📂ㅤAS AN OLDER BROTHER?ㅤ. . .ㅤriddle x sibling!reader ★
synopsis. what, perchance, would heartslabyul's riddle rosehearts be like as an older brother? my personal not very in-depth analysis.
i. Stated in the absolute nicest way possible, I feel as though Riddle's younger sibling would have experienced the very brunt of his pre-overblot behaviour. The strictness; the over-studying; the routines; they have lived through just as much as the Heartslabyul dorm members, but probably twice as bad.
Though, what makes you, said Rosehearts sibling, different from the Night Raven College students? You have never been subjected to the ghastly collar treatment. Why is that? Alongside whatever lessons and such are put in place by your mother, Riddle's routines are personally tailored for the very purpose that you will attend Night Raven College alongside him one day. Thus, you know the rules.
So when you began your studies as a first year, just as Riddle was entering his second, you found yourself the most burdened student in the Heartslabyul dorm with your elder brother constantly on your back. Yet your dorm mates viewed you as the most studious, the one to turn to if not to Vice Trey Clover — and just as much as both you and they wished that you were able to negotiate Riddle out of more lenient sentences, you were unable to. But you could do your very best in helping everybody avoid them, by letting them know of their rule-breaking in advance to Riddle noticing.
(Not that any of your warnings would have ever stopped a particular Trappola, no matter if you yanked that chestnut tart from his hands and stomped on it.)
ii. After fourth period, back to the dorm and cram in an hour's worth of studying as Riddle has his afternoon tea. Then, assist in preparing for the unbirthday party. Once finished assigned tasks, studying until the party's start. You regularly find your schedule filled to the brim on the daily, handwritten and placed on your desk personally by your generous older brother by the time you even awaken. On one hand, it's agitating. On the other, you know that it's just a way that has been drilled into his head by your mother, that good grades and an ace magical ability is what is expected of those coming from your golden lineage. (Thanks to this schedule that he keeps you to religiously, you are placed top of the class for the first years. Rendering the Rosehearts name to be dominating the academic boards for two different years.)
iii. However, he will not just leave you to your own devices for this schedule. He will regularly check in on you as you are studying, inquiring as to what it is that you are working on at the time. As much as it is to snoop and ensure you're not slacking off, it is also a way to ask whether there is anything that you are currently struggling with. He will not even acknowledge the rift he causes in his own schedule as he merely sits opposite you to help you with something that you are finding difficult.
iv. If there is anything at all regarding you that annoys him, it's your budding friendship with Ace. Maybe at first it was a subtle fear that his troublemaking ways will become a bad influence on you, but then that annoyance grew as the ginger continued to pull you away from your studies time and time again. At the beginning, you were extremely hesitant to follow him as he grabbed your hand and pulled you away from your desk, calling you boring. But as this continued, you began to hide the fact you were even disappearing, which irked Riddle to no end. He would unapologetically storm the dorm in order to find where you two were hiding, intending to off Trappola of his head the very second he sees him. Yet why couldn't Riddle notice the irony which was his hatred of this friendship, and how he was projecting his own friendship with Trey and Chen'ya onto you two?
v. During the events leading up to Riddle's overblot, I see both Ace and Deuce working their little socks off as they attempt to get you on their side of the rebellion. But the fact your brother is practically your shadow whilst in the dorm, it was impossible for them to get you alone long enough to complain about him. Especially considering you'd find Riddle sitting with you as you study increasingly often to bat Ace and his truancy away.
vi. Yet, your dorm life did tend to get increasingly better after Riddle overblotted. Him coming to terms with who he is and what he has gone through, recognising his tyrannic ways and accepting that he can be better. To some degree, he saw you as the poster child of how miserable his influence has made the dorm. Noticing and regretting the fact that he has treated you just as harshly as his mother did to him, becoming the very person that caused him to be as he is. Although his vow to be more lenient with the rules was a substantial change for most Heartslabyul students, you were definitely the one that experienced the most change after he came to his senses.
vii. You immediately noticed the fact that you wouldn't find a lengthy schedule on your desk anymore when you woke up. His handwritten notes were no longer a daily thing, instead, becoming almost termly and coinciding with your timetabled lessons. It became less of a minute-by-minute routine, and more of a general sheet of paper to look at before the day to see what classes you have, and what dorm events are planned. Although there would still be jotted timeslots for studying, they'd be a lot less like in-negotiable demands, and more friendly reminders that Thursday morning at 10:15am, you don't have any lessons so you could probably get some homework done.
viii. His random visits while you're studying, or just generally doing whatever as you have a lot more time and freedom on your hands now, become a lot less frequent and imposing. Yet when he does appear, you notice how the way he approaches you is a lot different from before. Rather than what you're studying, he would ask how you're doing. Not academically, but mentally. He would begin to show genuine concern about your wellbeing, taking into account the stress of school, which was not something he batted an eyelash about before.
ix. Deep, probably late-night conversations leading to that winter break planning the discussions you two are going to have with your mother when you return home for the holidays. Despite it being a difficult subject to discuss, it proves to become an extremely helpful icebreaker between you two. Acknowledging the source of your respective traumas, and coming up with a plan in order to settle everything once and for all. Which would probably take a whole lot of effort, and even more time, but if you two can discuss that of all things, then you'd probably be able to discuss absolutely anything.
x. Pre-overblot Riddle would probably burst a blood vessel at even the thought of you wasting your time and effort on boys. But he'd likely mature quite a bit afterwards when it comes to the subject, with some guidance and (some good, some bad) advice from Trey and Cater. Sure, he'd have his own personal preferences for brother-in-law. He wouldn't want you to date any really bad influences, but he supposes he cannot really stop you from doing what you want. Just don't expect to make it public that you're dating Floyd and not have Riddle banging your door down with the reddest face you've ever seen.
(Just please, please, please don't let it be Ace. He already sees enough of him as it is.)
📂ㅤPURE AS THE DRIVEN SNOW.ㅤ. . .ㅤtartaglia x child!sibling!reader ★
synopsis. every fight is a dance; every assembly is a performance - and yet, the most important show of all is the one before the little one.
content warnings. mentions of violence and overprotectiveness. little reader is in a wheelchair. tartaglia's true name.
