#this is probably quite ooc
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
leifyposting ยท 4 months ago
Text
Rosaria is not usually this transparent.
She isnโ€™t Barbara, who wears her heart on her sleeve, or Jean, who does not count lying among her many talents. She isnโ€™t even Kaeya, whose intricate masks and careful dissembling only hold up as long as the wind doesnโ€™t blow too hard.
Rosaria is impassive, unreadable, barely even there. Sheโ€™s spent enough years learning how to let peopleโ€™s eyes slide right off her. It turns out that you can wear fishnets and claw rings and people will still let themselves ignore you if you give them the right excuse.
But she has been drinking, tonight โ€” not quite to the edge of tipsy, but close, right on the line where the lights are warmer and the wine is sweeter and the chatter of the bar patrons tips from grating to almost melodic.
And so maybe she lets her eyes linger, just a little, on the broad back and flaming hair of tonightโ€™s bartender.ย 
No one would blame her if they caught the way her gaze flits over to him and away, one stolen glance every couple of minutes. Diluc cuts a dashing figure in his bartenderโ€™s uniform: all straight lines and stark contrasts, his red hair bright against the white of his vest. He carries himself with a quiet composure born of physical power and a bank vault full of cash. Half the people in this tavern have been ogling him all evening; sheโ€™s still not sure if heโ€™s truly oblivious or willfully blind.ย 
As she watches, he slides a drink over to the Traveler at the end of the bar, waving away the offer of payment. He wipes down the counter with a practiced hand before tossing the cloth over his shoulder once more. Then he turns back, and Rosaria doesnโ€™t look away quite quick enough to stop their gazes from catching and holding.ย 
Dilucโ€™s gaze burns like the embers of a campfire, low and controlled, but with the promise of destruction unleashed. For a long second, he watches her watching him.ย 
Then he smiles.ย 
Itโ€™s a different smile from the confident one he gives her in the middle of the night when theyโ€™re on a manhunt, or the rueful shouldnโ€™t-have-let-my-guard-down grin he sports when heโ€™s taken an injury he should have been able to dodge.ย 
This smile is small, meant just for her: the corner of his mouth quirks up, boyish and almost shy, and for a moment Rosaria catches a glimpse of the young man whoโ€™d brought Mondstadt to its knees.ย 
Heโ€™s so godsdamned pretty it makes her throat tight. Despite her better judgement, Rosaria finds herself smiling back.ย 
She suppresses her smile as soon as she registers it โ€” but Kaeya has always been too perceptive for his own good.ย 
โ€œPlaying with fire there, Rosaria,โ€ he murmurs once Diluc turns away. He leans an elbow on the bar counter and fixes her with an unreadable smile.ย 
โ€œWhat do you mean?โ€ she asks evenly, taking a swig of her wine.
Kaeya looks unimpressed by her attempt at deflection. โ€œFalling in love with him is a bad idea.โ€
โ€œIโ€™m not in love with him,โ€ Rosaria says. She realizes too late that this too is a confession. She ought to have asked who he meant; sheโ€™s shown her hand too early.
โ€œSure,โ€ Kaeya says, serious for once. โ€œBut youโ€™re getting there.โ€
โ€œAm not.โ€
He shakes his head at her. โ€œI wouldnโ€™t get too close, if I were you. He burns everything he touches.โ€
Kaeya was her first real friend in Mondstadt. She knows what Diluc did โ€” in broad strokes, if not in detail. It definitely makes her a bad friend that she likes him anyway.ย 
Kaeyaโ€™s lone visible eye tracks Dilucโ€™s movement as he weaves his way through the bar, clearing tables. โ€œThe thing is, he doesnโ€™t mean to,โ€ he says, his voice low and almost affectionate. โ€œHe tries so hard, you know? Heโ€™d try, if you asked him to.โ€
โ€œIโ€™m not asking him shit. Thereโ€™s nothing going on between us.โ€
โ€œHe just always ends up destroying things anyways,โ€ he continues as if she hadnโ€™t spoken, his fingers tracing lines of frost on the condensation of his glass, his eye still fixed on the back of Dilucโ€™s head. โ€œIt tears him apart, but good intentions donโ€™t restore whatโ€™s been broken.โ€
He looks back at her. For a moment she thinks she sees wildfire flames licking at the deep blue of his visible eye, before they resolve into the gentle glow of the lamps that light the Angelโ€™s Share. โ€œI know youโ€™re not going to listen to me,โ€ he says, and smiles mirthlessly. โ€œYou can make your own decisions, of course. But be careful, alright? Iโ€™d hate to see you hurt in the course of protecting Mondstadt.โ€
Itโ€™s the wrong thing to say. Rosaria knows it as soon as it leaves his lips.ย 
Because no matter how bad Diluc is, Rosaria is worse. Kaeya has forgotten that frost burns too.ย 
Diluc is a fine, upstanding citizen, the uncrowned king of Mondstadt. Rosaria is a scrappy orphan at the mercy of the Church. Diluc has a bent for justice and a mission to take care of the weak. Rosaria only knows revenge.
