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Catching a Stargazer

['HareHunter']

Teen And Up Audiences

F/F

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Bronya/Seele (Honkai: Star Rail)

Bronya (Honkai: Star Rail), Seele (Honkai: Star Rail)

Star-crossed, Slow Romance, First Kiss, Festivals, Stargazing, Cuddling & Snuggling, Love Confessions, Falling In Love, Lesbians in Space

English

2022-08-02

Completed

2022-08-22

5,683

4/4

5

135

1

2,423

['MW_Patata', 'RichardPham', 'Laserwise', 'jaysmanuscript', 'an_asta', 'starkindred', 'Sora22', 'D33JAYYY', 'iloveolderwomannnnnn', 'liphsimd', 'MiharuError', 'Laura_loves_fics', 'Astrealiaa', 'Raiden_Shogun', 'Azuos', 'Jilly_bub', 'FenrirV1', 'DEM3TER', 'xRoyal_Gras6yx', 'UnionOfPast', 'kAsumIII7', 'pentatonic_s', 'caffeinatedvalkarol', 'Finleap', 'Kotofeila', 'seratsuki', 'Levski', 'Songless_Sky', 'MariFaye', 'Shizu1300', 'Anglea', 'VannessaCloud', 'zoridezi', 'spacedoutpi', 'Korablick', 'DragonlordKickpuncher', 'throwingficsintothev0id', 'LazyKatie', 'MiaMiYkb', 'kihyuuunn', 'Wali', 'Yoru_ifg', 'Seeles_Omega', 'Dogstar9069']

[]

