âYouâre not going to celebrate your birthday, my Lord?â
Hong Lu shook his head no, chin nestled upon his palm as he stared ahead in what you could only assume to be sheer boredom. Given the way his eyebrow twitched every now and then indicated that he was annoyed hearing the sounds of the celebration going on outside.
ââŚYou wonât even take a little break or a vacation for today?â
âNo,â he answered with a sigh, lifting his head from his chin and leaning back on his seat so he could meet your gaze. âI donât see why I should when thereâs nothing special about this day.â
Ah, right. Considering what you heard of his past, it made sense that he wouldnât think fondly of his birthday if not outright dislike it for what it represented. Still⌠âThatâs a shame, I already got you a gift and all.â
âYou shouldnât have.â The annoyance in his voice was more prominent this time. âBut since you went through all this effort, I might as well see what you got.â
âReally? Youâre not mad?â
Just the way his jaw clenched at your question was enough to fill you with joy.
âI will be if your gift isnât anything impressive.â
âŚWell then, you should be careful on how you continued to pester him from now on. You doubted that heâd do anything to seriously hurt you or that heâd ever get rid of you, but his warning was a sign that you shouldnât push his buttons too much.
You walked up to him, smiling when you saw his eyebrow furrow confusion at your empty hands. He mstâve been expecting you to leave and come back with something.
âHappy birthday my Lord~â you sung as you unceremoniously plopped down onto his lap. âIâll be all yours for today, thatâs my gift to you.â
He stared at you for a moment, unimpressed. A short, incredulous laugh followed after before he promptly pushed you off his lap.
âMy Lord!â
âCome on, letâs go,â he said, standing up from his seat and extending his hand to you. âIf youâre going to continue to pester me, I might as well take you out.â
You took his hand. âShouldnât I be the one taking you out, my Lord?â
âI donât trust your taste in workshops.â
âI wouldâve taken you out to eat, not someplace boring!â
âI donât trust your taste in food either.â
<- Back to the masterlist?
tag list: @rosaberrii, @yuri678, @existence-is-a-pain87, @successfulthinkgirl, @rainachain, @ao3master2000, @keiiqq, @dem1sedscholar
i think about velvet's lcbasau so much.... i don't know if it's just because i'm a sucker for these system-like aus or Those kinds of AUs in general but it's really nice to think of...
hallow everynyan... i watched the new tadc movie with my friends earlier ... i have a couple comments about it </3 but i've yappered about it to them already uue... i'm gonna have my last exam soon and then i'll be completely free...
i can barely find someone writing about the old man đ
AW AW..... THANK YOU... i love That old man very much!!! i too yearn for more rien fics but it's genuinely so dry out here </33 i have a couple ideas in mind, so i might write some more in the future,, do look forward to it nods nods
getting sick easily is the worst genuinely </3 it's never the mild kind either this is actual torture i still have 3 more exams YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME. on another note i wanna make a vv self-indulgent rien sickfic neow..
i was about to add an aroace ribbon to my pfp and i remembered i use the square frame but tumblr makes it appear as a circle on posts so i can't GIHDHJHSHHSH ;;;;;;;;;;; i'll go back to the mines i guess.................
i want to write more of that cutieful old man but i have no ideas </3 it's not that i'm totally out of ideas, but i can't for the life of me figure out what to do??? with them?? ouh.. i'm so washed at this... still thinking though: what if đĽ oft frequents this coffee shop or cafe all just to talk to reader.. because he knows he can't risk their lives being entangled too deeply, so he treasures these small moments even if it was just a small mundane conversation about the weather or their day... i hate this old man can he Stop Rotating In My Head i have a chemistry exam tomorrow....
oka maybe i should make a pinned methinks... i've just been no lifing rhythm games lately they're too fun... (<- person whose exams will start again on tuesday)
⥠:: Oneshot for Rien, no content warnings. In which you help him dye his hair.
Rien x GN!Reader
. . . âŞ
There was not much the House of Spiders had to offer in the forms of entertainment to you, or anyone for that matter. No wonder all the Nursefathers had gone mentalânot like youâd name any names, of course, you donât have a death wish yet.
Even then, it was so boring right now⌠Maybe you should go purposely provoke one of themâÂ
â[Name],â
That voice yanked you out of your thoughts, prompting you to turn around immediately towards its originâonly to come face-to-face with Rien standing right across from you.