Kaeya forgets โ€” or ignores, because he is a good friend, and he cares for her in his own way โ€” that Rosaria deserves nothing but destruction and pain. Everything she has received from Mondstadt has been at the cost of its citizens. She owes a debt she can never repay; if she takes some injury in the course of protecting this country, it will simply be what she deserves.ย 
She lays a hand on Kaeyaโ€™s arm and watches him jolt. โ€œGetting burned is part of the job.โ€
โ€œOf protecting Mondstadt?โ€ He sounds skeptical. โ€œThe nation has never asked that of you.โ€
She raises an eyebrow at him. โ€œSomeoneโ€™s gotta do it. Donโ€™t act like you havenโ€™t sacrificed for Mondstadt too.โ€
โ€œOh, I wonโ€™t pretend I havenโ€™t,โ€ he says lightly. โ€œBut Iโ€™m a hedonist, you know โ€” Iโ€™ll always pick pleasure over pain.โ€
She laughs, opting not to call him on this obvious lie. โ€œI guess that makes me a masochist, because I donโ€™t care if I get hurt.โ€ย 
โ€œI care,โ€ he mutters, then sighs. โ€œLook, youโ€™re a grown-up. If you want to flirt with the sun, I wonโ€™t stop you. I just reserve the right to say โ€˜I told you soโ€™ when your wax wings go up in smoke.โ€
โ€œIโ€™ll be careful,โ€ Rosaria promises.ย 
(Across the tavern, Diluc laughs at something Venti says, low and rolling and resonant. The eyes of half of Mondstadt follow the sound, and Rosaria has never been one to go with the crowd, but in this and this onlyโ€”)
Kaeya rolls his eyes, shrugging her hand off his arm. โ€œNo, you wonโ€™t.โ€
โ€œNo,โ€ she agrees, and grins. โ€œI wonโ€™t.โ€
46 notes ยท View notes
thebad-lydrawn-sanses ยท 8 months ago
Note
Want emotional support?
Anyways here's some space themed stuff if you're a dark mode user.
ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.โ€ˆใ€€ ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€โ€‚โ€‚ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€โ€ˆ โ€ˆใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€. ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ โœฆ .ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€โ€ขใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ โœฆ ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€โ€‚โ€‚ ใ€€โ€ข ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€หšใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€โ€ˆ โ€ˆ.ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€โ˜„ใ€€ใ€€ . โ€ขใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€โ€ˆโ€ˆโ€Šโ€Š.ใ€€โ€ˆโ€ˆโ€ˆโ€ˆโ€ˆโ€Šใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€โ€ˆโ€ˆโ€Šโ€Šโ€ˆโ€ˆ.โ€Šโ€Šใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€. โ€ข ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€.โ€ˆใ€€ ใ€€ใ€€โ€ขใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ โœฆ ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ .ใ€€ ใ€€ใ€€๐Ÿชใ€€ใ€€ ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€โ€‚โ€‚โ€‚ใ€€ .ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€๏พŸใ€€โ€‚โ€‚ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ โœฆ ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€,ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€โ€ˆโ€ˆโ€ˆโ€ˆใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ ใ€€ใ€€ ใ€€โœฆใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.โ€ˆใ€€ ใ€€ใ€€โ€ขใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ โœฆ ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ ใ€€ ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€๐ŸŒ˜ ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€โ€‚โ€‚โ€‚ใ€€ .ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€๏พŸใ€€โ€‚โ€‚ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ โœฆ ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€,ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€โ€ˆโ€ˆโ€ˆโ€ˆใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ ใ€€ใ€€ ใ€€โœฆใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€โœฆ .ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€โ€ขใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ โœฆ ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€โ€‚โ€‚ ใ€€โ€ข ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€หšใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€โ€ˆ โ€ˆใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€โ˜„ใ€€ใ€€ย  . โ€ขใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€โ€ˆโ€ˆโ€Šโ€Š.ใ€€โ€ˆโ€ˆโ€ˆโ€ˆโ€ˆโ€Šใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€โ€ˆโ€ˆโ€Šโ€Šโ€ˆโ€ˆโ€Šโ€Šใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€.ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€. ใ€€ใ€€ ใ€€โœฆใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€โœฆ .ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€โ€ขใ€€ ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€ใ€€
