WHERE CRIMSON MET IVORY.

ִ ࣪𖤐 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐒𝐘𝐋𝐔𝐒 𝐒𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐁𝐄𝐃

"If you want to act like a brat then I'll treat you like one."

"Ah, ah, ah, where do you think you're going, hm? I'm not done with you yet."

"You and this fucking body of yours. Fuck... It drives me crazy."

"I won't let anyone take you from me. You're mine. Mine. Do you understand?"

"Who said you could touch? Tsk, tsk, tsk. Such a bad girl. Just asking me to punish her."

"Don't let me catch you so easily next time."

"Ooh, someone's a little fiesty. How exciting. You know how I enjoy getting a little rough."

"Push back, c'mon. Give it to me, pretty thing. Give me that pretty cunt."

"Fuck... Don't fucking tease me. It won't end well for you."

"You know better than to disobey, don't you? Or do you want to be a bad girl tonight?"

"Keep testing my patience and see where it gets you."

"A pretty little collar for a pretty little thing."

"Don't worry about them. Keep your eyes on me. I'm fucking you. Not them. Watch me."

"You haunt my entire being. You consume me. Now it's time for me to do the same. Let me devour you."

"You're so wet already. Don't tell me that you get worked up from being watched? What a dirty thing you truly are, hm?"

"Good girl. Just like that. Who's good girl are you?"

"C'mere, let me teach you a lesson since you want to run that fucking mouth of yours."

"Just the tip, baby. Just the tip, I swear to you. Fuck."

"You don't deserve my cock tonight. So if I were you I'd get those hips moving. Maybe if you grind hard enough against me you'll get off."

"Show me how you ride it, sweetheart."

"Don't tell me you're crying already. You wanted me to rough you up a bit, didn't you?"

"Stop your fucking whining and let me fuck you properly."

Thinking about marrying Aventurine and his face when he sees you walking down the aisle.

He's always so cool and confident. Always has an answer, a plan, a way out. Nothing can crack his exterior cover. Except for you.

He's never in his life cried in front of others. But here he was, standing at the altar, tears threatening to blur his vision as he watched you walk towards him.

You looked ethereal. Your white dress trailed behind you and gently sparkled in the sunlight. Your makeup accentuated all the features he already loved about you, and your hair cascaded down your back and framed your perfect face. You looked like an angel. Like salvation.

He did his best to keep his tears from flowing, not wanting to miss a single second of your walk towards him. Towards the rest of your lives together.

As you approached, he held out his hand to help you up onto the altar.

His purple-blue eyes glistened as he gazed into your own. Into his future. A future he never expected to have, at least until you came into his life.

With you he saw a future he wanted to protect and cherish. There would be no more staking it on risky gambles. Not anymore.

Instead, as he placed your ring on your finger, he also placed his most valuable chip in your hands: his heart.

It was all or nothing. And he decided to give you it all. His future, his life, his heart, it was all yours now. You were the best gamble he ever took, he thought, as he said "I do."

im back at it again

edit: forgot his birthmark we are pretending it is 3rd albedo thank YOU

‘CONFESSION’ aventurine x fem!reader (fluff, ballroom dancing)

this is actually a part of my fanfiction that i just post on AO3 ! it’s actually kinda long (honorable mention; wingman topaz)

A night filled with stars, sounds of people talking in the background, and occasionally the moon gives off reflected light to the ambiance.

A day before Aventurine left to go to Penacony, he was invited to attend an event. The event was nothing more than a dance party in a ballroom.

Fancy and elegant, if Aventurine had to describe it. Several statues representing Greek gods and goddesses are carved beautifully, even the corner of the ballroom looks majestic. And of course, the other invited guests were none other than important people. Aventurine felt a little honored to be invited.

And of course, you are also invited to the event.

Aventurine couldn't take his eyes off you; how the expensive satin dress you're wearing captures every curve of your body perfectly, and how the makeup on your already bewitching face makes you look even more divine.

Aventurine couldn't help but wonder; How does it feel to have you? Will you always allow him to put his hand on your waist so that everyone knows you are his? Will you always call his name with a smile?

Aeons, Aventurine can’t get enough of you.

“Ves'tacha, you look enchanting.” You were surprised by the nickname he used on you, but a blush managed to appear on your cheeks.

“Thanks, Aven. You look even more attractive.”

Schwanengesang, D.957: No. 4 Serenade. Something you wouldn't expect to be played by the great and talented musicians invited to the event.

Sipping the wine given by the waiter who went around to offer wine, you looked at the couples who were dancing to the rhythm.

It tastes good, you think to yourself.

Feeling a hand on your shoulder from behind, you immediately turned around quickly. Finding Aventurine who is now holding your hand.

“Mind for a dance?”

Your confusion was quickly replaced by a smile. “Why not?”

Aventurine kissed your hand, then guided you to follow him. You two look like a couple, that’s what you always thought.

The way Aventurine led the dance immediately, his hand was always gently on your waist, his other hand holding yours.

“You’re going to Penacony tomorrow?” You asked between the silence between the two of you.

“Mhm. Will you miss me?” Aventurine didn't know where he got the courage to get the confidence to ask it.

“Of course,” you answed. Aventurine's eyes easily showed that he was surprised. He felt a slight warmth which relieved him.

“Then, let's go together.” Now you are the one who is surprised. But you can't lie to your heart that wants to say yes.

Just by your smile, Aventurine knows your answer. He shouted victory in his heart.

“Aven,” you called.

“Yes?”

Masquerade Suite: Waltz. You gave him a smile.

