/n’s father was injured in a hunting accident so they mostly bought their food, thankfully they had the ability to do so but Klaus knew it was a bit of a hassle as the accident had happened when he was 9. He had been very close to death but his mother worked a miracle, Niklaus held a 7 year old Y/n on his lap sobbing for nearly 3 days and while it was awful, he loved every second of the cuddles she insisted upon.

‘Oh Niklaus! That’s so thoughtful! You saved us the trouble of trying to find our own meal, such a sweet boy!’ She grabbed his face and kissed his cheek before beginning to skin the 2 creatures.

‘That was very nice son. You didn’t need to do that but if you ever want to sell your hunt I’ll be happy to pay you for your service.’ Klaus waved the thought off immediately.

‘No need. I was actually hoping to have a word with you sir, if you have a moment?’ Erik looked surprised but gestured Klaus back outside.

‘What’s on your mind Niklaus?’ Klaus steeled himself and knew he had to be sure to let Erik know how well off Y/n would be with him.

‘Well sir, I’m sure you’re aware that Y/n and I have been friends since we were able to talk. I have loved her since the moment I knew what love was, and I know that I’m not the eldest son, or even my fathers first choice but I want to ask your permission to marry your daughter.’ Erik somehow looked both shocked and not at all surprised at the same time. ‘I helped Elijah build his own home for himself and Tatia, and he helped me with the same. It’s a decent sized home, and I may not be the richest man but I can take care of your daughter, she will never want for anything as long as she’s by my side, she will never be cold, she will never be hungry and she will never be lonely…I love her with all my heart and I hope you will allow me to show her that love every day for the rest of our lives.’ Erik looked down at him smiling by the time he was finished his speech and just clapped Klaus on the shoulder.

‘You’re in luck son, the man I had betrothed her to seems to have pussied out on her…she’ll be happier with you than she ever would have been with him either way…Welcome to the family Niklaus.’ Klaus sighed heavily, unable to hide his grin before Erik hugged him tightly and pulled him into their home. ‘Astrid! You’d better get back to sewing that dress, Niklaus here had just asked for our daughters hand.’ Astrid dropped the rabbit on the table and practically ran to embrace him in excitement.

‘I always knew it! From the moment you were little babies and snuggling up with each other in front of the fire for naps, I knew it!’ She was so proud of herself and Klaus looked up to see Y/n standing there with tears in her eyes and he quickly moved to her side.

‘Those are good tears, yes?’ She nodded her head and he took her hand, kissing the back of it gently before she hugged him as tight as she could. As she did Klaus felt the need to rub himself all over her, as if making her smell like him was a necessity. ‘I will make you so happy, I promise. I have a home all ready for us.’ She looked up at him, shocked by that but laid her head onto his chest, letting him hold her as he wanted.

‘Plenty of room for children, yes?’ Astrid questioned and while Y/n groaned, Klaus just laughed.

‘A room all for them. My parents will have so many they won’t know what to do with all of them so I’ll make sure you have plenty of grand babies to spoil.’ He promised and she made him look down at her.

‘You’d better. You’ll get to work straight away, I’m not getting any younger-‘

‘Mother!’

‘Don’t “mother” me Y/n! You’re nearly 18, it’s a miracle you haven’t started yet! Now you two get, go tell your parents!’ Astrid insisted and Niklaus took Y/n’s hand and pulled her towards the door. ‘2 days from now, everything is already prepared, may as well use it. I will let everyone in the village know to prepare for a wedding celebration!’

Klaus took his brides hand and pulled her towards his home, running with her and loving the excited giggle she let out. ‘How did you do it?’ She asked when they slowed down, approaching his home.

‘Do what?’

‘Get rid of Bjorn? He didn’t just not show up, and you’re not even bruised so-‘

‘I killed him.’ He stated, coming to a stop and looking Y/n in her eyes, seeing them widen. ‘I will kill any man who thinks he can take you from me. You are mine my love, all mine and no one will take you away. Do you understand?’ She nodded slowly before grabbing him by the back of his neck and pulling him down to press his lips to hers.

‘My husband loves me so much he killed for me, I can’t be upset about that.’ Klaus enjoyed the feeling of her hands on his cheeks before he heard her name being called and turned to see Kol pulling her into a hug which Klaus quickly stopped before it started.

‘Kol, don’t touch my wife.’ He warned, taking her hand and pulling her into his parents small home, gaining the attention of his parents, as well as Rebekah and Henrik who were helping with dinner, Kol following them and staring at Y/n in wonder.

‘Are you sure? You can say “no” you know?’ He told her and Klaus shoved him onto his ass.

‘Niklaus!’ His mother scolded.

‘Mother. I have an announcement.’ She looked curious while Mikael looked angry and Rebekah looked like she knew exactly what was going on. ‘I’ve asked Y/n’s father for her hand and he has given me permission to marry her. Y/n is going to be my wife.’ He was a bit surprised that his mother got as excited as she did, throwing her arms up and hugging them both excitedly.

‘The wedding will be in 2 days, my mother is already informing everyone. Someone will need to tell Elijah and Tatia if they can make it-‘

‘Oh, they’ll make it! They will be at your wedding Niklaus. We need to get you-‘

‘You cannot marry this girl, boy! You will have to live in her parents home because you will not be living here, and I-‘

‘Elijah helped me with a home for us a bit after we finished his to propose to Tatia. Don’t worry Father, I will not inconvenience you.’ Mikael looked ready to argue but Y/n cut him off.

‘I must see it! Please?’ She begged and he looked down at her, smiling.

‘It’s a surprise, my darling. It has 4 rooms, a bedroom for us, a bedroom beside ours for the children to share, a separate area for your kitchen and a sitting area with a big fireplace. I remembered what we talked about as kids and I knew what my Bunny needed. Don’t you-‘

‘How are you going to fill this home? You have no money.’ Mikael snapped, clearly upset that his sons both now have bigger homes than him.

‘I’ve been selling my hunts to several families who can’t do it themselves in both our village and a couple a few miles away. I keep the best for us of course, but I always get a few extra rabbits and squirrels.’ Klaus turned to Y/n who was learning this for the first time as well and loves how strong of a provider her soon to be husband is for her and their babies. ‘There’s one family that I feed almost everyday, I got them a deer last week and used the money to get you the most comfortable, soft, warm furs you will have ever slept on. I love you so much Bunny, and you will never want for anything while I’m here.’

‘Is it like the blanket you got me several weeks ago?’ Rebekah asked and Klaus nodded.

‘Picture an entire bed of them.’ Her jaw dropped and his Bunny nuzzled into his neck, kissing the freckle on the side of his throat she had always thought was ‘cute’.

‘Will you come and help me get ready Esther? If you can of course, I would love your input.’ Y/n asked and his mother looked thrilled. Even if she never liked Y/n very much, she preferred her to both Sage and Tatia who wanted nothing to do with Esther on their wedding day.

‘I would be happy to help sweet heart. You should get home now though, it is dinner time and you’ll need to work on the dress.’ Y/n nodded.

‘My mother is already working on it but yes, I should get home. It was nice to see you all, good night.’

‘I’ll walk you home.’

Only 2 days and they would be man and wife. Only 2 days before Klaus could claim her and ensure he never has to share his Bunny with anyone ever again.

The entire village came to celebrate their wedding, though honestly it was mostly just to get drunk and dance around a fire while ‘celebrating their eternal love’.

They did the ceremony, Klaus swore by his sword to protect his wife and their future children to his dying breath, taking her under his protection and into his home. Y/n swore to serve, obey and love her husband for the rest of their eternity as well as give him as many babies as he wanted (which is 4 by the way). Y/n’s mother wants 9.

Elijah and Tatia showed up and enjoyed the party for a while before retiring again, finishing their Honeymoon where their family would bring them food and whatever else they need while they enjoy each other for the first several weeks of married life. (Theirs went on for 3 months) Elijah will now participate in doing the same for Klaus and Y/n, bringing them food and water and whatever else it is they need.

The day had been wonderful, Klaus couldn’t even begin to describe the feeling he got when he saw Y/n for the first time in that dress. He was bewitched and he knew he would never get enough of this women as he stood there, her walking through the village towards the elder binding them together.

They were practically force fed so much mead and wine they ended up at the party much longer than they wanted to be, Y/n could barely stand up she was so drunk. Everyone in the village had made food to gift the couple as well as small gifts from other married couples that they will ‘need’. It’s usually bedding supplies or some kind of weapons for hunting. Or hurling at each other.

Klaus couldn’t keep his eyes off of his wife as he sat and watched her dance with his siblings and her father. She was so beautiful he couldn’t believe she was all his as he tried to pull together the strength to stand and take her back to their new home. He’s so in love with her.

‘Wife?’ He called out to her as he approached and she spun around a bit too quickly, making him catch her and pull her into his chest.

‘Husband! You look so pretty in this light, such pretty blue eyes. Look at you.’ Klaus smiled, kissing her lips tenderly, finally being able to do so in public and as she wrapped her arms around his neck he could feel his cock hardening in desperate need.

‘Says my stunningly gorgeous wife who looks perfect in any lighting.’ He teased, kissing her again, holding her close as she tried to spin around to see who was yelling for her attention. ‘Would you like to go see your new home now, wife? I think you’ll enjoy everything that’s waiting for you there.’ He held her close as he was also finally allowed to do in public, pressing his hard cock against her ass and causing her to squeal.

‘Home! Yes!’ She giggled, turning in his arms and wrapping her arms around his neck. ‘I want my husband to fuck me in every room we have.’

His eyes widened and he slapped her ass before scooping her into his arms and hearing the people around them cheer. They knew the party wasn’t over, it’s just done for them now. ‘Good luck brother! I will bring you food tomorrow, and I expect details!’ Kol teased and Klaus once again shoved him, his little brother collapsing as he was so drunk, into a fit of giggles.

Y/n waved goodbye to everyone as he walked them back towards Klaus’ family home but continued down a newly laid path, far enough from his parents house but not so far into the woods that they’ll be in danger. Elijah’s home was about equally as far in the opposite direction.

‘Wow!’ Y/n exclaimed as she saw the house, it was modest, but bigger than either of them had grown up in. She tried to be let down but Niklaus didn’t budge, continuing to carry her as he opened the door and took her inside and barred the door behind them. It opened up to a sitting area with a fireplace that would warm the entire house it was so big. There was a large padded chair across from the fire with a foot rest and as Klaus set her down on it she realized how comfortable it was.

‘I made this for you, just in case you get tired of laying in bed when you’re very pregnant and want to sit by the fire.’ He was startled by the tears in her eyes and moved to wipe them away quickly, allowing her to pull him into a kiss.

‘You are the most perfect husband I could ever ask for and I love you!’ She stood, wobbly on the footrest and hopped back into his arms with her legs around his waist now. ‘What?’ She questioned as he looked at her with a sly smile. ‘You carried me this far, show me the rest of the house before you give me a baby to fill it.’ They were both startled by the growl that exploded from his chest but it was a turn on for his beautiful wife as he held her to his chest and moved to grind his hips up into her making her gasp. ‘Dear Gods you’re going to split me in two!’ Her head fell into his neck as Niklaus pressed her into the door, continuing to rut himself against her for a moment.

‘I’m going to make my wife feel so good, you’ll be begging me for more! Don’t you worry, you’ll love every second of it.’ He held her close and turned to carry her through the frame into the Kitchen he had for her with all of the cooking tools she could ever need. ‘It’s perfect! I can’t believe you did this for me!’

Niklaus didn’t stop to let her look around, instead he walked through the smaller bedroom which she barely got to glance at before he dropped her onto the large pile of furs and padding. The largest pile she had ever seen honestly. ‘Remove the dress Bunny, because if I do it myself it will be in tatters.’ He yanked his clothes off, crawling towards her and pulling her dress the rest of the way off of her, exposing her to him for the first time…at least the first time that he is able to touch her. His hands traced along her skin tenderly, feeling every inch of her that he could before pressing their lips together and kissing her roughly, his tongue invading her mouth and tasting her for the first real time. ‘You’re so gorgeous…and all mine.’ His voice had taken on a growl to it that he didn’t recognize and while neither did Y/n she was turned on by it enough not to complain as his hands grabbed ahold of her chest and he kissed his way down her neck, biting into her soft skin and making her cry out.

‘Niklaus!’ Her legs wrapped up around his waist and pulled him closer but he pressed his palm into her waist, pushing her body back down.

‘Not so fast gorgeous. There’s something I want to do first.’ She whined, desperate for him and while he loved it he knew she would be happy he made her wait as he pulled away. He took ahold of her thighs which he stroked as he kissed his way down her body before his lips pressed to her sex, causing her hips to fly up and her to scream.

‘What…what was that?’ She panted but Klaus just smirked up at her, tongue flicking against her clit as he held her eyes on his, mouth burying itself into her pussy and eating her out almost ravenously. ‘Nik-Niklaus! Oh- I…I can’t…Ah Fuck!’ She squealed, cunt pressed hard to his mouth as she couldn’t hold still to save her life but he did, pinning her down as he continued tasting her, tongue shoving itself into her hole as deep as he could while his thumb rubbed at her clit. ‘Oh Gods Klaus! I can’t take it! Husband, please I can’t-OH GODS!’ He jumped back this time as her juices actually squirt out and all over his mouth which he quickly decided was the sexiest thing he had ever seen. ‘I’m s-sorry. I didn’t mean to-‘

‘On the contrary my lovely wife, I’m thinking I can make you do it again.’ He chuckled but she stopped him, pulling at his hair.

‘Niklaus, please? Please? I need you…fill me with your babies, I need you so badly!’

She was begging. She. Was. Begging. HIM!

Klaus had only ever dreamt that Y/n beg him to fuck his children into her, in fact he had dreamt it a lot. ‘If my wife wants to give me children then who am I to deny her?’ He asked, eyes having gone dark and possessive as he crawled back up her body, kissing her hard as he lined his cock up with her sopping wet cunt. ‘I’ll be as gentle as I can.’ He assured her and she nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck. As badly as Klaus just wanted to fuck her he didn’t want to cause his precious Bunny pain, and he knew he was going to no matter how he fucked her. He pushed himself into her hole slowly, clutching the furs underneath them to stop himself from just ramming his cock into her heat, her tight, wet cunt being nearly overwhelming for him. ‘Fuck!’ He cursed as he bottomed out, stopping his movements and holding his face in her neck to steady himself. He began breathing again after a moment and realized she was running her fingers through his hair as if to comfort him and he looked up, seeing her happy face looking at him, waiting for him to move himself.

‘Take your time husband, enjoy yourself.’ If she were anyone else he would think she was teasing him but Y/n would never do that to him and it brought him a wave of comfort and acceptance that he never knew he needed.

