#. Says Traveller From Afar, What Do Thou Seek?

[1863]

They were standing out in the blood rain for a while…maybe clean up a little

(ft. my patented 1863 KDJ carefully Not losing his cool expression)

Yes.

Okay seriously. Reblog if you're OLDER than 11.

I wanna smooch him pls omg

PGR Kareshi (3) -- Wanshi [Sleep]

The Gray Raven family + Kamui

(some of) Lee and Chrome route pics from BOE(Ballad of Eden)!!

141 men finding out military!reader is only 19 after they break down from being overwhelmed and overworked??

✎ this idea bounces around my head a lot actually and now i have a reason to write it down finally :) i wasn't sure if you wanted them altogether or separately so i did it separately because it's easier lol. i kept it platonic and sfw!

✎ tags : gender neutral!reader, reader has a panic attack, descriptions of violence/injury/death, swearing, hurt to comfort, all platonic relationships, only half proofread

you're barging into the safehouse where he had said to rendezvous, gasping for air that your closed throat won't let through. the rifle held in your dominant hand is dropped as soon as the door is shut behind you, and you're clawing at the straps of your helmet and chest armor to get them off because it's too tight and it's too much and you can't breathe.

this wasn't your first mission. it wasn't even the bloodiest one you'd been on thus far. you could handle the gore and the death and the pure misery of the victims of these situations, because at the end of the day, you were helping them, right?

unless you were too late.

the family had been huddled in a corner, two children laying underneath their parents. there had still been two other rooms to check in the house, but you were running out on shaky legs.

he's in front of you now, looking down at you and asking if you're injured. you're sitting on the floor, heaving for breath and tears pouring from your glassy eyes.

"it's not- it's not fucking fair!" you cried out finally, trying desperately to wipe your face dry on your sleeves, but it only worked to redden your skin further. "why are these people doing this? how could someone be so cruel?"

he sighed softly, not knowing how to respond. the team didn't show emotions like this, they didn't deal with them, not like this. but they had all been here, where you are now. they had all asked why, again and again and again until the word lost all meaning.

"i mean, are we even really helping? god, these people are all already dead! why are we here? why- jesus fucking christ, why am i here?" you rambled; you weren't talking to him anymore. your voice was fizzling out, getting quiet enough that he had to lean closer to hear your unsteady words.

"i can't help these people," you sobbed. "i'm just a kid, i'm only nineteen, i can't- i don't know what i'm supposed to do! they said i was special! they told me- said i was so much better and smarter than everyone else, what a fucking joke!"

☆ simon "ghost" riley

he knew you were young, but fuck, if that didn't break his heart, there was nothing left that would. simon didn't talk to you more than any of the others on the team, but you were special, like a little sibling to the team, to him. always having enough energy and kindness to make up for the rest of them.

seeing you like this was a first, even for him, the man who had seen the worst of the worst. it wasn't like he was immune to emotions, but he had spent so long pressing them all down until he couldn't feel them that this was new to him again. all he could do was offer a hand on your knee that he hoped resembled something like comfort.

"we're almost done here. the heli will come for us soon," he said quietly. "you did good, like always."

he watched and waited with you while your sobs whittled away to sniffles, never moving his hand from your knee, where you had grabbed onto it with one of your own. most people knew not to touch him, that they'd end up with one less hand if they did, but you were an exception.

☆ john "soap" mactavish

at first, he doesn't do anything, just kneels in front of you and stares in shock. you're nineteen? you had always danced around the question that the team would tease you with, asking if you still had to work on your homework, but it was always a joke. now it wasn't.

instead of dwelling, john shifts and sits in front of you, almost hovering over you awkwardly as he tried to figure out what to do. sure, he was one of the more open people on the team, but when you're standing next to ghost, just smiling makes you look emotionally vulnerable.

he takes your hands away from your face and into his, placing them on your lap before gently holding your shoulders. "look, we're almost done here, alright? we'll be far away before you know it." that didn't help much, so he paused again.

the almost-distraught look on his face forced a giggle out of you. his worry turned to confusion, why are you laughing now? you probably shouldn't have been, but the big, scottish military-man fretting over you was kind of funny.

"alrigh', lass, at least something cheered ya up," he grumbled, but turned serious again right after. "higher-ups were right, ya know. you are smarter than the rest of 'em. maybe even smarter than us, yeah?" he said with a smile.

☆ kyle "gaz" garrick

it wasn't that long ago that kyle was where you are now, fresh out of school and eager to prove himself in the military. except it had taken him several years longer than you to reach where you both were now; he had had plenty of time to come to terms with the horrors he saw.

now he realized that you hadn't, because you were smart and you were better than most other people, so they had thrown you in, like a minnow in a piranha pond. by all means, you were doing wonderfully for your circumstances, but you could only keep going for so long.

he sat down beside you, shoulder-to-shoulder, and wrapped an arm around you to bring your head down to rest on him. he sat with you quietly, giving you the time you needed to just get it all out.

eventually, once you're more calm, he breaks the silence with bad jokes that he definitely stole from simon.

"why do twitter users make bad soldiers?" you lifted your head to stare at him incredulously before he continued, "because, they're too quick to retweet."

☆ john price

the captain knew how young you were. he never told you, but he hadn't wanted you on the team at first; the second he was handed your file and saw your birthdate, he started protesting. but it wasn't up to him this time. he couldn't spare you from this, and he knew that it would always weigh on him. he knew he would always remember this, you, crumbling in on yourself in a heap on the floor.

john came down on one knee in front of you and started telling you a story about when he had started, how one of his first missions had gone so terribly wrong. you honestly thought he was just going to tell you to "suck it up" until he told you about one family he had saved during that mission, one that was still alive today. they still sent him letters, even.

"all you need is one good save, kid. and you've got dozens already," he murmured. he wouldn't say it outright, but you really were one of his best.

you remembered the child clinging to your back as you ran out of a collapsing building, the woman who's leg you had managed to get unstuck from fallen debris, the man you had stopped from being executed just in time.

price smiled once he saw he had gotten through to you and helped, at least a little, and roughly patted your shoulder. "evac will be here soon, chin up now."

CHAPTER THREE // GOLD RUSH

SYPNOSIS (of chapter). in which you decided to spend your day reuniting with old friends and encounter an old flame.

SYPNOSIS (of series). breaking up with your first love was heartbreaking, but not as heartbreaking as getting invited to his wedding after years of not seeing him. that is, until things seem to be easier when you encounter a certain guest, who could end up being more than just a blooming friend to you.

