list of stuff i've written, readers are gender neutral unless listed otherwise. i accept requests, just don't expect it to be quick since i write most of these while on my breaks from drawing or before i go to sleep.
Honkai Star Rail ////
"Paranoia", Kafka x Reader, Angst (1/2)
⤷"Pronoia", Kafka x Reader, Comfort (2/2)
"Celebrity Worship", Robin x Reader, Angst
"Mara-Struck", Jing Yuan (+ Yanqing, familial) x Reader, Angst
"Euphoria", Sparkle x Reader, Angst (1/2)
⤷"Euphoria: Part Three", Sparkle x Reader, Comfort (2/2)
"Jeremiah 14:14", Sunday, Angst
"Growing Old Without Them...", Dan Heng x Reader, Jing Yuan (+ Yanqing, Familial) x Reader, Hurt + Comfort
"Debt Collection", HSR, Attempted Comedy
"... The Indomitable Human Spirit", Firefly x Reader, Himeko x Reader, Jing Yuan (+ Yanqing, familial) x Reader, Hopecore type shit
Zenless Zone Zero ////
"The Dangers of Hollow Work", Cunning Hares (- Nekomata) x Reader, Angst
"Running Into Them at the Mall", Cunning Hares x Reader, Fluff
"Falling Asleep on The Job", Victoria Housekeeping x Reader, Fluff
"Making Lunch For Them" Victoria Housekeeping x Reader, Fluff
"Fuck The Police!" Zhu Yuan x Reader, NSF-T
"Injured on The Job...", Belobog Industries x Reader, Injury + Comfort
"Oops! You Killed Someone!", Victoria Housekeeping x Reader, Angst + Comfort
"Hi Honey! Could You Pick Me Up From Jail?", Von Lyacon x Reader, Zhu Yuan x Reader
"Your Hot Furry BF Takes You On A Date But Then Ethereal Horrors Beyond Your Understanding Appear [ASMR]", Von Lyacon x Reader
"Unrequited..." Von Lycaon x Reader, Anby Demara x Reader, Zhu Yuan x Reader, Angst (1/4)
⤷"Aversion to Heartache", Von Lycaon x Reader, Zhu Yuan x Reader, Angst (2/4)
⤷ "Heart Meet Mind", Von Lycaon (Ellen Joe) x Reader, Zhu Yuan (Qingyi) x Reader, Angst (3/4)
⤷"Reconcilation", Von Lycaon x Reader, Anby Demara x Reader, Zhu Yuan x Reader, Angst + Comfort (4/4)
"Can I Touch Your Tail?" Nekomata x Reader, Von Lycaon x Reader, Ellen Joe x Reader
hehe, i know im probably not the first and definitely won't be the last to ask, but we need a part 3 of the rejected confession series!! whether its a happy ending of reader and the character getting together or just making up and staying friends (or forever parting ways) we need closure!! so when you think you are ready for it, could we possibly have a final part? :,)
“Reconciliation”, Zenless Zone Zero x gnReader
Von Lycaon, Anby Demara, Zhu Yuan
a/n: thank yall so much for the support! its meant so much! i hope everyone enjoys the "good ending" to the Unrequited Love series.
a/n²: also thanks to that one anonymous requester, loved your ideas and helped a bunch when writing! hope i did well in realizing it!
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
The day before heading to the scheduled meet, you were stressed out of your mind. Having made up your mind, you decided to go, whether it be for reconciliation or- no, you shouldn’t think so optimistically. Maybe this was just a way for them to berate you for ghosting them before cutting ties forever…
With that optimistic thought, you made your way back home, finally getting off the bench you’d been glued to with thought after the brief encounter with the shark-girl. Sorta embarrassing to be told to fix your relationship by a high school girl but at this point any push that didn’t get you deeper into becoming a shut-in was better than none.
Stepping into your home, you shut and locked the door behind you before heading to your room, beelining straight for the closet. Sliding it open, you began to look through the hanged clothing, contemplating what you should wear. Something cute? Something bold? Something that you’d think he’d like or something you felt comfortable in?
After several minutes of this, you finally picked out an outfit, now onto actually getting sleep. Setting the clothes onto a chair, you went to your bathroom and undressed, putting on sleepwear and throwing yourself onto the bed.
A wave of exhaustion passed through you, wow, you were a lot more tired than you thought…
///
The outing with you had been going well, Lycaon thought, today was a beautiful day, thankfully Rina was aiding Corin today so he had no worries about being forced to cut it short and attend to any accidents their junior was prone to.
Strolling by the pier of Lumina Square, water a sunset orange as thr Sun began to set into the horizon, you stopped walking, with him following, a sign of confusion on his face.
“Hey, Lycaon?” You spoke nervously, demeanor slightly shaking. Worry began to draw in, not outwardly showing it, not wanting to make you more nervous in speaking. Something that he usually did when with clients- unconsciously leading him to thinking of you as a client rather than his friend at the moment.
Then you confessed.
His mind stopped- cool breaking as the words spilled out of your mouth and into his ears. Forcing his tail to not wag, he was about to reply. Yet what came out of his mouth was not what he intended, having forced his brain into ‘work mode’ to protect himself from all the possibilities of what you might have said.
So instead of accepting your feelings, happily rejoicing and telling you that he returned them wholeheartedly. He… rejected you. The words tumbled out of his mouth, rushed, the professional tone he used with clients slipped in. As if he were a prisoner in his body.
The look you gave him immediately showed he screwed up. Unable to approach as you began to cry, not wanting to take back the words- not because he believed them, but because he believed you would think he was simply pitying you and throwing a bone.
“I’ll start the car up. It’s getting late.”
“I- it’s- hic- it’s f-fine. I’ll get home on m-my own.”
“I must insi-”
“I said it’s fine!”
His ears drooping, wild guilt painted on his face, internally berating himself for having somehow messed up the interaction of his dreams. He went back to his car, turning it on and beginning the drive back home.
Atleast, that’s what he led you to believe. Instead, he parked in a nearby alley before shadowing you- unwilling to not see you home.
The day after that, he texted you, yet you never responded. Days of being left on ‘Read’ became days of you not opening his text messages at all.
It had begun to get at him, his voice became colder than usual with clients, still professional but with more sharpness to it. The others noticed their boss acting like this, yet were unable to pry into the why. It was a shared silent agreement between them and their boss, a wall between their professional work and personal lives. He met with Master Phatheon a few times and even they noticed something was off with the butler.
One day Ellen overheard him murmuring, quickly figuring out who he was so hung up about and what had happened- with some aid from Miss Rina. Unbeknownst to Lycaon, she met up with you unexpectedly, getting you to meet with Lycaon at the cafe. With Rina “booking an appointment” with a client, for Lycaon to meet with at the very same time.
///
Stepping into the cafe, bell jingling behind you, looking around the cafe before finding the spot Ellen had directed you to, tilting her head to the farthest seat with her signature bored look and lollipop in mouth. Nodding gratefully, you made your way to the table and sat down. Nerves ablaze, you fixed your clothes, making sure nothing was out of place. Worries bubbled up in your mind, thoughts of what could go wrong swirling in the bubbling soup of anxiousness.
Silver fur snapped you out of your spiraling, the Therian that’d been on your mind now realized in front of you. He mirrored your expression of shock, not having thought to see you again, before he quickly closed the gap, holding you tightly.
“I am so sorry.” Breathless, he looked deep into your eyes, “I had not meant to say what I did. I do wish to be with you. If you’d have me.” Not a man to screw up an opportunity like this- especially after having messed up so badly, any and all grievances be damned- he would say his peace and lay his heart into your hands, to either hold or crush at your whim.
You returned his hold, tears welling up as the two of you embraced, hearts swelling with joy as his hard, fluffy body pressed tightly against you, finally together once more. Sobbing openly as finally, the two of you were together, this time as lovers.
It was a little awkward stepping out of the cafe, with some customers very obviously glancing at the two of you after your two very public reunion…
After Anby had run from your confession, she spent a lot of time rewatching movies. Romance and tragedy specifically, trying to find a solution to what has transpired. The rest of the Cunning Hares were confused about her seemingly out of nowhere interest in those genres, usually seeing her watch action or thrillers.
There was an aching in her heart, one she had originally attributed to the loss of a friend, yet it felt stronger, much stronger. As she watched more and more, she came across an animated film, one of a failed relationship, of how being apart makes the heart grow fonder, ending with the two getting together, stronger than before.
That’s what she wanted.
While originally she was true to herself, only wanting you as a friend, time revealed that she wanted more, especially after forcing herself to dodge into alleys after even a glimpse of your hair, oftentimes leading to odd looks from the Cunning Hares or Phaethon. She wanted to be closer to you, like how the protagonists in the films were.
Standing up, resolution in her heart and an apology on her tongue, she exited the door and began making her way to your abode, moonlight and street lamps lighting the way.
///
You couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t a one-off occurrence either. Thoughts powered by the late night struck harshly, leaving lasting impressions that made sleep impossible. Especially those of a particular silver-haired girl.
Sighing, you shook your head, as if to shake the thoughts physically out, getting up from your bed and heading to the kitchen. Opening up the refrigerator, you grabbed a cold pitcher of water and a cup from the cupboard, turning the pitcher and letting the cool liquid spill into the cup, only turning it back upright as it neared the top.
Putting the pitcher back into the fridge before closing it, you grabbed the cup and steadily began to drink from it. Refreshing, always helping whenever those thoughts arrive…
A notification from your phone rang out, having left it in your bedroom you began to make your way to said room, when a knock at the door stopped you. Nothing good ever came from someone at your door at near midnight.
Grabbing a nearby object- your hand finding the handle of a knife, you quietly made your way to the door. Looking through the peephole, you saw a familiar face that made your muscles freeze.
Anby, staring right back at you. In her usual getup, with the same mono-look, but a hint of anxiousness hidden in her eyes.
Setting the knife down onto the counter, you slowly opened up the door, nerves threatening a rebellion against your body as you opened the door.
Finally face to face with Anby, without the blurriness and fish-eye view that the peephole provided, you could see how less kept she was than usual. Eyes tinged with red- a sign of screen overuse. Sweat, faster breaths, a flush of red coloring her pale cheeks.
The two of you stared at each other for a second before she quickly closed in.
“I’m sorry.” Her voice cracked, monotone as it was, a hint of breathiness from her seemingly having sprinted here from wherever she was prior. “I shouldn’t have ran.”
You didn’t know what to do, worried that nodding or shaking your head would give the wrong impression- whatever the impression you wanted to give was lost to you.
