Hello! I am infact alive, and I am back to write once more. Life really loves to kick you when you are down, so it's been a struggle to pick writing back up. (And also my Internet went out for a day) But enough about me, you're here for
Heishou Pack Yôu Branch x Caretaker! Reader
The plate clatters as you eat; Hongyuan became significantly...quieter around you. Infact, the place you were eating at was empty. No other customers were here, and all of the staff had retreated into the back. Why? Well...it's not like you have a bunch of mutated people following you, right? What, that wasn't you who left a bunch of wool around?
The opening of the restaurant's door snapped you out of your thoughts. Confident, slow steps approached you. Turning yourself, you are met with the figure of a male looming over you.
"Mm, So you're the one the Mao and Wei won't shut up about." Calculated, calm...yet friendly?
"You must be-" before you could even finish your sentence, he raises his hand
"Hong Lu. Lord of Hongyuan, and also the one employing you to take care of the Heishou Pack." He looked you up and down -calculating, sizing you up- as he continues
"Tell me, how do you do it?"
Demanding. Pointed. Sharp.
"What? What do you mean?"
"Don't try to act you don't know. You really expect me to believe that you can make the Heishou Pack - some of the fiercest fighters around - turn into...mush around you? You're no ordinary caretaker, that's for sure. The Wei Branch won't shut up about you, and the Mao are asking me to rehire you for them."
His shoulders relax as you watch the tension leave his body
"What I want to know is how you do it."
He walks closer to you, his shadow casting over your body
"But...you really don't know, do you?"
He draws out a long sigh as he looks away
"Whatever it is you're capable of...I have a proposal for you, if you will."
He turns back to you, continuing as you give him a nod
"There is a branch of the Heishou Pack - the Yôu branch - roosters, they are. Troublemakers at that. They are very...volatile with their outbursts, and it does get quite cumbersome having to constantly reel them in after their episodes."
He fully turns himself to you, holding out an object to show you.
"It's the leash for the Yôu branch. If you are able to work your...expertise, as you have, then I shall reward you with this leash. One tug, and you'll have them around you within seconds, protecting you with their lives."
He turns to look out the restaurant windows as silence befalls you both.
"Though..." He trails on
"I must warn you - the Yôu branch are fighters by nature, good ones at that. So if you do accept my offer... just know that what you'll be dealing with, is a bunch of aggressive roosters fully capable of killing someone just by one alone."
"And yet..."
He turns back to you, and if you weren't dead focused on him, you would've missed the small smirk forming at the corner of his mouth
"I have a feeling that you'll turn out just fine. Call it a...precognition, if you will."
He glances out side one last time before heading to the door, giving you one last indiscernible look as he disappears.
A part of you was questioning his words. He did have a point about you and the Heishou Pack. Rarely, have you had such a large group of animals - human-like or not - be so docile, or at least content around you.
But something was telling you that time, things might not be so easy. But a job is a job, and what did he mean by the leash? Would it actually summon them?
Figuring that the only way to find out was by going back into Hongyuan, you got up and left after your meal.
Roosters...if what he said was true, and the Yôu branch were good fighters, then it was safe to assume that they had sharp claws and beaks.
Surely not the most dangerous thing you've encountered, so what would make this so bad?
Hell.
Or, at least some form of it. It seemed the only appropriate description of what you were going through.
You've been scratched at least over 10 times, and pecked 5 times. The Roosters were not going to make this easy on you. Oh, and some have blades. Where-where the hell did they get those from? Thank whatever accursed god(s) in this city that you weren't attacked with one...yet.
Most of them were staring at you - where the Mao was daring at you to do something to them, the Yôu looked like they were about to murder you on the spot - and there was truly very little you could do here.
While wracking the poor organ in your head for ideas, you felt a familiar, gentle...soft tug on your body.
Looking down - it was probably the last thing you wanted to see right now outside of the head itself - the young Mao was right there, posted up right against your leg.
What. The. Fuck.
Trying not to implode on the spot, you feverishly look around for
A. Where the hell it came from,
And B. Why the hell it was alone.
Seeing that nothing was satisfying either question, you turn back to the Roosters; one of which had gotten significantly closer to you. Following its gaze, you could tell that it was eyeing up the Mao.
"No!-" before you could process it, you instinctively threw your body forward, shielding the Mao as the Rooster delivered a devastating blow across your body.
Collapsing to the ground, blood began to slowly pool around you as the gash felt searing hot. Your vision fades, but you spot the surprise and...respect, in the eyes of the Rooster. Looking over, the horrified expression of the Mao was the last thing you saw before going under.
Was this...death? If it were, then...why did it feel so warm? Wasn't it supposed to be cold?
Before you could dwell on it further, your eyes adjust to a dimmed room. Your body felt like it had been dragged through every layer of hell possible thrice over.