Stars sparkle. Stars live for that purpose.    Seele fights. Seele lives for that purpose. In no way will that be changed. She is stubborn. But if the dice rolled to any other number, Seele wouldn’t have found herself here. In the supreme guardian’s daughter’s friendship, Seele got a job as a clerk. She worked for an old lady, ms. Ilina. She enjoyed being able to fight the occasional thief.   “Seele, I need you to do only the next hour,” said ms. Ilina. She had a sweet smile. She stared up at the blank faced Seele.   Seele looked down at her. "What? Why?" Seele asked. She tilted her head. She was taken aback.   "It's the annual Solwarm Festival tonight, Silly," Ms. Ilina laughed. "I want you to get down there and make friends. I don't want you cooped up here every day," she explained to Seele. She patted her shoulder because she could not reach her head.   Seele sighed. "My name is Seele," Seele replied. Her brows furrowed. Albeit not much.   "That's what I said," Ms. Ilina replied. "You're a strong girl, but strength means you also need a strong support system." She flexed for Seele. Ms. Ilina was not strong.   "I have some friends," Seele told her. "Aren't there gonna be a lot of people?" She asked. Her facial expression softened.    "Ms. Bronya will be giving a speech," Ms. Ilina said. "Didn't she bring you in for that program to give underworlders jobs?"   "Really?!" Seele asked.   "Of course. She's given a speech every year since she was a little one. I remember that little girl stuttering every other word. That was back when I was friends with her mother's mom," Ms. Ilina divulged. Her tone was more confident as she held one hand with its palm up.   "Bronya's never talked about her grandma," Seele explained. She tried to recall everything Bronya said about her family. All Bronya had told her was about Cocolia, who was alive somehow.    "Never? I guess that's about right. Lady Rand never liked Bronya for some reason," Ms. Ilina laughed. "I wonder why some days."   "Hm…" Seele hummed in thought. "When is the speech?" Seele inquired. Seele knew it was because Bronya was adopted from the underworld. She kept her lips tight about that around ms. Ilina.   "It's the first part of the festival," Ms. Ilina replied. She smiled. "I'll let you out now if you want to catch it." She patted Seele's shoulder once more.   "Thank you!" Seele hollered. She dashed out the door. Her feet caught speed as she heard the crowd of Belobog citizens. She joined them in watching intently.   Bronya made her way onto the platform. In the background stood Cocolia, Gepard, and a few other Silver Mane guards. She placed a paper down on the stand before her. She began her address, "Hello, Belobog. I'd like to welcome all of the new undergrounders as well as old overworlders. I'm Bronya Rand. Today, we are celebrating the Solwarm festival. This tradition has been a staple of our city for 700 year. But that's not the only thing we will be celebrating," Bronya spoke. She paused. "I am sad to say this, but the Supreme Guardian, Cocolia Rand, is stepping down. In her place will be me. I hope you will all welcome me with open arms." Bronya's voice wavered. She was anxious.    The whole crowd cheered. Seele was right with them, cheering for someone like Bronya wasn't hard. Seele cheered just like everyone in Belobog would. She liked Bronya as a person because she had an experience with her.   "Pl…" Bronya's voice caught in her throat. She blushed and smiled awkwardly. "Please enjoy the Solwarm Festival this year," Bronya said with haste. She walked off the platform quickly. She covered her face.    The crowd disbursed. Seele left along with them. She didn't want to endure the Solwarm Festival. Instead she walked towards the other side of the city.    It took a few minutes, but she soon caught a glimpse of the sparkle of the stars in their blazing glory. This empowered her. The stars were all beautiful. This was a love Seele felt ever since she first saw them. She sat on a nearby patch of grass and gazed up at the starry night.   Tonight only one sparkling star caught her eye. It was the brightest one in the sky. Its beauty was unmatched in Seele's eyes.    "Aunty Seele?" A young voice inquired through Seele's focus.    Seele turned to the source. "Hook? What's up?" She asked. She could barely see the kid in the dark.    "Oh, nothing. I was just looking for you!" Hook beamed.   "Why?" Seele asked.    "Bro- I mean I was just looking for you!! I want you to win me a big mole stuffed animal," Hook lied. She grabbed Seele's hand. Hook started to drag Seele to the festival.    "Yeah, sure," Seele replied. She followed the giddy Hook to a stand where they had a mole plushie.    Seele knew it would annoy Natasha to have around. She paid five credits to get five balls. Seele picked it up. She focused her aim and tossed the first one. Score. She had four more to score and she did.    Hook cheered as she was handed the mole plushie and she ran off to show it off.   Seele stood there for a few seconds. She watched Hook show it off like she won it. She cracked a smile before turning to head back. "Fucking hell!" She exclaimed as she almost ran into Bronya. Her eyes shot wide and her shoulders went up.   "Oh my, sorry. Did you not hear me earlier? You seemed focused, but I thought…" Bronya said with an awkward smile.    "Oh my god, hey princess, long time no see," Seele faltered. She stuttered a mess about being sorry before shutting up entirely.   Bronya laughed with gentle solace. "It's okay," Bronya replied. "Do you want to hang out?" She asked with a begging look.   "Uh… I was going to stargaze more," Seele stated. Her eyelids were heavy. Her stare was blank. She had a slight slouch.    "Oh… uhm… have fun with that!" Bronya said. She walked away fast. She was aimless.   Seele nodded and walked back to her spot. She found herself back into the dreamland of stargazing, and she only had until morning to let up.    The star seemed to be even brighter. It brought Seele back to the thought of Bronya. If this star shines bright, how could it enjoy a much dimmer star in its company?   Seele laid down on the grass. She sighed gazing towards the other stars that dotted the starry sky. Her eyes shut for a moment. She liked this view, but it made her sleepy.    "Hey," Bronya faltered. Her awkward simplicity was noticeable.   "Hm?" Seele hummed. She opened a single eye as she looked up at Bronya. Bronya stood next to Seele. "Too good to sit on grass now, huh?" She asked.   "Oh, hush," Bronya remarked. She sat down next to Seele. She laid down next to her. "Any stars that catch your eye tonight?" She asked.   "No, not really. A bright one over at your 6 o'clock," Seele told Bronya.   Bronya stared at Seele with a dumb pause, taken aback. "There is no way you use hour hand signals! How many action novels have you read? What's you favorite one?" She asked with a laugh.   Seele narrowed her eyes and furrowed her brow. "Wildfire uses those regularly," she stated. She sat up.   "You're kidding?" Bronya joked.   "You're kidding," Seele stated. She nudged Bronya playfully.    "No, you're kidding," Bronya said. She nudged her back.   Seele grabbed her arm. "I think you're kidding, Ms. Nine O'clock," Seele replied with a giddy laugh.   Bronya grabbed her arm in an arm lock. She laughed softly. "Why would I joke as the supreme guardian?" She asked.    Seele narrowed her eyes. "Why would I joke with my reputation?" She asked. She grabbed Bronya's arm lock playfully tugging her softly.   Bronya tugged her over too hard. The two collided and now Bronya had rolled to be looking directly at Seele from atop her. "And why would I joke with you?" She asked. She kissed Seele's forehead.   Seele blushed, wide eyed. Seele sat up, causing Bronya to fall. She straightened her neck out enough to kiss Bronya on the lips finally. As she let off, Bronya's eyes stared back softly.   "I liked that," Bronya muttered.    "Uh… me too," Seele muttered in reply.   Bronya pushed her forehead against Seele's. She made sure their noses touched. She smiled softly.    "Oh my god, did I really just kiss the Supreme Guardian in her first hour as Supreme Guardian?" Seele asked herself.    Bronya could feel Seele's breath on her face as she laughed. "I guess so," she stated. She kissed her once more before getting up. "I'll see you later," she said. She walked off.   Seele felt her mouth. The soft touch of Bronya's lips resonated with her. Her heart was pounding. Her legs shook as she stood up. "I'm going to miss that later," she muttered to herself. After Solwarn Festival, Bronya and Seele meet again to bond. Bronya walked into the festival once more. She felt butterflies in her stomach. Bronya sighed like she was in her blissful dream. She sauntered across the festival grounds unable to gain composure through her cloud.   "Bronya?" Cocolia asked. "Where did you run off to?" She crossed her arms with a disappointed gaze.    Bronya turned to her. Her eyes didn't meet Cocolia's. She laughed awkwardly. Panic. "Good question…" she faltered. Bronya picked at her collar as she looked around.   "I sent Cybus out to look for you! My god, Bronya! Please just tell me where the heck you ran of to!" Cocolia asserted.    "Eh…" Bronya held an awkward grin.    "Bronya, I'm your mother. You need to tell me where you ran off to!" Cocolia ordered. She placed her hands on Bronya's shoulders. She was concerned.   "I uh-... I went to go check on Ms. Ilina. She told a really funny but bad joke about you, and I keep thinking about it," Bronya replied. She smiled.   "Really because you have that stupid smile," Cocolia stated. "I'm making Pela come with you, so you don't run off." She crossed her arms.   Pela stepped up from behind Cocolia. She waved awkwardly. She walked right up to Bronya and stood next to her.    Cocolia walked off.    "Do you listen to everything she says?" Bronya asked. She looked down at Pela. Her face been painted cold once more. "You know I'm the supreme guardian, right?"   "She is my boss… was?" Pela replied. She looked down. "What do you request, Lady Bronya?" She asked.   "Hold to her wishes if you'd like," Bronya told her. "Enjoy yourself today. It's the only night this happens this year."   Pela's eyes lit up. She smiled. "Thank you! Thank you!" She exclaimed. She walked away from Bronya.   Bronya smiled. "Now I can get work done!" She told herself. She smiled and walked home.    ☆☆☆   Seele swept the ground of the flower shop. Her broom was swift.   Ding ding   Seele didn't bother looking up. It would be the casual customer. She took a deep breath and said, "Welcome to Ilina's Flowers. Please let me know when you want to purchase a flower," She stated.   "Actually, I came to talk to you," Bronya replied. As Seele looked up, Bronya was carrying a satchel over her shoulder. "I heard you're a really good employee," she stated with a smile.   Seele gripped her broom. "Look, I'm sorry about-" she was interrupted by Bronya.   "Don't apologize," Bronya replied. She was chill.   "You made time to come see me for what?" Seele asked. She stared at her.   "I don't really have much to do. I overestimated my mother's old job," Bronya stated with a shrug. "All I do is sign paperwork for changes, talk to some people, and protect people."   Seele wore a bored expression. "So do you need something?" She asked.   "Actually, I do," Bronya said. She sauntered up, clutching her satchel's strap. She looked down with a vivid, red blush. Bronya reached into her satchel, grabbing something. She handed Seele an envelope. "Please read this and get back to me," Bronya said. She stood there for a moment before turning.   Seele grabbed her shoulder. "Look, I uh... kinda difficult to try that. Just read it to me, princess," Seele asserted.    "Oh right... uhm... can we meet after your shift?" Bronya asked. She looked away and stiffened.    "My shift ends in three minutes," Seele said. She walked to the front and flipped the open sign.    "You won't be mad, promise?" Bronya questioned.   "Do I have a reason to be?" Seele asked. "Not like you'd write a death threat letter."   "Oh, well it's a uh... maybe we shouldn't," Bronya said. She grabbed the letter back. Her hands were sweaty.    "What ever you want, princess," Seele replied. She crossed her arms. "I mean if you wanna hang out until you muster courage, we can."   "Oh... I'd love that," Bronya said.   Seele led Bronya out. She turned and locked the door. She jiggled the doorknob. "Locked," she said to herself.    Bronya took her hand as soon as it came off the door knob. Neither party commented on it when they walked. Bronya kept her head up and eyes set forward.   Seele waited for Bronya to do something. Seele stared at Bronya. One eyebrow raised.   "No one is out. Maybe we could sit together to watch the sunset?" Bronya asked.    Seele nodded. She sat down against a building. Bronya sat next to her. The two girls remained silent but their hands intertwined once more. Bronya placed her head on Seele's shoulder.    "Bronya? Do you want to just lay against me?" Seele asked. Her tone was far from mad. She sounded soft.    Bronya nodded. Seele moved to sit behind Bronya. She left Bronya's head rest against her collarbone. Seele wrapped her arms around her stomach. Seele stared up the stars. Bronya was crumbling in on herself with a blush. Seele placed her head on top of Bronya's.    Bronya turned to Seele and stared at her. Seele stared back. Seele pushed her forehead and nose on Bronya's. Bronya's whole face went red with embarrassment.   Tense.   Awkward.   "Um? Am i-?" Pela asked.   Bronya and Seele separated as fast as they looked at Pela.   "Hey, they were looking for you. I was sent to come find you... I'm sorry," Pela told them.   Bronya nodded. "I uh... why?" She asked.   "I dunno? You forgot something I think," Pela told Bronya.   Bronya sighed. "Can you get it for me?" She asked.    "Uh... of course!" Pela said. She walked off.   "Hm..." Bronya hummed. She kissed Seele and got up. "Would you like to come with?" She asked.   "Uh, to your house?" Seele asked.   "Yes? Is that an issue?" Bronya asked.   "Princess, is it like a palace or something?" Seele asked.   "Let's just catch up," Bronya stated. "And you walked by it."   Seele nodded. She followed Bronya to her home. The two had caught up with Pela quickly after. Seele slinked behind Bronya. Bronya spoke to a few guards before leading Seele to her bedroom.    "Shit..." Seele muttered.    "It's okay. My balcony has a nice view of the stars," Bronya explained. The two walked out. They sat on the balcony together.   Seele didn't think about the stars while staring at them. She thought of Bronya and herself. She knew Bronya had developed feelings. She knew at the bottom of her heart Bronya was out of her league. Bronya had fame, fortune, beauty, and an amazing job. Seele had a bad reputation, a few dollars to her name, an undertaken care of appearance, and a minimum wage job. She could only dream of a life with Bronya. She felt as if they had no future together.   Bronya stared at the sky. The stars and moonlight illuminated her face so perfectly. It made her look gorgeous. "Maybe we should get to bed? Oh, wait. Where are you sleeping nowadays?" Bronya asked.    "Natasha's clinic. Else it's Oleg's spare room or Sampo's closet," Seele replied.    "Oh... do you want to sleep in my bed? We can build a line of pillows," Bronya offered. Her lips were slightly parted in shock.   Seele yawned. "I mean what ever you want, princess," she stated.   Bronya nodded. She took Seele's hand and walked into her room. "Are you comfortable with what you're wearing?" She asked. "I know I'll change into pajamas, but you can have my secondary pair."   "Im good, I can take off the gloves and shoes and be comfortable," Seele stated. She pulled off her shoes. Bronya walked around the room to collect her pajamas, then she went into the bathroom. Seele sat down and Bronya walked back in. Bronya walked across the room. She flicked off the lights and laid down. Seele laid down after a minute. The two fell asleep.   ☆☆☆    A scrambled mess. That's what they were. What had Seele woken up to?    "Bronya? Really?" Cocolia asked, crossing her arms.    Bronya looked at her mother in a tired concoction of contentment and groggy. "What's wrong, mother?" She asked.    "You bring an underworlder and let her sleep in your bed. Do you have no shame?" Cocolia asked.   Bronya sat up. "Uh... mother this is my... girlfriend?" She replied.   "Oh... I'm sorry. I'm Bronya's mother, Cocolia!" Cocolia asserted. "I remember you. You're Seele."   "Yeah, I know you're Bronya's mom," Seele said. She looked at Bronya.   "Why don't we have a celebratory breakfast then?" Cocolia asked.    "Sure," Bronya said.   "I'll let you know when the chefs are done. Cuddle some more. It'll be about 15 minutes," Cocolia stated. She walked off out the door. She shut it.   Bronya looked Seele and said, "I'm so sorry."    "No, it's fine. Is that how you feel?" Seele asked.   "Uh... yes," Bronya replied. She looked down in embarrassment. Maybe even sadness. She didn't want to admit this guilt to Seele.    Seele never looked guilty. She never looked sad. She never looked anxious. She looked calm. "Bronya," she stated.    Bronya looked at her. Her face held a flurry of emotions. They were all heightened by the fact she had only just woken up.    "If you want me to be your girlfriend, then I'll be your girlfriend," Seele told Bronya.   Bronya's lips parted only slightly. She held her breath for a mere second before she kissed Seele. She pulled away after a second. "Please, Seele. Let me be your girlfriend then," Bronya stated.   "Thank the aeons you said yes because it would be so awkward in fifteen minutes if you hadn't," Seele laughed.     Bronya only laughed in reply. She hugged her.    Only for a moment, Seele felt one with the stars. The bright star, that once seemed to be so bright, blended in with its other stars. Yet Seele was stubborn as ever.  (See the end of the chapter for notes.) The breakfast had only begun. Seele ate the plate of food quicker than Bronya or Cocolia had ever seen anyone eat. Seele lied about everything relating to when and how they got together. She shot Bronya a smile when she was lying   Seele followed Bronya outside to chat right after breakfast.   "Why did you lie for me?" Bronya asked. "I just don't understand." She covered her face, curling up near a pillar.   "What? I'm just trying to save you from a much lengthier explanation as to why you confessed to Miss Always-next-to-you this morning. Are you feeling something I'm not? Let's talk about this," Seele said. She kneeled down to Bronya's level.   "You're um... my first girlfriend I-I-... I'm worried I can't do enough for you," Bronya said. "I've never fallen in love until you. The feeling makes me feel sick… but it's good. Like I don't deserve to love you. Anxious."   "You know, Bronya. It's okay. It's okay. That's normal. Okay?" Seele replied. "You're like my tenth girlfriend, and dude, I know how you feel. You think I'm out of your league. I think you're lying."   "The feeling of butterflies and sweaty palms?" Bronya asked.   "The warm blush and the weak legs?" Seele asked.   Bronya nodded as if ashamed of herself.   Seele kissed her forehead. "What is there to fear?" She asked. "Have you disappointed me at all recently?"    Bronya shook her head. "I guess not... but--"   "No more of that. Shush, I want you to go get your work done. I have the day off, so if you want me to do anything, I'll answer my beacon."   "You're... offering to help... me?" Bronya asked.   "Yeah? What's wrong with that?" Seele replied.   "Thank you," Bronya said. Her voice cracked. Bronya hugged her. The heat on her face was now covering Seele's too. Bronya stood up a little more confident than before. She ran off.   Seele watched her before resting her head on the wall. "I am going to ruin her cred," Seele muttered. "I'm out of that girl's league, and she probably knows that."   "Why would you think that?" Cocolia asked.    Seele gasped loudly. "Y-you… I didn't see you coming " she cleared her throat. "I mean I'm a no-good undergrounder, Cocolia."   "But you're her no good undergrounder because she's your no good undergrounder," Cocolia told Seele. "You know, when I first adopted her, my mother didn't like her. She would complain all about her tainted influence from the underworld. I believed her," Cocolia explained.    "What are you getting at?" Seele asked. She was mildly annoyed now.   "I met you, an undergrounder who came from the same roots as her. Except you survived those roots. Those origins were not plucked from you. Just by watching you talk to her, I know you'll make my daughter do extraordinary things by just being in her life. You, Seele, have my full support," Cocolia stated.   "Can you give that more with easy words?" Seele asked. "You guys always use crazy, big words." She sighed.    "You have my full trust when dating Bronya. Don't fail me, or it won't just be Bronya's insecurities you fear, Vollerei," Cocolia asserted.   "Okay," Seele mumbled. "I won't fail you I guess," Seele said. She watched Cocolia walk past her and off in the same direction as Bronya did. She rolled her eyes. "Over protective," Seele muttered.    ☆☆☆   After a half an hour trek, Seele sat down in Natasha's clinic. It wasn't busy anymore like it was only a few weeks before. Ever since the overground had been open to them, only kids had come in. Seele only sat there, thinking. Maybe she could get Bronya flowers. "Hey, Nat," Seele called.    Natasha looked over to Seele. "Yes?" She asked. She let the kid, she was giving a bandaid to, run off. Natasha was one to let the kids know that a scraped knee was okay, so they wouldn't panic next time.   "About Bronya. Did she ever mention a favorite color to you?" Seele asked. Seele looked at her with a face of forced composure.   "No, I don't remember her saying anything," Natasha replied.    Seele groaned. "I guess I'll have to send Hook to get the info," she replied. She walked out of the clinic and shouted, "Hook!"   After a few minutes, Hook came bounding down the path. Seele intercepted her using her ability to dash. "Hey, kid! I'll pay you 50 shields to go get Bronya's favorite color without telling her I asked, okay?"   "Mhm!" Hook said, saluting to Seele. "I'll be on my way to get that!" She told Seele. The kid bolted off, motivated by the idea of getting a lot of pocket money.   Seele waited, helping Natasha with the kid's scraped knee or bruise infrequently.    "Aunty Seele! Aunty Seele!" Hook called. She came running in barely halting before she would nearly hit Seele. "She said purple."   "Woah! Hey. Thanks kid," Seele said. She pulled her coin purse from her pocket and handed Hook the money. Hook ran off happy as could be.   "I'll see you in a bit," Seele said. She began out the door.   "Where did you sleep last night?" Natasha asked.    "Oleg's spare bed, why?" Seele replied.   "No, you were not there. Where were you?" Natasha asked.   "Yikes Nat, uh, Bronya's spare bedroom," Seele replied.   "That girl gives you a lot," Natasha replied. "Don't be annoyed when she gets busy and can't go be your closest friend, okay?"    "She'll make time to see me," Seele said. "I-I know she will." She turned to the dirt road.    "You're a good kid. Look out for her," Natasha asserted.   Seele smiled gently. "I'll see you, Natasha," Seele said. She began to walk back to the overworld. She picked up flowers in a soft purple color and went to find Bronya. They bumped into each other at the gate of the Qlipoth fort.    Bronya was slightly covered in sweat. It was evident she had just worked out by her towel being wrapped over the back of her neck. Bronya mentioned something about doing that every morning.   "Seele?" Bronya asked.   "Bronya?" Seele echoed.    "You got me flowers. I'm assuming it was you who paid off Hook to come ask for my favorite color?" Bronya asked. She pointed at the flowers.   "Eh." Seele shrugged.   "I asked her to bring you to the festival a few days ago," Bronya confessed. Bronya took the flowers. "I want to put these in a nice vase and put them on my desk," Bronya said.    "They're uh… pretty right?" Seele asked awkwardly.    Bronya looked down at them. She smiled. "They're beautiful. I think they'll be nice for my personal study desk," Bronya said.   "You mean that desk in the corner of your room covered in clutter?" Seele asked. She was dumb to the idea of that being embarrassing. She thought it was common to see trash everywhere in the Underground. They had no 'regulation' like the over world had.    Bronya blushed. "Seele!!" She exclaimed. She sighed letting her frustration out. "Let me guess," she said.   "Social norm," Seele replied.    "That's what– you know what, I'll see you tomorrow, okay? I have a lot of work to do tonight, but I'll text you when I'm going to bed," Bronya stated. She turned out to walk into the gate   "Wait," Seele called out. She ran up and kissed her cheek before running off. She joined Natasha in the clinic for the night. She slept on the same little bed she slept on every night in her teen years.   "I'm heading to bed. Good night <3." Bronya. 1:32 am, today.  The "How much money can Hook make from these lesbians who don't know really odd facts about eachother" game Catching a Stargazer is laborious until she brings you straight to her spot of gazing. Seele sat in Natasha's clinic. She'd been awake for a few hours. Even if she was overwhelmed by the anxiety of Bronya, she wasn't going to face it. She knew it was an unhealthy way to go about it. Seele glanced up as Natasha strolled by. "You're awake?" Seele asked.   "Yes. You look rather off today," Natasha commented.    "I'm sorry. It's just–" Seele started.    "Bronya?" Natasha asked. At Seele's nod of approval, Natasha sighed. "Look, I may not know what's going on between you two, but I do know this. You need to talk to her," Natasha said. She prepared her equipment for easy use.   "But what if she gets annoyed?" Seele asked.   "You will feel better talking about it with her directly," Natasha stated. "Talking about it with me won't get you any more relief."   Seele let out a quiet laugh. "You're like the mother I never had," Seele stated. "I'm assuming that was someone else's advice though." She looked at Natasha.   Natasha shrugged. "Mm, Hook said something less wordy to another kid. Erik, I think," she said.   "I'll take the advice. If I run now, I can catch her before she does anything today," Seele told Natasha. Seele dashed out the door. She broke out into a sprint down the roads.   ☆☆☆   Bronya sat on the balcony of her room. It was three stories up. She thought about everything until a familiar voice shouted, "WATCH OUT!"   Seele used her butterfly dash to stick a landing against the wall against her back.    "Wh-what in all of Jarilo," Bronya muttered. She stared at the slightly disoriented Seele.   Seele shook it off and turned to Bronya. "Bronya, Bronya! I need to talk to you," Seele said. Her voice had a state of urgency.    "You just-... okay, what's wrong?" Bronya asked.    "Okay, I think I'm ruining your reputation by being your girlfriend. Am I?" Seele asked.    Bronya sighed. "No, arguably if the public cared so much, you'd probably be liked more than hated," Bronya replied. "Second, please just go through the house. I've already told the usual set door guards about you. You just used that talent of yours to jump three stories."   "I'm not jumping over books," Seele said. "Anyways, I came all this way to air that out. Do you have anything else to air out?"    "No," Bronya replied bluntly. She smiled. "I did before, but seeing you yesterday at noon cleared my mind of it," Bronya stated.   "Hey, so uh, I actually don't know. I wanna show you something tonight okay? Meet me at the gates of Belobog," Seele said.   Bronya blushed. "I- uhm…" She took a deep breath. "I'll see you there. 10 pm."   Seele smiled. "It'll be super cool I promise," she told her. Without another word on her end, she used her dash to make her way off the balcony and to the ground floor.   Bronya called out, "Seele!" As she rushed to the edge just to see Seele wave and run off like it was nothing. Bronya sighed. "Stubborn as can be," she stated.    ☆☆☆   That night Seele made her way to the gates of Belobog to see Bronya there. Bronya was talking to the guard on the right of the gate. Seele walked up and took Bronya's hand. "Come with me," she whispered into Bronya's ear. Seele pulled Bronya out of Belobog and she walked with her for half a mile.    "Where are we going?" Bronya asked. "You know this is the restricted zone, right?" She asked.   "Don't be such a stickler for rules and restrictions, Bronya. Just look at the sky. It's beautiful!" Seele told her.    Bronya looked at the sky. Above her, was a swirl of stars and moonlight. Unaffected by the city's lights like before. Beautiful and amazing. She looked at Seele. "It- how did you know about this place?" She asked.   "Mmmm… don't worry about that," Seele told her. She kissed Bronya's cheek. She smiled widely. "You're unrestrained out here. You can cuss! You can shout! You can let your hair down and shoulders relax now," Seele said.    Bronya parted her lips. "I-... uhm… ahem, f-fuck," she force out.   "That's more like it," Seele said. "I wanna get to know you, but unrestrained by law and order and honor."   Bronya placed her head on Seele's shoulder. She walked across the field of snow a bit and took a deep breath. "If I can really say what I want, then I will say it now," Bronya stated. She shut her eyes and shouted, "fuck that stupid stellaron!"   Seele laughed. "Yeah! Fuck that stupid stellaron!" She shouted.   Bronya turned to her quickly. Her lips parted only slightly. She smiled and ran up hugging her in a tackle-like grab.    "Hey, hey. Come on, look at me," Seele said.    Bronya pulled herself from the hug and tilted her head as she gazed into Seele's eyes.   Seele smirked and put her pointer and thumb on the tip of Bronya's nose. She pulled away, widening them only for one of her butterflies to appear.    "Oh!" Bronya gasped as she stared at it. "They have a physical form! You can actually feel them! I thought they were just illusions."   Seele smiled. "It'll stay on your nose unless you move a lot," she told her. Seele strolled ahead and spun to look at Bronya. Butterflies swirling around her. Deele reached up and put her pointer finger up for the highest one. It took hold of the tip and Seele moved it with all of the other ones. The butterflies slowly disappeared into little dots of Quantum dust, looking like stars to Bronya.    "Those stars. The bright two," Bronya said. "They're beautiful tonight." She pointed at them.   Seele turned to look at them. "Yeah, the stars are always pretty though," Seele told her. "I knew you'd like to go stargazing with me," Seele told her.    "You go stargazing all of the time I'm assuming," Bronya asserted.    "Mm… only when I know someone will join me. Last time I went before this week was 3 years ago," Seele told her. She glanced back at Bronya and broke into a fit of laughter.    "W-what?" Bronya asked, nervous.    "You've made friends with that little guy," Seele stated. "It's cute."    Bronya blushed. She walked over. The butterfly disappeared as she took Seele's hand. "Let's go home. It's nice out here, but Jarilo-VI gets cold at night."   "Isn't it night though?" Seele asked. "It's pretty nice out. A nice sleep temperature."   "You're going to sleep out here?" Bronya asked.    "There's a tree over there, and we'll wake with the sun," Seele said. "The tree might be too hard to sleep on for you, but I sleep on the ground all the time, so I'll be fine! Just put your head on my shoulder" She told Bronya.    Bronya sighed in disappointment. "You're stupid if you think sleeping out here is smart," she said, defeated.   Seele smiled. "No, you're stupid," she teased. "I'm joking of course."   "Well, I'm fine with this arrangement, but if it gets cold, I'm dragging you into Belobog with my own two hands," Bronya said.    "I'm fine with that," Seele told her. Seele walked over and sat down. She moved her hair from her shoulder and leaned against the tree.    Bronya sat next to her, placing her head against the nook of Seele's neck. She grabbed Seele's hand. "Good night," she told her.    Seele shut her eyes and placed her head on Bronya's head.   The night was silent except for the occasional cricket or hint of life from the nearby city. It never woke the stargazing lovers for any minute of the night. The temperature stayed steady. Finally, the stars aligned without any change. It stayed like that for long.  

