#night sakura of dead spirits

[touhoutunes]

Title: さくらのみち (Sakura Road)

Arrangement: Tracy

Vocals: 花咲あんな

Album: Perpetual Devotion

Circle: EastNewSound

Original: Night Sakura of Dead Spirits

[sparklingblu]

A Christmas Carol

Ft. Sakura, Yunjin and Kazuha (and a slither of Irene)

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

This is my christmas fic. Not really jolly but well..

The first snow of December fell lazily, like the sky itself had decided to procrastinate. Arbor's edge, a town that always felt too small and too big at the same time, was cloaked in a thin blanket of white. The streetlamps casted ghastly glows on the street jostling with cheerful people but to you, it felt more like a reminder that the holiday season was here, whether you wanted it or not.

You sat in the corner booth of a diner you were too lazy to memorize the name, nursing a cup of coffee that had long since gone lukewarm. The spoon scraped the bottom of the cup as you stir it mindlessly, having nothing better to do with your hands. Christmas music droned softly through the speakers - some old crooner crooning about snow and mistletoes. You hated mistletoes. Maybe you hated the way it made you remember her.

"Pie?" the waitress asked, her voice chipier in a way that made your teeth ache. Her name tag read Heather, and there was a spring of plastic holly pinned to her apron. Her smile was the kind that stretched too wide, like she's worried her friendliness wouldn't show.

You shook your head. "Just the coffee"

She hestiated for a second then jingled off back to the counter, her fake earrings chiming faintly. The lines on your face seemed to be etched deeper in the black surface of the coffee, swirling like a vortex from your stirs.

Outside, the street was alive with people bundled in scarves and parkas, carrying their holiday groceries and laughing at things you couldn't hear. The light strung along the buildings blinked in unison, a rhythm you found unnervingly cheerful. You sighed and turned your attention back to the window where frost patterns crept across the glass like a map to nowhere.

The coffee had gone cold, but you kept sipping it, more out of habit than need. It's a silent rebellion against the idea that you should leave and go home, where an old friend called emptiness awaited. You knew the routine too well: the dead silence of the apartment, the hum of the fridges compensating for the lack of conversation.

Somewhere behind the counter, Heather laughed like a blissful hyena at someone's joke. Mixed with the clinks of dishes, it's enough to make you feel more like a ghost than a person.

You glanced at the clock on the wall. 9:14 PM. Too early to call it a night but too late to do anything useful. The snow outside was starting to pick up, accumulating in thick layers that turns sidewalks into slick ribbons of slush. People were retreating into their homes, the streets emptying except for the occasional cars that passed by, their headlights cutting through the dark.

The bell above the diner's door jingled but you barely glanced up. Another customer. Someone you probably didn't know. Someone passing through. But the change their presence brought is unmistakable. You felt a shift in the air, like the pressure had dropped. The way it does before a storm.

"Pretty cold, huh?" Heather's voice rang out, too bright for her own good. You caught a glimpse of the new arrival from the corner of your eyes: a woman in a red velvet dress with white fur trim along the neckline and the hem. Like someone who just returns from a Christmas themed costume party. It's a wonder how she's able to withstand the cold in such a short dress.

You didn't mean to stare but something about her caught you. Maybe it was the way she strides without a hint of jolly christmas spirit - unlike most people this time of the year. Or it's the primal instinct of a male to indulge in the presence of a female. Either way, your eyes were fixed.

She slid into the booth and sat perfectly still, like she belonged here. She must know you had been staring because she returns your gaze with an intensity no less than yours. And you were breathtaken.

There could be two reasons for this. Actually, three.

The other party is monstrously ugly.

The other party is otherworldly beautiful.

You have gotten so drunk that you have started hallucinating.

Considering coffee was the only thing you had had the whole day, the second option is valid for this matter. Her face is angelic in a way angels could never be. From her dark irises to the curve of her chin, everything screams God's favorite. Maybe someone upstairs have decided to brought a blessing to your miserable holiday.

"Ethan Collaway" she said, voice soft but unyielding.

Your heart dropped. You had never met her. You were sure of it.

"Do I know you?" you asked, trying to keep your voice steady.

The woman tilts her head slightly, as if she's amused by your question. "Not yet"

You blinked, trying to make sense of her words. She leaned back in her seat, folding her arms like she's disappointed by your confusion.

"Not yet?" you repeated. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means" she smiled faintly. "that we are about to get very well acquainted. But there's no need to rush. Finish your coffee first"

You glanced down at the cup, now completely cold. "I think I'm done"

She raised an eyebrow, her expression hovering between pity and amusement. "Suit yourself. But you will regret wasting the small comforts later. You always do"

You shifted uneasily at her words. "Okay" you said. "Who are you? How do you know my name?"

"I know more than your name, Ethan" she leans forward now, resting her elbows on the table. Her eyes locked onto yours, and for a moment everything seemed to fade away - the hum of conversation, the clink of dishes, even Heather's festive laughter faded away, leaving only you and her in isolation.

"I know the weigh you carry" she continued, voice impossibly steady. "I know you sit in that apartment of yours, staring at walls that have nothing to say. Trying to fill the void in your heart with alcohol when you know there's only one person who can do the job. And I know you yearn for a second chance. An opportunity to set things right again" she pauses, breathe in. "But it's too late, isn't it? People regrets only when things are broken and can't be repaired. And when you hear laughter, like the kind outside this window" - she gestured towards the frost covered glass - "you tell yourself it's just noise. But deep down, you wonder what it feels like to laugh like that again. To feel loved.

You swallowed, your throat suddenly dry. "Listen. I don't know what game you're trying to play but-"

"No games" she interrupted. "Just the truth. And here's another: tonight is the first step. A choice, really. Stay as you are - alone and bitter - or take a chance on something different"

Your laugh came out shriller than you intended, the kind of defensiveness that only comes when someone hits a nerve. "Different? You speak like you're the Ghost of Christmas Past or something"

She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Close. But I prefer Irene"

Before you can respond, the bell above the diner chimed again. You turned instinctively, expecting to see a customer. Instead, the room seemed to shift again, the air growing colder despite the warmth of the heater. When you looked back at the woman, she weren't there anymore.

She was standing beside you now, so close that her voice seemed to pierce right into your ears.

"Pay attention, Ethan" she warned, voice commanding. "The clock is ticking"

And just like that, the lights flickered, and everything went dark.

❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️

The diner completely dissolved into blackness so complete it felt like falling into a void. For a moment, the only sound you could hear is the faint hum of your own pulse, racing so fast as if to catch up with reality.

Then a light appeared - small at first but quickly growing into a warm glow that engulfed everything. You blinked, trying to shield your eyes. But the action is not needed. Because this light didn't sting. It was different - soft and familiar.

When your vision cleared, you found yourself in an apartment. The smell of stale air filled your nose, mixed with the faint, phantom trace of something like jasmine. Or lavender. Something entirely hers.

This was your apartment, unmistakably. But it's a stark contrast to the mess it was now. The walls were bright with fresh paint. Not a trace of cobwebs or dust. The stacks of books were stacked neatly on a table. Everything was so neat. So in order. So her.

"It's funny" the woman, now known as Irene, mused behind you. "How this place had looked habitable. Like an actual home"

Reluctantly, you moved to a familiar spot by the couch - that spot you'd always leave your shoes no matter how much she grumbled about it. You looked up and there it was: The past you and Sakura.

She was standing at the kitchen counter, her hair falling in loose strands around her shoulders, a soft grin on her lips. She wore one of your oversized sweaters, sleeves too long for her hands but she didn't seem to mind it. She was holding a mug of something - probably tea - and she was laughing. At you.

"No, no, Ethan" she was saying in the familiar voice you had missed so much it hit you square in the chest when you heard it again. "You don't just pour the milk first. That's sacrilege. It's tea making 101"

You were standing across from her, arms crossed in mock defiant. "It tastes the same either way. You are just being picky"

She gasped, feigning outrage. "Picky? That's rich coming from a guy who needs his peanut butter spread to the edge on every sandwich"

You grinned then, leaning against the counter. "Details matter"

"And yet, you still don't understand tea", she teased, sipping from her mug. The light in her eyes shone brighter when she smiles - its warmth never failing to pull you in, no matter how bad your day was.

"See how she spoke so softly" Irene said behind the present you. "Even your stubbornness seemed smaller when she spoke"

The scene shifted like a film cutting to the next reel. Now, it was the couch - your couch, where the cushions were sunken just slightly on her sides. She was curled up against you, a book opened in her lap - probably Edgar Allan Poe - that neither of you were reading. Her fingers traced invisible patterns on your forearm, and your head rested lightly against hers.

"I think this is my favorite spot" she muttered, her fingers pausing their journey across your skin.

"Here?" you asked, shifting slightly to look at her.

"Here. There. Anywhere. With you" she answered, her eyes meeting yours like a silent dare for you to argue.

You didn't. Instead, you leaned in, pressing your forehead lightly against hers. A small gesture, but it mattered the world to you.

"Do you ever think about the future" she asked, voice barely above a whisper.

You hesitated, your hand brushing her cheek. "The future as in....?"

"As in us" she said, pulling back just enough to search your face. "Where we'll go. What we'll be"

"I think" you answered carefully, slowly. "that whenever we end up, I'll be fine as long as it's with you"

A laugh bubbled out of her, her cheeks tinted rosy with a blush. "That's too smooth. Did you practice that in the mirror?"

"No" you said, smiling despite yourself. "Now I'm glad I didn't screw it up"

She kissed you then - not hurried or desperate, but softly, like she was trying to memorize the shape of your lips against her. It's the kind of kiss that lingered forever long after it ceased.

The memory faded then, just as quickly as it had come. But your mind continued to play out the scene.

❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️

Fragment 1

"Mhmm, babe. Ugh, don't stop" Sakura's slender frame writhed beneath you as your cock entered and re-entered her wet slit in a steady rhythm. The old couch sunk and creak with each thrust you made, adding to the symphony of her beautiful moans. Unlike the soft, tender girl she mostly was, Sakura was vocal at sex - never failing to express her gratitude when your huge cock stretched her out. The neighbors next doors must be accustomed to the sound by now. You doubt these walls are thick enough to silence her pleas not to stop. You couldn't care less. Not now.

"Fuck. You are stretching me out so good. Don't stop babe. Oh My God" Sakura cried out as you gave her a particularly hard thrust, your tip kissing her cunt. And more curses and moans followed as you continued to hammer her cunt relentlessly. "Fuck. Fuck. Don't stop" she begs, her nails digging into your back. "Fuck me harder babe. Stretch my tight pussy with your huge cock"

See. This is what you loved about her. She's an angel, really but when you two got up close and personal, that angel is banished, fallen from grace. Instead, a demon possessed her. The kind that can't get enough of your huge cock stirring up her insides over and over. Always begging for more. Never satisfied. No matter how much you breed her.

Her walls clenched around you, milking your shaft as you took her over and over. You were as desperate as her for this. Because the feeling of her warm wet hole twitching around you was like nothing else. And she would say the same way about how good you filled her up. She already did, actually.

"You are so fucking tight, Sakura" you grunted as Sakura's pussy continued to squeeze you like a vice. "I'm going to ruin this little cunt. You are gonna be so full when I'm done with you"

"Yes, yea. Fuck me harder" Sakura screamed, her perky tits bouncing in your face. Unable to resist the sight, you lean down, putting one of her stiff nipples into your mouth. A jolt resonated through her body as you bite down gently, kneading the soft flesh between your teeth. "Make me your dirty little slut"

Who would think the girl who said nothing but sweet words to you would be begging to be your slut? But it's no longer a surprise, rrally. You have learned enough about Sakura's versatility. Forever your angel. Occasionally your slut.

"Fuck. You are going to make me cum" Sakura cried between each breath you took away with your brutal thrusts. Sweat had accumulated on her skin from the relentless pounding she took, dripping in clear streaks. Her eyes, dilated and hazy, did a better job than her words to speak about the onslaught of pleasure she's under.

Sakura's pussy is no easy hole to stretch but your hips kept bucking, as though driven by a supernatural force. You didn't care about how sore you must be the next morning nor how she wouldn't be able to walk for days after you were done. All you care about was this: the collision between your pelvises each time you make contact . The action itself more romantic to you than any tender gesture. This is connection- you two becoming one.

"i'm cumming. I'm cumming. I'm cummingggg" Sakura repeated the words like a mantra as she creamed on your cock, her back curving gracefully as her legs trembled. The way her walls pulsated around you as her juice gushed out was enough to send you over the edge. Soon, you were following her in the flight of bliss, pumping spurt after spurt of your warm load into her welcoming cunt.

It took a few more slow thrusts before you finally extracted your shaft out of Sakura's now spent hole. Your cum dripped out of her in a white streak as soon as the stuffing is removed. It stained the couch. Just like countless other times.

You studied Sakura's face, which now wore a peaceful, dormant mask. Her chest rised and fell steadily with her breath and her eyelids were heavy with exhaustion. Still, she doesn't fail to give you that warm smile that looked out of place in her current state. "You came a lot" she panted, then "I love you"

You didn't know if it's possible to replace lust with love right after sex but in that moment, you seemed to. "I love you too, Sakura. Always"

❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️

You blinked, coming back to your senses and turned to Irene, your throat tight. "Why are you showing me this?"

Irene's expression was unreadable. "Because she gave you something too good for you. Something you don't know how to hold. And you have been letting it slip through your fingers ever since"

You clenched your fists, the pain in your chest unbearble. "What do you want me to do? Go back? Fix it? It's too late. She's gone"

"Gone" she agreed, her voice soft. "But not forgotten. Maybe that's the problem"

Once again, the world blurred away into a swirl of white and green. When it settled again, you are standing on a path, flanked on both sides by tall, snow-dusted pines. The air was crisp, just the right amount of cold to be cozy. Snow fell steadily, softening the edges around everything - the lmapposts, the branches, the footprints trailing along the path.

And then you saw them.

You and Sakura.

She was walking slightly ahead, bundled in a red scarf and a cream coat that rebelled against the snowflakes. Her breath misted in the air as she turned to you - her younger self - her cheeks pink from the cold.

"Ethan, you are walking like a tortoise" she called, wearing that same warm smile. "It's not that slippery"

"Maybe I just don't want to catch up" younger you replied, voice light though his hands were fidgeting in the coat pockets.

Sakura rolled her eyes but she slowed down just enough to fall into steps beside you. The way she glanced at you then - curious expectant - was so small a gesture but it carried a familiarity that you could feel even now, watching from the sidelines.

"You've been so quiet all night" she nudged him with her elbow. "Something's wrong?"

The younger you hesitated, breath hitching. He stopped walking, snow crunching under his boots as he turned to face her.

"Okay" he answered, exhaling a cloud of white. "I have something to tell you. And it's probably the stupidest thing ever. But please bear with me for a moment....alright?"

Sakura blinked, surprised but her smile didn't falter. "Okay....?" she answered, drawing out each syllable carefully.

He reached into his pockets, pulling out a small, crumpled spring of mistletoe. He held it awkwardly in his hands, trying to keep them from trembling as he offered the mistletoe to Sakura.

"This" he began, swallowing hard. "is how I planned to say this. But I'm gonna do it anyway" You exhaled, meeting her gaze. "I love you, Sakura"

Everything was still for a moment. The world silent except for the steady rhythm of falling snowflakes. Then Sakura's eyes widened, breath hitching.

"Look. I know this is stupid. I totally get it if you don't-"

"No" Skaura interrupted. Then she smiled. She smiled? "You are an idiot"

"What?" the younger you blinked, puzzled.

"You are an idiot" she repeated, her smile growing wider. "You do realize you are supposed to hold that mistletoe above my head, right?"

"So...does it mean-"

He was unable to finish his question because he was instantly silenced by Sakura's lips that muffled his next words. The kiss was gentle at first but it quickly deepened into something fervorous - like their whole lives had been leading up to this moment and they were finally claiming what's rightfully theirs.

Your heart felt like it's being pierced through and through but you didn't tear your gaze away. You can still feel the cold bite of the air, the softness of her lips, the phantom warmth that lingered long after.

"Can't you see what you were destined for?" Irene asked but you can't formulate an answer, your throat tight with emotions. "You gave your heart to her that night. And she returned it with hers. For a while, at least"

You turned away from the scene, your voice thick. "And then I fucked everything up"

Irene didn't reply, only watching as the younger you and Sakura pulled apart, bursting out in laughter.

"You made a promise to her that night" Irene finally said. "One you let yourself forget"

The words lingered in the frozen air as the memory began to blur, snow swirling around you in a sudden, dizzying storm. Soon, everything is enveloped by a torrent of white.

❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️

When your eyes came back into focus, you found yourself back in your apartment. Your breath caught in your throar. It was the old spit again - the couch - but this time, it was alive with a different kind of atmosphere. The heater hummed faintly, filling the silence and the warm light of a bedside lamp illuminated the small, familiar place. It's nothing unfamiliar.

Except that it wasn't Sakura's voice or presence that filled the room.

On the couch, sprawled out with heavy limbs is none other than yourself. The past you. Your shirt was half undone, and a woman who wasn't Sakura lied beside you, her sleek black dress painting an image of a vixen in the dim light. She leaned into you, her lips brushing against your jaw as you tilted your head back, your smile faint but unmistakable.

The present you stepped closer, stomach twisting in horror at the piece of memory you had tried to bury for so long. No. Not this.

