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Peachy skies 🍑
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Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
Hairstick.
Kazuha x f!reader
Warnings: Kinda rushed?
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ summary: After months of quiet yearning in the Alcor, a stormy night in the woods finally pushes you and Kazuha to confess the feelings you had both been carrying in silence.
Also this was a request from @yunziuu, so thank you!
The first time you met Beidou, you were half-conscious and bleeding into the dirt. You barely remembered the fight itself anymore. Only flashes remained in your memory steel, shouting, pain burning through your ribs as strangers searched through your belongings. You had wandered through Teyvat alone for so long that danger had simply become another traveling companion.
But that day, luck had finally found you or perhaps fate had? You remembered hearing loud laughter before anything else, then came the crack of lightning and suddenly the attackers were gone.
When you opened your eyes again, a tall woman crouched beside you with her arms crossed, looking almost amused despite the situation.
“Well,” she said, “Don’t you look terrible?” You coughed weakly. She laughed loudly at that. “Still breathing though. Good sign.” That was how you met Beidou.
And after helping you recover aboard the Alcor, after feeding you and giving you a place to sleep without asking for anything in return, she eventually leaned against the ship railing beside you one evening and said casually, “If you wanna join us, you can.” You stared at her. “You barely know me ma’am.” Beidou shrugged. “Don’t need to know everything about someone to know they deserve a place to stay.”
You never forgot those words, as it was your first time seeing such kindness. So, you stayed as she said. At first, you kept mostly to yourself. You helped where you could, cleaned the deck, carried supplies, repaired ropes, and silently tried to repay the kindness Beidou had shown you. Then months later, he also joined the crew. Kazuha.
At first, the two of you barely spoke. You know, just small greetings here and there. “Good morning.” “Morning.” “Need help with that?” “Yea…Thank you.”
Kazuha was quiet, but approachable in a way that made people naturally drift toward him. Whenever someone needed help, he simply appeared beside them without complaint. Sometimes he helped carry heavy crates. Sometimes he fixed broken parts of the ship with calm patience. And somehow… whenever you struggled with something, he always noticed first. One day while you were trying to drag a box twice your size across the deck, he silently lifted the other side without a word. Another time he found you frustrated over damaged ropes and calmly sat beside you fixing them while explaining knots in that soft rhythmic voice of his.
On top of his kindness, the more time you spent together, the more you realized how emotionally intelligent he was. One quiet night beneath the stars, you ended up telling him your story. About your wandering. Your loneliness. The exhaustion that came from surviving alone for so long. Kazuha never interrupted you and the way he listened you with his soft eyes, you could feel that he never judged you. And afterward, he spoke about himself too, about Inazuma, about why he left, or about grief and freedom and learning to continue walking even after losing pieces of yourself. You didn’t judge him either. Maybe that was where everything truly began. Because after that, speaking to him became easier. So naturally, the more comfortable you became around someone, the more your real personality appeared.
Which apparently meant becoming the crew’s circus freak. “You know,” Beidou laughed one afternoon while drinking, “when you first joined, I thought you were incapable of speaking.” The crew burst into laughter. You groaned dramatically. “Captain, please defend my dignity.” “You lost that dignity three jokes ago.” Even Kazuha smiled quietly beside you.
At first, that was all it was. Small smiles from afar whenever you said something stupid and somehow even those tiny reactions made your heart warm embarrassingly fast. Then eventually he started laughing more openly. You remember the first time you heard it properly, soft, breathy, genuine, you nearly forgot what you were saying entirely. Your face burned so badly Beidou noticed immediately. “Oh?” she teased loudly. “Interesting.” You almost threw a spoon at her. But the truth was… you weren’t blind to your feelings.
You had liked Kazuha from the moment he joined the crew. Over time that crush became something far worse. You missed him whenever he spent time elsewhere. You found yourself watching for him without meaning to. Sometimes, embarrassingly enough, you got jealous over absolutely nothing.
Meanwhile Kazuha genuinely had no idea what was happening. He only noticed strange patterns. Like, why did you suddenly become shy around him sometimes? Why did you occasionally ignore him entirely afterward? Or why did you seem annoyed whenever he spoke too long with someone else? Eventually Beidou became so tired of watching both of you suffer that she decided to interfere. One evening while drinking together, Kazuha quietly admitted, “She did not speak to me at all today. I fear I may have upset her somehow.” Beidou stared at him. Then stared harder. Then groaned loudly. “Oh for fucks sake, seriously? You still don’t get it?” Kazuha blinked. “Get what?” “She was jealous, you oblivious samurai.” “…Jealous?” “Yes, jealous,” Beidou repeated dramatically. “You were over there smiling all pretty at that poor girl helping with supplies while this one looked ready to jump into the ocean.” Kazuha froze. And slowly, very slowly, realization hit. His eyes drifted toward you automatically. You were currently sitting nearby with another crew member, laughing softly at something they said. Warm lantern light illuminated your face. And suddenly Kazuha’s chest tightened painfully. The feeling rose so suddenly it startled him. Because now that he understood it…He realized he had been watching you too, listening for your laugh too, searching for you in crowds too. And afterward, everything between you became strange.
You stopped staying near him as often, exhausted from your own feelings and Kazuha, now painfully aware of his own heart, no longer knew how to act naturally around you either. So, the comfortable closeness you once shared became replaced with awkward distance. Which led directly to tonight.
Dark storm clouds covered the sky as Beidou announced they would pull the Alcor ashore until the weather calmed. “Everyone split into groups!” she called. “Set camp before the rain starts.” Then, with absolutely zero mercy, she pointed directly at you and Kazuha. “You two. Gather wood.” And when you both heard your names from her lips, for a moment you looked into each other's eyes, the eyes both of you hadn't looked at in a long time. Of course, you immediately turned your heads away.
The walk into the jungle was painfully silent. The only sounds were insects chirping and distant thunder rolling through the night sky. It felt wrong though. After months of easy conversations, this silence almost physically hurt. Kazuha carried the small gas lamp between you while both of you carefully avoided eye contact. While trying very hard not to look at him, you accidentally tripped over a hidden bush. A startled yelp escaped your mouth as you nearly fell but before you could hit the ground, Kazuha caught your arm firmly. Your breath caught. He steadied you instantly, his hand warm around your sleeve. “T-thank you,” you stammered. Kazuha blinked softly before realizing he was still holding you. Slowly, he let go. “You are welcome,” he murmured. “Are you alright?” “I’m fine,” you said quickly. “Don’t worry. Let’s just collect these and head back soon.” He hummed softly in agreement. You bent down to grab some brushwood, but Kazuha stopped you again.
“You hold the lamp,” he said quietly. “I can collect these. No need to hurt your hands over them.” You smiled faintly. “You’ve seen worse things I’ve done on the ship. It’s okay.” Still, he gently placed the lamp into your hands anyway. And for just a brief second, your fingers intertwined. The contact made both of you go still. You looked away immediately, and Kazuha swallowed quietly.
Then suddenly Kazuha spoke. “…I bought something in Liyue some time ago.” You looked up in surprise. He reached into his sleeve carefully before pulling out a delicate hair stick. Your eyes widened. “When I saw it,” he said softly, “I thought of you.” Your heart nearly stopped. “You… thought of me?” Kazuha’s expression gentled immediately. “More often than I should have.” You stared at the hairpin in complete shock as he carefully placed it into your hands. “I wanted to give it to you earlier,” he admitted quietly. “But I wasn’t certain how.” “I love it,” you whispered honestly. “It’s beautiful.” Hearing that made him smile. Then after a small pause, he asked, “Would you like me to put it in your hair?” Your face immediately grew hot. “…Yeah. Sure.” You turned around slowly so your back faced him. Behind you, Kazuha carefully gathered part of your hair into his hands. His touch was unbelievably gentle. You could feel every movement of his fingers as he twisted your hair softly into a small bun before sliding the hair stick into place. “There,” he murmured softly.
You were just about to turn around and thank him but suddenly his arms wrapped around you from behind. Kazuha held you carefully against him, resting his forehead lightly near your shoulder. “I like you, a lot.” he confessed quietly, directly. Your eyes immediately burned. “I like your laugh. I like the way you try to make everyone around you smile even when you are struggling yourself.” His arms tightened slightly. “I like how warm the ship feels when you are there.” You couldn’t speak. “You listened to me without judgment,” he whispered. “Then you did everything you could to make me feel like I’m at home again. You brew me tea, you cooked me food from my hometown and left it in my room without saying anything.” Your head lowered instinctively, trying to hide the tears gathering in your eyes, as you thought he wouldn’t care much about those. But Kazuha noticed and cared. Softly, he turned your face toward him. His expression looked unbearably tender.
“Can I…?” he asked quietly. You nodded slowly. And then he kissed you, he was so careful, as if you were a porcelain doll.. The first drops of rain finally began falling around you as he held your face gently between his hands. When the kiss ended, both of you stayed close for a moment, breathing softly in the darkness. Then eventually, after remembering why you even came there in the first place, you gathered the remaining wood together and this time, as you walked back toward the camp through the rain and lantern light, your hands remained intertwined the entire time.
you expected another dottore, I gave you Kazuha, zort. (I really need to learn write shortly lmao.)
Hairstick.
Kazuha x f!reader
Warnings: Kinda rushed?
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ summary: After months of quiet yearning in the Alcor, a stormy night in the woods finally pushes you and Kazuha to confess the feelings you had both been carrying in silence.
Also this was a request from @yunziuu, so thank you!
The first time you met Beidou, you were half-conscious and bleeding into the dirt. You barely remembered the fight itself anymore. Only flashes remained in your memory steel, shouting, pain burning through your ribs as strangers searched through your belongings. You had wandered through Teyvat alone for so long that danger had simply become another traveling companion.
But that day, luck had finally found you or perhaps fate had? You remembered hearing loud laughter before anything else, then came the crack of lightning and suddenly the attackers were gone.
When you opened your eyes again, a tall woman crouched beside you with her arms crossed, looking almost amused despite the situation.
“Well,” she said, “Don’t you look terrible?” You coughed weakly. She laughed loudly at that. “Still breathing though. Good sign.” That was how you met Beidou.
And after helping you recover aboard the Alcor, after feeding you and giving you a place to sleep without asking for anything in return, she eventually leaned against the ship railing beside you one evening and said casually, “If you wanna join us, you can.” You stared at her. “You barely know me ma’am.” Beidou shrugged. “Don’t need to know everything about someone to know they deserve a place to stay.”
You never forgot those words, as it was your first time seeing such kindness. So, you stayed as she said. At first, you kept mostly to yourself. You helped where you could, cleaned the deck, carried supplies, repaired ropes, and silently tried to repay the kindness Beidou had shown you. Then months later, he also joined the crew. Kazuha.
At first, the two of you barely spoke. You know, just small greetings here and there. “Good morning.” “Morning.” “Need help with that?” “Yea…Thank you.”
Kazuha was quiet, but approachable in a way that made people naturally drift toward him. Whenever someone needed help, he simply appeared beside them without complaint. Sometimes he helped carry heavy crates. Sometimes he fixed broken parts of the ship with calm patience. And somehow… whenever you struggled with something, he always noticed first. One day while you were trying to drag a box twice your size across the deck, he silently lifted the other side without a word. Another time he found you frustrated over damaged ropes and calmly sat beside you fixing them while explaining knots in that soft rhythmic voice of his.
On top of his kindness, the more time you spent together, the more you realized how emotionally intelligent he was. One quiet night beneath the stars, you ended up telling him your story. About your wandering. Your loneliness. The exhaustion that came from surviving alone for so long. Kazuha never interrupted you and the way he listened you with his soft eyes, you could feel that he never judged you. And afterward, he spoke about himself too, about Inazuma, about why he left, or about grief and freedom and learning to continue walking even after losing pieces of yourself. You didn’t judge him either. Maybe that was where everything truly began. Because after that, speaking to him became easier. So naturally, the more comfortable you became around someone, the more your real personality appeared.
Which apparently meant becoming the crew’s circus freak. “You know,” Beidou laughed one afternoon while drinking, “when you first joined, I thought you were incapable of speaking.” The crew burst into laughter. You groaned dramatically. “Captain, please defend my dignity.” “You lost that dignity three jokes ago.” Even Kazuha smiled quietly beside you.
At first, that was all it was. Small smiles from afar whenever you said something stupid and somehow even those tiny reactions made your heart warm embarrassingly fast. Then eventually he started laughing more openly. You remember the first time you heard it properly, soft, breathy, genuine, you nearly forgot what you were saying entirely. Your face burned so badly Beidou noticed immediately. “Oh?” she teased loudly. “Interesting.” You almost threw a spoon at her. But the truth was… you weren’t blind to your feelings.
You had liked Kazuha from the moment he joined the crew. Over time that crush became something far worse. You missed him whenever he spent time elsewhere. You found yourself watching for him without meaning to. Sometimes, embarrassingly enough, you got jealous over absolutely nothing.
Meanwhile Kazuha genuinely had no idea what was happening. He only noticed strange patterns. Like, why did you suddenly become shy around him sometimes? Why did you occasionally ignore him entirely afterward? Or why did you seem annoyed whenever he spoke too long with someone else? Eventually Beidou became so tired of watching both of you suffer that she decided to interfere. One evening while drinking together, Kazuha quietly admitted, “She did not speak to me at all today. I fear I may have upset her somehow.” Beidou stared at him. Then stared harder. Then groaned loudly. “Oh for fucks sake, seriously? You still don’t get it?” Kazuha blinked. “Get what?” “She was jealous, you oblivious samurai.” “…Jealous?” “Yes, jealous,” Beidou repeated dramatically. “You were over there smiling all pretty at that poor girl helping with supplies while this one looked ready to jump into the ocean.” Kazuha froze. And slowly, very slowly, realization hit. His eyes drifted toward you automatically. You were currently sitting nearby with another crew member, laughing softly at something they said. Warm lantern light illuminated your face. And suddenly Kazuha’s chest tightened painfully. The feeling rose so suddenly it startled him. Because now that he understood it…He realized he had been watching you too, listening for your laugh too, searching for you in crowds too. And afterward, everything between you became strange.
You stopped staying near him as often, exhausted from your own feelings and Kazuha, now painfully aware of his own heart, no longer knew how to act naturally around you either. So, the comfortable closeness you once shared became replaced with awkward distance. Which led directly to tonight.
Dark storm clouds covered the sky as Beidou announced they would pull the Alcor ashore until the weather calmed. “Everyone split into groups!” she called. “Set camp before the rain starts.” Then, with absolutely zero mercy, she pointed directly at you and Kazuha. “You two. Gather wood.” And when you both heard your names from her lips, for a moment you looked into each other's eyes, the eyes both of you hadn't looked at in a long time. Of course, you immediately turned your heads away.
