a/n: lets pretend red tv was just released so it fits okay? okay. this one is for the swifties (me) not proofread no thoughts just sae
"sae, can you do me a favor?" was the first thing sae heard from you the moment you stepped in his car. no hugs, no kisses and no greetings directed at him, just that.
"hi babe, how are you? i'm doing great, how about you?" if you can't tell, your boyfriend can be quite petty at times. in his defense, he had every right to be. you guys haven't seen each other in weeks and this is the first thing you say? sae cannot, will not accept it.
"c'mon sae. do me a favor." you say to him, a frown plastered on your face as you pull on his arm. sae sighs. he can never win with you.
"depends. i'll hear it and think about it."
"okay. i can deal with that." sae furrows his brows as you shuffle around in your seat, turning your torso so that it's facing him instead. "i'm breaking up with you."
sae has a future for comedics, you note. the way his face contorts into utter disbelief, mouth gaping at you like you've killed his pet goldfish in fifth grade. "what? are you insane?"
"no! just hear me out."
"i kinda don't feel like hearing you out." sae ignores your whines as he drives the car out of the parking lot. making a beeline towards the nearest mcdonalds. he hopes a quick meal will fix whatever is up with you right now.
"c'mon sae! it's just gonna be for a day. not even a day!" you say, running out of points to make considering your boyfriend has an invisible barrier filtering out your cries. handing you the nuggets and the fries, while settling the drinks in the compartment, sae parks the car and turns to you. "okay. i'll hear you out this once."
"one argument. that's all i need for you to hear."
"okay then. let's hear this argument."
"taylor swift just released 'red (taylor's version)'." sae deadpans at this. "and how is that relevant to our breaking up?" he asks you with a judging look in eyes.
"you don't understand! i need to relate to the songs while i cry my heart out." you argued. sae sighs, reaching over to pull you into his lap, careful of the drinks between the seats. "that's not really a valid reason, pretty girl."
"it so is!" you hit his chest with your fists, huffing out in annoyance. sae chuckles lightly. let's be very honest, your punch didn't hurt one bit. "i don't care. we are not breaking up."
"just for two hours? please?" you pleaded. however, sae was unamused with this. he pinches your cheek, pecking it after.
thinking about sae itoshi with a bit of a clueless reader, well clueless is to say the least. sae constantly having to lead you around so you wont get lost. his worst nightmare is that one day shidou will find you alone without sae by your side, god. what if he corrupts you? sae worries about what if one day your out alone and some random people take advantage of your numbness to the world? there are a few upsides to your ditzy-ness.
like when you need help with your studies, or you dont exactly understand the directions in a cookbook. another one is when you let sae take control, have it be what it is to watch for movie night or in the bedroom.
he remembers the first time the two of you had sex, which also happened to be your first time. the way you wobbled slightly when he moved you to straddle him. the way your body trembled against his after a few minutes of making out. the little whines that would slip past your plump reddened lips.
you letting him take full control over your movements and him giving you directions. even if you did something wrong sae would never be mad., because you are saes little doll. and you know it
summary: the gods were sick and cruel and twisted. for five hundred years, he believed he was fated to be alone. he had long accepted it—embraced it, even. that is, until a midwinter night when that elusive red thread finally appeared on his finger. but as much as he wants to ignore it, the pull of a soulmate simply cannot be ignored.
genre: soulmate au, canon compliant for the most part
warnings: fem!reader, worldbuilding for snezhnaya & fatui, no other warnings
notes: i enjoyed writing this one ajfdhuaisdfuhs it was a bit of a character study for dottore, i love being able to get into his head like this
MIDWINTER
He was born without a mark. It’s not abnormal--statistically, half of the population would be born without a mark because you don’t receive your mark until your soulmate is born. Most receive theirs within the first five years of their life, if they weren’t born with one. Others are unlucky, and they have to wait up to ten.
Dottore never received his.
He waited years. When he was five years old, and other kids his age were starting to see the red thread that connected them with their soulmate, he was still waiting on his mark. When he was ten years old, and other kids his age were starting to feel their soulmate's emotions, he was still waiting on his mark. When he was fifteen years old, and other kids his age were finally seeing random words scrawled on their forearms reflecting their soulmate’s thoughts, he was still waiting on his mark.
When he was younger, he tried to convince himself it didn’t matter--that one day, his mark would show up, just like how it did for everyone else. But it was hard to convince himself of that when everyday he was reminded that he didn’t have one. He was reminded by nasty kids who would push him to the ground and laugh at him, he was reminded by equally nasty adults who whispered that only the soulless and the damned didn’t receive their soulmarks, and he was reminded by his parents who stripped him down to search him for his mark everyday so they could prove their son wasn’t cursed.
Dottore accepted that he did not have a soulmate. He would even go so far as to say he embraced it. It took him a long time to reach that mentality, years of coming to terms with it, but he firmly believed that he was better off. Having a soulmate was a mortal weakness that he was freed of--he had seen it be the downfall of many men before and he refused to meet the same fate.
Without a soulmate, he could focus on more important things. He could devote his time and energy to his research, further the Fatui in their rebellion against Celestia, and he could do it all without the weakness that all of humanity had.
He was stronger without a soulmate. It proved he was above mankind, beyond the limits that humans were confined to. He was better without a soulmate.
A harsh gust of wind battered the window of his room, ice webbing at the bottom of the glass, creeping up the sides. Dottore sighed as he lifted his hand to his face, pulling off the mask that hid him from the rest of the world.
He wasn’t sure why he was thinking about this again. His gaze drew to the mirror on the opposite side of the room, eyes tracing the rough, jagged skin across the top of his face--a product of the demonization cast over him by the people of his old village. Dottore’s lips twisted into a deep frown as he forced himself to look away, it had been a long time since he had even had a passing thought of it, much less dwelling on it as he was now.
He turned away from the mirror over to the candle resting at his nightstand--dimly lighting up the dark, spacious room. Shadows reflected eerily across the room from the trees swaying in the wind outside to the small flame dancing at his bedside. A blizzard rattled the palace around him, he wondered if it was the doing of the Tsaritsa or if it was just a natural storm.
Dottore hated the winter.
He always had. It had nothing to do with the bone-chilling weather and frequent storms. He barely could even feel the cold anymore, and he thought storms might be better for him because he could coop himself up in his lab without having to worry about the Jester disturbing his research and telling him to go on some mission. He had hated the winter even before he had left Sumeru for Snezhnaya, where the temperatures were five times as warm and the earth of the forest started to dry from a lack of rain.
Winter had always been the unluckiest time of year for him--it was when he was originally chased from the village, it was when he was cast out from the Akademiya. Winter was when he had faced some of the biggest failures of his life regarding his research into Archon residue. Winter was when the first segment he had created was destroyed. Winter was when he was dealt a fatal blow that had made him abandon his body for an artificial one.
Dottore despised the winter.
He sat on his bed, rubbing his eyes. He was tired, that was the only explanation for why his mind was wandering to such a topic. He had been able to free himself of the shackles that many mortals were restricted by--aging, natural death, even unnatural death could be avoided, for the most part, but he still found himself chained by fatigue and hunger. He could suppress it longer than the average person but it never failed to limit him.
He supposed that he should rest. Tomorrow there was to be a meeting with all of the Harbingers--discussion on what was to be done about the spots of the late 9th and 11th, who had met their end on a failed mission in Natlan earlier in the month. With the Captain finally returning with their bodies, it would be time to put them to rest and figure out how to move forward. He could already hear the bickering of Sandrone and Scaramouche, Arlecchino’s snide comments that just set the other two off even more.
Dottore thought that the whole situation was ridiculous. There had been no need to send two of the newest Harbingers down to Natlan when they all knew very well that Natlan was getting more and more aggressive to the Fatui within their borders. They had been sent on a diplomatic mission, to observe, but the Pyro Archon claimed that they had made an attempt on her life. A blatant lie, but the only ones left alive to corroborate the story were the Pyro Archon’s sycophants.
It was meant to be a challenge. The Pyro Archon was challenging the Tsaritsa to do something about her butchering two of her most loyal followers, she was hoping for a war… but Snezhnaya could not afford a war right now. Their economy was failing and the dead of winter was nigh, when all crops would start dying and animals would freeze mid-trot. Famine would begin to wrap its chilly fingers around the throats of the citizens of Snezhnaya, the bitter cold would seep into the warmest homes and it was not the time for the Fatui to war with Teyvat’s strongest military. They were already struggling politically with the old-blood aristocracy breathing down their necks and with the support of the masses, there wasn’t much that the Fatui could do to press back until they were in a better position, even with the support of the Tsaritsa herself.
Dottore pinched the bridge of his nose, the meeting was hours from beginning and he could already feel the incoming headache. He had no interest in Snezhnayan politics, he had no interest in what was to be done about the empty seats amongst the Harbingers. All he wanted to do was continue his research--the Delta segment would be returning from Sumeru at some point tomorrow to give him an update on the Irminsul project and his input was needed before Delta or any of the other older segments took any further steps.
He let out a heavy breath as he rose back to his feet, intent on changing out of his clothes and into something more comfortable before he finally laid down to rest for the night. As he rose, he felt something soft, feather-light even, brushing against his thumb. Without thinking, he reached for a handkerchief folded tidily on the edge of his bedside dresser.
He wiped off his hands without even bothering to look, figuring that it was just the remnants of the material he was working with down in his lab but as he crossed the room to his wardrobe, that strange, weightless feeling against his thumb remained.
Dottore’s eyes finally drew down to his right hand, curiosity getting the best of him, as always. And he stared, for a second and then two before a laugh bubbled in his chest, begging to be released.
Not for the first time, he thought that the gods had a sick and twisted sense of humor because wrapped neatly around his thumb was that thin, red thread that supposedly tied him to his soulmate, over four hundred and fifty years late.
He thought it was strange how everything around him moved on as normal as if his whole world hadn’t been shattered in a matter of five seconds the night before. He wasn’t able to sleep after noticing the thread and he hadn’t been able to bring himself to look for the soulmark that was undoubtedly branded somewhere on his body.
He felt weak. Mortal, again. He hated it.
“Then we wait,” Sandrone said dryly, her sharp voice drawing Dottore back into the conversation. His eyes left the red thread for the first time since he arrived at the meeting, flickering up to where the woman was resting in a chair, a large automaton standing behind her. “Why give a seat to someone unworthy? We’ll wait until two have proven their strength and they can-”
“And how long will that take?” Scaramouche’s voice was cold and grating as he interrupted Sandrone and Dottore’s lips thinned, realizing the inevitable argument between the Sixth and the Seventh was about to begin.
“However long it takes,” Sandrone responded, voice little over a hiss, blue eyes flinty.
“Ah, yes, yet another a bright idea from the Seventh. Let’s just leave the spots empty when enemies are on our doorstep, show even more weakness,” Scaramouche scoffed, not even bothering to hide the way he rolled his eyes as he leaned back in his seat.
“If you have a better idea, Balladeer, please, speak up with it,” Sandrone replied. “I’d love to…”
The thread was vibrating.
Dottore’s gaze flickered down beneath his mask to where his hands were resting on the ebony table, tuning out the conversation around him as he focused on the red string. He could barely feel it, much less see the little vibrations, but he was hyper-focused on it now. It was uneven thrums, as if someone was flicking the thread over and over again--they were getting faster, more impatient, and Dottore couldn’t help but think back to his childhood, when he was five years old and would watch other kids his age laying in the grass snapping their string incessantly, waiting for a responding snap from their soulmate.
His eyes flickered to the wide windows on the far side of the room, the blizzard still raged outside but he could see the sun rising in the distance.
So, you’re finally awake, he thought to himself, gaze drawing back to his thumb as the thrums got more and more insistent. A child. His soulmate was a child right now--excited at waking up to the appearance of the thread, hoping that their soulmate was just as excited as they were. Dottore had, for a long time, believed that his heart had gone cold and dead and he did not like the ache he felt in his empty chest.
A weakness. Just like that, he was brought down to the level of man.
Soulmates were blinding, they caused people to act with their heart and not their head. Dottore prided himself on being a man that removed his heart from decision making. He put nothing above furthering his research--no morals, no virtues, no principles came before his success and he could not allow this to change anything.
He had gone this long without a soulmate, he didn’t need one now.
But he couldn’t tear his eyes off the vibrating thread no matter how hard he tried. He could hear the conversation continuing around him but it sounded like a distant buzz--nothing could break his concentration on the thread, not even himself, and before he knew what he was doing, he was lifting his pointer finger and flicking it down, right on the string.
He inhaled as discreetly as he could once he realized what he had done, straightening in his seat. The vibrations from the opposite end had stopped instantly, and then all at once: one, two, three, four flicks.
Excitement, but all Dottore could feel was dread sinking in his stomach.
He could feel a pair of eyes on him. Dottore forced his gaze up to where the Tenth was sitting across from him, green eyes trained on his hand. Dottore’s lips flattened. Did he know? How would he know? But even with the mask adorning his face, the Tenth must have felt Dottore’s livid glare, looking up with a sheepish smile as he motioned to his own hand, his pointer finger, as if he was trying to show Dottore what he was looking at.
Dottore’s ring.
Of course, Dottore thought to himself dryly. He should have expected nothing less from the avaricious man.
Brighella had been brought in by Arlecchino--the Knave had spoken highly of the man’s intelligence and fighting ability, but so far all Dottore had seen from the Tenth Harbinger was a greed for wealth and alcohol. Dottore thought the man was more deserving of the title Jester than Pierro was, because all he was good for was his unintentional drunken entertainment during events.
Dottore let his gaze drop back to his hands, where the vibrating had finally stopped--seemingly pleased with finally getting a response from him--and Dottore couldn’t push away the emotions clawing at him from every angle.
He hated it.
He was good at compartmentalizing all of his feelings, pushing away all of the unwelcome ones and storing them in little corners until they finally dissipated but he couldn’t this time. They were too intense and Dottore felt overwhelmed. It had barely been half a day and he was already rattled by the new circumstances--rattled enough that he was struggling to keep himself composed internally.
Anxiety and dread were paramount, yes, but there was also pity.
The people of his old village had convinced him that he was cursed but he knew now that he was not the cursed one--it was the one that shared a mark with him instead.
Delta had arrived. Dottore could feel him approaching the palace, battling his way through the blizzard. He was not alone, he could feel another presence at his side--another segment--and he had a feeling he knew exactly which one it was and he was not pleased.
His movements were sharp as he put away the materials that he was using, annoyed at Delta and his inability to say no to the younger segments. For as stubborn and prideful the older segment was, all it took was a few whines from the Iota or Kappa segment and he was rolling over doing whatever they asked.
Dottore did not know how having a soulmate would affect the segments. He just knew it would be a distraction that they could not afford.
Would they have a mark? Dottore didn’t even know if he had a mark. He had yet to step in front of a mirror and look--it would make it too real, as if the damning thread wasn’t real enough.
Would they be able to see the thread? Would they have their own? Dottore hoped not. He did not want them to know--not yet, at least.
Dottore exhaled, safely storing the final vial in a cabinet too high for the Iota segment to reach and knock down just as the door to his lab was flung open harshly, shaking the cabinets closest to the door. He raised his eyebrows, turning on his heel to face the two arrivals.
Both segments were bundled in layers, cloaks drenched with water and furred hoods littered with snowflakes. The Delta segment was frowning, eyeing the room suspiciously, and the Iota segment was bouncing at his side, head whipping back and forth as he looked around the room--his first time in Dottore’s personal lab.
Something that Dottore had tried to keep on purpose. The last segment he wanted in his lab was the Iota segment--he was the clumsiest segment, one of the two segments with absolutely no sense of self-control, letting his curiosity get the best of him even in the worst situations. He was created in the mindset of his ten year old self, right after he had been cast out from his village. Dottore had thought that he could use Iota to see the Aranara of Vanarana but evidently, Iota no longer had that childlike innocence that allowed children to see the Aranara… which Dottore should have expected considering the circumstances after which he was created.
“You’re late,” Dottore said dryly, wiping his hands with a towel as he stepped out from behind the lab table he was working at.
“Yes,” Delta responded, voice just as dry. “There’s a bit of a blizzard outside, if you didn’t notice.”
Dottore raised his eyebrows at the snark and Delta, the most quarrelsome of the segments--except maybe Theta--only raised his eyebrows right back. Dottore’s eyes narrowed, annoyance worming its way onto his expression at the blatant disrespect. He had half a mind to remind him what exactly happened to the last segment that pushed him too far but instead, he was forced to move forward, right hand curling around Iota’s wrist just as the boy reached for some of Dottore’s notes.
“Do not start,” Dottore said sharply--perhaps he should have watched his tone, Iota was always the most sensitive when it came to tone and the last thing he wanted to deal with was a hysterical child.
… but Iota didn’t react to his tone. Instead, his eyes were wide and wondrous as he stared at Dottore’s hand. His right hand. Specifically, his right thumb.
Dottore’s stomach dropped, he released Iota’s wrist in an instant, stepping away, but Iota was persistent, darting forward to grab Dottore’s wrist now, reaching to grab the red string but his hand went right through it.
“What is that?” Delta asked, voice quiet and sharp.
So they could see his thread, but Dottore could safely assume that they did not have their own.
“Is it real?” Iota was still trying to grab the string--undoubtedly to tug at it just to feel the responding tug from their soulmate, just as he had felt from the opposite end this morning.
“It is real,” Dottore wasn’t even sure if he believed the words himself but logically, he had no reason to think otherwise. “It appeared last night.”
The reaction was almost instantaneous--Delta’s eyes shot open and Iota was wailing, clutching at Dottore’s waist, letting out incoherent babbles of how he knew that they had a soulmate, and how he knew that they weren’t damned or soulless, and how Kappa and Gamma would be-
“Do not tell them,” Dottore said sharply and Iota sobered up immediately, bottom lip wobbly and red eyes teary as he peered up at Dottore, questioning. “This is to stay between us for now, do you understand?”
“But Kappa-” Iota sniffled, confused, “and the others, they’ll be-”
“Do you understand?” Dottore asked again, gaze heavy as he waited for a response from both of his segments. “We do not need any new distractions, we’re finally making progress on our projects.”
Iota looked as if he had been physically slapped, brows knit together and biting his bottom lip as he looked between Delta and Dottore, as if expecting Delta to argue with Dottore. Dottore kept his expression steady, challenging, waiting for Delta to say something. Delta was argumentative but unlike Theta, he was not stupid. He knew when to pick fights and when to back off.
Delta was searching Dottore’s face for something, and Dottore made sure to keep his face blank. “You really don’t care?” Delta finally asked.
Dottore didn’t respond, partially because even as Delta asked the question, there was another soft tug at the red thread wrapped around his thumb. He forced himself not to look down at it, ignoring it this time. He did not care, and even if he did, he would force himself not to, just like he did a million times before when he forced himself to not care that he didn’t have a soulmate.
It was better for him, and it was better for the child on the opposite end of the string--who would grow up expecting their perfect match and be met with him.
“You were called back to report on the Irminsul project,” Dottore, a master of deflection, changed the subject rather than responding. Delta scoffed. “So, sit down and report. Enough of this nonsense. This is exactly why the other segments will not know.”
The anxiety, and the dread, and the pity was gone. It was replaced by anger.
Dottore was sick and tired of the gods fucking around with him.
Dottore stood in front of the mirror, lips thin and mask removed as he considered searching for the soulmark that was bound to be branded somewhere on his skin. It had been a long, long time since he had last searched his body for one. He had stopped after he had been cast out from the Akademiya--having given up on acceptance of any kind, be it from strangers or finally receiving his soulmate. He didn’t even want to look now but curiosity had always been his fatal flaw.
What did it look like? Where was it placed? His body was artificial, would there even be a soulmark?
Slowly and meticulously, he removed his shirt, scanning his torso and arms for any sign of the mark. He didn’t know what to look for--as far as he was aware, people’s marks could look like anything. The majority of people had some sort of symbol, be it a flower or animal or even some sort of item that’s a shared interest of the duo.
Dottore had no idea what he might share with his soulmate.
Methodologically, he turned over each arm--just as his parents would do when they were frantically searching him for a mark when he was a child.
Nothing.
Dottore stared at himself in the mirror, the scars that littered his body and face were stark in comparison to the rest of the fair skin. He shook his head as he finally turned around, back facing the mirror. He twisted his neck, looking over his shoulder to scan his back, gaze crawling up from his waistband until it reached his shoulders.
Dottore inhaled sharply, red eyes widening just a bit as he caught sight of the mark branded right between his shoulder blades--a small cluster of purple flowers spread out on his skin.
Heliotropes, he recognized and Dottore didn’t know if he should roll his eyes or laugh at the irony. Symbol of eternal devotion… poisonous to humans.
Of course.
Dottore thought that should be enough of a sign to end this before it weakened him even further--nip the issue in the bud before it could become detrimental. He had never actually seen someone cut their thread before but there were old wives’ tales about it and if anyone could figure out how to do it, it would be him.
For his sake, and for whoever was on the opposite end.
… and then there was a little tug at the string--once, then twice, and then a third time.
The moon was high in the sky now. Night had long fallen. He wondered if this was meant to be a goodnight.
Dottore sighed as he stepped away from the mirror, sitting down at the edge of his bed, leaving the goodnight unanswered as he contemplated what he should do. His gaze shifted back to the window as a branch rattled the glass.
Dottore hated the winter. Time and time again, it proved to be the worst months of his life… but a part of him--deep, deep down--wondered if this was all too bad because as he watched the ice creep up the frame of the window, this time with the phantom vibrations of his soulmate flicking at the string, it was with a bit more fondness than there was the night before.
Thinking about how they would ravage you while your hands are tied up to the bed frame with your eyes being covered by a neck tie praising how good you feel, how much a good you are, while they keep thrusting deep into you coming deep inside you, and the next morning you wake up with a man who's showering you with kisses, praises and most importantly he cooked your favorite breakfast.
↳ In which as the lantern rite festival was once again celebrated, you find yourself bidding your farewell in the land that you cherished the most. They're doing fine without you anyway.
Hands on the pocket, the figure quietly approaches the place. (Hair color) locks being swayed by the wind as the figure does so. After making sure no one was around, the figure pulled out something out of who knows where. There a two cups as well as a bottle of osmanthus wine was all you could bring.
Right in front of you were a few offerings, things that surely reminded you of her. Placing a cup on her nonexistent grave yet knew it was quite a memorial place for her to be, you place a cup on her seat and just hold your but upon realizing you need to open the wine bottle, you place it on the table, opening the bottle afterwards.
"It's been a while, hasn't it? Guizhong." You spoke as you pour her wine cup and yours some wine. "I thought about it for a long time and decided to pay a visit before I go." You spoke casually, placing the wine bottle right beside the rest of the offerings on the table before picking up your own cup. "So here I am." Then you took a sip, and damn, it tastes the same.
You just stood there for a long time. You have nothing to say in the first place. So you just stood there as the gentle breeze passes by, your (hair color) locks slowly becoming a mess by the wind but not that you mind. As time passed by, the slowly but surely the wine is being emptied and with one last sip, you throw the cup away by the lake, watching it sink for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Happy lantern rite, Guizhong."
You didn't leave right away. You just sat there, humming a tune you haven't for so long as your eyes fixed on the scenery in front of you, waiting for the night to come as time slowly passed by. As you did, you can't help but look back of the memories of yesterday not so long ago.
"They're at it again." You said with a chuckle as you sat down next to your friend and lover whom too were watching the scene with interest. "You're not going to join?" Your lover, Rex Lapis asked, and you shake your head. "One thing I learned over the past few decades is that I can't win against Guizhong when it comes to mechanisms." You chuckle and shrug, eyes boring to your lover who never looked at you, those amber iris never once looking away from the goddess of dust.