CHARACTERS. kamisato ayato, (later) diluc ragnvindr

CONTENT. fluff/angst, modern!au, mentions of death (minor), mentions of break-ups, mentions of car accident

TAGLIST. @scaraslover @dawgimsohot @kazu-topia @aqualesha @mrkamisato @serami00 @serenareiss @hiqhkey @emperatris-rinaka @bystander36 @irisxiel @coleluuviida @034ven @dear-dairiess @luv3rxcha @hadesaedes @chiro-chiro-kun @hersscherofyatta @mariusvonhangme @yuzuricebun @nejibot @hoshikistarlette @solaaresque @crowbird @lordbugs @estelwrld @giyusimpsassemble @irethepotatosblog @elychee @rion-s @denkineptune @franini @sophisticatedleslie @thedivinepriestess @smashsubs @httpmitsuya @cottonkendi @uchihaeirin @abvolat @kokushiboswife @kyomihann @jiyujinsstuff @durptwit @elegantcecile @crowbird @mnemosyneechan @s-adidass @belovedxiao @deimmortales99 @veyu002

WORD COUNT. 5.1K words

NOTE. please make sure to check the end of the post for extra notes by the time you’re done reading (just to clear certain things up !!)

SPECIAL NOTE. was gone for a few days and came back to life. i will be gone again after posting this probably. have fun with this meal <33333

EVERMORE MASTERLIST \ MAIN MASTERLIST

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You felt sick to your stomach. 

Yesterday, as soon as you and Zhongli returned to the Grand Goth Hotel after buying the wedding gift, you suddenly came across Ei and Yae Miko, who were about to leave the hotel for an unexpected reason.

“...You guys were looking for me?” You asked with furrowed eyebrows. “You guys should’ve texted me instead, I was busy finding a wedding gift.” 

“We wanted to tell you in person rather than messages since it’s important. Besides, we wanted to spend our dinner somewhere outside since the food in this hotel’s not to our taste, or Ei’s specifically.” Yae explains casually, her mouth curving up. “Do you mind if we could talk in the lounge area? We want to talk about something related to tomorrow.” 

Hence how you found out that you’ll be meeting with your old college friends today. 

“Are you still uncomfortable, ( Name )?” Zhongli asks with a concerned look as he watches you staring at your food down in deep thought. 

Right now, the both of you decided to try and eat in Goth Grand Hotel’s finest restaurant area for breakfast. Although you’ve enjoyed the foods the hotel provided, the thoughts of what will transpire in your reunion has never faded away.

“I wouldn’t say I’m uncomfortable,” You spoke up. “Just… nervous, that’s all.” 

Don’t get yourself wrong, you’re truly happy that you’ll get to reunite with your dearest friends after being away from them for so long, but you couldn’t help but feel nervous due to the fact that you haven’t talked to them ever since you went to Liyue after one year of graduating. 

Maybe you should just pretend to be sick and try not to go to this meeting–

“You’ll be okay,” Zhongli assures you, cutting your thoughts off with his calm voice. In all honesty, his smooth voice never fails to soothe you no matter what he’s saying. “I’m sure your friends would be delighted to reunite with you after being away for so long. Besides, you have your boss and your colleague with you, am I correct?”

You nodded slowly, your shoulders slowly relaxed. “Yeah.. you’re right…” 

He then moves one of the meals forward with a cheeky smile. The food contains plenty of seafood. “Now go eat your breakfast before it runs cold, a good meal can heal one’s mood after all.” 

You laughed at his attempts in finding a way to not eat the food – that was offered by some ginger-haired man who was for some reason interested(1) in your friend – and grabbed your eating utensils to take a few bites. 

It’s delicious, you admit. The ginger-haired man made a good choice, but it’s too bad that Zhongli despises seafood. 

“It’s good,” You hummed in a content tone. “You should try it, that strange man just offered you free food, you know?”

He continues to smile. “Have you decided what to wear? Or will you be going shopping?” 

He really just changed the topic, huh. You mused.

“I have decided. What will you be doing while I'm gone, if I may ask?” 

“Perhaps it’s not too bad if I explore around the hotel, and maybe stroll around the city if I have the time to do so.” Zhongli answers, patting his mouth with a napkin gently. “Do you need me to escort you? The restaurant sounds pretty far from what Venti told me.” 

You shook your head with a reassuring smile. “No worries, I have Ei and Yae who rented a car, we’ll be meeting by the lobby later at 11:00.” 

The man frowns. “Do you think they’ll be late?” 

You shook your head once more. “I’m sure they won’t. This is a special occasion, after all.” You said confidently. 

If only you knew how you were wrong.

“...Fools.” You mumbled with an irritated look, looking around the lobby to look for the two women. “Why on earth are they late?” 

Then again, you know they always have tardiness, but did they seriously have to be late and keep a person waiting for them?! 

You huffed before pulling out your phone to contact them. 

As you continue texting them, you suddenly hear someone clearing their throat, causing you to flinch slightly and look up at the person in front of you, only for your eyes to widen at the sight of the stranger. 

The stranger turns out to be Ayato. 

“Hello, ( Name ).” He spoke in a gentle tone. 

And somehow, the tardiness of your two friends suddenly became your least of your worries. 

You shifted uncomfortably, now realizing that there are people eyeing at your direction in curiosity due to the fact that you’re in front of a successor of an infamous company that everyone knows of. “Hel.. Hello, Mr. Kamisato.” 

It was clear that the awkward atmosphere between the two of you is strong, but you knew the very reason why it’s like that in comparison to college. 

It was because of how this is your first time having a proper conversation with Ayato after years of not seeing each other. 

Everything went downhill ever since you broke up with Ayato. 

For the past few weeks, you had never seen your ex at all. When you went to the area that connects all the dormitories where you’d walk to the university with your lover, he was no longer there anymore. Whenever you visit the Student Council, he’s either unavailable or usually takes his leave to buy boba tea. Whenever you tried to come up to him in the cafeteria or some areas around the school, he pretended to not know someone was calling him and continued his day. You hated how he even avoided the places you go to daily, something that you thought was once admirable from your ex, who knows you more than any other person in your life. 

It was obvious he was avoiding you.

And it hurts.

“I don’t know what I did wrong..” You spoke solemnly as your friends tried their best to comfort you in your dorm room. “Was I not that good enough for him? Was it because his parents hate me?” 

“Nonsense, ( Name). You’re being too harsh on yourself!” Yae told you, trying to soothe your fragile state as Ei continues to offer you food. While the two women comforted you, your other friends went out to buy something you didn’t manage to understand due to your breakdown. “That foolish brute had no right to suddenly break things off like that.. I’m sure the both of you can talk it out-”

“How can I…?” You whispered. “How can I talk to him when he’s been avoiding me like I’m some.. Some plague!” 

Ei pats your head, unsure what to do to help you. “Whatever his reason is, it must’ve been a bad one if he’s willing to go all out in avoid–”

The pink-haired woman nudges the blunt woman for her words. “What Ei meant to say is… Whatever his reason is, it’s not worth it. Don’t let him see you being so desperate to come to him, just avoid him too and see if he’ll actually be affected by it.” Yae clarified, shooting the purple-haired woman a warning glance.

“I don’t see how this helps..” Ei mumbled, to which Yae managed to hear but didn't bother retort back.

“If he’s affected by it.. Then he’ll eventually come to you himself.” 

You gulped, looking down with a hesitant look on your face. It wouldn’t… hurt to try, right?