The walk into the jungle was painfully silent. The only sounds were insects chirping and distant thunder rolling through the night sky. It felt wrong though. After months of easy conversations, this silence almost physically hurt. Kazuha carried the small gas lamp between you while both of you carefully avoided eye contact. While trying very hard not to look at him, you accidentally tripped over a hidden bush. A startled yelp escaped your mouth as you nearly fell but before you could hit the ground, Kazuha caught your arm firmly. Your breath caught. He steadied you instantly, his hand warm around your sleeve. “T-thank you,” you stammered. Kazuha blinked softly before realizing he was still holding you. Slowly, he let go. “You are welcome,” he murmured. “Are you alright?” “I’m fine,” you said quickly. “Don’t worry. Let’s just collect these and head back soon.” He hummed softly in agreement. You bent down to grab some brushwood, but Kazuha stopped you again.
“You hold the lamp,” he said quietly. “I can collect these. No need to hurt your hands over them.” You smiled faintly. “You’ve seen worse things I’ve done on the ship. It’s okay.” Still, he gently placed the lamp into your hands anyway. And for just a brief second, your fingers intertwined. The contact made both of you go still. You looked away immediately, and Kazuha swallowed quietly.
Then suddenly Kazuha spoke. “…I bought something in Liyue some time ago.” You looked up in surprise. He reached into his sleeve carefully before pulling out a delicate hair stick. Your eyes widened. “When I saw it,” he said softly, “I thought of you.” Your heart nearly stopped. “You… thought of me?” Kazuha’s expression gentled immediately. “More often than I should have.” You stared at the hairpin in complete shock as he carefully placed it into your hands. “I wanted to give it to you earlier,” he admitted quietly. “But I wasn’t certain how.” “I love it,” you whispered honestly. “It’s beautiful.” Hearing that made him smile. Then after a small pause, he asked, “Would you like me to put it in your hair?” Your face immediately grew hot. “…Yeah. Sure.” You turned around slowly so your back faced him. Behind you, Kazuha carefully gathered part of your hair into his hands. His touch was unbelievably gentle. You could feel every movement of his fingers as he twisted your hair softly into a small bun before sliding the hair stick into place. “There,” he murmured softly.
You were just about to turn around and thank him but suddenly his arms wrapped around you from behind. Kazuha held you carefully against him, resting his forehead lightly near your shoulder. “I like you, a lot.” he confessed quietly, directly. Your eyes immediately burned. “I like your laugh. I like the way you try to make everyone around you smile even when you are struggling yourself.” His arms tightened slightly. “I like how warm the ship feels when you are there.” You couldn’t speak. “You listened to me without judgment,” he whispered. “Then you did everything you could to make me feel like I’m at home again. You brew me tea, you cooked me food from my hometown and left it in my room without saying anything.” Your head lowered instinctively, trying to hide the tears gathering in your eyes, as you thought he wouldn’t care much about those. But Kazuha noticed and cared. Softly, he turned your face toward him. His expression looked unbearably tender.
“Can I…?” he asked quietly. You nodded slowly. And then he kissed you, he was so careful, as if you were a porcelain doll.. The first drops of rain finally began falling around you as he held your face gently between his hands. When the kiss ended, both of you stayed close for a moment, breathing softly in the darkness. Then eventually, after remembering why you even came there in the first place, you gathered the remaining wood together and this time, as you walked back toward the camp through the rain and lantern light, your hands remained intertwined the entire time.
you expected another dottore, I gave you Kazuha, zort. (I really need to learn write shortly lmao.)
we should break up!
⋆.˚. when you play a prank on them ! gone wrong...gulp
twst x reader ! — featuring; malleus, leona, azul and idia !
𓈈 ﹒ 𖣠. all writing is made only for entertainment purposes; please do not feed/train to ai ! all work is mine, do not copy and paste !
sfw. drabble. established relationship. unedited writing! crackish, just a filler post to motivate myself. super lazy. im so tired bro.
!! double post WHAAAAM .✦ ݁˖
MALLEUS doesn't fool around when it comes to tricks as such; so when those words came out of the mouth mid walk, the prince stops dead in his tracks.
the wind stills, the silence loud and tension heavy. it was like the entire world froze and it was only you and malleus conscious, even the birds stopped flapping above the heads.
the light of the early morning brought a wave of small warmth through the body but his ice cold gaze sent shivers down your spine.
he asks you to repeat yourself; quiet...soft...terrifyingly calm.
you take your sleeves and tug them over the hands to play with as you stutter over your words, malleus fully turned to face you and steps forward at your hesitation.
"i—i mean i think we should... it's just..."
you lost all of your train of thought at the sight of his chest in your face and you look up to immediately feel small at the eyes staring down at you.
"are you sure your thoughts are...wise? you must be certain, child of man. this isn't something one can simply ignore—"
you cut off the prince by hugging him tightly suddenly, arms right around his waist and your face buried into his chest as high as you can reach and whine.
with a soft, yet amused face, malleus chuckles and pats the top of your head. fingers toying with your hair, the dragon settles you down, chest rumbling against your face.
"i thought so. it's alright however, you can make it up to me with a nice walk along the path for the rest of the morning, yes?"
we should break up!
⋆.˚. when you play a prank on them ! gone wrong...gulp
twst x reader ! — featuring; malleus, leona, azul and idia !
𓈈 ﹒ 𖣠. all writing is made only for entertainment purposes; please do not feed/train to ai ! all work is mine, do not copy and paste !
sfw. drabble. established relationship. unedited writing! crackish, just a filler post to motivate myself. super lazy. im so tired bro.
!! double post WHAAAAM .✦ ݁˖
MALLEUS doesn't fool around when it comes to tricks as such; so when those words came out of the mouth mid walk, the prince stops dead in his tracks.
the wind stills, the silence loud and tension heavy. it was like the entire world froze and it was only you and malleus conscious, even the birds stopped flapping above the heads.
the light of the early morning brought a wave of small warmth through the body but his ice cold gaze sent shivers down your spine.
he asks you to repeat yourself; quiet...soft...terrifyingly calm.
you take your sleeves and tug them over the hands to play with as you stutter over your words, malleus fully turned to face you and steps forward at your hesitation.
"i—i mean i think we should... it's just..."
you lost all of your train of thought at the sight of his chest in your face and you look up to immediately feel small at the eyes staring down at you.
"are you sure your thoughts are...wise? you must be certain, child of man. this isn't something one can simply ignore—"
you cut off the prince by hugging him tightly suddenly, arms right around his waist and your face buried into his chest as high as you can reach and whine.
with a soft, yet amused face, malleus chuckles and pats the top of your head. fingers toying with your hair, the dragon settles you down, chest rumbling against your face.
"i thought so. it's alright however, you can make it up to me with a nice walk along the path for the rest of the morning, yes?"

Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
Trying different flavors of lip-smackers with segments!
Warnings: Making out? Kinda smut? (not with 8 years old one of course, its a cheek kiss for him.) Humiliation kink(idk)?
It's kinda long eheh. Also, I couldn't make the text smaller in some places, so I apologize if it looks strange.
Assistant reader!f (in her +20ies) x Dottore Segments
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ summary: You buy a pack of lip-smackers and you try each flavor with one segment at a time, which is best done by kissing them.
8 years-old (a kiss on the cheek!) cherry-cola You found him in your room again, it was his usual spot when he escapes from olders’ bullyings. Curled up near the edge of your bed with his notebook resting against his knees, scribbling down something with that tiny serious expression he always wore whenever he thought too hard. He barely even noticed you entering. “I bought these a few days ago,” you said while dropping beside him onto the mattress. You held up the little package of lip smackers in front of him. “I still can’t decide which flavor to try.” The eight-year-old glanced up briefly. "And…? I don't see the problem that relates me here?" “Hm. Fair point, Doctor.” You liked calling 8 years old one Doctor a lot, and deep down he liked it too, made him feel important among them. You looked through them dramatically before pulling out the cherry one. “This one then.” He watched carefully as you applied it, quiet as always. Probably trying to understand your reasoning. Then before he could ask anything, you leaned over and pressed an exaggerated kiss against his cheek. “Mwah.” A loud one. He blinked. Slowly, his fingers touched the spot you kissed. Then he sniffed faintly, brows furrowing in curiosity. “…Cherry?” You smiled immediately. “Yeah, aren’t you a smart cookie?”. “I’ve never seen a cherry flavored one before.” He said while ignoring your teasing. “Well,” you answered while nudging his shoulder lightly, “that just means there are still lots of things left for you to research, Doctor.” Then he quietly pulled his notebook a little farther away from you, to hide his face before you could try kissing the other cheek too.
18 years-old, lemon-fanta! Finding the eighteen-year-old was always funny because he acted like he wanted to disappear while leaving the most obvious trails possible. With a pile of stolen books from other segments, and dragged chair to the corner of the library he builds a castle from books and then tries to hide himself in them. And somehow, every single time, you still found him. He even once told you:“You can find me whenever you want. I only find you when you want.” You approached quietly, fingers brushing over his shoulder. He startled immediately. Actually jumped a little. His head snapped toward you before he tried recovering his dignity by looking back down at the book in front of him. “…What are you doing here, handsome?” you asked with a teasing tone. “Ugh…Nothing.” He answered with that sappy-sulky voice. “Why did you even come here and disturb me?” he muttered while turning a page he clearly wasn’t reading anymore. “Don’t you have things to do? Be a useful assistant and maybe bring me coffee.” The moment he saw you, he always tried acting annoyed first. But you knew him too well. “Oh, of course I have things to do,” you said. “And I should probably bring you your coffee too.” He hummed with agreement. “But before that,” you continued while stepping closer, “I need to do something else first.” That finally got his attention(which was actually long lost the moment he heard your voice). He lifted his head from the book slowly, chair sliding back just a little as he looked up at you with obvious curiosity hidden behind forced indifference. “…What thing?” You leaned down before he could think too hard about it and kissed him. Bright lemon flavor spreading instantly against his lips from the gloss you had applied earlier. He reacted immediately. He never misses his chance. One hand grabbing at your hip so fast it almost made you laugh, like he’d been waiting for an excuse all day. Eager. And then you pulled away. A quiet, frustrated whine escaped him before he could stop it. This made you burst into laughter instantly. His face went red so quickly he covered half of it with his left hand, glaring at you from behind his fingers. “Just because I’m not as scary as the others,” he muttered bitterly, “doesn’t mean you can tease me whenever you want.” You stood up again, pretending not to notice the way he tried to cover the immediate bulge occured when you sat down. “I don’t know,” you said lightly while fixing your sleeve. “I think I’d love to see you act all crazy and scary too.” His eyes widened slightly. And before he could recover enough to say something smug back, you were already leaving the library laughing while he sat there completely flustered in the middle of his little book castle.
25 years-old, sprite! The twenty-five-year-old’s room was always quiet in the most unwelcoming way possible. He had papers scattered across the desk, lots of half-written reports, open books etc. The faint scratching sound of his pen moving across paper that you could hear behind the door. You knocked twice against the door. “You can’t come in,” he answered immediately. You leaned against the doorway dramatically. “I mean, there was something urgent I had to ask you.” “Well then,” he replied flatly from inside, “go find someone less bothered by your existence. I’m busy.” You rolled your eyes. “The earlier you help me, the earlier you’ll get back to your report.” A long groan came from behind the door. But since he didn’t actually tell you to leave again, you pushed the door open anyway. He didn’t even look up at first. “You’re too stupid to figure out your own unimportant problems?” he asked while continuing to write. “Why do they even keep you as their assistant? You clearly lack the ability to assist anyone.” You barely reacted anymore honestly. Every segment had their own way of being awful. His just happened to involve constant humiliation wrapped in distinct wording with attractive voice. So instead of getting offended, you simply smiled and walked over beside his chair. “I don’t lack the ability to assist,” you corrected lightly. “You’re simply too good to require assistance.” That made him glance up. You leaned your elbow against his shoulder, close enough for him to smell the sweet artificial citrus from your gloss. He huffed quietly under his breath. Then suddenly his hand grabbed your waist and pulled you directly into his lap. You yelped softly from the force of it, which made him enjoy more. “I’ve never seen anyone as interested in being bullied as you are,” he muttered near your ear while squeezing your thigh harshly. “It’s almost concerning.” “Well,” you said sweetly, “if it’s coming from you, who am I to reject it? I am your assistant after all.” His fingers tightened briefly before he leaned back in his chair with obvious annoyance. “Whatever you needed, ask quickly,” he sighed. “I’m too busy to deal with your lame ass.” Instead of answering, you kissed him. He reacted instantly to that. One hand gripping your hip harder while he bit down lightly against your lower lip in that mean way of his that was always more provoking than affectionate. You were kissing him with that sprite flavor he would definitely despise. You almost laughed into the kiss. Especially when he started to make you lean back towards the desk like he intended to keep you there much longer. Before he could though, you pushed against his chest lightly and stood back up. He looked irritated immediately. “Well, I was actually going to ask about my new lipstick,” you said while fixing your clothes. “But I guess you didn’t like it?” He stared at you for a moment. Then grinned slowly. “I hate it.”
35 years-old(Omega), vanilla-cola! Omega’s room was usually quieter than the others and with Nod-Krai trip approaching, the atmosphere had only gotten worse. Documents scattered across the desk, unfinished calculations glowing faintly across screens, reports waiting for signatures. You’d spent the last hour helping him organize materials for the trip without daring to distract him even once. The moment you entered earlier, you had planned to greet him properly. With a small kiss, you know. But the second he started giving instructions, you abandoned the thought immediately. It felt too risky making him wait over something so trivial. So instead, you focused entirely on being useful. Exactly what his assistant should be, as you could feel that he likes you most when you show usability. So, you barely even remembered the vanilla-cola you had applied beforehand. Until... “Why,” Omega said suddenly from somewhere behind you, “am I smelling vanilla?” Your fingers immediately flew to your lips. Right. The new lipstick. You turned toward him with a small smile. “Oh, I tried a new flavor earlier. Didn’t realize the scent was that strong.” His eyes settled on your mouth instantly. “Get up.” You obeyed before thinking twice. The chair scraped softly against the floor as you stood, and Omega stepped closer without another word. Then his fingers slid beneath your chin, tilting your face upward carefully. Neither gentle nor rough. His gaze stayed fixed on your lips with a level of attention that made your breath catch embarrassingly fast. “I don’t think you wear these because your lips are chapped,” he said calmly. “They always look shiny regardless.” Your eyebrows lifted slightly. You didn’t realize he paid attention to things like that or maybe you simply weren’t supposed to know? “Well,” you answered softly after a moment, “of course I applied this for you.” That earned the faintest smile from him. Then he leaned closer. Close enough that you could already feel the warmth of his breath against your lips. If either of you moved even slightly, the distance would disappear completely. You waited but Omega stopped there. “It smells lovely indeed,” he murmured quietly. Then he released your chin, turned away from you entirely, and continued gathering the papers for Nod-Krai like nothing had happened. Leaving you standing there like that, made you think that everyone was somehow getting a taste of his cruelty.
