#there'll be more don't worry

[myreygn]

kny modern au - characters: hashira

includes: gyomei, tengen, giyuu, sanemi, obanai, kanae, kyojuro, mitsuri, shinobu, muichiro

HUGE thanks and shout out to @giggly-squiggily and @trans-ace-lee for their contributions to this au and indulging my brainrots ♡

inspiration was taken from the german school system because that's what i grew up and am most familiar with:

ages 2-6 (flexible, not mandatory): kindergarten

ages 6-10 (grades 1-4): elementary school

ages 10/11-16/17 (grades 5-10): "secondary school", the diploma qualifies you for an education outside of university (craft sector, social sector etc)

ages 16/17-18/19 (grades 11-12): "upper school", the diploma qualifies you for university

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Himejima Gyomei (27, theology major)

grew up in a buddhist orphanage after his parents gave him up because they were ableist idiots who didn't want to raise a blind child

had a very happy childhood, has never been adopted and isn't upset about it in the slightest

went on a spiritual journey for five years after school and wrote a bestseller book about it

started going to university at age 23, helps out at the orphanage whenever he can

has a seeing-eye dog named Curry (a four year old black labrador and the only being on earth he would kill for, he got her when he returned from his journey)

can afford his own flat and lives right next to the orphanage with Curry

advocate for a more inclusive university life and very active in groups fighting for disability rights, both on and off campus

Uzui Tengen (23, music major)

was somewhat of a public figure from a very young age because the Uzui clan is one the richest, most powerful families in the country and everyone in town knows who they are

always hated his parents and moved out at 18, got a small fortune (that's rich people slang for a ton of money, source: trust me) from a cool uncle and used it to open a night club which is very popular with the locals

has no contact to his siblings (even tho he'd like to) and avoids all of his dad's properties like the plague

started going to university at age 20 because he wanted to do something with his passion

plays a bunch of instruments (piano, harp, guitar, violin, shamizen, koto and like ten different types of flute)

lives with his girlfriends in an almost-a-mansion and throws the best partys anyone has ever been to

Tomioka Giyuu (21, philosophy major)

his parents died when he was three years old and him and his sister went through foster care until she came off age and became his legal guardian, they're super close

has been studying several martial arts at Urokodaki's dojo since he was in elementary school

picked philosophy as a major because he had no idea what else to do but it's actually fun??

he mostly just sits in the back and draws stick figures but once a week he'll say something that makes everyone rethink their entire life (no one really understands what's happening inside his head but his professors are convinced he's a genius)

teaches little kids in the dojo because Urokodaki thinks it'd be good for him, he's slowly warming up to it

the type of peanut allergy where his throat closes up at the sight of them, when they were in fifth grade Sanemi almost killed him because he didn't know about it and it delayed their friendship by roughly two years

Shinazugawa Sanemi (21, physics major)

abusive pos dad got stabbed when he was ten, helped his mom raise his younger siblings and is super close with all of them

moved out at 20 when his mom encouraged him to spend more time at university, roommates with Obanai, Giyuu and Sabito

colorblind from birth and dysgraphic when it comes to handwriting, uses recording devices and laptops in class

used to get into a lot of fights in school and still works on not doing that™, most people think he's scary and a delinquent (and also a murderer because it's kinda sus that none of the family members showed up at their dad's funeral)

biker, the motorcycle has wind art on it and he mostly uses it to pick up the tons of children that somehow snuck into his friend circle and take Kanae on drives, loves bringing his guitar to play her something in the moonlight

suffered through school for the most part, a new teacher (Kagaya) in tenth grade inspired him to finish "upper school" and study physics

loves Gyomei's dog like a daughter

Kocho Kanae (21, biology major)

lives with her family and has no plans of moving out until she finishes university, helps a ton in the household

the best big sister ever, drives all of her sisters and their friends around and picks them up at 3am when they're stranded somewhere (also doesn't pretend to hate it, unlike certain other older siblings with their own vehicles)

has always been into gardening and is really getting into permaculture, puts plants wherever she can and loves flowers

most of her cooking ingredients are from her own garden, vegetarian (everything she cooks or bakes will be the best thing you ever ate)

has the voice of an angel, Sumi, Kiyo and Naho refuse to go to bed without her singing them a lullaby

christmas is her favorite time of the year, she goes all out with planning the festivities and getting everyone gifts and needs three whole days to recharge afterwards

has to wear a biteguard when she's stressed because she'll start clenching her teeth in her sleep and works really hard to keep it a secret from everyone

Iguro Obanai (21, philosophy major)

somewhat of a local legend, not by his own doing but by people just making shit up about him

grew up in a cult of which all the members were killed in a fire with him being the only survivor and a huge news story all across the country at age 12

moved to another city as soon as he was old enough to start anew but the rumors follow him everywhere (and it doesn't help that he talks to his snake)

mostly annoyed by the rumors but also likes to use them to scare people of who are being super pushy or harassing his friends (that's the first time in his life he found friends, he can and will commit atrocious crimes on their behalf)

originally enrolled in zoology, then switched majors when the professors wanted to use Kaburamaru as a test subject

spends his time in philosophy class taking a stance against whatever Giyuu says and has an entire folder filled with essays criticizing his statements

always carries headphones with him, listens to lofi because he likes it, mcr because he feels it in his soul and doom metal solely to fuck with tengen ("Screaming is not music!")

Rengoku Kyojuro (20, history major)

still lives at home with his dad and brother because he didn't want to leave Senjuro behind, spends most of his time out of the house tho and is looking for a flat right now

works parttime at a restaurant that's called Umainia and his friends have yet to figure out whether he says "Umai" all the time because he likes his food or to advertise his work place

slightly hearing impaired, has hearing aids prescribed that he just forgets to put in at all times

doesn't have a driver's license, goes by bike everywhere no matter the weather

gets close to people easily, is well beloved amongst Senjuro's friends and also makes an effort to get to know them so he can be sure Senjuro's in good hands

regularly forgets people's names but never their birthdays

collects old books and learned a bunch of old languages just to be able to read them

Kanroji Mitsuri (19, art major)

still lives at home because she wants to stay with her family and help take care of her siblings, also claims that she had invested too much time in her room to just leave it behind (her room looks like every cool fluffy fairy core room you have ever seen on pinterest, it's the coziest place on earth)

if there's a sanrio themed version of stuff she needs, she's getting it, no questions asked.

slightly allergic to dogs, she doesn't care though and cuddles with Curry all the time, she calls it confrontation therapy (it works)

animal lover in general, she even built a little terrarium in her room so Kaburamaru has a comfy spot for his naps when Obanai stays over

has kept every drawing she ever made and sometimes looks through them for inspiration, also likes to track her progress that way

there's a coffee shop across the street from her house where she has been customer of the month every month consistently for four years as well as an honorary mention ever since she was six

Kocho Shinobu (18, student)

in her last year of school and likely about to graduate with a perfect score

founder and president of the first aid club, also head of the student council and an active member on every committee the school has to offer

recently got her driver's license but keeps it a secret so she doesn't have to play chauffeur for her sisters

effectively avoids getting asked out for dates by being very scary™ (and taking jiu jitsu classes since elementary school), she's also your go to person when creepy weirdos won't leave you alone

loves cooking with her sisters and often shares her own recipes with Kanao, she also has her own little corner in Kanae's garden where she plants stuff that she uses to make her own medicine

has a lot on her plate with school and her clubs and some volunteer stuff she does here and there, so she goes to the local animal shelter once a week to cuddle and play with the cats and dogs there, it's her little safe zone to unwind and she doesn't tell anyone about it

the biggest fan of psychological thrillers you will ever meet

Tokito Muichiro (14, student)

in eighth grade and no one knows how he did it but everyone suspects that his brother took at least some of his exams in his place

he's not bad at school per se but he just can't memorize stuff, you're lucky if he knows your name after sitting next to each other for six months

is a member of the cooking club tho and absolutely thriving there, he never goes by recipe and creates the most delicious things but he won't tell anyone his secret ingredients because he can't remember them either

absolutely loves visiting his friends' houses, he's so happy seeing how their rooms reflect them

followed Yuichiro everywhere all throughout elementary school, then made his first friend in fifth grade (Tanjiro of course) and has been getting more and more independent ever since

constantly misses bus stops or takes trains in the wrong direction and is always late because of it, however he has also acquired an extensive knowledge of the town and can give you directions to pretty much everywhere

tries his very best to remember his friends' birthdays but forgets his own every year because it just kinda slips his mind that he has the same birthday as Yuichiro

[sysig]

I really like @theratpy​‘s Dr. Zo :D I like him for normal reasons don’t even worry about it don’t read into it at all haha (Patreon)

Bonus Ratticus

[dragonsongmakhali]

UH OH SISTERS!!

it's time for a ✨new oc✨who is a spoiler just by her gear so I've tagged appropriately. Description too. It's all spoilers all the way down.

Kinara Tyth || Ex-Oblivion Operative || Resolve's Succor || Alexandrian Nullifier

Makhali is still here and will still be posed! She'll be kicking around Solution 9 and the Arcadion. Kinara's going to be mostly contained on nullsentinel - though I reserve the right to reblog to here if I make something I really love. Please look forward to it 🙏

[emotionalsupporthufflefluff]

fancy spells that show the truth

Ominis Gaunt x GN!Hufflepuff!Reader (MC from game = Eliza Fig, Gryffindor) part five of the fancy series - [ToC]

Summary: The group of wayward students arrives to help- but causes problems along the way. (So I wasn’t planning on making Eliza an evil-type but the story goes as it does i guess. Hope no one got to attached to her)

“Diffindo!”

“Bombarda!”

You shot your head upward at the sounds of spells being cast, looking across the way through a bit of forest to see lights flashing back and forth, a multitude of colours. Reds and greens pop out mostly, and you sit there holding your breath. This could be it.

“It’s them!” Marcus calls out, running up to his boss. Having sat here long enough, you eventually got a look around. You were currently put aside from the rest of the encampment, close to ‘The Boss’s tent. He seemed annoyed at his entire party and set up his tent- the largest tent- away from the rest of the group. Not trusting them, he also had set up the creature cage nearby, with a table and campfire in the centre of the area. You currently sat among a group of five fwoopers, one of them a lime green colour that slept in the middle of the huddle. The gleaming silver keys to the cage hung on Ed’s belt, who was leaning against a tree nearby after being ordered to watch over the cage.

“But why!” Ed had complained loudly, huffing and crossing his arms. “You finally gave me my own crew and it includes Marcus and now you want me to- to watch over a cage of creatures-”

“I want you to babysit the child you decided to kidnap, actually,” The boss had sneered, glaring at the man you had once thought was the leader. “I’m certainly not going to sit out here watching them, that sounds exhausting. I have boss duties to attend to. Sales to be had, people to talk to, you know how it is.” The boss waved his hand in a dismissive manner, and you wondered if he actually did anything for the encampment besides being absolutely horrid to everyone.