i don't know

[]

General Audiences

F/F, M/M

Guns Girl School DayZ (Video Game), 崩坏3rd | Honkai Impact 3rd (Video Game), 崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Cecilia Schariac/Cocolia, Otto Apocalypse/Siegfried Kaslana

Cecilia Schariac, Cocolia (Honkai Impact 3rd), Cocolia (Honkai: Star Rail), Otto Apocalypse, Luocha (Honkai: Star Rail), Clotted Cream Cookie (Cookie Run), Siegfried Kaslana, Kiana Kaslana (mentioned), Ninti Apocalypse (mentioned)

Not Beta Read, this fic is ggz but nobody plays that game anymore lnfaoooo, Family Drama, Cocolia is a Lesbian

English

2022-08-12

Updated

2022-08-12

850

1/2

7

17

4

612

['Yachafe', 'Metamorphis', 'spookyaxel', 'cr0nchy_bread', 'LazyKatie', 'h1mmel']

[]

It's been a couple of decades since Cecilia divorced her now-gay ex-husband. She hadn't seen him face-to-face in a long time, and while they still made the occasional calls and FaceTimes, they never openly sat down and talked about themselves. The most that happened at any time were small conversations by the doorway about child custody and their kids.   The divorce and her strained relationship with her ex-husband were tough on her, but she wouldn't change anything. Both of them agreed that divorce was the right call, and while the first few years were complicated, she's living the lesbian dream now. Right after the divorce, she came out to her entire family, and while most accepted her, a few, such as her younger sister, Maria, didn't. Maria eventually came around, however.   Yet getting to be herself was not what she loved the most after the divorce. Finding her true love, a lover who didn't clog the toilet every week, was. She remembered the first day she met her fiancé. Kiana, who was in 6th grade at the time, had a baseball game at the local park, and there she met the parents of the kids on Kiana's baseball team. One of them was Cocolia, a single mother like her, and they instantly connected. From then on, the two were inseparable. What started as a motherly friendship became something more, and Coco proposed to her last week.   Now, she's seeing Siegfried again after so long to introduce him to her new wife. And hopefully, they'll catch up on some gossip as well.   She let out a heavy sigh and trembled a bit at the door, her legs were shaking, but Coco was right behind her comforting her just with her mere presence.   Cecilia jumped into Cocolia's arms.   "Oh, Coco! I'm so scared! What if he kicks us out? I haven't seen him in so long, and coming back with a new lover, he woul—!"   "Who gives a shit what he thinks, Ceci. He's gay too!" Cocolia assured her, and with that, all her doubts dissipated. Why does she have to be like this? So sweet and reassuring and beautiful too. She would marry her right by Siegfried's doorstep if she had to.   She let go of her fiancé and rang the doorbell, anticipating both the worst and the best.   Cecilia could hear a gentle tapping noise become ever louder and louder with every passing second. The tapping transformed into a clinking of locks, and soon enough, the door began to pull back.   Deep breathe in, deep breathe out.   She knew that no matter what happened, she would still have Cocolia by her side.   "Hewwo!!! X3!!! It's me, Otto Apocalypse, but you can call me Ziggy-Kun's uke >~   She expected many things, but not Otto Apocalypse in an oversized graphic t-shirt that said "cumslut" with cat ear headphones attached to his head. It was a riveting sight, and she won't judge, but it was a bit too—   "Hi, is Siegfried home right now?" She asked.   "No T_T! He went camping with Welt two days ago, so I, his husbando, am tending to the home while he's away :P!!!" Otto replied suspiciously.   An itch told her to run to grab Coco and make a run for the car, but another itch, a more reasonable and respectful one, told her to ask for more details about Siegfried's leave. Cecilia wasn't a disrespectful person, and she certainly didn't want to cause a scene across the neighborhood, so she went with the reasonable itch, hoping it was the right call.   "Alright. Do you know when Siegfried is coming home? If not, that's alright. Sorry for bothering you,"   Otto instinctively replied, "I'm not sure, T_T!!!" Cecilia thought the way he replied and how fast he replied remembered her of a child lying their way out of a scolding from a parent. No, a criminal with a planned alibi. It was too quick, too artificial, and too calculated for a child. Or anyone, for that matter. He was hiding something, but Cecilia wasn't sure what.   Cecilia shook her head. Perhaps all these years living the lesbian dream made her suspicious of all men. There was no way Otto Apocalypse could be hiding anything. Otto Apocalypse was always a good man as far as she was aware, and although dressing up like a Discord moderator, in Kiana's words, wasn't like him, it's been years! He probably changed.   "But, you can always join us for dinner! :3" He added on.   Cecilia thought carefully and turned her head towards her sexy fiancé. They two gave each other a delicate look. Cocolia furrowed her eyebrows and signaled to her that the both of them should leave, but Cecilia couldn't bring herself to leave.   Hypnotized, she couldn't leave even if she wanted to. She couldn't.   A single sound of rubber-sole shoes clacking against the wooden stairs gave her response. Cocolia's contact lenses popped out. She knew the decision her wife had chosen and that scared her.   As the two lovers walked through the doorway, Otto "Ottie-chan" Apocalypse gave a Lego Joker smirk.   American Psycho.

lovers deceit

['selfdespair']

Explicit

F/F

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Kafka (Honkai: Star Rail)/Reader

Kafka (Honkai: Star Rail)

Cunnilingus, Vaginal Fingering, Objectification, Unhealthy Relationships, Comfort No Hurt, ¿? no idea, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Fluff, Written before HSR release

English

2022-08-08

Completed

2022-08-08

1,104

1/1

1

138

4

4,409

['NagitoSimp', 'anonymouslybella', 'LewdRamen', 'TransLucyMTF', 'rippasansan', 'Tevdoughh', 'Maiev', 'mimuhye', 'SunnyHonney', 'AnonEve', 'Wonderful_Watergrove', '29999i', 'KaneMushroom', 'crumbsinmycleavage', 'Raiden_Crimson', 'isimp123', 'CutieDynamic', 'JuviaMagnus', 'RoSEw06', 'MamaInkIsTired', 'LappbrainedFool', 'Sensei_Sushi8008132', 'Ahreum09', 'Minzx', 'yurienjoyer', 'AverageItzyEnjoyer', 'Ashe_Tree', 'sofaemae', 'onyonreengs', 'dianaonice', 'raining_101', 'bakerwill', 'BlueKitsune01', 'ashy_washylmfao', 'Applebingus', 'JustaLimau', 'Asacoco', 'roachgames', 'aroumaa', 'Kotofeila', 'movrningbird', 'Nabbat', '51jh', 'VVVDd', 'RinuZen', 'accountusername', 'blueflag', 'YawningScimitar', 'UnknownAshie', 'MeMyselfAndTheVoices']

[]

her tongue was long gone inside of you, disappearing into your folds, then entering again. it overwhelmed you. kafka's mouth wasn't really wide open, rather she just kept it in a lazy smug, perfect for her tongue to attack your most sensitive spots and drive you into maximum pleasure. lords above, she was always so good at eating you out. her pinkish wet muscle was hard at work, tasting your depths and making sure not even an inch of your walls got untouched. —"hahh…" you let out a shaky moan, feeling her adoration burn inside of you. your velvet heart is probably overworking itself to stay calm in such situations, but it's so impossible when it's kafka herself who is eating you out. let alone, her red hair and pale, gentle eyes of the same colour are only visible as her nose is almost buried deep inside with her tongue. it's so hard to keep your cool, not when you see the things you adore so much about her.   you could get lost in those fiery flames she calls her eyes, especially with the additional sunset of purple and pink that seem to calm the flames in her irises. she's iridescent. a pure red light of plasma that keeps you awake at night with her simple presence. even when she's not here. it feels like she's existing everywhere, like an inch of her body is here and is ready to take you entirely. you could barely help it, kafka is so pretty and polite, she always has a place in your heart.. enduring places without her is so painful, your brain imaged her to be omnipresent so she can be with you everywhere. forever.   —"relax, dear." the woman calmly added. "i can barely eat you up if you're so tense~" you shattered, a hint of shame picked you up as you thought endlessly about her facial expressions along with the stress you've put yourself through. the red haired girl simply laughed. —"sorry..." you sighed, spreading your legs further, kafka just smiled and placed her hand on your thigh, her leather gloves tickling your skin. letting out a shirt giggle she started feasting on you again, dancing inside of you in such erotic ways. you felt like a dessert on a plate. liquid too. when she gets under your clothes it's only normal that you feel liquid, becoming nothing but a black hole. compared to her, you can say you're nothing! despite the nothingness, you still feel so…. special in her eyes. as if you're a hidden treasure for her to dig up.   you tasted so delicious on her tongue. her taste buds never got enough of you, it felt as if your waters are never enough for her, which only drove kafka into a higher curiosity. it's interesting, really, how she manages to be so calm and dominant, always appearing selfish in the eyes of the stellaron hunters too… then here is she, servicing you. though, you shouldn't push your luck. she just loves you so much, it's no big deal why she's on her knees and pleasuring you while you're sitting on a chair. you're her favourite thing. never a human, but a thing in her eyes. the same eyes which made you adore her that much.   drilling her tongue deeper inside, she continued to be hard at work, lapping up every juice of yours and letting her tongue enjoy them. her hands kept squishing your thighs, enjoying the fine skin of yours as she kept her tongue in place, occasionally pulling out and licking your labia like it was a bowl of milk. you never felt this loved before. quickening her peace, she kept thrusting into your hole and acting as if her tongue was a small dick, ready to consume you entirely. —"waah…♡" you cried out, feeling overwhelmed again by her love. being her object was so fun.. especially when she loves you. hearing your noises makes kafka even more hungry and desperate for you. for your noises. for your pinnacle…. for everything.   clenching your fists and toes, you let out a soft moan, orgasming and letting more juices fall on the woman's mouth. without thinking twice, kafka drank them all up, fucking you through your orgasm and making the firework in your body explode. for a good second you felt as if you were in a completely different world, that until you recovered from the intense orgasm.   —"you always keep being so tense…..what is stressing you as much, my dear?" kaflka asked as she noticed you start recovering from the sleepy sensation of your orgasm. —"..i heard the stellaron hunters are planning to go on another mission again." you softened, feeling a somewhat grief on your words. exhaustion started kicking into your body, a perfect reason why your sincerity is a high at the moment. kafka kept eyeing you so profoundly. her eyes quite danced on your face, her painted lips, now with her lipstick smeared curved into another gentle smile. —"ahaha, my dear.." she cheered, moving her fingers to your clit and idly playing with your fleshy bud to attenuate her tongue. "you shouldn't grieve over something that minor…! after all, our missions aren't as hard or long…" she reassured you, her finger keeping itself on your core of joy, drawing circles on it.   —"ill miss you though, after all.. i cannot go on missions like you.." you wept. suddenly it all feels so embarrassing, if it wasn't for your beloved seeing this, you would have surely killed yourself at the sight of appearing wear. after all, you're kind of a strict person, high standards and always calm and collected. emotionally cold but bodily weak, that's why you always help the stellaron hunters in ways that don't require your body to fight. —"my dear, i won't let any missions keep us apart, not even the hardest ones. because, after all, you're completely mine." she spoke, enjoying the glistening moisture of your cunt. you barely managed to respond to her,as she gave your clitoris a weak lick. "besides, if it were for you, i'd quit the stellaron hunters and run away with you.." she assured. "because you're a beautiful thing in my mind."   you were left speechless, perhaps because of the tiredness. or simply because of her soft words. raising herself from her knees, kafka immediately gave you a short kiss, letting you taste your own salty fluids. looking at her messed up, but pretty face, you couldn't help but sigh in resurrection.   you loved being her favourite object. and you also loved when she loved her objects

Love Me

['Hyoumaki']

Explicit

F/M

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Jing Yuan/Blade (Honkai Star Rail)

Jing Yuan (Honkai: Star Rail), Blade (Honkai: Star Rail)

Top Jing Yuan, Bottom blade, Female Blade, Lactation, Hentai Tropes, Vaginal Sex, IT'S JUST PURE HORNY FIC NO QUESTIONS ASKED, Sex Pollen