Thanks to your friend’s words, you started avoiding Ayato as well. 

It was already obvious to everyone in the university that something happened between the two of you, I mean, who wouldn’t notice how the so-called high school sweethearts who are joined at the hip are avoiding each other? 

This was a good thing for those who had admired Ayato romantically. Everywhere Ayato went, there’s always one or more people trailing behind trying to make a chat with him in hopes of being close with him, but as always, he made sure to cut the conversation short and run away. 

Of course, you felt jealous, but who are you to be jealous of now that he’s no longer yours?

It wasn’t fact that the university knows about your break-up and the fact that Ayato now has admirers didn’t phase you,

What phased you is the fact that your ex did not look affected by your ignorance at all. 

It only took a couple of months for you to understand why. 

“...What…” You mumbled to yourself, staring down at Ayato – who’s in the area that connects all the dormitories for the first time in months – with a disbelieved look on your face. 

It didn’t matter to you that your ex has finally shown up at the place where the both of you always meet. 

What mattered to you was the fact that he’s with an unfamiliar woman. 

You felt chills run down your spine from how he’s looking at her with a gentle and genuine smile on his face, something that he only showed to you and only you. You despised the fact that envy started to grow in your body. 

You weren’t envious of the woman who managed to win his heart. You weren’t envious of the couple who obviously look happier than you and Ayato. You weren’t envious of how they have each other now. 

You were envious of how Ayato moved on.

He continued to avoid you since then.

“What brings you here in the lobby, if I may ask?” Ayato wondered. “Are you perhaps waiting for someone?” 

You nodded slowly. “Ye… Yeah. I’m waiting for Ei and Yae to come back down from their room to have lunch together outside the hotel.” You explained. You didn’t bother adding the fact that you’re reuniting with old friends, since him tagging along will only make things awkward. “And you?” 

“I’m waiting for a photographer who’ll be taking pictures for the wedding.” He answers. 

The two of you then fell silent afterwards. 

Despite the fact that you “moved on”, you can’t even manage to have a proper conversation with the man who ruined your heart years ago. Just being near him made you feel uneasy, as if something bad will happen.

“...How’s… Miss Chisato?” You questioned. 

“She’s fine. She’s currently shopping for her wedding dress with her bridesmaids and father.” 

Before the conversation started to get longer, you felt someone tapping your shoulder lightly. 

“We’re here~” Yae spoke up, smiling at you as soon as you looked at the person who tapped your shoulder. “We apologize for being late, Ei just couldn’t decide what to buy.” She explains apologetically.

You looked at Ei's direction, who holds a paper bag that contains what you assume is her dessert and sigh. "It's alright, I'm just glad you guys made it already."

The two women suddenly noticed another person’s presence, if you looked closely, you would’ve noticed how their eyes slightly darkened. “Oh, hello Mr. Kamisato.” Ei spoke up in a nonchalant tone. 

Ayato continued to smile, but it no longer reached his eyes like before. “Miss Shogun… Pleasure to see you after all this time. How has your business fared?” 

“It’s as smooth as always,” She answered. “I would like to congratulate you once more for your wedding.” 

He hums, placing his hand on his chest as a sign of gratitude. “You have my thanks, Miss Shogun.” 

While the atmosphere with you and Ayato was tense and awkward, the atmosphere with him and Ei and Yae was always intimidating and far from awkward.

In fear of having the situation go longer than to your liking, you immediately intervened in the “polite” conversation. “We should take our leave before we’re late for our reservation. I heard we won’t be able to apply for another reservation for the next few months due to the overwhelming number of customers if we were to miss it.” 

The purple-haired woman clears her throat, her face brightens up quickly. “Ah, right. We shall take our leave then, Mr. Kamisato. I wouldn’t want to let ( Name ) be hungry.” 

“( Name ) must be proud to have a friend like you then.” The blue-haired man commented with a small laugh. “I shall see you three again next time.” 

You gave him an acknowledged nod before the three of you left towards the exit, your smile immediately drops the moment you’re no longer seen by the groom.  

“You guys should’ve been early.” You grumbled. 

Yae laughs. “Yes, yes, we apologize again for being so late. You can tell us all the details on our way.”

As the three of you entered the car, you couldn’t help but glance at where Ayato walked away with a frown. 

Since when did Ayato stop avoiding you?

It felt like you guys had been driving around for an hour.

“...So how was it?” Yae asks as she focuses on the road while driving. It was the first time one of you spoke up ever since you left the hotel, if it weren’t for the music Ei was handling, the car would’ve fallen to an awkward silence.

You knew what the woman was referring to and answered, “He acted as if he hadn't avoided me.” 

“How pathetic,” Ei mumbled with a tsk. “Not even a single apology?” 

“It’s fine, I didn’t expect him to do it anyway.” You said, leaning against the window. “Besides, he’s the last thing on my mind right now.” 

“Are you still nervous about meeting the others?” Ei asks. 

“Of course. I haven’t seen them for so long.” 

“Cheer up, I’m sure things will go well. They miss you more than you think.” Just as Yae said that, the car suddenly stopped, and you realized that you finally arrived at the restaurant. 

Unlike most restaurants you’ve seen, this one had a more home-y feeling and has the kitchen being in the same room as the customers with the chefs being seen cooking. Not to mention how it’s all decorated nicely and suits the atmosphere outside.

Your eyes then land on a certain group whose table is by the window, and you wipe your sweaty hands on your lap with a gulp. Here goes nothing..

“Welcome to Good Hunter.” The guard stationed in front of the entrance spoke as he opened the doors for you and your friends to enter. You quietly thanked the guard in response, and decided to let Yae and Ei walk in front of you first. 

It didn’t take long before the others noticed your presence, and they instantly stood up from their seats and walked towards you three with excitement. 

“Took you guys long enough to get here!” Yoimiya(2) exclaims, giving a hug to the two women first before hugging you next. “I missed you three so much! I apologize that our conversation was so short yesterday, ( Name ).”

You hugged your friend back. “It’s alright, I’m just happy I got to see you again.” 

Suddenly, you felt huge arms wrapped around you and Yoimiya, causing you to yelp in surprise and look at the person, only for your face to beam at the sight of Itto. “Don’t tell me you forgot about me, ( Name )! Why didn’t you hug me first?” He whines. 

“I hugged them first, big guy!” Yoimiya retorted with her tongue out. 

Before the two of them could banter, they were instantly smacked in the heads by a certain woman. “Cut it off, you two. We just met ( Name ) after so long and this is how you’re acting in front of them?” Kujou Sara scolded. 

You laugh in response. “It’s alright, Sara.” You said reassuringly, your shoulders no longer tensed. What was I even nervous about? You thought as you mentally facepalm yourself.

“If you say so, it’s nice to see you again, by the way.” Sara replied. 

“I agree with Sara, it’s been so long since we’ve seen each other, ( Name ).” Kokomi spoke up with a warm smile as Gorou waves at you. “...And Ei and Yae as well, we’re glad you guys had time to come here.” 