“I like you.”

Aventurine was silent. It took him three seconds to process and try to say something, but his mouth couldn't say anything.

His hand was on your waist pulling you closer. Without saying anything, he kissed you when the music was at its peak. “Ves'tacha,” he whispers.

‘May this heart beats for you.’

“ it’s a shame Albedo is a geo unit”

They said look at all that shame

I said bitch where

They said under all the geo

I said bitch where

May I request the reader being childe’s younger sibling in their teen years and ends up falling into the abyss while he’s off in Liyue

what happened to you?

# — characters: gender neutral reader, childe/ajax, skirk, zhongli, aether, lumine, kaeya, albedo

# — summary: you're not the same person ajax left behind.

# — warnings: blood/fighting/injury mentions

# — tags: hc/drabble format, egregious canon divergence, angst, fluff ??, abyss prince aether, kaeya and albedo are associated with the abyss, traveler lumine

# — notes: when i saw this req, i got so fucking excited, you have no idea. this is so cool to think about, holy shit. when i say i sat here and wrote this for hours, i mean it very very seriously. also, if it wasn't already obvious, i have a thing for making the reader strong, so this is really up my alley. anyways, as always, reblogs are appreciated and i'd love to know what you think about this! i hope you enjoy!

# — tag list: @marius-z @sxnnyserene @favonius-captain @the-gayest-sky-kid @chichikoi

want to join the tag list?

✧ — 🐋 — ✧

it's actually not specified just how many older siblings childe has, but it is known that he has some

so let's say for the sake of this post that you were born after ajax

the gap between you two isn't very large -- he's in his very early twenties and you're in your late teens -- but it's enough to make a difference

he treats you almost the same as he treats tonia, teucer, and anthon, and no matter how much you tell him to stop, he just .. won't

don't get me wrong, ajax is an amazing older brother

it's just that he has this habit of treating you like a little kid

you followed closely at his heels when you two were a bit younger

you looked up to him despite him being a timid boy, because though he was timid, he was ambitious

even before he became a fighter, he vowed to protect you by any means necessary

so, onto the abyss.

when ajax returned after being missing for three days, you tried to cling to him as you usually did, but a simple glance at him told you everything you needed to know about him

whoever it was that came out of that forest... wasn't your brother.

something was missing in your brother's eyes when he came home that day -- something important. you didn't notice it at first, but you were still the first to notice something was wrong.

when he ran away with nothing but a bag of bread and a shortsword, you shared in your mother's grief, even at the age of 10. with snezhnaya's unforgiving weather, you were sure that you would stumble across ajax's frozen body within a day. your father was on a trip somewhere far away, and your mother was too busy tending to your lively home to set out to search for her son herself.

"we just have to wait," your mother told you, her face swollen from crying for hours. she loved each and every one of you more than she loved herself; if something happened to any one of you, it would surely break her down. you wept with your mother as she cradled you in her arms. "by the grace of the cryo archon, he'll return." she whispered.

you, like many other snezhnayans, trusted in the cryo archon's judgement, even if she was merciless at times. you said silent prayers for two nights, hoping that she would answer.

when dawn broke on the third day, you truly thought the tsaritsa heard your desperate pleas.

you were the first one awake that morning. you often climbed into bed with ajax since you had frequent nightmares and a horrid fear of the dark, but without him there to fight off the terrors of the night, you couldn't sleep very well. you quietly trudged around your house with your favorite blanket draped across your shoulders. mornings were quiet in your house, even if there were so many of you living there.

you gazed tiredly out the window at the snowy terrain. you remembered your mother's words about waiting and rested your head on the cool windowpane. you would have given anything to see your brother walk out from the forest in the distance, safe and sound.

apparently, you didn't have to give a thing. movement in the distance caught your eye and you squinted, straining your eyes to try and make out the features of the stranger. as they got closer, you pick up the faint image of a familiar shortsword.

it's him. it had to be. you were sure of it.

not caring if you were wrong, you shed your blanket and flung open the door, your face aching with how wide your smile was. "ajax!" you screamed at the person.

they halted in their tracks at the sound of the same and waited for a few seconds before they picked up the pace, sprinting towards you. once they got a little closer, you noticed the familiar head of orange hair and ran to meet them halfway, your bare feet sinking into the snow.

your mother and siblings came running down the stairs behind you, afraid that something had happened to you, but stilled themselves when they saw you tackling your brother into a crushing hug, the two of you collapsing into the snow with loud laughter.

"we were so worried about you!" you cried, your arms tightening around your brother. he was still laughing. "why did you leave us?"

ajax pushed himself up and took you along with him, hoisting you into his arms as he started towards the house. you yelped at the swift movement and wrapped your legs around him. "i wanted to explore by myself for a while," he said, his hand patting your back. "i scared you, didn't i?"

you nodded quickly. "mhm! more than the monsters under the bed!"

ajax made a soft sound. "that's no good. i'm sorry. i'll make it up to you when we get inside, okay? let's get you warmed up first."

your entire family doted on ajax all day when you two got inside. you all treated him to his favorite foods and games while your mother inspected him for injuries despite his insistence that she stop.

that should have been the warning sign.

when the day ended and everyone returned to their rooms to head to sleep, you and ajax stayed on the living room floor and talked about his time away. you told him about how you tried to be a big kid with him gone -- how you tried and failed to fight off any monsters that may have been lurking in your room. ajax patted your head with an apologetic smile.

