#>soultember

[theinkedfoxsl]

Soultember #4 - First Words

"Eiji. Do you remember when we met?"

The question came as Katsumi lay on the man's chest, rays of morning sun filtering through the window and warming them comfortably. The shrine guardian hummed, fingers lazily running up and down Katsumi's bare arm. Of course he remembered.. How could he forget that day? 

"Hello. I am Katsumi."

Eiji jumped, turning around as electricity crackled at his fingertips, getting ready to summon his sword. But that electricity grew stronger than weaker with a sudden but strong burst of wind. A man sat on the bed, blond and brown hair tied in a high ponytail with a strange wave embellished ribbon. His armour was slashed in several places, showing the bloodied white kimono underneath. His blue eyeliner was smudged, blue-green eyes glossy as he stared at Eiji. His tails were larger now, up behind him, the bandages still on the left one to keep it together.

"Hi.. Katsumi. I am Asase Eiji."

The kitsune stood slowly from the bed, gloved hand pressing to his stomach as he turned towards Eiji. "Asase Eiji…?" He tilted his head to the side, eyes narrowing as he drew closer with strained steps. The feline puppet straightened out, still prepared to attack if necessary. "'I won't hurt you.' Do you remember?" His voice was eerily calm as he approached the shrine guardian. Those words.. the ones Eiji had said upon approaching him.

Katsumi exhaled shakily, collapsing against the door beside Eiji, unable to fully hold himself up any longer. "Humans. So uninformed sometimes.." He explained with a laugh that made him grimace at the sudden pain. Eiji assumed he was talking of his injuries, the shrine guardian relaxing as Katsumi's calm tone became more.. playful. "Your wrist."

Eiji blinked, then looked down at his right arm. The words that'd been there since he was created. A puppet, maybe, but a soul nonetheless. Katsumi released his abdomen, shakily removing the bracer over his right forearm. He then pulled his sleeve up, revealing the inked words on his wrist. Eiji's words. The feline puppet slid his own sleeve up, he hadn't looked at the words in years, long since giving up on finding the person.. 

Katsumi's introduction.

It was him.

"Of course, I remember. You were attacked by humans who tried to cut your tails off. Saved by yours, truly." Eiji teased softly, turning his head to kiss the top of his head. Katsumi hummed affirmatively, a soft purr escaping the kitsune as his partner kissed him. Eiji couldn't help his smile at the purr, it was always so sweet.

"That was almost a decade ago." Katsumi pushed himself up, long strands of brown and blond hair messily falling over his shoulders. Eiji reached up, tucking some of the strands of his hair behind his pointed ear. "I never.. liked my birthday." The kitsune leaned into his touch, blue green eyes closing. "But that day.. Us meeting.." He turned his head inward, kissing Eiji's wrist. 

Eiji brought his hand to the man's face, gently tilting his head up at him. "I know, my darling." Tomorrow would mark ten years they met. Today marked the kitsune's two hundred and sixtieth birthday. "Happy birthday. Forty more years and you'll get another tail." Eiji smiled when Katsumi opened his eyes just to roll them at the shrine guardian. 

"You just want a third pillow."

"Haha, maybe." The feline puppet leaned forward, resting his forehead against the kitsune's own, his hand still on his cheek. "Would you like to go into the city with me tomorrow? We can get inarizushi?" Eiji suggested, thumb gently brushing the edge of the scar that extended over the bridge of Katsumi's nose onto his cheek. 

Katsumi lit up immediately, blue green eyes widening in glee. The shrine guardian never failed to cheer him up and excite him. Eiji laughed at the sound of the man's tails wildly whipping back and forth against the bed, the fluffy tails loudly thumping against the mattress. "Yes! Archons, I love you, droplet." He beamed, unable to contain his smile. 

The shrine guardian chuckled, closing his eyes as he rested with his lover. "I love you too, Katsumi." Eiji mumbled, voice soft and genuine. He immediately smiled into the kitsune's sudden kiss, barely managing to kiss back with said smile. Katsumi giggled, arms coming around Eiji's shoulders. Eiji brought his free hand up, cupping the man's other cheek. 

