lorelai kikyo

val + genshin inactive ;(

[lorelaikikyo]

MASTERLIST

VALORANT -> venture into the protocol?

GENSHIN -> venture into the world of teyvat?

hi lovely <3 welcome to the blog. feel free to read and rest !!

all posts geared towards feminine identifying readers. no translations without my approval, please. cws and synopses on each post.

𖤓 LORELAI KIKYO || PLEASE DON'T CLAIM AS YOUR OWN

[lorelaikikyo]

FIRST STAGE: DENIAL

synopsis → the first moments of a blossoming admiration

casting call → xiao

cw → fem!reader, college!au

w.c. → 2.35 k words

author’s note → this is so cute and fluffy and i wrote this in one sitting because i couldn't put it down. perhaps a part two in the future...

Teyvat University was full of students of all backgrounds, interested in a multitude of different subjects, but it was probably most well-known for its plethora of devoted, determined graduates. Sure, the courses were intriguing, and the professors each had unique stories of their own, but the most interesting of all was the student life. For the most part, the campus was always buzzing with club activities and student organizations.

It wasn’t uncommon to run into your classmates multiple times throughout the day, or across the many different events held at the university. Afterall, the busy nature of all of the students and how close everyone was in proximity to one another was what allowed you to see Xiao multiple times throughout the day. Even though you didn’t run in the same crowds, it was inevitable that you two would cross paths.

“[Name]! How are you? Are you coming to the student council meeting later today?”

You smiled at the bubbly girl, enjoying the chance encounter in the hallway. “Hello, Kokomi. I’m well, and you?”

She returned your smile kindly, before reminding you again of your duties as you continued down the hallway together. “So, will you be at the meeting today? Two days ago, Ayaka mentioned how we’re going to need to start working on the festival and getting together some materials early. And, well, since you’re the one mainly organizing the affair,” she trailed off. Though neither of you noticed, the once busy hallway had started thinning out over the course of your short conversation.

“Yes, Kokomi. I’m aware. But not to worry, I’m already working with Hu Tao to start budgeting the expenses. We met last night after classes and began a rough draft. I was hoping for the rest of the council to approve it today, actually.”

At this, Kokomi’s eyes lit up, “Oh, [Name], you’re the best! I’m excited to see what you pitch later! Hopefully Ayaka and the rest of,” Kokomi was interrupted by the clearing of another’s throat.

It seemed that your short conversation in the hall had distracted you from getting to class as efficiently as possible, and now the hallway was practically empty. Turning around to see the new third party to your discussion, you were met with one of the Adepti, the on-campus student leaders. They weren’t exactly the student council, but they ran the orientation events at the beginning of the year and led the campus tours during the rest of the year, known mostly for their abilities to successfully lead the freshmen around the university and remind others of the rigorous schedules they pursued. If you were in high school still, the Adepti would most certainly be the student hall monitors of the school.

Looking into golden eyes, you smiled at the stoic face of the teal-haired boy before you. “Hi, is there anything I can help you with?” You didn’t know his name, but you recognized him from one of your lectures and identified the pin he wore on his shirt, which bore the Adepti logo.

He nodded at you and then Kokomi as he addressed you both by your titles, “Head of Logistics, Secretary. I trust you both know the lecture period is going to start in two minutes?”

Raising your wrist, you took a quick glance at your watch before your eyebrows shot up. Turning swiftly to your side, you grabbed her hand and addressed Kokomi, “My apologies for getting caught up in our conversation! We can talk again after the period, but I must run to my next lecture.” You squeezed Kokomi’s hand before walking speedily down the hall, calling over your shoulder, “See you at the meeting, Kokomi!”

Walking into the student council meeting room, you spotted Ayaka already seated at the head of the table, and Kokomi seated next to her with her laptop open to a new, empty document. Her phone sat unlocked on the table, a voice-memo app open and waiting to document the meeting’s conversation for the record. As you sat down next to the Treasurer, you pulled out your own notebook and flipped it open to the pages where you had been calculating expenses and needed materials.

Turning to your side, you faced the brunette, “Hu Tao! I’ve looked over our rough draft since our dinner together, and I believe everything is ready for the pitch today. But, would you mind looking over it one last time with me now before Ayaka starts?”

“Of course, [Name]! Let’s make sure the pitch is perfect!”

While you and Hu Tao looked over your initial pitch for the rest of the council, it seemed as though Ayaka was waiting for one last guest before starting the meeting. As the door swung open, a new face poked their head into the room before walking in. He was tall and he stood with good posture, a pleasant smile on his face as he briefly waved to the room. “Hello, President Ayaka. My sincerest thanks for your invitation to today’s meeting. I hope the Adepti can be of service.”

“Zhongli, please. No need for such formalities, but it’s my pleasure to have you today. Please, sit. And I see that you’ve brought a companion as well?”

After listening to the exchange, you looked up from your notebook curiously, focus shifting to the door as the teal-haired boy closed it behind Zhongli. “Ah, yes, I have. If it’s alright, I brought along my trusted friend, Xiao. He is the newest Adeptus to join us, I thought it would be fitting to introduce him properly to the council. He doesn’t speak much with others.” At this remark, you swear you could hear the boy grumble Zhongli’s name under his breath, a soft scowl appearing across his features. The small jab reminded you of the bickering between two brothers, or perhaps the teasing nature in which a father might introduce his son to one of his colleagues. Snickering to yourself, you smiled and waved properly to the two guests. “It’s nice to meet you both formally, welcome to the student council.”

As you met his golden gaze, Xiao’s scowl became ever-so upturned, a subtle smile matching yours before he looked towards the floor again, standing beside the taller man who had introduced him.

Muttering to yourself as you walked towards the train station, you struggled to hold onto all four of the bags slipping from your hands. Adjusting your grip once again, you cursed Hu Tao under your breath, “I can’t believe she sent me to retrieve the council’s materials alone.”

To prepare for the festival, you and Hu Tao had designed posters that would be dispersed across campus and ordered the lanyards that would need to be worn by all of the student leaders and anyone running booths at the event. When you had placed both orders, the multitude of posters and lanyards had not seemed so large when you had anticipated both sets of hands being available to pick them up, but Ayaka had asked for Hu Tao’s help budgeting the food for the festival during the time you planned to retrieve the items. Suddenly, two bags of five-hundred posters each, and just over one-hundred lanyards seemed very heavy for just one person.

To avoid any unnecessary fees, you both had agreed to commission a local print shop to help create your posters and opted to pick up the lanyards from the post office than have them shipped to the university. The train ride into the city now seemed much easier in comparison to the trip back, as you struggled to hold up all of the bags which were slipping out of your hands due to their weight.

As you neared the station, the train had yet to pull into the platform, and you couldn’t see it from around the bend. “At least I haven’t missed the ride back,” you sighed before beginning up the stairs to the platform.

For every five steps you took up the stairs, you had to pause to readjust the bags in your hands. From behind you, the familiar sound of someone clearing their throat met your ears, and your left arm felt a little lighter. Turning to the stranger beside you, who was now carrying half of the bags, you grinned to the teal-haired boy and began rambling. “Adeptus Xiao! I wasn’t aware you were also visiting the city today. I feel quite lucky to have bumped into you, thank you for your help with my bags. It was quite the ordeal to retrieve these items, as there was a delay with the shopkeeper. Plus, Hu Tao was supposed to help me today. I was quite disappointed that the trip took this long, and at the prospect that I may be unable to bring everything back on my own, but mostly that it caused me to miss my afternoon lecture.”

“Just ‘Xiao.’”

You looked quizzically at the boy beside you, “Pardon?”

“Just call me, ‘Xiao,’” he clarified before starting up the stairs ahead of you.

You smiled again, giggling at his awkward disposition, “Alright. Thank you, Xiao.” You met him again at the platform, stopping beside him as you watched the train roll to a halt in the station.

Twirling her pen between her fingers, Xianyun sat beside the shorter boy in the back of the room as other students began to file into the seats of the lecture hall. As she gazed at the open door, then back to the boy sitting next to her, she sighed. “One must be quite smitten if one so intently watches the door to our lecture.”

At her observation, Xiao sank lower in his seat. Only someone close to him who knew him well would be able to recognize the small pout that began to take over his face. In a whisper, he denied, “I’m not smitten. It’s just odd. She’s always ten minutes early to lecture.”

“Perhaps she is running late, like when you caught her and Kokomi in the hallway. One must have quite the responsibility being the Head of Logistics.” At this, Xiao’s pout deepened, “She’s never late.”

“One mustn’t be so worried. One could always provide supplementary materials if another is not in attendance.”

And although Xianyun had a funny way of expressing herself when it was only the other Adepti she was conversing with, it was obvious to Xiao what she was implying. So as the professor began to lecture those who had gotten there on time, Xiao took extra care in copying down notes, focusing on keeping his handwriting neat as he filled the page. By the time the period was over, he had covered the front and back of two pages with detailed notes for you.