45 years-old, strawberry-fanta! The meetings of the Harbingers were sometimes unbearably long. So, even after an hour passed, you were still waiting. Despite the fact that he specifically told you: “If it takes too long, leave.” You sat quietly on one of the hallway benches outside the meeting room, legs crossed while absentmindedly applying the strawberry-flavored gloss you had bought earlier. Mostly just to distract yourself from boredom. Then finally you heard the doors opened. You immediately stood up as the Harbingers began leaving one by one. Voices echoed through the hallway, coats brushing past marble floors, conversations overlapping carelessly. You spotted him instantly. But before you could approach, you overheard Pantalone’s amused voice. “After you’re gone, perhaps I should steal that assistant of yours,” he said lazily. “Even someone like you seems interested in her. There must be something exceptional there.” Dottore laughed softly. “Well, ask her after I leave. If she wishes to join you, she may.” Then he glanced toward you briefly. “Though, for your sake, you should know she only shows interest in me. I doubt she’d perform quite as enthusiastically under your supervision.” Your lips curled into a smile before you lowered your head slightly to hide it. Eventually the hallway emptied, leaving only the two of you. You approached him quietly and took the bag from his hand before he could object, naturally falling into step beside him as you both walked down the long corridor. “I told you not to wait if it took too long,” he said after a moment. “Why are you still here?” “Because I’m your assistant,” you answered simply. “If you had to stay in that room for twenty-four hours, then I’d stay here for twenty-four hours too. I’ll wait whenever you need me.” That made him smile faintly. The two of you continued walking side by side. Then suddenly he spoke again. “Am I hallucinating,” he mused lightly, “or do you smell like strawberries?” You smiled immediately. “Nothing escapes from you, hm, Doctor?” Compared to the other older segments, he was surprisingly easy to talk to. Easier to tease too. But he glanced at you from the corner of his eye. “Well, if I fail to notice the changes in my lovely assistant,” he said calmly, “or the little shenanigans she keeps pulling, then I’d simply be ignorant of my surroundings.” Slowly, you linked your arm with his as he allowed it naturally. “So?” you asked while looking up at him. “Is that a bad thing or a good thing?” He turned his head toward you fully then. “You shouldn’t ask such obvious questions.” And before you could reply,he suddenly pushed you gently toward the wall beside the hallway. You let out a surprised sound as your back touched the cold surface behind you. His hand guided your arms down instinctively so he could cage you there easily. For a second, you just stared at him. And then he kissed you. The strawberry flavor mixed between you instantly while his hand rested against your waist with terrifying ease. He made you feel overwhelmed in a completely different manner. Like standing too close to someone entirely aware of their own charm. When he finally pulled away, you almost stumbled forward from how weak your knees suddenly felt which caused a laughter from him. “You know,” he mused while watching your expression carefully, “I think I understand why the eighteen-year-old is so obsessed with you.” You immediately smiled back. “Oh?” you teased softly. “Is it only him?” He extended his arm toward you again patiently, waiting for you to take it. “No,” he answered after a moment. “I don’t think it’s only him.”
65 years-old, fanta! You found him exactly where he always was. Sitting near the large window of his office with a book resting in one hand while the other tapped slowly against the armrest of his chair. The room was quiet except for the ticking of some old mechanism nearby. He acknowledged your presence immediately but didn’t look up. “You’re lingering,” he said dryly. “Which usually means you’re about to become troublesome.” You smiled to yourself and walked closer. “Maybe only a little.” A quiet hum escaped him at that. You had applied the Fanta flavored one earlier, and honestly, compared to the others, you weren’t even sure if he would tolerate it. He always acted above things like that. Still, you leaned carefully against the side of his chair. “So, what are you reading about? Maybe something interesting?” He answers back without waiting, “Not everything we read needs to be interesting, sometimes you just read to… read.” Which caused a small nod from you. To change the topic, to make him talk to you more, “I bought something new today,” you said casually. “Though you’ll probably hate it.” That finally made him glance at you over the edge of his book. “Probably.” You laughed softly. “See? You're too uncurious for a research doctor.” “Experience allows me to predict disappointment accurately.” “But no matter what, don’t you think you should try first, there’s always possibility for a different outcome.” His eyes narrowed slightly. He already understood what the new item was you found. Of course, it wasn’t a dagger or an elixir you came up with. The smell of orange was too heavy to not to notice. You slowly reached toward the lower edge of his mask then, fingers brushing lightly against the material. Waiting, giving him enough time to stop you if he wanted. Surprisingly enough, he didn’t. Instead, he sighed quietly like you were exhausting beyond reason. “Ridiculous girl,” he muttered. But he tilted his head upward anyway. Just enough for you to slide the lower half of the mask away and reveal his lips. You were not seeing his eyes but you were aware that his gaze stayed on your face the entire time as you leaned closer. “You always act like you’re above these things,” you whispered softly, “but you indulge me every single time.” “Someone,” he replied calmly, “has to tolerate your nonsense.” And then he kissed you. The citrus flavor lingered between you while his hand rested briefly against your jaw, keeping you there for just a second longer than necessary before he finally pulled away. You blinked at him quietly afterward. And he simply lowered the mask back into place with complete composure. “…Didn’t you have something else?” he said after a moment. “That’s too sweet.” You stared at him in disbelief. “That’s your review?” “That was your objective, was it not?”
80ies, OG Zandik, coca-cola! When Zandik first took you in, he noticed very quickly that you liked flowers and though he never commented much on it, a greenhouse had quietly appeared not long afterward. At first, it was yours. Then eventually, somehow, it became his too. Now half the plants inside were labeled with small notes in his handwriting, some altered for experiments, others growing under strange conditions only he understood. The greenhouse smelled less like a garden these days and more like a research facility pretending to be one. Not that you minded. You found him there again that evening, standing beneath the warm glass ceiling while examining one of the glowing flowers near the center table. “You’re stealing my greenhouse,” you complained lightly while approaching him from behind. “It was never yours exclusively,” he replied without even turning around. “You simply lacked the intellect to use it efficiently.” You smiled. There he is, you thought to yourself. The old man carefully adjusted one of the leaves between his fingers before speaking again. “The western section requires watering tomorrow. You’ve been neglecting it.” “Wow, Im surprised that you noticed.” “I notice everything.” You moved closer until your shoulder brushed against his arm. He didn’t move away. At this point, Zandik tolerated your clinginess with the same exhausted acceptance one would have toward a persistent cat. Your gaze drifted toward the flowers surrounding him. “You know,” you murmured softly, “I think you spend more time here than I do now. Perhaps green makes you feel at ease, hm?” With dodging your last words, he speaks “That is because unlike you, I possess consistency.” “But you’re also turning my flowers into experiments.” “They should be honored.” You laughed quietly under your breath before gently taking his hand and guiding him toward the nearby table set. He looked mildly annoyed the entire time, but he still sat down, and after a second of hesitation, you settled carefully onto his lap sideways, arms slipping loosely around him while resting your head against his shoulder. The old man let out the deepest sigh imaginable. “Hopeless girl.” Yet his hand still rested against your waist automatically. You smiled against his doctor coat that smells like… science! The cola-flavored gloss still lingered faintly on your lips, and eventually he noticed too. “That scent,” he muttered after a moment. “Artificial. Overly sweet. Also, very unpleasant.” You looked up at him innocently. “Maybe it tastes good though.” His eyes narrowed immediately. “You cannot know without trying it, right?” For a long second, he simply stared at you like he was debating whether or not you were worth the trouble. Then his hand moved slowly to your jaw and despite all the criticism, he kissed you anyway. The faint cola flavor mixed between you while the greenhouse remained completely silent around you except for the soft hum of lamps overhead. When he finally pulled away, his expression remained perfectly composed. “…Still artificial,” he decided calmly. You burst into laughter instantly and though he clicked his tongue in disapproval you still caught the faint amusement hidden beneath it. He was now, too tired to deal with you, but still managing somehow.
end.
i just love fantasizing about dottore’s segments and how they would enjoy their time with you !! With permission from the original of course !
warnings: mentions of blood, knife play, degradation, Dacryphilia (lmk if there are others you see !!) || heavily unedited
characters: segments 18 and 25 || part 2
18
The youngest of the adult segments. Often others would taunt him and say he has no idea what he’s doing… which is not far from the truth. Poor 18 who was too obsessed with school that he was unable to form any sort of relationship or friendship with his peers.
He definitely has the most obvious wandering eyes compared to the others. Eyes laced with hunger and desire drink your appearance in the lab whenever you stood closer to the original. Sometimes he wouldn’t even notice the way his tongue came out to lick his lower lip or the hardening bulge in his pants when you bent over to pick something up. Sometimes you did notice his staring but brushed it off as him being… well himself.
I just saw a post of @auratux on Dottore's segments... and yea I had to write this drabble(?)
idk what kind of warnings I should put here, so help me out I guess! maybe sexual tension?
assistant reader x dottore segments
Another assistant reader if you wanna read!
(A note: Someone legit sent me a messaga and said "ai slop" lmao, i am a teaching student, studying english. And i have been writing for like 10 years now, it helps you to improve definitely. Ai paranoia is real😭😭)
The kitchen smelled warm. Melted cheese, baked dough, oregano.
You leaned against the counter while the youngest segment stood on a chair beside the oven, watching through the glass with narrowed eyes like he was conducting a scientific experiment instead of baking pizza.
“Do you think it’s cooked yet?” you asked.
The 8 year-old huffed softly, then crouched down closer to the oven door. His little brows furrowed in concentration. After a moment he nodded once, serious as ever.
“I think it did,” he said quietly. “Smells delicious.”
Your smile came before you could stop it.
“Well then, Doctor,” you teased gently, “let’s eat.”
You slipped on the oven mitts and pulled the pizza out carefully while he watched with obvious satisfaction. Together, you cut it into uneven slices and carried everything to the table.
It felt oddly domestic.
Just you and him sitting there, finally ready to enjoy your hard-earned pizza.
And then—
“Oh, for the love of—”
“You started it, which means you asked for it.”
The familiar voices grew louder down the hall.
Sigh
The 18 year-old and the 25 year-old entered mid argument, both looking equally irritated. Neither even noticed the pizza at first.
“You are unbelievably insufferable,” 25 snapped.
“And you’re old and bitter,” 18 shot back immediately.
Then they both stopped. Their eyes landed on the table.
On you.
And of course on the youngest segment sitting proudly across you with flour still dusted across his sleeves.
25 scoffed.
“So this is what the two of you spent the afternoon doing?” His eyes dragged over the pizza critically. “How adorable. I leave for a few hours and suddenly the lab turns into a daycare cooking class.”
The youngest frowned immediately.
Before you could say anything, 18 leaned against the doorway with a grin.
“At least they can create something useful,” he said lazily. “Which is not something I can say for you.”
25 shot him a glare sharp enough to kill.
18 only smirked wider before dropping into the chair beside you like he absolutely belonged there.
25 clicked his tongue in annoyance and turned like he was about to leave.
“Maybe taste some before judging it,” you said casually while reaching for another slice. “I made it. Wouldn’t you like something I made?”
That stopped him, which was something predictable.
His expression twisted like he wanted to refuse on principle alone, but after a long moment he sighed dramatically and sat down on your other side.
“You’re insufferable too,” he muttered.
“And yet here you are.”
The youngest looked deeply offended by all of you.
For a while, things settled surprisingly peacefully.
The four of you ate while small conversations drifted around the table. Research updates. Complaints. Petty arguments. Bickerings, as usual.
Mostly complaints...
18 was currently ranting with full enthusiasm.
“I’m serious, Omega keeps stealing you,” he grumbled around a bite of pizza. “Every time I finally find you, suddenly he needs ‘assistance.’ And you just go with him.”
You took another bite calmly.
“Well,” you said with a shrug, “I enjoy obeying him. He’s kind of crazy hot, you know?”
The youngest immediately looked disgusted.
Actually disgusted.
He stared at his pizza like he regretted existing in this conversation at all.
18 nearly choked.
“You say things like that on purpose,” he accused, ears turning red.
You laughed softly.
Then your eyes caught the bit of oil at the corner of his mouth.
Without thinking much of it, you reached over with your thumb and wiped it away. He froze instantly beneath your touch.
And when you licked the oil from your thumb-
His entire face turned scarlet.
You burst into laughter.
“Oh, come on,” you teased. “I thought we passed that stage already. But you really are just a teenage boy full of hormones, huh?”
25 leaned back in his chair, openly amused now.
“Pathetic,” he murmured.
“Screw you.”
The youngest looked like he wanted to disappear permanently.
Then he pointed suddenly.
“You have oil on your mouth too, Y/N”
“Oh?” You blinked. “Can you pass me a tissue?”
You turned toward 25.
“If you want it so badly,” he drawled, “Get it yourself. Maybe if you lean far enough I’ll finally get to see what you’re hiding under that skirt.”
You stared at him, you couldn't decide whether to admire or despise this randomly appearing frankness, because that kind of thing wasn't his style.
“You do realize your 8 year-old self is sitting right here?”
“I couldn’t care less.”
The youngest groaned in pure disappointment.
Muttering under your breath, you leaned over him to grab the tissues anyway. You could practically feel both older segments watching you shamelessly.
And then the sharp tap of a walking stick echoed down the hall.
Everyone looked up.
The oldest segment entered the room wearing his usual expression of permanent irritation. His gaze swept across the table slowly before landing on the pizza.
His face somehow looked even more judgmental.
“You people waste astonishing amounts of time,” he said gruffly. “Sitting around stuffing yourselves with grease while actual work remains unfinished.”
You held up a slice toward him.
“You’re criticizing it before trying it too?”
“I don’t need to taste burnt bread to know it lacks sophistication.”
You smiled knowingly.
“I made it though.”
Then you added sweetly, “Wouldn’t you like something I made?”
25 snorted quietly because now someone else was falling into this trap, and for him, it was very entertaining to see what had been done to him being done to someone else.
The old man looked deeply unimpressed.
But after several long seconds, he finally took the slice from your hand with a dissatisfied grunt.
And despite all his complaints he finished the entire thing.
By the time dinner ended, a voice echoed sharply from deeper within the lab.
“Assistant.” This was 35 years old.
You immediately sat up straighter.
“Yes?”
“Come to my office. Immediatley.”
Your smile turned almost automatic.
“Okay.”
18 groaned loudly while you stood from the table.
“You’re proving my point.”
And you chose to ignore him completely.
After brushing your teeth quickly, you returned to the dining room to fix your makeup using the reflection in a darkened glass cabinet. The exaggerated noises you made while reapplying your lip gloss earned increasingly irritated looks from all three segments.
Which only encouraged you further.
Finally satisfied, you turned back toward the table.
The youngest was first.