"Those were the good old days, I suppose?" Just like that, a bitter smile left your lips. "Heh." Good old days, huh. Thinking about it gives you mixed feelings. Nevertheless, the warmth it gave your heart was enough for you to call it good memories.
Before you knew it, the once bright sky was now filled with stars. Only then did you realize you have long stopped humming. Getting up from your seat, brushing off the dust in your clothes. It was now time to leave.
"You know. I never hated you." You spoke as you give her resting place one last glance. "In fact, I could never." You chuckle. "Goodbye, Guizhong." With a genuine smile on your lips. You walk away and never look back. Ascending down from the mountains, you can't help but admire the bright harbor from afar.
"Now, now. Where should I go?" You whispered and asked yourself. It was too early for you to leave, you still have a few hours for you to kill time. And as much as you wanted to go to the harbor yourself. As the other adeptus were currently in there, your presence might just spoil the mood so you'd rather not come. It was okay seeing the city from afar.
Suddenly, a place came into mind. Without missing a beat, you made your way at the place. It was such a good timing, after all, the current conquer of demons is currently away in the inn. That place was a good place for sightseeing after all. A good place to admire Liyue and waste time until your departure. Or so you thought.
"Aren't you going to the city?" "Old foes are in there, I'd rather not." You chuckle helplessly as you turn around. There a certain adeptus you thought won't be here have arrived. "Well then, now that you're back, I should get going before I ruined your night." You bow politely, something a mere mortal would do in front of him nowadays.
Walking past him, you did not expect to be stopped, having him grabbed you gently by the wirst. "Adep-" "It was an accident." He spoke before looking at you, meeting your (eye color) iris. You blink, gently prying off his hand away from you before you take a step back. "Right, but that doesn't change the fact that I was the one with her when she died." You give him a small smile. "I should get going."
"Why do you keep running away?" He sounds frustrated that you almost look back, but you didn't. But you did stop walking when you're about to walk out the door to the top floor where he was always at. After all, Yaksha was never the one to initiate a conversation, let alone an outburst. By his question, you can't help but to let out a chuckle, "Running away, heh. That's an interesting way to put it when I was the one that was left alone."
Realizing what came out of your mouth, your (eye color) iris widen as you cover your mouth with your hands. "I said something I shouldn't have." You took a deep breath and eventually dropped your hands to your side. "I apologize." You said with a sigh as you look back at the green haired adeptus whom had his eyes looking at you wide upon, probably because of what you just said a couple moments ago. "I'll take my leave now." This time, you really did leave.
Finding yourself back on top of the high peeks of Liyue, you casually lean back at one of the statues of seven, your back meeting with cold stone it was made out of, sending shiver down your spine. Still, your mind wandered off the little interaction you had with the fellow adeptus earlier. Just like that you let out a sigh.
You honestly didn't want to be seen by your fellow adeptus. Not because you'll be leaving without a word, but because of what happened in the past that each of you can't seem to forget.
Guizhong was a very bright, extrovert, and genius being. You can see she was always the center of everyone's attention. Maybe that was the reason why even Morax can't seem to look away from her. Maybe it was the reason why she always felt a bitter taste on your mouth. Because whenever she was on sight, Morax, Rex Lapis, your lover never looked at you.
"They're at it again." It was a strong sense of deja vu but this time, it wasn't you who was speaking, it was one of the adeptus, the cloud retainer speaking as the two to you look at the near distance. Rex Lapis and Guizhong alongside the rest of the Yaksha. It was a heartwarming sight, to be honest. But it did nothing but ache in your heart as you see Marshall Vritras give Guizhong and Rex Lapis a new pair of clothes. It looks like matching with each other.
"I'm going ahead." "Already?" "I wasn't feeling very well nowadays." You chuckle. That was the truth. Nowadays, it felt like someone was sucking your energy out of you. You get easily tired nowadays, and today might be one of those days. "Should I call Rex Lapis?" As she stood up, you grab the hem of her clothes. "Don't, leave him be. I can go back on my own. Just tell him I went ahead." You smile gently at her.
With one last at your lover, you bid your farewell at cloud retainer and quietly make your way back to your lair. It wasn't that bad at first, the as you walk and walk, the more you felt like everything was spinning, the grounds felt shaking, or was that you slowly loosing you strength all over you body? "Wha- what.. In the.." Before your body fell on the ground, you felt a small arms capture your figure. "(First name)?!" That voice was familiar, familiar enough to bring you back to your senses.
"Gui..zhong?" You utter in disbelief, she was just with the other not long ago, what is she doing here? "I've seen you leave not feeling very well, I decided to follow you and-" "Tsk. Another one to ruined my plan." Both of you turn to the uninvited guess, another God. It feels like you've seen him somewhere. That.. Where have you seen him? Before you knew it, an attack was launched at the two of you.
It was hard. You knew the two of you don't stand a chance. You're slowly losing your senses, you're not in the condition to fight in the first place and as you pant, looking at Guizhong right beside you. She was as wounded as you were, blood dripping down her temple all the way to her chin. "R-run." You utter.
This time, she was looking at you in disbelief. "Do you think you're in the position to say something like that?! You won't be able to hold him back!" "He was coming.. coming for me ha- in the f-first place." You pant heavily. Just like that, you heard a sinister laugh from the god in front of you. "That's right. I'm glad you're well aware (First name)." So it was true, it was really after you. "Guizhong... Run."
"That's right, you two can't take me. Why don't you go and ask the others for help and leave (First name) here for me. Don't worry, we'll only talk." "Like I'll believe that!" "You should. Do you even know why they're in a state like that? It's because they hate you." "What non-" "What shit are you saying?!" You shout all of a sudden, (eye color) iris shaking.
"You don't know? Were you really not aware of it? Aren't you just wondering why you're running out of energy nowadays? Why do you think was the reason?" "You-!" "It's because of your hatred and jealously." As the god in front of you laugh, your (eye color) iris shook even more. No, no. No no no no no. It's nothing like that. That's not it. There is no way in Celestia he was able to suck your energy away because you're what, angry and jealous? How pathetic!
"Come to think of it, isn't they God the reason for all of it?" By those words, you felt like you're drench in cold water. "Isn't she the reason why you and Rex Lapis rarely get along nowadays?" "What nonsense are you saying?! We're nothing but friend-" "Isn't that right, (First name)?" No I- you- I... "(First name)?" They shaky voice of Guizhong snapped you out of it. "No- I.. I don't-" "HAHAHAHA See? They can't even reply properly!" "Shut up! Don't confuse them any longer!"
"You know me and Rex Lapis were just friends, right? Right (First name)?" She spoke gently. But at your (eye color) iris met those bright ones of hers. You can't help but look down and utter. "I'm sorry." You knew they were friends, heck. You knew that, and it disgusts you to think there is something more. You never felt so broken, confused, disgusted, and pathetic to yourself all your life. "I'm sorry." You utter once again, this time, tears where pooling in those (eye color) iris. "I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry." You don't long for how long were you saying that but you kept on saying anyway. "It's alright." You heard a quiet yet genuine chuckle. "It's alright. You don't hate me, right?" She smiled brightly at you. But before you can even reply. A blinding attack cane towards the direction of you two. Only then did you realize, you've been distracted for awhile now. And before the attack reach you. You one again felt an arm wrapped around your figure. "Close your eyes, (First name)"
Looking at the city afar, you blink. Then you look up. It seems like you've taken a nap. Your shoulders were cold and stiff, so you stood up and stretched your arms and back. Then you halt. "Alatus." You sigh, looking back to see the green haired adeptus once again.
"You're leaving." "Heh? Where did you get that idea?" "Why are you leaving?" "You didn't answer my question, so I have the right not to answer your question too." "Fine. I just have the feeling." "Hmm. Why am I leaving? I just want to travel." "Don't." "Why?" You raise a brow. "Everything is fine right now." That is the truth.
"I'm just leaving Liyue, I'm not going somewhere far away." You added. "Then I'm going to get going now, I had a quick nap so-" "I told you it was just an accident, when will you stop blaming yourself-!" "That doesn't change the fact that she died because of me, okay? Besides, that's surprising coming from you. She was your esteemed master after all-" You stopped and sigh. You've said too much once again.
"I'm going to tell Morax." "Then tell him." As if he'll do something, you almost scoff but held it in. "No one has ever blamed you for what happened." "Really, Xiao? Did you honestly forgetten?"
A harsh slap across the face made you turn to your side. It hurts, but you didn't dare cry. You deserve this. "You-! You-! I can't believe you!" "That's enough." The Cloud Retainer eventually restrain Streetward Rambler from laying a hand from you again. "Enough??! Enough?! It is all because of them that Guizhong died! All because of what? All because of them being envious?!" "I'm sorry." You clench your jaw. "I'm sorry."
"I wish it was you who died." You don't know, perhaps you don't want to know who said that as you flinch. "Rex- where is Rex Lapis?" You asked, never once looking up. You haven't seen your lover ever since then. "Who knows? Maybe he doesn't want to see you for what you did?" Once again you flinch. "We were just doing fine without you, even before. If you aren't Rex Lapis lover, I wouldn't have approached you in the first place."
Looking away from Xiao, you sigh, rubbing your temples. "That-" "Enough. I'm not changing my mind. It's much better this way. Besides, even without me, you'll be fine." Just like that, you disappeared from the conquer of demons' sight.
When you teleported into a familiar place you haven't been for a long time, you didn't expect to see him there, he should be around the city somewhere after all.
You couldn't help but stare at his back. You haven't seen him for so long. So you didn't expect to see him in the place where the two of you first met, of maybe it was just place to him.
As you were about to leave, about to teleport away. Your (eye color) iris met with a pair of amber ones. You couldn't move. Morax, he looked the same as he has always been. "I- I was just passing by." "I see." He replied like it was nothing, maybe it was nothing. So why is he looking at you like that?
"I'll get going then." You spoke and turned around. As you did, you felt his glaze upon your back. Then you stopped. "Morax." "I go by Zhongli nowadays." "Yeah, I've heard." You bit your lips. "But this question is for Morax, not for the mortal Zhongli." "I see." There was a moment of silence as a harsh wind breeze passed by. "Morax." "What it is?" His voice was soft as always, like the good old days.
"Morax, did you ever love me?" You asked the question you've been dying to ask for a long time now. And yet, as moments passed by, there was nothing but silence it makde you laugh. "I see, so that's how it is." You smile bitterly.
"I should get going now, thank you for your time." You spoke before you continue to walk away from him. "Oh, and Zhongli. You'll do just fine without me. Like always."
As you glance back at him, and for a moment, you wish you never did. Because as soon as you did, he was looking with eyes wondering what were you up to, those amber iris wondering why you even asked him of such question. Those amber iris looking at you with such affection as it did in the past. But perhaps that's just you. Because as you walked away like you did in the past, he never chase after you. Like he never loved you.
imagine royal!au in genshin but with ruler x knight trope 😍😍😍 (cw // minor character deaths, violence, threats, and grammar errors)
you were recently crowned as the ruler of your land after the tragic deaths of your parents. altho you have personally dealt with those foolish nobles who dared to kill your parents with poison by executing them, you still couldn’t help but be extra cautious of your surroundings and the people around you.
you refuse to eat unless the food is served by your most trustworthy butler, who made sure it wasn’t poison. you refuse to take strolls around the garden you dearly loved without being escorted with the captain of the imperial knights. you refuse to attend balls that’s thrown for your coronation in fear of the worst case scenarios happening to you. you even refuse to sleep without checking if your windows are locked and guarded for the nth time.
it was very very severe, and your royal advisor couldn’t take it anymore after overhearing a conversation between your servants about how you’re always so frightened whenever they try to wake you up.
so your royal advisor as well as the royal court together advised you to have a personal knight who could protect you from getting killed by only the gods above know who.
you agreed of course, but on one condition.
“instead of just one knight, i would like to have a group of them.” you said without hesitation.
the people from the royal court was shocked. were you really that cautious to want not just one knight, but more?
your royal advisor on the other hand, remained as calm as they can be. if it is what you want, then you shall have it.
“we will agree to your condition, your imperial highness,” they said with a bow. “we will provide you the best of the best.”
and so, you got yourself a group of warriors — the strongest ones from all over the kingdom, rather — who all have named themselves your knights and sworn with their lives to protect you from harm and danger for as long as they live.
not one person outside of your palace knew of your knights, they only knew that you have a personal knight who’s by your side.
you’ve learned their names as soon as you’ve met them: zhongli, beidou, alhaitham, kaeya, itto, dainsleif, and kazuha.
they’re a weird bunch, you’ll admit, but they’re no doubt the best of the best as what your royal advisor promised with you.
zhongli, who is known for being a member of liyue’s most powerful noble family, is the leader among your knights and the one who everyone outside the palace knew as your personal knight. not only does he have grace and politeness, but also has the experience of many wars, capable of protecting you from even a mighty dragon.
he’s the same knight who makes you tea that helps you sleep every night, telling you stories that seems too real to be fictional as you drink. sometimes, you couldn’t help but notice a sense of nostalgia from him whenever he tells you said stories.
you didn’t want to admit it, but he looks familiar as well, as if you’ve met him before despite the fact that you never once saw him whenever his family comes to your palace.
beidou, who is known for being the strongest pirate in the seven seas and is retired, is the knight who’s always by your side for when you travel around the seas. not only does she have a strong liver for being able to drink so many alcohol, but also has the experience of a pirate who had slaughtered the most feared sea monster, capable of protecting you from those who dare to try and infiltrate your ship.
she’s the same knight who takes you out from your palace and explore around town to help you feel relax from your duties as a ruler, letting you try out street foods and even made you try fishing for the first time by the docks. she sometimes tells you of what it was like back when she had her crew, her eyes full of longing.
you wondered what happened that led her to retire and have her crew split up.
alhaitham, who is known for being the most skilled and intelligent scholar in the infamous land of sumeru, is the brains of your group. not only does he have the intelligence of the grand sage of sumeru, but also has the experience of fighting off many fighters in a swordsman competition and won from it, capable of protecting you from those who dare to point their swords towards you.
he’s the same knight whose as sarcastic as he can be but helps you with your paperwork if you need extra help and is quite an amazing tactician as well whenever you need it. you didn’t mind his attitude and rationality, not when you sometimes find yourself waking up with a blanket on top of you every time you accidentally fall asleep from dealing with documents as alhaitham reads a book on one of the seats of your office.
you wondered how your royal advisor managed to persuade someone like him to be your knight.
kaeya, who is known for being the brother of the current grand duke of mondstadt, is the stealthiest of the group. not only does he have the best connections to get information about nobles who plot to kill you, but also has the access to come to every events you’re invited in as a member of the ragnvindr family and not as your knight, capable of protecting you from assassins and nobles alike in royal balls and events.
he’s the same knight who’s your drinking buddy besides beidou, listening to your rants and woes if you drank more than you can handle. he never tells you what you said to him, only commenting that “you’re one heavy sack of potato to carry whenever it’s time for you to head back to bed”. honestly, you’re kinda glad he never tells you about your drunk shenanigans.
though, sometimes you notice a flash of regret and sadness in his eyes whenever his brother is mentioned around him, staying more silent than usual.
itto, who is known for being…. itto, is the tank of the group. not only does he have the most intimidating image with marks all over his body and with the horns on his head, but also has super strength that could carry many heavy things such as a carriage, capable of carrying you and running away from the scene of a fight while protecting you.
he’s the same knight who gives you jokes and cheers you up whenever you feel drained and sad. he’s honestly quite funny and endearing, even more so when you play card games with him when you feel bored. you could never forget the time when he rapped for you as a birthday present, not minding how all the other knights look as if they’re dying inside at the sight.
you just wish that everyone sees him the same way you do and not see him as the scariest oni in the land who is rumored to have committed many unforgivable acts despite the fact that it is already proven that he didn’t do such things.
dainsleif, who is known for being the descendant of the most powerful captain of the knights back when your ancestors ruled over the land, is a mysterious one. not only does he have the training to be just as strong as his ancestor, but also has the experience of a traveler who has come far and wide around the world, capable of protecting you from those who came to kill you should you travel around other lands to meet up with other rulers.
he’s the same knight who tells you his travels and what it was like to be in such places whenever you ask him to, mentioning people he’d met and places that he could never forget. he’s quite hard to read, you’ll admit.
it’s safe to say you’re curious about this particular blonde traveler he mentioned sometimes, especially when he completely stops explaining for a moment.
kazuha, who is known for being the last living member of his family who died, is different from everyone among the group for his heightened senses. not only does he have the most ancient and powerful sword crafted by his family years ago, but also has the experience of standing against a ruler who uses magic with just his sword, capable of protecting you from those who try to hurt you with magic.
with his senses, he tells you if it’s going to rain today, if the food has poison in it, if a person is dangerous or not, and so on and so forth. however, due to his senses, he prefers to not stay in one place, leading you to make him explore around the palace everyday if he wishes to and see if he finds anything dangerous around your home.
he’s the same knight who escorts you whenever you take a stroll around the palace grounds, being as gentle and kind as he can be as he listens to you intently. sometimes he’d recite haikus he made just for you as you feel at peace with what you have with your knight.
seeing how he looks peaceful and contented with himself, you never questioned him about why he decided to become a wanderer after everything he went through.
overall, you’ve come to know your knights and grew close, finally trusting them as much as you trust your butler and royal advisor after seeing how dedicated and loyal they are to you.
you even find yourself catching feelings with one of them, but who?
bonus
kamisato ayato is one of the three rulers of inazuma, who was supposed to be your husband from an arranged marriage that your families agreed on. however, after your parents’ death as well as his, the both of you mutually agreed to not get married for the sake of prioritizing your people first (and also because marriage is not something you’re interested in).
ningguang is one of the nobles who you trust most and the one you talk to often in events. she’s quite intelligent and is never afraid to tell her opinions. she hides half of her face with her fan whenever you say something flattering about her success as she praises you for your hardwork in return, something that happens once in a lifetime for most people. you admit that she’s also one amazing dancer as well after dancing with her whenever you have the chance to (though, you feel a bit flustered from the fact that you almost step on her shoes sometimes).
diluc ragnvindr is also considered as one of the nobles who you trust most. when your parents died, he was the one who reached out to you first and helped you with your troubles before your early coronation. not only is he your penpal, but also the person who can understand your pain since he too lost his father and was forced to take the title of the grand duke too early. (he’s also the one who defended you when nobles gathered around to discuss about the future of the land after your parents’ death, angry that those pesky nobles have the audacity to say you’re not worthy to rule)
capitano is the current captain of the knights who was by your side when you were super cautious and scared of your surroundings after your coronation. he comforted you and reassured you that no matter what, you’re very well protected with him and with all of the knights of the palace. despite his cold demeanor, you have always appreciated his efforts in protecting you and easing your worries, never hesitating to thank him for what he has done. (you didn’t know the disappointment he felt underneath his mask when he knew he no longer has to be by your side anymore, but he was happy that you now feel even more safe with the new knights).
tartaglia is one of the princes from snezhnaya and is never afraid to tell you his undying love for you with every chance he gets ever since you won from your duel with him. you truly admire his unwavering determination for your hand in marriage, and you honestly didn’t have the heart to harshly tell him to stop. instead, you simply just say no whenever he asks you to marry him. besides, he knows his boundaries unlike some of your suitors and even killed one of the strongest beasts of snezhnaya on his own for your birthday gift: a long fur-coat that matches you very well. (if only you knew how he keeps asking your fellow knights to spar with him after finding out that you caught feelings for one of them, wanting to know just how strong the person who won your heart is).
scaramouche was once a person you’ve known since childhood. he was your dear companion who’s by your side until the announcement of your engagement with kamisato ayato. when you came to visit him after the announcement, it was as if he disappeared without a trace. you didn’t know what you did wrong, did you say something that made him run away? it was something you couldn’t find an answer to, and you silently gave him a farewell before going back to your palace defeatedly. it was only a few months after having your new knights when you suddenly have a visitor by your window, he looks far different than the scaramouche you knew back then. he looks more… evil and—
just as you were about to say something to him, you find yourself falling to the ground before everything went black, the last thing you heard was the sound of evil laughter.
description box; the genshin characters above as tutors / professors, who’ll give you study sessions… or should we say, study sessions in love?
warnings; heavy nsfw warning ❗️ , XIAO IS ZHONGLI’S BROTHER, light yandere, mentions of obsession, perverts, professor/tutor x student relationship, smut, corruption kink, mentions of cheating and persuasion
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ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ diluc!
— ECONOMICS PROFESSOR.
professor!diluc, who you met in a tavern before you even knew he would be your professor.
professor!diluc, who’s just so, so mean to you, who never lets you cum and likes to tease you so much…
professor!diluc, who sees you the next day in his economics class, is flabbergasted and shocked… and yet, strangely happy.
professor!diluc, who just can’t resist you and your cuteness and orders you to come to his office after class.
professor!diluc, who makes you kneel in front of him and suck his cock under his desk, and you always comply faithfully like the good, little girl you are.
professor!diluc, who is aware of how many students come to his office after class for questions, who is well aware how teasing you can be.
professor!diluc, for whom it’s hard to concentrate on his students’ questions when you’re just below his desk, sucking him off so lovingly, so well and so good…
professor!diluc, stoic and calm as ever, who suddenly begins to blush, jerk up all of a sudden and stutter whenever his cock hits the back of your throat, whenever you hum quietly your throat vibrates because you know how good that will feel for diluc.
professor!diluc, who punishes you afterwards, who forces you to cockwarming him as he works on his presentation for the next lesson, ignoring your whining and needy pleads.
professor!diluc, who likes to overstimulate you and push you to your limits when he’s finished his work and begins to lecture you… After all, a good girl needs lecturing from time to time, too, right? He can’t let such bad and scandalously wrong behaviour go unnoticed, isn’t that right?
“ah, ah, ah, ah… prof—mhm! professor… haaa…”
“what do you want me to do, love? use your words…”
“want… want you to fuck me… till i, ah — ah, ah… haaa, oh my god, please! hmmm, need you to fuck me till i… hngh! can’t… walk, professor… please, please, please, professor… ah! fill — fill me up, please… wanna have your babies…”
“mhm… well, if you’re asking that politely…”
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ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ kazuha!
— PHILOSOPHY PROFESSOR.
professor!kazuha, whose attention you first caught by handing in your profound and well-researched philosophy paper, and whose attention you were able to keep because of your angel-like face and goddess-like body.
professor!kazuha, who would invite you to his office after lessons.
professor!kazuha, whose eyes would dip down a little bit too much, whose eyes would linger way too long on your chest. but you don’t notice, you just don’t notice the way he licks his lips after eyeing you up and down, don’t notice the way lust and hunger creeps into his eyes after you use excessive gestures to mark your point — excessive gestures that make him crave you even more.
professor!kazuha, who likes riling you up with obviously wrong opinions just to see you become all vivid and to see you use excessive gestures again to support your opinion because all he then would think about is you writhing under his body, you squirming around under him, you arching your back when he pleasures you, you scratching his back with your nails when he fucks you rough and raw, or you kissing him feverishly as he fingers you…
prfoessor!kazuha, who pretends to like hearing your opinions on specific topics in philosophy when all he wants is to hear your voice begging him for mercy.
professor!kazuha, who would invite you for drinks in his dorm.
professor!kazuha, who would get drunk and who’d get you drunk too, who’d get touchy with you after having downed a few drinks…
professor!kazuha, who’s just too good with his fingers in you, whose words of affection and praise just turn you on so, so much, whose small confirmations of you doing well just rot your brain until you can’t think no more.
professor!kazuha, who likes folding you underneath him to his will, who likes seeing your bare body so vulnerable and exposed, who likes the view of you being so adorably willing to pleasure him…
professor!kazuha, who later on makes a habit of ordering you to his dorms, who teaches you and your naive, innocent self how to masturbate when he isn’t there to help you, how to insert a vibrator into yourself…
professor!kazuha, who likes using your face and your body as canvas for his cum.
professor!kazuha, who enjoys corrupting your mind with sinfully sexual scenarios until you’re all tainted with sins… But wasn’t this what you were asking for when your doll eyes fluttered at him like that the day before? Wasn’t this exactly what you wanted? It’s not his fault you’re so innocent, after all, he’s only protecting you and teaching you, like a good professor should.