His lips appeared to curl into a pleased smile at having caught your attention with ease. âIâd like to request your assistance in a certain matter,â He began, taking a step towards you. âIf, youâre not busy at the current moment, that is.â
That request sounded far too earnest, far too innocent, hardly befitting someone like him. Your eyes narrowed as you eyed him warily, his words ringing small alarms in your head instantly. If that didnât raise immediate red flags, his smile definitely did. It was akin to a predator that was lurking behind a mask of innocenceâor in this case, it was that damned smile of his. There was something so very odd about it, that you couldnât help but doubt the sincerity behind it.Â
Plus, he was from the Index, a Proxy no less. That ârequestâ could very well be a Prescript, and its unpredictability wasa a risk on its own. It could range between maybe just him requesting you to do a specific motion, like maybe waving your hand for three seconds, which would be fineâreally, it would be, if what lies on the other end of the spectrum wasnât your possible demise at his hands. Upon killing you, he could so easily just dispose of your body by throwing it into the middle of some Backstreets, as itâd eventually be swept away by the Sweepersâleaving not a single trace of your existence.
Your expression likely betrayed your thoughts, as you spotted the briefest hint of amusement in his gaze. âItâs nothing like the scenario youâve created in your head, do rest assured.â He added, âIf I needed someone to torture or kill, I wouldnât make you my target of all people, dear.â
His words sounded innocent enough, and as it is, you wouldâve been easily fooledâbut this was Rien, you were talking about, and you werenât going to ignore that last part of his statement. So, you stared him down for a little while longer, attempting to find even the smallest crack in his composure, which resulted in utter and total failure, as his expressionâas alwaysâconcealed all his possible hidden intentions. Reluctantly, a defeated sigh escaped your lips. â..Fine, lead the way.â
âŚAlthough that was what you said, you wouldnât refute thatânow you realize that you really shouldâve asked what it was first. Now, perhaps as a consequence of your actions and terrible decisions, you were in his bathroom, standing behind the Proxy who had seated himself in front of the mirror with a brush in your hand. Initially, the moment he pulled that box dye out from his shelf, you were fully prepared to scurry off. However, maybe it was just something in how pitiful he looked when he apologized and said something along the lines of âThe Prescripts told him to do soâ, but you couldnât bring yourself to leave him there. So, out of the kindness of your big heart, you swallowed down all your complaints.
..You think you really shouldâve just swung the door open and stormed off without so much as a glance back, but itâs too late for that now. At least the instructions were simple though, merely consisting of a few understandable paragraphs on the back of the box itself.
You had slipped on the disposable plastic gloves that were provided and were now beginning to run a brush through his hair. They had instructed to ensure that there were no tangles and the like, but so far.. Not a single knot had been encountered. Was it because he does, in fact, take good care of his hair? For some reason, you find that rather hard to believe.. Well, no matter.Â
You only snapped out of your thoughts when you noticed Rien staring at you through the mirror, and you immediately removed your hand from his hairâyou hadnât even noticed when it was that you tried to experimentally run your fingers through it. That look, although you couldnât make out what it was exactly, still had you feeling the shame a child would upon being caught sticking their fingers into the cookie jar.Â
So, with averted eyes, you picked up the mixing bowl from the counter and pretended as if nothing of the sort just happened. It was fortunate that he was kind enough to mix the dye for you beforehand, but it didnât make it any less nerve-wrecking for him to have his eyes on you the whole time. Nonetheless, with a firm hand, you began applying the dye to his roots.Â
However, as you dyed his hair black, you found yourself wonderingââIs your hair originally white?â
You hadnât realized that the question slipped from your mind and escaped the traitorous cage of your head until it was too late, and it was met with a hum from the recipient himself. âYes,â He affirmed softly. âIs there a specific reason as to why youâre asking this question?â
You lifted your gaze from his hair to glance at him in the mirror for a moment before you returned it to his roots. âIâm just asking,â You retorted sharply.Â
âŚNot like youâd ever admit to him directly that you thought he was just starting to grow white hairs like old people doâhe probably was, though..
Rien didnât say much else, but you could feel his gaze on you as you worked your way through his hair. It sort of felt as if he knew you were thinking those very thoughts.Â
..Hope not.
Thankfully, you were quick to finish with his hair, which wasnât all too shocking considering you only needed to touch up his roots a little and dye the stray white strands of his hair black. All that was left now was to let it sit.
âŚ
Which was rather awkward, really. You were already aware that Rien wasnât the talkative type, only speaking usually when spoken to.
Thatâs why it took you off guard when he was the first to break the silence. âIâm glad you were willing to lend me a hand.â
It was so uncharacteristically nice of him to say that you almost mistook it for true sincerity without any hidden motivesâthat was all it was, almost. âItâs not as big a deal as youâre making it out to be; itâs just a dye job.â You murmured, placing the bowl back atop the counter. âPlus, itâs not like youâre asking me to bleach your whole head and dye it pink, or something.â
An airy chuckle escaped his lips, âI guess youâre not wrong.â
You couldnât help but remain silent, staring at him through the mirror. Youâve seen this same man kill countless people mercilessly, yet he was here now, willingly turning his back to you and allowing you to dye his hair for him. Rien looked like someone whoâd probably keep people locked up in his basement, and you wouldnât be surprised if he did.