You just stood there, listening to what she had to say.
“In the movies they always get together after the first confession. But it didn’t feel right at the time- but it also didn’t feel right saying no.”
A silence before you decided to share your two cents.
“Anby-” her attention diverted back to you straightaway, “How about this. We date for a bit- say, a year, then if you feel like it’s right, then we can continue. If not, then atleast we tried…”
“Just don’t run again, even being friends would be better than never seeing you again.”
She quickly closed the gap between the two of you, embracing you tightly, with you following suit. “Okay…” her voice was shaky, her grip on you was not.
Okay actually it was too tight- “Anby I think you’re gonna break my spine!”
Stepping out of your assigned police car, you nodded to your partner as they exited the vehicle and went to leave the premises. Qingyi having gone back to Zhu Yuan’s side after the one day the two of you were assigned together, message delivered, you wondered how she pulled off getting to be your partner.
You began to make your way to Zhu Yuan’s desk, with her filling out some final papers regarding what happened to the blimp atop of the Ballet Twins Towers. A situation that had been narrowly avoided ending in catastrophe by an inorganic citizen being insusceptible to the knock-out gasses found in the systems of the victims. Her squadron had been the first to the scene, being stopped at the first tower before being forced to evacuate and find another way up by several explosives being detonated at the bridge.
It was a headache for everyone involved, happy that the worse situation happened but not looking forward to the amount of paperwork needed to be filed, especially since the prime suspect of a major case and now this case had gone off-grid with the blimp to who knows where now.
Thankfully it seemed Zhu Yuan didn’t mind it too much, all too happy to do her work, no matter how monotonous it seemed. Turning off the computer for the day and filing papers into cabinets, she had been adding a sprinkle of water into the tomato plant she’d been growing, thoughts swirling as she continued with the monotonous task.
///
It’d been days since she last saw you. Invitations declined, only glimpses of you before you seemingly disappeared into the crowd or entered somewhere she couldn’t follow. Her days had been growing duller, work becoming a distraction to her problems.
Her mom had commented on this, citing worries about how she’d been seemingly throwing herself deeper into work and training, questioning the near-null appearances of you in recent times. She hated to lie to them, yet didn’t want to confront the facts.
She’d been too late to tell you how she felt. She would never get the opportunity again...
One day Qingyi told Zhu Yuan that she'd have to stay a little later, orders given to her to give to Zhu Yuan a little extra work. While to most, this’d be an annoyance, Zhu Yuan readily accepted the new work, not wanting to go back to her lonely apartment.
///
You knocked on the doorframe- breaking her out of her thoughts, face lighting up as she laid eyes on you.
“Uh, hey Zhu Yuan…” She set the water-can down and stood up hastily. “Hey! Uhm…” The two of you stood awkwardly as you tried to form the words you wanted to say.
“I’m sorry.” Zhu Yuan looked at you, worry on her face, urging you to continue. While she had been hurt from how you were seemingly avoiding her, she still looked at you as a close friend.
“It’s… stupid of me. But I wanted to tell you that…”
You confessed, deciding to put all your trust in Qingyi and just do it. Ripping the proverbial band-aid off, the words tumbled out.
She stood there, wide-eyed as you finished. There was a brief silence before tears began to bunch at the edge of her eyes. Your heart stopped, worried that you’d done something wrong before she closed the gap and embraced you, repeating “Yes!” and “I like you too!”, nearly squealing in delight.
You were dazed from how hard she was shaking you, before finally getting a hold. “So.. you’re not into Qingyi?”
“Huh? No, where’d you get that idea?”
“Ahh…” it was a little embarrassing to admit this in hindsight, “I thought since… you looked at her like that, that you…”
She giggled a little, before stopping quickly, “Sorry- I- I looked like that because I was thinking of you. Just, I looked away anytime you looked at me since I didn’t know if you returned my feelings…”
“Ah…”
Finally love bloomed, no longer covered by the walls of uncertainty.
Henlo. 👋 I love the Unrequited Love series you wrote for Lycaon, Anby, and Zhu! If you're accepting requests and have free time, could you write a part three where the reader is confronted by someone about it (though it's not necessarily the one the reader's avoiding)? Thank you again for the wonderful pieces you've wrote for the ZZZ fandom! 💜
“Heart Meet Mind”, Zenless Zone Zero x gnReader
Ellen Joe (Von Lycaon), Qingyi (Zhu Yuan)
a/n: originally supposed to be a oneshot angst, now getting a happy(?) ending- still deciding whether to go for a bittersweet or happy ending. consider part 2 and part 4 endings depending on which one you’d prefer
Part 1.
Part 2.
You went out for another walk, thoughts of Lycaon were still buzzing around often, but time slowly began to erode at the amount of space it took. They say time heals all wounds after all. It seemed it was doing so at last, maybe you’ll move on finally, after stewing in your heartbreak at home.
It was a bit pathetic, being so hung up on another person. Lycaon, such a gentleman, such a nice guy, a guy who could bounce back from a relationship ending so quickly. Such a kiss-ass, maybe you two weren’t as close as you foolishly thought- seeing through rose-tinted glasses rather than how he actually was. How happy you saw him when he was with that other person at the Noodle Shop… How warm he looked against the lamp lighting, his clothes fitted and fur groomed. Did he look like that when the two of you hung out? Or was he eager to leave- using those emergencies at work to ditch you…
You stopped walking, now in a nearby park. The feeling of a constricted throat and stinging eyes that’s become more and more familiar since that day rising once more.
Sitting yourself down onto an empty park bench, you looked blankly out to the lake of water the park surrounded, ducks swimming lazily, leaving small ripples in the water. The sounds of their honks and nearby cicadas filling the silence of the afternoon. It’s helped a lot whenever you needed to get out and get fresh air.
“Yo.” A feminine, monotone voice spoke behind you- a yelp escaping you as you nearly fell out of your seat, not having heard the newcomer. Looking back and to the approaching girl, you noticed that she was familiar- Ellen Joe, one of the featured members of Victoria Housekeeping. Crap.
“Realized huh? I’d imagine, considering how often you hung around Lycaon.” You flinched at the name, a look of guilt passing through Ellen’s face. “Look, if it helps, I’ve never seen the man so hung up on anything in his life.”
“No… it doesn’t.” You replied nervously, inwardly cringing at how you were terrified to speak to a high school girl about your failed confession to her boss.
“Good.” She took a lollipop from her pocket, ripping the plastic off, and popping the treat into her mouth- stick sticking out of her mouth like a cigar. “Would’a been a red flag.” Speech a little different due to the treat in her mouth, yet still carried its meaning clearly.
Taking the lollipop out of her mouth, she pointed it towards you, red sphere of hard sugar facing you. “You go to the cafe- the one you met the boss at. He’ll be there. Tell him again.”
“But he’ll just say no again.” You mumbled, eyes downcast at the reminder of her confession.
“I wouldn’t bet on it."
“Huh?” You looked up quickly, nervousness painting your face.
“I said I wouldn’t bet on it. The fact that I know how much this’s been messing with him shows that he realized he made a mistake.”
“Now, go there tomorrow, he’ll be there.” Popping the treat back in, the shark-girl stood up and walked off, dropping the plastic wrapping into a nearby trash can on her way out.
Tomorrow, he’ll be there. Tomorrow, you’ll see him again.
((i actually dunno much about her so take this with a grain of salt))
Shifting the car into the parking lot, you were excited to finally get out of duty. Not that you hated being a police officer- it was a dream of yours ever since you were a kid and basically a shoe-in due to your high Ether Aptitude, but because of your partner. Not your reassigned partner- they were great, the two of you had become fast friends and while the sting of heartache still lingered, it was beginning to fade. This morning however, they had called off sick, forcing a newcomer into your car and who had been shadowing you today.
Qingyi. Now you weren’t going to say you disliked her, especially for such a petty reason of being too late to ask your crush out. Though you also weren’t going to say you liked her. It was a surprise to see her tap on your window, even bigger to know that she would be joining you today. It was a tense couple of minutes- like what do you say to the one who stole your crush’s heart? It did slowly fade by the end, making conversation and helping out around the neighborhood- but it still never left.
She probably felt it, you thought, guilty for putting your coworker through the stifling awkwardness for a reason she didn’t know of.
She did feel it and she did very much have an idea of what was going on.
So just as you pulled into the police department’s private parking lot and settled into an open space, she locked the doors and turned to you.
“Are you infatuated with Zhu Yuan?”
“Huh!?” You had nearly been about to ask her why she locked the door when she hit you with that. “Why?”
“Because. Now answer.”
“N-no…” As much as you wanted to say yes, to tell the shorter person that you had plans to confess- it wasn’t your choice anymore, it never was. Since you were-
“- not too late.” Her voice cut through your inner monologue.
“Huh.” She stared at you with an exasperated look, “I mean, just cause she’s my partner doesn’t mean you’re too late.”
“What? That exactly means I was too late!” You blurt out before slapping your hand over your mouth. Mortified at what you just exposed.
“I’ve seen the way she looks at you. If you talked to her, it’d help. She’s been pretty down since you stopped hanging out with her.”
“What?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh…”
“Tomorrow, tell her. Her shift ends at the same time as yours.”
She clicked the locks back off, opening the door and sliding out, shutting it behind her as she left. You stared at where she sat, mulling over what she said.
Can I request for shy gn s/o asking Lycaon if they can touch his tail please?
“Can I Touch Your Tail?” Zenless Zone Zero x gnReader
Nekomata, Von Lycaon, Ellen Joe
a/n: added Nekomata and Ellen!
... A fairly common question that came with varying answers. Tails, ears, and all extra appendages that Therians were born with were seen differently by those with them. Some would think of them similar to an arm or a leg while others would be more sensitive, putting higher emphasis on them, granting the privilege of touching their extra appendage to close friends- a sign of trust.
So asking this question to someone you considered being very close with was an ultimate test of trust. Maybe you did or didn’t have this in mind when asking- only asking out of naive curiosity, yet to them it’d be a pretty high-tier test of trust and how they viewed your relationship.
“Nyahh? Where’s this come from?” Nekomiya turned to you, still munching on a mackerel as she spoke. “Hmm…” She thought for a second before smiling and nodding. “Okay, sure! Just don’t pull!”
You nodded, happy that she allowed you this privilege. Slowly you leaned forward and softly pressed down on the feline-Therian’s gray tail, feeling the soft short fur that were usually covered by the protective sleeve she wore. Nekomiya purred, ear twitching as she felt your hands caress her sensitive tails, shivering and wagging with giddiness- always so protective of her Therian appendages, it felt nice to have someone pet them- at least someone she trusted.