“we shouldn’t… mhm… be doing this her—ah, hah, mhm… here…”
“this is my dorm. we’ll be fine. you just concentrate on taking my cock, alright? you’re doing so well…”
“ah… hah… ‘m doing well?”
“yes, darling… so, so, so well… such an obedient, good girl you are… keep it up, won’t you?”
“that’s what i — mhm — like to hear… good girl… such a sweet soul… you look so beautiful right now, what a sight.”
“‘m pretty… i’m pretty? ah, haaa… fuck, oh!”
“of course you are… such a pretty girl, you should see yourself right now. you’re doing so well, my good, little girl… fuck, you feel so good…”
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ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ childe!
— MATH TUTOR.
tutor!childe, who would drop pencils as an excuse to look under the desk, to sneak a look at what’s under those pretty skirts you always wear.
tutor!childe, whose eyes sometimes linger a little too long on your lips when you ask him questions regarding mathematics.
tutor!childe, who would stand a little too close behind you when he’s supposedly “checking you work”.
tutor!childe, who would use any excuse to touch you, be it his fingers grazing yours when he reaches for the paper sheet of exercises when you’re finished, be it him standing behind you and grabbing your pencil when you do something wrong — somehow, he always manages to find a way for the back of his hand to touch yours — or be it him snaking his arm around your waist gently when he escorts you out of the library.
tutor!childe, who fantasises about you, your pretty body and your voice at night, wondering how beautiful you’d look pinned down by him, wondering how your hair would look like splashed out on his bed sheets, wondering whether you’d scream his name when he fucks you or whether you’d whisper his name like a mantra, wondering whether your eyes would gloss over and spill tears of pleasure or whether they’d roll up to the back of your skull, wondering whether you’d scream for him to go faster and harder or whether you’d beg for him to be gentle with you… but it isn’t his fault for thinking so, right? After all, it’s you who chooses to wear those incredibly tight crop tops and those pretty, little skirts… It’s not something Childe is at fault for, right?
“ch-childe… please be gentle… you — ah, you’re going too… t-too fast… please don’t, mhm, hngh, not too…”
“too what, hm?”
“t-too… hah, ah, ah, ah, ah! oh my — right there, please, please, please… oh my god, childe! childe, childe, childe…”
“that’s what i thought. you just keep moaning my name, ‘kay?”
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ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ zhongli!
— LITERATURE AND HISTORY PROFESSOR.
professor!zhongli, who would always notice those handsome and attractive boys and sometimes even gorgeous girls talking to you in lessons, asking whether you’re free this afternoon to grab a coffee or whether they could get your number.
professor!zhongli, who guilt-trips your innocent mind into thinking that it’s all your fault, that it’s your fault those boys and girls are always drooling so much over you and your prettiness that they won’t focus on zhongli’s literature and history lessons anymore.
professor!zhongli, who buys you expensive and pretty but less revealing clothes to “make the student body” to be able to concentrate better again.
professor!zhongli, who likes to bend you over his desk in his office in afternoons, knowing you’d decline any guy’s offer to take you out this afternoon just in case zhongli would ask you to stop by his office again, because he just takes cares of you so well, because he just fucks you so, so, so good; so good you sometimes can’t even show up next lessons because you’re limping so much and would always furiously blush when zhongli’s eyes would gaze to you…
professor!zhongli, who often invites you over to his place, where you meet his little brother xiao, and you treat his little brother so well he knows you’d be a good mother.
professor!zhongli, who deliberately claims to have forgotten to use protection, because he likes to breed you, dreams about fucking a baby into you, hopes to knock you up so you won’t ever leave him and because he knows you’d shower your child or children with unconditional love.
professor!zhongli, who would, out of spite, give the guys in his class who would bother you, bad grades and would never give them time to talk to him about their grades.
professor!zhongli, who enjoys seeing you in his blouse, which is way too big for you, standing in the kitchen as you cook breakfast for him clumsily, zhongli, who would press his body against yours when you’re cooking, distracting you with back hugs and neck kisses.
professor!zhongli, who likes to overstimulate you until you’re fucked stupid, not even able to scream his name anymore, zhongli, who makes it his mission to kiss your cervix with his cock, who makes it his mission for you to be disabled to walk the next morning so he gets to carry you around in princess-style like a gentleman.
prfoessor!zhongli, who prays to God that the guys and girls interested in you would just drop dead… but sometimes, praying and hoping God will take care of it just isn’t enough, is it? Look what you made him do — those people don’t show up to his lessons the next day, the next week or even the next month… Just what happened to them?
professor!zhongli, who would always distract you whenever you bring up that topic, who would kiss you and finger you so well, who’d bury his head between your soft thighs, hands gripping onto them tightly, zhongli, who would make sure to eat you out for hours and finger you so good that you won’t remember a thing you wanted to ask him… After all, he’s doing all of this just for you. You should be grateful he’s putting in all this effort, shouldn’t you?
“shhh, princess… keep quiet, won’t you? don’t want my colleagues to hear you.”
“ah, ah, ah… p-please, ‘s too big, won’t fit… won’t — hngh! mhm… haaa… too… too, too big, sir… it won’t — oh, oh, ah! no… n— ah!”
“make it fit, princess. it fit before, didn’t it? come on, be a good princess for me, hm?”
“y-yes, sir… h-haaa — zhongli! oh my god — ‘m gonna… hngh!”
“zhongli?”
“no — no, i mean sir… s-sir!”
“tsk. you know only good princesses can cum, right? seems like you can’t this time, since you made a mistake.”
“no, no, no… won’t make another mistake again, s-sir, i’ll be a-ah! ah, ah, oh — please… i’ll be a good princess, sir… o-oh, hngh… p-please, won’t make another — haaa, ah, ah — mistake again… sir… please, sir… need to cum, ‘m so close!”
“ah-ah. you cum and i’ll punish you.”
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ albedo
— SCIENCE TUTOR.
tutor!albedo, who is well aware of how stupid and dumb you are when it comes to science.
tutor!albedo, who bullies you and teases you constantly for your stupidity and the lacking ability to understand what he explains.
tutor!albedo, who is so fed up with you and your not understanding of science that he proposes a different approach…
tutor!albedo, who fucks you agonisingly and painfully slowly from behind, albedo, who splashes question papers and notes of science in front of you, and for every right answer, he lets you orgasm once… And even though you have a boyfriend, you let it happen, because the tip of cock just fits into your womb so well, because he somehow always manages to kiss your cervix and to play around with your clit so much better than your boyfriend does…
tutor!albedo, who makes you so reliant and dependent on him that after he officially quits being a tutor because he’s moving away, no other tutor can help you as well as he did.
tutor!albedo, who ensures he pleasures you so mindblowingly well that it’s assured that you’ll always come back crawling to him, no matter how far away he is and no matter how much you are aware that you have a boyfriend.
tutor!albedo, who makes your tummy feel so full and fuzzy and warm after your sessions, who inserts butt plugs and vibrators in you, so that whenever you leave his home to meet up with your boyfriend, he’ll turn on the vibrator to its highest level, so that you just won’t have any other choice than to come back to him, because neither you can pleasure yourself the way he does, nor your boring, bland and stupid boyfriend.
tutor!albedo, who often fantasises about fucking you in front of your boyfriend, just to show him that he can do it better than he can… And who knows? Maybe someday, he’ll fuck you dumb and senseless so that your legs will tremble in one of the science class rooms, and perhaps, your stupid, stupid, stupid boyfriend will walk in to see albedo drinking all your juices and fucking you roughly on one of the tables… but seriously. Who knows? Maybe it’ll happen tomorrow, or today… or it is happening right now, right his second…
“you love me more than your shitty, stupid boyfriend, don’t you, love?”
“yes, yes, yes! ah, ah, right there, hnghhh, feels so good…”
“tell me again… come on, i wanna hear it again. who do you love more? me or your boyfriend, hmmm?”
“you, you, you! you, albedo, love you so much more… ‘s you, ‘s always you… h-hah, please, please, please, need you so much, i’m — hnghh… albedo, ‘bedo, need you to go faster…”
“does he fuck you as well as i do, huh?”
“n-no! you do… it so much better… so, so much better… ah, ah, ah… ah, please, harder, wanna feel you… oh, oh! ‘m so close, i’m so close, albedo… albedo!”
“that’s it, cum for me and for me only, love…”
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BONUS…
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ xiao!
— P. E. TUTOR + ZHONGLI’S LITTLE BROTHER.
tutor!xiao, who comes home after his afternoon jogging sessions to find his big brother zhongli, a professor, fucking his favourite student in the kitchen.
“are you sure your little, haaa, brother won’t be… mhm… h-home before… we finish thi—ah, ah, ah, ah! zh-zhongli, zhongli… hngh, please, please, please… feels so good… ‘m feeling so full… w-wait, ‘s too big, won’t fit, won’t fit! ah, ah — zhongli! ah!”
“what were you just saying about my brother, hm, darling?”
tutor!xiao, who overhears you and his brother, and is ashamed to admit that he fantasises about you moaning his instead of his brother’s name at night.
tutor!xiao, who wishes it was him fucking you rather than his brother.
tutor!xiao, who has seen your bare body once and can’t get the image out of his mind anymore…
tutor!xiao, who hopes that he suddenly becomes his brother just so he can be anything but “your boyfriend’s little brother”…
author’s note; please tell me if you liked it, and if not — how can i do better?
is it okay if i request kaeya being extra clingy with the reader after he proposes to her like calling her to his office at random times to cuddle and clinging to her at the tavern please
Thank you ♡
the captain's love
pairing — Kaeya x gn!reader
summary — You received a note from Kaeya: "My love, I can't stop thinking about you. Can you come to my office? I need to see you." After your engagement, his affection for you had only grown. What could be different today?
tags — fluff, as fluffly as Kaeya's coat (hopefully); reader is gender neutral
notes — thank you so much for your request!! this is my first ask so i was a bit nervous, but i really hope you like it! i did my best!! i also hope it's not too long!! since there was no specification of the gender of the reader, i decided to keep it neutral, i hope you don't mind!! :)
words — 2,6k
As you stood at the top of the stairs leading up to the Favonious Headquarters, the beauty of the golden sunset stretched across the sky before you took your breath away. The cool breeze that swept through the air carried with it the sweet scent of the flowers that bloomed all around Mondstadt. You couldn't help but be mesmerized by the sight as if the world was in perfect harmony.
You looked down at your hand, noticing the engagement ring that sparkled in the fading light. It was a symbol of your and Kaeya's love, the bond between you both that sealed your fate together. You remembered how it all began, how you had always seen Kaeya around the city as the Captain of the Cavalry, but you never thought you would find yourself falling for him. Once you started talking, you were captivated by his charm, his winning grin, and his smooth talking that made your heart race.
"Oh, my, what a surprise to find you here, dear," your thoughts were interrupted by Lisa, who had just left the knight's headquarters. She greeted you with a friendly smile as she approached you. "I was just about to come looking for you."
"I was looking for you too, Lisa. I needed to return these books to the library."
She was happy to hear that you had remembered to return the books on time, unlike others. She took the heavy books from your hands and handed you a folded note. "Kaeya asked me to give you this. He didn't tell me what it was about, but it seems urgent."
Curious, you opened the note and read Kaeya's words: "My love, I can't stop thinking about you. Can you come to my office? I need to see you."
As you clutched the note in your hand, your heart began to race at the thought of seeing him. The mere mention of his name conjured images of his wonderful love, which had captured your heart from the moment you first met. The golden sunset that painted the sky with hues of orange and pink seemed to mirror the butterflies that spread through your chest as you thought of him.
Lisa looked at you with a curious expression, though you couldn't help but be lost in your own thoughts. The books you had been holding before seemed like feathers in your hand, insignificant compared to the weight of this moment. Kaeya's words were a beacon calling you to him, drawing you closer to the promise of his presence. "Hehe, your reaction is quite amusing, it makes me curious about what it could possibly say." She looked away towards the golden sunset, smiling and letting out a sigh after a moment of thought. "Given Kaeya's talents, I can understand why a note from him would make your heart flutter. Whatever the matter is, you should attend to it, don't let me hold you back."
With a final cheerful chuckle, Lisa said goodbye and left you to your thoughts, and you couldn't help but feel grateful for her understanding. You couldn't shake the feeling that something important was about to happen. As you made your way toward Kaeya's office, the world around you seemed to fade into the background, and all you could focus on was the man who had captured your heart.
As you opened the door, the comforting golden light of the setting sun bathed the room in a celestial glow. The sunlight seemed to dance on the walls, reflecting off the papers and books on the desk, creating a beautiful, almost magical atmosphere. It was as if the universe had conspired to make this perfect moment for the two of you. Your graceful fiancé, who had been sitting in his chair with his back turned to the window, rose to his feet and made his way towards you with open arms, a broad smile etched on his face.
You rushed towards him, eagerly falling into his embrace, relishing in the warmth of his hold. He pressed a kiss to the top of your head and ran his fingers through your hair in a soothing gesture. His touch was like a spark of lightning, illuminating every inch of your body with a sense of electricity, sending shivers down your spine and goosebumps rising on your skin. You couldn't help but let out a content sigh as you closed your eyes, immersing yourself in the sensation of being with the one you loved. The safety that you felt under his touch was something akin to a ray of sunlight shining on your face, reassuring, and grounding you. It was as though the two of you were connected by a current, flowing seamlessly together and completing one another in every way. Slowly, you tilted your head upwards, locking gazes with him.
The soft, loving expression in his uncovered eye, which only appeared when he was with you, shined like the stars in the night sky, mirroring the same emotions in yours.
"I've missed you so much," he murmured, as you let out a gentle laugh. This was not the first time he had called you to his office just to be near you, but you couldn't blame him, the time spent away from each other felt like an eternity.
There were times when Kaeya would suddenly call for you to come to him just because he missed your presence. You remembered one time when you had been working late at the library to help Lisa organize dozens of books, and Kaeya had waited for you until late hours of the night, insisting on walking you home so you wouldn't have to go alone.
There was another moment when you had been feeling under the weather, so Kaeya sent a knight to bring you to his office, where he had prepared hot tea and pastries, then sat with you, making sure you were comfortable.
As a flood of memories washed over you, you were struck by the overwhelming feeling of gratitude for having found your other half. Each moment came back to you in vivid detail, painting a picture of all the times Kaeya had summoned you to his office, not for any official business, but simply for the sake of being with you. The way he looked at you once he saw you, the warmth in his embrace, and the way he couldn't help but be physically affectionate with you, all of it cemented in your mind as evidence of the unbreakable bond the two of you shared.
"It's only been a few hours, Kaeya," you replied.
"Feels like an eternity without you," he agreed.
"I know," you whispered, resting your head on his chest, feeling his heartbeat accelerate with each passing moment, as you two were reunited once again. As you felt his arms envelop you, and his heart beat in perfect harmony with yours, the desert of your everlasting longing was replaced with lush greenery, an oasis of love, where time seemed to have no meaning.
You nestled deeper into his embrace, feeling the world around you melt away, leaving only the two of you. The gentle swaying of his body as he held you, the way his fingers threaded through your hair with the tenderness of a butterfly's touch, it all made you feel like the luckiest person in the world.
Unexpectedly, his arms left your embrace. Soon enough, his hands gracefully placed themselves on your upper arms, providing warmth to your entire body. His touch was gentle yet purposeful, leaving you wondering what was to come next. You stood still, letting yourself fully savor the sensation and anticipate his next move.
"I have something for you," Kaeya murmured before reaching for a small, square-shaped box on his desk. The box was a deep blue, adorned with intricate engravings and a golden clasp that sparkled in the fading light of the setting sun.
As you took it from him, feeling its weight in your hands, you couldn't help but feel a flutter of excitement in your chest. "What is it?" As you ask, looking up at him with a surprised expression, almost asking him if it were okay to open the box only with your gaze. He asks you to open it, and, with bated breath, you opened the box to reveal a sparkling gemstone hairpin. It was intricately crafted in the shape of your favorite animal, and the crystal caught the light in such a way that it seemed to come alive. You couldn't help but be awestruck by its beauty.
"It's stunning," you managed to whisper, still in shock at the gift. "Where did you find it?"
Kaeya's eyes shone with pride as he explained, "I had it specially made for you. I even got to choose the type of crystal they used to carve it myself."
You couldn't believe the thought and care he had put into this gift for you or find the words to express your gratitude, but you knew that the hairpin was more than just a piece of jewelry. It was a symbol of his love, his devotion, and his thoughtfulness. It was something that you would treasure for a lifetime.
Kaeya reached for the ornament, lifting it out of the box with a delicate touch. He stared at it for a moment, admiring the intricate craftsmanship, the way the light caught the edges of the crystal and sent rainbows dancing across your face. He leaned in towards you, his hand coming up to gently tuck a strand of hair behind your ear.
He carefully placed it on the right side of your hair, securing it in place with ease. He stepped back to admire his handiwork, his eyes glistening with satisfaction and love as he took in the way the accessory sat perfectly on your head, complementing your features and making you look even more beautiful.
"It's perfect, just like you," he murmured, his hand coming up to caress your cheek. He couldn't help but let out a soft sigh of appreciation as he took in the sight of you, adorned with his gift. "I wanted to give you something that would always remind you of how much I care for you."
As his fingers brushed against your cheek, he couldn't resist the urge to trace the contours of your face with his thumb.
"You are so beautiful, [Name]," he whispered, his voice filled with reverence.
You couldn't help but feel a warmth spread through your chest. He leaned in closer, his gaze fixed on your lips, and you knew what was coming next. You closed your eyes and parted your lips in anticipation, feeling the rush of blood in your ears as your heart quickened its pace.
His lips met yours, soft and warm. As you felt the pressure of his mouth, you were overcome with a rush of passion, your arms wrapping around his neck as you pulled him closer. The kiss deepened, and you felt the world around you fade away as you were lost in the sensations of his touch.
His hands roamed down your back, pulling you flush against him, and you felt a heat building between you, and you knew that you never wanted this moment to end. As the kiss slowly came to an end, you opened your eyes, gazing into his, and you knew that this was where you belonged.
"I love you," he murmured, his breath hot against your skin.
"I love you too," you replied, feeling your heart swell with emotions.
He smiled and leaned in for another kiss.
Then, Kaeya gently took your hands in his. The way they enveloped yours, the strength of his grasp, it was as if he was claiming you as his own. You smiled up at him, feeling a sense of contentment wash over you as he returned the gesture, his lips curving upwards in a way that made your heart race.
"We should go."
"Yes, we should," you replied smiling at him.
As you passed by the corridor, you could see Lisa and Jean deep in conversation, but as soon as they caught sight of you and Kaeya's intertwined hands, Lisa's face broke out in a bright grin, and Jean gave you a knowing nod. They both bid you farewell as you continued on your way, the feeling of contentment settling in your heart as you were surrounded by the warmth the company of your love, and the well-wishes of your friends.
Together, you and Kaeya strolled down the cobblestone streets, the sound of laughter and chatter filling the air, leaving behind the world of responsibilities and obligations for a moment of pure, uninterrupted joy. The sun had already set, leaving behind a sky painted in blues and purples. The streets were bustling with people making their way home, or to their next destination, but all you could focus on was the sensation of Kaeya's hand in yours, leading you down the streets, toward the promise of a perfect evening.
When you finally arrived at the Angel's Share, the sound of laughter and conversation spilled out from the open door, along with the mouthwatering aroma of delicious food and wines. The friendly atmosphere enveloped you, making you feel like you were at home. You were greeted by everyone already inside, taking a seat at a table on the second floor. Kaeya led you to a table, pulling out a chair for you to sit on before taking his own seat.
When you and your fiance finished your meal and left the second floor of the tavern, you found yourselves making your way downstairs to the first floor, filled with the low murmur of patrons chatting and the clinking of glasses. There, you saw Rosaria and Diluc chatting, with Diluc behind the bar, mixing drinks. As soon as Diluc notices your arrival, he smiles and greets you, and Rosaria turns around, her eyes widen with surprise, "Oh, Kaeya and [Name], what a surprise. I haven't seen you in a while."
Diluc, who had been behind the bar, makes his way around and joins the conversation with a smile, " It's great to see you both. What can I get for you?"
Without hesitation, Kaeya pulls out a stool for you, and you take a seat, while he takes the one next to you. As soon as you are settled, Kaeya drapes an arm over your shoulders, pulling you close to him.
But as the night went on and the drinks kept flowing, you could tell that Kaeya was starting to lose his inhibitions. His movements became sloppy and his words slurred. You knew that it was time to take him home before things got out of hand. Rosaria, on the other hand, found this to be a laughable situation, while Diluc looked at him with concern and slight disappointment.
After saying goodbye to everyone left at the tavern, you took Kaeya by the arm and helped him to his feet. He leaned heavily against you, chuckling softly as you guided him out of the tavern. The cool air outside helped to clear your head from the haze of alcohol, but Kaeya had had a little too much to drink. He was clinging onto you tightly as if he couldn't bear to let you go for even a moment.
"Are you okay to walk?" you asked, looking up at him with concern.
He nodded, grinning down at you. "I'm fine, just a little tipsy. But I couldn't be happier, my love."
You smiled back at him, taking his hand and leading him down the street. As you walked home together, Kaeya's arm was around your shoulders, his head leaning against yours.
As soon as you both entered the house, Kaeya turned to you, pulling you close to him and pressing his lips to yours in a deep and passionate kiss and whispered sweet nothings into your ear. With some effort, you managed to get Kaeya to bed and then climbed in next to him as he pulled you close and wrapped his arms tightly around you before he buried his face in your neck, breathing in the scent of your hair. Despite his drunken state, his touch was feather-light. You smiled, happy to be in his arms, and closed your eyes, drifting off to sleep with the sound of his breathing as your lullaby.
thank you so much for reading!! this was really fun to make!! i hope you loved it as much as i did!!
CHALLENGE not saying “i love you” back
USERS kaeya alberich, alhaitham, tartaglia / childe
PLAYLIST not clickbait series ⋮ part one
HASHTAGS fluff ⋮ 2,331 words
AUDIO hey stupid, i love you by jp saxe
CAPTION here’s my monthly fic drop before i disappear again lmao happy holidays, i hope you’re all doing well, and stay safe, petals !! (insp.)
𝐊𝐀𝐄𝐘𝐀 𝐀𝐋𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇 — anti.slacker uploaded:
“i’ll see you tomorrow, sweetheart. i’ll be back in the morning if everything goes well. love you.” KAEYA leans over to press a quick kiss against your cheek before straightening up, shifting the weight of his bag over his shoulder. he was assigned a solo expedition by the acting grandmaster and will be camping out on dragonspine tonight.
“mhm, stay safe. say hi to albedo for me if you see him.”
your boyfriend pauses mid step towards the front door before putting his foot down and turning to look at you, immediately noticing your missing reciprocation. furrowing his eyebrows, he tries again. “i love you.”