You leaned down and kissed his cheek gently. He frowned immediately afterward, pretending he disliked it even while leaning subtly into your hand.
Then you moved to 18.
He was sitting there with his arms crossed and the most dramatic sulking expression imaginable.
“Aww,” you cooed softly.
He rolled his eyes.
You slipped your fingers into his hair, pulling his head back enough to make him stare up at you before leaning down and kissing him properly.
He melted instantly.
When you pulled away, his face was burning red all over again.
25 looked unbearably smug watching it happen.
So naturally you climbed into his lap next.
“You’re annoying,” he murmured, though his hands settled on your waist immediately.
“And you like me anyway.”
“Not really.”
You kissed him quickly before he could turn it into something longer by biting at your lip with a grin.
Then you stepped over toward the oldest segment.
His expression barely changed as you bent down and pressed a gentle kiss against his temple.
Still-
His hand rested briefly against your wrist before you pulled away.
You smiled at all of them afterward.
“Bye bye, guys,” you sang lightly while backing toward the door. “Don’t miss me too much.”
“You’re unbearable,” 85 called after you.
“Don't come back alive,” 25 years old muttered.
18 looked personally betrayed already.
And the youngest just reached for another slice of pizza with the exhausted expression of someone far too young to be dealing with any of this.
The lab door slid shut behind you moments later.
And somewhere deeper inside the halls 35 was waiting for you.
╰┈➤ ・₊˚ʚ 𝚂𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚘 : heated make out session in his office that's it
╰┈➤ ・₊˚ʚ 𝚃𝚊𝚐𝚜 : fondling, hickeys, semi-rough make out session, semi-public sex, implied fem! reader, getting caught, use of pet names ( doll ), not beta read
╰┈➤ ・₊˚ʚ 𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 : smut
You were currently in his office, straddled on top of his lap—back faced against his desk with your blouse halfway undone and bra pulled down. His mouth pressed against yours, tongue exploring the insides of your mouth. His hand was caressing your cheek while the other is stroking your thighs back and forth. Your arms wrapped around his neck, both hands tugging at the back of his head. You tried saying his name, yet all that came out were muffled moans.
Before I began my writing blog on here I was a silent reader, mainly because I was too nervous to interact but also because I didn’t consider how important interaction is for writers. Now, I cannot ever imagine going back to being a passive user on this app.
Comments, reblogs, hashtags—these features are there for a reason. Interaction is the backbone to fan creation (especially on tumblr) and without it many within the fandom become discouraged, hurt, or feel ignored to the point that they will discontinue sharing and/or lose interest in their passion. This is a big part to why so many writers and other creatives are leaving right now.
If you’re reading this and are a silent reader, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE interact with your writers and artists and whoever else you love to see on here. I promise you that it does leave a positive impact and really can make a difference, even if at first it seems scary or silly to do. Start forming the habit, make a goal to interact a certain amnt a day/week, just do something that promotes community.
Kindness really does wonders.

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Someone from past.
Second chapter.
With the random flashback I had about him, I started biting my lip and tapping my foot against the ground anxiously. That mask most certainly didn’t hide anything; nothing could ever escape his gaze. Just looking at him made me so nervous, my knees went weak. And now, I had a meeting with him. On top of that, I didn’t even know how long it would take.
“Okay, Y/N, being nervous won’t help you right now. And I don’t have time to go talk to Diluc either. I have to, no, I will handle it.”
I was trying to change my jacket into something more formal while looking in the mirror. With a hair tie in my mouth, I kept going,
“Though… he might get frustrated and send a whole army after us.”
I continued as I tightened my hair one last time and straightened my clothes with my hand.
“Oh well, even if he realizes it, I’ll use my skills. And everything will be juuussst fine.”
While walking toward the hotel, I kept repeating the same thing over and over: 'A shaking hand ruins everything.'
—
Walking through the crowds, head held high, repeating the same lines to myself, I soon arrived in front of the hotel. There were more Fatui guards outside the gate than usual. Whenever there was a problem with Mondstadt's security, they always seemed to disappear but when one of their masters arrived, they knew exactly how to follow them around like dogs.
When they noticed my gaze on them, one of the high-ranking soldiers stepped forward. He first examined me, then began to speak.
“What are you staring at, knight?”
Ugh. I hated that condescending tone the Fatui always had. Every single one of them spoke like that, as if their voice was whispering in my ear, ‘beat him up.’
“I’m here to meet the Lord Harbinger, Pantalone, to represent Mondstadt and the Knights of Favonius.”
My tone was steady and sharp.
Upon hearing me, he gave a short nod, turned around, and sent one of the soldiers inside. It didn’t take long for him to return. After delivering the message to his commander, all eyes were suddenly on me again.
The same soldier spoke, “Lord Harbinger is waiting for you, madam. Please, come in.”
Wow, the change in tone was something else.
Without indulging in any further conversation with these lame dogs, I stepped inside, heading straight to speak with their master.
—
While I was still in awe of the fanciness of the hotel, another guard approached me.
“It’s an honor to have a Favonius knight in Lord Pantalone’s hotel,” he said after giving a small bow of the head. “Please, follow me.”
The hotel was full of Fatui soldiers. Sure, they didn’t wield Visions like I did, but they could manipulate elemental powers in one way or another. I could probably take most of them down, up to a point. But against my (...) vision, there were just too many elements in play.
The stairs were steep, but if I could reach the chandelier from the upstairs balcony, I might be able to drop down and escape. The windows inside the hotel were either too high or too low, at ground level, impossible to access in a rush.
Without realizing it, I started scanning my surroundings in a very obvious way. My brain was automatically concocting over a thousand scenarios, trying to separate positives from negatives and find a definitive solution. But this didn’t go unnoticed by the soldier walking beside me. Even with a mask covering his eyes, I could feel his gaze.
“You like the hotel, I guess? Strange that you’ve never been here before.”
Before I had the chance to answer or more like, before I had to come up with a quick lie, he kept going.
“Though I must say, Lord Regrator rebuilt this place to make it more appealing to the eye.”
“Ah, yes. That’s why I was looking around. Even though it was a building on Mondstadt land, it was marked as ‘private property’ and guarded 24/7. We weren’t exactly allowed inside.”
I could hear that small spark of irritation under his little laugh.
Good. I still know how to push their limits.
After we climbed the stairs and passed through the hall, the soldier led me into a large room. Even though it was broad daylight, the interior was dim, lit only by low-hanging chandeliers. A not long rectangular table stood at the center, but unlike the usual arrangement, there were only two chairs.
“He knows how to hide his true face very well. He could fool someone into thinking this setup is sincere.”
I was too caught up analyzing the room, calculating new escape routes, to notice that the soldier had already left the door open, and that someone had walked in without a sound.
“Well, if you prefer to sit at a long table, we can,” came a voice behind me, velvety and cold. “But either way, to hear me properly, you'd have to come closer eventually. And we wouldn't want to waste time, would we?”
He was already behind me. I felt a bead of sweat trail down my spine. I’d been distracted. That fear I’d tried to toss aside? It had already cost me my first mistake.
'I must not fear. Fear turns hunters into prey.'
I forced the words from the underground intelligence network back into my mind, the words they made sure that we carved into our brain.
'Fear freezes people before death ever reaches them.'
With a deep breath, I composed myself, masking the tension with a formal smile. I turned around to face him.
He mirrored my smile. Calculated, hollow... and took a slow step forward. That heavy aura clung to the air around him, pressing down on me like smoke. Something about him made my instincts scream. I hated it. I didn’t even know why I hated it. And I hated not knowing.
“However…” he said, voice low and amused, “to speak of someone’s true self before formally meeting them…”
He stopped in front of me, and extended a gloved hand.
“That’s a little rude, don’t you think, Miss…?”
I took his hand and gave it a firm shake.
“Y/N.”
He tilted his head slightly, smile never touching his eyes.
“Pleasure to meet you, Y/N.”
—
As we sat at the table, he placed his hands calmly in front of him, fingers interlaced with deliberate precision. He was observing me. More so dissecting me, with that unreadable, unnerving stare. I didn’t know how to escape it. But looking away would make me seem weak, unsure. And I wasn’t about to give him that.
So I looked straight into his eyes.
Even if I couldn’t read his mind, I knew he was measuring everything, my posture, my breathing, the smallest twitch of my eye.
He doesn’t blink much, I noted.
"Are we going to begin discussing the reason you came here?” I finally asked, clearing my throat to break the silence.
I was the first to speak.
He smiled.
Not kindly. Not warmly.
Just that same controlled, practiced expression, like he already knew every answer I could give.
“I didnt know Mondstadt people were that eager to work. Quiet… surprising.”
“It seems like you ‘quiet’ enjoy making inferences about people.”
If you're talking to someone like Pantalone, you need to be quick and sharp with your answers. Even in the few seconds I had spent with him—well, plus the additional research I did afterwards—I learned that this man doesn’t just read your mind. He reads your soul.
You can’t give him time to figure you out. Not even a sliver.
He took a slow sip of the coffee that had been served to him. As I picked up my own cup to accompany him, he began to speak again.
“So, do you want to talk about the business first... or what you were doing in Snezhnaya?”
Oh.
Fuck.
How did he even figure that out so quickly?
Am I that obvious? Did he see my face back then? What is he going to do to Mondstadt if he knows I was the one who planted that bomb in his tent?
Maybe the city’s already blockaded. The Fatui always seek revenge or whatever outcome benefits them the most. Is he planning to threaten me? To pressure me with something Mondstadt won't be able to endure?
A thousand thoughts started pacing through my head like foxes, quick, sly, dangerous.
The cup I’d picked up was still suspended halfway. My expression froze, and I tried to correct it quickly, forcing myself to take a sip of coffee, albeit with some effort.
“I’m sorry, what?”
My voice was steady, and I didn’t blink once as I delivered the response.
He slowly rose from his seat, and each step he took toward me was unnervingly graceful, effortless yet precise. It wasn’t just the way he moved, but the aura he carried with him. That presence... as if the entire room shifted around him.
I’m here right now.
That’s what it screamed. And it sank into your bones whether you wanted it or not.
When he finally came to stand beside me, he leaned casually into the narrow space between my chair and the table.
“Are we really gonna do this Miss Y/N? I’m trying to create a peaceful environment for you to open up. You don’t have to lie to me.”
‘Yeah, its very obvious’ I said to myself.
My gaze lifted to meet his, and for a brief second, the air between us shimmered, not with elemental power, but with something far more dangerous. Recognition. A silent nod between predators who'd once crossed paths with daggers drawn but never declared the war officially.
Pantalone’s expression remained unreadable, but the amusement playing at the edges of his mouth grew a fraction deeper.
“You’re trembling slightly. That’s not like you.” His tone was gentle. It was like silk drawn across a blade.
“You're mistaken,” I answered, steady this time. “This is just... anticipation.”
His smile curved, just enough to betray interest.
“I can see why Mondstadt keeps you buried in paperwork. If I were a lesser man, I’d say it’s a waste. But perhaps they understand that keeping someone like you caged is safer than letting you run loose.” He tilted his head slightly. “Though, clearly, even cages can’t hold you.”
He was toying with me. But it wasn’t ridicule. No, it was something far more calculated. Admiration, maybe. Or curiosity disguised behind condescension. I wasn’t sure which one I hated more.
“You slipped through every crack we thought we sealed. You planted a bomb in the middle of our winter capital, at a time when the Harbingers were most exposed. And you walked away.” His voice had lowered to something barely above a whisper. And he didn't even sound angry.
He was impressed.
So, I chose to remain silent, watching him.
“Why?” he finally asked, leaning a little closer. “What drives a Favonius knight to wade through ice and blood for such… reckless acts?”
“I was following orders,” I said, flat.
“Ah,” he breathed. “But not Mr. Ragvindr’s, I assume.”
He leaned back again, finally giving me space to breathe, though his words filled it quickly.
“You see, Y'N… life has an unpleasant way of boxing people like you into roles that don’t suit them. Sharp minds dulled with bureaucracy. Wild hearts smothered in morality. You tell yourself you're doing the right thing, but what’s ‘right’ in a world where borders shift depending on whose wallet weighs more?”
His fingers traced the edge of his porcelain cup, slow, idle.
“You could have killed me. You had every opportunity. Yet here you are. Alive. So either you’re terribly bad at finishing your work…” He looked up, the amusement now razor-thin and cold.
“Or you never truly intended to finish it.”
That shut me up for a moment. Even I didn’t know what held me back then; fear? uncertainty?
He continued before I could fire back.
“Perhaps, deep down, you understood something the rest of your little guild hasn’t grasped yet: killing a Harbinger does not make the world more just. It just leaves a vacuum. One more dangerous than before.”
He stood again, always moving, like the world existed to adjust around him, and paced slowly behind my chair.
“I know people like you... You don’t belong behind a desk, pushing pens and reporting to commanders who think too slow to matter. You are not meant to obey. You are meant to calculate. To survive. To win.”
His voice dropped again.
“Work for me.”
The words fell like a blade between us.
I turned slightly, not fully facing him. I didn’t trust myself to, not yet.
“You want me as your pet?” I said, eyes narrowing. “A former assassin you can leash, just because I was reckless enough to challenge one of you and live?”
“Not a pet,” he replied instantly. “No, no. I want you as a partner.”
I let out a short breath, could’ve passed as a laugh, if not for the tension tightening my shoulders.
“You offer that like it means nothing.”
He returned to his seat, this time leaning forward just slightly, fingertips touching like he was praying to a god of balance sheets and silent wars.
“It means everything in business. More than trust. More than loyalty. It’s the acknowledgment that both sides are dangerous and useful. You’ve seen what I can do. But I’ve seen what you can do, too. Very closely.”
Then he paused for a short time
“And frankly, I’d rather you work beside me… than against me.”
Silence descended for a moment, stretching taut like a drawn bowstring.
“You think life is a business deal,” I said.
He chuckled once,genuine, this time.
“No. I think life is unfair. But I’ve learned how to profit from it.”
He held my gaze again, he was more transparent than ever.
“And I think… you’ve learned how to survive it. But surviving isn’t enough anymore, is it?”
His words struck something deep. Too deep that I hated that they did.
I didn’t answer.
Because I knew this was only the beginning of his game. And Pantalone didn’t play unless he already knew he could win.
The words hung in the air like frost. I stared at him, long enough for the coffee in my hand to lose its warmth. He knew it, too. The silence wasn't awkward. It was deliberate. A pause for effect. A space he carved so I could either step in… or fall.
I hated how well he played.
I hated how familiar it all felt.
Because in some strange, unforgiving way, I understood him.
And maybe that’s what unsettled me the most.
The room hadn’t changed, yet the weight of it had. The chandelier above us barely swayed, yet the gravity between us shifted subtly. He wasn’t threatening me. Not in the traditional sense. No daggers. No blackmail. No armies. Just… invitation.
And that made it worse.