English

2022-08-04

Completed

2022-08-04

5,676

1/1

6

416

38

12,916

['me_moo', 'yunmi_17', 'ReinaWeyne', 'wandererofwords', 'mayo96', 'myosotis_ss', 'hjade21', 'Zetahe', 'riristxrr', 'shnjie', 'Ordinary_Girl525', 'Re1nitsu', 'xcuifenx', 'Sj_wodo', 'Welfy8737', 'Luciscaelum42', 'CaleHenityse', 'Winter3965', 'MTKiseki', 'Enby_Sif', 'T1r3d_And_3xp1r3d', 'Ky_34', 'fatui', 'why1sy', 'oritsurugami', 'StraySun0304', 'leninard', 'Ryokucha1407', 'Xiaohani', 'Lynn1ii1', 'ragnetto', 'whosnsi', 'elyedenlover', 'whyamIapumpkin', 'SkyWinStar', 'tilltyjaastings', 'HitomiMaika0110', 'QueenyBeany469', 'MidSummer_Night_Love', 'acrainkranf', 'La_soeur_de_Hangyul', 'gino59', 'Alice_Cakep', 'chocobuub', 'KA2003', 'alhaithampussypounder', 'Quincy_has_a_Problem', 'nana_is_crying', 'Yuk11', 'ikojami']

[]