“thank you, babe.”
KAEYA drops his bag, striding over to you as he asks, now mildly concerned, “are you mad at me? did i do something wrong?”
“what? no, of course not.” you feign confusion as you look up at him from your spot at the kitchen table, your workpapers strewn across the surface.
“i love you.” he tilts his head to the side slightly, gauging your response and crossing his arms over his chest.
“yes, i heard. i know you love me.” you look back down at your work, scribbling some notes on the margins and holding back a smile.
“babe, i said i love you.” he enunciates the last three words clearly once more.
“yeah, ditto.”
your boyfriend frowns. “oh, so you’re not gonna say it back?”
“you already know i do.”
“say it back.”
“but you know already.”
“so what if i go out there and freeze to death and you never told me you love me back? you’re fine with living with that guilt?” he waves his hand around for emphasis, and you struggle to hold back a laugh.
“you’re not going to die out there, and you already know i do.”
“say it back,” KAEYA whines, coming over and then sitting down at the table with you. “i’m going to wait here until you do.”
“really?” you laugh, reaching over to pat his cheek consolingly. your boyfriend looks like a petulant child, sulking in his chair. “you’re going to be late. are you going to slack off on your job?”
“fine,” he sighs. “if you won’t say it, i will.”
amused, you watch as he stands up and leans down to give you another good bye kiss. he walks over to pick up his bag again, calling over his shoulder, “bye, sweetheart, i love you.”
“bye, babe, i love you, too, you’re the best boyfriend ever, and i will be so devastated if you die in dragonspine but not feel guilty at all because i said i love you to you before you left,” KAEYA mocks in the most irritating high pitched tone, and you burst out laughing, not missing the pleased expression on his face when he turns back towards you.
standing up, you concede in defeat before walking over to him and wrapping your arms around his waist, giving him a quick kiss. “bye, stay safe, and i love you.”
your boyfriend grins, hugging you back. “now was that so hard?”
“no, but say it back.”
“no.”
“babe, say it.”
“what’s the matter? not liking the taste of your own medicine?”
“is this the game you really wanna play?”
“… i love you, too.”
𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 —
thedarknightrises : how do I change my username
anti.slacker : 🤷♂️
thedarknightrises : you made my account
thedarknightrises : I hate this name and you know that
actinggrandmaster ✪ : it’s toaster bath bomb o’clock for me
actinggrandmaster ✪ : oh god I used the wrong account ignore that please 😭😭
iluvdodoco4ever : I can help you make the toaster bomb !!!! 🥰💥✨✨
actinggrandmaster ✪ : klee ?? you’re supposed to be on time out!!
iluvdodoco4ever : klee is sorry 🥺🥺❤️🩹 I only wanted to help ☹️😞😞💔
anti.slacker : wow jean you’re so heartless
actinggrandmaster ✪ : stop guilt tripping me 😭😭 klee, time out is over since you learned your lesson
iluvdodoco4ever : yay jean is the best !!! 🥰🥰
anti.slacker : ahem
iluvdodoco4ever : kaeya is the best too !!!!! 💥
anti.slacker : thank you klee ☺️
outrider.amber : this is the cutest thing i’ve ever seen 🤧
anti.slacker : i guess that means you haven’t seen y/n then
petalyn : omg ily 🥹🥹
outrider.amber : STOPP OH MY GOD THATS SO CUTE
dandelioness : pls @ archons when
notyourbarbiegirl : barbatos when will you hear my prayers and give me a bf
barbara ✪ : so cute !!!! 💙🌟✨
sincerelylisa : how sweet 💜 seeing as you have time to post tiktoks, you’ll have time to stop by the library to return your overdue book as well~ ☺️
petalyn : i’ll make sure he drops by tomorrow !
sincerelylisa : thank you darling this is why you’re my favorite 💕
𝐀𝐋𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐌 — user112819208113 uploaded:
“i have to go back to my office to get some papers,” ALHAITHAM states, standing in the doorway of the living room. you’re comfortably snuggled on the couch, preoccupied with the latest light novel from yae publishing house. you are so grateful you had managed to snag several books on your last trip to inazuma because you desperately needed a break from all the research papers and encyclopedias that the akademiya library holds.
you hum in acknowledgement, eyes never leaving the pages of your book. your boyfriend glances over at you for a split second before opening the front door and starting to head out. “i’ll be back soon.”
“okay, see you later.”
you continue reading your novel, entirely engrossed in the story that you don’t notice your boyfriend still standing with the door ajar, hand resting on the doorknob. you hear him clear his throat, so you finally look up. “is something wrong?”
“no, nothing’s wrong.” and yet, ALTHAITHAM doesn’t move an inch from his original position. you furrow your eyebrows. “so… why are you standing there?”
“… i forgot something.” he takes a few steps into the room and snatches up an small object from the coffee table before returning to the door.
“a pencil? don’t you have tons in your office?” you close your book now, keeping your finger in between the pages you stopped on.
“… this is my lucky pencil.”
“you don’t believe in luck,” you object, deciding to quote him for good measure, “you said only ‘illiterate imbeciles with charcoal baked ajilenakh cake occupying the space between their ears’ believe in that kind of nonsense, and rationale is the only philosophy you trust.”
“… i am researching topics for a new branch as the acting grand sage.”
you don’t believe him for a second, but shrug it off, far more interested in diving back into your fantasy novel. “alright, have fun.”
as you reopen your book and go back to where you left off, ALTHAITHAM still stands there tensely, a growing frown marring his pretty face as he silently wishes for you to get the hint. the usual lack of affirmation from you before he leaves is bothering him more than he wants to admit, and he cannot believe he has let himself care this much about three petty words (nevermind the fact that he rarely says them to you, but he knows you know that he loves you). it shouldn’t be that big of a deal, but why can’t he bring himself to simply leave?
you look up once more, furrowing your eyebrows before you tease, “did you forget something else? a lucky eraser?”
“don’t be absurd,” he says stiffly, “there’s no such thing.”
you laugh, flipping to the next page. “okay, then what’s the issue?”
face growing flush, your boyfriend can’t bear to confess the real problem, and he merely slinks over to pick up the offending eraser you were talking about. abruptly, he stops in his tracks, hovering around you as he weighs the pros and cons. finally, he decides to bite the bullet.
“i love you,” he says plainly, and he finally notices you struggling to maintain your composure before you give up and a victorious smile appears on your face. you knew.
“i love you, too.”
“good.”
with that, ALHAITHAM marches out the front door, refusing to spare another glance towards you anymore, cheeks aflame. you stifle a laugh when you recognize the telltale blush, but decide to spare your boyfriend the embarrassment of calling him out this time. your attention falls to the coffee table, and you see the abandoned pencil and eraser. you guess your boyfriend doesn’t need those anymore.
𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 —
kavehrified : icb i’m the one who’s homeless without the m 🫠
user112819208113 : You are homeless with the m too.
kavehrified : not anymore roomie 🥰
kavehrified : actually i can’t find my keys can you open the door
kavehrified : pls im begging let me in 💔💔
memematra : bro’s down bad
memematra : i hope you find out you’re related
tighnari.the.fungi : The algorithm is broken because I am only here for menwiththepot recipes and this is not it
memematra : you’re on your fyp not following
tighnari.the.fungi : ok thanks
memematra : hold on why haven’t you followed me back yet it’s been three weeks i even made your user
memematra : hello ???
tighnari.the.fungi : Forest emergency. I need to generate CO2 to help with photosynthesis
memematra : oh ok sorry to hear that
memematra : WAIT A MINUTE
nilotus ✪ : cuties 🥺💙
misshinashusband : do you think im hot? subscribe to my OniFans ! <333
𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐀 / 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐄 — moradeeznuts uploaded:
“okay, i’m heading out for work.” CHILDE strides over to you where you’re sitting in front of your computer, working from home. you smile and tilt your face towards him when he presses a quick kiss to your cheek. walking out of your home office, he calls over his shoulder, “see you tonight, love you.”
“mhm, see you later.” you click through the various reports and files on your screen, eyes focusing on the numbers as you try to hold back a smile.
your boyfriend immediately halts in his tracks, standing beneath the doorway. where’s his reciprocated love confession?! maybe you didn’t hear him the first time, which he is mildly offended about. he loves you, god damn it! love him back!
“bye, love. i love you.” he tries again, and you glance up at him with a distracted smile.
“yes, bye, sweetheart, have fun at work, and don’t come back covered in too much blood, okay? we’re gonna reach premium membership at the laundromat at this point.”
CHILDE frowns, crossing his arms over his chest with a petulant pout. “okay, but i love you.”
“uh huh, thanks, dude.” you click open another file, fighting back the urge to laugh at the disgruntled expression on his face. right now, your boyfriend is a dead ringer for the standing man emoji. you look up at him, feigning confusion. “why are you still here? you’re going to be late for work.”
CHILDE stomps over to you, whining, “i said i love you! say it back! why aren’t you saying it? i can ignore the ‘dude’, but i’m not leaving until you say it, and it’s gonna be your fault that i get fired and we fall into a lower tax bracket.”
your eyes widen in faux shock. “a lower tax bracket? in this economy? okay, love you, now go and make money.”
your boyfriend clutches his chest and falls over your desk in fake agony. “so you only love me for my money?”
“yes, we’ve established this from the start already. i’m accustomed to a certain lifestyle.” another laugh bubbles up in your throat when he gasps dramatically. you pat his back consolingly. “sorry, i thought you knew. here’s an extra one. love you, dude.”
“… okay, i lied about being okay with ‘dude.’”
“love you… comrade?”
“so i’ve been comrade zoned,” he sighs in defeat, standing up and dusting himself off. you chuckle, reaching over to fix his maroon banner. “you put me there first.”
CHILDE narrows his eyes at you, but begrudgingly accepts it, knowing that he can’t refute your statement. “you’re lucky i love you.”
“yeah, yeah, of course.” you pat his cheek, and he subconsciously leans forward into your touch. “now you’re really gonna be late if you don’t go.”
he sneaks a kiss to your forehead before finally leaving. “okay, bye, i love you.”
“stay safe, and be careful. i love you, too.”
“YES! YOU SAID IT, NO TAKE BACKS!”
laughing, you watch your boyfriend excitedly fist pump in the air before turning back to you and blowing you a kiss. what a dork.
𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 —
petalyn : i love you comrade i ain’t ever gonna stop loving you COMRADE
moradeeznuts : 🥺🥺 ily too 🫶🏻🫶🏻
kavehrified : asking for a friend.. does he have any single brothers or sisters?
petalyn : yes but they’re like 12 🤨🚨🚨
kavehrified : let me rephrase… does he have any rich legal friends?
theregrator ✪ : looking for a sugar baby i am willing to send you 50000 mora a week just call 1-800-IAM-RICH
il_dottore ✪ : hey
kavehrified : actually ykw alhaitham and i are engaged 👨❤️💋👨💍💒
user112819208113 : No, we are not.
zhonglirawr : oma we have the same sugar daddy 😫😏🍆💦
petalyn : zhongli did you write that yourself ??? do you know what oma is
zhonglirawr : Hu Tao helped me. She also helped me pick my account name. Did I use the emojis improperly? Should I say “glucose father” instead? 🫣😯🤨
zhonglirawr : Oma is Oh My Archons.
zhonglirawr : Oh. I see. I am calling for myself.
livelaughventi : you called, old man ?? wanna share more memories and wine 🕺🏻🤪
eiternity : yes, what is it?
nahidear : hi (◕‿◕ ✿)
tsaritsa ✪ : …
zhonglirawr : This was a mistake. I will ask Xiao next time.
xiaolongbao : EVIL CONQUERING 👹👹
petalyn : this whole comment section is a mess 😭😭
« previous challenge ⋮ ↺ refresh your fyp ⋮ next challenge »
Welp, you know how in some manhwas etc, there is a plot where main character dies in one of the time lines, and their only friend or dear person, was their Butler or Maid?
Yea
This concept but Zhongli and Reader : )))))
- 🐠
◇ tags ◇ yandere
◇ a/n ◇ O H N O M Y H A N D S L I P P E D-
𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡 ⬙ 𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡
the world is grey and dark ever since your funeral.
endless rain pours from the sky from behind your now-ownerless bedroom windows. your favorite curtains are nowhere in sight, already thrown out along with all the other possessions you treasured. the room has been stripped bare of you, yet your butler still manages to find the tiniest bit of peace from reminiscing in the lifeless setting.
he remembers how you always liked seeing the rain falls in the afternoons, with your book of choice and the tea he brews. you told him the sound makes you relax and the cool air is a welcome change to the dry sun. he thinks it's ironic for the sun to admire the rain and clouds, but then again you were always more of a wallflower and disliked being put on a spotlight.
his gloved hand briefly caresses your favorite armchair, a heavy sigh leaving his lips.
zhongli was a competent butler. never in his life he would be caught slacking off like his - at least, that is, before you were violently ripped away from his side. you, his master. you, the one he swore his loyalty to. you, who called him your one and only friend in this cold and ruthless high society you're forced to take part in.
you, the love of his life that he had sworn to protect and watch over at all cost.
... for the first time since he was promoted to a butler, he failed at his job.
if he closes his eyes, it feels like he could still see your smile. hear your giggles. her your name calling him, with that endearingly playful tone full of affection.
"-li."
yes, just like that. the way his name curls your tongue is so unique to you. no one can ever replicate the warmth that blooms inside his chest when he hears you refer to him by his name and not his title.
"zhongli."
you always call upon him as a friend, a confidant, and not a servant. and so can you blame him for slowly but surely finding comfort in your beautiful voice? for being so hopelessly enamored when you ask him to brew you tea or tell you stories about his past before being a butler of yours?
"zhongli!"
his eyes snap open and he freezes. your wary smile greets him and the tall male blinks several times.
did he... fall asleep? was this a dream? but the weight of the teapot on his hand feels far too vivid to be a dream, and the world is far too full of colors.
"are you okay? do you feel sick?"
the warm and soft hand resting upon his forehead. the scent of you. the worried frown between your eyebrows. the downturned curves of your lips-
"no, master."
"are you sure?? it's rare for you to space out like this. do you need to take a break? if so i can always dismiss you for the da-"
"no!" he said a little too loudly for his liking, and it seemed to have surprised you just as it surprised himself. he shifts on his legs and clears his throat, a smile naturally spreading; an easy feat, since he was within your presence, "please, let me stay by your side. who would take care of you if not me?"
"very true," you hum, a momentary sadness crossing over your features, and he knows you're thinking of the other residents in your home who would be more than happy seeing you die tomorrow.
he would know. he's seen them hold a toast upon your demise.
you sat back down in your armchair and he leans over to pour you your tea, smile widening when you thank him with that sweet lilt in your voice. he allows himself to indulge just a little bit as he retreats, softly inhaling your scent. only then he realizes the extent of how much he misses you.
he doesn't even care if this turned out to be just some sort of a hyperrealistic dream.
this time he'll make sure to take care of everything that threatens your safety, without fail.
perhaps he should start with those no-good people you call 'family'.
ah yes, I see, you asked for scaramouche requests.
y/n is a devoted follower of the Electro Archon, and SCARAMOUCHE well... the puppet of the Electro Archon. The puppet became friends with y/n and became vulnerable when he's with them. He felt like he didn't need to act tough when he's in front of them.
BUT WHEN SCARA WAS DISCARDED, Y/N WITNESSED IT AND WAS SHOCKED. They didn't believe that the Archon would do something like that. still, they took scara
y/n decided to confront her god and asked why she did that. When they found out the reason why... They were torn whether to stay with scara or still be a follower of the archon...
WELL SOMETHING LIKE THAT AJWKWNDBWJNS
-weekly anon except it's not a week since i last sent one...
⎯⎯ ୨ 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟𝐬 ୧ ⎯⎯
➢ Kᴜɴɪᴋᴜᴢᴜsʜɪ x Gɴ!Rᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ
➢ 1.6k ᴡᴏʀᴅs ┊ Hᴜʀᴛ/ᴄᴏᴍғᴏʀᴛ-ɪsʜ
➢ Mᴀsᴛᴇʀʟɪsᴛ
a/n - I LITERALLY BURST OUT LAUGHING WHEN I SAW IT WAS YOU, WEEKLY ANON. HI THERE! I'm sorry but you haven't reached a week yet. tut tut. and yet ive only rewarded you with writing this... sigh. NOT MY FAULT YOU GIVE GOOD ONES. ANYWAYS, as punishment, just get a drabble 😤😤/lh, this reminds of my scara series i ought to finish writing, hope you don't mind me changing the prompt a little 🤧🤧 but this is kinda half assed idk titled "beliefs"! have a good day/night
↬ cw: slight obsession (reader), references to religious trauma
A devotee to Eternity herself, you've been following her for as long as you could remember. So much so, you've been graced by her excellency's presence multiple times before and earned yourself a high position in the Grand Narukami Shrine, vowing to yourself to serve the Shogun till your last breath.
It wasn't like you wanted to. Your family was exceptionally known for being long-term followers of the Raiden Shogun. You didn't have a choice. So you delusion yourself that yes, this is what you wanted. Nothing something you were coerced to do.
Well, that is until you met her creation.
When you first saw him, you were knocked off your feet. Literally. By the last steps of Narukami Shrine, you were merely sweeping clear of sakura petals that began to fall from its branches, you were minding your business when you heard footsteps nearing the shrine. Putting up a half smile, you raised your head to greet whoever came to visit the shrine but when your eyes landed on the new figure approaching you, you froze.
What caught your immediate attention were his eyes. Vibrant and full of life, curiosity, and awe to the world laid before him. A gorgeous deep shade of purple with faintly visible crackles of electricity dancing in his round eyes. You were so captivated by his eyes that you failed to notice Lady Yae walking beside him, as well as the fact that you were not at the bottom of the stairs just yet, merely close to it.
So you fell when you took a subconscious step forward and hit the stone path headfirst. Hard.
"Oh my!" You heard Lady Yae gasp, nearing your fallen body. It was only then you realized the head shrine maiden was present and you completely ignored her existence until you heard her speak. "Are you alright?" She asks, a glint of amusement in her eyes as she glanced at the nervous puppet hiding behind her, but more concerned at your well-being.
Quickly getting back up on your feet, you wobbled slightly as you stood, dizzy, but you managed to bow respectfully at her. She kindly asked for you to raise your head and examined the throbbing bump on your forehead. "You should be more careful there, especially when there's someone new visiting." Yae Miko teased the already flustered servant before her, greeting the puppet with a red face.
Up close, their breath was swept away once more. His features resembled her excellency, but it was more... ethereal, you dare say. You had to hold yourself back from opening your mouth in awe the longer you observed him, from head to toe.
"Isn't it quite rude to stare?" Lady Yae spoke up once more, startling you from your awestruck stupor, almost dropping the broom you held in your hands. Finally noticing the nervous and uncomfortable expression he wore on his fair face, brows creased and lips tucked into a frown, you gasped.
Bowing to the puppet, you apologized profusely.
That first silly impression of you was enough to intrigue him. While he was skittish around you for the first few times, he grew fond of you in the long run. You were friendly, showing him around the shrine when Yae first introduced the place to him. You spoke with high respect towards the Raiden Shogun, often teaching him things he never knew about her, and even taught him more about human nature.
From sweeping the floors of the shrines with you, cooking food even though he couldn't taste, nor consume mortal delicacies, and many more. The more time he spent with you, the more he felt himself grow comfortable with his sense of self, comfortable being with you. The world didn't seem so terrifying and confusing with you by his side.
He felt as if he was just a mere human. Free from what he's supposed to be, and able to breathe in the fresh air he could only feel between his fingertips. When you genuinely smile at him, laugh so freely around him, grab his hand and run through the sakura trees surrounding the Narukami Shrine, and call him adorable nicknames...
You fill his hollow chest with such warmth and emotions he never felt before, he could've sworn he felt a faint strum of a rhythmic beating in his chest, but only with you. For you.
The doll you've befriended would visit quite often. It would always brighten your days from then on once he took a step onto the stairs of the shrine. Once you'd felt Lady Yae's presence, there was also your dearest friend beside her.
So you dropped the wet cloth you used to clean the wooden floors of the shrine and quickly got up to your feet, rushing towards the entrance with a big grin on your face.
But you only saw Lady Yae, whom you bowed to respectfully. Although something bothered you with the way she looked at you. Her eyes were gentler than usual, a small, solemn smile on her lips as she approached you. An unsettling feeling settled at the bottom of your abdomen.
Worried, you asked about his whereabouts.
So now you're in this predicament. Silently packing your things into a small pouch, lips pressed into a thin line as you began to question yourself.
You swore loyalty to the Shogun until your untimely death. To serve her with your whole heart, to worship the concept of her existence, to glorify her name. But the time you spent with him fills you with more happiness and clarity than you've ever had when you simply prayed inside the shrine.
You wanted to be with him more than you wanted to serve Eternity herself. It left a bitter taste in your mouth. Since youth, she was your sole purpose of existence. Your goals were meant for her, your life was meant for her.
How a puppet her's managed to break your will so easily puzzles you, but you couldn't be more sure of yourself. You gripped the pouch you held and dusted off your shrine clothing, strengthening your resolve.
To throw one's beliefs away will never be simple. Teachings engraved in one's mind will never fade, and faith will never be destroyed so easily. But a simple step away from your god, straying away from divinity will be enough to break away from its shackling chains.
The Electro Archon be damned! The moment she threw him away, your Eternity was the Shogun no more, but the puppet Lady Yae described as disaster soon to unfold.
While the uncertainty made you feel scared, you stepped outside of the shrine.
Fine then, a disaster you say? You huffed, letting the pinkish petals fall into your open palm, admiring the serenity night brings. You will stay with disaster, for he made your heart, once more, beat with a sense of freedom. No longer weighed down by the beliefs your lineage thrust upon your birth.
You awaited his wake in Shakkei Pavilion, keeping the dust away from his flawless, porcelain skin, wiping away the stray tears that fell from his closed eyes. Around his body were multiple trinkets you'd bought for him. Things he hadn't seen before, books he hadn't read, and rather expensive artifacts from different countries.
It felt like you were giving him offerings, in hopes he'd wake up soon.
During his slumber, slowly but surely, you've found yourself a new belief. A new sense of purpose. A purpose that didn't make you feel like the eyes of your parents stabbing behind your back, judging your every move. Where ever he would go, once he awakens, you will follow him.
Who knows? Maybe he'll make himself a god. That's certainly a religion you'd prefer to pray to.
In the meantime... Watching him peacefully sleep on your lap, chest slowly rising and falling even if he needn't breathe. The light seeping through the cracks of the walls paints his fair skin, highlighting his hair beautifully; he truly looked like a god. It was enough to quell the restlessness of your mind.
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genre; strangers to not-so-lovers au, slight crack, fluff and angst (only if you squint hard enough).
word count; 11.6k (i've spent too much hours on this omg)
summary; who would have thought that you, the younger sister of a lowly clan far from inazuma city, would end up in a blind date with the kamisato ayato? the instructions were simple; make an appearance on the behalf of your sister, do what she requested you to do, and pretend as if nothing happened the day after. the main objective? leave a bad impression on him.
content; nobleman!ayato, mentions of some inazuma characters, slight mentions of death, some made up inazuma lore (especially of the reader clan), mentions of manipulation, sir kamisato is whipped, some kissing is thrown in there, there's a tension between these two idiots btw and uhh, this fic has so many clichés and is so unrealistic so please bear with it :3
notes; the main theme of this fic is heavily inspired by a business proposal because i am obsessed with the show except that all of these are happening in inazuma settings and i am an ayato simp. also, this is heavily unedited ;;
"brother," the soft voice of his younger sister was all too familiar, the way she called him since they were young made him knew instantly that it was indeed ayaka's voice. well, he technically did have ayaka as his only sibling, and maybe, thoma was also considered as his partner in crime and his brother in some way.
he hummed, slightly acknowledging his sister presence in his room. although the paperwork was too much on days like this, especially when it was nearing the annual inazuma festival, he didn't let his stress took over his exhausted state. instead, he stood up and went to ayaka, leaving his study a mess, patting her head multiple times and gave her a small smile, because hearing someone's voice after a tiring day made his mood a little bit better, precisely when it came to his own family.
