Lunar Tear

Tumblr's #1 angst fic writer (REAL!)

[gumasantan]

Guma's (effortless) masterlist!

i will link here all of the current fics i've already posted here! i will not tease any future fics that i've yet to write hehe. anyway, i hope you enjoy it here! they are listed from most recent to oldest! i'll make this more appealing in the near future (trust me!! :DDD)

GENSHIN IMPACT:

MULTIPLE CHAPTERS/POSTS

Kaeya x Aether: the artist formerly known as kaeya

part two

part one

Alhaitham x Kaveh: home

part 3

part 2

part 1

ONESHOTS

Dainsleif x Diluc: How beautiful was that love we lost?

Venti-focused: the price of discovery

Ganyu x Keqing: my gift for you

Yae Miko x Ayato: hemorrhage

Cyno x Tighnari: morning forever

Jean x Lisa: purple downpour

Scaramouche x Mona: fortune teller

[mynnthia]

im not good with words but i wanted to express how 1000xRESIST made me feel. so i compiled some reaction images

[gumasantan]

i'm reviewing for my exams tomorrow...but i've been thinking a lot about 1000xRESIST lately.

it's a game, not a film or a show or a book. 1000xRESIST is a game about...many things: surviving an alien invasion, living underground, clones of human beings, stubborn parents, angst of a teenage girl, generational trauma, and a lot of things. i don't exaggerate when i say the title describes just how much themes the game dives into. since i finished the game a week ago, a feeling of longing has grown and grown inside me that can only probably be helped by replaying the game, but i can't anymore. i want to restart my memory just so i can play it again without any prior knowledge. we all feel like that sometimes, right? when we deeply resonate with a piece of media we now consider a transcendent level of art form we just wanna keep replaying it and have our minds reset, so that we may able to uniquely experience them again and again, forever, even.

i attached a pretty landscape of hong kong to not only help reel you and others in reading this, but also to remind myself how this game made me long for a memory i never had. it connected with me so much that everytime i try to recall parts of the game, it's difficult for me to dissociate myself from them, and so, i end up with a mess of thoughts, unable to properly communicate what i'm trying to say; the memories of watcher, iris, (two of the game's main characters) and i seemingly fused together into one. heck, it is not explicitly a "self-insert" type of game where the devs intend you to project yourself into it so that the story makes sense.

so, why do i reminisce about hong kong when i haven't even visited the place? for context, the troubles during the 2019 hong kong protests are ultimately what sets off the events in the game, even though the game takes place around 3047 onwards. it is one of the few games where i actually see and feel the emotional impact that such a historic moment had on the lived experiences of fictional video game characters. fictional, in name only, but they are very much real in our world: expatriates who had to flee persecution as a result of resistance. one could say that this game is dedicated to these courageous people. not only to them, but to their children who are yet to exist.

i mention this because iris was born from these people. walked on earth away from hong kong, and as she grew up, came to realize how homesick she was about that place she was a stranger to. iris and i—we are as different as we can be. i was born and am living in my native country, doing my best to live since birth. i shouldn't ever feel homesick, but weirdly, touching this game and seeing iris' life through watcher's eyes, i can't help but go back and revisit the life i swear i lived in hong kong.

i'm not the only one who feels like this, however. watcher feels the same way. of course, watcher was cloned from a clone that was cloned from iris. it's only natural that watcher retains some of that "irisness" two generations down. though she is aware that she is reliving an amalgamation of hers and iris' memories, i relate to her struggle to separate her own consciousness from iris'. this is my belief: when you keep confusing someone's memories with your own, that just proves that you two are more alike than you would think.

i said before that iris and i were as different as we can be, but by my own words, that shouldn't be true. am i hypocritical? delusional? i'm contradicting myself, but not intentionally. i would 100% disagree with myself here had i not played this game and this predicament came up in another situation, but after playing the game, i don't know. the more i think about it, the more i get convinced that iris, though raised in very different circumstances, ended up sharing some of the same traits as i do. i would argue that there are just human characteristics that we all just happen to share, kindness for example, but no, these ones—they're too personal for and very understood by me to say "no, we're different."

at the end, the game rewards you for sticking to the end: a future of your own choosing. this may be a part of the game where some people would get stuck in for more than an hour, or as short as a minute, depending how much the player sticks to their own convictions. for me, i don't know how to build a future i want because i don't know what i want out of it; i don't know what's right. the game slapped me in my face with my own hypocrisies and dared me to stick with these foolish principles. eventually, i did reach the epilogue, but it didn't feel like i actually crossed the bridge.

i'm still trying to understand just as much as i'm trying to examine every minute detail in the game. the game's mechanics are mainly built around memories and the more i keep playing the game and watch multiple playthroughs of it, i realize just how important each memory is to conveying a message that's ultimately different for all of us. a thousand different lessons for anyone to learn; it is THAT complex.

if you stuck around this long, thank you. please, please, PLEASE play 1000xRESIST. there's something here for us to learn, a thing or more. these things about hong kong and memories are part of a bigger whole that i will want to talk about once i know how to express it. especially to my fellow asians, this game will speak to your heart. i've never felt a surge of emotions this strong since i finished signalis, another masterpiece which i may get around to talking about later! (play that too!)

[gumasantan]

the artist formerly known as kaeya

about: a kaether (kaeya x aether) socmed musician au

a/n: refer to my regularly updated masterlist to check out all the parts, whatever amount it will take!

Part three

[gumasantan]

the artist formerly known as kaeya

about: a kaether (kaeya x aether) musician socmed au.

a/n: refer to my regularly updated masterlist here to check out all the parts, whatever amount it will take!

Part two

[gumasantan]

the artist formerly known as kaeya

about: a kaether (kaeya x aether) musician socmed au.

a/n: hi! idk if you can still call this a fic but i’ll be posting 5 SCs per post (at least that’s the target) i dont want to make any guarantees that i’ll update this regularly, ig every other day?? but i’ll try, no worries. i WILL finish this tho. anyway, please enjoy! also, pls make sure to click on every pic!

REFER TO MY MASTERLIST TO CHECK OUT THE OTHER PARTS!

Part one

[gumasantan]

hey ppl!! during my 2 (almost 3) month hiatus. i finished my 2nd year in college and now im free to think and write about fanfics!

with a debt to one my friends, i wrote a story about kaether but i haven’t finished it, since i want to see how the start of the story goes bc i’ll be using a diff. kind of storytelling this time around.

i’ll be updating it consistently (i hope, pls forgive if i dont) and rest assured, i look forward to finishing it. just have to flesh out the story! it’ll be in my succeeding post. thank you!

[gumasantan]

How beautiful was that love we lost?

about: a dainluc (dainsleif x diluc) angst fic [ONESHOT]

word count: ~2k words

a/n: made this for my friend, hoping that he, along with any other readers, enjoy this one! it's the first fic i've written after almost an entire month of indulging myself in academics. i really wanna pick up my feet in writing again!

“Who are you?!”, the man shouted at the figure who was making their way up the hill towards them.

A person whose features were only dimly lit by the nocturnal shine of the full moon, providing luminescence upon the green fields below passing through the cold, breezing wind. He could only see that they were dragging along something.

“Identify yourself!”, he then puts his right hand onto his sheathed blade, readying himself for any potential danger that may come.

“Stop! Stop panicking!”, the figure replied with a deep, pronounced voice, leaving Dainsleif suspicious.

The unknown man soon steps into close enough to be recognized.

“It’s me...”, the blonde became wide-eyed as he saw the redhead wearing the crimson suit and sporting a tied ponytail that were all too familiar with him. The man then raised his hands for Dainsleif to mockingly confirm that he was no risk to his life, letting go of the claymore that he brought himself with.

“Diluc? What are you doing here?”, Dainsleif was evidently taken aback by his sudden presence, as if a sight new to him.

“Well, I knew you were going to be here. So, I’d thought that I might help.” Speaking with a weak tone, it seemed that he is still keen on helping him judging from his light smile.

The grasses behind them rustled.

“Are you foolish? You shouldn’t have come here!” Dainsleif clearly didn’t want Diluc to be here.

“I went through all of the effort carrying this heavy son of a thing just to meet up with you, and you just want me to be gone?” The redhead didn’t appear to appreciate Dainsleif’s worries.

The grasses around them continued to rustle.

“I came here for a different reason too. I wanted to see you; it’s been a long time.” Diluc confessed his ulterior motive. Personally, to him, helping him was just an upfront to what he had in mind.

“I don’t know if you picked the right time for this…” Dainsleif didn’t know if he was going to be happy or disappointed. He may be glad that he is here at this very moment but this very moment that he’s speaking about, he may not be as happy with.

Dainsleif would only be proven right as numerous hilichurls with their distinct manes sprouted from the ground, one by one, like the soil was the one who gave birth to these well-known brutes.

“You better have been ready for this…” His complaint was futile.

The pair went behind each other, weapons pointed towards the ambushing swarm, ready to fight.

-

-

-

As the hilichurls charged forward, the duo began a dance of battle, synchronizing their seamless footwork after the first instant their blades pierce through the incoming flesh, expressing their unique combat prowess.

The juxtaposition between Dainsleif and Diluc’s fighting styles are adapted to their weapon of choice, one exhibiting movements like he’s in a gentlemanly duel, and the other giving all of their strength in each sweep like he’s in a wrestling match.

The two could not fight more differently yet it could not be more efficient either. Breezing through every hilichurlian flesh like thin paper; any forms of struggle were yet to be seen.

It was just like any other day.

The hilichurls with their crossbows and bats tried to do at least some form of harm, but it was clear after the last one ceased to exist that they were no match to the once cavalry-captain of the Knights of Favonius and once knight captain of the Royal Guards.

The quiet air of the night befell the silenced battlefield, corpses blanketing their ground. They both scan the bloodied greenery, watching out for anyone that still might move or twitch, before turning to each other.

“No sweat, huh?” Diluc softened his posture, realizing how much distances apart their individual performances have taken them with a smirk.

“Yeah, but I could still somehow feel your weight on my back.” Dainsleif broke into a light giggle, reiterating Diluc’s observance.

He lightens his grip on his sword prior to dusting off his dirtied suit, all while noticing Diluc’s subtle gaze.

“I was hoping that I could alleviate some of that heaviness actually.” Diluc clarified, hoping that Dainsleif could somehow live up to what he had hoped to come out with from this sudden meeting.

But he was met with a paired of raised brows instead.

“And wherefore? We still possess that same level of skill as we always do. I was just making light of the situation.” Dainsleif looked dead serious.

“Ah, I see that not much has changed out of you.” Diluc just winced as he looked away from him and paid attention to the bright moon above them.

“These past few years have made me a different kind of man.” Dainsleif set Diluc’s hopes on fire.

“You still haven't asked why I’m here, though.” Looking towards the stellar sky, he pressed the issue.

“I see no need to. I already know your reasons.” That caught Diluc by surprise and rendered him speechless, prompting a look from him, what does he mean?

And soon, Dainsleif returned Diluc’s gaze.

“I wish you’d stayed instead.”

Yet this moment of brief sentimentalities was abruptly interrupted by an audible rustling of grasses, this time, much louder than the previous one.

“Here they come again, get ready!”

The dance continues.

-

-

-

Any semblance of time was beginning to get lost in the unending combat.

Unlike the first swarm, multiple hilichurlian types of multiple elements started to get involved. The hilichurls just kept coming out of the grasses, this was more than a swarm. It was an army.

For the beleaguered partners-in-combat, visible signs of exhaustion were starting to set in: Their movements were not as fluid as before anymore, they were starting to miss some potential hits, and are losing their own sense of direction, getting dragged aimlessly by the heat of the battle. It doesn’t matter though, just as long as they keep inflicting kills.

They are not amateurs. They have a lot of experience of prolonged combat, and those very experiences have kept them alive for this night, and for things far much worse than this. It just didn’t stop them from being able to alter their bodies to prevent the continuing drop in energy.

Dainsleif tightens his grip on the sword’s hilt, looking for any energy left in his tank to try to resist the force of multiple hilichurls pushing against him.

“I wish I’d stayed!”

Somehow, Dainsleif managed to hear his companion’s seething voice in the midst of the chaos around them.

“What?!”

Saliva drips from his mouth as he penetrates through the torso of one of the hilichurls, slicing and dicing them one by one as their numbers grow.

“I wish I’d stayed. I do!”

Dainsleif looks at the direction from where his voice was coming from. It is completely blocked by the manes that were beginning to overwhelm him. He swears he could still feel his stare.

“I wish I had done a lot of things!”

Diluc pushes back against the pile of hilichurls in front of him in an attempt to create an opening and reach Dainsleif. With this opportunity, he runs into the open space, drawing closer to the source of the audible struggles just a few distances apart. The crowded hilichurls comes into view before he was greeted by a swarm that’s starting to surround him.

He readies his claymore before effortlessly swinging it into the running hilichurls as a warm welcome.

“I came back from somewhere and you were already gone!”

Diluc lightly smiles, tasting some of the blood that was spurting towards his mouth coming from the heavy claymore.

“I walked out. I walked out on you!”  Diluc shouts in a scolding tone, trying to make Dainsleif come to terms with the unfortunate reality he gave him.

Their grunts were within audible distances between each other, signaling that they’re now only mere meters between each other.

But the hilichurls persist as their numbers deplete to no end. They were lucky that they weren’t facing any mitachurls or lawachurls at all! That would certainly make things a lot more difficult. Both of them continue to fight as they continue to preserve any remaining strength they had, reserving it for any worse threats that may arrive later.

A blue streak of light flashed upon Diluc’s sight, almost blinding him.