‘Are you alright?’ He asked, beginning to come back to his own mind, kissing her jaw tenderly.

‘I am now, it is a painful stretch but not too bad…you are thicker than I imagined.’ She admitted and his eyes widened, moving to be face to face with her now.

‘You’ve imagined this?’

She hesitated, blushing a dark red shade before answering. ‘Would it upset you to know I have touched myself, imagining that it was you?’

‘Upset? Upset is the last thing that makes me feel Bunny, you think I haven’t touched myself thinking about you? Fuck! How many times?’ She shrugged and he waited.

‘I don’t know…many times. I imagined your fingers inside me, your tongue, your cock, I’ve dreamt of it many times as well.’ His eyes widened and he smirked now, looking down at her suddenly much cockier.

‘When did this start? It couldn’t have been recent if you can’t recall how many times.’ He teased her playfully and when she didn’t answer he pulled his hips back, shoving himself back into her hard and making her gasp.

‘Fourteen! I was fourteen! I saw you on a trip with my father and I knew it was you right away, you were so handsome, I knew you would be.’ She traced her fingers down his face tenderly and the way she looked at him just made him feel a sense of overwhelming love and it was everything he ever wanted in his life. All the love and adoration he had never gotten, his beautiful wife gives him, his children will give him, Klaus can finally be happy and it was in this moment that he truly realized it.

‘And I knew you would be the most beautiful women I have ever seen. And I was damn right!’ He pulled his hips back thrusting into her again and adoring the noises she made for him eventually hitting a spot inside of her that made her squeal and he paused before doing it again.

‘Oh Gods! Yes! Please More?! Niklaus Please?!’ He was back to pounding into her with his cock head hitting that same tender spot that she seemed to love and just as he felt his stomach and balls tighten she cried out and he thrust as deep into her as he could, shooting deep inside of her body.

‘My beautiful wife. Look at you, did so well for me. Going to give me perfect little babies, so perfect for me.’ He kissed over her face until she was breathing normally again, holding her to him and allowing her to rest on his chest, covering her with a heavy fur blanket.

‘How long did you know you loved me?’ She whispered, clearly tired and he was going to let her nap for a while before fucking her again, seeing how much she needed it after this and after the party and drinks as well.

‘I’ve always loved you. Since the moment I knew what love was, I knew I loved you…why? When did you know you loved me?’

She looked up at him with sleepy eyes and he loved her soft, tired expression. ‘I always loved you but…I was 7 when I knew I wanted to be yours. My father had gotten hurt and you stayed with me…your father beat you for ignoring your chores but you always came right back to me. You never let me go the whole time I needed you and you cuddled me…I enjoyed that a bit too much. I thought it was the only time we would be that close…look at us now.’ She joked and he snorted before kissing her head.

‘Look at us now…I’m going to give you a family, and a life. I will make you happy Bunny, I promise…don’t ever leave me. Okay?’

Y/n reached up to stroke his face once again and he leaned into it, lovingly. ‘Never. You’re Mine Niklaus Mikaelson. Always and Forever.’

Klaus Mikaelson Masterlist

[throwaway-yandere]

Dendro NA: 101 (Yandere!Alhaitham/Reader)

a/n: “ansy weren’t you going to write faceless!ayato and music composer!tighnari” well yes but things happened so now here we are. I’m dedicating this fic to crying anon since they’re the person that gave me an idea of an "what if Alhaitham had an elf!darling?" after this fic. The beginning reads like an enemies-to-lovers fic with a slice of crack where nothing goes wrong but trust me it’s not lmao

unreliable synopsis: After Alhaitham forged your signature, you're now forced to become the Acting Grand Sage’s assistant. It's even more annoying when he nearly visited your house all drugged up. Seriously, when will he learn to respect his seniors?

CW: yandere themes, noncon touching, aphrodisiacs, possessiveness, so much bickering, and the reader slanders dendro for plot reasons. 

Pulcinella, The Rooster, came to visit early in the morning.

“Pups, please… Stop turning my apartment upside down and just tell me what you want.”

It was unexpected how the old man barged into your “unconquerable mess of an apartment” with the intent to celebrate your newfound job at the Haravatat. Mayor Pulcinella isn’t your direct grandfather, but he is your grandfather’s brother. The fact that you are connected to him is a well-known secret (as absurd an oxymoron as that may sound) in the College of Engineering and Technology at the Akademiya. Because of the collectivist mentality that characterized your family, every last pointy-eared relative you are aware of is blatantly nosy and annoying. The "mayor" is much more so.

Pulcinella did come to extend his congratulations, with a generous batch of cookies even, but he had an objective in mind. His way of showing that he cares is usually in the form of letters but he stands right in front of you now. You can only imagine how difficult it is for someone in his position to take a leave of absence this far since Port Ormos is so far away from home and it takes days for mail to arrive here.

Your grandfather is obstinate. Terrifying so since you recognize that expression on his face all too well. Although you are unsure of what he needs from you, you do know that you want him out. Immediately.

“Don’t talk to me in that tone, child.” He scowled, jabbing your briefcases with his wooden cane. “I’m not leaving until I find it.”

That "Rooster" moniker belongs to him without a doubt. Your belongings were seized by the elf-like a bird's beak. He prodded the dreadful equation-filled sheets hanging on your wall and snatched a few trinkets on your work table. Good lord. Pulcinella made so much noise that if you weren’t already planning on starting your day, you would’ve been incredibly cranky when he knocked on your door.

“For Her Majesty’s sake– just what are you trying to find, grandpups?”

He turned to look at you.

Not mad, but disappointed– sad, even.

“An engagement ring. Evidence that you’re dating that fool, Alhaitham.”

You groaned.

“Him again?! Motherf—”

Pulcinella quirked his eyebrow at your outburst, “hmm?”

You chuckled nervously, “ah, sorry, I just… It’s nothing.”

No, it was not “nothing.” That bastard ruined a lot of things for you, including your vision. You didn’t want a dendro vision. You were praying for Rex Lapis every night even after his death but somehow being involved with Alhaitham strayed your path to gaining the “grass fertilizer tool” as you loved to call it. Sure, there’s little evidence that he’s the reason behind the fact that you got a dendro vision instead of geo but that doesn’t change the fact that you want to crush him between your palms like a writhe scarab. Especially after he enlisted you as his scribe-disciple without your consent. What a complete scumbag.

Oh, to quit the Akademiya only to be forced to go back again…

But of course, your grandpups don’t know anything about this and you have ZERO intentions of letting him in on your business. If he knows, then ALL of Snezhnayan elves know.

“I’ve heard from your mother that you’ve gone lovesick and left the Akademiya,” Pulcinella spoke in a slow somber tone. “And falling recklessly in love and gaining a dendro vision does not sound like you at all.”

Eww. Lovesick? Hell no.

If it weren’t for this man, you would’ve graduated as a fully pledged civil engineer next year. If he wasn’t such a great scribe, no, forger, your signature wouldn’t be on that damn contract.

That man seriously has no respect for his seniors.

Nevertheless, it was too late to do anything. You just have to accept the consequences of your inaction. Additionally, if you're going to take this "new job," you might as well act as if you adore it.

Hooray! Don’t you love working for Alhaitham? Isn’t it fun to discard your 4 years of studying? Oh, what joy! You definitely did not burn your eyebrows out trying to ace FIFTY Kshahrewar mock tests!!!–

“Talk to me, poppet.” He continued, eyebrows knitted. His wrinkly hands reached to gently hold yours. Suddenly, you remembered that he is still family. That this was the same old major that your young self boasted their miniature construction toys to.

“I’m worried that something might’ve happened. And my dear, health is not the absence of disease or infirmity, it is also–”

“The complete state of physical, mental, AND social wellbeing. Yes. I know, Pups. You nearly forced me to study medicine.” You groaned and palmed your forehead, weak but playful.

He chuckled heartily.

The old man’s rather soft with you compared to his other grandchildren. If he wasn’t, you’d likely find yourself as Il Dottore’s new assistant.

Although most people would find working for a harbinger, especially The Doctor, to be a complete nightmare, you concluded that being Alhaitham's slave was the epitome of "overrated garbage," and you despise the scribe so much you can't even remember his appearance. Sure, Layla’s jealous that you’re essentially set for life by being a scribe assistant but at least Dottore gives his assistants a hefty pay (discounting his crimes against humanity…)

You’re not proud to call Alhaitham your boss. That stupid #093c0d face doesn’t make your 2 million mora salary worth the trouble. He needs to pay for your mental health insurance–

“Are you alright, poppet? You’re looking at me like you would with one of your test slimes.”

You exhaled deeply, “sorry, I suddenly thought of a hex code #093c0d person.”

Pulcinella closed his eyes.

“A dark green shade?”

“That’s right.”

“...”

With an unreadable yet deliberate face, Pulcinella fixed his gaze on you. Your unique perspective on others didn't seem to disturb your grandpups the way it did your parents. He is one of the select few who is aware of how you assign people's personalities through colors. Pulcinella raised his glasses further up before giving a sage-like nod. The moment he crossed his arms, you knew he understood what you were trying to express.

“So it’s a lover’s quarrel.”

“Yes, exactly.”

…

“Wait, what– NO!!! Pups, please stop assuming shit– things!!!”

Never mind— he is SO far off.

Why is he convinced that you’re dating that prick? What the hell did your mom tell him?!

“I heard that, poppet. And do not misunderstand, I think this is a good thing.”

Your uncle-grandfather cupped your cheeks and squished them between his fingers. Perhaps this is what people consider a wholesome grandpa-grandchild dynamic– but social norms should’ve also labeled this as domestic violence. His pinching hurts. Your clipped groans made him grin wider.

“After all, this means that you have seen his flaws and true character. What better way to break a couple up than a genuine argument?”

“PWUUUPS!!!”

Pulcinella pulled his hands away.

“I felt distraught when I heard you have given up your pursuit of civil engineering and chose a career in the Haravatat,” he sighed and took off his hat, holding it against his chest. “I was rooting for you, dear. I had faith in your aspirations. Even Lord Capitano found it upsetting to learn that the future engineer I frequently boasted about had become a lesser Lord Kusanali underling.”

You squirmed and rubbed your cheeks, staring at the ground.

Lord Capitano was not someone you often interacted with, but you knew that he had an eye for talent– and he sought after yours. Perhaps this is your ego talking, but it felt like even he believed you’re best suited for an engineering course too. Other than your grandpups and subsequently his recruit, Ajax, Lord Capitano was one of the Fatuis you respected.

Alhaitham truly crushed your dreams.

“I know, Pups…”

“You know what to do, right?”

You nodded solemnly, before looking him dead in the eye. Pulcinella can see your determination clear as day.

You breathed in.

“I’m going to commit arson.”

He patted your back, smiling.

“That’s my grandchild!”

Pulcinella tip-toed and ruffled your hair.

“Alright, this old man had given up. Just show grandpups where the ring is.”

“Her majesty the Tsaritsa’s sake– I already told you Pups– ALHAITHAM AND I ARE NOT DATING!!!”

It was an exceptionally hot evening in Sumeru City despite being far from the desert. You should be inside your apartment right now, studying the Dendro Vision book Alhaitham gave you but you’d rather be where you are now. It’s about to get warmer, yet you’d dare argue that both you and master architect Kaveh’s headache can compete with its 38°C average temperature.

“C’mon, please?”

“No, I’m not helping you burn Alhaitham’s house down.”

“What?! Why not?!”

“Damnit, (Y/n)– BECAUSE I LIVE THERE!!!”

“Oh, right.”

You flopped back to your seat, eyes rolling back, deflated.

Kaveh cried out in pain while lowering his head to the table. He somewhat resembled a dried-out raisin. He had a drinking binge the night before, so this isn't because he's not a morning person. Although you expressed regret for knocking on his (Alhaitham's) door, the architect never misses a chance to rant about his housemate. Kaveh's pain wasn't even close to how much he detested Alhaitham. Now here you both are, sitting outside Lambad’s Tavern like morons because you both forgot to bring your wallets.

Not a sight you’d expect from a master-of-all-trades (ex-)engineering student and a genius architect.

“Damn it…” You whined. “What else am I supposed to do now?”

“Await until Focalors passes her judgment,” he answered hoarsely.

In other words: curl up and die, probably.

“Yeah… Yeah, that sounds viable. Let me just go to Fontaine real quick– oh wait, I can’t, because some dumbass scribe paid the corps to keep me from reaching the borders.”

Kaveh chuckled, still caressing his headache, not caring how his messy and unwashed locks covered his eyes. You’d be surprised if he told you he didn’t just get out of bed. He appeared like he was ready to sleep for all eternity, or more accurately, Kaveh’s starting to look eerily similar to Layla. In terms of colors though, he’d still be a #ffda29 and not a #003153.

He sneered, “did the sun always look this bright, powerful, and oh-so hateful?”

“It wouldn’t look like that if you didn’t down the pitcher I left on the table last night, Kaveh.”

You both turned to look at the voice– rather, the abyss. Alhaitham stood behind you. Or at least, you think it’s him.

Okay, here’s the deal: you hate remembering his face.

You handle your memory much like a student would a personal bookshelf– you’ll occasionally take out the information you no longer wish to retain in favor of more useful and relevant ones. As a creature with longevity, an elf should be picky when it comes to memories. You believe your approach is in the same vein as Pulcinella disposing of “less valuable assets’' without hesitation. If there’s no point in having it, why carry the baggage? But there are at least two facts that you can easily recall about Alhaitham: it’s his voice and the color #093c0d.

In other words, he’s just a talking dark green slime in your eyes.

Which he considers a major step up, by the way. You went from ignoring him to recognizing his voice, to associating him with one color. That’s quite a development. A pathetically slow progression, but still a positive one.

“THERE YOU ARE, ALHAITHAM, YOU PRI–”

The man swiftly dodged his slap by crouching down. He honestly didn’t have to put in the effort when Kaveh’s attacks were sluggish.

“–CK! WHY’D YOU LABEL THE ALCOHOL AS WATER?!”

Tons of passersby stared at Kaveh as he flailed around, but they were quick to look away. It’s no longer a secret that he lives with the scribe. Everyone in Sumeru City knows about his tactless antics and none are deaf when it comes to his loud gripes about his housemate. Even so, you went up to him to soothe his worries and restore his reputation because not everyone understands he's not a bad person.

Alhaitham scoffed, glaring.

“I didn’t. The label said "Fire-Water.””

“WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES THAT MAKE?!”

“Fire-water? Oh.”

Your hand flew to your mouth as you connected the two dots.

That beverage from Snezhnaya is notorious for having a high alcohol content and is only known in Mondstadt as the drink Master Ragnvindr forbade exports of. As a quote-unquote "wine connoisseur," you were invited to one of his parties. Fortunately, you were able to warn Diluc of how potent it is firsthand– Kaveh? Not so much.