"is there something you would like to talk about?" the slight croak in ayato's voice made ayaka looked up at him, pitying his brother even more than her own self. on days like this, both of them had a lot of works to do, but nothing could compare with the burden her brother had to carry alone.
the tiredness was very much evident in the way ayato took a heavy breath from time to time, waiting patiently as to what she would like to voice out, and this made ayaka questioned her decision.
still, she had already discussed what had been weighing her mind from the start with thoma, and now that thoma was also on the same team as her, might as well she braced herself and quickly went through her thoughts over and over again before ultimately told ayato what she and thoma had been planning all this time.
"brother, i would like to discuss.. some things with you. and please, take this with a grain of salt," how could ayato say no? when his sister looked at him with a look he always had a soft spot in his heart, "i am all ears."
"thoma and i.. have been arranging some affairs regarding our clan and uhm, it heavily involves you and mother's last request," the way ayaka stuttered because of her nervousness and when he heard the last words came out from his sister's mouth, he immediately knew, what affairs she had brought up into her hands.
specifically, marriage affairs.
of course, ayato didn't actually hate the idea, the only thing he slightly disliked was how almost everyone he had been set up with only came to him because of his social status, and it looked like he would be going to yet another date with some random girl in inazuma.
sensing how quiet and awkward the air was, ayaka quickly regretted killing his mood. mentally blaming herself, she should have known better than telling ayato about this matter once again, even at times like this when the clan was super busy.
"i am sorry if i acted carelessly when you are currently rushing out to fulfil your duties, but thoma and i think you should unwind once in a while and—," ayaka stopped herself from blabbering too much, seeing how ayato looked at him lifelessly, she couldn't read his expressions and this was definitely a bad sign, "brother, i'll just cancel our plan. is that okay with you—
"no," ayato cut her off, knowing ayaka too well as if he knew himself, he knew that his little sister slowly taking the blame onto her, and he hated that the most, especially when ayaka actually came with the efforts of making him having his own family as per their mother's wish on her deathbed although he knew she was busy as him and still made her time to do what the best for him, as well as for the clan.
"i will go. you are right after all. i should definitely come out and socialise, it has been quite a stressful week for me too," he gave ayaka a timid nod, "you and thoma have done so much to me, why should i turn down you and mother's request, right?" a sudden, small hug by ayaka was comforting enough for him. the pain of losing their mother suddenly resurfacing and ayato pushed the negative feeling, he knew ayaka tried her best and so did he.
the way ayaka looked up at him with a mix of joy and pain at the same time made his heart shattered into pieces.
both of them were strong, those were the last words from their mother.
"so, who is this person i'm meeting up with?" he chuckled into the hug, and he definitely didn't want to disappoint his mother from above.
the loud slam from the door behind you almost left you flinched and hurt yourself from banging your knees with the lower part of the wooden table. a sigh escaped you momentarily and you quickly thanked the archons that your reflexes were fast enough.
"what brings you here? i almost have a heart attack because of you," who would barge into your room other than your own sister? the supposedly head of your family clan—which wasn't really that powerful—was the only one who loved interrupting your privacy, even in your room. she was unlike any other ladies from other clans, so petty and sometimes, you were so sure that your sister didn't like the idea of being the one who should take care of the things in your family.
the duty of overlooking the shrines at the southwest part of the whole yashiori island was divided to three other clans beside yours. to say that your family clan wasn't that influential like the six main clans, including the tri-comission, in inazuma was an understatement and you were perfectly fine with that.
"y/n, my beloved little sister," her whiny voice resonated through your small room and you ultimately could practically see why your sister suddenly acted super childish, hugging you almost too tight and choking you to death.
you didn't want to exaggerate, but honestly, sometimes her behaviour made you felt slightly ashamed being a part of her sibling. at least she was the mood maker in the household.
"what do you want? i can sniff your hidden agenda from miles away," pushing her away was a bad move, not when your sister turned to you with such a dramatic face and faked her teary eyes after that.
"y/n," you almost cringed at the clinginess your sister exerted, something about this made you thought of what had possibly came up when your sister was so desperate like this.
"how to end this?" she sighed, frowning seeing you acted uninterested when the problem was way bigger for her than you would have initially thought, "well, you see," her hands grabbed your shoulder, slightly forced you to listen her storytelling about what happened, "i just came back from lunch with mother."
"and?"
"for god's sake, listen to me thoroughly on this one. it's not like i am wasting your precious time," she, indeed, was wasting your precious time, but again, she was your sister, and her stories often peaked your interest when you actually decided to hear her words.
"she told me to go to a blind date," your eyes couldn't stop themselves from widening, shocked at hearing the news came out from your sister's mouth, the one and only who you knew was the first person who objected the theme of blind dates and arranged marriages.
"what?!" you half-screamed when her words were finally registering inside your brain, "are you saying that you aren't going to stay single anymore?" your unfiltered words came out before you could actually comprehend what you had accidentally said, and for the first time in your life, you couldn't believe that your sister was going to actually go on a blind date.
a slap to your back was felt and a heavy glare was sent towards your sister, "haven't i already said it is a blind date? that doesn't mean i am going to accept ayato," she rolled her eyes, annoyed that you said something too truthful and hurt her pride.
"what do you mean ayato? is it kamisato ayato?!" you shouldn't freak out more than you already were, but you just couldn't help yourself when shocking news came tumbling to you, "lord kamisato who you hate for more than twenty years?! the yashiro commissioner?!"
"calm down," seeing you panicked now made her day felt much more worse than the uneventful day of ayato being her first childhood enemy back when your family was still living in inazuma city. your sister suddenly felt irritated recalling all the memories of ayato stirring around her life back then, and now she was set up with him? oh, what a cheery on top!
and although ayato might not remember your sister anymore, the deeds he did back then—embarrassing her in front of ayaka, laughing at your sister demeanor and appearance, and worst, making a mess with the first pair of good shoes she had—weren't something she could easily shrug off.
and no matter how drastically ayato had changed from what she heard so far—humble, kind, mature, basically unlike the ayato from her livid memories—since he became the commissioner and took the people trust he was forced into at such a young age, your sister would always scoff every single time she heard someone praising ayato.
"what's the point of me going to the date when all i have always believed in is fate," her shoulders dropped, hands clamping at your face, her eyes somewhat shone in a mischievous light and you were a little confused as to her response to this.
but something about this made you almost rolling onto the floor, you just couldn't imagine how awkward the date would have been and imagining your sister comical face made you snorted, "well, i wish you a really have a nice day to you, wait, i mean have a nice date," you couldn't contain your laugh anymore, chuckling halfway when she once again palmed your face in her hands, while sending back the infamous mischievous smile of her to you. uh oh, you thought.
"what insane plan have you think of this time?" your sister was cunning as a fox, you knew her trait since day one, but the nervous laugh you let out seeing her eyes turned suddenly brighter made your stomach churned at the sight. something about this was off.
"my kindest sister in the whole world," you definitely didn't like where this was going, something was definitely off when her tone changed, "i've made up my mind, so please, go to the blind date in my regards."
you almost, almost pushed your sister hard enough for her to fall. luckily, your body was too stunned. unluckily, you accidentally hit her arms too hard that she winced in pain.
"are you out of your mind?!" your voice might have been heard throughout the whole house, because the next moment your sister asked you to keep silent and begging her eyes out for you to do what she intended at the first place.
"no," you shook your head, "no, no, there's no way i am the one going to that date when i barely know lord kamisato. and from what i have remembered correctly, you are the one who should go. not me," you emphasised word by word, covering up your panic when all you wanted to do was cursing your sister and let out inappropriate words.
"it is a blind date, y/n. you shouldn't know that much about your date partner, right?" she still didn't back down, giving you those eyes that made you having the urge to rip them out of their sockets, "no! i said no, and that's enough," you could be stubborn if you wanted to, "there's no way i am going to help you. when mother literally told you about this on her own," you ignored her pleading, smoothly went to your study and continuing what you had abandoned before your sister came into your room without your approval.
now that you thought of it, how rude of her.
you didn't mean to stay mad at her, but a blind date with the head clan of another, in which a much more powerful clan, didn't sound a great idea to you.
you huffed, scrunched your nose before ultimately attempting to kick your sister out of your room, "wait, wait. i'll reward you!"
"do you really think that this type of manipulation is going to work out on me? get out of my room, sister," you dragged her body with you and opened the door, "don't you have any bits of sympathy left in you? because you have always knew of my hatred towards ayato—
"no, no, no. guilt tripping isn't going to work out on me either," you nudged her body forward and closed the door, the continuous banging surely gave you a headache but you decided to just ignore your sister.
it should be easy, you were born for it.
"i'll give you some mora for you to pay your compensation to the kujou clan," your mind stopped functioning, and before you knew it, you instinctually opened the door to see her standing tall in front of the door, "i know you aren't really having a good financial recovery after all you did to oppose the vision hunt decree and when your name was up there in the most wanted list. but now that the almighty shogun has abolished the decree, i'm sure it is the right time for you to pay back the compensation you promised a long time ago when you accidentally hurt one of the soldiers from that clan," your sister definitely knew how to play her cards well, because you were now hesitant and didn't like the way how she was smiling winningly.
you didn't mean to hurt that poor soldier, it was just that you didn't bear to see the vision of your mother's was ripped out from her, and you accidentally awakened your power to scare the unfortunate soldier.
only to know that the soldier was under the kujou clan and a representative was sent for you to prove your loyalty towards the shogun in form of compensation after all the ruckus ended.
the fact that you were undergoing a financial problem didn't help you at all. the price of paying back what you had done to the soldier was worthy more than your monthly allowance.
you had promised yourself to not drag any of your family members into this matter, no matter how many times your mother insisted that she could pay on your behalf, you often rejected her offer which resulted in her giving up to persuade you.
so now, when you really needed it the most, and the chance was right there in front of your very own eyes, you were hesitant.
"it's fine," you whispered, not more towards the figure in front of you but more to yourself, "it's alright, i can handle this on my own."
"are you sure? a blind date isn't that bad. a high rank official like ayato wouldn't even bat an eyelid towards us," your sister convinced, and maybe, she did have a point.
"imagine if you have finally paid the compensation, you could buy that one kimono you've always dreamt of, but seeing how you are so aware of your own money, it scares me honestly," she nodded, slightly comforting your sudden trembling figure, she knew she hit a jackpot with this one, "only if. what a pity. i want to see you enjoy yourself again like before."
"fine."
your sister broke into a smile, "what did you say again?"
"do i really need to repeat myself?"
"come on now, don't be so gloomy. shoulders up like a real inazuman lady," you coughed at her words of teaching you etiquette when she herself didn't follow the etiquette quiet well, "and don't consider this as a type of your so-called manipulation, let's say that this is my form of gratitude towards you," you gave her a calculating gaze, pondering over and over whether you were sure about your wavering decision just now.
"make sure i don't regret this, sister," you sighed, all emotions came up to you at once when she hugged you and gave an affirmative nod, "i'll tell mother about this, she would be super delighted hearing that you are going to the date!" her happy voice made your heart thumping against your ribcage so badly, mentally blaming yourself that you weren't strong enough to resist the tempting offer she gave to you and silently fell into her trap.
at least you were going to get out from the burden that was eating you alive for the past week.
just what mess did you have gotten yourself into?
reality hit you really hard when the weekend came by. the moment you opened your eyes upon seeing some light penetrated through the window, you instantly knew that you would regret this.
just by thinking about what you were going to do today made you almost lied to your mother and sister that you were falling ill, but then again, your sister knew how to read your body language, and that excuse inevitably checked off from your list of last minute getaway from the situation you somehow indulged in.
it's do or die, do not disappoint me, your sister words replayed themselves in the back of your head. you didn't really find out why she took this too serious. not when you were the one meeting up with lord kamisato as his date instead of the older one. the audacity of your sister was something else, you gave that.
"listen."
you sat across the small wooden table, straightening your back to look at her directly into the eyes.
"let's cause a scene."
when your inner self was trying to be nicer of your perspectives towards your sister, that was the time she proved you wrong. oh, she was way crazier than that, "let's scare him away."
"are you insane? why should i be partaking in this? if this is your way of getting that revenge on lord kamisato, i promise you i'll quit right this instant. honestly, why did i even agree to your stupid plan in the first place?" you glared at your sister, and for a moment, your sister scowled at your behaviour towards her as the eldest sibling, "little sister, you are so boring."
"think about this twice," she continued, knocking her knuckle repeatedly to get your focus whilst skilfully dodging your fiery state, "first, if the date goes bad, no one would dare setting themselves up on any blind dates with us anymore, right?"
you unknowingly rolled your eyes—while you who also didn't like the general idea of blind dates too, because love couldn't be forced by setting strangers up with each other, at least you weren't this devastated as much as your sister—and for sure your sister took notice of this, "second of all, trust me, if you act with little to no manners towards that rascal commissioner, he would definitely believe that we aren't interest in the date at all."
she gave you a grin, too wide for your continuous unsupportive attitude at her unconvincing reasons, "lastly, i will treat you for the rest of the weekend. how's that sound?"
you breathed out heavily, she was really keeping her stance in this matter.
who was your sister even kidding? she could say that carelessly without a single care in the world to your own face when you were the one who would be meeting up with lord kamisato. you were the one who would say that your sister clearly didn't want to be on that date, and instead, put you as her replacement.
not when your own mother put you in the finest kimono you'd ever laid your eyes on, even your first time got to wear the beautiful pair of shoes, perfectly styled hair and those hairpins and ornaments you had always drooled over seeing they decorated nicely on top of your mother's head were now placed on yours.
because she kept on insisting that you should always look your best for the rest of the day. your date partner was the kamisato ayato, there was no doubt that she wouldn't want her own daughter came at the estate with a bad first impression.
you had to admit, this was the best look you'd ever tried for the longest time.
unbeknownst to her, you had agreed to your sister plan accordingly upon countless times of her begging you to do what she wanted you to do.
"one, introduce yourself as the younger sister. two, pretend as if you're uninterested. it would be much better if you are being impolite from the start. three, tell him that i couldn't attend the date. make it clear that i, or even you, against it. four, end the date quickly and do what you want. you could finally put your acting to a good use. the main objective? leave a bad impression on him by the end of the date."
and now that you were here, in front of one of the most elegant buildings throughout inazuma, all of these finally sunk into your unprepared mind. you were nervous.
travelling here back from your own small hometown was taking a toll inside you, and you were already gasping for air before the real deal even began.
"greetings," one of the servants bowed down to you, probably intimidated by your looks. if only she knew, how shaky your legs were underneath the kimono, she would definitely judge you right this instant, "welcome to the yashiro commission headquarters, or informally known as the kamisato estate."
despite your mission of exacerbating the date, you couldn't help but stare in awe at how truly big and spacious the land was, noticing few beautiful details here and there, before you felt something—or rather someone—behind you.
"lady y/n?" you pivoted on your feet, turning your whole body to face somewhat a familiar face. oh, you were no lady alright but this man kept on calling you with that title which didn't suit you by any means.
the blond-haired yet humble figure introduced himself as thoma, the housekeeper of the estate, "it's nice seeing you here, miss," he gave you a welcoming smile. what an odd hair colour for an inazuma man to have, but you decided to not dive further into your own curiosity of his background.
you gave him a small nod, confirming to yourself that you didn't want to come out rude at him when all he gave you was a cheerful smile that put you at ease, despite your sister's last advice; be rude to almost everyone at the estate, if you are brave enough to do so of course.
"miss y/n, i believe my lord is waiting for you inside. i hope it goes well for the both of you," if only thoma knew, what kind of act you were going to put up afterwards, he would instantaneously regret saying that to you.
you felt bad for not saying anything towards thoma all this time he escorted you, but the way everyone looked at you during the whole time since you had arrived until the very moment the two main guards were opening the main door for you, you were feeling uncomfortable. this feeling of being the center of attention made you felt so cautious of your behaviour. everyone was judging you, and you were highly aware of that one fact.
"i'll take my leave. i must say, it isn't the best for me to interrupt you and my lord," you mentally thanked the archons for thoma wise choice. if not, he would see your acting and thought that you were being such a—
the doors opened wide in front of you, no cue or signal was given, and behind them, standing the man who you had been thinking about for the past few days, and the first thing you saw was the kamisato ayato greeting you with a bow and gave you a charming smile.
now that was a rare sight to see, especially in front of your very own eyes.
he was smiling, and you cursed silently under your breath at how good-looking this man was, mentally told yourself to calm down, because you were nervous as hell and almost tripping yourself the moment you stepped inside before you collected your confidence and self-esteem.
if your sister succeeded manipulating you for the damned money, might as well you did your best and got your hands on it.
you were finally determined to do what your sister had asked you to do. something about actually being in this private household, with only lord kamisato in front of you, made you gained so much believe in yourself.
yes, if you were going to get the money, you should just go for it.
cue.
ACT I
pretending in fixing your kimono theatrically—like a typical arrogant, rich lady—whilst looking up directly into his eyes, you firmly put some pressure on ayato's shoulder, and the way his eyes were quick enough to look down at your hand touching his formal wear made you felt half satisfied.
you smiled, only one side of your mouth curved upwards, "hello, ayato," throwing his title aside, you brushed him off with the palm of your hand, "let's sit down, shall we? my legs are tired after all that exhausting trip to this stuffy place."
you can finally put your skills in acting to a good use, your sister words constantly replayed themselves at the back of your mind.
if you had earned the award for the best play back in your school theatre once, you shouldn't doubt yourself, right?
you sat before ayato could, something that you knew, was so rude to do, especially when the person in front of you was someone with an immense power in the politics and official affairs.
no one likes a woman who is too whiny, who often complaining over little things and rude, this sounded about right for you to worsen the date.
ayato sat down gracefully across the wooden japanese table, bowed down once again and for a moment, your heart dropped at his mannerism, were you being too rude whereas this person still acting like you didn't?
no, there was no way you should think of that when there was a generous amount of money on the line.
"greetings, lady y/n. i hereby acknowledge why you are here today instead of your sister. it's a pleasure to meet you—
"oh my, it's so hot in here," you abruptly cut him off, confidence taking over you for the second time. you fanned yourself rapidly, fingers silking through your hair slowly as if putting a show and ultimately loosened your kimono sash.
you could see ayato lifted his eyebrows at your brave attempt from the corner of your eyes, and you were confused as of why he didn't bring out any sorts of reaction because if you were in his shoes, you would get anyone who dared to do this kind of unholy and embarrassing thing in front of you out of the room.
however, you weren't going to expose your bare skin in front of the expressionless eyes, and instead exposed the undergarment underneath your loosening kimono, just enough for him to see the skin in between your collarbone and the bridge of your shoulders.
the length you were willing to take and make him disliked you was even beyond your own initial plan.
no nobleman likes someone who's exposing the skin, even the slightest.
"ah, that's more like it. what did you say again, hm?" you put your arms comfortably onto the surface, hands reaching out to the cup of tea that had been served prior your entrance.
the way your hands were trembling to act natural made you gave a nervous smile to the silent man, "ah, yes," you let a faint laugh at your own involuntary actions, stopping yourself before you sounded like an idiotic maniac. the other unoccupied hand slapped your head gently, as if you were slow at catching up with his words, "i am the younger sister," you took a sip, let the bittersweet taste engulfed your taste buds, "she didn't want to come as she is very much losing her interest in you and the date."
ayato tilted his head, eyeing you with such curiousity, "and so she sent you here because you are interested?" that was the only logic he could put out after waiting for you to take some time saying quiet unimportant things to him.
"sir—" the ceramic cup in your hand was long forgotten, and you accidentally called him by his dedicated title, "i assume that you are fairly mistaken. indeed i came here as a replacement of my sister but, by any means, i am nowhere interested in the date," you took a bite of the delicious dango in front of you, didn't even bother to offer him to dine in together.
"i understand."
you knew lord kamisato was a serious person and didn't like small talks from countless stories you'd heard, but you didn't know he was this serious.
you pointed him directly with the dango stick, mouth still chewing the remains inside and simultaneously voiced out, "i am not that eager just like what you had said earlier," you sighed heavily, shoulders visibly dropped pretending to be upset when all you could feel was cringe to do such things at him, "let me get my point across, i am not fascinated by the blind date," you took his portion of the dango that had been served for you two with the emptied stick, smiling slyly at him observing you with his arms now brought to his chest, plopping the said food into your mouth, "and you."
now that should hit him right on his face, a man will lose interest if the woman isn't, right?
ayato couldn't contain but chuckle lightly at your demeanor, something about you definitely entertained him and the said date. he signalled you to come closer, the black gloves definitely caught your sight as ayato fingers curled, and you did, not expecting anything from him, "i do prefer an honest woman over hypocrite who lies."
for a brief moment, you were stunned at his sudden commentary about your talks, eyes glued to the ethereal face he had, lavender eyes hinting such amusement at you who caught off guard. you didn't expect to see the beauty mark underneath his lips this up close. he was beautiful, might be the most beautiful man you had ever seen—
before anything, your rational side quickly took over your fuzzy mind, pushed him away playfully and slowly brought the strands of your hair behind your ear.
totally didn't expect ayato to make a comeback with those words.
ACT II
"anyways," you fixed your sitting position, smiling once again at the sharp gaze he sent to you. a sudden wave of nervousness approached you now that you knew this lord did know how to play around with his words. if you weren't aware of your acting, you would drop off the act and might ask ayato for his forgiveness as you were being unreasonable throughout this supposedly blind date.
"i have been with multiple men before," you continued, "total of five, or, wait, was it six already?" you tried your best to emit the red flag aura at him, even lying about your relationships when the truth was nowhere near, "all of them didn't last long though. the longest would probably be two months," acting like a random playgirl should be easy for you, and you were convinced that a man would ultimately push a girl away if they knew that the girl casually coming from a man to another as if hopping around to test the water without a single care in the world.
now that should be an easy toxic trait.
ayato casually picked up the boba drink beside him, and you were quite baffled to see lord kamisato nodding to himself, as if he was approving mentally at the sweet taste of the drink, "hey, listen to me while i am talking," you knocked the surface of the table repeatedly, and it was proven enough for ayato to look directly into your eyes. lord, did he even know how much confidence you were losing when he gave you that look, because you were indeed losing your sanity over his cold eyes.
"ah," he sure loved bringing his arms to his chest, eyebrows lifted up, as if he was mocking you, "you are telling me that you are aware of your wavering love life, and you aren't interested in me and our date. that says much that you are changing for the better," he tilted his head to the side, resting his amused face on the back of his palms, "you did some progress."
you almost coughed, why did he have to be so positive even in this current situation?
you said that not to tell him that you were finally serious in your fake love life, you said that to scare him off with how your fake previous relationships ended.
you almost groaned in distaste, it was harder than you thought it would.
unknowingly picking up the food, you kept on chewing and chewing, one after another, mind was racing with lots and lots of thoughts before you suddenly realised how stupid you might have looked in front of lord kamisato, maybe akin to a homeless man devouring the leftover food with such speed as if it was his last meal.