A fountain of red immediately followed, halved slices of flesh fell upon the darkening field already covered with blood as the fighting comes to a momentarily halt as all hilichurls fall to the ground.

The redhead would only be both impressed and terrified, had it not been for the single standing figure within his sight. Gasping breaths fill the static air as they recollect their senses.

“Can’t we make up a goodbye at least?” Dainsleif replied, letting the possibilities that went past by them sink in.

The latter only widened his eyes as he had never seen Dainsleif in this appearance before. He is completely stained with blood. No traces of the man he was before. He could see that his form was not only angry, but hungry as well. Hungry for more fighting, for more violence.

Diluc was used to ghastly sights like this, but to see it from him…

“Let’s…let’s pretend we had one.” A look of regret painted his face. He didn’t mean to scare him by showing him this form he’d never seen, until now, when it was looking like they were near at the end of their worlds. He tried his very best to show that he’s still Dainsleif, despite appearances.

But that wasn’t enough. And all he could do was one thing.

Dainsleif puts his sword aside as he lumbers up to him, the heaviness flooding his body, before holding his shoulders with both of his wounded hands.

Diluc was then brought back from his temporary trance, and smiled at him.

“All I needed was your touch. That’s all.” Diluc laughed at him wistfully, realizing how much of a lover he had created him, even though they were far beyond that concept at this point.

“Yeah, mhm…” And how much Diluc has made Dainsleif a closeted baby.

“Were we the ones who chose this outcome for ourselves?” Diluc reflected about the words he directed at him.

“I suppose we are just scared to do anything different.” Dainsleif replied, deep in his thoughts.

…

This respite was then made fleeting as the enthusiastic shouting of a swarm of hilichurls was heard from a distance. Alarmed by the sound, the two looked towards the source of the echoing battle cry.

The sight made Diluc slightly tremble.

The numbers of hilichurls from before pale in comparison to what they had just seen now. It was not like an army anymore; the figures completely masked the ground they were on. And they were moving towards them.

Diluc unexpectedly felt warmness in his one of his hands, knowing that it met Dainsleif’s, and he was squeezing tight.

“You know, this is probably the first time you look terrified because of hilichurls.” For he had never seen Dainsleif feel the same way about them before.

“Do you think we can outrun them?” Diluc asked, hoping to get an affirmative reply.

“Surely, but can we lose them? I don’t think so, and if they track us wherever we go, we’ll just lure them into the villages instead.” Dainsleif wished that he answered differently, but alas, there was no possible alternative that was good.

Diluc could only laugh, catching Dainsleif off guard as he continues to hold his hands.

“So that means, even if we gave it another chance, we still wouldn’t have that chance considering—considering what we have here in front of us…” He got a glimpse of that sad realization, but chose not to indulge himself in it once he remembered who he was with.

“I think this is what a lot of people call, ‘it’.” Dainsleif followed up Diluc’s cheeky statement.

Diluc nodded.

The yelling of a million hilichurls were getting louder and louder.

“Not without a fight, of course.” Dainsleif smirked, to which Diluc followed suit.

“But before that—”

…

“Goodbye, Dainsleif.”

Dainsleif sighed under his breath.

“I love you, Diluc.”

“Meet me in the afterlife.”

Dainsleif sighed again.

The pair readied their blades for the last dance.

...

Thank you for reading.

[gumasantan]

I’M STILL ALIVE, breathing and living

heyy guysss its been at least 2 weeks since i last posted anything and i know it dont worry!! i’m being grilled alive by school rn hence the absence of any new content (as u might’ve guessed)

i will go back to writing and posting fics once again after my prelims prolly next week!! dw guys i have tons of ideas for y’all and rn im writing a dainsleif x diluc fic so not everything is lost!! anw just wanted to confirm my status of being alive here HSHSHSH

[gumasantan]

home: a three-part haikaveh fic (3/3)

about: a haikaveh modern treasure hunt AU.

word count: ~2.6k words (i think i've got the hang of it!)

a/n: this one can work as a standalone too! but it would be much better for a reading experience if you've read the first two chapters, i invite you to do so! for past readers of the fic, thank you for reading it all the way through!

first chapter: the hallway

second chapter: the chamber

“Can’t you at least organize your books in one place?! It’s defiling my drafting table!”

The man was beyond furious at a messed pile of books in front of him. Obviously, there’s nothing more annoying than being interrupted when you’re so focused at your work.

“And can’t you calm down? It hasn’t damaged your paper, you’re overreacting.”

An unexpected breeze of calmness washes over the heated conversation. The raging waves of the sea have been temporarily pacified by a voice akin to an archon powerful enough to gust the grey clouds away.

“Overreacting? Don’t you see the fine lines of stain made obvious by the white blueprint?”

Such an inconvenience isn't just a little matter to be brushed off for someone that’s as perfectionist and attentive to detail like the famed architect of the academy, who has considered his only finished work so far as his masterpiece.

“What is it that you’re working on anyway? I’ve always assumed that none have ever approached you because of your attitude.”

What a shame. He recognizes his peer’s greatness but he just can’t help see it go to waste from a man who clearly possesses such a gift in the discipline, yet chooses to overshadow it with his attitude that aspires to be ‘rightful’ and ‘fair’.

“It’s a project! I have to draw up this two-story wooden house for a client, and further details are none of your business!”

Peeking through his shoulders, unknowledgeable he may be when it comes to architecture but he has developed some taste that he developed during his travels and adventures. He could tell that although there was a lot of work needed to be done, he could envision what his roommate is trying to draw.

“Hmm…from the initial look of it, you need to incorporate an inclined shape to the roof of your house, so you won’t have any problems with a boring symmetrical height design. Also, the second floor is too high up, wouldn’t want your visitor to feel like he hiked the summit of Devantaka, would you?”

Coming from him, this was a surprisingly well-articulated advice that would be received well.

“Huh, didn’t expect you to know that much, considering how ignorant you’ve been towards my work.”

The now-critic simply squinted his eyes at him.

“Enough with this chitchat, rearrange the books vertically upon that wall and your little problem would be solved. And your rent has been long overdue for a week, two days after you’ve promised to pay me.”

-

“Are you alright?”

A startling squeaky airy voice followed by sounds of pure breathlessness came out of Alhaitham, which was very uncharacteristic of him.

“Yes, I’m not hurt or anything.”

Kaveh mirrored his junior’s appearance: Sweaty, out of breath, dirty, and quite frankly, smelly.

“Well, it’s good that we’re still alive.” Alhaitham tries to compose himself, he is known for always being stern-looking and appearing unaffected after all.

“You have me to thank for having the luck of a rabbit. Without me, you wouldn’t have finished the task unscathed.” Classic Kaveh, still managing to be pompous no matter his wellbeing as long as Alhaitham is within his area.

Luckily for him, Alhaitham didn’t quite manage to properly hear what he said.

Out of the chamber and into the outside on a sand dune, the adventurers stopped talking and just basked in what’s left of the sunset, the sun descending into the horizon. It was an impressive sight: The desert greeting the invading night. It has been a long day.

And they have been successful in their task.

“And so, that’s why we were there for?” Kaveh pointed out the shiny object in Alhaitham’s right hand, completely coated in gold.

“Apparently, the Academy has treasured this for quite a long time now ever since they heard of it from one of the ancient documents I’ve verified.” Alhaitham succinctly answered.

“So you were the one responsible for all of these occurring in the first place?” Kaveh raised his brows at him, not wanting to feel disappointment in partaking in a task his peer is responsible for.

“Accidentally. I do not care for such prized artifacts, regardless of their value. I’m only there to record and archive, not read. Exceptions count when their usually uninteresting titles pique my attention, and in this case, no.” Alhaitham emphasized his tone within his first few words. It shouldn’t have been no question to his longtime acquaintance that he simply doesn’t pursue anything that involves hunting for relics he find worthless in today’s time.

“Ah. Did they ever brief you how important is this to them?” Kaveh recognizes that the both of them were on the same wavelength. In the end, they were just two men that was ordered by the academy to fetch them something that they do not care nor understand.

Alhaitham raised the treasure he held, observing it closely.

“Legally, we cannot ever have this for ourselves. They marked this as one of Sumeru’s greatest treasures, protected by the law. Perhaps this will help them trace back something? Yet, it’s just plain, not even a single ounce of knowledge in forms of pictures or words engraved on it.” Alhaitham was unimpressed. They risked their lives for how many times, and wherefore?

Kaveh could see what Alhaitham’s trying to imply. He smirked at him.

“Tell me, is it heavy?” Kaveh innocently asked like a young child.

“Yes, very much so. But this is what I expected when something is just purely made out of gold.” Alhaitham didn’t catch Kaveh’s temporarily change in behavior.

“Do you think…that they’ll keep it in the museum like they promised to do to the other artifacts that are yet to be displayed there? What do you reckon?” Kaveh continued his cheekiness.

“What are you trying to say?” Alhaitham stared at his junior who’s acting out of his usual self.

Needless to say, Kaveh was put off by Alhaitham’s naivety, or was it just because his thick-skinned partner is naturally incapable of making out implied thoughts? His expression turned to blank.

“Oh, nothing. Nothing at all.” Kaveh sighed after.

“I think it’s just the fact that I senselessly had to spend a lot of my valuable time with you today that could have been better spent if I had just stayed alone, continuing my project. Knowing that you agreed to do this only because you were only told to? I’m disappointed…at myself for agreeing to do this.” Kaveh admitted the underwhelming conclusion.

Alhaitham couldn’t say anything. He knows that it was something personal for Kaveh, and he would not dare play with him at his own game.

He could only remain silent.

“But hey, it was fun.” Kaveh had to acknowledge that bright side of it too. He said it himself, there was not a whole lot of anything uniquely interesting that happens in his everyday life.

“I agree.” Out of the blue, him which who does not look for entertainment thought Kaveh was right. What a surprise!

Kaveh looked at the sunset, and to Alhaitham. Whether Alhaitham was honest or not, that short moment at the day’s end was something sentimental.

“Come, let’s go to the Academy so we could finally get some well-earned rest.” Kaveh gestured to Alhaitham to start moving. He had to stop briefly, thinking that he shouldn’t be this nice to him, but he was too tired to resist being honest.

…

But Alhaitham didn’t move.

Kaveh noticed him.

“Hey, didn’t you hear me? Come on, I want to rest already, don’t you too?” Kaveh sounded like he was getting a little bit frustrated.

Yet Alhaitham remained still.

Kaveh just stared. Why isn’t he moving?

“I suppose I should have stated the full reason why I agreed with them to do this.” Alhaitham finally started talk, but he seemed to be hinting at something different that Kaveh wasn’t expecting.

“What is this again?” Kaveh blatantly looked annoyed.

“My task here is not yet complete.” Alhaitham appeared to get more serious by the second.

“Your task? Did it ever occur to you that I’m not interested at whatever you do, and want to? We’re here because the Academy told us so, that’s it! Please, spare me if you have something else in mind and let me go.” Kaveh was out of it. He had his fill of Alhaitham today, and he wouldn’t tolerate him for much longer.

“You were right. The law just serves as a ruse so they could get their bad-intentioned hands on this artifact and have it for themselves. Although I work for them, I knew I could never trust them.”

That was no news. Alhaitham was just that kind of person.

Kaveh started becoming suspicious of his junior, what else was he thinking?

“So, have this instead.”

Alhaitham threw the artifact towards Kaveh’s hands. The latter caught it with a bewildered look on his face. Needless to say, his suspicion immediately turned to confusion.

“What?! What do you mean?” Kaveh asked, expecting a reasonable answer from Alhaitham.

“It’s yours now. It’s always been yours.” Alhaitham effortlessly admitted.

Kaveh fidgeted his fingers around the artifact as he heard what his partner said.

“Mine? Since when? What in the archon’s name are you saying? This belongs to the Academy, not to me!” Kaveh was essentially scolding his junior.

“Ever since they tasked me to retrieve it.” Alhaitham started to uncover something he hid from Kaveh.

“Do you ever listen to yourself talk sometimes? Why do this? We’ll get arrested since this is basically theft, thirty years at the very least! And what are you going to tell the Academy when they’ve assumed you took your leave from work today to finish their task only to come up with nothing at the end of it? You’ll look stupid!” The perplexed blonde kept questioning the actions of Alhaitham.

“Unlike you, the Academy holds me in high regard. With that reputation of mine, trust me when I say that I could tell them anything and they would have no problem believing me. No harm no foul.” Who says that being intelligent is not synonymous with being cunning?

“Have you been meaning to tell me that you’re going to deceive the Academy instead to get us out of this? With me? Are you serio—“

“I wanted to help you.”

Alhaitham silenced Kaveh, leaving him thunderstruck.

“This has been my opportunity, probably the only one I’ll ever get in helping you.” Alhaitham softened his look.

“Help me where? Do I look helpless? I can manage my own!” Kaveh’s stubbornness is not rooted from logic, rather, from saying anything he can to have a reason to refuse Alhaitham’s help.

Alhaitham sighed.

“Give it to the woman you’re indebted to. She’s got eyes for artifacts, and I can assure you, you will have more than enough.”

Kaveh just looked at the distance as he gripped on the artifact harder.

“And your rent?” He asked, the most important thing that should be paid first.

...

...

“Forget about the rent. I could pay it myself for this last time. I don’t intend to take anything away from your fortune, even if it’s just a miniscule amount.”

Kaveh noticed that the dusk has surrounded them.

“I’m well aware that I’m not an emotionally expressive person nor am I easily swayed by it, but I could…feel how much you despise me. And to think we share the same room, that’s why I’ve long decided to give you your own place to stay, because staying with someone that fills you with so much hate…”

Kaveh closed his eyes, a different kind of darkness enveloping him.