“Fine, okay,” Ed agrees, too easily in your opinion. The boss seems to agree as he narrows his eyes, taking a step closer to the poacher.

“And there will be no pawning this job off to Marcus. I can’t stand that man.” With a slump of his shoulders, Ed agrees quietly. It seemed that had been his plan after all.

“Who is what?” The boss barked, leaning against the table in the centre with some assortment of papers spread out across it. At one point the wind had blown, and the boss had drawn a dagger from his hip and jammed it into the table to hold one of them down.

“The-” Marcus was breathing heavily, leaning down to rest his hands against his knees. “The attackers! It’s the kid! The student!” Two sets of eyes immediately look at you before looking back to Marcus, the boss straightening up.

“What are you talking about Marcus? Spit it out.”

“It’s the kid! That defeated Ranrok! The one that goes around spewing Unforgivables at us constantly!”

“Oh fuck this,” The boss spits out, then spins on his heels and immediately disappears. The air surrounding this area was quiet, only interrupted by sounds of battle just enough away that neither man felt threatened, yet. Ed and Marcus meet eyes, the latter seeming scared and curling in on himself.

“What do we do?”

“What the hell do you think we do? We fight back!”

“But it’s her!” Marcus pleaded, walking closer to Ed and grabbing his arm. “Look, I don’t want to die, Ed. Just unlock the cage, I’m sure they’re here for the kid.” Neither looked at you as they discussed your fate, and your eyes constantly wandered back toward the flashing lights through the trees. If you paid close attention, it almost seemed like it was getting closer.

“We’re not cowards, Marcus. If we fight and win, we can take over this operation. Fuck the boss, he ran! What do you think the rest of them will think?”

“The rest of them will be dead, Ed! Just like us!” His yell was surprising, having seemed like he was afraid of confrontation. Though honestly, out of everyone here, you probably felt the most for him. He just wanted friends, to fit in, and everyone condemned him for being ‘annoying.’ You hoped he could find better friends- and maybe a better profession. Maybe an actual profession.

“Petrificus Totalus!” A familiar voice called out and Marcus suddenly became as stiff as a board and fell sideways. You immediately jump up- as much as you were able, so really you were just standing on your knees- and clutch at the bars to push yourself further. You could just barely see him.

“Ominis!” He paused and you watched him heaving in a breath. Beside him, two more people ran forward- Poppy and Sebastian. They both called out spells, aiming toward Ed, who had jumped away and was trying to use the trees as cover.

“Y/N?” Ominis called out, taking a few steps forward as if unaware of the flashing of spells careening so close to his head. “Y/N?! Call out again, I can’t find you!”

“Ominis, I’m over here!” He immediately spun in your direction, his wand pulsing with red as he ran toward your voice. You could see a healthy flush across his face- and maybe right now wasn’t exactly the time to be checking him out, but c’mon. He’s literally saving your life right now. A healthy appreciation is warranted. “Over here Ominis! I’m in a- a cage right now.”

Ominis finally slowed his approach as he got closer, his eyebrows furrowing together tightly, his expression pinching into annoyance. “I know you’re here,” Ominis muttered, and you could barely hear him over the sounds of spells being flung around. It seemed the rest of the poachers had apparated nearby, hiding among the trees nearby Ed. Marcus still laid still on the ground nearby, but you could see his eyes frantically looking around as much as possible. Other students had filtered into the area- Natty and Garreth, and- wait. Wasn’t that the new fifth year- or perhaps, ‘used to be’ the new fifth year? What was her name again, Eliza Fig? Her smirk was cruel, and she muttered her spells under her breath, but the lights that sprung from her crooked wand were green.

“I know you’re here, but I can’t see you,” Ominis continued, drawing your attention back to him. “I can see like- a big box?”

“It’s a cage, Ominis. It’s likely enchanted, wards weaved into the bars.” Ominis began to nod, coming closer with his hand stretched outward. He found one of the bars, wrapping his hand firmly around it, serious expression in place. You raise a hand to place atop his, thankful for the contact, and you watch as Ominis’ breathing stutters, his huff of a breath as he finally falls to his knees in front of the cage, in front of you.

“I was so scared, Y/N. When you didn’t get back to your common room-”

“You were waiting for me at my common room?”

“Well, yeah, Y/N. I never want you mad at me.” Ominis’ voice was low, but he was close enough this time that you could hear him clearly. “I thought we agreed you wouldn’t go to the forbidden forest on your own anymore.”

“I didn’t realize I was going there, by the time I noticed I thought a quick brush would’ve been fine,” You were speaking quickly, your eyes constantly scanning the area behind Ominis for any sign of hostility aimed at him. Why he would turn his back to an active battlefield, you didn’t know. You were gearing up to berate him about it when you heard Eliza call out in a wicked, gleeful voice.

“Crucio!” You felt Ominis immediately tense under your hands, and you tighten your grip on him, glaring at the Gryffindor across from you. Sebastian immediately stomps over, throwing a hand down against her wand hand to make her drop the spell, immediately muttering something at her with an angry expression. You couldn’t hear him, however, you heard her reply.

“What’s it matter? They’re only poachers, they deserve it.”

“Where’s the lock, Y/N?” Ominis’ voice was deep, heavy with something you couldn’t quite place. You take his hand holding the wand, moving it before removing your hand from the current cross-section it was at to a closer one, taking his hand and dragging it the rest of the way. One there you tap his wand against the keyhole, muttering under your breath. Your eyes never leave the form of Eliza Fig.

“You choose interesting company, Ominis.”

“I did not choose her. She forced herself along, and the rest of your friends are apparently enamoured by her.” Ominis muttered angrily, tapping the lock and muttering Alohomora under his breath. It took three tries of him doing this and Ominis progressively grew antsier as it wouldn’t work. Finally, the lock clicks open loudly and the gate just barely swings outward. Ominis audibly sighs in relief, reaching forward to take hold of the gate and pull it wide open. You take initiative, rushing out of the cage and crushing Ominis in a hug.

“Thank you for coming for me.”

“Always, Y/N.” He immediately wrapped his own arms around your midsection, pulling you close and squeezing you. He holds you close for a long moment, in no hurry to release you- and you the same. Your arms were wrapped around his shoulders, face buried into his neck. You weren’t sure how long, exactly, the two of you stood there, but it did take a long minute before you realized that silence surrounded you. You lifted your gaze and saw the fighting has stopped, the colourful flashing of spells having ceased and all of the poachers were nowhere to be seen. Your friends stood around awkwardly, most watching you, and Eliza had a long smirk on her face that you wished you could hex away.

“It’s safe now,” Sebastian calls out, glaring toward Eliza before jogging over to close the distance. He places a hand on one of your arms as they were wrapped around Ominis, trying to gently smile for you. “Glad we got to you in time.”

You heard a mumbling against your neck from Ominis. Sebastian furrows his brow in confusion, unable to make out the grumbling tones, but you could’ve sworn you heard him say, “Go away.” You bit your lip to hold back a giggle, tightening your hold on Ominis and placing your chin on his shoulder.

“Thank you for coming.” You grin cheekily at him, your eyes dancing between all of your friends before landing back on Sebastian. “You didn’t have to.”

“What are you talking about? Of course I did.” Sebastian scoffs, crossing his arms with a self-satisfied smirk. “If I hadn’t helped you out, I wouldn’t hear the end of it from Ominis. Or Poppy.” You felt your chest shaking in a laugh, looking between Poppy and him a few times before raising your eyebrows. It was still dark outside, but you could’ve sworn you’d seen Sebastian’s cheeks grow dark at your nonverbal insinuation.

“Let’s get going,” Ominis finally spoke, pulling away from you mostly, but leaving one arm wrapped around your midsection, pressing his side against yours. He faces the rest of the group, void of the emotions that seemed so vibrant to you earlier. “We don’t want anyone reporting us missing.”

“Yeah, Merlin forbid,” Eliza mumbles under her breath, raising a hand to inspect her nails. You grit your teeth at this, narrowing your eyes at her.

“Why are you here, anyway?” You asked, then watched as Natty raised her eyebrows and took a few steps to get closer to the huddle of students forming, stepping up right next to Eliza. Eliza, instead, stands her ground but raises her eyes toward you, sizing you up. She drops her hand to place it on her hip, tilting her head.

“I’m sorry, who are you again?”

“They’re the student we literally came here to save, Eliza,” Ominis responded, venom spewing from his voice.

“Hey, hey, what’s with all the hostility?” Natty steps into the middle, holding her hands out on either side. She looks to Eliza and they seem to have a small conversation with their eyes before Natty turns her back to her, facing you and Ominis. “She literally came here to help, what’s the problem with that?”

“I’m sorry that I don’t enjoy being rescued by someone who would willingly- and joyfully, might I add- use Crucio on a person.” You watch Natty’s eyebrows furrow, her head tilting in confusion. There was no way she hadn’t seen that… right?

“I’m with Y/N on this one,” Ominis mumbled, tightening his hold on you. Natty’s face crumbles slightly, her head shaking from side to side. She turns around to face Eliza, a question clear on her face, though she still voices it.

“What they’re saying can’t be true, can it?” Eliza looks away, biting her lip and refusing to meet Natty’s gaze. Natty takes a step forward, raising a hand toward her. She looked to be in the middle of saying something but was interrupted by a shout.

“Crucio!” The green bolt flew from behind you and Ominis, aimed directly at where Eliza stood. Except Natty had taken two steps forward instead of one, and the green bolt hit her back instead. Her screams were horrid, haunting, and she fell to her knees and curled up in pain. You and Ominis spun around, him with his wand held outward and pulsing, and you with your eyes wide, looking for danger. You could just barely see one-half of Ed’s face behind a nearby tree, very close to where the spell was originating from.

“No!” Eliza called out, and you spun back around in time to see her on the floor in front of Natty, shaking her head quickly. The Gryffindor then jumped up, snarling in the direction of the spell. Taking a few steps forward, she lifts that crooked wand- the sight of which was beginning to shoot fear through you- and aims it toward the trees. “Avada-”

She was interrupted when, once again, Sebastian strode forward and slammed his hand down on her wand. She snarled at him, raising a hand to throw a punch, and you spun around at the sound of another voice.

“Depulso!” You see Garreth not five feet from you, standing at the entrance to the cage you had been in and pointing toward the trees as well. The green light that had been aimed at Natty fades away and everyone hears a pained grunt, followed by the sound of something slamming against wood, the wood cracking.

“I’m defenceless here,” You mumble, causing Ominis to pull you close and wrap himself around you like a personal shield. You didn’t want that- of course, you’d never want Ominis hurt- so you begin to pull away until you hear Poppy’s soft voice right next to you.

