I love Middle Age-inspired stories, mostly because of their interpretation and integration of archetypal ideas regarding what it means to be a King, a Knight, or a Noble. It is something I’ve talked about several times on our blog and something I will undoubtedly continue to examine moving forward. However, rarely have I seen an address to the archetype of a mage, despite so many magic-class central or main characters in these medieval-inspired works. At least, that was until I read The Return of the 8th Class Mage, which is currently available on Tapas.
For those who haven’t read it, or just need a refresher, the story follows Ian Page–the highest mage in all the kingdom and world as we know it. In this particular story, mages can be born in any class, but once identified enter the status of a “mage” within their respective kingdom and must serve their kingdom in a way–whether by becoming a family’s mage, the kingdom’s mage, or a mage of the magic tower.
Source: The Return of the 8th Class Mage, Chapter 76
Ian, as a high-class magician, was a mage of the magic tower but also one that served under a specific royal, Prince and later King Ragnar Greenriver. Ian and Ragnar were friends, the best of friends. Ian supported Prince Ragnar, and it was this support that aided the most in Ragnar becoming the King.
After Ragnar becomes King, Ian says he wants to retire and hide away.
Over a short period of time, Ragnar is convinced by those around him that Ian could become a threat, and so–much to both their dismay–Ragnar betrays Ian’s trust and friendship and kills his closest friend. In a last-minute effort to preserve his life, Ian activates a spell that transmigrates him back in time to the point of him becoming a mage.
Thus begins a story of changing allegiances and setting things down a better path that is so typical of these types of stories. Now, controversy, I actually think that Ragnar probably would have been a better King over the first prince (his brother) who eventually takes the throne, as nothing in the story really made it seem like Ragnar was a bad King to the people. There was war, and other things, but ultimately he seems like a well-intentioned ruler looking to expand his borders. Rather than a bad King, it seemed like Ragnar was one who was not well-liked by those in the palace and potentially one whose early mistakes would have been avoided had he been more welcomed by his family and had he not been forced to rely on outside and corrupted help. If anything, the first prince–who fails to see the worth and merit in handling the power and responsibility of the crown–was the least deserving of becoming the King (even the princess would have been better).
Magic and magicians have been around for a long time, at least in a storytelling sense. For example, in Norse mythology, Odin was a powerful sorcerer and shapeshifter who possessed great knowledge and wisdom. In Greek mythology, the god Hermes was a messenger and trickster who was also associated with magic and alchemy. However, in a contemporary lens, we might think of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Gandalf and Saruman, elders who possess both magical abilities and great wisdom. We may also think of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, which features wizards and witches of varied magical abilities and personalities, though notably the professors–older, wiser, and sometimes mischievous magicians that they are–would probably align more with the image of a mage or wizard in our minds. This stems from what can be considered the archetype of the modern mage: Merlin.
The exact origins of Merlin, as with other Arthurian characters of legend, is unclear, and there are many different versions of his story. Still, from the many tales he appears in, we can piece together that he is often able to perform magical feats and portrayed as a wise and powerful advisor who helps win battles and makes important decisions. He is also sometimes shown as a flawed character with a dark and tragic backstory.
When we think of a wizard, what often comes to mind is that Merlin-like figure of a wise old man with magical abilities. We think of medieval-inspired robes as their daily garb and of one with a common appearance that has an enduring personality. Sometimes the Mage play pranks. Sometimes, the Mage acts like a cranky old fellow who is leading you to the answer you seek by unusual means, and often the Mage is a storyteller. The Mage is traditionally a powerful influence and closely tied to the advisory position of a King. This traditional image takes inspiration from older examples but is commonly associated with the image of Merlin.
The Mage, as an archetype, is not subservient to the King though he is of a lower or unknown class status. Rather than subservient, the Mage is much more powerful on an individual level and othered because of it. Due to such great power, it is truly only a King that could be the Mage’s friend since only a King would have such great power and responsibility to hold because of their position. Unlike the King or a Knight, where the power comes from the people and invested interest of those people in that person’s bloodline or personhood, the Mage is one who has simply been gifted power by an otherworldly source and will not lose that power if expectations of the people are not upheld.