The capture of the Stellaron is successful, though it comes with a casualty. Silver Wolf and Kafka approach their comrade in worry, watching as pink dusts the swordswoman's cheek and sweat dribbling down her face. Before they could seal the Seed of Ruin inside the provided device, it sprays Blade with a strange golden powder as its last ditch of retaliation. Since then, the swordswoman seems to be unwell, the powder must have affected her in a way or so.   "Ren, are you okay?" Kafka bends down and touches Blade's forehead with the back of her gloved hand. It's as hot as a kettle with boiling water in it.   "I'm fine," Blade takes a deep breath. Her wavering voice doesn't do a good job at convincing her two coworkers. "It's just a…fever. Maybe some kind of poison…"   "Then, we should-"   "It's not affecting…my organs or…anything. I just feel tired and-" Blade pauses to take another breath, "-feverish. Just let me rest for a day or two, I…will be back for the next…mission."   Knowing it is basically useless to argue with the woman well known for her hardheadedness, Kafka and Silver Wolf take her back home and tell the sick swordswoman should her condition worsens. Blade drinks a fever medicine and crashes into her bed. Her brain feels heavy, there is an infuriating ringing stinging her ears. Her body grows warmer with each passing moment, there is a strange, hotter and damp sensation pooling between her legs. She doesn't know how to describe it, but her ability to think has been diminishing ever since the powder's effect kicked in. Blade keeps on relapsing between consciousness and unconsciousness, in between her labored breaths, she recalls a face of a man. The mass of long white hair, the gentle golden eyes and that despicable smirk…   Her lips mouth a man's name as her world goes black.   …   Jing Yuan stretches his hands up and bends backward, crooning in satisfaction like a cat as he feels his backbone relaxes. Being in the battlefield is tiring, but sitting in the office for twelve hours straight is also tiring. There's nothing easy in life, after all, and that is what makes a human's life well, lively. The General looks at the sundial on his desk, its shadow has long vanished. He cannot tell what time it is now because he doesn't keep a track on it when working on the massive amount of reports Sushang keeps on delivering to him, so he predicts it based on the height of the moon in the night sky.    It should be eight in the evening, which is slightly earlier than he expects. He should have a bath and some quick bite before going to sleep. Jing Yuan exits his office, bidding the guards good night then making his way towards the residential area of his private quarters.   Jing Yuan pauses and looks up at the waning moon.   The moon shines dim and red tonight, he doesn't believe it's an ill omen. His doctor-merchant friend told him that it's just one of the moon's eclipses, there is nothing to be worried about if one doesn't believe in superstitions. Thing is, at least seventy percent of Xianzhou people believe in supernatural fallacy, most of them do not dare to stroll out for the whole day in fear of bad luck.    So much for a technologically advanced civilization, still afraid of a natural satellite that only minds its own business.   He silently admires the red moon's beauty. Red – the color of fortune, passion and blood. Jing Yuan has always harbor a liking towards it. Aside from it compliments his platinum hair well, he's just naturally drawn to it. No matter where he goes, red is always there with him; in his bloodstream, on his head, in the battlefield…and in her eyes.   The General recalls a vivid image of a woman's face, her long, dark hair waves delicately along with the passing breeze. A spike of intense emotion surges as a pair of amber eyes glances at his direction, piercing deep into his soul. A mixture of awe, warmth, desire, love…obsession. How Jing Yuan wishes he can entwine his fingers on those silky strands, how he wants to touch her smooth cheeks and bring her closer to him. He knows that woman is dangerous, she's a criminal wanted by many organizations. But, red is also the color of danger, and he's naturally drawn to it. A hero falling for a villain, perhaps it's not the greatest love story. Like Romeo and Juliet, they could end up killing themselves just to be each other.   Then again, he isn't sure if he can use that tragedy play as an analogy. This feeling seems to be one-sided, the swordswoman doesn't look interested in him at the slightest. As much as he wants to pursue her, he knows that it's considered taboo to be involved with his enemy, especially a romantic relationship. His people will think of him as a traitor, not wanting to understand that he just wants to hold the criminal close and to love her – body and soul. Jing Yuan sighs and retracts his hand back, resuming his journey home.   He stops just before turning right towards the corridor where his room is. He senses something, or rather, someone is in there. An assailant? How polite of them to enter from the 'front door'. Jing Yuan leans against the wall and peeks out of the corner, his right hand crawls onto the sword hanging on the frame. Since the corridor is well illuminated, it doesn't take long for him to make out the intruder's silhouette.   Long dark hair, equally dark clothing and that curvy fig-...red ribbon along the coat's back.   "Ren?" Jing Yuan approaches the woman, "What brings you here–"   Before he can finish his question, his sharp ears catch the heavy breathing. Upon closer inspection, Blade's slouched body is heaving, is she in pain? Jing Yuan hastens his pace, two hands reaching out for the swordswoman.   "Ren, hey, are you o–"   Again, he's cut off as Blade suddenly turns around and reveals her flushed face. Her usually lackluster eyes are in daze and trembling, sweat covers her beautiful face as she struggles to stabilize her breathing. She glances at Jing Yuan and is about to say something, but all her mouth can do is open and close like a starving fish.   Clearly, she's not okay, Jing Yuan's heart races in worry and panic.   "Ren!" He catches her limp body just before she falls flat onto the wooden floor, he can feel how hot she is through the fabric. "I'll take you to–"   "No…need…" Blade replies…or rather, moans (Jing Yuan will be lying to himself if he denies that sounds hot and erotic ). "I just need…" her voice grows inaudible, but the platinum-haired man hears it clearly. He just…couldn't believe what he just heard.   "Ren," Jing Yuan cups her face with one hand, stroking her cheek with his thumb.   "Mmh… Your hands…are cool," the swordswoman touches his left hand, nuzzling onto it. "Touch me more, Jing Yuan…"   Goddamn! Jing Yuan mentally curses as uncertainty dawns upon him. On one side, he's relieved because his crush wants him, but on the other hand, he's confused at what just transpired. Blade is known for being reserved and cold even at the most desperate situation, her sword has mercilessly taken many lives for the sake of her mission. So, what could reduce the vigilant swordswoman into such a defenseless state?   Jing Yuan moves one hand onto Blade's shoulder and feels something grazing against  his palm. He flips his hand up, catching the sight of powdery substances coating his hand.   "What is this?" Could it be…   Blade doesn't reply and instead pulls Jing Yuan backwards, causing them both to stumble on each other. The General isn't given enough time to recall a piece of important intel as his hands land on either side of the woman's head so that his whole weight won't crush Blade, he has his eyes opened during the whole commotion. Jing Yuan literally freezes as he touches something…no, he's not just touching something .   Blade mewls, shaking her hips and a sudden electric current zaps his spine. He can't help but buck his hips, rubbing their groins together. His heart thunders as he feels the spreading wetness between them, his cheeks warm up as red spreads on his heating skin. They are going to do it…they are going to do IT, aren't they?! He's no stranger to sex, but it feels as if he's having his first time all over again. He can feel her soaking, clothed pussy twitches in delight, asking for more. Blade moans softly, yet Jing Yuan feels the quiet corridor makes it a little bit too loud. What if someone happens to pass by and hear them making out like animals? His reputation would be tarnished and so does Blade's, his thoughts are racing and his heartbeat grows even more chaotic that it's possible for his beating organ to break out of his ribs and bleed him to death. It's not so bad, to die while fucking his lustful, sex-dru–   His golden eyes snap open and he abruptly stops. Blade isn't conscious of what she's doing and she wants, meanwhile Jing Yuan is fully aware of the situation. Guilt shrouds his troubled heart, the General sits up, distancing himself from the swordswoman. Blade frowns and looks at him through her hazy eyes, wordlessly questioning why he stops.   It's precisely because he loves her that he doesn't want to wrong her. If he continues, what differs him from a rapist? Ren would hate him when she comes back to her senses and remembers everything, accusing him of taking advantage of her misfortune and leaving, never coming back. He rather have his love unrecognized by her rather than forever being on her bad side.   "No, this is wrong," Jing Yuan's fists tightens on his red pants. "Ren, you should rest in my room and–"   "You don't want me, Jing Yuan?"   The question, her voice…it sounds like she's…hurt. Jing Yuan lifts his face, only to be met by a puzzled look overlapping her aroused visage.   "Is it because…I'm ugly?" Blade asks. "Or, am I too old for you? Or perhaps, either my actions or my words have hurt you?"   None of them are true. To Jing Yuan, she is always lovely. When she was still his 'house captive', he learned so much about her.    Am I ugly? There is one time he accidentally saw her when she's bathing in his private hot spring. Her body is covered by scars and trauma, he clearly remembers one long scar that spans across her back. It must be a gruesome wound, judging from its width and the ridges. As a fellow warrior, Jing Yuan can imagine the pain she suffered and went through, it was amazing how she can survived that.   Or, am I too old for you? That is out of the question. Jing Yuan has bedded several women who are older than him, and Blade is no more senior than him in age. As much as a scandalous prospect it is, if his beloved Ren was forty years older than him, he still loves her (however, it is only for her alone. Towards others, he still has personal preference when it comes to age difference).   Or perhaps, either my actions or my words have hurt you? She acts cold and distant, but he knows how warm and caring Blade can be. She rarely laughs, but her smile is charming. She is a woman of few words, but she listens to him more than anyone else on Xianzhou ever did. Moreover, unlike those prostitutes he paid for the night, she listens not out of money and actually understand him. There are times Blade is annoyed at his antics, but never she hates him for his shenanigans. Sometimes, she shows her displeasure on his actions and words, she isn't afraid of saying it to his face; Blade can be brutally honest and her words are harsh, but it makes Jing Yuan find her more trustworthy than those scheming bastards in the Palace.   All in all, Jing Yuan truly loves her. And he doesn't want to hurt her.   …In truth, he doesn't want her to hate him. For a General known to descend in and out of many wars, bringing victory to the grand forces of Xianzhou Alliance for many years, a valiant soul whose name spreads throughout the lands as a legend…he's just another coward.   Jing Yuan cups her face, stroking her cheeks affectionately.   He doesn't know whether Blade will remember his words, still, he wants to confess. He has to pour his heart out before it starts eating him from the inside, destroying him and subsequently, them both.   "Ren, you are beautiful and kind," he says, "I don't care what others say about you, I love you all the same."   "But, I don't want to force you into this. I don't want to make a mistake…I…"   "I don't want to be hated by you."   The world can hate me for all I care, but being hated by you isn't something I'm ready to live and die with.   A pair of calloused hands pulls his face forward, a soft kiss presses on his lips. Jing Yuan's eyes blow wide, slowly, he succumbs as he opens his mouth, his tongue invading the other's wet crevice, kissing her languidly. Moans and sighs fill in between, his hands resting on her shoulders; her hands are his broad chest, feeling his beating heart.   They break the kiss due to their mutual need of air, their faces are painted in sacred red as if they are wearing wedding veils.   "Yuan…" she calls, voice low and heavy with a selfish desire that makes Jing Yuan shiver, " I want you ."   That is all it needs to break his resolve. Jing Yuan falls into the pit of no return without regrets.   …   The door behind them slams shut, followed by a loud click from the lock. Jing Yuan cradles his lover close, kissing her passionately. His left hand hoists Blade up, while his right hand begins to unbutton her long coat and undo the bandages wrapping her torso. The swordswoman entwines her legs around his waist, hugging him around his neck.   Blade is laid on the spacious bed, her hair spreads out like angel's halo. Or perhaps, the devil's, because devils seduce their victims and Blade looks ravishing.   Jing Yuan always knew her tits are big, there was one time back then when he somehow slipped on a banana peel and crashed onto the incoming woman. He landed on top of her, face in between the jiggly warm valleys and his ten fingers were twitching on the heavenly soft globes. Blade gave him six hard slaps, red bloomed on his cheeks for an entire day. His comrades and underlings didn't ask, and thankfully Sushang wasn't in the Luofu.   Setting the past aside, he ogles her breasts respectfully . They are soft, larger than his hands. There are some fading marks on the skin, but it doesn't demerit the beauty of her tits. Her nipples are puffy and as shy as their owner, hiding under the surface. Jing Yuan is so tempted to suck them out and play with her massive tits, and he's going to do exactly that soon.    He pecks her forehead, proceedingly traces a line of kisses down the left side of her face. His hand crawls up from her waist, tracing over the rough and smooth scars, his fingers tickle her nerves. The General kisses her neck and nibbles onto the exposed skin, his possessive teeth mark looms over the old wound there. At the same time, his hand gropes her left breast, massaging the soft mass, the tip of his digits caressing the shy nipple in circles. Blade whimpers, she shuts her eyes tight in delight. She doesn't know what to do, so she instead grips onto the bed sheets, baring herself open for her assaulting lover.   "Yu–Yuan…"   "Ren, you're so cute," Yuan chuckles against her neck, sending a pleasing vibration down her body. "I'm guessing this is your first time, isn't it? I'm so happy that I'm your first."   "Yuan…♡" Blade mewls, raising her chest towards Jing Yuan. It seems she's starting to ignore his words. It's understandable, but it doesn't matter. "More~ Play with my breasts more…"   "You're so honest today," Jing Yuan pinches her nipples and pulls them out of hiding, eliciting a loud moan from the horny woman on his bed. "You like that, don't you? Who knew you're down bad for a little bit of pain?"   The swordswoman yelps when Jing Yuan bites one of her sensitive buds, grazing his teeth on it. He keeps his eyes on Blade, watching as she closes her eyes and tearing up from intense pleasure. He opens his mouth and sucks her nipples hard. The sensation, it drives her crazy. Blade grabs onto his hair and pulls, sharp pain stings his scalp. Instead of pulling away, Jing Yuan opens his mouth wider and sucks harder, bobbing his head up and down.   "Yuan~! Yuaaaaa~n ♡!"   Something akin to liquid shoots to the back of his throat, it tastes sweet and creamy. A strange wetness begins to seep out of her other bud, smothering his finger. It takes Jing Yuan at least three seconds before he finally realizes what it is. He lets go of the nipple with a loud pop, licking the excess drops on the edges of his lips.   "Ren, I don't know you can lactate," Jing Yuan says with a pleasant surprise in his voice. His finger circles around the erect bud, milk gushes out when he presses it down. "My, you have such an erotic body, and you're so sexy like this."   "Yuan…"   The General fondles her breasts, chuckling as he watches spurts of milk leaks out of the reddened nipples. Blade whimpers, her legs kicking into the air due to overstimulation. She opens her mouth wide, tongue lolling out in invitation. Jing Yuan is more than happy to comply and kisses her with passion, he will never get tired of ravishing the woman's mouth. Blade moans into the kiss and raises her hips up, grinding against Jing Yuan's clothed erection. He groans back into the her throat. It feels so good, his nerves are on fire, fried by the waves of gratifying currents.   Blade whines when they break the kiss, their faces and bodies are flushed red from the blood rush. The air between them is hot, arousing the two. She extends her arms, looking hazily at the man hovering above her.   "Jing Yuan…" she calls.   "I got you," Jing Yuan discards his clothing, uncaringly throwing them to the floor. The sight of his broad chest and toned abdomen rouses the woman, evident from how she takes the intiative to hug the General's neck. Jing Yuan leans down and catches her, his left hand supports Blade on her back while his right hand caresses the curve of her waist. "I got you, my dear Ren."   "Mmh," Blade nuzzles into the crook of his neck, the scent of chrysanths filling her nostrils. It seeps deeper, marking her body, settling in her mind, heart and soul. "Love me, Yuan…"   "Yes, my love."   He grabs her full ass and squeezes, feeling how plump and soft it is. Blade keens, pressing her tits onto Jing Yuan's chest, she can feel Jing Yuan's excited heartbeat. He loves her, he loves me , the swordswoman trails a row of kisses on the general's shoulder, nibbling the skin teasingly before sinking down her fangs. Jing Yuan groans loudly as his lover's teeth descend deeper, enough to draw tiny beads of blood but it doesn't do any further bodily harm. His fingers play with her nipples again, coating them in her breast milk.   They are both possessive of each other, the thought makes his soul tremble. Finally, he finds someone who values him not as a soldier, neither as a general, nor a hero… Here, on this bed where they share their warmth and passion, he's just a mere human and so is the feared hunter in his arms. They are equals, treating each other the way no other does.   Jing Yuan spreads her thighs apart, Blade willingly complies.   "Ah~ Yuan…"   He caresses her pussy with his right hand, massaging her erect clit with the base of his palm. Blade moans unrestrained into the dimly lit room, uncaring if anyone hears them. As if, she wants the whole three realms to know that Jing Yuan is hers and she belongs to Jing Yuan – body and soul.   "I'll put a finger in. Tell me if it hurts."   Blade peeks through an open eye, the dusty crimson on her cheek deepens in color. "P-put it in, Yuan…Please…"   His dick twitches. "Aeons, Ren, you're going to be the death of me."   "I…I don't want you to die…Don't leave me alone, please, Jing Yuan…"   It's cute, his Ren is both horny and tearing up. The sight awakens something feral in him, like he wants to keep on bullying his woman. "I won't," the tip of his finger draws a circle around Blade's pussy, chuckling when he feels how her wet lips flutter. "If I die, your slutty pussy will be lonely, won't it?"   He keeps on circling her pussy, not making any attempt to put it in. Blade glares at him, but the tears pooling in her hazy amber eyes isn't convincing. "Yuan…"   "Say it, Ren," Jing Yuan's lips split into a grin. "Say that your wet, slutty pussy is lonely."   "M-my we-wet slutty pussy i-i-is lonely~" She's drooling from both her mouth and her cunt. Her impatience only drives her even crazier with lust. "Yuan, please! Please fuck my lonely pussy! I-I-I—!! Aaaahhh~♡♡♡ "   Jing Yuan pushes a full digit inside down to the knuckle, pulling out slightly and pushing it, setting a brutal finger-fucking pace. His eyes are glued on the expression Blade makes; the way she throws her head back, tongue lolls out as her saliva drenches down from the tips of her gaping mouth.   "Ah! Aaah! Haah–nggh~♡ Yuan… Yuaaaan~~!"   "Does your pussy feel good, princess? Look, your milk is so fresh it becomes an excellent lube. Haah …It's not so lonely anymore, is it?"   Jing Yuan inserts another digit in and quickens his already merciless pace. He knows she can take it, she will take it for him because she's such a good girl for him; he tells her that, whispering in that sweet, honeyed voice that Blade can't resist. Two fingers become three, the swordswoman bucks her back up, screaming in euphoria. Her sloppy cunt tightens from the gush of pleasure, Jing Yuan bites down his curse.   "S-shit! You're…so tight, Ren!" He laughs in a low, husky tone. "Is it good? Say it, princess~"   "It–! It's so gooohhh !?!" Blade hits a new height of carnal bliss when her oversensitive clit is assaulted while still getting finger-fucked. She digs her nails into Jing Yuan's back for her dear life, moaning and whimpering incoherent sentences that serves to inflate Jing Yuan's ego and libido. "M– mmmooo~hh~ ♡♡"   "H-huh?"   Blade struggles to form her words, but Jing Yuan quickly catches on. He debates with himself whether he should give in to the woman's…bizarre request. He wraps one hand around his own girth and is shocked by another revelation. Jing Yuan internally panics, since when I got this BIG?! No, more importantly, did she know?   He swallows hard and puts in five fingers at once, and Blade cums hard onto his digits with a lustful, satisfied scream. Her body spasms, totally wrecked from the mindbreaking pleasure of being stretched so wide. The searing pain, oh she's down real BAD for it. Jing Yuan strokes himself while waiting for Blade to come down from her climax, he's biting his own lip at the realization that his demigod powers awakens due to his horniness, resulting in his already big human cock to grow almost twice its size.    It's not going to fit in , he worries as he eyes Blade's gaping, slick-coated cunt. He recalls how the courtesans gawked at the sight of his human, non-demigod enhanced cock. Most of them settled with giving him a blowjob or titjob, some tried to take him in but they never got far. Jing Yuan used to be proud of his girth, but all those encounters over the years have diminished his confidence.   Blade opens her eyes upon sensing that Jing Yuan isn't moving, frowning at the man's abrupt silence. She glances down, looking at the general's big cock. Jing Yuan awkwardly laughs, scratching his cheek.   "Maybe…we can settle this with titjob, Ren?"   The swordswoman doesn't reply with words. Jing Yuan yelps when Blade pushes him flat onto the mattress, straddling on top of him. She grinds her pussy on Jing Yuan's aching cock, driving the man insane from the nerve-wrecking pleasure.   "Re–Ren! Aah…!"   "Yuan…" Blade calls his name, "Put it in me."   "B-but–"   "I can take it," she places a hand on Jing Yuan's broad torso, hoisting herself up. Blade holds onto his hard cock, giving it a few pumps before guiding it to her pussy. "I can take it for you, Yuan… I won't haaah …b-break…"   He's hanging onto the last thread.   "Please, Yuan…" Blade licks her upper lips seductively, "You promise you're going to… love me …"   The thread snaps. Jing Yuan grits his teeth and pushes his whole length inside in one thrust. The woman convulses from the sudden, raw penetration, her scream has lost its voice as Blade sees black stars exploding in her eyes, tears streaming down her flushed face. Jing Yuan grabs onto her waist and raises her until the head of his cock remains, only to plunge back in to the base and fucks into her brutally. He watches a visible bulge appearing and disappearing under her toned belly, Jing Yuan is fully sure that he's currently wrecking her womb. If he cums inside it, Blade will be sure to get knocked up, the thought of them starting a family and having babies after each brutal, raw sex reels his libido.    Blade is repeating incoherent words, her mind is too far gone from both the intensity of their sex and the pollen's effects. The General isn't sure what she is saying, but he can hear his name in between. As if she casted a witch's spell on him, he finds himself captivated, reduced to mere horny beast with pleasing his woman as his sole goal. He doesn't mind, if his dear Ren wants him to be a beast, then so he will be one for her.   Jing Yuan takes her hand and kisses its back, sucking on her digits vigorously as he keeps on slamming hard into her womb. The pain is too much, yet so does the pleasure, Blade's walls clenched and unclenched around his thick, hot cock. She's close, Jing Yuan can tell.   "I–I–I'm going to chuuum~~♡ "   "Me too," Jing Yuan pauses his rhythm only to turn her around on her knees, resuming his pounding. He gropes her jiggling tits, milking her dry, thrusting in and out without abandon. "Le-let's cum together, my dear– hah… Ren …"   "Yuan, Yuan, Yuan, Yuan, YUAAAAANNN~~~ !!!"   Her cunt clamps on his girth, wringing Jing Yuan's dick down to the last drop of his copious amount of cum. Her belly fattens up, the stretch from the fullness makes her sob. The General gives it another few thrusts before pulling out, he watches in awe as his semen leaks out of Blade's gaping pussy. The woman drops flat onto the bed, causing more of the thick white secretion spurts out of her hole.   Jing Yuan leans against the bedrest and glances up, his protesting lungs taking deep breaths. The sex is so intense that he thought he was going to die from it.   This should do it , he thinks to himself. The sex pollen's effect should–   His thoughts are interrupted when Blade gets up, slowly crawling her way towards him. Jing Yuan can't help but to ogle her abused nipples, they are still so hard and erected he isn't sure whether they can return to their previous state after this.   "Ren, wait here. I will fetch us some–"   "More…"   Jing Yuan's eyes shot wide in bewilderment. "H-huh?"   "Not enough~" Blade flashes him a prurient smile, her amber eyes darken in carnal desire. "I want more cum in my womb, Yuan…"   "Ren, wait-"   Blade pins him down onto the bed, Jing Yuan can't retaliate against her strength. The man panics, obviously, he's not yet ready for another round (or rounds) so soon.   "Make my womb fat with your baby batter, Love~ ♡"   Jing Yuan mewls like a bullied kitten, fearful of the looming danger that threatens his existence.   A scream can be heard from the chamber, followed by moans, whimpers and begging for mercy until the dawn approaches.   …   It is already late noon when she wakes up from her slumber. Blade groans at the soreness throughout her body, especially that strange buzzing itch on her crotch. She looks down, eyeing her naked, marred body fully of hand, teeth and kiss marks. She slowly turns her head to the side, catching the sight of her unconscious mortal enemy with the same condition as her.   Blade fumes in embarrassment and is about to kill the sleeping man, but she remembers that it was on her that they are in this situation. She tries to sit up, winching at the uncomfortable fullness in her belly.   I-it's still inside… Blade gulps, caressing her round stomach. Jing Yuan's come is filling my womb…   She contemplates whether she should leave now without apologizing and bidding him farewell. It is rude, but she's too ashamed to face him after all the things transpired between them. Jing Yuan deserves someone better, not some criminal that he's supposed to detain but instead involuntarily knocks her up. Maybe, she should leave a letter behind and get away as soon as possible.   "Morning, Ren."   An arm slitters around her waist, pressing down her bulging stomach slightly. Blade jolts out of her stupor, glaring at the white-haired man. Jing Yuan smiles at her, as kind and as warm as he always has been. It makes her sick; no, she's not sick of him, but of herself.   "Jing Yuan, I'm…I'm sorry."   Jing Yuan is silent for a moment then shakes his head. "Nah, don't be. It's not your fault."   "But, I–"   "If there's someone who should be blamed, it should be me, really," the General sits up and embraces his perplexed, distraught love. "I wasn't there to protect you. I'm sorry, Ren."   Blade raises her hands and hugs the man back, resting her face on his shoulder. "Realistically speaking, you can't be there. You're never in the wrong, Jing Yuan."   "You're right," he strokes her head lovingly, catching the lingering scent of flowers and sex on his… lover 's body. After all that has happened, he can think of her as one, can't he? "Perhaps, rather than keep on blaming ourselves for this…whole situation, maybe we should do something about your…"   Blade slaps his hand in reflex when he touches her stomach, Jing Yuan chuckles playfully at the gesture. She must be embarrassed as hell, but he can see her determination to solve the trouble they have started.   "Le–Let's just see in another two weeks, shall we?"   Jing Yuan pecks her plump lips in a chaste kiss. He locks his eyes into hers, staring lovingly. "Of course, my Princess."   …   Fourteen mornings later, the Stellaron Hunters receive a call.   "Greetings. I assume I am talking with the Leader. I am Jing Yuan of the Xianzhou Alliance."   "Ah, what allows us to be graced a call from the famous hero himself?" Elio replies.   "It's…about Ren."   Elio straightens his back in cautioun. "Yes, I heard she went to Xianzhou two weeks ago and has been missing since. So, I assumed you found her?"   "Yes."   "May I be so bold to say you're asking for a ransom? My, I don't know General Jing has fallen so low."   "Oh, no, no, I would never!" Jing Yuan laughs heartily into the receiver. "But, there's a more pressing matter you should ready yourself for if you care about her."   "...I assume this is about her–"   "Please don't think so negatively, Leader of the Hunters!" Jing Yuan quickly cuts in. "She's well and all, it's just…"   "...Just?"   "I…"   Elio slams his table so hard that it startled Silver Wolf awake from her nap. "YOU KNOCKED MY PRECIOUS MEMBER UP?!"   Kafka breaks into a hysterical laughter, earning her bloodshot glare from her boss. She strides behind the man and inches in towards the phone. "Looks like we are going to have a grand wedding party aren't we, General? Are we invited as VVIP?"   "Of course! You all are our honored guests."   Elio sighs in resignation. He doesn't even fight back when Kafka snatches his phone and continues to converse with the General on the other line of the call.   "Hey, Ren, if you can hear me, take good care of your baby and yourself, okay? Auntie Kafka and auntie Silver Wolf can't wait to play with little cutie."   "...Yes. Thank you, Kafka."   "General, be sure to take good care of her and your baby," she lowers her voice by a notch. "Or else, I will kill you."   "I will be yours to take care of when that happens, hunter."   The phone call ends. Kafka glances outside the window, the sky is clear and the summer's sun shines dazzlingly. It's a good day for some refreshing desserts.   Fate is always unpredictable, it's just another usual day for the already bizarre criminal organization.   [The End…]