âWhy didnât you go ask someone else?â
He paused for a moment at your question, contemplating on an answer quietly. âMm, who would I choose if not you?â
Who could you propose, if not yourself?
You opened your mouth to retort, but no name came to mind that wouldnât likely result in an attempted murder. Valencina was too busy drinking her life away, Matthias was probably out there spoiling their project baby rotten, Callisto would probably secretly pluck out strands of his hair and use it to make some grotesque artwork with it somehow, and that Dihui Star lady would probably first have his head severed cleanly from his torso before ever assisting him in such a mundane task like this.
A moment later, you replied hesitantly, â..Someone at the barberâs?â
âQuite a long way to go just to touch up some roots.â He chuckled, âDear, is it so unfathomable that Iâd trust you with this task the most out of everyone else in this building?â
Yes, it was. But you didnât speak your mind this time, instead choosing to mumble something quietly underneath your breath. He smiled.
A few minutes passed this way, before you ordered him to turn around so you could properly rinse his hair. He complied smoothly, without any complaints, shifting on the chair to face away from the mirror. However, now you realize how awkward it truly was, with him now being able to watch you directly. You were able to ignore it previously because it was hiding just in your peripheralâbut not this time.
Unable to bear it any longer, you sighed, â...Could you close your eyes?âÂ
It seemed as if he was about to tease you about it, but ultimately chose to refrain from doing so. âAs you wish, love.â
You were about to snap at him, but he had already shut his eyes per your orders, and itâs not like you could complain when he was technically obeying your commands. So, with a huff, you turned the faucetâs handle and allowed the cold water to run.
Gently, you began combing your fingers through his hair. Whilst doing so, you allowed your thoughts to drift for a moment.
You never got much of an opportunity to observe Rien so closely, but you noticed this time that he seemed to be enjoying this position he was in. You were no expert, and it wasnât like you were blessed with the ability to notice the near atom-sized changes in his body language and facial expressions, but you werenât so blind as to not notice the way he seemed to hold himself together in a much more relaxed manner, albeit only slightly. Not to mention, how was it possible that he had such long lashes? Should you cut them offâNo, that was a low blow, even for you.
You had half a mind to bring it up if only to get back at him, but alas, the pacifist route is the one truly good path. Really, he should be grateful that you werenât taking advantage of the situation to dye his hair hot pink while he wasnât looking.
A few minutes later, you finished it up and closed the faucet, allowing the water to die down swiftly into a small trickle before coming to a full halt.
You watched as he sat up properly once more, picking up the towel from his lap as he dried his hair. He directed his gaze towards you, âThank you, [Name].â
You nodded in return to his words, not too focused on them as you were more focused on slipping the now dirtied plastic gloves off your hands, throwing them into the trash can once you had successfully gotten them off.
Suddenly, that familiar beeping sound pierced through the silent, alerting you immediately. In contrast, Rien didnât seem too bothered as he was already accustomed to the unpredictable nature of his God. He fished it out of his chest pocket, checking what Prescript he had received.
Beep. Beepâ
With each beep, you watched his expression morph more into that which resembled amusement before he returned it to its rightful place. Whatever it was, you did not want a part in it. Thus, you prepared to make your escape immediately. âWell, youâve got a job to do now, so Iâll be taking my leaveââ
However, you were promptly interrupted by the placement of his hand right by the side of your face. He didnât quite cup your face, merely letting it hover just an inch too close, with his fingers just barely grazing your skin. Before you could tell him off, however, you felt him press his lips just briefly against your temple.
That wasnât the most infuriating thing he did in that moment, rather, what he whispered next caused you to merely stare at him in utter disbelief.
âI lied, by the way.â He murmured, before pulling away as if nothing had happened with a smile.
As he left, you heard the distant sounds of his Device beeping, signalling its completion.
..
So, he made you help him dye his hair just because he wanted to?
âAsshole..â You hissed, immediately turning on your heels to get back at him for that lie. Why did you just believe that sly bastard, anyway?!
⏠. . . Additional Notes:
Maybe the white hair was because of old age all along⌠Maybe it wasnât because his original hair was white but because heâs just That old⌠think about it⌠nods nods anyways there is a specific reason why he specifically refers to reader with endearments like âmy love/dearâ, without the âmyâ. The answerâs pretty obvious methinks (unrelated to his late wife blinks)
the type of things i managed to pull when i'm not on my own account bro . doing section 2 so much made me realize it's actually not that hard and my ids are just chudmaxxing 24/7
self projection of my soon to be suffering onto rien. may his indicators not work, may his chemicals be switched up, and may his alcohol lamp explode the moment he tries to light it up GIVE ME THIS ONE THING
FREEDOM YESYESYESYESYES I AM NEVER TOUCHING RAILWAY 6 EVER AGAIN THANK YOU OUTTHIAS MY GOAT (took me basically 80 pulls but but but OUTTHIAS) section 5 easy as hell just annoying (like section 3).. hhhhh