❄️ I'm Malachi, but you can also call me Dylan.
❄️ I identify as demigirl, my pronouns are they/she, and I don't know if a label exists to properly describe my sexuality but I identify as both omnisexual and asexual aromantic. I have experienced crushes, found people attractive both irl and in fiction, but I have close to no desire to act on those feelings.
❄️ I'm 18 years old, my star sign is Sagittarius, and my MBTI is INTJ.
❄️ English is my first and only language.
❄️ I currently live on the west coast of the United States; ethnicity-wise, I'm German and Austrian but I was born in the USA and culturally am a white American so that's what I call myself.
❄️ I've been making art and writing stories since 2017, editing my own videos since 2020, and I've been a (non-professional) voice actor since 2025.
❄️ I'm openly autistic, was diagnosed in 2018.
❄️ I love drawing, reading books, writing stories, animals, playing video games, voice acting, collecting stationary, designing characters, musicals, and learning about mythology.
❄️ Despite being aroace, I'm a hopeless romantic. As a fictional concept, romance and the complexities of relationships intrigues me greatly. So I tend to play romantic visual novels and write love stories.
❄️ And in regards to being omnisexual, I tend to lean towards being attracted to men and masculine individuals and I can probably count on one or both hands how many times I've been attracted to feminine individuals, women, and nonbinary people. This will reflect on the line-up of characters I'm willing to write for but my line-up will likely expand over time.
BEFORE YOU FOLLOW--
❄️ My blog is mostly 18+. Minors who are caught liking, reblogging, or commenting on my NSFW fics will be blocked.
❄️ My blog is a safe-space for all!! Racism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, ableism, and other discrimination will not be tolerated around here.
❄️ Writing smut and other adult/mature topics. playing NSFW/18+ games, and reading more adult novels does not automatically make me a NSFW blog/sexual space. So respectfully, please do not come into my inbox being horny or making sexual passes at me. Occasional NSFW jokes that are clearly jokes are fine. Otherwise, I'll ignore you.
❄️ Just because I've mentioned, acknowledged, or expressed interest in a piece of media does not mean that I actively engage in that fandom or will accept writing requests for it.
❄️ I'm anti-AI. None of my works will ever be made using AI and I do not consent to my works being fed into/used to train AI.
❄️ I believe in treating others how you want to be treated so as long as you're chill, polite, and respectful with me then I will show you that same courtesy.
❄️ On the above topic, I'm socially awkward and tend to be reserved so please don't overstep and try to get super close to me. I'm open to messages and asks in my inbox and we can joke and vibe!! But I'll ignore any messages that make me uncomfortable.
❄️ I cross-post all of my fics onto Ao3. If you recognize one of my fics from Tumblr on there and it was posted by Malachi_Exists13, that's me!
MY CARRD || MY KO-FI || MY MASTERLIST || REQUEST GUIDELINES
GAMES I LIKE---
❄️ Our Life: Beginnings & Always
❄️ Our Life: Now & Forever
❄️ Genshin impact
❄️ Stardew Valley
❄️ Minecraft
❄️ A Date With Death
❄️ A Date With Death 2: REMNANTS
❄️ Love&Deepspace
❄️ Obey Me!: One Master to Rule Them All
❄️ Obey Me!: Nightbringer
❄️ Ikemen Sengoku: Romance Across Time
❄️ Ikemen Vampire: Temptation in the Dark
❄️ Ikemen Prince: Beauty and Her Beast
❄️ Ikemen Villains: Wrapped in Wicked Romance
❄️ WolfQuest
❄️ Killer Chat!
❄️ Cupid's Chatroom
❄️ The Kid at the Back
❄️ 14 Days With You
SERIES/SHOWS/MOVIES I LIKE----
❄️ Life Series
❄️ HermitCraft
❄️ Vampires SMP
❄️ Jujutsu Kaisen
❄️ Demon Slayer
❄️ K-POP Demon Hunters
❄️ ERASED
❄️ Yuri!!! on Ice
❄️ The Owl House
❄️ Cherry Magic!
❄️ The Summer Hikaru Died
BOOKS I LIKE-----
❄️ Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
❄️ Get Over It, April Evans by Ashley Herring Berker
❄️ Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
❄️ How to Make Friends with the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow
❄️ You'd Be Home Now by Kathleen Glasgow
❄️ The Glass Girl by Kathleen Glasgow
❄️ Five Survive by Holly Jackson
❄️ Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson
❄️ A Matter of Days by Amber Kizer
❄️ One of Us is Lying Trilogy by Karen M. McManus
❄️ Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus
❄️ The Cousins by Karen M. McManus
❄️ You'll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus
❄️ Nothing More to Tell by Karen M. McManus
❄️ Such Charming Liars by Karen M. McManus
❄️ Last Star Burning by Caitlin Sangster
❄️ No Escape by Maren Stoffels
❄️ Next Time Will Be Our Turn by Jesse Q. Sutanto
currently reading: They Never Learn by Layne Fargo.
CURRENT PROJECTS------
❄️ SENSES AU: Shadows of the Forsaken | A voice-acted Obey Me Rewrite Gacha Series.
❄️ Our Life: Beginnings & Always UNOFFICIAL Fandub | An unofficial fully voiced fandub of the visual novel "Our Life: Beginnings & Always" by GB Patch Games.
❄️ Projects I'm apart of but not managing/hosting are listed in my carrd.
please ignore the fact that I posted my week 4 wips way too fucking early. It's called sometimes I format my posts very sleep-deprived or while on VC with friends as I work on shit and my brain just. Completely blanks on everything and I either hit post before I meant to, don't schedule it properly, or just forget. My attention skills are not the greatest. My friend said "soccer" once and I thought they said "stalker". Anyway.