In the eyes of the eleventh harbinger, overprotectiveness is a virtue.
A way of life that he mustn't delve too far from; an impulse like a blistering itch that must be scratched. All in the name of family. He would sully his hands a million times over again in order to ensure their stability, and feel absolutely no remorse for the lives that are in the balance. It is a man-eat-man world, and in order to keep the light in his siblings alive, he is willing to be the man that breaks nations - and while the bounty of their happy faces are more than enough to fill him with content, it’s the blood-pumping violence that seals the deal.
Maybe it’s the fact you’re one of the youngest, maybe the fact that you have been bound to a wheelchair most of your life, but when he envisions a Snezhnaya that prospers, he imagines you. A Snezhnaya for the people is a Snezhnaya that is accessible, for you. He sees not your disability as weakness, yet he sees it as a weak point that others may mark. A weak point that he will personally shield with his very body and soul, without a second thought.
And yet, the Ajax he must show you is a performance. A pure, untainted him that he must veil the darkness of. The big brother that you can rely on no matter what, that has never harmed a soul.
Perhaps it was the time you almost got stuck in the snowstorm that started it all.
It is an event that has branded his mind like iron. The way he had to mask his sheer panic beneath a caring and big brotherly guise as his heart was shuddering within his chest, disallowing you to see how much of a state that he was in whilst searching for you. Every flicker of the eye, every shaking breath, he recalls it all in a flawless, gut-wrenching madrigal.
Panting as he sprinted through the blizzard, shards of ice and snow relentlessly battering his skin and bones, yet it was the scorching cold that encouraged him to move faster. Upon hearing that you hadn’t returned home yet, he had rushed out of your shared home in an immediate hysteria. A frenzy of alarm and fear; a state that one would rarely see of him.
How his heart practically froze in dread when he found your wheelchair stuck in a giant pile of snow, tipped on its side and clearly battered by the storm, and the lack of person when he immediately rushed to dig it out. The way his eyes blew wide despite the bluster threatening to scratch them out, and he whipped his head around to land his eyes upon the nearby cave. Darting towards it, and letting out probably the most relieved sigh one has ever heard.
The sight of you. Having shuffled yourself into the freezing cave the furthest from the entrance that you could, sitting on the floor in a huddled ball to keep yourself warm. Your back against the wall in order to keep yourself propped up.
“[name]!” Causing you to look up from your lap, a worried call. Peering upwards to find the form of your older brother rushing towards you with an unreadable expression on his face. He immediately dropped down to his knees beside you, hands instinctively moving to your upper arms. Within this proximity, you could now see him clearly. He looked frightened. “Thank Her Grace I found you, are you okay?!”
As you reassure him that you’re generally fine, he notices right away how his mannerisms seem to be panicking you more than you should be. So he disguises that panic and worry under a deep and heavy sigh, shrugging the blazer off his back and wrapping it around you. “As long as you’re fine. We can… rescue your chair when the bluster subsides a little.”
He shuffles to sit on the floor beside you, leaning his back against the hard stone of the cave wall too. As he continues his chirpy chatter, he occasionally sends you little side glances, intentions being to try and lessen the downer which is being stuck in a cave during a blizzard.
“Oh, it’s the solstice soon. You enjoy seeing the first sprout of chamomile, don’t you? Hm..? [name]?”
Initially worried about the sudden unresponsiveness, he cranes his head to peer down at you. Watching as you blinked slowly, tiredly. Head beginning to rock from side to side as you attempt to battle sleep.
A small smile comes onto his face as he reaches his arm behind your back, gently leaning your upper body into him. And as you begin to snuggle into him, he lifts you gently into his lap, wrapping both arms around you: a protective human blanket in the form of cotton-clad arms.
Ajax sighs out a long, slow breath.
At least he knows you're definitely safe this way.
Or the time he found out about you becoming the target of a small group of his traitorous Fatui comrades.
For the blizzard stripped away the pendant of honor from his bare chest and exposed the scorching heart of Ares. Barbatos sweeping any mercy to the frosty wind and delivering it back to the nation of poetry and song; for there is no such thing as so in the nation of blood, sweat and tears. Turning to the group with a gaze as sharp as a brandished blade, and lifting his hands.
“You have been convicted of high treason against a Harbinger, and naturally, the Tsaritsa,” As he lifted his arm to point at them, the air distorted in a dizzying way. The snow blending with ocean blues to form a lance, to which he swished behind him in a readying stance. “And it is up to me to decide, and deliver, your punishment.”
The art of violence and war is a premise that stirs an excited whirring within Tartaglia’s stomach; the very thought of the thrill of the hunt fills him with a predatory desire. Yet, when it comes to administering punishment such as this, any trace of that thrill is gone. In the name of his family, he turns from an unstoppable beast into a pawn of the nation of ice and snow. When the stakes are as high as to have the lives of his family in the balance, he will do as every order demands him to do.
And when the order is to punish some treasonous underlings for transpiring against his wheelchair-bound younger sibling? He does so. Happily. Then proceeds to come home with the widest smile and various gifts, masking the side of himself that he wishes not his family to see.
For your light is a radiance that he refuses to be diminished by the abyss. He doesn’t care how coated with blood his hands become, he will flaunt it proudly, and merely wash his hands before coming home.
Yet not all of his performances are deceitful.
Not every mask he paints onto his face is a lie. Just as much with his family is he the fakest, he is also his true self. In a world and profession so cold, tenderness is a rarity. Softness is a weakness, and weakness gets you overthrown. So he reserves all that tenderness for them. As a wolf bares its fangs in order to protect its kin, that does not mean that teeth are constantly bared.
He is still your older brother, and he loves you. While you may not see the darkness beneath his cheery guise, that does not mean that the Ajax that you see is fake.
He observes as you watch the performance in the market with eyes full of wonder. Gaze trained on every twirl that the dancers weaved between another, every flick of the skirt and every clack of the shoes with a smile that speaks a million words. The way your eyes were wide in sheer amazement, fingers clasping at the wheels of your chair just a little tighter in order to ground yourself.
