Ok so it turns out icant reblog with a video pretend this is a reblog of my previous post AND ALSO PRETEND I DIDNT RETRY THE HOODIE A BAJILLION TIMES BEFORE GIVING UP AND SCRAPPING IT
TRIED MY HAND AT DRAWING @mocha-ghoooul 's SUPERS UPER SUPER SUPER DUPER CUTE S/I EMBER !!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVEEEE HIS EARS AND ALSO HIS PALETTE AND EVERYTHING HEHEHEAHEHEH ヾ(≧▽≦*)o
WILL RB W/ DA TIMELAPSE !!!!!
YEs this is my first time picking up a stylus in like two months YES i did this all in like two hours sketching away maniacally
☆ Hajime's warm and inviting personality, as well as his innate desire to learn more about all those around him, is what leads him to you. He notices the way you're shy around strangers, the way you talk a little quieter, the way your empathy shows through the subtlest of actions—Hajime notices it all! After all, how could he not?
☆ He's the type to seek you out in group settings, to sit next to you, uninvited. To bring up your name in passing conversation, to wave obnoxiously if you ever cross paths out in the wild; interacting with Hajime is easy! Over time, the two of you grow closer, with him inviting you to his rooftop garden, with you telling him about all your hobbies (he'll save these conversations, oftentimes bringing them up the next time you two meet, a wide grin on his face, laughing when you ask him how he remembered. Of course he remembered! Again, how could he not?)
☆ Your desire to both improve and learn more about yourself doesn't go unnoticed by Hajime. Like you, he also strives to become a better person every day, and to see it so fervently in your everyday actions is what he finds to be quite admirable. As a creature of empathy himself, Hajime often resonates with you in ways that others may not, and he ends up looking out for you more because of it.
☆ (You'll find that nobody starts calling you "weird" anymore, and that more and more people are starting to understand that your resting expression isn't indicative of who you actually are. What a coincidence! After all, you just told Hajime the other day about how other people may perceive you to be "weird," to which he merely blinked, eyes growind wide, in utter disbelief.
☆ ("Who's saying that?" he then said, with utmost sincerity and seriousness, it felt almost uncharacteristic for him.)
☆ Truthfully, Hajime doesn't recognize his budding feelings for you on his own. All he knows is that he likes spending time with you, that you're a comforting soul to be around (and to tend to his tomatoes with), that you love video games and makeup and cooking and going to the beach and—wait, why does he know so many things about you?
☆ (The answer is: Because he likes you! Duh!
☆ (What he thinks is: "'Cause we're such good friends! Hahaha!")
☆ Kotoha is the one to ascertain Hajime's feelings for you. At Pothos, she'll often notice that Hajime, ever the loud soul, seems to almost fall silent when you're around, his eyes trailing hopelessly after you, his expression brightening instantly when you do so much as look at him. He's like a puppy, really, with the way he's so attuned to your emotions and attention, eyes glowing whenever you call his name or talk to him, as if he was waiting for you to notice.
☆ Like you, Hajime also likes having fun with his life! He protects Makochi because he wants everybody to have fun with their lives, after all. The two of you would go on escapades together, trying out new foods, exploring the city, even traveling outside to wander through the beach. Truthfully, the two of you could do anything, and Hajime wouldn't mind—his happiness is derived from your own.
☆ Hajime makes the effort to become someone you feel comfortable around. Whenever you feel upset or bothered, he's the first to notice, and he'll often ask you directly what happened, and trying to make you laugh with some stupid faces or jokes whenever you're on the verge of tears. He's also very communicative with his own feelings, and he'll never leave you in the dark about things (his only line is when it involves your own safety—when it comes to those matters, he'll handle them himself), and, aside from his romantic feelings for you, he's able to recognize both his emotions and the emotions of those around him.
☆ Despite his status, Hajime is also an extremely friendly and approachable person. He'll never make you feel weird for the way you are, and he'll never mention your resting expression, since it truly doesn't bother him in the slightest! He's a man of intentions and true feelings, which he can read from you, and he can recognize just how kind and wonderful of a soul you are.
☆ While he may not be the "typical gentleman," Hajime is a gentleman in the littlest of ways. He'll put his coat over your shoulders when it's cold, he'll cool down your food for you whenever it's too hot, and he'll walk on the outermost part of the sidewalk, always! He'll also walk you home at night, chalking such a duty up to his "role as Furin's protector.
☆ His empathy and understanding of social relationships allows him to easily navigate the one he develops with you, and while he does need Kotoha to knock it into his skull that he's romantically interested in you, Hajime is, at his simplest form, just a good person for you. He learns so many things about you, he remembers all of your interests and little things you've brought up in passing, and he'll even buy you little trinkets he saw that "reminded him of you" or "were from the same series that you like," even if he doesn't know it himself. Also, his open-minded nature and desire to love everyone allows him to reach past the initial shy exterior that you present yourself with.
☆ Hajime, ever the optimist, truly adores you with his whole heart! While he loves talking and learning more about new people, oftentimes, you'll notice that he falls silent whenever you speak, his expression almost dreamlike, the tenderest of smiles on his face as you laugh or crack a couple jokes.
☆ (The two of you cause quite a headache for Hiragi, as you often make jokes that leave him flailing and taking a couple stomach-ache medications...)
☆ Once Hajime fully recognizes his feelings for you, he wastes no time pursuing you. Similarly to how he actually is in relationships, he's very direct with his feelings, confessing to you with utmost sincerity (and a bouquet of flowers!), his face glowing a violent red, bright eyes bearing into your own.
☆ (If someone were to ask him why he likes you, frankly, he wouldn't know what to say. He likes you because you're you! Because you have a wonderful laugh, because you're so kind, because you're always working to improve yourself, because you're so knowledgeable, because—
☆ (He gets cut off once the asker realizes that, wow, Hajime really won't shut up!)
☆ While Hajime may not be able to give a definite reason as to why he loves you, the simple answer is because the two of you are of complementary souls. His approachable warmth allows him to understand you on a deeper and more meaningful level than others may not even reach, and his true adoration for all of your senses of self (whether it's your hobbies, your lifestyle, your personality), draws him towards you inevitable. Honestly, asking him why he likes you is like asking why the sun rises in the east and not the west. Because he does! Because that's the way things are! And Hajime has never been one to question the love he has for people—it's pure, it's unadulterated, but, most of all, it's yours.
THOSE WHO ARE CRUSHING!
TOGAME JO
☆ Jo, ever the observer, notices your shy yet bright personality. He finds your eventual talkativeness and joking nature to be extremely endearing, and the limitless expanse of hobbies that you have pique his curiosity.
☆ (He also enjoys your fashion and the air you give off; it's the kind of vibe that he can't tear his eyes away from.)
☆ As Jo is not very approachable on his own, he'll find opportunities to seek you out and get to know you more. You'll notice that he knows quite a lot about you despite not having talked to you much himself—really, it's because he's asked a lot about you to those in his circle. Jo's adoration manifests in the form of his curiosity, the way he seeks you out, the way he's ever-so coincidentally in the right places at the right time.
