#wonders of life pavillion

[glorious-sunset]

Reflections on Ep. 5 of LBFAD on rewatch

Arbiter Hall, Day 4: DongFang QingCang (DFQC), after a torturous morning collecting dew drop by drop for Xiao Lanhua (XLH), finds her and the plant spirits gleefully celebrating his departure!! He has many enemies who scheme behind his back and want to kill him, is aware of Shiyuntian’s unflattering propaganda around him, and never gave these insults a second thought. But when XLH says that “even the air becomes clearer” without him around, it is like a sharp stab to his gut. When even the thoughts of the mightiest kings don’t bother him, why should the words of an inconsequential little flower?

XLH’s relief at his disappearance soon turns to sadness and worry. She misses Da Qiang terribly, and wonders if he is back at Haotian Tower. She knows he had been imprisoned for tens of thousands of years – how much longer would he have to stay if he went back? He is a good man and doesn’t deserve it. The plant spirits go to sleep and she feels bereft – until DFQC presents her with her morning dew! He looks more breathtakingly handsome than ever in a new set of robes and smells intoxicating from his fragranced bath.

DFQC tries hard to be patient with her requests to make the dew more palatable. When he blows on it to cool it down, it reminds her of her master Siming blowing on her porridge when she is sick. Since Siming left, nobody ever lifted a finger to care for her until now. Da Qiang promises to collect dew for her every day from now on – but how can she accept his kindness? Her heart belongs to Changheng (CH) doesn’t it? She is torn.

DFQC overdoes everything that the Xilan scroll suggests in his attempts to heal XLH! The amount of dew he collects is several times the amount she would normally drink, his efforts to keep her warm take him to the volcanic magma of Cangyan Sea, and only the best place will do to see the sunrise – the home of his enemy! :D It would be easier if he took her back to Cangyan Sea, let his medics attend to her, and retrieved his Jade Ring to block her emotions. He could then coerce her to fix the destiny leaf without emotional fallout. But the scroll said that the roots of the Xilan holy plant should not be moved except on particular days.

Yunzhong Water Pavillion: Yunzhong admonishes CH for ignoring his arranged marriage to the Goddess and for keeping another woman’s handkerchief. CH is dutifully shamed, discarding the Immortal Pill that he had poured his spirit’s vitality into creating over the last three days for XLH. If only he knew that XLH was actually his fiancée! :D Too funny.

Arbiter Hall: DFQC has been away all day and XLH, worried for his safety, has stayed up long past her usual bedtime to wait for him. When he returns and approaches her in her bedroom late at night, she retreats nervously. His proximity feels dangerous and exciting. He offers her the spark of Eternal Flame from the magma of Cangyan Sea, and is pleased when she recognises it from her books. But how could he have entered such a dangerous and distant place just to keep her warm – what if he had lost his life?!

Fountain Palace: CH reminisces about the momentous day he spent with XLH 500 years ago, which he then wiped from her memory without her consent!! There are many striking parallels between his history with XLH and DFQC’s continuing story with her. XLH did not know the true identity of either CH nor DFQC, but showed kindness to them both simply because of her caring nature. To CH, aggrieved by the attentions of simpering fairies chasing him for his fortune and status, this was the purest form of kindness he ever knew. XLH cured both men with her Xilan magic – for CH, this involved healing his physical wounds. CH appeared to have been mortally wounded and it is possible that she saved his life. For DFQC, she healed the damage to his Tree of Emotions, and mended his relationships with his father and brother. XLH is also the first person to try to protect either of these men, who everyone else relied on to protect them but were never offered care and protection themselves. In ep. 8 she protectively wraps DFQC in her arms in her attempt to save him from CH and his troops. What a woman! CH and DFQC never stood a chance. Also, CH, you are an idiot :D

Arbiter Hall, Day 5: It’s still dark when DFQC enters XLH’s room to take her to see the sunrise. Of course she’s reluctant to get up, lazy creature that she is, but the first rays of the sun are vital to her recuperation. Let’s see, she can’t go dressed in her nightclothes. He creates a soft and feminine lavender gown for her in keeping with her preference for light-coloured clothes, and gorgeous pastel hair accessories to match. Amazing!! We’ve seen him magically change his own clothes in ep. 2 and he does the same for her now. The next thing she knows, they are flying up, up, up, faster than she has ever travelled before and it is scary but exhilarating! Her arms encircle DFQC tightly and she feels safe in his embrace.

The lavender gown that DFQC created is the most beautiful out of all of XLH’s Fairy Realm outfits. The sleeves fall in soft, translucent frills, the bodice is lavender and the skirt is a collage of multiple pastel hues. His impeccable taste in fashion isn’t limited to his own wardrobe! (you can be my fairy godmother any time DFQC! :D ) This dress becomes XLH’s favourite; she wears it for the fairies’ examination in ep. 6 for good luck, and is seen wearing it in two scenes in the LBFAD end credits :D

Yunzhong Water Pavillion: DFQC watches with wicked amusement as XLH, not realising they are concealed by his invisibility cloak, panics at the sight of the heavenly soldiers approaching. They are now physically very comfortable with each other, and she grabs his waist, his arm, his wrist, as she tries to hide behind him and persuade him to leave before even more powerful high celestials arrive and capture them!

DFQC has to admit that the home of his arch-enemy is beautiful. But this reminds him that the Shuiyuntian dictators greedily hoard the best locations for themselves; they determine the class of others based solely on the status they were born into, and not on their personal merits. In Cangyan Sea, anyone can rise in status if they work hard enough and show potential. Shuiyuntian oppresses any member of the Moon Tribe simply because they are labelled as Moon Tribe – no other crime is necessary. In the lead up to the Battle of Two Tribes, Shuiyuntian had been cruelly and unnecessarily using their spirit-vanishing arrow formation (mentioned by his father in ep. 16) against the Moon Tribe, which meant that those they destroyed could never reincarnate and their spirits would never be at peace. The Moon Tribe had had no counter to their genocidal attacks until DFQC learned to control Hellfire.

They teleport to a romantic private balcony bordered with flowers just in time to catch the first rays of the rising sun. It’s the first sunrise XLH has ever seen! She can’t believe how beautiful the view is from the highest point in Shiyuntian! Not even high gods are allowed up here without being summoned by Yunzhong. To her enormous excitement, Cloud Whale, whom she has regularly spoken to over the past thousand years but never seen in person, makes an appearance!! Da Qiang made this possible for her, and she can’t help but love him for it.

Her radiant smile and soft, tender gaze upon him captivates him. From this moment, he is unable to take his eyes off her, and a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth! :D Even the flowers on the balcony bloom in response to XLH’s happiness. Unknowingly, the two of them are by now completely enchanted by each other.

Arbiter Hall: XLH takes the Universe Pill that Jieli gave her, and both she, and DFQC in response, experience excruciating stomach pains (shame on you Jieli! :P ). While DFQC dispels fire energy from her stomach, she tells him that despite being a grouch, he is not a bad person. “Within the three realms, nobody is worse than me!” he declares, followed soon after by “if you feel sad, I feel sad too” :D He roughly pulls a blanket over her on his way out – this small but very significant gesture is not born from the necessity to heal her, but from a new desire within him to care for her. He was trained to be ruthless, nobody taught him how to be kind, but from this point on he is slowly learning how. In ep. 8, he roughly brushes a tear from her cheek, and his small gestures of kindness only continue to become smoother and gentler.

Unfortunately, XLH continues to be sad while missing Siming and the hundred flower soup she used to make for her and DFQC can no longer stand it! His face keeps crying and it is distracting him from his reading!! How hard can it be to make soup? He is not familiar with the kitchen equipment but has some experience with cooking over a campfire. So, he uses his hellfire to create a campfire on the rooftop. Bad idea, as smoke goes everywhere and flowers burn in the cooking pot :D But, XLH is overjoyed at his thoughtful efforts to cheer her up, which are well outside his comfort zone! He reminds her more and more of her master Siming, who was the dearest and most important person to her. All of the flowers in the greenhouse now bloom in response to her joy and affection (only two flowers bloomed for CH, in ep. 1 :P )

Here is a link to my episode 6 review (contains spoilers). All of my LBFAD articles and episode reviews can be viewed with the tag #lbfad reflections (hyperlinked) and the table of contents to these is here.

[adelemadouce]

For one Day only

As soon as I closed my eyes, I saw him, I desired him, and I feared losing him. I had never felt such insecurity before in my life, because even though I read the lines of his love letter over and over again, I was still afraid of losing him. As Camille was dressing me on that penultimate day of 1804, she asked me what sadness had prevented me from smiling that day. Finally, Monsieur Duchâtel was preparing a grand fête for New Year's Eve, at which I could shine and impress as the mistress of the house, since I was now a famous lady in Paris, honored by the Emperor himself! I sighed deeply. I also found it difficult to admit that such celebrations, as well as my rather questionable popularity, did not impress me at all. Duchâtel's reception on New Year's Eve didn't interest me in the slightest and I already knew that I would avoid it with a "headache".

No, it was another, real pain that tormented me - my heart was suffering! And Camille finally realized it. "There is no such thing as a whole life of happiness, Madame! But if one has been able to know happiness, if one has been able to experience it in all its power and sweetness, then one day of this happiness is enough for a whole life!" It was so loving of her to tell me that, but I didn't let on how little comfort it gave me. No one understood the love I felt, which was so powerful that it went beyond death, beyond all reason, all faith, even beyond the sweetest dreams of divine hope! I felt despair inside me: "I will die if I lose him!" I said in a low voice, more to myself. This most terrible of all thoughts tormented me, because I was no longer sure whether the Emperor still loved me. Had he chosen Joséphine? Did he decide to love only the Empress, his wife? Had Moira been right with her warnings? "Madame, you have dark thoughts, nothing else! The Emperor loves you, he wrote it! He would be a fool to give you up...you are one of the most beautiful of all the ladies at court, Madame! I know it...I have seen the others! Our Emperor is no fool...!" He was the only one who could convince me of his love for me, but he was outside the gates of Paris, in Malmaison, with his Empress. For me, that meant waiting, hoping, praying in all the uncertainty...that...

I was too young, too inexperienced to be able to judge his fickleness. I could have guessed that his tireless spirit, his restlessness, his impatience and ultimately his longing would lead him back to Paris sooner than he had promised the Empress. Spending a second day in Malmaison just out of concern for some exotic plants simply did not fit into the Emperor's concept of useful pastimes! Which is why he left Malmaison one day early, breaking free from the arms of the Empress, only to fall into my arms a short time later!

When Camille came to me in the early evening to put my cape around my shoulders, she said with a beaming smile: "Madame, the black fiacre is waiting!" I almost fainted from happiness. I cannot describe the relief I felt, the lovesick dizziness that numbed me and I hardly noticed how I got into the fiacre, wrapped in my cape and drove through the Parisian twilight, to his dark Tuileries palace, to him!

The fiacre stopped at a side entrance of the Pavillion de Flore. Monsieur Nivernois, the concierge of this entrance (who knew me as a lady-in-waiting and followed a sworn discretion) opened the door and helped me to get out. A footman of the Grand Marshal received me and led me to a salon on the ground floor. I had pulled the hood of my cape down over my head, literally nothing of my face was visible, and I wondered how many ladies had been led into this palace veiled in this way over the centuries! I knew the secret passageways of the Tuileries, the connections behind wallpapered doors through which one could reach all the rooms without being seen. The secret corridors were partially lit by oil lamps, there was a steep staircase leading up to the first floor where it was pitch black. Finally we reached the end of the secret passage and the footman opened a door. I entered the Emperor's "Cabinet Arrière", a small, sumptuously furnished study. The wallpaper door closed behind me and I was alone. A fire was burning in the fireplace, it was warm and cozy. But no candles had been lit yet. However, the room glowed in the fiery red of the setting sun. I went to the window and looked out. From this floor you had a much better view than from the Empress's chambers. I looked over to Saint Lazare, crows fluttering over the roofs, chimneys smoking. High above, stars began to sparkle in the dark blue sky.