“I have your bag, Y/N.” Ominis finally releases his grip on you, his eyes flying wildly from side to side as if trying to see anything that could hurt the group of you. You take one step closer to Poppy, reaching forward to take the bookbag. “I put your wand in there too. You must’ve dropped it when they nabbed you.”

“Yeah, they petrified me. I dropped my wand, I don’t even know where it rolled to. They didn’t think to look for it until we got to camp. It wasn’t on me so they couldn’t take it.” You immediately flipped open your bag, pushing past the scattered fwooper treats and reaching down the side to pull out your wand from where it rolled to. Sighing in relief, you shoot Poppy a grin. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“Not to rain on this charming parade,” Garreth finally intones, stretching his arms out to either side to herd the three of you closer to the rest of the group. “But this forest is creepy, I hate spiders and there are spiderwebs everywhere, and we just got attacked by a stray poacher. I say we do like what was originally suggested and get out of here. The arguments can wait until we’re in Hogwarts.”

Eliza wandered back over to Natty, helping her up as the two mumbled to each other. Poppy sticks close to your side that wasn’t plastered to Ominis, and Sebastian- walking with blood running down his nose- walks on Ominis’ other side. Garreth sighs and, with a shake of his head, walks lonely between the two formed groups.

“So what the hell was that, Eliza?”

Your group had only just made it through the Hogwarts gates, not even halfway through the courtyard to the castle before Sebastian finally spoke up. It made sense that he would be the first to break, he never was very patient. But Eliza had been quietly carrying Natty along the path with nary a word, although that only seemed to ramp up the antsiness between the rest of the group. Even Garreth began to lag behind, walking closer to your group than the two women ahead of you.

“What was what?”

You shook your head, aggravated that someone so smart would pretend to be dumb. Ominis tightened his hold on you, halting your movements and turning you to face him. You complied, looking into Ominis’ milky eyes as he keeps his head bowed toward you. He was obviously listening, wanting to know how this would resolve, but it seemed almost like he didn’t want you involved. Was there something more to this than you realized?

“You know damn well what was what,” Sebastian spat out, and you tilted your head in confusion. He could have a temper for sure, but you’ve never heard him sound so nasty.

“I’m sure I don’t know-”

“Like hell,” Sebastian growled, and you almost instinctively moved to calm him down, but you stayed in place with Ominis’ gentle insistence. You turn to see Sebastian taking a step closer to Eliza, who had also stopped. Eliza sat Natty down on the edge of the fountain, turning to sneer back at Sebastian. Garreth had ended his walk sooner, ending up closer to your group than the argument. He had an arm wrapped around Poppy currently, pulling her into his chest- almost like shielding her from the fight. With how she held her hands close to her face, it seemed she needed it. “You told me you would stop.”

“I never said that,” Eliza growled, taking her own step toward Sebastian. “You told me that you thought we should stop. I never agreed with you, I just let you go.”

“Let me go?” Sebastian scoffs, laughing with astonishment. “So you’re telling me all this time? You’ve been practising Unforgivables after everything-”

“Fuck you, Sebastian! You’re the one who left me!”

“I never left you! I tried to be friends!” Sebastian yelled back, anger mixed with something foreign colouring his tone. “You were the one who pushed me away! But I get it now,” He laughs again, the normally jovial sound now tinged with something bitter, and he continues with a quieter voice, “I do, I really get it now. You kept going, you kept up the research.”

Eliza remained quiet, her sneer slowly transforming into a stoic expression. Garreth began walking Poppy slowly toward Hogwarts, and you couldn’t blame them. You’d talk to Poppy later about the whole ordeal. But you stayed, you waited with Ominis. Sebastian was his best friend, and he even seemed to know what this whole argument was about. You also couldn’t help your curiosity.

“After everything that happened,” Sebastian continued, his voice a low growl now, “After having to perform the cruciatus curse on me. I thought you would stop, I thought-”

“You thought wrong,” Eliza interrupted, her voice cruel. It was silent for a moment, crickets chirping in the background. When Eliza opened her mouth once more, ready to spout out some sort of excuse or reasoning, she was interrupted by weak coughing. She spun quickly and rushed to Natty’s side, kneeling down and placing a hand on Natty’s knee.

Natty flinches away violently, scooting away from Eliza on the fountain with wide eyes. You watch in trepidation as Eliza’s shoulders fall, followed by her head.

“Stay away from me,” Natty coughs out, scooting away again before stumbling and falling onto the ground. You take a step forward to help, Ominis’ hands falling away from your hips and letting you. You stop yourself, though, once Eliza stands and takes a step toward her as well. “I didn’t want to believe it. There was so much-” A wracking cough interrupts her sentence, and at this point you rush forward. You help Natty to sit up straight, letting her rest her back against you as you hold her. “It was too loud, out there during the battle. I didn’t hear it. I saw the green flashes but wanted to fool myself into believing it was the poachers.”

“Natty-”

“Every time.” She coughs again and you tighten your hold on her, reaching a hand up to push a stray, thick lock of hair away from her sweaty forehead. “Every time we’ve gone out together, I saw those flashes. That colour. You were doing it every time, weren’t you? Casting Unforgivables like they were any other spell.”

“Yes.” You widened your eyes in surprise, turning quickly and locking eyes with Eliza. She couldn’t seem to meet Natty’s eyes, but she glared into yours like she could will herself to trade places with you. You were surprised at her blatant honesty. Especially knowing how Natty would react to it. Predictably, Natty’s voice was cold as she glared at Eliza.

“You’re worse than them. Worse than the poachers. Worse than the bandits from Uagadou.” Natty begins to push herself up, and you help until she’s fully stood. You watch as pain wracks through her body in waves, the after-effects of Crucio, but you drop your hands away once she’s standing stable. You could tell she needed to do this, needed to show independence and strength when facing someone she used to consider a good friend. The castle grounds were quiet for an extended time before Natty finally huffed, shaking her head. “I’m ashamed to share a house with you. Just stay away from me.”

Natty stomps away, toward the doors that Garreth and Poppy had disappeared through earlier. You stood there frozen, wondering what exactly you inserted yourself into. Turning slowly to face Ominis, you’re taken off guard at how close Eliza was to you. You widened your eyes as she took another two steps closer to you until only a few feet separated the both of you.

“Don’t think this is over,” Eliza harshly whispered toward you, a sneer lighting up her face. “If you hadn’t been stupid and vulnerable then this would’ve never happened.”

“This isn’t their fault, Eliza.” Sebastian’s voice interrupted the harsh words, and you quickly glanced with worried eyes to Sebastian a few paces away, who held his arm out to hold Ominis back. Ominis looked livid, both hands on Sebastian’s arms were squeezing with visible effort, but he remained in place as Sebastian wanted.

“I don’t give a flying fuck,” Eliza spat, reaching a hand out to grasp hold of the front of your robes, pulling you in closer. “Your idiotic actions took Natty away from me. Turned Garreth and Poppy away from me.”

“I think those were your own actions,” You mumbled back, raising your eyebrows. She was scary as hell, but you weren’t to blame for anything. “You were the only one flinging the un-”

You were cut off abruptly as you were pushed to the ground, Eliza pulling her wand and kneeling down on top of you, pressing the tip against your neck. “Shut the fuck up-”

“Y/N!” You look over toward Ominis, watching Sebastian fully holding him back now. He was struggling, Ominis was insistent on breaking free. You couldn’t even smile at him to calm him, so you tried to clear your throat and raise your voice for him to hear.

“Everything’s okay Ominis. It’s fine.” You watched his struggle lessen some, but he still angrily pushed against Sebastian’s arms. “Just a little cuddle session. You can be next.” Eliza’s scoff takes your attention once more, meeting hazardous eyes.

“You’re so pathetic. No wonder I didn’t know you existed until tonight.” She stood up once more, pocketing her wand. “You better stay out of my way, Hufflepuff.”

“Fuck you, Eliza,” Ominis called out, hatred lacing his voice. “Stay the fuck away from them.” He finally broke away from Sebastian- not for lack of trying on Seb’s part- and ran toward you on the ground. Eliza took a few steps back, turning to face all three of you as if realizing her back had been turned against potential threats. Ominis’ hands on you were a welcome treat as he assured himself you were fine, then pulled you up from your laid-out position.

“Seems we have the same idea then, Ominis.” You turned to meet her eyes after those words but were struck short when she wasn’t there. She had disappeared, and you turned questioning eyes toward Sebastian.

“She apparated. We’re alone.” He added on the last part for Ominis’ benefit most likely, and you let yourself finally relax in Ominis’ arms. “I’m sorry I let her come along, Ominis.”

“You didn’t,” He mumbled, pulling you closer to him. You let your head rest on his chest, closing your eyes to hear his heartbeat. “She had everyone else fooled, just like she fooled you in fifth year. But it’s fine now, they’ve seen her true colours.”

You didn’t hear a reply from Sebastian aside from a sigh. It was quiet for a longer time and you opened your eyes to see Sebastian approach slowly and sit cross-legged next to the two of you. Eventually he spoke, keeping his eyes on the stars above. “Perhaps sitting out here isn’t the best idea. Wouldn’t want to get detention.”

“We could spend the detention together, at least.” This was your suggestion, a smirk forming on your face as you stared at Sebastian, resting against Ominis.

“We’re just studying for our Astronomy class, that’s all,” Ominis mumbles, pulling you closer before he mimics Sebastian, raising his face to the sky. You laugh, shaking your head at him. “They look very pretty tonight.”

“You’ve never seen stars before in your life, Ominis,” Sebastian muttered, but you were pleased to hear a return to his jovial tone.

“I’ve been told they’re the same every night.”

“They are,” You affirm, sitting up further to be able to look at his face again. He really did have the prettiest face, his gaunt features highlighted by the half-moon’s light.

“So then if they were pretty two weeks ago, I’m sure they’re still pretty now.”

“Who said they were pretty two weeks ago?” Sebastian asks with a laugh, plucking grass between his fingers before throwing the handful back down and repeating the process.

“Y/N.” Sebastian raises his eyebrows toward you, a slow smirk forming on his face.

“Don’t give me that look, Sallow. We were actually studying for Astronomy that night.”

“Sure you were,” Sebastian mumbled, earning an elbow to his side from Ominis. “Well! With that,” Sebastian throws his hands down onto his knees, a loud slap echoing around the trio. “I’m tired.” That was the only goodbye you received as Sebastian stood and made his way inside. The night was quiet around you, silent aside from the insects buzzing and owls hooting in the distance. You both waited for the sound of the great door closing before speaking.

“So,” You begin, taking in the way the moonlight played against Ominis’ cheekbones. “I should probably get back to my common room at some point.”