Ajax, however, is not one to shy from a show. It is widely known that Lord Tartaglia fears not any sort of embarrassment, and that he is the type to join in, and even become the star of street performances himself. So as he notices you watching the show in awe, he doesn’t hide the way his expression breaks out into a wider grin.
In a quick and swift movement, he reaches down and hooks his arm beneath your legs, the other snaking around your back, as he effortlessly lifts you out of your chair, cradling you in an almost princess-like hold. If possible, his grin widens even further as you reach out to grasp his arms, instincts screaming at the suddenness of the lift and worrying that you may fall.
But you would never fall.
The tension within your joints gradually relaxes as he begins to move his feet in time with the music, starting slow and gradually getting more confident with it. Caring not for the gazing onlookers as he swings you around and dances with you in his hold. The frown of anxiety and embarrassment gradually molding into giggles, and a grin of sheer joy at being able to dance in such a way.
It is more than enough to let him know that, no matter what, no sacrifice is too great for your happiness.
summary ; what it's like to live under diluc's care.
warnings ; mentions of alcohol consumption, abandonment, and child neglect. lower case intended.
notes ; hi, i'm new here. silly diluc/dawn winery crew familial hcs with a pre-teen reader because i'm soft for them and the kaeya hangout event has made me the slightest bit insane.
– diluc has no troubles whatsoever with taking you in when he finds you huddled up inside an abandoned treasure hoarder camp by the outskirts of mondstadt. he finds it revolting how someone would dare to leave a child like you, barely a teenager yet, alone near somewhere so dangerous, so he scoops you into his arms and takes you home.
– everyone in the dawn winery is happy to have you, too!! adelinde already has your favorite meals memorized within a few days of you living there, and elzer always has an eye out for you whenever diluc can't be there.
– you don't see much of diluc at first – he's around for very short periods of time, so you spend your time helping around however you can; picking grapes with mr. tunner, helping moco and hillie clean around the winery (which is just the both of them coddling you, really), etc.
– except you were born a restless, wayward child, so sitting still doesn't do too well with you. that's alright, though. diluc starts taking you to mondstadt with him, even going so far as to teaching you how to mix a few drinks – all non-alcoholic, of course. he's proud of how much of a fast learner you are for these sorts of things!! you're practically a natural.
– meeting kaeya for the first time is a whole thing. he's baffled when he enters angel's share and sees diluc smiling, yes, smiling, as he instructs you on the process of mixology. did his brother adopt a kid, and he didn't know? (his initial thoughts, yes, because he knows diluc most definitely would do this if he saw a child in need).
– after the confusion is cleared up, though, kaeya gets to know you better, and it's safe to say that he adores you. he treats you as his own flesh and blood long before your familial relationship with diluc is anywhere near strong. the cool uncle, if you will.
– he spoils you as much as he can. that one time he went on vacation to sumeru? he buys you a couple of trinkets he thinks you'll like; a couple is an understatement – he visits the winery with his arms full of them and leaves them on your bed if you're not there at the time. and don't let diluc know, but kaeya makes sure to tip you very generous amounts of mora whenever you're helping around angel's share. it's your little secret.
– diluc shows his affection a little differently. carrying you to your room and gently tucking you into bed if you ever fall asleep elsewhere, asking you if you're comfortable living here over the times he's there for breakfast. it's the little things that count.
– a recurring form of affection that has ingrained itself into your daily lives is headpats, however. it begins a few months after your arrival, when you successfully mix a drink all on your own; he ruffles your hair with a soft smile, and it makes you feel warm. he's proud, and even if he's not vocal about it, he doesn't need to be. whenever the situation calls for it, he'll pat your head affectionately with a small smile.
– it isn't long before he's teaching you how to read, too. the life of a treasure hoarder never allowed you such a luxury, and he saw the way you longingly looked over the books available at the winery. he's patient as he teaches, so take your time; no need to stress over the slip ups – it will all pay off in the end, he assures you.
– you won't ever hear this from diluc, but you remind him of a younger kaeya. quiet and a little distant initially, but so full of life and care; he wants to keep that kind nature, that restlessness, safe. for as long as he can.
– diluc let's you braid his hair. it's an odd request, one he isn't expecting, but he isn't opposed to the idea. double braids, french braids, buns; he'll let you do it all, and maybe he'll even let you put a few windwheel asters in his hair if you ask. on quite a few occasions, adelinde has to try not to smile too hard when she walks in with a tray of snacks, and sees you braiding diluc's hair as he does paperwork.
– when it comes to trickier matters, though, it's difficult for diluc to emotionally be there for you. he isn't the best when it comes to soft, comforting words, so all he can do is wrap you up in a hug whenever you need one. if things get too much, he'll even ask for kaeya's help. his younger brother always was– is, better at handling these sorts of things, even if a much younger diluc was usually the one to console and care for a crying kaeya.
– on certain occasions though, when kaeya is too far away or adelinde (one of his best choices for these matters, always), isn't available, he has to try his hardest to make due. diluc will speak as softly as he can – promises that he won't go anywhere, promises that he'll keep you safe.
– because diluc believes no child should go through the sort of cruelty you went through, and if there's any way of salvaging those fleeting years of youth that have been long since blown away by the wind, he swears he'll do it. for you.
summary ; the wanderer assists you with some much needed preening.
contents ; gender-neutral reader, mentions of minor injury. wanderer is a bit of a prick but he's trying. lowercase intended.
notes ; this is more of a character study then anything, and while i didn't plan for it to be like this initially, i'll post it anyway because i'm happy with the results.
the wanderer has never thought himself a gentle person; most definitely not as the balladeer. archons' forbid – and he wasn't even religious – if the balladeer was the one preening your feathers. the pure, unadulturated version of the balladeer. he was sure you'd be crying by now. as kabukimono, maybe he was gentle, but even then, he would be much too disoriented and confused.
the wanderer is neither, yet he is the both of them at the same time.
he is the kabukimono, with inexperienced and clumsy fingers that flit across your wings, searching for feathers to pluck out. you bristle as he accidentally pulls at a blood feather, grimacing and almost apologizing once your wings shy away from his touch.
but he won't apologize, because he isn't the kabukimono, and at the same time, he is. he is, when his motions are the slightest bit more tender. he watches you melt and croon at his touch, and he almost wants to smile. he doesn't. instead, he works through damaged and dirtied feathers with calmer, slower fingers.