If he hadn’t been so shy, he would have asked for your number or socials long ago and would have had somewhere to send the notes himself. Instead, he traveled swiftly through the halls, until he reached the student council meeting room. Knocking lightly before pushing the door open, Xiao addressed the only familiar faces in the room. “Zhongli, President Ayaka. Is [Name] here?”

The older boy smiled knowingly before turning to Ayaka who was sitting next to him, “No, she is not.”

Ayaka tilted her head as she inquired, “What do you need her for, Xiao? Is it something one of us could help you with instead?”

As if he were embarrassed, Xiao lowered his head and hid the notes behind his back. To him, it felt as if his two older siblings were teasing him about the girl he played with on the playground. “She wasn’t at lecture last period.”

Ayaka repeated the words back to herself, seemingly in disbelief of what Xiao had just told her. “As in, ‘she never showed up?’”

Xiao nodded before another voice popped up from across the table, “Oh! She must have still gone to get the posters and lanyards. I was supposed to go with her, but we got caught up in budgeting.”

“Hu Tao! You let her go alone!” The blue-haired president looks incredulously at her friend, knowing just how many materials you would be picking up and how arduous the task would be for one person alone.

“Although, if she went when we initially planned to, she shouldn’t have missed her lecture,” Hu Tao grew quiet. You had planned to go during your extended lunch break, giving you ample time to return before your afternoon lecture met, assuming no issues arose during the process. And that was the key to the current situation, yours and Hu Tao’s assumption that nothing would go wrong. A frown came across Hu Tao’s face as she realized what must have happened, “Something must have gone wrong at the print shop or the post office. I knew I shouldn’t have let her go alone, and now she’s missed her lecture.”

“Leave this out of the minutes, Kokomi.” Ayaka rubbed her face with both hands, groaning at the stupidity of the whole situation, while Zhongli simply laughed. Although it was easy for outsiders to see the humor in the circumstances, Ayaka had spent too much time dealing with the typical antics of Hu Tao to find them all that much amusing anymore. “Well, someone should help [Name].”

At that, Xiao placed his notes on the nearest corner of the table before inquiring softly, “Where did you say she was?”

“Oh, the local print shop and post office. Just take the train three stops into the city. Are you going to bring her back?”

The only response Xiao provided Ayaka was his retreating back as he left the room, determined steps leading him towards the station nearest campus. Once he had left, Ayaka peered towards the papers he left on the table, “Are those lecture notes?”

The tall boy beside her studied the papers himself, chuckling as he came to the same conclusion, “It seems so.”

“He seems to be very fond of her.”

Zhongli, who had watched the slowly developing relationship from the sidelines, laughed to himself wholeheartedly. “Oh, he would never admit such.”

𖤓 LORELAI KIKYO || PLEASE DON'T CLAIM AS YOUR OWN

[lorelaikikyo]

GENSHIN IMPACT

SERIES -> watch a full story unfold

ONESHOTS -> a single memory to focus on

MULTIS -> one scenario, multiple choices

𖤓 LORELAI KIKYO || PLEASE DON'T CLAIM AS YOUR OWN

[lorelaikikyo]

GENSHIN ONESHOTS

ANEMO

-> first stage: denial (XIAO)

CRYO

->

DENDRO

->

ELECTRO

->

GEO

->

HYDRO

->

PYRO

->

𖤓 LORELAI KIKYO || PLEASE DON'T CLAIM AS YOUR OWN

[lorelaikikyo]

GENSHIN SERIES

ANEMO

->

CRYO

->

DENDRO

->

ELECTRO

->

GEO

->

HYDRO

->

PYRO

->

𖤓 LORELAI KIKYO || PLEASE DON'T CLAIM AS YOUR OWN

[lorelaikikyo]

GENSHIN MULTIS

VARIOUS MULTIPLE CHARACTERS, SEPARATE STORIES

-> not a fairytale (AYATO, LYNEY, NEUVILLETTE)

HAREM MULTIPLE CHARACTERS, SAME STORY

->

𖤓 LORELAI KIKYO || PLEASE DON'T CLAIM AS YOUR OWN

[lorelaikikyo]

NOT A FAIRYTALE

synopsis → the beginning of the end

casting call → ayato, lyney, neuvillette

cw → fem!reader, angst, hurt/mild comfort

w.c. → 2.58 k words

author’s note → "I had so many dreams about you and me. Happy endings, now I know. That I’m not a princess, this ain’t a fairytale, I’m not the one you’ll sweep off her feet, lead her up the stairwell." White Horse - TAYLOR SWIFT

AYATO

Dating the Yashiro Commissioner was always a fickle thing. The man was so endlessly loyal to his family, but for the year that you had been dating him, that loyalty seemed to extend to his sister and close friends, but stopped at you. At times when you thought you were getting close to him, it seemed that he would pull away from you at the last moment. He took every out that was offered to him when the opportunity arose.

Unsure if it was a fear of commitment, some may have called you naive for your persistence with Ayato. From the little he had shared with you, you knew he had lost those closest to him, even almost losing himself to protect his sister. So you weren’t exactly surprised when he wasn’t keen on letting you in so quickly. That is a lot of loss for one person to carry. But that behavior didn’t explain why he was still so distant and closed off after so long.

You may not have been a noble, unable to provide the political benefits that such an arrangement would bring, but you truly loved him. And even though the Kamisato Clan was in need of building back up their reputation, you thought that Ayato would favor a caring, flourishing relationship over a loveless one. Many evenings, however, left you questioning how much longer you could convince yourself that he was happy with you.

“Ayato?” Your soft voice, muffled by the large wooden door to his study, accompanied the melody you always knocked in the quiet of the night. It was after your evening study session, and you thought that it would be nice to stop by and see Ayato. It wasn’t uncommon for you to come to visit the estate unexpectedly, but it also did not go unnoticed to Ayato the unusual apprehension in your voice tonight and the dwindling number of visits you made to him recently.

Wiping at his eyes after placing his pen down next to some unfinished documents, Ayato called out to you from his desk, “[Name]? Please, come in.”

Slowly pushing open the door, you kept your gaze low, opting to close the door behind you before turning to fully face him. When your eyes met his, you saw the sleeplessness that plagued his face, the exhaustion that seemed to drip from his shoulders. It seemed like nights were long for the both of you.

“What brings you by this evening?” Ayato had his hands folded on the tabletop, idly fiddling with his fingers as he onced you over, noticing your slightly unkempt appearance.

You sighed to yourself, “I was only on my way home when I noticed the light through the window.” Smoothing your hands over your shirt in an attempt to soothe the wrinkles, you continued, “Thoma let me in. He said I would find you in your study. Have you been sleeping alright lately?”

“Just fine, dear.”

And there it was again, the slight shift in his demeanor when you gave him an opportunity to let you in. Even something so simple as asking if he had been sleeping well was too arduous of an ask for Ayato to respond to. What stung slightly worse was the term of endearment he used. It was always ‘dear’ or ‘honey’ with him when it was compensation for his reserved nature.

“Of course,” smiling down at your shoes, you nodded your head in acknowledgment. It was funny, the way you felt so small standing in front of him while he sat at his desk, standing much like one of his retainers would while addressing him. Shouldn’t a girlfriend be more at home with her boyfriend? Able to easily move into the room and be close to him?

“Was there anything else on your mind?” Ever polite, Ayato always made pleasant conversation while remaining straight to the point.

You supposed you were interrupting important work of his, and seeing as he wasn’t going to indulge in your care this evening, you took his question as a hint to make your departure. But a part of you couldn’t help yourself, “No, nothing else. I only wanted to come see you.” The somber tone in your voice must have reached your eyes by the way his lavender ones met yours with concern.

Smiling again, you waved him away, “I’ll be going before it gets too late.” As he made no move to stand, Ayato offered instead, “I could send you home with a guard, just to make sure you return safely.”

“Ah, no need. I’ll be on my way.” Without giving him time to respond, you turn around and open the door, stepping through before looking over your shoulder for the last time. “Goodnight, Ayato.”

He must have seen the silent plea in your eyes, but his throat dried up before he could convince you to stay, and by then the door to his study was already closed. You must have been halfway down the hallway already, but Ayato could not make himself stand up to follow after you. Instead, he remained seated at his desk, helplessly thinking about how he let you slip away from him again and into the night.

LYNEY

There had never been a doubt in your mind about where his loyalties lay. Lyney was always attentive to you, caring, and thoughtful. Maybe he was a little bit of a sweet-talker, but what girl wouldn’t fall to his charms when he was so persistent and cute?

For months, he had been the talk of the town because of his spectacular magic show. The mystique that shrouded him was nothing but intriguing to you, and naturally, you found yourself drawn to one of his shows. And when one turned into two, and then suddenly three, you found yourself inching closer and closer to the stage.

When you had finally reached the front row, Lyney was pulling a rainbow rose out of his hat, a simple trick that sent your heart reeling when he bent down to hand it to you. Then soon enough, three magic shows turned into three dates with Lyney, and you were completely smitten.

And so was he. The way you danced around each other was effortless, so completely taken by each other that it was hard to see anything else. Oftentimes, you would be wrapped in each other's arms, strewn across the sofa of your apartment, idly chatting and whispering saccharine secrets to each other. Lyney was easy to love that way – easy to talk to, easy to hold, easy to embrace.