“…It’s not healthy. It took long for that decision to come into effect. Now, I’m letting you go so you can be more, uplifting, as what they’d say. I know that’s what you’ve been hoping for.”

His senior didn’t react, he stood still, partially blocking the view of the rising moon behind him.

“You can pack up later or tomorrow. And you know what? I feel satisfaction within myself that I managed to do this. For the fact that you can finally live in your palace, or in another place. Have your own home.”

Kaveh opened his eyes and faced his junior, who was…smiling towards him.

The sight was pleasantly surprising.

“Do you hate me too?” Kaveh asked.

“Not quite. I hope you’ve noticed that I’ve never gone out of my way to actually insult you or anything similar to that. It’s no question that my personality can be a bit…too much for you.”

Kaveh approached Alhaitham closely.

“I’m surprised. Some of the things I’ve said, they weren’t honest at all.”

Kaveh gave him a sorry look.

“I feel bad. I’m sorry.”

“I deserve it, no need for any more apologies.”

The two men just stood, facing each other. They looked at each other in the eyes, unafraid and not acting suspicious around each other. It was a comforting silence.

-

“So, let’s go now?” Alhaitham was the first to ask.

In the empty desert, nature finally breathed some wind to soothe the hot air out.

“Do you remember the riddle? The last one?” Kaveh was the second to ask.

Alhaitham shook his head, prompting a sigh from Kaveh.

“The breathing walls emanate a warm gust of comfort, gusting past the naked bleeding… something. Eternal healing by the imperfect being. In each word lie each of the good. That’s what I remember.”

“What about the riddle?”

“Did you ever caught on what tablet I slotted in so that we could get the treasure?”

“I still remember that ‘shelter’ was the answer you told me, but no tablet matched up with it. What did you do?”

Kaveh silently laughed.

“The answer was not the one with ‘shelter’ or ‘home’ in it. The answer was the one with ‘person’.”

Alhaitham tilted his head with a curious look.

“Yes, person. That’s—that’s home.” Yet, that still wasn’t understood by Alhaitham.

Kaveh carefully put the artifact down under their feet…

…and immediately hugged him, pushing him backwards by a little.

...

...

...

“Thank you for your assistance, but I still very much hate your guts.”

Alhaitham didn’t know what to do as the hug grew tighter, should he imitate Kaveh and wrap his arms around him? Seeing that it was the only logical decision to be made, he slowly did the same, earning a chuckle from Kaveh who, he knew, was already mocking him inside his mind.

“Were you surprised?” Kaveh cheekily asked.

“Well, yes. I haven’t been hugged by anyone for so long, and to have it come from you…you got me.” Alhaitham formed a smile on his face.

Kaveh got his mouth close to Alhaitham’s ears, wanting to whisper something.

“I want us to bicker eternally.”

He pulled from the hug, seeing Alhaitham’s astonished face, mouth slightly agape.

“What? I thought…”

“Now, now, shut it. I’ve decided it for the both of us.”

…

“Hmm…alright. I won’t protest.”

“Besides, your place wouldn’t do. In fact, I’ve drawn up something for us that’s far more charming than the palace and more elegant than the room we share. I know you’ll like it because I’ve taken your advices.”

The rivals smiled at each other, desiring something new with their time together.

-

“Okay, let’s get going then, let me just get the artifact.”

“Where is it? It’s not here.”

“I just put it under our feet.”

“There it is! It’s all the way down this dune!”

“How in Celestia’s name did it got there?”

“You little rascal. You must’ve pushed it down there when you hugged me!”

“Then why did you let me push you that hard? It’s not my fault that you got startled that bad by a normal expression of human appreciation!”

The moon finally rose above at the center of the night sky.

[gumasantan]

home: a three-part haikaveh fic (2/3)

about: a haikaveh modern treasure hunt AU.

word count: ~3.9k words (long, this one).

a/n: this chapter can work as a standalone story, but i would implore you to read the first chapter! please enjoy!

first chapter: the hallway

third chapter: the outside

Linear? Yes.

Rigid? Yes.

Symmetrical? Yes.

The geometry of the interior is sublime. The west side perfectly mirrors the east side. One can tell that the structure is layered, you can separate what’s part of the floor, wall, and ceiling. There are small portions of sandstone smartly designed to arrange each layer, either they gradually decrease in area or increase in thickness. From a practical standpoint, these little things make the view easier for the eyes to digest. Everything serves a purpose, and the look of the location doesn’t cause any confusion.

Yet, it’s not boring.

It’s correct to believe that any design scheme incorporated into erecting structures reflects ideas of the people who have envisioned what they want their work to appear like. The ancient civilization that constructed this chamber obviously cared about the beauty of their creation: The sanguine colors that layered the golden plating implanted on the pillars add variety to what would’ve been just an ordinary sight. The walls have hieroglyphics neatly carved onto them, and the floors were smoothened out, they don’t have a rough, bricklike pattern.

In the bigger picture, all of these have meanings that will be perceived greater by those who are now long gone than the modern inhabitants who currently walk the world today. But for a trained eye, these observations aren’t that hard to make.

-

“The architecture of this place is well thought-out!” A blonde man uttered as he looks around him with his knees on the ground.

“Pay attention to what’s in front of us, please.” His partner beside him, also kneeling down.

“Allow me to indulge myself, would you? I could have used some of these designs in my palace. I’m sure it would look just as good without the rough textures!” The blonde continued on, not intent on following his companion’s orders.

“Kaveh, I hope you haven’t forgotten what you’ve said before.” Kaveh met a pair of eyes, annoyed at his behavior.

“Ah, yes, of course crybaby Alhaitham. About the task only. Got it.” Sarcastic in his reply, he is a man of his own words after all.

They both look at the ornament in front of them.

There was a tombstone of sorts standing onto the ground in front of them, in the middle of the chamber, encapsulated in tiled triangles, surrounded by littered grains of sand and stone tablets.

Perhaps this is the main attraction of the place.

“I can’t read what’s written there. So, I don’t need to be here. I look stupid pretending that I can read this thing.” Kaveh admitted. He had a disappointing look on his face, directed towards one Alhaitham that should’ve known better.

“And I can’t let you simply wander around such a hostile place as this one. We would lose this only opportunity if you set off another hidden trap again.” Alhaitham answered Kaveh’s complaint without looking at him.

Kaveh’s eyes squinted at Alhaitham, just because he is annoyed that his junior is right.

 “Fine.” His admission was followed by a sigh. 

He looked at the tombstone, noticing that Alhaitham’s gaze hasn’t differed at all, still examining the epitaph written in the same hieroglyphs.

“What are we even looking at anyway? A bunch of small drawings of a pigeon, an inverted balloon, a headless spider, a snake and a flagpole. Somehow that’s supposed to mean something?” These pictures are definitely not the type to tell you a thousand words.

“It’s an ancient language.” Alhaitham could really take no joke.

 “Obviously. I’m asking more about how you are able to derive a meaning from something that looks so meaningless.” Kaveh’s irritated tone fail to bother Alhaitham.

“Are you that interested?” Alhaitham asks.

“No, not at all.” Smugly answering his junior’s question like how a cold professor would to their one of their own students.

“Then don’t inquire. Be silent, so I can properly translate it and you can answer for the last time. We’ll be on our way out shortly after.” Alhaitham kept on deciphering the ancient language.

“Huh, ‘you’?” Kaveh smirked at Alhaitham.

Whether he noticed it or not, Kaveh could feel something akin to feeling good deep down inside him. In Kaveh’s eyes, his conceited junior just passively admitted that he is the only one capable of doing ALL of the work. Great success!

As they remain in their kneeling position, with Alhaitham working as their archaeological translator while muttering different words, Kaveh can’t help but reminisce as they head towards the end of the day. In such a dangerous place, there’s a weird but cozy feeling invisibly filling the air of the chamber as they both stay in silence. This is further reinforced by the wideness of the place, for it allows for natural light to settle in the place. Small, infrequent patches of darkness decorating select areas of the chamber, setting a calm mood as if they were in a bedroom.

...

...

...

“On a more personal note, I was at the very least, entertained today.” Kaveh was the first to speak with sincerity leaking from his words, reading the air correctly by ceasing his bickering.

Alhaitham gave no reaction. He didn’t even flinch.

“Even with how much I loathe you, it’s unusual for me to do something this interesting that excites my dull and regretful time with you.” It’s a double-edged sword after all, since he’ll always be that common factor in his life: He lives with him under the same roof.

That’s annoying as heck.

Alhaitham remained unfazed against Kaveh’s snarky comments.

“I suppose what I’m trying to say is that…I appreciate what happened today.” Those were the perfect words that Kaveh could think of. Being thankful for the adventure without having to be thankful of doing it with Alhaitham.

“Maybe you should think of how to pay your rent and your debt.” Alhaitham commented out of nowhere, catching Kaveh off guard. His neutral voice suggested that he didn’t intend to insult him, rather, just ‘trying’ to be factual and helpful.

-

Kaveh’s eyes widened. His debt?

Ouch.

That was his weakest spot. Of course, the debt. The debt that he accumulated after constructing one of his architectural projects. The one that he considers his own masterpiece: A palace, one that sits on a valley in-between two cliffs. In such a challenging environment, it was a miracle that Kaveh could make such a building into a reality, and to do it prettily and cleverly as well.

He wouldn’t have a problem going into the details, logistics, and circumstances that had to go right in order to do it if it wasn’t for the deep hole he dug himself into when he forgot to remember how much financing he would need to undergo such a project. He only realized the fatal mistake in the middle of construction.

For a desperate architect in such a desperate situation, it wouldn’t take long until someone offered to loan him an amount of money that even if a million Kavehs were to live right now, they still wouldn’t be enough to pay all of it within their entire lifetimes. But he had no choice, either that or he ends up with an ugly, unfinished project that will just taint the floral beauty of the landscape.

It’s no question as to what he decided.

Since he decided to pay for…whatever amount of time it takes. It would make sense that he lives under his roof that he created, right? Nope! The person that he loaned from, which became the owner of the palace BY THE WAY, didn’t let him so.

He would’ve been a vagabond had he not heeded her advice: To contact a certain scholar from the Academy that he studied under and taught in. He was naïve at that time, thinking that this person would be sympathetic enough to understand his situation, as stupid as it might sound.  

He was wrong.

-

“I’ve figured out what this text meant.” A firm, serious voice snapped Kaveh back into reality from his own little mental flashback.

Both Kaveh and Alhaitham stood up.

“What did it say?” Kaveh immediately switched his attention to the present matter, erasing any memory of the previous moment.

“It’s a four-line riddle, unlike the previous simpler ones. Seeing an empty space here and the stone tablets littered around us, I’m assuming that we just need to slot in the one with the right answer on it.” Alhaitham looks to the small, rectangular objects with various symbols on each of them.

“I see. What is the riddle?” Kaveh asks, preparing his mind for the final, upcoming task. Ready to demonstrate the reason why he and his class is famed for.

Alhaitham stares at the epitaph, reading it symbol by symbol.

“The breathing walls emanate a warm breeze of comfort, gusting past the naked bleeding soul. Eternal healing by the imperfect being. In each word lie each of the good.” Alhaitham started to talk like a 16th century English poet yet he lacks the tone of one.

Huh.

Kaveh tried to giggle but interrupted himself.

“Are you sure that’s what it says? You’re not trying to fool me or any of the sort, right?” Kaveh clarifies, in tiny disbelief of what he just had heard.

“Yes, I’m confident. That’s the most accurate that I could translate it in terms of grammar.” Alhaitham confidently answers. Knowing him for a long time, he’s not the type of person that will purposely make a mistake.

Kaveh started thinking.

“Hmm…’breathing walls’…” Kaveh muttered in the middle of his thought.

Compared to the ones he had answered before, this one was more philosophical as it is pretentious. In truth, Kaveh found it a little cheesy. Naked bleeding soul? This looks like one of those set of words that a young adolescent would come up with. Or one that you would see in a pop song. It’s a bit silly, really.

But this is the lock to the treasure. He needs to take this seriously.

“Okay, before I come up with any ideas. Can you examine and translate what’s written on the stone tablets? We need to limit our choices to avoid barking up the wrong tree?” Kaveh gestures to the tablets on the floor, prompting a nod from Alhaitham.

=

Alhaitham picks up the one from on the tombstone’s right.

“This one translates to ‘World’.”

Next, he picks up the one on their north.

“This one says ‘Conscience’.”

He then turns to pick up the tablet from the left side.

“’Emotion’ is what’s written in this one.”

He goes to pick the fourth one behind them.

“This is ‘Connection’.”

Kaveh noticed another tablet covered in sand under his feet, picking it up.

“This is probably the last one. Here, translate it.” Kaveh threw the tablet into Alhaitham’s hands.

“Alright. Your tablet says ‘Person’.”

=

They collected all of the stone tablets and put it beside the empty slot. With their options clearly defined, Kaveh puts one of his hands under his chin. His junior joining him in his pondering.

“Do you see any connections, Kaveh?” Alhaitham curiously asks, always finding himself in this position whenever he lets Kaveh work his wit, which deep down, he finds impressive. He won’t admit that to him though.

"Not yet.” His senior answered.

…

“At first glance, with how the riddle is worded out, it seems to be referring to something that’s not a physical object. Seeing most of what our tablets say, my assumptions are correct.” Kaveh started to sound like a professor: Logical, methodical, and formal. It is very unlike him to be in this guise outside of his academic bubble.

“Agreed, the last sentence would also confirm that. The ‘world’ is one outlier though, there must be some reason why they put it there.” Alhaitham voiced out his sound concern.