❄️: Y'all I have been REALLY busy these past two weeks so I've had barely any time to work on Tumblr, I'm so sorry :( BUT if you enjoy my writing, I am working on some stuff for my YouTube channel so perhaps you might consider checking that out in the near future!! It's linked in my carrd on my pinned post :D
ADWD Casper x Reader (Request)
KC Misaki x Reader (Request)
Various Genshin Men x Reader Scenario Prompt (Request)
Genshin Lohen x OC
KC Ronin x OC
TT Neil Forrester x OC
"We Need to Talk" Smau
Buying Condoms Smau
Not in the Mood for Sex Smau
The Cold Beast Chapter 3
The Cold Beast Chapter 4
The Cold Beast Chapter 5
The Cold Beast Chapter 6
The Cold Beast Chapter 7
This is a queued post meaning if your request is not here, there's a chance I did not see it before putting this in the queue on Saturday morning PST. If you sent it any time before that, likelihood is I just was not inspired, not interested in your request, or I've yet to format my notes.
Unfortunately, due to the VA studio LC’s Fate is apart of essentially rebooting, once again Laurelclan is put on hold. With the reboot of the studio, only a few projects are now currently being done, and Laurelclan is not on this list.
I am ok with this, as I understand the amount of work having so many projects may create (Though most of them were actually rather self sufficient) may be unsustainable now that the studio is working on being more professional. However, I would like to say that it would have been appreciated if they spoke to the project managers AT ALL before making this announcement. I would have liked to know my project was being dropped ahead of time, personally.
One day, once I get more of the script written, I will attempt to remake LC’s Fate and begin my hunt for new VAs. Until then, this blog will once again, be on hold.
Unfortunately, due to the VA studio LC’s Fate is apart of essentially rebooting, once again Laurelclan is put on hold. With the reboot of the studio, only a few projects are now currently being done, and Laurelclan is not on this list.
I am ok with this, as I understand the amount of work having so many projects may create (Though most of them were actually rather self sufficient) may be unsustainable now that the studio is working on being more professional. However, I would like to say that it would have been appreciated if they spoke to the project managers AT ALL before making this announcement. I would have liked to know my project was being dropped ahead of time, personally.
One day, once I get more of the script written, I will attempt to remake LC’s Fate and begin my hunt for new VAs. Until then, this blog will once again, be on hold.
❄️: My health's been acting up and I've been busy with writing scripts for my VA projects so I haven't had much time to work on wips for Tumblr. One of the ones on this list is almost done though ;)
ADWD Casper x Reader (Request)
KC Misaki x Reader (Request)
Genshin Lohen x OC
KC Ronin x OC
TT Neil Forrester x OC
"We Need to Talk" Smau
Buying Condoms Smau
Not in the Mood for Sex Smau
The Cold Beast Chapter 3
The Cold Beast Chapter 4
The Cold Beast Chapter 5
The Cold Beast Chapter 6
The Cold Beast Chapter 7
This is a queued post meaning if your request is not here, there's a chance I did not see it before putting this in the queue on Saturday morning PST. If you sent it any time before that, likelihood is I just was not inspired, not interested in your request, or I've yet to format any notes.
This is basically week 3 as well since I was really busy with VA stuff and did not have time to work on or draft any other writing snippets. On the bright side, my OLBA fandub is progressing nicely <3
WOOOO!!! This has actually been done since like, January or February or something, but I’m finally getting around to posting it now that I’ve gained a plan and confidence. Future chapters / moons may have illustrated scenes, but I can’t guarantee. Hope you enjoy!
❄️: My health's been acting up and I've been busy with writing scripts for my VA projects so I haven't had much time to work on wips for Tumblr. One of the ones on this list is almost done though ;)
ADWD Casper x Reader (Request)
KC Misaki x Reader (Request)
Genshin Lohen x OC
KC Ronin x OC
TT Neil Forrester x OC
"We Need to Talk" Smau
Buying Condoms Smau
Not in the Mood for Sex Smau
The Cold Beast Chapter 3
The Cold Beast Chapter 4
The Cold Beast Chapter 5
The Cold Beast Chapter 6
The Cold Beast Chapter 7
This is a queued post meaning if your request is not here, there's a chance I did not see it before putting this in the queue on Saturday morning PST. If you sent it any time before that, likelihood is I just was not inspired, not interested in your request, or I've yet to format any notes.
Angel from Killer Chat and Neil Forrester from Tailor Tales have been added to my miscellaneous masterlist and are available as per my requests guidelines~
Yap as to why below the cut!
I finally got around to playing Angel’s route and her moments in the Overkill DLC and oh my god??? I love her??? I liked Angel previously but I wasn’t sure if I’d ever like her enough to consider writing fanfic about and the answer after playing her route is I absolutely do 🥰 deadass had me melting with how sweet she is lmfao
I also finally got around to playing Tailor Tales after having it in my Steam library for so long!! Didn’t know who to read (and didn’t want spoilers) so I did the game’s quiz to determine who I should pick and it recommended me Neil!! So I went ahead and did his route and ended up really liking him. Dunno why his route was described as fast-paced though? If anything that was slow-burn but I actually like slow-burn more than fast-pace romance!
And I noticed there’s not really any fanfic for Tailor Tales on Ao3 or Tumblr… so I guess I’m here to deliver! ^^ I still need to check out the other guys but just getting through Neil was over 4 and a half hours of my life yesterday so like. Give me time haha
❄️: Decided to start doing these 'weekly' updates so people who submit requests can know whether I'm doing their request/planning to work on it alongside other things I could end up posting!