You felt his hands tighten around you before he slowly, gently begins to pull you closer. You knew you could easily back away from this if you wanted, this wasn’t a forceful movement at all. But you wanted this, wanted him, and you didn’t care how much this action showed the heart on your sleeve. You gave in, laying against him once more.

“I don’t want to let you go tonight,” Ominis muttered against your hair, dropping his head to curl around you. His voice wavered, full of emotion. “I feel like I almost lost you and I-” He doesn’t continue his sentence, leaving whatever he had meant hanging in the air between you.

“What are you going to do, sneak me into the Slytherin rooms?” You giggle, shaking your head against him. You lifted your gaze to see him, watching a scrunchy type look cross his face.

“Maybe another night, but not tonight. I don’t want to be around those boys- I don’t want to be around anyone else but you tonight.” You breathed in deeply, hoping to calm the butterflies that scurried at those words.

“Then, what are we to do?”

“I know a place.”

[storfulsten]

eaouuugh

[deathbypixelz]

Remember that the first step in "reduce, reuse, recycle" is REDUCE. Not buying a water bottle made out of recycled... idk... jeans or whatever when you already have a perfectly functional plastic water bottle helps way more than buying the recycled jeans water bottle. Taking care of that plastic water bottle and making it last as long as possible helps way more than buying a new recycled jeans water bottle every year because you don't clean them/keep dropping them/etc.

When your old stuff finally wears out, that's when you buy the recycled jeans water bottle. Don't buy it just to buy it. Use what you already have for as long as possible.

[nerevarswritingstuff]

Sinker (Albedo/Reader) Pt. 3

Two days to plan out a line of questions, a schedule, and requirements for what is expected of Albedo’s assistant—perhaps he shouldn’t call them his assistant just yet, actually. They’ve yet to sign anything or finalize it. Hmm… perhaps just Painter will do it for now. Nonetheless, those two days seemed to go by much faster than expected. 

The short interaction with them already told him much about their personality. A gentle soul, as easygoing as the river, and quick to catch on certain cues. He’s grateful they didn’t fall into small talk during their first meeting, as so many try to ‘break the ice’ before getting down to business, and that is something he really has no time for. He values getting straight to the point of things, especially since he was always so busy with experiments or his art.

With the gentleness, there was also a sharpness in their eyes he caught the moment they stepped into his lab, taking in each detail of the room before they took in every detail of himself. He knows the feeling of being read by someone before, it’s nothing new. Yet rather than try to read him to search for any reason to disprove his theories or find a negative quality about him, they looked at him as if trying to paint his image—no matter what characteristic, be it positive or negative, they could find. Trying to capture his true, full image in that singular moment.

What a curious feeling, to have such sharp yet gentle eyes look at him in such a way.

They truly are an interesting individual.

If they were to become his assistant, he feels a large workload would already be removed from his shoulders. Perhaps they could teach him the complicated mess that was social gatherings—the concept always escaping him.

But he digresses. When checking the clock, he puts up his alchemical equipment for later use and goes to meet with Painter in the main hall of the Headquarters.

He catches them standing within the main hall, ten minutes early, staring at their painting of Jueyun Karst. Rather than wearing their paint-covered overalls and collared shirt, they were dressed in more traditional Sumerian clothing. Their tunic stopped just above their knees and was left open at the sides below the waist-line, the design simple but charming. Their trousers were wide at the waist but narrow to a cuffed bottom at their ankles with a simple pair of shoes. They still wore their hat, their Dendro Vision clipped on and shining a brilliant green.

His curiosity for that Vision in theirs hasn’t gone away. In all his time in Mondstadt, he’s never seen someone have one. He’s seen all other elements, but Dendro? That one has eluded him, and he finds himself wanting to find out just what they can do with it, what limits it has, what limits they have with their abilities.

But alas, all of that is for later.

They turn to him as he approaches, smile easily falling to their face and holding out a cup to him. “Coffee—two creams, two sugars. As per your request.”

He returns the smile, taking the cup and sipping it. Just the right amount, perfect. “Thank you. Shall we?” They gesture for him to lead the way, and so he does. Down the hall, one left, one right, fourth door on the right. He opens the door for them first, stepping in after and picking a chair that sits across from them.

Once seated, he pulls out several sheets of paper and lays them on the table, setting his coffee aside. Down to business. “Sucrose has already informed me of your lack of understanding for alchemy, but that will be no trouble. If you would like, I’d be willing to show you a thing or two about it should you wish to assist me in any of my experiments.”

“I don’t see an issue with that,” Painter leans forward, sipping at their own cup of coffee, “My knowledge of alchemy is equivalent to none, but I’m willing to learn—or hold things for you while you experiment.” They chuckle.

“You needn’t worry, I have faith in my ability to teach you, and faith in your talent and ability to learn.” He taps his pen on the paper. “Now—the base requirements for a personal assistant would be to help me run errands, scheduling appointments… technically household management as well, however that category is not necessary.”

He pauses, looking at them to see if they had any questions, but they remain silent. There’s a look in their eye that was calculated, as if they were already planning several steps before even coming to an agreement with him. They gesture for him to continue, and so he does, “My main requirements for this would be to assist me in communication with clients or staff or getting deliveries done. If I am to be truthful, socializing is a tiresome skill I hold little grip on.”

“Is it because you’re too busy to socialize?” They hum, their smile not faltering. “Or something else?”

“Ah—you see, I truthfully find conversing to be a waste of time. Many try to fall into small talk or nonsensical rambles that I simply have no time for, but… admittedly, do not know how to get out of as I do not wish to be rude.”

“Hmm, I see. So you like to get to the point while others like to ramble beforehand, which essentially wastes time you could be spending on experiments?”

Hmm. Seems they are much more perceptive than Albedo gave them initial credit for. If just these little hints were enough for them to get that much from him, he wonders how much more they can get from other people that are more difficult to read.

“Yes. It is… an odd situation. I do not mind the company of others or watching people interact, and I enjoy assisting others during events, however I do not enjoy having to sit through conversations that I hold no interest in. And with the workload I always have, maintaining relationships is a very tiresome deal—the amount of effort needed to maintain it can be… quite stressful.” He sighs, brushing his hair from his face. “Every time I meet up with old acquaintances, they have a deep desire to try and ‘catch up’ with me, when it is wholly unnecessary.”

They nod along. “I can understand that. Socializing is a slippery slope, especially since everyone is so different from one another.” They make small gestures with their hand as they talk, “You see, some people require a lot of attention and are always seeking some kind of gathering. Or they just can’t stand having, say, a week without talking to a friend of theirs. Meanwhile there’s others, like you, who don’t mind sitting in a room full of people so long as you’re not feeling obligated to talk to them all, or who could go months without talking to a friend but still care dearly for them, even after so long of not seeing them.”

They regard him now, raising a brow in question. “Am I right?”

Amazing how quickly they can gleen so much from so little. Perhaps from past experiences? Or watching others? Curiouser and curiouser… “You have a sharp eye and a keen understanding of relationships, it seems.” He writes that down, saying, “You are correct, though. I enjoy the friendships I have, however some of them are much more tiring to keep up with than others.”

“Mhm, it’s difficult to find people who can match the rhythm you’re playing. Some days they match completely, and other days they don’t match at all. I also know how it is, because—to be honest, I’m the same way, hah,” they laugh, taking a sip of their coffee.

“The same way, you say?” He tilts his head in their direction to encourage them to continue.

They shrug, saying, “As a painter, I’m required to go to a lot of different locations—depending on what my client wants, or what I want to do for a personal project. I’ve had friends who craved almost nonstop interaction despite my busy schedule and have had to explain to them multiple times that it’s not as simple as they make it seem.” A sigh leaves their lips, playing with their cup.

They continue speaking when he nods for them, “It’s also exhausting when you’re given very little time to yourself and have to give it to others. I learned the hard way to set my boundaries from the start so the point is made and no more of my time is wasted.” They sip their coffee. “Some don’t like that, others don’t really care, and then some just—ugh—cannot stand that I have my own life and can't keep entertaining them.”

“You certainly make it sound like it’s exhausting. I suppose I’m fortunate that I’ve yet to experience such a thing.” Albedo breathes out, a mixture between a sigh and a chuckle. He is really grateful he hasn’t experienced it. The worst he’s had to deal with was Klee when she felt overly clingy on certain days. Painter sure makes it sound like more trouble than it’s worth.

“It’s not that bad once you find a nice group of people you trust and are comfortable with. Then the worst part is the clients.” Their shoulders drop, letting out a sigh and say, “I’ve had to learn that slippery slope of social interactions with them because oh, one wrong thing said and a client will just—decide to cancel their commission despite me already being halfway done with it.”

They roll their eyes now, smile faltering as they let out a scoff. “They often forget to read the fine print of my contracts saying that I don’t do full refunds if I’ve already started a painting. I’ve lost count how many times people tried arguing with me on it.”

Interesting. Very interesting. Albedo takes some notes, side-glancing them as they finish off their coffee. They think for a moment, before telling him, “How are clients on your end? Are they as bad as mine, or…?”

“They aren’t as bad as yours, judging from what you’ve told me,” he chuckles, tapping his lower lip with his pen. “Most of the time, they simply do not understand that finding the answer to their question, or getting satisfactory results for an experiment calls for time—it can range from days to weeks to even months for some. A simple explanation is enough for them, though there have been some, much like your clients, that cannot fathom why I haven’t produced results for them within a timely manner.”

Painter rolls their eyes again and laughs—somehow it sounds both bitter and amused. “But you’re the great Chief Alchemist, how come you can’t conjure a ten foot tall golden statue of Barbatos himself with just a wave of your hand?”

Quickly catching on that they were simply telling a jest, he lets out a soft laugh. “You’ll have to forgive me, I’ve yet to discover how to conjure just that much gold. Perhaps within the next few years, I’ll be able to produce more satisfactory results.”

They snicker, covering their mouth. Albedo flips through his papers, feeling the tension in his shoulders relaxing. They seem to have this uncanny ability to understand how people work and feel—an empath, perhaps? They get the feeling of the room and try to accommodate for it, either by matching it or gently coaxing out a more relaxed atmosphere if it’s too tense. A valuable talent to have, if they are to speak with several of his clients or co-workers.

He’s letting his mind wander, however, time to get back on topic.

He taps his pen on the paper—a habit he’s never been able to rid himself of—and clears his throat to get their attention. He says, “As my assistant, you would be required to speak with these clients to get details of what they require from me for their project, or if it would coincide well with my desires. I don’t take just any job that has to do with alchemy, for there are certain aspects I hold no more interest in. However, it is not to say I’m unwilling to work with them—I am willing to share whatever findings I already have made with them so they may use it for whatever project they have.”

“Sounds fair to me. When speaking with these clients, would you like me to schedule appointments for you as well to make sure you and them can fully discuss what is needed of you from them?”