Ten years ago, Eiji wasn't sure where his life was going to go. He wasn't sure what would happen. Even more uncertain when he stumbled upon that injured kitsune in the forest clearing. But as Katsumi knocked him onto his back, tails wagging in the air behind him.. Eiji couldn't have imagined it turning out any other way. Those words on his wrist were perhaps the only thing the Gods gave him that he could truly appreciate. 

Or rather, it was Katsumi he appreciated so much.

[theinkedfoxsl]

Soultember #3 - Timer

It was always an odd sort of thing.

His timer had counted down to zero at a relatively young age. When he’d met two boys, twins from Mondstadt. Well, Inazuma, the older twin had insisted. He was really too young to understand it, there was nobody else he’d been introduced to that was new that year except for them. The only problem…

Their timers were both already zero.

“Huh? Our parents told us our timers were always set to zero.”

“Something about fate.”

An old family story. It was one Ohm recited to him and Sulien when the two couldn’t sleep with the blizzard forming just outside the academy walls. An old tale of two twins from before the Archons rose to power. He always liked the story, maybe because he had so many siblings of his own. Either way, Ohm’s calm voice always eased him to sleep.

But it did add to his confusion.

Was one of the twins his soulmate? And if yes, which? He met them at the same time, in the same place. And there was simply no way to find out from their timers. Were multiple soulmates even a thing? He asked his mother all these questions, but she didn’t seem to know the answers either. 

“Sometimes fate gets confused.”

She’d told him.

He wished that she had told him fate could also be unkind.

So much happened in such a short time. Life as he knew it fell apart when he made the wrong choice, an uninformed move. Then it changed again when he tried playing hero. But by then, he stopped worrying about soulmates. Every day was a fight, a battle, it seemed so much more straightforward than fate could ever be.

There was only one moment during this time where the thought crossed his mind. When Sulien wiped the dirt and dried blood from his body with a wet cloth. His hands steady as he wiped the wet cloth over the timer on the boy’s forearm. “I always wondered..” The older boy mumbled out loud, but grew quiet as he continued to clean him. 

“Wondered what?”

But Sulien didn’t reply, not to that question at least. No, the alchemist was instead focused on bandaging his injuries instead. Maybe one day he would have the answers to the questions that surrounded the zeroes on his forearm. But not today. Or tomorrow. Or any time soon. Not with the lilac eyed boy growing silent.

The years went by.

Sulien changed.

Of course he did, it was his fault.

Ajax knew it was his fault, afraid of being left alone.

Somehow, even quieter than before. 

He’d tried to get the Harbinger out of the house, but their schedules rarely aligned. Or maybe Sulien was avoiding him, he couldn’t tell. The man had changed. Ajax wished he knew what happened. What he caused. But Sulien never spoke about it. Well, he didn’t speak much at all, at least not to the Fatuus.

He hadn’t even been there when Ajax became Tartaglia. 

Only a letter with a familiar black and gold seal.

And then Ajax grew busy, too.

He hated it, hated how busy he’d gotten. How busy Sulien got, the Harbinger often spent days to months at the Razvedka bunker conducting various undercover missions. And Ajax had his own duties to attend to. Like ships in the night, always passing, but never stopping. He despised it. He remembered a time they were close, inseparable even.

“Khris, Inessa, and I will ensure all the sigils are prepped and ready for when the time comes.” 

Ajax was left studying the cracked porcelain mask. “Leave the other two to it! When was the last time you were out of Snezhnaya, comrade?” He threw his arm over his fellow Harbinger’s shoulder. His forearm felt warm. But he chalked it up to the heat of Liyue and proximity, despite the obvious chill rolling off of Sulien.

“I don’t remember.” His flat response made Ajax cringe, the younger man biting the inside of his cheek awkwardly. Silence fell over them as they stood on the docks of the Harbour. “...Whatever, we should check in at the bank. Come, fruit tart.” Sulien shrugged the man’s arm off of him and headed in the direction of the Northland bank. 