You snorted.

“Yeah, Kaveh, I hate to take Alhaitham’s side on this but this one is on you, friend.”

The blonde’s eyes widened, betrayed.

“HAH?!”

“Need I remind you that fire-water is an alcoholic beverage, Kaveh.” Alhaitham waved his hand, emphasizing his condescending tone. “Maybe if you listened to me instead of ranting about my work ethic, you would’ve known that I received it as a gift from a Fatui Harbinger.”

Your ears perked up. “From a Harbinger?”

Alhaitham smirked but it was gone as quickly as it came.

“Hmm. I’m certain that you know him, assistant (L/n). His name is Pulcinella,” the scribe said. “He left me a note. He said he wishes that I drink to my heart’s content as a thank-you gift for hiring his grandchild. I wasn’t aware you have a kind grandfather.”

You smiled back, crookedly.

No. No, your uncle-grandfather DEFINITELY wanted to see Alhaitham in pain. He didn’t even bother giving him a bottle– he gave him a fucking leftover pitcher.

Alhaitham took your arm. Unfortunately, he’s taller than you with muscle strength you can’t compete with. You squirmed but resistance was futile. Doesn’t mean you can’t bite his arm off–

“Assistant (L/n)–”

You gritted your teeth. “Don’t touch me, sir.”

Alhaitham paused, processing how much emphasis you put into pronouncing the word “sir.”

“–I’ll be taking you away now.” He looked down on your friend and scoffed. “Kaveh, do try your best to not be a burden to Mx. (L/n) again.”

Kaveh clutched his head, still in pain.

Sorry, Kaveh. That drink and beating headache were not meant for you in the slightest. You made a mental note to make it up to him, but not today. You have a lot on your plate right now.

“Idiot. They’re the one that invited me here!”

“True–”

“I quite frankly don’t care,” Alhaitham spat coldly.

“From now on, refrain from having conversations with my assistant. Unless you’re prepared to face the consequences.”

“Do you remember the approximate damage multipliers an aggravate reaction causes?”

“Nope.”

“Tch. I just discussed this, I can’t believe you already forgot.”

“You think I forgot? Haha, hell no. I didn’t forget, I just wasn’t paying any attention.”

Alhaitham dragged you down a secluded area in the rainforests with a sword in hand. Quite frankly, you hoped he brought his weapon to kill you, but you’re well aware of what this is about.

This is a lesson straight out of a page of “Dendro Vision Qualifications 101: Normal Attack Patterns.” The Acting Grand Sage thinks that you should have at least enough fighting proficiency for you to start formally working for him. As for you? You think this whole charade is utterly meaningless.

Sometimes, you truly do wish you were born as a rock instead. Maybe then you would be able to perform the “gray-rock method” whenever Alhaitham starts his drivel about dendro visions. You bet you’d make a pretty good tombstone for your dead childhood friend if you were a rock. Being a rock is probably the nicest thing to be. You get to be something created from the Geo element– the element and vision you desired. And not dendro.

Anything but lame old dendro.

This is so stupid. You wanted a geo vision, damn it. What on earth did you do to make Rex Lapis spite you, and what kinda breakthrough did you accomplish to gain the Lesser Lord Kusanali’s favor instead?!

If only you got something that isn’t the same as Alhaitham’s vision. Maybe if you got an electro vision you’d be learning how to brandish a lance with the General Mahamatra instead. Unlike most people, you enjoy being in his prolonged company and dry jokes. You’ve exchanged letters with Cyno multiple times– but your friend’s on-the-spot puns are 10x funnier than the things he writes down. Of course, that’s only because his earnest delivery sells it.

“In this fighting stance, you can perform up to 4 consecutive attacks, dishing out dendro damage approximately every 2 seconds interval–”

You held up your Eye of Perception.

“Bold of you to assume I’ll use this vision.”

“–charge attacks on the other hand require a hefty amount of stami–”

You yawned, halting Alhaitham in the middle of his “lecture.”

There’s a reason why you chose an Eye of Perception, and that’s because, unlike most catalysts, it procures physical damage as well. With someone as petty as you, it’s only natural that you’d brandish a weapon that doesn’t rely too much on dendro reactions.

“Yeah, I’ll just hit the enemy with my catalyst. Like, aim and shoot, or maybe I’ll just go with blunt force. This eye of perception looks like it’s made of metal, it can probably dish out some physical damage–”

Alhaitham shifted forward. Your gentle yet insouciant voice forced him out of his momentum.

“(Y/n).”

“...Yes, sir?”

His gaze sharpened.

“Pay attention.”

You snorted. Was he trying to intimidate you?

You, an elf who lived longer than him? How arrogant. It was becoming clearer why Alhaitham never once had a girlfriend or boyfriend. Or maybe a genuine friend in general. His senior who happens to also be his housemate does not count.

“No thanks.” You laughed to yourself, barely containing your amusement. “I think I’m doing fine.”

“What do you expect will happen if you don’t listen to my instructions? Your unfailing indifference sickens me.” He sheathed his sword back. “Do I have to spell everything out? You’ll get injured in combat. You won’t be able to defend yourself from fungi, eremites, and other enemies on the prowl. All for what? Useless pride? Grow up. Accept that you got a dendro vision and be done with it.”

“Tch…” You know how you feel, but you do not have the strength to say it out loud.

What an impossible task. He’s telling you– the most stubborn person you know– to give up on your goals? Inconceivable. You bet he sees the mediocre majority as nothing more than defective pawns, and you’re well aware you belong in that lowly category.

To him, grief may as well be easy as breathing. For you, years had gone by and you could still hear their voice. The scribe knows nothing about tributes for the dead. 

Your old childhood friend beckons you back to the chasm. His voice comes once the dark rears in, reverbing his desperate pleas for a fitting grave. It’s a voice that twists around your chest like a knife. You can’t get their faces out of your memetic bookshelf, but it’s not as if you’re willing to dispose of them.

You didn’t want a dendro vision. 

You wanted a geo vision to construct mausoleums for your dead friends.

Alhaitham scowled.

“Fine. We’ll resume our lesson next week.”

He bumped into your shoulder as he walked by. For a split second, you’re reminded that your superior had longer eyelashes than you do. And it made the gesture more annoying.

Strange. 

Alhaitham wouldn’t normally let you off so easily…

Maybe he’s busy?

“If you’re so insistent on only utilizing physical attacks, be my guest. Next time, I will not back down a single step.” Alhaitham walked away with heavy feet, stamping the dirt with his heels.

The consequences of your actions began to sink in. You may have lived longer than Alhaitham, but needless to say, he had more experience in combat.

Admittedly, you may have done yourself a disservice by acting out… You huffed.

No, no way.

“What could possibly go wrong? He’s just a feeble scholar!”

Unsurprisingly, Alhaitham was not, in fact, a feeble scholar.

Thankfully you have the Eye of Perception at your disposal because the moment he found you walking towards Devantaka Mountain the following week, the bastard went for your jugular.

“What the fuck, Alhaitham?!”

You fired a single shot, aimed higher this time knowing that he would attempt to evade. Much like his actions with Kaveh last time, Alhaitham was quick to dodge that projectile. His timing is impeccable as he activated his vision.

#ff0e0e starts blaring in your line of sight. You’ve always trusted these colors— your instincts.

You’re in danger.

“Tch!”

You almost didn’t recognize that it was him. If he wasn’t breathing heavily, you would've mistaken him for an assassin. Alhaitham never made any unnecessary movements. His slashes were not done with the intent of harming you, but shepherding you to an appropriate trap. Your knee scraped against the grass and minuscule rocks. Prioritizing distance over attacks was a wrong move– he’s faster than anticipated. You gasped sharply as the scribe pinned you against a tree trunk–

… His scent caught your attention.

“A cicin mage’s perfume…?” You mumbled, eyes wide.

That didn’t seem right. Their perfume usually doesn’t smell this unpleasant and metallic.

Your ears drooped down as you realized this Alhaitham did not attack because he’s a lunatic, no. That malodorous stench was akin to a grandmother’s bittersweet husk.

This Alhaitham was under the influence of aphrodisiacs, and it is not something you can fault him for.

“What– What on earth happened?”

He twisted your arm slightly, not enough that’ll make you scream but just rough for a tiny yelp–

and that’s how he boldly claimed your lips.

You froze in horror, letting him take advantage of your plight. Alhaitham pulled away, panting slightly.

“F-Fuck…”

Alhaitham moaned as he slipped his tongue back inside. You tried to stop him but you yelped the moment his hand groped your thigh. His breath fanned your flustered skin as he moved to slither his arms around your waist, closing the already small distance between you two.

You weakly pulled back. The rainforest had never felt this humid before.

Something is truly off about his scent.

“L-Let go!!!” You hissed and punched his chest, completely forgetting your catalyst in your panic. “What the hell is wrong with you?!?! Are you out of your fucking mind?!”

He didn’t listen despite your physical protests. Alhaitham disgustingly crooned down and sloppily dabbed wet kisses down your neck. His saliva dripped over his shoulder, coating you in hopes that it would leave his trace.

It felt wrong. You felt dirty– like you were kissing an actual #093c0d slime.

“P-Please…” He whispered, his voice dropping dangerously weak and vulnerable. “H-Help me, (Y/n)…”

Your face flushed as you wiped the saliva that connected you both from your lips.

You’ve never heard Alhaitham beg before.

Is this really him?

His fistful grip on your clothes grew taut as desperation colored his knuckles white. You had never seen Alhaitham lose his cool the way he does now, and the broken sight in his eyes made you uneasy and uncertain.

He looked pathetic.

“Haitham, your…” your hand supported his neck and he hungrily leaned in to feel your touch. “Your heartbeat is loud.”

“I know,” he whimpered.

You bit your lip. You could sense his pulse going faster.

This isn’t the first time you’ve been kissed– or first anything. You’ve had your fair share of “soulmates” and “flings”, but those happened decades ago. Before you were mastering engineering, you were a freelance artist who’d had many affairs with humans and elves alike out of the undiagnosed emptiness that was grief. Up until Faruzan made you start a new leaf, you indulged in numerous vices, including wine and one-night stands. She was the closest a human could hope to understand the loneliness an elf would have.

Both your appearance give the illusion of youth, but your bones are held together by flesh older than this man. She would undoubtedly be angry with you as soon as she learns that you enabled Alhaitham's small rendezvous.

“Alhaitham, I’m more than a decade years older than you–” you squirmed.

“But I want you,” he groaned.

Those words felt so different when he was the one who said them. Nearly sinister.

“I know,” you said, but your voice doesn’t match the confidence you were meant to exude. “But this isn’t you, this is your hormones doing the talking. Where did the cicin mage attack you?”

“Between Pardis Dhyai and Yashna Monument”

“Between WHAT?!” You gawked. “That’s miles away from here!”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Yes, it does!!!”

You yanked his shirt. It’s thin, yet surprisingly durable. The strength of the fabric is not what made you unnerved, but his stare.

He gazed at you as if you were his lifeline— as if you were the only thing that allowed him to breathe. Alhaitham’s hot breaths were shallow, fanning your face as you took note of how red his face, neck, and ears were. You noticed how he struggled to gulp— struggled to keep his composure. His bedroom eyes had not once diverted their attention away from you.

“It doesn't matter how far I ran. You were the one I wanted to see. You were the face that came to mind after getting poisoned."

You pretended not to hear that.

“Alhaitham, we need to get you to Tighnari.”

“He can’t help me.”

“The forest watcher can most certainly help you more than me.”

“You don’t know that.”

You don't want to hear him talk anymore, to be honest. You're horrified by how weak and inaudible his voice sounded.

“Why did you come to Avidya Forest all the way from there? Why not head straight to the city?”

“So many questions…” He irritably spat. “Just stop talking and kis–”

“I refuse,” you glared. “Why were you heading towards Port Ormos? Did you think I was going to help you get over this mess out of the goodness of my heart?”

Did he forget how much you loathe him?

“No. No, of course not.”

He chuckled, full of self-loathing.

“I know you hate me, (Y/n). I would hate myself too.”

You raised an eyebrow. Of course, he’s self-aware— you just didn’t expect him to say that out loud.

Alhaitham continued, “but I’m not the one at fault here.”

Defeated, he rested his head on your shoulder. To avoid having you look at his expression, Alhaitham cupped your back, running fingers through your scalp so that you may only look forward. His body pressed against yours firmly. There’s no possible way for you not to be wholly aware of how warm he was and how fast his heart was beating. 

It was distracting to know how much the poison affected someone like Alhaitham, whom you thought was damn near untouchable.

Awkwardly, you returned the favor and played with his hair. Alhaitham gasped softly, making you shiver as you realized how sensitive you are to his breathing from this position.

“And who would that be?” You asked quietly. “If your pride won’t let you seek Tighnari’s aid then since you’re here you might as well tell me everything, starting from the very beginning.”

“T-That won’t be necessary.”

“If we want to rule out who your true assailant is, then yes it is,” you answered. “I think this is what you call the process of elimination.”

Suddenly, he pulled away from you with his arms stretched out. Alhaitham still kept you pinned on the tree, but there’s more space for you now to move and see his face. 

Ah, you’ve nearly forgotten again.

Alhaitham has green-orange eyes.

“No need.”

He clicked his tongue.

“It was Pulcinella. Your grandfather sent a cicin mage in an attempt to seduce and assassinate me.”

… Oh.

You should’ve guessed. You really should’ve guessed that he was behind all this.

Instinctively, you tried to cover your mouth from shock, but he quickly grabbed them and pressed them back to the tree behind you again. He tightened his hold once more, making you wince.

“I didn’t mind at first because your grandfather reminded me of my own grandmother,” Alhaitham gritted his teeth. “Pulcinella—”

He bit his bottom lip, his seafoam eyes looking unstable and royally pissed.

“He’s not after me because of my position as the Acting Grand Sage. H-He was merely looking after you. His expression was one I recognized. It's a grandfather's love. I may not show empathy as frequently as my housemate would like, but at least I am conscious of how important family is. I don’t want you to have to arrange your grandparent’s funeral like I did.”

You’re not unaware of who Alhaitham’s grandmother was. At one point, you had befriended her back when she was out on a mission to acquire 1,000 books. To think that you’ll meet her grandson for the first time in college and that you’ll end up in a situation like this… you’re sure she would’ve never condoned any of this. She wouldn’t appreciate that her grandson was trying to fuck the elf that helped her build her small library.

This is wrong. 

Everything about this is wrong. From the age gap to the work power distance– it’s vile– 

You want to vomit.

“So— s-so what did you do?”