Bronya and Seele play Roblox

['HareHunter']

General Audiences

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Bronya/Seele (Honkai: Star Rail)

Bronya (Honkai: Star Rail), Seele (Honkai: Star Rail), Cocolia (Honkai: Star Rail)

YouTube, Useless Lesbians, Laughter

English

2022-07-27

Completed

2022-07-27

320

1/1

2

46

820

['hyewonscake', 'GrassBox', 'ErodiumsMnemic', 'RichardPham', 'arlwf', 'lostmylooneys', 'qlanedt', 'moongrxce', 'Hutaoismylife', 'DaddyLeg', 'iloveolderwomannnnnn', 'imbibitortunae', 'Mischievous_unknown', 'spookyaxel', 'thundor', 'liliesanddandelions_217', 'Kotofeila', 'V0LC4N1C', 'Schelban228', 'MiaMiYkb', 'LazyKatie', 'Dogstar9069', 'ElysianVoid', 'Seeles_Omega']

[]

Bronya gasped into her Microphone making sure to breath violently for hee vtuber simps.    Seele glared deadpan at the camera.   They wre going to play ROBLKX together. 💖💖   As the most popular ship in the Belobog vtuber community, Bronya and Seele were very very good at what they did.    "Hi guys!!! 👋 welcome 🙏 back to my channel! I'm bronya 🤗. I love ❤️ this game 🎮. Phantom 👻 forces! It's a shooter game! Hope we don't get stream sniped" bronya smiled into the camera.   Seele glared as they played ROBLOX.    Suddsnlg.Suddenly. 😭😭IT WAS HER "NOTHAXXORBUNY42ZERO"    "Bro wtf she's sniping me over and over," Bronya said. "SHES HACKINF UGH LETS LEAVE!!!" BRONYA GROWLED.   they joined adopt me.   "Bro they made a game about you!!" Seele said.   "No????" Bronya said.   "Sorry…" seele said.   "It's okay mate. I'm doing quite scrumdiddlyumptiously well, love," Bronya said.   "R u good?" Seele asked.   "AORRY IT HAPPENS WHEN I DRINK TOO MUC WATER," BRONYA SCREAMED.   "What do they put in your fucking water, Babygirl?" Seele said.   Bronya melted into a blush. "STOP CALLIMG ME THAT MY MOM IS WATCHING," Bronya sobbed.   In the live chat it said "hee hee hoo hoo" -Cocolia Rand   Bronya's character died in adopt me… IT WAS HWR. IT WAS HERRR. NOTHAXXORBUNNY42_ZERO.   Seele and Bronya sobbed. "WHY ARE YOU DOINF TGIS?" Bronya sobbed.   "Bronseele," Silver Wolf said….   "BRONSEELE 🤯" SEELE SCREAMED.   Bronya dove out of her chair and rolled  ack standing back up and pointing at the camera. "NO. NO NO!"    Seele stared deadpan at the screen. "B-bromya x seewe…. BRONYA K HAVE TO CONFESS'   "Bro ur mom is watching. Like natasha." Bronya   "BRONYA I DONT HAB ETO CONFESS."    "Seelez I have to tell u that i-i- i- I TGINK WE SHOULD BUY A PRIVATE SERVER.c   "So ture," seele said. She bought it in robust.   They played adopt me in peace from now on 🙏🙏 UNTIL…….. GASP. They actually dated bc they were actually gay good for them 🤧🤧

cat scratch fever

['LazyKatie']

Explicit

F/F

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Serval Landau/Cocolia Rand

Cocolia Rand, Serval Landau

BDSM, Bondage, Blindfolds, Spanking, Wax Play, Strap-Ons, Vaginal Fingering, Lesbian Sex, Gags, cocolia gets star railed

English

2022-07-26

Completed

2022-07-26

2,965

1/1

9

174

11

4,448

['ErodiumsMnemic', 'AnakKecil', 'Sifer31', 'RichardPham', 'Miraee', 'andrcmeda', 'CoffeeWings', 'arayamjpg', 'petras', 'Jsksksldh', 'C3c1lia', 'Astraeus_the_rey_of_moonlight', 'Helbsal', 'LadyFuXuan', 'itschaoticdude', 'fireextinguishere', 'Luxy', 'Dangalf', 'Mishux', 'Blahblahblah', 'eisbigraidlck', 'Kogash1', 'kokosaras_pet_racoon', 'kokonuts', 'Kylenza', 'MagnustheRed', 'Skye1376', 'Whinnie', 'jadeomni', 'Ammyschl', 'elementalstatic', 'AfternoonPancakes', 'Classroomchaos', 'Ajaxoquaza', 'ogcshogun', 'Box_stick', 'Schelban228', 'Mischievous_unknown', 'Nyscgo', 'Applebingus', 'sy_jrz7642', 'topajade', 'Starnight_Canyion', 'chocochocopie', 'King_Kazana', 'Iam_Enki', 'Lavender_Raven', 'Draco_Voice', 'tasmaniandevil4', 'najkoli']

[]

“Mmmm, you sure know how to make a good breakfast, Cocolia,” Serval said, taking a sip of her coffee. It had been a few weeks since Cocolia had moved in, and Cocolia had gotten into the habit of cooking breakfast for the two of them every morning. It was nice, living with Serval now, and getting to spend time with her every single day. Between their new relationship and now living together, the two of them had become closer than ever. Despite this, there was a topic she’d been meaning to broach with Serval for a while now, but hadn’t managed to yet. That was about to change. “Do you want to tie me up and ravish me?” Serval spat out her drink. “Where did this come from?” Cocolia blushed. “Sorry. Do you remember that night when we first made up, when you had me strip so you could look at my injuries, and you threatened to tie me up if I didn’t hold still? Well, I was thinking about it, and I realized I’d like to try it.” “Well…” Serval said, getting up from her seat and sitting in Cocolia’s lap. Cocolia’s breath caught as Serval took her wrists and used one hand to hold them behind her chair back while the other took hold of her chin. “I’d be happy to indulge…” Serval leaned in and kissed her on the mouth. Cocolia moaned against her lips, putting up a feeble token struggle against Serval’s grip on her wrists, imagining how it would feel with actual rope holding them together. Just as Cocolia was really getting into it though, Serval suddenly pulled away. “First things first though, we’ll need to get the equipment for it. Let’s hit up the sex shop later. I’ll tell Molly to run the workshop by herself today. I’m sure she can handle it, she’s been a huge help ever since she became my assistant.” “I refuse to be seen shopping at a sex shop,” Cocolia huffed, crossing her arms. “Oh come on, don’t be like that, I’m buying this stuff to put on you, I need you to be there to pick it out. Besides, I don’t think the disgraced former Supreme Guardian who abandoned the Underworld and allied with the Stellaron has any room to still be concerned about her reputation.” “Ugh, fine,” Cocolia grumbled. “I have to say, I never expected to see the former Supreme Guardian come here of all places,” the woman at the register remarked as Cocolia and Serval entered the sex shop. “She dragged me here,” a blushing Cocolia insisted. “You’re the one who suggested trying bondage in the first place,” Serval pointed out. “Oh really? Who would’ve guessed former Supreme Guardian Cocolia is into that stuff…” “Let’s just get shopping,” Cocolia said, blushing even harder, dragging Serval away from the front and deeper into the store. It didn’t take them long to find the bondage section. The two of them looked over the display covered in bondage paraphernalia such as ropes, cuffs, gags, collars, leashes, and the like. “So what do you think, Cocolia? See anything you want?” Cocolia’s face burned. “Can’t you just pick out whatever you’d like to use on me?” “I can, but I wanna see you pick what you want to have used on you too. It’s important to communicate our boundaries and desires for stuff like this.” Cocolia sighed and walked closer to the merchandise, her face still burning, before grabbing a black ball gag, a few coils of red rope, and some leather cuffs. “I want these.” “See, was that so hard? They’re gonna look great on you.” Serval gave the display another once over. “Are you okay with blindfolds?” Cocolia nodded. “Great!” Serval grabbed one. “I think that’s enough for today, we can always come back and buy more stuff later.” “Let’s go then,” Cocolia said, turning to leave, before Serval suddenly hugged her from behind. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a predatory expression on Serval’s face. “I’m really looking forward to this.” Serval pushed Cocolia onto the bed. She straddled Cocolia’s naked body, grabbing her wrists and holding them above her head, before leaning in to whisper in her ear. “Don’t forget, if you ever want this to stop, just snap your fingers three times,” Serval reminded her, briefly dropping the assertive dom act. They’d had an extensive discussion of each other’s interests and boundaries earlier where they’d decided on that as a signal for play to stop. “I know, now tie me up already,” Cocolia huffed. “So impatient. What a naughty girl you are, Cocolia, I think I’ll have to punish you for that,” Serval said, getting back into the act. “But first…” Serval got up and grabbed the rope. “Hands behind your back.” Cocolia did as instructed, and Serval brushed her hair, which had been let down, to the side so it wouldn’t get in the way of her tying her arms. Serval got to work, binding her wrists and arms in an intricate web of rope that she connected to her torso with loops of rope above and below the breasts. Next, Serval took a few more lengths of rope and spread Cocolia’s legs apart, tying each thigh to its corresponding calf, leaving her frogtied. “Beautiful…” Serval said, admiring her ropework. “Next…” Serval grabbed the blindfold and slipped it over Cocolia’s eyes, leaving her in darkness. Not being able to see what Serval would do next sent a certain thrill down Cocolia’s spine that she couldn’t describe. “All right, now open wide.” Cocolia obeyed, and to her surprise, Serval spit into her mouth first, before putting in the ball gag, buckling it at the back of her head. Robbed of her sight, voice, and movement, Cocolia would have to rely on her senses of touch, sound, and smell to figure out what Serval would be doing next. “All right, now that you’re all trussed up, it’s time for your punishment,” Serval said. Cocolia felt herself get pulled over Serval’s lap, ass up, and she had a feeling what was coming next. Sure enough, mere seconds later, she felt a hand come down on her rear, hard. It wasn’t long before it came back down again, and it was clear Serval wouldn’t be letting up any time soon. As Cocolia moaned into the gag with each strike, she felt herself beginning to drool uncontrollably, and could only imagine the wet spot she must be leaving on the sheets with it. Every strike from Serval sent a wave of pain and pleasure through Cocolia’s body, and she couldn’t help but think how she deserved this. The punishment may have just been part of their role play, but still, there were things Cocolia had done that she felt she deserved to be punished for, and maybe this could help her assuage some of that guilt. One thing she was certain of though, was that sitting was going to hurt for a while after this. Eventually, Serval stopped spanking her, and Cocolia could only imagine how red her rear must be, given how sore it felt. Serval sat her back up, and Cocolia got to feel just how bad sitting was going to hurt for her for a while. At least the bed was cushioned. “Hmmm, I don’t think that’s enough punishment yet. What do you think, whore?” Cocolia tried to say that she didn’t think it was either, but with the gag in her mouth it just came out a garbled mess, and she found an even larger stream of drool coming out of her mouth, dripping down her chin and slowly making its way down her torso. “What was that?” Serval took Cocolia’s chin in her hand as she said this, and the playfulness in her voice left Cocolia to imagine the smirk that must be on her face right now. Despite knowing it was futile, Cocolia again tried to respond, only for it to come out muffled and incomprehensible, and Serval laughed, holding Cocolia’s cheek with one hand, her face so close that Cocolia could feel her breath on her. “It’s so cute how you’re actually trying to talk to me, even with that gag in your mouth.” Next thing Cocolia knew, Serval was pinching her nostrils closed with one hand, and Cocolia suddenly found it a lot harder to breathe. It lasted a few agonizing seconds, during which Cocolia writhed in her bonds and grunted as much as she was able, desperate for Serval to free her from this torment, before Serval did, releasing her nose and allowing her to breathe again, though not without laughing at Cocolia’s reaction. “You’re so cute, Cocolia.” Serval’s breath was hot against her ear, and Cocolia felt her cup her sore ass with one hand and her right breast with the other, letting out a small moan when she squeezed them. “I think I might keep you like this forever, I like you better like this.” Cocolia made a noise of protest, earning a giggle from Serval, though they both knew it was an empty threat, and Cocolia could end this at any time she wished just by snapping her fingers. “Wait here, I need to go grab some things for the next part of your punishment.” Serval told her, and Cocolia felt her hands leave her body and heard her get up and walk away. When the sound of her footsteps came back, they were accompanied by the smell of a burning scented candle, and Cocolia had an idea of what the next part of her punishment was going to involve. “Are you ready, Cocolia?” After Cocolia nodded, Serval pushed her onto her back. Cocolia screamed into her gag when the first drop of wax fell onto her sternum. The spanking had nothing on the pain of the burning hot wax, and just as she was starting to recover, another drop fell, this time onto her breast. And then another one fell right after that, and Cocolia was left squirming in her bonds as the pain coursed through her skin. When the next drop fell onto her upper abdomen, it was clear Serval was making her way down her torso. Rather than spacing them out, Serval let the next few drops fall in quick succession, dotting Cocolia’s stomach with a color she couldn’t see and making her squirm even harder, the ropes digging into her skin. Several more drops fell in quick succession, this time landing just above her vulva, and Cocolia was left absolutely thrashing in her bonds, a muffled wail exiting her mouth, before at last, it seemed Serval had had her fill. “All right, I think that’s enough of that.” Cocolia heard the sound of the candle being placed on the bedside table, and not long after, she felt a couple of Serval’s fingers briefly probe inside her, her hand cupping her vulva, before pulling away. “Oh my, you’re so wet. You masochistic little whore, you’re getting off to this huh?” Cocolia found herself blushing and looking off to the side, well, as much as one could look with a blindfold covering their eyes. “I bet you want me to get you off now, right?” Cocolia nodded fervently. “Well, I won’t be doing that quite yet, but I’ll at least kiss you better after that rough treatment I just gave you first…” Cocolia soon felt the soft pressure of Serval’s lips against her neck, a pleasant feeling that caused a soft moan to escape Cocolia’s mouth. Serval soon kissed her again, but this time, it was much rougher, with a force Cocolia was sure would leave a hickey, and yet it still earned a pleased moan from Cocolia all the same. “This way everyone will know you’re mine.” Serval kissed her way down Cocolia’s neck and along her collarbone, and Cocolia had to wonder just how many hickeys she was going to end up with. When Serval got to her shoulder though, she did something Cocolia wasn’t expecting. She bit her. Hard. Cocolia grunted into her gag loudly, and from the sting in her shoulder she was pretty sure Serval had broken the skin and drawn blood too. Serval didn’t stop there though, she continued to kiss and bit along Cocolia’s chest area until she got to her breasts. “Your breasts are so beautiful, Cocolia… I’ve always admired them.” After saying this, Serval dove in and kissed along Cocolia’s left breast, groping her right one with her left hand. She soon reached the nipples, which she took into her mouth and bit a little, though not hard enough to draw blood thankfully, before sucking on it and swirling her tongue around this. As she did this, her left hand pinched Cocolia’s right nipple between her fingers and started rubbing it. It was all very arousing, and Cocolia couldn’t help but buck her hips as she moaned in pleasure. Not content with just marking her breasts and chest area, Serval then moved down to her stomach and started kissing, sucking, and biting her way along that too, and Cocolia couldn’t help but wonder what the marks Serval was leaving looked like. She would find out when they were finished, she supposed. When Serval reached the bottom, she left a kiss on Cocolia’s clit that had her grinding against Serval’s face desperate for release. Ever the tease though, Serval simply pulled away in response. “You look so good like this,” Serval said, and from the tone of her voice Cocolia could tell she was looking over and admiring her. “All tied up, gagged, blindfolded, covered in candle wax, bruises, bite marks and hickeys… It’s perfect.” Cocolia felt her face heat up. “Here, let me reward you for being such a perfect little sub…” Suddenly, Serval’s fingers were back in her, and Cocolia moaned. Serval was a master of fingering, her thumb expertly running circles around Cocolia’s clit as her middle and index fingers ran circles around her g-spot. Cocolia knew it wouldn’t be long before she came, yet just as she was on the brink of orgasm, Serval’s fingers suddenly withdrew. Cocolia groaned in complaint. “Hmm? What’s that?” Cocolia let out a plea for Serval to get her off, but it of course came out muffled and unintelligible. “I’m afraid I couldn’t make that out. Speak up!” Cocolia pleaded as loud as she could, squirming in her bonds in desperation. “Sorry, but I can’t understand you.” Cocolia could practically hear the shit-eating grin she must have had on her face, and she groaned in frustration. Serval’s teasing was so cruel. Suddenly, she felt Serval come up behind her, cupping her breasts in her hands, Serval’s own naked breasts pressing up against her bound arms. “You’re so cute like this, Cocolia. I can’t help but want to tease you~” Serval squeezed her breasts, and Cocolia moaned, nuzzling her head against what she was pretty sure was Serval’s neck. Serval continued to fondle her breasts more, nibbling on her earlobe too, before snaking her hand down until it reached her vulva. “You really want to cum right now, huh?” Cocolia nodded. “Give me a sec.” Suddenly Cocolia was no longer in Serval’s embrace, and she was left to wait to find out what Serval was planning next. She could hear the sounds of something, but it wasn’t until she felt the tip of the dildo press against her entrance that she realized Serval had put on a strap-on. “You ready?” Cocolia nodded, and next thing she knew, Serval was thrusting into her aggressively, giving her no room to catch her breath. The thickness of a dildo combined with the aggressive onslaught of thrusts from Serval and the fact that she’d already been on edge meant that it didn’t take long for her to hit orgasm, and Serval thankfully didn’t pull out this time. Once the orgasm subsided though, Serval was suddenly thrusting into her yet again, bringing her to a second orgasm before long. Serval clearly wasn’t content with just two though, and she once again got back to thrusting, bringing her to yet another orgasm. “All right, I think that’s enough for now,” Serval said as Cocolia’s orgasm subsided and she began to catch her breath. The sudden sounds of a phone camera flashing earned an inquisitive grunt from Cocolia, prompting a response from Serval. “Sorry, you just looked so cute I couldn’t help but take a picture. Don’t worry though, I won’t show it to anyone, it’s for my personal use only. Is that alright with you? I can delete it if you want.” Serval took out the ball gag so she could respond, holding a much-appreciated glass of water up to her lips as soon as it was out. Once Cocolia had drunk her fill, she responded. “Can I see it?” “Of course. Here, let me get that blindfold off of you.” As soon as it was removed, Serval snuggled up to Cocolia, putting an arm around her shoulders and using her free hand to hold her phone up to Cocolia’s face so she could see the picture. Cocolia could feel her face heat up at the sight of herself in such a degrading state. “Do you mean it when you say you won’t show anyone else?” “I promise I won’t.” “All right, I’ll let you keep it then.” “Thanks, babe. Now let’s get these ropes off you.” Once the ropes were off, Serval got to work on treating the rope and bite marks she had left. “So did you have fun?” Serval asked her as she cleaned the bite mark she’d left on her soldier with rubbing alcohol. Cocolia grit her teeth at the sting, but still managed to give an answer. “Yes. Yes I did.”