And sometimes it seemed a little too easy. Was the way he loved you a little too second-handed in nature? The waltz that you tiptoed through for the first few months came easy to him, and he led you through the steps without ever changing them. Even the tempo remained the same.

To the public, Lyney was singing his same old song. Sure, you heard the rumors of his ceaseless talents, but you seemed to have missed the warnings murmured about his playboy attitude. Honestly, the biggest shock to the gossipers was how your relationship hadn’t fizzed out yet. It was not a secret that Lyney wasn’t as committed as he appeared, that he had a short attention span. It wouldn’t be long until he found something new, something shinier, something sweeter.

As the weeks dragged on, the voice in the back of your head steadily grew, planting insecurity after insecurity in your mind. And ‘what if’ after ‘what if’ built a wall between you and Lyney. What if Lyney was losing feelings for you? What if he already started moving on? What if he got bored of you?

What if you’re just another story? Another rumor to be hidden behind hands, muttered between shallow breaths, tossed through the streets of Fontaine?

“Wish me luck, mon amour!” Lyney beamed at you, awaiting the small peck you always left on his cheek before his performance.

You smiled, framing his face delicately before leaving a tender kiss on his cheek. Thumbing over where you kissed him, your eyes lingered on his face for a moment longer, tracing the features across his face with your gaze. When your eyes met with his, Lyney saw the slightly sullen glint behind your normally cheery demeanor. But if he recognized any of the worry or hurt in your eyes, he made no comment on it.

“You’ll do wonderfully, sweetheart,” you tell him, placing another kiss onto his cheek before dropping your arms back to your sides. “I’ll be waiting in the audience.” Turning on your heels, you duck through the side curtains, joining the sea of guests flooding into the seats.

As Lyney watches you walk out of the backstage area, returning to the main floor, he ponders over the unease he saw in your face. Why did you look so unhappy? But pondering wouldn't prepare him for his show, so he stored his thoughts away for the time being and focused on the new tricks he had rehearsed. As the curtains drew open and the applauding audience welcomed him into the spotlight, Lyney forgot all of his troubles, dawning a bright smile and mischievous gaze.

As the show ran on, Lyney grew bolder. The theatrics were amped up this evening, his facial expressions conveying more than his words, and his ambition was clearly seeping through his actions. Cheers were erupting from the crowd, and feminine giggles floated through the front rows of the audience.

Lyney chased his audience’s approval, yearning for their praise, any indicator of their enjoyment. And when the crowd grew louder each time he threw a wink their way, he couldn’t stop himself from indulging in it.

It was the oldest trick in the book, not even designed into his set tonight, but Lyney leant down at the edge of the stage. Flipping his hat off of his head, he reached in and pulled out a lustrous rose, twisting it between his fingers before tucking it behind some woman’s ear. And when the audience went wild, cheering and giggling, you sank deeper into your chair. Watching from the side, you watched as a grin spread across Lyney’s face, his eyes trained on the young woman in front of him.

NEUVILLETTE

Even though he was reserved in nature, typically coming across as stoic and impartial, he was anything but when he was with you. Neuvillette was loving, attentive, and gentle. To the general public, he may seem distant. But to you, he was almost clingy.

Neuvillette was attached to you by the hip, always having a hand on you – whether that be your intertwined pinkies, his palm on the small of your back, or his arm looped with yours. He was a silent lover like this, showing most of his affection through actions rather than affirmations. Even on nights when he was more reserved with you, without fault, his actions always told more than any words could.

On nights when he was more quiet, more subdued, it was hard for him to hide his emotions from you. No matter how little he spoke to you, his heart could not lie to you, too. Neuvillette may have been able to keep from revealing the whole truth to you, but his dark, ocean eyes told a different story. As they misted over, so too did the greying skies.

No matter how much you loved the rain as a child, these downpours did more than dampen your spirit. You weren’t blind to the connections between your boyfriend’s mood and the ever-changing heavens above Fontaine, it would take a fool not to notice that the skies wept as he did, shined as he smiled, and clouded over in conjunction with his frustrated, distant moods. When you had made the connection, you had been proud initially. The flood that plagued Fontaine had ended when Neuvillette met you, the first day in weeks where the sun shone brightly on the nation was the day he had asked you on a date, and you had enthusiastically said yes.

And as your relationship grew, the rainy days that once overwhelmed the streets receded into memory. Rain was few and far between once Neuvillette had you. So why had the mist settled back over Fontaine for the past week? Sure, cloudy days were still quite common, usually coinciding with poor days at court, but it had finally seemed like the rainy season was beyond the citizens. Why now had the mist decided to drape itself over the buildings, glisten in the lamplight on streets, and snuff out the sun?

What was worse, it began to pour in the evenings. There was no thunder, no howling winds, just the steady stream of tears from above. There was no storm, but it seemed that even the sky was growing sad, a persistent melancholic grey accompanied the unchanging rhythm of rain. And you couldn’t understand what had so deeply upset Neuvillette, so that the sun was on hiatus.

Upon reaching his house, you closed your umbrella once on the porch, leaning it against the siding as you reached toward his door. The rain hadn’t yet begun pouring, but the mist was slowly condensing, and a stray droplet fell to the ground every now and again. Knocking softly, you listened for any commotion beyond the front door, “Neuvi? Darling, are you home?”

When no response came, you knocked again, listening to the muffled shuffling coming from inside of the house. As the door slowly opened, you were met with the downcast face of your lover. “Oh, mon cher amour,” you whispered as your hand came up to rest on his cheek, thumb wiping underneath his dejected eyes.

Neuvillette did not lean into your touch as he used to, instead keeping his misty eyes trained on your face. “[Name], can I help you with anything?”

Pulling your hand back to your side, you admit, “Darling, I’ve been worried. Is everything okay with you? I can’t help but notice the sorrowful forecast.” You offer an encouraging smile, hoping to convince him to share his troubles with you for once.

“You mustn’t worry, [Name], a little rain is normal for Fontaine.”

“Of course, Neuvi. If there is anything I can,” and before you can finish your offer, Neuvillette cuts you off.

“There is no need to worry, [Name]. I am quite alright actually, though I suggest you return home before the weather changes. Do try not to catch a cold, it isn’t pleasant to be caught out in a rainstorm.”

You hum in acknowledgement, choosing not to comment on his allusion to another downpour, his veiled admission that he is not as okay as he pretends to be. But you don’t fight him on the matter, instead agreeing to leave as he asked, “Goodnight, mon cher amour. I love you.”

At your sentiments, Neuvillette’s eyes water more, “As do I, [Name], as do I.” And with that, he closes the door, leaving you on the porch. You don’t hear his retreating footsteps, and tempted to knock again with more determination, you resign yourself to returning home.

Placing your open palm on the door, your weak smile falls from your lips before you grab your umbrella. Opening it and stepping out from the cover of Neuvillette’s porch, you begin the walk home, grateful for the minimal shelter the umbrella provides you from the gradual rain that starts to fall. If only the mist could have cleared instead.

𖤓 LORELAI KIKYO || PLEASE DON'T CLAIM AS YOUR OWN

[lorelaikikyo]

VALORANT

𖤓 calling HELIOS to the dropship... -> player card

FULL FIC ANGST

-> i would take a bullet for you phoenix -> we aren't working out yoru

FLUFF

-> patching wounds jett -> hair dye and highlights neon

HEADCANONS

-> what soulmate au! jett

𖤓 LORELAI KIKYO || PLEASE DON'T CLAIM AS YOUR OWN

[lorelaikikyo]

WE AREN'T WORKING OUT

synopsis → a breakup that had a long time coming

casting call → yoru (ryo), jett, phoenix, killjoy

cw → fem!reader, arguing, yelling, swearing, angst, hurt/mild comfort

w.c. → 2.08 k words

author’s note → "is it constructive criticism? or just a form of attack?" I Love You but I've Chosen Me, Pt. 1: Bicker Man - CRYWANK

How long is long enough? From the beginning, keeping up a working and functioning relationship with Ryo was hard. It was difficult when he couldn't shed his tough act in front of others. It was difficult when he treated you as an emotional punching bag. It was difficult when he couldn't let you in. It was difficult when it seemed he didn't trust you as much as you trusted him.

You couldn't count the number of times where he berated you in front of your friends, using you as an outlet to take his frustrations out on, storming off fuming before you could muster up any words. All your friends would comfort you, but it became harder and harder as each occurrence became fewer and fewer apart.

Each of these nights, his harsh words brought tears to your eyes, despite how much your brain tried to rationalize his actions to your heart. Each of these nights, you found him waiting in your room for you, sitting silently on your bed. Each of these nights, he would pull you closer and bury his face in your stomach as he cried, your hands running through his hair soothingly.

Each of these nights never included an apology, just a silence that was hard to read.

One that hung heavy in the air with words unsaid, words that had been turned over tongue and teeth too many times. The type of silence that makes your skin crawl and pull away from your bones, heart stilling a soul that tried desperately to slip away.