“I didn’t want to kill your grandfather in retaliation.”

“Yes, you’ve established that. You don’t usually beat around the bush— go back to being the Alhaitham I know and just get straight to the point, damn it!”

“I ended up tracking all of his people in Sumeru down.”

He chuckled lowly.

Your heart started racing as well. 

If his heart was beating out of excitement, yours were out of a rational fear that you wouldn’t get out of this unscathed and mentally sound.

“It’s laughable how his lackeys were so incompetent. If they listened to my lectures at all, they would’ve known how to defend themselves.”

“What… What the hell are you talking about?” 

There was nowhere to run. You’re trapped unless Alhaitham lets go of both your wrists. Your dilated eyes surveyed the woodland, but you weren't confident that, should the occasion arise, your shaky knees could put some distance between you and the scribe.

“Didn’t you notice? They were stalking us from the moment I was teaching you how to use your vision last week, and likely even before that.”

His face drew near and you strained your neck to hopefully maintain at least a hair of distance between both of your lips.

Alhaitham closed his eyes.

“Did you honestly think I’d postpone our practice due to your mild complaining? Don’t you understand how excruciating it is to be away from you for a week?”

He pressed his forehead against yours.

“But I had to do it. For us.”

“Where… Where were you when you were gone? What did you do to them?”

You didn’t want to ask.

You already know the answer. 

“When will you start thinking before you speak?”

With fears renewed, your body felt small underneath his gaze. He’s not even looking at you— his piercing green eyes weren’t even looking directly at your soul. You turned away and gazed at his left shoulder— shrieking.

Never in your 100+ years of life did you feel so stupid. Only now did you realize that it wasn’t just a cicin mage’s perfume you smelled earlier.

There was blood all over his coat.

“Stop screaming, (Y/n). I’ve finished the job and it’s high time you reward me, wouldn’t you agree?”

[sunshineandspencer]

Coffee shop

A/N: I have never had an original experience, because every woman I’ve ever known has always wanted to run a mix of a coffee shop and a library/florists, I am no different. That isn’t what this fic is about, but I’ll take any chance to lament about my lack of funds for a coffee-floristry-library shop 😔😔😔

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader.

Summary: If Spencer Reid had a nickel for everytime he ran into someone on his daily routines that he believes might be a serial killer, he’d now have two nickels, which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it’s happened twice.

Word Count: 1.6k

Warnings: talking about blood(??), nothing really

I have redone the form for the taglist now that I’m apparently expanding from Criminal Minds

Spencer liked his routines. He’s invested a lot of time in developing a comfortable routine whenever work in Quantico goes for longer than usual. For whenever he’s home.

Part of that routine is treating himself to breakfast. Knowing damn well that he wouldn’t eat otherwise - the toaster is his mortal enemy and has been unplugged since he moved into his apartment, refusing to repeat the mistake that lost him his favourite mug.

He sampled a lot of coffee shops that are close to his apartment, not wanting to walk further than 10 minutes away just for a decent cup of coffee and some breakfast. Until, finally, he found the one that fit his very specific - and not at all autistic - guidelines for what he needed, finding himself pushing that door open at 07:09 everyday he’s home.

‘Virgin’s Coffee House’, probably a little too on the nose considering he’s.. himself, but the owner explained that it was actually ‘Virginia’s Coffee House’ until these two kids stole the letters four separate times and the owner just gave up. Accepting their fate.

That specific time, too, was well tested to get just the right moment. 07:09.

Just quiet enough that he’s comfortable but not suffocated by an overwhelming silence, they have a gentle radio choice that he adored, excellent warm pastries, and in those early hours his little space was permeated with a soft floral scent, the notes of which are heavenly.

Then, of course, being a man with an eidetic memory, his brain swiftly catalogued the regulars that he would see every single time he visited, the NPCs to his daily routine.

There’s the man who drops his girlfriend - the barista - off to work, the man who is always hunched over his laptop by the window and is seemingly constantly perplexed at the sun slipping through the blinds he pulls down. The owner that ignores her barista ‘sneaking’ free pastries to her boyfriend to go and smoke out back, and the woman that is somehow always directly ahead of him in the queue.

For a while, and because of her consistency with it, he wondered if she might wait somewhere to spot him coming, and then dart into the shop to get ahead of him. A thought he quickly dismissed as crazy, and one only a profiler would get to a conclusion with. Settling with the answer that they just have similar routines.

He has some sense of her job, from the lanyard usually haphazardly shoved into her bag, and the clothes she wore. But he isn’t the kind of person to just strike up conversations with women - hell, anyone.

Until today.

On her hip, over the top of her very pretty, sage sundress, she had a handprint. A small, child-sized handprint in, what he was hoping, was paint. Dark red.. dried paint. Right.

Tapping her shoulder, it clearly surprised her that her own routine was broken from the usual quiet queue for her coffee, although she turned to him with a confused smile. This action, merely turning to face him, immediately gave him the revelation that the pretty floral scent he keeps coming back for is her.

Quickly smiling back and pointing down at her hip, going for blissfully unaware rather than alerted FBI agent.

“Hallowe’en in September?”

Nice, casual question, not at all giving away the inner screaming of Jesus Christ, don’t let this beautiful woman be a murderer.

Keeping his eyes on her face to see what kind of reaction she has, as she looks down. Tugging at the fabric so she could see it clearly, tutting softly and immediately worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

“Oh.. yeah, that looks worse than it did yesterday.”

Fuck, fuck, fuck. He’s found a serial killer. In his coffee shop. How the hell does this keep happening to--

“What about this one, I haven’t even tried to get it off yet because we’re doing more today.”

Pulling the skirt of her dress back to normal to show him a neon orange - slightly smaller - handprint on her knee, like a child had smacked her leg with a handful of paint.

Which, thankfully, confirmed his previous assumption that she works in Kindergarten.

“That’s very uhm.. well.”

He tried to say something nice, but the longer he searched and shuffled through all the words in his brain, the brighter her smile got. And the more nervous he got about saying the wrong thing to this genuinely really pretty woman. Christ, he’s making himself look like an idiot.

Coming to his rescue, before he started spewing out Shakespearean compliments because that’s all his brain could focus on, she waved with a softly dismissive hum.

“Don’t worry, I know it’s not really my colour. Some of the kids took ‘paint your teacher’ a little too literal. But it’s only their first week so I’m letting it slide.”

Now that the fear of her being a serial killer is gone, he’s left with the brutal realisation that she’s beautiful. Which, unfortunately means that acknowledgement of her looks causes his brain to stop working. Beautiful women, as Emily has eloquently stated, slash his IQ to 60.

“You- You work with children?”

Thankfully, she doesn’t seem to mind his sudden stutter, or that he’s unconsciously fiddling with his tie. Only smiling brighter, despite him now being apparently unable to get a full sentence out compared to before.

“Yeah! Real young kids, who haven’t learnt that paint goes on their paper and not the teacher, not yet anyway. Why? That handprint make you think I was a murderer?” She was clearly teasing, but his flushed cheeks and averted gaze told her the truth. “Oh my God you did.”

Her jaw dropped and she didn’t look away from him as they shuffled up the queue, from where he was desperately trying to explain.

Searching his bag, diving into it really, to try and find his badge to prove who he is. This is the first time he’s ever felt genuine hatred for his messenger bag, everything just falling in the way of his ID that would prove that he’s not crazy, he’s just insanely observant.

Finding it with a breathless laugh and holding it out to her, giving a pleadingly nervous smile.

“I’m- I work for the FBI! The Behavioural Analysis Unit, I catch serial killers and, well, it looked--”

He just gestured again to the dark red paint dried into the fabric of her dress. Terrified he’d ruined this interaction by assuming incorrectly.

But she just laughed, and not at all insulted or upset like he thought, just seemingly amused by the whole thing. Hand falling back to the print, thumbing at the dried paint, some flakes falling to the floor between them before being swept away by the wind from the open door.

“It’s okay, I knew it didn’t look great, but catching the attention of an FBI agent? I’ll take it.”

Still stumbling over his words, he desperately looks for the right thing to say, wanting to get the mush in his brain out to apologise again and again. Something about her smile made him want to reassure her a hundred times over.

“Not that, of course, you look anything like a serial killer. Although female serial killers are, usually, far better at hiding that they are killers, and are actually called silent killers. So even if you were, you seem way too smart to leave a handprint on your dress. Not- that I’m saying you would know how to be a murderer, but I just- I had to make sure--”

“Really, it’s alright, uh..” looking down, she runs her fingers over his name before handing his ID badge back, “Spencer, really. It’s a nice thought, knowing I have such observant agents in my area. Makes me feel.. safe.”

And not a hint of sarcasm, paired with a genuine smile. Her name was called for a coffee and that split moment she turned away gave him a chance to react.

Hearing his name in her gently teasing voice had made his heart beat so damn hard against his chest he half expected to look down and see it beating out cartoonishly. Pressing the heel of his palm to the centre of his chest to try and calm down before she turned back around.

That smile still on her face when she did, her name written all pretty on her cup, and fitting her perfectly.

“Could you explain what the Behavioural Analysis Unit does? I’m still not sure.”

He went to open his mouth, happy to spew facts, knowing that’s his comfort zone more than anything else, and wanting to show that he can do more than word vomit whatever comes to the tip of his tongue first.

But she shakes her head, taking out her phone and tapping some things before handing it over to him. An empty contact page, except for the name which was already filled in with ‘Spencer (the cute coffee guy)’ at which his eyes darted back to hers, although his thumbs were already putting in his number.

“How about tomorrow? About six-forty?”

Handing back the phone after checking the number, and replying with a breathy ‘yeah’, at which she smiled and walked past him. His own name getting called for his coffee, but not turning to get it until she left the shop.

When she turned to look back at him with a small wave, he knew he was absolutely done for wherever this woman is concerned.

“I’ll see you tomorrow Spencer. Six-forty, it’s a date, don’t be late.” Slipping out so that he could take that in himself, not actually moving until his name gets called for the fourth time, and the barista throws a balled up napkin at him. A daft smile on his face as he whips out his phone to text Garcia all about the date he’s going on tomorrow morning.

Want more?! Good!

taglist ( ˘ ³˘)♥ @peliides ║ @peachsodameg ║ @angelinajolie0213 ║ @jiggly-puff-12 ║ @khxna ║ @kennedy2156 ║ @trulycayla ║ @none-of-your-bullshit ║ @alexxavicry ║ @meg-black ║ @princess76179 ║ @chicken-fifi ║ @averyhotchner ║ @punkyghoulz ║ @person-005 ║ @aaronlovesava ║ @Optimisticsandwichgladiator ║ @cultish-corner ║ @xox0_emma ║ @whatyagottado ║ @wonderland2425 (if your tag is here and not working check out this reblog to see if any of it could hopefully help!!)

[genderfluid-insomniac]

“Wait for me” dead!Macaque x living!reader (1.5k words)

A/N: I know I’m mixing pantheons but I’ve been back on a musical hype and this time around it’s been Hadestown. I love the musical too much and it came to mind when listening to “Wait for Me (reprise)” that the Orpheus and Eurydice characters would work for Macaque and another person. Although terribly angsty I must fulfill my heart's desires.

The reader is currently walking up to the living world after convincing the god of the underworld to go on a trial to get their lover the Six-Eared Macaque back home with them. The trick is that if they look back at Macaque before they reach the surface he has to go back to the underworld.

otherwise known as the Orpheus and Eurydice myth from the author Virgil and/or Ovid

This story is told from the reader’s perspective who knew, met, and fell in love with Macaque before his confrontation with Wukong. So it might seem that they’re being too hard on Wukong for killing his sworn brother when they yell at him but they don’t know everything that happened between them. ***Only the rumors of Sun Wukong from local towns and what Macaque told them.*** So I just wanted to make that clear.

Although you knew you had begun the trial and Macaque must have been behind you, you couldn’t hear him and yet still you walked. Step after step of hoping you weren’t tricked by them. All you wanted to be back in his arms, dancing in the moonlight and counting the stars until dawn arrived. You remembered it as clear as day. You were just on a walk with him, strolling through the woods and laughing about a forest spirit you had run into who mistook you as being kidnapped only to apologize when it was clear you both were in love.

It was calm and quiet as most days were but Macaque heard something, someone, someone who he once called his brother. They hadn’t seen each other in centuries and the last they saw of one another wasn’t pleasant. At least that’s all that Macaque had told you and insisted that it was too painful to talk about which you respected. You both trusted each other more than anything and you hoped it’d get you through everything.

You didn’t know what caused that fight or whether it was fate or a coincidence that they saw one another that day after almost a thousand years. Flashes and shouts could be heard as they both clashed against one another. For a demon, the fight would be easier to see but you could only catch bits and pieces of the battle, seeing both celestial primates create big craters in nearby mountains and strong gales whipping across the land surrounding them.

Truthfully you were terrified for your life a couple of times as trunks of big trees were flung your way and when gales of wind threatened to carry you off the ground. Through all of it, your eyes desperately searched for Macaque in hopes of seeing anything pointing to his survival. That moment almost froze in time as someone whom you now recognized as Sun Wukong “Great Sage Equal to Heaven” stood over your lover. Before you knew it you raced to where they both were and ignored the scrapes and cuts you got from recklessly running through a battleground.

Sure you heard the rumors of the Monkey King traveling west from folks in nearby towns or villages but the demon you saw before was nothing like you had heard and you saw him raise his staff high. You wanted to cry out, scream, do anything to get him to stop to your voice failed to obey you. He fiercely growled before yelling and striking Macaque who lay at the bottom of a crater covered in severe injuries with his staff. Most notably three large gashes over his right eye, the blood hadn’t clotted yet and you doubted it would even if he came out alive.

You let out a sob as you thought about those last couple of words. “if he came out alive”. Catching his gaze for a second those few seconds held a thousand words. Despite the shadow of death inches away from ending his life, he still smiled with so much love in his eyes and hoped that you could continue to live your life with the promise of finding joy in the smallest things. He wished that you could forgive him for leaving you so soon when he’d assured you so much love and happiness in your future.

Both of you wanted time to stop, for anything to stop the inevitable, a miracle to happen. You couldn’t though. The last thing you would ever see of him would be through your warped teary vision, his midnight black fur caked with thick blood and deep cuts decorated his strong-built body. His beloved scarf that he treasured so much lay on the ground torn severely and a mix of blood and dirt obscured parts of his beautiful vibrant six ears; now partially covered in small cuts on the edges of each colorful lotus petal-shaped ear. Although one of his eyes had been badly damaged surely beyond repair you could see his gold shining eye meeting yours and sharing one last glance before the red powerful staff came down on Macaque.