"stay still." he's the balladeer once he urges irritably at the fluttering of your wings with a sharp frown. "i won't clean them for you if you keep fidgeting." it's ignorant of him, and he barely thinks before the words slip out. the wanderer (not the balladeer – the wanderer) clicks his tongue as you grow quiet and motionless.
patience, a small voice at the back of his mind reminds him – buer's voice. they need patience, and affection. the balladeer was not affectionate, neither was he patient. he would have seldom been so kind as to express any sort of regard for you. but he is not the balladeer.
he is the wanderer, with gentle but nimble fingers that drift through your wings. he is the wanderer, with sharp remarks but amiable words as you spend energy chittering away whatever it is that you think is important for him to hear.
most of all, he is himself when you turn to look at him with the widest of grins, and those wings behind your back that stir with newfound energy.
"try not to get them so dirty, next time. i won't be cleaning up any of your messes any time soon." a flick to your forehead as you laugh, and he – not the kabukimono, or the balladeer – will feel as warm as he possibly can, for someone who is no one.
he will be nothing and everything at once, with fingers so rough yet so gentle, as long as you will have them.
📂ㅤAS PARENTS?ㅤ. . .ㅤobanai & mitsuri x child!reader ★
synopsis. what, perchance, would the demon slayer corps' mitsuri kanroji and obanai iguro be like as parents?
content warnings. demon slayer manga spoilers for as late as chapter 200. this is an alternate universe in which their fate was a lot happier.
i. When you were born, you were gifted the name of Kanroji.
For if your father had granted you his sullied family name, he would have seen it as a stain on your blinding radiance. You, whom he had anticipated with a heavy dread in his gut for what his bloodline would mean for you; whom he had prayed to whatever god would listen that you would share your mother's inherited brightness, and discard his darkness. That you would be the filter of his disgustingly filthy blood. Yet the very moment he saw your perfect little face for the first time, he couldn't help but uncharacteristically weep.
For it was the very display of such adoration which had prompted Mitsuri to cry herself. Witnessing love in its purest form as her husband held their precious newborn. Your father, Obanai, who felt almost like an impostor as he brings his hands to gently cup your face. Your cheeks within his tarnished palms, peering down at your faultless little face with a melancholic heterochromatic gaze. You were everything that he would vow to protect, even if Kibutsuji had already perished. For he would sully his hands a hundred times over if it meant keeping the lights in both you and your mother alive.
ii. You had shown signs of inheriting your mother's body structure growing up, and it honestly relieved Mitsuri to no end. Her biggest fear when going into motherhood was overfeeding you, and knowing that her muscle density prompts an almost bottomless stomach, it had made her glad that she could mother you on what she experienced growing up herself. Unlike her own mother, who had quite the fright.
iii. Also, Mitsuri still had her own mother to give her advice. She had her own family to give her a hand if she needed it, not to mention how many of her younger siblings had gushed over you and jumped at the opportunity of being cool aunts and uncles. they taught you how to swear.
iii. If there was something that Mitsuri loved doing, it was styling your hair. It's one of her favorite things to do, doing your hair for the day. Braids, hairpins, she would do your hair into adulthood if you'd let her. She loves every quality about you, but if she had to choose her favorite, it would be your hair.
Or your eyes, regardless of which of the two you inherited, they're guaranteed to be gorgeous.
iv. Significant other in the future? No. Obanai's standards are so high that they are impossible to meet. Impossible to match. Unless they had pushed Kibutsuji Muzan into the sun themselves personally (which they did not), they aren't even allowed to think of touching a hair on your head.
If you date behind his back despite that, it's fine. Just expect to find the guy that broke your heart gagged atop a tree because Obanai tied him up there a week ago to learn his lesson. He tasked Kaburamaru to ensure that you don't find him, but the snake could only do so much.
v. Aside from his family history, there was one other thing that had worried Obanai about having a child of his own, and that thing was the current state of his face. For the first few months, he had kept his bandages wrapped tight, quickly replacing them when you managed to tug them free. He had feared that his face would scare you, feared that he will make you cry. He didn't want his own child to be scared of their father's face, it sounded ridiculous. So he kept his mouth covered at all times until Mitsuri eventually persuaded him to try.
vi. In which, he had fallen in love with you all over again when you didn't cry. In fact, you looked intrigued. Not by the scars which provided evidence of when he had his mouth cut to his cheeks, not by the lengthy scars present on his face from that last battle with Muzan, but just because it was your first time seeing your father's face uncovered. He was still your father, but he didn't look like your father, and instead of the fear and hatred which is taught to children, you were just in wonder. He had allowed you to touch his face when you lifted your hands to him. As your small hands gently felt the rough skin, he closed his eyes. He couldn't have imagined a better outcome, and he was entirely certain that you were sent to him by the gods.
📂ㅤCHASING AWAY A BOYFRIEND.ㅤ. . .ㅤjade x sibling!reader ★
synopsis. you introduced your boyfriend to your older brother, and as a result he ran for the hills. what, why are you looking at jade like that? no, it's nothing to do with him. it's your boyfriend's fault for being such a coward.
It was extremely obvious from the very moment that you walked in with said new boyfriend, that Jade was planning on being as relentlessly ruthless as he has been every time before. Despite Floyd being unable to attend the meeting until later on, and the ever-so-polite smile on his face, he very clearly had zero intentions of being welcoming to this new tide coming in.
As he held the lounge door open for you both, the most you could do was sigh once you made direct eye contact with him, noting the way his eyes momentarily flashed with a sinister glint. You could tell from the second-long observation alone that he was clearly going to enjoy the torment of this afternoon. He carefully consulted his work hours with Azul around this meeting, what else could scream that he's looking forward to this more than that?