ADWD Casper x Reader (Request)
KC Misaki x Reader (Request)
Genshin Lohen x OC
KC Ronin x OC
"We Need to Talk" Smau
Buying Condoms Smau
Not in the Mood for Sex Smau
The Cold Beast Chapter 3
The Cold Beast Chapter 4
The Cold Beast Chapter 5
The Cold Beast Chapter 6
The Cold Beast Chapter 7
This is a queued post meaning if your request is not here, there's a chance I did not see it before putting this in the queue on Saturday morning. If you sent it any time before that, likelihood is I just was not inspired, not interested in your request, or I've yet to format any notes.
I had enough diamonds saved so I decided to get William’s story set from the English-exclusive In Sickness & In Heat sets. And of course here’s the video!
Hope you guys enjoy <3
EDIT: YouTube took down the original video so I've reuploaded it to Google Drive.
I meant to post this earlier but The Cold Beast is now being cross-posted to Fanfiction.net too because I remembered I had an account and figured why not. However, I'm not sure how much I'll actually deal with updating it there since within 24 hours of posting chapter 1, FIVE bot accounts left reviews and I got spammed with like five emails per bot. I've closed my PMs and am considering turning off email notifications but it's kind of tedious to go through and block these accounts and report them so we'll see if I can continue being bothered to cross-post like this.
And yes, I'm aware of Wattpad becoming stricter with their rules lately. They already took down both my (very old) Dream SMP oneshots AND origins smp fanfic Alliums After Rainfall for "hate speech and bullying", which is honestly probably because I put in an author's note before discontinuing those that I was doing so because I no longer supported Dream or Wilbur Soot and I was like 15-16 at the time so I did not word it nicely. Quite literally said “fuck them” and I guess that’s was enough to get the entire thing taken down.
I've read through Wattpad's TOS and I'm very aware of FF.net not allowing explicit sexual content -- if TCB has a smut scene like I currently loosely have in my head or anything close to explicit, I'll just modify and remove it from the version uploaded onto FF.net -- so I think my fanfic should be in the clear?
If it does get taken down for any reason, I don't care. I have it backed up on three different sources and will continue updating on whichever sites still allow me to.
THE COLD BEAST - Chapter 2: "Between Lion and Tiger"
//tw: references to alcohol and intoxication; violence/fighting and yelling; threats on the f!mc's life; derogatory/dehumanizing language
WORD COUNT: 3.5k
DISCLAIMER: This is a rewrite fanfic of Chevalier Michel's Main route. Events will likely overlap as the main change is replacing Emma with a fleshed-out OC.
TO: Masterlist
"In fact, I'll take you on myself. Sound fair?"
I stared in disbelief at the man's unconcerned grin as he challenged the drunkard. A deep air of confidence burned brightly in his amber eyes, giving him the aura of someone who was larger than life. A confident and strong presence, the sort who would draw gazes just by entering a room, yet also the sort of person you didn't dare to cross. That was the feeling I was getting from this man, yet I couldn't help but think he was also incredibly reckless, perhaps battle-hungry or even just lacking common decency, for posing a challenge to someone under the influence like this.
The drunkard seemed just as eager for a fight as he sneered at the charismatic man and finally yanked his wrist from his grasp, swaying a bit. "Oh yeah? Ya wanna take me on, huh? Well, c'mon then!" He responded, some of his words slurring so badly I could practically hear the spit on his lips. I likely would've felt it too if I'd been standing any closer.
Yet the charismatic man appeared completely unbothered by the drunkard's severely intoxicated state as he just laughed, "You've certainly got spirit, I'll give you that!"
I could no longer hold back the growing agitated that formed as a groan in my throat. Both of these men were absolutely ridiculous and I wasn't sure how much more of this I could stomach subjecting myself to. As much as I could commend the charismatic man's confidence, he was nothing but an absolute fool for entertaining the nonsensical hysteria of a drunkard. But I also knew better than to walk away just because a situation would inconvenience me after I'd already involved myself.
I crossed my arms and sighed, exasperated as I looked at the man with amber eyes, "Sir, you really shouldn't bother indulging this sort of barbaric behavior," I gestured to the drunken man but kept my gaze firm on the other one, "This gentleman is obviously wasted. It's best to dismiss what he says as the nonsense of a drunkard and find a more peaceful resolution to this conflict." I spoke.
Before the other man could say anything, the drunkard whipped his angry gaze directly on me. "Shaddup you stupid bitch! How many times do I gotta tell ya to watch your damn business, huh?!" He shouted, his face seeming to flush deeper as he kicked at the books still on the ground — scattering them, his behavior resembling that of a spoiled child.
All I could do at first was gape in shock at the utter disrespect this man felt entitled to subjecting me to. He was wasted beyond reason in the middle of day, yet thought he had every right to hurl insult after degrading insult at me? Believed he had the right to damage another's property and fight in the midst of the streets during a festival? His audacity was nothing short of disgusting.
I felt my temper slipping once more as I balled my hands into fists at my sides, gritting my teeth. I wanted desperately to tell myself that this man wasn't worth it. To adhere to my own words of it being unnecessary and barbaric to engage with drunkards like this. But the anger burned so intensely in my chest that I wasn't sure how much I truly cared about 'handling this properly' anymore.
In the distance, I suddenly heard the sound of hooves galloping along the pavement of the street. The sound growing louder as I turned and spotted two men on horseback approaching. I could vaguely make out that one of the men was blond, dressed in exquisite deep blue and white attire with golden accents, riding on top of a similarly beautiful white horse. The man riding alongside him had dark, almost purple hair, wearing similarly exquisite white and purple attire as he rode on a chestnut steed.
The men drew their horses to a halt as they came nearer. An abrupt chill filling the atmosphere as the blond man stared at the books, slightly damaged and scattered on the street, before his cold blue gaze swept across each of us. Something sharp in his voice as he asked, "…Which one of you would dare to be so insolent?"