Sun Wukong had light tears falling down his cheeks and slowly approached the now-still demon’s body with shaking hands, letting his staff fall from his grip and clattering to the ground. There was so much conflict in his expression and hesitation as to whether he should even touch his fallen brethren but you rushed in. Dirt, blood, and bruises clung to you as you tumbled into the crater and collapsed on your lover, sobbing harshly at the reality now hitting you and gripping the soft torn yellow and black fabric of his layered hanfu. You cried out in pain not caring about the outside world because if something happened to you then at least you’d be reunited with one another.

A firm hand gripped your shoulder and tried to pry you off to no success, his insistence on getting you to safety and pressing the message that no mortals should be here fell on deaf ears. You didn’t care about the things you said getting up weakly and shoving the Monkey King’s chest with shaky hands. “I don’t care! You killed him! You bastard! He told me you were once close.” you shouted and raised a hand, slapping the left side of his face hard and seeing him hiss through his teeth when you hit a deep cut on his cheekbone.

The world was silent. Not a leaf fell or animal chittered. Only when you turned around to go back to mourning the death of someone you loved so much and knew they loved you just as much did you hear the footsteps of others. Probably the Great Sage’s companions who came to see who the victor was. You could feel 5 pairs of eyes on you and guessed the dozens of questions they had of why a random mortal was crying over a powerful demon’s corpse. One of the travelers came towards you as you cradled Macaque in your arms, an unkempt pig demon walking towards you and gleefully shouting, “Don’t cry beautiful mortal. You’re saved from the horrible demon that kidnapped you, and his power is gone! Let us help-” he was cut off by Sun Wukong tugging him back before he could touch you.

You did your best to hold in the sobs and despair you had, forcing yourself to look up and focus on the demon responsible for all of your pain. “Go. Go and live knowing you not only killed someone close to you but broke the heart of his lover. I’m sure he’s resting peacefully now.” you spat. After a few tries you managed to pick Macaque up with his head resting on your chest and carefully walked back near to where you both lived. You didn’t bother to see Sun Wukong’s expression when to told him who you were to Macaque and how it cracked into shock and anguish.

That had been almost 2 months ago until you’d finally found a local mountain god that accepted your offering in exchange for information about how to get to the underworld and after you made your trek through hell you bargained with King Yan for your lover’s soul. Another rock bounced off your shoe and hit the gravel path. You couldn’t hear his footsteps or voice or breath and you questioned if he was even behind you at all. Memories of the good times you both shared pooled in your mind and allowed a soft smile to sneak up on your face. How you had both first met because of him mistaking you for an easy victim. Safe to say he failed to do anything because you fought back decently.

Your meetings were always by surprise at first but then Macaque began to show up regularly and seemed more curious about what you did and who you were. It was obvious he could do something else rather than “wasting” time on someone he failed to kill but you caught his interest. The same game was played fairly often until a week passed when he disappeared and you thought that was it. You were happily surprised when you went to your regular sight to gather herbs and saw sizable bundles of each herb you usually picked tied up all in a basket. Macaque ended up rising from the shadow of a nearby Rainbow Gum tree and apologizing for disappearing but offering to repay you. That night he confessed underneath the stars looking at the moon while he told you stories he heard during his travels.

A bright light blinded you in the dark tunnel that was now slowly opening into the base of the mountain you entered hours ago and you fought through the tight v-shaped opening until you reached the edge where obsidian-shaded gravel met the healthy forest floor. You couldn’t tell if it was you or Macaque who let out a sigh of relief.

“You’re here.”

[dxstopiaa]

Gratifying Gambit

Synopsis: Playing Genius Invocation with your lover seems to evolve into something quite heated.

Characters: Al Haitham, Kaveh, Cyno and Tighnari x Reader!

Warnings: Mentions of alcohol, otherwise none. [ Apologies for such infrequent updates <\3 P.S do know how difficult fighting cyno in tcg windblume was? that feeling when i finally beat him. (ᗒᗣᗕ)՞]

Al Haitham

Al Haitham has been defeated!

You couldn’t possibly of expected the Grand Sage to be in peak condition after keeping him awake for so long. It was evident he would rather be in his own company, reading before getting early rest.

Al Haitham’s eyelids drooped slightly— teal irises clouded with the urge for slumber. But he pressed on, insisting that his sleep didn’t matter as much when it came to spending time with you, even if it wasn’t exactly quality.

“No, it’s alright, it’s your turn.” Your lover murmured, resting his head in his hands. No problem, this is only one night of many, he’ll get his rest eventually.

“Haitham? I’ve conceded my round already…” You raised a brow, arm outstretched to brush his tresses from obstructing your view of him. Ah, that’s the issue. No wonder he had lost these past matches.

His eyes were fluttering shut, drifting off to the abode of dreams until he forced himself awake again. An all too familar cycle with yourself, but one which didn’t synergise with the Scribe.

“Dear, are you…sleeping? I didn’t think i was that boring!” You huffed, tone tinted with slight offence but amusement nonetheless. Al Haitham couldnt retain the hushed smile creeping up his face. You were too lovable for your own good.

Another unusual occurrence, your beloved’s laughter. It was sweet— carefree and adorable for a stoic man such as he. Either your heart almost flipped in place, or your brain short-circuited.

“Quite the opposite actually, go on, i’ll play one more game with you.”

You have been defeated!

Strategy, the foundation of card games. The secret to winning every match was to be adaptable but reliably balanced in strength and defence, Al Haitham had read such in a handbook, a little foreign to his tastes but interesting nonetheless.

He was determined to prove such tactics correct— that he did, with grace. A stubborn man like him, you expected him to stick to his dendro team compositions, yet he took you by surprise.

“Are you not going to…” You trailed off, glaring at his deck of cards which weren’t in usual order. Only then had you recognised your mistake.

“Hm? Oh this, i figured i should alter it more often, i’ll start.” Al Haitham’s smirk could be heard through his tone, folding his arms after already reducing your health far below healthy standards. Appears like the luck was on his side too.

You tripped over your words in an attempt to condone your poor performance, phrases like: ‘My hand slipped!’ or ‘Wait, i’m not ready!’

“Haitham!” But he knew, regardless of how many times you whined his name with exasperation, it was just a way to cope with your unfortunate loss. Just like the Scribe was attempting to conceal that stochastic fluttering in his chest from the nickname.

“I win, my reward is for you to call me that name for the rest of our time together.”

Kaveh

Kaveh has been defeated!

“Hey! Give me a chance at least!” Kaveh groaned, throwing his cards quite aggressively upon the table in defeat. To think that he called himself skilled at TCG just an hour ago— now there was no denying he felt embarrassed.

The young architect, better known as your husband, breathed out an exasperated sigh when you merely giggled at his suffering. Kaveh didn’t know where he went wrong, he had prepared himself for this yet he still couldn’t beat you!

You, on the other hand, found the situation humorous. He just looked so lovable with that pout on his lips— eyes screwed narrowly whilst he scrutinised his attempt at deceiving you.

“Sorry, love! I just thought you’d want better competition for your amazing skills.” You teased, mocking him for your own amusement. The look upon his face was something much more than just disapproval, as if he wanted to strangle you (lovingly, of course.)

How did you know all of his moves, he asks? Well, playing a tactical game with someone who shares a bit too much detail whilst intoxicated was not a sensible choice. And you may of just coerced him into informing you of his playstyle by rewarding him with a kiss.

Such information should remain hidden, keeping your irked lover in the dark wouldn’t hurt, right? Nothing other than his sanity, anyway.

“Again? Dear, can you read my mind?”

You have been defeated!

You shouldn’t of done that— hoping the blonde opposite you failed to recognise your poorly thought mistake. A shame that Kaveh was a discreetly intelligent man, a satisfied smirk growing over his face.

“Wait, I didn’t mean to do that!” You exclaimed, trapping your husband’s hand under your own, nearly falling from your chair. He cackled mercilessly, finishing off your deck in one turn.

It was his concept of revenge, you had won all previous matches, it’s fair enough. It’s too bad for you, now Kaveh had no choice but to smear vanquish over your streak. The game prior to this beheld a score of six to zero, at least your husband didn’t walk out with that quite embarrassing score.

“Dramatic does not mean dumb, sweetheart.” Your lover admitted, leaving his seat from the table to collect the remaining dice— and partly to tower over beside you to witness that solemn expression.

Eagerly, you seized his collar and brought him down face-level, gifting a chaste kiss to his lips before turning away as if you never had.

“You can’t just leave me like that, come here-”

Cyno

Cyno has been defeated!

“Don’t get cocky.”

Something that he shouldn’t of said to you— rather some advice he should of taken himself. For a supposedly lighthearted card game, Cyno took it very seriously, to the point it became comical. After all, he’s never lost to anyone before.

So when you slammed your card upon the playing table, your new tactics you had learnt had proved to outmatch the uncrowned archon of Genius Invocation. The plan? Delay your actions until you could utilise elemental reactions and one-shot every last card of his once vulnerable.

Quite expectedly, your boyfriend appeared mortified, not only did he gasp as if he had been physically injured, but his mouth flew ajar. Cyno wanted to express his resentment, but that became increasingly challenging with how proud you looked.

“See! I told you i’ve been practicing!” You giggled, leaving your seat at the table and wrapping your arms around his neck, swaying the seething general to and fro. No matter, you already knew how much he adored seeing you as contented as you were.

It wouldn’t take long to crack that false shell of offence, sporting a gleeful grin at last. Cyno sighed, resting his elbows on the table whilst he massaged those restless crimson eyes of his. Another card drawn, another hour spent away in his company.

“You win this time, but you want to see what i’ve been practicing too, love?”

You have been defeated!

Cyno wasn’t that malevolent to defeat you in his favourite card game so soon; you were only a beginner, that wouldn’t be necessary. That was until you began to grasp the concept of it rather quickly.

It was endearing how you were so keen to conquer your boyfriend, of course he had to let you win the first couple of rounds. Your virtuous grin when you inflicted damage greater than he had expected alone was a sufficient reason.

“Hmm you win again, how about i increase the difficulty, darling?” Cyno proposed. You shouldn’t of hastily nodded your head, you later found you underestimated him a little too much.

A fault of yours was your predictability— the customary vaporise deck, a common choice he often saw. Perhaps you were playing it safe? Standard set up too, simply apply hydro and then pyro. Too bad your lover could counter that in no time.

Turn by turn, your cards were disintegrated before your very eyes. No amount of healing or event draws could repair the damage done in that round— or to your morale for that matter.

The general braced his deck, peering over it to witness you frowning at the ‘unfair’ move he made. Stifling his laughter was becoming increasingly difficult, wearing an upturned smirk instead.

“Cyno! Stop the mockery, it’s not funny!” You whined, resting your head against the table in defeat, not desiring to get your pride handed back to you once more.

There’s always a next time to achieve victory. For now, just enjoy your boyfriend tidying your hair away from your chagrined countenance.

Tighnari

Tighnari has been defeated!

You were more than just delighted to reveal your new deck to your boyfriend, or more specifically—a character card of his own. He wore a cute expression, eyes gleaming with motivation and pride whilst his illustrated lips curved into a cheeky grin.

Endearing you find it, and glad you had pre-release access to the card which was intended to be announced to the public in a week. Rightfully so as his lover.

“So…you’re telling me that this card of mine, will grant you luck?” Tighnari hesitated, analysing the card between two fingers. He found the depiction of himself to be slightly inaccurate, but he brushed it off with a light sigh.

“Yes! ‘Nari, please?” You requested, smiling softly when the chief forest ranger surrendered to your pleads. You gleefully sat opposite him, board infront with dice scattered over it. You rolls seemed to be the first indicator of your luck, all dendro and electro—just like your team.

Tighnari, on the other hand, was a bit more unfortunate, having to reroll with multiple event cards just to play a skill. With every fallen character, he slumped further into his chair with disappointment.

“Alright, how is my own card luckier than me?” Your lover complained, plucking it from your hands and hiding it away in his pocket.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get it back, i don’t want you to favour a fake rather than the real version infront of you, dearest.”

You have been defeated!

“Love, did you drink too much? You’re usually better at this than me.” The forest ranger questioned, an eyebrow cocked upwards at your quizzical behaviour.

It was already the third round yet you hadn’t played any meaningful action at all. One could argue that you were simply stalling— but that was not an ample excuse.

Your palm struggled to keep the weight of your head upright, giving out from beneath it and opting to slouch over the table. That didn’t stop the incoherent mumbles from spilling out your lips, now batting your eyes at your boyfriend.

“Nari, you’re so cute…i’ll let you have the win whenever.” You whined cheekily, observing Tighnari scoff, attempting to hide the scarlet flush developing with disregard. Just what has happened to you today?

“I appreciate it, but you need to get some rest, you’re scaring me.” He muttered, leaving his seat to aid you upstairs, with much difficulty. Reminder: Don’t leave alcohol around you again.

Neither of you had exactly lost or won, but you could say that you were the first to fall deeper for another.

[arkhammaid]

 — ˚₊‧⁺˖ THE (DENDRO) BIG THREE AND HOW YOU FELL FOR THEM.

fandom. genshin impact

pairing. alhaitham x dancer!gn reader, baizhu x anemo!gn reader, kaveh x architect!gn reader

content warnings. none, written in lowercase

word count. 1.6k

notes. i wrote this when baizhu and kaveh leaks dropped and actually finished it in a day. i justify the long wait because i didn't have the pngs of them back then LMAO ty sophie for proofreading 🫶

 — ˚₊‧⁺˖ alhaitham. 

as a dancer and singer under the zubayr theater, you generally dislike everyone from the akademiya

maybe that wasn’t the nicest, nor the right, thing to do, but every student and official scholar has mocked you and your fellow artists, trying to shut down the theater

you keep your dislike, the almost hateful feelings you have, silent, no matter how problematic those scholars are. after all, you try not to create more problems and you don’t think nilou would forgive you for being so mean to others, even if they’re mean to you

it was not until the maddening mission of freeing the dendro archon you met him. the scribe. you’ve heard about him, of course you have, and of course you already had your thoughts about him

when he joined the group to celebrate the successful mission, you avoided him, keeping close to nilou and the traveler, distancing yourself and paimon with food and keeping an eye out on him

just because he helped to free the dendro archon didn’t mean you trusted him. you would rather trust the general mahamatra with your life than him, the feeble scholar and now acting grand sage

instead of thinking about the handsome scholar, you busied yourself with learning new dances for the next performance. like nilou, you owned a vision, but you used it only on the stage

your cryo vision could create the most beautiful forms and shapes, entrancing your audience while you danced with twirling arms and complicated steps. and it was then, in the middle of the most important performance of the year, when you caught the acting grand sage, alhaitham himself, in the audience, following your movements with an intense gaze

you almost stumbled, the ice you created cracking and your body hesitating, but you had to focus. you had to focus, while alhaitham kept his eyes on you and only you

“i see you have joined the festival, acting grand sage,” you muttered politely. nilou had nudged you to talk with some of the scholars who visited and witnessed the performance, stating it will be good for both sides to talk. 