“Yes, I can make sure to have a note saying to contact you first before trying to reach me—as I prefer to not have my experiments interrupted by anyone. They can be, ah… quite volatile and require the utmost care.” He writes down some more notes, before remembering himself, and asking then, “Do you have any questions before we continue?”

“What days would you need me, or is it going to be on a more ‘I’ll call you when I need you’ basis?” They take their hat off to fiddle with their Vision, adjusting it, before putting it back on their head. “This is mainly to make sure our schedules don’t collide, because I will still be taking painting commissions, though most likely smaller ones, as I’m assuming being your assistant will require more attention?”

“Unfortunately, yes. You do not have to work on any holidays if you wish not to, however—be it Mondstadt holidays or Sumeru holidays—and you will not be required to work on days that are considered a day of prayer. Otherwise, your workdays would coincide mostly with mine.” He laces his fingers together, fully regarding them now. “My schedule is strict, but I can make adjustments so it’s more compatible with yours.”

They wave their hand and shake their head. “There’s no need. I don’t really do the day of prayer stuff, and there’s not many holidays in Sumeru that require you to take the day off. Otherwise, I can work from around… say seven in the morning to seven in the evening at the latest, but if you need me for longer than that, I can do it.”

Twelve hours or more is a lot for one person to work, especially as a personal assistant to Albedo. Even Sucrose didn’t work that many hours for him. He says, “That’s quite the amount of time to work, are you sure you wouldn’t wish for a shorter time-frame?”

They offer a shrug. “I don’t really have much going for me outside of painting or combat practice. I personally don’t have an issue, unless you do.” Their eyes roam his face, searching, thinking. “I offer these hours mainly because I’ve never been an assistant to someone, so this could fall to a lot of trial and error, and the hours could be there to ensure work gets done on time rather than a day or two late.”

He taps his finger against his knuckles, eyes roaming their face, taking quiet note of the more prominent circles under their eyes. “While I am not saying you can’t, I do not wish to take advantage of this opportunity and work you to death.”

They nod, putting their index finger to their chin in thought. “A fair point. So how about this—while we do this trial run, I’ll work the hours I offered, and if I’m starting to feel the fatigue, I’ll let you know, and we can work out a more reasonable schedule for me.” They tilt their head in his direction. 

“Very well, that sounds agreeable.” He writes it down. “It is also alright for you to skip a day or several, so long as I’m given a warning in advance—as a fellow artist, I understand how demanding the field is, and I can only imagine how much more demanding yours is as a painter.”

“It is extremely demanding,” they laugh, “but thank you. I’ll make sure to let you know the minute something or someone tries to throw a wrench in our schedule.” They hum, looking thoughtful, then ask, “As a painter, I’ve had to travel to many different places to get my paintings finished, will that be the same for your alchemy projects?”

“Hmm, yes and no. I have a lab up in Dragonspine, as that is where I do most of my experimentation, as it’s much safer to do certain ones away from populated areas.”

“And because no one wants to trek up a frozen mountain to find you?” They ask, humor shining in their eyes.

Albedo lets out a breathy chuckle. “Ah—well, it is a mixed bag. Dragonspine and I have… history. It’s a nostalgic place for me, and I find myself able to focus best when there. It is simply an added plus that not many like walking along the frozen wastes to try and rope me into a project I hold no interest in.”

Painter looks him over, their eyes roaming over every detail of his face and posture, taking in every aspect, no matter good or bad. It never has nor will it ever be the first or last time someone’s looked at him in such a way. Even so, an unconscious feeling to guard himself from their scrutinizing gaze overtook him. His shoulders squared up and his pen went tap tap tap against the papers.

“Okay,” they say, “well then, I’ll be sure to tell any annoying clients or young alchemists that if they really wanted to hire you or tell you their findings, they can get their snow boots and start walking.”

“I’m sure they would be very happy to hear you tell them that.”

“Yes, I’m sure no insults or items will be thrown my way at all.”

Albedo and Painter share a laugh and Albedo is regarding them again. Their posture remains lax, though there’s a certain squareness to their shoulders that gives them a guarded feeling. Their smile is easily placed on their face, but their eyes remain sharper than thorns. It reminds him of Kaeya, if he were to be honest. Someone who keeps their cards close to their chest, revealing only the cards that are necessary to be seen.

Unlike Kaeya, however, Painter’s relaxed, welcoming air about them was much stronger. Though it was strange, he doesn’t find it unwelcome. At least, not completely unwelcome. Perhaps with time, he’ll get used to it. If he doesn’t, then he’ll make appropriate measures for it.

They tap the table twice to get his attention. When he meets their gaze, they ask, “What else would you require from me as your assistant?”

“Ah—yes.” He flips through the papers, pausing with a small hum, then says, “Discretion is key. There’s plenty of alchemists or clients that will want to try and use my findings for dastardly deeds. I am a man of science and discovery, yes, but I do not wish to find more ways for people to be killed—there is enough of that in the world already.”

They nod, their face falling to a more serious expression. “I can definitely understand that. Alright… discretion, never giving too much information… noted.” Their lips easily pull up into a smile again. “Anything else?”

Thwip—thwip—thwip go his papers as he searches. Ah, here. “Through technicality, it will be on your shoulders to set my monthly schedule. However, due to how things can change on a mora, it will not be required for you to do so. I’ve been able to put my own schedules together, so that is something that is not required from you.”

They don’t answer immediately, their eyes shining with questions on the tip of their tongue but refusing to let them out just yet. As if they were carefully picking and choosing what to say. Then they say, “How about we try using a calendar? You can write down what experiments you’re planning, and I can write down what days a client wants to speak with you or what meeting you’re required to attend. That way you’re still making your own schedule, but know when to expect small changes.”

A smile finds its way on Albedo’s features once again. He hums, takes note, says, “Yes, I believe that would work very well. An excellent idea.”

“Haha, it’s only an addition to your already working one.” They finish up their coffee, leaning against the table with their forearms.

“It works well with what I already do without much change needed—so it is both appreciated and still a wonderful idea. Now… let me see here…” He pauses, reading his notes. “Ah, your salary, of course. I paid Sucrose on a weekly basis, and so I will be paying you on that same basis, if that is agreeable to you?” When they nod, he continues, “Normally, Sucrose’s salary would be about thirty-five thousand Mora a week, however, due to the extra hours you’re offering to work, I’ll be pushing it up to about fifty thousand Mora. Does that sound reasonable to you?”

“That sounds fair to me. Any extra work will be added to the weekly pay, yes?”

“Yes, I’ll be sure to do so,” he pauses, a feeling that he forgot something itching at the back of his neck. He flips through his personal notes again, setting the contract aside and humming, until his eyes land on a particular line. “Ah—yes, there might be extra work on occasion for you, speaking of… how good are you with children?”

Painter blinks, tilting their head with a curious smile. “I like to say I’m pretty good with them. Why?”

He pulls out a photograph and hands it to them. “This is Klee, my little sister. She can be a handful at times, and doesn’t have too many friends in this area, especially that are her age. This is also because of her peculiar hobbies…”

“Oh, she’s adorable,” they coo, looking over the picture. “How old is she? And what hobbies are we talking about here?”

“She just reached eleven the other day. You can’t see it in the photo, but she is a Pyro Vision wielder, and her hobby is making bombs.” There’s a pause, Painter staring at him with mouth agape, their looking clearly asking are you serious?

He chuckles, nodding. “It is no jest, I assure you. Her mother is the renowned adventurer Miss Alice, who had taught her how to make such destructive weapons. Klee is… a bit naive, despite her age. I cannot lie in saying that she’s been spoiled by the Knights of Favonius and occasionally myself, and so she’s ignorant to much of the trouble going on in the world or understanding that her actions have consequences.”

They nod along, asking, “I’m safely assuming the extra work would be to babysit her?”

“Yes—if that wouldn’t be too much trouble for you. She’s often able to understand when I am too busy to entertain her, however there are days that she becomes a bit more irate by my rejection to play with her.” He sighs, “It’s led to a few tantrums of her blowing up fish in lakes or worse, and getting thrown into solitary confinement after getting caught.”

That certainly got a reaction out of them, their eyes hardening and hand clenching into a fist. The plant within the room went CRK-CRACK. When Albedo looks, he notices that thorns had erupted from the stem and branches of the plant, before he looks back to Painter, catching sight of their Vision glowing a little brighter than before.

Hmm…

Albedo stands, stepping around the table towards the plant, lifting its leaves to observe the thorns. He can feel the soft hum of magic within the stems if he were to gently pinch them—being mindful of the thorns. Having never seen a Dendro Vision in action, Albedo already has a series of questions reaching his tongue, but are held back. Now wasn’t the time for it, but he can’t help his curiosity.

He’s seen Visions react to emotions, yet he’s never seen the area around someone be reactive because of their Vision. Does it work for all plants or is it just these little bushels of leaves? Would they be able to make seeds grow or flowers bloom if they were happy? Would plants around them wilt if they were sad?

Does this mean if someone with a Cryo Vision were to lose control of their emotions, they could make something frost over or create a snow storm? Could someone with an Anemo Vision could cause gusts of wind, perhaps even a tornado just from their emotions alone, rather than concentrated focus?

More and more and more variables piling upon one another, waiting to be discovered. Though he wishes to discover them all, now wasn’t the time for such a thing.

They take a breath, tearing Albedo from his thoughts, and they ask, “Solitary confinement? For a child?”

He sighs, still observing the stems of the plant. The thorns move at a sluggish pace, rescinding back into the stem. “Please understand… it is not my idea to put her there. Acting Grand Master Jean believes it will be useful for Klee to ruminate on her actions, but the results have been lackluster, and my work has made it too cumbersome during certain bouts of time to actually teach her such things. Thus the cycle has repeated more than once.”

He can see out of the corner of his eye Painter looking at the picture again, eyes darting all over the image. It was just a simple photo of himself and Klee, her arms thrown up in a cheer while he proudly displays her newest bomb she successfully crafted. She wished to commemorate the moment by taking a photo, and of course who was Albedo to say no?

They look at him again, the sharpness of their eyes becoming softer, more gentle, transforming thorns into rose petals. “She’s not going to learn that way. If the cycle has already repeated more than once, then a new approach needs to be taken so she can actually understand why she keeps getting into trouble, and what she can do to still have fun with her bombs without being thrown into solitary confinement.”

They sigh, putting the photo down. The thorns on the stems are now completely gone, but that soft hum of magic remains. “Let’s say she blows up fish in a lake, like you said, during one of her tantrums. If it were me, I would reassure her that she’s doing good by redirecting her anger to something else so she can blow off steam and cool down—but would recommend she tries doing it to something else, because the fish in the lake are important for the world to live.” 