"Please..." you begged, already knowing what's about to unfold. "Take me somewhere else"

But Irene stood firm behind you, her gaze unyielding. "This is what you must see"

The woman reached for a glass of wine on the table, tilting it ever so slightly as she swirled it with practiced ease. The way the liquid slosh around was almost hypnotic. "You are so tense" she commented as she runs her palm across your bare chest. "Sakura doesn't take care of you like this, does she?"

The past you flinched, sheathing your smile but you didn't pull away. "It's complicated" you muttered, running a hand through your hair.

"Is it?" the woman replied, her tone sharp. "Or are you too scared to admit I'm better than her?"

She leaned in, so close that her breath tickled your neck. "You just can't get enough of me, can you?" She blew a puff of hot air into your ears, the sensation unexpected but not unwelcomed. "You are never satisfied...."

You glanced at her, putting on a smile to hide your internal conflict. "It's not that simple"

"Isn't it?" she asked, tilting her head so that her hair fell over your shoulder in a pool of midnight silk. "You deserve someone better, Ethan. Someone who knows exactly what you need..."

Your gaze dropped to your laps. "That wouldn't be fair. She's....she's good to me"

The woman's lips curved into sly smile as she set down the glass back on the table. "Good isn't always enough, is it?" her voice dropped to a whisper, words brushing against your ear. "Don't you want more, Ethan? Don't you want me?"

"Don't..." you swallowed hard, resolve wavering as she shifted closer, her legs brushing against yours.

"Tell me" A kiss on your neck, leaving a crimson mark of her lipstick. "Who's better at this?" Another to your jaw. "Riding you. Blowing you. Being your good little....slut?" The last one was a soft brush to your ears that left you drunk in blissful sensations. More. You needed more.

"I can't..." the past you began, voice barely audible.

"Shhh, it's okay" she brought a finger to your lips, silencing you. "It's ok, Ethan. She doesn't have to know"

The present you clenched your fist, gritting your teeth. "Stop this. I fucked up, alright? I don't need to see it again"

"You traded your morals for momentary pleasure. And in doing so, you killed what you had with her"

You looked away, no longer able to comprehend the rewind of your mistakes. You have seen enough. Enough to make you feel like putting a bullet right through your head. But the human's mind worked in mysterious ways. Because it always fails to erase the memories people want to forget the most.

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Fragment 2

Her name was Yunjin. You remembered now. No, that's a lie. You have always remembered. She was a new hire in your company and things started off innocently enough. But to argue, most affairs usually do.

If confidence have a living embodiment, it would be Yunjin. She was sharp angles and quick wit, wearing ambition like a second skin. It's all evident in the way her heels clicked with purpose as she moved through the office.

It all began with a project, one where you and her were on the same team. Despite the endless nights of meetings and paperwork, Yunjin never seemed to falter, always keeping her cool. You admired that about her. And it should have stopped there. Pure innocent admiration.

Her communication skills were no less remarkable. She was easy to talk to, quick to joke, know exactly how to lighten the mood when the pressure becomes too much. Maybe that's what made you finally crumble.

On that fateful evening, you found yourself alone in the conference room after most of the office had emptied out. You were nursing a cup of tea, papers and stationary strewn across the table.

As if on cue, Yunjin entered the moment you lifted the hem of the cup to your lips like she wanted to ensure you couldn't interrupt her greetings.

"You look like you are about to collapse" she commented, leaning back in a chair close to yours with a smirk. She was in her usual office attire - white top and black overcoat paired with a pencil skirt of the same color so that when she crossed her thighs, her pale skin inevitably stood out.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence" you replied, setting the cup back down on the table.

She laughed, a low throaty sound. "Ethan. You are the reason this project just didn't crush and burn, you know?"

You let out an awkward chuckle, caught off guard by the sudden compliment. "It was a team effort"

"Sure" she said, leaning in - her top hanging just loosely enough to reveal a hint of clevage and you swalllow at the sight. It was wrong. But you are only human afterall. "But not everyone could've done what you did"

She inched even more closer and you told yourself that the hand she had come to place on your arm was nothing more than a gesture of companionship. But you couldn't deny the way it made something inside you stir. It's not love. Far from it. But it's equally intoxicating.

You cleared your throat, trying to find your footing. "You are giving me too much credit. It's a team effort"

"Humble, too. I like that" You shivered at the feel of her other hand that had come to rest on your leg. She's doing nothing more than simply placing her smooth palms on the fabric of your trousers. Yet, you can already felt your mamba growing rigid - her touch electric. A few more minutes of this and your boxers wouldn't be able to hide your erection.

You tried to focus on anything else - the clock on the wall, the stack of papers on your desk - but it was impossible to ignore the way she leaned forward, the curve of her collarbone catching the light.

"You know" she said, her tone playful. "You don't give yourself enough credit. You take care of everyone else but who take care of you?"

Sakura. That's who. But at that moment, you are at a lost for words. You tried to say her name out loud but the deep vortex of Yunjin's irises had pulled you in and every rational thought you had had been thrown out of the window.

You didn't know how it happened. When it happened. Everything passed by in a whirlwind of need and lust. The moment you came back to your senses, Yunjin was sprawled out on the long wooden table of the conference room. Everything on it has been shoved down to the floor. By you or her, you couldn't remember. You were looming right above her and you could only wish the table is strong enough to support both of your weights.

Your whole body was bare save for the unbuttoned shirt that hanged loosely on your frame. Yunjin's no different. Her overcoat had been casted away and her top was gone, revealing her perky tits. Your eyes wondered from the bent of her throat, down the planes of of her bare chest, all the way to her toned midriff, finally coming to rest on the nirvana between her legs, barred only by flimsy panties.

You felt your cock throbbing already - a sign of desperateness. All that occupied your mind was how Yunjin would feel around you when you finally penetrated her. She wouldn't fit around you like a glove instantly like Sakura does. But you didn't doubt you can mold this new hole to the shape of your cock. You have all the required qualities.

"Are you just gonna watch?" Yunjin reminded, shifting her body just a tad bit slightly to get comfortable on the hard surface. She didn't need to told you twice, your body is already aching enough for hers.

She let out the faintest of moans when you spread open her thighs, your eyes glinting with a predatory hunger - the kind only Yunjin can satisfy.

"You're mine now" The words of a mad man, fueled by lust. "And I'm gonna fuck you until you can't walk straight"

Yunjin moaned, arching her back as you ground your cock against her clothed pussy. You could already feel the moistness of her juice seeping through the fabric and the dark spot on her panties grew even bigger when you gave your tip a couple of rub on it.

"Words mean nothing" Yunjin replied, crossing her arms behind your neck as you leaned in even closer. "Prove it. Show me how well you can stretch out my tight little pussy"

There, it would have been easy to blame it all on Yunjin, that she was the one who initiated the act and made you think of nothing but about pounding her to oblivion. But that wouldn't be fair because there was still a silver of semblance left in you even then. It's microscopic and easily clouded by lust. But right at that moment you were about to cross the boundary of no return, a tiny voice remined you of her - of Sakura. It told you how much she put her trust in you. How she expected you to do the same thing. That you were betraying her trust by doing what you were going to do next. You should have stopped then. You could have.

But you couldn't.

With a grunt, you tore Yunjin's panties away, baring her dripping cunt to your hungry gaze. There was no time for foreplay. Foreplay is for slow romantic sex, which this isn't.

You slammed your cock into her tight heat with one brutal thrust and her walls opened up willingly. There's no doubt this bitch had taken poundings before. Not a chance she's a virgin with a hole this used. But still, somehow someway, it retained its tightness - so tight it almost seemed natural.

"Fuck you are so tight" you groaned, pulling back and slamming back in, earning a jolt through her body. "I'm going to fuck your brains out. Until your hole become so loose it needs a cock to stuff it shut"

Yunjin screamed, her nails digging into your back as you pounded into her over and over. The table creaked beneath you, threatening to give way under the force of your thrusts.

"Yes, yes! Fuck me harder" she cried, wrapping her legs around your waist. "Ruin me with your big fat cock. Make me forget my own name"

You obliged, slamming into her pussy with wild abandon. The room filled with the sounds of skin against skin and the wet squelch of her cunt as you fucked her hard and fast. But it's not all about the way she's milking your shaft with her walls. It's also the vision - the sight before you. Yunjin can and will get anything she want. There's no doubt. The way she hold herself - so calm and composed is enough to make others drip with envy. But right now, under the onslaught of your beastly thrust that rapidly violated her hole, moaning and groaning words of submission, she is no longer the confident woman. Instead, it's a desperate whore that craved your cock whose pussy is being claimed.

"Fuck. You are probably the biggest cock I have ever take" Yunjin praised, though it's hard to say with her rolled-up eyes. "You are gonna have to exclude me from the meeting tomorrow. I don't think I can -"

Yunjin was instantly silenced as all ten fingers of yours closed around her throat, depriving her of oxygen. But she deserved it. With the way she acted like your cock's the best thing in the world.

"What were you saying?" you asked. Yunjin could only make incoherent sounds as her mouth stayed agape like a fish on land. This wouldn't be painful to her. You know that much. Actually, it will turn on this slut even more.

Sakura could never. You thought. Despite her taste for rough sex, Sakura couldn't go this extreme. One time, you slapped her face in the heat of the moment and that girl actually got all teary.

No. Why were you comparing? Why were you even thinking about her?

"Tell me bitch" You asked again. No answer. Just more ragged breaths. As if to compensate for her silence, Yunjin's walls clenched around you even more, trying to answer with their tightness that she, indeed, was enjoying this. Yunjin stayed true to her words: "Words mean nothing". She's trying to prove herself through action.

Just when you thought Yunjin was going to pass out from the lack of air, her body tensed up as she creamed herself on your cock. The climax was unexpected as she wasn't given any chance to warn you. But you welcomed it gladly with more bucks of your hips as you prolong her bliss as long as possible.

Finally, Yunjin came down from her high and you released your hold on her neck, leaving a faint red mark that told the story of your dominance.

"I'm not done yet. You know that, right?" Your reminder wasn't needed. Yunjin had recovered in seconds, now getting on all fours as she leveled her face with your cock.

"Let me clean you up" she said before diving down on your cock. Soon, you found out her pussy isn't the only hole she can utilize to full potential. The warmth that enveloped your length brought you a different kind of pleasure. You tilt your head back, exhaling as you relish in the feeling of her tongue tracing every inch. How many heads had she given? You have no idea. But anyone could guess the number's easily a double digit if they were in your shoes.

She slurped on the cock like it's the tastiest thing in the world. Maybe it's the taste of her own juice on your shaft. Or maybe, she's just a cock depraved whore. Either way, you got the same treatment.

She didn't take you all the way - keeping half of you in her mouth while her hands stroked what her mouth couldn't reach. And there was no combination more lethal as each pair of stroke and lick send a shockwave through your core that have your toes curling.

"Mhmm" Yunjin licked her lips as she released you from her mouth. She looked up at you with dazed eyes as her hand keeps pumping your cock, spreading her drool from base to shaft. "Look how much you are twitching. You're gonna cum?"

She's wasting her words on a question you both knew the answer to. But you couldn't deny it was extremely hot. Who doesn't like a pretty girl worshipping their cocks?

Your simple nod was enough to let her proceed, as she took you back into the heat of her mouth. This time, she didn't make use of her hands. Instead, she impaled herself on your cock - taking it all the way down her throat. A loud gag escaped as it breached her gag reflex until her nose was pressed against your pelvis.

"Fuck" you cursed. She was bent down all the way in this position, her back curved and ass raised. And you didn't miss the chance to grab a feel of her buttocks, earning a moan that resonated through your mamba. A string of glag glag glag bounced around the room as Yunjin continued to fuck her throat on your cock over and over. A puddle of her drool has formed on the table. You made a mental note to clean it up. There's not much reasonable excuses for a pool of drool.

Sakura could never. There's the thought again. Don't be mistaken. Sakura blows your cock very well. To be honest, she loves it as much as you do. Especially, when you filled her mouth with your cum. But her throat wasn't meant for brutal use like Yunjin's was.

Does it matter? No. Stop thinking about Sakura.

The familiar knot unraveled in your stomach. You could no longer hold back as you pumped spurts after spurts of your thick load down Yunjin's throat. And she took it very welll, keeping your cock stuffed down her throat as she held it there like a good girl.

She finally released your cock with a loud pop, strings of saliva still connecting it to her mouth. "Thanks for the big load" Yunjin said while she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "You really needed that, huh?"

Do you? Now no longer clouded by the mist of lust, doubts started to fill the gaps where the past passion had been. Wrong. This is all wrong. What have you done? How are you gonna face Sakura again?

This is a one time thing. Yes. A mistake made by unmonitored desires. It can't be undone. But it can be stopped. No one have to know. Sakura doesn't have to know. You will forget it over a couple shots. You wouldl be better next time.

But you weren't.

And in the end, you only had yourself to blame.

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You grounded yourself back to reality. No use crying over spilled milk. You have lived with regret your whole life. What use is it to worsen the pain?

You were still in the apartment, though now it was empty, the furniture gone, the walls stripped bare.

Irene stood a few feet away, silent as ever, watching you with that same unflinching gaze.

You staggered back, running a hand through your hair. "You didn't need to show me that" you said. "I know what I did"

Irene tilted her head slightly, a gesture bordering on pity. "Knowing is not the same as understanding" she said, her voice a distant echo.

You shook your head, clenching your fists to the side. "There's nothing to understand. I regret it, ok? Isn't that enough?"

"Is it?" Irene asked, stepping closer. "Or do you regret being caught more than the act itself? Do you regret the pain you caused her or do you regret the pain it left in you?"

Her words hit too close to home and you turned away, staring at the faded imprint of a picture frame that once hung on the wall - a reminder of what this place had once been. You could still hear the echo of Sakura's laughter that had resonated in this room.

"This is what you traded for a moment of weakness" Irene's voice appeared once more. "An emptiness that echoes in your heart, in your life. And you know very well it's your own fault. Yet, you let it spiral"

You swallowed hard, trying to find your next words. With difficulty, you managed to speak through your tight vocal cords. "It doesn't matter" you said, voice trembling. "I can't change it. I can't undo what I did"

"No" Irene agreed. "But you can confront it. You can stop running from the truth, no matter how ugly it is"

You turned back to her, searching for something in her otherworldly features - absolution, maybe, an answer to all of this. But all you found was her cold, unyielding gaze.

"What now?" you asked quietly.

Irene extended a hand, and the apartment faded around you, replaced by the faint flicker of something new.

"Now" she said. "we see the consequences of your actions"

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The world crumbled and rebuilt around you in the form of a late autumn evening. The air was crisp but heavy, carrying the scent of leaves and the distant promise of winter. A stark contrast to the snow-draped beauty of the Christmas night when you first confessed to Sakura.

Now, autumn loomed like an unwelcome guest. The trees lining the path were skeleteal, their branches gnarled and reaching out to the gray sky like twisted hands. The ground was a mess of fallen golden leaves.

Sakura stood across the past you, her arms crossed against the chill, though it was obvious it wasn't the cold that's making her shiver. Her scarf - a pastel pink you had bought her for Christmas long ago - coiled around her neck elegantly.

"Say it" she demanded, her voice trembling. "Say it Ethan"

"Kkura, I-"

"Don't lie to me!" she snapped, her sharp voice cutting through the still autumn evening. The brittle leaves crunched as she shifted her weight. "Just...don't. Please"

She looked at you for a fleeting moment, and for a heartbeat, she resembled the Sakura from that snowy christmas - the one whom you had poured your heart out to, the one who had said 'yes'. But now, the light in her eyes was a gone, replaced by a storm of pain and anger.

"Let me hear it from you" she whispered, her voice on the edge of breaking. "Don't make me piece it together from hints and whispers. Please"

You dropped your gaze, deeming yourself no longer worthy to hold hers. The autumn wind picks up and the leaves swirl as if to mock your silence.

"It was a mistake" you muttered, voice barely audible.

"A mistake?" she repeated, her laugh bitter and wounded. "You don't acidentally cheat on someone Ethan. You don't just trip and fall into someone's bed"

You were once again remined of the pine-lined path, her standing there with snowflakes in her hair, her laughter so carefree like she's the happiest person on earth. Now, that warmth was nothing but lost, extinguished by you.

"It didn't mean anything" you pleaded, voice desperate. "I swear it didn't mean anything ,Kkura"

She shook her head, the motion quick, like she was trying to expel you from her memory. "Do you even understand what you have done? What you have taken from me?"

"I-"

"No. Let me tell you" she interrupted, her tone gaining strength as her eyes glistened. "You have taken every moment I trusted you, every second I thought was safe with you, and you have crushed them Ethan. What did I do wrong? What part of me wasn't enough?"

"Stop" you whispered, voice trembling. "Just stop"

"No" she said firmly, leaves crunching beneath her boots as she steps closer. "You don't get to ask me for anything after this. Not now. Not ever"

You looked at her then, really looked. And the pain in her face tore through your heart like a thousand daggers.

"Sakura, please" you begged, scrambling for scraps. "I regret all of it, ok? I regret everything. Please, I-"

She let out a hollow laugh, one that seemed to make the dying branches overhead shattered. "Funny how regret comes too late"

Sakura took a step back, her shoulders stiff, her hands trembling as she wrapped the scarf tighter around her neck. She hesitated for a moment, before looking at you straight in the eyes.

"Merry Christmas, Ethan" she said coldly, the words laced with brutal finality. "I hope it was worth it"

And then she walked away, her form growing smaller in the dying twilight until she had been reduced to nothing but a distant dream. The rustle of the wind reflected the hollow of your own regret.