Yae hums, copying Kokomi’s facial expression. “We are happy enough to come here even if we’re busy. I must say, you’ve grown taller than before.” She teases, glancing at the brown-haired man’s direction with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

You notice how Gorou flinches from the tall woman’s stare before avoiding eye contact, causing Yae to giggle. “And it’s nice to see you again, Gorou. You’ve grown more handsome than before. If you still remember what I told you, are you still up for cosplaying as a certain writer for my dearest readers?” 

“Wh-What?! No way!” He stumbled. 

Before Yae could continue to tease him more, you heard a familiar voice calling your name, causing you to look at the person by the table and see Thoma waving at you. 

“Ah ( Name ), come sit here! I saved a seat for you.” Thoma said with a smile as he pulled back the chair that’s beside his. “You should come and order your food as well, I’m sure you must’ve been starving the whole time on your way here.” 

Hearing the word food instantly caught Itto’s attention, and he immediately let go of you and Yoimiya before he rushed back to his seat to grab his menu. “Aw man, I forgot what I was supposed to order!” 

Yoimiya lets go of you as well, following Itto in a panic. “I forgot what I was supposed to order too! Was it the Barbatos Ratatouille or Sweet Madames?” 

Your eyes brighten when you see Thoma, remembering that he’s in the reunion as well.  You followed Itto and Yoimiya in excitement to talk with your friend once more after seeing him yesterday. 

“Thanks for saving me a seat, if it weren’t for you I would’ve been unsure which seat I should sit on.” You spoke as you sat down on your seat next to him. “How have you been? Isn’t it great that you’re back in your hometown?” 

The blonde-haired man nods happily. “Yeah, it’s just the same as I remembered! I visited my mother’s side of the family and they’ve all been well thankfully.” 

His smile is quite infectious, you thought, finding yourself smiling as well. “That’s good.” 

“What about you? How’s Liyue?” He asks. 

“Surprisingly well,” You replied fondly. “I made a few friends here and there, and the prices are certainly not as absurd as our home.” 

“I’m guessing that brown-haired man with you yesterday is a friend from Liyue?” Thoma questions, and you nodded in response.

“Yes, he and I are neighbors. He helped me a lot with Liyue’s culture and traditions whenever we hung out in his home. I’m glad I have him as my plus one.” You explained, wondering to yourself what Zhongli is doing back in the hotel. “He’s quite a gentleman too, just like you.” 

Thoma felt flattered. “Y-You think I’m a gentleman–?”

“Hey ( Name ), what did you order?” Itto interrupts. “If your order sounds tasty I’ll order the same!” 

You chuckled in response, opening the menu as well to check the available meals. “I’m not sure, to be honest. There’s a lot of good food here.” Your eyes scan through the numerous names.

Unnoticed by you, Thoma stayed quiet, still thinking of your compliment.

By the time the server has received your orders, all of you have started talking to one another. Whether it’d be college memories, struggles in certain subjects and topics, and love lives–

Ah, how you despise love lives so much.

The moment someone brought up love life, you could instantly tell what the others are thinking thanks to how they’re glancing at your way with a hint of sympathy in their eyes, especially Itto, who’s easier to read than a children’s book. 

“So, ( Name )...” Yae spoke, trying to think of a way to lighten up the conversation. “That plus one of yours seems very interesting, don’t you think so?” She giggles. 

You rolled your eyes with a smile, knowing where the woman is going with this conversation. “He is, but we’re only just friends.” You explained. “Don’t tell me you’re interested in an older man, are you?” 

She immediately laughs. “Oh my… Don’t make this about me, besides, Mister Zhongli is not my type so you don’t have to worry about me snatching up your man.” 

“He’s not my man nor someone I’m interested in that way.” You clarified, crossing your arms. “Besides, I don’t think I’m interested in anyone.” 

“Ooh what about Mister Tartaglia?” Yoimiya chimes in. “I saw him walking towards your table during breakfast, and you seemed like you like the food he offered for free!” 

Your eyebrows furrowed. “You were there?” 

The girl giggles sheepishly. “Sorry I didn’t come up to you, I didn’t want to ruin your conversation with Mister Zhongli since you looked so serious.”

You nodded in understanding. “I see… But Mister Tartaglia gave the food to my plus one, but Zhongli despises seafood a lot so I decided to eat it to not let free food go to waste.” You clarified. 

“Hm.. Mister Albedo seems interesting, have you met him?” Kokomi chimes as well as Gorou agrees with the pink-haired woman’s words. “He has great talent with his art skills, maybe you should try to talk to him–”

Your eyes widened when you realized what the others were trying to do. “Woah, woah, woah! I didn’t ask for you guys to be my wingman and try to pair me up with some guys I don’t even know much!” 

“( Name )’s right, you guys should let them choose who they want to choose.” Thoma joins in, patting your shoulder in a reassuring gesture that he has your back. 

“You guys should mind your business, ( Name ) can choose whoever they want without our help.” Sara interjected, being on your and Thoma’s side as well. 

Unfortunately, your comment as well as Thoma and Sara’s went to deaf ears.

“Mister Albedo? Pfft, please, ( Name )’s better off with uhm…” Itto stops for a moment to think. “Uhm.. Ooh! Why not be with my bro, Xiao?” 

“Isn’t he younger than ( Name )?” Ei questioned with raised eyebrows. “He’s the same age as Kunikuzushi–”

“Ei, they’re both the same age as our dear ( Name ).” Yae corrected.

“Ah,” Ei clears her throat, looking away from the pink-haired woman. “Then.. How about Mister Diluc? I heard from a friend of mine that he knows ( Name ).” 

Everyone suddenly stops talking the moment the purple-haired woman mentions the fact that he knows you, causing your eyes to widen from the mention of the man who paid for your wedding gift. 

Ah shi–

“When did you meet? How did you two meet? What is he like? Is he nice? Is he mean? Is he handsome?” Yoimiya immediately asks, eyes sparkling as everyone curiously tries to hear your answer as well. You honestly forgot how nosey your friends can be, to which you don't mind since they know when to mind their own business.

“Uhm…” You hesitated for a moment, unsure if you should really tell them such unnecessary information. “Well, I guess he and I met when we bumped into each other in the lobby.”

“Then what happened?” Yoimiya asks eagerly, urging you to continue talking.

“...Nothing?”

“Really?” 

You look away from the girl’s gaze, and she gasps. “You’re lying! Something did happen!” 

“I won’t say it!” You said defensively. 

“From the way you look, it’s obvious that something did happen to make you look so embarrassed.” Yae comments with a giggle.

You felt your cheeks warming from being exposed so easily. That woman really can bring out your embarrassed self with just her teases, you can understand why Gorou’s always avoiding her. 

“Well.. either way… I don’t like him, he’s rude.” That was a lie, and you knew it. However, you knew mentioning the fact that you don’t mind him as well as the wedding gift incident will only give them – especially Yae – more reasons to tease you and not bring the topic down at all. 