I jumped in shock when I heard his voice in my ear: "...you knew I couldn't stand it...admit it!" I turned, looked up at him and immediately started kissing him. I couldn't have waited a second longer and I think I hurt the Emperor when I threw my arms around his neck. I cried and held on to him as tightly as I could. He laughed, his mouth on my open lips as tears ran down my cheeks. He gently pulled the hood from my head, untied the bow of my cape and let it slide from my shoulders. "Come on, my sweet girl...don't cry! It's all right!" His voice was like honey, deep and so soft! He walked with me to an armchair and pulled me onto his lap. "The Empress is satisfied...I made it clear to her that Madame Duchâtel is not of interest to me! Well, she will certainly keep an eye on you, Joséphine has a feeling for such things, she won't rest until she is sure...she firmly believes that you are in love with me!" He looked at me deeply, pulled a handkerchief from his trouser pocket ( it had snuff on it) and wiped my cheeks with it. I coughed. He threw the tissue on the floor and sighed because he knew that our problem was not solved. I looked at him wide-eyed with wet eyelashes. The Emperor took a deep breath and kissed me again. More intensely than the first time. "Don't be afraid anymore, Adèle...I won't be so careless anymore, I promise! No more whispering in front of the Empress!" He watched me closely. "... do you still love me, Adèle?" He hit me right in the heart and my tears started flowing again. "More than my life...! I love you more than my life!" I sobbed and cried like a little child. He rocked me in his arms. And laughed again! "Stop crying...kiss me instead...hmm...did you miss me as much as I missed you? No! You definitely didn't. Be honest! You young women are so moody (as if he knew about my fear and sadness!)...hmm..." His voice became quieter, even darker. "...did you do what I asked you to do, my Adèle?" I had to smile now. His hand slipped under my dress, I felt it on my thigh, I opened my legs slightly... and then the Emperor laughed out loud! Yes, I had done what he had asked me to do! I had unpicked the seam of my panthalons and had put them on with hope! Now I felt his fingers on my most sensitive spot. The Emperor was still laughing. "You're only too ready...me too! But we'll deal with that later...!" He nibbled on my earlobe and made me stand up. He took my hand. "I promised you something...come!" The Emperor pulled me behind him, I grabbed his warm fingers with both hands, my eyes never leaving his face. I was so filled with love for him that I followed him everywhere, even into the deepest Hades!

We walked through candle lit hallways, over warm carpets, past Lackeys, went through large double doors...into his bedroom! The Emperor's bedroom! The Heart of the Empire!

My breath caught at the sight of this glory! The Emperor ordered the doors to be closed after we entered. He came behind me and put his arms around my waist. "I promised you...tonight you are my Empress!"

It was a large room, with paintings on the ceiling. The gods Jupiter, Mars, Minerva and Apollo were seen looking down from an azure sky. The walls of the bedroom were covered with green Lyon brocade, framed by golden pilasters. Between the windows there were two armchairs with a table, festively set for two persons. And the bed! The imperial bed! It stood on a two-tiered balustrade covered with red velvet. Panther skins decorated the steps, and a round canopy of dark green velvet hung over the bed. The whole thing was crowned by a golden eagle in a wreath of white ostrich feathers. And everywhere little golden bees sparkled like stardust. There was a large mink on the bed, the fur gleamed in the candlelight. "Do you like it?" asked my imperial darling. He grabbed me again and kissed my neck. "It's big!" I said in amazement. The Emperor hummed a short melody on my neck. "Yes! That's why I never sleep here!" I looked at him. "Why not?" His eyes stared motionless at the bed for a moment. Then he said: "It's too lonely,...all alone!" Nevertheless, I was very surprised and asked: "But does the Empress never sleep here...with you, Sire?" He shook his head slowly. "No. She needs all her bric-a-brac... you know! Either I go down to her...or I sleep in my little room." He pulled me to a wallpaper door, behind which was a small boudoir with a camp bed. It seemed very spartan compared to the large bedroom. The Emperor led me to another wallpapered door, another bedroom, with two beds. "The adjutant on duty and a captain sleep here. In case I have to go out at night...if a war breaks out...or a revolt. Or God knows what!" He sensed that it made me think and explained: "It's a protocol, Adèle, and it must always be followed. I'm not a free man...but it is for my safety!" I caressed his cheek with my lips. "...then I am very relieved, Sire!" And with a grin he said: "But you're worried that my guard might hear us tonight!" He pinched his fingers into my butt, pushed me out of the room and back into the imperial bedroom. While I was drinking a glass of champaigne, he started to undress me. "The Grand Marshal told me that you have a New Year's gift for me?!" A small belch burst from my mouth, I quickly put my hand in front of my lips and giggled sheepishly. But he didn't mock me at all, because I was already naked, except for my silky panties. "...yes, Sire! Something beautiful!" I said seriously. And importantly! The Emperor poured me another glass of champaigne, he took a sip and then gave it to me. As I took the glass to my lips, the Emperor slipped his hand into the waistband of my panthalons, untied the bow and let the silk slide down my legs. I drank my champaigne and let him lead me to the bed. He gently loosened the ribbon from my hair and stroke the curls over my shoulder. The Emperor was very skilled in all this, he could treat a woman in the most tender way! I climbed onto the big bed and nestled my hands in the thick fur. It tingled on my skin. It would have been impossible for me to keep my aroused body still and so I lolled on the dark mink while he took off his uniform jacket, stepped out of his escarpins, and removed his black necktie. "Let's see what I have for you for the New Year. Do you have a wish, Adèle?" He leaned on the bedpost and looked at my nakedness as if in a trance. "Do you have a wish, my sweet?"

But before I could answer, he suddenly groaned. "God, what a sight!" I stretched my legs, he grabbed my ankle and held it tight. His piercing gaze wandered lustfully between my legs. I saw his jaw muscles twitch, he clenched his teeth. "...what a sight...your peach glitters...what a sight!!" he hissed, almost angry that he could no longer control his lust. He took my foot and pressed it against his fly. I began to massage his hard member with my toes. The Emperor closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying it! He tilted his head back, his mouth opened...but then he came to his senses again and pressed my foot even more firmly against his pants. "Do you have a wish, Adèle? Yes?...tell me what you want!" I was so excited by the sight of him that I couldn't think of anything right away. I looked at my toes in fascination, I had no idea how flexible they could be! He let go of my foot, his hand floated over it. Then he looked at me grimly. "Did I tell you to stop?" I giggled and twirled my toes. What they were massaging, seemed now to burst the fabric of his breeches! "Come on, Adèle...tell me what you want!" His voice was soft again, a little shaky even, and he gasped. "Sire, I would like to see the sea!" He grabbed my ankle again, lifted my leg and kissed my calf. "See the sea? You've never seen the sea? But your village is between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean...two coasts...and close to your home!" He let go of my leg and made a pirouette with his finger, which meant that I should turn around. "...even though our village is close to the coast, Sire, we could never go to the sea!" I turned around in front of him, then crouched on all fours on the fur. "...you must remember, Sire, that my parents were never rich! During the revolution we hardly had anything to eat...no cake for breakfast!...oh là là! I opened my legs as wide as I could, although he had already begun to make love. "My parents couldn't afford a summertime by the sea...and we didn't have any..." I couldn't continue for a moment, my voice faltered, "...we didn't...had...any relatives...in Bor...rrr...deau..." There was no point in continuing the conversation. Frenzied with lust, the Emperor threw himself on my body.

So, we came back to the topic later. "France and Italy have the most beautiful coasts in Europe. I'll probably able to show you one or two places," the Emperor said smiling. It may have sounded a little rude when I asked him: "Will you take me to Corsica, Sire...to the Island of Beauty?" I looked at the beautiful son of this island, but he grimaced. "Corsica?...no! Brittany is just as beautiful and much closer!" It was so nice to dream with him! "Can you swim, Adèle? He then asked. "No. Can you swim, Your Majesty?" He laughed and looked up at the magnificent canopy. "Of course, I can swim! I grew up in Ajaccio, we boys jumped into the water at the harbor at every opportunity. I'm also very good in diving! ...we scraped sea urchins off the seabed!" Then he looked at me for a long time. "Before I take you to the sea, I'll teach you how to swim!" I nuzzled my face on his neck. "Where, Sire,...in your bathtub?"

It was one of the most magical nights of my life! I felt safe and secure with him, and his love for me was stronger than ever! The Emperor confessed to me that he had never taken a girl into this sacred bedroom. And I would be the only one, for all time! "Because you are unique and inimitable to me, Adèle! I love you because fate wants to give me the best a man could wish for, I love you because France rewards me with you! Other women gave me the longing for love, you give me the fire, the passion and the magic of love...mon amour...Adèle!"

I don't know if Emperor Napoléon really meant these words and if they were true. It sounded as poetic as a quotation. But I wanted to believe his words because they made me happy! And what Camille had told me that morning was true: a happy moment would last a lifetime!

Napoléon loved me. And yes, I was his Empress that night, in the Emperor's bed, in the heart of France! Vive L'Impératrice!!!

[callophelia-ailingamnemonic]

Oh hey, lookie it's what I have so far for my pre-canon Liyue and Inazuma plot points for my ATWIAWL AU!

PRE-CANON LIYUE

Before the Cataclysm, Morax and Barbatos were very close (despite the former’s denial of the fact), so when Barbatos went against the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles, it felt like a betrayal. After the Anemo Archon was “killed”, anything that reminded Morax of them filled him with irrational fury, making him wonder what could possess Barbatos to throw everything away for a single baby.

When a wind wisp first approached Morax, his first reaction was to yell at them and demand them to go away, and although the wisp relented and gave him space, Morax could always tell that the wisp was still around from all the little gifts that he would find.

After a century or so, however, the empty feeling in Morax’s chest had worn him down to the point that he could not deny the fact that he craved a reminder of Barbatos.

He decides to invite the wisp to a meal where the two would talk. Eventually, as the two shared more meals together, Morax opened up to the sprite the same way he had to Barbatos, eventually naming the sprite Zhen (sometimes affectionately nicknamed Xiao Zhen)

While in their human identities, the two often spent time learning about the people of Liyue together. Zhen was the one to suggest to Zhongli that instead of faking his death out of nowhere, he should first slowly distance himself from his godly duties, slowly increasing the time between one descent from the next to see how the people of Liyue respond to their growing independence. He also advises Morax to open a savings account to ensure that he will not be broke when he surrenders his gnosis.

In the eyes of the people of Liyue, Zhen is a wisp who grew emotionally attached to Zhongli and decided to live amongst humans to be with him. Wind Wisps are not as revered in Liyue as they are in Mondstadt, but it is still considered to be a blessing when one decides it wants to live amongst humans with a chosen mortal. Though many of their acquaintances often joke about how Zhen is like Zhongli’s more financially responsible little brother or son.

(I'm not super familiar with Zhongli lore, so I would love some help on how to make his lore in this AU better)

PRE-CANON INAZUMA

After losing Barbatos on top of her sister and friends, Ei falls into a more severe depression. Just like Morax, Ei’s reaction to a wind wisp approaching her was bad, probably even worse since in her grief, she had come to assume that the wisp was the ghost of Barbatos coming to haunt her.

Despite the wisp’s efforts to be a stable support for her, their relationship remained strained, eventually reaching a boiling point when Ei decided to discard her prototype puppet and confessed to her plans of making an emotionless doll to rule while she meditated in her Plane of Euthymia.

The two had a furious argument about the decision, Ei claiming that it was for the best she set him free and that Inazuma would be fine while the wisp argued that such a decision was not only irresponsible and disaster-bound, but cruel as well. The argument eventually reached the point where Ei told the wisp that if they were so against the idea of the puppet being alone, that maybe they should just go with him. Angrily, the wisp agrees, telling her that unless she cleans up her act, this will be the last time they see each other.

The puppet and wisp remain in Shakkei Pavillion until they are found by Katsuragi and taken in by the people of Tatarasuna who name the puppet Kabukimono and the wisp Kaze no Seirei. The two live a fairly happy life there until one of Dottore’s segments disguised as Escher comes to Tatarasuna to cause trouble. 

The thing about the wind, however, is that no information whispered in the wind is safe from their ears. Paired up with Nagamasa and Niwa’s suspicion of him and Kabukimono’s general uneasiness around him (Why does it feel like Escher is always staring at him and standing a little too close?) Dottore’s charade is uncovered fairly quickly.

Kaze no Seirei and (maybe) Niwa confront Dottore, first trying a peaceful approach, but when it’s clear that Dottore will not leave before completing his goal, a fight between Kaze and Dottore breaks out, draining Kaze of most of his energy and injuring Niwa, in a moment of intense emotions, Kabukimono is able to unseal a portion of his powers and defeat the segment.