The present you watched, unable to cry, unable to make a sound. Because you knew it was your very own actions which have lead to this. Do criminals cry over the unspeakable deeds they have commited?

"There" Irene's voice appeared once more. "Winter held promise. Autumn held loss. And you let it all fall away"

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You didn't even notice the shift in scenery this time - your mind too exhausted with emotions. What Irene wanted to show you, you didn't care anymore. You had seen enough. Seeing more will bring nothing but pain.

But you stared at the new scene before you like a lifeless ghost.

It was your apartment, again. You wanted to burn the place down at this point. Maybe the pain will crumbled to ashes that way. Anything to escape the ever nagging regret.

It was Christmas time - the fist Christmas without Sakura. The scent of her baked cookies and the hum of hers to Last Christmas was nowhere to be found, though the song played on lazily from an unattended television nearby. The sound of traffic beyond the windows seem more melodic.

The you of that very moment? On the bed, tangled in sheets but there's nothign cozy about that. You looked like a corpse, still and unmoving - lost in thought. Your bare body does nothing to aid cancel out the vision.

But you weren't alone. No. Though you actually were, deep down, your physical self weren't. The woman lying next to you is unfamiliar in ways that only someone you're totally ignorant of would be. Her name escaped you, though it had been exchanged over shots at the bar you didn't even like. She was asleep, her bare shoulder peaking out the tangle of sheets.

You searched her face for a few moments, trying to find something firm in those beautiful features but only finding emptiness. You sat up, swinging your numb legs last night had taken a toll on and ran your fingers through your nest of hair. The room smelled faintly of her perfume - too strong for your taste. Nothing like the clean, subtle one Sakura always wore.

Sakura.

You pressed your palms to your face, trying to ground yourself - make peace with reality and escaped the past - but the pain has d rooted deep inside, growing deeper each day. And your worst enemy had become yourself.

"Does it feel better?" Irene asked, studying the confusion flashing across your eyes. "To indulge in the pleasure of the flesh - a momentary escape from reality. But it never fills the void, does it? It only digs it deeper"

You didn't answer. Not because you have no words but because you are too tired. Too tired with yourself.

"Look, Ethan. This is your present. A hollow bed. A hollow life"

Just then, the girl in your bed stirred and shifted and you caught a clear view of her face, though curtained by her silky locks. It's not Yunjin, no. You had parted ways long ago. This one will soon follow the same fate. Your head pounded and so did your heart. There, you are reminded again.

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Fragment 3

The thing about one-night stands is they are supposed to last for a night and then forgotten. But that title wouldn't suit Kazuha because this was the third night you found yourself with this beauty. Maybe, this is a new addiction apart from the countless shots you had downed in the bar. Or maybe, it's the way she sucked your cock so well on your very own bed.

"Mmph...does it...feel...good...." Kazuha asked through slurps and licks as she feasts on your cock - tongue swirling around your slit before poking your tip to the inner wall of her cheeks, making it bulge. Her face there - ruined so perfectly with mascara running down her eyes and drool spilling from her lips only served to earns a grunt from you. Not to mention her bare body, ass raised to show off her thick cheeks.

"Mhmm...I think I'm doing good" Kazuha deciphered the answer herself as she released your cock from her warm hole. "Look at all this precum. You like my pretty mouth on your cock that bad, huh?"

The answer was unnecessary and Kazuha proceed to plant kisses along your throbbing shaft before coming back up to collect the precum from your leaking slit, all the while maintaning eye contact.

"Can't wait to taste your thick load" she muttered dreamily as she swallowed you again. The pleasure that flooded your brain was phenomenal and you had to try not to buck your hips. Kazuha had already demanded to be the one in charge. And you didn't want to left cockblocked.

Kazuha seemed to sense your desperateness because she took more than half of your shaft into her mouth, cheeks hollowing as she sucked the life out of you.

"Kazuha...fuck. Don't stop" you mumbled, your body in absolute bliss. And she didn't plan to. Because she liked choking on your cock as much as you loved fucking her pretty little mouth.

She went deep, lodging your meat into her throat. She held it there, eyes unblinking as she watched your distorted face of a victim of lust. The tightness and the warmth was like nothing, squeezing your shaft in all the right ways. Kazuha was born to be a cocksucker. No doubt.

She finally drew back, gliding her lips up across your meat until it came off with a pop, a string of drool still clinging to your slit.

"Now are you gonna fuck my face or what?" she asked, and that instantly became your favorite question in this hollow life.

"Gladly" you answered as you held her hair in a makeshift pony tail, lowering it gently until your tip has disappeaered into her moist lips. Her eyes gleamed, a silent challenge. And you are not the one to back down from challenege.

You immediately starts dunking her head on your cock again and again and again, obscene gags escaping her throat as your tip speared into her oral hole. A couple strands of her raven locks ame undone, falling and sticking with drool to her face.

"You like it, hmm? You like me using your throat like a fleshlight, you cocksucking bitch" you asked as Kazuha can only respond in more gags and chokes. Her eyes water, the tears mixed with the mascara flowing in tiny rivers across her cheeks - an absolute vision of a slut. Did she wear it on purpose so that it paint her when you fuck her face?

Her throat is brusied by now, no matter how strong of a throat of steel she possesed, no girl came out of this kind of pounding unscathed. But she didn't seem to care because she took it like a champ as you use her mouth like your very own sextoy. Afterall, this is what she asked for.

You let her go for a moment, pulling her face off your cock in one swift pull. She gasped, drool spilling in waterfalls as she huffed like a bitch in heat.

"You really didn't hold back, huh." she asked, voice raw from the brutal thrusts. "I bet you are addicted to my throat. Wouldn't be surprised if you can no longer cum from your hands alone"

"You talked too much for a cock drunk whore" you complimented her as you tighten the grip on her hair, making her scalp burn. "Now, suck me off until I feed you that load you so desperately crave"

"Mhmm, with pleasure" No more words were needed after that as Kazuha dived back down on your cock, devouring it like the cock hungry beast she is. It's messy and sloppy. She no longer choked on your cock but the way she's slobbering all over the upper half of your length was more than enough to make you levitate.

Her hands cockscrewed what her mouth couldn't reach while she bobbed her head up and down as she fucked her face on your cock. If her face was messy then, it was even messier now - a filthy canvas of drool and tears and mascara. The picture of a pretty woman so degraded finally made you break.

Kazuha moaned around your cock as you erupted in her mouth, sending shots after shots of your hot thick load down her throat. And she didn't let up, sucking you through your bliss with undiminishing fervour.

After what felt like an endless ride of bliss, she finally pulled you out of her mouth but not before giving your spent rod a couple licks.

"Didn't I do good, daddy?" she asked, the name sending a shiver down your spine.

But as soon as the bliss is over, the regret came. Sakura. You never knew how much power she held over you. How badly you needed her. Kazuha's blowjob was mind numbing but not enough to numb the ever-growing pain in your heart. But if sex could make you forget it for just a moment, you will gladly took it.

Kazuha wriggled her ass in a suggestive rhythm, oblivious to your inner thoughts. "Daddy, can you fuck my ass next?"

Anything to block out the pain.

Really, anything would be ok.

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You blinked, and suddenly, you were back to the present - the diner. It was still the same place, same scent of coffee and grease lingering in the air but the weight in your heart felt heavier, like it might crush you entirely.

Irene was back in her initia position across you in her booth, studying you with those cold eyes tht betray no feelings.

"You've seen it" she said, shifting in her seat and her christmas-themed dress didn't look so awkward to you anymore. "What you've lost. What you've become"

You tighten your fists on the table. "I know okay? I fucked up really bad. And I'm suffering the consequences. Happy?"

She raised any eyebrow. "Do you? Because knowing is not the same as doing"

You looked away, your gaze landing on the window. The streets were deprived of life now and the snow fell as relentlessly as ever, enveloping the world in white. You wished you could see the beauty in it once more.

"What am I supposed to do?" you asked, your voice low. "I can't just undo everything"

"No" Irene agreed, leaning forward. "But you can decide what you will do next"

Your jaw tightened. "And what am I supposed to do? She's gone. She hates me. There'a no coming back from that"

Irene'a gaze softened just slighty. "Sakura's wounds might not be yours to heal, Ethan. Some damage can't be undone. But your life - your choices - they are all yours. You can keep running from them, hiding youself in regret and pain or you can face them"

Somewhere distant, Heather's hyena laugh erupted again though this time, you envied her. When was the last time you can laugh like that?

"And what does that even look like?" you asked, throat tightened.

Irene gestured to the diner around her. "That's not for me to tell you. But you have already knew the answer, don't you? You always have"

You stared at her, a realization sinking deep into your heart. "You are saying I should go for her"

Irene tilted her head. "I'm saying you need to stop running from yourself. Whether that means going to Sakura or not....it's up to you. But if you don't, you will stay here" She gestured vaguely, encompassing more than just the diner. "A hollowed out version of yourself. Is this what you want?"

You studied your reflection in the murky surface of the cold cup of coffee. You had seemed to age in minutes. Was it the weight of revisiting the memories you had locked up for so long?

"No" you whispered. "This ia not what I want"

Irene leaned back, gaze unwavering. "Then decide, Ethan. You can't rewrite the past, but you can write the next chapter"

For a long moment, you were silent, staring out of the window at the dark, snowy Christmas night.

When you looked up, the ghost was gone.

The diner had grown quiet, save for the ocassional clinking of utensils. The clock indicated 11 sharp. Time had flown in a blink.

Just as you decided to leave, the bell on the dier doll rang again, welcoming a new arrival. You didn't want to look up. Enough hocus pocus for one night. But you did anyway. And you are not sure if you should be glad or regret that you did.

"Sakura?"

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Happy Holdiays Everyone.

[jayjj7]

chapter 25. screw this party

prev. next masterlist

on the way to the party, the car is dead silent, awkward, and semi-uncomfortable because of you and yunjin’s kiss. it was already established that you would be driving and haerin called ‘shotgun’ last night. that puts hanni and yunjin in the back seat together.

obviously you were trying to keep it cool, it’s not like your crush kissed you when you thought she didn’t feel the same way or anything. but because it was interrupted, the thought of you and yunjin advancing in a relationship seemed slim.

“hey yunjin, who invited you to this party?” hanni asks, breaking the silence.

you feel your shoulders relax.

“oh this one guy was walking around campus and um walking up to people inviting them” yunjin nods, still feeling tense. her voice stuttering still on edge since hanni walked in on you two in the bathroom.

“oh, nice” hanni adds.

crashing the car would have been a better experience than the awkwardness of this ride. thankfully it was pretty short, only a 5 minute drive.

“haerin, text minji and tell her we’re here for me” you call out, pulling into a parking space.

after putting the car in park you all get out and check for any wrinkles or imperfections on your clothes.

“minji says they’re both in the backyard waiting” haerin reads out of her phone with hanni reading the message over haerins shoulder.

as you walk up the steps to the house you see yunjin tense, she’s fidgeting with her nails. feeling as if you’re responsible for her acting like this, you intertwine your hand with hers and give her a reassuring squeeze before smiling at her. she returns the smile and squeeze before her attention is directed to the guy who answers the door.

as you all walk in, minji and danielle catch your eye, they’re in the backyard watching people play beer pong. haerin and hanni start heading their way.

“cmon yunjin you should meet minji and dani!” you try to sound excited to lift her spirits but you yourself are not feeling the best. still holding her hand you try to pull her outside only to feel the loss of her warm hand around yours.

“i’ll get us some drink i’ll be out there in a second” yunjin lets go of your hand and heads a different direction from you after shooting you a sad smile.

even though you don’t say anything to her, she knows you are just as confused as she is and you do too. maybe you guys both just need to loosen up?

after a couple hours and drinks into the party you are all definitely loosened up. minji and hanni are singing terrible karaoke, haerin and danielle are having a dance competition, and you’re taking shots with a couple other people, including yunjin. though she was across the table from you making it very difficult to interact with her.

the two of you hadn’t spoken since yunjin said she went to go get drinks, she’s been with her friends all night. speaking of which, sakura introduced herself and the rest of their group to you earlier. you had actually gotten along with chaewon the most out of her friends and had a good time playing beer pong with chaewon, but every interaction you had with anyone, you could feel yunjin shooting darts with her eyes, staring at you and your every move. after a couple shots and laughs, yunjin stands up to use the restroom, you follow close behind hoping to talk with her.

you stop her before she walk in. annoyed and tipsy, you get straight to the point:

“what the fuck yunjin?” you scream out to be heard by her over the loud music playing. the absence of a response pisses you off more.

“why did you just disappear on me like that?”

“i wanted to spend time with you!”

“hell you invited me to this party and the only reason i came was to spend time with you! and i haven’t spoken to you in hours!”

you continue complaining. you’re usually not as spoken out like this but the alcohol and the jealousy got to you.

“shut up” yunjin mutters

“what the fuck did you just say to me yun-“

once again, yunjin cuts you off with a kiss, this time more aggressive.

“i said shut up” she says in between kisses.

this time her hands are able to hold your face like she wanted to and you can hold her hips like you wished you could. feeling her lips against yours makes your jealousy wash away in an instant, the way she bends down slightly, your knees going weak, her heavy breathing.

“i’m sorry” yunjin pulls away

“i shouldn’t have left you alone, i was just…upset? or…i can’t find the right words” yunjin pinches the bridge of her nose and shuts her eyes.

“i’m scared things are ruined between us” she admits.

you can only shake your head no, if only she knew how long you’ve wanted this.

the party was staring to die down, people were leaving, no one was doing crazy shit outside. until a song came on that made everyone get up and dance to its iconic choreography and lyrics. before that you were hanging out with yunjin and her friends drinking and laughing, your head was resting on yunjins shoulder as you both got the closure you needed a few moments ago.

everyone headed to the dance floor and started dancing but because of the amount of people that were in the small living room, you lost sight of yunjin. regardless, you started dancing without a care in the world. that was before a sight that changed what you had fixed minutes ago.

yunjin was making out with a girl who was the same height as her, blonde, and had a very revealing dress. the girl she was kissing was clearly into it and held yunjin tightly by the waist.

instead of going up to them and breaking it up, you decided to pay her back and mess around with the other girls there. of course you were still hurt by this, angry, a tight feeling in your chest forcing you to wipe the tears forming in your eyes.

but a girl had come up behind you and saw this as an opportunity to twerk and grind up on her. you leaned forward and pushed against her as people started cheering, forming a circle to watch, and having a bunch of attention towards the two of you.

this attention and noise had brought yunjin to stop kissing that girl and turn over. jealousy, anger, sadness, heartbreak, frustration all built up inside of her. not sure if it was the alcohol or the jealousy she walked up to the girl you were twerking on and pushed her back against the wall and grabbed you by the arm, pulling you outside of the house.

minji, chaewon, and kazuha had seen the whole thing play out. all shocked and uncertain of what to do, minji was following right behind you before chaewon stopped her, convincing to let you and yunjin talk it out yourselves.

“don’t touch me yunjin!” you pull your hand away from her grasp. now outside, all noise around you fades, your only focus on yunjin.

“who the fuck was that?” yunjin leans down slightly to your height

“like you would care! who’s that bitch your making out with?” you yell back, point towards the door.

yunjin smacks her lip, rolls her eyes, and turns away from you while shaking her head. she’s clearly frustrated by the consequences of her actions while you’re more hurt by this than anything.

wiping your tears, you walk around the corner to avoid yunjin, helpless she walks back inside holding her head with one hand.

taglist : [ @1luvkarina @thefckghost @everydayiloveyves @may-madness @modanisgf @mushroom-main ] (taglist is open!!)

[suigetsusunny]

Temporary Whispers Of The Heart ⊹₊⟡⋆ | Sosuke Aizen X Reader Chapter 7 | Use Your Heart

˖ ✦ ‧₊˚ ⋅

Fuchsia petals twirled and twisted in the breeze of spring, detaching from the sakura trees that lay outside the Karakura district office. A delightful marker of spring, or for the working, a more… unfavourable signal to begin the working year.

The elevator door chimes gleefully, hardly serving to uplift your fallen spirits as your heels slam against the floors of the hallway to the office. Your hand clasps around the office door’s handle, swinging it with force towards you as you proceed to barge in.

Who does she think she is? Claiming she’s your sister after so long. Sure, she might be wanting to fix things with you, but she's failing. Miserably. So hard that her good for nothing boyfriend has to step in and-

Caught up in your thoughts, you abruptly bump into a firm surface, wincing as a man’s chest clothed with fashion at prices you could only dream of greets your nose. Immediately reaching to cover your squashed nose, your eyes trail up to meet the stare of a stern yet charmed brunette.

“I see someone’s quite thrilled to see me.” Sosuke gives an amused smirk, and you give an unamused frown in return.

“Don’t humour me-”

You suddenly perceive the cut on his neck left by that night beginning to bleed once more, your eyebrows creasing in worry. The silver star hair clip you had on must have scraped against his neck when you bumped into him…

“It is only a scratch, you can halt your perturbed gaze. I won’t die.” A hint of softness flashes across Aizen’s usual stoic gaze, almost mocking to your worried demeanour. You scrunch up your nose in response to his assumption of your concern, scowling. “I don’t care whether you live or die. You can’t walk around the office with that. The new interns are arriving today. I had hoped you held some sort of shame and would have tried to not look like a monster…”

“Ah, but that is where you fail… And even if I wished to cover my terrifying gash that you presume will petrify the new interns, I cannot.” Almost humorously, Aizen lifts his cuffed wrists, giving them a slight shake to enunciate their jingles while grinning at you, like a child giddily bringing a dead bird to his mother in pride. You scoff, shaking your head in amusement and bewilderment. 