-Multiverse Anon
regretfully i can not see it as i am not a dark mode user but i hope others can enjoy the view of space :D
81 notes ยท View notes
wizerdbattle ยท 2 months ago
Text
Tumblr media
I very badly wanted Jo to have a hashtag feminism arc where she latched onto Poppy and acted as her assistant... the power would go to Poppy's head and Jo would slowly absorb pieces of Poppy's terrible personality and they would both get worse... yeah I would have liked that a lot I think :)
Tumblr media Tumblr media
25 notes ยท View notes
templeofvengeance ยท 10 days ago
Text
Tumblr media
[These quizzes are so fkin hard to do for Khonshu]
17 notes ยท View notes
numberonetacostan ยท 1 month ago
Note
It bothers me a little bit when people act like Pickel would be a jerk to Taco because he didn't accept Taco's apology.
Sure they aren't on good terms but he's not an asshole he's basically just a regular guy who got caught up in Taco's act because he was one of the people who wasn't an bitch to her s1 act.
I was reading a fic (for the tacomic because I have brain worms) and Taco hits her head, passes out, Pickle says she deserves it, Mic yells at him and he punches her in the face (also she starts bleeding and he just doesn't care that he made someone unconscious bleed).
I don't mean to rip on that author in paticular, that's just an example but he wouldn't do that, he has the right to reject her apology but he isn't a horrible person who'd leave her if she was seriously injured or genuinely struggling.
Hi there!!!!^^ Welcome, and thank you for submitting an ask!!!! :)
Gah, you're so right. I thoroughly disagree with the notion that Pickle would enjoy seeing Taco hurt or suffering. He would not!!! He wouldn't be mean to her at all!! At most I can see him making a snide comment or two, to himself or maybe Knife, if he's upset at her while she's around. He's been really hurt by her, he doesn't want to forgive her or be friends with her again, but he would never harm her, wish her harm, or enjoy her being harmed, at this point. Intrusive-y, very emotional thoughts at the very beginning when he was at his lowest due to her betrayal, he may have had a stray thought, but that's in a normal person-who-is-deeply-hurt way rather than him actually wanting to go through with it.
Yeah I agree I must say the line. He would not fucking say that. Nor would he do that, I'd agree that's very out of character for him.
Though also yes, no shame to that author!!! Out of character can work for some plots, especially rollercoaster-type emotional ones and in fanfictions! Even if I prefer more in-character things I am not immune to it. Sometimes I think characters should kiss before they would realistically be at that stage in their relationship in the plot, yeah? We all do it, I think.
But I agree with your assessment that Pickle would not actually do such a thing. He may not want to forgive her or want a relationship with her but he would not harm her nor ignore her if she was harmed.
19 notes ยท View notes
everythingisawayoflife ยท 7 months ago
Text
the writer in meโ€ฆsheโ€™s cookingโ€ฆi think this is the longest thing ive written yet. i shall leave a sample below so iโ€™m satisfied with sharing at least a little bit before i post the full thing (this to me takes place in the new batman adventures universe but feel free to imagine otherwise):
Dick is worried. Tim isnโ€™t the chattiest kid but he can certainly hold a conversation. Dickโ€™s tried everything: school, movies, TV, even casework. All heโ€™s gotten are some unenthused grunts and hums. Tim may not biologically be Bruceโ€™s kid but he sure does take after the guy. He cleaned up a bit before leaving and thereโ€™s a little bit of color back in his face but he still looks tired. Devastatingly so. Dick keeps stealing glances at his little brother in the passenger seat of the car. His arms are folded tightly against his abdomen, as if heโ€™s protecting his stomach from something and a slight shiver courses through his body despite Tim bundling up with at least three layers, a scarf, a hat, and very thick gloves. The kidโ€™s got to be cooking in his makeshift snowsuit, but then againโ€ฆ
Theyโ€™re stopped at a red light. Five minutes out from the mall, three minutes out from the nearest urgent care.