“If I say no,” I said carefully, voice low, “will you let me walk out of here?”
He studied me, that smile still faintly there. Less predator, more merchant.
“I don’t chain people who think for themselves. I only invest in them.”
There it was again. That damned tone. Like I was a blueprint he wanted to fold into a larger plan. Like I was a rare piece of art that someone clever enough had finally appraised correctly.
“I wasn’t asking if you'd chase me with shackles,” I added coolly. “I was asking whether I’ll be allowed to leave without strings tied to my spine.”
He didn’t flinch. Didn't need to.
“Everything has strings, Y/N. The only question is… who’s holding them?”
He leaned back, crossing one leg over the other, serene as winter.
“I’m not here to own you. I’m offering you a way out. A way forward. One that doesn’t end in you rotting behind some Knights of Favonius desk, or worse, being sent to die for someone else’s pride again.”
That last word hit harder than I expected.
He knew, he was seeing right through me. Like how I studied him, he also studied me, it was obvious.
He knew I wasn’t just some bored desk rat who wandered into Snezhnaya for a little thrill. He’d looked deeper. Somehow. And he was digging it all up now, laying it on the table like cards he knew I couldn’t ignore.
“I don’t trust you,” I said, finally.
“I’d be disappointed if you did.”
My eyes dropped to the untouched sugar cube beside his cup.
This wasn’t a game of good versus evil. It wasn’t a matter of pride, or country, or vengeance. It was a matter of vision, his and mine. And for a second, I realized the terrifying part wasn’t that I disagreed with him…
…it’s that I didn’t.
I stood slowly, my chair scraping softly against the polished wood floor.
He didn’t stop me. He didn’t rise. Just watched.
“Then let me give you what you seem to enjoy so much,” I said, steady again. “A maybe.”
He let out the faintest breath of a laugh. Not smug. Not pleased. Just… entertained.
“I’ll take it.”
I turned, pacing carefully toward the door. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of looking back. Not yet.
But just before I reached the threshold, I heard his voice again—measured, echoing softly in that dim, suffocating room.
“Don’t take too long. Opportunities have an expiration date.”
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Because if I did, I might’ve said something I wasn’t ready to mean.
Instead, I stepped out into the corridor. My head was high, heart pounding and told myself the same thing I’d whispered in the mirror that morning:
‘Everything will be juuussst fine.’
—
The hallway felt colder than before.
Not the kind of cold that brushes against your skin and vanishes. The kind of cold that reminds you that something’s changed, even if you’re not sure what.
I didn’t rush my steps. Not because I wasn’t shaken, but because I couldn’t afford to show it. Not here. Not while the walls had ears and the floor was probably reporting to someone in the next room.
Each step away from him felt like stepping back from a ledge you didn’t know you’d walked to.
Archons, that man was dangerous.
Not just in the obvious ways, not in the assassination, detonation, blood-on-gloved-hands ways. No. This was worse.
He was the kind of dangerous that crept inside your logic, wrapped around your reasoning like ivy, and whispered, What if he’s right?
I hated that it wasn’t easy to dismiss him. Hated that somewhere, in a shadowed corner of my thoughts, part of me kept replaying his words. Not the threats, as he hadn't even made any. That was what made it worse. They weren’t threats. They were possibilities.
A new way forward.
A clever exit.
The one that didn’t have me spending the rest of my days rotting behind Favonius stone, pretending not to hear the rot in the council’s decisions.
I found myself outside the hotel without realizing I’d passed through the lobby. My hands were in my coat pockets, fingers curled tight. I don’t even remember the soldier who opened the door for me. Everything blurred.
The city buzzed around me. Carriages clattered in the distance, heels echoed on stone, merchants argued about fruit. Normal things. Ordinary. But I wasn’t quite in it.
I crossed a narrow bridge over one of the frozen canals and stopped halfway across, leaning against the railing.
There was a dull burn behind my eyes. It wasn't even my tears though, it was something else. Something heavier. Maybe frustration. Or recognition. Or both.
The truth is, I hadn’t really belonged in Mondstadt for a while now.
They perhaps liked me because I followed rules. Or I was useful, which is okay.
But Pantalone liked me because he saw that unleashed side.
The difference was terrifying.
But also… intoxicating.
I looked down into the icy water below. The reflection of the sky fractured over ripples and frost, unsteady and uncertain.
Just like me.
A “maybe,” I’d said. And I meant it.
Not a yes. Not yet. But not a no either.
And that—more than anything else—was the part that scared me.
Because for the first time in a long time… the idea of staying still felt more dangerous than moving forward.
—
The frostbitten air pressed against my face as I stood on the bridge, eyes fixed on nothing.
I hadn’t thought about home in years. Not beyond the surface. Not beyond the script I repeated whenever someone asked why I left.
To support my family.
A simple truth, once. I had walked away from that crooked little house with calloused hands and pockets filled with promises. I was going to send money. I was going to return with enough to fix everything, like leaky roofs, sick beds, debts whispered about behind our backs.
But then… I got the letter.
No return address. Just the red-stained handwriting of a neighbor too shaken to spare details.
Hoarders. A raid. They took everything, including them.
I didn’t cry. I didn’t go back. I didn’t bury them. I wasn't lucky enough to do so.
I worked.
Because working meant not feeling. Earning meant not remembering. If I stacked enough coin between me and that memory, maybe I wouldn’t hear my mother’s voice on the wind. Maybe I wouldn’t see my brother’s silhouette every time I turned a corner.
So I climbed ranks. Took on jobs others called suicide. Lied. Stole. Bled. Smiled. Made others smile.
Anything to keep the gears turning. Anything to keep the ghosts quiet.
And now, now this man, this Harbinger with a voice like velvet and a mind like razors, he was offering me more.
More coin than I’d ever dreamed of.
More danger than I’d ever tasted.
And for the first time since they died… I wasn’t sure if money was the distraction anymore.
Or the addiction.
I straightened from the railing, exhaled into the cold.
“I’ll consider it,” I whispered to no one.
Because I already was.
—
Two days later
The silence had settled in like fog.
I hadn’t heard from him. Not a letter, not a knock, not even the flicker of a shadow that might’ve suggested his interest lingered. Pantalone was many things but needy was not one of them. He didn’t chase. He planted seeds and walked away, certain they'd bloom.
And yet, today, a letter arrived at the Knights' headquarters, not for me, but for Jean.
A brief note, penned in that impossibly neat Fatui calligraphy:
To Acting Grand Master Jean of the Knights of Favonius, We appreciate your cooperation in the matter discussed during our diplomatic audience. As promised, the delivery of the agreed products—finalized with Miss Y/N—will begin shortly. Regards, Lord Regrator.
Jean was glowing.
She walked into the common room that afternoon, the letter in hand, her face gentler than I’d seen it in weeks.
“You didn’t mention it went so well,” she said, patting my shoulder like a proud commander. “I knew you were capable, but this was exceptional. We needed this deal even though we dont like Fatui. You were brilliant.”
I smiled, hollow. The kind of smile you give when someone unknowingly thanks you for the lie you’ve dressed in diplomacy. The kind of smile that hurts more the longer you hold it.
“Thank you,” I said.
But my mind wasn’t in that room anymore.
It had been spinning since I left the hotel.
Spinning like that chandelier I’d memorized, just in case I needed to jump.
And it hadn’t stopped.
I didn’t remember packing. But when I looked down, my saddlebags were full, some supplies, a second set of gloves, the blade I never used unless I meant to kill. I hadn’t even touched half the things in my home. Left the books, the trinkets, the small comforts. Left them like I might come back.
Like I wasn’t really leaving.
But I was.
Before I stepped out, I scrawled a quick note for Jean. Nothing too detailed, but just enough to spark the right questions.
Jean, There’s something off with the Fatui. I saw things in Snezhnaya, things I didn’t understand until recently. I believe they’re orchestrating something bigger than we imagined, something that spans all of Teyvat. I need time. Please trust me. —Y/N
I sealed it, left it by my window, and mounted the horse I’d never named.
The winds outside the city had a different taste today. It was drier, colder. Something was shifting.
And I was running toward it.
Outskirts of Mondstadt
I reached the border post faster than I expected. The Fatui caravan was already on the move. Rows of sleek carriages and soldiers in formation, cloaked in black, with a quiet efficiency that made my skin crawl.
I spurred the horse forward.
The guards flanking the rear noticed immediately, forming a defensive arc across the road. One raised his arm in warning.
“Halt—State your business, citizen!”
I didn’t.
“Let me through!” I barked. “You know who I am!”
They didn’t move.
“Orders were to proceed without interruptions. Lord Regrator is—”
“Y/N.”
That voice, soft, deliberate, without even the need to raise it, sliced through their formation like a command.
They all stepped back in unison.
Pantalone emerged from the second carriage, gloved hands tucked neatly behind his back. He looked like he’d been expecting someone else entirely.
But when he saw me, something flickered in his eyes.
Interest? Amusement?
He took a few slow steps forward, the heavy silence dragging behind him like a second cloak.
“You’re late,” he said simply.
I dismounted but didn’t approach.
“You didn’t wait,” I replied.
He gave a faint shrug. “I find that when people want something badly enough, they find a way to catch up.”
I didn’t answer. My heart was thudding, not from the ride but from the line I was about to cross.
He tilted his head.
“So?” he asked, tone light. “Did you come to threaten me, or... accept the offer?”
“I came to tell you,” I said slowly, “that I haven’t decided.”
He studied me for a long moment.
“But you left,” he said. “Packed. Rode out here. You acted. That's what matters to me.”
I hated how well he could see through people. But I also hated that he was right.
Even if I hadn’t said the words yet, my feet were already walking the path.
He gestured toward the carriage.
“No binding contracts. No blood pacts. Just... travel with us. Observe. Learn. I’m not asking you to serve me.”
He stepped closer, enough that I could see the pale glint of his eyes.
“I’m asking you to understand me.”
I paused.
Then I gave the smallest nod.
And in silence, we rode toward the next border.
Toward the edge of a map that was already starting to burn.
Chapter 3 will be uploaded soon!
Someone from past.
First Chapter. Second Chapter
CW: This may or may not contain spoilers related to Diluc's story. When I write something, I like to use canon events, so yea!
Also, that's an x reader fic!
“What a long day waits for me!”
I talked to myself as I sit on my chair and open the package of my sandwich. Normally, my days start at 9.00 am but unfortunately, these days I have been waking up at 6. Because, well, there are two reasons. Firstly, the intensity of the missions increased, secondly, as the weather got colder, the supply of vital stuffs such as fuel, food and medicine had to be under frequent control as these were the products we both bought and sold.
“At least I got my sandwich, right?” But unfortunately, before I took my first bite, I heard my door was knocking.
I took a deep breath and gently let them in.
“Hello, Miss Y/N.”
“Hello, Wood. How can I help you?”
“Master Jean wants to see you.”
“Now?”
“Yeah, she said its urgent.”
“Okay, thank you Wood. I will be there in a minute.”
As he nodded and left my room, I took a big bite, rewrapped the sandwich, and left it on the table. It wasn’t even noon, but I couldn't find even a single moment to sit down.
While walking, I fixed my clothes and in a few steps, I arrived at her door.
Knock knock.
“Please come.”
I put a smile on my face and entered the room.
“Hello Jean.”
“Oh, hello”
She stood up and motioned me to sit on the chair with her hand. As I sat down, she cleared her throat and sat back in her chair.
“So, what’s the problem?”
“I’m sorry Y/N. I know it’s very early and you are over-working but you know it’s not in my hands.”
“It’s okay Jean. This is our job, and since you called me this early, I believe something is up? What happened? Is it about Dragonspine or..?”
“No, no don’t worry. Albedo and Eula are handling that. But since the other knights are also tied up…”
Jean paused.
“Well? Just spill it already.”
“The Fatui are paying a visit today.”
Oh Archons, please don’t say it.
“…And I want you to greet them.”
Great. Just great.
Why do they keep coming back to Mondstadt? I don’t get it. And each time, it’s a different unhinged persona wearing their title like a threat. I don’t want to deal with these lunatics.
“What do you mean the Fatui are coming? There are already enough of their soldiers lurking around. Why now?”
“I’ll explain everything in a moment. But first, will you help me with this?”
“I mean… why me? You could ask Kaeya, or-”
“Kaeya isn’t here. And you… you know how to handle foreign visitors. You have experience. You’re diplomatic, level-headed, and a good speaker. I can’t spare a minute to leave this office for the next few days.”
“So basically… I’m stuck with this.”
“Yep.”
Sigh
“Who is coming this time? Do we know them?”
“The ninth harbinger, Pantalone as known as Regrator will visit us.”
To be honest, I didn't expect to hear his name. The last time I met him was 3-4 years ago, and he, hopefully doesn't even know who I am. Like, did it have to be him of all people? Also, he's very cunning, what if he recognizes me?
While I was lost in thought and nervously biting my lip, Jean's voice brought me back to my senses.
“Do you perhaps know him?”
“No!” I was also got shocked from my abrupt scream.
“I-I mean I heard his name. He is very good at dealing with money. But why is he coming?”
“Oh, well, according to the information we’ve received, he wants to manage the Goth Grand Hotel himself and start exporting Mondstadt wines to Snezhnaya.”
Wait. That massive hotel belongs to him? SINCE WHEN??
“How the hell did he get a piece of land right in the middle of the city? Even Mondstadt’s wealthiest can’t pull that off.”
“As I said he’s one of the Harbingers. You know the kind of power they wield.”
“Yeah, right…” I muttered. “Well, okay then. When are they arriving? I guess I should, I don’t know… greet him?”
“I’m glad you’re willing to help. The ship should be arriving in about thirty minutes.”
“Thirty minutes?! Jean, what if I had said no?”
“There was no such option. So, good luck.”
She smiled sweetly and gestured toward the door.
Ugh. This woman...
I paced back and forth in my room, the sandwich I’d left on the table already long forgotten.
“I need to figure out how to deal with this.”
You’re probably wondering what the big deal is about meeting him. Well, let me explain.
There’s a group called the The Northern Intelligence Network, operating across all of Teyvat. That’s how I first met Diluc, though we were there for very different reasons.
Back then, Diluc was driven by revenge. His rage burned hotter than the Vision he had cast aside. He tore through the Fatui like wildfire, destroying anything in his path. He didn’t care about risks, losses, or money. All that mattered to him was vengeance.
As for me? I was just another agent trying to make a living. Others said I was good at what I did—too good—but I didn’t care. As long as I got paid, I was fine.
We didn’t become friends because of some touching bond. We worked together because it was convenient. Diluc had the plans, the muscle, and I had the know-how to make them profitable. He didn’t care about the money, so I took it all.
Over time, though, that convenience turned into trust. Somehow, we started relying on each other more than we’d expected.
One day, Diluc marked another Fatui camp on his map and told me his plan. This one was different, it wasn’t just any camp. This one was a stronghold, and we knew that one of the Harbingers was there.