Cocolia and Serval are being useless lesbains for longer than needed

['HareHunter']

Teen And Up Audiences

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Cocolia/Serval Landau

Bronya (Honkai: Star Rail), Seele (Honkai: Star Rail), Cocolia (Honkai: Star Rail), Serval Landau, Gepard Landau

What Have I Done, I'm Sorry, Okay Ending, Useless Lesbians, Time Skips, Hate Crimes

English

2022-07-24

Completed

2022-07-24

390

1/1

7

45

4

654

['irisgf', 'ErodiumsMnemic', 'glitchy241', 'RichardPham', 'anemoon', 'UnknownAshie', 'moongrxce', 'iloveolderwomannnnnn', 'dachuas', 'kokosaras_pet_racoon', 'Yui_samidare', 'TaintedPrince', 'Mischievous_unknown', 'Draco_Voice', 'thundor', 'topajade', 'Callym', 'raining_101', 'Ninjet', 'Kotofeila', 'V0LC4N1C', 'duskcloud', 'Dogstar9069', 'ElysianVoid', 'LazyKatie', 'Seeles_Omega']

[]

"Mom, what are you doing?" Bronya sighed. "It's midnight. I can only hear the distant vibrations of a discord mod speaking to her discord kitten and it's scaring me."   "Silence, peasant. For mother is speaking to her discord kitten in 4k ultra HD video via DISCORD NITRO," Cocolia barked.    Bronya rolled her eyes. "Mom, just get to bed soon," said Bronya.   "I AM AN ADULT DOING ADULT SPEAKING, favorite child!!!" Cocolia shouted.   "I'm an adult too. But I'm assuming that's Serval," Bronya replied.    "Uhh her name is kitten serval 🤨🤨???" Cocolia said. "That's what her discord tag is btw!!!"    "Oh my god, please be normal," Bronya stated. "Weren't you two literally normal last week when we got froyo as a family 😭😭??"    "Just ignore her kitten," Cocolia said. She held her phone stroking her camera with her phone like you would a cat.   "Wow so true," Serval remarked. "Purr purr." Serval was just saying purr. Not doing onomatopoeia. She's just verbally speaking that word.    "Yes, you are a very fluffy cat girl in 4k ultra HD high quality resolution, 100 mb limit to media uploading, custom use anywhere emojis, and gif profile photos," Cocolia stated.    "Yay, I love being a kitten on discord!!!!!!!!" Serval shouted.    "Yws kitten ofc now lets get on bed wars and for the next 6 hours!!" Cocolia said.   ~~~   "Okg thanks for getting me to level 800 on hypixel, discord mod cocolia, heart emoji," serval said. She sighed. "Gepard is saying to sleep. Night, Cocolia!" Serval said, logging out.    Cocolia smiled. "I'll sleep now, Bronya," she stated, looking up at Bronya.   Bronya looked somewhat traumatizing. "D-d-did… DID YOU CALL MY STEP MOM KITTEN?" She cried.    Cocolia shrugged. "I mean yeah," she said.   "Just move in together, I don't want to see this ever again," Bronya stated.    "Sup. I couldnt find the fridge," seele said, appearing at the door next to bronya. Root beer in hand she looked at Bronya. "Bro, what happened you look like you just endured the horrors of this world lmfao."   "I did!" Bronya said. She looked at seele. "Never say kitten around me or I will–"   "Oh my kitten is cominf i willl greet her st the door," Cocolia said.   Bronya's head moved with the sound effect of stone moving slowly. "....................HAVE I MADE IT WORSE?!?!?!?"   "Ya" cocolia said running past them hugging her phone.

Sleepy comfort

['moonlight_flamscion']

General Audiences

F/M

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Danheng/March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail)

Danheng (Honkai: Star Rail), March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail)

Fluff, Sleepy Cuddles, Nightmares, Hurt/Comfort, Kinda, maybe too fluffy, no plot just soft, Short One Shot, No beta we die like my time when hsr releases, Established Relationship

English

2022-07-22

Completed

2022-07-22

620

1/1

10

223

12

2,839

['Sirius_Liv', 'Demnlex', 'Gentlewriter58', 'sunisalsoaflower', 'Lisa_Libao', 'LanJingyibest', 'Sand_A_Man', 'A_Wild_Potato', 'ZephyrWasHere', 'Dear_Yolaine', 'wishtobefictional', 'wlfglxy', 'Hellie_shie', 'Enby_Sif', 'mauliya', 'kasrip', 'greenmaple', 'Aubreyx0x', 'nishaaaahhhh', 'rxyz01_nx', 'bella_donna418', 'Mushaaa', 'JustKazuha', 'PRLORS', 'satircallyhere', 'Kallan123', 'MiYukie_7', 'qdqm', 'DarlingStitches', 'ImaBtch', 'Phaeye', 'AizuAizu', 'Emerald258', 'SakuraYumeka', 'jmayworks', 'PichuTer', 'xDaizy', 'CattusFeroxx', 'scaratmouse', 'vbsfan', 'Coneko_578', 'featherykiss', 'Togape', 'Banahaha', 'Lxgan_23', 'trixiyahoo', 'RakanMain', 'MihikoAnim', 'letsmade', 'Salty_p1geon']

[]

March 7th was laying in her bed, she was sleeping peacefully until she got waken up by a warm hug that was perhaps a little bit too tight. She let her eyes adjust to the darkness of the room and looked at who was holding onto her so tightly it felt like the world would end if they let go. Unsurprisingly, it was her boyfriend Dan Heng. What did worry her was exactly the fact Dan Heng was holding her while he slept. Dan Heng never really slept, even less held onto her while doing so. If anything, she was the one always snuggling up on him during the night. The rare occasions where he did cling onto her were the nights where he was having a nightmare so naturally the pink hair girl would worry for her lover. She pushed him softly so he wouldn’t wake up but enough to shift him a little so she doesn’t choke from the hug. March looked at Dan Heng’s face, it was mostly neutral as it often was but she could tell from the subtle expression shifts that he was most likely having a bad dream. Her hand ran through her boyfriend’s messy hair in order to comfort him, it didn’t seem to have much effect so she placed a kiss on his forehead. That seemed to appease him a little. March 7th smiled seeing how it subconsciously calmed him. She kept caressing Dan Heng’s hair for a while before she needed to get some water. After arranging the blankets in the bed to cover up Dan Heng more, she sat up. March was about to stand up when she suddenly felt a hand grip onto her shirt. “Don’t go” Dan Heng whispered those two words in such a way it seemed as if it was the last time he could ever see her. March turned back to face her lover, when did he wake up? The girl stayed still for a while, she decided it would be best to not ask him questions right now assuming his nightmare woke him up. She reached for the boy’s hand and held it. “I’m here, don’t worry” The reassurance got to Dan Heng since he immediately hugged his girlfriend. March 7th knew this was a “thank you”. Dan Heng’s breathing became steadier, March took the opportunity to ask him if he wanted to go back to sleep. He nodded but said he couldn’t fall asleep now. March could understand, it was already near impossible to fall asleep due to his insomnia and a nightmare never really helped anyone. She wondered how bad the nightmare could be to shake the mind of someone as strong as Dan Heng. In times like these, all she wanted was to make him feel safe, like he always did for her. March suddenly remembered music could help her sleep when she was restless so maybe she can try that for Dan Heng? Unfortunately, her phone was charging in the living room that night and she couldn’t just leave Dan Heng alone right now. She started thinking for a solution. The only thing she could think of would be for her to sing him a lullaby but she isn’t much of a singer. It’s not like she had much of an option and she did want to help Dan Heng, so she started humming a tune. After a few minutes, she checked on Dan Heng. “Hey, you still awake?” No response. March smiled, “i guess it worked”, she thought. He fell asleep while hugging her. March didn’t think something like this would ever happen, she’s usually the one to sleep when hugging him. But she didn’t complain, he was adorable.