ACT III
"ah!" your high-pitched voice caught ayato attention to the fullest, if he was casually staring at you the whole time you were eating while his untouched portion was still there in front of him, this time around, he looked at you with a serious face.
the question of, "did something happen?" left his own mouth before he could filter his words, but the moment you looked up at him, faking your sad face, he knew you were playing with him yet again.
ayato was a genius for reasons. he literally knew how to read people easily as the outcome of years he was exposed to the dirty politics behind the scene since he was young. unfortunately for you, you were no exception.
the moment he saw you pulled up your hand, pecking 'your' diamond ring multiple times as you went, "oh honey, are you okay? does it hurt clashing with the plate?" he knew he was in for another scene.
"oh, i am so glad you aren't being scraped by this stupid glass slab. need to maintain your shine, okay? i spent a whole whopping millions on you," you cringed at your own words, pretending to be super into your mother's marriage ring she lent to you for the sake of your presentation on the date.
a woman who is crazy over luxurious things, no man likes that.. right?
only to see that lord kamisato wasn't even questioning your whole dramatic scene and he only reassured you with a small smile.
he was unbelievable, truly.
you couldn't think of any other things to act out, all cards had been played, yet the results by all of them were much more disappointing.
it was hard to make up your own stories here and there when lord kamisato genuinely asked you questions about your life, and because you were so clueless of doing anything to 'scare' him away from you, you followed along the conversation before the situation turned more tensed and worst.
of course, with some fake acts and complaints in between your answers.
"thank you for entertaining me," even after all those crazy acts you had put up with, he was still being respectful to you, accompanying you until the outside of the estate, sending you by himself while ignoring all the prying eyes. instantly, guilt came crashing down at you all at once.
despite feeling horrible doing all of the things to make the date unlikeable to lord kamisato, at least the money was guaranteed to be yours and the date was finally over! nothing could compare with the relief that washed you all over, it was definitely the best feeling you had ever felt once in a while.
however though, you still couldn't break the chain of acting you did throughout the date, you suddenly thought of a final card to make him remember that you were such an awful woman with an awful attitude.
the last card you could think of, here goes nothing.
ACT IV
"ayato," saying his name casually all this time actually made you felt less awkward now, and you immediately reminded yourself to keep yourself in check because lord kamisato was still the head clan of the known yashiro commission, and he was way superior than your humble being, "while you're thanking me for my fun presence," you twirled your hair, and winking at him, "i want to thank you for the free, magneficent food."
you didn't know how you becoming braver than usual, but you did, and the way you actually closed the gap between you a little bit closer for you to reach his ear, you knew he could feel your breath on his neck, because the space left felt too close even in your own consciousness, "and for the view of your handsome face too," you pulled away, faintly caressed his slight flushed cheek and his formal attire.
the way ayato slightly caught off guard seeing you acting like this, when he heard from the shuumatsuban that you were a dignified woman in their eyes, baffled him to say the least.
but the way your trembling hand came up to him just now, and the way you almost tripped yourself once again before you left his sight, ayato knew something wasn't right and it amused him.
you knew how to run your mouth, he gave that, and this, you being like this the whole time, actually peaked his interest.
ayato didn't like wasting his time in such things, and although you came into his life not so long ago, he couldn't help but have to admit that you definitely delighted him in many ways.
"my lord," thoma greeted him when he walked back to the main garden, relishing himself within the pleasant view in front of him. he didn't miss the way thoma eyes shone bright under the sunlight, and instantly knew, that his unofficial right-hand man wanted to ask him how the date went, like how he always did to him with the previous ones.
"how was the date? lady y/n seemed very nervous the whole time i walked her to meet you. it might have been nerve-wrecking for her to replace her sister as your date," thoma laughed when he was brought back to the memories and the loud silence between you and him a few hours ago, "she must have been very shy when she met you."
"oh?" ayato's voice sounded much more cheerful than he intended to let out. he found it more interesting hearing aloud on thoma opinions about you which in any case, was way more different than his, "is that what you think so?"
"yes, my lord," he paused, "in my opinion, she was very awry throughout the walk and she didn't even say a word to me. you could say that we were pretty awkward with each other as she was being very cautious about the whole situation and to me," thoma added.
ayato hummed upon hearing thoma further opinions regarding you. was it terrible that he found the date way more interesting than his own work?
if he was tired because of the preparations for the annual festival beforehand, then keeping up with your antics had been such a stress reliever for him. in some twisted way, he actually did mean his last words to you. you are entertaining him, even until now with you aren't even in his sight.
"thoma."
"is there anything you would like me to help, my lord?"
"no, thoma, it's not that," ayato smiled, the way he just remembered all those not-so ladylike things you did made him felt much more at ease now, "the date went well."
"my lord?" thoma couldn't stop staring at how the head clan answered him with a smile he never thought ayato would show after a date, "..what you meant is?" he just couldn't believe his own eyes, whether this was some sick illusion for him to see ayato smiling after all those frowning and serious mode he had set himself in within the past weeks for the sake of carrying out a successful celebration near in the future, for the sake of inazuma.
"the date," he repeated, fully turned himself towards thoma who was still in disbelief, "the date went well."
the words were the only confirmation thoma needed, maybe to ayato, the date went well as if 'went smoothly like all the blind dates he had been set up with before'. after all, ayato was known for saying two different things yet had the same meaning behind them.
"at least the date wasn't boring."
now that left thoma speechless, as ayato heading back to the estate, leaving thoma behind with more questions than ever.
seconds turned to hours, hours turned to days, and it had been more than two days since the date and all you could hear was how your sister convinced you that you shouldn't worry because lord kamisato wouldn't even bat an eyelid towards you. which, in all honesty, was the truth and the most logical thing to calm you down.
you were hopeful that you wouldn't come across the path with lord kamisato anymore, because remembering the acts you put out for a show towards him were haunting you even more than you liked.
a mere lady from an unknown clan wouldn't have a chance to meet lord kamisato again, that was what you had been saying to yourself for the past hours.
up until this moment, you wished to bury yourself underground and never saw the light of the day once again. you were so embarrassed, it was insane how you even had the courage to be such a low woman in front of lord kamisato.
on the brighter side; your compensation was settled and now you were finally, finally free from this burden.
on the darker side; your mother was so happy that one of her daughters apparently had been going through a date with an amazing man himself. if only she knew, how misbehaved you were, she might make you never stepped inside of the house anymore.
only the mere thought of it made you shivered.
"lady y/n," the call of someone made you snapped back from your tired mind and into the reality, too caught up in the past when you shouldn't, "you have been staring at the sakura tree for a long time now. what's the point of you taking turns with your sister to assist the shrine maidens when all you did was daydreaming the whole time?" the oldest shrine maiden gave you a lengthy lecture, and you bowed for too many times to count when you should be the one who took up this responsibility for the day.
the woman in front of you coughed, maybe she was too harsh on you. your status didn't define where you were currently standing in the sacred shrine, age and experiences did. that was probably why she often took you as if her own child, although your family clan was the one behind managing the shrine affairs here in this humble village.
"archons above, and in the name of the almighty shogun, please focus on your duty, lady y/n," she sighed exasperatedly, "tell me if you ever need something else," the woman gave you a bow before heading back towards the shrine, ultimately ended her scoldings onto you as you nodded your head followed after with a sincere apology.
with the shrine maiden out of sight, you took a stroll outside of the shrine for a while whilst looking up at the purple decorating across the canvas up in the air. today was unlike any other usual day of rains and storms, it was clear and fresh, and you basked into the momentary feeling.
here, on yashiori island, normal weather wasn't always sun and calm skies, thunders roared and heavy downpour were the norm to the people here, so to see that even the weather wanted you to ought peace put your heart at a more contented state.
this village and its people were those few who lucky enough to not affected by tatarigami decades ago, unlike how stories about the curse swept across the land and caused sickness and calamities to every living things on this island. sometimes, you were so grateful and taking such great pride of your ancestors for holding out and survived.
"y/n!" one left, and here comes another. the cheerful voice almost left you glaring at the person behind you, interrupting your peace when the mind went haywire was what you definitely needed the most right now. however, upon seeing the little boy who you so much adored waving at you, all your bad intentions died halfway.
"big sister! i totally don't expect to see you here," he ran to you with his little feet, grinning widely at seeing your face. the little boy was the son of the head village, often sneaking around knocking at your door to invite you playing a game of temari and a round of hide and seek.
he hugged your legs, and you quickly softened at the sight, "now, now, why are you here?" you patted his head. it was odd, but his little hug succeeded in slowing down your overthinking.
"father and mother are praying but it was so boring!" the mind of a child was so pure and fragile, you slightly chuckled at hearing his naughtiness, "good children pray too, you know? so, next time, if you go to the shrine with father and mother again, pray with all your heart. you might even get what you wished for!"
he looked up at you, his eyes were sparkling, showed that they were the most innocent pair you'd ever seen, "does that mean i can get to own a new toy?"
"yes, you can," confirming his statement with a thumbs up at the young kid, he then excitedly jumped up and down, "i have to pray well to get a new toy!" the way he was so joyful made you suddenly missing the feeling of doing what you wanted without thinking its consequences. ah, it would be so nice to feel that way again.
you watched him carefully, thinking that it would be a while for his parents to be done with their prayers. maybe you could watch over him for a moment, at least his presence brought comfort to you.
as if he could read your mind, the little boy took out a slip of bamboo from his kimono sleeves, "look at what i got today!" he said cheerfully, too eager to share the thing he mentioned within his hand to you.
you accepted the small piece of slip nonetheless, it read great fortune on it and you shook your head multiple times, "did you go and try your luck when your parents are praying?" the thing in your hand was in fact a fortune slip visitors always tried their hands on to know what they might encounter for the day at the shrine.
"yes! the big sister there told me that i will get super lucky today," he closed your hand with his own, as if giving it away to you and you tilted your head in confusion, eyebrows slightly raised at his actions, "and now i am going to share my luck with big sister y/n! now you and me will get super lucky for the rest of our life!" you heart warmed at his words, how much purer could this boy can be? you just felt the need to protect this boy from the dangers of the world.
wiping his face gently, you carried him on the back of your shoulders, and he opened up his arms, as if mimicking the flying birds he learned back in his class, "let's head back in. your father and mother must have been searching for you," you giggled when feeling him holding onto your shoulders dearly, "let's go!" he exhilaratingly swung his feet back and forth. it was really nice to not think about it for now, as your fullest attention was now on the boy on your back.
you settled him down once everything was safe, his little hand intertwined with yours before you spotted a group of shrine maidens—from what you saw with the outfits—grouping together at the front of the shrine, but what stood out the most was even the boy's parents were there amongst the crowd. it looked like as if the shrine maidens were paying respect to the two powerful figures around the village—the head village and his wife, with his son still clutching his hand with yours—that what you had assumed.
"father, mother, big sister y/n is here too!" he shouted, the child's voice caught everyone's attention and he let go of his hold, running towards his parents playfully.
you bowed down respectfully towards the parents from afar, giving them the nicest smile you could give out, legs continuing in hurry steps to catch up with the little kid that had long forgotten you behind him.
the closer you'd gotten, the air felt more suffocating than ever. something didn't sit right with you, not when everyone looked tensed and rigid the more you came closer. their postures told you everything.
you were about to question what happened, or why everyone was dead serious within the radius, but all you words died in your throat when you saw a certain blue-haired, tall and slender figure among them all. the white and pristine suit looked nothing but too familiar in your eyes and he was definitely the last person you would want to meet face to face.
his lavender eyes bore straight into yours and your steps halted midway from joining the crowd.
why does lord kamisato is here?
you were on the edge, panicking even more when he actually made his way towards you, was it too late to disappear now? you should have known better the moment you saw how the shrine maidens fidgeting their fingers from time to time. but then again, how would you even know it was him? out of all people?
"greetings," you just couldn't move your own feet, as if you had been glued to the same position all this time, even when your mind mentally told you to run away because the look lord kamisato gave you was screaming to you that he recognised you.
it was too unreal, your eyes must have been delusional and playing tricks on you. it could be it, yes, it was.
"lady y/n," the head village interrupted, as if trying to break you free from your stoic state, "this is the yashiro commissioner, sir kamisato," he introduced him to you when you didn't even flinch seeing the person messing up your mind and stared at him in disbelief. the people around you must have thought that you were just staring in awe when the reality was opposite of it.
"thank you all, for such company, but i would like to talk with lady y/n here. excuse us, as we need some privacy to discuss important matters," the way he punctuated those last words made your stomach churned oh so badly. why did he even instruct them to leave you two alone? you were dying of nervousness out in the open.
you wanted to curse, wanted to rip your hair apart, wanted to throw tantrum at the guy in front of you, he remembered your name, and now you were doomed.
a command was given, and everyone left scurried off, bowing to lord kamisato before the last one told him that if he ever needed anything, called her or any of them, only for the lord to shake her off, and said it was alright as he solely came here to visit the shrine.
you pleaded with your eyes to not leave you here alone with lord kamisato, but the young shrine maiden seemed to not catch your hidden intention.
getting anxious was the perfect way to describe this inexplicable feeling, there was no way lord kamisato wanted to discuss any matters with you. you never played an important role with the tri-commission, never really heavily involved with them except for your mother.
ayato, on the other hand, was thrilled to see you again. the desired feeling finally met its own end, the feeling to meet you again, because the only thing that made him lost interest in his works for the last two days was you, the only subject in his mind.
he never ever gotten off from his own tracks, or even strayed that far from his multitasking. people around him said that his mind was full of workloads, yet you, the ordinary lady from afar who he barely knew, was the one occupied his current state of messy mind.
often came up with questions about your whereabouts even when he didn't intend to, were you fine? did you eat well? because the last time he saw you eating at his place, the image of you devouring your—and his—portions made him smiled at the thoughts.
or, perhaps, did you miss him, just like how he did to you? he missed your intriguing presence, maybe even more when he just liked the idea of you entertaining him.
his speculation was right after all. you were just trying to ruin the date. the way you only looked at his black, shiny leather shoes convinced him that it was all an acting. you couldn't fool him, he knew it since the blind date.
the way you didn't dare to make an eye contact with him right at this moment convinced him that you were just an ordinary lady with a manner, and something inside him made him flustered looking at you smiling genuinely with the son of the head village back then.
"m-my lord," you finally greeted him properly after a moment of silence and the sounds of birds chirping, and ayato thought your stuttering was adorable, with the fact that you addressed him with his title.
it was such a sight to behold, the you from his own memories wasn't this attentive of her attitude.
while you were making a deep obeisance towards him, he never felt such triumph, the you from his mind wasn't this careful of her words and actions yet here you were stuttering, looking at all things beside him. all those feisty and bold words, they were gone.
"i beg your pardon, sir," you just couldn't stop shaking, mind went blank in seconds when you looked up at him silently pursuing you to continue with his observant eyes, "with all my utmost respects, what's the purpose behind your sudden appearance, sir?" you finally let out a sentence, it was taking ages and this was just not it if you wished to talk out with him any further.
ayato couldn't stop staring at you, from your less fancy kimono to your hands clasping together, he couldn't.
before he could respond to your question, he could hear the faint whisperings of others, did they know about the blind date? or you shut your mouth about it? because the look they gave to you was nothing less than analysing you, and maybe him.
that look a lot of people gave him once he took the name of his clan on his shoulders when he was younger.
"are you, perhaps, forgetting my duty as the yashiro commissioner, hm?" he brought his arms towards his broad chest, a sly smirk forming on his lips and you couldn't help but gaping at him, once again making yourself an utter fool.
all of the memories about your fake acting and the past blind date disintegrated within thin air along with the falling sakura, you were that shocked to see lord kamisato was actually in front of you again.
"the yashiro commission's duty is in charge of managing shrines, festivals and cultural events," you felt like a middle schooler when he gently reminded you again, only with that stupid, charming smile you wished to wipe off of his god-like face because it certainly did something inside you.
"i came here to supervise what is needed to be done, whether by the village or the shrine," he gave you a knowing smile, making you almost convinced that he knew you were here today, but it could be another trick your mind wanted you to fall into, "the summer festival is right around the corner. it would be such an inconvenient if you, and the whole village, missing out the festival. am i right, my lady?"
he talked as if this was his yearly routine, yet you didn't remember the stories of lord kamisato came to the village for such things, let alone the shrine. if he did, news must have reached your ears as quick as a flash.
"but it doesn't make any sense," your curiosity overpowered your anxious feeling, needed more detailed explanations from the man in question.
how much denser could you be? did he shall directly told you that he wanted to meet you, for his own personal matters? he lied to you, partially for covering the intentions behind his words, and the other was to make people surrounded him to be less skeptical.
it was funny, how he lied to you, when he was so sure that he hated lies and fake promises.
"oh? which part in my words that doesn't make any sense?" he leaned in, you didn't know how or when, but the space between you was slowly decreasing since the start of this conversation. his eyes zeroed on you before you turned red in embarrassment, "my lord, i-i don't think it's a good idea to act carelessly out here in the open," you turned your head away because having him this up close was too much for your heart to handle.
"and what's the reason, my lady? enlighten me," you swiftly increased the intense gap by taking a baby step backwards. his little actions irked you so much, it was definitely not a good sign for you to feel this flustered and shy. at this point, you knew he was messing with you.
"people are going to get suspicious, my lord," you gave out the best reasoning you could form, words after words came out of your mouth of why specifically he was the one who should be more careful, trying in convincing him to not stain his image, and all he thought was how adorable of you to becoming a stuttering mess, and it was all because of him.
if he only did this much, he wondered what would be your reaction if he did more, and why would you be so cautious anyway?
when lady guuji said he was a yashiro rascal, never would he thought that those words could be truer, especially when he went over such length to find you again here in this such modest village.
"i don't mind," all your words died, cheeks flushed upon hearing him, "it is quite pleasant to stumble across you once again, y/n."
did lord kamisato just, dropped all of his formalities in front of you? did he really call you only by your name so causally?
did he ever do this to somebody else?
you panicked for a brief moment, turning your head left and right before the line was clear. you didn't know why you were acting so recklessly in front of him, but the moment you pulled lord kamisato aside, far enough for other eyes to see and hear his last words that could rise suspicions and brought so many butterflies in your stomach, you were confused, either of your instantaneous actions, or even to your own feelings.
you didn't notice how long you held your breath, only to realise once you pulled your hand away from lord kamisato's and you regretted almost immediately at how sweltering the current situation was, a sigh of relief soon followed after, thinking that it would be safe to seek some explanations from him.
"sir, deepest apologies for interrupting you," you were really having a hard time to make your erratic breath steadier, it was harder when lord kamisato was taking his sweet time diverting his focus more on your words, "i am afraid if i misunderstood your words back then," you were at least trying to calm down, almost as if there was a war raging inside your brain telling you to behave at your best now that you had the only chance to sort things out that had gotten more bewildered as time went forward, "...and i truly think saying such scandalous words wouldn't get the best reactions out of public eyes."
ayato leaned onto the nearest flat surface behind him, intently hearing your apology and explanations as why you were quick to do beyond your thoughts, his arms crossing and he brought them towards his broad chest.
it was really entertaining when you tried to be alone with him, he thought. didn't you know if he being all alone with only you in front of him, hidden from prying eyes and gossips about him, that this made him wanted to just say out loud a more controversial topic to stir you than just those words he said beforehand? he only dropped your title, and you were already this alarmed.
he was definitely smitten, which weirded him out when his reasonable side took over his head.
again, he barely knew you, but why did he have the urge to make you his already?
"must i repeat myself, i don't mind, not even the slightest," you almost lost your footing hearing his direct answer, almost fell into his arms if not for the wooden fence that had been fenced throughout the outside of the whole shrine.
"w-what did you mean by that, sir?" he swore his heart melted seeing you became so bothered by his straightforwardness.
"let's just say that i am taking quiet a liking towards you, lady y/n," you were left speechless, as if someone took your breath away and you just couldn't believe what you were hearing. your sister words suddenly becoming more and more loud, he wouldn't even remember you, lies, she lied. she lied to you.
the plan, it actually backfired.
"i-i think you've gotten all wrong, sir—
you were sputtering nonsense, heart somewhat racing when you told yourself that this wasn't real, it wasn't the reality, "there's no way—
there was no way lord kamisato actually—
"relax, little one," you almost gasped hard hearing him addressing you, you didn't want to overthink. what did you hear again? were you this delusional to hearing nonsensical things? no, were you even fine in the first place?
"my lady," he should stop staring at you with such a gorgeous face, body towering over you. even when you were outside, the cold air added more red to your cheeks, you were literally burning, "are you alright?"
you were too stunned. eyes widening seeing how close you were with his figure, another step and there wasn't any space left. were you this close all this time?
why were you feeling so anxious? you were confused about your own feelings, but the way lord kamisato ultimately closed the little gap with a step forward, closer to you, your heart was beating so fast, it was the only sound you could hear beside your ears. it was piercing and you almost shying away before the warm feeling of his arms lingered around your waist.
if a passerby did come across seeing the both of you in such a questionable position, no, you didn't want to even think about it. it was already took a toll inside you to maintain focus on your overwhelming thoughts when his calm breathing beside the shell of your ear was the only thing you could give your attention to.