“That’s just because he looks like it, if anything, I think he’s quite a gentleman like Mister Zhongli based on my first meeting with him for business reasons.” Ei retorted casually as she took a sip of her drink. “You should give him a chance.”

Before you could respond, the waiter suddenly interrupted the conversation with the meals beside him, causing you to sigh in relief. “Your orders have arrived.” 

Thank you, waiter! You thought gratefully, watching as he hands out all the food to your friends, who are all eager to eat the delicious Mondstadt meals that they ordered, the conversation they just had with you had all been forgotten. 

Unnoticed by you, a certain man whose table is beside yours heard the whole thing with his ears flushed. It was a coincidence that he’s in the same place as you once more, and you and your friends are pretty loud enough for him and nearby customers to hear. 

They’re still mad at me? Diluc thought, bringing out his phone before calling someone with a huff. 

“Kaeya you liar, you told me buying an item for a person will make them forgive me.” 

-

As you enter your hotel room, you immediately yawn in exhaustion. 

Thankfully, your friends decided to talk about something else besides your love life. In all honesty, you really appreciated them for helping you find someone you can date, but you sincerely think you can’t fall in love just as easily as before. Nevertheless, the reunion ended on a good note as a smile never leaves your face. 

“How is it? Did it go well, I hope?” Zhongli asks, looking up to your direction from his book as he lies down on his bed. 

You nodded happily. “Yeah.. I don’t even know why I was nervous in the first place.” You answered with a laugh, remembering how you didn’t feel well thanks to your nervousness. 

He hums. “I’m glad you enjoyed your day, care to tell me all about it over a cup of tea?” He asks, gesturing towards the table nearby that has a teapot and teacups on it. 

“...And facial skin care?” You ask with a cheeky grin, imagining Zhongli wearing a face mask with cucumbers on his eyes as he tries to drink his tea.

Besides chatting over a cup of tea and helping Zhongli out with his inconveniences in the apartment, the both of you had also spent the night having a sleepover during occasions when the electricity would go out of nowhere, leaving you to visit Zhongli to have some company and give him a facial skin care routine that he finds himself enjoying a lot. 

Your friend laughs. “And facial skin care.” 

Your eyes brighten. “Alright, Just give me a moment to change my clothes and get my facial products ready for the both of us.”

He nods in understanding, watching as you grab your clothes from the closet and rush inside the bathroom. It was quite amusing to see you so excited over something such as this, but he didn’t mind. As long as you’re happy, then he’s happy as well. 

As soon as you leave, his smile instantly disappears, remembering a certain incident that occurred while you were out with your friends.

“...Good afternoon, Mister Kamisato.” Zhongli greeted, eyes slightly widening in surprise from the sight of Ayato standing in front of the door of his hotel room with an unexplainable look on his face. He doesn’t recall you telling him that Ayato would be visiting. “May I help you?” 

“...Is ( Name ) here?” Ayato asks, smiling politely. 

The brown-haired man shook his head. “Unfortunately not. They’re outside hanging out with Miss Miko and Miss Shogun.” 

He watched as the blue-haired man’s smile slightly dropped at the moment, before regaining his facade once more. “Oh… I see… I was hoping I was going to talk to them about something..” 

Zhongli guessed it was about the break-up that you told him, your tear-stained face haunting his mind. “You can visit again tomorrow. From what I remember, ( Name ) won’t be having any plans in mind on that day.” 

Ayato nodded slowly. “I understand. Thank you for telling me.” 

The man didn’t move at all, still standing in front of Zhongli in silence for a moment. “If… I may be bold to ask, what's your relationship with ( Name )?” 

Zhongli tilted his head slightly. Where is he going with this? “...( Name ) and I are neighbors. We’ve been friends ever since they traveled to Liyue.”

“I see,” He murmured, his shoulders slowly relaxed. “...I take it that they’re doing well in Liyue?” 

“Why don’t you ask ( Name ) that when you try to talk to them tomorrow?” The brown-haired man retorts with a stiff smile. “I’m sure they’re willing to tell you. That is… If you have good intentions when you come up to them.” 

The blue-haired man is taken back for a moment, before he chuckles in response. “You’re a good friend, Mister Zhongli. Rest assured that I don’t have any ill intentions towards ( Name ).” Ayato spoke. “I shall not waste your time any longer, thank you for answering my questions.” 

“It’s no problem, Mister Kamisato.” The older man nods. “Have a good day.” 

Zhongli lets out a small sigh, hoping that whatever the groom intends to do when he visits your room again will be nothing bad like he claims.

He honestly feels conflicted from how Ayato treated you as if he didn’t break your heart and didn’t even explain himself nor apologize for it. Perhaps it’d be good if apologizing was Ayato’s purpose when visiting your hotel room. 

But who’s to say that would be enough to help you officially move on? 

The man could recall certain moments when you still had a sad look on your face whenever Ayato was mentioned, and he could tell that you aren’t as happy as you are back in Liyue ever since the both of you had arrived at the hotel for the first time. Not to mention how Zhongli noticed you having a hard time sleeping when he woke up in the middle of the night to pour himself some water, so seeing you so happy after meeting with your old friends is a relief.

For now, the best thing Zhongli can do as a friend is to make you happy and not get sad over that jerk who broke your heart.

“That is what friends do, you know.” Guizhong once told him as he watches her placing her bags by the trunk of her car. “We make each other happy and care for one another.”

“She’s right,” Azhdaha chimes, carrying two more bags towards the car. “That’s why we’ll make sure to video chat with you once we arrive at our universities. Don’t worry about us, Morax!” 

The man smiles in sadness from the memory, staring down at the book he’s holding as he fondly remembers how Guizhong used to love reading it. 

“I’ll fulfill your promise, my dear friends,” He whispered, trying to forget the image of their corpses inside their car that was hit by a drunk driver as well as the two funerals he had to attend alone.

“I’ll make sure to be a good friend like how you were both to me.” 

DAN'S NOTES !

(1) "by some ginger-haired man who was for some reason interested(1) in your friend" - the interest tartaglia has for zhongli depends on how you guys see it, just don't let it boil your blood if you see how some people see it as romantic or however else they see it.

(2) "Yoimiya exclaims" - If you guys wondering why on earth Yoimiya's in the reunion meeting despite being younger and being in the same batch as Ayaka's, it's because of certain circumstances that led Yoimiya and the others to become friends during college.

I finally found someone who write for pgr :D and this is so good sgsjshwhwhw

Hi. :) Your writing is divine and I would be honored if you fulfilled even one of my requests. Please bestow upon me an emotionally broken, male PGR MC being comforted by Kamui and/or Lee after a long, hard day. Also Kamui and/or Lee going to male Skk needing comfort after anti-Construct discrimination. Or male Skk worrying about his gender while being in love with Kamui, Lee or Chrome.