Nekomiya would usually say yes if you asked her, only saying no when around other people- since some would take it as an open invitation or when they were sleeved, though that was usually when in Hollows or out in public.
“Of course.” Lycaon spoke warmly, his voice the same cool even tone it always was. Yet as you attempted to pet his tail, it became a tall order, as every time you reached for it, the tail wagged wildly- nearly hitting you in the face with fluff. But once you finally got a handle on it, it felt soft, obviously impeccably taken care of, nothing less for Lycaon.
You pet it softly, small ‘Ooh’s and ‘Aahs’ as you felt the soft silver fur under your fingertips, running your hands with utmost care as to not accidentally cause any discomfort. Looking up to the Therian, you noticed his ears twitching, a satisfied smile on his face, a small hum of satisfaction as you pet him.
A small part of him wished for you to continue, even as you let go and went back to whatever responsibilities you had. If you ever asked to pet him, as long as it wasn’t on the clock- though it was still debatable, he would happily allow it.
“Huh?” She looked up from her phone, lollipop tilted slightly upward and tapping stopping, her usual bored look being sharper than before. Oh she was very familiar with people asking to touch her tail, being something incredibly big- a little over the length of her entire leg and the circumference of a dinner plate, it got a ton of attention wherever she went. Classmates, children, and weirdos at work would ask to touch, and she’d always tell them no. If they tried to forcefully touch her, she'd give em a good wack- not the children though, usually able to just move it away from their reach. Though at work, Lycaon was pretty good at being there at the right moment, kicking out any unruly customers or finding a way to tell them to buzz off in that professional manner that she couldn’t care enough to do.
Though she thought of it for a bit, the two of you were pretty close and you weren’t like the other weirdos, eh, if she didn’t like it then she’d just tell you. “Sure.” She leaned a little to give space for her tail. As your hand made contact with it, a small jolt went through her- unused to allowing people to touch her. “AhhhHhhh~...” You quickly pulled your hand back, worried that you'd done something wrong. “Oi, I didn’t say stop.” It felt as though she had become more annoyed that you stopped petting her tail than when you asked the question…
Ellen would be apprehensive but if the two of you were close enough, she’d let you touch it every once in a while. Usually away from other people, definitely not at school or at work.
maid x master are overrated booo tomato tomato /hj
i want more maid x maid wlw cuz i think they're cute :3
well since we talking about maid here can i request alexandrina x shy fem junior/trainee maid, for short rina teach y/n proper etiquette as they spend time together they start flirting or something like that (y/n working for months so they know each other a bit)
sorry man I can't write good prompt :(
anyways get enough sleep, sleep good you deserve it
"The One in Which You and a Ghost Lady Fall in Love” Alexandrina Sebastiane x gnReader
a/n: decided to do gender neutral rather than female, hope you don’t mind! but feel free to change the pronouns and such in your head!
a/n²: ironically pretty bad at writing a relationship that doesn't end in tragedy
As the newest addition of Victoria Housekeeping, you had to undergo various types of training- as expected. Ranging from household cleaning to taking down Ethereals in a fast and professional manner. Honestly you sorta expected it- even having been warned as you applied for the position about the additional forms of work Victoria Housekeeping did.
Though to be honest, it was pretty fun, being given training and permission to let go and duke it out with enemies whenever the need arose. The problem was the whole ‘interacting with clients’, it was really hard not to tremble or cringe while talking, feeling as though you were embarrassing Mister Lycaon and the rest of Victoria Housekeeping just by existing.
So, you had been given more training in customer relations, with your main teacher being Miss Sebastiane- though she preferred you call her Miss Rina. She was your senior, a woman with a serene gracefulness, kind and gentle- yet not afraid to put pressure on clients who got too handsy or Ethereals that entered the property they were hired to keep. She was so kind, strong, gentle, firm, a smile that made you at ease and inspired you to keep pushing away from the mental barrier of interacting with clients. Beautiful, with soft hair framing her mature face, eyes of ruby that kept you mesmerized…
Then those eyes blinked.
Today Miss Rina had been teaching you how to dance, a semi-often requested service. For when a client didn’t have a partner- either through choice or circumstance, they would call on Victoria Housekeeping to be their partner. It happened more often than one would think.
Yet as she lead you through the steps, you had become transfixed on the older lady, still mirroring her but losing yourself in her. Something she noticed as you lost your usual unsureness, steps becoming more loose rather than the high-strung nervousness you usually exhibited.
Truthfully she was very flattered, where people usually looked at her, it was with either lust or a passing by before turning to the other workers like Lycaon or Ellen. You looked at her with love, heart stolen by her. She had her eye on you for a bit, the cuteness of your bashfulness, how you aimed to do your best- much like Corin, yet fell flat at the more mental problems. You were cute yes, but also strong in your own way, a trait you shared with Corin as well. Always aiming to protect, eyes filled with warmth even when in stressful situations.
As the two of you finished your dance, she dipped you low, holding you steady, gaze looking deep back at you.
Words escaped you, “Would you grant me the honor of going to dinner with you?” You immediately slammed your palms to your mouth- leading you to fall and hit your bum on the ground. Internally you were panicking, doing everything you could to not look at Miss Rina, hoping you didn’t ruin the relationship between the two of you, having overstepped the bounds of the work-place.
Out of your view, she relaxed, sinking down and cupping your chin. Softly directing you to look at her, you followed, puddy in her hands. “Nothing would make me happier.” With her free hand she held you by the arm, pulling you up alongside her as she moved with the serenity of a flowing river. “Tonight at 8?” You nodded, not trusting your words to be able to convey what you wanted. There weren't any words possible to let her know what you felt.
Hey, Hi, Hello!! I don’t know if you’re not taking request or not but If it’s not too much of a hassle or if you have the free time, could I please request a part two of that unrequited love post where the reader starts intentionally avoiding those same characters you posted? Like basically the aftermath of the confession. If you’re closed or busy you really don’t have to accept this but thank you for that read 😭
“Aversion to Heartache…” Zenless Zone Zero x gnReader
Von Lycaon, Zhu Yuan
a/n: not including Anby, since she’s the one avoiding you at the end of Unrequited. also i am always open to requests or chats! just know that it might take some time to get back to you, since i write when i take a break or can’t draw
Sequel to: “Unrequited” (Lycaon, Zhu Yuan, Anby)
It’s been a couple of weeks since your failed confession. You had been purposefully avoiding Lycaon- even Victoria Housekeeping as well as the cafe they used as a front. Ads would pop up on websites, various members on it but the pure white fur of the Therian on your mind sticking out like a sore thumb against the muted colors of the rest of the staff.
Sighing, you clicked on the X to delete the ad, not wanting to see it any longer. You misclicked, accidentally clicking on the web link and being rerouted to the contact page of Victoria Housekeeping. It was familiar- having used it to venture into the Hollow, where you met Lycaon.
Quickly closing the tab, you tried to clear your mind. Lycaon, Lycaon, Lycaon, every day it felt like you got reminded of him. The good times you both had, spending afternoons and sometimes nights with him. Then quickly being soured by you confessing to him- the look on his face more unflattering than what really occurred.
You should go out for a bit… maybe some fresh air would help. Standing up, you put on some casual clothes, fixing a hoodie on and zipping it up before taking your keys.
Closing the door behind you and locking it, you took a deep breath of the cold afternoon air. Fresh, with only a couple of people milling about. A car or two passing by every couple of minutes. Stepping out from the front of your apartment, you began your aimless walk. Letting the sounds of the city fill your ears.
After tens of minutes, you found yourself in Lumina Square. Somewhere bustling with traffic. Following the crowd, you looked through the windows, commenting on things mentally- before something caught your eye.
Lycaon. The wolf-Therian was sitting in front of a noodle shop with… someone else. A figure wearing a blue-orange jacket, hair reaching their chin. Here you were, constantly on the verge of tears and Lycaon had already moved on. Seemingly having replaced you, seeing as how expressive this person was to him.
His ear twitched, a tell-tale sign of where he was going to look- having either heard or smelled something of note. Quickly you lifted your hood up, hiding your face as you quickly followed the crowd, hoping to avoid his gaze and possible confrontation, forever if possible.
Yet he knew you were there. With the aroma and cooking of the noodle shop covering up most of your tracks, but that familiar scent you had snaked its way in. Yet you were already gone, faded back into the crowd.
After the revelation of who Zhu Yuan’s heart had been captivated by, you had begun to slowly avoid Zhu Yuan. The heartache you felt as you spent time with her became more pervasive with each day. Something you wanted became poisoned, leading you to call hangouts off or declining Zhu Yuan whenever she invited you.
She very easily figured this out, but the question was ‘why?’. The two of you hadn’t had a falling out- nothing egregious and there was no reason for you to have any bad blood. Yet every time she approached you, you quickly tried to find an out- you weren’t as slick as you thought you were.
It became harder and harder for her to initiate anything, being stationed in different areas of New Eridu, as well as growing feelings for her partner Qingyi. Yet it still ate at her.
One day on patrol, you were responding to an urgent call, pulling up with lights flashing. A man had a girl hostage, blade to her neck as they ordered the cops to hand them a vehicle to make their escape from a robbery gone wrong.
Just as you were about to go in, a blur passed you, a familiar figure grabbed the girl, cuffing the suspect before roundhouse kicking them, knocking them and a piece of the wall out. As well as a couple of molars.
You watched her in a trance as she consoled the victim. Then you noticed that she was about to turn, with you quickly walking away back to your car. She stepped to follow you but was stopped, having to give a recount and file paperwork for the arrest, as well as return to film the rest of the promotional material for the director.
Qingyi watched you leave as she stepped out of the car, dots connecting in her head as she watched the hurt look on both you and Zhu Yuan’s face. She needed to do something about this...
“Unrequited”, Zenless Zone Zero x gnReader - ♪ - Angst
Von Lycaon, Anby Demara, Zhu Yuan
Lycaon, head of Victoria Housekeeping, a Therian of class- yet nimble enough to not be uptight. The butler-for-hire had been one of your closest friends, meeting on one of his jobs, with him having protected you while traversing the Hollows, in search of a lost possession. The two of you hit it off, meeting outside of work- whenever he was spare, which admittedly was a bit rare, for drinks and casual hangouts.