☆ Unfortunately, Jo alone is not very bright and optimistic; he's also the type to take a step back, to do things on his own and to shoulder responsibility alone, and is an enabler without leaving room for much else. That's what he did for Shishitoren as a whole, after all. While he adores you, he recognizes that sometimes his quiet, almost lulling nature isn't what you're looking for, especially not with the likes of Hajime around. It's because of this fact that Jo realizes, really, as if he had known all along, that the right person for you is just another boundary across. He'll pat you lightly on the shoulder, and wouldn't mind playing wingman if it means he gets to see you happy, even if that's with someone else.
HI @luminous95 ! Thank you for arranging this matchup with me and for your patience
Has this been done before? If yes, this is my take on it lol
Edit: Since this is getting a lot of traction... if you may be interested in more Gachiakuta work from me: I'm working on an seinen-ish AU: @gachiau-genesis
☆ Yuji has always been drawn to your kind, soothing presence. As someone who's always been on the move, blazing through life ever-so simply and freely, your subtly funny and empathetic nature acts as Yuji's foundation. He's always noticed that you've been a bit quiet in front of strangers, but as you grow more comfortable and talkative, Yuji finds himself wanting to listen to you talk just for the sake of hearing your voice. The way that you slowly open up to others is what Yuji finds really fascinating—it makes him want to get to know you even more, and pay attention to you closely in group settings, to the point where his initial "Get to know Lumi!" operation eventually evolves into feelings beyond his own comprehension.
☆ (You'll notice that Yuji starts asking you random, nonsensical questions that really aren't of any substance—but, he asks them, time and time again, just so he can watch you speak, just so he can listen to your voice, his face resting against the palm of his hand, the gentlest of grins sweeping across his face.)
☆ Yuji's bright, positive, and outgoing nature allows him to make friends very easily. On that same note, he also has the sort of personality that might be easier for you to approach, as he has a friendly air to him, and has a very open mind when it comes to meeting new people. While you may find conversation with strangers difficult, with Yuji, there's never an awkward pause or feeling—even during moments of silence, it feels oddly comfortable, as if the two of you have known each other for a long time. Even if your expression appears unapproachable to others, Yuji never once thinks that—he has always seen people for who they are, and their actions more than anything. It is exactly these traits which allow the two of you to connect on a level that's so natural, it feels as if you've known each other for years.
☆ While Yuji may not get your shyness or quiet nature initially, he still makes the effort to get to know you. He'll ask you many questions about your hobbies, his eyes blown wide and brows slightly furrowed (as if he's some sort of detective, trying to uncover all there is about you), and even get into some of your hobbies himself. At first, he thinks nothing of these efforts—you're someone he wants to understand, and a nice person, and it's normal to get into your friends' hobbies—but over time, Yuji starts to realize that what he feels for you is much more than just "getting into a friend's hobbies." After all, he's never once given his brother, Todo Aoi's, Takada-chan a chance, so why's he trying so hard with you?
☆ ("I know who you are, young man!" Nobara yelled, pointing at him accusingly, her head cocked to the side as if she had just learned the secret of this world.
☆ ("Huh?! What am I?" Yuji replied, in utter disbelief.
☆ ("You like Lumi!"
☆ (Itadori just scoffs. He likes all of his friends, so of course he'd like you! Now she's just reaching.
☆ (But even Megumi had an odd look to him, his figure next to Nobara's, the two of them eyeing Yuji with such a scrutinizing look, he damn near shrunk into a puddle of misery. Yuji just shrugged off these remarks in the moment—but, he can't help but be reminded of their words whenever he's out with you. What gives?)
☆ Even if Yuji developed feelings for you during his time on death row, he'd be hesitant to pursue you unless his survival was guaranteed, especially given his sacrificial nature. Yuji's love for you is akin to a flame: volatile, passionate, bright. And, to love you means to be with you, and Yuji, ever the selfless soul, would never want to put you in a position where it felt as if it would be between you or the world. So, until all threats have been eradicated, and until he can live normally, he won't ever confess to you or even spare a moment of respite for his feelings, especially since such vulnerability would shaken his resolve about his eventual execution.
☆ (This doesn't mean that he can afford to distance himself from you, though. Yuji's selfishness exists in the way that he forms connections with everyone he encounters, the way he never once looks back, the way he exists as presently and wholly as he can. While he may not pursue you romantically, he'll still try his best to stay by your side, whether it's to go out and walk your dogs, shopping, biking, anything! Whatever it is you do, he'll be there, too.)
☆ After the events of the main story, however, Yuji will pursue you as brightly and loudly as he's always existed. He'll stop by your house often, inviting you to go out, or inviting himself in to watch anime with you. He'll get into your favorite series just so he can have something to talk about with you, and he'll let you practice makeup on him (truthfully, he likes the feeling of you being so close to him—he thinks he's being real slick).
☆ The two of you would try out new recipes together! Yuji probably invite you to go grocery shopping with him, too. Even before you start officially dating him, it'll feel as if you're already in a relationship with him—you could call him at any time, and he'd pick up. If you were ever stressed at night, Yuji would have no qualms showing up to your house, hand outstretched, asking if you'd like to go on a walk with him. It has gotten to the point where the two of you are damn near inseparable, and Nobara and Megumi are side-eyeing each other, like "Get a load of these two..."
☆ Yuji also notices all the little habits you have. He'll probably stare at you very intently during group situations, or even when it's just the two of you, and he won't even look away if you catch him. Rather, he'd just smile once you notice he's staring, at make some lame comment like, "Nice weather today, huh?" (A lousy deflection, really.) Sometimes, when you touch your lashes and fiddle with your nails, Yuji will stare even more intently. You wonder why he does this.
☆ (Spoiler: It's because he's always liked the flutter of your lashes. If he had to describe it, it'd be akin to envying your hands for being able to feel the softness of your eyelashes.)
☆ As your giving love language is physical touch, you complement Yuji very well. He truly adores physical touch, and he'll find any excuse he can to hold your hand, or be close to you in any capacity. He's also able to fulfill your receiving love language of quality time, since Yuji loves being around those he loves, and would definitely indulge in your hobbies in order to understand you more clearly.
☆ While the two of you would already have been friends for a while, Yuji doesn't take your relationship for granted. Before the two of you make it official, he'll be planning ever-so meticulously on how he's going to confess, where he's going to do it, what he's going to say... If he's feeling really desperate, he'll probably even rehearse with Nobara and Megumi (though, it won't help him at all, as he'll probably stumble over his words when he's actually with you).
☆ Yuji would also ask you for fashion tips! (He'd also like to match outfits or accessories with you...) And he'd watch you do your makeup if you allowed him to, or even join you for workouts at the gym. He just loves existing with you, in whatever capacity that may be!
☆ Undoubtedly, Yuji's personality changes drastically over time. His initial, carefree outlook on the world shifts, and while he's ever the sacrificial person he always has been, he's not without his gloomy and almost hopeless faults. With your support and soothing presence, however, Yuji will be able to confide in you. To shoulder the weight of the world is no easy feat, but Yuji has always been someone who has been willing to let people into his life, to keep on loving and learning, despite all of the atrocities he's witnessed.
☆ While he has his slumps, and moments where he wants to give up, he ultimately is someone who triumphs and saves the world! And while it takes him time, he has always been someone who lives wholly and presently in the given moment—and so, with that, he will smile and laugh with you, as he's always done, and as he will continue to do, for as long as you'll allow him!