It took me a moment to realize he was referring to the books on the ground. And I felt my blood run cold as I noticed the crest engraved on the saddle of his horse. 'That's one of the royal crests.' There was something inherently scary about this man, but to realize he was nobility only made it clear and I found it in my best interest to think through this carefully. Saying the wrong thing risked putting me on his radar, and that was the last thing I wanted. To be noticed by anyone of noble blood, or anyone close to the noble beasts.
The red-faced man either hadn't noticed what I did, or he didn't share my sentiment. He turned his audacious gaze onto the noble man and slurred out, "Who do ya think you are?! Lookin' down on me like this… I'll kick your ass!"
The gasp that left my mouth escaped before I even fully processed what was happening now, and I saw the noble man narrow his gaze ever so slightly on the drunkard. A look of exasperation fell onto his face, "Is this vulgar display truly how one is meant to enjoy a festival?" He questioned, but the cold disapproval in his tone made it clear that was not a question he expected an answer to.
I watched as the blond man's gloved hand slid to the sword sheathed at his hip. Fingers curled around the handle as he began to withdraw the blade, the sunlight that reflected off of it making it feel as if the chatter of the ongoing festival died around me. Was he actually going to harm this drunkard or even kill him over a ruckus as small as this? I knew the nobility had problems no matter which kingdom you visited, but surely the ones of Rhodolite weren't this unreasonable?
Without thinking, I marched up to the drunkard and the sound of my hand making contact with his cheek filled my ears. I could feel the distinct sting in my palm from how harshly I'd slapped him but I didn't give him any time to react as I gripped the collar of his shirt and forced him to look directly at me as I glared. He stared at me wide-eyed, like he still hadn't realized what I'd done.
Gritting my teeth, I spat out in a whisper — "Get yourself together and stop trying to pick fights you can't win. Go home and sober up before you do something so immature that you get yourself killed!" I put emphasis on the last word, jerking my head in the direction of the noble man. I could feel the gazes of two startled predators burning into me, but I kept mine squarely focused on the drunkard. I watched as he finally looked at where I'd directed, and his eyes widened with horror as he spotted the crest on the saddle.
I let go of the man's collar and took a deep breath to compose myself. Tension still gripped onto my body tightly but I put on my most sincere expression as I turned back to the noble men and dipped my head, raising my skirts in curtsy, "Allow me to apologize on behalf of both myself and these individuals for any trouble we may have caused. I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive us, Your Highness."
I had originally intended to keep my head bowed for a moment longer, to truly show sincerity. But the abrupt laughter of the amber-eyed man cut through the atmosphere, easing some of the lingering chill but startling me. I stared at him, my brow furrowed. Just what exactly could he have found so amusing here? A part of me almost dreaded the answer. No one would laugh this joyfully at a life being threatened for any good, humane reason.
As the man's laughter died down, his amber gaze landed on me. "Relax, he's not petty enough to kill someone over something as small as this," the man spoke, giving me an easygoing smile as he briefly clapped me on the shoulder. A gesture that was clearly intended to be lighthearted but his words didn't soothe me in the slightest. I just narrowed my gaze as it flickered to his hand still on my shoulder, causing him to withdraw it.
"…Pardon?" I asked, not bothering to conceal my skepticism. This dark-haired fellow appeared to be just another Rhodolitian man, so why would he speak so casually about someone who was clearly nobility? Even to the point of speaking up in his defense? That was the part I couldn't grasp yet my questions went unspoken as the blond nobleman let out a heavy sigh.
"Finished with your little game, Chev?" spoke a deep, playful voice I didn't recognize. I subconsciously looked towards the source of the sound and realized the man on the chestnut horse — the one who'd been silent this entire time — had been the one to speak, his gaze fixed on the blond man beside him.
'Chev…?' I wondered. It was too simple to be the actual name of a nobleman, yet just casual enough to suggest a closeness that warranted nicknames. Rio had tried giving me one once, but I insisted it was unnecessary. There's no easy way to shorten my name, nor do I even want it shortened, and there was no way I'd give in to Rio calling me some sweet or 'unique' nickname. It would only lead to misunderstanding about the nature of our relationship.
But based on the attire of the two gentlemen on horseback, and the casual way one had addressed the other, I could only assume they were close.
The blond man — 'Chev' — briefly closed his eyes and spoke calmly, "I am. This was nothing but a waste of my time." But then his eyes opened, and some of the tension returned to my frame as I realized his gaze was fixed in my direction. Resting squarely on me and the dark-haired woman I hadn't even realized had moved to stand beside me. It felt as if we were being sized up by a predator.
He gestured back to the books on the ground, "Which one of you do these belong to?" he asked, his voice firm and detached. There was no warmth, no genuine interest. In fact, his tone suggested… irritation. Like whoever owned up to it was in for a punishment.
I glanced at the woman beside me. The books weren't mine, but hers, however she remained silent. Her entire body was stiff yet trembling under his scrutiny. And for possibly the third time that day, I did something reckless — "They're mine," I spoke, taking one step forward as I stared directly into his deep, cold blue eyes.
Something in his gaze shifted a bit, yet I couldn't quite catch it before he looked down at the books once more. Scrambling to keep up with my lie, I knelt to the ground and began picking them up — his gaze feeling as if it were burning into my back with every movement and suffocating the silence as no one else dared to speak.
But then the second man on horseback broke that silence with a hearty, amused chuckle, "What an intense look you have there, Chev. Are you perhaps interested in this young lady?" he teased.
'…Are they brothers?' I pondered as I gathered the books up. I wasn't sure if a friend or even a fellow nobleman would dare to tease someone else about their interest in a woman. But everything I'd heard about sibling relationships over the years told me that a mischievous brother just might. 'They look nothing alike, though.'