You had warned your boyfriend in advance of the very.. specific and strange criteria of the ideal man that your brothers attempt to enforce, and how they can be extremely aggressive in their way of figuring out whether one fits it. But alas, being aware of this fact, and attending NRC so therefore being familiar with the danger that the twins pose, he insisted that he wished to meet them anyway. So really, with that stubbornness, there isn't very much more you could do to protect him from them. Or in this case, just Jade, who is definitely going to be twice as difficult to make up for Floyd's absence.
"It has been quite the long time since they've introduced a significant other to the family," The Octavinelle housewarden mused as he gently lowered a tray onto the table. Before perching himself down opposite, he was sure to hospitably pour a drink for you both. You kept a sharp watch on every little movement that he made, and it was thanks to that, did you notice the two teapots. Why two?
Your eyes narrowed as you watched him, every move looking so professional and calculated. Paired with the butler-like, welcoming smile which never left his features for even an instant, one would almost believe that he was genuine.
"So I must admit that I have been eagerly anticipating this meeting ever since it was first planned," It was then did you notice it. After setting your own expensive-looking china teacup down before you, the liquid an almost transparent vermillion which emitted steam with a fragrance that smelled positively intoxicating, he had laid the teapot back down and discarded it. Reaching for the other and proceeding to pour the second drink as if there were nothing to worry about. Placing it before the boy sat beside you, he sat down himself. Folding his hands together politely over the table as he smiled. "Though it's a shame that Floyd cannot be here to witness it, I'm sure this interaction is going to make my week."
As the boy beside you began to somewhat sheepishly respond to your brother's words, your gaze stayed on the two steaming cups presented neatly on the table between you. The two looked identical, from the color to the steam. Yet you know better than to merely shrug such a thing off, especially from Jade. So you raised your head, glancing around quickly for a momentary distraction.
"Well I don't come from anywhere as interesting as the sea, but—"
Leaning forwards comfortably and side-eying the next table, you sneakily twirled your finger before placing your attention back on Jade, who looked to be earnestly listening to what the boy had to say about himself. All his achievements in his two years in the Scarabia dorm, his family, his... financial situation? He seemed to be putting everything out and into the open.
Though attention was diverted when a large pop could be heard from somewhere close. The next table was where. Out of the blue, totally not the work of anybody's magic, and to the future stress of no particular octopus, somebody's drink had exploded. The pressure of the fizzy liquid being too much for the bottle to contain, and the cap shooting up quickly as drink began to spill. It had gained the startled look of the boy beside you long enough to swap the two teacups.
You were sure to shoot Jade the meanest glare, to which he merely shrugged his shoulders with that same closed-eye smile. As if to say: 'it was worth a shot', perhaps.
The situation with the neighboring table was calmed relatively quickly, and the conversation about how kind the Scarabia housewarden is continued. You listened in, reaching out for the tea which was likely dosed with something Jade found on the nearest mountain, and bringing it up to your nose to sniff. Upon noticing you do so and being reminded that it was there, your boyfriend did the same while continuing to chatter. You noted the nice smell, a sweet smell, a much more enticing aroma than the one which was yours before.
Daring to bring it to your lips, you took a cautionary sip. Eyes widening once you comprehended what your tastebuds had just graced. This... is just regular sweet tea? How could this be?
Peering up at Jade, you found the eel sitting there looking extremely smug. His eyes had darkened dangerously, teeth akin to knives on full display as he made eye contact with you. It was this expression which made you realize that you had lost, your moves were predicted long before the game was even in play. You lost, and everything you had bet now belongs to Jade.
"How do you like the tea?" His eyes shifted to your boyfriend, who was holding in a violent choke in an attempt to be polite. The expression that Jade was wearing, it scared him a lot. All sense of hospitality being dragged away by the current. "It's a special blend in the Leech family, you see. A particular favorite of my dear sibling here."
There was a long silence, before the boy suddenly stood from his seat. You stared at Jade in shock. "P-Please excuse me! I n-need the bathroom, I will be right back!"
"I can never have nice things..." You sighed, putting down the cup and leaning your cheek into your palm. They never do come right back, they only say that to be polite. Not to mention that if they were to, there would only be yet another method of deterrence a hundred times worse. "I never can, thanks to you two."
"Ehh you have us?" Practically on cue, a pair of arms wrapped around your upper body from behind, a familiar heavy weight leaning over your back. It was Floyd. "Right, Jade?!"
"Indeed you do," The other Leech twin replied, visibly proud of himself. "You have us both, do you not?"
"Wait, did I already miss it? Awww, I wanted to be the one to chase the sucker awayy..."
i just found ur blog, ur writing makes me so happy :((( i love platonic fics & child reader fics, they’re so comforting im so happy i found your stuff <33
AWH OMG. nsjfh that's so sweet of you to say!! <33 welcome! it honestly elates me that as many people enjoy platonic content as much as i do. a happy little squishy marshmallow genre.
📂ㅤHOW TO CALM A BABY OCTOPUS.ㅤ. . .ㅤazul x sibling!reader ★
synopsis. sometimes, back when he was merely a young octopus, after a difficult day, all azul needed was a little bit of proximity.
They say, somewhere extremely deep in the far north of the coral sea, there is a large conch that occasionally resides two octopi at night. From this conch, there is said to be the most beautiful lullaby; one that could soothe even the most troublesome of woes from the most stressed of merfolk. From those graced with the pleasure of having this song bless their ears at their time of rest, it has been whispered to alter entire perspectives on music. Why? Because merely from the ear alone, one can tell that every sound that comes from that shell, is laced with the unconditional love of an older sibling.
There has been merfolk that have searched far and wide for this conch at night, but alas, the sea is much too vast to find it. They can only dream of hearing this adoration-laced melody, as though a voice that is beautiful may be common, a voice which mirrors the soul is a gift. You are one who have been blessed with this gift.
Yet the only one who has ever had the pleasure of hearing it freely, whenever they wished, is Azul.
Inside the conch was dim, yet that is definitely how octopi like it. Even outside the conch was pitch black, but inside it was much darker. It was a large shell, one that could fit both yourself and your younger brother without issue. That which surrounded would have been the usual eerie silence of the sea, if it weren't for your gentle humming.
The soft tune that some were willing to swim all night just to hear, that you used to soothe your brother to sleep after a difficult day.