THOSE WHO ARE CRUSHING!
GETO SUGURU (PRE-CURSE USER)
☆ At his core, Suguru is a gentleman: the type to open every door for you, to pull out your seat, to walk behind you and ensure that you're safe at all times. He also finds you to be quite endearing, with your kindness and empathy that many others may not get at first—to him, it feels akin to a prize. He wants to get to know you, to be the one you are talkative around, to be the special "someone" who you feel comfortable with opening up to and sharing all of your interests with. Your kindness alongside your delicate nature spurs him in such a way that makes Suguru want to protect you, like a treasure.
☆ While his affection for you is palpable (Satoru often calls him out for his blatant favoritism towards you), it sometimes feel as though Suguru is distant, and he doesn't fully communicate with you whenever he feels bothered.
☆ Moreover, Suguru has a gloomy air to him, especially with all that he deals with. He bears this burden under the guise of being a sorcerer, but eventually, these debts will become unfathomable in weight, and it will result in Suguru distancing himself from you as he believes he must shoulder such responsibility alone. In the end, he may push you away not because of your own faults—it could never be any of your faults, as Suguru truly adores you—but because of his own. He believes, most bitterly, that he is not the right person for you, that he cannot provide you what you need. And, because of that, he will let you go—not because he wants to, but because, in order to see you happy, and for this world to regain all the color its lost, it must be with his absence.
HIII @luminous95 !! THANK YOU FOR ARRANGING THIS MATCHUP W/ ME AND I HOPE YOU ENJOYED
Jing Yuan works overtime, and he makes it your problem.
(Additional, more helpful description: You steal Jing Yuan from his office, and the two of you return home, eating dinner together, then, a barrage of his kisses.)
jing yuan ♡ gn!reader
warnings: nonsexual physical intimacy, established relationship (marriage), kissing, sharing a bed & home
notes: THANK YOU TO @melodead FOR PROOFREADING AND FOR BEING THE HASHTAG JY CHARACTERIZATION MASTER!!
art exchange for @mocha-ghoooul !!! I HOPE YOU ENJOY !!! ♡♡
An ideal victory goes as follows:
Starlight; tables made of oak; fingers curled around a pen; the doze of a half-lidded eye. The ideal victory is one so simple and so guaranteed, it can be summarized by historians with a single line. Paperwork sprawled all across his desk, Jing Yuan’s gaze tears, without much resistance, from the words, gaze fixating on the clock. Midnight.
Any time now, is all he thinks.
The ideal victory. Footsteps. Jing Yuan feels the subtlest of smiles crawl onto his lips, sunny eye crinkling under the light as the doors to the Seat of Divine Foresight slam open, a figure bursting through its gates, ablaze.
There you are.
Starlight; spirit made of fire; index finger pointed accusingly; the narrow of two eyes. The ideal victory is one so simple and so guaranteed, it can be pictured before it has even been revealed: the curl of your lips, shaped into a frown; the furrow of your brows, wrinkling the bridge of your nose; the hand on your hip, other raised towards him as if you were prosecuting him in a court of law.
You mutter something incomprehensible whilst pointing at him—its sound akin to a hex—and Jing Yuan’s smile only seems to grow.
“You’re here,” he says.
“I hate working overtime,” you reply. Jing Yuan hums, parting from his paperwork without a single protest, descending the stairs, head tilted slightly as he regards you with a keen eye.
“Care for a game of chess?”
“At this hour? I’d have better luck eating the pieces than winning against you.”
“An unorthodox strategy is a strategy nonetheless,” he remarks, unable to contain the faint laugh which escapes his parted lips, the crinkle of his eye as you exist within its window.
“Wait!” you then exclaim, your pointed finger lowering for but a second, rising to its position once more, prosecuting him effectively. “I’m not here to play chess with you. I’m here to drag you home, ‘cause I hate working overtime, and you’re working overtime!”
“And if I resist?”
“You? Resist going home?”
He chuckles. “An outlandish idea, I know.” Crossing the distance, Jing Yuan meets your figure with his own, knuckle brushing over the ridge of your brows, easing its furrow. “Then, what do you propose?”
You stare at him, in total exasperation and incredulity, gaze flickering up, then down, then up again. You rub your temples, you scratch your head, you sigh. You then pace all around the hall, ignoring the confused looks from the guards, the amused flicker in the beholder’s eye. When you return to your original spot, Jing Yuan offers you his hand.
“Have you come to a conclusion?”
Your fingers intertwine with his. “No more overtime. We’re going home.”
“Very well.”
“Don’t act like you’re reluctant! I know you were waiting for me to get you!”
The ideal victory. Jing Yuan’s arm raises, your knuckles kissing his lips, the etched shape of his smile pressing into your skin as you swat him away with your other hand, your expression betraying you, revealing the hints of a grin.
“You know me so well,” he states, the warmth from your hands permeating into his skin, the fragments of his shattered soul coalescing, the kiss stretching across hundreds of years, its heat unfathomable. Ablaze. To be whole again; to exist alongside another; to be loved. Truly, Jing Yuan considers this fate to be unlike any other.
Jing Yuan has been bound by mundane duties for years. Such surroundings limit his own sense of self, reducing him to, as he’s described, “a rather boring person.” Routine; paperwork; meetings. If it were up to him, he’d rid himself of these monotonous things, returning to his wonderful hobby of meditation, playing chess, going outside, existing in the sun, but—he looks at you in the corner of his eye, the way your gaze is fixated ahead, the way you ramble about some nonsensical encounter you had earlier, the way your hand tightens around his whenever you mention something exciting—there are some parts he’d like to keep. Some routines he’d like to have. Forever, even.
(He knows better than anyone that “forever” does not exist.)
“And so, I bet all of my life savings on a game with Qingque—”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Hold on! I haven't even gotten to the good part yet.”
Mildly concerned, and even more intrigued, Jing Yuan manages a nod, allowing himself to be strung on by both your story and your hand, tugging him in the direction of your shared home. How wonderful, he thinks. How wonderful and warm and free.
(But, even if he does not live to remember, even if his mind’s clarity wanes, even if the only thing that he can recognize is the madness, he believes that, really, you will exist for forever.
(You will exist in the crevices of his fingers, shape molded perfectly to slot into his; you will exist in the stars, light traveling long after the gases burn, tunneling through space, a kiss stretched across a thousand light-years; you will exist, beyond him, beyond memory, beyond everything.)
“Anyway, I managed to win it all! Lucky! I should probably go back for round two tomorrow, maybe my streak is still up for grabs!”
Jing Yuan laughs a little. “Not satisfied with your current winnings?”
“Not at all!”
The walk home is short when it’s done together. Taking off your shoes by the door; two pairs of slippers, two pairs of outdoor shoes, the world slotting to fit two hands and two figures and the simple number, two; returning to routine, with you heating up leftovers and Jing Yuan brushing his shoulder against yours for no reason whatsoever, now changed into his casual clothes, skin melting together, coalescing into the simple number: one.
“You waited for me?” he asks, noticing you preparing a portion for yourself.