'Chev' let out a sigh, his brow tensed and his fingers flexed against the handle of his blade. He shot the other man a glare, "Such feelings are worthless," he answered, a clear disdain in his flat voice evident by the way he frowned.
And then there was a sword pointed at my throat.
The motion had been so fast I hadn't even had time to fully stand up and balance the books in my arms. Reacting was far out of the question and fear wrapped around me like a cold bind. I didn't dare move nor breathe as my gaze remained fixed on the gleaming steel directed at my neck, and the elegant gloved fingers that kept it pointed there.
He pressed the flat side of his blade's tip under my chin, forcing me to tilt my head up and meet his gaze. Deep pools of blue tourmaline fixed on me like frostbite. "Those books in your hands are an entirely different story," he began, "They're worth far more than you ever will be, and you'd be best to watch your carelessness next time."
"Wha…" 'What the hell is wrong with you.' The words died on my lips as I stared back at him, that familiar rage beginning to kindle in my chest. There was something challenging in his eyes, like he'd spotted the defiance in mine. He'd just called me worthless to my face, and now he was daring me to argue back. But I knew better than that. One wrong word and a man as powerful as him could destroy everything I'd worked for in this life, no matter how small, so I wouldn't dare give him the satisfaction of destroying me. Even if the words had stung, a man like him wasn't worth caring about.
Clutching the books tighter to my chest to extinguish the flicker of anger, I swallowed my pride and forced an apologetic smile, "…Of course. I understand, sir."
Without saying another word, 'Chev' dropped his blade away and returned it to its sheath at his hip. Gripping the reins of his horse, he urged it to continue galloping along the street — the man on the chestnut horse following behind. It wasn't until both were completely out of sight that I dropped the tension from my body with a heavy sigh. I had always heard the rumors about nobility — about the noble beasts — yet I'd never expected them to be as awful as that man. Perhaps nobles and royals were the same no matter where you went.
I turned my attention to the other people still standing there, and noticed that four had become three. The drunk was nowhere to be seen, but I could assume he must've slipped away when that nobleman focused his threat on me. It didn't really matter, that just meant one less problem for me to concern myself with. My gaze shifted to the woman and I held the small stack of books out to her, "These are yours, right?"
The woman blinked, as if she were startled by my addressing her and a light blush tinted her cheeks as she took the books from me. "Yes, they are… Thank you very much!" she smiled before studying me for a moment, "You're Astoria, right?"
I offered her a smile, "Yeah, that's me."
The dark-haired woman nodded, and then turned to the dark-haired man, "And may I ask for your name too, sir?"
"Just call me Leon. Formalities aren't needed," he responded with a friendly grin.
The woman nodded again, lowering her head slightly in a brief bow, "My name is Melody. I can't thank you both enough for stepping in just now… The drunkard was one thing but I don't think I'd be able to stand so fearlessly against that noble gentleman too," she smiled sheepishly.
I just shook my head, "It was no trouble, really," I insisted and then glanced at the little boy who stood just slightly behind Melody — still sniffling. I looked back up at her, "Do you know the kid?"
Melody glanced briefly at the boy before looking back at me and shaking her head. "I'm afraid I don't. I just stopped to help him after noticing the commotion, much like you two," she answered.
Leon walked closer to the boy and crouched down to his level with a gentle smile. The boy cowered a bit, latching onto the skirt of Melody's dress and attempting to hide behind her — but Leon didn't appear bothered in the slightest. He just spoke softly, "Hey buddy. Are you alright? Where are your parents?"
The boy sniffled again and hesitated. The tremble in his demeanor made me think he wanted to disappear completely behind Melody, but then I saw her shift her books onto one arm and reach a hand to gently rest on top of the boy's head. He peeked up at her and she just smiled, "It's okay, sweetie. We want to help you," she murmured.
The silence felt as if it were stretching on endlessly but with another sniffle and little brown eyes looking directly at Leon, the boy finally spoke, "Mama… we got separated in the crowds. She told me to stay close but I… I looked away for a second and she was gone. I tried to find her but then I bumped into that angry-faced man. I…" he hiccuped, tears welling in his eyes, "I just want my mama…" he whimpered.
Melody's expression softened into something akin to pity while Leon just gave the boy another smile that was as warm as sunlight. "Well, let's go find her then," Leon declared, standing back to his full height before lifting the boy and positioning him on his shoulders. It was only then that I got a better look at the kid. His face was red and puffy from all the crying, and he had big brown eyes and short but messy dark hair.
Something about his face kept tugging at the back of my mind. Like I recognized him but couldn't tell where. However, that was impossible. Children weren't allowed inside the tavern, and parents rarely brought their children along for an errand at the bookstore. I never paid much mind to the people I passed along the street, let alone others' children. But I couldn't shake the feeling.
'Poppy.' The word — or rather, the name — abruptly popped into my head. This had to be one of her boys. I'd seen her husband get wasted beyond comprehension at the tavern enough times to have met her too, and the longer I stared at this child's features the more I swore this had to be one of her children. His eyes were like a perfect copy of his father's before alcohol had stolen away any light.
"Leon," I spoke, and he turned his attention on me at the sound of his name. I gestured to the boy, "That's one of Poppy's sons. She's around my age — a bit older, short, auburn hair, blue eyes." I told him.
Leon nodded, "Thanks, Astoria. See you ladies around," he spoke casually before walking away — like it was just an etiquette thing. No intention of flirting but still saying it to be polite as a farewell instead of outright declaring you doubted you'd see someone again.
With Leon gone and having taken the boy with him, it was just Melody and I standing in the streets now. From the corner of my eye, I saw her giving me a puzzled look and I glanced at her. "If you recognized the boy and knew his mother, then why didn't you offer to take him back?" she questioned.
