a/n: turns out I can write fluf lol. tbh this man suffered enough already… also ngl missed describing classical music and how they feel (if u know, u know… rip iwachan) the one described here is clair de lune by debussy; inspired by the poem of the same name, written by paul verliane himself.
note: gender neutral reader as always but one term of endearment used here is “feminine” just so you know
one step after another, followed by few other, turning around to check that the door is closed, you keep on walking.
floor after floor, door after door, layer by layer you go down the depths of one of the secluded spaces of the mafia.
with a paper bag of all things in one hand...
maybe if it were any other thing, any other person; you'd deem the situation funny. you're positive those goons who watch you repeat the same routine almost daily must find it ridiculous too.
and perhaps, it is, to the outer eye.
yet the frame of a person so lonely, almost blending into the wall he leans against, a notepad rested on one leg, writing and scribbling a word or two once in a while never leaves your mind.
it is a lonely picture to witness, and a cruel one to turn a blind eye.
or so you say to comfort yourself and ignore that stinging feeling deep inside.
verlaine seems to be writing something in his little notepadk when you enter the room again, not bothering to give you a glance, he just nods his head slightly.
that is all you need to slide down next to him.
the crumbled paper makes all the noise in the room, save for your breaths and your heart that you thin beats a little too loud.
verlaine has stopped questioning long ago why you always insist on coming here, coming to him.
a sweet aroma slowly disperses in the air, fills the lonely space and surrounds the two of you. you're careful not too move too quick or too close to him, careful as to not brush arms, especially when his focus is the words that lie before his eyes.
it's a welcoming routine to empty to contents of the bags and boxes you bring each day.
taking notice of your actions coming near to an end, verlain closes the notepad and tucks it inside the breast pocket.
"what brings you today?" verlaine speaks into the space ahead.
there is always a soft melancholy to his voice, a sadness in his eyes, you’ve learnt it’s easier to not look at him for too long, else you get caught up with the whirlpool.
holding the small plate his way, you just exclaim; “tiramisu.” allowing your eyes to wander for a second.
he has braided his hair again, although a little sloppy at best. with no mirror in sight, it’s to be expected but you still find it confusing how his hands haven’t gotten used to the act itself already.
there is a sadness in his voice again, as there always is, yet it reaches your ears a little different than the always.
there is a difference to him that you cannot put your finger on, but maybe it’s better to be left alone.
“don’t think i haven’t noticed.” verlaine says out of nowhere as he eyes the dessert but for a short moment.
it takes everything in you not to react, not to shoot up from your position or have your eyes wide opened.
instead, you opt for ignoring what he has said and raise the two spoons, making a v shape while holding them.
verlaine takes the one on the left.
letting your eyes wander to him, you indulge yourself for a moment longer.
it’s only the first bites that he lets himself relax, closing his eyes as he savors the flavor on his tongue.
and maybe, just maybe, if you’re careful and lucky enough, you can hear a delightful hum leaving his lips once in a while.
time passes in the respective silence as the two lonely figures sit in their bubbles and eat. every few seconds you feel his arms brushing yours, or yours brushing his.
putting the plate to a side, verlaine rests his head against the wall then, eyes still closed, he lets out a sigh that's not quite exhausted or bothered.
the tranquilty that manages to exist in this little spaces fascinates you every time you're down there.
a voice inside you whispers "it got nothing to do with the location." but to no avail, caught up in the mere pleasure of simply existing, you don't even hear it.
that is, until you hear the sound of fabric against letter and papers, and turn so fast to verlaine, you can feel your head spinning.
has he gotten bored of you already?
you must've stayed like that for a little too long apparently.
verlaine, turning to you only to be met with whatever expression you seem to carry, looks surprised himself. bringing his left hand to his mouth, he chuckles lightly.
this might as well be the first time you've seen a smile on his face directly–
no stolen glances, no sweets or carefully cooked meals to no end for hours and hours, no attempts at jokes to draw out even the hint of a smile, to try and get him out of his head for a while.