“Yeah,” you reply, glancing towards him, feigning irritation, “I starved, waiting for my cruel husband to return home so we could eat together. But he never did. ‘Cause he’s cruel. And doesn’t care when his beautiful spouse starves.”
Jing Yuan, ever the cruel man, hums. “How utterly despicable of him.”
“Tell me about it.”
The clatter of dishware; the blending of voices, wedded; the exchanging of duties, with Jing Yuan washing the dishes, and you wiping at the plates, continuing to chatter away. The ideal victory. Two, blending to become one.
How simple. How simple and lovely and wonderful and free.
“Will you work overtime tomorrow?” Jing Yuan asks, smiling while you scowl, humming as you hex him under your breath, the two of you returning to your shared room.
“Don’t ever mention that foul word.”
“Overtime?”
“Jail.”
The ideal victory goes as follows:
Starlight; bed frame made of oak; fingers curled around a blanket; the doze of half-lidded eyes. The ideal victory is one so simple and so guaranteed, it can be summarized by historians with a single line. You run a finger through his now-loose hair and he sighs, now in a tangle of limbs and pillows, his arm resting over your waist like some weighted thing.
There you are, is all he thinks, staring at you from across the mattress, the way your lips are in movement, voice echoing all throughout the room. You speak of your plans for the day ahead, the way you’re not going to find him if he works overtime, the way you’ll hex him for even mentioning such a wretched idea; and again, Jing Yuan smiles. It’s quite easy whenever you’re involved.
Across a hundred years, through a thousand lightyears—ablaze. You ask him a question and, during that moment of silence, waiting for him to respond, he leans forward, the starlight falling upon two faces, meeting everywhere but your lips.
Across a hundred years, through a thousand light-years—a kiss. You laugh a little and the starlight fails to meet your cheek, your jaw, your nose. Parting from you with much more reluctance than he did his paperwork, Jing Yuan’s gaze traces over your face, irises like melted suns, pale hair wisping like wax. You smile. He kisses you there, its warmth like a hug done by lips, the faint passing of a breeze, the gentle ring of a windchime. Another kiss. Then, most lovingly, another.
“I won’t forgive you for mentioning the big ‘O’ word just like this, you know,” you state.
OKay IN FULL DICLOSURE I HIT SEND ON THE LAST REBLOG ON ACCIDENT SO THATS WHY ITS LIKE T HAT ASFHKLMGDSKLN;ADS
IM GOING TO EXCPLDE HELLLO!!!!!!! ! 💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥my crush on jing yuan (that i do not want) is going to get ten thousand times worse after this i dont know ill let u know after i read this and died ten million deaths
im nervois okay im going to start reading now everyone welcome to my Live Reacion im putting it under the cut because i may Explode
"Any time now, is all he thinks." ... "There you are." to be loved is to be known but HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT IM GOING TO !!!!! oh and then hes admiring mc and knows exactly how theyre going to act bc Of Course he does i think the General of the Luofu spends more time at his desk daydreaming about his partner then he is working
HES PLAYING ALONG W MC IM ASDKNGKLASLKVASD eating all the chess pieces when hes not looking watch out Jing Yuan ur gonna need to buy new pieces come tomorrow
CAUGHT RED HANDED!!!!! he Never wants to work hes just waiting to be picked up from work so he can go home. oh my god hes so in love. i have to chew on him <- nonsense words
fucked up abnd evil of hi to kiss mcs knockles and smile into it oooooorgh my god this is soooooo (melting)
“And so, I bet all of my life savings on a game with Qingque—” i giggled me too mc oh my god how irresponcible jing yuan we're about to go broke if we have a shared bank account or something
oorgh the image of walking home together hand in hand while mc is draggin jing yuan along,,,,,, i have to add this to the list of things i wanna draw this isn't up for debate i have to do this its crushign me (positive)
aFWERNGndfvBNFGDS ooorogh the banter in the kicteh n is killing me this is sooooo cute 💥💥💥💥 JAIL TO JING YUAN!!! JAIL FOR ONE THOUSAND YEARS!!!!!
oh my giod hes so cute ihes so stupid hes just Staring all he does is Stare and listen to mc takl forever and he loves it and he wants nothing more then this becausse hes sick and twisted !!!!! and tgen he kisses them!!!! without even answing their question because he is Cruel !!!!!! jing yuan u have to lock in and focus stop kissing-
MUEHEAHHEHAHEH WE ARE FEEDING THE JY AGENDA !!!!!!!!! IM SOSOSOS GLAD U ENJOYED THISVPIECE MOCHA HEHAEHAH HES SO LOVESUCK SO SOGGY SO GOOPY HES SOOO SLICE OF LIFE !!!!!!!! THANK U FOR DOING THIS ART EXCHANGE W ME IM GIGGLING READING UR RXNS MUAHAAHAH
part 1 of an art exchange with @daostars / @daosies !!
(click the image to see it better!! theres a lot going on jasdnvjasd) rambling abt the artwork under the cut ^^
AN ELABORATE EXCUSE TO PRACTICE DRAWING NEUVILETTE LETS GOOOOO !!! /J
hmmm but srsly but i enjoyed drawing this a lot... i knew right away what i wanted to do haha ><
soggy wet dragon standing in the rain bc he misses his partner :(( someone get him an umbrella please... what if he catches a cold...
i imagine the melusines are standing outside the courthouse (which i forgot to color the background like;;;;) watching neuvi... they're under a roof so theyre not getting wet but they are very concerned for him TT
FRET NOT!! he gets his letter from his beloved so all is well again :)) his yearning may be satiated for the time being
anyways... i like to think he would keep those letters in a special place so he'd never lose them!! the more recent ones will be kept on his desk until his beloveds return!!! maybe he even rereads it (no matter how short or long it is) when he misses them so much... he treats the letters vary carefully so they dont rip
i doubt he lets himself take (long) breaks very often with how much work he has? but what if !!! tea breaks!!! furina invites him to tea parties and she tells him all about her performances (he was there to watch it obvs) and anythign else she wants to yap abt :DD
i feel like she... might like gossip tho... so...... obviously she is interested in neuvi and his partner!! esp if those two are having the worlds slowest slowburn like... are there any updates??? at all??? even the smallest tiniest most insignificant thing??? no????? neuvilette please TT
i dont see neuvilette as the type to just buy things on a whim but !! oh how the heart yearns and loves and changes with emotion... he couldnt help it that the flowers reminded him of someone :(( maybe those flowers are their favorite? either way they can be displayed in a pretty vase on his desk as he patiently awaits their return :))
OH MY DAYS. MOCHA. MOCHA. I GASPED. THE GASP I GUSPED... IH MY DAYS!!!!!