And then you both would fall asleep and neglect it ever happened in the morning.

Holding each other in your bed felt like you were lying to your heart. Falling asleep together was like taking pain medication. It numbed the fear for a couple of hours while your brain convinced itself it wasn't dying, but the pain was still withering away your heart, dealing its damage while you tried to make yourself believe that things could be okay, while you were blissfully unaware.

These types of relationships always start out great. He had been flirting with you, calling you affectionately, reminding you of the reasons he loved you. He was secretive at first about his advances, always making moves when it was just the two of you. And then he was starting to show his affections in front of close friends, becoming confident in your blossoming relationship.

You loved to tell each other of every quirk and flaw you found endearing of the other, but the line between loving and cold remarks seemed to dwindle. Slowly, Ryo's comments drifted from warm and caring to cruel and insensitive. He nitpicked little attributes of you, asking why you would react a certain way or just simply criticizing a decision you had made. You knew he wasn't good at expressing how he felt, that he had a hard time putting it into words, but every comment started to seem more and more like an attack on you.

Everything was wishful thinking at this point. You were watching the relationship you fought for crumble between your fingertips, watching as the dust blew away and left you with nothing to remember it by.

"Ryo, please," you begged. It was another one of those nights where he found a way to make a show in front of all of your friends and, practically, family. They all watched with silent eyes as he tore through you again, unable to step in, helplessly watching you drown.

"Just stop, Sol!"

As his voice raised, you felt yourself start to cower under his towering figure. Every mission used to be in complete trust, knowing the other had your back. Knowing that Ryo would do anything to protect you. And now, it was knowing that you were afraid of him. The only thought running through your head was a plea to run and hide.

"I'm so sick and tired of you watching over me, Sol! I'm so sick and tired of you worrying about every little thing I do because you're afraid, Sol. That's all you are, Sol, a little liability that I have to take care of now."

He kept moving closer as you took small steps back, raising his voice as he was leaning over your small frame.

"What do you want me to do?"

"I don't want you to do anything! Sol, I'm so sick and tired of the way you act!" He was yelling at this point, seething with rage that you couldn't remember the cause of. "I'm so sick and tired of you."

Your voice was timid, directed at the floor your eyes were fixed on, desperately trying not to cry in front of him. "I'm sorry," you mumbled.

"Stop fucking apologizing, Sol!" He was screaming in your face, lunging to grab at your shoulders.

And everyone in the room watched as you flinched, squeezing your eyes shut and bracing for him to hit you.

It was like the fear radiating off of your body finally pulled everyone out of their trance. Jett and Phoenix sprung to their feet, pulling Ryo's hands off of you. Jett moved between the two of you, shielding you with her body as Phoenix pushed Ryo to the other side of the room.

"Come on man, what the fuck is wrong with you? Huh?"

"I don't- I didn't mean to," Ryo's voice was fading from his throat, "I didn't- Y/n..."

"You've done enough, Yoru. Couldn't you see her face? She was afraid! Of you!"

Phoenix continued to tear through him, but you couldn't hear at all. Everything around you sounded like it was underwater. Jett was softly asking if you were okay, running her hands up and down your arms to soothe your nerves, but you couldn't even acknowledge her. Your eyes were still trained on the floor, tears now freely running down your cheeks from your red-rimmed eyes, your mind completely empty.

It felt like your feet were cemented into the ground, unable to carry you away from all the eyes watching you. You wanted to hide from all the people in the room, whose gazes pierced right through your body. So, you pulled Jett into you by the front of her shirt, burying your face in her neck, allowing the grief to overtake your body.

As a sob ripped through your body, silence fell heavy on the room, watching as your knees buckled beneath you and brought you to the ground where Jett enveloped you in her arms, hiding you away.

It was now that Phoenix saw the recognition flash through Ryo's features. He had hurt you. He had made you afraid of him. He watched as you wailed, like you were mourning a loss, and all he could feel was heartbreak and guilt for the person he withered away.

And it was now that he decided that he would take all the yelling, all the hate, all the shunning that his and your friends threw at him. Because he broke every single promise he made you.

"Hate me, Phoenix. Please hate me for everything I've done to her," his voice trembled.

Phoenix just scoffed in reply, "You don't get to feel remorse. You don't deserve the energy. You broke her. Do you understand? You broke her!" Phoenix's hair grew flames, he was steaming in his jacket, Ryo's behavior stoking the flames of rage brewing inside him. "Just leave, man."

All Ryo could do was nod, nod as he walked out of the room, resolve crumbling as your cries echoed down the hallway. And even in his own room, your tears sounded in his head, burning into his heart. He had driven the one person who cared away. It was his greatest talent, pushing away the ones that loved him.

That night was the first night of many where sleep didn't find him easily. Usually, you were by his side, lulling him to sleep in your embrace. He wanted you to come through the door to his room. He knew he didn't deserve you, but you had always been so strong and determined, proving your love even when he tried to push you away.

And he had finally done it, pushed you too far.

The common area was stilled in terse silence, no one could move from their spots. It was like the horrific terror of a car accident, they knew it was awful and painful, but they just couldn't look away. You were still crying on the floor in Jett's arms, head hidden in her neck, when you finally spoke. Voice raspy from all of your crying, you hoarsely whispered, "I think I need a break."

Your voice cracked as you spoke the six words. Jett nodded, stroking your hair away from your face, "Yeah, I think that might be good for you."

Pulling away from her slightly, you lifted your head to see everyone still in the room, with the absence of Ryo. You didn't want to meet their faces, embarrassed that your argument was once again put on display for them to watch. With a shaky breath, you called out one name, "KJ?"

The girl adjusted her round-rimmed glasses, pushing them back onto her face as she stood to move closer to you. "Yes, Sol?" she replied as she squatted down in front of you, "How can I help?"

"I want to change the code on my room's lock."

Killjoy offered you a small smile when you met her eyes, extending a silent hand to help you to your feet. Nervously placing your own hand in hers, she clasped it warmly, slowly helping you stand up before pulling you into a tight embrace. She pulled away with another delicate smile, resting one arm around your waist as you leaned into her side, carefully directing you down the hallway.

As the two of you left, Jett rubbed at her own eyes, fighting the sting as she watched you walk out of view. She had a lot of choice words for Ryo when she saw him next. Looking around the room, it was apparent that everyone was more than aggravated with him as well. Phoenix walked over and pulled her into a side hug, just as fed up with Ryo's bullshit as she was.

"I just don't want to see her hurt anymore, you know?" Jett started. She looked up at his face, "Pretty boy, what do we do?"

When you and Killjoy finally reach your room, she removes her arm from your waist, heading towards your keypad and using a screwdriver to pull off the front panel. You don't really pay attention to what she is doing, but soon enough she is securing the front panel back onto the keypad. "Sol, you just need to put in a new code and then it's all set. Is there anything else you need, schatz?"

You shake your head no, "Thank you for your help, Killjoy. I think I'm going to head in for the night."

"Oh! Alright then. Guten abend, Sol." She gave a meek smile and wave before retreating down the hallway, heading back towards the common area.

Turning towards the keypad, you input a new code and head into your room. The space feels fairly empty with the lack of Ryo's presence. You know that you should start cleaning up his things to give back to him, but you just can't muster up the energy to. Instead, you drag your feet into your bathroom, avoiding your reflection in the mirror. You already know that you look like shit.

You start the process of getting ready for bed. Slowly and haphazardly brushing your teeth, untangling your hair, and washing your face. When you trudge back into your bedroom, you can't find the energy to change into pajamas, choosing to just fall onto your bed.

Looking around the room and seeing photos of you and Ryo together brings a sharp pain to your chest, an even worse sense of hurt enveloping as you notice his signature jacket laid on the bed next to you.

You know it isn't the best idea, but there was always something so tempting about him, and that same feeling returns when you look at his jacket. Sure, it may have been self-destructive to reach for its blue fabric and hold it close, but this was the first night of many without him and you figured it would be better to ease into the loneliness than to let it engulf you fully.

𖤓 LORELAI KIKYO || PLEASE DON'T CLAIM AS YOUR OWN

[lorelaikikyo]

I WOULD TAKE A BULLET FOR YOU

synopsis → he believes that he needs to protect you at all costs

casting call → phoenix (jamie), viper, jett

cw → fem!reader, mention of injury, mention of blood, mention of bodily harm, mention of guns, mention of fighting, mention of gunshot wounds, swearing, hurt/comfort

w.c. → 2.11 k words

author’s note →

You always knew that the job was going to be hard, you always knew it was going to be dangerous, but that was what excited you about it. The risk enticed you. You were always first off of the Valorant Protocol's VTOL, hitting the ground running, Phantom pressed into your shoulder and aimed to kill.

"Sol, status report."

"Clearing B Site. I'm approaching Yellow now," you spoke under your breath as you held your left hand up to your earpiece, updating Viper that you were approaching the shipping crates your team had affectionately nicknamed Yellow on Icebox. The cold was not your favorite, and you would give anything to be out of the harsh weather right now. Steadying your aim again, you checked the cubby to your left before training your eyes forward again.