"what's with that look on your face, ma mie?" he asks, with the little notepad in one hand and a smile gracing his features.
since when it's been this hard to find words? "i- i just thought,"
let alone remembering words as a concept, how can you explain it to him that he always goes back to whatever he was doing when your shared time together comes to an end? that you do not want it to end? that maybe you feel lonelier than people assume verlaine to be, maybe you long for company as much as you think he does too.
even repeating these in your head sounds silly, are you and verlaine not two strangers who just happened to cross paths at this part of the long path called life after all?
what logic is there to get upset about?
"well, whatever it was," his voice fills the gap between the two of you again, "you must've assumed wrong."
going through the scribbled text, verlaine flips pages at a pace you cannot deem too quick or slow. eyes locked on one page for a second longer than the others were granted, the smile blooms on his face again.
"since we are celebrating," he straightens his back and pulls away from the wall, "i figured i would read something."
it's ridicilous how those simple words clear away all your worries and doubts in an instant.
"i don't believe you ever heard my writing, no?" he tilts his head to the side.
you shake your head slightly as if in a trance, eyes locked on him, only to switch to his notepad once in a while, you just wait, without ever breathing.
holding the notepad with his right, he places his left hand on the ground, for support you assume, grazing against yours.
not daring to move, or cast a glance, you don't think much on it– you doubt you could, to be fair.
then his fingers move, and the small contact between skin and skin is no more just a mere coincidence one could brush away. as if it's been something he has done always, verlaine's hand moves over to yours, not quite holding, but not quite letting you away.
that warmth, along with his eyes of sea shining under the gentle sun is all you can think about.
then verlaine begins speaking and you can feel time stopping right then and there.
as if a piano nearby is being played, ever so quietly, ever so slightly. the melody so thin yet strong, fading in the air but not quite.
then the melody rises, and rises, louder yet remains its silent grace as it grows stronger. louder and louder with each passionate pressing of the keys, dancing in the air, floating, surrounding your entire being.
something takes over the sadness that was heard at the beginning... then, silence and it's a return back to the main melody.
yet without a doubt in your ears, in your heart and in your being, that the opening has changed, the feeling from the start, from the day one, no longer remains.
"Au calme clair de lune triste et beau, Qui fait rêver les oiseaux dans les arbres. Et sangloter d'extase les jets d'eau, Les grands jets d'eau sveltes parmi les marbres." verlaine's soft voice echoes and the poem comes to its end.
yet the remnants of his voice linger in the atmosphere.
a moment passes.
then another...
and another and it feels as if a life time has been passed as you and verlaine sit in the same position from earlier.
if it wasn't for his notepad closing and disappearing inside his pockets, you don't think you'd even blink, or breath, or remember for your heart to beat.
with the notepad moved away, he lets his hand fall back onto yours partially.
he steals a glance your way, almost to ask what you think.
the words spill from your lips before you can notice: "if you are missing the moon light, perhaps you should come up with me once in a while."
likely, not the comment he was expecting to hear, but one to draw a small laughter from him, something resembling wonder appears on his face.
shaking his head softly, he closes his eyes. "thank you for the offer. i'll keep it in mind." he begins speaking.
then, the same shining eyes reveal themselves again and find yours; "however, i believe i won't be needing that for the time being."
translations:
Ma mie (f): The soft white part of bread. Very old fashioned. (as a term of endearment)
the quote is from Paul Verlaine's poem "Clair De Lune", translation by Norman R. Shapiro: "With the sad and beautiful light of the moon, which sets the birds in the trees dreaming. And makes the fountains sob with ecstasy, the slender water streams among the marble statues."
Thank you for the 200 followers! I’m happy to see so many people enjoy my work and I promise to be more consistent in the future! Holding this little event to express my appreciation for you guys <3
◇ ABOUT THE EVENT
↳ To give this event some semblance of a theme, I will be writing short fics or drabbles about BSD and Genshin Impact characters in a School AU.
↳ To join, hop in my inbox and send me a short School AU prompt or scenario + one character of your choosing. You are free to take inspiration from these prompt lists. 1 2 3
◇ SAMPLE ENTRY
Hello! For the 200 followers event, may I request “sharing notes while reviewing for a quiz” with Kazuha?