NEUVILLETTE IS SOSOSOSOSOSOSOSO CUTE UHGHGHGHGH I WANT TO SQUISH HIM I WANT TO HOLD HIM IN MY HANDS AND TELL HIM EVERYTHINGS GOING TO BE OKAY AND THAT THE SUN WILL RETURN UGHGHGHHHH THE WAY HE LOOKS SO SOGGY AND MISERABLE IN THE RAIN!!! THE MELUSINES!!! ALSO I LOVE LOVE LOOOVEEE THAT FURINA HC OF HER ASKING NEUVILLETTE AB RELATIONSHIP UPDATES BECAUSE THAT IS SO HIM!!!! AND ALSO THE WAY HE SITS ALL PROPERLY WITH HIS HANDS CLASPING ONE ANOTHER WAITING FOR HIS BELOVED HE IS SOOOOO 🥺🥺🥺❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🥲🥲🥲 I WANT TO BITE HIM GNAW AT HIS FACE HES SO ADORABLE??? OH MY GOSH
HE IS SERIOUSLY SO ADORABLE IN YOUR STYLE I LOVE ALL THE THOUGHTS YOU HAVE NEVER STOP SHARING YOUR RAMBLINGS OMG I LOVE READING ALL OF YOUR IDEAS!! THEY ARE SO WONDERFUL AND SO LOVELY AND I WILL BE FRAMING THIS IN MY DIGITAL GALLERY HE IS SO ADORABLE THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO DRAW THIS OMG???
HE IS SOOOO CUUETUETUEA UGAHUGHUAHGHFH I WANT TO BITE HIM RIGHT !!! NOW !!!!!!!
part 2 of an art exchange with @daostars / @daosies !!
THIS WAS A LOT OF FUN TO DO AAAAAAAH!!!! my favorite part of this one was drawing ajaw jsasdfasg hes such a goober
more notes and things are under the cut ^^
this was actually my first time drawing kinich!!!! i hope i was able to do him justice >< ajaw is so cute i had a lot of fun drawing him ahahaha
wanderer.... ive drawn before so no one pay attention to him /j
kinich's part was very much inspired by his section in "you get injured" fic by dao !!! except i left out the part where mc gets hurt... kinich just went shopping for groceries (and stuff to make jewelry)
hes making!!!! a necklace (or a bracelet or an anklet or whatever u want it to be) and maybe!!! he puts beads on it which look like his!!!! would that be too cliche and obvious of him or what !!!!!!
idc if he wouldn't do that, i wanted him too <- a sucker for matching anything with ppl u care abt
ofc ajaw is jailed for his crimes (speaking) but i can't really see him sooo.... if ur reading all this u get to see the hidden ajaw ;DD
also!!! peep the tiny tiny ajaw i drew just to fill in some negative space :OO he looks so cute and innocent there TTTT littol guy...
ONTO WANDERER!!!! hes so good at acting like he doesn't care abt someone and ignoring their existence bc they piss him off <- lying, everyone notices when he starts to like someone
i love drawing nahida being the one to notice bc i think she would and maybe she'd try to give him advice? or nudge him to act on his feelings once he figures them out...? im not too sure but i think she finds it very sweet he likes someone in any capacity aksjvlkasklv
!!! MY PERSONAL HC TIME!!! OKAY SO!!!! u know how he made + keeps a doll of kunikuzushi with him? what if he had one of his partner? maybe they gave it to him as a gift after seeing his one!! that way kuni wouldn't be alone anymore :)) or maybe he made it himself to gift his partner but hasn't gotten the courage/thought of a believable excuse to give it to them yet so he's holding onto it
either way!! i think he's a little fond of trinkets like that even if he won't admit it. the doll of his partner he might fidget with or just look at when he misses them, is bored or even unhappy :pp its multi-purpose it keeps him sane he needs that thing
okay thats that KALDSNVKLASD i filled up the rest of the space w/ cat wanderer bc i love scarameow TTTT hes soo cute TTTTT kitty with huge eyes staring at you TTTTTT i love him TTT
AND THATS EVERYTHIGN!!!!! I HOPE U ENJOY THESE DAO !!!!!!! I HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFULLY WHIMSICAL REST OF UR DAY/NIGHT !! STAY SILLY!!!
MOCHA AND YOUVE DONE IT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO MANY THINGS TO UNPACK. FIRST OF ALL. AJAW IN HIS BOX PRISON. I LAUGEHD LMFAOOOOO SERVES HIM RIGHR!!! THAT ANNOYING LITTLE GUUY!!! BUT OMG I LOVE LOVE LOVE UR IDEA OF WANDERER CARRYING AROUND A DOLL OF HIS LOVER?? THAT IS SERIOUSLY SO CUTE?? I CAN IMAGINE HIM HIDING IT WHENEVER ANYONE CATCHES HIM LOOKING ALL SOFT AND FIDGETING W/ IT TOO HAAHAHH I KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!! A YEARNER!!!
ALSO NAHIDA INSTANTLY KNOWING HES THINKINGA BOUT HIS LOVER IS SOOOOO ON POINT YES SHED 100% CLOCK HIM THATS SO HILARIOUS TO ME?? ALSO I LOVE THE WAY YOU SKETCHED HIM TOO HES SO POUTY SO CUTEEEE SO ADORABLEEEE THE WAY HIS BROWS ARE FURROWED BUT YOU KNOW HES HAVING THE TIME OF HIS LIFE!!
AND ALSO KINICH!!!! HIM MAKING HIS LITTLE JEWELRY OMG HES ADORABLE. HES ABOLUSTELY ADORABLE. IGNORING AJAW SO REAL!!!! ALSO THE LITTLE SKETCH WHERE HE TURNS AROUND AND AJAW SHUTS HIS MOUTH IS SO HILARIOUS TO ME??? He is NOT listening SO TRUE MY KING 🙏🙏🙏🙏 IGNORE THAT GUY
THANK YOU SOSOSOSOS MUCH AGAIN AND AGAIN FOR DRAWING THIS THEYRE ALL SO ADORABLE SO SKRUNKLY ALSO YOU NAILED AJAW??? AND ALSO THE LITTLE SCARAMOUCHE CAT UGHGSHUGH CMERE LET ME GIVE YOU A BIG SMOOCH ON THE HEAD!!! HE IS ADORABLE!!!!!
A little birdie flew to my window saying it has this for you…
——————
The wanderer slips in through the door to Puspa Café like a passing sigh of wind. Inside, the rich aroma of brewed coffee clings to the air, warm and inviting. Muted conversation floats up from a few tables where guests exchange stories and annoyances over plates of baklava and sugar-dusted rose cubes. Coloured shards of light fall across thick patterned carpets that soften his footfalls as he steals unseen to a table nestled in the back corner. Here he pulls out a chair and sits down.
Spaces like these are not ones he would usually enter. The noise irritates him; he’s not fond of coffee. The wanderer has not come for a drink and snacks. He has come to observe; to confirm a suspicion.
This wanderer has walked through many lives and taken many names. The lightness of his footsteps and delicacy of his features belie the blood which has stained his hands, the countless bones he has walked on. One would not suppose from his appearance alone that he once tried to become a god, or that he wiped himself from the roots of the tree which lies at the centre of the world.
For the majority of his life, he knew one thing, and that was rage. Bitterness was the blood which fuelled his artificial limbs. Like a hunted animal he struck out at anything and everyone who neared him, clutched at straws to reclaim his destiny which he mistook for the strings of fate.
(Where did all that anger come from, you’d asked him once, if not from love?)
For the majority of his life, he knew one thing. He wasn’t a person who deserved love; he wasn’t a person. He was a thing, a puppet, a failure. Even if he had, somehow, been a person (a futile thought experiment; it was an impossibility), he wouldn’t have deserved love, because the things he’d done made of his supposed ‘humanity’ a shattered farce.