"i'll crush those monsters for you tonight, okay?" he said.

at first you were excited to agree, but as you looked at your brother with the same starry eyes you always did, you found that something was.. off.

maybe it was the wording of his promise that tipped you off. he sounded far too enthusiastic about the idea of fighting off non-existent monsters. you knew very well that there were no monsters in your room; you were just afraid of the dark. it made you feel better to think there were so you could pretend to beat them up and conquer your fears. if you were both aware that this nightly monster hunt was a game, why did he look so excited by the idea of a battle?

you stared at ajax for a little while longer, trying to figure out if you were just making stuff up because you were scared. once you were in panic mode, it was hard to not see everything as some sort of monster. ajax was always the exception to that feeling.

or at least, he used to be.

you nodded and made an excuse about having to use the bathroom, scurrying up the stairs as quickly as your feet could manage. your breathing began to pick up as you recalled what you saw -- or more precisely, what you didn't see -- in your brother's eyes.

the two of you were beneath the ceiling lights.

then why couldn't you see the lights reflected in his eyes?

ajax wasn't stupid. he picked up on your sudden fear of him right away that day.

he found it odd, though, that you didn't behave as though you were afraid of him.

there was a wall between you two that wasn't there before, but every so often you would reach across it, even when he caused trouble and started unnecessary fights.

your relationship mended itself over time because of his gratitude.

you were the only member of the family who knew of his early promotion to harbinger status. you disagreed with his way of life, but you tried not to treat him any different.

ajax was a different person altogether, and yet you still tried to accept that new person as your brother.

ajax, now childe, revises his vow:

to protect you and your light at all costs.

he did what he could to protect you, even from afar when he was sent to liyue. you exchanged letters with him that were separate from the ones he sent to the family

he would detail his plans and his complaints, and send you special gifts recommended by this zhongli person he met.

he tells you via letter one day that he met a fascinating blonde traveler. from a moment's glance, he knew she would be the perfect sparring partner and he told you as such

but towards the end, he tells you how much he thinks you would like her.

she was a lot like you, apparently.

so naturally, you decide that you have to meet her. crazy as your brother may be, it's not every day that you hear about ajax being so amazed by someone who wasn't the tsaritsa

you pack your stuff and sneak away in the night, making your way to the harbor by taking a shortcut through the forest

unfortunately, you ended up taking a very, very, VERY long detour.

when you come to, you immediately realize that there's a gap in your memory.

you remember tucking away ajax's last letter to you under your pillow; you remember walking through the forest to get to the docks; you remember being startled so badly by a passing deer that you slipped.

after that...

your body enters survival mode in an instant as you take in your surroundings. you were a smooth, ebony marble floor and as you look around, you notice that the rest of this room -- this castle -- was made of a similar material. you appear to be in a dark throne room of sorts; there was some obvious wear and damage that tainted the room, but there was an undeniable elegance in the obsidians, navys, golds, and silvers that made up the room.

how did you end up in a castle, of all places? did you fall and hit your head so hard that you fell into a coma? were you just dreaming? what throne room would be in the middle of the forest?

"another one?" a voice comes from in front of you, where the throne is. you blink rapidly when you actually see a blonde man in strange clothing sitting there. he wasn't there before, was he? you were alone a second ago.

"do the people of teyvat only know how to stare?" he scoffs at you, crossing one leg over the other. "what happened to common greetings?"

the blonde stranger has eyes that match the golden plating of his clothes, you notice. they burn holes through you as they seem to glow brighter in the dark atmosphere. he's suddenly joined by two other men; one with long blue hair and an eyepatch, and another with ashy light blonde hair and teal eyes so bright, you almost feel the need to shield your eyes. the newcomers stand on opposite sides of the throne, each of them assuming different postures.

"with all due respect," the man with teal eyes speaks. his voice is smooth and quiet. "the people of teyvat are not used to circumstances like this."

the blonde in the throne clicks his tongue impatiently. "then why do they put themselves in said circumstances?" his eyes haven't left yours for a second. you're too shell-shocked to speak; it must show on your face, because the blonde outlander raises an eyebrow at you, a small smirk forming when he sees you back away. "cute. they're afraid of me."

you struggle to find your voice. "wh-who," you swallow dryly, "who are you people? where am i? how did i get here?"

the blue-haired man leans on the throne nonchalantly. "my, my," he croons, "so many questions, and you've only just arrived here, little one." he chuckles when you visibly shudder at the sound of his voice. "i think we ought to introduce ourselves, no?"

the man with teal eyes hums in agreement. "i think that'd be best. we need to appear less threatening if we want them to start talking."

you make a small squeaking sound. what were they going to do to you if you didn't talk? thanks to your years of being around ajax, you picked up on his ability to read environments very well. this new place is terrifying and reeks of ancient death, but the men before you seem completely harmless, though that does little to soothe you. you were an intruder in their eyes, and only the archons know what they might do to an intruder like you.

you squeeze your eyes shut, fearing the worst. you just wanted to see your brother again -- wanted to see how happy he was in liyue. you didn't ask for all this. you just wanted to go home.

"it's been a while since someone's come down here." a woman's voice comes from behind you, scaring you enough to make you yelp out loud. her voice is rich and rough around the edges. she chuckles as you scoot backwards on the floor in an attempt to stay away from her. "we got ourselves a scaredy-cat this time, your highness."

your highness?!

you whirl back around to look at the blonde man in the chair. the white accents of his clothes and jewelry glow in response to the title. he was royalty? your stomach drops as your brain reminds you of what happens to people who disrespect those of such high standing.