“Chained up again? My poor birdy. Did Icarus fly too close to the sun again?” You snicker, slightly groaning while meticulously observing the bleeding gash on his neck with your index. Considering his tightly bounded wrists, it was your responsibility to clean this up. You already had to host a special threat in the office to farm his spiritual energy, if that didn’t scare away the new employee’s, his bloodthirsty appearance definitely would.

“I prefer to compare myself to Lucifer, actually. A fallen angel. Considering my beauty and brawn, wouldn’t you agree?”

Rolling your eyes, you take his wrist and lead him to the office kitchen, his obedience and silence surprising you. A benign chuckle simply emitted from his slightly parted grin as you moistened your handkerchief under the sink. 

“Where did this gash come from, anyway?” You grumble as you tenderly caress the enigma’s adams apple with a damp cloth, dabbing the blood trickled unto his pale neck. 

“It’s of no importance. Worry about yourself.” Aizen responds by tucking a strand of loose hair from your neat bun behind your ear intimately, and you swat it away immediately.

“I don’t worry about you. I’m simply irritated at this unfortunate turn of events and the fact I have to mother you. Can you really not do this yourself?”

“Does it look like I can? You’re less smarter than you look, Miss Y/N.” Aizen raises a hazel eyebrow, his leer unentertained.  “Don’t call me by my first name.”

“Why? Does it make you hot and bothered?” “Oh absolutely, my panties immediately soaked at just the sound of your voice. A man of nothing but filth just called me by my common name. Is that what you want to hear?”

Aizen laughs contentedly in response, his head lightly rolling forward causing his cocoa locks to fall gracefully around his face, chuckling at your snappy attitude while his gaze transfixes on you. You could feel his hazel eyes burning through your face as you clean up his gash and search for a bandaid in the kitchen drawers. As you fail to find one, in desperation, you decide to fish around your own pockets for one, exhaling in relief as you feel one brush against your fingers. 

Sosuke’s eyebrow hooks upward, a complacent yet stunned look on his face as he discerns the bandaid you had decided to force onto him. You too, stare at the medical aid held between your fingers in disbelief, sighing sharply. No choice, I guess.

Aizen lets out a gruff exhale as you softly spread the baby pink hello kitty bandaid on his throat, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he swallows in humiliation. “May I be bold to suggest that your sense of style is too… cute for an office setting?” 

“I don’t have anything else. It’s my last resort.” You huff, looking into his eyes despondently. 

“Alright then. I will appreciate your thoughtful gift.”  

You purse your lips and feel a slight tinge of heat on your face as you watch his lips curve into a mischievous grin. A grin of satisfaction too, as you could tell he knew how your heart fluttered at his sight and decided to torture you with it. As you two lost your sanity locked in each other's eyes, the line drawing hate and love blurring further, a knock at the door snapped you both out of your daze. Slamming your handkerchief against his chest, you strut off before he could notice your blush and tease you further. Yet the feeling of a fervent gaze stabbing into your backside did not disappear as you left him alone in the kitchen. 

“Act as normal as you can, please.”

Another three melodious knocks done with rhythm on the door signalled the arrival of your General Commander, alongside the chatter of many new and jubilated employees. You smoothed out your black pencil skirt and the slight creases on your ironed white button up, your thin and tight, knitted dark grey sweater showing off your form in a sleek and stylish way. 

Shunsui gives a slight smile after you slide open the door, a strand of dark curled hair resting gracefully on his face as he gives you an approving nod.

“Good morning, Miss Y/N. I take it that I can entrust these in your care now?” You nod adamantly, grinning and displaying the most exultant form of yourself that you could manage at 9 in the morning. 

“Of course, please follow me.” Your cheerful voice reverberates throughout the building, as you notice a couple familiar faces present in the new intern intake. Karin, Ururu, Jinta… Most were high school students looking for work experience for a few weeks or Academy students looking for work in the human world. Regardless, you put on the most professional attitude you could whilst also ensuring they felt welcome and accepted. 

˖ ✦ ‧₊˚ ⋅

As you guide the interns through the office, assigning their duties and detailing where to find everything and who to look for help, you discern Sosuke leave his office. Most interns froze in bewilderment, albeit they had been informed of your humble guest, it must still be jarring to witness his existence in person.

“If you require help, my office is located at the back left. Ah, and this is… Sosuke Aizen. He is serving his sentence here as the Muken has been damaged so we can farm his spiritual energy. Don’t… worry about him. He is tightly bound and knows not to do any harm.” 

You flash the most exuberant and reassuring smile you can as you walk up to the smug brunette, taking his hands in yours and holding them up to jingle his tightly bound wrists in a similar fashion to how he did before to assure your new interns.

“Good morning.” Aizen gives a cunning yet honeyed smile at the new students, amusedly watching a tinge of heat rush to your cheeks. His gentle morning voice you could never get sick of, no matter how hard you begged your mind to loathe it. Swallowing and nodding anxiously, the interns return collegiate nods before being promptly dismissed by you to begin their new assignments. 

“I feel like a pet.” He abruptly states, grousing as he returns the same fervent stares back to the students eyeing him. “Thanks for being… Somewhat normal.” You scoff at him, looking up to see his eyes already locked on you through the strand of cocoa hair splayed on his face. 

“Why? Do you find me abnormal? Unique, even?” Sosuke jests, grinning deviously as he crossed his arms over his chest and over the expensive, dark navy blue blazer and white button up he had on. “No, I find you fake. Every interaction we have ever had was fake.” You rebut, dragging your eyes away from admiring his sharp and sleek jawline crossed with his sepia locks stylishly slicked back. He unfortunately looked like a Hollywood star even with all those seals bound to him and his murderous eyepatch enunciating his monster-like appearance. “And who told you that?” 

“Quite literally everything you do. You only care about yourself.” You tsk, rolling your eyes slightly as you turn away. “Self proclaimed God.”

“Isn’t it simplistic to assert that a God cannot care? If anything, compassion is the mere foundation of becoming one. The purity of being able to love and nurture.” He states back, ignited blood reigning his veins as he gazes at you.

“You really assume I haven’t loved and cared before?”

Perplexed by his metaphors, you shake your head and dismiss him with a wave of your hand. “Let's not get into it.” 

˖ ✦ ‧₊˚ ⋅

As you lean against the wall of your office, eyeing Aizen like a hawk attempting to pour himself a cup of tea in the kitchen outside, a buzz arising from his soul pager in his office goes off. You swiftly turn to grab the phone off of his oak desk, staring at the message in your grip.

EMERGENCY STABILISE THREAT WITH REIATSU: TAKESHITA RD. 108 092 NOVICE REAPERS INJURED: 4 YOU ARE THE CLOSEST IN THE AREA GO ALONE

DO NOT TRY ANYTHING ELSE OR SERIOUS PERSECUTION WILL FOLLOW

You look to your own soul pager, only to find that you had not been given the same message. What…?

Even after refreshing the screen, you hadn’t received it. You had only been given a measly message, instructing you to take care of the interns queries in the office whilst he was gone. There’s no way they’re trusting HIM to take this job alone. Without me. You couldn’t trust him to do this. Forget you, how could anyone trust him to do this job? How could the Shinigamis at the accident site trust him? They would surely attack him in fear. And you wouldn’t blame them.

Perhaps this message was given to the wrong device. Even if all they required was spiritual pressure to immobilise the threat before help arrived… You wouldn’t have minded draining yours. If it meant for that thing to not induce any potential harm. Whatever it was, you knew in your heart to not let him, a special threat, venture out alone into the night freely. Regardless of all of his new seals.

“I’ll be back, I have to handle something… Take care of the office while I’m gone.”

Aizen gives you an unamused look, nodding and simply humming in response before returning to toss an empty sugar sachet in the bin.

Snatching your leather coat off of a hanger by the door and your Zanpakuto, you leave your Gigai and emerge as a new woman, draped in your signature shihakusho. 

Staring at the buzzing screen, you perceive that this emergency was gathering some attention as more Shinigami’s were falling suit to whatever hollow they were facing. You promptly unsheathe your Zanpakuto, utilising flash step to arrive at your destination faster. 

˖ ✦ ‧₊˚ ⋅

The gaze of the evening stars greets you as you perceive the eerily deserted street, a couple Soul Reapers lying on the ground, injured. A figure’s chains dragged disturbingly across the asphalt of the empty avenue, before its molten eyes fixate on you. 

Covered by the shadow of the night, you could not discern what sort of hollow the enemy was nor the origins of it. The only characteristic you register is the daunting black marks stained on its back and face.

A creature from Hell.

Your eyes widen and you immediately brought forth your Zanpakuto, its blade glimmering against the moonlight. With a precise flick of your blade, a crescent of reiatsu slices through the air, aimed at its behind facing you. The hollow promptly blocks you with a raise of its arm, the force pushing it back yet leaving it hardly scathed. You decide to stop holding back, releasing your spiritual pressure tenfold as you wait for others to handle the situation. Your mission wasn’t to overexert yourself yet, the nature of the monster sent familiar chills down your spine.

It retaliates, chains snapping forward like vipers hunting for desperate prey. You twist your body, narrowly avoiding the snakes as one whips past your face, slicing through the fabric of your sleeve. You begin to slightly heave, your slowly depleting spiritual pressure and physical exertion starting to toll on your body. For a second, you shut your eyes to focus on suppressing the monster ahead of you.

The hollow snarls and takes the chance to attempt to latch onto your Zanpakuto with its chain. You barely register the movement when a sudden sword greets the chain as it was about to slam into your chest.

Looking to your left, your eyes broaden at the sight of Sosuke Aizen, still dressed in his office attire and defending you effortlessly even with both hands bound. In an instant, the monster retreated into the portal in which it came from as a result of Aizen’s crushing reiatsu compressing its insides. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” You groan as you see him shoot daggers through his menacing leer. 

“What do you think you’re doing? You just ran off? I had to track your spiritual energy to try and find you.” Sosuke glares at you, spitting venom with his words. 

“Clearly I'm doing a mission.” The brunette rolls his eyes subtly, tsking at your incompetence. “With my Soul Pager? Are you aware that maybe your reiatsu capabilities exceed the demands of this situation?”

“I’m a Lieutenant. Don’t make me laugh.” You fire back, scoffing in amusement at his assumption of your abilities. “This job was forced onto me to do. Why did you take it?”

“I don't trust you? And anyways, I was not going to waste any time returning back. All you had to do was take care of the office for a little while.” You spew at him, grunting at his inability to understand your apprehension surrounding him.

“And what if something had happened to you? Had the thought not occurred to you that perhaps this was appointed for me and not you for a reason? You cannot exert your spiritual pressure with ease like mine without straining yourself.” He reprimands, an unfamiliar hint of concern present in his tone. “Mr. Aizen, I’m not a little girl. I don’t need you looking after me!” 

“Y/N. Sosuke.”

You both synchronise in turning to look behind you, your heart sinking as you perceive a cross Shunsui with both his hands in either pocket of his hakama glaring at you two.

“Come with me.”

˖ ✦ ‧₊˚ ⋅

A slight berating followed by dissatisfied grumbles ensued from Shunsui, as you stand in front of your company building while your commander chastises you in front of Aizen. 

“I was disappointed to be informed by an intern that neither of you were anywhere to be found.”

The brunette parts his lips to speak, yet shuts them promptly and instead returns an unamused stare to the commander. Kyoraku momentarily looks towards him leaning candidly against the building, sighing. As much as he wishes to berate him, the technicality of the situation deemed him as fairly innocent. 

“There is a reason why he received the message and not you. If you were to stand there and suppress the hollow with your spiritual pressure, it would have drained you and taken much longer than it would’ve for him.” “But why did you send him alone?” You rebuke, unwilling to accept this outcome. You would receive whatever punishment you were ordered with pride yet, you just wished for a simple explanation to who in their right mind decided to instruct him to go alone. “It was presumptuous of me to trust him alone, I know. But you had your duties in the office to look after the interns. You are to only stick to whatever duties are assigned to you. Do you know how difficult it was to quickly get Matsumoto to cover for you?” You hang your head in shame, sighing as you fumble with your fingers. It was a foolish act from you, but could anybody blame you? Trusting the enigma was like walking over a vat of tar on a thin piece of string. 

“I can't just stroll in here whenever you mess up, Y/N.”

“I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.” You state in a low voice, slightly bowing in shame to the bearded man. Softening up, Shunsui couldn’t help but walk up to you, patting your shoulder comfortingly. Over the years, he had grown to warm up to you and to think of you almost as a daughter.

“Fine, you don’t trust him, I understand that. Which is why I’m letting you go this time.” Your gaze slowly trails upwards with glistening and appreciative eyes, the tightness in your chest slightly relieving itself as you manage to drag your eyes to his neck. 

“You don’t have to trust him, but trust me. Trust the devices I have implemented myself to weaken him.” The raven haired man places his pointer on your chin, making your solemn gaze finally meet his. “Can you do that for me?” 

You melt at his words, warming up to a father figure you had so desperately searched for your whole life treating you with such kindness. A father figure you had been robbed of so viciously and mercilessly in the past. His tenderness always healed something in your heart he had never broken.

You nod sincerely yet avidly, keen to not disappoint him again. He gives a final scruff of your hair, before leisurely strolling towards the sleek black limousine that had arrived at your building. Kyoraku chuckles before shaking his head, allowing himself to be guided by the Shinigami serving as his body guard opening the door to the vehicle.

Adjusting his hat, he gives one last remark before stepping into the expensive car. “Ah... You and Nanao. You’re both so similar.”

As you silently watch your commander drive off, a loud and obvious clearing of someone's throat snapped you from your daze. You turn pensively to face an oddly sincere Sosuke, his sour scan of your being sending cold chills down your spine. 

“I believe thanks are in order.” He sneers, jesting at you. You chuckle in response, defeatedly suspiring. “Thank you. And… I’m sorry.” You mumble the last part, trudging past him to reach the entrance of the building. However, you were yanked slightly back by a slender hand clasping around your wrist.

“Apology not accepted.”

You furrow your eyebrows at him, confused at what he was getting at. Your breath hitches in your throat at the sight of his sepia irises glimmering, reflecting the moon ever so beautifully in their wake. 

“What?”

“I can tell you assume I think you are weak.”

You look away in shame, a slight tinge of bashfulness present in your demeanour. “I know you do. I constantly mess up, it can only be described as undignified and weak…”

“You aren’t weak. I’ve hardly been able to witness your new power but you’ve flourished into a strong woman. My words did not mean to undermine your strength. I apologise if I’ve done so.” You raise an eyebrow to his sudden altruism, it was strange yet… Not unwelcome. He takes a step closer towards you, leaning his face closer to yours, causing heat to pulsate throughout your body in response. “Remember, the soil that is rained on strengthens.” Looking up at him with tender and shimmering doe eyes, you softly laugh as you unclasp his hand around your wrist and step away bashfully. “Thank you. Someone’s feeling nice today, huh?”

“I’m simply stating facts.” He grins, a sense of satisfaction overwhelming him as your pupils dilate jovially and a smile was brought to your face once more by his own work. You strut off, looking back endearingly at him as your hair flowed graciously in the wind.        

“Shall we?”

˖ ✦ ‧₊˚ ⋅

Familiar strawberry blonde locks greet you two as you both emerge from the lift to the building, Rangiku’s booming voice calling out to you from across the hallway.

“Y/N! You silly girl!” Your best friend rushes up to you cheerfully, pinching your cheek teasingly as she envelops you in a loving hug. “Ugh, you don’t know how much these interns were pissing me off…” You look up at her, perplexed. “Really? They seemed quite shy and sweet in the morning...” Rangiku gives a slight wave of acknowledgement to Aizen before looping her arm in yours, facing you with crestfallen features. “Okay well, most are fine, it's just… Jinta and Ururu keep arguing with each other. It's truly such a bother trying to separate them. Oh, and did you see Kurosaki’s sister?” You nod, you did notice the young Shinigami’s sister join your branch. “Yeah… It was a pleasure to see a familiar face after so long.” “She looks just like him… Just with black hair. It's crazy, isn't it?” 

Ah, and speak of the devil, as the very young and sweet girl you were chatting about had walked up to you three. “I’ve finished my assignment and colour coded every training schedule for you, Miss Shihoin.” She gleams at you, and you raise an eyebrow, impressed as you take the file in your hands and return a grateful beam.

“Oh wow, really? Thanks so much…” 

“And Mr… Aizen… I ordered your … New Zanpakuto sheath…” Karin apprehensively states, bowing slightly to Sosuke as she hands him a picture of the new sleek black leather sheath she had bought. The enigma slightly grins in amusement, a heartfelt smile was the last of what you had expected his reaction to be.

“I appreciate your efforts. And, no need to act so reserved, I won’t bite. At least, I’ll try not to.” He beams jestingly, and you slap his shoulder promptly. “Shush! Don’t scare her away.” He sneers, chuckling as he slid his hands back into his pant pockets. “I’m simply humouring you, don't fret.” 

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. A/N

as always, comments and criticisms are always appreciated !! :p

happy reading!