“If we take this literally, then ‘world’ would make sense. After all, most, if not everyone, shares the thought that the world is innocent. It’s just a natural being, reacting to changes incurred by us. And the rest, the breeze, gust, and healing...That is, if we don’t consider figures of speech. Can you repeat the riddle again?” Kaveh wants to make sure he doesn’t get the wrong ideas.

“Alright, I’ll read again: The breathing walls emanate a warm breeze of comfort, gusting past the naked bleeding soul. Eternal healing by the imperfect being. In each word lie each of the good.” The language-knowledgeable scribe reiterated, easily translating the symbols.

…

“I think we’re going in the right direction.” Little by little, Kaveh’s growing confident.

We?

“What are you thinking?” Alhaitham asks curiously.

“Read it again. ‘Breathing walls’, ‘naked bleeding soul’, and ‘imperfect being’, right?” Kaveh asks, looking at Alhaitham with growing inquisitive by each question asked.

“Yes, those are the correct translations. But what is a breathing wall? Such things don’t exist. And imperfect being? Everything can become perfect when they’re at the right place and at the right time.” Alhaitham was then met by a facepalming Kaveh, who seemed to be disappointed at his attempt at puzzle analysis.

“No, you’ve misconstrued the riddle.” An unimpressed look was evident in Kaveh’s face.

Oh.

“These are personifications. Naked bleeding soul for when we are hurt or feel exposed. And as much as I respect your position about perfection, it is just objectively wrong. No one can ever truly become perfect; not even you and not even me. We are flawed beings, imperfect beings.” Kaveh explained in a convincing tone.

“I see. Whatever that satisfies the riddle.” Alhaitham answered without showing any kind of disagreement and just wanting to get the job done.

“Although, I find myself wondering what it meant about ‘breathing walls’. It’s obvious to me that they’re referring to us humans, but why use the noun? Why didn’t they use anything else? Why use ‘walls’?” Kaveh wondered.

“It’s irrelevant. The majority of these statements refer to a person, so it must be that.” Alhaitham stated, grabbing the tablet with the matching set of symbols onto it.

Kaveh just sighed.

“No, you don’t understand. Yes, they do personify, but you need to look into the bigger picture. Why do those breathing walls emanate a warm breeze of comfort? Why does the imperfect being heal eternally? And of course, the meaning of that last statement, which we’re yet to figure out.” He analyzes each line of the riddle, looking for the purpose of each sentence. He gestured to Alhaitham to drop the tablet and think again.

“I might’ve overlooked these details, but from these descriptions, I think they’re just perceptions rather than truths.” Assuredly said in true Alhaitham fashion.

Alhaitham’s input got Kaveh thinking.

“Hmm…you’re not completely wrong. I would also like to think that these are perceptions, but we require knowledge of whose perspective this riddle is in. Additionally, we need to account who they are referring to. Not all personifications refer to a person. Sometimes, in riddles, some answers are just too good to be true.” Kaveh is in his element, always considering each angle of those who had created such word-based puzzles.

“I understand. You are correct. We also take such approaches in the scientific method, albeit more inflexible than and not as intuitive as what you’re currently doing.”

In a rare moment in time where opportunity allows them so, the great rivals exhibited great teamwork. No squabbling, just engaging in respectful discourse, aided by each other’s strengths.

Kaveh stares at the tombstone, wanting to be able to understand it himself.

“I don’t think it’s ‘conscience’ since the focus is less about doing what’s right. And I also don’t think that ‘emotion’ is the answer because if that’s the case, then this riddle would only be talking about feeling sad or hurt, which is too shortsighted.” Kaveh started to eliminate choices that would not answer the entirety of the riddle.  

“That leaves us with…’connection’ then.” Alhaitham grabbed the corresponding stone tablet.

“It would make sense. It’s an unassuming, neutral, but fitting answer.” Kaveh thought more about it, and the more he did, the closer he got to in solving the riddle.

“These adjectives could only be possible when two or more people are being referred to. An island of a man cannot survive on his own nor heal himself. They would require someone’s assistance.”

Kaveh instantly remembers his own experiences as soon as those words left his mouth.

“You need to connect. Find out about each other. Establish and maintain that relationship between each other for beneficence! If one is hurt, then the other can only heal them, deliver that ‘warm breeze of comfort’ as the riddle says, to them!”

He feels that he’s drawing close to a Eureka! moment.

“That’s what being acquainted means. That’s what friendships and romances are for. Become that breathing wall, be there for when you need one another, and beyond that! The only thing that accounts.”

Kaveh noticed himself becoming caught up in the emotions as his memories return that contrasted his words.

“I get that this ‘connection’ would be the right answer then?” Alhaitham asks in a blank tone.

Kaveh’s breathing started to hitch.

Seeing who’s in front of him, he slowly soothed himself to not let an Alhaitham that’s barren of any emotion witness such sentiments coming from him. He knows when to get emotional, and it would be just improper to do it in front of someone that won’t even get close to understanding his feelings.

He exhaled.

“Yes, Alhaitham. The answer to the riddle is ‘connection’.” Kaveh confidently answered.

“You are sure about this, yes? I don’t think we’ll be allowed for a second chance, remember what happened at the last chamber? I don’t fancy having to run for my life again.” Alhaitham put the stone tablet atop the empty slot, ready to put it in.

-

Ah, yes. How could he forget the reason why they were in that dark hallway in the first place?

So many wrong attempts responsible for just one big rolling boulder.

They never ran that fast before in their lives, until that moment.

But his statement of clarification made Kaveh reconsider. Did they answer it in the correct angle? Is there any part of it that doesn’t match up well with the proposed answer? Risky it is to let even a minute detail slip: This is the final riddle that will open the door to the treasure if it were answered correctly. Otherwise, they could be entranced into another marathon again, or worse.

This riddle and this answer, everything seemed to connect and make sense. What could it be other than ‘connection’? Using the process of elimination: One requires a thoughtless mind, the other is just too obvious of an answer, and the rest matches up with one of the lines but fails to satisfy the general equation. ‘Connection’ is the correct answer, even from an objective standpoint.

Well, not everything made sense. There was one that sticks out like a sore thumb.

“I’m sure about it…for the most part. I just can’t seem to find how that answer relates to a breathing wall.” Kaveh admitted, making it apparent that he wants to find an appropriate answer.

“I suppose in such pretentious riddles, some pretentious words are just there for the sake of…being pretentious.” Alhaitham smirked. He is a master at that game and he recognizes when something is being too pompous for the sake of appearing impressive.

“I guess so.” Kaveh answered as he watched Alhaitham struggle in slotting the tablet inside.

At that moment, he just kept repeating the two words over and over again under his breaths

...

...

...

“Breathing walls…breathing walls…breathing walls…”

At that point in deep redundancy, he managed to visualize a mental image.

It was himself, drawing up a blueprint inside a familiar place: A bedroom that was not his, that belonged to someone else. And behind him, was the owner.

But why?

He remembered what he said previously.

“Become that breathing wall. Be there for—for each other.” Silently murmuring to himself.

He comes into a realization, conjuring a meaning for that two peculiar words.

“Hey, I’d just thought, that ‘connection’ might not be the right answer.” Kaveh told his junior.

Alhaitham stopped himself.

“I didn’t realize how important it was, until now.” Kaveh spoke as he continues to think, trying to come up with a coherent explanation to what would be a confused Alhaitham.

“What are you saying?” Alhaitham tilted his head towards Kaveh.

“The ‘breathing wall’ part. It was important after all. Yes, we’re indeed correct that a physical object is not the answer. But I posit that our answer is not only an idea that we can show, but an idea that we can show AND see with our own eyes!” Kaveh talked faster as he goes on, unclear if it’s excitement or nervousness that he’s showing.

“I fail to understand what you’re trying to imply.” Alhaitham tried to dismiss Kaveh’s second thoughts, but the blonde wouldn’t allow that.

“It’s…the answer should be a shelter.”

-

What?

He left Alhaitham dumbfounded.

“A shelter. Someone’s shelter. I’m not referring to the physical structure, but something special that one can become towards the right person.” Kaveh clarified the difference.

“Being a…home towards people? What are you trying to say here?” Alhaitham asks, still just as confused.

“Think of it as a special status. It’s not an explicit thing. When you refer someone as ‘your home’, it means that they make you feel secured and safe.” Kaveh explained briefly.

But Alhaitham only returned silence. Kaveh sighed.

“You have your own house right? Admit it or not, there is no place just like that one. What do you feel returning to your place after a long and tiring day? You’d just want to rest, and the best place to do that is in your home. It brings you the best resting experience you won’t ever have someplace else.” Kaveh was desperate for Alhaitham to understand. He needs him to be on the same page here, or else, he would think that his senior has become irrational.

“I…I don’t know how to answer that one.” Alhaitham can only stay confused.

“Attempt to apply it in the context of human beings. We are imperfect creatures, flawed in any way we allow it to be possible. Even though that’s the case, someday, someone will accept us to the point that they will find us irreplaceable because we could make them feel positive emotions that no other people can. That particular way they view us, is how we become, a shelter, to people.”

Kaveh let his optimism spill unknowingly, contrary to the same person that would carefully think of each word when it comes to explaining what should’ve been a simple concept had it been any other people that was with him.

“Look, even if I did understand the foolishness you are uttering, which I won’t, there exists no tablet in this place that has home, house, or whatever otherworldly concept you’re referring to, that is written in any of them.” Alhaitham shook his head.

Kaveh just winced at him.

At this point, any further explanations would be useless. Even if he had enough patience to explain it to him, Alhaitham would just be more and more resistant to idea, and more annoying to deal with. That kind of concept was just too foreign for his companion.

How could it be possible for them to endure each other forever?

Without warning, Kaveh quickly grabbed one of the tablets, almost as if he perfectly remembered the symbols on it, and slotted it inside the empty space.

-

The surface below the tombstone opened up revealing the climax of their adventure: The treasure that shined its rays towards and beyond the walls of the ceiling.

Alhaitham, taken aback by Kaveh’s swift decisiveness, still managed to realize what the situation entails, and snatched away the treasure from its place.

The ground began to shake.

[gumasantan]

home: a three-part haikaveh fic (1/3)

about: a haikaveh modern treasure hunt AU.

word count: exactly 1.6k words (FINALLY!)

a/n: first fic that's not a oneshot. i'm being experimental in this one, and probably will be in the next parts of this fic. with that said, i'll continuously update the fic until im satisfied to move on to the next part, which will be in the process of being written soon. (SCHOOL SUX) please enjoy!

second chapter: the chamber

third chapter: the outside

“I still cannot believe that they decided that WE should tackle this together!”

An exasperated sigh escapes someone’s lips with an irritated expression on his facials, walking alongside someone else who has an opposite look: Stoic with little to no care about his companion who keeps ranting beside him.

“Don’t they realize that we are the worst set of people they could ever choose?”

The complaints echoed within the hallway surrounded by sandstone with dusts of sand littering the air. The path ahead and even the space all the way back, deeply hidden in pitch darkness. The pair can only have an idea of where they are with the ignited torch illuminating the area, promptly carried by a man with a silver hair, who is starting to get bothered with the broken radio his ears have had the luxury of listening to.

“Why didn’t you just go here alone, isn’t that what you’ve always preferred? I’m sure that you wouldn’t want someone like me disturb you on something like this!”

He hardens his grip on the torch, squeezing its handle with his palm. As they keep moving forward, he sharpens his eyes toward their surroundings, anticipating any trap set up to interrupt their walk that could even quite possibly harm them. But so far, he hasn’t noticed anything nor did it ever seem to him that they were near at triggering one.

Maybe the real trap is being with him, and that trap is about to trigger something far worse than itself.

“Bah! Why did I even agree in joining you?”

Bingo.

“You seem to have hit the mark, Kaveh.” The silver-haired man spoke, facing him annoyingly as he ceased walking.

“What? Did you really think I had a choice? If I didn’t, then the Academy would be crossed with me and I don’t particularly desire to do that.” Kaveh answered him with what should be an already obvious piece of knowledge.

“That was an oversight. You could have simply chose to reject my invitation and I would’ve not bothered one bit.” His adversary coldly retorted back.

“And so? What would you have told them then? That—that I disagree with their decisions simply because I dislike sharing my time with you? Do you know how much that stains my fragile reputation within the Academy?” Kaveh replied, emphasizing the consequences of not accepting one of their tasks because of a petty reason.

“Of course, this is not just about me, but you as well, haven’t you realized? They put so much trust in their beloved scribe to be able to finish any tasks they give you. To see you fail in following them because of personal causes would just be contrary to the principles of the greatly knowledgeable Alhaitham, won’t it?” He continued to loudly speak as he tries to hammer his point.

“That is where you are mistaken.” Alhaitham stops Kaveh in his line of thought with a serious look on his face.

Kaveh slowly closes his mouth as he seems surprised at Alhaitham’s reply.

“We’re nearing the end of this task, so I hope that you do not continue this fiasco any further before I answer you. Yes, the implications are correct, indeed there are hundreds of architects here and there that will be much more willing to undertake this along with me. Yet, even with our personal differences, I still stood by their decision. I hope you know the reason why.” Alhaitham answered, hoping to dispel some of Kaveh’s doubts in his mind.

The two continue to gaze at each other, time seemingly slowing down.

“Is there anything else you’d like to say before we continue along? Or are you going to keep bugging me all about it as we go and I leave you to your own devices here?” Alhaitham asks, knowing full well that he’ll only accept one choice only.

Kaveh closes his eyes and sighs.

“Alright, I’ll only speak if it’s related to our task. I have realized that I may have become too insufferable for you to handle. I want to—“

Midway his heartfelt sentiments, he was interrupted by the sounds of footsteps as opens his eyes to an Alhaitham that already continued his walking down the hall.