The Mage is different from the Knight too because he is not expected to be loyal to the King. In fact, the Mage may be suspected of disloyalty at all times because of his great power as an individual and because they have chosen to give loyalty without the same expectation of needing to keep their word with the consequences of losing their life or reputation by not keeping to said promises.
For further context, the Knight’s archetype in fiction is expected to be loyal to their lord even at the cost of their own life. This loyalty is not just a matter of personal honor, but it is also seen as essential for maintaining order and stability in the feudal society of the Middle Ages. When a knight betrays their lord or breaks their oath, they not only lose their honor and reputation, but they also jeopardize the stability and security of the entire feudal system. As such, a Knight’s betrayal is often portrayed as a catastrophic event that leads to chaos and destruction, potentially to the extent that it could cause the downfall of a country. However, a Mage’s influences, which are also large and potentially catastrophic, usually ends up working for the best because magic makes it so or because they have otherworldly wisdom and insight into the future.
In a Knight’s story, loyalty and betrayal can become central themes but are perhaps even more impactful in a Mage’s story because it is much easier to resonate with modern audiences who typically have more loyalty to their family and friends–all of whom may be of a higher or lower social and economic status–than to one’s employer (though that is not always the case).
It is a complicated set of ideas, but one that the creator, Ryu song (류송) and Tess, completes beautifully. In The Return of the 8th Class Mage, Ian upholds that old archetype. Even after the betrayal, he never pledges support to another King candidate even though he does end up helping the first prince take the throne.
Ian keeps his word, even to the promises made in his past life, though he also pursues his own interests. He does, with the past-life approval of Ragnar, gain his revenge and won’t forgive Ragnar, which lends to the continued and lasting ideas of magic wherein the choices you make, intended or not, maintain an impact.
Of the many ways friendship and betrayal can be explored in fiction, the focus this story has on the betrayal itself, the impact it has on the characters involved whether they know it or not, and the process of seeking revenge for the betrayal rather than repairing a damaged friendship makes this particular Mage a truly a fantastic embodiment of Merlin’s archetype brought to a modern lens. Ian Page, similar to Merlin, is not really a servant to the King but an equal friend of a lower status. He is the compelling main character of his own story, one who must deal with the responsibility of his otherworldly powers and wisdom regarding future events due to past experiences along with their impact. He is one that must balance his personal interests with living in a society that demands personal wants be put aside for the greater good or for the personal desires of another. This is what makes a mage according to The Return of the 8th Class Mage, and I can’t help but love it!
➵ summary: teruhashi and mikoto swap looks and all it does is annoy saiki, he asks you for help once again. alternatively, teruhashi and mikoto compete to figure out saiki’s type, you try not to get involved but get dragged into things anyway.
➵ masterlist (requests are open)
➵previous post - rame
I DO NOT CONSENT TO MY WORK BEING POSTED BY ANYONE ELSE ON ANY PLATFORM
Literally can’t stop imagining isekai’d reader accidentally appearing in Genshin but before the main story. Like, they appear right in Inazuma when Ei was just done leaving her first prototype puppet-
Coincidentally our reader appears right before Kunikuzushi is about to witness his second betrayal and saves him in a very chaotic scenario.
Did I forget to mention that reader gets to keep the in game abilities and time having a very slow effect on them ( 1 hour in Teyvat= 1 minute to reader’s body) basically making them semi-immortal? Yeah reader is op in this fight me.
____________________
Kunikuzushi walked the streets of Inazuma, fascinated but confused by the world around him. He was all alone with no knowledge on how to blend in….
As he walked he could feel others staring and whispering. He did not like it. He was just wondering what to do next when a loud noise from the stalls behind him caught his attention. He turned around.
In one of the food stalls, a person had just fell into the fruit crates from the above set of stairs. Did they jump? They were groaning while the owner of the stall was yelling at them. They wore…peculiar clothing. In fact they looked very peculiar, so different from everybody else.
Kunikuzushi was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the Shogunate Samurai yelling “GET THEM” from the same place from where the stranger fell. Before he could even blink, the stranger jumped from the crate and ran towards him. They grabbed his wrist and continued their dash.
“Bonjour, I’m here to fuck with the timeline! And you’re included!”, the stranger declared. Kunikuzushi wonders what “fuck” means but with the shogunate samurai on his tail he decides to focus on running instead.
“WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” He was confused and mildly scared that a random stranger just appeared out of nowhere decides to kidnap him.