Courtney! Thank you for the ask! (And for your kind words ❤️)

So, this is actually part 1 of your ask, because I have so many ideas and no time to write them all haha. It's Lee being confronted with anti-Construct discrimination and having an emotionally charged exchange with the Commandant after. I know you requested a male SKK, but I couldn't find a way to bring it up organically so the SKK is written as gender-neutral (I hope that's okay 😣). I wanted the focus of this piece to be a dance between Lee and SKK, a tension that goes unresolved and the comfort that can be found in that liminal space. It ended up being quite long (2.1k), which is why it took a while for me to finish.

Part 2 will feature an emotionally fragile male SKK getting anxious about their gender and feelings towards Kamui when getting comforted physically. I'm not sure when it'll be out since I write best when inspiration strikes, but I hope you'll bear with me until it does!

Okay, enough blabbering that nobody cares about. Go Lee!

Liminal Space   //     LEE

All done. Lee stood and stretched. The workshop was empty at this hour, nobody to keep him company but white lights and crystalline silence. He liked it. There was a certain sense of clarity in this kind of solitude, like the universe was revealing her tender secrets just for him. The night breathed while the world slept, and Lee loved the quiet of his own thoughts.

He’d just finished developing an inver-device for his robots. The complexity of such technology had been beyond his understanding for a long time, but he’d studied it and he’d figured it out. There was pride to take in such human things, he thought. The simplicity of learning.

He put the little bot in his pocket and made his way down the brightly lit corridors. Even at this hour, Babylonia dreamt in working colours. Offices blazed with golden light. Labs leaked blues and greens as Constructs underwent maintenance or emergency surgery. There was no true rest here, not in this place cradled by starlight.

He’d almost arrived at his room when a harsh voice tore through the veiled silence. “Hey. You.”

Lee stopped, but didn’t turn around. A midnight confrontation usually went one of two ways. He highly doubted it was going to be the pleasant one. “Something to say?” he asked coolly.

“Yeah, in fact, I do.” The vitriol in the man’s voice was clear. His footsteps drew close. “We don’t need you filthy things. Humanity can fight its own war. You bloody robots can eat shit.” A hand clamped down on his shoulder. “Once we reclaim the earth, there’ll be no place for things like you.”

“If you say so,” Lee said, reaching up to brush the man’s clammy fingers from his shirt. “Now if you’ll excuse me--” An arm shoved him roughly against the wall. The man was stocky, with bloodshot eyes sunk deep in his lined face. His breath stank of alcohol. “No,” he slurred in Lee’s face. “I don’t think I will. What’re you gonna do about it, filth?”

Lee wanted very much to put his knee between the man’s legs. How easy it would be to overpower this pathetic drunk, to give him a dangerous awareness of the fragility of human flesh. But the consequences of such behaviour were simply unacceptable. He schooled his features into neutrality, blue eyes like chips of ice. “I’m not going to do anything,” he said. “You’re not worth my time.”

The man’s face twisted with rage. He slammed Lee’s head against the wall with enough force to rattle his teeth. His vision glitched. “Fuck you,” the man hissed, spittle flying like bullets. “You’re an abomination.”

“Maybe,” Lee admitted. “But I’m still better than you.”

A wad of spit landed on his cheek, wet and sour and foul. “Fuck you,” the stranger said again. Then the anger seemed to drain from him, replaced by an intense disdain Lee reciprocated. He spat once more in Lee’s face before releasing him. “If the earth is going to be populated by freaks like you,” he said. “Then we might as well let the bloody Punishing have it.” He sauntered down the hall, swaying as though he walked on invisible waves.

Prick, Lee thought. He watched the man disappear around a corner before scrubbing a sleeve across his cheek. The wetness smeared across his face, like an oil slick across water. He cringed. Disgusting.

Straightening his jacket, he made his way down the corridor. His mood had soured considerably, all the more because the man had something vaguely resembling a point. He’d never permitted himself to dwell on it, and there had never really been the time nor space, but the truth was that Earth was for humanity. It always had been, and it always would be. People like him were needed now, but one day, under blue skies and birdsong, they would no longer be necessary. Just remnants of a time rather forgotten.

He paused outside your room. Soft golden light peeked out from under the door, like an invitation he didn’t know how to accept. What am I doing here?

The door slid open soundlessly. “Lee?”

Suddenly, you stood before him, all messy hair and tired eyes. You looked exhausted, but somehow still radiant, like a fire blazed just out of sight. No matter how dim, it never went out. Lee stuttered. “H-How did you know I was here?”

“I sensed fluctuations in your M.I.N.D,” you said, flashing a small smile. “And I recognise your footsteps.” Lee flushed, but said nothing. He couldn’t seem to meet your eyes.

“I should--”

You cut him off with a sweeping gesture. “Come in. I need some distraction from all this paperwork, anyway.” You didn’t wait for him to accept. Stepping aside, you poured yourself another cup of coffee and took a sip. “Can’t live without this stuff,” you said, grimacing at the bitter taste. “Though I really wish I could.”

Lee sighed. The door clicked shut softly behind him. He looked different in the warm glow of your lamp, all his hard edges blurred into something tender and vulnerable. “You really should take better care of your health, Commandant,” he said, snatching the cup neatly from your fingers. “Starting with going to bed at a reasonable time.”

You laughed. “You’re one to talk, Lee. Constructs need sleep too, you know?”

“Not as much as you.” He sniffed the confiscated coffee. “This smells terrible.”

“It’s not that bad. Does the job.”

“A job that shouldn’t need doing,” he scoffed, tipping the brown liquid down the drain. You studied him, noting the way he seemed to move just a little too stiffly, a little too absently. Lee was meticulous about everything, living his life with the precision of a needle. His M.I.N.D. was like a lake, a glassy mirror to the sky and stars, the world’s beauty reflected back to her heavenly eyes. Quiet and calm, tranquil. Two fluctuations within half an hour certainly wasn’t the norm.

“What happened?” you asked after a time, when the silence between you had grown heavy. He bristled. “Nothing.”

“Lee.”

His words came slowly, like they were dug from some secret grave where they’d been left to die. You waited patiently. His words were rare. To know his thoughts was a treasure beyond worth. “I ran into someone unpleasant outside the workshop,” he said finally. “They attacked me.”

Anger flared to life within you. “Who?” you growled, trying to calm the animal urge to fight, to protect. Lee didn’t look at you. “It doesn’t matter,” he said firmly. “I diffused the situation.”

“Then why are you so upset,” you demanded. “Nobody can hurt you, so what did they say?” He fell silent once more. You forced yourself to still, to be a confidant instead of a bully. There was no forcing Lee; he would tell you or he wouldn’t. When he spoke again, there was a bitterness in his voice that was heartbreaking.

“The Earth isn’t meant for people like me, Commandant,” he said. “We’re fighting to return it to its rightful owners. People like you.”

“Is that what they told you?” you asked, fighting to keep the emotion from your tone. “The Earth belongs to all of us. Including you.”

He smiled ruefully. “Always an optimist. But you’re wrong. Us Constructs know nothing but war. We were built for it, after all. When Earth comes back to us, it’ll need kinder hands to guide it. To heal it.”