- sumi <3 @noirfan12 @hon3ysun @muzansfangs

[himejoshikomaeda]

LES FOISFOIS FAVORITE SONG FROM EACH TOUHOU SOUNDTRACK

th01 highly responsive to prayers: gotta be eternal shrine maiden. angel’s legend is good, but eternal shrine maiden just has what the PC-98’s soundboard did best. little beeps and boops that somehow sound so chock-full of emotion. fantastic stuff.

th02 story of eastern wonderland: love-colored magic is, of course, legendary, but my favorite for this game is complete darkness. absolutely masterfully work with that melody.

th03 phantasmagoria of dim.dream: obligatory respects to strawberry crisis to make sure i don’t get mauled for saying this, but reincarnation is my personal favorite off this soundtrack. there isn’t really a place to note this, but the SC-8850 version of reincarnation is fucking phenomenal, too.

th04 lotus land story: blah blah blah bad apple okay no but seriously it’s maiden’s capriccio. that’s reimu’s theme. i don’t care about this mystic oriental love consultation shit, this spring path crap. maiden’s capriccio. the imperishable night version fucks hard too.

th05 mystic square: this one is really hard. romantic children rules. plastic mind is unreal. the grimoire of alice fucks. but the best one in my opinion is alice in wonderland. extra stage themes tend to be really good, but i looooooove this one.

th06 embodiment of scarlet devil: locked girl ~ the girl’s sealed room. again being a contrarian here and not picking UN owen was her. cuz. i dunno. i like it.. be nice to me.. side note, but i love how the instruments in eosd and dolls in pseudo paradise sound.. idk, out of tune? it’s nice.

th07 perfect cherry blossom: there are a lot of really good ones here but i’d be lying if i said it wasn’t necrofantasia, contrarian though i may usually be.

th08 imperishable night: i don’t knowwww this one’s too hard they’re all so good.. illusionary night ~ ghostly eyes, nostalgic blood of the east ~ old world, flight of the bamboo cutter ~ lunatic princess, and extend ash ~ person of hourai all come to mind, but honestly i think i have to give it to love-colored master spark. i know it’s not “from” this game but it’s my favorite on the soundtrack, sooooo.. whatever. my list.

th09 phantasmagoria of flower view: wind god girl. “that’s from shoot the bullet” i knowwww shut upppp i’m not doing side games.

th10 mountain of faith: faith is for the transient people, full stop. the gensokyo the gods loved is practically the “touhou theme” to me, but sanae’s theme is like. in my top 3 favorite songs in the series. those guitars kick ass. this game’s soundtrack is phenomenal.

th11 subterranean animism: green-eyed jealousy. followed closely by satori maiden ~ 3rd eye. literally every song on this game’s soundtrack is a banger. a real no-skip album. but i am fucking addicted to parsee’s theme. it’s like bitter, ugly crying as music. i can’t sing its praises enough.

th12 undefined fantastic object: this game sucks ass but the music’s good. emotional skyscraper ~ cosmic mind is the best song.

th13 ten desires: it’s shoutoku legend ~ true administrator, but i wanna give a shout-out to night sakura of dead spirits anyway, because it’s great.

th14 double dealing character: kobito of the shining needle ~ little princess. but i mean. i am kissing reverse ideology on the mouth with tongue. i love you seija i love you shimmy you’ll get ‘em next time

th15 legacy of lunatic kingdom: honestly? unforgettable, the nostalgic greenery. i love the spacey sound of this soundtrack, and none of them capture that sound better than that. the lake reflects the cleansed moonlight is good for the same reason. i have a lot of love for the sea that reflects one’s home planet, too.

th16 hidden star in four seasons: not huge on this soundtrack, but my favorite song is swim in a cherry blossom-colored sea.

th17 wily beast and weakest creature: electric heritage. what a tasty piano in this one. the gorgeous melody is also present in entrust this world to idols ~ idolatrize world, but i like the piano in electric heritage better. idolatrize world is an easy second, though.

th18 unconnected marketeers: this soundtrack is so romantic. very lovely melodies. my favorite is the perpetual snow of komakusa blossoms. it’s memorable to me for whatever reason.

th19 unfinished dream of all living ghost: i’m gonna choose to limit myself to the songs that aren’t covers of existing touhou songs, cuz some of them are pretty similar even if i might like them “more”, like corpse voyage ~ be of good cheer. so i’ll go with the deviants’ unobstructed light ~ kingdom of nothingness. the vocal samples are cool.

i’ll list my favorite songs from the doujin albums in a separate reblog, because damn this is getting long!!

[slothgiirl]

in the air (xiao x reader)

7.3k words. mentions of rock climbing and chinese traditional medicine. pining. fluff. first time writing in genshin impact for xiao so idk how in character this is. probs errors bc this is unedited like my lyfe lol. also xiao takes 1k words to show up hehe

“Delivery for Bubu Pharmacy,” you dump all your packages on the counter, finally able to see in front of you once again. The walk from Qingce Village to Liyue Harbor was long, made longer by the various dried herbs and distilled oils you had to carry.

“Ah, our lovely botanist,” Herbalist Gui grabs a letter opener, already sorting through the parcels. Silk flowers, glaze lilies, fresh lotus root, ginseng root, and the rest of the raw ingredients a pharmacy needed. “No violetgrass? Or qingxin flowers?”

You slip behind the counter, taking a seat on the stool Qiqi used to reach. You’d need the stool too in order to get the very top shelf ingredients. Maybe you weren’t a pharmacists, you think as you read the labels for ingredients as rare as sakura blooms imported from abroad to condensed ginger, but you could probably fix a cold.

Botany wasn’t your dream growing up, but your family’s business. The house you’d grown up in was tiny compared to the greenhouse full of silk flowers, to the pear trees and lotus growing in flooded terraces. You liked the job. You liked getting to see all of Liyue. You loved the smell of drying cinnamon and seeing a plant perk up once you gave it some compost.

“Not yet,” you admit, “with the rains last week I couldn’t exactly get to Huaguang Stone Forest.” Your favorite part of this job was getting to climb up the towering peaks. You loved rock climbing. You loved the cool wind on your skin after ascending, looking down and knowing you’d done this. You loved the solitude, the quiet and peace. You fell in love with the alien perspective of being up so high.

“Be careful out there,” Herbalist Gui says, a crease forming between his brows, “isn’t full of hilichurls and demons?”

“I am careful,” you massage your calves, “pretty sure a lawachurl could break me in half.” It ate at your time, having to go around treasure hoarders and hilichurls, unsure if they’d let you pass freely or not. There was no way you’d risk a run-in with fatui skirmishers that far from the Millelith’s sight.

So you hid behind bushes and trees, going around and losing hours.

“And the demons? You ever actually seen one?”

You laugh. “No, thank the Archons.” You didn’t want to test how effective exorcist charms were against demons. Chongyun had carved one out of wood for you to keep you from being possessed, while Hu Tao’s last present had been a jade sigil to tells ghosts you were a friend. You were concerned about its effects but Hu Tao always had good intentions despite her questionable methods.

You trusted her.

And there was no way you were going to disparage one of your childhood friends to her face. Some people had no tack.

You couldn’t imagine calling someone a weirdo even if it was true. Especially in a mean spirited way.

“That’s good.”

“Tell Baizhu I’ll be back in two days ,” you tell the pharmacist.

“That fast?”

You smile, “yeah. I’ll come back here then head home.” It’d mean only having one day to lazy about at home before hitting the road again, but like Hu Tao you valued the reputation of your business too much to delay the order of violetgrass and qingxi flowers to next week.

“Okay, I’ll be sure to let Baizhu know.”

“You’re the best.”

“Do you want some tea before you go,” Herbalist Bui asks, “it’s got jueyun chilis, good for all that running around you do.”

“Of course you don’t have regular jasmine tea?” This was a pharmacy. You accept it all the same, grateful for the warmth of the tea quenching your thirst. Maybe you wouldn’t be dead on your feet when you ascend tomorrow.

___

You camp at the south of Caijue Slope.

Travelling at night wasn’t a bright idea if you didn’t have a vision. Something you most definitely didn’t.

You’d always dreamed of a geo vision, though without Rex Lapis who knows if there would be any new geo visions. When you’d started bouldering around Mingyun Village, learning to identify fungi and flowers with your father, you could only ever imagine a geo vision.

It would be mad useful.

You wouldn’t need to carry ropes and anchors if you could just form your own anchors and climbing forms out of the very rock you ascended.

Passing through Jueyun Karst let you know waiting had been the right choice.

The mud clumps to the soles of your boots. When you step on the road, your feet sink. There’s little to no treasure hoarders or fatui to be seen. It must’ve been awful the day after the rains and near impassable with the rain. The towering mountains made the roads down below prone to flash flooding.

You have to stop and scrape the mud off your boots on rocks every few steps until finally you start the road up to Qingyun Peak. You barely even need to check your worn map.

Your family has been in the botany business for generations. You know where the clusters of Violetgrass and Qingxin spring up. Between here and Mingyun Village, you gather enough of both to fulfil Verr Goldet and Baizhu’s orders.

It takes the entire morning to ascend up the northernmost pillar of Huaguang Stone Forest, sitting on the edge as you Mint Salad and mora meat. It’s not as good when the food’s cold, but there’s nothing better than the food you eat after a long climb. Sweat runs down your spine as you look over Liyue. You can make out the Jade Chamber in the sky over Liyue Harbor. This must be what the adepti, what Rex Lapis, saw every day.

After Bubu Pharmacy you’d deliver to Wangshu Inn, then home. Then you’d collapse in bed before starting all over again.

You run your fingers over the petals of the qingxin flower. This one could stay. It was too small, the majority of the buds still closed.

The zenith of the sun has passed when you finally start to descend.

You hook your safety rope into the anchors you’d placed on the way up.

One of these days you’d buy yourself a Monstadt glider.

As you go, you remove the anchors, releasing the expansion clamps and slipping it into your bag, before descending the next metre.

You hook your safety rope into the next anchor. Then descend another metre. Carefully. Taking your time.

Pebbles fall past you.

It feels like the entire world rumbles.

You look out into the landscape, into the fog you can barely make out the other stone pillars, but even the fog cannot obscure the flashes of green anemo bursts in the skies.

Shit.

You glance up. It was a good twenty metres to the peak. You look down. It wasn’t any better.

It was worse.

A good thousand metres up. 800 from where you’d started climbing from the top of the road.

The flashes of anemo grew closer.

More pebbles fell, clinking against your shoulder. Dirt dislodged and fell in your hair.

You were stuck.

Your hands grew sweaty.

If it had been raining you could make it up free handed. Waited it out. Rain usually built up. This stone forest had no ledges to seek shelter on.

Fuck.

Flashes of green interspersed with flashes of red and blue.

Dread.

You look around, trying to find anything to perch on.

Okay, okay. Let yourself fall onto the ledge 30 metres below. No-

Not survivable.

Your hands grow slick with sweat as figures emerge out of the fog.

Dark figures. Demons. Monsters.

Your grip slips.

You flail, trying to catch yourself.

Fuck.

You slam into the side of the cliff, dangling by your safety rope over a thousand metres in the air. Pain explodes across your thigh.

Your fingers are bleeding where you’d tried to grab a rock.

The figures are closer now. Across from you fighting in the air, floating. Abyss mages and a fighter. You couldn’t tell.

And you couldn’t waste time watching.

You clip into the next anchor, attaching your safety rope. There was no time to climb up for the other rope and anchor.

You cut your loses.

Okay, move.

You scramble down, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire.

There’s an extra safety rope in your bag, you climb another metre down. And another one.

The sound of fighting is still too close, approaching, you hear the laughter of the abyss mages, the clash of steel against abyssal magic. You don’t look, chest heaving as you try to climb down in minutes what would normally take hours.

You inhale sharply, the dirt from the rocks mixing with the blood on your fingers. You slice your fingers on the ledges but keep going.

It doesn’t matter.

You have to keep going.

And then nothing matters.

Ice explodes against your back.

A chill spreads from the spot, your muscles tense and freeze and you can’t move. You can’t move your fingers. You can’t-

You look up.

The abyss mage is looking at you, laughing behind it’s terrible mask, a mockery of Opera makeup, as you fall.

It’s why the spear that jut out of it’s chest catches it off guard.

But what does that matter?

You’re falling, falling…

The figures disappear from your vision.

—-

You scream.

You’re so cold.

You can’t even flail as you plunge to your death.

You’ve never been so cold.

The fog dissipates as you approach the ground.

Your vision explodes in emerald and black. “Hgh,” a hand grips your wrist.

Thunk.

You smash onto the ground.

Only you’re still alive.

“Hold still,” a gruff voice says near your ear.

What!

You kick, blinking the tears, blinking away the terror from your eyes, “let me go!” You were alive. YOU WERE ALIVE!

And tangled on the ground with a strange masked man.

Vexation is clear in his tone as he repeats, “hold still.”

You roll off him, wincing. Everything hurt. You side ached. Nothing was broken. You could tell you’d be bruised black and blue for the next week. “Thank you,” you huff, connecting the dots even as your vision grew white with pain. Your fingers were still cramped from the cold. You could use jueyun chilis right now.

Thank the Archons you still had your bag. Crushed flowers were better than no flowers.

“Mortals should not be in Jueyun Karst.” The man still wears a mask carved of blackened wood. It matches the black of his gloves. A vision is strapped to his wrist.

Not a man at all.

You breathe, forcing down the pain.

You couldn’t do anything about it until you were safe. Not out here. Not out in the open.

You look around.

You weren’t in Jueyun Karst anymore. This was the road east to Guili Plains.

“I have permission,” you tell the adepti, “I can show you the sigil of permission.”

He says nothing, crouching in front of you like an overgrown bird. The mask is still on.

Despite that you’re not scared.

The sigil feels strange. It feels akin to resting your back against the statues of Morax.

“See,” you tell him. You weren’t lying. It was the same sigil your family had used for generations. Your grandmother said Moon Carver had gifted it when the Qixing closed passage into Jueyun Karst. “Master Adepti? Sir?…” You weren’t sure of the proper way of addressing an Adepti.

His eyes travel from your sigil to you. There’s mirth in his cor lapis eyes.

The mask.

The fighting.

He wasn’t just any adepti.

You lean forward, “you’re the vigilant yaksha,” you raise your hand, forgetting yourself for a moment as you move to touch his mask only that might get you struck down for disrespecting an adepti’s pride. All the adepti had strange rules about what was permissible. “I don’t know about you adepti, but it’s kinda rude for you to keep your mask on for so long.” It felt like he had something to hide.

“You presume to order an adepti?”

You crack a grin, “I couldn’t make you do anything.” You shift, trying to get up. You need to get to Wangshu Inn before night.

“Fuck,” you hiss. Right. You were all banged up.

The yaksha moves swiftly, steadying her. “You’re hurt.”

“I am,” you wince. “Just bruises.”

“Why were you in Jueyun Karst.” His tone drips with disapproval.

“For qingxi flowers. Violetgrass. Pharmacists need it.” You laugh. “Ironic right?”

He’s still holding you up, his hands on your arms, gentle despite the destruction he just caused in the stone forest. You want to see his face. You want to thank him without any barriers.

He must be handsome, you think to yourself. You know he is.

“Can you not grow them in Liyue Harbor?”

You shake your head, “they only grow at high altitudes. They prefer rocks to soil. I think there’s something in the rocks, some mineral. We’ve tried to grow them in Qingce Village but they didn’t take.”

His eyes study you once more, “your hands are bleeding.”

“It’ll be fine,” you tell him, “some balm. Baizhu deals with worse all the time.” At least the cold wore off.

“Where should I leave you?”

The words are unexpected. He’d saved you, but he wasn’t exactly friendly and warm. The Yaksha was quiet and reserved.

He’d stayed to make sure you were okay.

“Liyue Harbor,” you say tentatively, “though if that’s too far…”

“Heh,” the Yaksha rolls his eyes, scoffing.

“If it’s out of your way,” you amend, smiling, “I’m sure that it’s an easy distance for the Vigilant Yaksha to cover.”

He tilts his head.

You wonder what he thinks of you.

“I’m only joking,” you add when the silence streches out in case he missed your teasing. “But Liyue Harbor would be great if it’s not a bother.”

The Yaksha nods. “I offered.”

“You did.” He didn’t have to.

You try not to read into it too much. The adepti were all about protecting Liyue. You weren’t special.

Quite the opposite.

You’d been in Huaguang Stone Forest at the wrong time.

He finally lets go of your arms, only to pick you up bridal style.

“Ah!” You’re caught off guard, barely processing what is happening before the world disappears in black smoke.

You squeeze your eyes shut, as wind streaks through your hair, chilling your skin all over again.

In seconds, he’s already placing you back down, overlooking the Harbor.

“Wow, that was amazing!” What took you two days to travel, the Yaksha had done in seconds. You look over the Harbor, it’s lights slowly turning on as the sun sets over the water. It was a short walk to the Pharmacy. You’d be imposing on Hu Tao tonight.

She’d probably love the impromptu sleepover.

“Thanks again-,” you turn back to thank the Yaksha once more.

But you’re alone.

—-

“Jueyn chilis, qingxi flowers, and a boatload of mint and ginger,” you list off to Verr Goldet. “Hey, do you sell incense sticks?”

Verr’s eyes widened, “what happened to you my dear?”

Your hands were still all bandaged up, but as you suspected, it was pretty much all bruising. Still, you’d be sticking to Mingyun Village and Wuwang Hill until you were given the all clear by Baizhu. It was good to let the usual spots grow wild in the meantime.

You didn’t want to overpick any one spot.

“Nasty fall,” you also didn’t want to worry the Innkeeper unnecessarily. “I’m mostly bummed out. I have to go back for most of my anchors.” Stupid abyss mage.

“Well,” Verr Goldet hands you an incense stick, “this one’s on the house. Since you’re always on time. I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Are you sure,” you ask, already reaching for your mora bag.