◇ ADDITIONAL DETAILS
↳ This event will end on Friday, September 2. I will not be fulfilling requests sent in past that date, but I may be posting other requests submitted ahead.
↳ If you can, kindly request off anon! I may not be able to write for certain characters and contacting you regarding this may be difficult if you have used the anonymous feature to send in your requests.
↳ Yes, you may request more than once.
↳ Everything will be gender-neutral unless specified otherwise.
Once again, thank you very much for your support, everyone! I hope you will be able to participate and enjoy this event! Reblogs of this post are appreciated!
It’s wedding season and you’ve got a large one coming up. But it’s not just any wedding, it’s a family wedding meaning…extended relatives. Are you going to brave the night out on your own or are you rsvping with a plus one?
gn!reader, modern au, mentions of alcohol, mostly platonic but implied romantic feelings
Part 1 here
ALBEDO
so the bad news is that you find out he’s the hired live wedding painter. turns out all the times you shared his art posts on your instagram story were not for naught
the good news is that all he has to paint is the first kiss!
tbh he accepted your relative’s commission as an excuse to ‘coincidentally’ run into you, he just didn’t think you’d ask him to be your date
overhears a lot of gossip while he’s painting and tells you everything when you come over to hang out and watch
you bring him cake since he’s busy and he asks you, super nonchalantly, to feed him
“as you can see, my hands are a bit full at the moment” you’re too flustered to notice the slight twitch of his lips, a subtle smirk
not too keen on dancing so he just sits around and sketches. you manage to drag him away for at least one dance. he’s forced to leave his sketchbook and returns to find that it’s gone
someone ends up returning it to you? since it’s filled with sketches of you, you must know who it belongs to. you’re in disbelief but lo and behold, you open it to find various sketches of you throughout the night; dancing, laughing, even just standing around
you look up to see albedo himself standing in front of you, frozen in shock... wait he can explain-
KAZUHA
love in the air, romance in the wind…he is in his element. even more so if it’s an outdoor wedding
you tell him he doesn’t have to bring his own gift, but he insists and brings a little bonsai plant for a harmonious marriage
A HIT with your family because he’s just so well mannered and polite (his flowery words also make him especially charming to the older ladies)
truly a double edged sword though because he gets stuck in an essential oil mlm pitch
it’s sunset after the ceremony so you two take a walk through the rose garden to kill time before the reception. you comment the roses smell nice so he picks one out (he’s so bold, the sign literally says ‘do not pick the roses’)
mans is out here quoting shakespeare “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet” and then he puts it in your hair
your other single relatives are seething with jealousy
he keeps talking about what he would do differently for his wedding but he sometimes slips in ‘we’ and ‘our’
“perhaps for our cake we could do a different flavor for each layer.” is he insinuating something or just referencing his future spouse?
ITTO
takes so. many. photos. of you, of him, the decor, the scenery, everything. he’s sending them all in real time to his arataki gang gc and you know his boys are hyping him up the way he’s smiling at his phone
the ceremony is outdoors so unfortunately there are bugs. even more unfortunate is that a mosquito is flying around itto and he raises his arm to swat it away right…when…the officiant asks if there are any objections
yikes
other than that, he’s not a bad date. he’s funny, he dances, he’ll bring you a plate everytime he makes another round to the buffet table
the kids love him. he’s fun but also takes them seriously so that dance battle with the 8 year old? yeah he wasn’t holding back. keeps them out of trouble as well e.g. he stopped your bratty little nephew from running straight into the first dance
they’re following him around like a mini arataki gang, you just want your date back please
signs his name obnoxiously large in the guest book
at the end of the night he is still just a big sweetheart. if your feet hurt from your shoes or dancing or even if you’re just too tired to walk, he will offer you a piggy back ride
AYATO
surprisingly eager to agree. he’s excited for his first real wedding since all the ones he has previously attended were glorified networking events
no one outside the business sphere really has a face to the name so you don’t have to worry about attracting too much attention
he talks about his job (financially stable ✓) and his relationship with his younger sister (family oriented ✓); multiple aunts are asking why you aren’t dating this nice young man? your face heats up in embarrassment and he’s enjoying every second of it! fans the flames like
“yes y/n, why aren’t we dating?”