Albedo steps away from the plant to take his seat once more across from them. He laces his fingers together, leaning forward, listening to every word and taking mental notes as they continue, “Like people eating them, or the fish eating other things and keeping the waters of the lake clean. If she were to blow up the fish, who would keep the waters clean? What would the people eat? Some people can’t eat regular meat and can only have fish, so if she were to blow them up, it’d make it harder for those people. That way she can understand that while the whole of what she wants to do—which is calm herself down—is good, the execution of how she does it is what’s bad.”

Silence rings within the meeting room as Albedo stares at Painter, and Painter stares at Albedo. So many variables he never thought would reveal themselves to him just did from this statement alone. More cards they kept to their chest were laid out to him. He can see now, in their eyes, their face, there was this unparalleled wisdom that they held that he’s rarely found in others.

They hadn’t even met Klee yet, only hearing about her from him, and they’ve already displayed a well-thought way of approaching Klee not to discourage her destructive capabilities, but to be more mindful of them. If Albedo were to hypothesize correctly, they may judge a book by its cover, but they also skim the first few pages and change their opinion as they read. Their initial thoughts on a subject won’t always be the same, it will always change depending on what information is given to them.

Such an interesting individual… he feels there’s much he could learn just from watching them, and much they could learn from watching him.

Painter takes a breath, running their fingers through their hair, adjusting their hat. “I’m sorry for that loss in control for a second there. It’s just—I got a soft spot for kids, hah. Klee sounds like an adorable and wonderful girl, and she deserves to be allowed to explore her powers and go through her emotions like everyone else. I’d love to meet her and help you teach her.”

“It’s quite alright.” Albedo waves his hand and offers a soft smile that shines in his eyes as well. “I can already tell from that display alone you would be a wonderful teacher to her, and would take good care of her. I must admit, I already feel my worries dissipating with this knowledge. Even if I cannot spend as much time with her as either she or I would like, she is still someone I care dearly for, and would never want to see get hurt in any way.”

They return the smile with a soft laugh. “Don’t worry, your sister will be in good hands whenever you need me to babysit her.” They lean forward, resting their elbows on the table. “So—I don’t really have any more questions. Do you have any, or should I start signing?”

He slides the contract to them with a pen. “My only question is; when would you like to start? Right now, or tomorrow?”

[spectral-central]

If i'm being honest when i watched i saw the tv glow i was. slightly let down in the. cinematography way? Like the way the plot was developed, the pace, the editing. It could be very well just be up to my own personal taste rather than something objective but it wasn't Quite as spectacular as i thought it would be. However i Did shed a tear or two at multiple points in the movie. And i can't stop thinking about it. So i guess it accomplished everything it wanted to in the end

[discountscoobyart]

stsg have been so nice to me please i can't handle this 😭😭

[mourning-again-in-america]

have the EAs worked out how much poorer the 90th and 75th percentile poorest would be in an America under various animal welfare laws?

[someonesomewheredown]

She had to get her blood drawn because she's an old lady now 😭

[Image ID: A black and white cat with yellow eyes sitting on the floor. She has a red bandage wrapped around one of her back legs and is sticking it out at an odd angle because of it. She is looking slightly towards the left at something out of view from the camera. /End ID]

[sysig]

Your Weekly TV Guide

On Monday you can expect:

2:30 PM: Star Control II - Helix

And Tuesday:

2:30 PM: SCII - Helix

Wednesday:

2:30 PM: SCII - Helix

Thursday:

2:30 PM: Sona reacts to Eclipse

Friday:

2:30 PM: SCII - Helix

Saturday:

2:30 PM: SCII - Helix/SCII

Sunday:

2:30 PM: Just Desserts - Charm Myr (vent?)

Thanks for tuning in! (Patreon)

[canonical-transformation]

wait that profile for innamorata was really cool but is she supposed to be someone we know?? 😭 sorry if this is a dumb question my brain is Not working rn

Yes!

(ehe)

[bloomries]

yeah so my husband— my husband?!

includes : lucifer, mammon, leviathan, satan, asmodeus, beelzebub, and belphegor.

summary : calling him your "husband" (even though you two aren't married yet) to see his reaction.

warnings : gn! reader. mention of marriage. suggestive (in asmodeus'). the word 'husband' will begin to look strange bc it's used so much, apologies.

LUCIFER

You just meant for it to be a harmless little prank, something to tease Lucifer with later when you two were alone, perhaps gauge his reaction to the idea, but after you said 'yeah, so my husband...' Diavolo's eyes grew as wide as the moon and you instantly regretted your prank idea.

Diavolo clasped a hand on Lucifer's shoulder, beaming. "You finally asked!" This statement went over your head as you tried to quickly take back your words, Lucifer's blanched face making it clear he'll definitely be scolding you later. "But it seems I missed the wedding? Oh well, I'll just host you another wedding so I can see it for myself!"

"Ah, L- Lord Diavolo..." Lucifer sends you a glare as you smile sheepishly. "We aren't- I haven't-"

"How do you both feel about a chocolate fountain?" Diavolo is already off in his own little world, imagining how he'll plan out your wedding. Lucifer decides he'll inform Barbatos of the prank, and have Barbatos deal with it- Lucifer already has his hands full with you. He pulls you aside as Diavolo talks to himself.

"Do you see what you've done?"

"Sorry..." You fake pout, batting your lashes up at him. "My darling husband will surely fix it though, right?" Oh, how can he stay mad when he truly likes the title so much. Perhaps this will make asking you to marry him easier? You surely seem to enjoy the title just as much.

MAMMON

Mammon is always trying to listen in on your phone calls, he's nosy and likes to know all the gossip. Today in particular though, he's trying extra hard to hear, clinging to you and making you unable to do other tasks whilst on your call.

Deciding to tease him a little, in hopes of getting him off of you, you sigh dramatically into the receiver. "I'm sorry, my husband needs my attention, one second."

And when you look down at him, his eyes are wide and shiny, a blush quickly forming on his cheeks. Him? Were you talking about him? He's your husband? A giant grin takes over his features and it seems your little prank has the opposite effect you wanted, as he takes the phone from you.

"Yeah, sorry, their husband- that's me!- needs 'em!" He boasts proudly before hanging up the call and clutching on to you tighter, burying his face into your side, his grin not changing in the slightest.

You sigh, running your fingers through his hair. "Rude, I was trying to talk to someone, you know." Mammon shrugs, not a care in the world.

"'m your husband, I take priority."

"You know you're not officially my husband yet, right?" Shit, you're right. Well, that'll change soon, don't you worry one bit! Mammon knows how to take a hint, and there'll be a ring on that finger soon enough!

LEVIATHAN

You and Levi were playing an online game, chat on full blast, when you decide to tease him- because it's just so fun to see his flustered expression, and you have an inkling that this'll give him some motivation for the game. "Ah, hubby, can you help me with these guys!"

"H- Hubby!?" Leviathan's neck nearly breaks from how quickly he snaps to look over at you, you seem unphased though by the phrase- as if it came so naturally. His heart skips a beat, his grip on the controller tightening. "W- Where are you, I'll come help!"

His gaming friends are all blowing up the chat box, some getting on voice chat just to ask what that meant- 'was Levi actually married?,' 'He was a husband?,' 'Since when!?,' 'Congratulations!,' etc.

Levi would have gotten more flustered, had he been paying any attention to said friends, but he's much more focused on proving he'd make an excellent spouse by rushing to where you were in the map and one-shotting all the enemies that surrounded you.

The battle is quickly won thanks to Levi, who puffs out his chest with pride. You lean over from your gaming station adjacent of his, and press a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you, hubby~" His cheeks grow a rosy pink, and he pulls his headphones off to give you a serious look.

"Let's get married."

SATAN

"Oh husband~" You call, "Can you help me get this book? I can't reach!" Satan peaks his head from around the corner to give you a questioning look. Who were you calling husband? He watches you struggle, leaning his frame against the door with his arms crossed over his chest.

"I don't remember proposing." Satan watches as you deflates from his lack of reaction to your prank. He sighs, walking over to you and helping you reach the book, tapping it on your head lightly before handing it over to you.

"You're no fun, you know that?"

Satan has a feeling this was definitely set up by one of his brothers, and he'll definitely be getting his revenge on them for making you do this (and for making his heart hammer against his ribcage uncontrollably). Still, he hates to see you upset in the least, so he lifts your chin with his finger and thumb and sends you that smile that sends shivers down your spine.

"Don't be upset, you'll get to call me husband soon, okay?"

And he truly did mean that, he already had a ring, which sat heavy in his pocket. He just wanted to make sure you had the most perfect proposal, something straight out of a romance novel- because that's what you deserve. Soon, soon you'll be able to lovingly call him 'husband' whenever you wish.

ASMODEUS

Asmo is live-streaming again, doing a little grwm-type video, with you off to the side/in the background. As he begins to do his skin care, he asks for you to take over and chat for a little while for him, so you peak your head into view and wave at his viewers.

"Hello everyone!" You smile, glancing back at Asmo who's behind you in the bathroom, doing his skincare. "My lovely husband is doing his skincare right now, it usually takes him about ten to fifteen minutes to complete it." You say, however you can see his head pop-up from the sink and he whips around to look at you.

"Husband?" He calls, and when you nod, confirming your words, he grins. "Oh my, is this a proposal?" He asks with a teasing lilt, and you joking go along with his words, nodding before reenacting the famous getting-down-on-one-knee. You open your hands as if you had a ring box, presenting it to him. He holds his hand out to you, "I do~" You pretend to slip a ring on to his finger and he admires the imaginary ring before leaning down to kiss you.

"Now," He pulls away, wiggling his brows. "Shall we get started on the honeymoon part?"

"Asmo, that's typically after the weddi-" Asmo reaches for his phone, waving and saying a little 'byeeee' to his followers as he ends the livestream with a giggle, throwing you a lil' mischievous smile.

"No harm in starting earlier, right?" And despite only being halfway through his skincare, and this not being a real proposal, the honeymoon was very nice indeed- he can't wait for the real one though.

BEELZEBUB

You had seen the trend, and wondered how Beelzebub would react. So, under the guise of trying some new food and giving it a review, you set up your camera and begin filming. "Hey everyone, me and my husband are going to be rating food from the new McDevil menu~"

Beel doesn't react at all, and you send him a quick glance before trying again- perhaps he didn't hear you? "I think the Sin-Fries are a solid 7/10, what about you, husband?" But again, he doesn't react to the word at all, instead giving his own rating for the new fries.

Is he really not realizing what you're saying? You decide to try one last time. "My husbands food always looks better than mine," You whine, peaking over at him to see his reaction, only to see him offering you a bite of his burger. You sigh, giving up and deciding to just enjoy your food. You take a bite of his burger, offering him some of yours. The review ends swiftly, and you turn off the camera.