"ten dates," he whispered, low tone that never thought would awake something deep inside you, "go out with me for another ten dates. ten dates for me to prove myself, my lady," he sighed, tightening his hold with you in his arms, it was crazy how you fit him like a perfect puzzle piece, it was funnier that he would chase you, the girl who tried to leave a bad impression on him, only made him wanting for more, "i'll keep asking you out again and again, until your heart, too, has been settled in such decision."
with that, he pulled away to appreciate the beauty he saw within you, you were such a beautiful mess in his eyes. if he didn't maintain his composure, he might want to plant his lips on your forehead, he never thought he would be this stupidly craving for a little taste. this reminded him that he was still an ordinary man with such desires, only to be masked with a much more powerful and respectful title.
ayato was determined, and what he wanted, he often found a way around to achieve it.
it was a mistake to look at his face longing for you, too close, and you unknowingly melted in his arms, lost in his gaze, palms on his chest, fisting his suit a little bit too rough to calm your inner self.
butterflies dancing inside you, heart skipped a beat every single time he caressed your hair to the side to look at you more, to take in the sight before him because two days without your presence suddenly felt infuriating to him, the days after that date were bland and ayato thought to himself, was he always had been living such a dull life?
tensions multiplied the more you lost in his intense, ethereal, lavender orbs. you could practically feel the strong strings of attraction, and it was more than enough for it to swipe your balance away from your feet when lord kamisato took in a sharp breath, followed by his words of, "they said silence means consent, lady y/n. are you telling me that you are agreeing to my proposal, hm?"
you neither gave him a nod, nor denying his words, it was just too much. too much for your beating heart, and for your flustered state.
all you could do was gulping down the invisible lump in your throat for keeping such an intense eye contact for the longest time. you could see how serious he was about this, and your head thought that this might actually work for the both of you.
after all, you didn't know how, or why it happened, but you were just naturally attracted to lord kamisato more than you'd like to admit. ten dates weren't giving you any harms, right?
he leaned in, way closer than ever, and you eyes trailed down onto his pretty lips. it was hard not to stare, when he was a hair's breadth away from touching his lips with yours and—
"may i kiss you?" he asked you gently, securing his arms even more when he saw your eyes hinted a slight shock and yearning.
never in your life you would agree to such things impatiently, but you lifted yourself. somehow being in his arms felt too safe and brought you such comfort that you badly wanted to indulge in. you were freaking yourself out for behaving immaturely to this man, but all thoughts vanished once you felt his lips on yours.
gentle as breeze, soft as silk, the peck he gave to you was nothing more, or nothing less. it was perfect to not crossing the line, yet you knew there was no turning back when you pushed yourself more into him.
he smiled into the soft kiss, wishing to deepen the kiss, but he knew to be patient. was it bad that he wanted to cross all the boundaries just for you? it was ridiculous to feel this type of thing so early.
the way he held your face as if you were such a fragile being melted you in the inside, you unconsciously titled your face to feel more of him. all logical thoughts were nowhere to be found, all you could think of was how this man in front of you kissing you with such gentleness, and for a fleeting moment, you might have a tiny, minuscule crush on him.
to you, and to kamisato ayato, both of you might have to rethink the terms of love at first sight, because it definitely did work out its magic on him, and maybe, to you too.
taglist; @kazu-topia @sussydemon @hamayumis @a-fairytale @mouchie @achilleas-dream @stuckindreamland06 @nvicvi @kailluaken (usernames in bold are the ones that couldn't be tagged)
a/n; omg it has been such a long ride for me to push this fic out of the drafts. if you, the beloved reader, have reached this very end, thank you so much for reading! reblogs are greatly appreciated as always <3
summary: caught between the rivalry of two gods, you, a priestess of osial, are sent to the newly founded liyue harbor during a festival honoring their deceased to add another body for the people to celebrate and mourn—none other than their god himself, morax.
genre: archon war au
warnings: fem!reader, reader is a priestess of osial, reader used as a pawn between osial and morax, heavy power imbalance so could be read as dubcon (gods vs mortal), reader wears a dress, sacrilege + desecration of the dead??? (osial fucks reader in his own temple on a throne that he built from the bones of old gods), osial is manipulative trying to get reader to agree to kill morax, mentions of breeding, outdoor sex (morax), semi-public sex (osial & morax), biting (osial & morax), morax grabs reader by the neck but not enoughto hurt, unprotected sex (osial & morax)
notes: god this wasn’t supposed to have any osial in it but i saw a fanart that @/galair made friday night and it consumed my mind body and soul. no monsterfucking or tentacles this time 💔 i’m not confident enough in writing that yet, perhaps next time — this is long, and i had a lot of fun writing it, so as always reblogs for boost are appreciated
The sand of the beach of the Guyun Forest was cool beneath your feet, you kept your breath steady as you waited for the telltale sign from Osial of what today would bring--storms or clear skies, still waters or rapid currents, would it be a day at sea for the people of Guyun Forest? Or would it be a day locked to the land?
The sun broke slowly over the distant horizon, casting a glow over the unusually calm waters--the God of the vast sea of clouds was in a good mood today, you realized, today would be a productive day at sea.
You lingered, an eerie feeling sweeping over you just for a moment--as if you should wait for something. But nothing happened, the sea remained still, the sun steadily rising in the distance, the gentle breeze brushing against your skin and ruffling your dress. You exhaled, turning away to make your way back to the temple so you could give up your offerings, to give thanks for a merciful day at last.
The storms had been overwhelming for the past two weeks, a declaration of anger, war even, against the god who had risen to power south of Mount Tianheng in Osial’s territory--Morax, the God of Geo, the only god remaining in the nearby territory that could rival Osial for power, surpass him, even.
You pushed the thought from your head--it was sacrilege, heresy to doubt Osial’s strength. He had proven his power time and time again in his war to conquer the Sea of Clouds and its shore--a war that he had won with ease all the while protecting the people of Guyun Forest, ensuring that they did not get caught up in the conflict between the gods.
But you couldn’t help the nerves that crept through you--the reminder of the stone lances that towered into the sky on the borders of the Guili Plains, weapons of war that had slain gods and destroyed towns. Osial was strong, you had to remind yourself again.
But-
Your thoughts paused as you felt the waters creep so far into the shore that it swept beneath your feet, gentle and slow, as if trying to get your attention. You turned your head over your shoulder, breath drawing sharp as you recognized the figure that had appeared standing waist-deep in the water, watching you carefully.
Osial emerged from the water, expression lax and deep blue hair tumbling past his shoulders down to his waist. You swore that no air reached your lungs, gaze averting down to the ground at the sight of him. You knelt down, the sand damp and sticking to your knees.
You didn’t dare look up even as he approached, not until he was standing right in front of you, fingers grazing your chin before his grip tightened, tilting your head up and forcing you to look at him.
“Lord Osial,” your voice came out as little over a breath, wavering--you wondered if he had felt your doubts, sensed your lack of faith, but Osial was a prideful god and he did not seem to be angry. Looks are deceptive, you thought to yourself, the sea can look calm while the rip currents beneath could drown the strongest swimmer, and Osial is the epitome of the sea.
His thumb brushed over your bottom lip, tracing it, and your eyes fluttered shut at the feeling--it took all of your self-control to force your eyes back open, looking up at him through your lashes. Osial had an ethereal sort of beauty about him, ever-bored and unimpressed, eyes that reflected the deepest parts of the sea, his skin was smooth to the touch and his nails were sharp, weapons in itself, but he was always gentle with you… at least in situations like this.
“You do not think I can defeat Morax,” your world stilled as he finally addressed you, words so soft-spoken that you barely even heard him. His touch was gentle, and his words were soft, but he was angry--the blues of his eyes swirled like a vortex forming deep in the sea.
“My L-” you tried to explain yourself but you faltered under his gaze, lips parting and closing as you tried to come up with some sort of explanation for your doubt--lying to Osial would do nothing but draw his ire further. To wound his pride and then to lie to his face as if he wouldn’t know… It was like asking for the sea to swallow you whole.
“Come.”
Osial’s hand dropped from your face and you felt cold as he swept past you to walk toward his temple. You didn’t move for a second, staring ahead at the open sea as you processed his words before you scrambled to your feet, following behind him. No thoughts were running through your head as you followed the god into his temple--the air was damp, cool enough to have you shivering, but Osial paid no mind, his body immune to the weaknesses mortals dealt with.
He paused as the two of you entered a large room, an altar situated in the center where you made your offerings, a large throne made of an odd material that you had never quite been able to figure out was.
Osial didn’t speak for a moment, shifting to stand behind you, chest pressed against your back. You let out a shaky puff of air when you felt his hands come to your biceps, holding you in place and forcing you to look forward toward the throne. His fingers were long and lithe, smoothing against your bare skin.
“Do you know what this place was before it became my temple?” Osial’s lips brushed your ear as he spoke, breath warm and so dizzying that you could barely bring yourself to answer.
“Yes,” you breathed out, trying to hold yourself steady, stop your knees from giving out. “It was your seat of power before the war began, and during the beginning of it.”
Osial hummed, pleased with your answer, and your head buzzed at the thought of satisfying the god, a light-headed feeling that had your knees weak. Osial did not pull away though, evidently not finished with his questioning. “Do you think I am a kind god, priestess?”
You froze, head spinning at the question--was it a trick? Would he be insulted if you called him kind? Would he be insulted if you called him cruel? How do you respond?
“You are kind to your followers, Lord Osial,” you said softly, trying desperately to hide the anxiety you felt over whether or not your answer would anger him.
Osial made a noise in the back of his throat, akin to a laugh. “Good answer,” he said quietly, and you wondered if that had been a test--if it had, you had a feeling that you passed, relaxing under his touch.
But only for a second, because in an instant, Osial was gone. Instead of standing behind you, he was now in front of you, lounging back on the pale throne, watching you carefully. Your breath caught as he leaned forward, robes hanging off his shoulders loosely, fingers interlocked between his knees.
“Do you think I won the war for the sea through diplomatic means?” The amusement that might have begun to form in Osial’s tone was gone, replaced by something cold that had a shiver running down your side. He raised his eyebrows, waiting for you to answer.
You shook your head, throat spasming as you tried to force the words from your throat. “No,” you finally said. “I don’t.”
“Do you know what this throne is made of?”
Your mouth dried, confusion flooding your system as your gaze dragged down to the throne he was sitting on before you looked back up at him. He was waiting for a response, expression closed off and unfriendly. You shook your head but Osial only tilted his head to the side, waiting for you to voice your answer out loud.
“I don’t,” you said, voice hoarse.
“I built this throne out of the bones of the old gods I slaughtered at the beginning of the war,” your ears rang as he spoke--his voice smooth and silken, calm as if he hadn’t desecrated the bodies of gods after killing them. You stared at him, processing the words slowly, waiting for him to continue but he did not. “Morax encroached on my territory. The land south of Mount Tianheng was rightfully mine, I killed the former God of the Sea and piked his head on the Chihu Rock.”
You didn’t speak, even if you wanted to speak, you weren’t sure what you would say.
“And yet you still think I’ll fall to Morax,” Osial murmured, observing you. You shook your head, opening your mouth to deny the accusation but Osial’s expression left no room for argument. “You do. You don’t think I can sense what my priestess is thinking?”
My, he said it so fondly, in a way that made you feel warm despite the cool air within the temple.
“Come,” another order--your body moved on autopilot as you made your way toward him, the stone of the temple was cold beneath your feet and only got colder as you drew closer to Osial, to the throne.
You paused right in front of him, wondering if you should kneel or bow your head but Osial spoke again before you could.
“I said come,” his voice was sharper and your brows furrowed as you tried to figure out what he meant. He had leaned back in his throne again and it only took him glancing down at his lap once for you to realize what he meant. Your lips parted in shock, fingers trembling at your sides--your teeth scraped against your tongue, a warm feeling building in your lower stomach as you realized what exactly he wanted.
Your body itched to move forward but you hesitated, and you wouldn’t have if he hadn’t just told you what the throne he was sitting on was made of. On the throne made of… there was a lump in your throat that you couldn’t quite swallow, be it from anxiety or the prospect of what was to come
Osial watched you, eyes lidded and heavy, expression not having shifted once from the cool indifference. You took in a deep breath, legs shaking beneath you as you moved forward. Your face burned in embarrassment, chest tight and not even daring to breathe as you shifted onto his lap. You were careful not to touch him, not until he explicitly gave you permission to, but your thighs were tense and trembling on either side of his, your nails dug into the arms of the throne, trying to keep yourself steady.
Osial hummed and at once, something pressed against your back, knocking you off balance. Your hands flat against his chest as you fell forward against him. Your heart was erratic, face pressed against his shoulder and body flush to his--you could feel him pressed up against your thigh, and you couldn’t bring yourself to look up at him, you could already feel his gaze on you.
“Look at me,” he said and yet again, your body betrayed you, head tilting up so you could look at him.
Up close, Osial was even more ethereal--his eyes a mirror of the sea, skin nearly glowing against the morning sun shining through the large windows of the temple, his hair felt neatly on either side of his face down to his hips, you were careful not to accidentally pull it when you shifted. Beneath his thin robes, his body was littered with battle scars you had become well acquainted with. Even covered, you knew you’d be able to trace each and every one.
“Why is it that you doubt me?” he asked, but you couldn’t even hope to speak as his hands trailed up and down your thighs before slipping between them. You bit back a whimper as his fingers dipped between your folds. You should be embarrassed at how wet you were already but Osial was pleased, you could tell that much from the glint that had appeared in his eyes.
“I-I do not doubt you, Lo-” you tried to say but you faltered when his grip on one of your thighs tightened, just enough to silence you.
“Do not lie to me, priestess,” he said, and there was a thick feeling in your throat that made you incapable of pushing out any words. Priestess, he called you, and a part of you couldn’t help but wonder if Osial even knew your name--you adored him, he was your god, your lover, but what were you to him?
Nothing, a voice whispered in your head, a tool, a pet.
He favored you enough to lay with you, you wanted to argue, lips parting in a silent moan as you felt the tip of Osial’s cock slip against your cunt. And he lay with you not just once or twice, he came back frequently enough so that there was never a time his marks weren’t decorating your body, bruises from where his fingers gripped just a bit too hard, bite marks from his sharpened teeth and nails.
Osial was a kind god to his followers but he was a cruel lover, albeit unintentionally, you liked to believe. You figured all gods were to their mortal lovers—unaware of their limits, apathetic to them, focused on their own pleasure and release.
“You worry for me… what would you prefer then?” Osial’s tone took on a mocking lilt, nipping at the underside of your jaw as you panted, nails clawing at his loose robes as he held your hips to bring you down on his cock. Tears stung your eyes as you tried to get used to the feeling of him filling you up. This wasn’t the first time you had laid with the god, and you were sure it wouldn’t be the last, but you swore every time he pushed himself into you felt like the first--you could never get used to it. “Bear my children? Give me half-gods to fight at my side?”
A long whine escaped your lips, body shaking as Osial’s nails dug into your waist, surely drawing blood, grinding you down on his cock. He was deep, too deep inside of you, your head felt fuzzy and you couldn’t think of anything but the feeling of his cock stretching you out.
“Is that what you want?” You weren’t entirely sure what he was asking. Want, want, you wanted him, you wanted him fully and completely, in every possible way. “... or would you rather something else?”
You tilted your head back as Osial’s lips trailed down your neck, leisurely and meticulous. Your nails dug into his biceps but Osial didn’t seem to care, more focused on rolling your hips against his, fucking you at a slow, agonizing pace. You couldn’t help but notice even in your half-fucked out state that Osial was being more careful than usual--his teeth were not marking up your neck as they usually did.
“Would you rather that you, yourself, be the one to kill Morax?”
You jolted at his words, like a splash of cold water. Your eyes widened and your lips parted as you pulled back to ask what he meant but you didn’t get the chance. Instead, Osial brought you down hard on his cock and your eyes knocked back as you felt his tip brush so deep inside you that it felt like your body was on fire, splitting open on his cock.
One of his hands slipped behind your head, fisting your hair and tilting your head back down to face him. His eyes were lit up with something you couldn’t quite place in your haze, searching yours as he looked up at you. His lips brushed yours, breath hot and dizzying as it mingled with your own, “Is that what you want? You want to become a god-slayer, priestess?”
He spoke your title with a sort of reverence that had you crying out, nails dragging red lines against his arms, back arching and body spasming in his hold as you came all over his cock. He didn’t stop after you finished to give you a second to recuperate, he never did. Instead, he brought you down faster, harder. The lewd, slapping sound of skin-on-skin, the sloppy sound of his cock driving in and out of your cunt echoed throughout his temple--if any of the other priestesses came by the temple to give offerings to Osial, they would know very well what was happening within there before they even laid eyes on their god fucking his high priestess.
His grip on your hair tightened again to make you look down at him and your body was all but limp in his hold already--he had never taken you in this position before, always preferring to take you from behind, and somehow everything felt more intense, overwhelming in a way that your body couldn’t handle.
“Some say that if a mortal is to kill a god, they can take his place,” Osial breathed out, lips dragging from the corner of yours down to your jaw, to the spot behind your ear that always had you weak. “Is that what you want? To stand at my side as my goddess? To rule over the sea and land together?”
You sobbed, not even fully processing his words as you nodded, you wanted more but you weren’t even sure if you could handle more. Osial’s hands felt as if they were everywhere, sliding up and down your sides, squeezing at your breasts, flicking over your nipples. His lips dipped down from the crook of your neck to your collarbone, tongue tracing the crevice, teeth grazing the bone.
Your vision flashed dark--you were cumming again, you realized, you weren’t even sure if you had stopped cumming to begin with, the feeling of Osial’s cock was simply too much. You could feel his breath against your skin, hot, heavy, the telltale sign that he was close, the closest thing you would get to a warning.
You could barely hear the low grunt that caught in the back of his throat as he grinded his hips up into you, eyes rolling back as his cock twitched inside of you. You felt warm, full, too warm and too full as he spilled his cum deep inside of you, biting down hard on your shoulder. His sharp teeth dug into the scar on your shoulder that he had left the first time he had laid with you--a way to mark you as his and his alone.
You were still trying to recover from your high when you felt Osial shift beneath you, you shivered at the feeling of his cock moving inside of you, biting back a whimper, walls fluttering around him, sensitive from your orgasms.
Your eyes were still shut even as Osial cupped your cheek, you leaned into his touch before you let your eyes flutter back open, eyes meeting his--they were dark, a sort of emotion swirling beneath them that was unsettling. Your eyes trailed down between your bodies, faltering when you noticed that he was holding something, a dagger
“What is this?” you asked quietly, eyes tracing the blade that Osial was twirling in his hand--it was made of an odd material, one that looked suspiciously like the throne beneath the two of you. You looked up at the god questioningly, when he didn’t respond right away. He was studying you and you weren’t sure how you felt about it.
“The bones of the dead gods of the sea,” Osial explained after a moment. “The power to kill a god.”
---
“In two weeks' time, there will be a festival in the newly founded Liyue to honor Morax’s fallen adeptus, Skybracer.”
Liyue Harbor was larger than you expected. Your tongue felt swollen in your mouth as you looked around--you had known it was big, you could see it lit up at night from the southernmost island in the Guyun Forest, but it was different seeing it in person. The buildings were twice as tall as the houses in Guyun and the streets were bustling in a sort of way that had you anxious. There were too many people and too little room.
“Morax will be at the festival--surrounded by his own people and the adepti, he will let his guard down. I knew him well enough before the war to know this.”
Let his guard down, you thought to yourself, eyes drifting around the streets, following up to where the crowds grew denser, soldiers lining the streets leading up to where Morax sat upon his throne watching the celebrations below, the adepti scattered around the general area on high alert.
A resentful feeling grew in you at the sight of Morax, lounging back on the throne donning a white hooded robe. The people traversing the streets were forced to walk around you as you stared at the god from a distance. He looked bored, apathetic even, as his gaze drew across the streets--exuding a sort of arrogance that only a god could so casually.
“You will have to find a way to get him alone.”
Alone. Reality was beginning to set in on you, the chatter and music around you becoming a distant hum, muted compared to your heartbeat pounding in your ears--a city of five-thousand people and over a dozen adepti, and you had been sent to slay their god on the night they commemorate their fallen comrade.
Had you been handed a death sentence?
Did it matter?
The logical part of your brain held up a weak argument when confronted with the rest of you, loyal to Osial, willing to lay down your life at just a single command. He was your god, and if he wanted you to die for him, then so be it. But he did not ask you to die, he asked you to kill his enemy, he asked you to live, to take Morax’s godhood and stand by his side for the rest of eternity.
Take his godhood, a myth, no one knows if it’s true. If you succeed, you’ll be stoned to death by the people of Liyue for killing their god.
If you succeed. You did not want to know what fate waited for you at Morax’s hands if you failed.
A brutal god, ruthless and violent, Morax was the reason that the war had escalated so severely in southern Teyvat. By the time news reached the Guyun Forest of the battle that laid waste to the Guili Assembly, ravaging the plains and slaying the Goddess of Dust, Morax had already settled his people into the shores of Osial’s territory and gone off to wage war against the remaining gods of the land.
It was he who forced Osial’s hand, choosing to settle in his lands rather than those of one of the slain gods. The Sea of Clouds and the land of Liyue could have been two separate territories, ruled by two separate gods but Morax chose the one area that would draw the ire of Osial--a tyrant and warmonger he was, but Morax was no fool, he knew exactly what he was doing when settled his people in Osial’s territory.
A particularly loud cheer pulled you from your thoughts, bringing you back to awareness. You let out a breath, trying to quell the spiraling resentment and anger--but your heart leapt in your throat when you noticed that Morax’s gaze was no longer absently wandering his people.
Was he looking…
Amber eyes were trained steadily in your direction, a cold feeling settled in your gut.
… at you?
You swore that you could see his lips curl up into a smirk, even at this distance, but before you could figure out if it was just a figment of your imagination, it was gone--replaced by the lethargic expression that had painted his face before.
You wrote it off as your mind playing tricks on you, nerves over what you were here to do getting to your head. Shaken, you turned away, intent on going to find a stand to distract yourself with until you could figure out how to conjure an opportunity to separate Morax from the crowds of people and his adepti.
---
“You are not from here.”
You hesitated as you took the last bite of the rice bun you were eating, swallowing it as you stared ahead, deciding whether or not you should turn around to face the man that had spoken to you.
Should you lie? Claim that you had come with the settlers from the Guili Assembly--there would be no way for them to prove you weren’t but… maybe it would be better to claim to be a refugee from the west, the Tianqiu Valley civilization, or even further west, where your ancestors hailed from--the Hypostyle Desert of Sumeru.
You let out a breath, having come to a decision as you turned around to face whoever approached you. As you turned, you noticed distantly that all of the Liyue residents who had been near you had backed away, and the street was now suspiciously quiet.
Frowning and with an answer on the tip of your tongue, the words died as your eyes fell upon a familiar white robe, the gold decorations glittering underneath the lights of the lanterns. Your gaze drew up from the long white robe, eyes meeting empty amber ones that peered down at you in a way that had your blood running cold.
Your mouth dried, your throat tightened. Bow, you told yourself, bow, you must bow. But your body wouldn’t cooperate, the thought of kneeling to any god other than your own made you feel sick to your stomach. You tried to force your knees to buckle but they were locked, your own body damning you.
“Where are you from?” Morax’s voice was a low drawl, as if he were amused by the situation, and once again resentment brewed as you stared at the man. You couldn’t help but notice how the people did not seem shocked at the sight of Morax walking among them, you wondered if it was a common occurrence.
“The west,” you finally said, voice tenser than you meant for it to be, not as respectful as it should have been--but Morax did not look incensed, even if his people were agape at your tone. “Tianqiu Valley.”
“A follower of Khienar,” Morax noted. “How fascinating.”
You wondered if you had spoken wrong but Morax did not appear to be suspicious of you. As if he could read the question on your face, wondering why it was fascinating to him, he continued. “Liyue Harbor does not often host outsiders these days,” he said. “Come.”
Morax did not wait for you to agree or disagree, and your throat closed up at the order--not quite finding the God of Geo’s words as appealing to follow as Osial’s. He walked ahead, and you hated that you knew you had to follow otherwise you would garner even more suspicion, and you hated that he knew you knew you had to follow and it was exactly why he didn’t wait to see if you would.
The arrogance of gods-
The arrogance of gods. Your world stilled as your thoughts spun, was this the opportunity-
You didn’t have the chance to dwell on the thought, you were losing sight of Morax and all you could do was rush after him--not that it was difficult, the crowds of people had parted at his arrival, making way for him to go as he pleased.
As you caught up to him, you tried to make sense of what was happening--he sought you out, was it really because he could tell that you weren’t native to Liyue Harbor or the Guili Assembly? Or was it something else? Did he know who you were, what you were sent-
“Have you tried the slow-cooked bamboo soup at the Wangshu Stand?” Morax asked suddenly, your brows furrowed as you stared at his back--his back, the knife holstered to your thigh burned, screaming at you to take the opportunity now, kill the tyrant in front of all of his people, damn your own fate, you were ready for their stones. But just as your hand twitched at your side, Morax turned his head over his shoulder to look at you.
… what?
You couldn’t even find the words to speak as you stared at Morax, barely even having processed his words--too lost in your own thoughts, at the opportunity in front of you. Bamboo soup at a stand--did you try it?
“I did not get the chance,” you finally said, and you hated how hoarse your voice sounded. Your eyes drifted around the streets, the way people whispered, stares adoring and wide-eyed. They loved him, a tyrant and warmonger, they were all just as ba-
Morax hummed, looking ahead again, “Pity. I fear the stand is closed now. It is my favorite. They attempted to show me how to make it but alas I find myself a poor chef.”
Was this a joke? You wanted to ask, but you couldn’t force the words out. He was leading you somewhere—up a stone staircase, and you could only follow numbly behind him.