Over time a building feeling became apparent to you, every time you even thought the Therian, bundles of joy and giddiness curled up tight. It made you want to burst every time. When the two of you met for the day, it became harder and harder to look away, his soft eyes and warm demeanor making you puddy.
One day you decided to admit these feelings, no longer able to bear keeping them hidden any longer- lest they burn you alive.
He had a free day open, the two of you having scheduled to meet up in the afternoon. Days passed by like snails in the arctic but finally as the hour arrived, you put on your best clothes, a giddy feeling as you mentally recited what you wanted to say to him.
///
The outing had been going great, the two of you met, exchanged pleasantries before exploring. While you had wanted to confess where you met- meeting in a Hollow wouldn’t exactly be the greatest move. But a nice view looking at the setting Sun would be!
“Hey, Lycaon?”
“Mm?” He turned to you, his arms rested behind his back- habits from work carried over to his day to day.
“I… I…” The words were terrified to leave, yet as you ripped them out like a band-aid, it was cathartic to let them out into the air.
Lycaon’s gaze was the same as usual, yet a terrified feeling began to build in you. He looked over to the sinking Sun, a downward quirk at the edge of his mouth as he pondered for a few moments before turning back to you.
“I… must apologize. While you are a cherished friend of mine, I am unable to reciprocate these feelings you have for me.”
“R-right… ‘m sorry…” You choked, unwilling to begin crying at having been rejected- even as your shoulders shook and you grit your teeth, no tears were allowed to fall.
He watched, uncharacteristically awkward as he attempted to help you. Yet how do you help someone when you were the direct cause of their pain.
“I’ll start up the car. It’s getting late.”
“I-it’s- hic- fine. I’ll get home on my own…”
“I must insi-”
“I said it’s fine.”
Even to you it felt too harsh to be like this, yet it escaped nonetheless.
“I understand.” Lycaon nodded, ears drooping as he started the car, backing off to let you blow off steam.
That was the last time you voluntarily saw him. Not wanting these feelings to continue burning, you smothered it. Never replying to his texts, turning the corner any time you saw his snow-white fur.
Anby Demara, a friend you made while shopping for movies, having accidentally chosen the same movie at the same time before turning into discussing it and later on exchanging numbers. She was great- very direct but honestly that helped understand her a lot more. You didn’t know what she did on her off-time, but she was pretty free, leading to the two of you spending time together watching movies, eating out, or going to trivia nights.
Yet a growing feeling began to ball up in you, watching her expressions as she watched movies with rapt attention. You wanted her to look at you like that- to look at you the same way you did her.
You decided a direct approach would work, it worked with her and worked for you. So one day the two of you were walking back from the theater, discussing the latest movie the two of you had watched- a sequel to the one you both picked out at the beginning of your friendship. It was okay- but the publishers pushing for a sequel to an already wrapped up story made it lose its charm. Steeling your nerves as she spoke, you took a deep breath before speaking up as she finished.
“Uhm, hey, Anby?”
“Yes?”
You confessed your feelings for her, a direct message. You tried not to show your nervousness, yet it was pretty apparent to anyone with keen eyes.
“Um…”
Anby stood, thinking about all the movies she’d watched. Usually at the end of romance films, the protagonist professes their love for the love interest, ending in a happy ever-after. Yet she didn’t like you like that, she wanted to continue being friends.
It was confusing- landing in such a mundane situation that had no good answer. She cherished your friendship yet had no idea how to reject your confession- no source to look at and help navigate.
Anby was mannequin-still before sprinting, unable to choose what to do- so she detached herself from the situation. You called out to her, heart-broken and confused as she left your confession unopened.
Texting didn’t work, leaving you on ‘Read’. You never saw her again, only glimpses of her silver hair or neon-green sleeves before disappearing.
Zhu Yuan, leader of Public Security, she was a role model to all and someone everyone aspired to be. You- and a few others could admit or deny having a crush on her- yet it was the truth all the same. And how could you not? She was a great person, amicable, someone kind and easy to be open to.
You had become friends with her after being partnered up, spending your time after shifts with her as she trained or helping her with her garden at home- even afterwards when you were partnered with someone else and she was with Qingyi. The crush you held deep began to burst as you learned more and became closer to this amazing person.
So one day you decided to finally really confess- after having talked yourself out of it so many times…
During a meeting, you were positioned opposite of where Zhu Yuan sat. It was a bit hard to look away from her, but you did at least attempt to focus on the briefing- no matter how much it was unneeded.
Then Qingyi went up to present information.
Zhu Yuan had a different look on her face- usually so focused and diligent. She had a soft- almost mesmerized look now.
It sat uncomfortably within you- a thought striking your mind, something you didn’t want to admit but as the meeting ended and Zhu Yuan still kept that same look, it was something you had to admit.
Zhu Yuan was in love with Qingyi.
You rushed out of the meeting room, packing your things with haste before leaving.
You still did meet with Zhu Yuan- yet every time you did, all you could focus on was the aching in your heart. So slowly you stopped meeting with her, not wanting to continue torturing yourself.
“Your Hot Furry Boyfriend Takes You on a Date But Then Ethereal Horrors Beyond Your Understanding Interrupt [ASMR]” Von Lycaon x gnReader (Romantic)
a/n: was listening to an actual asmr rp video and realized how down bad i am
The cold night breeze whistled through the streets, a coat lended to you by your boyfriend, Von Lycaon, stopping you from feeling it in its entirety. There weren’t many others on the street, only a couple others milling about. Shops were beginning to be closed, street lamps buzzing to life, owls and cicadas beginning to sing as the Sun began to dip itself under the horizon.
Snuggling closely to your boyfriend, he wrapped his arm around you, the warmth of his fur and the solid feeling of his toned body provided were comforts of steady warmth. Smiling, the two of you continued on to your shared apartment, basking in each other's presence.
Then there was a boom.
Shattering the serenity of the evening, a dark pulsating sphere burst out in the middle of the area they were in. Screams rang out as people began to run away from the ever-growing ball. A newly formed Hollow was emerging.
Lycaon moved quickly, taking his phone out and dialing his colleague, “Rina, there’s a Hollow forming on Fifth Street.” He held you firmly, beginning to basically carry you as he moved to get you as far as possible from the emerging Hollow. “You know what to do.” Hanging up from his phone before pocketing it, he turned to you. “Let’s go Dear.”
Only a few steps before the Hollow burst, enclosing the entirety of the surrounding area in its new space-warping environment.
“Faster than expected…” He murmured to himself, a sense of worry building in him- though not outwardly exposing it, mannerisms learned from his years as part of Victoria Housekeeping. Without a Proxy, there was no way they could get out without getting lost within the Hollow themselves. All they could do was,
“Wait for Miss Rina.” Lycaon held you tight, knowing that your Ether Aptitude was way less than his. A safe estimation would be that you had twenty-three minutes until your time ran out. That would not happen.
As the two of you ventured throughout the Hollow, aiming to either encounter Public Security or be located by Phaethon- either way, being sitting ducks was not an option. At your behest, the both of you searched for survivors. It seemed most people followed protocols, encouraged to learn it by heart from a young age. You couldn’t not know what to do in case of a sudden Hollow appearing when living in New Eridu after all.
Just as you were looking through some windows, searching for the elderly or those unable to escape, Lycaon rushed forward in a blur of white being trailed by a cool blue. An Ethereal. It had just rounded the corner before being split into two and ultimately disintegrating back into the Unknown Substance of the Hollow. You rushed to be closer to him, before he raised his hand.
His ears rotated before his fur stood up. A break in his characteristic cool composure. Quickly, he grabbed you before you could even react and rushed the two of you behind an alley. Just as you were about to speak, he covered you mouth. You moved to shoot him a look of indignation before getting a good look at the expression he wore. Worried.
A shadow passed through the streets. It was large, about the size of a firetruck. Looking up, the two of you became petrified at the sight of the Ethereal. Bigger than any ever recorded, squid-like in it’s appearance. It flowed through the skies like water, a dead gaze as it searched for… something.
“Psst!”
The two of you jumped, Lycaon nearly punting the pint-sized newcomer before stopping himself midway through, the now recognized-Bangboo raising its small arms in surrender. “Wait! Miss Rina sent me!”
“Ah, Master Proxy. I apologize.”
“It’s fine! That weird squid Ethereal is something I’d expect to see at the Outpost! But forget that, let’s get you out of here.”
“Please, I think we have about thirteen minutes left.”
“Isn’t your Aptitude high?”
Lyacon motioned to you, with you waving as the Bangboo waved back.
The Bangboo turned back to the wolf-Thiren.
“Is that your…?”
“Significant other? Yes.”
“Wow! For some reason I both did and didn’t expect that…” The Bangboo muttered to themselves before turning back to lead them. Then they stopped before quickly motioning for everyone to hide.
The shadow of the titan-sized Ethereal passed by once more, now seemingly closer to touching down onto the ground than before.
“Alright let’s go!” The Bangboo whisper-yelled, waving for them to follow. As they passed and rounded a few more corners, the Bangboo seemed to have gotten a premonition, “Ethereals!” Lyacon burst forward to protect the team as mentioned Etherals burst out of the woodwork, black charcoal bodies with green oozing out from their underbody.
He stepped forward before bursting into motion, leaving a small crater where he used the ground as a starter block. Quickly disposing of the enemies in a professional matter, none of the Ethereals could even hope to land an attack as he fought, decimating their numbers with practiced ease.
Taking out his watch as you and the Bangboo caught up with him, you noticed a furrow in his brow. Questioning it, he replied, “Eight more minutes. Phatheon, we must hurry.”
“Right!” The Bangboo replied, scurrying forward to lead the group out once more. Passing through a few portals. The tell-tale sound of Public Security vehicles and Rescue Bangboo becoming more audible as your group began to reach the exit.
“EEEAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!”
A screech that could be heard from all throughout the Hollow, turning back, all three of you watched as the Ethereal noticed your group, having sacrificed hiding for efficiency in haste to get out. The being began to approach with frightening haste, unnatural in how something so big could move so fast.
Breaking out of his stupor fast, Lycaon hoisted you and the Bangboo up with his arms and began to sprint in the direction Phaethon pointed them in before being disrupted.
“Where to Master Phaethon?”
“Left!”
“Now take a right!”
“One more- oh jeez it’s catching up!”
Lyacon used every ounce of strength in each push his legs gave, pushing through stray smaller Ethereals, not wanting to give the monstrosity chasing them a chance to catch up. After a few more blocks, it had gotten so close that you could hear the squelching of it’s tendrils, with it only being stopped by the buildings. Just as it seemed that it would begin to make a grab at Lyacon, gunfire rang out.