Slowly, gently, you had entered his life and showed him he was wrong. First, when he went by the name Kabukimono; then, when he was known as Scaramouche. At the beginning he loathed you for softening him until he couldn’t any longer, because something else had taken root.
It was not without regret that this wanderer wiped himself from Irminsul. For all of the weight he was desperate to shirk from his shoulders, you were one thing he would have liked to keep.
He sacrificed you by annihilating himself—and he failed. As he failed with many things before.
You forgot him, of course. That was inevitable. But he found you again, researching Ley Lines at the Akademiya, and somehow you found it in yourself to love him over. He didn’t thank the gods for this new chance; they had never done anything for him. But he was grateful towards something; towards you, for having the grace to look at him twice and see something worth having both times.
Recently the wanderer caught wind of news that something happened to you, something to do with a complication in your research. He doesn’t know the specifics, but the fact that you haven’t contacted him to let him know the details is enough to set his suspicions on the worst.
Ley Lines store the memories of the world. He is intimately familiar with how they operate. Depending on what exactly went wrong, the effect could be disastrous.
He reassures himself that you are still here; still remembered. That means the worst hasn’t come to pass.
Still, there are too many things almost as bad which are all too possible.
He watches the bar from the table in the corner. You stand behind the counter, preparing a silver tray of coffee and sweets which you shortly take to one of the tables. The guests thank you, and you linger there to chat with them. He can make out snippets of your conversation.
They’re asking you about your day, your studies (you work here part-time, when you’re not seeing friends or conducting research), and you answer them with an easy smile and bright laughter. You seem familiar with them.
He pulls his hat down over his eyes and fixes his stare on the wooden surface of the table. His skin itches. He tells himself that it’s too early to judge. There might still be hope, a concept he never dared entertain in the past.
“Can I get you something?”
The wanderer glances up. You hover by his table, fixing him with a wide, welcoming smile. “Sorry for taking so long. I noticed you sitting here, but I couldn’t come over.”
You haven’t said anything particular—but it’s all he needs in order to know.
A sudden urge seizes him to flip over the table and curse the heavens, because this cannot be happening again. It’s unbelievable. What convoluted farce is this?
His throat is dry. Still, he manages to maintain a disinterested tone when he says, “I’ll have some tea.”
“What kind?”
“Something bitter.”
“Got it.” You turn back to the bar, then pause, swivelling to face him. “Sorry, what did you say your name is again?”
He lowers the rim of his hat. “Call me whatever you want.”
“It’s just that you seem kind of familiar… Oh! Wait, I think I know you.”
The wanderer’s head jerks up. His artificial heart beats out a dangerous rhythm, dangerous because it’s hopeful. Could it be that—?
“You’re that guy everyone goes on about, right? Hat Guy.”
A cold hand closes around his core. That dangerous warmth shrivels at once, leaving behind a dead chill.
“That’s me.” He tries and fails to keep the bitterness out of his voice.
By now he’s accustomed to hearing that ludicrous nickname from the mouths of scholars at the Akademiya and the odd passer-by on the street; it no longer grates on his ears as it once did. But to hear the moniker coming from you… What was simply an unfunny but negligible collection of words takes on weight, takes on sharpness. It cuts down his indifference and he hears it for the farce that it is.
His fingers tighten around his cup. Under his breath, he mutters, “It’s a stupid nickname.”
The wanderer feels your eyes on him. He can’t bring himself to look. To see you, and see in your face that you don’t recognise him… he’s already lived that once before. He can’t bring himself to do it again.
In the end, he’s still that same pathetic coward who can’t face his crippling fear of the inevitable.
Opposite him, you pull out a chair and sit down at the table. He tells himself it’s nothing; you extend the same hospitality to everyone. You give out your warmth so easily, without any regard for who you’re giving it to. People like him.
“You know what, I agree with you,” you say, squishing your cheek in your palm. “I can’t seriously go around calling someone ‘Hat Guy’.” You make quotation marks in the air and snort. “You must have a real name I can use for you.”
He shakes his head. You persist.
“Come on. Like, how do you sign your papers? I bet you don’t write ‘Hat Guy’.” You hesitate. “Although, it would be hilarious if you did…”
“No. I don’t.”
“What, then?”
His jaw tightens. It isn’t that your question doesn’t have an answer. It does. He just bring himself to say it.
What name does he use? He wants to laugh, would laugh if it wasn’t so ridiculously twisted.
What other name could he use, but the one you gave him?
So instead, he says, “That’s none of your business.”
The words come out harsher than he intended. Upon hearing them, you flinch. His blood runs cold as you stand up. “Sorry.” Your eyes are downcast, your voice subdued. “I didn’t mean to pry. I’ll get out of your way.”
You turn to leave. Your reaction is sensible enough: he’s given you every reason to think he wants nothing to do with you. Part of him is tempted to let you go and live your life without him dragging you back to his side again, spare himself the agonising effort rekindling this firewood for a second time.
But the wanderer has always been a selfish creature. Right now, he can’t see you go. Not again.
He says, “No.”
You pause and turn to him, looking bewildered. “…No?”
“No.”
You blink. “Sorry, what?”
He sighs sharply. “You have nothing to apologise for, Dao.”
“Oh.” You scratch your head. “Okay. Do you want anything to eat? I can get you something when I bring the tea over.”
He’s on the verge of saying no. At the last moment he stops himself. “A plate of rosewater shortbreads.” The wanderer doesn’t have a personal preference for sweets.
“Bitter tea and shortbreads. Got it.” You flash him a smile over your shoulder as you return to the counter. He watches you go, stifling the instinct to reach after you.
He can’t tear his eyes away while you prepare the tea. It’s hardly a complex task—but it’s the way you do it, with such efficiency and care, which is mesmerising.
Returning to him, you set the tray down on the table in front of him and pour him a steaming cup of tea. He takes a sip in silence. Setting it back down, his eyes follow the circular trajectory of the tea leaves as they swirl in the dark water. In his homeland, some believe that a floating tea stalk will grant good luck. What a ridiculous thought.
Off-handedly, you say, “You seem lonely.”
His eyes dart to your face. He scoffs, even as his ribcage cinches. “Why would I be lonely?”
“Well, you come in here without saying a word, take the one table furthest in the corner, stare into the distance, don’t go up to order anything until I come over to you… it’s not exactly subtle.” You list each point off your fingers as you speak. When you finish, your eyes widen. “Wait. I know. You’re waiting for someone, aren’t you?”
There you go again, staring right through his heart like it’s nothing, completely unaware of your own insight. It’s mildly offensive. It’s agonising.
He lowers his eyes. After a time, he mumbles, “Yes.”
“Okay. Well, my shift is ending in around five minutes, and I have some time to kill afterwards. If you want, I can keep you company until they arrive.”
The wanderer’s heart gives a dangerous lurch. His hand opens and closes around the teacup. Steam coils in the air between you. This really is… unbelievable.
“Unless that would look bad,” you add.
He narrows his eyes. “What do you mean?”
“You know.” You shrug, and a mischievous twinkle comes into your eye. “In case they think I’m stealing you, or something.”
Scowling, he mumbles, “They won’t think that.”