Before killing the segment, however, Kabukimono orders Dottore to never mess with Tatarasuna or Inazuma again, lest Kaze inform the Tsaritsa’s wisp to spill his actions against Kaze, which would in turn, get Dottore Prime in a lot of trouble since the Tsaritsa likes the wisps.

Dottore, deciding it was not worth the trouble of losing his funding and connections agrees to the terms before the segment is incinerated in a bolt of lightning.

Centuries pass and Tatarasuna remains prosperous with the Kabukimono and Kaze no Seirei as the de facto leaders of Tatarasuna, and when the Vision Hunt Decree happens, Tatarasuna comes to be considered as a neutral faction that is neither on the side of the Shogun or the Resistance.

During the decree, Tatarasuna would house many vision users and runaways who wanted to escape the Shogun’s rule, but despite the Shogunate Army’s best efforts, they couldn’t seize Tatarasuna with Kabukimono and Kaze leading the charge.

I imagined that Kabukimono still gets an anemo vision (technically making him a dual electro-anemo user because of his birth powers that were slowly unsealed more and more throughout the years) that was given to him when he decided that no matter what happens, he refuses to surrender Tatarasuna and its people to the Raiden Shogun.

Because Dottore was no longer messing around in Inazuma, I imagine that the Raiden Gokaden is still around and so is Kazuha’s family, but Kazuha at this time still does not have a vision, that is until Tomo goes to Tenshukaku to challenge the Shogun.

Before he leaves to chase after Tomo, Kabukimono gives him a seal that repels Electro just in case.

I haven’t decided if Tomo gets to live or not, but either way, when Kazuha gets there, he either manages to save Tomo, or just Tomo’s vision thanks to the seal given to him by Kabukimono.

Unable to flee back to Tatarasuna due to the distance between Tenshukaku and his hometown, Kazuha (and maybe Tomo if he is still alive) flees to Ritou and stowaways on Beidou’s ship. I imagine Kazuha probably gets his vision sometime after that.

[salvatorprince]

☆ﾟ.*・ ◞ freddie thorp / male / white / he/him ——— is that TRISTAN DE MARTEL JUNIOR on bourbon street ? the 25 / 25 year old HUMAN WITH VAMPIRE GENE who stay in the CENTRAL DISTRICT/ DOWNTOWN? i heard their BIOLOGICAL PARENTS are DECLAN AND AURORA. they are notoriously known for being CHARMING AND EXCITING but also SELF SERVING AND UNFORGIVING. which is probably why they are considered FRENCH PRINCE around town.  i wonder if they had their tarot cards reading, yet? either way, the cards on the table will reveal their fate soon enough // c

TJ was born Tristian Connell De Martel. He is the son of Declan and Aurora. He was born in French and was raised by the famous chef and his immortal mother. TJ has had a relaxed life, enjoy the many gifts of the life his parents gave him (more family history to be planned since we have his family).

But after living in French for many years he wanted to explore the world, travelling from city to city to see what the world has to offer. He loves to met new people and party, and explore all the best food in the world. He has just come to New Orleans as the next city on his travel list and is living out of the le pavillion hotel of his parents credit cards.

tj is up for all the drama and fun with basically anyone that has been traveling outside of new orleans. he would love a throuple relationship or hook ups from random cities before this one. He loves a pretty girl. hit me up and we can plot!

[loganinjapan]

Day 19 Academics

Despite all the crowds, I have to agree with the protagonist from The Golden Pavillion - the Kinkaku-ji Temple is really beautiful! The golden exterior shines and glistens in the sunlight and makes for a wonderful sight. The area I differ with him is that I would never consider burning down such a beautiful structure, mainly because it's not clouding my mind or my judgment or any silly stuff like that. It's just a cool-looking building and it's okay to keep it at that. The rationale of the protagonist needing to burn down Kinkaku-ji because it's keeping him from seeing other beauties in life is stupid - he can easily walk of the park and go see the rest of Japan and the world. It's not hypnotizing!!! I didn't get hypnotized, but then again, maybe it's because of all the crowds distracting me. Maybe I have to see it for myself when it's just me, and who knows, maybe I will get entranced by the temple's beauty... The other big topic at hand mentioned in the readings were about Buddhist zen gardens. We visited a couple around the Daitoku-ji Temple and took some time to examine, learn and take in the scenery. From a personal standpoint, I feel that Zen gardens are less of "gardens" and more of a work of art. I think the definition of "garden" is subjective and based on the person - some associate it with farming, some associate it with flowers, and some associate it with Zen buddhism. It's okay to have different perspectives. I did notice some gardening techniques present, most notably the raking of the rocks to represent the waves of the sea. And if there were gardening techniques used in the Zen garden, then some can claim it's a garden, but I personally see it more as a outdoor landscape. Either way, meditating in front of one is a very peaceful, calming experience that had me feeling very serene. I'd love to see more if there are some in the USA.

[sunsunspace]

JoJo's weekly round-up IV

안녕하세요 여러분 Hello, everyone. This week starts with one of my favorite songs. I hope you can feel happy through their music. Because I just want to live a better life because their songs give me too much happiness. Make your life more colorful.☺️Hello, everyone.

Let's take a look at what happened this week that I think is worth sharing.

I went to watch the school activity. I heard a big shot come to our school. He also performed the drum. It was really exciting to hear the drums live. I also saw a lion dance that I had not seen for a long time. They all gave wonderful performances. I also received oranges from the God of Wealth. In the evening, there will be a Spring Festival party for us Chinese. I've been working all day. It was a very tiring day for me, but it was also a very rewarding one (seeing a lot of great performances and meeting new people).

This should all be familiar. Yes. I participated in the offline event again. The cake in the cafe is beautiful and delicious this time. I made new friends. We had met at many events before but had never spoken. This time we finally connect. I am really happy to meet this group of friends who have the same love as me. We also arranged to meet again.

Saturday of this week is our Chinese Lantern Festival. I went out to dinner with my friends for a long time. I've been on a diet for a week. Have a nice dinner with some friends after the holidays. I didn't control my diet. This Japanese Wagyu barbecue restaurant is really good.

I had a date with a friend of mine to go to Pavillion's K-pop cafe and clock in. Then last week Korean girl group ive came to Kuala Lumpur for a concert. We went to clock out their yogurt and ramen. (Hey hey) This is the happy daily life of the star girl. Then I went to McDonald's, a very popular online celebrity punch point, to take a few photos. My friend is going home for vacation. It's the last time we see her before she goes back. I'm gonna miss her so much. When she gets back we're supposed to clock out again.

[tatastructura]

Innovative Engineering with Tata Structura_ Iconic Structures crafted with it

Made from the finest hot rolled steel coils of Tata steel, the Tata Structura steel hollow sections are an ingenious new addition to the construction world. An amazing product with truly efficient application in the realty sector. Tata Structra manufactures circular, square pipe, and rectangular hollow profiles. Their shape and strength have proven to be revolutionary in erecting structures with a high aesthetic quotient. They also have a wide range of applications in architectural, structural, and regular engineering projects.

The Tata Structura steel pipe is a product of innovative engineering. The product offers the strength of steel, benefits of steel, and higher strength as compared to the traditional steel rod. The question is how is hollow steel pipe stronger than solid steel pipe? The answer lies in the strength-to-weight ratio of hollow steel pipe. It is significantly higher than the solid steel pipe. This is due to the higher inertia of the hollow pipes. Beyond higher strength, these pipes can be molded to meet the requirements of complex architectural designs. Beautiful and strong steel is the innovation from the house of Tata Structura. With this wonderful innovation, many iconic structures have been brought to life. Let's explore a few structures this magnificent product has contributed to

The Trump Tower

The Trump Tower is a 77-storey splendor with a marvelous view of the Arabian Sea and Mumbai’s ever-growing skyline. The project is conceptualized and developed by WOHA, Singapore. The golden curtail wall facade sets apart this luxurious dwelling. The 268m tall skyscraper has utilized Tata Structura in its bones. The project has made use of 900MT of YST grade Tata Structura hollow sections as it is lightweight, superior in strength, has a smooth finish, and is easy to fabricate. Beyond the obvious benefits, Tata Stuctura steel pipes offer a pleasant look and a sophisticated appeal.

The Bengaluru Airport

The majestic Bengaluru Airport is a beautiful specimen of grand and vivacious architecture. Dominated by a modern look, its grace is surprisingly welcoming. The structure is designed with a focus on technological leadership, and environmental and ecological stewardship. The project was conceived and sculpted by L&T with the support of 2000MT of high-quality hollow steel sections from Tata Structura. The Bengaluru Airport’s utilization of hollow steel sections is a beautiful example of the vivid form and structure that can be achieved.

Railway Station in Baiyappanahalli

A railway station, so extravagant and chic that it will make you question if it's a airport or a railway station. This is the result of employing Tata Structura steel hollow section pipes in the elegant swooping roof with a wave-shaped canopy for the outer structure. The project has used 600MT of superior-quality steel structural pipes. They have utilized steel grade similar to the one used in the Bengaluru airport.

The Raipur Airport

Raipur Airport, the aerial lifeline of Chattisgarh is a product of elegance, functionality, and supreme strength. The undertaking has 6 parking bays to accommodate aircraft and helipads . Though located 16km from the Raipur, the Raipur Airport is witnessing high volumes of traffic.

Mysore Glass House

The Mysore Glass House structure was specially developed for the exclusive display of exotic flowers from all over the world. The project has consumed a total of 100 MT of Tata Structura hollow sections. The structure is one of the biggest greenhouses in South India, brought to life to grow a wide variety of flora and fauna throughout the year.

The Mysore Glass House is located in the Kuppanna Park aka Nishad Bagh, where the world-famous Dasara Flower Show is organized.

Diamond Pavillion

An amphitheater, the Diamond Pavilion in the Sir Dorabji Tata Park, JSR is an intricate framework of lattice. The structure covers 200+ sq.m of area and has used 45MT of steel. This is not just a structure but a monument commemorating the pledge taken by Lady Meher Bai. The pledge was to make TISCO a profitable entity, which suffered many losses post World War I.

Indira Gandhi Stadium

The Indira Gandhi Stadium is the largest indoor sports arena in India and among the largest facilities in Asia. The complex is characterized by arches of the cycling velodrome. The grand structure has the world’s finest facilities and is fully covered and air-conditioned. The stadium is modern and pleasant on the eyes, as a result of utilizing Tata Structura’s round steel pipes on a massive scale in construction.

Beyond aesthetics and strength, Tata Structura boasts several sustainability benefits. Its lightweight nature reduces transportation costs and carbon footprint, while its durability minimizes the need for replacements. Additionally, its high recyclability aligns with contemporary environmental concerns.

Tata Structura steel hollow sections represent a leap forward in construction technology. Its unique blend of strength, aesthetics, and versatility has empowered architects and engineers to create iconic structures that redefine the modern skyline. As innovation continues to drive sustainable growth, Tata Structura stands poised to shape the future of construction, one magnificent structure at a time.

For more information on Tata Structura products, visit: https://www.tatastructura.com

[brattybaddiee]

"What It's Like to Conquer" Chapter 2 Alexei's POV

"Come on my little лев." The familiar sound of his Mother's voice seemed to echo around the fourteen-year-old's head, snapping him from his daydreaming. His gangly legs moved into a jog to catch up with her as they walked into the gardens of their estate in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Ada Kandinsky was the picture of what the nobility of Russian society esteemed to be. She moved as though she was floating on a cloud. Her beautiful tanned skin showed no blemish or wrinkle at forty, as if she hadn't seen hardship a day in her life. Alexei knew that was far from true though. No matter where she was, her kindness and grace lit up a room and her magnetism made everyone stare. He was hers to protect and she was his to shower her unending affection on.

"Where are we going, Mum?" His untamed brown hair flopped to the side as he surveyed her side profile with a knawing curiosity deep in his gut. She seemed to be acting normal enough but something was off, he could just sense it. Usually when they walked through the gardens together they brought a picnic, books and made a game out of who could find the best spot to lay their blanket down for the afternoon. She never hurried him along as she did now. When they crossed the bridge near the Mikhailovsky Estate that they called home, Alexei glanced out at the calm river that seemed so at odds with the atmosphere. The slow trickling sound always made him pause to stare over the edge. It was lined all the way down with large trees that were maintained throughout the year to keep this picturesque view maintained to where the river turned sharply and ran through the rest of their acreage.