Of course, they loved him, vengeful over what happened at the Guili Assembly, the death of their goddess--they wanted to exact the same fate onto every other people of Liyue so they hail the warmonger and tyrant as their hero.
“I haven’t had the opportunity to speak to a mortal from another civilization since the war broke out,” he said, and you swore--you swore--that he must know exactly who you were, how you felt, what you came to do and he was playing with you, taunting you.
“I wonder why,” you couldn’t help the spite that slipped from your mouth, the resentment simply too intense for you to bite back. Morax only looked back at you again, an odd expression on his face that you couldn’t quite decipher--not angry, but not amused. It was as if he had been waiting for you to say something like that, as if you had played right into his game.
He didn’t say anything else as you followed him up the stairs, away from the crowds of people, the chatter and cheering growing distant with each step you took. It was warmer on the mainland than it was on the Guyun Forest isles, the seabreeze not quite as strong--even as he led you up the side of Mount Tianheng, you stayed warm.
A part of you wondered if he was bringing you up there to kill you, spare his people the gory sight of your death--although you had a feeling that if they knew you were a priestess of Osial, they would drink and dance to the sight.
You wanted to ask where he was taking you, but you didn’t want to continue to test your luck, you were stuck between a rock and a hard place not knowing whether or not he knew who you were already. Every action you took made you anxious that he would figure it out if he hadn’t already.
Morax came to a step half-way up the side of Mount Tianheng--a pretty, flattened area with a few benches and a small koi pond. Alone, you recognized, you were alone with him. He had brought you somewhere where the two of you were alone.
“You will have to find a way to get him alone and only then will have the chance to drive the dagger through his heart.”
Osial’s words rang through your ears as Morax moved to stand on the edge of the mountain by the railing, looking down over Liyue Harbor. He looked over at you, eyes lidded and lashes brushing his cheek--he was waiting for you to join him at the ledge.
You did, albeit reluctantly. Your hands were wrapped around the stone railing tight, as if that would do anything to save you if Morax decided to kill you.
“Speak freely,” Morax said, and your head snapped toward him, eyeing him suspiciously, not trusting a word he said.
“So you can have my tongue for speaking out of line?” you questioned, Morax’s amber eyes glittered in an obscenely beautiful way as he looked down at you, amusement painted across his face.
“Speak freely,” he repeated, an order this time, as he turned to face you. “I want to hear the opinion of someone who is not my own people.”
You stared at him, trying to figure out if this was some sort of trap, but gods were impossible to read--their faces masks indiscernible by the average mortal--though you had a distinct feeling that if you refused, it would anger him more than if you said how you truly felt.
“You are a warmonger,” you finally said--you could no longer look at him, instead looking down at the harbor, afraid that you would be smited just as the gods who dared stand against him were. Your knuckles tight around the railing, body tense as you waited for his reaction.
“I seek order,” Morax responded after a moment, and you thought that his answer incensed you more than admission to being a warmonger.
“You seek order through war. You are a tyrant,” your voice grew sharper in your anger, taking a tone that would ordinarily be a death sentence from a god, but Morax only leaned back against the railing, arms crossed over his chest as he stared down at you.
The amusement that had been shining in his eyes was gone, replaced by a more serious expression, but he did not appear to be angry.
“I do not wish for dominion over Liyue but I cannot continue to watch the common people suffer,” Morax responded after a moment. A cool breeze danced your skin, trying to quell your rising anger but you couldn’t hold back the scoff that bubbled at your lips.
“You do not wish for dominion yet you seek out any god that can rival you to kill them,” you shot back at him. “The-”
Your words died when you felt two lithe fingers grab your chin, turning your head to the side to force you to look at him. All of the air whooshed from your lungs as you stared up at him, catching the mirthful look in his eyes, the way his lips were pulled up in an unkind smile.
“Let us make one thing clear,” Morax murmured. “There is no god that can rival me.”
You couldn’t bring yourself to speak, taken aback by the arrogance--was it arrogance? Or just confidence--not even Osial dared to imply his enemies were weak, a sort of insult that brought bad tidings to its speaker. Morax’s hand dropped from your chin but you couldn’t bring yourself to look away.
“Continue,” he said off-handedly, your lips parted to speak but you could barely even remember where you were heading with your comment--you couldn’t even remember what had you said to make him say that, you were completely thrown off.
… seek out any god that can rival you to kill them, you remembered. Ah, that was it.
“The common people will suffer whether you kill their gods or not,” you said, and Morax made a noise in the back of his throat, one of acknowledgment as he processed your words. You let yourself look at him again--he was looking back out at the harbor again and your breath almost caught at the sight of the lanterns below reflecting in his eyes, the way his skin glowed beneath the moonlight. Morax had a different sort of beauty about him than Osial, somehow warmer, not as sharp, but far more deadly.
“Can you deny that they will be safer once the wars between gods end?” Morax questioned.
“Your people will be safer,” you responded. “What of the rest of us?”
“You will become my people,” Morax said off-handedly.
“I would rather die,” you countered too quickly to process your own words.
Morax turned his head to look at you again, amused by your words. “How familiar,” he said softly, almost too soft to pick up but you didn’t get the chance to question it before he was talking again. “You say you come from Tianqiu Valley, daughter of Khienar?”
You hesitated, only for a second, but you knew he picked up on it. “Yes,” you said.
Morax pushed away from the railing, walking behind you--slow, lax, deceivingly so. You wanted to turn around to face him but your body wouldn’t cooperate, your fight or flight instincts failing you as you froze up. You felt distinctly like a deer being hunted by a lion, cornered and unable to bring itself to try to flee.
You could hear every step as he paced back and forth behind you, the sound of his white robe dragging against the stone was soft but grating against your ears. You stared ahead, gaze trained on the southern islands of the Guyun Forest in the distance, barely visible in the dark.
Osial was out there, you tried to calm yourself, but the thought was only a distant comfort--he was too far to do anything, you were at the mercy of his enemy, at the mercy of Morax. Your pulse thrummed in your ears as Morax came to a stop behind you, you could feel his chest against your back and the nearness of him had you feeling light-headed.
He leaned down. Morax’s nose brushed the crook of your neck, he inhaled deeply, breath hot and heavy against your neck. You felt dizzy, your mind felt slow. “I can smell your god on you, priestess.”
Your heart leapt to your throat, eyes widening as your hazed out mind processed his words. You scrambled, reaching for the knife you had hidden in your inner thigh, but Morax was faster, stronger.
Your hand flew to his wrist as he grabbed you by the throat to hold you still—not hard enough to choke you or bruise you, but enough pressure that you knew it was a warning.
Try anything and I’ll crush your neck.
Your mouth was dry as Morax parted your legs, knocking your thighs apart with his knee before reaching between your legs to grab the dagger. An unwelcome, dreadful realization swept over you as Morax’s lips twisted into an amused smirk at the weapon.
“Did you really think this would be able to kill me?” Morax’s voice was low and mocking. “Perhaps a lesser god like Osial would be weak to the properties of our marrow, but it would be little more than a tickle to me.”
His arrogance made your stomach churn, and any little hope you might have had left was swept away as he tossed away the dagger, watching it clatter against the stone before sinking into the pond.
“I knew who you were and what you had planned the moment you stepped foot in my city,” Morax leaned in close, lips nearly brushing yours as he spoke. “Your god sent you to die, priestess.”
“He wouldn’t-“ you tried to protest, talk back even though you knew it wasn’t in your best interest to argue against the god. But you were going to die anyway, you realized, and you figured how else to spend your last moments than defending the god you had devoted your life to.
“But he did,” Morax murmured, a sort of faux-sympathy in his tone that made your skin crawl. “He knew I would know who you were. He knew I would play along. He knew I would be insulted enough over the situation to seek him out on his territory to fight him. He used you to try to turn the uneven tides in his favor by setting up a battle on his home ground.”
You tried to shake your head again, tears stinging at your eyes. “No,” you said, “He-”
“What did he promise you?” Morax was mocking you, he was still mocking you, you could see the mirth clear in his eyes. Your lips trembled as your nails dug into his wrist, the pads of his fingers pressing just a bit harder against the sides of your neck as he waited for you to respond. “The old wives’ tale of taking a god’s place after killing him?”
You took in a breath, sharp and shaky, choking back a sob. You couldn’t hold back the tears, cheeks wet as they spilled over.
“He did,” Your reaction was confirmation enough for the god, who brought his free hand to your face, thumb wiping away the tears that escaped. You hated how gentle he was being because you knew you wouldn’t live to see the daybreak. “How gullible. If such a thing were true, the King of Sal Terrae would be the new God of Salt, and I would have countless domains.”
You couldn’t bring yourself to respond, and you tried to look away but he didn’t let you--the grip on your neck held you steady, forcing you to look him in the eye.
“Do you see now? Osial is so threatened by the idea of me he would send his priestess to certain death just at the slightest prospect for a chance…” he trailed off, eyes flickering down to your shoulder. “His lover, even?”
Your breath caught as the fingers brushing away your tears trailed down your neck, grazing your skin before coming to trace the scar on your shoulder, the mark left behind by Osial. You let out a shaky breath, eyes fluttering shut.
Morax speaks the truth, the more logical side of yourself was arguing again, a newfound strength against the rest of you, blindly loyal and devoted to Osial. Osial knew what fate waited for you in Liyue Harbor and he still convinced you to go.
But-
There are no ‘buts’, he sent you to die, are you ready to die?
You should be, there should be no question about it--there wasn’t earlier, you knew that there was a good chance you would die being sent to Liyue Harbor when you first arrived, so why now were you faltering in front of Morax? Questioning your faith?
“I don’t want to die,” it slipped from your mouth before you could stop yourself--your voice shook, little over a breath as you spoke, the tears were building again and you were struggling to hold them back.
The hand circling your neck slid up to cup your cheek in a manner similar to the way Osial would, and despite Morax’s hand feeling foreign and unfamiliar, you still leaned into it, desperate for any sort of comfort even if it was in the hands of the god who would kill you.
“You don’t have to,” Morax said, and your eyes widened, searching the amber of Morax’s for any sign that he was being honest. “His lands, his people, his crown, I’ll show that coward of a god that everything that is his will soon be mine,” he murmured, and you could barely process his words as his thumb ran along your bottom lip. “... starting with you.”
Starting with… you?
You tried to understand what he was saying but his words went in one ear out the other, it wasn’t until he leaned in close, tilting your face up toward him that it slowly began to register. His lips brushed yours, “What is your name, priestess?”
Had Osial ever asked you that? You assumed he knew because of who he was but… he had never asked, nor had he ever used it. It was always ‘priestess’.
And you told him, voice hoarse and shaky, waiting for him to do something. He repeated your name, voice low, a soft drawl that had heat pooling in your lower stomach because of the sheer idea of a god saying your name like that.
You thought you should say something, anything, instead of standing there but Morax didn’t give you the opportunity. You let out a noise of surprise as he dipped his head down, lips brushing yours before he pressed them together more firmly. Your hands curled around his forearm and bicep, eyes fluttering shut as Morax’s hand pressed against the small of your back, holding your body flush to his.
The robe did little to hide the way his body felt against yours, you could feel each and every crevice and contour of his abdomen, the way his muscles rippled as he shifted you away from the railing to lay you back on one of the stone benches. He followed you down, body sliding on top of yours as he deepened the kiss.
Osial rarely kissed you, a part of you couldn’t help but note as your lips parted for Morax when you felt his lips prod open yours. The most Osial kissed you was when he let his lips brush yours when he leaned in close to talk to you. This was a new feeling for you, overwhelming--you had never kissed someone before, not like this.
Morax’s biceps flexed as he held himself steady above you, you hated how a whimper escaped you when Morax pulled back to kiss down your jaw. It was different, you couldn’t help but compare, it felt more intimate.
Your body was trembling and your head already felt a bit fuzzy just from his kisses. One of his hands slid between your bodies, between your legs. You gasped as his fingers grazed your panties, grazing the damp silk, the slick that had started pooling as soon as Morax had come in close proximity to you.
You could feel his lips pull up into a thin smile against your shoulder, a low huff of laughter that had a whine building in the back of your throat.
“I am the warmonger, and yet your god is the one who built a shrine of his defeated enemies,” Morax’s teeth pressed lightly over Osial’s scar and you couldn’t stop the way your entire body shivered at the feeling. “Perhaps I should slay him on his throne, grind his bones to dust until it melds with the rest and take the throne as my own too, hm?”
Your only response was a moan, looking up at him through your lashes, eyes lidded as his fingers slipped beneath your panties--soft circles over your clit, slow and meticulous, your thighs were shaking, trying to grind your hips up against his hand but Morax kept at the slow pace, enjoying the way your body responded to his touch, aching and begging for more.
“Is that what you want?” Morax asked. “After I take you, his priestess, his lover… you want me to go to the Guyun Forest and finish this?”
What did he say? Go to Guyun Forest and…
Your heart lurched, eyes widening--finish this? As in… kill Osial?
You couldn’t linger on the thought because Morax was spreading your legs, slipping down your panties and pulling off his robes and your dress. Your mouth dried at the sight, panting as your gaze drifted over his body shamelessly. Morax had a body free of any scars—a distinct contrast to the battle-scarred body of Osial’s that you were used to. The thought made your throat tight, realizing that maybe Morax had no scars simply because there was no god he fought that was strong enough to lay a blow on him.
“Let us make one thing clear. There are no gods that can rival me.”
Would Osial even stand a chance?
He sent you to die.
But you loved him, you’d always love him, he was your god and-
If you loved him, would you be sleeping with his enemy? The one you were sent to kill?
Morax’s fingers trailed down your body, between your breasts, down to your navel, your skin burned everywhere he touched. It was hard to think straight beneath his touch, remember whose you were with Morax above you, replacing Osial’s marks and touches with his own.
“Perhaps I should bring you back to him,” Morax said, and you gasped, head tilted back against the stone as you felt his tip press against your entrance. He leaned forward, cupping the back of your head and lifting it off the bench and tilting it down so you were looking down between your bodies. Your breath caught, eyes wide and throat thick at the sight of his cock--he was bigger than Osial, would it even fit? you wanted to ask but just as you tried to voice your concerns, Morax shifted his hips forward, pushing the tip of his cock inside of you at a pace that had you on the verge of tears. “Take you on his throne, on the altar you give up offerings to him… force him to watch.”
You wanted to squeeze your eyes shut, toss your head back against the bench, but Morax kept you steady and you just couldn’t draw your eyes from where the two of you were connected.
“S’not gonna fit,” you gasped, the burn was too much, leaving you hot and light-headed, he’d barely even pushed the tip in and you were certain you were on the verge of passing out. Morax ignored you, one hand grabbing your hip hard while he continued to push into you. Tears spilled over your eyes, a sob bubbling at your lips as he stretched you out, not giving you time to adjust to the size of him.
By the time he had pushed himself fully inside you, you swore you were going to split open, your entire body tense and trembling and you tried to brace yourself for the inevitable thrust of his hips as he chased his own pleasure--gods were cruel lovers, even if it was sometimes unintentional.
But it never came. Instead, Morax leaned forward, body hovering over yours as he wiped away your tears, again, he kept himself still inside you, waiting for you to calm down. And you thought it ironic, really, as you focused your gaze on his face, realizing that the barbarous Morax was treating you more gently than your own god ever did.
He rolled his slips slowly, cautiously, even, eyes tracing your face as he watched to make sure you were ready for him to move. It really didn’t take long for the painful burn to shift into a more pleasurable one, each roll of his hips had you trembling but this time in a way that had you eager for more.
It wasn’t until your hips bucked up that he let out a huff of amusement, tongue darting out to lick the stray tear rolling down your cheek before he drew his hips back and snapped them up into yours. You barely bit back a moan of his name, but he reached out to grab your cheeks, squeezing them together to get your attention
“I want to hear you,” he said, voice rough before he let go of your face, reaching down to grab one of your thighs to push it up against your chest--a new angle, deeper, Osial had never taken you in this position before, he usually preferred to take you from behind, fisting your hair as his hips snapped against your ass.
Morax pressed his lips to yours, messily, teeth nearly clashing before he kissed down your neck. The feeling of his cock dragging in and out of your cunt had you dizzy, clawing at his back for more, one leg wrapped around his waist while the other tensed in his hand.
“Feels s’good,” you cried out, writhing beneath him at the brutal pace, each thrust had his tip brushing up against your cervix, your entire body was burning, walls spasming and fluttering around his cock, sucking him in deeper every time he drew his hips back. Your jaw was slack as he shifted into a kneeling position, somehow hitting inside you deeper, harder, faster with every buck of his hips, impossibly so. “I’m gonna cum.” your voice was slurred, and your vision was blurry, you weren’t even sure if he could understand you. “I’m gonna-”
“Say my name,” Morax groaned. “Loud enough for your god to hear.”
“Morax,” you sobbed, loud--you were loud, and the sound of the two of you was loud, sloppy, messy, you wondered if his people could hear their god defiling you from the streets below. “Mo-”
Your cry of his name cut off as Morax bit down hard over the mark that Osial had left, hard enough to draw blood. Your back arched against the bench, chest pressed to his as you came all over his cock at the feeling of his teeth digging deep into your skin.
Low grunts into your neck, hips rutting into yours at a pace that had your eyes rolling back, drool pooling at the corner of your lips--he didn’t stop after you had cum and it was too much for you to handle, your vision was getting spottier and spottier with every thrust, you couldn’t hold his arms to brace yourself anymore, limp beneath him, letting the god use your body to chase his own high.
And use you he did, strong enough to hold you in place while fucking his cock deep into you, teeth still buried in your shoulder over Osial’s scar, as if he were trying to remove the very idea of him from your body and replace it with himself. He came deep inside you, filling you up and then fucking you still, fucking his cum back into you every time a bit of it leaked out.
You could barely stay conscious, you weren’t even sure if you were fully conscious. You weren’t sure how long he continued to fuck his cum back into you, you weren’t sure how many times you had cum, you weren’t sure of much of anything besides the feeling of his cock stretching you out and his cum warm and thick, stuffing you full.
Morax’s kisses were wet and messy, lips stained with your blood as he dragged them from your shoulder back up to your neck until he pressed his nose against the side of your head, panting heavy, lips brushing your ear as he spoke. “You’re mine now--my priestess, my lover, mine…. How about we go show that god exactly what he lost?”
notes. this is before scaramouche became a harbinger. personal headcanons mixed in 🤭. not proofread. i haven’t written in a while so sorry if this is rigid
contrary to popular belief, scaramouche is actually quite vulnerable.
yeah, scaramouche, ei's prototype and creation, is vulnerable.
the abandonment by his creator was caused by his cries at birth. he's always had an overwhelming amount of emotions flooding within him. and ever since the abandonment, his identity had been stolen.
he doesn't exactly know who he is or what his purpose is in this world.
he's terribly afraid, angry, and most of all, desolate.
and as he wanders around the land of inazuma, he finds himself a temporary home in tatarasuna.
while he walks through the region, he finds children laughing and running around without a care in the world. their grandparents watch them, some scold the kids to be careful while others sit on the front of their house, waving their grandchildren and their friends over to eat fruit. and he can't help the small smile that arises on his face as he watches them do so.
he wonders if he could have been one of those children if not for the fact he was born only to be discarded by ei, the almighty shogun.
then he remembers those foolish feelings are the reason for his misery. he hates the reminder of it and soon enough he finds himself repressing those feelings.
but then, only a month into settling in tatarasuna, he bumps into you, a common villager. the first encounter is a chance meeting, at the local supermarket when you had both reached for the same amakumo fruit.
you laugh an apology for the inconvenience and as he looks up, all he sees is the smile across your face and amused look in your eye.
he mumbles out an "it's okay" before reaching for the fruit next to the one he had just tried to take.
as he turns around to go to the vendor, you pause him, and he looks at you in confusion.
"wait, wait, you shouldn't take that one. it’s rotting," you say hurriedly, handing him the fruit that both of you had attempted to grab a minute ago, "here, this ones perfect!"
scaramouche looks at your outstretched hand, then to the fruit.
"how'd you know?" he asks, looking at your fruit then back to the one in his hand.
"hm?" you look confused for a moment before your face brightens up again, "oh! you must not be from around here!"
you go on to explain the difference between the two fruits and soon enough you realize that scaramouche doesn't really know.. anything.
when he gives a vague explanation about how he hasn't been in inazuma since he was born you offer to help him around. and soon enough the two of you are joined at the hip.
wherever you are, he's there. and wherever he is, you're there.
in no time, your relationship progresses from mere strangers to friends.
now, two years later, he finds himself growing shy from your presence. the fleeting touches of your body against his makes him rigid with embarrassment and he can't help the warmth that rises.
with the help of a local grandmother, he finally realizes those feelings to be love. and the first thought that comes to him is that it's about time for you to abandon him. it’s okay he thinks. he doesn’t truly have a heart anyways, it wouldn’t affect him in the very least.
that's what he repeats to himself everyday anyways.
but quite frankly, if he's being really honest, scaramouche knows he doesn't want you to leave, he doesn't know how he would handle it.
and the disbelief of how you've managed to stay by his side for so long is already always in the back of his mind.
it doesn't help how scaramouche feels guilt throb inside of him whenever he's with you. he feels like he’s been deceiving you, not sharing much about himself while you share the wonders of the world with him. he knows how frustrating it must be to be his friend, even more, a potential lover. he’s barely told you about his past, being vague about his family and himself, just alluding to certain things.
you know though. you know that he's had a difficult past, albeit never being told about it. but you understand, and he's grateful.
“is it okay for me to stay by your side?”
your eyes widen slightly, turning over to where scaramouche sits, but ,then, the loud noises of crackles interrupt. in the reflection of scaramouche’s eyes you see brilliant lights, flaring into the sky. they’re like giant, sparkling flowers that bloom in the air, lasting only a few seconds, and quickly being replaced by new surges of color.
you look over again and the wonder and curiosity that fills scaramouche’s eyes as he watches the fireworks has your heart drumming in your chest.
“i only want you,” you say without a thought and this time scaramouche’s eyes widen, “i’ve never regretted meeting you. and i never will.”
your whispered words makes him feel as if something is stirring inside of him, it feels as if his heart is aching, but that would be impossible.
again, the heartless scaramouche feels overwhelmed with feelings and he feels the tears trying to burst through the seams. for a second he thinks again about his birth and how these feelings are worthless, that they are the sole reason why his mother had rejected him.
then he feels your hand take his and the gentle way in which you pull him into your arms. you rub his back and whisper, “it’s okay. i'm here for you. i'll always be here for you kuni. you can let yourself feel, it’s okay.”
because you already know.
you’re a common villager in tararasuna, and you already know of scaramouche’s origin. you’ve heard the rumors circulating the town. that the almighty shogun had created a doll, one that resembled the shogun so similarly with fair skin, long indigo hair, and beauty so unimaginable that you couldn't fathom it. it wasn't hard to connect the dots, how your new friend was supposed to be the almighty shogun's puppet.
and although it’s quiet, you hear the gasp of inhale come out of scaramouche.
scaramouche has always felt like shielding himself from his feelings would compensate for the flood within him, but how can a person who is so humanly sensitive and constantly overflowing with emotions hold back for so long?
"thank you,” he whispers, and just like that he lets the tears fall.
his words are so simple and gentle. the state of his fragility in this moment is comparable to that of a wilting flower and you can't help but embrace him with all that you have.
it’s then that scaramouche, a meager vessel made to hold the gnosis of the almighty shogun, finally comes to the conclusion that he isn't as heartless as he thinks.
there are no words spoken between the two of you, just the sounds of fireworks crackling and chorus of crickets whistling through the night. and the moon that shines from above witnesses it all.
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