"I don't know his mother, not personally," I clarified and gestured towards the tavern a ways down the street. "I'm a waitress there, and I only know Poppy because her good-for-nothing husband is a frequent patron. The boy had similar features so I made a guess. If I'm wrong, there's still a likelihood Poppy would know the child's parents." I explained.
There was a sparkle in Melody's eyes and the rosiness on her cheeks seemed to deepen ever so slightly. "Wow, you work at a place like that? No wonder you're so good at handling conflict. I don't think I could ever…" she giggled a bit, appearing sheepish but the awe in her voice was clear. I wasn't sure what was so impressive about it to begin with, but I chose not to question her. Not that I really had all day to stand in the street and share pleasantries with someone.
I shrugged, "It's not that impressive… Speaking of work, I should really be heading back. It was lovely to meet you though, Melody," I gave her a quick smile but didn't bother to stick around another second. With a wave goodbye and a farewell from Melody, I turned and headed back towards the tavern.
Along a side street draped in shadow stood a man, watching Astoria with intrigued violet eyes. A pleased yet unnerving smile graced his lips and with a deep chuckle, he murmured, "Ah… Finally, I've found you."
He observed as she continued down the street, unaware of predatory eyes, before she disappeared back inside the tavern. Crossing his arms with a thoughtful hum, the man spoke to no one in particular, "You've got spark, young lady. But I'm certain with the proper guidance, you'll fit the mold perfectly."
The man turned and continued further into the shadows. Proper arrangements had to be made.
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TAG LIST: @lonelydrakula
This work was written by and belongs to Malachi Exists, posted solely onto Tumblr, Wattpad, and Archive of Our Own. Malachi Exists does not allow translations or reposts of their works nor do they support their work being fed into A.I.
THE COLD BEAST - Chapter 1: "In the Kingdom of Roses"
//tw: references to alcohol and intoxication; violence/fighting and yelling; misogynistic language
READ ON: Archive of Our Own | Tumblr | Wattpad
WORD COUNT: 2.6k
DISCLAIMER: This is a rewrite fanfic of Chevalier Michel's Main route. Events will likely overlap as the main change is replacing Emma with a fleshed-out OC.
TO: Masterlist
"Astoria!"
In the midst of my daydreaming as I sat behind the counter at the bookstore, the jingle of the door and a voice calling my name snapped my attention. I looked up and spotted a man and a woman entering — both looking at me with cheerful grins, like they were friendly with me. But my mind blanked on any recognition of them. Regardless, I stood up and greeted them both with a smile, "Hey, you two. Are you here for something?"
The man — a tall fellow with messy black hair and striking blue eyes — spoke to me first, "Not really. Rosalyne and I just wanted to tell you we got engaged!" He announced as he proudly held up his and his fiancée's intertwined hands, giving me a view of the gorgeous ring he'd bought for her. The excitement in both their faces was almost infectious, and I put on a surprised but pleased face as I pretended to admire the ring.
The woman, Rosalyne, — kind of short with red hair and brown eyes — shyly stepped forward and held an envelope out to me as she spoke in a gentle voice, "…As thank you for giving Samuel the recommendation on where to propose, we wanted to invite you to our wedding. It'll be this autumn." I blinked, but still accepted the envelope from her hands and that was when it finally clicked in my head.
'These two must be regulars from the tavern.' I thought. In the mornings, I helped my father manage his bookstore but in the afternoons, I was a waitress at the local tavern. That was my real job, I suppose. And being a tavern waitress meant people knew me, recognized me, asked for my advice on their affairs. Alcohol really made lips loose sometimes. In more ways than one.
I gave the pair a warm smile and held the envelope close to my chest, "Thank you so much, and I'm so pleased to hear it worked out for you both."
Pleased with my response, Samuel and Rosalyne shared one more eager grin with each other and began to head towards the door. But not before Samuel tossed one more — "Thank you again, Astoria! We hope to see you at the event. Happy Foundation Day!" The jingle that followed confirmed their departure and I relaxed my smile with a sigh.
I acted excited for the couple's sake, but truthfully? I wasn't even sure I'd actually attend their wedding. It was just another routine at this point. I've lost count of how many love stories I played a small role in, either by giving advice or listening to drunken rants and sob stories. It was almost like everyone around me, especially those my age, were courting, getting into relationships, and even planning out weddings.
Yet here I was: 26 years old, unmarried, and with no courtship or relationship to speak of. Most women my age would be freaking out about still being single, and there were some men who'd consider me too old. I couldn't find it in me to care, though. This was the life I chose, and I'd given up on the fantasy of true love or a happy marriage years ago. It was unrealistic, the kind of stuff you'd only find in romance novels — not that I'd ever admit to reading those.
My attention was broken from my reverie and drawn to the front door when I heard that familiar jingle once more. And this time, a face I did recognize walked in — my long time friend Rio. He was wearing a friendly smile as he called out a "Hello!" into the store.
"Hey Rio," I greeted with a small, genuine smile. But the sound of my voice seemed to surprise him as he blinked, and looked over at me with confusion etched across his face. I watched as Rio glanced around the store, his gaze lingering on the door behind the counter before familiar blue eyes finally landed on me.
"Where's Mr. Akatsuki?" Rio asked. I was a bit surprised to hear he had come here looking for my father — normally whenever Rio decided to visit the shop, it was to see me. Not that I was disappointed, just a bit skeptical to his reasons. But perhaps this one had nothing to do with me.
I offered Rio an apologetic smile, "Sorry, he's not here at the moment, and he won't be back for a few days at least."