"enough, skirk." the prince orders. "don't give them the wrong idea."

the woman -- skirk, apparently -- shrugs and walks towards the throne. "fine, fine." when she gets to where the prince and the other two men are, she shifts her weight onto one leg as she examines you from afar. her eyes suddenly light up with recognition. "say, kid; you wouldn't happen to be related to an 'ajax', would you?"

you feel the blood drain from your face. "h-how do you know my brother's name?"

skirk laughs. "i knew you looked familiar! say, how is he these days? i've been meaning to kick his ass again someday, but he never visits."

the prince snorts. "you'd prefer if people fell in this hellhole more often?"

"eh, it keeps me on my toes."

"how," you raise your voice abruptly, "how do you know my brother? answer me!"

you're not sure where you got the confidence to speak to these strangers with such force, but as time passes, you realize that you're cornered. each of these people possess so much raw power that you can almost taste it; even if you stayed quiet, you'd be no closer to escaping this place unscathed. so, you figure you may as well get as many answers as you can before they kill you.

you feel yourself break into a cold sweat at the thought of dying here. you were going to die alone -- your family has no idea that you left home and ajax thinks you're still at home, helping your mother around the house. none of them would know that you ended up here. ajax, anthon, tonia, teucer... none of them would know a thing. tears sting your eyes but you blink them away.

skirk makes an impressed noise. "your brother wasn't as brave as you, y'know." she praises. "he tried to act all tough in the beginning, but i heard him crying himself to sleep for like, a week. but you... you've got guts. i like it."

you give skirk your dirtiest scowl and feel exasperation build when she smiles at you. ajax ended up here when he went missing all those years ago? well, it was no wonder he came back a different person; these people were fucking insane. he's lucky he was able to fight and survive for so long.

skirk's words replay in your head. did she say ajax was here for a week? but that doesn't make any sense. he was only gone for three days.

"what is this place?" you ask after a moment.

"and that," the prince suddenly stands, "is where i come in. i think we should get on with these introductions, don't you?"

"what?" you blurt. "b-but you didn't answer my--"

the blonde ignores you. he introduces himself as aether. "currently, i'm in charge of whatever is left of this place. this," he points to the man with teal eyes, "is albedo. this man here is kaeya," he points at the man with blue hair, "and this--"

skirk holds up a hand, cutting aether off. you wonder why she hasn't been punished for her insolence yet. "i think i'll do a proper introduction later." she says, her eyes locked on yours. "believe it or not, we have some history together."

aether nods understandingly and makes his way over to you. when he takes a knee a little ways away to look at you at eye level, you belatedly realize that you've been on the floor this whole time. your face warms with shame; you're making a prince kneel because you're too weak to stand on your own.

now that he's closer, though, you notice how... kind his face really is. from this distance, his eyes look less like blinding lights and remind you more of the sun. you almost start to feel warm under his gaze. why was he looking at you like that now when he looked like he wanted to kill you a little while ago?

"you must be scared out of your mind, huh?" aether asks. he's lowered his tone for you. when you don't back away from him, you see the ghost of a smile appear on his face. "i'm sorry about earlier. we have to put up a front if we want people to respect us if and when they show up here."

"who wouldn't respect a prince like you?"

aether's laugh is low and mirthless. "you'd be surprised. here, if you want respect, you have to earn it by any means necessary. we test any intruders by intimidating them because humans reveal their true colors when they're at their most vulnerable."

you blink, dazed by his words. hasn't ajax said something like that before..? "s-so... did i pass?"

you didn't think you said that very loud, but apparently you did, because kaeya and skirk snicker from where they stand. you feel your face burn. aether's smile grows. "yes, little one." he rises to his feet and extends a hand to you, offering to help you up. you hesitate but take his hand regardless, pulling yourself to your feet with aether's help.

"you pass."

what happened then?

as nice as that little introduction to the abyss order was, rest assured that things did not remain that way.

first of all, aether and albedo explain to you in no uncertain terms that you cannot leave this place unless the abyss lets you

you basically have to prove yourself -- prove your worth -- if you want to come and go as you please.

and so, skirk puts you through training

and let me tell you, her training is HELL.

for weeks, you lie awake because of the pain she puts you through for hours at a time.

her endurance training tests not only your stamina, but your pain tolerance. she pushes you to the brink of death and barely waits for you to come back before she's on your ass again

you feel like giving up by the time the first month is over, but skirk sits you down after training one day and explains that you were progressing ten times faster than your brother did.

"ajax wasn't weak," she says, "not by a long shot. but he didn't have any prior training, and that stunted his growth." she hands you something to drink, chuckling when you gulp at it desperately. "did ajax even train you? also, slow down, kid, you might choke."

you gasp for air once you think you're fully hydrated. "no," you say between breaths, "he didn't."

now that you were acutely aware of your natural strengths and weaknesses, you know that you were born with better instincts than the average person. skirk told you that it was actually intuition, but you felt it was more than that. maybe it was a combination of the two.

if it was your intuition, then you would know why you felt the way you did in certain situations. intuition was born out of experiences and was based in your subconscious; in your case, you would have had to experienced all sorts of danger at some point to know why you respond the way you do.

but you didn't have any experience. up until now, you were a completely normal sixteen year old with a normal(-ish) life. somehow, your quick reactions and responses were already hardwired into you. with these sharp instincts, you quickly became a better fighter than even your brother.

skirk frowns at your words. "he should have. there's a lot of potential in you, and you're only just now tapping into it. now," she taps you twice, "let's get back to it."

you groan and stand, ignoring the screaming of your joints.