“NO TIME FOR THAT HONEY JUST HANG ON!”
“???”
Ah, he hadn’t noticed that they are running into a dead end that is a massive wall. The stranger was unfazed tho.
Without stopping, they swooped him up bridal style and JUMPED onto a roof beside them. But because of the samurai still after them, they proceeded to parkour out of the city with Kunikuzushi still in their arms. The lad was screaming the whole time lol.
———————————————
The duo managed to escape the city and reach Chinju forest. The stranger panted for air and carefully let Kunikuzushi down. He scooted a good distance away when they did.
Exhausted, the stranger crotched down in front of him, still breathing loudly.
“W-who are you and why did you kidnap me??” Kunikuzushi fearfully asked again, but this this time there were a few sparks of electro around him…
Better start explaining.
“Listen pal, you don’t have to be scared. I ain’t gonna hurt you-“
“Then why did you kidnap me!”
“As I said, I’m not gonna hurt you. If I wanted so then I could have done it the way here.” The stranger replied with a poker face. Kunikuzushi gulped.
“Well then why were you being chased a-and…why did you kidnap me…?”
The stranger huffed and sat down.
“Guess I better explain it to you then…” they met his eyes, he was cautious. Speak wisely.
“*Ahem* Uh…well..you see…” He was staring intently. Don’t slip up about the game’s story or anything about the whole game in fact.
“I’m your…uh…guardian-“
“Guardian?”
“Uh- angel!”
“Guardian angel?” He tilted his head curiously.
“NO! I mean- I’m definitely anything but an angel h-haha..”
“You’re a d-demon?” His fear was back.
“NO NO! I’m uh…your guardian…” they looked into his eyes. And then finally spoke.
“FRIEND!”
“…..??”
“…I’m your guardian friend!”
A very awkward silence rung into ears. He stared. For a good few seconds until…
“You’re my…guardian friend?” He asked, a small curiosity in his eyes.
“YES! I mean- yeah, pretty much.” They smiled.
“B-but…is it normal for friends to kidnap each other??”
Fuck.
How are they going to explain that?
Well, worth a shot.
They took a deep breath and-
“Well you see…guardian friends are very special creatures. They are barely seen in Teyvat. And when the samurai saw me, they thought I was some sort of immigrant and tried to arrest me. I’m sorry I couldn’t greet you normally-“
“How do I know you are my guardian friend? Or how do I know if they actually exist and you’re not some crazy person? And what even was that “fucking with timeline” thing?” He was cautious again but the curiosity never left his eyes.
The stranger smirked. Time to put that in game knowledge in use, eh?
“I’m a person from the future version of Teyvat. Every once a while. Special people are chosen to time travel back into time to do whatever they want. I chose to be your guardian friend because you definitely need one. How would you explain my attire?” The stranger began explaining but Kunikuzushi had his doubts. He was about to interrupt when-
“I also know you like the back of my hand Kunikuzushi.”
He froze. The stranger continued.
“Let’s see, made as a prototype puppet for gnosis but-“
“OKAY OKAY I BELIEVE YOU” He quickly stopped them.
“Heh, you do?” The amused stranger raised an eyebrow.
“Y-yeah…but tell me, what do guardian friends do? I’ve never heard of them.”
With that question the stranger started giggling. Kunikuzushi tilted his head. Did he ask something weird? The stranger got up and with a cheerful smile,
“Ohohoho! That’s simple my friend! Guardian friends are just like guardian angels but more fun!”
“More….fun…?”
“Yep, we basically guide you and all but also provide company. Like a partner in your shenanigans. A friend! An amigo! A chum! A family!”
“A…family..?” He asked confused.
“Oh…do you not know what a family is?”
“No. What is a family?”
The stranger sighed with a small smile and offered him a hand. He was hesitant for a second but took it.
“Join me for a walk buddy, I’ll explain everything.”
He nodded and they strolled around the forest, hand in hand.
“A family is a special person, or a group of people. Don’t matter if human or animal.” The stranger plucked a flower and tucked it in his hair.
“They feel familiar. They feel comfortable. Like the warmth of a small flame.”
A few crytalflies fluttered overhead.
“No matter what happens you can always return to them. They are your home, somewhere you can rest when you are tired of the world.”
“…Do I have a family?”