Rio's express fell and his shoulders drooped with disappointment, "He's out on another stock run?" he asked, and I nodded. For as long as I could remember, my father would always go on these stock runs for the bookstore every few months or so. The bookstore stocked all kinds of books in nearly every genre one could imagine, including books in different languages. That fact helped me a lot when he first took me in.
He sourced these books himself, traveling to different kingdoms in search of them. I remembered feeling anxious as a child when he'd leave, but he always left my care in trusted hands. And now that I'm older, he trusts me to run the bookstore in his absence. It's just become another staple of my life — another routine.
"Why are you looking for him anyway, Rio?" I asked, tilting my head. I could feel the skepticism burning in my chest. Rio never did anything without a reason, even if I found some of those reasons ridiculous. So I couldn't help my curiosity at why he'd suddenly break a habit.
Rio gave me a sheepish look, like a child who had been caught doing something they weren't supposed to. "I wanted to talk to Mr. Akatsuki about possibly taking a job here at the shop," he answered.
"Huh? A job here? But don't you already work for that construction firm?" I pushed. 'Hypocrite,' echoed in my mind. Who was I to question Rio on how many jobs he could work when I technically had two? Rio was reliable, likeable. If he thought he could handle it, it wasn't my place to tell him otherwise. But the question still slipped out.
Rio smiled and announced, "Oh I quit that one a few days ago."
I nodded slowly, "Right, you quit… wait, what?!" I exclaimed when his answer finally hit me and my next question slipped out too in a raised voice — "Why on earth would you quit, Rio?!"
Rio didn't appear phased in the slightest at the fact I'd just yelled at him. Instead, he walked over to the counter and smiled at me, "Because I belong to you. And because of that, I can't work for just anybody!" He said, as if it was the most simple thing in the entire world.
I bit back the annoyed sigh that wanted to escape me. This was a habit of Rio's that I wished he would break, as it had become a constant recently. Every couple months, in fact. He'd find a job, work there for a bit, and then abruptly quit with the same nonsensical reason that he 'belonged' to me.
It'd been like this since we met three years ago, and while I was well aware of Rio's supposed feelings for me… I only wished he'd eventually get a grip. Stop chasing a fairytale with me and instead go live life for himself. 'Life is too short to chase impossible fantasies. You'll only end up heartbroken, Rio,' I thought. Yet I couldn't bring myself to abandon him either.
I took a deep breath and crossed my arms as I gazed at him, "Is that just your way of saying you won't tell me the real reason you quit?"
"No, I'm very serious about this, Astoria!" he insisted, but then he let out a sigh, "Geez, can't believe you're both working during a festival though. Like father like daughter, I guess," He commented, an exasperated look on his face but the teasing glint in his eyes told me there was no real venom behind his words.
I knew he had a point. Today was Foundation Day, a festival meant to celebrate the founding of Rhodolite, yet I just treated it the same as any other day. I'd never tell Rio, but I just didn't feel right celebrating this holiday.
I scoffed playfully at him, "At least I'm able to keep a job, Rio."
Rio just shrugged off my taunt. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but a flicker of recognition in his eyes made him stop and he looked directly at me once more. "With Mr. Akatsuki off on another trip, how long are you planning to keep the bookstore open today, Astoria?" he asked.
I relaxed, and just shrugged a bit, "Probably a little bit after noon. I know it's five hours earlier than usual but my boss at the tavern asked me to come in sooner today," I answered, then gave a slight smile, "You know how it is. People drink more during festivals and holidays."
Instead of joking about my tavern schedule cutting into our hang out time like Rio normally would, he gave me a confused look. "Shouldn't you be preparing to close up shop then? It's past noon," he informed me.
'Shit! I lost track of time?!' A horrified feeling filled my chest as I processed Rio's words. The day had been slow so I guess I had zoned out for longer than I intended to earlier, and time just slipped by. I rushed out from behind the counter but when I glanced outside, there wasn't enough time to close up shop and make it to the tavern before I'd be completely late for my shift.
'Come on, Astoria… Think!' I tried not to panic, but then my gaze drifted to Rio — who was still standing by the counter and now looking at me with worry — and an idea popped into my head.
"Rio, would you mind watching the shop for the rest of the day…? If you manage well on your own, I'll put in a good word about you getting that job here," I offered, praying he'd agree — though I knew he would. Rio never said no to me the few times I asked him of anything. Offering the recommendation was purely for me, so I wouldn't feel like I was just taking advantage of him.
Rio grinned, giving me a huge thumbs up and a playful wink, "No worries, Astoria! Your future husband has this handled," he answered.
'In your dreams,' I thought as I rolled my eyes with an amused but exasperated smile. With a promise that I'd be back later to close up for the night, I put my hair up and rushed out the door towards the tavern.
I had made it to the tavern a little past the time my shift was supposed to start, but my boss wasn't too angry. Knowing him, I'd likely have a small cut taken out of my next paycheck over this. Not like I made a lot of money to begin with.
The tavern was still quiet for the moment. A few patrons sat scattered at tables, but none of the usual heavy drinkers had come in yet. They were still likely perusing the merchant stalls and enjoying other festival activities with their families and friends. I probably could've done that with Rio if I just got over my pride and took the day off, but instead I stood at the bar — occupying myself with wiping it clean for later tonight.
"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE FUCKIN' GOIN'!"
A sudden shout from outside echoed into the nearly-empty dining room of the tavern. My hand stilled, and I glanced in the direction of the commotion. From a window next to the door, I could see a man harassing what appeared to be a woman and a child on the street. Unease building in my gut, I put down the rag I'd been cleaning with and stepped closer to the window.
My body tensed as I got a better look of the scene. The child was on the pavement, trying to stifle his cries, and the woman had placed herself in-between the crying child and the man — seemingly trying to defuse the conflict. She was on her knees to console the child but looking up at the man and there were books scattered on the ground. I could only assume she had dropped them when she rushed to the child's defense.