"oh, and one more thing." skirk pats your shoulder fondly. "happy birthday, kid. let's go."

you gape at your instructor. you never told her your birthday.

somehow, between the hellish training and near death experiences, you found a family in the people you met in the abyss.

your 17th birthday came and went, and before you knew it, you'd been in the abyss for six months.

by this point, you've grown close to the abyss prince

he's incredibly multi-faceted, which made more sense to you when you learned that he wasn't even a being from this world

he's a lot more terrifying and powerful than he looks, which didn't surprise you, considering you could feel power rolling off of him from the moment you met

you also learn that he's a twin and that they're separated from each other. he looks so guilty when he tells you the story.

"i walked away from her." aether says with a bitter smile. "i can't leave this place -- these people. not until i've finished what needs to be done. i'm sure she'll understand soon."

you hum in understanding. if ajax was here for three months, then surely he knew about this too. you wonder, distantly, if you'll be able to reconnect with him after this. "can i ask what your sister's name is?"

aether's smile becomes fond as several memories flash before his eyes. "lumine." he murmurs her name so softly; so reverently. you smile in return. you get that feeling. "her name is lumine."

"i was going to liyue to meet her," you inform the prince. his eyes widen a fraction, but he doesn't look displeased. "ajax talks so highly of her, so i wanted to be her friend."

aether rests a hand on your head. your smile fades when you think that he reminds you of ajax.

"she'd love you as much as i do." the prince says.

you find a family during your time down there.

what happens when you leave?

reality is not as kind to you as i've made it seem

age means nothing in the abyss. you are not spared a single detail. you know everything from your time there.

you fight alongside the remaining peoples of khaenri'ah, doing the job that the famed twilight sword could not.

you are highly respected and feared, but you become jaded in response.

you earn your electro vision while fighting monsters, but it means nothing to you. not when you know what you know.

a year passes in the abyss before you are told by albedo that you should leave with him.

(assuming that ajax was in the abyss for three months but was only missing for 3 days, the same would apply to you. 12 months = 12 days.)

he has responsibilities in mondstadt, but he can ensure that you arrive in liyue safely.

he, like aether, kaeya, and skirk, have become family to you, so saying your goodbyes is a tearful affair

sort of. you haven't cried in almost 5 months now, but you're not emotionless. you don't know the next time you'll see aether or skirk again, so its only natural you get choked up

you take albedo's hand and suddenly... you're in liyue harbor. you have no idea how he managed to get you here, but before you can thank him, he's gone.

you're on your own now, but it doesn't daunt you much. you decide to sightsee before setting off to find your brother.

ajax has become... secondary.

it ticks you off that the people of liyue hold rex lapis in such high regard. if only they knew how much blood their beloved archon had on his hands.

you're also disgusted with your former self; you can't believe you once thought the tsaritsa was worthy of respect. going home seems like a terrible idea.

keep in mind, you're still just a kid, but you've adopted the mind of a warrior -- of a soldier.

(although you will admit, it's strange having had a birthday in the abyss only to re-emerge and still technically be sixteen, but we move)

you have the marks of a soldier all over you; the faded bruises, the scars, fresh and old alike

the calloused hands, the honed senses..

you and ajax are now on the same page; you both see yourselves as weapons

but now, you are weapons pointed at each other.

what does he think when he sees you?

after being your own tour guide and familiarizing yourself with liyue harbor, you decide that it's finally time to face your brother.

you head to northland bank and walk in with your head held high. you know how the people of snezhnaya judge those who look as though they don't belong. the fatui, as snezhnayan citizens, must be even worse than the average person.

you may have been raised in a home overflowing with love, but just outside that home was a nation so unforgiving, even the weather acted as judge, jury, and executioner on behalf of the citizens.

you make your way to the receptionist and keep your expression as blank as possible. "i'm here for the eleventh." you say. it rubs you the wrong way having to address your brother in such a manner, but you brush it off. "where is he?"

the receptionist, ekaterina, glares at you suspiciously from behind her mask. she must be sizing you up. "i'm afraid i don't know who you're referring to." she answers you slowly. "did your parents ask you to say something like this?"

you actually chortle. she has a point; you may not feel like it, but you're still a child. plus, kaeya taught you that you shouldn't try to make yourself tough. doing that would make you seem like an inexperienced idiot. ekaterina asks you what's funny and you shake your head.

"it's nothing. no, my parents didn't put me up to this." you drop your shoulders and roll them back. you'd been holding them so high this whole time because you've never had to put your training into practice on actual people before. the tension seeps right out of you as you realize how easy this is. "i know what i said. should i not have called him the eleventh? should i call him by name?" you smirk when the receptionist begins to fluster. "what? did you think i didn't know who he was?"

"i... would advise against it." ekaterina says. she looks left and right before calling another employee over. they discuss something in hushed tones for a moment before you see the other person start ushering people out of the bank.

confused, you put your hands behind your back and grab your wrist. the sudden emptying of the bank puts you on edge, but you know better than to call on your weapon before your potential opponent does. "is there a reason for this?" you ask as politely as you can muster.

ekaterina gestures to the door and you turn to see two fatui agents blocking it. that was your only exit. "miss, either you explain what's going on, or i find the eleventh myself." you warn lowly. "i'd rather not do the latter."

the receptionist ignores you. "you're a dangerous person, calling on lord harbinger so freely. rather than trouble him with your presence, i believe we should handle you first."

you sigh. not even six hours on the surface and you're already being challenged. you release your wrist and shake your head. you know what you came here for; if your brother was going to be the one to handle you, then you'd prefer that.