The ginger quickly followed him, unable to shake the warmth from his forearm, where the finished timer sat like an unfortunate tattoo. “‘Fruit tart’? That’s new, Li-” Sulien’s masked face snapped towards him robotically and he coughed instead of finishing the word. “Alright, Sandy.” Ajax teased back, hands in his pockets as he smiled. 

This would be good for them, he convinced himself. This mission together.

It didn’t take him very long to get distracted though.

The timer on his arm grew warm whenever he touched Sulien, the warmth fading when they strayed apart. He laid in bed at night, the faint glow of the lanterns outside of the window giving him the light he needed to stare at the black zeroes. Ajax sighed as he lowered his arm to the bed beside him. That was one question answered. But what about every other question he had?

Could someone have multiple types of soulmates? Did his arm get warm in the same way? Was he his soulmate, too? Or was it just one way? Did they have time? Would Sulien even want to after..

A knock at the door drew him from his thoughts and he sat up, dull blue eyes staring at the bedroom door. It was relatively late…

“I was out working and I stopped at Wanmin. Uhm..” 

Ajax slid out of bed, wrapping the sheet around his body as he headed towards the door. He pulled it open, surprising Sulien who blinked at his sudden appearance. “You brought me food?” He raised an eyebrow at the man whose face returned to its usual relatively stoic appearance. Sulien gave a curt nod towards the kitchen down the hall.

As he followed Sulien, he considered asking about his timer. About whether or not he felt what Ajax felt. But the burden of expectation caused the words to die on his tongue. Maybe he was just getting desperate for fate to do something kind. Maybe he was just convincing himself it was real. Maybe the warmth was just a facade.

So he sat with Sulien at the table, enjoying the late night snack with a racing mind and a beating heart. Unable to ask. Unsure of how to phrase it.

“Has your timer changed at all?”

It was his turn to be surprised, visibly so judging by the way Sulien looked away from him and down at his plate. “Sort of. Has yours?” Sulien nodded, his own timer hidden underneath the long sleeve of his turtleneck. Ajax hadn’t seen his numbers in years. “It.. gets warm, right?” Another short nod. 

Ajax set his fork down and then held his arm out to the other man. Sulien stared at his arm for a moment, lilac eyes trained on Ajax’s black zeroes. The older man then hesitantly rolled up his own sleeve, the scars from years of cold burn visible in fractals around the timer. They both said zero. 

Sulien tensed when the man touched his arm, running his calloused fingers over the large numbers. Warmth. They both felt warm. “I guess it was you after all.” Ajax smiled, watching the way the numbers glowed a faint orange under his fingertips. Sulien managed a small smile as he watched, even though he remained quiet. 

“It would be you, Lien..” 

[theinkedfoxsl]

Soultember #2 - Reincarnation

They existed through the dawn of time, as lifeforms grew and died before their very eyes. They’d seen the start, they were the end. The centuries that once stretched on became minutes, the years felt like seconds. Such was the life of Death. An undertaking they accepted, for they knew no other life. There was no other reality for them, there was only the expected path for them to follow, the one set before them.

The mortals changed through the years, grew, matured, but meaningless to them. They built temples to the Gods, worshipped and praised them, left offerings, sometimes even sacrifices. They never understood the revelry. What was the use of sacrifice? A coward’s cry for attention from the deities. But Gods were Gods because of their assumed superiority over other life forms. 

So they were surprised when they heard the call of worship. 

It never occurred to them that the mortals would worship something perceived as being so bleak. Curiosity could only fill them as they blended in with the mortals of the city, a temple dedicated to them within the heart of it. It was smaller than some of the temples they’d seen, but built just as nicely. The tympanum decorated with rather hopeful signifiers of Death rather than the usual dark ones.

“Ah, sorry!” 

They blinked at the man who’d run into them, soft features twisted into worry as he held his hand out to them. “It is fine.” They took his hand, allowing the man to pull them to their feet. His hand was warm in theirs, his touch gentle. They inspected his face, amber eyes sweeping over his features. 