Public Security, with this particular group headed by Zhu Yuan and Qingyi, with backup from neighboring departments as well as their very own, laid down gunfire on the Ethereal. Forcing it to evade to avoid taking the brunt of the firepower being let out on it.
“Phatheon!”
“One more right!”
He barreled forward, just as a wave of nausea hit you. Two more minutes.
Sprinting forward, he fell into one final tear in reality, arriving in a space in front of the Hollow.
Setting you and the Bangboo down, he let you catch your breath as he reconvend with Phaethon.
“I am in your debt, Master Proxy. Money will be forward-”
“I- It’s fine Sir!”
“Pardon?”
“Just for this once! Take it as a token of good faith.”
Lyacon smiled, nodding as he turned his attention back to you, leaving the Bangboo to return back home.
“Are you okay?” “‘m fine… just tired.” “Of course, let's have you checked then we can return home, okay?” “Mm…”
You nodded off to sleep as he lifted you in his arms, taking you over to the doctor to get checked. Waking you up only for a little bit before falling right back to sleep after all the tests were done. You were cleared- only being exhausted from prolonged exposure to the Hollow.
Setting you softly onto the shared bed, Lycaon softly caressed the top of your head. Thankful for having been able to get you out with minimal roadblocks. Had the two of you been even a little slower…
Best not to think about it.
Later, the Hollow would be contained once more through the combined efforts of Public Security and the military sector based in Scott Outpost. Only a few casualties- a testimony to the effectiveness of their efficiency.
“Hey Honey! Could you pick me up from jail?” Zenless Zone Zero x gnReader (Romantic- can sorta be read as platonic?)
Von Lycaon, Zhu Yuan
a/n: Changed the request a bit, since driving without a permit- at least in California, is only an infraction and’ll only get you a fine. With only repeat offenses (charged as a misdemeanor) getting jail time. So I changed it to public drunkenness! You got a little too silly drinking the silly juice and ended up in a silly little room.
a/n²: drink responsibly
a/n³: i know nothing of drinking apart from going to the store to buy gatorade for my hungover brothers
A dry throat, aching soreness in multiple body parts, and a killer headache. These were the first things you felt waking up, slowly rising to sit upright on an uncomfortable metal platform. Shoes hitting the concrete underneath as you looked around in a daze. What happened?
You got drunk as skunk is what happened. A celebration about something or other with some friends, and sooner or later you got drunk. Thankfully you didn’t try to get behind a wheel- bad news is you terrorized a lot of people in your drunken mess and got the police involved and your bum thrown behind bars for the night. No vomit on the ground! Thankfully.
Standing up, you knocked on the jail bars, speaking up with a dry voice, “Uhh, hello?” After a few seconds a police officer walked from behind the corner, a tired look on his face- ah, it seems like he had to deal with your drunk self for a majority of his shift before you passed out. At least he’ll be getting off the clock soon?
“Could I be let out to go home?”
“You’ll need someone to pick you up. Can’t have someone hungover trying to get back home.”
Unlocking the cell, he opened the door and directed you to a wall phone, black with buttons that had their paint pressed off.
They left you to give you some privacy as you dialed in the phone number of your significant other.
“This is Von Lycaon, to whom am I speaking to?”
“Hey honey!”
“Oh! Hi dear, did you just wake? Why are you calling from a different number?”
“Uhm… well I sorta got reallyy~y drunk and sorta scared a bunch of people and then the police came…”
“...”
“...”
“Could you pick me up from the Lumina Square police department?”
“... I’ll be there in five.”
Von Lycaon ended the call, turning to Corin, who had just spilled a drink and who he had been aiding in cleaning the mess up. “Apologies but I must attend to something quickly. Please inform Miss Sebastiane that I will be out momentarily for personal matters.” Corin nodded, having quickly realized who he had been speaking to. “Yes sir!” Before returning to drying the seat.
Stepping out of the building and into the sidewalk, Lycaon began his trip to pick you up. Entering his vehicle, letting it warm up from a night of cool air, before getting it on the road and to the police department. Music that he had been recommended by Miss Ellen playing in the car speakers- a hardcore metal band with a lot of guttural screaming and sharp electric guitar riffs. He likes it.
Pulling into the police department’s public parking, Lycaon parks his car into a free space and exits the vehicle, going to enter the building from the front door. Entering, he nods to the police officer on duty, knowing them due to his duty of turning in criminals he apprehended while serving his ‘Master’s.
“Oh! Lycaon!” Waving your hand through the bars of your cell, you excitedly called his name. He nodded towards you, “I’m here to pick them up.” The officer nodded, standing up and unholstering their keys from their belt before unlocking your cell door and letting you out. “You’ll be off with a warning this time.” “Thank you sir!” You replied with a grateful nod before turning to Lycaon. “Let’s go!”
Leaving the police department with him, the moment he closed the door behind them he turned to you. A disappointed dad face written all over.
“Next time let me accompany you when you go drinking. I have more than enough vacation days saved up.”
“Yes sir…”
He drove you to your shared apartment, taking care to not dizzy you while driving. Preparing a simple chicken noodle soup and filling a cup with water, he fed you and aided as you recovered from your hangover.
You didn’t even need to call her, seeing as how she was right around the corner- having just clocked out from her graveyard shift and being notified of your situation. It was quite a surprise to turn the corner and see Zhu Yuan leaning on the wall with a mildly disappointed look.
“Really?”
“It was a drink at first… but then it sorta became two and before I knew it I…”
“It’s okay. But please don’t make it a habit. Now, let’s get you home, you must be really hungover.”
“Yeah…”
She nodded, taking your hand before acknowledging the other police officer with a grateful- and apologetic, smile. Aiding you in walking by linking your arms together, she took you to the car and helped settle you in. Driving carefully, she made sure not to do anything to set off your hangover- she did not want to vomit all over the insides of her car.
Finally the two of you arrived at your shared abode, with her helping you in before setting you down onto the couch. Entering the kitchen momentarily before returning, she handed you a bottle of coconut water, with you quickly uncapping it and chugging it. Finishing with a satisfied, “Ahh~!”, when the room stopped feeling like it was spinning.
“Oops! You killed someone!” Victoria Housekeeping x gnReader, Angst + Comfort (Platonic)
Corin Wickes, Von Lycaon (+ Ellen Joe, + Alexandrina Sebastiane)
c/w: contains written depictions of graphic injury, blood, death, and shock (mental).
a/n: with a game with people using chainsaws, guns, guns that shoot black holes, and swords, i dont think hollow raiders are 100% safe. put ellen and alexandrina seperate since they’re not really major players in this
As part of Victoria Housekeeping, your duty was to fulfill the orders of the Master, usually cleaning, guest service, and attending to the needs of the house. However Victoria Housekeeping also had a sort of open secret, with each member having high Ether Aptitude as well as being trained in combat, they also acted as guards to the Master and their estate. Usually it was general defense, to make sure no one breaks in or any guests get any unruly ideas and stash valuables into their coat or bag. Other times it was against Ethereals, enemies born from the Hollows whenever they were stationed within.
However this was the first time Hollow Raiders had been an issue, usually keeping away- either with much bigger scores that an abandoned building in the Hollow, but this specific building was home to a millionaire, having been evacuated due to the spontaneous expansion of a new Hollow Zone. Leading to an eager group of Raiders to break in.
It had been something you were prepared for, weapon in hand and your team close by. Miss Rina had notified everyone about the incoming Raiders, with the others rounding close to your location- being the main entry point that the Hollow Raiders were predicted to enter through.
Clashing against the large group, steel hit steel, yelling and screams as bodies were thrown several feet away and knocked out. It was feeling like a cakewalk, having been taught by some of the best in the business, it was all just following through what you had been trained for.
At least it was until one of the remaining Hollow Raiders attacked you from behind as you were catching your breath- a mistake, Mister Lycaon always tried to drill into everyone’s heads that the danger should not be deemed as passed until there were no enemies around and the rest of the team had arrived to back you up.
You fell to the ground, hitting the marble underneath with a thump- dazed as you attempted to gain your bearings. Strong hands wrapped themselves around your throat, the pressure putting your brain back into alert mode. Your vision refocused onto a cracked helmet, the image of a Hollow Raider logo shining down on you- unable to move with their weight holding you down. Attempting to pry their hands off- several desperate attempts before realizing it was in vain. Darkness crawled from the edge of your vision as you breathing quickened but became more shallow with the pressure on your airway.
As you desperately looked for the others or something to give you even a few more seconds, you felt an object at the edge of your fingertips. Tapping it closer, you grabbed onto it- something sturdy, the weapon they dropped on the ground before going in to choke you. Harsh grip, you turned as much as you can, swinging your arm and hitting them with the object you grabbed as hard as you could.
Crushing through the glass of the helmet, Hollow Raiders often worse, the weapon hit your target. It was a lot softer than you imagined, as if it was dug deep into something.
Liquid spurted out, splashing blots onto the ground. Their grip on your neck loosened nearly immediately.
Warmth trickled onto your face. The weight of the Hollow Raider that had previously been crushing you fell to the side, limp- and now unmoving.
The world was quiet. Only faintly could you hear a familiar voice yelling before quickly taking out and chasing away the remaining Raiders.
The weapon handle was still in your grip, a worn plastic grip attached to a long steel blade. It was covered in red. Underneath you and the Hollow Raider was a puddle of the same red. The pristine whites of your uniform dyed red, black a shade darker.
Then the world became loud.
Corin had been the first to find you, being stationed closest, she charged in after quickly locking in on the enemies. Chainsaw revving to life, she spun forward, slashing at the Hollow Raiders with the battle cry of, “Ahh! Ge~et awa~ay!!” Blood spewed out- injuries that would definitely hurt but nothing fatal- or atleast with medical attention. It was one of the only good things she could recognize, having been taught how to expertly take out enemies without outright killing them, despite the very real threat her- and every one of their weapons brought.
Finally chasing out the rest of the enemies, she turned to look back at you, “Are you-” she stopped, seeing you with a lost look in your eyes. A look she recognized- having seen it on herself and Ellen before. “O-oh no, uhm,” She quickly stopped her weapon and approached, trying not to just wait for someone else to arrive out of fear of messing up helping you- but still apprehensive due to those very same thoughts.
Gently she came closer, remembering what Lycaon and Rina had done for her when she had undergone the same situation. Remembering what she had nearly done wrong with Ellen before Lycaon stepped in.