“Not yet, but you do have a friend.”
“Can friends be family..?”
“They can.”
“So are you my family?”
“That is up to you to accept me as one.”
…..
A comfortable silence was enjoyed as the two friends sat underneath a tree, watching the glowing plants and creatures of the forest.
◇ a/n ◇ don't mind me casually slipping in streamer!xiao reference
𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡 ⬙ 𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡
the quiet boy who just recently moved into the neighborhood.
your first meeting with him is when his dad comes to your house to greet your family - because such is the custom when a new family moves into the area.
very reserved. it's up to you to pull him outside to play every single time. he doesn't want to but his dad always beams when he sees you at the door, so you keep coming over to drag xiao out to play.
very shy.
very blushy.
mostly silent.... at first. he's a curious soul at heart and as he starts to open up to you, he asks you a lot of questions. some of his questions are a little... strange.... but you being a child, you're just happy that your friend is finally opening up to you, so you try to answer him the best you can.
"why are your apples and sausages cut like that?"
"why do you weave flowers into crowns? you should eat them while they're fresh, it's not as tasty as snow but it's better than grass."
"don't you find my eyes scary?"
you give him ice cream one time and he's addicted. "sugar snow," he says in a daze after his first bite. that's fucking adorable
but also. he has certain times when he would just suddenly withdraws and shuts you out.
the first time this happens, he physically pushes you away and shuts the door right in front of your face.
you think he's finally gotten fed up with you, so you don't show up at his house and decide to brood in your room while regretting your actions.
maybe you were being too overbearing....?
but imagine your surprise when one day, his dad suddenly shows up at your door, holding a teary xiao, asking your parents gently to see you.
turns out xiao's been waiting for you to come over, and he feels guilty for pushing you away, but now he's convinced that you hate him, so he's been crying nonstop since then ;(
safe to say he becomes your best friend after the misunderstanding was sorted out.
will not hesitate to fight everyone who talks badly of you or poses a threat to you. child, adult, cat, tree - it doesn't matter. boy will hiss and glare at the other party, and he will throw punches.
chips a tooth / knocks a tooth out from a fight when someone makes you cry. after, he gets the scolding of a lifetime from his dad, but he also got the tightest and longest hug from you so he thinks it evens out. 12/10 would do it again.
you’re always hanging out together in school, so much that at first people are too afraid to approach you.
but then it all changed when these twin blonde siblings transferred to your school.
you’re instructed to show them around, and you click so well within the first hour that by the time school ends they’re convinced you’re their long-lost triplet.
in a natural course of action, you introduce them to xiao, and it takes them longer to warm up to him, but when they see how soft he is whenever he interacts with you, they decided that yeah, we’re also adopting this feral cat guy.
needless to say, you start hanging out with the siblings too, in addition to xiao, and seeing this, people start to approach you to offer friendship too. the same goes for xiao, although he’s insistent on keeping his friend circle remain small.
you thought everything was going well….
… that is, until xiao suddenly stops hanging out with you, at all.
you’d normally walk to and from school together, but it doesn’t matter how long you wait for him, he doesn’t show up.
whenever you message him, he’d normally reply, even with just short ‘ok’s or ‘whatever’s, but you’ve lost that privilege too.
in school, you can try to call out to him, but as soon as he spots you he would swerve and turn the opposite way, as fast as the wind, as slippery as a snake.
and even when you visit him? it’s uncle zhongli who opens the door and he would sadly informs you that xiao is either out or sleeping, guilt in his amber eyes as he asks whether you want to go in a bit for tea.
yeah, he’s avoiding you...
oh wait. this sounds very familiar…
it takes you a while to gather your resolve and mentally prepare yourself to march over to his house in the middle of the night to knock on his door and demand for him to come out. you’re shifting through your clothes, grabbing the comfiest hoodie to combat the cold night air-
-when suddenly, something hits your window.
you stare towards the transparent glass, unmoving, unblinking. did you imagine that? or-
clink.
nope, yep, that’s a rock hitting your window, alright.
you're about to shout towards the perpetrator for making tiny scratches against the glass pane, but when you're faced with a pair of yellow eyes that seem to glow in the dark, you automatically open your window in a silent invitation.
he’s always been nimble and agile, so he has no trouble climbing up despite your room being on the second floor.
when he lands safely in your room, you’re not sure what to say, and neither does he.