As you two clean up from eating, you notice Beelzebub quieter than usual. You're about to ask him if everything is okay, his face becoming flushed, when he speaks up.

"Soon, okay?" You blink a few times, confused by his words. He bashfully looks up at you, and that's when you realize what he's talking about- marriage, he plans on proposing to you soon. Your own cheeks now grow unbearably warm. "I promise."

Your prank definitely backfired, as now you're the one trying to calm your racing heart (although Beelzebub is definitely just as flustered). Still, you're holding him accountable to his promise- soon.

BELPHEGOR

You're not sure how this little prank managed to get turned against you, but Belphegor has made it so that you're now his personal pillow- again.

"I'm just saying, if I'm you're husband, then that means you should let me use you as a pillow whenever I want." You open your mouth to retaliate, but he beats you to it, batting his lashes up at you. "Don't you want your husband to be comfortable?"

"I..." You falter. You regret deciding to call him your 'husband~' to try and get him to help you with chores. You thought maybe it'd motivate him, or maybe you'd just get to see his cute blushing face, instead you're suffering.

"Come on now, don't be shy~" He wiggles about, trying to grab you to pull you towards him, but he doesn't really exert enough energy to be successful. "Ugh, why... do you... do this... to me- to your darling husband!"

"You're anything but darling." You say, crossing your arms over your chest. "Last time I call you 'husband' or any term of endearment, I swear..." You grumble, turning on your heels to leave, disappointed your prank didn't work.

Belphegor grins, snuggling up to his pillow as he watches you leave. "That's what you think," he mumbles to himself, yawning, "when I finally get that ring on your finger, I'll have ya calling me husband again, just you wait~" He snickers, and a cold chill runs down your spine. You glance back to see him asleep, although you feel as if he's planning something- and you weren't sticking around to find out what!

[cielle-b]

ya'll didn't see this coming, did you? (neither did I)

I haven't drawn in over a week, my hands ouchie :(( (also, there'll be more gerrymichael fanart don't worry)

[porcelainseashore]

Gosh I don't know whether to advise you to start reading up on VtM because the lore is so insane there (even though they tried to streamline it with latest edition of V5) that you can really go down the rabbit hole. Don't do what I did, don't get obsessed 🤣

I, myself, won't say I'm extremely well-versed with all the lore (sorry to all you purists), but I try to research to the best of my abilities. Otherwise, I just make it up, since the core book purposely leaves things vague for DMs/GMs/Storytellers to create their own campaign. If there's anything you'd like to know more about though, I'd be more than happy to answer, just message me! 🤙

Once again, thank you so much for your support, you're so kind! 🥰

Into the Ether (3)

(Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, ...)

Pairing: Vampire! Toreador! Leon Kennedy x Fem! Reader

Summary: At the all-night events cafe you run, you’ve become acquainted with an elusive patron, Leon, though you can never remember the last moments of your interactions together. After a harrowing encounter, a love-hate relationship develops between the two of you as you grapple with your newfound status in a world of darkness and investigate the reasons behind the untimely attacks.

Content & Warnings: 18+ Resident Evil x Vampire: The Masquerade crossover, horror, mystery, romance, slow burn, strangers to enemies to lovers, angst, fluff, eventual smut, swearing, smoking, non consensual blood drinking, blood bond, vampire turning, violence, injury, mild gore, torture, minor character death, RE characters (Chris, Claire, Ada, Wesker, Jill, Sherry, Hunnigan, Rebecca, Baker Family, Merchant, Patrick), VtM concepts (Camarilla, Anarch, Sabbat, Second Inquisition, Toreador, Ventrue, Brujah, Gangrel, Nosferatu, Malkavian, Tremere, Ghouls).

Authors' Note: Suggestive themes, violence and mild gore ahead.

Taglist: @admirxation @xoxostarlet @miss-oranje-disco-dancer ❤️‍🔥

AO3 Link

Chapter 3: Fires of Rebellion

“So, talk,” you demanded, crossing your arms as you kept yourself at a suitable distance from Leon. 

Both of you were currently walking up north along Good Street towards the City College. The plan had been to take a left at some point and head over to the park by Warren Street, where hopefully there would be some benches for you to relax on. It was still early enough in the night for your surroundings to be relatively bustling with people, so you weren’t too worried that the man beside you would try anything risky or stupid. In any case, you knew where you kept your pepper spray at hand if things went south.

“You’d already sensed it from the beginning,” he stated, swallowing thickly. How was it this hard to tell you who he really was? If he could sweat blood, he’d fill a whole bucket’s worth. Pig’s blood. A cop in pig’s blood. He knew plenty of people who’d pay to see him drenched in the vermillion fluid. “That I’m not exactly normal.” That was what he settled with.

“What, you mean like a serial killer or something?” you scoffed, shaking your head in mild vexation.

“No.” His voice was solemn but firm as he glanced at you briefly, making eye contact. “I didn’t… assault you, not in the way you think.” He pressed his lips together into a thin line. “I just- I do things… that aren’t exactly normal.”

Great, Leon. You just made yourself sound like a fucking magician. Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers and paused his footsteps. “This is going well.”

You almost felt sorry for the guy. He seemed to be having such a difficult time articulating what he wanted to say. Was it some sort of kink he was talking about? The logical part of your mind berated you, insisting that this could go down far worse than you imagined, but you pushed it aside.

“Like what?” you asked, your morbid curiosity getting the better of you.

His jaw tightened as he shifted his weight uncomfortably from side to side.

Before he could respond, you took the initiative, positioning yourself in front of him as a form of challenge. “Show me,” you requested.

His head darted in every direction, scanning the area with an animalistic instinctiveness and you thought you saw his eyes illuminate in a different color. However, when you blinked a second later, it had returned to its original pale shade of blue. “Too many people,” he muttered. “I’ll do as you ask, but we need to head somewhere quieter.”

You should’ve ran off after he said that, but your legs stayed rooted to the ground. Your lack of self-preservation was alarming. “The park, then?” you suggested.

He nodded in compromise. “I could work with that.”

The rest of the walk there took place in awkward silence, as you dwelled on what he would do and whether you were walking into one big, fat trap. Well, at least Patrick had his business card. And PIs, they had a registered license, didn’t they? It was too late to back out now, you’d gone this far and you wanted to see it through.

When you had found a secluded bench at one of the shaded corners of the park, he spoke up again. “Do you remember the first night we met? When-”

“You offered me cigarettes in exchange for coffee,” you finished the sentence for him.

“Yes,” he said with a wistful smile, as if reminiscing about a day he’d cherished but had long since passed. “You felt it, didn’t you? Compelled to stay, but with no reason why.”

Despite your reluctance, you had to agree with him. That moment between standing by his table and sitting with him to share in a smoke had been like entering the twilight zone. You were you, but yet, at the same time, weren’t.

“I can do it again here, if you want,” he murmured, his eyes burning with an intensity that seemed to bore right into you.

It wasn’t the first time you had leaped before looking. You’d always been known to be a little more reckless than your peers, but it seemed like you never really learnt your lesson well. “Be my guest,” you gestured melodramatically, as your hand swept across in one grand motion.

“Now, you’re just mocking me,” he chided, though a ghost of a smile still lingered on his lips.

This time, there was a tingling sensation in your body, like an invisible warm light gradually enveloping you, except it seemed to exude from him. You were entranced by his stature, the minute details of his face, everything about what he was, to the point where you couldn’t tear yourself away from his gaze.

“Sit,” he directed gently, placing his hand along the back of the wooden bench.

You felt nothing but desire. Desire to do anything he wanted you to. Without a word, you sank onto the bench like a doll, still giving him that doe-eyed expression one would normally reserve for a celebrity they were starstruck by.

Taking his seat beside you, he urged, “Come closer.”

Obediently, you shuffled up along the bench towards him, except it wasn’t out of fear of punishment, but a strange, radiant love that emanated from within you. When you were just inches away from his face, he slowly revealed the tips of his canine teeth, which were pointier than usual, and seemed to grow with each passing minute. As his features eased up, you could feel the uncanny warmth dissipate from your core, and though you were still captivated by him, his face seemed to lack the same lustrous sheen it held moments ago. Like a wandering spirit, you had arrived back into your own body. You were you again.

His eyes latched onto you, waiting, watching, biding his time, to see what you would do. Though he remained poised and composed, the unsteadiness of his breathing and the flicker of trepidation across his irises gave him away. He was afraid that you would leave him, for good. And after what he had given to have the right to Embrace you, he wouldn’t know how he would live with himself if he were rejected.

It felt like hours had gone by until one of you spoke up. “Do you hate what you see?”

“No,” you answered, almost too quickly, cupping his cold cheek in the palm of your hand. He closed his eyes and sighed blissfully into it, releasing a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. It felt moist and heated against your skin.

You surprised yourself with how well you were taking all of this in. This shouldn’t have been possible and nothing about what he had shown you made sense. You blamed your tolerance on the late, sleepless nights and hanging around with the offbeat characters who frequented your cafe. 

What if monsters did exist? you humored. Maybe not in the literal sense of vampires, but someone who relished the flavor of blood, and who’d learnt a few tricks of hypnotism. You tried to rationalize it as much as you could, but there were still so many missing pieces you did not fully understand.

“How many times?” you asked. “Did you force me… each night?”

He lowered his gaze, marred by shame, while looking to his hands nestled in his lap. “It was just that once,” he whispered. “I wanted you to stay with me.” 

He pursed his lips. “The rest, later on… was you.”

“Did you-”

“Yes.” 

You didn’t even need to continue your sentence for him to know what you meant. Yes, he tasted your blood. Yes, he enjoyed it. Yes, he came back for more. And more.

“I’m sorry,” his voice cracked.

You didn’t acknowledge his apology, allowing even more time to slip through your fingers. A while later, you ran them along his cheek towards his lips, where his teeth which now looked more like fangs lurked. Right, how would you explain that away?

He didn’t stop you when you traced one of their edges, as if trying to figure out if they were real. He let you press the tip of your finger against its peak, purposely pricking yourself in some kind of deluded masochistic fantasy. The rush you felt from it was indescribable, like a spike of venom flowing into your veins, though it wasn’t as intense as the previous times to truly immobilize you. Grasping onto the back of the bench, you steadied yourself from the dizzying sensation.

A dark, ruby bead blossomed at the site of the puncture. His mouth lay open as he inhaled sharply, gripping the trousers on his thighs, and there was a wild look in his bloodshot eyes. However, he remained motionless, restraining himself somehow, as if awaiting your instruction.

“You like this?” A mixture of bewilderment and arousal seeped into your tone, as you brought your bleeding finger to rest just at the entrance of his mouth.