“Are you hurt?” “...” She looked you over, not seeing any blood coming out of you. “Can you hear me?” You nod. “It’s not your fault- you did what you had to do.” You stare at her, flashes of the corpse beside you flashing before you. “O-okay, uhm, Mister Lycaon and everyone should be here soon.” You perked up at the mention of the others- with everyone else here and no alive active enemies, you’ll be safe. “What happened was something bad. It makes sense for you to be scared.”
You sat there, heartbeat ringing in your ears as you struggled not to think about the corpse beside you. The corpse beside you. There was a corpse next to you. Their blood was on you. The scent of iron-
“You sit here and we’ll wait for the others. What do you want to do?” “I… want to wait for Mister Lycaon…” “He'll be here soon, it'll all be okay."
And true to her word, the others rounded the corner, prepared to fight. However, quickly Mister Lycaon and Miss Alexandrina assessed what was going on and rushed forward. Nodding to Corin, Mister Lycaon took charge, kneeling in front of you. Corin went to Ellen to inform her of your situation. Alexandrina watched over you, sending Anastella and Drusilla to do a perimeter check. At the sight of them all, you finally broke. It felt as if your whole body crashed and you fully awoke again, tears welling up as you jumped to embrace Mister Lycaon. You were safe. He softly embraced you back, warm muscular body like a shield against anyone outside of Victoria Housekeeping to approach.
“Injured On The Job…” Belobog Industries x gnReader, Injury + Fluff (Platonic)
Anton, Ben, Grace, Koleda
a/n: gonna make one for Victoria Housekeeping too later. currently waiting for my pick up stix order
Working on a construction site was no walk in the park, even with all this advanced machinery that Belobog Industries was known for. Workplace accidents weren’t common, despite her loud and brazen personality, she made sure that each of her employees were working in safe working conditions and that they knew what to do in emergencies- and more hopefully, to prevent emergencies from ever happening in the first place.
Unfortunately, accidents still do happen, not often by any fault of anyone slacking off or being lazy but due to malfunctioning equipment or plain simple bad luck. In your case, it was both.
Riding atop one of Grace’s modified machines, you had been hard at work finishing up your duties before clocking out for lunch, when out of nowhere the machine malfunctioned, seizing before spasming violently- with you struggling to keep hold as it shook and threw itself around like a bull machine. Workers underneath cleared themselves out before someone noticed you atop the machine. Quickly shouts rang out as the machine you were on powered itself off, leaving you to fall with it.
As the machine fell, you scrambled to gain footing and jump somewhere safe- a several ton machine falling on you would easily spell the end for you. So, quickly calculating for somewhere safe and far enough to land, you planted your boots, squat deep, then launched back, hitting the dusty ground on your side and rolling before finally stopping a few feet, the machine crashing several feet away, leaving a large dust cloud as it landed.
Several workers began to approach before a voice cut in.
"Everyone back!” Pushing through the crowd, a tall raven spiky-haired man pushed through the crowd, white coat popping through the brown fur of the mostly brown bear-Therians. Anton, a senior staff member of Belebog and the on-site project manager for this construction. He had been just speaking with a worker when the incident happened.
He leaned towards you, stopping you from moving with a firm grip. Pulling a light from his pocket, he shined it into your eyes and watched as your pupils quickly constricted. “Any pain? Discomfort?”
Your side hurt from the impact, but as you checked your body and the adrenaline from the event calmed, a deep pulsing pain came as you raised your arm, forcing a choked sob out of you, turning his attention from checking your eye reaction to your arm injury.
“M-my arm!” Your lips wobbled as your sputtered that out, a feeling of shame about reacting harshly in front of everyone. Anton softly held you arm, “It’s broken, we’ll get an ambulance out to get you checked. Don’t move too much, kay?” He turned to you with a small smile before seeing how you were processing everything. Turning to the crowd of workers, “Yo! Someone call the ambulance and get Grace to check on her kid!” He barked, not with malice but to break people out of their stupor and into action. Quickly they moved, returning to their work or filling his orders.
Turning back to you, “Don’t sweat it. Everyone had different reactions to pain, just try your best to relax. You got this man.” Patting your (uninjured) shoulder, he waited for confirmation of an ambulance coming before picking you up and gently moving you away from the machine and somewhere less hot, moving differently from his usual bold and loud mannerisms.
As the two of you sat waiting for the ambulance, Koleda and Ben came running out of one of the management buildings set up on top of a nearby hill. Koleda was full sprinting towards the two of you, worry clear on her face as Ben rushed behind her, lagging behind.
“What the shi-eeez happened!? Are you alright?” She yelled, stopping right in front of you and quickly checking you over. Turning to Anton, “Already checked her?” “Yeah boss, broken arm but thankfully no sign of a concussion. Ambulance’s on their way right now.” “Good…” She sighed, before turning back to you. “Are you okay? Mentally?” You nodded, just as Ben arrived, echoing her sentiment.
“I’m okay, well I have a broken arm but I’m fine. Just going to need some time.” “Of course,” Ben started, “You’ll be getting worker’s comp, paid time off- without any use of saved days, and of course any hospital bills will be covered by the company’s insurance. You just focus on recovering okay?” You nodded, thankful for how much they cared for you.
Finally after a few more minutes, the comforting sound of the sirens, followed by the white and red ambulance shortly after.
With Ben staying behind, Koleda and Anton went with you, just for peace of mind to make sure you were totally fine. Thankfully no damage apart from some bruising and the broken appendage.
Finally nearing the end of your stay after a little over an hour of constant tests. You had gotten a sky blue cast over your arm, sling attached and roped around your opposite shoulder. Just had to wait for the go-ahead and you were set.
The door opened, Koldeda and Ben perking up, surprise flashing on Ben’s face for a moment as Grace walked in with a solemn expression. Red eyes, trembling lips, she had been crying for a while.
Turning to you, she spoke, voice cracking, “I am so sorry… I thought- I thought the new update was fine but there were problems with the last month’s update.. if I knew- I’m so sorry!” She had been crying after fixing up her machine, only having learned of the accident after she repaired the machine. It left her tossing and turning over the what-ifs that could have happened had you been slower.
Tears began to be shed again, her arms trembled, stilling as you embraced her with your one good arm. “Hey, it’s fine Grace. Accidents happen, I know you do your best for your children.” She cried into your shoulder as you reassured her…
During your time recovering, you’d regularly be checked up by the group, being friends with them outside of work, they regularly asked if you needed help. Your cast was full of colorful signatures by the end, leaving you with a giddy feeling inside.
“Fuck The Police!” - Zhu Yuan x gnReader (Romantic)
c/w: contains sexual content, if you are a minor or someone who doesn’t enjoy sexual content, don’t read (or if you really don’t like inaccurate depictions of sex).
a/n: they say “write what you know”, i say “i am so incredibly well versed in sex” (like a liar)
[NSF-T UNDER CUT]
Pushed against one of the many alleyways in New Eridu, was Zhu Yuan, leader of Public Security’s Criminal Investigation Team. A role model officer, a woman with pride in her duty and who put all she could into her position. Though even someone like her needed some help de-stressing. As her lover it fell onto you to aid her in this- and you enthusiastically did so with a fiery passion.
Fingers slowly and methodically pushing in before pulling out, her soft moans as she struggled to keep her legs from faltering, leaning against you as you fingered her. Her chest pushed against you, PUBSEC cropped jacket leaving a wall between the cold air and her skin. She futilely attempted to stop these moans and whimpers from escaping her, but with so much time training and effort to live up to the ideals she wished to uphold, it left very little time to do this sort of thing, leading to high sensitivity.
Not just in between her thighs either, as you thumbed gently one of her breasts, a stiffness prominent in the center. Softly you played with her tit as your other hand continued to finger her, stimulating both sensitive areas of her until finally…
“I-I’m gonna-” Her voice cracked as she struggled to reign it in, being stopped from squealing by your mouth. Pushed deep into a kiss, she moaned as you sped up, the sound of your fingers slipping to and fro audible as she came, legs trembling as she rode through it and your fingers slowed.
Pulling away, you aided her in keeping herself up, using a small towel you brought in case she hadn’t wanted to wait to get back home. One for you and one for her. Cleaning your hand before helping her with her pants. She smiled as she fitted her belt back on and latched it close. Pulling you in for a kiss, light but filled with passion, before pulling back, a stray strand of saliva connecting the two of you before breaking.
“When we get home, I am going to rock your world.”
“Making Lunch For Them” - Victoria Housekeeping x gnReader (Platonic)
Alexandrina Sebastiane, Corin Wickes, Ellen Joe, Von Lycaon
a/n: was hunger bungers when writing this
You had been pretty steadily acclimating to your new part-time job at Victoria Housekeeping. It was pretty fun! Apart from the whole “fighting Hollows” on the side- but with your high Ether Aptitude and company sponsored martial arts classes, even the fighting from time to time became enjoyable.
Your coworkers were all very kind. The elegant and warm Mr. Lycaon, your employer, who always aimed to uplift you and never showed any sort of malice or anger whenever you messed up or were unfamiliar with a task. The graceful, gentle Ms. Sebastiane, your senior, was always so nice to you and gave you tips and advice whenever you asked, even offering to cook you food sometime! You haven’t taken her up on her offer yet, but seeing as how well she does the rest of her duties, you could only imagine how great her cooking tastes! There was Ms. Corin, a timid girl who always undervalued her skills- even if truthfully, they were contrary to how she described them. And Ellen Joe, who was also part-timing while attending school. She tended to sleep pretty often, though it made sense, juggling education, work, and maintaining social lives.
They were incredibly helpful and as you became more comfortable around them, you wanted to show your appreciation to them. It took a while, having to subtly probe for information while not giving yourself away. Thankfully after a few questions it was easy to figure out if they had any allergies or favorite foods.
On a weekend, you rose early before your shift began, pulling ingredients from the fridge and starting up the music from your phone. Recipes written down and tweaked to fit their preferences.
After a few hours, you added the finishers and promptly put the food into storage, lunch boxes with Halloween icon stickers slapped on. Frankenstein, a shark, ghosts, and a werewolf.
Taking a shower, you donned your work attire and made your way to the location of the job for today, something not too difficult, just some cleaning and guarding the premises, the usual. Now was the time to deliver your gifts!
Carrying the lunch box with the Frankenstein sticker, you made your way through the premises to find the first victim of your gifts, Corin! You knew she was nearest to where you were stationed- and after a few minutes you found her. Turning the corner, you found the soft green-haired maid cleaning up a vase with a brush.