"... hi."
"hey…."
awkward silence.
"i…"
xiao exhales shakily.
"i'm sorry. for avoiding you. for shutting you out. for ignoring you at school. for ignoring your messages and calls. for being jealous when i didn't have the right to. for being petty and mean and-"
puzzle pieces click inside your head and before you can stop your mouth you're already cutting xiao's ramblings.
“you’re jealous?”
he stares back at you for a moment before looking away sharply, redness blooming from his neck up to his face.
"well, you're going out with aether, aren't you?"
w o t .
“i’m not???”
"you aren't? but… aether likes you."
d a f u c k.
“no, he doesn’t. that's the stupidest thing that came out of your mouth so far."
“you don't understand! you're so- so likable and good-looking and kind, of course everyone would like you!"
"do you?"
"i've loved you since we were eight-"
your jaw falls open.
xiao's jaw mirrors the motion.
you're positive he'll start releasing steam from his ears with how red his face is. with a noise that resembles a very distressed toad, he leaps toward the only feasible exit from your room.
you have to physically prevent this boy from jumping off the open window, and even then xiao is stronger than you, so it’s a struggle.
“wait wait wait- i love you too, you stupid idiot!”
“…… what?”
you’re so tempted to smack him on the head, but you resist, and instead, you step in front of him to give him an exasperated look.
“do i really need to- look. we like each other.”
he gulps, and only then do you notice that he’s slightly trembling.
"you- you won't…. abandon me?"
really, don’t you trust me even after all these times? is what you wanted to say.
but you decide to settle with a firm nod and a steady tone:
“i will never abandon you.”
when tears lined over his golden eyes, you’re reminded of his younger self, tears streaming down his cheeks as his tiny hands grip his father’s coat. this time, though, he blinks it away and he doesn’t shy away when you pull him into a warm hug.
“........ so… uh… does this mean that… we’re….”
“going out? yes. having a sleepover? also yes,” you pause and pull away a little to observe his expression, “that is, only if you want to…”
his pale cheeks flood with color, and after a moment of hesitation, he nods silently.
xiao is so warm and comfy, and it seems like he shares the same sentiment about you, because you totally overslept the next day, and your parents had to come into your room to wake you up because neither of you heard them calling your name from behind the door.
neither your parents nor zhongli were happy about it when they found out xiao has snuck into your room and had an unintended sleepover.
but for a completely different reason than what you thought of.
your parents are quite literally on him, continuously fussing over the poor embarrassed boy, checking for any injuries as they invited him for breakfast in the morning.
"you should've rung the bell and we would've opened the door for you! climbing windows at night is dangerous, what if you get hurt?!"
on the other hand, his dad welcomes him home with a sigh and regards him with the signature 'disappointed but not surprised' look. xiao hasn’t even begun his explanation when he’s given a mini-lecture, and he resigns himself to another hour of embarrassment as his guardian launches into his lecturer mode right in front of their house’s front steps.
"you could have told me where you were going, érzi. i thought something bad had happened when i could not find you in your room this morning. at least write me a note that you are visiting [name], so i know you're safe. i presume you’re both finally going steady? wonderful. i have waited years for this, now i can finally lecture you on the importance of having a healthy and bountiful romantic relationship-"
…. ah well, at least you know your families support your newfound relationship.
you don’t miss the way xiao pulls you closer when aether waves at the two of you the next day in school. and you can’t help but think you might have gained the most adorable boyfriend on earth.
"we'll always be together, forever. okay?"
extra 1:
"so you’re actually going out now? oh, wow. i didn’t think it would work. i can’t believe it did! hehe, and people say i have terrible acting skills… huh? wha- don’t look at me like that, it was lumine’s idea!”
“look, in my defense, rom-com dramas are funny as hell, but watching you two dance around your obvious affection for each other was making my head hurt.”
extra 2:
“aeae, lumi, look! xiao got me a chonky bird plushie! doesn’t it look like him?? i’m gonna carry him everywhere and name him alatus!”
“aw, that does look adorable!”
“after his streamer name? man, you’re down bad, [name].”