We didn’t know exactly who the Harbinger was, but we knew this mission would be different. Diluc’s plan was to cause so much damage that the Fatui wouldn’t recover. There was even a chance we might end up killing the Harbinger.
Diluc was unpredictable, and that made him dangerous. Most people didn’t work with him because of it. He didn’t carry his Vision anymore, but his anger and power were still stronger than most. I was different. I wasn’t afraid of the danger. If there was money to be made, even if it cost me my soul, I was in.
And so, there I was, standing beside him, ready to help him burn down yet another Fatui camp.
/
“How come you are so good at finding them?”
He answered me while he was getting his own things ready.
“A secret you will never learn.”
With the answer I received, I stuck out my tongue to annoy him and turned around to take care of my own things.
“You do realize they are very dangerous, right? These people enjoy inflicting pain. So, if you want to escape, now is the time.”
“Shut up Diluc. I want my money. So, I will stay here till the end.”
“Oh well, I won’t come and save your ass.”
“Dude, I am the one who keep saving you.”
“Yeah, yeah sure.”
“Anyways, are you sure there is one of the harbingers?”
“Yep, but we don’t know which one.”
/
We were near the border of Snezhnaya, and the blizzard wasn’t making our job any easier.
“I swear, this is the last time I’m working in Snezhnaya. I hate this cold,” I muttered, pulling my cloak tighter around me.
Diluc chuckled, placing his weapon within easy reach. “You say that every time.”
Our plan was simple. About three kilometres away, there was a massive Fatui camp. It wasn’t just a regular outpost, it looked like a small village, with rows of tents lit up against the snow. They were stockpiling supplies for Snezhnaya: medicines, silk fabrics, cotton, food… everything needed to survive the harsh winter.
Diluc wasn’t going to let any of it make it into the country.
To make things even more complicated, there was one of the Harbingers involved. And we only knew of four that could possibly be here: #11 Childe, #8 Signora, #2 Dottore, the maniac, responsible for Diluc’s father’s death, and #1 Capitano.
If there was anyone else beyond these four, we had to figure it out immediately.
/
I put on my mask, leaving my eyes uncovered, and turned to Diluc. “Are we proceeding as usual?”
“Yeah,” he replied, adjusting his weapon. “We’ll attack from both sides, moving from the edges to the center. The quieter, the better.”
I took a deep breath. “Alright. Let’s go meet our new Harbinger.”
At first, everything went according to plan. We took down low-ranking soldiers one by one, planted bombs inside the camp, and prepared to leave. But then I realized something.
“Where’s Diluc?” I muttered, looking around. He had disappeared somewhere in the chaos.
According to the plan, the first one to reach the target would take action. And as it turned out, I was the first to get to the big tent.
“Well, here goes,” I said to myself. I quickly knocked out the sergeants guarding the entrance, my dagger gripped tightly in my hand. My goal was simple: slip behind the tent, plant the bomb, and leave without being noticed.
But the closer I got, the heavier the air around me felt. Whoever was inside was radiating an overwhelming aura. It made my skin crawl, and for the first time, I felt fear in a Fatui camp.
This was a Harbinger. The first one I’d ever been this close to.
For a brief moment, I hesitated. Should I turn back?
No. I couldn’t. I made a promise to Diluc, and I wasn’t about to break it, not even if it cost me my life.
At first, the tent was empty. He must have sensed something and stepped out.
Well, that works for me.
As I crouched in the corner to set the bomb, I heard a faint sound, so small that only someone used to this kind of work would notice. I spun around quickly, but there was nothing.
Turning back, I secured the last piece of the bomb. Just as I finished, I felt something sharp press under my chin.
A knife.
He stood before me, the blade angled just beneath my chin, a sly, sarcastic smile tugging at his lips.
“Well, well… look what we have here.”
I froze, forcing myself to stay composed as my mind raced for a way to strike back. But he was faster.
“Don’t even think about it,” he warned, voice low and commanding. “It would take me seconds to cut your throat. Now, hands off your little toy. Raise them and stand. Slowly.”
I had no choice but to obey him. So, I stood, moving with careful precision.
He wore a sleek, jet-black outfit that matched his dark hair and sharper eyes. No Vision glittered at his side. No visible insignia marked his allegiance.
And yet… He didn’t need one either.
His aura alone told me everything.
“Even if you don’t speak,” he murmured, narrowing his eyes, “your eyes say plenty.” He stepped closer, lips curling into a smirk. “Let me introduce myself. I’m Pantalone, Number Nine of the Fatui Harbingers, loyal to the Tsaritsa. And you…” He tilted his head slightly, eyes glinting with amusement, “have just broken into my tent.”
There was a spark of mirth in his expression, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
“Since you’ve come all this way,” he continued, “why don’t we have a little chat?”
Panic rose in my chest. If he removed my mask, it would all be over. Even if I managed to escape, he’d find me again. I had to stall him.
“What do you want to know?” I asked, forcing my voice lower, disguising it as much as I could.
He laughed, a smooth, mocking sound, and began circling me like a vulture.
“Isn’t it obvious?” His tone dropped, now more dangerous. “I want to know what you're doing in my territory.”
There was a quiet storm beneath his calm façade, barely contained.
“I’ve known for some time that Fatui camps were under attack,” he said, his voice almost amused. “But to think you’re the one organizing them… How very interesting.”
Though he had moved behind me again, the chill of the blade remained, sharp and steady beneath my chin.
“Why is it interesting?” I asked, trying to keep my voice level.
He reappeared in front of me, his gaze like a scalpel, slicing through any attempt at deception. Slowly, he traced the edge of his knife along the rim of my mask, almost teasingly.
“I can’t say for sure,” he mused, voice low and contemplative. “Maybe it’s instinct. Years in this business sharpen the senses.” He paused. “But something tells me you’re just a piece in this whole game… a disposable one, at that.”
His eyes hardened ever so slightly as he went on.
“Pieces can always be replaced. Whoever’s above you? They won’t lose sleep over your capture. They’ll just send someone else.”
There was no malice in his voice, just a chilling indifference that made his words all the more terrifying.
“I don’t like blood or unnecessary messes,” he added, tilting his head slightly as the knife paused near my jawline. “So, I prefer not to resort to torture. You’ll tell me everything, and in return, I’ll ensure your death is quick and painless. Deal?”
I didn’t know whether to feel fear or rage. Both emotions swirled inside me, leaving me on edge, desperate for something—anything—that could help me escape.
As if responding to my silent plea, a massive explosion erupted at the front of the camp. The ground trembled, and Pantalone’s attention snapped away from me for just a moment.
That was the opportunity I needed.
In a swift motion, I grabbed my dagger and struck, knocking his knife from his hand. The blade clattered to the ground, but before he could react, I slashed deeply across his arm.
He staggered back, but it wasn’t enough. Despite having no Vision, the man radiated raw power. His presence alone felt suffocating, like he was controlling the air around him.
Recovering quickly, he retaliated with calculated precision. Every move I made was met with a counter, his speed and skill forcing me to adapt on the fly. He wasn’t just strong, he was sharp, always one step ahead, pushing me further into a corner.
As I tried to break free, he lunged, and in one smooth motion, he tore my mask off.
Panic surged through me as I immediately covered my face with my arm, stumbling back. He hissed in pain, clutching his wounded arm but keeping his piercing gaze fixed on me.
The air between us was electric, thick with tension. This wasn’t a simple fight. It was a battle of survival, and I was running out of options.
I wasn't sure if he saw my face or not, but I left the place as soon as possible. I was hearing explosions behind me, I saw Diluc coming from the other side. When he realized that I was injured, he immediately took me under my arm and helped us quickly move away from there. It was the first time in my life that I met someone like this.
@jovialcat123 @clarinetsandchaos @foulfestivalpeanutrebel @netherquillara2 @jan3-k @termocue @nerdybailiffherokid @holdf4ith @mylittleponyyasimvar @sy1ock @junhaz
Hello fellow people! I have like 4 chapters long pantalone fic I wrote with the every new info we got about him.
If i release all four at the same time, who would want to read?
Because before ao3, I want to release them here. Hehehe
(I released them, you can find on my page)
My Partner Turned Into A Cat And I Don't Know How To Fix It (4)
【 content; established relationship , fluff , humour , slight shenanigans , gn!reader 】
【 characters; alhaitham , arataki itto , baizhu , cyno , dainsleif , diluc , kaedehara kazuha , kaeya , kamisato ayato , kaveh , neuvillette , tartaglia , thoma , venti , wanderer , wriothesley , xiao , zhongli 】
【 premise; " You have been struck with a curse of some sort which has turned you into a cat, your partner has no idea how to fix it nor how long it might take. Yet he also cannot help but be rather amused by the situation despite the uncertainty…" 】
【 note; im sorry. this is so long... lol. 】
【 word count; 11.150 | read on ao3 | hsr reader ver | gi his ver | hsr his ver 】
Alhaitham;
He usually wouldn’t allow pets in the house… not because he dislikes them—Alhaitham simply wouldn’t want to have to clean up the hairs that fall off you after moving between every spot you lie down in.
Nevertheless… here he is, with a brush in hand as he tries to get it out of the sheets. You sit next to him apologetically (getting more hairs into the same sheet where you’re currently sitting, of course) and watch as he scoops it into a small bag. Alhaitham sets the bag aside and picks you up easily with one hand, his large palm lifting under your tummy and plopping you back down on his lap as he turns back to brushing your hairs away.
Feeling eyes on himself, Alhaitham looks down to see your large, round cat-eyes looking up at him, tail swaying.
>> 𝐆𝐎𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄
Yandere genshin men x reader ( GODS AU ) Characters : diluc, kaeya, alhaitham, kaveh, zhongli, Childe, wriothesly, neuvilette.
The most desired goddess of them all, beloved and hated by many for their beauty. an ethereal being whose mere presence captivates mortals and gods alike. Your touch can inspire devotion, and your gaze alone has driven kingdoms to war. But among your admirers, a few stand out—gods who don’t just worship you, but obsess over you. Their love is consuming, possessive, and inescapable.
Inspired by Greek mythology, the reader is inspired by Aphrodite
DILUC ( GOD OF FIRE AND RETRIBUTION )
A god of fire who embodies both destruction and renewal. He is worshiped by warriors and those seeking revenge against the corrupt. His followers believe that while his flames burn away evil, they also cleanse and bring rebirth. Despite his cold demeanor, he deeply values justice and protection. Your husband in contract.
Diluc’s love is like an unrelenting flame—it burns fiercely, searing away anything that threatens to take you from him. He believes that only he can truly protect you from the dangers of the divine and mortal realms alike. If another god dares to court you, he will see it as an act of war. His devotion is suffocating; he would burn entire cities to the ground if it meant keeping you safe and by his side.
Diluc is not blind. He sees the way other gods look at you—with longing, desperation, even defiance. It infuriates him to no end. He already won you, already made you his. What more do they want? His flames burn with rage at the mere thought of someone trying to take you away. If anyone dares to overstep, he will make an example of them—turning his divine fury upon them until they are nothing but ashes.
"You don’t need them. You don’t need anyone but me. Why risk your heart with those who will only betray you? I will guard you, worship you, love you... even if I must destroy the world to do so."

Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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CW: This might contain spoilers from TV series and comic books because I didn't want to leave out canon events! I've been writing for a long time, but this is my first time posting, so if it sounds too OC, sorry about that! But that's YOU, in this story, and from my perspective. So I hope you like it.
W2: To write this fanfiction, I reread and rewatched everything. So, they really did break up. I remember getting really angry when I saw how unimportantly they treated each other as a kid. So I'm happy that they went their own way. You might say, "Oh, but he got a daughter," yeah, he got one from a rando lol. Writers and producers had every opportunity to make them canon again, but they didn't do it, intentionally. That's enough of a source for me. If its not in the story, then it means Zuko is for the fangirls(and for the Gaang!)
W3: Man... movie was amazing oandidjdk i missed them so much😭
𝖹𝗎𝗄𝗈 𝗑 𝖤𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗁 𝖡𝖾𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗋(𝖫𝖺𝗏𝖺 𝖡𝖾𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗋) 𝖿𝖾𝗆𝖺𝗅𝖾!𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋
“I don’t think we need to look so far to find that fire bender.”
Toph talked, in the middle of the way.
“Huh? What do you mean?”
She turned around and pointed to the back of Appa without talking.
“Hey, Zuko here.”
Oh.
The guy who chased us all these months, was right in front of us, smiling stupidly shy.
Of course, him suddenly appearing and saying he could help them with fire bending wouldn't work. Nobody trusted him. Especially Katara, as she was the first one who tried to understand him and help him but only got her answer with him backstabbing his uncle and her once more.
“Look guys, Aang needs a fire bending teacher. And he's here.” Toph talked to convince them.
“I agree, I want to help you to beat my father. I am ready to do whatever you ask from me.”
Zuko was trying to make himself ready.
But the other three were so stubborn about him joining. I get their point, I really do. Me and Toph weren’t really chased after him a lot as we joined later. But he was here now, and from what I understand, he regretted what he did.
So, I tried to talk.
“Guys, I also agree with Toph. I know what he did, and the problems he caused. But he’s here now, and trying to help us, he has backstabbed his own father for this purpose. Don’t you think it deserves a little bit of credit.”
I finished my sentence as I looked at him. He was smiling a bit.
“No, you know why Y/N?” Sokka started to talk. “Because this guy backstabbed the uncle that tried to help him all the way. We don’t trust him. He acts nice for now. But he will try to capture us again. That’s how he is.”
“I know, but it's clear that he regretted it. Also, it's five against one. Even if he attacks us, we can take him. Or, a better idea, we can simply use him and then throw him aside after Aang learns fire bending.” I turned to check on him again after I finished my sentence “No offense, I'm trying to help you here.”
“No offense taken.” He raised his hands and gave an approving look.
“And Appa seems to like him too, look”
With Toph pointing out, we all saw that Appa was licking him.
“I'm sorry guys but I agree with Katara and Sokka. I don’t accept him here. You should go.”
Aang talked with the sappy look on his face.
“But-“
“You heard him, leave or we will make you.”
Katara continued.
With a defeated sigh he left.
Breathing heavily with anger, Toph began to speak again. “I’m not sure if I’m the blind one here or you. UGH”
She had started walking in another direction. I hated moments like this. Even if I agreed with them, Toph was absolutely right. We had pushed away a wonderful fire-bending teacher that we could have obtained, who had come here with his own free will.
“You guys also know that she’s right. I can't believe you're clinging to your hatred and stubbornly refusing to do what needs to be done.”
“Oh come on Y/N, you want him to join because you have this stupid crush on our enemy from the very beginning.”
I got flabbergasted with her words. How could she use the secret I gave to her like that.
When she heard what she said, she looked at me in shock. The other two didn't even understand what was happening. “Y/N I’m so-“
“Cut it out Katara, I don’t want to hear that.”