“Listen to your elders and take the incense stick.”

“Thank you.” You bow respectfully to the woman, “this is so kind of you.”

“I know you would show me the same kindness.” She bows back. “Make sure you rest and rest before heading off.”

“Of course,” you grin, “you’re the only place that sells mushroom pizza in Liyue.” You could get honey roast and radish veggie soup at a street vendor in the Harbor but not pizza.

—

With your own mora you purchase healing balm. The Yaksha would appreciate this. You think. It made sense. He probably fought demons and monsters all the time.

He could use this when he got hurt.

You think.

You don’t know much about adepti.

“I think that’s a marvellous idea!” Hu Tao practically dances in delight when you tell her your plan.

“As a thanks,” you further explain. “It doesn’t feel right to just pray at a shrine.” You don’t even know his name.

“Ah,” she twirls in the street, running into a merchant

“Hey! Watch where you’re going weirdo!”

Hu Tao pays him no mind. “Obviously my charm worked.”

“What? No it didn’t,” you frown. The spirits had not been the problem. The abyss mages had nearly killed you.

But your friend is too busy with ideas to pay you any mind, “perhaps you need a noctilucous jade sigil to repel evil spirits?”

“That was an option,” you raise a brow. That seemed more useful.

“Most spirits aren’t bad silly,” she tells you, “very few become demons.”

“Can it at least be Cor Lapis,” you think about the Yaksha’s eyes again. You’d thought about the Yaksha a lot.

“No. That wouldn’t work for the carving. Hey, let’s get a drink before you go!”

—

You sit at the shrine in Mingyun Village. And it really was a village. Just two stores and a few houses. Most of the people here were fishermen, but you knew some lived off the shells and pearls that could be gathered on Yaoguang Shore.

The largest was inscribed to Rex Lapis. There were steles for Moon Carver, Mountain Shaper and the other adepti of legends. And a small one for the Yakshas, but there were no names for them.

You frown.

You set the jar of balm in front of you. Then you light the incense stick, unsure of what the proper prayers for a Yaksha were.

“Oh mighty vigilant Yaksha,” you cringe, closing your eyes, “scratch that. Um,” could adepti even hear your prayers? Could Rex Lapis answer prayers from the heavens? “Thanks again for saving me. Sorry if I got in the way or anything. I’m glad you keep those monsters aways from the Harbor and villages. And thank you for dropping me off in Liyue Harbor. That was incredibly kind of you. This balm is for you.”

There. That didn’t sound half bad.

Maybe you could still be a ritualist.

Change careers last minute.

You hear a snort.

You open your eyes.

In your peripheral, the Yaksha stands facing the shrines. His mask rests on his belt.

You were right, he is handsome.

Teal streaks through his dark hair. There’s a violet mark on his forehead and he’s handsome. His expression is inscrutable though his eyes remain kind despite what his demeanour would suggest.

He sits down next to you, watching the incense stick burn. The smoke wisps off in spirals.

“Thank you.”

“I heard.” His voice is not unkind.

You nod, “all the same.”

You breathe the rich aroma of the incense.

“You should always burn 3 sticks, or 5.”

“Sorry?” He doesn’t seem angry or upset. But you still feel the need to apologise. He was an adepti after all. The Yaksha did so much for Liyue already.

His eyes fall close. The last vestiges of wariness dissipate. “I do not need the balm.”

“Oh.” Your face falls. Stupid. You’d done nothing right. It would have been better to just leave things be.

You watch the smoke, biting your lip. He’d come all this way and you’d done everything wrong. You were embarrassed.

He probably had better things to do.

The Yaksha opens his eyes, turning towards you. He frowns.

He had such lovely eyes: black tea steeped perfectly. There was a warmth in them that had you dismissing all your negative thoughts. He wasn’t irritated with you at all. He’d chosen to come all this way for you even when you had things all wrong.

The Yaksha was strange, but kind.

Even as he held your gaze for an inhumane amount of time, unblinking, you felt comfortable the way you might with Chongyun.

You were right. He was handsome. The stories never mentioned that.

He parts his lips, brows furrowed, before looking away. He fixes his gaze on the steles again.

“Well, is there anything that you might like as thanks,” you finally settle on uttering, looking very pointedly at the bas relief of Morax. Heat rises to your cheeks. It was so silly. This was such a normal thing to do, thank someone and yet you grew flustered.

“Ah?” The Yaksha’s cheeks grow pink. “There is no need-I do not act in exchange for material gain.”

“I just want to thank you. If not for saving me then for taking me to the Harbor.” You bite your lip. “You can think of it as friends exchanging gifts.”

It’s the wrong thing to say.

The Yaksha stands suddenly, a swirl of anemo blowing your hair about. “I have duties to attend to.” And he’s gone.

Clearly, you and Hu Tao both failed at making friends.

—

A month passes, and you’ve made every effort to take your mind off the Yaksha. He was an adeptus. Two times you’d met him. That was more than most people ever interacted with adepti.

You weren’t part of the Qixing.

You were a simple botanist running around liyue.

You run your fingers over the new jade amulet from Hu Tao. You’d be okay.

Last time was a freak accident.

In two decades of life, last time had been the sole time you’d seen an abyss mage. Nothing would happen this time. You’d collect the herbs in Jueyun Karst as usual and be on your merry way.

Ascending is made easy by the anchors you left behind. You’re the one who takes baby steps, pausing with every push up to look around in case there’s some hilicurls aiming for you. You close your eyes, leaning your forehead against the rock. It was fine. You were fine.

Your hands had scarred over.

You refused to be afraid of going out in Liyue for the rest of your life.

You push onwards.

You check your safety line. You check each anchor.

You look around.

So far so good.

It’s only when you break past the fog that you realise how uneventful the entire ascension has been. You’re worried sick about nothing.

You pull yourself onto the cliff top and collapse on your back, panting.

You laugh, at yourself, at the situation. At being so high up. You close your eyes and soak in the warmth of the sun, the heat of your body against the cool stone. Had Rex Lapis created this stone forest too? You’d have to ask Baizhu. He knew all the stories since he told them to Qiqi endlessly, not that the little girl ever remembered.

She’s been a child for as long as you could remember.

Lunch is cold jade parcels and leftover fried radish balls which are never as good cold. Nothing fried was ever as good cold.

You pluck the qingxi flowers first, bunching them up in your bag. The violetgrass was easier since you collected those on your way up.

You take another drink of water from your flask, looking over the landscape. Jueyun Karst was so beautiful. You forgot how dangerous the area was.

The plan was to head north and swim across the waters to Qingce Village, swim home. You’d have to camp out on the isles, but it was safer than staying in the stone forest overnight or trying to swim in the frigid night.

You take a nap, waiting for midday to pass before you start your descent.

You pull the last anchor free when a voice startles you.

“What are you doing here?”

“Ah,” you weld the anchor like a knife in the air before you recognize the Yaksha’s distinctive purple pants and green tattoo. “Fuck,” you place a hnd on your chest, “you scared me.”

“I did not mean-,” he frowns, “why are you here?”

You point up, “have a job to do. Qingxi, violetgrass. I’m just happy everything else can be cultivated.”

The Yaksha’s frown deepens.

“I have a job to do. It has its risks but medicine must be supplied.”

He nods, but remains sullen.

“Anyways I’m all done here.” You wipe your hands on your robes, “and relax. I waited until I was done healing, see,” you hold up your palms. With coconut oil the scarring would fade.

The Yaksha steps close to you, taking your hands in his and looking them over. He runs a finger over your darkest scar. There were specks of gold in his eyes. The mark on his forehead glowed.

He looked up through long teal lashes at you when he was done accessing your hands.

Your mouth is dry. It’s hard to meet his heavy gaze. It feels like falling all over again.

There’s no way he misses the flush on your cheeks that has nothing to do with climbing and everything to do with the way his touch renders you breathless.

“I will escort you through Jueyun Karst.”

“Oh,” your eyes widened in surprise. “You don’t have to,” you brush your hair behind your ears. No matter what you did climbing made your hair a rat’s nest. “I’m sure your very busy with your adeptus duties.”

“Tt.” He releases your hands. “It is not up for discussion.”

“Vigilant Yaksha,” you have to insist, “I have an amulet to keep the monsters away. And I’ll just be back next week…I don’t want to be a bother. Really. I’ll be okay.”

He tilts his head, “what amulet?”

You lift the necklace up, “it’s from my friend. She knows more about ghosts but I-”

The Yaksha closes the distance between you. He scrutinises the sigil, his breath ghosting over your cheek. “There is a limit to the accumulation of evil spirits and demons an amulet can repel.”

“But it does work?”

He nods.

You can’t stand being this close to him while he is seemingly unaffected. Your heart is lodged in your throat but his expression remains as guarded as ever.

It was silly to even think about an adeptus like this.

A smaller, crazier voice that sounded a lot like Hu Tao points out that half adepti like Ganyu exist for a reason.

You avert your gaze, stepping back. “So you see, you don’t have to-”

He cuts you off. “It is not up for discussion.”

You nod, accepting he would do why he thought was right even if it did make you feel like you were bothering him. (He wasn’t even angry or bothered.)

The Yaksha was kind in his stilted way.

“I’m headed north to Qingce Village.” You pocket the last anchor and drink more water before embarking on the road home.

“Xiao.”

“Hm?”

“My name is Xiao.”

—

You fall into a pattern. Buy 3 incense sticks from Verr Goldet, burn them for the Yakshas. Deliver to Wangshu Inn and Bubu Pharmacy once a week. Collect Herbs from Mingyun Village and Jueyen Karst once a week. See Xiao in Jueyun Karst.

A rough pattern because Xiao came and went without notice. Sometimes he’d be waiting for you at Cuijue Slope until he began to climb up a mountain. At times he wouldn’t appear until you’d finished descending.

You made the lion’s share of conversation, complaining that Chongyun was in Mondstat to deal with some apparition and therefore was getting to eat all the tea pancakes in the world. You told Xiao about flu season and how much ginger Baizhu went through. You complained about having to dilute soap in water to keep pests away from your family’s crops.

“-I’ll need new boots when the caravan from Sumeru stops by,” you take a break on a rock to catch your breath. You’d never seen Xiao tire.

The soles of your boots were worn down. You could feel the rocks poke at your heels through the leather.

You let the silence reign in the picturesque valley.

Xiao doesn’t sit, but he closes his eyes as the sun chases away the clouds. You soaked up the warmth. The sun’s rays made the chilly breeze bearable.

He leans his head back, basking in the sun like a lizard.

You wonder what his animal form looks like. You’d only seen Rex Lapis on the Rite of Descension. But everyone knew Mountain Carver was a magnificent stag.

With his eyes closed, you find yourself staring at his visage shamelessly. He was striking, the graphic cut of his hair only accentuating his bone structure.

You wanted him to hold you again. You wanted him to run his hands over yours, to-

You quash the thoughts down.

Xiao opens his eyes, polearm already in hand as he spots something in the distance. “Wait here.”

You nod, used to this by now.

It was never a long wait, but Xiao would step away for minutes to deal with threats to Liyue.

You are glad to rest for a while longer.

—

“Why don’t you just tell him,” Chongyun splits a milk tea shaved ice with you, “how you feel,” he scoops up a brown sugar boba with his spoonful of shaved ice.

“Are you crazy? What if I make things awkward? Then he’ll never speak to me again! That would be so much worse.” You didn’t want to lose Xiao’s friendship.

You eat another spoonful of shaved ice, making sure to get some of the mochi, managing to look incredibly dejected while eating dessert.

Chongyun sighs. “You can’t complain and not do anything about it.”

You stick your tongue out at him. “I’m not taking advice from someone who can’t even order.”

“So? I’m proactive about it,” his voice cracks. “I ask you, or someone I’m with to order.”

You pat his hand, knowing it wasn’t fair to take your crush out on him. It wasn’t his fault Xiao made you want to kiss him everytime he tilted his head to indicate he was listening to you, or confused. It wasn’t Chongyun’s fault Xiao went still, buff arms flexing right before he took off to fight.

Archons, you were down bad for the Yaksha.

You couldn’t even enjoy your shaved ice.

—

“What’s your adeptal animal form,” you asks Xiao, breaking the serene silence atop Qingyun Peak. “You don’t have to answer that if it’s rude.”

He wouldn’t answer if he didn’t want to either way.

You no longer found it rude when he stayed silent. Xiao meant what he said, and therefore took more time to speak, and didn’t answer at all when he didn’t think his words added to the conversation. The more time you spent with him, the easier you were able to read him.

It wasn’t so much that he was an unfeeling adeptus, but rather he was usually occupied with hunting demons. He falters when he knows you’re joking but cannot understand the joke. His eyes widen when you hand him dried chrysanthemums for protection. It was a peasant superstition, but the idea of Xiao fighting alone weighed you down if you contemplated it for too long.

He sits down next to you, feet dangling over the edge. “A Peng.”

“Huh.” You vaguely recalled a giant bird story, but Adepti were usually giant animals that saved Liyue at some point.

“Similar to this,” Xiao points at his tattoo. The bright colour shines against his pale skin. He never sunburns unlike you.

You study the depiction closely. You brush your fingers against his skin, tracing the lines of the tattoo.

Xiao shivers under your touch, his eyes flutter closed.

“Are there more?”

“Yes.” His voice is distant, in the world of the adepti you couldn never understand. “They do not immerse themselves in mortal affairs.” Xiao turns his gaze towards you, the naked emotion in his eyes draws you in. You cup his cheek with your hand before you think better of it.

He leans into your touch. “Seldomly do they take a mortal appearance.”

“Would you ever show me?” You knew he’d be beautiful. It was Xiao, you’d love him in every shape and form.

He pulls away, jerking away from you.

You let him, drawing back, giving him space.

Xiao clenches his gaze, cor lapis eyes on you. His mouth parts, but he thinks better of it, wavering between thoughts. He finally looks away.

“Xiao? You don’t have to.” You remind him. You think he might disappear like smoke in the air. “Xiao?”

“It is not safe for you.”

“Huh?” You don’t follow. “There’s no hilichurls up here.”

“My karmic debt…I could not forgive myself if I tainted you as well.”

You don’t understand. “I’m always safe with you.”

His shoulders tense, the Yaksha grows taunt as a bow string.

You reach out. “Xiao,” you utter softly, caressing his cheek with the back of your hand, “you would never hurt me.” Your belief in that is absolute. You had more than enough belief for the both of you.

He meets your searching gaze, eyes wide in surprise. There’s a glassy quality to their soft brown shade.

Tears.

You know he’ll leave seconds before Xiao disappears in flashes of green and black.

–

You burn three incense sticks at your makeshift camp. The delivery at Wangshu in had taken longer than you should’ve. Verr Goldet was dealing with a broken door or something to do with a guest, you weren’t sure of the details. There were travellers from Monstadt so your food order had taken an hour. Nothing that was anyone’s fault, but now you had to camp out in Guili Plains. It was too late to try and make it to the Millelith Outpost in Liyue Pass. It was by far your favourite place to purchase artisan presents for Lantern Rite and birthdays, before they got marked up in Liyue Harbor.

So now you’re stuck here until daybreak.

You go back and forth between lighting a fire. It’s warm this far inland, without the ocean breeze or mountain winds, but a fire might attract hilicurls or treasure hoarders.

But if you were lighting incense sticks, you might as well have a hot dinner.

You kneel, praying to Rex Lapis and all the adepti. You pray that Xiao is safe, wherever he is, whatever he’s fighting.

You pray that Xiao is safe from monsters and the weight of his karmic debt.

—

You manage to deliver to Liyue Harbor and gather herbs in Qingxu Pool before heading back through Liyue Pass. Qingxu pool had more violetgrass than qingxu flowers but it was allergy season. Violetgrass was needed.

It wasn’t your favourite place to gather in, but these two herbs were the trickiest to find, loving spots out of the way, clumping in fours at best. You didn’t want to overpick and then lose a harvesting spot.

It’s sunset when you reach the Statue of Morax.

Your new boots were a mistake. You know there’s blisters on your ankles and soles. Breaking in leather sucked.

Your old boots left you with stinging pain whenever you stepped on any rock so there really wasn’t any winning.

Bowing your head at the statue, you say a little prayer to the geo archon. Morax. Rex Lapis. You’d made another successful trek. The god of contracts had built his nation in the most beautiful part of Teyvat. You could only hope to add to Liyue’s prosperity.

It’s hard to get back up, your muscles sore. Exhaustion always hit you in the last moments when rest is at hand. You were so close.

The people of Liyue pass were kind. They were always willing to host you for a night, forming a contract in exchange for something simple and silly like telling children a bedtime story or sweetflowers which were always abundant throughout Liyue. Uncle Liu generally wanted thunder god vine which was something you always carried.

You were happy to know you’d be fed and well rested tonight.

You hear the music, firecrackers going off in the dusk. The entire village was decorated in lanterns and colourful banners. A wedding!

Uncle Liu had many granddaughters of an age with you. Could one of them be getting married?

There would be roasted duck and lots of desserts like tofu pudding with red beans and almonds. Your mouth watered at the idea of fried fish and shrimp balls.

The folk music was carried by the wind.

It made the night take a magical quality to it. With the decorations and sky full of stars, it was a perfect backdrop to a celebration.

You smile, thinking of the silk flowers you could give the happy couple.

You look around. There’s pots of bamboo on the rock wall leading into the village proper.

The people are in reds and yellows, dancing and singing.