Approaching from behind, you called out to her, “Corin! There you are!” “Ahh!” She yelled, nearly dropping the vase before quickly getting a handle of it and setting it down before turning to you. “Ah, sorry! Didn’t know you had something in your hands.” You apologized, knowing how the maid was a little accident-prone.
“It’s fine! Uhm, what did you need?” To answer that question, you lifted up the lunch box, “I made some lunch for you all, to show my appreciation!” “Oh! That’s so nice of you, but I didn’t really do much…” “Ah c’mon! You’ve done a lot! You’ve really helped me get used to this job and are a role model!” “Oh that’s so nice to hear…” She shrinked into herself, thankfully not out of negativity but basking in your compliment, a slight giggle escaping her. “Uhm, well thank you! I can’t wait to eat it!” “Hope you enjoy it!”
With that she took her lunch, taking the lunchbox with her to a nearby suitable dining area and opening up the lunchbox.
Inside were some of her favorite foods! Small decorations and a smell that was heavenly. It wasn’t heavy- seeing as she was still on the job, a perfect portion! Her heart wobbled, thinking of how kind you were to offer your cooking to her, she was going to enjoy it for sure!
Shark-stickered lunchbox in hand, you looked through the premises, before finding the shark-girl resting her arm on one of the shelves as she dusted them off. A lollipop in her mouth as usual to help keep her up.
Just as you rounded the corner, it seemed like she already knew you were in the room. Turning towards you, she nodded as greetings, “Yo.”
“Hey Ellen!” You lifted one of the lunchboxes up and towards her. “I made lunch for everyone!” She was surprised, touched that you went through the lengths. Gladly, she took the lunch box and opened it up, chuckling, much to your confusion and worry, as she did.
“So that’s why you were asking all those questions.” “Oh! I thought I was pretty subtle about it…” “You call that subtle? Well you pretty much got it perfect, was feeling pretty tired- this should help!” Pleased to have gotten the food right, you waved your goodbyes, “I’m gonna go deliver the rest to the others!” “Seeya!” She waved back.
Going over to a nearby suitable dining area, she set the lunchbox down and opened up, the familiar smell of her favorite food filling her nose. With a giddy feeling, she dug in, already feeling her energy coming back.
With a lunch box decorated with ghost-themed stickers in hand, you made your way through the halls of the premises and to where Ms. Sebastiane was directed to maintain. You wandered back and forth, confused from not being able to find her before feeling a light grip on your shoulder. “Boo.” A silky voice whispered into your ear, an audible smile in her voice. Turning, you nearly let out a yelp- only a small one escaping you, before realizing who the hand that was on your shoulder belonged to. The very person you were looking for.
“Ah! Miss Sebastiane! I was looking for you!” She nodded as you had quickly recovered from the surprise, “Mhm, what was it dear?” “I uh, I made something for everyone! You all have been really nice and I wanted to make something to show my appreciation!” Pulling the lunchbox out, you hand your senior the box.
Taking it with a grateful smile, she opens it up, the familiar smell of her favorite food filling her senses. A small chuckle leaves her, “So that’s why you’ve been asking all those questions…” “Oh, I thought I was pretty subtle about it…” “Don’t worry, we don’t deal in undercover work apart from what you already know.” Closing the lunchbox, she drifted close and embraced you. “Thank you, it looks wonderful!” You returned the embrace, after a few seconds the two of you let go and she drifted back. “I’m going to go deliver the last of the lunch boxes I prepared!” She nodded, bidding you adieu as you left.
She made her way to a suitable dining area, softly settling herself and the lunchbox down. Opening it up and preparing the utensils, she took a bite of what you had made for her. While she usually projected gracefulness and a soft professionalism, she could not stop the squeal of delight and the smiles brought from the gift.
Going over to where Mr. Lycaon was stationed with the final lunchbox, stickers of wolves decorating the case, you rounded the corner and found the boss of Victoria Housekeeping pretty easily, with him being vacuuming.
“Uh, sir!” You spoke over the loud fans inside the vacuum he was holding, with him quickly noticing you and turning it off. “How may I be of assistance?” His rumbly voice spoke in the now quiet room. “Well sir, I brought lunch!” You both approached each other, meeting in the middle as you handed the lunch box over to him, with him gratefully accepting the gift. “It smells wonderful, I imagine this is why you’ve been inquiring so much about everyone’s tastes?” “Ah- yes sir! Though I believed I was subtle about my information gathering…” “Haha, it’s of no concern. I thank you for this meal, you must give me the recipe some time!” “Of course sir! I have it written down somewhere at home, I’ll get it to you as soon as I can!”
With that, you bid each other farewell for now, with you going to where you had been stationed and beginning your shift properly. Lycaon on the other hand had decided that now was a perfect time for a break, finding himself somewhere suitable to dine before cracking the lunchbox open once more and enjoying what you had made. It was incredibly well made, making him wish he could have seconds. Alas, as he licked his snout and attempted to get his tail under control, he hoped to try more of your cooking.
“Falling Asleep on The Job” - Victoria Housekeeping x gnReader (Platonic)
Alexandrina Sebastiane, Corin Wickes, Ellen Joe, Von Lycaon
a/n: writing this at 2 am but unlike the reader, i dont have a ghost milf to be there when i wake up...
As the newest member of Victoria Housekeeping, it had been a bit of a shaky transition. Still in high school, you’ve had to juggle your studies, hobbies, and your part time job all at once, it was a lot to hold on to- not even mentioning any extracurriculars or social life you might have.
So, all in all, pretty stressful. Especially now, coming back from your break, it seemed like the teachers were all trying to one-up each other on how many pages of homework they’d give. It had all begun to affect your wellbeing, always trying your best to give it your all, hours of studying began to dig into your sleep time.
An hour or two into the night began to become going to sleep at 4 AM or even just not sleeping at all and staying up through energy drinks.
After a particularly hard week- where you hadn’t slept at all last night and barely slept the day before that, you finally broke.
Shadows under your eyes, sweaty arms, twitchy hands, legs that felt like lead, and a light pressure on your forehead. You had been put on shift to help clean up a house, the usual stuff, thankfully nothing with any underlying “help” required.
As you were sweeping dust off a windowsill, you began to feel the familiar wave of tiredness wash over you. Muscles felt exhausted, a yawn threatening to escape you. Deciding to sit on a nearby chair to rest a little, you began to be lulled into a deep slumber. Head bobbing, eyelids drooping down- a desperate but ultimately futile attempt at staying awake.
And then you conked out.
Slowly you woke up, blur in your eyes that you had to blink away a few times before your vision cleared. You were turned horizontally- actually you weren’t where you had accidentally fallen asleep in the first place!
Immediately you rushed to get up, “Oh shi-!” before a mature, warm voice softly hushed you, a gloved hand slowly drifted you back down and set your head down on something soft.
Looking up, you saw Ms. Sebastiane looking down on you, a soft smile on her face as she pet your hair. From the lighting of the room, it was clear some time had passed. Meaning that you’d fallen asleep on the job.
“I-I’m so sorry Miss!” You let out, mortified at having fallen asleep- especially with how often housekeeping wasn’t the only thing Victoria Housekeeping did. Something terrible could have happened- and while there were other members of the company here, you would have been a liability.
“It’s okay dear,” She started with her usual caring tone, “You’ve been pretty out of it recently, Ms. Ellen told us of how your shared academics might be affecting your quality of life.” Her hands brushed softly against your hair, a spell of sleep beginning to overtake you once more. “It’s not wrong to ask for some time off, your health matters most.”
“Go back to sleep, I shall awake you once it is time for us to head back.”
You relaxed, her lap being used as a pillow as she let you sleep until it was time to go back home.
Something soft underneath the side of your head, you were lying down now- different to how you slept. Oh! You fell asleep! Quickly rushing to get up with a few expletives, a timid voice called out to you, “Uhm! You don’t need to get up!”
Looking at the source of the voice, you realized that you had fallen asleep on the job, leaving your coworker, Corin, all by her lonesome. Or at least on this side of the premises.
“Ah, I’m so sorry Corin!” You quickly tried to fix the couch you had been moved to, arranging the pillows and patting the cushions to make it seem as if no one had been sleeping on it.
“N-no! It’s fine!” You turned to her, confused but hopeful that she wasn’t just saying that to calm you down. “Uhm, I heard about how school’s been pretty tough, Ellen- I mean no one told us how it might be affecting you. You can rest for now! I’ll uhm, wake you up when I need help!”
You were thankful for her, worried that she’d be angry that you basically ditched her for sleep. Of course she probably wouldn't be that angry- she never got mad at Ellen whenever she slept on the job, but it was still a thought in the back of your head. Nodding, you sat back onto the couch as the feeling of drowsiness began to take hold again.
“Sweet uhm, dreams!” Corin whispered, worried that it wasn’t the right thing to say or not in the right context.
Slowly waking, you were still vertically sleeping, however where you had fallen asleep had changed. Quickly you got up, looking around for an indication of the time or Ellen, your coworker- and classmate, who you were partnered with for this part of the premises. It didn’t seem like she was around, but that begged the question of who moved you…
“Oi,”, You nearly yelped as you quickly turned to the person you hadn’t noticed, “Don’t move so fast… you woke me up.”
It.. seemed Ellen had the same problem you did, it made sense, the both of you did share multiple classes.
“Uhm-” “If you’re worried about waking up before the client gets here, don’ worry, I’ll wake you up.” “Oh! Uh, thank you.” “Mm…”
She promptly fell right back to sleep, with you following shortly after.
Slowly your eyes blinked open. You felt as if you just had the best sleep of your life. A soft pillow under your head, a warm blanket covering you, a homey scent of a candle nearby. Oh my gods you fell asleep at work and were acting like you were at home- hell even better than home.
You began to scramble out of this makeshift bed before a gloved hand firmly set itself on your shoulder. Turning to the owner, your heart stopped as you came face to face with your boss.
Quickly tears began to form at the edge of your eyes, mortification at having fallen asleep on the job and waking up in front of your boss. A therian that prided themselves on keeping a professional atmosphere and providing top-notch service to their “Master”s.
“I- I’m so-”
“Shh.. it’s of no trouble.”
God, was he going to fire you after this?
“No, I will not. Please, I’ve been informed of your recent academics and how they might be affecting your work-life balance.” He interrupted any other thoughts you might have had, as if he were reading your mind. “While I prefer you not to fall asleep while we are keeping the home of our Masters, I won’t be upset for minor inconvenience.” His voice was warm, deep, with a voice that seemed to lull you back to sleep.