"Your Father requested we join him at the Rossi Pavilion." She finally answered, her voice was soft but he could easily detect the shakiness in it that told him she was scared.

Nikolai Kandinsky was the exact opposite of his wife, Ada. Where she floated into a room, he stalked into one. Her soft features contrasted his weathered skin and wrinkled face that was akin to leather from lack of care and hours outdoors. His Mother's kindness and grace was his Father's spitefulness and stiffness. His 'kindness' was never truly kind. It was a double edge sword, poison covered with sugar.

"Why?" Alexei blurted out as fear wrapped it's cold hand around his throat. Her honeyed eyes offered him a warm, hopeful look as they walked through the wooded pathway towards the riverfront pavilion. The sound of water rushing past and leaves swaying in the breeze did little to calm his nerves like it usually did. "I don't know, but we will face it together, yes? Be brave now."

He sucked in a deep breath and nodded before mounting the steps up to the gaudy structure. It's yellow marbled walls looked sickly in the light of the gloomy day and the columns didn't shine a prestine white as they normally did. It seemed even the pavillion was holding its breath and reflecting the ugliness that waited inside for them. Their footsteps echoed in the open space when they reached the top and he caught a glimpse of his Father.

"Papa." He offered simply, bowing his head slightly, knowing that if he didn't immediately address the man there would be hell to pay. Nikolai demanded respect from everyone under his authority. "Nikolai." His Mother also dipped her head in greeting, averting her gaze from him. Alexei always wondered if he was this way because the government treated him like a peion and his household was the only place he could feed his ego.

"Alexei. Ada." A menacing smile that promised nothing good made Alexei step in front of his Mother protectively. "I'm glad you joined me." He brought his hands together in front of him and clapped loudly, the sound echoing around the pavilion with a sickening crack that almost made Alexei flinch. One of his largest hired henchmen appeared from behind a pillar and fixated on Alexei with a disgusting smirk. "Today we begin sparring lessons! If you are to be ready to enter the Spetsnaz when you turn sixteen we must begin now. I've let your Mother coddle you long enough." He sneered at her, curling his lip in disgust.

Sparring. Alexei stiffened. He had dreaded this day but he always knew it would come. Nikolai had threatened both his children with training them until their bones broke all throughout their childhood. He would be the first. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he squared his shoulders and took a cold assessment of what he assumed would be his sparring partner. "Ada, come."

His Father snapped his fingers like he was summoning a dog to sit at his feet and his Mother quickly obeyed, not daring to show her son one ounce of fear or affection before she left him in the middle of the pavilion alone. "This is Oleg. He is one of the best fighters I have ever encountered. He will...train you." The word 'train' came out his Father's mouth with a twisted double meaning that made him quake internally. Oleg smiled at him in response, pushing up the cuffs on his shirt to his bulging tattooed forearms as he stalked towards Alexei.

He didn't bother to introduce himself or even speak to the man as he took up an opposing position to him. Oleg was easily six inches taller than Alexei and three times as bulky but he didn't let it scare him. Glancing at his Mum for a moment he saw the fear and warmth in her gaze that seemed to be in an effort to give him courage. It did not.

Raising his fists at akward angles in front of his face, he bounced on his heels and followed Oleg's lead to pace in an invisible semi-circle to see which one would throw a punch first. He decided he wouldn't wait. He wouldn't go down without a fight. "Begin." His Father stated with a note of pleasure in his voice and a wave of his fingers. Without thinking or even breathing, Alexei roared and hauled his oddly proportioned adolecent body towards Oleg, his fists swinging wildly. He aimed for the brute's face with all the pent up anger he had for the man who ordered this insanity. "Little лев indeed." His Mother's pet name for him coming out of Oleg's mouth as he side stepped Alexei's punches, made his blood boil.

Cruel laughter filled the open space and bounced off the marble which made it seem as if thousands were laughing at his clumsy attempt to spar. Clenching his jaw he turned on his heel and glared at Oleg. Lifting his fists again he ducked low and charged for the muscle head's midsection. He landed one punch that made his knuckles instantly ache in protest before Oleg shoved him back with one mighty grunt.

"Enough of this. Show him how a punch is thrown, Oleg." Danger sparked in Oleg's eyes and he charge forward instantly, landing a punch right into Alexei's stomach which sent him careening back. He clutched his stomach with a moan but instead of stopping, Oleg continued. He landed two more punches to each of Alexei's sides and an upper cut right into his nose. Stumbling back, he lost his footing and fell. Stars and splotches were dancing in his gaze as his head hit the marbel floor with a thud that made his blood thunder in his ears. Lifting his arms to shield his face he took more punches. Somewhere in his subconscious he could hear his Mother screaming and his Father demanding him to put up a fight, ignoring his wife altogether.

He may not be a lion now, but he would be. He would rise up. He would slash them open without mercy just to watch them bleed.

Then he felt the shaking. His whole world began moving as if he was vibrating. He heard a familiar voice cut throught he fog and his eyes shot open. Nina.

"Alexei, wake the fuck up." His sister shook his shoulders with a force that made him blow out a gust of air. Groaning he pushed her hands away gently and sat up. "I'm awake." His hands mauled his face, wiping the nightmare of his childhood away from the front his mind to focus on the present. "I'm sorry. How long was I out for?"

Nina stood up and shrugged as she walked back across the grimy motel they had stopped at on the way to the safe house she had secured for him. "Not sure. I've been on the phone for a while with my contact. I left you here to sleep and when I got back you were thrashing around the bed about to break through the headboard."

She was dressed in black from head to toe, her tan jacket the only garment that broke up the monotony. "Nobody followed us?" She shook her head and pressed her fingers to her eyes to push the exhaustion away no doubt. Nina had been on the phone for hours since he tracked her down that evening before. It was now three o'clock in the morning, if the bedside alarm clock could be trusted. They had snuck away in a stolen car, ditching the one from the ride service, and came directly here. The safe house was four hours from Moscow and they had been told to arrive at approximately six in the morning. They had to leave in an hour.

"How about you rest now and I'll stay up on watch?" His heart squeezed at the exhaustion and worry weighing down his petite little sister's frame. She could take it, but he beat himself up for being the cause of it. His demons weren't hers to share. She didn't burden him with hers. Although sometimes he wished she would.

"I don't know. Are you sure?" She looked up at him, her eyes failing to hide the worry behind the exhaustion. She knew he could handle himself as well as she could but she was probably afraid of closing her eyes even for a second. Pushing himself up off the bed he offered his warm spot to her, holding the covers up for her to crawl under. "Yes. Lay down and rest Nini." He plopped a kiss into her chestnut hair that was so like their Mother's, and waited as she hesitantly crawl onto the bed and under the covers.

"Wake me up in forty-five minutes." He grunted in response as he strapped on his own side piece against his bare chest before he padded to the window and cracked a blind to look out. All seemed quiet enough. Nothing suspicious jumped out. Satisfied that they were still undetected he plopped down on a worn out wooden chair and lit a cigarette. Alexei didn't know what to expect with this safe house and Nina's contact. Could they be trusted? He was wary and the tightening in his chest did not go away, even when he took his first long drag on his cigarette.

Sasha Peskov's face flashed in his mind and made him exhale his drag loudly. Her jet black hair wrapped around his fist and the sounds of her screams of pleasure scorched him. He quickly took another drag and ran his hand through his touseled curls. One night that kept his nightmares at bay with a gorgeous woman, orgasm after orgasm, and the fear of being caught along with the booze and drugs. It took all of that to chase away the very dreams that had him beating this bed into the wall. He fought the urge to grin at the memory of her cumming and screaming his name as he pummled her until she was writhing beneath him.

Shaking his head he blew out the nicotine in his lungs and slumped against the table. This was his problem. He hadn't been made like Nina. He had been tortured until it was clear he wouldn't bend and then left to deal with the trauma of it all. His sister learned to be what their Father had wanted him to be and she thrived. Was she happy? No. But she seemed to be content with her situation in life. Did she let herself seek ways to drown out the things that scratched down the walls of his mind? He didn't know. He never would know how she seemed to act like a machine.

Glancing over at her where she laid in the bed, he watched her form until he saw that her breathing was slow and steady. Not even a nightmare in sight it seemed. He loved her though. She was all he had left and he would be damned if he put her in danger again like he was doing now. He knew she dealt with some degree of it constantly but this was worse. Now she was on the wrong side of the government all for his mistakes. "Little лев indeed." Oleg's taunting words rang in his memory and had him jolting to a standing position to look out the window again. His Mother always called him her little lion. The pet name was painful to think about. He wasn't a lion all. He felt more like a loping injured creature that lashed out in the worse ways when cornered. Instead of protecting the last person in the world he loved, she was two hours from her deserted home and right in the crosshairs of the Russian government.

He could conquer women blindfolded. One smile. One teasing glance. A few perfectly suggestive phrases and they were panting in his hand. But this? This hurt beast inside of him that made him only think of himself? He couldn't conquer it for shit and he doubted he ever would.

[backgrounddisneycharacters]

1st July 2020

Buzzy

Buzzy is from the extinct attraction Cranium Command as well as the former mascot for the Wonders of Life pavilion as a whole. He was the main character from Cranium Command. He was clumsy and awkward and showed up late for the first day of training, causing his superior, General Knowledge, to become angry with him. Buzzy begged General Knowledge to allow him a seat in Cranium Command and so he is assigned to a pubescent boy, Bobby, and has to help him through his day dealing with bullies, romantic feelings and play fighting. Once the day is done, it was considered a success and Buzzy proved himself to General Knowledge.

When the attraction shut down in January 2007, the Wonders of Life pavilion was left abandoned and Cranium Command with it. The attraction stayed this way until July 2018 when Buzzy’s clothing was stolen and then Buzzy himself in November 2018, leaving behind hydraulic oil. It was claimed by an urban explorer that the Buzzy and Hypothalamus animatronics has been tagged and moved to storage, however this was not the case. A Cast Member by the name of Patrick Spikes who posted on social media under the handle BackDoorDisney was fired and later arrested arrested for selling stolen Disney Parks items on the black market. For stealing wigs, dresses and other items from The Haunted Mansion he received ten years probation and 250 hours of community service. Despite maintaining his innocence, according to his arrest report, he stole Buzzy’s clothing and sold it to an NBA player, Robin Lopez. Spikes remains the prime suspect for Buzzy’s theft as he repeatedly tweeted images of Buzzy’s head.

Two years have now passed and, as of the time of writing, Buzzy still remains missing.

[himakenzie]

bring 👏 back 👏 our 👏 boy 👏

[glorious-sunset]

Reflections on Ep. 3 of LBFAD on rewatch

Liufang Pavillion: It’s hilarious that Dieyi has been searching for the Xilan Goddess for 10,000 years, abducting countless plant spirits over that time, and the moment the Goddess actually appears right under her nose, she is about to toss her life away without a second thought! :D Luckily, a miniature sun made of DongFang QingCang’s (DFQC) powers uneclipses through a portal in the sky and he saves her (and himself!) just as she is about to be thrown into a cauldron full of evil qi, only in the nick of time. Phew, that was close!

DFQC’s bored look that he assumes every time he deals with enemies is delicious. DFQC sees Xiao Lanhua (XLH) as an object to be protected and hides her in his fist (what a contrast to the ep. 9 rescue where DFQC sees her as a person, as one of his people who is loyal to him and he is reciprocally loyal to her). XLH is therefore aware that he saved her, but does not see the devastation at his hand as his sun shoots killer rays at the Pavillion soldiers and sends shockwaves that shake the distant mountains around them. Dieyi is (rightfully) terrified. DFQC, sensing the evil qi from the cauldron and the fact that it and these people are a threat to XLH and therefore to himself, splits the cauldron in half (ha! He should have pulverised it, as he has to return in ep. 15 to do this and finish the job after Ronghao repairs it :D )

When everyone has either fled in terror or been disintegrated, DFQC examines XLH angrily. How could such a weak and pathetic creature, who can’t even protect herself, have cursed him, the most powerful being in the three realms?! No wonder he would “very very very very much like to kill” her. The fact that he can’t is tremendously frustrating and he is boiling inside. His menacing possessiveness being completely misinterpreted by XLH as affection is not only a hilarious ongoing gag, it is the only way these two could have managed to get emotionally close! :D

XLH still thinks that DFQC is an ordinary celestial criminal, because who else could he be? She heard from the other fairies in ep. 2 that celestial criminals had escaped but been captured by Changheng (CH). She’s not yet aware that members of the Moon Tribe were also incarcerated in Haotian Tower. The High Council told all the celestials that DFQC is deceased, so his real identity is the last person she would suspect him of being.