You grin, taking in the sight. You loved Liyue, you loved being from here and getting so many moments like this one. It wasn’t just Lantern Rite when the country was at its most beautiful.

You wonder if Xiao would go into Liyue Harbor with you for Lantern Rite. Hu Tao would talk his ear off but your heart fluttered at the idea of spending the festivities with him.

You’re so caught in your thoughts, they featured Xiao so often, that you nearly dismissed the Yaksha standing in the moonlight as a figment of your imagination.

You blink.

Xiao is still there, perched on a rock. It’s dark enough that no one would see him from the village, but his gaze is on the celebration.

You wonder why he doesn’t join in.

The Liu family was incredibly welcoming.

You make your way towards him instead, “Xiao?”

He jolts, standing up at once. “What is the matter?” There’s dried blood on his white shirt and dirt on his pants.

“Nothing,” you laugh lightly, “I’m always glad to see you.”

“Mm.” His gaze returns to the celebration.

You sit down next to him, sighing at the relief of being off your feet.

It’s nice: to listen to music with Xiao. While it’s not as energetic as Xinyan’s songs, there’s a beauty in the traditional wind and wood instruments. They were songs you’d known all your life.

“Are you alright?” You venture to ask. You’d never seen anything draw blood from Xiao.

“Mhm.” He nods. “The fight was long, but I persevered as I must to fulfil my sworn duty.”

You rest a hand on his shoulder, “so I don’t have to go get Baizhu then?” It was half a joke, half sincere worry.

“No.” Xiao shakes his head, “the statue of the Seven is all the healing I require.”

You nod, deciding to lay back against the rock. You were greedy for every minute you could spend with Xiao. Food, a warm bed, you could put those off for a while longer.

There was a tranquillity to just being besides Xiao.

Maybe Chongyun had been right. But the surge of panic that Xiao might vanish from your life kept you from saying anything about your feelings towards him.

Instead you reclined on the rock.

You release the hold on his shoulder, moving your hands to fiddle with the amulets around your neck. They were small fragile things, nothing compared to the adepti amulets Xiao wore.

He looks down at you, his expression tender in the starlight. You never tired of gazing at him, at the cut of his jaw and the light in his honeyed eyes. Unabashedly, you drink him in.

If he could look at you in such a way that had your heart palpitating despite not even touching you, then you could look at Xiao. You loved him.

He’d never so much as made a move to kiss you yet your heart was his. Every beat of your mortal heart belonged to the Vigilant Yaksha.

The music changes as a drumbeat joins the fray.

You close your eyes, stretching out like a cat. It felt nice. It was nice.

There was no pressure to make conversation.

Xiao brushes your hair out of your face. His hand lingers against your jawbone for a moment, too long to be a mistake.

You blink.

His mouth is parted in surprise at his own actions, he hunches in on himself, glancing back down at the party. He hugs his knees to his chest.

“You like music,” you ask.

“I do.”

Softly you offer, “we should go down there. Uncle Liu has always been kind to me and I always love an excuse to dance.”

Your words hang in the air.

You sit up, wrapping an arm around Xiao’s back lightly, unsure if he’d be okay with the action. You’re prepared for him to pull away immediately.

Instead, he replies, “I cannot endanger them for my own enjoyment.”

Your heart aches for him.

“I can listen from here.”

You squeeze his shoulders, “this is a great view,” you reply earnestly. There was no place else you’d rather be.

“I agree.” Xiao meets your gaze, brows drawn in thought.

He was so close you could see each individual eyelash of his. They were teal. Almost dark enough to be black at first glance.

You smile tenderly.

“I-,” he frowns at himself.

“What is it?”

Xiao cups your cheek with his hand. It’s the closest you’ve been since he saved your life and carried you to safety.

You swallow thickly, realising the love you felt for the man was mirrored in his eyes.

“Can I kiss you,” he asks in a hush whisper.

You don’t trust your voice. You nod, still not believing this was real, this was truly happening. Though you’d daydreamed that Xiao reciprocated your feelings, it had been more fantasy than a reality. You never believed it was possible.

But it was real.

The press of his lips against yours, Xiao’s breath warm on your skin, his thumb rubs your cheek. It was real. He kissed you with a softness you’d come to expect from the Yaksha.

He was a warrior; he moved through the world like a gentle breeze. His love for Liyue went further than a simple contract made long ago.

Xiao loved you.

Xiao kisses you softly and the moment is far too short.

He pulls back, tilting his head. Red dusts his cheeks, “I cannot say when I grew fond of you, but I have.” He lets out a sigh. “I wish to kiss you again?”

“I would very much like that,” you reply giddily, “I look forward to seeing you each week, and feel guilty when I don’t pass through Jueyun Karst.” You had to be mindful of how much you collected from any one spot.

“I would prefer that you did not go to Jueyun Karst,” Xiao admits, “but I selfishly enjoy your foolish ventures into Jueyun Karst.”

You laugh, full of love. You laugh knowing you are loved by the one you love.

You lean into him, kissing his cheek, “thank you for spending time with me.” You treasured every moment with him.

He nods, incredibly flustered.

So you kiss him again, granting his wish yourself.

His lips were slightly chapped. You hardly cared. He kisses you back clumsily. His hold on your cheek tightens, checking that you were solid, that you were kissing him.

You forget all about food and how tired you are. Your thoughts are full of Xiao.

Xiao caresses your cheek as you catch your breath.

You feel his heartbeat race from your hand on his back.

“Would you like to dance,” his voice was small.

You nod, beaming from delight. He liked you. He’d kissed you. Now he was asking to dance with you. Xiao, your Xiao.

“Yes.” Anywhere with Xiao was perfect.

[sagemoderocklee]

may i pls ask about 'Plucked Peony Petals' if it hasn't already been done? alternatively if you have any other fics that you are desperate to talk about i would LOVE to know <3

ok i am SO sorry i forgot to reply to this. i meant to do it last night, but god i was EXHAUSTED and had stuff to deal with, and today has just been busy but i am finally here to answer about P3 which is a fic I am SO excited about and am desperate to start writing.

i came up with it in 2022 (alongside Final Bow) when i was planning for the last horror event, but it was just not gonna be something i could fit in for that year so i didnt start it, but i DO have a fully plotted summary for the fic which like is very spoilery but in general this fic will need some pretty spoiler-y trigger warnings anyways

the idea is based around the Botan Dōrō which is a Japanase ghost story about "sex with the dead and the consequences of loving a ghost". oh! and i already have the banner for this fic made

more under the cut (trigger warning for what's hopefully now obviously a story about sex with ghosts)

anyways if you don't wanna read the full wikipedia article (which i think is super interesting and worth reading), there are two versions of the story listed and one surrounds the Obon festival which is a festival to honor the spirit of one's ancestors. i decided i wanted to write a modern AU about Lee meeting someone at this festival. here's the first part of the summary i wrote:

at the Obon festival, Rock Lee meets an attractive man. They spend the evening talking, and Lee is quite smitten but forgets to ask the man's name or how to stay in touch. The next night, he finds the man again, and this time remembers to get his name. However, Lee chickens out about asking for his phone number, but he does offer to walk Gaara home. Gaara says he lives too far, but would be happy to walk Lee home. At Lee's doorstep, Lee stalls going back inside. He likes Gaara quite a lot, and he hasn't dated anyone since Sakura. He's been lonely ever since his cousin and best friend, now married, moved back to her and Lee's hometown in China, where his father also lives. Deciding to do something rash and out of character, feeling almost possessed by desire, he invites Gaara inside and they spend a night together. Gaara wakes Lee in the middle of the night with a kiss as he leaves, claiming his siblings will worry if he doesn't come home. The last night of the festival, Gaara finds Lee and they spend the evening in one another's company, before going back to Lee's place for another night together... though this time it feels different. It's less lustful and more sensual, more intimate. Lee cannot help thinking he could easily fall in love with this man. Again, Gaara leaves before dawn, whispering his goodbyes to Lee and promising he'll see him again. But Lee doesn't see him again, and his heart breaks at the loss of what could have been.

again i have the entire fic plotted beginning to end, and if you read in full you can guess how this fic will go, but the things that can be said about love and death and desire and so on with this sort of story really intrigue me. it's definitely dark, but doesn't come across that way at first.

while Lee doesn't see Gaara again after the festival that year, he does see Gaara at the following year's festival.

the fic i have planned has some obvious departures from the original text and is going to take place over several years, but ultimately still follows the original tale as far as like ending on a tragic note.

anyways, ive been super excited for that fic and Final Bow, so imma talk about Final Bow too since you gave me that opening! XD

anyways FB is ALSO a horror fic, shocker. and like P3, i have the banner ready to go:

both of these fics were dreamed up when i was newly dealing with long covid and out of work, so i had TIME to throw together these banners even if i wasn't planning on working on the fics then.

now here is the summary which is far less spoiler-y (as i do not have the fic plotted beginning to end like P3):

Rock Lee is an actor staring in a new production of Yotsuya Kaidan, which has been newly adapted. It's a controversial adaptation, that's garnering a lot of talk. The kabuki play will draw crowds, no doubt, but before the play can go up accidents start happening. The cast, the production team, not a single person involved followed the tradition of going to the grave of Oiwa to ask her for permission, and some believe the changes to the play have offended her even more than not asking for permission. Lee is playing one of the leads, along with Kankuro, who's younger brother often shows up to rehearsals. Lee is quite taken with Gaara, but—despite being an actor—he is quite anxious when it comes to dating other men having only just come out of the closest recently. However, one day, one of the lights falls, nearly crushing Gaara. Lee saves him in the nick of time, but it's the start of a series of unfortunate events. Ino, who is playing Oiwa falls ill and her understudy, Hinata takes her place; Tenten, the stage manager is injured; things keep breaking, etc. As things escalate, a romance also blossoms between Gaara and Lee, but the ghost of Oiwa threatens to ruin everything—the play and all their lives. [5 acts + intermission=6chapters]

so this fic is based on a famous Japanese ghost story Yotsuya Kaidan. i've structured the fic to be the 6 chapters with 5 being the acts of the actual play and one of them being the intermission, but i dont have much plotted out beyond what you see above in the summary, so the intermission may get cut if i dont feel it fits.

anyways, i can never decide which one of these im more excited about writing since they scratch different horror itches for me, but i am VERY excited to write them eventually and thank you for asking about them!

[comfybutter]

ten desires ost is so so good, it's like comfort food. we got night sakura of dead spirits, lets live in a lovely cemetery, desire drive and welcome to youkai temple if yer feelin down. that aint even mentionin how hard mikos futos n mamizous themes slap. starry sky of small desires? cool asf.

[sentimental-idiot25]

Drunk Sakura and Sasuke prompt {Modern/College SasuSaku AU}

Sakura felt a surge of boldness as she anticipated her first night out partying with Sasuke and Naruto in a long time. The trio hadn't frequented college parties together due to Sasuke's stubborn reluctance to embrace the carefree spirit of their youth.

"Up for a shot-for-shot challenge, Naruto?" Sakura asked, her excitement evident. She knew she could outdrink the lightweight Naruto without breaking a sweat.

"No way!" Naruto exclaimed, turning to look at her. "I don't want to end up dead." He chuckled.

"I'll do it," Sasuke interjected as they approached the party venue.

"Really?" Sakura looked at him, taken aback.

"Yeah, I bet I can outdrink you. It shouldn't be a problem," Sasuke replied casually.

"We'll see about that," she teased.

About ten minutes after arriving at the party, Sakura was already on her second rum and coke, stationed at the bar table. Sasuke caught a glimpse of her and his eyes widened in surprise. He abruptly ended his conversation and hurriedly made his way to the bar.

The area around the bar was bustling with loud chatter from the crowd. Sakura mouthed the word "two" to Sasuke, indicating that she was already winning their drinking game. Sasuke muttered, "Damn," under his breath. He approached the college bartender and requested, "Can I get two shots?" However, instead of pouring them into separate cups as Sasuke expected and preferred, the bartender poured both shots into the same cup, and it was a generous portion. Sasuke was left with less than half a cup of vodka in his hands, unable to comprehend what just happened.

In disbelief, he walked over to Sakura and held out the cups to her. "This is what you've made me do," he remarked.

She giggled and shrugged. "I'm not making you do anything. You have your own free will. But I never imagined you'd accept defeat so easily," she teased him.

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke downed the two shots. It took every ounce of his willpower not to grimace at the taste of the alcohol.

Sakura smirked at him. "Wasn't so hard, was it?"

"You had your shots mixed with soda... I think I had it worse," he retorted nonchalantly.

"Hey, a shot's a shot," she leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Learn to keep up then."

As the party carried on, they found themselves getting separated at times, and people gradually started leaving. Eventually, they reunited and struck up a conversation.

"How many have you had?" Sakura asked, standing on a raised platform in the backyard, while Sasuke stood on the ground. They were almost the same height, with Sakura slightly shorter.

"I'm somehow always two drinks behind you... I think you're lying," Sasuke replied, tilting his head in confusion.

She scoffed and crossed her arms, her cheeks flushed from both alcohol and their proximity. "Why would I lie? I can handle my alcohol well," she replied, looking him up and down. "Unlike you." She burst into laughter.

Blinking a few times, Sasuke struggled to come up with a witty comeback. "What do you mean? I feel perfectly sober," he claimed, oblivious to his flushed cheeks.

Sakura laughed even harder and gently pressed the back of her hand against his cheek. "You're really red," she remarked.

He delicately removed her hand from his face. "It's just the heat, Sakura," he dismissed, trying to maintain a composed demeanor.

Glancing down at their intertwined hands, Sasuke attempted to regain his composure. "Well, maybe I wanted to hold your hand. It's the whole free will thing you were talking about earlier," he replied, grappling with his own words.

Sakura burst into more laughter, while Sasuke stood there with an alcohol-induced expression, utterly perplexed by her reaction.

She released his hand, declaring, "Alright, I'm going to grab one more drink. But you, my friend, are cut off!"

"Ha! As if. I'll have another one," he scoffed, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge his own intoxication, much to everyone else's amusement.

They returned to the bar to order one last mixed drink each. Since the bar was about to close, it would be their final drink. They clinked glasses and sipped their drinks slowly, enjoying each other's company. No words were exchanged, but their gazes lingered between them.

As the party gradually wound down, Sasuke suggested they arrange for a ride back home. Sakura asked if she could crash at his place since Ino had informed her that Sai would be staying over. Sasuke agreed and called an Uber.

Sakura and Sasuke waited outside the building, engaging in light conversation with others in line. When the car arrived, they took the back seat, leaving the middle seat vacant. As soon as Sakura sat down, she toppled over, narrowly avoiding landing on Sasuke's lap.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking down at her.

Sakura simply raised her thumb, indicating she was fine. She remained in that position momentarily until her drunken state made her self-conscious. She quickly sat back up, feeling the onset of alcohol-induced nausea. Closing her eyes, she refrained from speaking for fear of vomiting in the car.

Sasuke placed his hand on her arm and gently shook it, ensuring Sakura was alright. In response, she grabbed his hand and held onto it throughout the entire ride to his apartment, much to her surprise, he didn't let go.

They arrived safely at his apartment, and Sakura stepped out of the car, feeling incredibly dizzy. She walked over to the picket fence of the neighbor's yard and stood there, desperately trying to avoid getting sick.

"Let's get you inside," Sasuke offered.

"How are you not worse off than me?" Sakura asked.

"You probably can't hold your alcohol as well as you think," he remarked.

"I still outdrank you," she pointed out playfully, letting out a giggle.

"Don't be annoying... Besides, you can't even keep your eyes open right now," he laughed at her.

"Shut up..." Sakura straightened herself and took a step forward, followed by another. However, she lost her balance and tumbled directly into a bush, releasing a distinct hibiscus scent. She laughed at herself while Sasuke stood over her.

"Are you okay?" he called out, his movements sluggish due to the alcohol coursing through his veins.

"I could use a little help," she called back. Sasuke bent over and lifted her up, but he did so a bit too well, causing her feet to dangle in the air as he carried her towards his apartment. Sakura's laughter filled the air, which in turn made Sasuke laugh. "What are you doing?" she asked between her chuckles.

"This is the quickest way to get you inside," he replied, his own laughter accompanying hers. As Sasuke carried Sakura into his apartment, she couldn't help but find amusement in the situation. "Well, well, look at you, Mr. Sober and Responsible," she teased, her words slurring slightly. She hopped out of his grasp and that's when she realized the Sasuke was stumbling around too. He propped himself up on the wall. "Okay, Mr. 'I-can-handle-my-alcohol'," Sakura teased, trying to keep a straight face. "Time to sit down before you trip over your own feet."

With a playful grin, Sakura guided Sasuke toward the couch, carefully maneuvering him into a seated position. She noticed his disheveled hair and gave it an affectionate pat, saying, "Looks like you had a wild night, Sasuke. Time for me to play the responsible one."

Sasuke blinked dazedly and attempted to form a coherent response. "I can...take care of myself," he slurred, his words blending together.

Chuckling, Sakura fetched a glass of water and held it out to him. "Sure, Sasuke. Just like you totally nailed those shots earlier, right?" She couldn't help but tease him, knowing he was in no condition to argue.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he took the glass, trying to muster some semblance of dignity. He took a sip and winced at the sudden rush of hydration. "I'm fine," he mumbled, struggling to maintain his composure.

Sakura watched him for a moment before shaking her head. "Sure, Sasuke. You're just the picture of sobriety." She playfully poked his forehead, causing him to lean back slightly.

As Sasuke tried to regain his balance, he found himself leaning too far back and teetering on the edge of the couch. In a split second, Sakura reacted, catching him and pulling him back to safety.