He winces to himself as he realizes that he was about to apologize to Alhaitham, to him. A thought that makes him sick to his own stomach. How much of a heavy blow to his own ego that would be and how much it would inflate Alhaitham’s.

Quite frankly, he should have known better.

“Argh! Goddamn it! WAIT!” Kaveh shouts at his junior ahead of him after he recollected himself after that thought.

…

…

…

Alhaitham continues to walk forward as he allows the torch to illuminate away the dark that has surprisingly not creeped out the man. Not even when he sees a shadow on the walls growing larger, sensing that the whining baby behind has caught up to him.

“You….why did you just leave me there like that?” Kaveh tries to make his words coherent as he struggles from catching his breath as they finally walk together again.

“I did not leave you, what do you mean?” Alhaitham replies, appearing unbothered by Kaveh’s state.

“Yes, you just did! You didn’t even let me know that I closed my eyes for that long. And to leave me in a place like this, in the dark.”

Frustration evident in Kaveh’s tone as he hints that maybe his companion doesn’t seem to care about him one bit.

“Well, I’m still here, aren’t I?” Alhaitham clarifies, taking it seriously and literally.

Yet, something in what he said made Kaveh soften his look. Almost like when someone presents a plushie of a smiling Aranara in front of a stressed student. That kind of tamed look.

“You could have just left me behind. Seeing how much you can’t stand me, you won’t leave me wondering one bit if you decide to do that. For all I know, you may have some other intentions.” Kaveh looked surprised as he realized the words that just rolled out from his tongue.

Alhaitham stops walking as he stares ahead, continuously and slowly switching his gaze towards the upper corners of his eyes.

Kaveh was left speechless after his own accusation. Sure, words as sharp as knives were mutually acceptable between them whenever they see or interact with each other, but they don’t point fingers, they are never as antagonistic like that.

He could only look down the ground while he dusted off the sand that collected around his shoes and pants after running. Feeling embarrassment in front of a person he should not feel because of.

It is true that he had that kind of firecracker at the back of his mind, but he never intended to say that to him. Alhaitham despises him, that was not news to him, but this he will say: The way he expresses his thoughts from their moments together that life has destined and forced them to be in, are as sophisticated as his carefully-crafted arrogant, indifferent, and sometimes lazy of a personality. He never stoops down to a low.

Knowing that his rival is scared of the dark and taking advantage of that by leaving him alone in a place like this is just unlike him, he’s not that unkind.

“I think you’re displaying your lack of understanding here. It would just be stupidly impractical of me to leave you behind as pathetically as that. I must admit, you were a great help in the first stages of our journey here, and I won’t deny the possibility of you repeating that again. Everything you’ve said is correct. But losing you then, or losing you right now.......would greatly affect my mission efficiency.”

Alhaitham admits with a small tender tone of acceptance.

Kaveh carried on as he continued to dust his shoes and pants off without noticing what Alhaitham thought of him.

But that’s from an outward appearance.

Inside, he couldn’t believe the words that he was listening to.

Did he just passively say that he needs me?

“Don’t get your knickers in the twist. We still haven’t finished here, and I’ll correctly predict like I always used to, that this will be the last time that you’ll be remotely useful in my presence.” A small amount of venom were present in those words. Alhaitham looks to his senior with a sharp gaze.

Something seemed to snap in Kaveh’s mind.

He straightened his posture back to normal as he opened his mouth, looking at Alhaitham, words ready to come out of it.

But he remembered what he said to him before.

All that he could force out was a frustrated sigh.

“Alright, enough with this bickering. I’ve heard enough from you about all of it. Let’s just continue and get this over with, yes? We’ve been through a lot this day and I’m exhausted.” Kaveh returned Alhaitham’s attitude during their entire affair, an admittance of defeat.

He was given with a nod in return.

…

…

…

They both look ahead of them, seeing the dark hallway that seemed limitless. This has been a long day after all, and it’s ought to be finished now.

-

“Wait, might I ask as to if we’re near?” The blonde asked.

“We would’ve been there minutes ago had you just not talked until we were there.” Of course, the usual answer.

“Oh, how I’ve longed to hear that again.” And now, the snarky answer.

 “I don’t know why you’re putting the blame on me, you’re the one that keeps on blabbing.”

[gumasantan]

GUYS PLEASE WAIT 😭😭

im struggling with writer’s block rn while im writing this haikaveh fic that should have been completed days ago but yeah ;;; also college is starting again so yeah FUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!

ITS GONNA COME SOON DONT YOU WORRY BABY

[gumasantan]

the price of discovery

about: a venti-focused space exploration AU fic with his anemo friends (scara, kazuha, heizou, aether, and xiao).

word count: ~3.1k words.

author's note: I implore you to listen to the 'outer wilds - traveler' OST (just 4 mins) after reading this one to maximize reading experience as that piece of beautiful music inspired this fic! please, enjoy!

“Let’s all meet again after we’re all done with this, alright?”

“Speaking of. You owe us a couple of drinks back in Angel’s Share!”

“Yeah! You promised to treat us, remember? Besides, I want to listen to the music there again.”

“The atmosphere there is truly sublime.”

“What was the name of the song that Five-fingered José keeps playing? It sets the tone…”

“Come to think of it, I think we all share one favorite piece of music from him, don’t we?”

-

Had quite the terrible start to my day here. I’d posit that the rough, impactful landing obliterated the landing gear of my probe, and it must’ve broken the headlights too. On the other hand, all the vital components like the navigator, suit cabinet, and the mapper seem to be okay. I’ve checked all the circuitry inside and nothing seems to be damaged apart from some worn-out wiring here and there. Eh, I would be able to fix that anyway in a short amount of time! I’m lucky that it did not do anything to my scouter and signaler, or else I would be blind as a bat and deaf as a....I don’t know what to put as a metaphor here.

Oh, I’ve never said why it had gone like that. Well, this planet was assigned for me and the moment I entered the stratosphere I saw TORNADOES literally EVERYWHERE! Their vortices are HUUGEE! In fact, I’m staring at one right now. Thankfully, it doesn’t seem to be heading here. This spot that I had landed on seemed to be avoided by the tornadoes so far.

Anyway, when you have tornadoes then that means you got to have a storm incoming, so there is an awful lot of raining occurring here. So much so that my canopy got instantly moisturized by the raindrops and it blocked my view to the point that the turbulent alerts just went off everywhere and the next thing I know, I was in this island of some sort.

First impressions: Not good.

Also, it’s pretty damn foggy here! I can’t see without the light from my visor!

Now then, I think this is a good start to record stuff I experience and find, soon enough. Must set up camp first!

= Day 1, Venti’s Planet =

-

I decided to skip days of writing so that I could provide a lot of information here for the sake of the Astronomical Newspaper Monthly to get as much substance for their columns as possible and to the poor kind that might find this journal next to my deceased body. Ehe, just kidding!

OKAY, so I parked my shuttle more properly now, standing upright next to my camp. Oh yeah, I managed to completely repair the landing gear but not the headlights. I never quite thought of it breaking so I didn’t bring any spare supplies for that. Unless there are aluminum or copper that I could source here then I would suggest to myself that I find other materials for luminescence here. Since I’ve figured by the days that this planet seems to be made of one BIG ocean, I will be surprised if I managed to find some.

My camp is simply composed of a pillow, a hammock, a campfire that I set up, and umm…yeah, it’s pretty barebones. THE THING IS, I thought that this place would be more pleasant because I expected something like back in Teyvat and land somewhere like in Mondstadt with the greenest plains and the breeziest of mountains. Oh, how I’ve come to miss the place and the people already, especially my friends. So, it didn’t dawn to me that I should bring much more in case things didn’t go to plan. Well, completely my fault, I should’ve been wiser to know that things don’t REALLY go to plan in much of space expeditions that has happened so far.

And the planet? I can’t describe much on foot. To the north are sand and ocean; to the south are sand and ocean, and so is the case toward east and west. I suppose I’m stuck here until I somehow, with the assistance of the archons (that are probably not watching me all the way here), manage to fix those pesky headlights. I’m NOT venturing out there without being able to see anything unless it’s like a meter away from me!

Most of the descriptions from my first entry remain true:

I highly believe that this is an ocean planet.

It is dominated by thunderstorms and tornadoes.

A LOT of tornadoes.

The raining just never stops.

It’s still foggy, but not as bad as before.

BUT, I set up my camp near two coconut trees where I tied my hammock to. With that, and water existing here, there may be possibly some form of life inhabiting this place. If so, I really hope to Celestia above that they’re not hostile or something like that, or else I’ll become a delicious piece of a rare steak here.

I’ll send a distress signal to one of our boys down there back at the Starsnatch station to send spare parts for my headlights if they can.

= Day 12, Venti’s Planet =

P.S. I heard a banjo being played within the higher frequencies from 30 million miles away. I swear I’ve heard that tune somewhere…was it E.T. playing that banjo? I didn’t hear any human voices.

...

...

...

I think this will be the 11th time where I’ll complain that I didn’t bring apples or any kind of booze (to drink myself to) in my trip. I mean, I’m grateful for the seeds that I carried in my trip with which I’ve had something to sustain myself with, but some of them are just so bitter and lack any kind of flavor! At least the roasted carrots and potatoes taste good…

Oh, and yeah, status report: I’m still alive.

As much as I would like to see further beyond the horizon, I won’t risk launching my scouter there. Although I did stick it up to the top of the coconut tree and managed to sight some sort of an island-but-not-quite over to the west. Now, I thought that it was just a normal island like this one, but, as it turns out, it moves with the current of the ocean! At one point, it was on my left, and in another, it moved to the right! I want to explore that place, but I would not dare swim in these conditions!

I could probably go back to Teyvat even without my headlights because I can just ascend in the same longitude here and out into transparent space but unfortunately, I won’t have enough supplies on my way back unless I stock up. That…will probably take a longer time than if I just waited for the engineers to come here. Even so, what’s a journey worth giving up for if the wind is telling me to stay?

It’s pretty boring here though. I’d admit that I’ve been using the signaler to listen to frequencies with some semblance of human activity, but it can’t go low enough. If there are any sentient beings here that are possibly observing this alien that have landed on their planet right now, they must think that he’s looking for a treasure with how much he has been looking like a pirate using something that looks like a telescope, however a mad one as he keeps aiming towards the sky!

I wonder how well the journey have been for my friends from afar.

Also, I’ve detected a timpani that kept on beating repeatedly from 90 million miles away with my signaler. Those aliens really like those percussions, don’t they?

= Day 100, Venti’s Planet =

...

...

...

You might think that living in this kind of environment might seem scary to humans like me?

And that’s correct.

I’m here on a distant, strange planet on some remote island somewhere with tornadoes out there ready to spiral me away while being blanketed with unpredictable thunderstorms from above. You know, at this point, I’m just annoyed of having to set up the campfire over and over again.

It’s scary, it’s definitely scary.

But seeing that green symbol on the side of my ship: It gives wings to my mind, and a free soul to my heart. It reminds me how much I value this freedom that I’ve been granted, committing myself to adventure alongside others who felt that they are courageous enough to venture the outer worlds.

What’s beyond out there? Then we’ll go see it for ourselves.

Call us daring, stupid, daringly stupid, or whatever. We don’t care.

We’ll carry this curiosity of the things that lie ahead of us within the covers of the night.

I’m just annoyed that I’ll have to inevitably feel lonely each time I go into an expedition such as this one. I’ve just been replaying all the conversations that my friends and I have had over the years as something to entertain myself with, I’ve grown tired of my surroundings. But, I’m not COMPLETELY out of luck right now, because as I was scrounging recently through the tools I brought here, I was surprised to see my lyre!

Now, I can play whatever I fancy like those instruments from various places. I would add to the list a flute, humming lowly from 300 million miles away. They’re all so far from me! I still wonder who are playing those…

…But I CAN’T WAIT to play a lot of my favorite songs here!

~Oh lei, Oh lai, Oh lord!~

Nothing interesting to report about though.

= Day 145, Venti’s Planet =

...

...

...

Is there anything noteworthy that has happened? No.

I’ve just resorted to making this a personal journal rather than documenting everything that has happened here. I’m amazed that I haven’t gone crazy like that one Klee who was stuck in the golden something archipelago, and ended up being a pyromaniac after she returned from long isolation within that place.

Don’t worry, I don’t intend to become an arsonist nor have I felt any urging desire to make things explode, at least not quite yet.

Even if I do, what the hell am I going to burn here? My probe?

It’s just, yeah. I have no one to talk to. If it isn’t obvious already, my signaler can’t pick up any of the lower frequencies to tap into communications with anyone back home, or any one of my friends out there for that matter. So, I guess I’m all alone here since I made my landing. Even talking to my little coconut friend Wilson as an actual friend won’t suffice anymore.

I think all this time being alone had affected me, I just can’t describe exactly what it is. My mind has become fuzzier as the moments continue to pass by. Like when I looked up with my signaler, I heard someone whistling a tune from way over half a billion miles away. A tune that I’m familiar with, but can’t pinpoint what is it and where it came from.

That reminds me, though! I adjusted the signaler to another angle so that it hears the other instruments. As I listened to them one by one, I realized something. They’re all going for that same tune within the same duration of 12 seconds, at the same key: G major.

I could just imagine it: The banjo and the whistling harmonizes with the flute that’s acting like a bass as the timpani beats to set the same tempo.

It’s sort of…nostalgic.

Are they supposed to complement each other like that, or is it just a crazy coincidence?

I sat there, listening to them one-by-one, all day long. I roasted some potatoes if ever I get hungry from time to time, before laying down and pointing my signaler towards the sky again.

I guess it compelled me to try and replicate the same tune with my lyre.