You’d heard enough. You strode up to him and unwound his crossed arms. His eyes widened, those beautiful eyes bluer than the ocean and just as deep. “These hands are kind,” you said, turning his palms up to the sky. “These hands build robots. These hands protect me.” You brushed a thumb over his skin. “These hands protected Murray. So tell me, how are you not fit to heal the Earth?”

His breath caught, just slightly. Your name drifted from his lips like forbidden fruit, caught somewhere between meaning and insignificance. “It’s not the container, but what’s in it,” you continued, staring at his metallic right hand. The black steel was dull in the gloom, chipped paint and scuff marks marred the smooth surface. Proof of a life lived in danger, of a selfless devotion to the terrible war. You laced your fingers through his. “A body built for war isn’t the same as a soul made for one. A hand that kills isn’t the same as a heart that’s cruel. I don’t care what anybody says, if reclaiming the Earth means abandoning the people who fought for it, then let the Punishing have that damned rock.” You were painfully aware of the space between you, a distance that seemed to shrink but never close. “The future I fight for,” you finished quietly. “Is one with you in it.”

Lee was silent. Your fingers between his were like a brand upon his soul. He didn’t know what to say. All his words felt awkward, like the clumsy tatters of a dream. They stuck in his throat, choking him, but there was so much he wanted to say. So much he wanted to show you.

You moved to pull away. Don’t leave. Without thought, he tugged with his robotic hand, pulling you into an embrace that was at once desperate and tender. He held you against him, strong arms wrapped around your shoulders as though he couldn’t bear to let you go. “I was more upset than I realised,” he said softly, breath warm against the shell of your ear. “Thank you, Commandant.”

“Of course,” you said, pressing yourself just a little closer to him. “Anything for you, Lee.”

You stayed like that a while, and it was like the whole world paused. Just you and Lee suspended in a moment protected by the very night itself. You breathed in his scent, clean air on an ocean breeze, and rested your head in the crook of his neck. The warmth of another body, the press of skin on skin. You hadn’t realised how much you’d needed it.

When the moment broke, Lee’s cheeks were flushed. He pulled away. “S-Sorry,” he said awkwardly, as if all the embarrassment of the past few minutes was hitting him all at once.

You laughed, perhaps a little too sharply. A little too breathlessly. “Nothing to apologise for,” you said. “I think we both needed that.”

You cleared your throat. Something had happened, something that lingered in the air still. You could almost reach out and touch it, if only you dared. But you let it fade, felt it disappear from the air as if it had never been there at all.

Because you weren’t ready. And neither was Lee. Perhaps one day, you thought with some regret. But not today.

Sighing, you moved back to your desk and leaned against it. Picking up a file, you scanned it absently before tossing it back down. You quirked a smile at Lee. “Do you want to stay awhile?” you asked, gesturing to the pile of reports on your desk. “Plenty of riveting work to be done.”

Lee snorted. “As if I don’t have better things to do.”

“Do you?” You sat down. Here you both were again, back in familiar waters. A push, a pull, a constant tug-of-war. Never a winner, just the eternal game. It was both a comfort and a curse.

Lee grabbed a stack of papers and settled on the couch. “No,” he said. “Not tonight.”

---------------------

You rubbed a hand over your face. Some hours had passed since you’d invited Lee to stay. Though he didn’t look any worse for wear, you were quickly losing steam. Your mind had long lost its focus for reports. Instead, you studied Lee’s face in the gloom, admiring the perfect symmetry of his features. He was so beautiful.

You shifted on the couch. You’d migrated here a while ago with a blanket thrown over your outstretched legs. Your bare foot rested against Lee’s thigh, though neither of you acknowledged it. Sighing, you tossed the report to the ground. Your vision was so bleary you could barely make out the words anymore. Only one question drifted in your mind, still coherent after the delirium of six cups of coffee and no sleep.

“Why didn’t you fight back?” you whispered in the semi-darkness. “Why did you let some asshole attack you?”

Lee didn’t look at you. He was silent for so long you didn’t think he’d answer at all. “Because,” he said finally. “I didn’t want you to get into trouble, Commandant. Misconduct from me reflects poorly on you. I’m not going to disgrace you.”

You chuckled. “I think I would have been rather proud.”

“That’s because you’re reckless,” he said dryly.

“Guilty as charged.”

Several long moments passed. Your eyes drifted shut. “Sleep,” Lee said. “I’ll finish up.”

You were already half gone, free-falling towards an ocean as black as night.

You could have sworn something soft brushed against your temple.

But perhaps it was just a dream.

I Wanna Hold Your Hand: HanKisa

Summary: Shuji Hanma was stumped. It had been nearly a week since he had started his grand plan of Getting Tetta Kisaki to Hold My Hand. However, he’d struck out several times already.

Tags/Info: Hand holding, Fluff, Smoking, Swearing, Food

WC: 893

READ ON AO3

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Things I Wish I Could Say Out Loud...

¬ Not beta read

Lee x Commandant/Reader

Summary:

There are many things that Lee has documented into his data library. However, lately he has been taking a different method of documentation. This time it's with a voice recorder.

Tags: bittersweet, one-shot, potential spoilers for affection lvl.

"XX of XX, year 21XX, Construct: Lee. Location: Babylonia...... Recording session no. 108 of things I wish I could say out loud..."

*******

It was a small gift from Murray.

Lee took a look at it in his hand.

"What is this for?" the construct asked.

Murray smiled. However, Lee didn't find his own question funny.

"It's something I think you would like. You can record anything you want with it." the man said.

Inspecting the device, the construct only kept a neutral face before replying, "It's not necessary for constructs like me to have these things. My data recording mechanics works just as perfect, if not, it yields 30% more effective than of devices such as these. Output quality, file formating, and sound mixing are all put in consideration when you buy products like this. Constructs have many built in functionality, rendering these thing useless to them..."

Lee's voice faded as he spoke. A dead silence settled between them. The harsh words that Lee put forward didn't seem to hit Murray in anyway, a smile was still kept drawn on his face.

The silence, however, gave Lee an uncomfortable feeling. His synthetic skin mimicked goosebumps. He should say something to ease the silence. That's when he added, "... I don't need this, Murray."

He handed the device to his brother.

Murray shifted and a small laugh escaped his lips.

"I know it's useless, in a technical stand point. But," Murray gently pushed the device back into Lee's hand, "I ought to think that maybe, as useless as it may be, this is exactly what you need."

Lee, after thinking about it, decided to accept the gift out of courtesy. "Very well..." He replied and pocketed the gift.

After receiving the device, Lee gave it a go and tried it out a few times. He didn't like it, and was planning to disassemble the gadget instead.

However, he went against it due to a small talk when he bumped into Murray one day. Who, asked him about the gift, and Lee felt a reluctance to treat the device as it was intented.

He began finding use for the voice recorder. Using it, as a means to record logs or data, however, he found no joy in doing that.

During his weekly frame maintenance check, Lee spotted Asimov, owning the same model of voice recorder on his office desk. In fact there were two.