You couldn't move due to the pain, but you were alive. Surprisingly, you don't see any bandages or any scars, for that matter.
As far as you could tell, you were still in Hongyuan...likely in a hospital of sorts, or perhaps somewhere meant for you to recover.
Looking over to the nightstand on your left, you find two objects with two letters attached to each one.
The first one...it was a leash - the same one Hong Lu showed you. Did he actually give you the Yôu branch's leash?
Reading the note, it was infact by Hong Lu:
'Please do excuse the situation you find yourself in, this was the only option to guarantee you living.
I must say, you have impressed me - something I have not felt during my rule here in Hongyuan. It appears you have confirmed what I thought, though...I expected you to not be as...mangled as you were.
Despite that, I have never seen someone willing to risk their life for a member of the Heishou Pack, and for that I present you: the Yôu branch leash.
If you are worried about their aggression still, let it be known that after you were injured, it was reported to me that the Yôu were proud of you for what you did. Resilience is their specialty, and you showed that to them. If I were more naïve, I would say that it was surprising that the Yôu didn't finish the job.
Nonetheless, I fully entrust you to take care of them now, as they will fight fiercely for you with a simple tug of the leash.'
-Hong Lu
Focusing your attention onto the other object, you find it to be a scarf; more specifically, one that the Mao wear.
The note attached was from someone you don't recognize:
'Firstly, let me extend the gratitude of the Mao. You have risked your life unprompted, in order to save one of our young ones.
While you were recovering, I took it upon myself to look over you, making sure you were safe. Many of the Mao visited you while you were out; they wanted to personally thank you for your heroism. Even some of the Wei stopped in to make sure you were okay.
As much as I wanted to meet you personally, duty had summoned me before you woke up, so I opted to write instead.
The Mao are forever grateful, and even if you don't hold our leash, we gave you a way to contact us, should you ever need to. Simply put on the scarf, and we'll be next to you as quickly as if you tugged on our leash. Do not hesitate for our assistance, we will always be glad to help you out.'
she hong on my yuan till i Did you know Hongyuan as in the complex and not the corporation was actually based on Kowloon Walled City? It's very possible Hong Lu got his name from the "Hong" portion in Hongyuan as well. If you look in the background of the battle stage when you're fighting the sweepers in the Nocturnal Sweeping intervallo it's possible you can see the Jia house? We can base this off of the Canto 8 reveal image, where the background (presumably the Jia house) looks quite similar to the one in the background of the stage. Did you know tha
I’ve been waking up way more than usual during the night and it finally hit me why. I’ve been waking up to the thought of fry bread, kvass, and daikon.
My soul yearns for the food I could eat regularly before I moved out of my mom’s place
(Apologies for the gigantic delay, life decided to do life things, which distracted me from writing. Plus my Internet decided to be questionable for 2 days. Regardless, I hope you enjoy!!)
Heishou Pack Wei Branch x GN! Reader
After the job offer you took with the Mao, Hongyuan felt...different. Not in a bad way, per sé, just...like something shifted.
Whatever it was, you found yourself once again with the same offer for another Branch of the Heishou Pack. This time, you'll be helping out the Wei Branch - mutated sheep people.
If it was anything like the Mao, which it sounded like it on paper, then you felt more confident going into this than you did with the Mao.
So, upon meeting one of the sheep, you were taken by surprise when they spontaneously grew a thick layer of wool around their body. Clearly, Hongyuan was not a host to your typical animals.
Additionally atypical, too, was that the Wei was shivering like it was very cold. Odd, for a creature covered in a layer of what was supposed to prevent that very issue.
The Wei looked up at you, before gently bumping its head into you, like it was gently greeting you as they lay down on the ground. They looked like a massive ball of wool, one that you weren't sure if trimming would actually be beneficial to the creature.
Nevertheless, it was probably additional weight that they would be better off without, so you sat down next to them. The creature hardly minded you as you cut down their wool a bit; they were shivering regardless. The only difference now, was how close their body was to yours.
Much like the Mao, the Wei found themself pressing against your body for warmth. The creature did feel cold to the touch, but looked happy to be cleaned up.
They were quick to take care of, staying mostly still for the entire time, which was a pleasant surprise compared to animals you've taken care of in the past.
You were just finishing up with this particular Wei before-
*Poof!*
The wool you meticulously trimmed had regrown just like that.
Though, it did look cleaner than before, and the Wei was happy enough. The wool was incredibly soft, kind of like a pillow but more delicate to the touch.
They also seemed to have stopped shivering; supposedly being near you actually affected them, hooray you!
At the same time, other Wei were looking on at the impromptu snuggling that was going on, and a few more wandered over. A couple gently bumped you, before laying down around you, which formed a circle of sheep around you. Each one was practically exploding wool...this was going to take a long time.