“I’ve never seen you here before, are you new to the city? Or just the temple?”

His question was genuine as he dropped their hand, a soft smile on his face. A wreath of laurel decorated his ornately styled hair, his clothing consisted of blacks and light blues. He was certainly interesting. They wondered.. “Both. New to both.” They answered simply after a few seconds. 

“Welcome to my temple then, I’m Cirino.”

They paused.

“Heath..”

Cirino held out his arm and Heath hesitated before they interlocked their elbows. The priest didn’t know, the very deity he worshipped stood by his side, unassuming. “Allow me to show you around. Oh, and if you need a place to stay until you can get on your feet.” Cirino tilted his head towards a small door at the very back behind the altar. “We are always open to the populace.”

Heath couldn’t have been prouder. 

It wasn’t like they needed a place to stay, they had duties to attend to, after all. But Cirino was an interesting figure, his personality drew in the deity. They didn’t fully know what to expect from him, their curiosity only growing. Then Heath found their free time often occupied by the priest in question. 

It was frowned upon.

The Gods often took what they wanted, sure, but actual romantic entanglements with lesser beings was frowned upon. 

Still, when did Death discriminate?

“Cirino, can I show you something?”

The priest looked up, long brown bangs falling in his eyes from the sudden action. Cirino huffed some, blowing the bangs from his eyes. “Of course, Heath!” And his smile graced his face once more. Heath stepped closer to him, the black candles flickering as they passed by them. Cirino tilted his head when they stepped in front of him.

Heath reached up, hand sliding over the priest’s cheek, thumb brushing against his soft skin. “Does the faithful believe in fate?” They questioned, tone hushed. Cirino leaned into their touch, green eyes trained solely on them as he gave them a short affirmative nod. Heath looked away momentarily, thinking over their decision. 

Cirino was surprised to find bright orange eyes meeting his once more, tan skin shifting to a more sickly purple hue. Dark black spiralled from their biceps downwards, the hand holding his face soon becoming black. “I must admit I have not been truthful in my identity.” Heath admitted in a quiet voice, tilting their head to the side, silver strands of hair falling into their face.

They were surprised when he reached out to them, carefully tucking the strands of silver behind their ear and out of their eyes. “I am blessed that the Gods have granted my prayers.” His tone was one of amazement, admiration lacing every word. “Ah.. I’ve sung your praises, that’s so embarrassing.” Cirino seemed to realise, looking away quickly as red covered his cheeks.

“You’re a priest dedicated to the worship of Death, it is not embarrassing to worship as the other  hierei may.” 

He chuckled at that, twirling some of the looser strands of silver hair around his fingers. “I have never known another to be confronted with their deity, however. At least, not truthfully so.” Heath would give him that, shrugging their shoulders some. “Can I ask why you decided to tell me?” His voice dropped to a whispered tone, quiet, it was just them and yet.. 

It felt appropriate.

Heath leaned in closer, his head tilted down at them, they pushed themself up some. Just enough that their lips could hover over his. “I have seen you turn away many who vie for your affections.” They could feel his shaky exhale, much less composed than he seemed on the surface it would seem.

“I simply didn’t want to risk the same rejections. May I?”

Cirino took the initiative, soft warm lips pressing against theirs. Heath rested their free hand on his chest to give them some balance as they kissed the priest back. The other Gods could draw their judgements as they wished. Heath felt only relief at the feeling of Cirino’s lips on theirs, at the feeling of his hands on their skin pulling them in closer. 

Death came with great burden, but also great fealty. 

An understanding was Cirino’s mortality. They would not tempt the ire of the Gods by expanding his lifespan. A rather tragic agreement between the two. But not once did Heath leave his side through the years. Through good and bad, life and death, they always stayed. And he, in turn, never stopped worshipping the Deity of Death.

There was nothing but love between them.

A love that sparked a predicament. 