Inside the conch, you were both squeezed comfortably. Azul in your arms, as you continue to hum to him. Your fingers brush through his hair slowly; soothingly; affectionately, as you hold him. Fingertips lightly drawing against his scalp, his eyes closed as he relaxes at the sensation. Despite him being chubby, as he calls himself, your arms fit around him entirely without fault. You are always sure to point this out whenever he frets about it.
His arms wrapped around your upper body tightly, almost as if you were to flee if he wasn't keeping you there. You would never dream of the day, though he always had those fears at the back of his mind despite that. Eight tentacles also wrapped around your larger merform, though a lot lighter than his arms were, to the point you could barely feel them. To a human, it could be similar to wrapping your legs around somebody too. Extra precautions, perhaps. Or maybe the feeling of knowing that you were there with his entire body eased him.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" You paused your singing to ask, moving your chin from atop his head to peer down at him through the darkness. It was the smoothest voice one could ever hear, a whisper which reflected the beauty of the tune that you were previously humming.
His nerves, ever so soothed; ever so calm, ever so tired. All that anguish from a long day of teasing, a long day of mean words and little jabs towards him for merely being what he is, breaking down into an undeniable tiredness in your arms. He had heard your words, yet he hadn't whispered back. His eyes stayed closed, and he remained motionless.
"No? That's okay," Your own eyes fluttered shut as your head moved back to its previous position with your chin on his head, fingers still rhythmically smoothing his hair. "Though you know that you can talk to me about anything, whenever you need to, right?"
You felt his arms tighten around you in the slightest, and he nodded his head tiredly, "Mhm."
If anybody were to ask Azul who he thought had the prettiest voice in the coral sea, unlike the rest of the children in his class, his answer wouldn't be the school's singing teacher. Nor would it be the notoriously beautiful voice of the princesses. His answer would be instant, and he would be unapologetic about anybody else's feelings when he says that it's most definitely you. It's at moments like these, which make him entirely certain about that.
Your voice truly is the prettiest to him, and he's sure that, if you were to allow anybody else to experience the luxury that you show him, even Atlantica's princesses will agree.
📂ㅤTHE BLESSINGS OF THE FOREST FAIRIES.ㅤ. . .ㅤlilia x child!reader ★
synopsis. lilia heard his youngest human child requesting a wish from the forest fairies; what else can he possibly do, but grant it?
"Dear little deities of the forest, ever so fair and true. I have a wish I would like to humbly ask of you.."
It had been quite the sum of centuries and decades alike since Lilia had heard such a prayer uttered, garnet hues widening in intrigue as he leaned further over the branch. The fae's sights instantly landed on you, now finally in view due to his movement. A movement which would have been considered risky, potentially garnering your attention to his presence, if it weren't for your eyes shut tight.
Knees planted to the dirt beneath with your hands clasped together gently above your chest. Head tilted downwards as you respected the ancient tree you knelt before. It was a sight that Lilia hadn't seen in a long time, and had surprised him that it was one that he would see today.
"I have been adopted by Lilia-sama, and I couldn't be happier to have a family now. But I am not a fae, and Silver is strong... I really want to, can you please help me, fit in? Please, please."
It was then did Lilia's whimsical smile turn slightly melancholic. More than anything, your prayer, the softest of pleas, exposes your true thoughts to light. It wasn't that the fae hadn't considered that you may feel out of place, it has been on his mind indefinitely ever since bringing you to your new home. Had you thought that confiding in him about this would be burdensome? Perhaps so. It was to be expected, but it motivated Lilia to act immediately.
You were already so grateful to have been adopted in the first place, it must have felt as though there wasn't anything more that he could have done for you. But what you didn't know, was that he was to become your own personal little wish-granting forest fairy; and a very persistent one at that.
The story of the book that you were currently reading was thrilling. A valiant tale of a gentleman withstanding the harshest of climates and slaying the fiercest of beasts, in order to heroically save a beautiful princess from the tower that she had been held captive in since childhood. It was a heartwrenching fantasy of love and loss, and was keeping you gripped from start to finish.
Yet your undivided attention was drawn from the story, when a dainty hand with dark-painted nails gently grasped the top of the page. Softly pulling the book backward to a tilt, so that you knew that your focus was requested.
Looking up from the line that you were reading, you became suddenly aware that your father was hovering over you as you sat. Leaning forwards so that only the upper half of his face could be visible over the page. His eyes were wide, observing your reaction with a crinkle of the eyes that indicated that he was wearing a smile. His sudden presence so close startled you a bit.
His eyes closed into his smile. "Peek a boo~"
"Lili— I-I mean! Father!"
An amused hum in acknowledgment of your surprised exclamation. You lowered your book as Lilia stood up straight, both hands behind his back in what looked to be a composed stance.
"Sorry to distract you from your reading, but I come bearing gifts."
You leaned forward in your seat, eyes trained on the grinning fae. You were curious as to what those gifts are, of course, yet at the same time he really didn't have to feel the need to get you anything. Especially if he had to go out of his way in order to get them. You hadn't heard him call to Silver at all, was it really just you?
"I recall that, when we first brought you here, we made a note to expand your wardrobe in due time. Correct?" You nodded your head, remembering him making just the comment. He mirrored your action. "Well, I come bearing garments that may fit you a little better than Silver's hand-me-downs and Malleus's..." He trailed off. "You know."
Ever in the slightest, your eyes widened at his words. It is true, the clothing that you wore a lot of the time didn't fit you right. Though that was merely due to your sudden moving into the castle, an adoption that came out of absolutely nowhere. Which, of course, meant that there wasn't anything previously prepared for you. You found solace in inherited clothing of Silver's back when he was your age, and even some which belonged to Malleus a long, long time ago. They fit well enough, but not perfectly.
You watched as Lilia's hands came from behind his back, revealing that he had been hiding something all along. A black garment was draped carefully over his forearm, and it had caught your attention instantly.
"But I was particularly eager about this garb specifically, so I wanted to show it to you first!"
As you stood to slowly, almost cautiously, approach in order to get a closer look at the cloth, if it was even possible, Lilia's smile only widened. You handled the dress with such care, brushing your fingers over the fabric almost as if you were touching the delicately preserved robes of an ancient ruler. Though to you, it probably looked like just that. A beautiful, intricately designed piece native and traditional to Briar Valley, the type of wear that you had only ever seen Malleus wear once.