“i have,” he smiles, tall body towering over you. “and i especially enjoyed your performance. it was truly magical. i’ve known nilou is a great dancer, but i didn’t know there is someone who can surpass her.” his sudden compliment made you blush and you stutter a thanks, completely blown away by his honest words. a scholar, complimenting you? 

and then he smiled at you, eyes earnest and dendro vision glittering, his element suddenly filling the space between the both of you. 

“i’ve heard it’s tradition to gift flowers to the actors and dancers after their performance. will you accept them?” with wide eyes you slowly take the beautiful bouquet, still showing traces of his element. 

“thank you, alhaitham.” the moment you utter his name, he gives you another smile, making your heart race and face. how dare he be so nice to you!

— ˚₊‧⁺˖ baizhu. 

you’re a merchant and a collector of liyue, having built a small business with three other people. you supply those in need with herbs and flowers, especially from liyue but also from sumeru and mondstadt

it’s hard work and keeps your days busy. trekking through the lands, defending yourself from hilichurls and other monsters, all while trying to collect the flowers and seeds you need

but, in the end, it’s rewarding work because many will pay big amounts of mora for herbs since they’re so hard to gather. lucky for you, you received an anemo vision many years ago, rather easy to collect the rare plants

your business is split up– while you founded and technically also own it, it’s your dear friend who acts as the main merchant and seller. you supply them and the other two make sure to gather other herbs in more distant places, traveling on horse to deliver them faster

but then your friend falls ill and you have to go out and sell your gathered herbs. selling them is not a problem, the people in liyue would fist fight to get the amount of herbs you offer at a fairly reasonable price

yet your friend recommends you to the bubu pharmacy, telling you that the doctor is currently in need several herbs

you’re surprised, since you know hat the bubu pharmacy is technically self sufficient, but you pack your things and climb the many stairs to the building

meeting the doctor, who immediately introduces himself as baizhu… is an experience. he’s a very handsome man and his smirk has you hiding your sudden blush

you try to tell yourself it’s just the warm weather, or your sudden shyness and inexperience in dealing with customers

it’s really not. because then you start running more often into baizhu, eyes wide when he stops whatever he’s doing to greet and talk to you. his kindness, no matter how much he teases you, is something unexpected and maybe that’s why you fall for him

“ah- hello, my dear. i was just thinking about you. do you have another batch of qingxin? it seems that my inventory is currently suffering,” he sighs, shaking his head and already worrying about the many orders he received. 

“the current cold that’s going around is eating up my reserves. do you know how long it took me to build such an impressive amount of treatments?” but you don’t listen to him, too busy repeating those two words he just uttered without any care in your head. 

my dear, my dear, my dear- he called you his dear!

“uh, yes- j-just a moment,” you stutter when he glances up from his papers, a questioning gaze heavy on you after you didn’t answer him. “i think- we should have some left, but i don’t know if it will be enough…” 

“fuck,” you can only mumble when baizhu turns his back to you again, leaving you with your thoughts screaming in your mind. did you really fall for him? a teasing smartass? 

— ˚₊‧⁺˖ kaveh. 

as a fellow architect, you can recognize kaveh’s talent, even if you would never say it out loud. there has been a rivalry brewing between the both of you, with neither of you showing any signs of stopping

the two of you fight for clients, reputation, and especially partners, which are your fellow scholars. the rivalry goes so far that many of them don’t even want to work with any of you anymore, fearing their lives and, even worse, their own reputation. but neither of you notice, too bullheaded and blinded by the unofficial competition you have going on

yet during all those years of this serious competition between two architects, you’ve never exchanged a friendly word. not even a greeting. oh no, it’s always spitting insults and spiteful remarks that often end in a screaming match

it would’ve probably never stopped if it weren’t for alhaitham. he had enough of the pettiness and decided to sit you down, have both tighnari and cyno watch over you and locked you in the room. the two other vision owners were here to ensure no one would end up dead;, but that wasn’t needed

silence filled the room for almost an hour, until kaveh cracked and asked how you were doing. you, of course, snapped at him, telling him you had much better work to do than sitting here with him

“listen, i’m really sorry… about everything. neither of us stopped and so i just continued,” he started speaking and you lean back, eyes wide and trying to hide your gasp. kaveh apologizing? that was really something new.

“i’m sorry for stealing your clients and saying all those stupid things about you. now that i think about it, it was petty and we should’ve just talked it out and act our age,” he continues, not looking at you, all the while apologizing for being an ass to you. it surprises you, silent as you are, but there is a sudden desire to apologize to him as well. 

“you don’t have to say anything. i know it’s a bit much, but i hope we could try out as friends? i mean, you’re so talented and your commissions and works are absolutely beautiful! if we work together… we could create masterpieces.” kaveh finally looks up and notices your wide eyes, your whole body frozen in your seat. with a sigh, he stands up and nods to the two other men in the room and makes his way to leave. 

but before he knocks on the door to ask for alhaitham to let him out, he turns back once more with a smile and says “i would love to call you a friend of mine, such a fierce person,” a chuckle escapes his mouth and he shakes his head. 

“let me know when you’re up for my offer.” 

and you can only stare after him, the man who had tormented you for years offering friendship and even partnership. furiously, you try to hide your blush that’s spreading, noticing once again how handsome he is. stupid kaveh with his stupid smile. 

taglist. @keyz-writes , @obsidianjewel , @keqism , @kamiiyaka , @venexus , @stellumi , @wanderersbell , @uraqtttt , @spiriteddreams , @lxvebun , @ineshapanda , @baeshijima

if you want to join the taglist, please read this post!

ARKHAM MAID 2023

[johnny-depplyloveyou]

Gale's data mined info from Idle Champions

source: [X]

(He's only 35? And his alignment is Neutral, not Neutral Good to begin with? I know it can be changed into Neutral Good in this game, but... I'll pretend I did not see it)

Item descriptions

Fond Memories: Even at my lowest, playing with Tara lifted my spirits...

Ball of Retrieval: ...though the ball's purpose eluded her. I was always the one fetching it...

Cat Flap of Displacement: Tara comes and goes as she pleases. But she's always pleased to help me.

Ring of Evasion: A ring as evasive as Tara, when I asked how she obtained it...

These Old Things: Comfortable, practical, and relatively unsinged.

Wizarding Robes: Not as flashy as Elminster's, but at least they've plenty of pockets.

Robes of Increased Potency: I could get used to these. Elegant, but powerful - just like Tara.

Archmage's Accoutrements: Incredible! Every stitch is infused with Weave. Like wearing magic itself...

Nothing Much: I'd have preferred something with a library...

Camping Tent: ...but it will do. For now.

Crystal Ball: Handy for glimpsing the future. And also shaving.

Celestial Spyglass: I like gazing at the heavens. To remember. And to forget...

Crumpled Chapbooks: At least they're written in full sentences.

Well-thumbed Tomes: I've lost count of how many times I've read these. Still just as magical.

Magical Miscellany: A spell for all situations. And my improvements in the margins.

The Annals of Karsus: You can trust me with this - you have my word.

Boots of Ambiguous Enchantment: A little pick-me-up, for when any Weave will do...

Lonely Boot of Elvenkind: A snack-sized shoe for the wizard who travels light.

Boots of Very Fast Blinking: Blink and you'll miss me. But I'll always hit you.

Mystra's Grace: These were a gift from... well, never mind.

Cramped Jotter: Magical musings and mullings. Not my best handwriting.

Waterdhavian Quill: This was... well, it was expensive, let's leave it at that.

The Chosen's Earring: A symbol of Mystra's faith in me. Former faith, I suppose...

Wizard's Pouch: All manner of wizarding sundries. Pungent but powerful.

Feat descriptions

Selflessness (Gale): If it’s me or the realms - I’ll save the realms every time.

Inspiring Leader (Gale): Their magic is strong, but our will is stronger!

Long Studies (Gale): It’s not as easy for me as a sorcerer or warlock. No offense, Wyll.

Arcane Experience (Gale): I’ve had experiences that other wizards can only dream of.

Arcane Threads (Gale): You can’t manipulate the entire Weave, merely a small piece of it.

Spools of Magic (Gale): Maybe I was wrong, as rare of an event as that is. This power is strong!

Mage of Waterdeep (Gale): It has a nice ring to it, don’t you think? Gale of Waterdeep!

Sword Coast Sage (Gale): One day, my name will be known up and down the Sword Coast!

Netherese Teachings (Gale): These are certainly things Elminster wouldn’t have taught me…

Netherese Knowledge (Gale): The risk is worth the reward. This could be just what we need to save everyone!

Neutral Good (Gale): My mind can be changed. …Sometimes.

Immolation (Gale): Magic can be elegant, but sometimes, a good fireball is the answer.

[bluejaysandblackbats]

A Stone’s Throw

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: The night Jason wakes up in the convalescent home, he’s accompanied by his favorite nurse (Nurse Kathy). Nurse Kathy follows her instincts and decides to foster him in the nearby city of Blüdhaven. Soon, her partner and roommates become Jason’s new family despite hopes that he’ll regain his memories.

Chapters: 3/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Original Characters, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, Barbara Gordon

Additional Tags: Disabled Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne Doesn’t Know Jason Todd is Alive, Angst, Fluff, Found Family, Jason Todd Has a Foster Family AU, Jason Todd Moves to Blüdhaven, Original Asexual Characters, Original Lesbian Characters, Amnesiac Jason Todd, “Missed Him By That Much” Trope, Hurt/Comfort, Resurrected Jason Todd

Chapter Three: The Stepparents

Walter was a tall man, slender to the point of frailty as he organized books in a bedroom bookcase. His curly hair was gelled back and shining dark grey in the well-lit living room. His eyes dark and large, staring at the bindings to the books on the top shelf. He pushed his glasses up, warmly sighing as he cocked his head. The doorbell rang, and Walter smiled. “Lover? Is that you?” Walter shouted. 

“It’s Donnovan—. Dodie Hines-Fletcher! You know my father!” Dodie shouted. Walter opened the door. “You’re my father’s boyfriend, aren’t you?” 

“Yes, I am. Would you like a cup of coffee?” Walter asked. Dodie nodded. “You favor him. Your eyes are almost the same. Kind of hazel-ish… But your hair… It’s like your mother’s isn’t it?” 

“Yeah… It’s a weird dark reddish brown,” Dodie answered as he looked around. “How’d you meet my dad?” 

“We met at one of his art galleries. I bought A Conversation in Sage . I thought he was interesting, but I—. I saw the wedding ring. We talked for a while there, and he told me the situation. I was only in town for one night, so I gave him my address, so he could mail the painting to me. He um—. He started sending me letters. I sent some back… And we fell in love,” Walter answered, “Would you like to see the letters he wrote me? They’re lovely.” 

Dodie sat on a crate, politely resting his ankle on his knee. “My father sold A Conversation in Sage when I was six years old. You’re telling me you’ve been his boyfriend for nineteen years?” Dodie questioned. Walter nodded. “And I don’t know… Should I see these? Aren’t they—?”

“Your father and I don’t have a physical relationship… Not in that way. We’ve done nothing more than kiss, and I held his hand once in secret. I’m—. Well, I’m impotent, and your father has no interest in sex,” Walter confessed. Dodie’s eyes widened as he looked away. “Would you like to see them? The letters? ” 

“Sure,” Dodie answered, “So… You’ve known my dad for nineteen years, and I’ve never—. Did my mom know about you?” 

“Yes… I’ve spoken to her several times. I’ve never met her, though,” Walter answered as he handed Dodie a stack of letters. “They’re in order. That’s the first twenty letters he sent me. He has a way with words.” 

Dodie opened the first envelope. “ Dear Walter… I hope I’m not being forward by sending this letter. I’m afraid I find myself thinking of you without meaning to. I carry the image of you around in my spirit. The weight of your absence bears down on my soul. I long for your company. I desire nothing more than to sit beside you, passing the days. Your companionship calls to me. I fear I have nothing of substance to offer you. What I feel may seem juvenile because I am new to this. It would be enough to simply gaze into your eyes and bask in their warmth ,” Dodie read silently to himself. He smiled at Walter. He grabbed the last letter in the stack. 

“ Dearest Walter… It was lovely seeing you. I feel giddy every time I think of what could be. I’m frightened that it will be too much for my heart. I paint pictures of men and women that don’t resemble you but do not be mistaken. All of them are inspired by your spirit. 

“You are my first love. I feel alive saying that. There is nothing more exquisite than this feeling. It might even surpass the taste of food itself. You are everything I could’ve wanted in a companion. I love you. I crave you. I want to hear your laughter and wipe your tears when you cry. Walter, I look forward to the next glance. The next letter. The next earthy-smelling letter. You’re so comforting to my spirit. 

“Thank you for loving me. Thank you for showing me that this could be possible. ”

Dodie looked away, his eyes welling up with tears. 

“God… My dad loves you so much. Sorry—. I—. I was so selfish. I just—.” 

Walter set Dodie’s coffee mug on a crate. “You’re his son. He didn’t want his romantic affairs to be your concern. He was hesitant to mention you. Daniel wanted to protect you from any hardship that he felt his personal life might’ve introduced. You weren’t selfish. You were unaware,” Walter reassured him, “As a young man, it must be a shock.” 

“It is, but I’m getting used to it. You seem like a nice person, though. I don’t know what I expected. I’m still worried about my mom’s girlfriend. Have you met her?” Dodie questioned. Walter nodded. “What’s your opinion of her?” 

“You know Sibyl. I was shocked when I met her, but you’ve probably seen her in passing. What was it like, by the way? I’ve always been curious. Your mother’s a nurse and your father’s an artist. What is that like? Was there any pressure to do one or the other?” Walter questioned. 

“No, not really. I was always an artistic kid… So, I naturally ended up becoming an architect,” Dodie laughed, “And I sell dollhouses that are replicas of people’s homes sometimes. Mom really enjoys that.” 

“Oh! How did you get into making dollhouses?” Walter questioned. 

“When I was little, my mom used to have this dollhouse that her grandma gave her. Whenever she had a bad day at work, she’d sit beside it in her chair, and open it up. I used to climb into her lap, and she’d guide my fingers over the finer details, telling me stories about dollhouses being piggy banks for memories. Bad and good, ” Dodie answered, “And it stuck. I learned how to make birdhouses, then I learned how to build regular dollhouses. I kept doing more and more until I was making miniature houses.” 