Dick steals another glance towards Tim and decides to reroute to the clinic, get him checked out. Dick tuts quietly, itโ€™s a shame heโ€™s starting to come down with something right before Christmas, right before his first Christmas with them. Dickโ€™s been in his shoes before; falling in a pond ice skating with Barbara. She managed to be just fine whereas he spent Christmas on Bruceโ€™s couch laid up with pneumonia. He hardly remembers that Christmas from being so damn delirious but he remembers the warmth that wasnโ€™t from fever. It was familial. The whole time he remembers being with someone. It was hard to deduce who was with him when but he was never alone. And if Tim was about to go through what he had been through, or something similar, heโ€™d need them. But first, Dick just wanted to check for a fever in the first place. All signs pointed to one but Dick wasnโ€™t sure yet. Careful not to wake the sleeping boy, Dick reaches out for Timโ€™s forehead.
HONK!
Dick quickly retracts his hand and places it back on the wheel, pressing the gas. To the mall. Tim doesnโ€™t jolt awake but the car horn is clearly loud enough to stir him. He blinks slowly with a grimace, like heโ€™s in pain.
โ€œAre we there yet?โ€ Tim asks, pitifully quiet. Like talking louder than a whisper would kill him.
โ€œAlmost, Tim, you can go back to sleep for a bit,โ€ Dick says, taking a left towards the mall.
Tim makes a disapproving noise. โ€œI wasnโ€™t sleeping.โ€
Hm. Denial is the path heโ€™s choosing here.
โ€œAre you sure? Your eyes were closed and you werenโ€™t talking. Telltale signs of sleeping to me,โ€ Dick says lightly, trying not to come off like heโ€™s interrogating Tim.
Tim laughs a little. โ€œNope, just resting my eyes.โ€
โ€œOkay, old man. Youโ€™re too young to rest your eyes. Resting your eyes is for old people. Just look at Bruce.โ€
โ€œHn.โ€
โ€œOh my gosh, B, is that you?โ€ This gets a more hearty laugh from Tim. Itโ€™s the most awake heโ€™s looked since this morning.
alrighty thats all im posting, im gonna show the utmost restraint until i actually finish this thing.
30 notes ยท View notes
feareborn ยท 1 month ago
Text
affiliates call! Like this if you'd potentially wanna be affiliates
6 notes ยท View notes
c0mmander-rudboys ยท 10 months ago
Note
What is your height? You don't seem very tall...
But you look pretty strong ;)
Tumblr media
//I have no idea
Though yes, he is a pretty strong guy.
22 notes ยท View notes
byanyan ยท 10 months ago
Text
just a head's up: while I hesitate to call hiatus of any kind bc I want to give myself the freedom to write when I have the energy/focus/etc., I will just note that I'm gonna be even slower than usual around here for... idk, probably for a bit. I'm in the worst state mentally that I think I've ever actually been in and it's uhhhh. it's not great lmao. writing is my main escape & distraction so I don't want to step away from it but doing anything is hard as fuck rn so I'm really not interested in pressuring myself to get shit done when it comes to the hobby I'm supposed to be having fun with. I'll be slow, I'll be selective, and it's possible I'll be dropping a lot of drafts?? maybe?? OR at least like. temporarily removing a bunch from my drafts (to be added back later) just so the number is less big & overwhelming lmao.
thank u guys for ur patience w me & for writing w my glittery lil creature, I appreciate u all sm ๐Ÿ’œ
17 notes ยท View notes
take-ya-to-the-ghey-bar ยท 7 days ago
Text
Tumblr media
that moment when the dash of another blog reminds you of an ancient ass anime crush you had forever ago, and now you're busy dying some inside-- ๐Ÿ’€๐Ÿ’€๐Ÿ’€
4 notes ยท View notes
piningpercussionist ยท 8 months ago
Note
I love lesbians thanks for providing solder ๐Ÿซก
Tumblr media
Anything for our Women* Lovers back at home, Sir (gn)!