“well, considering how i’ve loved him since he gave me that flower in third grade-”
Heyy can you do ToT reaction to their daughter telling them that they have a boyfriend for the first time 🥰 PLSS i think that would be so entertaining
Their daughters have a boyfriend!| ToT men
"Dad! Dad! Dad!" D/n brust into the house yelling for her dad repeatedly until she made it to the kitchen. "Mama where's dad?"
You took a bite out of your sandwich and pointed up stairs. "He's paining (painting)" You told her. She gave you a big smile.
"Thank you!" She ran up the stairs to Marius studio. She slam the door open. "Dad!!" She yelled. Marius almost dropped his paint brush but he caught it with a panic look.
"W-what's up d/n" He looked at her with a tried smiled. She walked up to him.
"I have a boyfriend! He's nice, tall, have fluffy hair, and-"
"Wait wait wait, slow your roll, what do you mean you have a boyfriend!?" He gave her a serious look. D/n took her phone out and show him a picture.
"That's him," Marius rolled his eyes and looked away from her.
"As long as he don't hurt you"
~
D/n came to the house crying and ran to her room. Both you and Marius looked at each other, worried.
"I'll go talk to her" You walked upstairs to your daughter's room. You opened the door and sat down on her bed.
"D/n what's wro-"
"He broke up with meeeeee!!!!!" She yelled and put her face into a pillow. Marius heard this, he picked up his phone called someone.
"Send me (ex's full name) information..... all of it" Marius is seriously pissed off
D/n was in the garden, planting with her Mother, you.
"So um, Mother, I have something to tell you." She mumbled. You hummed, letting her know that you're listening.
"I have a boyfriend," She looked at you. When she said that, the two of you heard something crashed. You both turned your heads to the noise.
You both saw broken tea cups on the ground, right by Vyn's feet. You got up and rushed to him. "Vyn are you ok?" You placed your hand on his shoulder.
Vyn gave you a closed eyed smile "I'm ok, no need to worry" He then looked at D/n. He opened his eyes. His smile and his eyes are telling two different things.
She can't tell if he's angry or not. "I heard you got yourself a significant other,"
"Y-yea, we have been together for almost 3 months." She told him. Vyn's eye twitched a little.
"3 months?" He questioned. You looked at Vyn, you grabbed his hand and try to lead him away from D/n.
"Come on, let's make more treats"
~
"Vyn, don't you think D/n will be ok?" You looked up to the stairs with a worried matter. Vyn sipped some tea.
"Just give her some time to be by herself."
But little do you know, Vyn took his most strongest skill to his advantage. Being manipulative.
D/n runs down the sidewalk, dodging anyone that comes in her way. Her eyes sparkled when she saw her dad's antique shop.
She stopped her running and stood in front of the door. She start to regain her breathing so she walked into the store.
She saw her dad on his desk, it looks like he was building something. She smiled and jogged to him.
"Papa!" She opened her arms. Luke looked up from his gadget and smiled. He hugged his daughter tightly. "N-not so tight!" She breathe out.
Luke let her go "Sorry, I just missed you so much! Why does your school keep you for so long." He whined.
"It have only been 7 or 8 hours pops, but anyway I got something to tell you!" She pulled up a chair to his desk and sat in it.
"What is it?" He smiled. You clapped your hands together.
"I have a boyfriend!" Luke's smiled dropped, his face start to turn into a serious look.
"What?"
"You heard her, she got a boyfriend." You said as you let out a yawn. You walked downstairs and to your love ones. You wrapped your arms around Luke's neck. "But D/n, you know, boys can get a little...."
"But he's not like that! I swear!" D/n waved her hands to Luke. Luke glared at her for a bit.
"We'll see,"
~
"D/n please come down" You're sitting on your daughter's bed and patting her back.
"Papa is right! Boys are stupid and fake!!" She start to cry louder.
Luke is downstairs, looking on his phone with a smirk on his face. "He'll regret this,"
Whatever luke is thinking, I hope it won't put him in jail.
D/n knocked on Artem's door. She heard a come in so she open the door. "Daddy! I have something important to tell you!" She jumps excitely to his desk.
Artem put his papper work down and look at his daughter. "Is it something you're happy about?" He gave her a warm smile.
She nodded her head and took her phone out. She pulled up a picture and show it to him. "I have a boyfriend!" She squealed. Artem's lips began to flatten.
He opened a drawer and took out a file. He opened it and pointed at a similar picture of the boy. "Is that him?"