"It's pretty..." You murmured, eyes locked on the piece. To think that it would not only fit you, but was yours to wear as you please, rendered you feeling extremely blessed. For merely a moment, your gaze trailed up to the gifter. "Can I really have it?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "It's all yours."
Your excitement never dwindled not even for a second, as you were escorted to your chambers and shown the rest of what would now be your personal wardrobe. You were encouraged to try practically everything on, and it all fit so well! It felt amazing! You couldn't be happier. It had filled your father to the brim with happiness, too. To think that he was the source of this joy.
"I will allow you to get back to your book now." He spoke after the whole ordeal died down, the atmosphere lighter than ever. His expression suddenly flashed with mischief. "Do you want me to read it to you?"
"I-It's okay!" You quickly replied, not even allowing a heartbeat to pass. He has already done so, so much for you.
His eyes closed as he feigned a face of hurt. Angling his head to face away from you, sighing loudly. Overdramatically. You're almost certain that Sebek could hear it from wherever he was, darting his way towards you both now. "As you wish..."
You maneuvered your way around him swiftly, getting a good look at the falsely distraught face that he made. "...Does that really make you sad?"
If he really wants to read to you, you'll let him.
"Yep. Really."
"Eh? Well... Y-You can read to me if you want??"
You weren't exactly sure when Lilia had suddenly become extremely affectionate with you. It was as if, one day the most affection he would give you was a pat on the head with a smile, and the next he was suddenly sneaking up and picking you up into hugs from behind out of nowhere. It was foreign, and you weren't sure what had prompted this sudden behavior, but it would be a lie if you said that you didn't enjoy it at least a little bit. It made him feel like... a true father. Your true father. Like a father that loves you dearly.
You were currently reflecting upon this in the courtyard. Perched on the stone brimming a quaint waterfall outside the castle, weaving together various flowers that you collected into a crown as you think.
Your bond with Lilia has definitely been improving significantly as of late, even as a human child. Because of this, you've been on relatively good terms with Silver too. Not that you get to speak or spend time with him too often, as he's usually either training or snoozing away. But nonetheless, he seems to like you. Probably because you're just like him.
As for Malleus, it's difficult to tell. He's a future king, it's not as if you particularly need to be on good terms with him at all. He is an important man, a powerful man, and not the one that adopted you. Nor is he technically a sibling. It is safe to say that the most you can do is respect him. You cannot expect to become his friend or anything of the like, he doesn't owe you that.
"...Huh?" You were brought out of your train of thought when you suddenly felt a tugging sensation attempting to pull the crown out of your hands. After a few tries, it was successful. Slipping the colorful weaving out of your grasp masterfully, only for you to watch as it begins to float away. You reached your hand out to it, but you weren't fast enough to grasp it as it flew. Slow and steady, like it was a feather gliding in the gentlest of winds, until it perched itself atop a tall hedge nearby.
Your eyes widened a fraction, a thought flashing in your mind. Could it have been the fairies that you prayed to that did this? Were they feeling a little mischievous today?
You never considered that it may have been Lilia's fault. The fae watching you through a stone window from above, intending to witness as his plan sets in motion, the momentary loss of your work merely the first step. As he could see from above that you were not the only person in the courtyard at this time, and the second party was just walking your way.
"Oh? Child of man." Your head thwipped in the direction of the sudden familiar voice. Startled gaze landing upon the tall figure of the fae that you were just pondering about. He always called you that, 'child of man', you don't think he even knew what your name was. "...Is something wrong?"
"Nothing's really the matter, but—" You began to respond slightly sheepishly, still surprised by his appearance. His gaze on you, he's so tall, it was quite intimidating. Mustering up some courage, you pointed to the hedge that your crown had floated to. "I was weaving flowers together and the whole thing blew away onto that hedge..."
"A flower crown?" He asked, clearly pondering your choice of words. Before his expression broke out into a smile. "Interesting."
The dragon fae followed your finger, eyes landing on indeed the bush you spoke of. He was about to merely walk up and reach for what you lost, until his mind thought back to the words Lilia had spoken to him before. That he should probably try and connect with you more as it makes you feel lonely, phrased masterfully by the bat fae to gain Malleus's full attention.
"Come here, child of man."
You didn't spare a single second considering the order, making your way to him quickly. Though now that you're stood beside him, you do wonder why you needed to be there of all places.
Until he bent down to lift you up, that is. You feel your entire being tense as you were raised higher toward where the "wind" flew the crown. Mind suddenly turning frantic, were you being picked up by the Malleus Draconia? The man that your brother had respected so greatly?
"Can you see it?" He asked, pulling you from your thoughts once again.
"I-I can see it!" It was barely a squeak. In a quick motion, you reached to grasp it. "I've got it!"
You were gradually lowered back to the ground, and once your feet touched the floor once again, you lowered your upper body into a bow faster than you ever have in your entire life. A shouted thanks which ended up being a lot louder than you expected, to the point where even Lilia had heard it.
He watched the interaction with a smile. How Malleus's gaze had flashed with a sense of fondness as he looked down at you thanking him, probably proud of himself to some degree for helping you. He insisted that it was no trouble, before continuing on his way. Lilia saw how you gawked at him as he walked away and chuckled to himself.
That was definitely the much needed icebreaker between you two.
Lilia yet again followed you as you left the castle that next day, watching you kneel before the grand tree once more. Your hands clasped together, the most radiant of smiles gracing your features. In the sweetest little voice that he's ever heard: "Thank you, thank you so much!"
miscellaneous kaveh x younger sibling!reader headcannons, set before the sumeru archon quests.
k. Kaveh...... the beloved............ he has ROTTED my brain and i am starved of platonic kaveh content (i am starved of all kinds of platonic content but that's not the point) so yk what? i will feed myself!!! i love being a writer because it means i can satisfy my own content desires hehe. reader and kaveh are neurodivergent-coded in this because i have adhd. also haikaveh is insinuated but not explicitly "canon" in these headcannons.
trigger warnings for lighthearted, brief mentions of (playful, not serious) violence & brief alcohol mentions.
imagine kaveh with a younger sibling who graduated from the vahumana darshan.
he loves and adores them so much!! he's generally very passionate and so he is not at all stingy with his affections towards his precious sibling. whenever he and his sibling are together, he's always touching them in some way, whether it be holding their hand or gently leading them along by the dip in their back or absentmindedly drawing little shapes on whatever skin is exposed. there simply needs to be physical contact. kaveh does not make the rules; he merely enforces them!