*(and non women โ™ก)
(also this already included trans women but friendly reminder that if you're a terf you're not welcome here โ™ก How did you get passed the transfem Scott posts? /j)
11 notes ยท View notes
r3dblccd ยท 6 months ago
Text
Me before watching Chicago (2002) when I discovered WBRFTG and it became one of my favourite songs and I was listening to it without context: OH YES OH YES OH YES THEY BOTH OH YES THEY BOTH OH YES THEY BOTH REACHED FOR THE GUN THE GUN THE GUN THE GUN
Me after actually watching the movie: Wait a minute... I've been bamboozled
9 notes ยท View notes
russell-crowe ยท 9 months ago
Text
anyway i just finished season 7 and while it had some interesting moments, i think it is my least favourite season of house md.
9 notes ยท View notes
corvidmagicae ยท 19 days ago
Text
Tumblr media
the desire to be active rises, but the energy to actually follow through is in the negatives. r i p. i'll be lurking tonight, feel free to pester via asks or dash shenanigans. i'm just mentally on one braincell right now.
2 notes ยท View notes
slightlyunconventional ยท 2 years ago
Note
ok ok but picture N/ina trying to help K/az hold back because they have to be quiet on a heist or something (maybe a good old sneezing-while-hiding type thing) and then when theyโ€™re out of the situation she releases her powers and he just ERUPTSโ€ฆcould you imagineโ€ฆ๐Ÿ˜
i am doing more than imagining UGHHH this was literally too god not to write into a fic
(anyone who wants to disprove any of the h/eartrender science can argue with the wall. who care about canon) Also the intro to this is a bit long sorry
tease (subjecting k/az b/rekker to the classic sneezing while hiding treatment)
K/az and N/ina stuffed themselves into a wardrobe, backs pressed against the wall, panting hard. They had just narrowly escaped several armed guards who tailed them through the winding corridors of the mansion they'd broken into. A 500,000 kruge job - all they'd had to do was infiltrate Herr Frรผhling's (a rather obnoxious nom-de-plume) manor, and pilfer an expensive jade brooch from his personal safes. Obtaining the brooch had been plain sailing. The latter half of the heist could not be said the same for. I/nej had recorded the guards' schedules the evening prior, but the ostentatious gentleman of the mansion just so happened to refresh the rotas mere hours before their arrival. What K/az thought was the perfect window to sneak in had actually turned out to be the very minute the guards came back on duty.
Now, they were split up. Inej made her own way out, of course, Jesper, Wylan, and a reluctant Matthias chose a rather gunshot-explosion-heavy escape route, so Kaz ended up with Nina, thundering down Frรผhling's pristine hallways, three guards hot on their heels. Nina had managed to slow the guards for a brief period with her powers, though not for long - there wasn't a whole lot a Grisha could do while running through a house as fast as possible. This had allowed them an advantage, though, as they stormed through the nearest door into what appeared to be a guest bedroom.
The closet was surprisingly spacious, possessing enough room to allow both of them to collapse to the dusty wooden floor in exhaustion.
Nina watched Kaz set his cane down to the side of him and grimace as he bent his knees up in front of him.
"Saints, what a dick," Nina breathed, clearly referring to Frรผhling's ridiculousness. Much to his dismay, Kaz had had to be the distraction to keep the gentleman away from his safes, while Inej's limited lockpicking skills were put to the test obtaining the brooch. The balding man showed clear interest in what he called Kaz's "little finger tricks" - what really was just sleight of hand. Kaz had humoured him, however, entertaining the idiot with vanishing coins and cards.
"Is it bad I never want to do a magic trick again?" Kaz said.
"Don't blame you," Nina replied with a snort. "Reckon this guards have gone yet?"
Kaz listened for a moment. "Not sure. I haven't heard them pass, but they might still be knocked out."
He shifted in place, grimacing.
"Has this closet ever been cleaned? God, all I'm breathing is this fucking d-duhh-!"
"Dust?" Nina finished with a smirk.
He breathed in sharply. "hahH!- hah'kkschh! huh'kxxsch! Fuck..."
Nina raised her eyebrows, quietly laughing. "I didn't think you could sneeze."
"Zip it, or I'll- hhuh.. I'll--huH'KSChhiew!" Three sneezes in and they were already rising in volume and pitch.
"Or you'll what?" Nina teased, "Sneeze at me?"