"i'd rather not harm you and your co-workers, ma'am." you tilt your head in an attempt to come across as harmless as possible, but you feel the presence of the two fatui agents slowly approaching from behind you. did they think you wouldn't notice them because of their cloaking? "you have about five seconds before i call on him myself. i know he's here."

"your bluffing skills need work, little one." is all ekaterina says before she tilts her chin up. it must be a signal, because the two fatui agents are suddenly speeding at you from both sides.

you avoid them with ease and use all the air in your lungs to call for your brother. "ajax!"

"alright, alright."

to the surprise of the agents who have their knives pointed at your throat, ajax strides down the stairs in the back, his face dark. "is all of this really necessary?" he's speaking to the agents, who have all bowed before him. "who could possibly warrant this kind of behavior from you?"

you clear your throat, forcing your brother to look your way. you wiggle your fingers in greeting and laugh at his expression. "i think they mistook me for someone else." you chuckle.

ajax's humorous expression becomes unreadable very quickly. it's hard to pinpoint what exactly he's feeling as he looks at you. "you..." he murmurs. he steps towards you and holds your face in his hands as gently as his hands possibly can. he flicks his other hand to dismiss the remaining agents, his eyes not leaving yours for a second. "you're here..?"

your smile grows tight with confusion. "uh.. yes? are you gonna start interrogating me now?"

ajax puffs out a breath. "no, that's not..." he suddenly pulls you into a bone-crushing hug.

"a-ajax, this wasn't the reunion i had in mind," you wheeze as you struggle to hug him back. "are you happy to see me or not?"

your brother sniffs softly. "mom told me... you'd gone missing." his voice is quiet and shaky. even before his return from the abyss, he would always lower his voice when he was on the brink of tears. "you ran away from home, didn't you..?"

you're not sure what kind of sharp pain stabs your chest, but you think it might be guilt. without thinking, you did the exact same thing to your parents that your brother did, except this time, they must genuinely believe that you're dead. you tighten your hold on ajax. "i was coming to see you," you confess. "you made lumine sound really cool, so i... i left. i, uh.." you grimace slightly. "got lost."

ajax lets you go at that and goes back to staring at you so intently, you think he's looking for something. just then, you think he finds it, because he suddenly looks disturbed. "you got lost." he repeats. there's something stony and suspicious in his tone. you don't like it. "where exactly? do you know?"

he knows you're lying. or at least, it seems that way. you decide to play dumb. "i dunno," you lie, "i've never been outside snezhnaya."

that part wasn't a lie, but ajax still looks at you in disbelief. "you're not telling me everything." he's starting to glare at you now. "tell me the truth."

"i told you the truth, ajax."

"people don't just go for missing for twelve days, come back alive, and have no recollection of what happened." ajax crosses his arms over his chest. you're picking up on some growing hostility. not disappointment, not relief... hostility. "either tell me the truth, or--"

"or what?" you snap. you knew things would be different when you got back, but you didn't think it would be like this. part of you wanted to keep your relationship with ajax intact, but as the two of you go on your guard, you know that that's not going to be possible. "what will you do, ajax? fight me over a lie?"

ajax's eyebrows twitch. "why do you think i'm going to fight you? do i look like i am?"

"don't act stupid," you gesture to his posture. he's not in any fighting stance, but experience tells you that he's preparing himself for battle. you're not sure if he's going to go on offense or defense, but it doesn't matter. he's wary of you, and he's doing a terrible job of hiding it. "you're terrible at masking bloodlust, ajax."

your brother visibly tenses and takes a step back. recognition flashes in his eyes. "what did you say?"

"i said you fucking suck at hiding when you want to fight. be more subtle about it. i don't wanna fight you anyways." a part of you begins to ache at the way ajax is acting, but at his core, he's the servant of the very archons you were now trained to resist. he was your enemy now, whether you liked it or not.

the ache spreads through your whole body and your frustration fizzles out. why did it have to be this way? you started your journey just to see ajax, so why? why was he looking at you like that? you reach towards him. "i really, really don't want to fight you, ajax." you say brokenly. "please."

ajax doesn't share in your sentiments. you've never seen him in action before, but now, you think you understand what his enemies feel when he's before them. he shakes his head slightly, his expression pained. "would you stop saying my name like that?"

"what? ajax, i--"

"only my family calls me by that name," he cuts in sharply.

tears sting your eyes. "ajax..."

"you're not my little sibling." it looks like it hurts him to say it -- like he doesn't believe the words coming out of his own mouth, but he continues. "i don't know who you are, but you aren't them." he pauses to turn some words over in his mouth. "but... if you are, then... i need you to tell me the truth."

you shake your head. "of course i'm your little sibling! b-but i can't tell you everything, okay? i want to, i do, but skirk, she--" your throat closes. you've said too much.

ajax rushes forward and holds your shoulder tightly. "you met her. i fucking knew something was wrong with you -- that's where you were."

"i c-can't say anymore than that," you cry, tears falling on their own accord. you were so close to losing ajax completely just now. even if you two could never be what you once were, you didn't want to lose your brother. he was all you had now -- if you went home, they'd likely give you the same treatment they gave him. "i was there, but i can't--"

"twelve days... a fucking year?" ajax looks mortified at the thought of being in the abyss for so long. shattered sympathy fills his eyes. "what happened to you?"

you shake your head mutely. you've already said too much. if you say anymore, you might ruin the delicate balance that aether's worked so hard to maintain. so you hug your brother, finally sobbing as the horrors of the past year replay in your mind.

it was terrifying, what happened there. the things you saw and learned were enough to bring the strongest person to their knees. but you, a mere child, stuck around for an entire year, fighting a war you had no business being involved in. you were exhausted and damaged, and you nearly lost the only family you had left.

ajax presses you to his chest, shushing you quietly. "alright, alright. you're safe now." you sob again, and he sighs shakily. if you could see him, you'd see the silent tears on his face. "you're safe."