Preparing to cross the open area, you use one of your Radiant abilities, Sunshine, to blind your enemies as you dash towards the shipping container to seek cover again. With your back pressed against the cool metal, you bring your left hand to your earpiece again, "The Spike has been deployed here. Requesting backup."

You turn to your right to try and scope out where the enemies were, but are halted by the spray of bullets that are fired your way. "I'm pinned down at Yellow."

You hear a couple of shots ring out before a new voice comes over the communication line, "Enemy Astra down in Snowman. I'm coming to your rescue, Sol!"

The eyeroll that takes over your face is involuntary, a reaction that has been on autopilot ever since you joined the Protocol and had to deal with Jamie on a daily basis. "Thanks, hot shot," you sarcastically whisper, accompanied by the furrowing of your eyebrows.

Taking the extra aid though, you decide to swing left of the shipping box, managing to get an easy pick off of the Mirror Sage who had her back turned to you. Running towards the Spike, you start the process of defusing before it has the time to speed up, although you were interrupted halfway by a few other bullets being fired in your direction. Seeking cover behind a wall, you raise your Phantom and swing the corner to take them out.

You run back to the Spike, thankful that you had been able to defuse it part of the way earlier. A couple of boxes around you started to float as you began defusing again, "I've taken out their Breach but I have not seen their Reyna. Be cautious."

Just as the Spike was almost done, you hear Jamie's voice again over the comms, "I've got eyes. She's Kitchen, just stick the Spike. I've got this."

You scoff but play along, "Don't do anything stupid, Phoenix."

The Spike was just deactivated when you hear the singular shot ring out, an Operator, followed by the distinct cackle of the Mexican. "Phoenix!" you scream out, Phantom raised and eyes scanning your surroundings. Your eyes see the crimson-stained snow before you actually see Jamie's body.

He's laying on the ground, left hand weakly pressing against the bullet wound in his right shoulder, dangerously close to his neck. You hastily swing your Phantom onto your back, running towards him and scooping your arms under his, dragging him to cover. Jamie is grunting at the pain and you're cringing at the blood that's smeared through the snow. His blood.

"God, Phoenix. I told you not to do anything stupid," you ramble as you start to fumble through the pockets in your jacket. Finally pulling out some gauze that you were searching for, you also shrug off the garment. Setting down the jacket in the snow, you carefully lay Jamie down on it before speaking through your earpiece again, "Viper, please tell me you've taken care of their Reyna. She took a shot at Phoenix and we really need to get out of here."

You try not to let the panic seep into your voice, for Jamie's sake, but you didn't like the amount of blood he had lost and how the color was draining from his face. Not to mention how the weather conditions were not helping his body either.

"Is it that bad, Sol?" he asks, an emotion you haven't seen in his eyes in a while. Fear, real and genuine fear.

You vigorously shake your head, trembling hands starting to form a ball of light, "No. It's going to be alright, Phoenix. I can stop the bleeding long enough to get us home."

You can see as he struggles to nod his head, eyes drooping slightly. "Alright, I trust you, Sol. I'm just," he starts trailing off as his eyes begin to close more.

"Hey, Phoenix. Stay with me okay, I can't have you falling asleep on me right now." Your hands start moving around the hole in his shoulder, and relief floods your face as the bleeding slows down. It doesn't stop completely, but it is good enough to start putting gauze around it so that you can both get home. As you're wrapping his shoulder, you distantly hear through your earpiece that the VTOL should be coming soon, but your full focus is on Jamie right now.

You pull your jacket around him, "Come on, Viper says they're coming to pick us up."

As you're hauling Jamie to his feet, he keeps mumbling incoherently to you, but you can see his discolored face and blue lips. Swinging his left arm over your shoulders and placing an arm around his waist, you start the journey back to the dropship.

Upon reaching the VTOL, Viper can see that Jamie is looking worse for wear and, begrudgingly, steps forward to help him into the aircraft. You follow suit, bringing him to the aircraft and helping her pull him up into the cabin. Jumping up yourself, you store away your Phantom and help Viper direct him to a seat, buckling him in and putting his headset on his ears. Viper joins the pilot in the cockpit, leaving you to watch over the injured boy.

"God, Jamie, you gave me a fucking heart attack," you mumble to him, who is sitting in his seat, barely lucid.

Sitting down on his good side, you buckle yourself in and dawn your own headset, sliding your arm around him and pulling him into your side. Goodness knows he needs the extra warmth.

And maybe you need the reassurance that he's still here, too.

The flight back to base is quiet, but you can't catch a single second of shuteye while you are watching Jamie slip back and forth between conscious and unconscious. You can feel his breath on your shoulder and you're focusing on its pattern to assure yourself that he is still alive. That he is going to make it.

For as much as you put on the act that you find him annoying, that his showboat attitude pisses you off, you would actually miss him a great deal if something were to happen to him. You only recently admitted this to yourself, though Jett had affectionately pointed it out a month or two after you had joined the Protocol. Apparently, there was a secret part of your face that betrayed you whenever you and Jamie interacted.

When the VTOL touches down at the base, you watch Viper collect all the guns from the cabin before heading back into the base. You unbuckle yourself and Jamie, removing both pairs of headsets as well. When you stand up, you watch Jamie wince as he is forced to reposition from leaning against you, and you find yourself wishing you could take away his pain.

"Okay, hot shot. We just need to get you to the infirmary, then I can take better care of you there. Do you think you can make it?" you ask, carefully studying his paled face.

To your dismay, his only response is a weak nod, scrunching his eyes in pain as he moves to stand. You reach out towards him, offering your support as he looks unsteady, no doubt feeling lightheaded from the blood loss.

The journey to get him into the base was a long and arduous one. Jamie's steps kept faltering, almost like he was intoxicated, but you could tell that he was getting progressively more and more exhausted. "It's okay, Phoenix. We are almost there," you encourage, seeing the glass doors to the infirmary just a few feet in front of you.

Sliding open automatically, you bring Jamie through the doorway and to the nearest bed, helping him lay down. A comfortable silence washes over the room as you work to remove your jacket from his shoulders, helping him sit up. You also take the time to remove his jacket and shirt underneath, making a point to direct your gaze only at his shoulder, suppressing the heat that was slowly rising to your cheeks.

Once again, you start moving your hands in front of you, forming a small ball of sunlight between your fingertips. You continue to let the ball grow before moving it to Jamie's shoulder, watching carefully as the bullet wound starts to shrink to a more manageable size.

At this point, the light between your hands has absorbed into his skin, leaving a warm feeling around the wound. You start to dress his shoulder, applying gauze and securing it before leaving to search the cabinet for pain medication.

Coming back with a small paper cup with the pills and a glass of water, Jamie is lying down on the bed again. If you didn't know any better, you would think he looked a little nervous while he fiddled with his hands.

"Sol? Y'know, up until now I thought you hated me. I don't understand it," he starts, eyebrows furrowing as his voice steadily picks up volume. "I mean, you always act annoyed when I'm around, but as soon as I get hurt, it's all: 'It's okay, Phoenix,' 'You need to keep going,' 'You can't give up.' Not to mention how you hate how careless I am! So, what changed! What about the way you pulled me close in the VTOL? Yeah, I do know. And-"

You were a little startled, to say the least. You didn't quite expect him to come to this revelation so soon, but you could tell that it was a topic that had been in his mind for a while. He seemed pretty worked up about it and couldn't stop his ramblings about the little things he noticed.

While it would be easy for you to just say that you were worried because of the severity of his injury, you thought it best to just come clean. Setting the pain meds and water down on the table by the bed, you sat on the edge and took one of his hands in yours.

"Jamie," and the mere mention of his real name had his ramblings halted. He stilled in the bed, full attention now on you, intently waiting for what you had to say next. Taking a deep breath, you meet his eyes, "I, honestly, didn't expect you to bring all this up right now."

As your nerves start to surface, you start playing with his fingers in your hand, distracting yourself as you're about to lay out your heart for him to see. "I think when we met, I really couldn't stand you all that much. You were loud, you were a risk-taker, you were just crazy! And it pissed me off, at first. I don't remember when things changed, but they did.

"I found myself always looking out for you, despite how much your lack of self-preservation annoyed the shit out of me, hot shot." You start to laugh a little to ease your nerves, happy to hear Jamie quietly join in.

"Maybe you were trying to impress someone, or you were just really stupid, but you were always pulling crazy stunts. And I didn't want to see you hurt. But today," you start to trail off, eyes getting a little heavy and starting to water.

"Maybe I was trying to impress you," he offers.

"Well, stop! Because I don't ever want to see you hurt like that ever again! I know I can always heal you guys, but I'm not Sage. If that Reyna hit the shot she intended to..."

Jamie's hands tenderly reach up to your face, directing your gaze back to his face from where it had drifted during your admission. He starts to wipe at your cheeks, which is when you realize that you had started crying.

Just above a whisper, he speaks softly to you, "I'm not going anywhere, Y/n."