Unable to accept that the secret I'd confided in my friend had been thrown back in my face, I went to Toph's place. I tried to look for him first but couldn’t find him anywhere.
Katara was right, I’m aware. He was our enemy and tried to kill us so many times without care. But something in me couldn’t help but try to see the goodness in him. I learned his story, his life and couldn’t help but feel close.
Though how did it even start, when did I even start to like him?
I think it was during our first battle. He talked about his honor and certain other things. I didn't pay much attention at the time, but later, when Sokka explained what had happened, I understood. The problems he had with his family had brought him to this state.
Then, just when we thought we could trust him completely, he betrayed his uncle, whom we always saw by his side. But apparently, he couldn't bear it, and finally rejected the princedom which he had so desperately wanted and came here. Something in me was stubbornly associating myself with him.
/
“Toph, where are you?” I was calling her name and looking for her so that we could come up with a plan to convince others.
Toph didn’t answer at first.
Y/N slowed her steps, listening instead of calling again. The ground shifted faintly under her feet, a familiar presence tucked just a little too still to be noticed by anyone who wasn’t paying attention.
“Don’t scream, I’m here,” Toph’s voice came, casual as ever.
Y/N turned slightly and spotted her and sighing slowly, sitting on a flat stretch of stone like she had grown there herself, legs stretched out, hands resting behind her.
“You could’ve just answered,” She muttered, walking over.
“And ruin the dramatic search?” Toph smirked. “No thanks, I like your attention.”
Y/N huffed quietly, but the tension in her shoulders eased just a little. She crouched down nearby, fingers brushing over the ground as she started picking at small patches of herbs growing stubbornly between cracks in the earth.
Toph tilted her head. “What are you doing?”
“Dinner,” Y/N replied. “If I can’t convince them with logic, maybe I can try with food.”
Toph let out a short laugh. “That’s your master plan?”
“It’s something,” Y/N said, carefully pulling out a cluster of leaves. “Aang listens when he feels calmer. Food helps with that and it will be a vegetarian too.”
Toph hummed, then leaned her head back slightly. “You know… maybe we’re going about this wrong.”
Y/N glanced at her. “What do you mean?”
“We don’t know him,” Toph said simply. “Not really. You and I joined the group at the same time. We weren’t there for all the chasing and betrayal stuff.”
Y/N hands slowed slightly over the herbs.
“We only saw him fighting,” Toph continued. “And that crazy sister of his. And those two weird friends.”
“Mai and Ty Lee,” Y/N added quietly.
“Yeah, them,” Toph shrugged. “The point is, we only saw one side. Maybe if we knew more, we could actually convince them better.”
Y/N sat back on her heels, thinking.
“I already know some of it,” she admitted. “Not everything. But enough to understand why he is the way he is.”
Toph turned her head slightly toward her. “And?”
“And it doesn’t excuse what he did,” Y/N said after a pause. “But it explains it.”
Toph nodded once. “Good enough for me.”
A small silence settled between them, not uncomfortable.
Then Y/N exhaled softly and stood up, brushing dirt from her hands.
“Come on,” she said. “Let’s go help with dinner.”
“Yeah,okay.” Toph said immediately, already getting up to follow.
/
The camp was quieter when they returned, but not peaceful.
Katara noticed her immediately.
“Y/N , can we talk?” she asked, voice hesitant.
Toph’s head tilted slightly. “Uh oh.”
Y/N hesitated for a fraction of a second, then nodded. “Yeah.”
They stepped a little aside, though not far enough for Toph to ignore.
“I’m sorry,” Katara said quickly. “What I said earlier… I shouldn’t have said that. It wasn’t fair.”
Y/N crossed her arms, looking at the ground for a moment before answering.
“You told them something I trusted you with,” she said with a steady voice.
“I know,” Katara said, guilt clear in her voice. “I didn’t think, I was angry and I just… I shouldn’t have.”
Toph shifted closer, clearly listening now.
Y/N let out a slow breath, then looked up.
“Doesn’t matter now,” she said.
Then, more loudly, she added, “I told Katara that I was in love with our enemy. And she exposed it. So, since you two didn’t hear it properly before, now you know.”
Aang blinked. “Wait- what?”
Sokka looked between them. “Hold on, hold on- that guy?”
Y/N shrugged slightly, though there was tension in it. “Yeah. That guy.”
Toph’s mouth curled into a grin. “Wow. Didn’t see that one coming.”
“I know it’s wrong,” Y/N continued, voice a little quieter now but still open. “I know what he’s done. I’m not blind to it. But I couldn’t help it.”
Katara stepped closer. “We’re not judging you for how you feel, okay?” she said gently. “That’s not the problem. And… if you were going to do something reckless because of it, you would’ve left us a long time ago.”
Y/N looked at her.
“I shouldn’t have used it against you,” Katara added. “I’m sorry, Y/N.”
For a moment, Y/N just stood there.
Then she nodded.
“…Okay.”
Katara didn’t wait, pulling her into a quick hug. Y/N stiffened slightly at first, then relaxed into it.
Toph crossed her arms. “Alright, emotional moment over, can we eat now or what?”
Aang scratched the back of his head, smiling awkwardly. “So… girls like problematic, emo guys now?”
Sokka nodded seriously. “Yeah, I need to start taking notes. Is it the scar? The anger? The brooding?”
“Stop talking,” Katara said immediately.
She let out a small laugh despite herself.
The tension was eased.
Not gone, but lighter!
/
Dinner time was here now, simple but warm enough.
Y/N moved quietly as she helped. At one point, she separated a small portion of the food without drawing attention, wrapping it carefully and setting it aside.
Tried to make sure that no one noticed, because if they saw that they would ask who’s that food for and she got no explanation for that.
/
The night finally settled in. One by one, the others drifted to sleep. The fire burned low, the world growing quieter with each passing moment.
However, she was awake. Waiting and trying to be sure that others are sleeping.
Then, softly, she nudged Toph’s shoulder.
“I’m going,” she whispered.
Toph didn’t open her eyes, but a small smirk appeared. “Took you long enough.”
Y/N huffed quietly. “Don’t start.”
“Be careful,” Toph added, more serious now.
“I will.”
Y/N picked up the wrapped food, then stood, glancing once at the others before stepping away into the dark toward him.
The ground felt different at night.
Everything was quieter.
She was feeling more anxious than ever. It wasn’t from fear but from something else.
/
Y/N followed the uneven pull in the ground until she found him.
He was sitting near a cluster of trees, half-hidden in the shadows, shoulders tense like he expected something to come at him from any direction.
The moment he sensed her, he turned sharply.
Fire flared to life in his hand.
Y/N reacted without thinking. A slab of stone shot up between them, the flame striking against it with a sharp crack.
“What’s wrong with you?” she snapped, stepping back into a guarded stance.
Zuko froze.
The fire in his hand flickered, then vanished.
“I’m sorry,” he said immediately, the words coming fast, almost tripping over each other. “I didn’t mean to, I thought- I’m terribly sorry.”
Y/N didn’t lower her guard right away.
Her mind was already turning.
“What if they were right?”
The thought came uninvited. What if nothing changed? If his first reaction is still to attack-
She exhaled sharply, taking a step back.
“I shouldn’t have come here,” she said, voice tightening. “I’m leaving.”
She turned.
“Wait,” Zuko’s voice came quickly. “Please, don’t go.”
She paused.
“You came here for me,” he continued, more carefully now. “I know I messed that up already, but… please. Just, give me a chance. I won’t do that again.”
Y/N stood still for a moment longer, weighing it.
Then she turned back slowly.
“If you try that again,” she said, meeting his eyes, “I won’t block it next time. I’ll use lava. And I won’t stop halfway.”
Zuko nodded immediately. “I understand. I promise, I won’t do anything.”
There was no hesitation in it.
That… mattered.
Y/N studied him for another second, then finally lowered her stance and walked closer, keeping a careful distance before sitting down on a flat stone.
Zuko hesitated, then sat across from her.
A small silence settled between them.
“So,” Y/N said, breaking it. “What are you doing out here? Were you going to come back tomorrow?”
Zuko nodded. “Yeah. I don’t really have another option.” He looked down briefly. “I want to help Aang. I want to fight against my father.”
Y/N watched him for a moment.
“That’s… not an easy choice,” she said. “There’s a lot of propaganda in the Fire Nation. People grow up believing things they don’t even question. You were part of that, and you still chose to walk away.” She tilted her head slightly. “That’s not small.”
Zuko let out a quiet breath. “I did. Thanks to my uncle. He helped me see what I was doing.” His expression shifted slightly. “But I realized it too late.”
Y/N reached into her bag and pulled out the wrapped food, holding it out to him.
“Here,” she said. “I set this aside for you. I figured you’d be hungry.”
Zuko blinked, clearly caught off guard.
“…You did?”
“Just take it.”
He accepted it carefully, giving a small, instinctive bow of his head. “Thank you.”
He didn’t rush it, but the way he ate made it clear he hadn’t had something like that in a while.
Y/N leaned back slightly, watching him.
“So,” she continued, “what happened in the palace? After… everything.” She didn’t need to say it outright. “If we talk, maybe I can actually help you tomorrow.”
Zuko hesitated at first.
Then Y/N added, a little softer, “If we’re going to be friends, I think we should get to know each other first.”
That made him glance up.
Something in his expression shifted. Then, slowly, he nodded.
He started with the palace.
How everything had looked perfect from the outside. How he had everything he thought he wanted. His father’s approval. His place was restored.
“But it didn’t feel right,” he admitted. “It felt like I was playing a role.”
He talked about the days that followed. How he tried to fit into it. How he forced himself to believe it was enough.
“My sister was there,” he continued. “And… My girlfriend. Mai.”
Y/N’s expression shifted just slightly.
A small, instinctive tightening.
She didn’t mean for it to show, but it did.
Zuko noticed.
“Did I say something wrong?” he asked quickly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t-”
“It’s fine,” Y/N cut in gently. “Just… continue.”
He hesitated, then nodded.
“I visited my uncle every day,” he said. “But he wouldn’t talk to me. And… every day it felt worse. Like I didn’t belong there anymore.” He let out a quiet breath. “Everything was exactly how it was supposed to be. Except me.”
He kept going.
About his father. The expectations. The Agni Kai. The scar.
About his mother. The way she had protected him, the way she had disappeared.
Y/N listened without interrupting.
And the more he spoke, the clearer it became.
The similarities weren’t imagined.
When he finished, she didn’t speak right away.
Then, quietly, she said, “My father wasn’t like yours. Not in the same way.” She paused. “But he wasn’t kind either.”
Zuko looked up.
“My sister was the prodigy,” Y/N continued. “Everything came easy to her. For me, it didn’t. I had to work for every little thing. And even then, it was never enough.”
Her fingers tightened slightly against her arm.
“My mother… didn’t really step in. Most of the time, she just let it happen.”
She exhaled slowly.
“When the Fire Nation attacked, I wasn’t home. I was out training.” A faint, bitter smile touched her lips. “We had argued before I left. He told me that if something happened to me, I shouldn’t come back.”
Zuko’s expression darkened.
“When I returned,” she continued, voice steady, “They were gone. Took everything… Didn’t wait.”
Silence followed, a heavy one.
Zuko looked at her differently now. He realized something.
“You…” he started, then stopped.
“I know,” Y/N said quietly.
Another pause.
Then, almost without meaning to, she added, didn’t want to hold it in her anymore, as if she was admitting.
“I kind of have a crush on you.”
She openly said it, did not care about his ex or anything. Just wanted to be honest, and she didn't want to burden herself with it any further.
Zuko blinked. He was shocked.
Y/N let out a small breath, looking away. “I figured it out a while ago. I think… I saw parts of myself in you before I even understood why.” She shrugged slightly. “Something in me always thought you’d end up with us. That you’d choose something better.”
She hesitated.
“But now I know you had someone,” she added. “So I don’t expect anything.”
Zuko stared at her for a moment, clearly processing.
“I… don’t,” he said finally. “I broke things off with her before I left.” He rubbed the back of his neck slightly. “I don’t think I was ever really there. Not the way I should’ve been. She didn’t understand what was going on with me. And I didn’t know how to explain it.”
He looked back at her.
“But now I see that there was someone I didn’t even realize at all actually did.” he said quietly. “Even without me saying anything.”
Y/N felt her face warm slightly.
“I know it’s not something to be happy about,” Zuko continued, “having gone through things like that. But…” He hesitated, then said it anyway. “I’m glad you’re here.”
That didn’t help the warmth spreading across her face.
And judging by the way Zuko suddenly looked away, it wasn’t helping him either.
A small, awkward silence settled in.
Not uncomfortable one.
Just… new.
Y/N stood up first, brushing her hands off.
“You should try again tomorrow,” she said. “I’ll help you.”
Zuko looked up at her. “Thank you.”
She nodded once, then turned. As she walked away, she didn’t look back.
Zuko watched her go. There was something unfamiliar settling in his chest. Not the sharp, restless feeling he was used to. Something quieter.
Maybe warmer.
It reminded him of sitting beside his uncle, listening to him talk about things that didn’t feel like burdens.
And now, somehow-
That same warmth had come from someone else.
/
The warmth of that night never really left her.
It lingered in small things. In the way she noticed his footsteps before anyone else did. In the way her eyes searched for him in a crowd without thinking. In the quiet understanding that had settled between them, unspoken but steady.
And yet—
Some things had stayed unsaid for too long.
And the morning of the coronation finally came.
Y/N stood outside the palace corridors for a moment longer than necessary, her fingers tightening slightly around the small, wrapped object in her hand.
She had meant to give it earlier. Before everything became official. Before it turned into something that couldn’t be undone.
She had tried once, days ago.
But she had seen Mai walking toward his room, calm and certain like she belonged there. Y/N had stopped before being seen, stepping back without a sound.
She hadn’t interfered. She never did. Even when it hurts.
Even when it was painfully obvious, at least to her, that whatever they had wasn’t… right. Not in the way it should have been. Not in the way Zuko deserved.
Still, no one had asked her. And she wasn’t going to force herself into something that wasn’t hers to touch. So, she stayed quiet. tried to move on.
But unfortunately for her, it didn't work. The feeling stayed, it always did.
/
This time, she didn’t turn back.
Y/N walked through the halls with steady steps, past guards who barely spared her a glance now, until she reached his door.
She knocked lightly.
Then-
“Come in.”
She pushed the door open.
Servants moved around him, adjusting layers of red and gold, careful hands fixing details that spoke of power and expectation.
Zuko stood at the center of it all. And for a second, Y/N just… looked.
“You’re looking like a real Fire Lord now,” she said softly, stepping inside. “Very beautiful.”
Zuko blinked, caught off guard, then smiled. Small, a little shy despite everything.
“Thanks.”
He glanced at the servants. “You can leave.”