It wasn’t often Life meddled, the two rarely got along. Such was their existences, since the beginning. But as the supposed creator of all, Life was the only one who could. “What are you doing here, Alee?” The wind blew their hair, the smell of balsam and blackthorn carried with it. The figure beside them remained silent at first, merely stepping forward and bending down.

A crude bouquet made up of twigs of mulberry, honeysuckle, witch hazel, and edelweiss was placed atop the carved gravestone. The man then stood, every shred of dead grass beneath him flourishing. “It is the best I can do.” Alee commented, dark hair stirring in the wind. He looked up to the sky, pale face observing the growing clouds. “A storm is coming.”

“You’ve angered them again, I see.”

Alee waved his hand, unbothered by the darkening clouds. “I am not here for them, Heath.” Red eyes met theirs, the man tilting his head. “You will have to pay a price.” They knew. Heath looked at the grave, head lowering. Death did not discriminate, but Life was all creating. “He will pass away. And in every life, you will have to find him. But he will remember.” Alee turned to look down at the grave as well. 

It was the kindest thing he could offer.

They knew that.

“Make a deal with Death then, old friend?”

Alee held out his hand and Heath lifted their head to shake his hand. 

“A deal bound.” 

They shook hands. 

And their grip grew empty as the man disappeared once more, leaving them alone with their thoughts. Heath bent down, watching the grass Alee previously brought to life die as they grew nearer to it. “In another life, my love.” They whispered, their voice lost to the increasing winds. They reached out, darkened fingertips brushing over the carvings. “I will find you, always. That is my binding.”

[theinkedfoxsl]

Soultember #1 - Colours

You were surprised when you met him. The treasure hoarder pulling you out of the path of a hilichurl arrow intended for him. You were surprised to see the golden insignia pinned to the front of his cloak like a brooch. But then you were further surprised by the colour of it. The sudden saturation of the world. 

The man released you, pushing you away from him with ease. An icy chill blew by you causing you to shudder where you stood, watching as a spear of Cryo dispatched of the offending pest. The world as you knew it shifted, changed before your very eyes. You never thought it would be something like this, nor did you really believe it’d be as beautiful as people described it.

Though it still remained muted, flecks of grey seeped into the edges of your vision in the muted world of night around you. The man’s sword disappeared from his hand as he turned away from you. “Wait!” You called to him, confusion clear. Why would your soulmate opt to leave? “What’s your name?!”

The man stopped suddenly, the white tipped black tail that poked out from underneath his cloak swished side to side slowly. Even if he wasn’t what you’d envisioned your soulmate to be, you still wanted to know. Fluffy ears twitched as he looked over his shoulder at you. Most of his face was covered, by his mask and his bangs, eyes rimmed in dark makeup. But bright green eyes stared at you.

“Ezel.”

Ezel waited long enough for your name and then he was gone, disappearing into the night without another word. With your world in colour, you spoke a wish to the wind, that you may see him again. If not in this life, then perhaps another. His kindness not lost on you. You hoped it wouldn’t be goodbye. Even as the grey at the edges of your vision worried you. A thought pushed aside with the beauty of colour in front of you.

Many things could be taken for granted in life, a fact he’d learned painfully several times throughout the years. The laugh of a sister, the touch of a lover, the determination of a friend, the love of a mother. Things one would never think to miss, would never think to seek out too desperately. Other things.. You think you have forever with. Or at least, he thought he did. But then, Ezel had always been selfish.

Forever was something obtainable to him.

Something within his grasp. Even as he failed to make it real. Just out of reach, fingertips brushing against an ideal. He believed he would never have to yearn again could he achieve the mysterious notion of eternity. Some things he couldn’t bring back, graves that lined his soul as inspiration. But that just meant he’d make it so he couldn’t lose any more than he already had.

But forever wasn’t a truth, but rather a falsity. 

One that he could only hopelessly chase.

“Happy birthday.”

Ezel spoke quietly, to himself, two words, more than he thought he’d manage. A cold wind blew his hair that signalled the coming of autumn. September 1st. He never hated his birthday, it just wasn’t ever anything special to him. Until he met you. And you made a point of making it special, made it a worthwhile date.