"Yep!" She nodded her head. "Are you happy for me?" Artem looked away from the file and look at his daughter.
"If you're happy, I'm happy,"
~
D/n is having a really bad break down and you're trying your up most best to calm her down, but it doesn't seem like it's working.
"D/n- darling, please calm down, please," you got on the floor with her as you try to comfort her the best way you can.
"H-he was my everything! I-I didn't know he was a ba-bad person!! He was so nice!!" D/n start to choke on her cries.
Artem was on the phone. "Arrest (Ex's name) right now, and take him to the interrogation room. If you don't I swear I'll find any possible way to make your life miserable."
⌗ an overworked vyn and you baking cookies for him;
pairing: vyn richter x gn! reader.
fandom: tears of themis.
warning(s): none.
context: the clock ticks past 8 pm and vyn is never this late to return from his clinic, even if he has more patients than usual. the only thing that strikes you is how hard he works to maintain this work and to spare enough time for you, so you end up baking some cookies. ofc he taught you how you bake them.
a/n. red flag? sorry i'm colorblind. i'm a sucker for him T^T
masterlist!
꒦ ͝ ꒷ ͝ ꒦ ͝ ꒷꒦ ͝ ꒷ ͝ ꒦ ͝ ꒷꒦ ͝ ꒷ ͝ ꒦ ͝ ꒷꒦ ͝ ꒷
꒦ ͝ ꒷ ͝ ꒦ ͝ ꒷꒦ ͝ ꒷ ͝ ꒦ ͝ ꒷꒦ ͝ ꒷ ͝ ꒦ ͝ ꒷꒦ ͝ ꒷
thank you for the read. feedbacks and rbs are deeply appreciated!! —iara ♡
xiao x venti / fluff & angst / modern au / multi-chapter
synopsis,,, in which xiao longs for what used to be his.
note,,, updates will not be consistent. i will write the next chapter when i have the time to. also, i'm a bit rusty at writing xiaoven & in general. even so, i hope you enjoy. by the way, i haven't proofread yet.
IT WAS A WARM AFTERNOON WITH CLEAR SKIES AND LOTS OF SUN. Afternoons like this happened often in the spring and summer, but Xiao was rarely ever able to enjoy them. Beautiful days meant he’d be scheduled to work, today being no different.
Sunlight beamed onto Xiao’s skin, and the cool wind blew gently, tickling his nose and making him scrunch his face a little. It only happened occasionally, so it was a surprise each time the breeze came back.
He’d been outside for hours, posing for cameras and chatting with photographers, makeup artists, hair stylists, and wardrobe stylists, and he was getting tired. He wanted to go home.
That’s one of the things he didn’t enjoy about being a model: all of the socializing. He’s introverted and can only handle so much talking to others. He often wonders how different life would be if he chose an office job over becoming a famous model and if his life would be a lot quieter, more peaceful.
“Alright, everyone. Let’s wrap it up!” The producer called out, who received excited cheers in return.
Relief washed over Xiao after hearing the producer’s announcement. The sun was giving him a headache, and the extra studio lights were starting to blind him.
A photographer walked up to him, “you did great today, Xiao. Flawless as usual.”
He stood up from the stone he was positioned on and glanced at her, “thanks.”
Xiao stretched his arms forward and looked towards the ground; he was always stiff after photoshoots.
“Why are you always wearing that?” the photographer asked suddenly, to which Xiao gave her a confused look. “The ring on your finger.”
He held his right hand up, and his eyes brightened at the sight of the jewelry. It was gold with a small crane engraved on it, and he admired it with a small smile. However, that only lasted a moment before his smile faded and hand dropped down to his side. He fidgeted with the ring, rotating it around his ring finger.
“Xiao-”
“I must be going,” Xiao dismissed her, “thank you for your time.” He walked away from the woman and went towards the dressing room, leaving her stunned.
Once he was in the dressing room, he shut the door behind him and slid his back against it, slowly sinking down towards the floor. He brought his knees close to his chest and rested his head on his knees.
That ring. He honestly forgot he was still wearing it. After all, it had been so long since he’d properly looked at it, and today, what happened a moment ago, reminded him exactly why he stopped looking at it. Seeing the jewelry brought him so much joy that was always quickly washed away by a wave of sorrow. Yet, he continued to wear the ring anyway. He couldn’t bring himself to take it off.