= Day 187, Venti’s Planet =

...

...

...

I’ve got something interesting to report about now!

Unlike the generic, self-pity rants that I’ve been writing recently in this journal, I have made a worthwhile discovery!

At the 55 degree angle using the signaler, I’ve detected another instrument playing! This one, it’s playing from 2 billion miles away, each one I find just keeps increasing in distance, don’t they? The tone is clear like a piano, but unlike a piano, it sounds so calm and serene. It makes me feel more relaxed than a piano. A kalimba perhaps?

But, it doesn’t seem to play the same melody like the others that I’ve discovered. Sure, it’s at the same tempo, yet, it sounds so different when you hear it all alone by itself. It gives the impression that it’s trying to contrast the music that has been drilled into my head. Like a counterpoint as they say in musical terms.

I can’t say for sure since I haven’t heard all 5 play at the same time, unless I get really far enough from even the furthest one to scope them out in one view, at one angle, from a point in the universe that hasn’t been expanded into yet.

I’ve theorized that they may not be aliens at all, because I swear I’ve heard this from somewhere.

And if they all aim to play along the same lines, even unknowingly, then it wouldn’t be nonsense to assume that they’ve heard it generally from the same place that I’ve heard it in too.

I just can’t remember what it is, it’s been so long since I’ve heard something Teyvatlike.

Heck, I would even go as far as to say that I won’t know how to interact with humans anymore once I see one. Being alone…

…It’s more terrifying than everything I’ve seen here in this planet.

= Day 230, Venti’s Planet =

...

...

...

I throw my lyre away across the campfire.

“Ahh!”

I realized how much frustration I have been holding in, not with being bored, but with being alone.

Should a man let himself turn into an island?

I love being all out here, but I don’t love being all out here on my own!

Sighing, I stand up as I walk towards my lyre, picking it up and dusting off the sands it gathered. The worst part is, I chose to undergo this myself. Blame appears in my own form, not of someone else’s.

To be honest, I wasn’t lying when I wrote that I truly love adventuring out in space, but the fact that I have to go out there all by myself, I won’t be getting used to that.

As I keep my composure, my mind could only trace back to the last words one of my friends told me and the others before we embarked on our own missions:

-

“Alive we love, drift together, flow apart, and go alone. Lonesome we may become, but I believe that our hearts won’t fail to remember our own.”

-

It dawned to me that they’re out there on their own planets, probably experiencing the same things I’m experiencing here, who knows? Maybe the angry rants, thrills of curiosity, moments of fleeting happiness turning into eventual loneliness are shared familiarities.

“Huh...”

I go back to laying down on my hammock as the erratic rainfall drenches my suit. Grabbing my signaler, I look upwards to the green, dark clouds at an angle where I hope I could listen to the same instruments that have been there since his second week in this planet he calls his own.

I listen to the same instruments playing the same tune they have been playing for a long time. That longing feeling that I keep feeling eventually prompts my mind to recollect memories with my friends. I certainly haven’t forgotten them.

That one time when we first signed up to the expedition group, how excited we were. And that other time where we just hang around under a giant tree, lush leaves dancing seamlessly with the brevity of the breezing wind. How much we appreciated that sight.

I particularly adore this one time where we were in a tavern, drinking to the sorrows of one of our friends after her girlfriend had just broken up with her. How edgy he became, and how we helped him move on with both our silliness and seriousness. The conversation went on until most of us were just silent, letting the wine seep out of our consciousness, as we listen to a guitarist playing in the background, playing a tranquil but short melody.

For me, it was such a perfect note to end that day with because of how—

Note.

...

...

...

That tune.

I swear…

…Was that I’ve been listening to all along?

I put down my signaler with my face in pure awe.

Silence ran in the air before I immediately snatched my signaler, looking up to the sky.

From the strumming, to the beating, the low humming, then the whistling, and lastly, to the dinging.

No way…

I try to suppress my sniffing behind my signaler.

“It can’t be them, surely! Other people might’ve listened to the same tune too?”

Piecing it together, I wanted to create an unfinished puzzle, but I couldn’t.

It seems so good to be true.

It’s up to me whether to believe it or not.

As travelers, we take pride in limitless perseverance in the face of the unknown. We tread on that fine line between courage and indeed stupidity guided with the purity of our hearts.

The intention is always the same, we explore in the name of satiating our own curiosities. We do not default to what we want to believe in, because we will keep on attempting to cross that ever-retreating border which confines the unexplored possibilities that leads to greater knowledge.

Believe at what’s the end of the adventure.

That’s always been our unwritten rule.

…

...

...

For now, I want to break that rule.

I feel a single tear stream down my face.

“It was all of you all along…”

You were trying to let all of your presence be known to each other. To me.

“Kazuha, Aether, Heizou, Scara, Xiao…”

I grab my lyre to my right side, strumming that same song that I’ve been playing with them all this time.

“There was a party all along, and I wasn’t even made aware of it?”

I chuckled.

“That, alone, strengthens me to keep going.”

“It’s scary here, but you all have been there for me.”

“Even if we’re a million, billion miles away from each other, even if it’s been almost 6 years since we last saw each other. Thank you for reminding me that I’m not alone.”

The ensemble is finally completed.

[gumasantan]

AN OVERDUE APOLOGY

I'M SORRY IF I KEEP WRITING ANGST I REALLY AM!! I PROMISE TO TREAT MYSELF BETTER NEXT TIME BUT I FEEL HAPPY WITH MYSELF OF BEING ABLE TO WRITE 5 FICS SO FAR

DW DW, IM PLANNING TO EXPLORE MORE FANDOMS OTHER THAN GENSHIN, AND I HAVE TO TRAIN MYSELF HOW TO WRITE HAPPINESS ASDHJKJSHDJDAS

[gumasantan]

my gift for you: a ganqing oneshot

about: a modern AU with keqing, ganyu, and zhongli.

warning (?): something that might sadden you, very angsty!

word count: ~3k words, like YEEEESSS it's not that long anymore!

author's note: this is my fav ship here in genshin, so i took care of writing this one. there may be few rough edges here and there, but i think it serves the purpose, and also, i'm happy with it! please, enjoy!

Today is a fair day.

After the spring has forced the clouds to rain, it paved way for a season of cool wind breathing alongside the warm rays of light emanating from mister sun above from the sky. All sunshine crashing down upon the glowing townscape, still sparkling from the remnants of the rainy weather that has passed by days before.

Along the streets, people go about their usual lives: Selling at their own stores, crowds clothed in suits on their way to their work, and others having the luxury of a relaxing day by doing what they want to do. Automobiles strolling by the drying asphalt, not a whole lot of traffic like back then when it rained. There is some pleasure to be had when one sees a view of an open space in the roads with no rows of cars, trucks, vans, and motorcycles filling it all up. It looks tidier.

One sidewalk happens to serve a peculiar blue-haired woman, quite reflecting the snow that rained upon the town months prior, in a white cardigan and a purple scarf that matched her black leggings. She wears a golden hairpin with a flower ornament on the right side of her hair.

Everything goes on…

She carries a sling bag by her shoulders, alongside a bouquet of what seems to be lilacs. Her walk is not that of a saunter, but rather, deceptive quick steps in small paces. In a bit of a hurry, but not wanting to appear so. Yet, her expression suggests otherwise: She looks calm and collected.

Where is she going?

-

“I’m going back, I want to see you again…” She mutters silently to herself.

As she keeps walking, she passes by many shops one after another. The places display an assortment of usual convenience store products and general merchandise goods, the type of stuff you would expect from a place in the countryside.

She eventually reaches the point where the selling stops, at a stand that sells a variety of seafoods: Some ready to be eaten raw, like sashimi and calamari, and some needing to be cooked first, like fried cuttlefish and fried shrimp balls, among others.

She comes to a halt beside the stand.

“I suppose she would like this, but she’s been having too much of these lately.” She speaks to herself, letting the aroma tickle her sense of smell while looking straight ahead, still.

“Nevermind.” She continues to walk forward.

-

Her expression has changed shortly after: From looking calm to looking melancholic. She tries to force herself to look normally, but can’t help herself as her lips slowly transform into a slight frown and look towards the distance rather than what’s actually in front of her.

It didn’t take long for her to trip.

Her clumsiness and unawareness are to blame. She looks behind with a pained look on her face, and found that a pebble was responsible for her downfall.

Somehow, she managed to clutch onto her bouquet of flowers, but her golden hairpin was clumsily attached, and it fell from her hair, distances away from where she is.

“Damn it, where is it?” She curses.

She looks to the right, but cannot find it. She looks to the left, but cannot find it as well.

She’s not particularly that type of person who searches at every place for something she lost, but this instance, she wouldn’t let that habit of hers get in the way; evident by the hilariously amount of time she’s spending just to find it.

“No, no…I can’t lose that.” She admits to herself as she walks around.

There seems to be a highly sentimental value in that hairpin that she just lost. Trying to find it like it’s the last thing her life is depending on, even soiling herself in the process.

Don’t lose it, alright? I’m not losing mine.

She keeps searching as she tries to compose herself, not wanting to cry because of it.

“Miss, is this what you’re searching for?” A low-pitched voice was heard. 

-

She looks up as she notices a towering shadow painted on the ground.

He seemed familiar to her. A mature-looking man fully suited in an office attire, with short black hair featuring brown ends off of it.

And he’s holding the jackpot.

“Sir Zhongli?” She clarifies.

He looked surprised.

“Ah, Miss Ganyu!” He exclaims.

He reaches out his hand to help her get up. She accepts his assistance.

“Were you looking for this hairpin? It was over there.” He gestures to the spot meters away.

She was nowhere near, but she could only wonder how such a tiny object can end up that far. She shakes off some dirt that collected in her leggings, wanting to appear as clean as possible.

“Yes, you got it! Thank you for saving me the trouble.” She smiles, feeling all of her worries wash away in that instant.

He gently hands her the hairpin that he found, allowing her to wear the hairpin back on again. This time, checking if it cannot fall that easily anymore.

“Does it look properly put on? Does it not look out of place?” She asks him, wanting to see if the hairpin was attached correctly.

He feels his cheeks getting a bit rosy.

“Um…yes, miss. I would remark further that it looks quite natural on you.” He assures her while trying to maintain a stern look in his face.

“Thank you. And thank you once more for finding this. She would be furious if she didn’t see me wearing this.” She expresses her gratitude with a warm smile, emphasizing how much help he had lent her.

He nods lightly and returns her warm smile with his.

“Ah, Miss Ganyu! May I ask, were you referring to Miss Keqing just then?” He asks curiously.

She nods back, maintaining her smile with a hummed reply.

“I see. You’re her partner right? If it doesn’t create much of a bother, may I ask you to do a small favor from mine and ask her whenever she’s willing to pay my miniature golden horse that she smashed? Like she promised to do so?” He explains to her.

Her smile then quickly disappeared, returning him with a confused look.

“She did what?”

“Well, you see, miss, I brought it to work once, and as her blockmate in the office, she was so annoyed seeing it near her workplace that she threw it onto the ground, and smashed it with her foot while exclaiming ‘That lucky charm nonsense’ or something like that. But she calmed down immediately after, promising to pay for it, yet never apologized to me about it...”

She giggled, putting her hand on her mouth, hiding her smile.

“Classic Keqing. Well, I’ll be sure to pass on your concerns to her. She is a woman of her words after all.” Her smiled has returned once more as she guarantees to make true of his favor.

He bows in front of her.

“I dedicate you my thanks, Miss Ganyu! Please, allow me to not obstruct you any longer and let’s mind our own businesses now, shall we?” He suggests, before waving his goodbyes at her and continuing along with his day.

She waves back at his figure getting smaller by the distance.

She remains unmoving, still looking at the direction he’s going.

An amused look turning into rather a blank expression.

“Her ‘partner’, huh…” She says as she closes her eyes.

Please, Ganyu, let’s do this...

“You’re really good at being private. Even with how workaholic you are, your closest co-worker doesn’t even know what happened, and everything beyond that…” She comments wistfully, voice trailing off at the end of her sentence.

-

She opens her eyes, fixes herself, firmly clutching her bouquet so that it may not end up to the ground like her hairpin. Because it would’ve been much more of a mess, an unrecoverable mess.

Quickly recuperating herself, and noticing how much time has been spent, she starts walking, but now in a brisk manner, without disturbing much of her soft clothing. With how fast she’s walking, she’s starting to look like someone that could not afford any more time, like she’s chasing something before it goes away.

She notices that she’s nearer to her destination now, her entire goal all along, which was just two blocks away from where she is.

Yet, there was something else standing between her and her endpoint.

While she was running, she notices the place, almost as if it’s instinctive to her. She slows her walk and pauses herself, before turning to her right. She scans the area as she takes in its familiar atmosphere: The lively lights, the artistry evident on the walls, and the name of the place:

=

Rice and Latte on the Rocks.

=

From beyond the windows, she could see the picture portraying the most delicious meal:

Prosperous Peace.

Though, instead of feeling relieved, feeling lightened, or at least feeling some bubbles forming within the corner of her lips. She felt…sad. Similar to that gloomy mood that has been floating in the air around her today wherever she goes.

She stopped herself aside, by the farthest window on the left, and looked inwards the café.

It still looked the same, elegant as ever. The lighting inside was expertly placed to make every customer feel as warm as they can, like they’re back in their homes. Wooden chairs leathered with black, orange, and red fabrics littered the place. The walls are made of real bricks, decorated with illustrations of famous cities around the world, making it feel classic but modern at the same time.

Of course, the highlight of this place would definitely be the menu. Not only does it sell the best tasting frappes, coffees, and smoothies around the town, colored with a lot of different flavors, but it also sells charming pastries, uplifting breakfast meals, and for her, the best vegetarian meals ever. The best-dressed salads, softest tofu, and the most refreshing water. Ever.