“Good.” You sit back down in the chair opposite him. The wanderer dares himself to look you in the eye. You’re—the same. Same smile, same expressions, same demeanour, same way of lighting up the room as soon as you step into it.
The only thing that’s different is that when you look at him, he can see in your eyes that you don’t recognise him.
“Hey. Earlier, how did you know my name?”
He frowns. A careless slip of the tongue. “I’ve heard it around the Akademiya,” he replies casually. It’s not exactly a lie.
You take a biscuit from the platter and raise it to your mouth. “Okay. In that case, I’m setting myself a challenge,” you declare.
He humours you. It comes so easily. “What challenge?”
You jab a finger at him. “By the end of this conversation, I’ll know what to call you apart from ‘Hat Guy’.”
Before he knows it, a smile has crept onto his lips. (It’s always been easier around you.) A blossom of warmth unfurls in his chest, despite everything. It’s agonising, yes; unfair beyond belief. But the wanderer has long since learned to live with agony, and if he can thank the world for one thing, it’s that it has never tried to fool him into thinking life is fair.
He’s done this twice before with you. What’s one more time?
——————
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Keep being swaggy and awesome and Anaxa will always be waiting for you when you come to see the light of reason <3333333
R!!!!!! Okay. As you know ive been holding this ask very close to my chest... tucking it away in my little treasure box... but it's time to set it free (i want to reblog it so i can reread it on my side blog)
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO WRITE THIS OMG!!!!! YOUR WRITING IS SSOSOSO AMAZING AND ALSO UGHHH WANDERER THE MAN YOU ARE!!! YOU REALLY NAILED HIS CHARACTER SO WELL AND HES SO GRUMPY SO IN LOVE AHGHHAHFAH I LOVE HIM I LOVE HIM I LOVE HIM!!! HAT GUY!!!! I KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!! YOU YEARNER!!!!
Ugh r. I wish i could stuff your writing into my bones its so good. You always execute everything SOSOSOS WELLL the way its so angsty yet the ending is open and happy UGH!!! THE WAY WE FORGOT HIM BUT HE NEVER FORGETS!!! MUAAAAHAHAHAH YESSSS YESSS!!!!!
THANK YOU FOR THE BIRTHDAY WISHES!!! THANK YOU FOR WRITING THIS!!!!! I WILL STAY SWAGGY!!! YOU STAY SWAGGY TOO!!! I will ignore that anaxa part. He'll have to wait for a while i am NOT touching ampohreus
☆ There was not a soul in Nod-Krai who hadn't shied from the lighthouse's gloomy nature, especially at night. It was easy for him to evoke a sense of fear into those who were unprepared to enter the graveyard—that way, they'd turn around without tripping over themselves and falling victim to the Wild Hunt—but, there was an exception. You.
☆ Similarly to you, Flins is not someone who opens himself up so easily to others. As a matter of fact, it feels as though nobody knows anything about him, for the stories he tells are so long-winded, and frankly, he presents himself as but an ordinary civilian. But your frequent visits to places only he'd dare roam, alongside your natural curiosity and passion for the paranormal, has allowed your paths to cross many times.
☆ Eventually, Flins begins expecting your arrival. You'll find that the graveyard seems to carve out a space for your presence, that he'll be patrolling those routes ever-so coincidentally when you pass by, his arm outstretched, lantern in hand, a subtle smile on his face as he greets you once more, saying, "Ah, greetings to you once more, Tilikum. If it isn't too much trouble, may I join you on whatever spark ignites your curiosity today?"
☆ The two of you fall into a simple routine, that of running paranormal investigations together. Flins enjoys your presence during these (as he's dubbed) "hunts," oftentimes letting you lead the way while he serves to provide you light. While he does not interfere with your actions, there will be times where his arm seems to find your waist, guiding you towards him, his eyes glowing a bright blue, flashing away some phantom which would endanger you.
☆ (If you were to ask him what he just did, however, he would merely offer you a polite smile, accompanied by a hum.)
☆ While he prefers to be active during the night, you'll start to notice Flins in Nasha Town more often, frequenting cafes and bakeries, meeting your side to exchange pleasantries and to start up conversations. Moreover, Flins will often drop by without a word, gesturing for you to hold out your hand before dropping a haunted object into your palm without further explanation. If you ask him what it is, he will reply with another question: "Shall I impose on your time to discuss this further?" If you have no questions at all, he will simply smile, opting to observe your expression as you examine the object.
☆ (It's after seeing your reaction that Flins decides to himself that, truly, all the trouble to obtain such a haunted thing was worth it.)
☆ Flins admires determination above all else. Your constant ambition to become a better version of yourself, while also recognizing your faults and striving to exceed what you once knew as your limits, are traits that he finds incredibly marvelous. You often ask him to tell you stories of a bygone era, to which he indulges. Over time, you'll come to learn more about Flins than anyone else—about his time as an aristocrat, about how this land once looked, about how the fae roamed, coinciding with humanity's kindred spirit—and, Flins too, will desire to learn more about you.
☆ Flins's devotion is shaped by the way he asks you questions, the way he listens to your stories, nodding, intent, remembering and asking more later. He will bring up something you've mentioned in passing, he will remember your dislikes and ensure that you don't encounter it—most of all, though, Flins has the simple, yet innate, desire to see you happy. He will invite you to outings at night, stargazing, investigating the paranormal—but also, he will invite you to indulge in the arts, taking you to historical points, showing you the past as it exists today, the wealth of his knowledge shifting as if it were accumulated to spend on you.
☆ He will often ask you questions which pivot towards more intellectually-driven conversations, the two of you talking late into the night, the only light existing from his own lantern. And while the world thunders outside, crashing against the Lightkeepers' headquarters, it seems as though its boundaries shrink, serving the two of you. It's not uncommon for the two of you to spend the whole night talking, bringing up conversations about the nature of the world, about the state of Nod-Krai and its relationship with the rest of Teyvat, about the messages you've received via various entities.
☆ (Flins's favoritism towards you becomes glaringly obvious to other members of the Lightkeepers, who've come to recognize your face during their patrols. Though nobody dares to ask him directly, a question that often gets tossed around is: "Since when did Flins start to harbor such feelings for Tilikum?")
☆ A question often asked by humans, Flins acknowledges. But, the answer is no romantic scenario—the truth is simple, really, with the fact being that he does not quite know, either. To chalk it up to a single meeting with you would be a disservice, for Flins can recall many instances where he's thought you to be utterly radiant. If he had to put it in layman's terms, though, Flins would attribute his feelings for you to be a result of your character.
☆ Not only does he admire your ambition and determination, but also, your curiosity. He finds your interest in the paranormal to be refreshing—he's grown used to many fearing his grounds of work—and also, your naturally caring personality, while also keeping your sense of self-respect and boundaries. Your ability to be kind and open, while also keeping many burdens to yourself, is something he also finds to be admirable—it is precisely those traits which pique his own curiosity, as he strives to understand you more, and, in the process, fall into what humans often describe as "love."
☆ As a fae, Flins does not live under the same guidance that humans typically do. He does not describe his feelings for you as simply as "love," but rather, as unyielding devotion. For a fae to "love" is to be stretched across hundreds of years, and for Flins, it means to choose you, across a millennium, without a single shred of doubt.