Xiao stood up from the floor and brushed off his clothes. Now wasn’t the time to sulk. He told Hu Tao he’d stop by after his photoshoot for a coffee, and it was getting close to the time of when he said he’d be there.
He looked into the vanity in front of him, staring into his own honey eyes. He approached the vanity and sat down in the chair, feeling himself begin to tear up. Xiao let his head fall into the palms of his hands, and soon, he was crying.
An hour or so passed by, and the skies were now littered with white, fluffy clouds. Streets and shops were busy with many people walking, browsing, and socializing. Xiao was approaching the cafe Hu Tao wanted to meet at and could see her standing against the fence, playing on her phone with her legs stretched out.
“You’re blocking the way,” he said to her.
Hu Tao laughed, “yeah, I know.” She stood up properly and faced Xiao before placing her hands on her hips. “You’re late, by the way. What was with the hold up? I was getting so bored waiting on ya.”
He shifted to the side, “work stuff.”
Of course, this was a lie. While he was at the photoshoot longer than intended, it isn’t what made him late. The crying is what made him late.
She hummed, almost as if she was debating whether to believe him or not. “Okay, well, at least you’re here now. I had gotten worried you’d bailed on me!” she threw her arms up to emphasize her worry.
“I wouldn’t do that without warning. You know this,” Xiao replied.
Hu Tao nodded, “yeah, that’s true. Anyway, let’s head inside, order some drinks, and then come sit outside. It’s stunning out today.” She skipped towards the cafe’s doors and walked in, meaning there was no arguing with her about anything she’d just said. So, Xiao just followed her inside.
Eight minutes or so later, they came back outside and sat at an umbrella table. That way they could still be outside while having a little bit of shade. Hu Tao had ordered a frozen coffee with extra espresso shots, and Xiao ordered an ice water.
“I still can’t believe ya only ordered water,” Hu Tao said before sipping on her drink.
He shrugged, “but I do this each time we come here.”
She tapped the side of her cup, “I know, but for some reason, I always come with the expectation that you’ll try something else.”
“Well,” Xiao chuckled, “that’s a bit odd.”
“Ya can’t blame me for being hopeful that my stubborn and picky friend might try something new,” Hu Tao laughed with him, “but yeah, it’s definitely an unrealistic expectation to have.”
The wind went by, twirling itself around hair strands and tree leaves. There was a lot of chatter from other conversations happening around them, making the cafe more lively than it already was. It was a nice, comforting atmosphere.
“Anyway, how was work?” she asked. She was playing with her cup, tilting it back and forth while being sure no coffee spilled.
Xiao sighed, “It was fine. Nothing exciting happened.”
“Well, tell me about it!” she insisted, “I wanna know what kept ya there longer than planned.”
He looked down at his ice water. “It was ethereal themed, I suppose. They had me in simple white robes and lots of gold jewelry,” he explained, “I even had gold patterns painted on my arms, which took forever to wash off.” He glanced at his arms and spotted a few shiny specks of gold glitter still lingering.
Hu Tao also looked at his arms and his hands. “Ah… you’re still wearing that,” she spoke quietly. Xiao followed her gaze, and they were now both staring at the gold ring. He didn’t say a word in response; he couldn’t make himself speak.
“Xiao, ya have to take that off eventually. It’s not doing ya any good,” Hu Tao gave him a solemn look.
He nodded, agreeing with her. He already knew he should get rid of the ring, or at least stop wearing it. However, some part of him just wouldn’t allow him to. “I can’t.”
She smiled, “Well, that kind of stuff takes time. Just as long as you aren’t dwelling on it, right?” Hu Tao sipped her coffee before checking her phone. Her eyes widened and she huffed, “shit, I have to go back to work. My grandfather needs me back at the parlor. You’ll be okay, right? I’m sorry for having to go.” She spoke quickly and grabbed her coffee before running off.
Shortly after she disappeared, she came back. “Hey!” Hu Tao called out, “text me later, alright?” With that, she left. For real this time.
Xiao sat there alone, listening to the other tables laughing and having a joyful time. He meant to go home once Hu Tao left, but he stared at his ring instead.
By the time he left, evening was approaching, and the ice in his water had completely melted.
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