The meal called ‘Prosperous Peace’ would be her favorite out of all. The combination of rice, soy sauce, cauliflowers, carrots, plus the fragrance of the lilies, feels like something created in heaven.

Her few friends dislike the vegetarian meals she loved because of the choice of ingredients: Pure green, not a whole of flavor, but a whole lot of bitterness.

Anyone, no matter how sad and angry they might feel, would always sense energy rushing back into them once they are presented with a picture of their favorite meals. Food is everyone’s cure.

But for her, it didn’t seem to work for now.

She switches her gaze from the menu to a table near the window she’s looking from.

This is so bitter! Ugh…how could you like this, sweetheart?

“Yes, miss. It is bitter. It’s so bitter. So bitter…that it hurts.” She mutters under her breath, making sure that no one heard her say anything.

Her contemplative look returns, as seen on the reflection off the window.

The café doesn’t seem to be as filled like usually at this time of the day, she continues to gaze at the two empty seats beside the table she’s been staring at.

Look, I’m not doing this because of what you think. It’s entirely for a different reason…

Her face gradually loses its’ pensiveness, and she became irritated after a few seconds. Yet, the irritation does not feel like it comes from herself. She definitely feels frustrated, but it’s not self-directed.

She swears she could see an apparition of theirselves sitting on the two empty chairs, talking to each other with both of their hands tightly held on the empty table.

“Keqing…” She whispered to the window.

If I don’t, then you would be stuck in this prison you won’t be able to escape forever…

She remembers that fateful day.

How dare she do it in a place where much of their memories are contained within, she couldn’t even care less if this place served her favorite food. But now, she’ll always have to bear this weight whenever she wants to go back for it.

She couldn’t care less about what she wants herself, she prioritizes her Keqing, and everything her Keqing wants.

She wants to. She had to.

Thank you. Trust me, Ganyu, you won’t have to suffer for much too long, because I love you that much…

“You’re so selfish. So, so selfish.” She says as her breathing gets faster and faster, with her mind still suck at that very singular occasion.

Her eyes are starting to feel the wetness but she would force herself to stop, something that she had learned from her. Although the pain has manifested itself as that growing heaviness in her chest, she realizes how much more pain there is left to bear after what happened that day…

…And what is happening now.

I know I’ve hurt you too much, but I want you to know that you can only visit me whenever you feel like it. Please don’t ever, ever feel sympathetic for me…

Sometimes, it becomes a bit too much for her. All those nights made sleepless due to sessions of aggrieved weeping and those opportunities lost to moments of silent suffering.

That was the last time they had ever met in-person, and talked.

What’s a pain to bear should it prove meaningless in the end?

And who decides if it’s meaningless in the end anyway?

She had agonized enough, and she doesn’t intend to let it go long for any longer. She may be close to the breaking point, but she’s been risking that bit of sanity ever since that day, hoping that this time, something pulls her out of the edge of the cliff.

Pulled by her.

Realizing that she had spent too much time in self-pity, she straightens herself again, making sure that no drops of tears are evident around her eyes.

She wouldn’t want that to see once she appears in front of her.

She holds the flower bouquet as confidently as she can, straightening her posture and commanding her face to look normal again, so that people may perceive that she’s not going through something bad, even if she is.

She leans away from the window.

And passes by the café, walking towards the entrance of her destination at its side.

With a determined look on her face, she glances again to the name of the place, before entering it.

I think I’ll be stuck in the town hospital if it ever happens again.

-

She enters the reception area, busy noises immediately filled her ears. The familiar white walls seen at every corner of the entrance hall.

Patients and nurses conversed at the triage ward to the right, with people lining up at the outpatient ward to the left. As the only health center in the town, it has no choice but to admit any of its residents coming in for many different reasons.

She became dazed by the environment around her, but refocuses her attention to the receptionist behind the desk.

I want you to have another chance at happiness in life.

She heads towards the receptionist, grasping her bouquet of flowers close to her. Feeling nervous and eagerness in seeing her again.

“Umm…excuse me, miss?” She asks.

“Yes, miss. What’s your name and what are you here for? If you’re going to get yourself checked up then please, line up along the others to the left over there.” She replies, gesturing to the row of chairs behind her.

“Not exactly, miss. Um…my name is Ganyu, and I’m here to visit my…”

She trails at the end, stopping herself.

The receptionist looks at her wonderingly.  

“…my girlfriend.”

She’s going to do everything just to see her, even if she has to lie convincingly.

“Oh, I see. Can you tell me her name and where her room is so we could see if you would be able to visit her?” The receptionist asks.

For Ganyu, time seemed to tick faster, yet stop.

“Her name is Keqing, but she hasn’t told me of any room number or any particular place she is situated in.” She replies with an honest tone in her voice.

“Oh, that’s alright. Keqing, right?” The receptionist asks once more.

A nod was Ganyu’s only answer, making sure that her nervousness in her voice wasn’t to be heard.

“Okay, miss, if you could just give me seconds to look her up…”

Silence occupied both parties as one waits for the other’s answer.

“Miss, I’ve found her, and the room she was assigned to.”

Finally.

“Thank you, miss. Where is she?” She asks, trying to conceal her slight excitement.

The receptionist sighed.

“Miss, we have her records here, but she’s not confined here anymore. Now, someone different is occupying the room she was previously in.”

What?

“Not confined here anymore? Was she transferred to another hospital?” She inquires further, with her voice growing tenser.

“Well, no miss. We don’t have any records of her being transferred to another facility nor any records indicating that she was discharged.”

She replies vaguely, as if she’s trying to hide something.

An aching and pulsating feeling is starting to be felt in Ganyu’s forehead.

“I did find one of her documents…someplace else.”

Under anxious breathing, she tried to ask the receptionist a question, but never quite managed to finish it.

“Could it be...?”

-

A blue-haired woman was seen rushing towards the hospital’s restrooms.

She was running so fast that it ruffled the bouquet of flowers she held tightly, and something from her hair was seen falling and clanging to the floor.

Inside the restroom, its only occupant went immediately straight to the sink, where the girl clutched her head, trying to manage her nauseous feeling and bad headache.

She dropped her disheveled bouquet on the toilet floor.

She looks at the mirror, with a reddish face and messed up hair.

“Keqing…I’m sorry!”

She tried to scream but was unable to, still struggling to catch her breathing.

She stared at her own reflection, keeping herself still. Moments away from losing it.

I’ll be waiting there for you, always…

And the waterworks began.

[gumasantan]

hemorrhage: a yaeyato oneshot

about: a yakuza AU with yae miko of the grand narukami shrine and kamisato ayato of the kamisato clan.

word count: ~4.5k words (istg these oneshots just keep getting longer and longer).

author's note: requested by one of my moots, had real fun writing this one! next fic would be ~10k words long now HAHAHAHA anyway, please enjoy!

Bang!

…

…

…

A loud thud resounded within the room, immediately followed by a deafening silence.

Sounds of footsteps shortly filled the quiet space, heading towards the source of the noise.

The pink-haired woman stares keenly at what’s laying in front of her before looking to the fabric that has been fully stained with red through and through.

This is gonna be such a mess for the poor bastard that’s going to tidy this up.

Appearing unimpressed, she sighs as she walks over the lifeless corpse beneath her and towards the window. The rain that’s slowly but quickly dripping over the glass hazes the lively glows of the cityscape over on the other side. She gazes wistfully at the sight that cannot be absorbed.

Expressing slight disappointment with a frown, she turns around and sits down on the office chair.  With the same unamused look, she puts her weapon down, reached inside both of her pockets and grabbed a cigarette in her left and a lighter in the right. Like a match made in heaven.

Flick!

“It’s so damn cold here.” She grumbles to no one.

As she attempts to conceal her shivering as if she’s hiding her anxiety while negotiating for a juicy deal in front of three businessmen— Oh.

She inhales the rough flavor of tobacco and blows the smoke outwards carelessly.

At least here no one will fucking complain.

She flicks the burning cigarette once more before putting it again in her mouth, withering it to crisp in one go and throwing its butt to the wall. Giving herself time to soak some warmth back to her chilly form, she puts down her sunglasses to the table and forcefully takes her phone from her pocket.

Letting her back fall onto the chair, she sets her foot aside on the wooden furniture.

She looks up to the ceiling and closes her eyes, allowing some of that fatigue to melt just so she could recover some of that lost energy in this day that seems to go on without end. Not her first time, but she could just never get used to it. God help her if she ever did.

A few seconds have passed by and she finally let herself enter back into consciousness.

She opens her phone that she has tightly held in front of her, and is greeted by the ever-familiar sight of a young man with a hair that reflects the color of the sky, magnificently contrasting with his maroon tuxedo, tightest as it can get to reveal some form of his true build.

Unbeknownst to her, whether by impulse or conscious choice, she purred at the sight.

Her look became that of a miner who had just struck gold, or rather, diamond for that matter. Tantalized by the figure her eyes had seen, she swayed her fingers towards her phone, gently caressing the screen, with the desire of someone that wants them to just morph out of their pixelated form right there, right then.

“Oh…how badly I just want to be with you.” His enchantment has seemed to work once more.

“I promise you. I would never have anyone have their way with you. Only me, and me only.” With a teasing tone in her voice.

She giggled slightly as she tried to wear off that fleeting moment of temptation which have been recurrently disrupting her otherwise serious approach to her work, but it had never bothered her in the slightest.

Oh…you’re going to be the death of me. And I’m gonna make myself your death too.

As quick as she became roused in that instant, she swiftly managed to switch her attention back to her task at hand. She finally opened her phone and worked her way to her contacts list, scrolling past what seemed like thousands of numbers, looking for the right one to message. Tapping on the number, she typed:

=

“I got the right guy. Expect no more disturbance from him.” 

=

-

She sent the message seconds before hearing a sound that confirmed its delivery. She turned her phone off as she let her mind wander over to one of the million things she constantly think about every day.

Life here is definitely difficult, but she had no choice, because this could lead to a better outcome she is hoping for, unlike her other dead-end jobs. They weren’t cutting it at all. She had, and to an extent, still has love for her passion works nevertheless. Inside that scope of limitless satisfaction, any competition present would be effortlessly defeated, they could have made her live forever.

Only if the environment wasn’t so demanding, only if the people weren’t that toxic: Only if she didn’t constantly feel like something was missing, then maybe she wouldn’t have turned to a life full of violence, torture, conflict, and revenge. She is cruel enough to keep working like this, but…

She wasn’t soulless.

Her concern for her own safety, financial stability, or even legacy, fails in comparison when it comes to her concern of what’s left of her own purity, desperately clinging onto the last unstained fragments of her character.

For her, the only thing that sets her apart from her peers is her unparalleled ability for romance. Yet her growing numbness has made her ignorant of what makes her, her. Years of being in the same business has molded her into being an unrecognizable part of the whole, slowly breaking down her own identity. It’s a miracle that it hasn’t completely destroyed her.

She only recently realized what it was doing to her, but it didn’t come from any life-changing occurrences nor any attempts at self-reflection. Her true self-esteem, unperceived by the people who think who knows her, cannot allow that to happen anymore.

No.

It was like an outside force that just barged her doors down. It was entirely unexpected.

“That guy—“

Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a sound vibrating from her phone.

She quickly grabbed her phone, appearing frustrated that her time for contemplating was disturbed. She opens it, and sees the message on the notification tab:

=

“An order from the oyabun himself: Eliminate shatei Kamisato, guilty of colluding with rival clan Aritoshi-kai. He will be there soon, you’ll have only this night to carry this out.”

=

She looks with widened eyes as she reads the message again.

-

The bad dream.

“Ah.” She utters.

Truly the perfect model of composure, she calmly sets her phone down and gently spins his chair to face the window again. From an outside look, she seemed unfazed as she always does whenever any hit mission is to be carried out, but this was the first time she had been ordered to kill one of their own. And that person, really had to be him.

“My, my. It just had to be you, pretty boy. Hm?” She says with a luscious voice, forming a smile on her lips as she looks towards the window, noticing the same sight of the moist glass.

She grabs her phone away from the table to her soft palms. She opens it and quickly went to her gallery. Pictures amounted to thousands, she scrolls down as if she’s desperately looking for something: Fancy shots of her fine-dining quality sets of meals, close-ups of red foxes, selfies of herself trying out multiple clothes and dresses, images of jewelries, screenshots of texts and book covers, and an old picture of her in a white robe and a scarlet skirt-like clothing.

Scrolling past these photos caused her to smile pensively as she reminisces within her mind.

She really have lived a life.

Though they were great memories, they will never compare to the relevance of what’s just now presented on her screen.

“Oh, look at you.” She mutters with that same tone in her voice.

Several pictures of her subordinate clothed in different suits, taken by her in multiple occasions when they are in the same room together or when they boss had to call in a meeting. She couldn’t just resist taking candid photos of him when she had the chance.

He wore formal suits in most of his pictures, only varying in color. One in complete black, another in a floral cyan tuxedo with black pants, and another one in white tuxedo and red pants. She definitely could have completed the entire color wheel just with his clothing style. Sometimes, she could get a picture of him in his casuals, especially when he’s off his job. There’s a picture of him in blue sweaters and black tights and another in a simple blue t-shirt and white shorts.

Seeing all of those with a thirsty gaze, she scrolled a bit before finding and tapping on another photo of his:

It was a picture of him during the initiation ritual when he officially joined the clan. He was only wearing an underwear that time while having a tattoo of a mishmash of dragons, suns, and flowers on the right upper half of his body, covering his entire right arm. During the capture of the photo, the rites were finished, he was drinking a bubble tea while resting on a chair.