When DFQC asks her to break the curse, XLH recognises the Xilan seal due to her love of reading (an interest they share), especially of history books. She claims she couldn’t have cast this kind of spell on him as she is just a weak little orchid, so he investigates her story by examining her original form. He sees her orchid form with corroded roots, the disguise her parents bestowed upon her. Note however, that after visiting the Great Turtle in ep. 9, her form looks much more ambiguous when Sansheng examines it. DFQC lets her go, believing he doesn’t need her help. In her haste to leave, she drops the Universe Pill, which he picks up. He tries to remove the Xilan curse himself but finds, almost unprecedentedly, that this is a magic too powerful for him to neutralise.

Oblivion River: DFQC and Shangque (SQ) now know that XLH is a surviving member of the Xilan tribe but not that she is the Goddess. In fact, SQ tells DFQC in this scene that the whole tribe including the Shennu (Goddess) were wiped out 30,000 years ago. DFQC doesn’t realise she is the Goddess until ep. 26.

The implications of the curse get worse! Not only does DFQC share XLH’s physical vulnerability, he has to share her emotions as well! (oh boy, wait until he finds out about having to obey her every command! :D )

Arbiter Hall, Day 1: This is the start of the ten-or-more day period at Arbiter Hall which for DFQC, although he complains bitterly most of the time, are in retrospect the happiest and most precious days of his life. Having passed through Shuiyuntian’s Spirit Lock gate concealed by his powerful invisibility cloak, he appears at Arbiter Hall, much to XLH’s exasperation. Doesn’t she wonder where he gets these fabulous outfits from, or why an escaped criminal is so well-dressed and wears a crown? :D

XLH puts her hands on his waist and tries to stop him from entering Arbiter Hall. He pauses. Nobody else would even dare enter his close proximity, let alone touch him! Now this weak and cute little fairy keeps touching him rather intimately with her soft, warm hands and he’s not sure what to do about it. Why isn’t she afraid of him like everyone else is? Even his dominating moves, pulling her body against his and her face within an inch of his own only work momentarily. She briefly glances at his lips then decides she is not interested. “Let go of me” she says calmly. As she pushes him away, she drops the destiny leaf and DFQC summons it into his hand.

Since her efforts to snatch it back are annoying, he teleports her away with a snap of his fingers. We’ve now seen him easily teleport both himself and her, and his ability to create impenetrable invisibility cloaks around himself (and her in ep. 5). This brings me to a side note. How interesting it is that he chose not to use these abilities during a certain underwater scene in ep. 8 to teleport themselves out of the water and conceal themselves, nor to recreate a large air bubble around themselves similar to what XLH conjured when they first hit the water. Very tellingly, he instead chose to provide her with air through much more intimate means, which she was then forced to go along with for many minutes as CH and his troops searched Arbiter Hall! (fortunately for him, she also enjoyed it and is seen skipping happily through the forest afterwards) ;D

Back to the destiny leaf. What a turn of good luck! Lady Chidi’s spirit is not burned and dispersed as he thought. He recognises the destiny leaf as belonging to a mortal reincarnation of Lady Chidi through her Hellfire mark. The leaf is the key to obtaining her spirit, freeing his 100,000 loyal soldiers and reviving Cangyan Sea! Unfortunately, XLH returns and uses her powers to grapple with him over the destiny leaf. He tries to be gentle to avoid damaging the leaf but is unsuccessful. The destiny leaf was fine until they damaged it with their bickering!

Fountain Palace: CH ordered his subordinates to search the whole realm for escaped criminals – ah! But they overlooked the most important place, the home of his love! What a great excuse to see her – he decides to go there personally.

Arbiter Hall: DFQC is careful to avoid physically harming XLH while still trying to threaten her enough to get information about Lady Chidi’s destiny leaf. This is new territory for DFQC. He threatens to burn her greenhouse (and her plant spirit friends) to motivate her to obey him, but will soon discover why this is a bad idea since he shares her emotions.

While he holds her hostage, CH arrives and does not pick up on any of Creeper’s hints! Poor Creeper! She is terrified of DFQC and that he will kill XLH if she slips up (not knowing that he can’t), but still wants CH to protect XLH and the plant spirits. “The Arbiter Hall is very safe. Nobody came to steal a destiny book nor burn the greenhouse. My lord, please look for XLH” :D Why is CH so dense? Having learned that XLH is preparing for the fairies’ examination, he still keeps his distance, not taking up Creeper’s suggestion to give her guidance in person, and instead runs off to make an Immortal Pill to help her with the exam!

XLH cries. DFQC is overwhelmed by her feelings of sadness projected onto him! He realises that if he continues to upset her he will also suffer, so changes tactics to offer her the Universe Pill that she lost if she repairs the destiny leaf. XLH tries to fix the destiny leaf but is too exhausted. This leads to discussions about sleeping arrangements. “Where do you want to spend the night with benzuo?” She is still in danger from the people of Liufang Pavilion and he needs to protect her. XLH is understandably concerned at the thought of sharing a bed with a handsome stranger. DFQC's blank expression when he asks what would happen if they share a bed is priceless! This is the first of many times he looks adorably confused as he considers her words – he is very attentive (and soon, also respectful) of everything she says!

However, he still views her as an object (his one vulnerability) to be protected, so she finds he has teleported himself onto her bed (with his shoes on! The indignity!) He left a liiiittle bit of space on his left side for her and fully expects her to lie there beside him :D He is so clueless! If those two actually shared a bed at this stage in the name of protecting XLH, I’m certain she would be the only one tempted to cross a line (though he might respond). But our heroine insists on being treated as a person with her own thoughts and values, and generally wins every argument that they have. Her charming smile softens his resolve and he respectfully goes back to his own room.

Despite him being so annoying, XLH has already started to care for him, and in her dream, is terrified that he will be captured and killed!

Bonus artwork from the supremely talented clj-art-blog (use tag #clj-art-blog to view all of her fabulous artwork!). If DFQC had been a little more persistent and XLH a little less stubborn. Sharing a bed with her dark protector in Episode 3, posted with permission.

Here is a link to my episode 4 review (contains spoilers). All of my LBFAD articles and episode reviews can be viewed with the tag #lbfad reflections (hyperlinked) and the table of contents to these is here.

[cerullos]

holy shit

[crushedbyhyperbole]

When the Body Says Yes

Pairing: Vampire Bucky Barnes X Reader

Summary:  Your hunt for an authentic Venetian mask in Venice leads to a different hunt entirely... one where you are the prey.

Words: 3.1k

A/N:  I hope you enjoy this little patch of darkness!  And I humbly request your feedback.  If you like it at all please give it a 🧡 and a reblog, If you loved it then please let me know in a reblog comment - I will always respond so long as Tumblr doesn’t toss them into the void.

I was inspired to write this fic on a recent trip to Venice.  Walking around the city - getting lost is often the best way to find unique things - I discovered the “Dutch Pavillion” which had an art show called “when the body says yes”.  This inspired the smut aspect of the fic.

Please note this is not a happy ending...

Warnings: Dark Bucky, Vampire Bucky, angst, hurt/no comfort, stalking/hunting, fear/panic, non-con smut (effectively sex-pollen), explicit sexual content, blood, character death (ambiguous), talk of lost loved ones.

***18 + content - minors do not read or interact***

My Masterlist

The late October air is mild and still.  The setting of the sun illuminates the city of Venice in a different way; streetlights and shop fronts bring life to the night.  Market stalls and street vendors sell tourists souvenirs and tat, and restaurant staff haunt the steps of passers by, claiming the best pasta in Italy or one-time-only discounts.

The streets are packed with people in costume, and street artists entertain the throngs with performance and song.  It is Halloween.  How could you not be giddy as you shop for an authentic Venetian mask on a night when the whole of Venice seems to wear one.

In the mass of bodies, some costumes stand out.  Your eye is drawn to a particularly alluring devil mask; white with gold filigree and a sinister, red-lipped smile.  The person wearing it, certainly a man, is tall and broad-chested, wearing a long black cloak with the hood up.  Besides the mask he may as well be a shadow, and he is looking right at you.

His mask is wonderful and you should really approach him to ask where he got it, but the coldness of his eyes - dark and foreboding behind the mask - warns you off.  You glance around, aware that you are stood in the middle of the pavement in everyone’s way but when you look back he is gone, vanished into the crowd.

The chill at the nape of your neck cascades down your spine and over your skin as goosebumps.  It is probably just the charged atmosphere and the occult connotations that Halloween brings, but you cannot shake the feeling until the smell of fresh pizza fills your nostrils and your tummy growls in appreciation.  Tasting the local offerings is definitely on your to-do list but only after you have bought yourself an authentic Venetian mask, of course.

 Your hunt for the perfect mask takes you away from the busy central area around San Marco.  The streets become less retail and more like narrow alleys between tall misshapen buildings.  High-up balconies with flowering planters give way to shuttered windows and crumbling brickwork.  The air has taken on a sudden chill as mist hazes the air lightly.

The hairs on the back of your neck bristle, skin crawling uncomfortably as you realise that you don’t quite know where you are anymore; the map makes no sense compared to what you are seeing with your eyes.  Behind you, shoes scuff on stone and you whip around only to find the pathway clear. You are alone.

The city hasn’t felt at all sinister until now, but you try to pass it off as a symptom of the night; Halloween is a time for ghost stories and chilled bones, all the more effective to the solitary wanderer.  By rights you shouldn’t be here alone, but you are.  A promise made to a friend recently laid to rest; you had planned to do this together, to cross Venice off your bucket lists together, experience the romantic city on the water.  Lucy. Her bucket list would forever be unfinished, her time cut short, your heart broken in two.  You were doing this for her, making good on all the plans you had discussed, all of the things you had both dreamed of.  She would laugh at you if she could see you now, quaking in your boots because of a little darkness and fog.  The memory of her light laughter carries you forward.

 You were hoping to make your way to the Rialto and use the bridge to cross the grand canal to San Polo, but the huge structure remains elusive.  Instead, you find yourself passing through some of the more dilapidated parts of the city.  You had seen the Cannaregio area in your guidebook and had wanted to visit during the day when shopping for craft and vintage items would be better, but you find yourself on the edge of the old Jewish Ghetto before realising it; a sign of carved stone under an archway tells you Sotoportego De Gheto.  You pass underneath and keep going.

There are fewer people here, and the ones you pass are not dressed in costume.  No one is wearing masks, which makes the dark cloaked figure in a white devil mask all the more conspicuous.  The man from the parade.  He is standing in a dark space between two buildings, his mask pale and ghostly in the shadows.  He is watching you.

For a moment, you are frozen in place.  A step aborted with a slight stumble and a gasp caught in your throat.  That prickling feeling at your nape returns with fervour, crawling over your scalp now, making your heart race with fear. He had not been ominous when you first saw him in the crowd but now you feel like you should not get any closer, and you definitely should not cross his path.

Heading in a different direction, you try to put some distance between you and the man.  You take turn after turn in the dark, closed-in alleys, crossing canal after canal with their bridges made of steps and no railings.  And just when you think you have lost him, the swish of a dark cloak in your peripheral vision sends your panic skyrocketing upwards once more.  It feels like he is everywhere you turn.

Suddenly frantic, you run – crossing small, cobbled squares with strange, covered wells and dodging around corners – just to escape.  Everywhere you turn the shadows seem to move.  Pale masks with sinister red smiles follow every step.  Every time you think you have seen a normal person who you can ask for help, it is another ominous shadow that moves just like the rest.

Your eyes are swimming with tears when you emerge from the alley at the edge of another canal.  The bridge nearby is larger than the few before it and you take the steps at a run, crossing over onto an open square with a large white building that looks to be some sort of church or museum; the rainbow colours in the circular gothic-style window give you hope.