"Careful there, Sasuke. Falling off the couch is not a good look," she remarked, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

He groaned, feeling a mix of embarrassment and gratitude. "I can't believe you're taking such delight in my drunken state....And since when did you get sober enough to take care of me?!" He asked loudly. Sakura laughed heartily, finding Sasuke's drunken state and his incredulous reaction utterly amusing. "Oh, don't worry, Sasuke. It's not every day I get to witness the great Sasuke Uchiha needing someone to keep him from falling off a couch," she teased, a playful smirk on her face. "As for my sobriety, let's just say I've mastered the art of pretending to be more sober than I actually am."

Sasuke widened his eyes and shot straight up, "Fuck!" Sakura looked concerned, "What! What happened?!" He turned to her and grabbed a hold of her shoulders, "We forgot Naruto!" "Shit!"

[mikufanclub]

moar piano

[maxwell-grant]

which of the SF characters would watch Oppennheimer and which would watch Barbie ?

Not doing all of them but

Ryu: Barbie. Probably got dragged into it by Sakura. Didn't get most of it but he liked it. Hopes Ken is doing allright ("I too know what it's like to struggle with my worst self") and gifts his Ken a "I am Kenough" shirt.

Ken: Mel wanted to watch Oppenheimer and Ken went along with him. Mel liked it, but Ken got bummed out at the story of a neglectful husband and father trying his best to help people and ruining lives over it.

Chun-Li: Her and Li-Fen went to Barbie in matching outfits. The mother's speech in the middle of the movie really, really resonated with her.

E. Honda: Goes to Barbie screenings painted pink to promote his business. If you even think about suggesting Oppenheimer to him he will slap you and you will deserve it.

Blanka: Barbie. Loved it, a little confused but trying to get the spirit, called up his mom and Sakura later to apologize in case he ever oppressed them or made them feel inadequate. Look out for pink variants of Blanka-chan in stores soon.

Guile: Neither, but his family dragged into Barbie. Spent most of it stone-faced but by the time of the Just Ken musical battle number he did crack up a bit.

Dhalsim: Neither.

Zangief: Went to Barbie with R.Mika. Laughed so loudly during the movie you could hear it outside the room. Launches an all-women wrestling course because he thinks muscle power is the solution to misogyny as it is to everything. Marisa enrolls in for a laugh.

Balrog: Neither. Thinks long movies suck and wouldnt be caught dead attending a girl movie.

Vega: Enjoyed both from a reserved patrician distance, couldnt relate to either of the protagonists in any way. Offended by the existence of Weird Barbie and the scenes with old women in it.

Sagat: Neither. But if one of the kids at his village asked, he would go watch Barbie with them and pretend he had a good time, would heavily criticize Ken for betraying his community in vain pursuits of power.

M. Bison: Barbie, and he likes it, not even for any nefarious reason. Doesn't care to watch Oppenheimer, 3 hours of a guy getting cold feet about doing something that Bison happily does at home for free (murdering scores of innocent civilians).

Cammy: Oppenheimer. Only attended Barbie because the other Dolls asked her to, but she didn't think much of it.

Dee Jay: Barbie, and he had a great time. Plays his own remixes of Just Ken and Dance the Night for several nights at the club afterwards.

Akuma: Neither. If he did, he would quit Oppenheimer in the first minutes, in disgust at Oppenheimer's weakness for trying to murder his teacher with a poisoned apple instead of his bare hands.

Dan: Didn't plan to watch either but people kept seeing him in the street and assuming he was on his way to watch Barbie. After doing so, he tries to aggressively rebrand the Saikyo Dojo as a feminist dreamhouse over the following weeks and fails.

Nash: Oppenheimer. Didn't feel anything other than sadness.

Rose: Doesn't enjoy movies very much, her powers predict the entire plot before it happens, but still went to watch Barbie with Menat and Maggio.

Sodom: Neither, but protests Oppenheimer screenings in defense of Japan and genuine disgust over the movie's subject matter, runs away crying whenever it's pointed out that he's a white jock.

Rolento: Disliked Oppenheimer for the protagonist being a lily-livered coward who couldnt stand by his own choices in defense of the country.

Sakura: Barbie. Had fun, but the parts where Barbie punches a guy and outruns the police and the mother outfoxes the Mattel executives in a car chase is kinda what she wished most of the movie was like, dissappointed only the Kens got to fight.

Gen: Neither. Dead.

Cody: Barbie. Liked it fine, I guess, wasn't boring.

Dudley: Went with Elena to watch Barbie. Found it a smashing good time and felt offended at how rudely the Kens treated the Barbies when they took over.

Necro: Cried during both with Effie. Barbie's crisis over her humanity and her moment at the bench really got to him.

Hugo: Went with Poison to watch Barbie. Enjoyed it more than she did, found himself relating a lot to the tiny violent Allan man who belongs nowhere.

Makoto: Barbie. Didn't like the daughter's character arc one bit and walked out of it hating Barbie as a concept more .

Rufus: Went to Barbie at Candy's insistence and my God you could not get this man to shut up about it for days afterwards. Added feminist to the list of self-aggrandizing adjectives he uses.

Seth: Pre-Doll Zero, he would have watched Oppenheimer and not liked it for it's preoccupation with pathetic human morality. Post-Doll Zero, he would resonate unbelievably hard with Barbie's arc and have a breakdown over the ending.

Juri: Saw both. Spend the entirety of Oppenheimer browsing her phone and making loud bomb/fart noises with her mouth and laughing. Thought Barbie sucked.

Poison: Went with Hugo to watch Barbie and kept planning ways to cash in the pink/Barbie craze for her business. Thought the movie was funny but kinda dumb.

Rashid: Barbie, really really liked it. Pirates the movie before it's out on digital to make a reaction stream and gets sued over it.

F.A.N.G: Oppenheimer. Besides the skin melting scene, dissappointed at how little it showed the scientific process behind building an atomic bomb or civilians dying, he kinda signed up just for those things.

Luke: Liked both, really wants to have his own Mojo Dojo Casa House and, besides the whole oppressing women thing which is totally uncool, doesn't think the Kens were doing anything that wrong.

Jamie: Wanted to watch Barbie but drunkenly wandered into Oppenheimer by mistake and had a really bad time.

Manon: Criticizes Barbie for muddled politics and found Barbie apologizing to Ken at the end viscerally disgusting.

Marisa: Neither. Went to watch Meg 2 because watching action stars fight a giant rampaging shark seemed like more of a good time to her. Thought the first one was a lot better.

JP: Majority shareholder at Mattel stock, politely claps during the screening.

AKI: Has spent the last weeks furiously testing out poisons on various plastics and chasing down Mattel executives for intel. Has a cunning plan to take over Barbieland and gift it to her master.

[touhoutunes]

Title: ENTICEMENT

Arrangement: Tim Vegas

Vocals: Ark Brown

Album: アルカロイド

Circle: 発熱巫女～ず

Original: Night Sakura of Dead Spirits

[taoistyuri]

touhou music reccs, part one

paradise ~ deep mountain

night sakura of dead spirits

the lamentations known only by jizo

a shower of strange occurances

----

a tiny, tiny clever commander

mermaid from the uncharted land

the rabbit has landed

jelly stone

kitten of great fortune

the world is made in an adorable way

[cartoonrival]

kuwtu parents drunk karaoke night. guest list and organizer is whoever is funniest. you may choose to elaborate on various contributing factors (levels of comfort, singing ability, inebriation, desire to be present, and songs and drinks of choice) regarding each participant so much or so little as you desire

one thing about lorillee she will be thinking about drunk karaoke night.

ino and sai organize (mostly ino). guest list and general info:

ino- very comfortable to be singing in front of other people, pretty good but not knock out of the park good (she thinks she is though and sai agrees), very encouraging about bringing other people up to sing with her if they're nervous/reluctant

sai- not great on account of his monotony, but his duet with ino is cute because she's obviously very grandiose and excited with it and sai is more lowkey but if you know him you can tell he's having just as much fun as she is. was a bit uncertain at the idea at first but ino was very encouraging and excited about it.

sakura- gung-ho. not a good singer. keeps it chill at the start, goes harder the drunker she gets. shows up in a bad mood (as she often is) but by the end she's having the time of her life.

sasuke- ino tells sakura DO NOT BRING THAT DEAD WEIGHT OF A HUSBAND!!!! you deserve some time to let loose!!! but sasuke still shows up for some reason. he doesnt say anything he just sits at the back and makes everyone sort of uncomfortable until they eventually forget he's there. disappears midway through the night.

temari- reluctant to make a fool of herself. ino has to drag her up. only does one song, starts out very reserved but is belting by the end. very average singer. drinks enough to let loose a little, but she's responsible.

shikamaru- very light drinker because he prefers to keep his wits about him. came because he does enjoy spending time with everyone and doesn't NOT want to see his friends singing shitty songs, but is reluctant to make a fool of himself and has no desire to participate. ino and chouji drag him up and sing with enough spirit for the three of them (shikamaru never takes his hands out of his pockets the whole time he's on stage). he's not really trying in order to spare his ego, but it sort of sounds like he could be secretly good. is he secretly good??? we don't know. ino would like to know. shikamaru sing another one PLEASE how about this song, you love this song! but he says nope. that's all you're getting out of me.

hinata- very nervous but desperately wants to participate. drinks a lot because that's the only way she can get over her nerves. has a lot of fun. pretty terrible singer.

naruto- gung-ho. fucking loves it. sucks ass at singing but he's not gonna let that stop him. drinks probably too much. disappears midway through the night.

chouji (karui does not go because she fucking hates sasuke and naruto both)- eager to have fun and willing to make a fool of himself and more importantly of shikamaru, but also takes his solo very very seriously

some of the songs/who sings with who (more or less in this order)

ino (solo) - since u been gone by kelly clarkson

sakura and naruto - eye of the tiger by survivor

chouji (solo) - my way by frank sinatra

ino and sai - purple rain by prince (yes, all 8 minutes)

naruto and hinata - i want it that way by the backstreet boys

ino, chouji, shikamaru - happy together by the turtles

chouji and naruto - baby one more time (britney spears)

ino and temari - gimme gimme gimme (a man after midnight) by abba

hinata, sakura, ino- before he cheats by carrie underwood

sakura (solo) - break stuff by limp bizkit

[borntobekings]

Just barfing up a Fate/stay night fanfiction idea to work on refining and writing

Unlimited Blade Works True End. The action starts about twelve years later or so.

After the events of the visual novel, Saber and Archer disappear and so on, and Rin and Shirou go to London to train in magic so that Rin can teach Shirou to be a proper hero of justice. This lasts until 2011, when Rin receives word that a couple years earlier Sakura disappeared after the destruction of the Matou estate.

Rin and Shirou go back to Fuyuki to investigate. They cannot find anything more than that the estate was destroyed, Sakura is gone, and Shinji and Zouken are dead. But they stay a while as Rin mops up local business and then grows reluctant to leave again.

Around 2014-15 Rin participates in a great battle with Waver Velvet/Lord El-Melloi II, as stated in supplementary material, to destroy the Greater Grail. She sees this as an opportunity to say goodbye to the memory of Sakura. Still, she lingers in Fuyuki.

Shortly afterwards, Shirou tells Rin that he needs to go off on adventures as a hero and he will come back to her when he can. A year later he dies on an adventure.

Around late 2016 rumors of a spreading plague or curse begin to stir in Fuyuki...Rin investigates and finds it's a deadly magical humanity-destroying plague that will wipe out anyone who doesn't have rudimentary magic circuits to fight back against it.

She vows to make a contract offering her soul to the World as a Heroic Spirit in exchange for the power to grant simple magic circuits to all humans (even though this would devastate the mage world she was raised in).

But the mediator for this deal who she summons is Heroic Spirit Emiya, aka her Archer.

In her powerful presence, he quickly remembers his experiences with and feelings for her, and he refuses to simply let her make that deal. He insists that she investigate and find any other possible way.

They investigate and find out the curse/plague came from Sakura's last wishes as Zouken was taking her body.

Eventually, grieving her sister and seeing no other way, Rin decides to go through with her contract, but Archer demands to fight her before he'll let her do it.

After that...I don't know? So much more to figure out when I've reread more of the original VN and checked up on spinoffs.

[mercuriians]

May I request a femreader x Sakura (Naruto) story? Reader has a dream of a small retelling of Rapunzel. Reader climbs Sakura's hair and is happy to talk to her. The story doesn't advance in reader's dream as Reader just happily talks to Sakura. She then wakes up from the dream, surprised to see Sakura waking Reader up.

princess in pink

content info — fem! reader, fluffy drabble, lowkey a disney crossover.

word count — 1.0k words.

author’s note — thank you for the request anon!! i apologize for taking an actual eternity to write this 🙁, my sense of motivation was not kind to me. however, the good news is that it’s back now! this story is a little on the shorter side but i hope you guys enjoy it still. :)

all around the town, there’s been word of a beautiful, fair young girl who can only be found within a spiraling tower.

it's a myth as common as can be, having survived a decade of being passed around and exchanged like a silver coin. most of the people believed it, of course, ever since the village's princess mysteriously went missing, but there were always those who remained unaffected by all the talk. "people will say anything nowadays," they'd say with a scoff before proceeding on with their usual day-to-day business. you, like the majority, stood firm by the myth. however, unlike the majority, your spirit was fierce, unrestrained, and above all, inquisitive. in your eyes, everything was a challenge waiting to be beaten, a puzzle waiting to be understood. so, naturally, you vowed to prove to everyone that the story was in fact real, and that there was someone who genuinely needed help.

because there was no way that the village's princess was dead.

two days after you turned eighteen, you finally ventured outside the town walls, carrying nothing with you but a lamp. you were dressed simply, wearing your weathered boots and an onyx cloak that ensured you stayed hidden amidst the shadows of the night. you'd also stolen your father's dagger just before you left, figuring that you might as well be prepared for anything. you were adventurous, but you weren't daft. safety wasn't guaranteed when you were essentially leaving behind the sole place you'd ever known. but then again, you suppose, that was part of what made this escapade so exhilarating.

so you set off on your awaited journey, not knowing what to expect and yet expecting everything all the same.

but, after four days of searching all over the land, scribbling unprecedented areas into your little map, and relying on the surprisingly delicious berry bushes you were fortunate enough to stumble upon, maybe the one thing you didn’t anticipate was the overwhelming long, thick, silky rope of rosy hair dangling over the grand tower’s open window, its ends touching the grass-covered grounds of the clearing. your eyes widened.

there was someone inside that tower—the princess.

after taking a brief but thorough look at the building, you deduced that there was no other way to get in, so you started walking towards the rope of pink hair. carefully, you set foot on it, steadying yourself as best you could. a few seconds passed, and with a sharp inhale, you felt yourself being lifted, the hair being used as leverage as you got closer and closer to the window. voluntarily, you willed yourself not to look down.

it was only a minute later that you found yourself face-to-face with the lost princess herself, your mouth completely agape as you took a moment to process several truths all at once. the rumors were in fact true—of course they were—and the princess was alive and well, and wow were her emerald eyes always so captivating—

"you've come to save me," she says a little breathlessly, gaze clearly bright with joy. "after all these years, i've been found! please, tell me your name."

the sound of her smooth voice is enough to shake you out of your stupor. clearing your throat and disregarding your momentary embarrassment, you offer her a smile as politely as possible before bending into a bow. "(y/n), princess sakura. i'm glad that i've finally located you. the village has been in a deep state of unrest ever since you disappeared."

for a moment, sakura's smile tightens, but she regains her composure so swiftly that you question whether you were merely hallucinating. "i'm sorry to have caused all the worry. it's all a bit of a long story, but i'll make sure to tell you it later. how did you find me?"

you explain the details of your journey to the princess, and she nods along attentively, her eyes rarely leaving yours. her soft giggle wafts through the air when you comment on how the berries you found lined up along the dirt path were a delicious, convenient snack. "when we get back to the village, remind me to bake you a blueberry pie," she hums pleasantly. "think of it as my way of saying thank you."

you can't stop the way a rosy blush dusts over your cheeks. “it’s alright, really,” you protest weakly. “i’m okay.”

sakura’s smile drops a bit, a more stern expression passing over her face. “are you refusing a gift from the princess herself?” she asks with a fair sense of sass, her lithe fingers curling around her hip for good measure. it’s rather cute, especially with the pout she’s now maybe unintentionally wearing, but you keep that observation to yourself.

immediately you shake your head, a slightly nervous smile ghosting across your lips. “not at all, i promise,” you assure her. “thank you kindly, my lady.”

the two of you talk for a long while, exchanging remarks until it seems like time has worn itself thin. it never registers in your mind that the nature of the reality eventually grows hazy, almost as if the moment has been frozen in place like a lake during winter. really, all you’re able to focus on is the princess in front of you, with her soft rosy hair and easy smile. her scent is delicate, somewhat like strawberries, but there’s a sense of a kind yet assertive strength that sharpens her gaze. it’s one that somehow gives you an impression of what the princess thinks of you—as equals, as people who stand on the same ground. it’s a nice, comforting feeling.

but then the world starts to shift, and you start to feel someone shaking you awake. that’s when you realize that your reality—the one you’d been living in before—has ultimately never even existed. light pours into your line of vision, and with a small groan, you look up. fortunately, a familiar pair of emerald eyes is there to greet you.

“hey there, sleepyhead,” sakura laughs, fondly flicking you on the forehead. “nap time’s over. did you dream of anything?”