“Shame, you look so handsome in these photos. In fact, this one is my favorite.” As she continues to stare at the semi-naked photo of his, swallowing the dryness she’s feeling in her throat.

She didn’t know what to feel in carrying out her mission. She knew that she was definitely in love with him, but she also knows that she couldn’t go against the boss. Let it be anyone, a middleman or whatnot, just not the boss. She had seen the consequences firsthand of continuing with such an act.

Courageousness? Stupidity?

Either way, the outcome was always the same.

She could have let a battle rage on in his mind about what she should do. She could have let the dilemma go on for a bit longer like what back then when she received her very first orders. But no, she had learned. She knows where to set her mind to. After all, this is her job, isn’t it?

“Alright.” She firmly says, with no more traces of hesitation.

-

A notification sound was heard from her phone again. It was a message from an unknown number:

=

“This is Ryuma. Oyabun messaged me of your task. Kamisato and I are about to enter the room in a couple of minutes. This is your chance, ane-san Yae. Your call, I’ll be prepared.”

=

She returns her phone back to the pocket.

This needs to end quickly. Someone might’ve called the police once the gunshot possibly echoed through the walls.

Alright, I’ll take him out with one bullet, and this will soon blow over.

As the glass reflects a nod, she returns the chair back behind the table and settled herself down. She stood up, putting her sunglasses back on and grabbing the gun, putting it behind in the back of her pants, a snatch away from being able to arm herself.

She arranges herself to look as pretty as she can get, especially in front of his crush target. Brushing her hair so that it falls down as straightest as it can get on his back. Adjusting her bangs back to the correct position towards the middle so that it may not block her sight.

Beautiful, but efficient.

Now, comes the worst part: The unpredictable wait.

But she will have to endure, even if it gets a little insufferable.

All of this fucking tension for what?

…

…

…

“So, what am I to do with this body? It feels so…out of place for a room that’s intricately designed as this one.”

She complements the room as she tries to entertain herself while waiting, tapping her heels on the floor.

To be all alone, even with a corpse, in anticipation for someone and standing, not doing anything but to maintain that form, is a little bit awkward…and a bit creepy.

…

…

…

A sound was heard as the door unlocks.

-

Footsteps resonated within the dead space as they entered the room, encountering a pink-haired woman sitting by the table.

“Ane-san Yae!” A black-haired man spoke and bowed in front of her.

She immediately identified him as Ryuma, her companion.

His greeting was followed by another:

“Ane-san Yae.” The familiar blue-haired man spoke and smoothly bowed in front of her.

This man’s gentle voice reverberated along her bones, causing slight goosebumps arising on her skin. Somehow, his voice creates an aura of comfort that follows him wherever he goes, and she wants to be within that distance, and much closer.

She notices that he had worn a combination of colors he had never used before. He paired his white tuxedo and pants with a light purple t-shirt and a golden tie. He has never managed to look this as elegant as this before.

Taken aback by his appearance, she returns back their greetings.

“Shatei Ryuma, and shatei Kamisato. Good evening, let’s have a talk, shall we? And oh, sorry for the body here, please let it not bother us.” Her sultry tone has returned, the fault of one Kamisato.

Yes, keep looking at me.

“Oh, and before I continue, Mister Kamisato, would you be so kind to allow me to refer to you by your own name?” She curiously but excitedly inquires.

“Ayato, you mean, Ma’am Yae?” He clarifies with a smile.

She nods back with a smile, childishly letting those butterflies float in her stomach.

Your smile is enough to paint more than a million stars.

“Yes, you may. You need not to ask me about that, ma’am.” He jokingly replies back with a soft smile within the corner of his lips.

She gestures to Ryuma to close and lock the door behind them, signifying that she still hasn’t forgotten their intentions with him here.

“Alright. Mister Ayato, I’m going straight to the point. Our oyabun called us here to…settle some differences.” With a bossy voice, she starts explaining the situation to her subordinates.

“There are rumors going around in the clan of someone being dishonest and treacherous to us all. That someone was collaborating with one of our rival clans, exposing all of the clan’s details to them.”

She continues to explain, creating that controlling aura over them.

She looks towards Ayato, observing that he keeps that same serious look as she talks. Sometimes, she often confuses Ayato’s attentiveness with his indifference. If he is able to maintain this same look every damn time, then it is no wonder why he can get away with anything, including this one.

Listen to me, sweetheart. Listen carefully.

“Since our oyabun deeply cares about the integrity and trustworthiness of the clan, he wanted to know if there was any substance to the rumor. Unfortunately, with the help of our superiors, they managed to confirm that the rumor is indeed true.” She sighs disappointingly at the end of her little summary.

Both of her juniors remained quiet, listening to their senior.

One, responsively listening and looking to her.

And the other, responsively listening but looking away from her.

“Did they manage to track down the culprit, Ma’am?” Ryuma questioned with a startled look, playing into Yae’s little ruse.

“Yes, they did. With the greatest efforts of the administrators of our clan, they managed to pluck out a name.” She assured Ryuma.

“Mister Ayato, how do you feel?” She gazes back at him, trying to suggest something.

He seemed to nonchalantly quiver after she asked him, looking straight back at her. A man that looked like he was tranced by something off the distance.

“I…I must say, Ma’am, I find all of that saddening, but most angering. I never would have thought that one of us will have the brass neck to betray the clan, after everything that the clan has done to them. Although I’m the most recent one that have joined, I am very appreciative of the assistance that each member, and above all, the boss, have given us.” He finally answered, though, with some hesitation present in his tone.

And she caught onto that.

Good boy.

“As you might’ve known, we have always strived to expand our reach but if there is one thing that this clan values above all, then it would be our utmost royalty. We may be few as compared to our rivals, but each and every one of their members have never had such a close relationship like ours.” She loudly proclaims while looking suspiciously at both Ryuma and Ayato.

Ayato may be good at playing dumb, but Yae is a master at playing the part.

Regardless if it represents much of her morals or not.

“And as one of its seniors, might I say that I quite simply had enough…”

A hushed snarl was heard as she trailed off her little speech. Something that was uncharacteristic of her.

“Let’s cut the bullshit. This traitor is present in this room.”

She had never been quite the angry type that would lash at people from out of the blue. She could be angry but still have that same attitude as if she wasn’t. There is something calculated in the manner of how she unleashes some of that irritation.

I had fucking enough of playing this little game and having to do it over and over again!

Her subordinates were startled at her, but understood of some her annoyance.  

Well, at least one of them does.

The other seemed to be a little on edge.

“Let’s play a little game: At the count of three, whoever’s alive after is clean, while the person with a hole in his skull is the traitor that I’ve been talking about, got it?” Those words slipped past her tongue like a knife cutting through a butter, intimidating them both, even Ryuma.

Effortlessly, her hands danced towards the gun, cocks it, and then points it towards their general direction.  

“One.”

She starts the countdown.

Ryuma remained still in his posture. He knows that he isn’t the target.

Ayato looked threatened but retained that confidence in the way he presents himself.

“Two.”

Ryuma stayed still as he stares towards Yae, and switching his attention to the would-be victim.

Ayato bit his lip, staring at the floor while putting his hands behind his back.

Oh?

“Three.”

She finishes the countdown.

Bang! Bang!

-

A loud thud resounded within the room, immediately followed by a deafening silence.

Sounds of hitched breaths shortly filled the quiet space.

Two succeeding gunshots were heard, instead of just one.

The figures still standing held their form, arms outwards after shooting at the other, all while staring at each other intently at the eyes.

Yae realizes she’s still alive, in relief.

Ayato realizes he’s still alive, in disbelief.

He peeks beside at where Yae is looking.

The poor Ryuma has been rendered lifeless by a gunshot in the head.

Ayato looks back at Yae.

He realizes that he had missed her by a few inches, and had shot at the window behind her.

Damn it, I need to bear the weight better!

The two of them still gaze at each other in silence, waiting for the other to start speaking.

…

…

…

“I…I was torn between killing you and letting you live. I suppose you had already known since the beginning that I was referring to you?”

She muttered between held but disjoint breaths, either from nervousness or the fatigue of letting it all out.

“Yes…yes, Ma’am Yae.” As he confirms her suspicion.

Oh, you beautiful thing.  

“Stop it now with the ‘ma’am’ now, shall we? I am no longer your superior.” She quietly admits.

He looks at her suspiciously.

“Yeah, haven’t you had the clue of what I’m trying to say here? I no longer want to be a part of this clan. When I said that I’ve had enough before, I really meant it, not just with this thing but with everything.”

She drops her weapon, letting herself be defenseless in front of him.

A dangerous move.

“Do you realize what you have just done?” He wants to make sure if Yae’s acting like herself, and not possessed by some otherworldly force.

She lets her body fall on the table, still sitting straight as drips of sweat trickled off her forehead.

“To be completely honest with you, I don’t know what had just happened. I was assigned the task of eliminating you. At first, I accepted the assignment, but when you and Ryuma came here, and I saw you in person, something clicked inside of me. I don’t understand if it’s the frustration of senseless killing or is it the frustration of having to kill you that got to me, but it made me aim my gun towards Ryuma instead of you.”

She confesses in an honest but distressed tone.

She wasn’t the type of person to tell anyone what’s she’s been feeling. The social isolation created by his work has trained her to be used to the stoic but confident approach to life, only letting some of her honesty from time to time when the situation truly required it.

This...this was something foreign to her. She didn’t act like this before in any of her previous hits, what’s so different about this one? It was easy to do, the setup was great, and all she had to do was point towards the target, and not to someone or something else.

Don’t you realize?

“Yae, I appreciate your honesty, but I’m a rookie with a gun and you could’ve just simply ended me there and then. Why didn’t you? It would’ve been less hassle for you. And now, they will hunt you down too.” Ayato spoke.

You have such a thick skull. Is this what chronic consumption of bubble tea does to you?

Ayato’s ignorance of the situation hit Yae like a truck, and it prompted her to shoot out of the table, consuming any of the energy she has left just to walk towards him and grab her by his collar, facing him just inches away.

“You want to know why I did it? Well, I’ll fucking tell you why. It’s you, you are the reason why I shot that poor idiot beside us, and not you. Here’s what you need to know about me: I am Yae, and I am utterly tired living like this. With all of our previous meetings you might’ve thought that I’m living lavishly and happily, but I am not. I live in constant fear being here. And so, when you came here, I thought of you as a way to break out of this shell, because I fucking fell for you at first sight and I loved you then, and I love you now, and I want to live with you, without bother from these assholes we’re working for. I do not know much about you except that you are fucking hot, and I want to witness this art handcrafted and chiseled by the gods themselves, every single, living, day, of my life. But you know what made me grab your collar and speak to you aggressively like this? It’s because I realized that you are not a shallow man. When you asked me why I didn’t kill you, it confirms to me that you are thoughtful, unlike the past good-for-nothing suitors I’ve encountered. I want to live with a person like that because that’s the way I’ve been living my entire life. Now, I am presenting you with two choices: Either you can render me and everything I’ve said meaningless by not returning my feelings for you, or you can just say to me straight that you love me as well and I’m inviting you, as your would-be girlfriend, to run away with me, living like hunted rats, but at least…at least…I’m with you.”

Yae ended her little rant breathlessly, yet unmoving with the way he handles Ayato by her hands. Still inches away from his face, letting his sweet scent enter her nostrils and her desperate breaths enter his.

The smell of those who are out of luck.

She awaits for his reply, knowing that she will allow herself to be forceful enough to only accept one decision.

“Alright, Yae.”

Ayato answered with conviction written all over his voice.

“Alright what?! Ayato?”

She presses the issue to leave no doubts.

Yet found herself stunned when she felt something wet on her lips.

Ah, yes please.

His lips briefly met with hers.

Both of them immediately snatched onto the other.

In that short amount of time, Yae managed to melt into the kiss enough to savor his taste. She could definitely taste some traces of the bubble tea, but overall, it was unlike any other that her mouth had the pleasure of receiving. She wanted this taste to be hers, and hers only.

He pulls away from her, seeing her half-lidded eyes return to normal.

She liked what she received.

"Mmmm~"

Sirens were heard from outside the room.

Hearing the noise, they both stood up at the same time, supporting each other as they gaze at one another.

“Yae, I do not know much about you too, but what I do know is that you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever laid my eyes upon, and yes, I would agree with everything you’ve said about this way of living. Even after betraying the clan, when I thought that having more would satisfy me, it still didn’t.”

Ayato pensively speaks as he shamelessly confesses his own reasons for betraying the clan, hoping that she could just brush it all off. And lucky for him, it’s easy for Yae to find things that don’t matter to her and not give a single shit about it.

“People do not need more, they just need a single thing, the correct one.” She replies.

She hopes that Ayato would see what she’s hinting at.

“I’m still not sure about my feelings for you…but I want to figure it out.”

Was that a yes, or a no?

“Ayato, you’ll only have a few moments to choose before the police fucking catch us and lock us out like dogs. Do you want to be hunted alone? Or be hunted together with me?”

She gave him the ultimatum of her life.

-

The police would soon arrive at the scene.

The detectives note the dried messiness of the blood splattered all over the floor and walls.

This time, the window would be clear.

The corpses covered with body sheets, number markings present everywhere, from the table to the chair so they can be used as evidences in the court.

Besides the crime scene, an interview was occurring.

“Can you give us any details about the way they look? Anything that stands out that can help our forensic artists create a more accurate sketch of the appearance of our suspects here?”

“Well, the thing was, I was flat-out drunk that night, so I wouldn’t be able to give you anything regarding their faces. Although, I can remember that I saw them escape on the rooftop: One with pink hair, and one with a blue one.”