☆ (And that, he does.)
☆ Even if you return his feelings, Flins will not skip any step of courting you. He ensures to do things methodically, such as walking you home during the night, greeting you with flowers (and the slight, almost teasing bow of his head), inviting you on "dates" to investigate paranormal activity.
☆ Flins will join you in causing mischief. He finds much joy in teasing people, as well as making seemingly-polite comments which hold much more than its own weight in words. He also finds your habit of talking loudly with those you're close with to be quite endearing—whenever you do this with him especially, he feels as though it's a reward, and cannot help the slight smile which tugs at his lips.
☆ While your confidence is admirable, Flins's many years of existence has allowed him to pick apart characters very easily. Whenever you find yourself in interactions with the wrong people, you'll find that Flins, somehow, is always there. He steps in, head dipped politely as he greets the stranger, before excusing the two of you seamlessly.
☆ Whenever you fidget, Flins will reach his hand over, clasping yours within his. As if to remind you that he's there, he'll squeeze your hand. Keenly aware of your feelings, he'll also recognize whenever you feel incredibly anxious, and he'll guide you out of crowded areas effortlessly, his hand on the small of your back, his figure covering yours as he remains wordless, reassuring you with his presence, reminding you that he is there. And when you are ready to talk, he will listen. Wholly.
☆ Flins, ever the expert-conversationalist and well-mannered individual, appreciates your straightforwardness, often matching yours with his own (he will not, however, break that habit of formal speech...) And he never needs you to elaborate how you're feeling—devotion is simple to him. One look at your face, and instantly, he knows how you feel.
☆ While you're often taking care of others, and serving as a leader figure, Flins will ensure that you yourself are taken care of. You'll find gifts scattered throughout your home, iced coffees prepared for you in the morning, psychology books on your desk—there is no question who it's all from (and also, when he ever found the time to arrive without you noticing). He will remind you to rest, even indulging your requests if you ask him to lay down next to you. While he prefers to "rest" in his own lantern, joining you, he surmises, is quite the pleasant option.
☆ And whenever there's a lightning storm, you will find Flins at your door, a smile on his face as he invites you for a stroll. The sound of thunder is the world's original symphony, a sound that cannot be replaced, rivaled only by the melody of your voice.
THOSE WHO ARE CRUSHING!
ZHONGLI
☆ Zhongli appreciates your desire for intellectualism, as well as your interest in the paranormal. As a consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, he often has many stories to tell, mixed in with anecdotes from the Archon War, and the mysteries he's seen all throughout the land. Over time, he finds himself drawn to your presence, making excuses (which, truly, are too easy for Hu Tao to pick apart) to meet you at the Harbor, letting you in on some "secret locations" throughout Liyue which would warrant your interest, offering you tips on how to better preserve your haunted dolls—truly, Zhongli is an incredibly close runner-up with Flins in terms of your matchup!
☆ The only distinguishing factor between Flins and Zhongli is the level of playfulness that Flins has. While Zhongli does indeed have a bit of a jest to him, it does not match Flins's level of mischief, and Zhongli may not indulge in all of your trickery as much as Flins would. While that does not pose much of an issue, it may be difficult for the ever-stoic consultant to loosen up a little, and his professionalism may serve as its own obstacle in terms of furthering your relationship.
☆ Still, that does not change his unwavering devotion towards you. Similarly to the bindings of a contract, love is not an emotion so easily swayed—much like his element, Zhongli remains an unwavering figure for you, his ears always available in case you ever need someone to confide in, or a safe space to return to.
☆ While this may run his pockets dry (well, more like his benefactor's pockets), he also indulges in your liking for shopping, oftentimes handing you priceless gifts that "reminded him of you." Which is silly, really, because it seems as though everything reminds Zhongli of you—from a wandering cat to the thundering clouds, it feels as though this world has shifted in its entirety.
☆ (And if there were ever something that the fae of Nod-Krai did to upset you, just know that Zhongli will always await your visits to Liyue Harbor, hands folded neatly behind his back, standing at the docks, checking for your ship. And, if you were to allow him, he would serve as your anchor, wholly and unadulteratedly.)
ORORON
☆ The two of you are bonded upon serving as psychic mediums, alongside your connection to the supernatural world. Unfortunately for Ororon, however, he does not really understand his own feelings for you, as there is much for him to learn regarding this world and all of its grandeur. While he may recognize that he sees you more than what he may feel for others, such as Ifa, or Cacucu, or even his Granny, Ororon is not in the current headspace to pursue a romantic relationship. For the time being, he shall regard you as an inspiring figure, one who he wishes to be like, as he admires your determination and desire to pursue freedom. As someone in search of his own freedom, Ororon will regard these feelings simply, using them to fuel him forward as he learns more about himself.
☆ Perhaps one day, as he settles more into his soul, he will learn what it means to truly love. For now, however, he will be satisfied with conversations with you whenever you visit Natlan, accompanying you from the moment you arrive to the moment you depart once more.
ALHAITHAM
☆ Alhaitham, much like you, is a scholar. He desires to learn more about this world, and his primary study being in linguistics allows the two of you to connect over many languages.
☆ (The two of you often switch between languages while communicating, a trait which confuses the many around you, but it serves as a form of "debate," as if he were keeping you on your toes, and you were challenging his wit. Alhaitham finds these discussions to be worthwhile, and while he does not believe socializing is a necessity, he will gladly engage in these conversations with you.)
☆ You serve as an exception to his simple life, a person who he'd remove his soundproofing earpieces for, whose discussions evoke meaningful thought. The two of you spend many hours discussing theories, stemming from history to psychology, languages and abstract concepts—usually, Alhaitham would prefer to exist in solitude, reading a difficult book and being allowed to mull over his thoughts alone. But, again, you are his exception.
☆ Unfortunately, Alhaitham is not ambitious. His life is simple and he prefers to keep it that way, which serves as a point of contention for the two of you. While you are undoubtedly determined and striving for more, Alhaitham remains complacent, taking the position of Grand Scribe because it is easy, not working more than he has to because there's no need for such dedication. These differences serve to separate your philosophies of living, and Alhaitham, ever the rational man, recognizes this discrepancy. Upon this realization, he's quick to withdraw his feelings, albeit with difficulty, he will find it in himself to figure out how to move on. Heartbreak, truly, he thinks, might be one of humanity's greatest "burdens."
ARATAKI ITTO
☆ Itto's crush on you is, unsurprisingly, very simple. He likes you 'cause you're fun to hangout with, 'cause he likes going investigating haunted spaces, 'cause he likes testing his limits and going on adventures. Truthfully, this crush is quick to come and go, not because of anything in particular, but because he realizes that really, the two of you are the best bros! He'll eventually tell you that he "had quite a deal of feelings for you!" a while ago (it was yesterday that he decided to focus on his beetle-battling career more, and had "no time" for crushes), and laugh it off heartily before inviting you to go out to eat. What a guy.
HIII @maretu-luvver !!! THANK U SO MUCH FOR DOING THIS EXCHANGE W ME AND I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS MATCHUP!!!!!!!! THIS WAS REALLY SOSOSOSO FUN AND I HAD SUCH A BLAST THINKING OF MATCHES FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