 It is warm as you cross the threshold and a delicate musky scent welcomes you inside.  The atrium is clad in dark wood, carved in the gothic style. Its pointed arches and flourishes are highlighted by the cosy orange glow of lanterns that surround a petite lady in a dark orange robe, her shaved head accenting the beauty of her face. She smiles at you and welcomes you to the Dutch Pavillion, a place to explore one’s inner self and beauty.  You glance over your shoulder and out into the night.  There are no ominous shadows and no pale masks haunting your steps now, and you sigh with relief as you step further inside.

The warm glow of the lanterns leads you to the right, through a large doorway where the wood stops and the same white stone from the exterior continues throughout the rest of the huge chamber.  A sheer curtain made of fine filaments of woven threads hangs between you and the rest of the chamber.  A projection of some film reflects against it, and you see it from behind, bodies writhing in pleasure as the flickering images reveal an orgy in progress on the curtained screen.

What is this place?

The floor around you is covered with shoes, paired nicely and respectfully, and you realise that beyond the fringe curtain the whole chamber floor is covered in cushions and upholstered shapes that rise and fall like waves.  Not just waves, soft peaks and raised platforms too, all comfortable and appealing.

There are people there, watching the film as it plays on the strange fringe curtain.  Couples cuddling and others reclining in this comfortable, care-free space. The scent that welcomed you in is stronger here, reminding you of something you couldn’t quite place, stirring emotion in you that could only be described as desire.

You shouldn’t be here, but you don’t want to leave.  Whoever was following you could still be there, waiting for you outside.  The man in the mask.  You don’t know what he wanted but it couldn’t be good.  The least sinister motive for his pursuit would have been to talk to you but then he would have called out to you, surely? Your skin crawls again as you stand, caught between leaving and pushing through the curtain.

You decide to peek, fingers twitching as they part the fringe, revealing more than could be seen before.  It is a scene in motion, people in various states of undress, writhing and gyrating in pleasure.  The scene in front of you reflects what’s being projected onto the curtain, larger than life and unfiltered.

A quiet squeak and a loud thump startle you and you turn to find the door to the outside closed.  The petit woman in the orange robes passes you with a dark cloak over her arm and something else you recognise held reverently in both hands.  A white devil mask with a sinister, red-lipped grin.

 You stagger back, tripping on the shoes, crying out as you fall to the ground but you don’t land. Instead, you are held up and lifted back to your feet by strong arms that cradle you gently.  That is when you first see him properly.  Styled dark hair that is swept back and piercing blue eyes that smile at the edges.  Dusky pink lips that look plush but firm, all the more vibrant against his pale complexion. The suit he wears is dark, as is his shirt.  His whole demeanour speaks of strength and power, and he looks more than sightly amused by your panic.

“Forgive me,” he says, voice neither too deep nor too soft.  His eyes glint with mischief.

Your panic does not abate. No matter what your eyes and your brain tell you about this man, your gut is telling you something else.  This man is beautiful and dangerous.  A predator.

As he helps you to your feet his eyes never leave yours and you can feel your head start to swim. The musky scent from before is suddenly overpowering and you feel like you can’t breathe.  You stumble against him and he inhales deeply, eyes fluttering closed, mouth falling open slightly as he sighs with pleasure.

“Please,” you beg as your arms start to feel heavy, “please don’t hurt me.”

He smiles softly, tipping your chin up so he’s looking down into your eyes.  The breath he blows gently over you intoxicates you even more and you can feel that irresistible pull of desire once more.

“Who are you?”  You moan, trying to shake some clarity into your foggy brain.

“You may call me James,” he places his fingertip on your forehead, “now, stay.”

You cannot move, no matter how hard you try, you can only watch as he sinks to his knee and removes your shoes one at a time.

“What do you want with me?”

He looks deep into your eyes once more, the blue of his almost black now and you’re reminded of a predator’s prey drive.  Is that what you are?  His prey?

“You’ll see.”

He parts the curtain and walks you through, your feet obeying his pull but not your own need to escape.  The longer you’re under his spell the less you care, your heart beating fast out of excitement instead of fear now as his control strips you of all the emotions that you felt before.  All that was left now was desire, devotion, excitement and a need for this man who had hunted you through the streets of Venice.  James.

 Other hands touch you as you pass carefully in James’ wake, the light caresses neither satisfying nor offensive.  James’ hands, however, they set fire to your nerves and make them sing with adulation. He insists on undressing you himself, glaring at anyone who approaches you.  They recoil in fear, seeing something in him that you have no capacity to comprehend in your altered state, and soon it is just the two of you on a raised part that you accept as his bed.

James’ naked body is as beautiful as his face.  He is sculpted, strong and pale against the vibrant coverings and cushions of his bed. When he lays you down beneath him you can only watch as he settles between your parted thighs, lust-blown eyes devouring you whole.

His first kiss is at your ankles and the tops of your feet where he nips with his teeth and soothes afterwards with tongue and lips.  The path he takes up your body is slow and consuming.  By the time he is at your thighs you are on fire, desperately needing more than what he is giving you.

In the back of your mind, the rational part of you screams to escape.  You know you should be terrified.  You had not agreed to this.  You know nothing about him, nor do you want to after he stalked you through the city, hunted and herded you to this place.  His place.

The nip of his teeth on the inside of your thigh is sharp, a deep ache blooming under the site, drawing your attention back to him.  His lips are sealed around the skin as he moans deeply, lightly suckling and licking. Your head falls back as a wave of light-headedness takes hold of you, just on the edge of bliss, almost like feeling drunk.

James’ face flushes pink and he smirks before he continues upward to your naked core.  His kisses are hot and needy as he trails his lips over the soft hair of your mons and inhales the scent held there.  He moans as he smothers you with his mouth and licks between your lips causing you to gasp and writhe.

The projection on the fringe curtain shows you both together; you lay on your back with a blissful smile on your lips and him lay between your legs, his cock hard and glistening as he devours you.  The red smear on your thigh an afterthought.  You watch your back arch as he slides his fingers inside you, and the feeling is surreal; watching yourself as he works you into a frenzy is beyond erotic.  You feel yourself cresting the wave of pleasure with his fingers inside you and his mouth working its magic, and when you crash on the rocks of oblivion your whole body shakes with the aftershocks.  You pant and moan as you come back into focus and you see James’ eyes on the screen, he looks at the camera with his dark, lustful gaze before returning his mouth to your flesh and beginning the process again.

His teeth nip at the skin of your hips and tummy, lips soothing afterwards as he travels further still, up to your breasts where he lathes one breast with his tongue, flicking and sucking on your nipple until you moan again.  Fingers still buried in your core, he has been massaging and teasing enough to keep you close to orgasm but not quite there.  His ministrations on your breasts tip you over and he supplies an orgasm for each breast, nibbling your nipples then sucking hard until you climax each time.

“You’re perfect,” he sighs above you with his cockhead poised at your entrance, “delectable, delicious and divine.  Just as I knew you would be.”

He penetrates you firmly but smoothly, burying himself in you to the hilt.  The solid stretch of him filling you makes your eyes roll back and closed.  His thrusts rock your whole body as you cling to him, your legs around his hips and hands grasping his shoulders.  It is not long before you pant and beg him to make you feel good again, and he does. He hooks your legs over his elbows and pushes your legs back so you are wide open to him.  Open and more vulnerable than ever, weak and at his mercy.

Leaning over you like he does, his cock is buried so deep you can see it pushing against your tummy from the inside; he is hitting your sweet spot every time now, and your eyes water with the intensity of it.  James looks ravenous as he watches you come apart under him, grinding his hips against you until the spasming of your core brings him to his own end.

Buried deep and pulsing inside you he drops yours legs and falls forward.  His teeth nipping at your neck is harsh like it was at your thigh, a deep painful ache settles where his lips join your skin and his hands are rough as they hold you to him.  You can feel a dual throbbing; in your core where he is still buried, hard and pulsing, and in your neck where he bites down on you.

The waves of your bliss start to fade and when James releases you, you look up at him with black tinging the edges of your vision.  A cold chill settles over your skin as you see that the redness of his lips is not the flush of his orgasm, but blood.  Your blood.  And his teeth are not white anymore but tinged with red, and sharp.

“No!”  You gasp with panic, and wriggle to get free – his spell seemingly loosened now – but he pins you down by your throat.

“Shhhh…” he soothes, the sinister air about him has returned and so has that scent, “you taste so much better feeling pleasure rather than fear.”

He blows an intoxicating breath over you again and you start to succumb.  At the grey edges of your vision you see faces – white with red-lipped smiles – and James doesn’t make them leave this time.  Your fear is replaced by desire once more as James bows his head to your neck and kisses over the deep throbbing ache he left there.

“Don’t worry, I won’t let them have you for long,” James smirks, “you’re mine.”

A sharp pain at your wrist makes your eyes water and you close them against the horror.  Absently you wonder if you’ll see Lucy again soon. You don’t know whether her fate or yours is worse, neither is what either of you hoped for.  Either way you’ll meet again, you’re sure of it.  If these creatures exist then surely there’s a heaven and a hell, an afterlife or another form of existence.

You screw your eyes shut as more bites are added to your pain.  You feel dizzy now, ethereal and warped all at the same time.  Tiredness floods your body and when the darkness claims you, you’re glad.

[anisette-blackwirth]

SAGAU: Happy Birthday, Tartaglia

summary: Childe decides to spoil you and Zhongli on his birthday. You try to thank him but he's resistant to your offers, preferring to focus on you instead.

content warning: Smut alert! This is smut. It's a threesome. Granted, Zhongli is in the background bc I wanted to focus on Childe, but still. Reader is not gendered. Reader is also broke IRL bc huge mood.

notes: Happy birthday to my first 5-star, my first main, and the man who hit 63k randomly the other day for no good reason whatsoever. I see you out there, my guy. We'll do Spiral Abyss for fun later this evening, I promise.

3k+ words, under the cut.

It always struck you as odd that characters would send the Traveler letters and gifts on their birthday, but Childe manages to explain it as he invites you and Zhongli to go to dinner with him on the evening of the 20th. 

“You and Aether have done so much to help us the last two years. Making the two of you happy makes our day better too, you know!” 

“But don’t you want to be spoiled on your birthday?” you ask. 

“I’ll be spending time with my two favorite people in the world, doesn’t that count?” Childe answers with an easy, open grin at both you and Zhongli, and you're distracted from any further questions

The three of you end up, unsurprisingly, at Liuli Pavillion. Childe sheepishly scratches the back of his head as he takes his seat to your left. 

“Sorry, xiansheng. I know we always end up here, but when I had a look at the Xinyue Kiosk’s menu most of their specialties were seafood. I figured you’d prefer the same stuff as usual.”

“Indeed,” Zhongli says as he takes the chair at the head of the table - you bite back a smile as you realize the three of you are mirroring the same layout from his introductory cutscene, with you in the Traveler’s spot. “Considerate as always, Childe. I doubt I could ever grow tired of the cuisine here, but if you are truly worried then I will try to pick something new.” 

“Idunno, I think we’ve pretty much eaten everything in here,” Childe mutters as he waves for a menu from a waiter. He glances over it, front and back, before handing it to you and leaning back. He slings one arm over the back of your chair so you can feel the warmth from his arm hovering behind your shoulders. 

“Let me know if anything catches your eye. Otherwise we’ll just order the usual and we can all share,” he says. Zhongli nods approvingly as he accepts the cup of tea the waiter has just poured.  

The menu has no prices on it, which you kind of expected but are still amused to see as you look through. You’re well aware that this place is ridiculously expensive. It’d probably warrant a Michelin star or two in real life, and you’re eager to try a level of luxury you’d probably never have a shot at under normal circumstances. Not when your “fancy” dinners consist of Applebees or Olive Garden…

“Well I always want to try Tianshu meat whenever I see it in the cooking menu…” you say with a laugh as you finally locate it. 

“Anything else?” Childe asks, and your mind immediately scatters. Because yes, there are other things you desperately want to try - like the entire menu - but the thought of getting more than one entree for yourself is hard to get past for a moment. You pretend to look over the menu a bit more as you remind yourself firmly that this is Fatui money, that it’s fine to ask for things, and that Childe and Zhongli are probably going to order half the menu anyway, so…. 

“The pork hotpot? I don’t mind spice,” you say as you note the description lists some spiciness. Huh. Was that in the game description? Clearly you hadn’t paid that much attention. 