“Now rest, I will awake you once the Master is due to arrive.”
“What do the cold hands of Fate fear the most in the Universe? The fiery indomitable spirit of Humanity.” HSR x gnReader
Firefly, Himeko, Jing Yuan (+ Yanqing)
a/n: Starman by David Bowie type shit
Rip and tear. A dwindling defense against a relentless offense. Bugs, in the billions, cascading down towards Glammoth, all with the intent to devor. Her muscles screamed, the armor she was in began to grow heavier each minute, a metal coffin awaiting the moment her body gave up on her.
But she would not- could not let this happen. As part of the Iron Calvary, she had met someone she sparked a sense of wonder, of the uniqueness of each and every person. Someone she wanted to defend. Of course, this relationship was difficult to manage, with all of them having been born as nothing more than to fill the ranks and fight for their Empress. But there were times where the two of you could spend time together, really feel like people instead of the bred soldiers you were. Emotions that others in the Iron Cavalry knew not of bloomed between the two of you.
The day the Swarm had come to their planet had been the day she intended to speak to you about these feelings she had, during the small breaks they had. She didn’t even know what to say, the words and their meaning never having been taught to her.
So as she fought, all she could think about was you, the Empress barely even holding a space in her mind. Yet as she watched the suits of metal fall from the sky, it dawned on her that she might never be able to tell you anything. Tearing through the bodies as she rocketed forward, carnage raged around her, blood, guts, and fire being blown everywhere as panic fueled adrenaline.
Then the Swarm Mother appeared. And alll hell broke loose.
In her peripheral vision, a bright light appeared. Turning, she realized that it was yours. The two of you had played with the idea of decorating the suits- being reprimanded when attempted. But some super specific damages could be overlooked.
You exploded forward with a speed that left a sonic boom behind. Fire exploded as you bulldozed your way through the Swarm, leaving a trail of destruction through the army. Going straight for the Mother.
You exploded, with enough power to detonate stars, a beautiful supernova.
Firefly screams, muscles seemingly revitalized with a feeling she’s never felt. Born to be a soldier, emotions taught to be kept down to keep a level head. All of it is thrown out the window as she charges forward into the regenerating mass.
The smoke begins to clear, the Swarm Mother seemingly unaffected by what you had done.
It fills her with a rage that burns deep into her core.
Tearing through, she aims at the Swarm Mother, filling this blast with all of the power left in the mech, firing.
A bright light overtakes her vision, white is all she sees before it goes to black.
-
Firefly sits by the window of the ship, watching the stars slowly pass by, one of the lessening times her body is able to be outside of stasis without suffering repercussions. An odd feeling stirring in her chest, bits of memories leaking from the box she locked them in, too much to bear.
Silver Wolf is running some maintenance on the mech. As the resident tech support of the Stellaron Hunters, it's become her job to make sure the mech known as “SAM” is in top shape.
beep… beep… Beep… Beep. BEEP… BEEP
What starts off barely audible begins to screech, the navigation system begins to go wild. Silver Wolf looks towards Firefly, who was broken from her thinking and now staring with wide eyes at the sound.
“What’s that?”
Firefly quickly rushed to the mech, nearly tripping over herself as she hit a series of buttons, prompting a green holographic map to shine. A small red dot currently hurling itself at nearly 43,000/mph through the vastness of space. A red dot that symbolized a mech suit just like hers, another survivor…
“We have to recover it- it’s another one like me!” She exclaimed as she rushed to tell Kafka and get the ship to follow the projected path.
Quickly the ship began to move faster, slipping off course and diverting its route to intercept the mecha.
After several tense minutes, the ship was successfully able to slow the object down and reign it into the ship.
It was a giant piece of rock, yet something inside told her that it held something deep within. The frequency that had been discovered wasn’t something that could be made from an asteroid or piece of space junk.
Clearing everyone from the room, she entered her mech, charging it up to live with a flare of green, before slamming her fist down onto the rock and breaking it in half.
Inside was a damaged mecha, another Fyrefly Type-IV Strategic Assault Mech. Damaged, with battle damage all over. Metal melted and melding into other parts. It slowly creaked open, a body, with a face she never thought she’d see again falling out and onto the cold surface.
It was you… the soft motion of your chest rising and falling told her that you were atleast alive.
Breaking from her stupor, she quickly screamed, “K-Kafka!” Said person quickly barged into the room, Blade and Silver Wolf ready, guns and blade in hands before quickly realizing what was happening. “We need to get them to my pod!”
They did just that, pulling your body into Firefly’s pod, stabilizing your vitals and checking for the sickness that ailed all of the Iron Calvary’s soldiers. It was there, but had been slowed to an insane rate as you had basically been ambered.
-
After several hours passed, you had finally awoken. Panicking at first before Firefly, who had been waiting by your pod-side, helped calm you down. Finally stable and conscious, they started the procedure to let you out: draining the fluids, unhooking you, taking out the IV, and taking off the oxygen mask.
They allowed you some privacy to put on some clothes, pulling a white curtain around you with some spare clothes ready for you.
After what seemed like forever to Firefly, you walked out of the room. A sense of dread as she proposed the question, “Do you remember me?”
An uncomfortable silence fell, with the other Stellaron Hunters trying but failing to not show that they were very blatantly eavesdropping on the two with bated breaths.
Finally you respond with affirmation, you do remember her. You remember them. You remember that hail-mary effort to take down the Swarm, intending to sacrifice yourself in order to bring down the Swarm Mother and give a chance to the Iron Cavalry- to her.
She rushes in to embrace you, with you opening your arms as she launches onto you. “Well, I’m called Firefly now…” “It’s… nice to meet you Firefly.” The name feels weird on your tongue, the two of you only having been designated with numbers rather than anything meaningful. But as you play with it, it feels right.
Fyreflies, small little things that shone beautifully in the night. A future, together, that shone as well.
A beautiful sunset began to fall on this planet’s horizon, a warm orange transitioned into a deep purple. Stars twinkling in the evening sky.
It was you and Himeko, a cup of coffee in both your hands. The two of you were sitting on the porch of a home the two of you purchased. It wasn’t somewhere the two of you lived year-round, coming only for a couple weeks to relax from all the trailblazing the Astral Express got up to. It was quaint, overlooking a beautiful environment.
Taking a small sip of the coffee, you held in spitting it out- yup, still incredibly strong. Himeko laughed softly, admiring the fact that you still attempted to build up a resistance to the taste over the years. A beautiful thing to hear, never losing its novelty no matter how many times you heard it.
This was all so perfect…
“This isn’t real, is it?”
“No, dear.”
Even in a fake world, Himeko was so incredibly intelligent, probably having even figured it out before you did.
“We didn’t win against Sunday?”
“No, everyone in Penacony is currently under the control of the Order.” She nursed her cup of coffee on her lap.
“Well then… I guess this is goodbye. I’ll see you in the real world.”
You leaned forward, kissing her on the cheek before setting down the cup of coffee and standing up.
“I’ll see you too dear.”
You readied yourself, tensing the muscles in your arm as you pulled your arm back, righting your feet before swinging forward. A crack formed in existence, another swing, it expanded. Several more impacts before finally, the world exploded in white.
-
Alongside the rest of the Astral Express, all six of you readied your weapons, as the giant behemoth of a golden conductor leaned over the group.
Now it was time to reach the truth, in the Waking World…
Waves and waves of Mara-Struck, soldiers under your command, fallen and changed into these walking dolls for the Abundance to control. They begged for the sweet release of death, pleading for it all to be over. Apologizing over and over, begging for forgiveness as their bodies became prisons, as they attacked those that they swore to protect.
The last contact they had with your squadron was three hours ago. An outbreak of Mara-Struck caused by chemicals planted in the drinking water. The scientist had been apprehended already, but the effects were still being felt hours after.
Jing Yuan paced in his room, awaiting further updates. You, his betrothed, was a respected commander, even with his hand in marriage you refused to become complacent, continuing your training and leadership on the battlefield. Yanqing was just returning from his mission, having been the one to find the source of the contaminant and lock up those involved in spreading it.
“General, I have returned.” Yanqing greeted as he closed the door behind him, before quietly asking about your whereabouts, having not seen you. “They did not return with you? The last they told us, they’d be regrouping with you.” Jing Yuan questioned, a slight panic beginning to settle into his otherwise calm and lazy demeanor. “No sir, they didn’t relay such to me… last I heard they were clearing out the Mara-Stricken.”
“And why was I not informed of their prolonged absence?” “I don’t know, general.” “It seems others are keeping vital information out of my hands. I’ll deal with it later, come, we must ensure the safety of them.” “Yes General!”
The two didn’t want to think of the possibilities, what might have happened to you in these few hours that you were dark. They weren’t arm-chair philosophers but men of action.
Stepping out, they marched out of the Seat of Divine Foresight, people instinctively moving out of their way. Yet one did, a newly instated assistant, one who was quiet but as they babbled on about how Jing Yuan shouldn’t leave, he knew why they truly were there. Nodding with a polite smile, he acknowledged their words before turning and continuing his march, signaling to a nearby Fu Xuan about the “assistant”.
A group of guards quickly apprehended them as Jing Yuan and Yanqing left in search of you.
-
Their first stop was your final ping before you went dark. Upon entering the area, the smell of bark and scent of iron filled their noses. Corpses were strewn about, mara-stricken and normal alike. None have the insignia of a Captain.
Following the carnage, they begin to hear sounds of metal on metal, grunts, shrieks. Quickly hurrying, they turn the corner to see you, covered in blood and sweat, and a mob of mara-stricken soldiers surrounding you.
Quickly they rush in, with the power of the General of the Xianzhou Luofu and his Retainer, they carve a path through and quickly pull you from the center. With you out of the danger zone, Yanqing summons several blades, slashing at the horde with killing intent, slicing them in half as the blades whizzes through them.
As the Retainer takes out the horde, Jing Yuan turns to you, apologetic, “I’m so sorry, your whereabouts were hidden from me. I came as soon as I could.”
Still shell-shocked from finally being able to rest, you turn to Jing Yuan, softly pressing your knuckles against his jaw.
“I knew you’d always come for me…”
Those were the last words you exchanged with him before passing out.
-
You woke up in an infirmary, several doctors rushing by, attending to other patients. Covered in bandages, the sterile smell of the room filled your senses. Looking around, you noticed Jing Yuan and Yanqing sleeping on the seats next to your bed.
Your lips curved upward into a small smile as you took in the scene. Your boys, waiting for you to get better.