✧ it's been like. six hours. i really hope this didn't fall apart at the end... anyways, i suppose i'll announce that i'm planning an interactive story event to celebrate reaching 400! it's still in the planning stage, but i just wanted to let you guys know bc i'm really excited :D okay i hope you enjoyed it bye !

doodles inspited by @pbeltarts titanic au cause i’m always a hoe for pretty ladies on period drama costumes

COURT IS NOW IN SESSION

𖤐 𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 : neuvilette from genshin impactִ

࣪𖤐 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 : fem! reader, exhibitionism, teasing, slight cursing, me absolutely deliriousִ

࣪𖤐 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀'𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐘 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄 : KHAOHSDHFOD IGHEROIG HOIHIHD O NDFKJDN FKJGBREOIGHROIG HROEIN I

"Shhhh... If you're any louder we run the risk of getting caught."

A pause. A soft chuckle. "Wouldn't that be a case to try and justify?"

Another deep chuckle follows, one that borders amusement. Neuvilette's hand flexes against your back, spans across your skin and presses you down ever harder against the desk until you feel your breasts are squished and your breaths come out shorter. He's merciless as he pounds you without any indication of faltering — his body is like stone and marble, powerful thrusts that leave your body jolting, gasping for air. He pins you down, has his way with you far too easily. Yet your cunt welcomes him greedily, sucking him in, velvet walls tightening around him until he lets out a sharp hiss.

"Dirty girl," he chides with a low tut. "You like the thought of that. I should've known."

You feel the cool sensation of his rings ghosting against your skin, you taste them on your tongue where he's got a hand clamped over your mouth to keep you quiet. Saliva pools against his fingers, drips between the crevices of his knuckles — you have half a mind left and you know he's going to punish you later for making such a mess. Your whine vibrates against his skin, catching his attention for a brief moment.

But it does nothing to slow his thrusts, his thick cock dragging against your walls, how he angles himself just right to nudge against your sweet spot, paying no mind to the embarrassing squealch of skin meeting skin. He's thick and heavy, his length pulses inside of you with every stroke, muscles in his thighs straining with his efforts and soft grunts occasionally tumbling from his lips.

Case hardened... is the only word that comes to mind.

He knows the line he's threading, fucking you in the very courtroom he sits in everyday, where fates are decided. If the two of you got caught it would be the end of the line for you both — perhaps that's why he's fucking you here where he knows trouble awaits.

A gloved hand slips down to the arch of your back and further, caressing the curve of your ass. He makes a pleased sound in the back of his throat when he kneads one of your cheeks, even going as far to lift it, watching how you cream around the base of his cock, your pussy fluttering and your face filling with warmth. He's studying you, perceiving how you take him, how your quads quiver with an effort to keep you up, how you're pressed up on the tips of your toes, how your cunt keeps sucking him in.

"My, my, darling. If I was any wiser I'd say it's like this pretty little pussy doesn't want to let me go."

You mewl behind his palm, squeeze your eyes shut and let your head drop to the table. He takes this as your sign of submission and rewards you with one single, fleeting kiss to your spine and a mischievous little spank to your ass.

"Good girl," he whispers, his voice an octave or two lower than usual, each syllable coated with bittersweet honey, delectable but oh so dangerous. "I'll give you what you want soon enough. Patience is a virtue, hold on just a little more for me, alright?"

You feel far too empty all of a sudden as he swivels his hips back, his cock slick and shimmering with your juices. He hovers it over your clit, tapping it once or twice with the head of his cock before he's sliding back inside you with a low curse.

Through his fingers you manage to mumble, "Profanities are forbidden in the courtroom."

Your cheekiness only spurs him on even further — his thrusts are twice as hard, you can feel bruises starting to form on your hips. "So is debauchery," he grits out through a tight jaw.

His sharp hips snap against your ass, presses you down further, fucks you like you're nothing more than something to discard. You can hear soft groans spilling from his lips, how the breaths shake in his lungs when you tighten your cunt around him on purpose. He doesn't mind the mess you're making of his dress pants, his hands nor how debauched the two of you look — sweaty skin, his face flushed, his hair tangled and your lower half painted with a mixture of his precum and your slick. He always fucked you like he hated you but kissed you like he loved you.

The glint of the wedding band round his ring finger, the metallic taste of it on your tongue, that tells you otherwise — he doesn't hate you despite fucking you like he does.

It always does.

"how to get your crush to like you back in 3 easy steps"

or: dan heng likes you. march knows.

dan heng x f!reader. pining fools and idiots in love. march is close to having a metaphorical heart attack. cliche shoujo stuff.

"you have a crush on her."

"i absolutely do not."

march fixes dan heng with an unimpressed gaze. "you are literally so obvious, don't even try and deny it again."

obvious? he's obvious? dan heng tries not to panic. in a poor attempt to salvage the unsalvageable, he says, lamely, "...i don't know what you're talking about."

graciously preserving the little dignity he has left, march ignores him. she claps him on the shoulder sympathetically. "don't worry, i'm a pro wingwoman. i accept payment in the form of desserts."

dan heng's right eye twitches.