“An excellent choice,” Zhongli says before turning to give the waiter his own order. You listen in growing amusement and horror as the two of them do indeed order a veritable mountain of food, and you wonder briefly if it will be possible to get any leftovers to bring home and stick in your fridge. You’d probably be able to feed yourself all week off them, though it would undoubtedly be an insult to the food quality to stick it in a microwave later….

You and Childe take turns prodding Zhongli for trivia about the Li and Yue cuisine styles as you wait, both of you catching each other in dreamy looks as he goes on about the development of each style in length and each poking the other to break the spell. It’s silly camaraderie that Zhongli shakes his head at more than once, and you think to yourself that even if the food is horrible... tonight will already have been memorable. 

The food is not horrible. The food, when it arrives, is a vision in beauty to both your eyes and nose, and you can barely spare the attention to watch Childe struggle with his chopsticks as you pick up your own and bring a bite of Tianshu meat to your mouth. 

It’s like nothing you’ve ever tasted before, truly. The meat is soft and almost smooth, barely requiring you to chew, and tastes both salty and sweet with hints of onions and ginger. You take another bite to try and distinguish more flavors, and then another and another until you realize you’ve almost devoured your entire dish. 

"Good?" Childe asks. He's not even trying to eat his dish anymore, just smiling at you with his cheek propped in his hand. His lightless eyes hold such open, honest affection it makes your heart ache. You only ever see him look this alive when he's in combat or with the ones he loves, and the reminder that he feels that way about you is…. 

"It's unbelievable," you whisper, and he laughs. 

"Your eyes are sparkling," he teases, "it must be."

"Childe, do get your elbows off the table," Zhongli chides, calm. As Childe obeys and returns to arguing with his utensils, you subtly wipe your eyes. Your thumb comes away wet. 

----------------------

You beg shamelessly and do manage to get some leftovers, which Childe promises he'll keep in his cold-box until you're ready to leave. You're quiet during the walk back, content to lag behind and let Childe and Zhongli fill the silence with idle chatter about their weeks as you simply process the amazing meal you just had. The tastes linger pleasantly in your memory the same way the soft summer breeze lingers on your skin. ….and clearly your brain is still a little frazzled. You can hardly believe you're going to go back to eating ramen and frozen dinners after this…. 

As the three of you reach Childe's building and climb the stairs to his third-floor apartments, Zhongli falls back to whisper in your ear.

"Would you be opposed to a collaboration tonight?" 

"Collaboration?" you whisper back.

His mouth quirks up in a devious smile. "I hoped to show our dear Ajax what he means to both of us." You are immediately onboard. It's in-line with what you had wanted to do to thank him for tonight.

"Whatever you two are whispering about back there, you know the walls have ears, right?" Childe calls back in good humor as he unlocks his door and holds it open for you.

Zhongli passes through first, still smiling. "I am aware of that particular Liyue idiom, yes."

You follow and hug Childe from behind as he puts the leftovers away, shoving your face into his back. He chuckles and turns sideways to sling his left arm around your shoulders as he shifts things around to make room with his other hand. "What's up, sweetheart?"

"Just want to remind you it's your birthday," you say. You stand tiptoe to press a kiss against his cheek, and then one on his cheekbone, one at the corner of his jaw- and that's as far as you get before he's closing the cold-box door and leaning back against it. His arms circle your waist, dragging you to lean against him. 

"Mmhmm, it is my birthday." He smirks at you. "I think I deserve a kiss. Don't you, xiansheng?" 

"You know my answer to that, Ajax."

You jump in Childe's arms as Zhongli's voice comes from right behind you, making the Harbinger laugh. The ex-Archon's gloved hand glides up your right arm and shoulder. You shiver and forget to breathe as the leather brushes over and around your neck before he grabs your jaw and gently urges you to tilt your head up further. It's the perfect angle for Childe to lean down and kiss you. 

Childe's kiss tastes of the ginger tea you had all finished dinner with. He moves his mouth slowly but hungrily over yours as his own gloved hands slip under your shirt and spread over your waist in a possessive grip. Zhongli's first hand holds steady on your jaw, and he brings his second one up to press his entire palm against your upper back. You whine and grip the fabric of Childe's jacket as you try to balance being sandwiched between the two, but you're quickly losing focus. Fuck, why are they both so hot? Why??

Childe breaks off the kiss with a groan and then leans up past you to kiss Zhongli above your head. You whine again because now you're really sandwiched, but you wiggle around and free yourself to sink to your knees and bite at the fabric over Childe's thighs.

"Mm- fuck, Y/N, you-" Childe is interrupted again as Zhongli presses him back, clearly intent on overwhelming his lover. 

You drag your mouth up, biting gently at his thighs through the fabric until you reach the bulge of his cock. You open your mouth wide and breathe hot air over it, mouthing around the outline with your lips. His hips press forward on instinct, and one of his hands lands on your right shoulder. 

"Zhongli, fuck, hang on a minu- ahhhh" 

Zhongli chuckles above you, deep and resonant. You glance up to see that he's finally relinquished his claim on Childe's mouth and is now pressing kisses down his neck, stripping his jacket and shirt. 

"Aww~" you tease before licking near where the head of his cock seems to be, making sure to get the fabric nice and wet. Childe's head rolls down to look at you, mouth open on a gasp. "Relax, love. Let us thank you."

"Th-that's - hah. You don't haaa~ve to."

You undo his belt buckle and Zhongli's hand reaches down to help you thread his Vision/Delusion combo off. You hear a clink of metal on marble as it's put to the side on the counter somewhere. 

You ignore the rest as you undo the clasp and slide his pants and underwear down together. "But I want to," you say, playing up the sweetness in your voice. You stick your tongue out. "You spent so much on me tonight, this is the least I can do~"

You're just trying to tease Childe. You know he loves it when you praise him and rely on him for things, so you really aren't expecting the hand on your shoulder to stop you from leaning forward and swallowing his cock down. 

You look up, mouth still open and tongue hanging out. "Uh?"

He pushes Zhongli back too - or maybe Zhongli pulls back on his own, because he pulls off his coat and goes to hang it up. 

Childe holds your gaze as you look back at him. "You don't have to thank me for that, Y/N. You- you know that, right?" 

You sit back on your heels, perplexed. "Sure, but I want to?" 

"No, you - I mean, you don't have to give me a blowjob just because you - you don't owe me for that." 

You tilt your head. "Right. I know I don't owe you anything. ….but I want to thank you anyway?"

"I have to agree with Ajax," Zhongli says as he returns. You're momentarily distracted by him unbuttoning his shirt. "There's no need to reciprocate monetary gifts with sexual favors." 

You're very confused now. You know logically you don't owe Childe anything for dinner, because… well, you can't pay him back for it anyway. You have no idea how much it cost. But he still gave you an amazing, unique (to you) experience on his birthday out of a desire to see you smile, because for some reason seeing you smile counts as a birthday present to him. You're unbearably grateful for that, and you want to show him.

…..you also just really like the desperate noises he makes whenever you go down on him. Is that not enough?

Apparently you've taken too long thinking about it because strong arms wrap around your back and under your legs as Zhongli lifts you and moves you to the bedroom. Childe follows, stripping the rest of the way. Zhongli climbs up on the bed and sits against the headrest, cradling you back-to-front in his lap. 

"Spread?" Childe says as he climbs on the bed in front of you two, and Zhongli slides his ankles under your own. 

"Pardon me," he states politely as he bends his knees and spreads his legs wide, just as asked. With your legs hooked over his, you're effectively trapped on display for both of them.

Your hands shoot down to balance yourself, but Zhongli grabs your wrists and pulls them back. He holds both immovable in the air on either side of your head, placing a soft kiss on the back of your knuckles. 

Childe drags his nails up your thighs, chuckling as you squirm and pant. You don't want to struggle against Zhongli's grip, but you're already sensitive from the embarrassment of being exposed like this… 

"I'm not letting you thank me for tonight, Y/N. This is all selfish," Childe mutters against your lips - when did he get so close??

"I -I know that!" you protest. 

"Oh? Do you?" Childe breathes against the skin of your neck - then laughs when you whine. Which causes you to whine again, because his voice has dropped an octave, making him sound closer to Tartaglia than Ajax- "Then I'm sure you won't be surprised if I indulge for a while."

And then he leans right down and gets to work on making you cum with his tongue. 

The first orgasm is fast, because you really didn't stand a chance when Tartaglia is lapping at you with single-minded focus and Zhongli is murmuring praises directly in your ears, the deep vibrations tickling your back and making you feel both seen and safe. The second orgasm takes time and you feel almost delirious with pleasure by the time you reach your peak. You shake and gasp through Zhongli's teeth on your neck and Tartaglia's tongue curling around you, but it's the self-assured look in his ocean-deep eyes that ultimately sends you over the edge. 

Confidence looks so fucking good on him and he knows it. 

You melt back into Zhongli's chest as Tartaglia finally offers you a break to wipe his mouth. The consultant's cock is rock-hard, pressed against the small of your back. You would be surprised he hadn't cum at your squirming around in his lap for the past half hour, but you both know by now that his restraint is some adepti-level bullshit.

If he so chooses, anyway. Because as Tartaglia licks the edges of his mouth to clean them, Zhongli grinds his cock up against your back and groans in your ear, clearly indulging.

"Ajax, trade places with me?" 

The ginger chuckles and flops back, his expression softening back into Childe. He leans against the headboard to Zhongli's right, by to the edge of the bed. "Sure, xiansheng. Do you want a tur- oof?" 

He's cut off as Zhongli spins you around and drops you on Childe's lap, face to face with the Harbinger. You don't even wait for Zhongli to say anything: you need Childe inside you now. You lift yourself up on still-shaking knees and line his cock up with your hole - definitely loose enough after all that - and sink down with a relieved breath. 

"Hgk." Ajax tosses his head back as he feels you close around him, eyes squeezed shut. You can feel him throbbing inside you immediately, and you take pity on him by not moving immediately. 

"Now, Ajax, while I agree with you on your earlier point, I feel that Y/N also had some valid points." Zhongli leisurely walks around the bed to the other side, on your right. He reaches out and tangles his hand in Ajax's hair, just caressing for the moment. 

"It is your birthday, and you deserve to be made to feel just as special as you've made us both feel today." His eyes flash gold as he tightens his grip and drags the man's head closer to his cock. Ajax goes willingly, eyes glazing over in delight as he opens his mouth and licks under the head. "So let us indulge in you as well," Zhongli says before shoving his dick in Ajax's mouth. 

Ajax chokes around a moan, but you're not worried: you've seen him take rougher and adore it. So you focus instead on finally rolling your hips to soothe the aching burn inside you, moaning without abandon as you get the feeling of fullness you've been craving. Ajax whines as his hips stutter underneath you, and you can tell he won't last long, but that's fine. You're not aiming for another orgasm yourself, you just want him to fill you. 

And he does just a few minutes later when Zhongli shoves his head down and makes him choke on it the way he loves. Ajax's hands tighten around your waist hard enough that you hope they'll bruise later, but you don't let up. You keep rolling your hips and sliding your hole up and down his softening cock, working him into overstimulated whimpers until you hear Zhongli moan out loud as he cums down Ajax's throat. 

Zhongli takes care of most of the cleanup, leaving you with the equally important job of tending to Ajax as you both come out of it. You do recover enough to trade with Zhongli so you can brush your teeth and clean yourself up in the adjacent bathroom, before you collapse into bed together to cuddle Ajax close. You press a sleepy kiss to his shoulder and drift off, content beyond belief.

"Happy birthday, Ajax."

----------------------

I glanced at the wiki while writing this and realized that Xinyue Kiosk (aka Yue cuisine) serves mainly seafood? So Zhongli clearly prefers Liuli Pavilion (aka Li cuisine). It makes so much sense in retrospect why they always meet there. I wonder if Li cuisine was also named after him.....?

Did you know there's an official recipe for Tianshu meat? It's in Chinese, but it's pretty cool.

[lemonadecandy]

Meeting Zhongli [Part 1]

Zhongli Scenario.

Game: Genshin Impact

Note 1: This is my first ever post on this platform, so please excuse any clumsiness.