𖤓 LORELAI KIKYO || PLEASE DON'T CLAIM AS YOUR OWN

[lorelaikikyo]

HAIR DYE AND HIGHLIGHTS

synopsis → when a lazy day within the protocol stirs up a little trouble with the brightest-haired agent

casting call → neon (tala), brimstone, sage, reyna, jett, phoenix, yoru

cw → fem!reader

w.c. → 2.66 k words

author’s note →

The month had been filled back-to-back with missions upon missions. Not seeming to have caught a single break for at least the past twenty days, Brimstone ordered a mandatory day-off for all the agents. The training arena was locked and everyone was given strict instructions to relax and rest. Most took the rare chance to kick their feet up and just hang out together, majority of the common area being occupied by mingling agents.

Like lightning before thunder, most saw the flash of bright blue and highlighter-yellow before they heard the voice of Tala, "Y/n? Has anyone seen Sol? She said that we were gonna spend the day together."

Without even looking up to see her face, Sage could hear the pout written across her face. "Where have you looked, Neon?"

"Well, I passed by Viper in the hallway, and she said that since Brim made us all take the day off, everyone was hanging out in the common area. I think she also said something about trying to get into her lab anyways, so if anyone wants to drag her back here, that might be wise before she puts a hole through the wall to work on her science, stuff? But besides that, I haven't checked anywhere else yet. Sol said that we were supposed to eat breakfast together, but when I had first gotten out of bed and came to the kitchen, she wasn't here," Tala rambled. Her pout remained visible as her voice accentuated certain words and trailed off into a whisper at others. Her appearance looked slightly disheveled and her hair appeared faded and dull.

A couple of Tala's close friends withheld a few giggles, entertained by the way her mind ran a hundred miles a minute. Rolling her eyes playfully and letting out an exaggerated sigh, Reyna turned to the worried girl, "Cariño? Have you checked her room?" She simply quirked an eyebrow at Tala and watched as embarrassment took over her face.

Tala threw a quick sentiment of appreciation to the Mexican woman as she sprinted out of the common area. Jett turned to Reyna, "Are you really going to make her run around the base? Sol told all of us that she was running to the store in town."

Reyna shrugged, glancing at the clock in the room, "She will be back in a few minutes anyway. Fifteen minutes to get to the other side of the island, five in the store, fifteen to get back. Thirty-five minutes on the dot when it strikes ten."

Jett just laughed, indulging in Reyna's antics for a few seconds before Tala skidded to a halt in front of them again, a few more hairs out of place than earlier.

Her face was flushed a slight pink, "She wasn't there. I knocked and I got no response from inside, so maybe she was still asleep, but that's so uncharacteristic to Y/n. So, I went into her room, but the bed was already made and empty. And her phone was missing from the nightstand!"

Reyna continued to chuckle at the girl, "Mira, Neon. Sol left for the store almost thirty-five minutes ago. Let me explain." The woman motioned for the girl to come closer to where she was seated on the couch, pulling her forward to bend down next to her, and then directed her gaze to the clock on the wall. "Do you see the small hand on the clock? When the long hand is pointed straight up and the small hand is pointed to-"

She was quickly cut off by Sage hitting the back of her head, "Zyanya! Stop babying her. Neon, Sol will be back at ten, just about now."

Tala stood straight up, glancing at the clock before leveling her eyes at Reyna, "So you knew she wasn't in her room when you sent me there?"

With a nudge to the shoulder from Sage, Reyna reluctantly replied, "Yes. Sorry, cariño."

Tala huffed, blowing a strand of hair out of her face and sending a few sparks from her shoulders. Her furrowed eyebrows raised and a grin spread across her face as the front doors to the Valorant Protocol opened to reveal your figure, carrying a small plastic bag from a generic pharmacy.

"Y/n!" Tala skid straight into your arms as soon as you looked up to meet her eyes. Pulling her face away from your neck, she pressed a quick kiss on your cheek before squeezing you again as her pout returned. "Why didn't you tell me you were going out?"

"You were still asleep when I made breakfast so I thought I would let you sleep in longer," you giggled at her face, pecking her nose before you were interrupted.

Phoenix was miming throwing up before Jett smacked him upside the head, Yoru joining in with a mock annoyed tone, "Get a room, you're making the rest of us sick."

Laughing at the trio's display of mockery, you wiggled out of Tala's grip and started out of the common area. "I'll drop the supplies off in the infirmary, Sage," you called out as Tala trailed behind you.

"So."

"Yes, Tala?"

"What did you get from the town?"

Following behind your footsteps as you made your way around the infirmary ward, restocking a few drawers and cabinets, Tala tried to peak over your shoulder into the bag for any surprises.

"Sage had asked me this morning if I could run a quick errand for her. I didn't mind as I was already planning to go," you spoke, spinning around with a now empty bag, two bottles of hair dye, and a box of hair bleach in your hands. "I thought you might like a touch-up to your hair."

Tala's eyes lit up in wonder, adoration swimming in her eyes. She found it extremely heartwarming that you had noticed she hadn't had the time to redo it herself because of how busy the Protocol had been lately.

"And, I think we should have some bleach left once your hair is done. Would you help me put some highlights in my hair? I wanted to match you and have a couple of blue strips with yellow ends. What do you think?"

Again, Tala's eyes lit up, excitement causing her to start generating sparks. "Yes! Oh, we can be matching!" She quickly grabbed you by your waist, spinning around in a circle as you both laughed.

When she set you down on the ground, you grabbed her hand and started moving toward the hallway, "Let's go to my room. I think when I joined I had brought some of the old tools I had when I used to dye my own hair."

Tala chuckled as your face scrunched up in thought for a second, truly recalling if the small mixing bowls and brush applicators had been in the few boxes you brought with you to the base when you were recruited. You definitely remember using a comb and foil strips recently, recalling when you had to soak off your gel nails because one of them broke short on a mission.

"I think I do have everything," you mumble, placing your hand on the scanner in front of your door and typing in your code to unlock it. Dragging Tala in, you sit her down in the swivel chair at your desk, laying the dyes and bleach in your hands on the desk. Tala starts spinning in circles as you head into your bathroom, rummaging through a few different drawers to find the tools you were looking for.

"Sol? You said you used to dye your hair when you were younger?"

"Yeah! I think there might be a few photos on my desk."

Tala turned back to face the desk and started looking at each framed photo. She could tell that most were from your years in high school, boasting a different hairstyle in each, and one of you and your mom playing when you were a toddler. This is the frame that she takes into her hands, holding it delicately and blowing the dust from the glass. A smile starts to play on her lips, eyes scanning your small face, delicate hands, and whispy hair.

Tala is startled out of her thoughts as you drop the mixing bowls, brush applicators, foil strips, gloves, and rattail comb. "Okay, let's get to work?"

Tala nods as you reach to turn the chair to face you, kissing her on the nose before turning her away from you again and starting to remove the hair ties that keep her pigtails in place. Letting her hair down, you run your hand through it before grabbing the comb and slowly detangling her hair from the ends up.

Turning the rattail comb over, you use the pointed end to start sectioning her hair, separating the yellow section beneath her blue hair and the two streaks near her face. Tying the blue sections up and out of the way, you gently brush through Tala's hair again.

"Could you start to open the box of bleach, Tala?"

She hums in response, reaching for the box and carefully laying its contents on your desk. You reach around her from behind, taking one of the mixing bowls and pouring one-part bleach and two-part developer into the bowl. Taking a brush applicator, you mix the bleach and developer together before grabbing one sheet of foil. Using the handle end of the brush to grab your first strand, you start the process of bleaching the grown-out roots of her hair.

Soon enough, you're just waiting for the bleach to lighten her hair. You're sitting on the edge of your bed, talking with Tala, "So, once the bleach is done, we can go rinse it out and then dye the yellow and blue sections."

"While my hair is being dyed, can I bleach the strands of your hair?"

"Yeah! Let me check your roots now," you move to stand up, turning Tala's chair around again. Lifting up the top strands to look at the first section you bleached, you move the foil to see that her natural color had already lifted. "Okay! Bleach is ready to be washed out."

Tala stands up and you move to the bathroom, pulling out the foil sheets and throwing them away with your gloves. You turn the water on in the bath, waiting for it to get warm, and then turn on the detachable shower head. Leaning her head over the edge of the bathtub, Tala lets you wash the bleach out of her hair, massaging her scalp as you wash her hair.

Turning the water off, you squeeze any excess water from her hair before drying it with a towel, laying it across her shoulders as you both stand up and start to go back to your desk. Grabbing the two clean mixing bowls, you pour some of the yellow dye into one and most of the blue into the other, slipping on a new pair of gloves. You start dying the yellow section, placing a sheet of foil over the top of the section before letting down her blue hair to keep the colors separate. You begin redying the blue section now, laughing at the way her scalp is stained an electric blue.

Taking off the dye-stained gloves, you help Tala mix a smaller batch of bleach, looking in the mirror you have next to your desk to section out the strands of your hair. You pick out four streaks on the top of your head, symmetrical over your part, and tie the rest of your hair out of the way. Two streaks are in line with your ears, the other two being a few inches back from the first.