All at once, his veneer of calmness shattered. He swirled his tongue against your fingertip, causing you to gasp as it made hot laps around the miniscule droplet of blood you had to offer him. Dipping his head, he took the rest of your digit into his mouth, eventually sucking on it whole as he emitted a low groan in pleasure. When he finally let it go, a slick string of saliva connected to it from his lips, wet and hungry with need.

“I, um-” you shuddered, at a loss for words, as you retracted your finger, folding it into your hand.

Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he straightened up in his seat, adjusting his attire and hair, as if he had come back to his senses once again. “You don’t have to decide on this right now,” he assured you.

“Okay.” You nodded shakily, your mind spinning from all the events that had just transpired. “Could we take another short walk before I head home?” 

It would probably help to cool off a little, you thought.

“Anything you need,” he asserted, getting up as he took another glance around the park, before extending his hand to you.

You stared at it, contemplating further. “Just don’t-” you hesitated, pausing to rephrase your words. “I want to trust you, Leon.”

“I’ll earn it back,” he promised. “However long it takes.”

That was all you needed to hear from him. Perhaps you were naive to a fault, but you took his hand anyway, allowing him to lead you out of the park, and to whatever else fate had in store for you that night.

━━━━━━━━━━━

Over the course of the evening, a thin fog had developed, shrouding the sky and enveloping the moon and stars in a blurry veil, casting a muted light over the city. You and Leon had taken a short detour towards the more touristy part of town, where the landmark Saint Michael Clock Tower overlooked the grand waterway.

The ornate, Gothic structure loomed intimidatingly ahead, its roof cloaked in a wispy gray mist, though you could still make out the time on its huge clock face. Ten minutes past midnight. It was getting late, and although you were accustomed to working until the wee hours of the morning, you preferred to get some sleep on your nights off when possible. However, right now, a part of you wished that the night would last longer. 

There wasn’t such a wide distance between you and Leon as before. In fact, your fingers were nearly touching, but neither of you had taken it further to close the final gap. Even in complete silence, punctuated only by the sounds of the city’s buzzing nightlife, both of you had somehow agreed on which pathways to take, falling in sync with each other’s footsteps, pauses and turns, like an unspoken dance. It was nice like this, having no expectations of the other person, just walking and feeling the thread of connection that bound the two of you.

Every now and then, he peered at you inquisitively, and you wondered if he had something to say, but when you looked his way, he turned his gaze back to the street in front of him. Coming to the entrance of a tunnel arbor near the clocktower, you paused to admire the sight of the vines and flowers that were wound around the metallic arches, interspersed with marigold fairy lights. There were still a decent number of stragglers in the vicinity. Probably the remaining tourists for the day who didn’t quite want to wrap up yet, some of whom were posing for pictures near the picaresque arbors.

“Cat caught your tongue?” Always the instigator and taking the confrontational approach. That was what you were known for.

“Hm?” he deflected, yet smiled at you knowingly.

“Just looked like you had something to say.” You shrugged, placing your hands on your hips.

“Nothing escapes you, huh?”

He was teasing you again; you were certain of it. Though this appeared to be twofold, where the second part was meant as a misdirection to hide a secret from you. 

“It should be obvious that I like you,” he stated plainly.

Obvious to the point where he couldn’t afford to have one of those obnoxious Anarchs stake their claim over you, just for a bit of territory. You were worth so much more to him than that. Surely, it would be the lesser of two evils for him to be the one to Embrace you? It was all he could think about when he made that deal with Ada. Always justifying and compromising. That was what he was known for.

You couldn't fathom the sheer astonishment and joy that overcame him when Ada returned with the news a few weeks later:

“The Prince granted your wish,” she mentioned with an indifferent wave of her hand.

“How?” he choked in disbelief. “It usually takes years!”

“You underestimate me,” she scoffed. “Have you forgotten that I’m the voice of society?”

“No, of course not.” He hung his head in disgrace, as if he had just been told off by a parent.

“Anyway, I don’t have to tell you twice that you should thank him in person.” 

Lifting a bejeweled chalice to her lips, she tasted its contents, allowing it to linger on the palate before letting it wash down her throat. “And by ‘thank’, I mean ‘grovel’.”

“Yes, sire.” He bent down on his knee and kissed the back of her hand in respect.

A shadow of annoyance flickered across her face, morphing into a frown. “You do know this makes you look weak?” she questioned rhetorically. “Being unable to convince the Prince yourself?”

He knew better than to respond when Ada was in such a mood.

“Don’t embarrass me.” 

Her warning rang loud and clear in his ears.

“Who is it obvious to?” you challenged, pulling him out of his reverie. Maybe you had an undeniable urge to see him lose control over you again.

At this, he drew closer towards you, his eyes ablaze like a blue flame, as he snaked his arms around your waist. That was it - the thrill, the feeling you missed. It rippled through your body, leaving goosebumps in its wake. But before he could go any further, a sudden force tore him from his hold on you, hauling him violently backwards. He was flung in the air across a couple of yards, landing against the wall of a building with a sickening crack.

In the background, you heard screams coming from all directions, alongside whooshing sounds, followed by loud thuds. One soon popped up behind you and in an instant you found yourself smacked to the ground. There was a shrill ringing in your ears, your eyes watered, and your vision blurred as you started seeing double in front of you. You felt the back of your head. Wet. Sticky. Flowing. Your fingers were red and the concussion you suffered induced a dizzying spell.

A grizzly face appeared before you, but you couldn’t quite make out any distinguishable features, except for the familiar shape of long fangs that glistened under the arbor lights. There was no time to put up a fight or even cry out for help, as you began to sink deeper and deeper into unconsciousness.

Leon had watched the entire scene unfurl before him like a twisted snuff film coming to life. The attack had taken him by surprise, but he quickly got up from his fall, resetting his bones and shaking it off like nothing had happened. The whole place was awash in scarlet. Blood streaked the city streets, trickling into every gap and crack, as the victims were messily drained of their lifesource. Whoever was behind this wanted the world to know. And that was when he witnessed the first of them turn.

A Mass Embrace? These Kindred definitely reeked of the Sabbat, and if not, they weren’t anyone who had been presented before the Prince; he would know. There wasn’t a second left to spare - he had to find you immediately. In his line of sight, he saw one of the culprits feeding on you greedily, and the primal rage he felt within him almost caused his Beast to take over. He hunched over and growled ferociously. His features transformed into something monstrous and his eyes were crazed as globs of saliva dribbled down his mouth.

It was fanning the flames of a Frenzy, one where he would slaughter every being in his path regardless of who they were, tearing them from limb to limb, and eviscerating their carcasses for what they had done to you. But his concern for your well-being won him over. Mustering up his willpower, he resisted the Beast as much as he could, and though he was still enraged, he needed to think straight and prioritize getting you to safety. That was all that mattered.

In the bat of an eye, he zipped across, yanking the other vampire away from your limp body, as they traded rapid blows. Another aggressor joined in the fight, as Leon dodged their swift counterattacks with deceptive ease, before connecting his right fist to one of their jaws and dealing a precise uppercut with his left to the other’s ribs, catching both of them off-guard. 

Everything seemed to pass by in quicktime as he moved with an unnatural grace, spinning mid-air over one of their backs, only to grab the other from behind and slam him to the ground savagely. Gathering the rest of his strength, he took advantage of the momentum to stomp on the vampire’s head with the heel of his shoe. There was a nauseating crunch as his skull caved in from the blunt force trauma, splintering and sending blood splashing across the pavement, driving him straight into torpor. One down, one more to go.

The brutality of the violence he had displayed unnerved him, yet fuelled his excitement as adrenaline coursed through his veins. He attributed it to being partially influenced by the Beast the moment those bastards had put your life in danger. At least he had not fully succumbed to it. That was what he tried to tell himself while putting a lid on his unquenchable thirst for more. More violence. More bloodshed. They deserve it…

A cacophony of ghastly howls erupted from a distance, bringing him back to reality. Jill, it had to be, Leon realized. The Sheriff was coming to subdue this severe breach of the Masquerade. As the other vampire lunged at him, Leon’s reflexes took over, timing it such that he skirted the edge of the assault unscathed. Instead, he circled around, placing the attacker in an unyielding headlock. The vampire struggled vigorously, attempting to kick and claw his way out of Leon’s grip.

It was then that he heard Jill’s gruff yells in the vicinity, as the pack of dogs under her control barked and gnashed their teeth viciously at the remaining offenders, clamping down on their legs to prevent them from escaping. The Hound, a group of Kindred who reported to her, had arrived in tow, twirling wooden shafts in their hands, each sharpened at one end. Grinning menacingly, they struck at the assailants, staking them immobile before dragging them away.

“You need this one?” Leon called out. He might as well play by their rules where he got the chance, even if the Prince himself had decreed a perpetual Blood Hunt on the Sabbat. Anything to be in the former’s good graces. It was all for show, anyway.

Jill turned sharply, her mouth contorting into a wicked smirk, as she stalked towards him. “Leon… always at the right place, right time, huh?” Her voice was more akin to brutish snarl, but he knew when she meant her threats and when she didn’t. At this point, she was on his side.

“We have our hands full of the rebellious trash.” She jerked her thumb back to her crew, who were skulking around in the dark with their catch. “Kill this motherfucker.”

Without hesitation, Leon snapped the vampire’s neck clean, ripping his head off in the process as his lifeless body fell to the ground in a heap. Letting out a huff from the effort, he tossed the head aside, feeling nothing for the wretched being that lay at his feet. Or did he? He chose not to dwell on it any further, finding something else to distract himself with as he glanced down at his clothes, frowning when he noticed they were smeared with all sorts of fluids and innards. Dry cleaning was gonna be a bitch.

Jill signaled towards your body with her chin. “This one’s barely alive.”

“She’s mine.” A deep-seated possessiveness surged through him as he stepped between you and Jill, unwilling to let you be snatched away from his grasp again. Swooping down, he lifted you into his arms, ready to cart you off from this gruesome site. “Please, I don’t have much time.”

Narrowing her eyes, she tilted her head and a low rumble reverberated from her chest. “Alright, pretty boy. You’re answerable to the Prince though,” she warned.

“Understood,” he replied snippily, cringing at the nickname she often used to wind him up.

Directing her attention once again to her Hound, she commanded, “Torch the rest!”

The poor, newly created vampires never stood a chance, dealing with both the life-changing alterations to their bodies and the molotov cocktails now lobbed at them. They had no idea what was happening as they were set aflame in the towering bonfire, screeching and wailing until they were reduced to nothing but ashes. The smell of singed skin and flesh hung in the air.

Tightening his grip on you, Leon recoiled involuntarily in fear as he fled from the raging inferno. “Hang in there for me,” he whispered, praying to a long-forgotten god that he wouldn’t be too late this time. 

Racing like his life depended on it, he kept to the shadows, using the cover of darkness to navigate through the maze of Raccoon City towards his haven.