“That’s amazing. I’d like to see some of your work someday,” Walter smiled. A woman entered the house, grunting as she set grocery bags on the ground. Walter held a finger up as he went to meet her in the family room.

“Dodie’s here. You should introduce yourself,” Walter whispered. 

“Is he upset?” she whispered. 

“No, he’s a lovely kid. Go on. I’ll get the groceries,” Walter replied. 

The woman stepped into the family room, taking off her powder blue heels and walking toward the young man. Her silvery curls were pulled back into a ponytail. The woman was buxom and older, but not so old that he didn’t recognize her face. “Hi, Deanie. Do you remember me at all?” she asked. Her voice was so sweet, it immediately sent Dodie back to his childhood. “You didn’t know me as Sibyl. I think you knew me as—.”

“Ms. Graves… This one is a little—. My dad—. We—. You were the model for my dad’s photography phase. Mom never spoke to you. Not once. I would’ve remembered. I practically lived in Dad’s art studio back then,” Dodie stated. He squinted as he tried to remember a time when his mother and Sibyl could’ve met.

“Dodie, I used to invite your mom for dinner when you and Daniel went to the movies,” Sibyl replied, “We were very discreet… The furniture people are on their way. So, we’ll have a couch in a little bit. Are you staying for dinner? Kathy said she’s going to cook.” Dodie nodded.

[al0v3w1tch]

witchcraft for beginners જ⁀➴ᡣ𐭩 where to start? i’ve been seeing many posts on tiktok recently of beginner witches talking about how confused they are on where they need to start so here is where i personally would start if i had to start again in my witchcraft journey :  ۶ৎ cleansing. types of cleansing include: sound cleansing; normally done with a cleansing bell but can be done with any sound with the intentions of cleansing, smoke cleansing (i.e. incense or blown out candle smoke. REMEMBER: smudging with white sage or palo santo is only allowed to their native practices i.e indigenous practices and make sure your pets are not allergic to the incense you are burning), water cleansing; cold water is what i found is best for me but moon water is what is more commonly used (reminder: if you are cleansing a type of crystal with water, make sure it is water safe). ۶ৎ research on herbs / crystalsif you haven’t yet, doing research on crystals and herbs will be very helpful on spells / rituals / intentions. always start with the beginner friendly herbs / crystals such as: - cinnamon (protection, spirituality, abundance, success) - chammomile (protection, purification) - regular sage (cleansing) - rosemary (focus) - lavender (relaxation) - bay (manifestation) _________________________ - amethyst (protection, emotional balance, confidence) - rose quartz (self love, relationship love, appreciation) - selenite (cleansing, charging) - clear quartz (healing)- lapis lazuli (self expression) - carnelian (courage, motivation) ۶ৎ protection. protection magick should always be a witch’s top priority before doing any sort of spell or ritual. for your first protection spell, i’d recommend doing a spell jar: an enclosed jar that is filled with herbs or crystals that correspond with your intentions; here is a spell that i’ve personally came up with as a beginner. what you need:- jar + lid. - herbs that correspond with protection (these are the herbs that i chose: bay, cinnamon, caraway) - crystals that correspond with protection (these are the crystals i chose: amethyst, black obsidian) -black salt (black salt can be made with ash and salt mixed together).-white candle. always remember to cleanse first! the ingredients can be put in any order, after they have been put in; put the lid on the jar and seal it with white candle wax. ۶ৎ closed practices. As a witch, it is always good to know what practices you are not allowed to do unless you are part of that culture - unfortunately, wicca is widely known of cultural appropriation and stealing from closed practices so here are some examples of closed practices: - cleansing with white sage / palo santo / dreamcatchers (white sage / palo santo / dreamcatchers  is only for the use of indigenous people) - hoodoo / voodoo - hinduism. - chakras. ۶ৎ divination. divination is a tool that is normally helpful with communication to the divine or the universe to help with spellwork or advice, here are some examples: - tarot cards. - pendulums. - astrology. - palm reading.

[lotusconstellation]

“Shy Confessions” Pt. 1

Reborn Sun Wukong x Gn Reader

Story by: @queenofroses22

Written by: Lotus_Constallation

When hearing about the great tales of Journey to the West, you’ll often hear the stories of the great and all-mighty Monkey King, also known as Sun Wukong. The great sage equal to heaven, the celestial monkey that was born from a stone and set off to cause mayhem amongst anyone that crossed his path without any concern or hesitation.

You would also hear about the laughingstock of heaven and, honestly, of hell as well. The tales of Zhu Bajie, also known as Pigsy, a man who used to be a heaven official but made the mistake of refusing to believe he’s lightweight when it comes to alcohol, leading to his banishment and being cursed to be a pig demon for all eternity.

It’s also no doubt that you would hear about Tang Sanzang, formally known as Tripitaka, the powerful yet peaceful monk who had set off to fulfill his destiny!

There is also Sha Wujing, also known as Sandy, there’s not much about him but everyone knows he’s a water demon who fought courageously.

And finally, Ao Lie, the white dragon horse, who was also disguised as a white horse for Tripitaka to ride on while they make the hellish adventure to get those scriptures.

All of the people I have listed so far are very obviously well known. Some more than others. All have backstories worth mentioning even if there isn’t much. However, what if I told you there was one other person who, too, followed the demons and the monk on their journey, but you won’t find them in any stories. Not even a brief mention of their name. And that’s because this person was no one special. I apologize profusely, but those are the words I’ve heard from time and time again when I would ask why this person isn’t written down in history like the rest.

Surely, if they were a part of The Journey and were brave enough to follow the rest down the path of chaos and destruction, with a high risk of death, and trusting your life with 3 demons, that in itself is special, no? Unfortunately, people don’t see it that way. If you do not have some sort of spectacular fact about yourself that would capture the eyes of a dozen citizens, then you are nothing but a worthless little pebble under someone’s shoe. It’s a harsh reality.

However, that is why I am here! I am here to tell the tales of {Full Name}, Whether people like it or not, Because I firmly believe that they too deserve to be written down in history, just like the rest! And who knows, maybe you’ll learn a thing or two, but enough chit-chat, Let us begin!

𓆩ᥫ᭡𓆪 𓆩ᥫ᭡𓆪 𓆩ᥫ᭡𓆪

This story starts with a small village that sits just at the bottom of a mountain. And on this mountain, lived a vicious demon.

The demon had been around for what felt like centuries, and often loved to cause havoc amongst the town’s people. The demon would poison the soil so nothing would grow, destroy stalls, steal from said stalls, smear mud and dirt on any clean laundry, and would run people over with a mysterious carriage. People of the village constantly prayed and prayed to any god to take care of this demon, but upstairs always remained silent. Eventually, after realizing that no one was going to save them, they decided to take matters into their own hands.

Chaos could be heard from a mile away as the townspeople shouted over each other.

“We must slay this demon!” Someone from the crowd shouted.

“With what?! Pitchforks and dainty knives? We’ve all seen what this demon is capable of, what we have won’t do shit!” Another one rebutted.

Throughout all this chaos, a rather average looking person stood off to the side, trying to share what they had to say, but their hushed voice was drowned out by all the other booming voices in the room. It’s quite funny, really. This person, {Name}, spent– heaven knows how many hours practicing what they were going to say, was also the first few to show up, only to be pushed into a corner. And no matter how much they tried to step through the crowd or raise their voice, all their attempts were futile. Eventually, {Name} let out a heavy sigh, before making their way through the crowd to leave through the front door.

Upon stepping outside, {Name} felt the spring breeze gently caress their skin, they inhaled deeply, letting the faint smell of blossoms ease their mind. It was a rather peaceful evening, despite all the ruckus going on in the house behind them. The air wasn’t too hot or too cold, flowers were starting to blossom from all around, the petals and their scent being carried by the wind, and the sun was just starting to set over the horizon, with the skies becoming a mixture of blue, orange, and a dash of red. Honesty, all of it was a sight to see, but sadly, everyone was too frightened to pay it any mind. Who could blame them though, really. With this demon who’s caused nothing but constant dilemmas and chaos for heaven knows how long, it’s no wonder everyone here would be in distress all the time.

{Name} sighed heavily once more before rubbing their temples, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. All the commotion, and the sudden sound of glass breaking was truly starting to get on their nerves. Unfortunately, however, it had always been like this, whenever the town’s people would try to talk about getting rid of this demon, it always ended up getting physical, and In the end, getting nowhere. Honestly, all of it was ridiculous and {Name} was starting to get irritated by it. I mean, that’s why they attempted to be a part of this meeting in the first place. They thought maybe, just maybe, they could take some initiative and try to have everyone think rationally for once, and not be so hostile and rowdy.

Though, I guess looking back on it now, it was stupid to think someone so bashful and run-of-the-mill as them, could make a difference. If they can’t even fake the confidence to take matters into their own hands. Then hell, what good are they? The thought alone made them feel…useless. {Name} tilts their head back, in a poor attempt to keep the tears from falling. However, the tears trickled down their face regardless. Embarrassed by their current state, {Name} took off towards the direction of a nearby forest. They didn’t know where they were going, they didn’t think of how close it was to nightfall. All they could think about was getting to a safe place to let out their woes without any judgment.

𓆩ᥫ᭡𓆪 𓆩ᥫ᭡𓆪 𓆩ᥫ᭡𓆪

The labored villager continued to run throughout the unfamiliar territory, making impetuous twists and turns for heaven knows how long, trying their best to jump over fallen logs and moss covered rocks, and unaware of their ankles getting little cuts from open thorns and sticks.

{Name} continued on until they found a spot behind a tree, sinking down to the floor as they finally let go of all their sorrows. They didn’t want to continue living like this; Living in constant distress, with nothing ever being solved because everyone was already so stressed out and exhausted from this blasted demon. I mean, what did the people in the village ever do to him? Why must he keep coming back to attack everyone — even children? Is there some sort of unknown history we were all unaware of? Does the demon know something we don’t?

Whatever the case may be, {Name} just wanted it all to end. They couldn’t take another second of living in that village; where the people do nothing but scream and yell at each other and don’t take a second to just think rationally. There needs to be a change before this demon eventually gets bored of terrorizing everyone and does something worse. {Name} wanted to be that change. But they were foolish enough to think that would ever happen. “Why?” {Name} spoke. Their voice low and raspy from crying so much. They looked up at the starry night sky, unable to realize just how long they’ve been crying for. “Why must this happen to us? What did we ever do?” {Name} honestly didn’t know who they were talking to, or if they were even talking to someone at all. Hell, it would be a blessing in itself if their voice was even loud enough to reach anyone. “We have done everything. Prayed, made offerings, dedicated ourselves to you,” {Name’s} voiced a little louder, their face contorted with anger. “So why do you choose to ignore our pleas? Are we simply not worth your time?” A gentle breeze passed by, but {Name} paid it no mind as they waited for a response, a voice. A comforting breeze will do no good, it will not just magically make up for the constant neglect from the Heaven’s. {Name} knows they shouldn’t dare think this way, they know such thoughts would poison their soul, but they felt like they deserve some sort of proper response from someone. Their childhood had been damaged because of this vile creature, they watched as their parents went from kind and caring folks to aggressive and hostile ones. They used to welcome {Name} with loving arms, often trying to encourage them to be more confident in themselves, to not be afraid to stand up for what was right. But slowly, over the years, they started getting more…aggressive and uncaring towards {Name}.

Out of respect, I will not mention the things they have done. Though, I will say that it unfortunately got to the point where {Name} had become very skilled in tending to wounds.

The lonesome village felt another tear prick at the corner of their eyes, their head dropped as the fresh set of tears left little stains on their clothes. Please, just send someone, anyone, to take care of this demon. I would do anything in return, I promise.

…

The rapid crackling of leaves suddenly reverberated around the forest, {Name} nearly jumped out of their skin when they heard it. The lonesome villagers quickly wiped the remaining tears from their face before attempting to see the source of the noise.

From where they were, they managed to see a tall, humanoid figure running as fast as they could, the figure was wearing all black colored clothing so they could’ve easily blended in with the night. The only reason {Name} could see them was because of another figure dressed in all white colored clothing that was lazily thrown over the other one’s shoulder.

“WUKONG!! SAVE ME!!” The person in white yelled.

Without thinking, {Name} got up from their spot and started chasing after the strangers to the best of their ability. Their name wasn’t Wukong, but regardless the stranger was in trouble.

𓆩ᥫ᭡𓆪 𓆩ᥫ᭡𓆪 𓆩ᥫ᭡𓆪

The figure dressed in black was fast, {Name} will tell you that. The figure was jumping around while also making unexpected turns—which threw {Name} off a bit—all while the person in white continued to cry out to someone named Sun Wukong. Which, {Name} had no idea who that was, but they’re assuming Sun Wukong is this guy’s friend. Though, what’s a bit strange is that this guy, despite crying out for help, made little to no effort to fight against the person who was holding him captive.

After what felt like hours, {Name} managed to follow the figure to a cave that was located at the top of the mountain. {Name} heaved while trying to force themselves to walk further up the steep hill. Once at the top, they leaned up against the entrance of the cave, trying to catch their breath. “I wasn’t built for this shit,” they thought.

A moment or two had passed before {Name} looked further into the cave, borrowing the faint moonlight, {Name) couldn’t help but sigh in awe.

The cave was covered in foliage, with a few small waterfalls that flowed down from a few openings in the walls, and the moonlight only gave the place an ethereal glow.

(Artist: Unknown. Source: Pinterest).

{Name} was astonished, never in their life have they ever seen something as elegant as this. It all made {Name} ponder about their own life choices. From their younger years, there were always these rowdy kids who always dismissed the adults' concerns and went as far as they wanted into the woods. The kids offered for {Name} to join them one time, but they timidly refused. Now looking back on it, Perhaps it wouldn’t have hurt to accept their offer.

After what felt like an incense time, {Name} carefully moved towards the cave, the light from the moon slowly warning the further they went, relying on the tiny luminous blue flowers that scattered throughout the cave. As time passed, {Name} couldn’t help but grow more nervous. I mean, what were they going to do? How were they going to save this stranger from someone who could be armed and is undoubtedly stronger then {Name} was, when just prior they were sitting in the dark crying because they can’t even get their voice to go up an octave or two.

Honestly, the smartest thing to do would’ve been to go search for this “Wukong” guy but nOoOo, they just had to prove themselves.

Sighing heavily, {Name} continued on, trying to ease their mind by taking in the scenery. Whoever that black-clad man was, and as horrible as it sounds, {Name} was glad this was the place the man led them to. While they walked, they suddenly came to an opening with a bunch of stone staircases leading in all different directions, leading to multiple different rooms. {Name} was about to walk past it before a rather rejoiceful voice echoed throughout the room. “How lucky, How lucky I am today!!” {Name’s} blood ran cold, they recognized that voice. It was the demon. {Name} had followed the demon back to where he lived!