But, that was your specialty; handling unusual situations came with the nature of animals, so you focused on each Wei, trimming and cleaning their wool before they inevitably grew more as soon as you were done.
By the time you were done, you were surrounded by a large quantity of fluffy wool, as the Wei laid around you for warmth. One of the Wei gently nudge your hand, getting your attention as they hand you a small replica of one of their horns - another collectable trinket, like what the Mao gave you.
With how content the Wei were around you, it was becoming obvious that you were going to be stuck in what amassed to a cuddle pile for a while. Some of the Wei softly bleat, pleased that they were no longer constantly cold.
There were worse fates than this, so you made yourself comfortable in the middle of the pile, closing your eyes for a rest as the Wei fall asleep around you.
When you woke up, you found that the Wei surrounding you are gone, and left in their wake was a hat made out of their wool.
Deciding that it was time to go, you once again set back out into H Corp. a little cozier.
(Just don't mind the occasional straggler making themselves comfortable around you, or the faint bleating you think you hear somewhere in the distance - it was probably nothing, right?)
This is the big one- by far the most amount of time I've spent coming up with a plot for.
Mao Branch x GN! Reader who takes care of the branch.
(Edit note: it's not as long as I would've liked it to have been. Please forgive this transgression and accept my humble apology, Tumblr community😔)
Taking care of pets and animals in the city wasn't the easiest job, nor was it always stable. Quite the opposite in fact; and that unpredictability has led to...interesting times in your career that you would rather bury and forget.
But this? This was the weirdest job you've taken by far - being contacted by someone in Hongyuan to take care of a pack of animals - which on surface level, seemed not terrible. You figured that handling a couple of animals wouldn't be so bad, right? ...right?
What you were *not* expecting, was to be in charge of taking care of...mutated people? They resembled traits that of a hare, but with the structure of a human. To say that you were out of your league...would probably be a fair statement.
Nevertheless, the pay was great, and it couldn't be too difficult, right?
Pushing aside the intimidating looks - well, as much as you could - these...hares, or Mao as you've been informed, seem similar enough to rabbits.
But unlike a rabbit, trying to approach something with human-level sentience with the intent to try and clean it...is not the easiest thing to convey without getting bit, or clawed, or worse.
However, you wouldn't have to make the first move after all, as you feel something nudge your arm. And looking over, you can see one of the Mao looking up at you; it was one of the younger members - or...at least it was small, which probably meant it was young.
Regardless if it was young or not, it was still pressed up against your side, inspecting you with a keen interest. It would be adorable, if it weren't for the larger, and likely older Mao burning a hole straight through your soul with their gaze, waiting for one wrong move out of you.
But alas, there was a job to be done here, and backing out was no longer an option. Thus, with a shaky hand, you gently reach out to the little Mao, letting it sniff you. After it was satisfied, it...nuzzled your hand? Yes, it infact did, like it was asking you to pet it.
The Mao had fur like a Rabbit, if only a bit less soft than one. Still, the texture was unique...and quite satisfying to the touch. Plus, the little one seemed to enjoy it, judging by how they just...pressed themselves against you.
Well...at least you're not going to die - you hope - so what better time to get started, then right now?
So, slowly guiding the glued-body against yours, you start to clean the Mao's fur. The Hare relaxed into the attention, so you figured that they might enjoy it.
It helps that you begin to relax, letting natural instinct take over while you clean off the rabbit. After a bit, the little Mao sprung around you, clearly happy.
Looking up from it, you find that the other Mao have softened their murderous gazes - clearly content with you not being a threat to the branch - and begin to patiently wait their turn near you. Their fur is a bit thicker than the little one, but a bit softer to the touch in some parts.
The ears especially seem to be a common area that the Mao like getting attention. Their bodies relax as you gently scratch the back of their ears. Perhaps they like it a bit too much, as they let their body weight press against you, almost like an embrace...but nearly crushing you. It's the thought that counts, right?
But to say you didn't like it would be a lie; even if a bit heavy, their warmth and softness make up for the struggle. They truly were like large Hares, just...a bit more human. And much larger.
After you get the last one cleaned up, you glance at the satisfied looks the Mao have. Pleased with the care, one of them bows in front of you before handing out a small trinket. It resembles the hare logo that you've seen on their outfit, and looked quite adorable, so you accepted the gift with care.
The Mao looked content before the branch disappeared, leaving you with a reminder of your visit. Perhaps the job wasn't so bad, afterall (and perhaps this wouldn't be your last time handling the Heishou Pack).
Unknown to you, as long as you were within Hongyuan's reach, shadows might linger around you a bit longer than normal. And you haven't been bothered by anything, either, which was a first. Wonder why? Just don't pay attention to the dead body of a would-be thief getting dragged into an alley.
The Mao will remember your good deed for as long as you'll be guest to Hongyuan. And a certain lord is definitely interested in you, now.