But the man was red in the face, and it was a familiar flush I recognized. '…Must be an early day drinker. He looks wasted,' I thought. There was no way he was hearing a single word that woman spoke. In all my years working at the tavern, I knew that well. Men like that get a little too much liquor in their blood and suddenly every word anyone says to them goes in one ear and out the other.
Without another moment's hesitation, I rushed out of the tavern and headed towards the commotion, calling out as I did so — "Pardon me, sir, ma'am. What's going on here? Why are we shouting in the streets?" I tried to keep my tone calm, but level and firm. Drunks were often unreasonable, and you couldn't give them any ground to think they got one over on you.
At the sound of my voice, both the drunk man and the woman looked at me. The woman opened her mouth to speak but the drunkard shouted before her — "This little punk bumped into me n' I told 'im to apologize but this stupid bitch just had to stick her nose in others' business!" As he slurred his words, he gestured to the woman, and she flashed him an indignant look.
When I got a better look at the woman up close, I recognized her — long black hair, blue eyes, fair skin and a little beauty mark on her chin. She was a regular at my father's bookstore and one of the few customers who indulged his long chatter. I never caught her name, but she was polite. Sweet, even. And hearing this pathetic drunkard call her such disrespectful words all because she stopped to help a child infuriated me.
I took a deep breath, calming myself before I faced the drunkard directly. "Sir, it's just a child. Him bumping into you was an accident, and this woman merely came over to check everything was okay," I spoke, keeping my tone careful, "Let's just call it a day and forget this whole thing, alright?"
I had tried to keep my calm and hoped this would be one of those times that that was enough to get through to him, but it only seemed to anger him more. The drunkard sneered at me and hissed, "Shut your mouth, you stupid whore! You don't know a damn thing so why don't you mind your fuckin' business?!"
'"Stupid whore"?!' Disbelief and anger flooded over me at the crude words he'd called me, and I felt my carefully crafted calm slipping from my grasp. Right before I could shout back at him, I saw him raise his hand as if to hit me but another hand came out of nowhere and grabbed his wrist — holding him firm in place.
"That's enough of that," spoke the man I hadn't even seen walk up, his gaze fixed on the drunkard. I looked over at him, surprised. He was tall with a decent build, dressed in a simple black dress shirt tucked into matching black slacks, with dark brown hair that almost framed his face like a lion's mane but with bangs and sharp amber eyes.
The man gave the drunkard a disapproving look, and I saw the drunk wince as if he had squeezed his wrist harder. "Instead of harassing women and children, why don't you pick on someone your own size?" the well-built man challenged. Then, he suddenly grinned, "In fact, I'll take you on myself. Sound fair?"
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TAG LIST: @lonelydrakula
This work was written by and belongs to Malachi Exists, solely posted onto Tumblr, Wattpad, and Archive of Our Own. Malachi Exists does not allow translations or reposts of their works nor do they support their work being fed into A.I.
Im either blind, stupid, terrible with technology, or my local library’s website was out to get me bc like. What do you MEAN I checked to see if they had the second book in the trilogy I’m currently reading, saw they only had the first and third (including checking other libraries in my area), so I submitted a request for them to buy the second book only for that request to be rejected because ONE OF THE LIBRARIES HAD THE FUCKING BOOK??? SINCE WHEN??? HELLO???
It’s not even a thing of like “what if the book was checked out” or “what if you didn’t check that specific library” because my library card lets me check out any book from any public library within the vicinity of where I live. And the website shows all available books at all of these libraries. So I’m just. Confused.
I did the Ikemen Series sorter thing that I've seen others doing. I personally came across it from this post. Here are my final top 10 rankings from each game <3
The Sorter by lancelotscloak
No surprises here really. I did struggle a bit because of the five new guys from Eien that I’ve not met yet because I’m EN only and I’ve somehow avoided spoilers about them this entire time??? So I voted based on vibes. And vibes told me exactly what I expected. Kind of. Sasuke being 3rd actually did surprise me but yk what, I am enjoying his route at the moment.
The Sorter by lancelotscloak
I kinda struggled. Because it's been quite a few years since I actually read a route on Ikerev -- surprised Oliver and Blanc are that high since I was just going off what little I remembered from the four routes I read... maybe three years ago.
The Sorter by lancelotscloak
Not surprised by the top 3, at all. My husbands <3 Idk how Dazai and Theo wormed their ways in here though.
The Sorter by lancelotscloak
This one I genuinely STRUGGLED omfg. I never realized how much I actually liked the Ikepri cast??? With Ikesen, I always think of that as the game I know the best since it's the one I've done a good handful of routes on, but with Ikepri I just. Stared at my screen and questioned how much I actually liked certain characters over others. Audibly said "That's cruel" when the first time Chev and Gilbert popped up, it was against each other.
I don't think I even realized how much I actually liked Yves, Nokto, and Rio tho. I knew Kagari would creep his way in despite me not really knowing a lot about Kagari, Azel, or Matias because idk. Vibes. But those three? A little unexpected. I blame Tumblr for why Silvio is on here. If I hadn't actually listened to the poll telling me to read his route a while ago, I don't think I'd like Silvio as much as I do.
This Sorter by lancelotscloak
It made me pick between William and Darius and I laughed bc that was the easiest decision of my entire life. But then it made me pick between Darius and Lucien and I stopped laughing because I don't really like or care for either of them :')
I half-expected my top 10 here to just be Crown because I don't really know Vogel or the recently released Libra. But once again vibes and sparse events win. I'm mostly surprised by Nica but I'm not sure how I feel about Victor so when I have to choose between playboy vibes and uncertainty, I'll take the playboy because at least I know the playboy will fuck me over.