She snorted again seeing the way his glower quickly went slack, overtaken by an impending fourth sneeze.
"hUH'iSHHhiew!"
"Crap." Nina's grin dropped.
Kaz emerged from his elbow. "What?"
Three sets of footsteps entered the room. He and Nina turned to each other, eyes wide.
"Shit." Kaz said, voice barely a whisper, "Can you access them from in here?"
Nina shook her head. "We just have to hope for the best.."
The footsteps slowed down; the guards were scanning the room. Nina heard Kaz's steady breathing begin to snag. Oh, Saints, not now she thought.
"hihH-!"
Nina nudged him urgently with her elbow. All he could do was look back helplessly as he struggled against the need to sneeze.
Then, she had a thought. Sure, she couldn't access the guards' pulses from inside the closet, but maybe she could access Kaz. She'd messed with people's breathing before, drawn air from their lungs to leave them gasping and coughing, so how hard could it be to simply, stop someone sneezing? She thought it was worth a try.
Nina raised her hands and drew them together, feeling the thrum of Kaz's pulse and the rise of each desperate breath. She took his breath, and held it. Not so much that he couldn't breathe, but enough to suppress any oncoming outbursts.
Kaz turned to her in horror despite his lax features. Nina's efforts seemed to be working, because, despite the irritated twitch of his nose, he wasn't sneezing any more. He did though, seem to be stuck in a permanent 'about-to-sneeze' face, which Nina thought was positively adorable. She would definitely be telling Inej all about this.
The footsteps drew closer. Nina's heart pounded. One of the guards was standing right outside the closet door. Nina's grip on Kaz's breathing tightened, and she held her own breath, body tense. Kaz was totally still, eyes barely open, brows drawn together, mouth hanging halfway open. Nina thought she'd never seen anyone need to sneeze that badly before.
"They're not here. Move!" commanded a thick Zemeni accent. The footsteps left the room, fading away in tandem down the corridor.
Nina sighed, never more relieved in her life. A part of her wanted to keep her hands together, hold Kaz's breath until his dignity was in tatters, but she very much valued her skull. She let go, separating her hands.
A series of staggered gasps escaped him as his brows drew closer. Kaz ducked into his elbow, burying his face deep in the sleeve of his coat.
"HahH-hUH-HH'KKSCHHhiew! 'ISHHhuh! huH'SSHHhiew!"
"Is this a new world record? 'Ketterdam local sneezes a trillion times in five minutes?" Nina laughed.
"huh'kKSHhew! Ugh. Shut up."
Nina kicked the closet door open from her seated position and hauled herself up into the glamourous guest bedroom. She groaned.
"Oh, my legs."
Kaz didn't stand up. Instead, he sneezed, a messy triple barely covered by the hand he lifted halfway to his face.
"hih'sSCHHhiew! kxXSCHuh! -huhh... huh'KSHHuhh!"
Nina tried not to laugh again as she offered him an arm to stand up. He ignored it, pushing himself up out of the closet. He was rubbing his nose with his free hand, leather gloves clearly doing nothing to help.
"Fancy that - the Bastard of the Barrel and he's got a dust allergy! Hilarious." giggled Nina.
Kaz strode straight past her, out of the bedroom and down the hallway.
67 notes ยท View notes
primordialruin ยท 1 month ago
Note
How does Lilith feel about incubi/succubi? Did she play any part in creating them?
If she did, then it was with the help of Asmodeus. Although given her infertility, I feel that it was the other way around. Perhaps, they were modeled after her. After all, she does have pottery as her hobby. Bringing them to life would've been Ozzie's domain. I did HC that she, in her naivety, thought that having children in Eden meant making humans out of clay since copulation was a foreign thing to her. I think it'd be interesting if she tried that experiment again in Hell, and Asmodeus gave them life. Would tie her to her title and stories as the mother of succubi and incubi, which I think is great!
I think, for the most part, she doesn't think too much about them since they are mainly Ozzie's. She employs them where she needs them. She is said to have an army of Lilin/Lilim that are comprised of her children, but I personally would like to steer away from this interpretation of Lilith as having all of the succubi in her service. I do wish for the army to exist, but joining it should be out of choice rather than enforced by birth. The Succubi/Incubi would be her preferred soldiers because of their ability to fly.
2 notes ยท View notes