Maybe that was why he hated it now.

You’d told him of your worries, of the greying of the corners of your vision. He’d reassured you back then. That his sister’s illness wouldn’t kill him, too. He wouldn’t let your world fade to shades of grey again. Though, he was a liar by nature. Maybe this was just repetenace for all of the times he didn’t manage to keep his promises. 

Were the flowers in his hands even pretty? He couldn’t tell. Not anymore. Not with the world back to its disingenuous shades of grey. Ezel crouched down in front of the grave, dull eyes narrowed as he placed the bouquet of flowers in front of it. He then sighed, opting to kneel instead. When was the last time he’d stayed to speak?

He couldn’t remember. He visited you and his sister beside you frequently enough. But Ezel knew that there was nobody left to hear. His mouth felt dry as he tried to find the words to speak. Simply put, nothing came. The treasure hoarder hung his head, tail hopelessly limp against the frostbitten grass. 

He kept this promise at least. It was not your world that grew dark.

[theinkedfoxsl]

soultember list

1: Ezel/reader - See colour for the first time when you meet, fades away when they die

2: Blackthorn - Reincarnation, yeah i want to write about death deity heath, sue me.

3: Mors Caeli - Timer that counts down until they meet.

4: Katseiji - First words spoken to one another.

5: Spiced Maple - Red String, but different from the other fic i wrote lol?

6: Su/reader - Special Song, you and your soulmate share a special melody known only to the both of you, and it gets louder/clearer the closer you are to them.

7: Knight Time - you can't see the color that your soulmate has in their eyes til you meet them

8: Frozen Shadow - Each others’ last words (to one another)

9: Artisan/Reader - Everything you draw on yourself appears on your soulmate.

10: Kevin Kaslana/reader - Being able to taste the same thing

11: Iceheart’s Aria - Can hear your soulmate’s voice in your head

12: Nightsky - Your soulmate’s injuries appear on you.

13: Ambros Twins - Everyone has life points/years left in their life, and people can give their soulmates their own life points/years if they’re lacking

14: Frozen Heart - Only your soulmate can kill you.

15: Emil/reader - You will keep looping your life until you meet your soulmate. 

16: Severed Pasts - After death, you become your soulmate’s guardian angel

17: Doctor’s Orders - Cellphones between soulmates are in the same condition (cracked screens are in the same places)

18: Flying Colours - Everyone has heterochromia, one eye is your natural colour the other is your soulmate’s natural colour. Once you meet all eyes return to natural colour.

19: Whiskers! - Have the same heart beat

20: Prayers of the Godless - Being next to soulmate heals injuries 

21: Of Blood & Wine - Same marking on each other’s skin (a rose)

22: Sunrise Lovers - If you’re having a good/bad day, your soulmate will have the same amount of good/bad day. 

23: Sulien/reader - Share temperature babyyy

24: Ohm/reader - When you get sick, so does your soulmate

25: Decord/reader - When someone touches your soulmate, you can feel it mirrored on your skin.

26: Moonlight Shard - soulmates share a symbol unique to them

27: (HOTV)Sirin/reader - Whatever your soulmate eats, you get a craving for it.

28: Dawnlit Ice - Can meet soulmate any time in a shared mind space

29: Galin/reader - Temperature gets hotter the nearer they are, colder when they are further away

30: Honoré/reader - Instead of removing flower petals for “loves me, loves me not” the flower petals dictate whether you’ll meet in this lifetime (“meet me, meet me not”) and it’s forever accurate.

[theinkedfoxsl]

>.< suggestions for the soulamte thing-- (im guessing u mean au type things?)

- first words to each other tatooed somewhere on their body

- red string

- timer (theres a tattoed time thing on your arm that counts down to when you meet your soulmate)

- reincarnation (meeting in more than one life)

- special song (you and your soulmate share a special melody known only to the both of you, and it gets louder/clearer the closer you are to them.)

- being able to taste the same thing

Yes yes wonderfullll thank you 📝📝👀