the reception has a diy drink mixing station so obviously you guys have to make each other’s drinks. at least you tried to make him something decent; he has the audacity to smile while handing you peppermint schnapps and fruit punch honestly wtf
slips the photographer a crisp $100 to take some extra candids of you and him and gives them a burner email to send the photos to
kind of just sways on the dance floor at first but it’s nothing your encouragement (and some alcohol) can’t fix! unlocking fun ayato is always nice
the newly weds wanted a private last dance so everyone is ushered outside to prep for the send-off. you guys go off to the side where he asks you for your own private last dance
doesn’t want the night to end but he won’t say it outright, just keeps hinting at it. you take him out for late night skewers and boba
HEIZOU
the sunglasses are a part of his outfit
scavenger hunt champion; he figures out the clues so fast people just start lingering around, trying to overhear his thoughts. purposely says the wrong answer out loud and sends a crowd running the opposite direction
a very fun and solid date. he’s ready to party and you’re not surprised to see he’s such a smooth dancer. honestly it’s kind of sexy? shikanoin slayzou
at some point during the night, he is at the front of the conga line
people watching! he makes some offhand comments about some guests and before you know it, you’re creating random backstories for them
you get a little bit of cake at the corner of your mouth so he wipes it off for you with his thumb
“oh! you got a little something right— here, let me get it for you”
he doesn’t think much of it and goes right back to eating and socializing. for someone normally so sharp, he sure doesn’t notice the way he’s making your heart do backflips in your chest
tells you exactly where to stand to catch the bouquet; let’s out a big whoop when you catch it because it was all based on vibes and intuition. go figure
SCARAMOUCHE
straight up says no but you keep going on and on and on that he finally agrees just so you’d stop. says he’s going for the drama, which isn’t a lie
if he hears just a whisper of pregnancy news…he is going to congratulate them out loud, fake smile and all. also brings up controversial topics at your table for some good old fashioned family entertainment
when he sees your cousin being mean to you he claps back by asking why their plus one has been drooling after that pretty bridesmaid like a dog. Your cousin throws their drink on him and storms off and you’re ready for him to throw a fit but he just bursts out laughing because it was so worth it
doesn’t smile in any group photos, and the more the photographer takes, the more visibly annoyed he looks
told you way before the wedding that he does not dance, but he feels a little bad seeing you just sitting at your table so he flicks your forehead and you look up to him offering his hand
“come on. what kind of date what I be if we don’t even dance” he says begrudgingly. he doesn’t meet your eyes but you swear you see a light dusting of pink across his face when you take his hand
it was the most awkward dance ever but it’s the thought that counts and you’re touched
someone accidentally sets his jacket on fire during the sparkler send-off
idk idk I deadass had trouble characterizing 4/6 of them 😭 didn’t even do heizou’s hangout yet ahaha
⤍ Offering to hold Kaeya, Kazuha, and Scaramouche’s hand as a joke.
⤍ 800 words, fluff, Kaeya/Reader, Kazuha/Reader, Scaramouche/Reader, the reader and the trio are not yet in a relationship
⤍ A/N: The 3 Ks… Struggled with Kazuha’s part, hope it seems ok
— A common enemy has you teaming up with someone familiar. Heading towards unknown territory together as the stars twinkled above your heads, you couldn’t help but notice that your companion seemed uncharacteristically quiet tonight.
You glanced at him. Shoulders tense, back straight as an arrow.
Almost as if he was nervous?
As you watched him try to hide the fact that he had just been startled by a passing animal, you teased:
“What’s wrong? If you’re that scared, you can hold my hand if you want…”
KAEYA
“Oh? Well, I’ll take you up on your kind offer,” Kaeya said in reply, slipping his hand into yours and lacing your fingers together.