1. show interest in their interests, pay attention to them.

that's easy, he thinks to himself. he always pays attention to you, it comes naturally to him. he knows how you prefer your coffee with a dash of milk and honey, not too sweet. he knows how you always start books but rarely ever finish them unless they were "really good and checked all my boxes!" and could go on thesis-worthy rants about your favourite ones. he knows how you like to keep succulents on your table and give them all ridiculous names like "king coin of doge land" and "a rad little guy".

so easy, in fact, that he feels the most confident he's ever been as he strides across the room over to you. you’re fiddling with something, looking vaguely nervous as you talk to march.

"good morning." he greets, eyeing the newest project you seem to be occupied with in your hands. a crotchet dragon, how nice. he knows exactly how to keep the conversation going now—

"what's cookin', good lookin'?"

his brain short circuits.

what is he supposed to say to that? were you flirting? does he flirt back? was it just a phrase? what's cooking-?

"but i'm not on cooking duty today."

dan heng watches your face freeze in confusion. his face feels like stone. to the side, march looks like she’s about to strangle him.

"...uh huh."

an awkward silence hangs in the air. dan heng wishes he was a statue.

— a failure, cut your losses and move on.

2. compliment something they’ve put effort into.

“please elaborate.”

“say something you like about her.” march takes a bite of her parfait (courtesy of dan heng), “but it has to be something she put conscious thought into. it shows that you notice the little things, and it makes her feel good about herself which makes her feel good about you. bam! two birds with one stone.”

dan heng only feels more confused. “but i like everything about her.”

even with the sweet treat in her mouth, march looks like she tasted something sour.

“so do i compliment her on everything i can think of?”

“no, no. you-“ march heaves a sigh, “pick one. just one.”

when he sees you in the archive room, he notices the now completed crotchet dragon in your hand. he decides that this is the perfect time to redeem himself.

“it’s well-made. i like the teal colour.” he says, and mentally congratulates himself for not messing up right off the bat (again).

“thank you, it’s, um, actually supposed to be the dragon you summon.”

“oh.” dan heng’s mind had been so occupied with march’s plans and you that he didn’t even make the connection. he feels just a little stupid.

“…and it’s for you.”

“oh.” a gift from you? and it was made exclusively to represent him, with hours of effort? he is in shock.

he must have taken too long to answer, because you notice the hesitation. flushing with embarrassment, you say “it’s a little much, huh? sorry.”

dan heng doesn’t manage to get a word in (because he would love to have the crotchet dragon, thank you very much!) before you scurry out the door. it clicks as it shuts, his outstretched hand reaching for nothing but air.

— i don’t want to call you a dumbass, but you’re kind of being a dumbass.

3. find time alone with them.

“i’ll help you with this one. but when you’re alone with her, you’re on your own.” march looks mildly concerned, “…will you be ok?”

“of course.” he says, and it’s merely bravado.

“right, well, i managed to convince mr. yang, miss himeko, and pom pom to visit this café with me—you’re paying, of course—it’s a rare opportunity so make full use of it, ‘kay?”

alone on the express. with you. no one else. no big deal, he tries to convince himself.

they keyword is ‘tries’, of course.

when the time comes, he gathers all the courage he has and, hopefully nonchalantly, asks you to watch a movie with him with a mini projector march had lent him beforehand. you agree, and it’s the first hurdle cleared. no mishaps so far.

“i’ll make you coffee, the way you like it.” he offers, and feels a flutter in his chest when you smile. if he could, he would bottle the feeling you gave him up and ration it throughout the rest of his life.

“i would love that.”

he gets to work, prepping the sugar and honey as he waits for the water to boil. the conversation between the two of you comes easily, as if the recent incidents didn’t happen at all, and dan heng feels the familiar serenity that comes from being in your presence. it was quiet save for your conversation, and the backdrop of stars outside the train seemed to be even more mesmerising than usual.

but of course, not everything goes according to plan.

the astral express, which had been sailing through the stars so smoothly, lurches from sudden turbulence. you bump against the kettle when you try to stabilise yourself and knock it over. boiling water spills all over the counter and onto the floor.

“watch out!”

not wanting you to be scalded, he grabs your arm and tries to push you away with his back towards the spillage. but his foot steps on the water and he slips, falling forward.

the two of you land on the floor in a heap, inches away from the spill. pure reflexes allow him to minimise the impact of your head meeting the floor by using his other hand as a cushion. he thinks he has bruised his knuckles. he has sprained his wrist.

the thought of the compromising position doesn’t even cross either of your minds. you crawl out from underneath him, and, perceptive as ever, notice when he rubs his wrist and winces.

“dan heng! are you ok?” you fuss over him, hands flitting over his wrist. dan heng feels like he would have enjoyed the attention more if he wasn’t so disappointed that his plans were disrupted. it had been going so well, he mourns. he watches as your back disappears around the corner with promises of finding the first aid kit.

it’s hard for the previous tranquil atmosphere to come back when you obviously felt bad about his wrist (even thought he assured you it was alright and not to worry), and his plans were derailed. the both of you work together to clean up the mess, which took some time, and try to enjoy the movie, but the momentum was lost.

— …

“what do you mean all my plans went bust? i worked so hard to convince pom pom to come with me!” march looks at you in horror.

“i don’t know! i thought you said you were a pro at this! i tried the pick-up line, i tried giving him a gift, and i even spent time alone with him, nothing worked! am I just inept at this love thing?” you shake her by the shoulders, tears of frustration on the edge of falling. march could only feel wronged.

“oh my god. you’re both idiots.”

(WIP? If Im motivated enough Ill finish it,)

Stars of the show