There was an urge to ask about it, seeing it was a coincidence. Asimov, his look as sour as ever, reply with a sarcastic flare, "One," he held up the left one, "is to document research logs. The other," he held up the right one, "is to collect all my disagreements and complaints against everyone here, hoping that one day I would drop this and have Hassen or someone pick it up and listen to it."

Disputes between departments in the council wasn't unheard of. However, Lee was interested at Asimov's latter use of a voice recorder. It wasn't a bad idea.

Sure, Lee himself has disagreements and verbal fights; especially towards Kamui. But, there were times he restricted his tougne for the sake of his Commandant.

So, when he returned to his quarters, he took the recorder and began to spew his complaints.

*******

"... I dislike the way you always put others before yourself..."

*******

The notification in Lee's system alerted him it was time for a special mission debriefing. The Grey Raven Squard were called in by Celica. Lee left his resting quarters as he headed out to the meeting room. There the rest of his team were waiting for him.

Celica came in last and placed a pile of paperwork on the table. Without hesitation, she began working on the control panel.

Lee noted that this usually means this particular mission is either important or it has a special status in the Babylonia database.

The lights dimmed. Images and information were projected up for everyone to see.

"Operation Underground..." Celica handed out her report file to you, "President Hassen wants the Grey Ravens to be dispatched as soon as possible, " she said.

"After some consideration and thorough analysis, it was concluded an archaic type of memory data is located under this ruin civilisation," the slide show propped up an image of a satelite map, "It was thought, back then, people had been toying about the concept of creating Constructs. Maybe that's why there are so many traces of memory data found there."

"you mean, memory data from the golden age?" you asked.

"Technology -wise yes, but the data... It could be a span ranging way before the golden age. The Science council had send teams to conduct excavation in the ruins, but through out the years corrupted levels are getting higher in that area," Celica said.

"Let me guess, Nikola wants us to investigate the area on the Science Council's behalf?" Lee asked.

"Actually, the main objective isn't to investigate the ruins , more so, President Hassen requested you guys to retrieve an archaic memory data. During the last excavation, the team found a Supercomputer, it was believe it stores the raw data. " she replied.

"but the supercomputers are so old, would the data even been salvageable upon retrieving?" Lucia asked, "As we know, technology back then has a higher probability of crashing and produce incomplete data."

"As long as the data is stored in a super computer, the percentage of data lost during extraction is small, compare to a data chip or a transferring port. Normally, supercomputers have two to four back up drive. If one drive or server courrpts, the other drive will immediately download the data. So extracting straight from a super computer is much safer. But, it's best if data loss can remain below 1.273%." Lee spoke.

Impressed by Lee's analysis, you closed the file and stood up. There was no time to waste in this operation.

"We will look into the details during our descent, Grey Ravens, move out." you ordered and your constructs followed.

As you all walked out of the meeting room, Celica said, "Oh, I almost forgot, this ruin is consider a danger zone, so please do not hesitate to retreat when necessary."

*******

"... I always do my best to serve you, even if my logic and words may make it sound the opposite. Please know, all that I am doing is all for your best interest as well as your future. You have to live, Commandant. At all cost... "

*******

He had been waiting for three hours, twenty four minutes and forty five seconds.

The door in the emergency wards was still closed. Lee could only sit in the waiting seat as his other teams mates were also rushed to the repair room.

He, himself, was considered lucky to have taken minimal damage, in comparison. His arm was ripped off and was given a temporary one for the time being. Although, it was advise to return to the Science department as soon as possible to replenish his vital fluids.

The door automatically slid open and the medical team, along with Asimov came out.

Lee turned his head and waited for the news Asimov had to deliver.

"Calm down, Lee, your Commandant is fine," Asimov huffed, he seems a little exhausted.

"I see, what's the condition?" Lee asked.

"You really need to look out for that Commandant of yours. "Brain damage" might sound a little too harsh, but that's the non techincal diagnosis." Asimov waved his hand, " a much techinal term would be, minor brain scarring."

Lee did not reacted.

"Don't worry about it too much. Your Commandant's condition is consider minor, the situation has been stablize. All that is left to do is to rest and recover."

"May I see Commandant?" Lee questioned.

"..." Asimov heasitated, "... Normally, I don't advise visitation, but, I guess I will let it slide this time." the man narrow his eyes a little.

"... But, I want you out in five minutes, understood?"

*******

"I am doing all this is because..."

*******

"Commandant..." Lee spoke in a small voice. You were asleep on the bed. Monitors and devices all plugged up to you as you slumber in the dimly lit room.

Seeing there was no response emitted from you, Lee spoke once more, "Really, Commandant, why do you have to push yourself again? How many times have you visited the medical bay this month? You know it worries us greatly..." He paused.

He was glad he went against your orders this time. If he hadn't called for Babylonia's retreat plan, you would end up in a much serious condition. Linking with the M. I. N. D beacon for an overwhelming amount of time, is not wise.

For sure, he knew you would get a little annoyed by that, and he played a fake scenario in his head that you were actually awake.

Talking to him, asking him why did he went against your orders, to retreat and not push through. He will agree everyone is close, so close to retrieve the data.

But monitoring the linking time, as well as, asking Liv to scan your physical condition once every 15 minutes. Lee can predict you won't last.

And, his prediction was right, and he should call for retreat much sooner. As soon as you arrived back at the base, you collapse on the floor. You nose bleed as you were rushed to the emergency ward.

His answer would have been the same as of Lucia's and Liv's. To protect your well being is a duty of a construct. However, he wasn't satisfied with that anwser.

There's more he wanted to say.

He knows he's not good with words, often making blunt jabs and spilling out harsh realities. Often times, he felt a little misunderstood because of it.

However, he tries. He really does. And, to be alone with the Commandant, in which, you were in a comatose state, might made it easier for the construct to say something.

Say something that he always wanted to say out loud.

He opened his mouth, lips forming shapes that helps projects words, yet no sound came out from his bionic voice.

He immediately gave up and went out of the emergency ward. That five minutes was over anyway.

*******

"... I want to be with you, be by your side for as long as humanly possible. I don't want to lose you, Commandant... "

*******

After a long break, you peak your head into the Grey Raven's Common room.

There, you saw your constructs resting together as usual. Putting up a big smile you playfully jumped out and reveal yourself at the door.

"I am here!"

"Commandant!" Lucia was surprised and quickly rush towards you Liv followed, happy to see you healthy and well.

As both constructs bombarded you with questions on your well being. Lee only approached and stood with a bit of distance.

"Lee?" you looked at him.

As usual, Palefire wore his signature scowl and crossed his arms, "... I see you are alive and well," he cleared his throat, "Welcome back, Commandant."

"Thank you, Lee."

*******

" Commandant, I...I... Humph..."

**Recording ended**

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Author's note

Hi, I like Lee a lot :)

BTW, the I. T stuff are all based on my limited knowledge of backing up my drawing files. Lol.

©Punishing-eden