They bowed and exited quickly, the room settling into a quieter stillness.
Y/N walked closer, stopping just a step away from him.
“I know today is about you,” she said, adjusting her grip on the package slightly. “But… can I ask something first?”
Zuko didn’t hesitate. “Of course. I’d do anything for you.”
That made something in her chest tighten for a second, but she pushed past it.
“You know, I’ve been trying to study,” she said. “Wherever I can, whenever I can. And… this palace has a library.” She met his eyes. “If you could give me permission to use it freely. Whenever I want.”
Zuko’s expression softened.
“I like that,” he said. “No matter what’s happening, you’re still trying to improve yourself.”
He nodded. “When I get the crown, that’ll be the first thing I sign.”
Y/N smiled, genuine and quiet. “Thank you.”
A small pause.
Then she lifted the package slightly.
“Maybe… I can give you something to sign with, too.”
Zuko frowned just a little. “What do you mean?”
She handed it to him.
“Open it.”
He did, carefully.
Inside was a glass pen, smooth and clear but carved with delicate detail. Dragons curled along its length, intertwined with subtle symbols pressed into the surface.
Zuko stared at it.
“It’s… made with both,” Y/N explained, her voice softer now. “Glass needs fire and earth. So, I thought… it fits.”
She hesitated just a fraction.
“Something you can use. And maybe… something that reminds you of me.”
Zuko’s fingers tightened slightly around it.
For a moment, he didn’t speak. Then he looked up at her, something shifting in his expression.
“No one…” he started, then stopped. “…No one’s given me anything for today.”
Not like this. Not something chosen. Not something that understood him.
“Thank you,” he said, quieter now.
Before she could respond, he stepped forward and pulled her into a brief hug.
It wasn’t long.
But it lingered.
Y/N’s breath caught slightly, then steadied as he pulled back.
“There’s… one more thing,” she said.
Zuko nodded. “Please. Go on.”
She looked at him properly this time.
“I know that no matter how broken it is,” she said slowly, “you keep going back to Mai.”
Zuko stilled.
“I already told you how I feel,” she continued. “And unfortunately… no matter what I did, I couldn’t move on.”
Her voice didn’t break.
But it wasn’t easy either.
“I’m sure if I keep watching you try again and again for that… “relationship” ,” she added, a faint edge slipping in, “something in me will change eventually.”
A pause. “Or maybe it won’t. I don’t know.”
She let out a quiet breath. “But that’s it.”
She stepped back.
“Good luck, Zuko.”
Her tone softened again, just slightly.
“I’ll probably be around the palace a lot. So… whenever you need help, I’ll be there. As your friend.” A small, almost ironic smile. “Like I was a few weeks ago.”
And before he could answer,
She turned.
And left.
/
Zuko didn’t follow.
He stood there, the glass pen still in his hand, staring at the doorway long after she disappeared.
Something in his chest felt… wrong.
Like something had shifted out of place. Like something had cracked, quietly but deeply.
He exhaled slowly, gripping the pen just a little tighter.
There were things he needed to do.
A crown waiting and also a nation waiting.
So, he pushed it aside.
Just for now.
/
The palace had settled into something quieter after everything.
Not exactly peaceful but at least no longer burning.
After finding Ursa, after learning about Kiyi, after watching something fragile begin to mend between people who had spent years broken… things felt different. Lighter in some corners. Heavier in others.
Zuko carried both.
Y/N could see it every time he thought no one was looking.
She also noticed something else.
He was going to the dungeons more often than anyone realized.
To speak with Ozai.
And for some reason, he told her.
Not always everything, but enough. Enough to ask questions. Enough to hesitate before saying certain things. Enough to sit across from her sometimes and admit that he didn’t know what the right decision was.
She had assumed Mai knew too.
It made sense, didn’t it?
But one small conversation, one careless slip, and she realized-
It was just her.
She didn’t ask about it.
She just carried it.
/
Time moved on, like it always did.
Mai began teaching at the academy. It suited her in a strange way. Her personality wasn’t really the best one for this job, but there was harmony somehow. The older teachers didn’t like it. Too different. Too… modern.
Y/N, on the other hand, found herself in a different space entirely.
Curriculum planning.
Deciding what the next generation would learn, what they would question, what they would grow into.
/
The meeting at the academy dragged longer than it needed to.Voices overlapped. Complaints repeated themselves in slightly different forms.
When it finally ended, Y/N stood first.
That was usually the signal.
But before she could leave, one of the older instructors spoke up.
“You’ve worked closely with curriculum reform,” she said, tone polite but edged. “You must have an opinion on the newer teaching approaches.”
Another added, “Particularly hers.” A glance toward Mai.
There it was. The people in this palace knew what they were doing. It was a delibarete choice of theirs to use Y/N backlash on her.
She didn’t look annoyed. She didn’t look eager either.
“Everyone teaches differently,” she said. “What matters is whether students understand, not whether it fits an older structure.”
Y/N glanced toward Mai.
Mai met her eyes briefly.
A small smile passed between them. Quick. Almost invisible to anyone else.
That was enough for them. They were also aware that in that room, after the fire lord she was the biggest authority and whatever she says was the rules.
So, she finally walked out.
/
She heard footsteps behind her. Didn’t need to turn to know who it was.
“You didn’t have to say that,” Zuko said as he caught up beside her.
Y/N shrugged lightly. “I wasn’t defending her. I meant it.”
“I know,” he said.
They walked in silence for a few steps.
Then Y/N spoke again, casual, but not careless. “They’ll keep pushing back. Change isn’t something they like.”
Zuko let out a quiet breath. “I’ve noticed.” She glanced at him briefly. “You’re doing fine.”
He didn’t answer immediately. Then, softer, “I don’t always feel like it. Also, there’s something else that I have to finally figure it out, that I keep thinking about it… about someone.”
Y/N almost said something more.
Almost.
But she didn’t.
“Library?” she asked instead.
Zuko nodded. “Yeah.”
/
Y/N didn’t know the details, she just heard them talking once on the ladders of the school. Ty Lee tried to see if she can get an answer from Mai if she teases her but only answer she and Zuko got was Mai saying “I’m tired of this back and forth relationship, you don’t treat me in the way I deserve and I’m tired of playing this game with you. I forgive you and that’s it, we are friends.”
She had heard enough, though.
Enough to piece together the shape of it.
And maybe-
She got a little help from someone else. Just to be sure about the situation.
A small question asked.
A certain younger sister who had been very willing to talk when offered the right motivation.
Kiyi had done her job well, she asked Mai about her brother again and got the answer for Y/N.
The doll was worth it, their little alliance helped her a lot about her own emotions.
/
The library was quieter than the rest of the palace. He had to go somewhere else before joining her. So, she went alone.
This was her space. Or at least, the closest thing to one.
She moved between shelves, fingers brushing over spines, scanning titles without really reading them. Her mind wasn’t on work, not entirely.
It drifted to conversations, to the chat they are going to have here soon.
To how Zuko had started coming to her more often. Asking questions. Staying longer.
To the way he didn’t look as tense when he was around her as he was finding peace around her.
And to the way she had promised herself,
Not to interfere.
Even now.
/
The library door closed softly behind him.
Y/N didn’t turn right away, but the moment she felt him there, a small smile found its way to her lips anyway.
“Do you want to talk about the academy again,” she said, lightly brushing her fingers along the edge of a book, “or the nation? I’m ready to do my best as your very unofficial, non-royal advisor.”
That earned a quiet laugh from him.
“Not this time,” Zuko said.
There was something different in his tone.
Y/N turned then.
He walked closer, slower than usual, like he was thinking through each step. When he reached the table, he sat first, then gestured for her to sit across from him.
She did.
“I know you don’t like talking about relationships,” he began. “Or… maybe it’s more that you chose not to.”
Y/N didn’t interrupt. She just watched him, already understanding where this was going.
“But I need to hear it from you, as you were my first friend. I respect everything coming from you ” he continued. “This time though, it's something… I don’t know.”
He exhaled, gaze dropping briefly before meeting hers again.
“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do anymore,” he admitted. “The more I try, the worse it gets. Everything I do just… frustrates her. And I don’t even know what I’m feeling anymore.”
A pause.
“So tell me,” he said quietly. “From the outside. Be honest.”
Y/N felt that land.
He knows how I feel, she thought.
And still, he asked. For her, that meant something.
It meant she didn’t need to hold back anymore.
She straightened slightly, hands resting on the table.
“Up until now,” she said, calm but firm, “no matter how I felt about you, I never interfered. It wasn’t my place. No one asked me.”
Her gaze didn’t waver.
“But now you did.”
Zuko was also looking right at her eyes.
“So, I’m going to answer you honestly, as you asked.”
She took a deep breath and continued to talk.
“Ever since I met you, you’ve been hurting because of that relationship,” she said. “I’ve never seen you genuinely happy when you talk about her. It’s always frustration. Confusion. Breaking up, getting back together, then breaking again.”
Her voice softened but didn’t lose its edge.
“I’ve never seen anything like it. Not in a good way.”
Zuko’s shoulders tensed slightly, but he stayed silent.
“I’m sorry no one told you this before,” Y/N continued, “but that’s not a healthy relationship. And more importantly… that’s not love.”
The words sat between them. She didn’t rush past them.
“Love isn’t supposed to feel like that,” she said. “It’s not constant anxiety. It’s not walking on edges. It’s not giving up on each other every time something goes wrong.”
She leaned forward just slightly.
“And it’s definitely not this endless cycle of breaking and fixing something that keeps breaking.”
Zuko’s gaze dropped for a second, thoughtful.
“You might think what you had was intense,” Y/N went on. “That the ups and downs meant it was real or passionate. But sometimes… that’s just your mind trying to make sense of something that isn’t right.”
She paused, letting that settle.
“You’re both good people,” she added more quietly. “But you weren’t good for each other. And that was obvious.”
He was inhaling and exhaling slowly. Y/N continued, a little softer now.
“And you already know that. That’s why you came to me.”
A small silence.
“Think about it,” she said. “How many times did you sit down with her and actually talk about what you’re going through? And how many times did you come to me instead?”
Zuko couldn’t answer this painfully obvious question.
“If trust and communication aren’t there,” Y/N said, “it doesn’t matter who you are. Even if you’re the Fire Lord. That relationship won’t work.”
Her voice steadied again.
“I don’t know what you feel for me,” she admitted. “I never did. Because I stayed in my place.”
A small breath. “But now… you need to be honest with yourself.”
She held his gaze. “Who do you actually love, what do you actually want?”
“And if you want to stay stuck in the past,” she added quietly, “you can keep going back to it. Again and again.”
“But if you want something different-”
“I know.”
Zuko cut in.
Not sharply.
Just… certain, which made her stop. Zuko leaned forward slightly, hands resting against the table, fingers tightening just a little.
“The first night we talked,” he said, voice lower now, “I felt like something changed.”
He looked at her directly.
“I didn’t want to admit it. I kept telling myself I still cared about her. That I should try. That I owed it to… something.”
He exhaled slowly.
“But the more time I spent with you… the harder it got to ignore. I thought about my time with you guys a lot, how I was genuinly happy, how I was free. Without realizing, I got used to you here, now I can't imagine a life here without you. Whenever I come to the library, whenever I feel bad, I come to you. I laugh when I'm with you and I feel better.”
Y/N didn’t move.
“I kept comparing it,” he continued. “Without meaning to. The way things felt with her… and the way things felt with you.”
A faint, almost disbelieving breath left him.
“And they weren’t even close.”
That landed differently.
“With you, I don’t feel like I’m failing all the time,” he said. “I don’t feel like I’m saying the wrong thing, or doing something that’s going to break everything again.”
His voice softened.
“I feel… calm.”
Y/N’s fingers curled slightly against the table.
“I don’t have to pretend with you,” Zuko went on. “I don’t have to prove anything. I can just… be.”
He shook his head slightly, like he still couldn’t fully believe it.
“And every time I left after talking to you, I realized something.”
A small pause.
“I was happier.”
“But I didn’t want to admit what that meant,” he said. “Because admitting it meant I was already letting go of something else, and that’s scary. Unfortunately, even if something you're used to is bad, even if it harms you or someone else, you accept it as right simply because you're used to it."
She looked at him with an expression that indicated she understood what he meant.
He looked down briefly, then back at her.“And I didn’t want to hurt her.”
“But staying… was hurting both of us anyway. And it was her that first realized that’s not the thing she deserves and she was right about it.”
Y/N’s expression softened, just slightly.
“So I also ended it in me,” Zuko said.
No hesitation this time.
“I shifted my focus to something else, someone else. Then I saw that, how the restlessness in me was disappearing.”
Zuko’s gaze didn’t leave hers.
“And now,” he added more quietly, “I don’t want to keep pretending I don’t know what I feel anymore.”
Y/N’s breath caught, just for a second.
Zuko leaned back slightly, but his eyes stayed on her.
“I came here to ask you what you think,” he said. “But I think I already knew.”
A faint, almost nervous edge slipped into his voice.
“I just needed to hear it out loud.”
The room felt smaller somehow. But this indirect confession was something for Y/N.
However, no matter what she still wanted to be sure. So, she started to talk again.
“You need to tell me clearly, Zuko. I don't want to throw myself into uncertainty either. You know how I feel about you, you always have. But I want to know too. What do you want to do with me? Why did you come to me? And most importantly, are you sure about your feelings? How can I be sure you won't abandon me if she unexpectedly comes back again?”
Zuko held her gaze, steady this time, no hesitation left in him. “I came to you because you’re the only place that ever felt real to me,” he said quietly.
“Not confusing, not something I had to fix or chase. Just… real. I don’t want uncertainty with you either, Y/N. I want something honest, something that doesn’t fall apart every time things get hard. And I’m sure, not in the way I used to convince myself, but because I understand it now. If she comes back, I won’t go back to her. Not because I’m trying to prove anything, but because I’ve already chosen differently. I’m choosing you. And I’m not planning to walk away from that.”
“When you love me so beautifully, how could I possibly want to throw myself into the fire again and again? All I want now is to reciprocate, to be good to you, the way you make me feel good.
And with that, finally, both of them admitted what needed to be admitted long time ago. It was going to be something new for them, But even the shy smiles on their faces at that moment showed that they were both ready to face it together. She had loved him even before she really knew him. It was purely instinctive, but life is full of surprises. They met, they grew closer. From accidental bumps in the hand to trying to protect each other by stepping in front, countless small moments fueled the fire within them.
Loving someone was hard, but not letting go of someone in critical moments was even harder. But she never did that, and Zuko slowly came to realize that. And now, finally, their hands, which hadn't accidentally bumped together, were slowly intertwined, and they were giggling foolishly. Because love doesn't make your stomach flutter sillyly, it doesn't cause you pain. True love gives you peace.
It's a strange feeling when you see your childhood crush after all these years; he's grown up, and I've grown up and fallen even more in love with him.