…

Shit.

End of part 1!

I really hope you and Queen enjoyed it. I can’t guarantee when the next part will be out, but keep an eye out 👁️

Love you all!!

[elentari-celestaire]

✧ crimson-stained padisarah ✧

pairing -  al-haitham x f!reader

content notes - hanahaki, childhood friends to lovers???, angst, but, happy ending?, slight mention of death, mutual pining, terrible punctuations and all cause i did this sleep-deprived.

a/n - good luck to everyone pulling for al-haitham~  also, i will add some short brainrots for this piece when i have the time 

“Haitham,” a female voice from across the room called out to the acting grand sage, who merely responded with a soft hum.

If it had been anyone else who had dared to interrupt al-Haitham’s personal reading time, he would have just ignore them but, the person who had just called him knew that she wouldn’t be ignored.

“What are we?”

Silence filled the air as y/n observed the grey-haired male, anticipating his next actions.

“Ha-”

“Close friends, who have known each other since we were children.”

y/n’s gaze softened at the gentle tone with which he answered her with, something that she knew not everyone had the luxury of experiencing. Yet, at the same time, something inside her ached when she felt something bloomed. Ignoring the growing ache, she put up a fake smile, “Well, aren’t I lucky? To be considered the acting grand sage’s close friend.”

At the sound of a book being closed, y/n silently congratulated herself, knowing she had finally grabbed her childhood friend’s full attention.

Piercing turquoise eyes met hers, studying her features and body language.

“Y/n, where is this coming from?”

She broke the eye contact, choosing to divert her attention to a stack of books on a table next to her. “It’s nothing,” she stated. her fingers tracing the pattern of a flower on the book cover. A floral-themed novel. “I was just reminiscing about us. We have grown and changed so much. Little al-haitham all grown up."

“y/n.” her name was spoken in a warning tone, yet she knew there was no threat to it.

“I’m leaving for Liyue tomorrow,” the female announced abruptly, surprising both herself and al-haitham.

“What?” there was a frown on his face as he stood up from where he was reading previously. With each step he took towards where she was standing, he demanded explanation to her sudden statement, “Why are you going to Liyue? Y/n. Why am i only learning about this now?”

“There’s a doctor in Liyue, who seem to know about the hanahaki disease,” y/n explained, her voice soft, her gaze never leaving the books littered across the table — each book pertaining to the topic of flowers. “I’ll be going there with the girl to see what I can learn about it.”

The female inhaled sharply when muscular arms caged her to the desk, leaving no way for her to escape.

“Why are you going to such lengths for that girl?” he questioned as a slender finger lifted her chin to look at him — her eyes appeared tired, and she had eyebags, he noted. “It’s merely just a rumour. There was no documentation or information about that illness. It’s all in her head.”

Despite her breathing becoming more rapid, she continued, “you know very well the condition of the brains affect the well being of a person even if society assumes the illness stems from psychological factors and isn’t cause by any physical factors.”

“This is why i did not want to tell you.”  her e/c hues narrowed as she muttered, and she turned her head away from him, catching al-haitham off guard.

“And, no. It’s not simply a rumour. It does exist,” she exhaled sharply, her chest heaving as she struggled to push back the cough that threatened to arise. “I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”

The word ‘seen’ was truly an understatement. Seeming as she herself was a victim to hanahaki since a few weeks ago when she was unfortunate enough to witness al-haitham on a date with a certain dancer from Zubayr theater.

When she remembered the sight she had encountered, she had to fight back the petals she felt creeping up her throat.

“Are you done?” the casual tone in his question only made things worse for her.

Tears welled up in her eyes, she was starting to lose energy from resisting the florals in the back of her throat.

“Yes…” she breathed out as she pushed past the arms encircling her. Y/n fled from the room, but not before a cough escaped her — leaving a crimson-stained purple petal and a surprised al-haitham.

Tears that she had been fighting back fell at the sight of those blood-soaked blooming padisarahs that she had just coughed out in the sink. The uncontrollable coughing fit in addition to the sobs she was eliciting was torturous. It was excruciatingly painful, both physically and mentally.

“Y/n, what—”

Panicked eyes shot up towards the mirror, which reflected the look of terror in al-haitham’s face, the petal she had abandoned in the room slipping from his fingers.

The evidence lying around the female staring back at him was enough to answer his unsaid questions — the blood at the corner of her mouth, more blood around the sink and the bloodied full-bloom padisarahs.

It was then the realization hits him; how she appeared more exhausted recently, how at times her voice cracked or how her smiles felt forced and at times, felt sorrowful. The books she had been reading. It all made sense now.

“Y/n, you have hanahaki…?”

Wiping the blood away from the corner of her mouth, she averted her eyes from his and scoffed, ”so what? it’s just all in my he-” she was cut off as a coughing episode worse than the previous started.

Turquoise orbs widened as more blood, flowers and tears poured into the sink, some escaping and falling onto the floor.

“Who…?” he murmured.

“Do u even - have u even lo- like anyone before?” her hands gripped the sink — her knuckles turning pale white as she gasped for air,  “Do you even know what it feels like to see the one you love with someone else? wishing that it was you their smiles are directed at?”

“y/n…please tell me. who is it?!” al-haitham pleaded, his heart aching at the scene that was unfolding in front of him. Perhaps bringing her to the one she has feelings for will save her, even if something inside him ached at that thought. 

The female shook her head as another bloom fell from her lips along with her words, “it hurts so much. my throat. my lungs. my heart. and yet, I can’t bring myself to go through the surgery.”

“i cant bring myself to give up. all the memories. my feelings,” y/n whispered, her voice barely audible and her vision starting to darkened.

“i can’t bear the thought of forgetting you.” she breathed out before her grip on the basin loosened and her body went limp. 

Despite being in shock at the sudden confession, al-haitham managed to catch her before she hit the ground.

The gray-haired male remained on the ground, holding y/n’s body in his arms. Even after confirming that she was still breathing and had stabilized for the moment, his heart was still racing as he tried to process all that had occurred.

The revelation that she was willing to die to the hanahaki disease than lose her memories and feelings for him broke him, a pained expression forming on his features as he recalled the pain she was in minutes earlier.

After brushing away a strand of her hair from her face, he carried the female's unconscious body in his arms and exited the bloodied scene.

E/c eyes opened, albeit tiredly as she felt herself being lifted and moved.

“im sorry. to get blood on you...” y/n whispered, her voice hoarse as she gazed at him with tired eyes.

“don’t speak. you’ll only hurt your throat. rest. please…”

Leaning against his chest, y/n once again closed her eyes. She could feel the rhythm of al-haitham's unsteady heartbeat. It was rare to see his usual calm demeanour crack, even as someone who had known him the longest.

Was she perhaps special to him that he was willing to show this vulnerable side to? Or, was she just being hopeful?

“To answer your question, yes.” he whispered.

“Wh-what?!” Y/n’s eyes shot wide open, but she started having another coughing episode from the outburst. After she calmed down, she could only stare at the gray-haired male as he continued while still looking ahead.

If it’s one thing y/n hated about al-haitham, it was his ability to mask his emotions perfectly. Even having known him since young, it was always difficult to know what was on his mind.

“I know how it feels to possess this feeling you call love. i would say I know this feeling quite well, if I have to be honest with you.”

He stopped in his tracks when he saw the frown on her face.

“please, let me finish what i have to say before jumping to conclusions,” he said, taking a long breath before continuing, his voice slightly breaking, “I hate this side of you so much. how much of yourself have you destroyed because of your tendency to jump to conclusions? “

“i won’t say i have ever felt the pain of seeing the person i love being with someone else but, i do know the pain of seeing the person i’m in love with being in pain yet, being unable to do anything. i swore to protect you and yet, i couldn’t even see that all this time, you have been hurting so much on your own.”

Y/n's frown was replaced with that of surprise at that admission. Her vision became blurry as tears pooled at the corner of her eyes.

Something in her felt lighter.

“i…i was afraid. That i would ruin our friendship…that you would start avoiding me…i couldnt bear the thought of never seeing you again. so, i thought it would be fine if i stayed by you as a close friend.”

Upon entering his room, al-haitham laid her down on the bed and held her hand in his. With a sigh, he rested his forehead on their linked hands, his hand trembling slightly.

He took a brief pause before releasing a shaky breath.

“how naive am i. because of my cowardice, i had almost…lost you in the worst way possible.”

“i truly apologise yn. had i not been so blind…” his voice broke as his grip on her hands tightened.

The feeling of dampness on her hand caused a new wave of tears to fall from her eyes.

“if i had left you alone then. if i had not chased after you. i could have lost you forever. and our last conversation would be of us arguing.”

y/n shook her head frantically, “no.nonono!! please, haitham!! it's not your fault!” she cried out as she tackle hugged him, catching him off guard. His arms instinctively wrapped around her waist to keep them from falling onto the ground.

“i was afraid as well! you’re so perfect. so intelligent and capable. have you seen yourself when you fight? the way you wield those swords? how could i ever compare to you? surely there’s no way you would like me romantically. and then, i saw you and nilou. you guys just looked so go-”

a slender finger was placed on her lips, stopping her mid-sentence. 

“As much as i enjoy listening to you fawning over me. I have to stop you there. how did nilou even get into this equation?”

“Didn’t you went out on a date with her at the bazaar? You were smiling back then as well…?”

“That…” al-haitham’s hesitation made y/n fixed her gaze on him, a frown once again making their way on to her features.

With a soft flick to her forehead, he scolded, “stop that.” al-haitham contemplated for a moment before sighing in defeat, “ok. fine. i was just asking her for advice.”

Y/n was just staring at him in disbelief. “You?? Asking for advice???”

“i was contemplating if i would be satisfied just remaining as close friends. and, she happened to be there. she asked me some questions and it gave me the answer i needed. that’s all. there’s nothing between us. i assure you.”

“what did she ask? wait…do i even want to kn-”

when he recalled the question nilou had asked him, al-haitham’s expression was that of annoyance, “she asked how would i feel if you fell in love with someone else and started a family with them.”

“and?”

“i said no.” he stated, crossing his arms as if it was an obvious answer.

“what?! but, we’re not even-” came y/n’s baffled reply.

“no. i would not allow that to happen.”

“this is new.”

“what is?”

“this side of you.”

“it’s not,” his lips curled into a slight smile as his turquoise hues softening when they landed on hers, ”it has always been there when it comes to you.”

“???”

some brainrots (or some extra conversation of this fic) 

[s7-evermore]

The Boyfriend Contract Series

Azul Ashengrotto x Fem!Yuu.

Yuu has been working at a port cafe in the foothill city at Sage Island during weekends and she’s been getting a lot of attention from the locals for being a sweet and beautiful girl. However, attention comes with its own consequences, and some guy who can’t get the memo has been obsessively pursuing her. Out of panic and desperation, she accidentally kisses the first familiar face she sees— and that face is none other than NRC’s most calculating businessman and well-known ass, Azul Ashengrotto. It would have ended there, with only (maybe) a small debt to the notorious Octavinelle housewarden, if it weren’t for the fact that not everyone in the cafe was a stranger… With rumors flying in the skies of Night Raven College and Azul becoming greedy for a particular business prospect, he presents Yuu with a business proposal. She was very skeptical at first, since there’s always a catch when someone makes a contract with Azul… and that catch might just be her heart.

Or: Yuu accidentally kisses the first familiar face she sees, which happens to be Azul, and shit goes down from there. Thoughts and prayers to our beloved Prefect.

AO3 Link

CHAPTERS

Ch. 1 - The Cost of Opportunity Ch. 2 - The Economics of Rumors Ch. 3 - Terms and Conditions Ch. 4 - Tender Performance Ch. 5 -

Inspired by the multiple romcoms I’ve consumed. This includes The Love Hypothesis, Business Proposal, and other books and mangas. And also, my delusions.

[skyloftian-nutcase]

I love you writing and I want to know what you see oot Zelda and her husband’s relationship being like and what is her relationship with link and Malon and t one point did she and link ever have any romantic feelings for one or the other

I’m very happy to hear that you love my writing! :D And what fun questions! :D

I feel like OoT Zelda is a force to be reckoned with, while kindhearted, so she’d never let herself be put in a position she doesn’t like - ergo, no arranged/political marriages that she doesn’t approve of first. She’d probably scope out the scene of eligible bachelors, hone in on one she likes and be like “yup that’s the one” and sweep him off his feet LOL. It could be a noble from Hyrule, or someone of importance from another country.

Seeing as there’s only like, three or four other countries that Nintendo has created, I feel like someone from Labrynna would be the most appropriate - its land is a republic by the Hero of Legend’s era, but that’s far in the future of the Fallen Timeline, and it was known to have a monarchy at some point, and it’s known for a control of time, which seems appropriate for her. So I’d say her husband is from there. I’d like to think they have a decent relationship; maybe her husband helps reel her in from being too brazen, and her kind heart soothes him as he might be used to being ignored, like maybe he’s the youngest royal child in the family and therefore kind of just tossed aside. Zelda very much tries to just do everything, from ruling to being a good mother to being a sage, and her husband (and friends) sometimes has to step in and tell her to chill out. (I’ve already written one arranged marriage that’s rocky as all get out, I might as well make this one kind of work haha)

As for her relationship with Link and Malon, boy do I have some thoughts! I feel like initially Zelda and Link were on friendly terms, but Link, having gone through OoT, did not know how to separate Child Zelda from Adult Zelda and it makes things complicated for him. He starts to avoid Zelda, on his search for Navi anyway, and when he’s a teenager he’s angsting hard and having all sorts of feelings. Zelda doesn’t understand what’s wrong, and while she never got to know Link too well, she recognizes he saved Hyrule and wants to be his friend, at least. Was there an attraction there at some point? Probably, but it was definitely skewed/one sided; Link’s more mature body with his insanely messed up development/mind made him attached to Adult Zelda, but he knows this isn’t the same person, and Zelda thinks he’s attractive and all but can’t get a read on him.

As Link struggles, he reconnects with Malon, and they become friends once more. He has difficulty differentiating her too, but it’s not quite as bad because he wasn’t as directly connected to Malon from the Adult Timeline. She serves as a safe place for him to process and hang out, even if he doesn’t stay for long periods of time. Their feelings for each other would be gradual, going from friends to an attraction (Malon always did love a knight, and while Link doesn’t wear the armor he does fit the bill), and by the time they’re in their twenties they start to court. By this point, Malon also helps Link reconcile his feelings with Zelda, and he reconnects with her too, eager to continue helping Hyrule and rekindle their friendship.

Eventually, I think that would make them all friends. Link, Malon, Zelda, and maybe even Zelda’s husband could all be on good terms.