Tala starts humming as she brushes your hair with her gloved fingers, picking up a sheet of foil and the bleach, starting to bleach your ends and going up. She leaves your roots untouched as she crimps the foil around the strand of hair. Quickly moving on to bleach the rest of it, she continues humming a soft melody you can't recognize, but it brings a smile to your lips.

Once the strands are mostly bleached, she goes back through to lighten your roots. At this point, she is softly singing under her breath, singing what seems to be a song from her childhood. She keeps singing as she checks your roots again, slowly pulling you to your feet and bringing you to your bathroom again. Turning on the water, she pulls the foil out of your hair and discards her gloves.

Tala starts washing the bleach out of your hair, apologizing as some of the water runs over your face, making you scrunch your eyes shut. You only giggle in response, shutting the water off and drying your hair with a towel. You turn to Tala and press a kiss to her lips, smiling when she stops rambling, "Stop apologizing and just dye my hair already."

She shuts up, cheeks flushing a slight pink before quickly nodding and standing up. Pulling you to your feet, she silently leads you back to your desk and pulls on a new pair of gloves so she can dye your hair. She takes the strands and dyes most of them blue, leaving the ends to be dyed yellow. When the whole process is done, you grab your phone and snap a few photos of you and Tala with matching hair, making funny faces and showing off your blue-stained scalps.

After twenty or so minutes of waiting and hanging out, you drag Tala back to the bathroom to wash out the dye. You start by washing her hair and then wrapping it in a towel before she washes yours. Once the dye had been rinsed out, you went to clean your desk and put away all of the tools you brought out, storing away the rest of the dye as well. After everything was put away, you met Tala in your bathroom where she was seated on the counter, back to the mirror.

"Tala," you called sweetly, watching as she looked up from her phone and smiled. You walked over and stood between her legs, wrapping your arms around her waist, looking up at her face with a gentle smile. Her arms made their way over your shoulders, hands holding the back of your head to pull you closer as she leaned down and kissed you. Her lips were soft, making you lean closer to her, pouting when she pulled away with a giggle.

"Can we dry our hair now? I wanna show the others that we're matching."

You nod, going to peck a quick kiss on her lips again before stepping back to open the cabinet under the sink and pull out a hair dryer. Plugging the cord into an outlet by the counter, Tala hops down from where she was sitting and removes the towel from her hair, hanging it up on a hook to dry. She comes and stands in front of you, smiling at your reflection in the mirror as you start to dry her hair.

When you're done, she lets you dry your own hair, opting to start taking little videos of you both hanging out together. Once your hair is dry and styled, she starts taking photos of both of you, planning to later add them to the album she has dedicated to photos of you together. She starts kissing you all over your face, causing you to start laughing.

"Thank you for spending the day with me, I've missed you, sinta ko."

"Of course, sweetheart. You know how much I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Come on, let's go show off our hair now, hm?"

Tala smiles, pressing a kiss to your nose before grabbing your hand, grinning ear to ear as she leads you down the hallway to flaunt you to all your teammates and friends.

𖤓 LORELAI KIKYO || PLEASE DON'T CLAIM AS YOUR OWN

[lorelaikikyo]

PATCHING WOUNDS

synopsis → a deeper dive into the what soulmate au! hc

casting call → jett (sunwoo), brimstone, phoenix, sova, reyna, yoru, skye, killjoy, sage

cw → fem!reader, mentions of guns, mentions of fighting, mention of explosives, mention of bodily harm, mention of blood, swearing

w.c. → 2.0 k words

author’s note →

"Jett, do you copy?"

The crinkling in her earpiece was mere background noise to the gunfight she found herself trapped in. Exchanging shots with two Mirror agents, a Raze and Cypher, Sunwoo was a little too preoccupied to have the time to radio back to Brimstone and update him completely on the situation. She got a few hits off on the enemy, forcing them to fall back. In a last-ditch effort to get her to back off, a grenade was thrown in her direction, forcing her to retreat for cover.

Tripping over the sands of Bind, Sunwoo found herself sliding down the wall of Garden just before the grenade exploded. Holding her left hand up to her earpiece, she reassured the team that she was back under cover, "Copy, Brim. Mirror Raze and Cypher in CT of B Site. Both are low, Cypher's right shoulder is out and Raze should be hopping her way towards you. Over."

"Alright, Wind Girl!" The ever-charming voice of Phoenix flooded their comms, allowing her to hear the crackle of his laugh before the line dropped out.

Scoffing to herself before steeling her resolve and standing up again, Sunwoo felt a jolt of pain shoot up her leg. Quickly looking down, she breathed out a sigh of relief at the lack of blood, ensuring that she had not been shot through the gunfire of her standoff earlier. However, throbbing pain was now taking over her ankle as she entered back onto the site, leveling her Vandal to head height.

Gun trained at the drop onto Sands from Hookah, she slowly took steps sideways before abruptly turning around to swing into CT and follow onto the trail of Mirror Cypher and Raze. Keeping her steps light and focusing her efforts to clear a path to A Site, she distracted herself from the ache in her ankle.

Walking through the sand was only making her job more difficult, especially on an aching foot, but as the gunfire got louder in her ears, she picked up the pace. Running up Ramp and into A Site Heaven, she managed to pick off the wounded Cypher before dashing into the site, much to her ankle's dismay.

Hearing the steady ticking of the Spike, Sunwoo raised her left hand to her earpiece again as she took cover behind a wall, "Camera's down, where are the rest of them?"

"Raze retreated to Showers, Spike's planted default. Phoenix is handling their Reyna."

Readying her gun, Sunwoo ventured toward Showers, "Copy that. Start the defuse, I'll keep her busy."

The dripping of water from the walls spattered against the floor, slicking the tiles under her feet. Calming her breath, breathing in through her nose and smelling the faint wisp of gunpowder, she blew out a shallow exhale and swung the corner wide. Catching the Raze off-guard allowed for her to get an easy pick with a well-trained headshot. The water at her feet turned crimson as it flowed towards the drain.

"Raze's down, heading back to site."

"Empress is down."

"Spike defused. Let's head back to dropship for extraction."

Walking back into A Site, Sunwoo let her Vandal hang at her side as she reconvened with Phoenix and Brimstone, allowing the tension in her shoulders to ease before the pain in her ankle came back full force. Wincing when she put pressure on her right foot, she covered her scowl with a tight-lipped smile as she walked next to a limping Phoenix whose bloody arm was strung over Brimstone's shoulders. "You got pretty banged up, huh, Pretty Boy?" she said, snickering under her breath, "Didn't take your own 'super high-level tactic' advice?"

"Oh, haha, Jett. You know, you really got me with that one, yeah?" his voice dripping with sarcasm as he excessively rolled his eyes, causing Sunwoo to laugh harder as she covered her mouth. Brimstone remained stoic-faced as he was forced to, quite literally, be stuck in the middle of their teasing.

Their banter went back and forth until the Valorant Protocol's VTOL aircraft came to pick them up. Hoisting herself into the cabin and storing her Vandal underneath the seats, Sunwoo turned around to help pull Phoenix into the seats and even strapped him in, teasingly patting his cheek as he scowled at her. Sitting down next to him and strapping herself into her seat, she pulled the aircraft's headset onto her head and promptly shut her eyes, trying to will away the pain that was pulsing through her ankle and up her calf.

The flight back from Bind to the Protocol Base was a little bit of a lengthy one, so while Brimstone was briefing, most likely Viper, over the radio, Sunwoo decided to take a power nap to forget about her twisted ankle. And upon opening her eyes, she found Phoenix's head rested on her shoulder, seeming to have had the same idea as her of sneaking in a few more moments of sleep before their landing. Speaking of, she was just in time to watch the touching down of the VTOL as another aircraft was also landing.

Unclasping the buckles around her torso then removing the headset from her ears and placing it on the empty seat next to her, she gently shook her slumbering duo awake. Removing his headset as well, she softened her voice, "Phoenix, we're back at base. C'mon, I'll take you to Sage and Y/n, but you need to wake up 'cause I can't carry your heavy ass all the way there."

He opened his eyes groggily and swiped at his face, "Alright, alright. I'm getting up." He winced a little as he slowly rose from his seat after unbuckling his own seatbelts. Hopping down from the cabin and onto the landing dock, Sunwoo held her hands out for Phoenix to take as he sat down on the ledge and slid off onto the ground, letting out a grunt as his feet hit the asphalt. Slinging his arm over her shoulder and bearing most of his weight as they walked toward the base, Sunwoo watched the other VTOL unload a scrappy group of agents, most notably wincing at the gash across Sova's forehead and the profusely bleeding arm Reyna was cradling to her chest.

"Yikes, what happened to them?" She pushed the air out of her mouth as Yoru and Skye held up an injured Killjoy whose pants were ripped across the side of her left thigh and calf, deep crimson blood seeping through some hastily bandaged gauze.

"That does not look pretty. We got off pretty lucky, huh?" Phoenix nervously chuckled as he pushed the doors of the base open with his good arm.