Note 2: This is just a one-shot scenario. The premise is that 'you' get transported into the game and journey through Teyvat along with the traveller. This is a reimagined first meeting with Zhongli, according to the Archon Quests. Hope you enjoy~

To say that I was excited to meet Zhongli, was a grave understatement. This man was one of the most popular characters in the game, adored by fans worldwide for his regal presence and charming personality. And well, largely also because of how handsome he was. Meeting him in this world was something I have been looking forward to a lot. I wonder if he’d be just as awe-inspiring here too. “Welcome back sir. You honor us with your patronage. Mr. Zhongli is awaiting your arrival in the room you booked.”, the staff of Liuli Pavillion greeted Childe, as we made our way to our meeting. Walking inside the beautifully ambient restaurant I finally got to see him, Mr. Zhongli. He seemed to be enjoying the food laid out on the table, looking at the intruding party, he motioned for us to take our seats.

I could only describe what I was feeling at the moment and the atmosphere around me with one word, ‘terrifying’. I had seen countless fan fiction and fan arts of Zhongli. I would see my own friends constantly swooning over him. This caused me to have a certain image of this character, but, it seems like the image and ‘reality’ couldn’t be any further away from each other. The game too, made him seem a certain way but, I had forgotten that the being sitting in front of me was a ‘god’. Still at his full power too, at least at this point in time. I could feel the pressure of his commanding and stern presence in the air. Ever since I had walked into the room, I couldn’t even spare him a glance without having shivers running all over my body. I took the seat furthest away from him, not only to try my hardest to blend into the background but also because the pressure surrounding him felt too crushing. The conversation had begun, it seemed, Childe was introducing us and had taken my name, I put all my strength into looking up at Zhongli, to return his greeting.

But, the moment I met his amber eyes, my heart dropped. They were ringed, like that of a reptile. If the fear I felt when I entered the room was a ten, then this was a million. I had never seen something so terrifying in my entire life, everything about him screamed power and superiority. It was like meeting a veteran warrior in their home field and realizing that nothing other than death awaited you. I quickly shifted my gaze back down, my heart beating at the speed of light. Adrenaline was rushing through my veins in huge doses and I had already begun palpitating from it. I would be shaking with fear right now if my body hadn’t already gone numb from the horror. I felt like a little prey in front of an all-powerful hunter. I was on the verge of tears because of the terror I was experiencing. There was nothing I wanted to do more than to just run out of the restaurant, I had never craved to go home more than I did right then.

But, I had a job to do, if I did want to go home, I had to make sure that everything played out the right way. It seemed like they were talking about Rex Lapis. I tried my best to ignore all that I was feeling and pay attention to the conversation. “The Tianquin Ningguang, has forbidden anyone from accessing Rex Lapis’ vessel….which of course you would need to access if you are to achieve your goal of meeting all of The Seven.”, said Childe. “Precisely. Only by participating in the Rite of Parting will you be able to see the form of Rex Lapis again.”, Zhongli said agreeing with him. It seemed like they were talking about Lumine helping Zhongli prepare for the funeral….that seemed…right. Lumine turned her gaze towards me as if questioning if we should agree, I nodded in confirmation. “Looks like there’s no other choice.”, Lumine replied looking at Zhongli. I was starting to zone out from the stress again, but I paid managed to pay attention till the part he invited us for a walk. The rest of the meeting went by normally, I don’t think this part was shown, so nothing eventful was supposed to happen either. After he was done eating, Zhongli stood up from his seat, announcing that he was done and will be waiting outside for us.

Banner image art by: Pinterest @Haru

Part 2:

[blzzrdstryr]

Generous offering

Yandere!Zhongli x gn!Fatui Harbinger!reader

Wordcount:1843

CW:Yandere themes

There are several simple things one should know before dealing with the archons - be respectful and polite, speak only when you’re allowed to and most importantly - never forget that archons aren’t humans.

The first two rules are instinctive - it’s natural for humans to simper and bow before the forces far greater than them, while the latter is not; on the contrary it’s counterintuitive and unexpected. People tend to project, tend to humanize - they see kindness when there’s none and make a huge mistake of assuming that archons see things the way they see it.

Tsaritsa, for example, lacks humanity, despite holding the title of Goddess of Love. The love that she holds for you is different from love mothers and fathers give to their children, or love that young sweethearts share at night, it’s cold and impersonal and undeniably cruel.

Tsaritsa says that she loves all of you and she loves Snezhnaya, yet she lashes out a harsh and gruelling punishments at every perceived failure and rules her land with an iron fist, one would think that the cryo archon is a liar and a hypocrite, who uses pretty, flowery words to hide the atrocities she commits, but this perspective is flawed. Tsaritsa loves all of you and she loves Snezhnaya, she’s just not human enough to properly express this.

That’s why it’s a bit jarring to see the ancient lord of these lands in his mortal form - he lacks the same otherworldly terror and grandiose that every of Tsaritsa’s move and word carry, yet he also possesses the air of wisdom and elegance so refined that rare person can reach it. It’s easy to assume that he’s human.

Rex Lapis, or “Zhongli” as he calls himself now invites you to the Liuli pavillion the second day after your arrival, for tea and local cuisine as he says, and who are you to decline a God?

Liuli staff hurries and dashes around, preparing their best room for you - Fatui are known for their seemingly endless finances, no wonder they’re in haste. “Please make yourself comfortable, dear guests”, the waiter curtsies and leads you to the dining room, which happens to be richly furnished and decorated with high-quality darkwood furniture and the hand painted wall panels further accentuating the luxury of the restaurant.

One of these panels illustrate different scenes from the Liyuen mythos - a battle of mighty and wise adepti against the horde of demons, Rex Lapis aiding his people in building the Harbour and the most spectacular one - a majestic dark brown dragon with golden fur and feathers descending to the devoted worshippers, who in turn present him with their offerings and gratitude.

He orders tea and meals for both of you, as you start to converse about the plan that he is determined to bring into life - the so-called test of Liyue, and the guarantee of you obtaining his gnosis.

“And what about your colleague?”, he sips a bit of his tea, intense amber eyes piercing right through you. He looks both human and non-human in this moment, both undeniably mortal softness and frailty seen in his figure and the barely concealed divinity, the sense of awe slowly seeping into air mixing in one person.

“And what about him? Tsaritsa and you have negotiated everything beforehand, I will make sure that he plays his part properly”, he hums at your answer, lowering his gaze deep in thought. You start on your own tea.

Ah, Childe, if only he knew why exactly he’s here - a distraction and a scapegoat. You even feel bad for him - it’s truly unfair to be lied to by your own Goddess. However, it’s also not a big surprise - Childe is the loudest out of all Harbingers in all senses. Infamous for his skills and battle obsession, his name is enough to have people both shivering in fear and cursing him.

“What do you think of your archon? Was serving her of any use to you?”Rex Lapis unexpectedly asks.

You lean back in your seat, thinking what to say.

“Tsaritsa is a gentle soul, she declared war only to protect us, her subjects and I am ready to aid her in whatever undertaking she starts”.

“Will you continue to serve Tsaritsa, if her action might put you in danger, make you suffer and bring unnecessary grief?”, he leans closer to you, his human features distorting enough to reveal the ancient dragon sleeping inside. His eyes shine a cold golden glow and accurate fingernails morph into sharp, dark claws.

“Yes”, you breathe out, mesmerized and terrified by the sudden change: “Her love knows no bounds, yet she always puts the needs of the nation before anyone else. If my suffering can help Snezhnaya, then I will accept it with open arms”, he moves back at your answer, all draconic traces gone in an instance, upper corner of his lips subtly rising - whatever you said must’ve pleased him immensely.

The conversation flows back into the territory of plans to be realized, yet the cold sensation of dread still clings to you, your gut feeling yelling at you to get up and run. You remain seated to the end of your meeting, politely conversing with the God that terrifies you.

***

Days slowly grow into weeks and Childe acts just as you have expected - the Eleventh Harbinger might be smart, yet even he wouldn’t be able to see what two of you are scheming. Still, you request Ekaterine, a spy you planted in Northland bank, to keep you updated on the Tartaglia’s actions - extra caution never hurts.

You continue to meet up with geo archon, as you two discuss your next actions. Tartaglia has started cooperating with that blonde foreigner Signora has warned you about, and while this union doesn’t pose any threat to your plans, it’s always good to have a plan B, just in case something happens.

Sometimes your conversation develops into a more unexpected direction, as you find the archaic lord more chatty and tending to ramble, than any of Liyuen historians would dare to picture him as. One on such occasion he talks with you about dragons - benevolent deities who protect and bless their people in an exchange of generous offerings.

His eyes devour you, as he retells you ancient folktales and you suppress your discomfort, preferring to attribute his honestly unnerving behaviour down to his lack of humanity - he was never human in the first place.

That’s why you also prohibit yourself from viewing him as anything but God - Rex Lapis in his “Zhongli” persona is genuinely attractive, he’s well-mannered and obviously handsome and far more knowledgeable than any mortal should be. If you didn’t know of his true nature you would have fallen for him by now - it’s hard not to.

Life, how strange that wouldn’t sound, goes as usual - you get Ekaterine’s report on what Childe’s up to and if it’s something unexpected you book a Liuli pavilion room and send an invitation to the funeral parlour consultant. You only need to wait until Childe gets desperate enough and decides to use the sigils of permission to unleash the well-awaited chaos.

This routine however is soon broken by the appearance of familiar ashy-white hair in the distance. She doesn’t wear her signature mask or dress, nor are there agents at both of her sides, yet you can still clearly recognize her. Signora leaves the Wangsheng building in haste, cape with the hood concealing most of her face and figure, except the long locks of hair, peeking from inside.

What is she doing here?

You thought that Tsaritsa sent two of her servants - Tartaglia and you, him to “test” Liyue, you to oversee the former’s actions and obtain gnosis, there’s no need to send her too.

Your mind races, as you search for a logical explanation of Signora’s presence as your memory supplies the piece of first conversation you had with “Zhongli” - could it be that Tsaritsa also sent you to play a role you have no idea of?

Cryo archon is a goddess of love and her love is cruel and unforgiving, she has sacrificed countless chess pieces before, so it wouldn’t be surprising if she did that again - you are nothing but a pawn after all, one of the tools she uses to exact her will and force her vision, all of the Harbingers are.

You want to believe that you can accept and resign to whatever hardship and fate your Goddess might subject you to. You can’t.

***

Adepti and Qixing converse at the pier of the seaport, as you hurry to the Northland Bank, a slight smile playing on your lips - Childe has finally done it - he summoned an ancient god to lure out Rex Lapis, ultimately proving that Liyue can stand without him.

There are sounds of heated argument heard when you open the building’s door and then you see it - Signora and Tartaglia exchanging barely concealed insults and “Zhongli” standing nearby.

“[Harbinger]? What are you doing here?”, the ginger shifts his gaze onto you, a rare emotion of hurt and disbelief flickering in his dead fish eyes. “Of course, Tsaritsa sent you too”, he smiles, angry and disappointed. “Seems that whole world wants to make a bad guy out of me”, he stomps out of the room, leaving you with Signora and “Zhongli”

“[Harbinger]”

“Signora'', you acknowledge each other, after she trails exiting Childe with her eyes.

“I am here to take the gnosis of Rex Lapis”, she says and you nod, accepting that your Goddess lied to you too: “Tsaritsa also asked me to give you this letter”, she extends her arm, a thick envelope with the familiar seal catching your attention.

With the trembling hands you snatch it out of her hold and almost rip the envelope - for what reason did Tsaritsa send you here?

She writes that you need to stay in Liyue for an undetermined period of time to upkeep “the agreement” made between her and Rex Lapis. You read her message silently, yet when your eyes trace over these words, the sensation of “ “Zhongli’s” eyes on you becomes ten times sharper and stifling. You don’t know what to do.

The other Harbinger leaves too, taking the gnosis with her, as “Zhongli” takes a couple of steps to you, touching your shoulder in a somewhat reassuring gesture. “[First]”, he starts, tone sympathetic and soothing. You don’t fall for it.

“You had your hand in it, didn't you?”, you hiss and accuse, throwing an angry glance at him, momentarily forgetting about the first two rules of dealing with archons.

He smiles, revealing two sharp fangs, his surprisingly scaly hands snaking around yours. “Yes”, Rex Lapis admits, and looks nothing like gentle and knowledgeable “Zhongli”. How could you forget? Archons aren’t humans, humanity is just a fancy dress they don to toy with mortals. He is the dragon, not the benevolent deity that is painted on the wall panels of Liuli pavillion, but a greedy and ancient creature, hungry for gifts and gratitude.

You are his generous offering.