(of course, kaveh understands that sometimes physical contact is uncomfortable and perhaps even painful. he respects that and, during those times, won't touch them unless they ask, verbally or not. he understands their nonverbal cues very well.)
the siblings are apart more often than not, as their individual jobs keep them busy, but they're practically attached at the hip when they are together. alhaitham would claim that this is annoying, but in his words, "[name] would be a better roommate than kaveh. they're far more tolerable."
it's debatable whether alhaitham is being completely candid or if he just wants to piss his boyfriend roommate off.
i like to think that kaveh's nose scrunches up cutely when he's very focused. this trait passing onto his sibling is something that would absolutely wreck him beyond repair. he would find it so cute on them.
when it's possible, body-doubling is something of a must with kaveh and his sibling—just sitting in the same room in calm silence, working on separately on their own projects... at least, the silence would be calm until kaveh goes into an absolute fit because archons, how did he miss that simple mistake in his work??? they find these little rage episodes very funny.
well... it's funny until they, too, find a simple mistake in their own work, making them mutter curses to the gods above for mocking them like this.
contrary to popular belief, [name] did offer to shelter kaveh when he went into debt. he was the one to refuse. it led to a very amusing argument for bystanders. it was like a battle of manners; [name] was insisting on welcoming him into their home, while kaveh was insisting on not encroaching upon their space.
they're well-off, however they do travel quite a lot as a vahumana graduate, so they don't have a particularly established residence in sumeru. kaveh insisted that living with them in the little space that they have should only be a last resort. how stubborn.
little did kaveh know, they secretly alleviated some of his debts by meeting up with dori behind his back and paying part of what he owed. it was the least they could do to help.
even if they get into silly little spats sometimes, as many siblings do, both of them tend to forget about it within the hour and act like nothing happened.
like kaveh, they find the sages' idea of wisdom to be... foolish, if they're to be quite frank.
kaveh is always so quick to come to their defense, whether that be by defending their liberal ideas of what wisdom should be from the sages or fending off the occassional monster in the wild. he always seems to know when they're in some kind of danger.
they can protect themselves, but... well, it's nice to have someone like kaveh around to protect them.
it's almost like a love language of sorts. no-one gets to call his sibling an idiot except him!
(archons forbid alhaitham ever does; it would end in bloodshed /j)
imagine them taking kaveh to mondstadt on one of their trips!!! he would love mondstadt, swooning over how openly they embrace the arts and perhaps getting just a little drunk. he'd just be so purely enamored with the city of freedom, i think.
having the arts be shunned so terribly in sumeru is certainly a saddening thing, so they're glad to bring kaveh away from the sages' suffocation when a situation allows for it.
[name] is convinced that kaveh and alhaitham are dating.
kaveh is, without a doubt, someone who wears his heart on his sleeve. he's more of a lover than a fighter, really, so they've decided on being just a little tougher than their brother solely for his sake.
they want to protect him, too, after all. his heart is so purely good in ways even the most talented haravatat student would fail to describe, and they'll hold it tenderly in their hands until the day they die. not a soul on teyvat would get to hurt him, genuinely hurt him, and get away with it. [name] will make damn sure of that.
such a sentiment is how they and alhaitham became something akin to friends, actually. perhaps i'll have to expand upon protective [name] and equally protective alhaitham in another post.
📂ㅤRATHER YOU THAN THEM.ㅤ. . .ㅤdiluc x sibling!reader ★
synopsis. diluc is the shining star of this party, and every woman in this grand ballroom wishes to dance with mondstadt's most eligible bachelor. but what they didn't expect, was for him to ask his younger sibling to dance instead.
If looks could kill, one cannot deny that if you were literally anybody else in the entirety of Teyvat, you would be long dead and buried by now. But alas, you are yourself, and therefore you are lucky. The female attendees of this grand celebration would be utterly foolish to direct their jealous gazes in your direction, as you are a member of the Ragnvindr family, and therefore not a rival.
So, instead of the bitter looks which would have been expected once Diluc held his hand out to you, asking if you wished to dance, that which you received were merely ones of disappointment. After all, it only makes sense for a single man uninterested in romance to invite a sibling instead.
"Are you serious?" Was the only response to this action that you could come out with at the time, lowering the glass from your lips and peering at him quizzically. The look in his eyes was serious, and you were unsure of what that could possibly mean. "I thought you didn't like to dance. Especially in front of people."
"I too, was under that same impression," A teasing voice piped up from beside you, which raised a slight irritation inside of Diluc the very instance his ears picked it up. If your attention wasn't solely on your older brother at the time, you would have noticed the beautiful way in which Kaeya's eyes widened once he noticed Diluc bow his upper body towards you, almost spitting his drink out. But unfortunately, you were not lucky enough to witness such a sight. "What, oh what has changed your mind on this occasion, Master Diluc?"
Red eyes flicked to the side in slight annoyance, and a quiet click of the tongue could be heard. But before Kaeya could say anything more to sour Diluc's mood, you reached your hand out to take his quickly.
"So that's how it is.." Closing your eyes and raising your chin up with a grin, you made sure to hold your brother's hand as if he was your knight in shining armor as you walked your way around him. He stood up straight and turned his body to prevent your quick movement from injuring his arm. With a hand on your hip, he observed as you turned your head to look at him with that smug expression of yours. "Well then, if you're finally going to ask me to dance after years of refusing to, then I am going to indulge in my younger self's fantasies of being treated like royalty while dancing with a trusty prince. If I may."
It took a moment for Diluc to comprehend your words, and once he understood that this was truly something that you'd been waiting for since you were young, he nodded his head. "Very well."
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