"Yeah, I guess we did."

You came running down the hall at that point with a red medkit in your hands, putting slightly less pressure on your right foot, "Sage is waiting in the infirmary for everyone if you can take Phoenix down yourself. I've gotta go check out our friends that just got back from Icebox."

Sunwoo met your eyes and flashed a small smile, curtly nodding her head before continuing toward the infirmary ward, only turning her head around as she heard the door being flung open as you rushed to Reyna to stop the bleeding in her arm and inspect Sova's gash. Nearing the infirmary, Sunwoo called out for her friend, "Sage! I've got Phoenix here with a bleeding arm and leg wound."

Sage ducked her head out of the door before coming to Phoenix's other side and looping her arm around his waist to help guide him to a bed.

"Is there anything I can do to help? I think Y/n's bringing Reyna, Sova, and Killjoy soon."

"If you could run to the supply closet and pick up some more gauze, that would be wonderful Jett. Thank you," she replied sincerely, quickly adding before the doors closed to bring back two arm slings as well.

As soon as she was out of Sage's view, she began limping down the hallway to the supply closet, swinging the door open and scanning the shelves for what she needed. Updrafting to reach the higher shelves, she began floating in the air to have time to swipe quite a few rolls of gauze into her arms. When her feet met the floorboards again, she leaned more so on her left foot than her right, then grabbed two arm slings before leaving the closet to head back to the infirmary.

Stumbling through the automatic glass doors, she dumped her armful of medical supplies onto the nearest empty bed, bracing her back against the bed and closing her eyes, taking deep breaths to finally simmer down her whirring mind from the mission she came back from at least ten minutes ago.

"Ah, Jett. Thank you, again, for your help," Sage spoke softly, whisking up the supplies into her arms and distributing them between beds so that you and she could tend to everybody. She began calling you, "Sol! Are you finished stitching up Sova's gash? Could you come wrap Phoenix's arm and put it in a sling?"

"Of course! I'll be over in a minute, I've just finished sterilizing Reyna's bullet wound." Your hands began to glow a radiant yellow as they dance over her arm, brightening the corner of the room you were standing in.

You quickly turned around and started briskly limping to Phoenix's bed, dragging your right foot across the floor as you went. Sunwoo watched you with curiosity, feeling her own pain in her ankle pick up as you went.

And her interest piqued as you huffed out of frustration, pausing in the middle of the room to heal your own ankle.

And then her mental resolve crumbled when the pain in her own ankle suddenly disappeared.

And then the disbelief was written all over her face.

"Jett, are you okay? Were you injured when you were on your mission?" Sage quickly comes over, doting on Sunwoo. "You did not need to help if you were hurt."

"No. No, I'm okay, Sage. Um," she paused, contemplating whether what she was about to say would sound silly or not. She decided against her better judgment. "How long has Y/n been limping about?"

"Oh! I guess Sol started limping halfway through your mission, why does it concern you?"

"I twisted my ankle."

It took a couple of seconds for Sage to process what Sunwoo had said fully, but then recognition shot across her face, "Oh. Oh! Do you think she might be..."

"I'm not sure. The pain in my ankle left when she healed herself."

Sunwoo appeared to still be processing the revelation, mulling it over in her head. Until Sage gave a crisp backhand across her face, pulling her out of her thoughts with a quick apology. "Okay. Ouch, Sage," Sunwoo said, slight betrayal in her eyes, hand rubbing her sore cheek. She didn't think her small suspicion was worth a slap, especially not from Sage, the most motherly person within the Protocol.

"I'm testing a theory," she put it simply. Her dark eyes scanned the room, calculating. "And five, four, three, two..." Her voice trailed off as she turned to Sunwoo with a smug expression.

"Sage! Someone just slapped my soulmate across their face! Do you think they're okay?" you call from where you are tending to Phoenix. He looks to be stifling a laugh as, even though five injured agents are under your care, you still found time for a little gossip.

Sage reaches her hand up to close Sunwoo's open jaw, "Darling, pick your jaw up from the floor and maybe tell her sometime soon, yes?" Sage pats her cheek affectionately, pressing a kiss to the side of her face that she had hit mere seconds ago. She quickly scurries away, though, going back to Killjoy's bed to tend to her injuries.

It seems as though Sunwoo might have quite a bit to talk to you about once your hands are free.

𖤓 LORELAI KIKYO || PLEASE DON'T CLAIM AS YOUR OWN

[lorelaikikyo]

WHAT SOULMATE AU! HC

synopsis → what soulmate au! you would have with jett as a fellow agent.

casting call → jett (sunwoo), sage

cw → fem!reader, mentions of bodily harm

w.c. → 752 words

author’s note → enjoy a full fic version in patching wounds

The "any pain you feel, your soulmate also feels" trope

- Sunwoo has grown up hearing stories from her Umma, mother, about how while she was growing up, she would come home from school with unnecessary bruises across her elbows and scrapes on her palms. This is when her Appa, father, would always cut in on storytime and jokingly claim that those injuries were just 'battle scars' from 'defending your mother's honor.' Storytime always ended with a chaste kiss on her forehead and insistent urges to get to bed early.

- Whenever her Umma would patch up a scraped knee, she would clean it with care and bandage it. Leaving a kiss on the superficial wound and telling Sunwoo to 'watch where she was going' to avoid another accident. Sometimes fretting over her daughter as she rambled about how she hurt her soulmate by being a little careless. This always led to Sunwoo vowing to run a little slower, a promise she seemed to forget after a few days.

- Once Sunwoo had left home, she quickly forgot about such stories and went about her ambitions to become a chef. Working in the kitchens of restaurants awarded her a fair share of minor injuries, especially when she was first starting off. The occasional nick of her finger while chopping ingredients, a small burn from a pot that's nearly full of boiling liquid, or the splash of oil onto her hand from frying an egg. She has seen it all.

- As she got better with her skills, earning precision at knife usage, kitchen accidents became just that, accidents. She excelled in skill and efficiency, using her experience to aid her climbing career.

- When the first light hit, she fled the ruined restaurant with her new powers, earning many twisted ankles as she grappled with her new abilities. And once she was recruited to the Valorant Protocol? You were not in for a fun time.

- While you were also getting used to your own Radiant abilities, you found yourself growing more and more worrisome with the extensive injuries that your soulmate was suffering from. Some days left you bedridden with pain whenever Sunwoo got injured on a mission. Those were times when you were grateful for the limited amount of experience you had with your abilities, using your own healing to help soothe the pain.

- Eventually, you had been scouted by the Protocol and were asked to join, the need for more healers becoming desperate in their convincing of your recruitment. Leaving behind your apartment and most belongings within it, you, reluctantly, said yes and allowed yourself to step into a world of further uncertainty.

- Upon joining the Valorant family, you became fast friends with the other sentinels and Sage especially. Together, you manned the base's infirmary ward. Quickly becoming a well-oiled machine, you worked side-by-side with her to help put the other agents on the mend.

- You started getting closer with the other agents as well, becoming fond of the duelists as their entry jobs made them frequent flyers of your care. Yes, it was worrisome that a few seemed to have a lack of self-preservation, but that was an issue for another day.

- Prior to your recruitment, Sunwoo had always come to Sage with her injuries. Grumbling about her usual need for healing, Sage once made a passing comment to her about her carelessness possibly worrying her soulmate. Suddenly, memories of her own Umma saying the same came back to her as Sage cleaned her wounds and acted like a doting mother. This resurfacing of memories caused Sunwoo to become just a little more careful on missions.

- Her real surprise came when she went limping into the infirmary and fell right into Sage's arms. As she was struggling to walk to an empty bed, she watched you try to run between other injured agents while also limping around, favoring your uninjured leg. Coincidentally her uninjured leg as well. In your haste to help the other agents quicker, you healed your own leg to be more efficient. As you made your own pain fade away, Sunwoo was amazed that her pain also dissipated.

- "Sage, how long has Y/n been limping around?"

- "Oh, I guess it must have been halfway through your mission. I'm sure she is alright, Jett. Can I help you with your own leg?"

- Sunwoo brushed her off, hastily explaining that it doesn't feel so bad anymore. She was occupied with watching you continue to work, suspicions slowly building up in her head.

𖤓 LORELAI KIKYO || PLEASE DON'T CLAIM AS YOUR OWN

[lorelaikikyo]

VALORANT PLAYER CARD

Sol 𖤓 Y/N

- Codename: Helios

- Primary Ability: Hands of Warmth a heal that can be used both on yourself and allies; gives a warm feeling to the recipient, unlike how cold Sage's healing is

- Secondary Ability: Heatwave a patch of fire that is thrown like Phoenix's Hot Hands, but will not heal yourself if stood in; lasts for 8 seconds before dissipating

- Tertiary Ability: Sunshine a blind that will appear above your head immediately after being deployed; can be used twice per round

- Ultimate Ability: Heatstroke affects all enemies within your radius with a burn, making your enemies vulnerable for 10 seconds

𖤓 LORELAI KIKYO || PLEASE DON'T CLAIM AS YOUR OWN