Catching the stars

['moonlight_flamscion']

General Audiences

F/M

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Danheng/March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail)

Danheng (Honkai: Star Rail), March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail)

Fluff, Pining, only fluff and pining, Dan Heng is insomniac agenda, Stargazing, Danmarch nation i gotchu

English

2022-07-20

Completed

2022-07-20

871

1/1

10

162

9

1,508

['Demnlex', 'Gentlewriter58', 'sunisalsoaflower', 'Lisa_Libao', 'Robopixiebot', 'Sand_A_Man', 'TimeTravler777master', 'Enby_Sif', 'wishtobefictional', 'PositivelyPachi', 'wlfglxy', 'cxzhii', 'postfixrevolution', 'mauliya', 'MysteriousMagic', 'greenmaple', 'Aubreyx0x', 'nishaaaahhhh', 'nics_png', 'JustKazuha', 'bella_donna418', 'BardicWantings', 'MaMiMu', 'Kallan123', 'MiYukie_7', 'Romantinide', 'qdqm', 'traumaticfanficwriter', 'Emerald258', 'SakuraYumeka', 'DespicablyCharming', 'WhiffleWaffles', 'CattusFeroxx', 'Coneko_578', 'featherykiss', 'baekbunny19', 'RakanMain', 'letsmade', 'Salty_p1geon', 'BaalsBoobieBlade', 'ShiftHaze', 'spookyue', 'MyBreakfast', 'Ellaiyen', 'teachailattes', 'becomingpotato', 'Corin', 'Larradz', 'pescadoz', 'ShiryuuHaruna']

[]

Every day is a cycle, dawn breaks only to return to dusk. The stars appear but disappear once again after the night ends. There never really was a reason for Dan heng to care much for the night. The constellations in the sky never interested him. He never had a reason to care for them either way. During sleepless nights, which let’s be real was most nights, he would rather go on patrol. Just in case an enemy suddenly tried to attack the astral crew. That said, one starry-eyed girl kept asking him if he wanted to stargaze with her. He always replied that he was “busy” or that she should go back to sleep so she would have energy in the morning. Even so, she kept asking every day. It’s not that he didn’t want to, he was just more preoccupied with keeping everyone safe…yeah let’s go with that. Although on one night, he decided to take a stroll around the area. He somehow felt bored at just standing there. As he walked he noticed a certain pink hair girl sitting down next to a tree. “March 7th..?”, he asked as he got closer. The girl smiled at him and tapped the area besides her. “Wanna sit down with me?”, she said with a smile. Dan Heng took the offer and got besides her. “The stars look pretty tonight huh?”, March’s voice was barely above a whisper. How unusual for the loud and energetic girl she often is, thought Dan Heng. Although…He didn’t mind seeing this side of March. He rearranged his messy black hair as he started pondering on how exactly how he should reply. “I never really payed much attention to them.” “Whaa really?” March looked at him with a slightly shocked expression. “We gotta change that today then!”, she said smiling at him. Something about her smile in this moment felt special. This smile was directed at him, and she looked pretty now that he had a chance to directly look at her. Dan Heng suddenly shifts his head away from March, what was he doing? He’s probably just sleepy..yeah that’s right… After a minute or two, March spoke again. “Over there we have the Ophiuschus constellation…ad least I think so-“ The boy’s attention returned to March. She was pointing up to a group of stars. “How do you know for sure if it is?”, questioned Dan Heng. “Well I took a photograph of it once and the star of antares helped me locate it i dunno how to explain really..” “…Do you stargaze often?” March looked back at Dan Heng and nodded “The stars are so pretty I love taking pictures of them!”. She raised one of her arms up to the sky, opening her hand as if she were about to grab onto something. “I’d like to hold a star in my hand one day, it’s silly i know—“   “I’d catch the stars for you” He instantly regretted what he said. He prayed to whatever god was out there that she didn’t hear anything he just said. He did mean it but it’s cheesy and he can’t just- gosh he’s such a mess today isn’t he? He thought all he felt was platonic but he now just realized he couldn’t really just.. Well deny that perhaps it was something more…for a long time before this. Dan Heng’s internal anguish was stopped by March’s voice. “Let’s catch them together”, he wasn’t even looking at her but he could feel the warmth of her smile through her voice. He looked at her, the moon illuminated her features and the stars reflected on her eyes. They both seemed to lose track of time. Seconds…minutes…maybe hours passed. Okay hours is a bit exaggerated, but it did feel like it. They weren’t really paying attention to the stars anymore, they much preferred basking in each other’s presence. Things like this didn’t really happen to either of them really. How cliché, Dan Heng thought. March’s fingertips subconsciously brushed against his, she quickly removed them and whispered a “sorry bout’ that” with an awkward smile. The boy was quick to reply with a “it’s alright.. I .. Don’t mind it” Their hands intertwined and they sat in a comfortable silence for a while longer. “Thanks for this”, March said. “It made me really happy to be able to spend some time with you that isn’t well.. just missions.” Dan Heng gave her a small smile. A rare occasion which made the girl’s heart flutter. “I should be the one thanking you, I enjoyed my time”, he paused. “—But it’s getting quite late and don’t think I didn’t notice how sleepy you looked the entire time.” “What?! It was that obvious?! Maaaaaaan-“ They both laughed a bit, even when tired March always found some way to sound energetic. “Let’s get you back then” “Mmm alright then— but can I ask you one thing?” “Sure.” “Can we do this again sometime?” “Of course, Any day you want”   Suddenly, Star gazing became fun to Dan Heng. And all it took was for a starry-eyed pink hair girl to appear and make him want to catch the stars with her.

jealousy jealousy

['k3qingslover']

Not Rated

F/F

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Bronya/Seele (Honkai: Star Rail)

Bronya (Honkai: Star Rail), Seele (Honkai: Star Rail)

Jealousy, Character Study, Kissing

English

2022-07-18

Completed

2022-07-18

709

1/1

3

131

5

2,263

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[]

she doesn’t know when exactly this persistent thought began to develop in her head but no matter what she did it wouldn’t go away. she tried thinking of other things but her mind always went back to that thought. the thought you may be wondering “has bronya kissed anyone in the past” she knows it’s not far fetched but it still puts her in a sour mood all day , and most people can tell so they tend to avoid seele. common rule ? do not mess with seele when she’s in a bad mood.   it’s bad enough that bronya is busy all day and seele has nothing to do. she can’t bother her favorite overworld princess because she’s in a meeting about “something important” she didn’t care to listen to the details , so she walks. she succumbs to the thoughts in her head and she’s really in a sour mood. if she finds out whoever bronya kissed she might actually kill the poor person.   “stupid overworldly princess.. oh when i get my hands on you…” she continues to mutter to herself. if only bronyas meeting wasn’t taking so damn long.   ——   after a few hours bronyas meeting has finally ended. she can allow her shoulders to relax and maybe take a hot bath just to relax her nerves maybe see seele.. she wouldn’t be opposed to see her girlfriend. she smiles softly at the thought. she pulls her phone out to call her to find a time and place to meet but is met with radio silence. that’s weird. normally seele would pick up the phone yelling at the caller for ‘disturbing her peace’ before realizing it’s bronya and grumble to herself saying that bronya was the only one allowed to disturb her peace.   it’s not uncommon for seele to be busy but she had told bronya she had a free day so.. maybe she should go and visit her… would that be too weird ? she honestly doesn’t know. she decides that maybe she’ll visit her , and plus it isn’t fair that seele has to always travel to come see her. as bronya begins to make her journey she bumps into someone. “oh my apologies i wasn’t- seele?”   “you!” she was fuming with anger. bronya has been on the receiving end of it on numerous occasions.   “me..?” bronya is surly confused as why seele is upset “seele is something wrong ?” concern written on her face.   “obviously or i wouldn’t be mad.” and seele stands up. her nose scrunching up whenever she doesn’t like something. bronya finds it rather cute.   “uh right… is there anything i can help you with ?”   “how many people have you kissed in the past” straight to the point.   “excuse me ?”   “answer my damn question princess” she’s still fuming with anger. her voice almost dripping into venom.   “uh maybe a couple of people in the past but those were just little flings and nothing too serious” bronya says unaware that would make seele even more angry.   “and who were they ?” her voice surprisingly calm.   “oh i can’t really remember not that i would want too anyways” and after a few beats of silence it finally dawned on bronya. “seele… are you perhaps jealous?” a slight smirk in her tone.   “what?! why would i ever be jealous over something as stupid as that” and bronya just laughs at the reply. “oi what are you laughing at ?!”   “i’m sorry you’re just so cute when you’re angry” she says smile still evident on her face and she walks closer she places her hands on seeles face and kisses her. seele kisses back before it dawns on her that bronya the overworldly princess is kissing her someone from underground. she pulls away.   bronya makes a slight noise of protest at having her moment disrupted. “y-you’re kissing me out in public”   “so?”   “princess.. do you not know the reputation us underworlds have”   “oh.. i can deal with the repercussions later” and she leans back in   “you’re an idiot…” seele says looking at her lips.   “hm so i’ve been told” and they kiss again , and they live happily ever after… or rather seele does in ignorant bliss. bronya did have to face severe repercussions but in her opinion it was so totally worth it.

i see you in my dreams

['miravrse']

Teen And Up Audiences

F/F

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game), 崩坏3rd | Honkai Impact 3rd (Video Game)

Bronya/Seele (Honkai: Star Rail), Seele Vollerei/Bronya Zaychik

Pela (Honkai: Star Rail), Gepard (Honkai: Star Rail), Seele Vollerei, Serval Landau

Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Pre-Canon, Amnesia, Love Confessions, Not Canon Compliant, Canon Universe, Blood and Injury, Childhood Friends, Prophetic Dreams, Strangers to Lovers

English

2022-07-07

Completed

2022-07-07

13,452

1/1

15

492

62

7,705

['stellarseas', 'Jeo_Graphix', 'lesbiantics', 'raplines', 'Crystosleep', 'gayheroine', 'Just_Chillin24', 'Ivy_heavyweather', 'RichardPham', 'A_bored_writer_for_fun', 'Laserwise', 'Gyrazal618', 'littleperegrine', 'nukedpenny', 'Glaucouss', 'Nyxran', 'yurilover1', 'pengpengpengpengpen', 'Yuri_Futaba', 'n7aloy', 'yaGTimbs', 'WolfyKnight5071', 'Reddaemon', 'cosmicxdust', 'karmachen', 'SevenFive', 'TheSilenceIsVast', 'Camelia_Sumori', 'DanielSprings_3065', 'Aliragal', 'cases', 'akkz11', 'Crimson___Rose', 'bleblebl', 'KagerouDaze', 't3chn1c', 'Opek', 'mellyfluousMC', 'qphysics', 'itsumikua', 'rubyakahs', 'Kianakaslana20', '3xp', 'Vareemthei', 'Lalalaloo', 'dyskinesia', 'Notsureifunsure', 'floofderful', 'arlwf', 'an_asta']

[]

When Bronya wakes up, it’s to the memory of a girl she’s never seen before.  She can’t remember details about the dream apart from the fragments floating around in her mind. She recognises their subconscious attempt to piece themselves together, but it is a futile effort. Her skin has gone cold from what seems to have been a harrowing dream—tip-toeing the edge of a nightmare. She presses her palms against her cheeks and squeezes her eyes tightly shut, trying to figure out the identity of this girl because she appears too often in her dreams, in a nameless form. She has midnight purple hair that fades into an enchanting blue, and lilac eyes that glitter like stars in a night sky.  Bronya thinks she’s pretty—much more than that, really, but they’ve never met before. She would have remembered, even if the girl was someone from her distant past because the memory categorisation system in her brain is swift and efficient, leaving no room for error or faults like this one.  In her struggle to recall the contents of her god-awful dream, her head starts to throb. Bronya leans the edge of her palm against her forehead and leans her head back against the back of the bed, though it provides little support for her limp body. She can’t make sense of it, not in this disposition, when a throbbing sense of familiarity reverberates throughout her body and leaves her sick to the stomach. Bronya tries to rack her brains, because now, more than ever, she needs to know who the mysterious girl in her dream is—the one responsible for bombarding her thoughts and containing all space in her mind.  Bronya leans backwards till she’s finally lying flat on the bed, her eyes gazing up at the ceiling. She clears all her thoughts and makes space for emptiness, a state of unthinking where there might be enough space for memory. She closes her eyes and she waits. She waits, and she counts under her breath, counting on the picture to fade back into her mind.  And when it does—Bronya’s breath hitches.  (In a faraway past, there was a world where there were no gods, no Aeons like they did then. It was when the creatures with a fraction of corrupt power were so forsaken that all the wars in the world were a battle of humankind against each other. Amid it all, there were two girls. They were small, merely a speck of dust in comparison to the vast world but satisfactorily contained within the miniscule space that accepted them and kept them safe.  Bronya saw herself in clear waters, looking into a lake that reflected the galaxy abovehead. Her hair was tied in ponytails to the sides, in the shape of drills, instead of the way they are let down in the far future. Her face looked a little younger, but her eyes are the same shade of grey. Then, she saw it—what seemed to be causing her so much agony. Bronya was on her knees, blood pooling from her forehead and trickling slowly down the curve of her face. She pulled the skin beneath her eyes and felt a shiver against her skin, a result of the unforgiving winds around those parts.  Bronya fled from the orphanage—the white building with high walls that were not far in the background, covered by the hedges and trimmed bushes of the garden. Bronya wasn’t sure how she found herself here, succumbing to her death in front of such a mesmerising lake—but, really she didn’t feel anything at all. Maybe she felt something, little things, like the growing weakness in her body that showed through tremors in her hands, or the sting from the wound.  They didn’t add up to much. Petty realisations, they were at most, because knowing them only made her wounds hurt that much worse. She had been on her knees for a while, but kneeling this way left them bruised and her skin torn because of the rough soil. She should not have come out her; her crutches were on the ground then and her broken leg was sore from bearing the weight of her body. Bronya, unable to keep herself seated, leaned to the side and fell weakly.  Looking at her, one might think that this didn’t happen often. Bronya was a talented fighter, even at the ripe age of seven. She knew how to defend herself. She may be petite, but her technique made up for what her physique lacked—or so, she told herself, before she ended up in a position like this. She’d never felt as alone as this, and perhaps that was why her heart ached so badly even though it remained unscathed from the supposed scuffle.  Bronya let out a breath and pulled her hand away from her head. Blood spilled between the gaps of her fingers, down her knuckles, and traced the lines of her palm like a stream of crimson. It would have been beautiful, but to die on such a pretty night would be a waste. Bronya tipped her head up to the sky and collapsed to the ground with a thud, on her arm that was already hurt enough before. She winced, but she spared no further reaction after that. The sky truly was beautiful, the most captivating thing she’d ever laid her eyes on. She felt something warm around her neck, something uncomfortably sticky, and she wondered whether her blood would seep between the blades of grass and fertilise the soil. Bronya rolled onto her back, hands outstretched on the ground. She looked up at the stars and sought a friend.    For a moment, she wondered if a situation like this warranted any emotion. She couldn’t feel anything in her legs, and even now, her death reminded her only of the fact that was half of a human at best. Bronya didn’t move after that, neither putting in an attempt at mustering a self-pitying smile nor wasting a tear. She remained completely still, like a statue subject to the cruelty of an eternity of quietude.   She was thinking about something—someone, rather—even then. She felt somebody lingering at the back of her mind, but she could not recognise it, so she kept quiet. She closed her eyes weakly, succumbing to the fatigue dulling her mind.  Then, she felt something, a pair of hands grabbing her by the shoulders and rattling her awake. “----- is here! ----- has arrived!” the voice reached her, miraculously, from what felt like the unreachable depths of an abyss. Bronya hadn’t realised how close to dying she was until she noticed the sliver of light breaking through the darkness that fogged her vision. It was then when she realised how much she wanted to live; how deceiving the shackles of death could be—how easily it would have consumed her, had closed her eyes for a second longer and let her body get colder.  To the feeling of being lifted off the ground, Bronya opened her eyes again and there it was—the girl with ombre hair, caressing her like they meant the world to each other. It was not one-sided, and Bronya could recognise it immediately. Something shifted in her chest like gears being set into clockwork, there was fire in her body like that of a young flame, and her heart was undeniably, and irrefutably, alive. Her eyes widened and that rumble in her chest erupted into something worse—desperation. She let out a gasp and pushed herself up with the support of the girl.  Bronya hadn’t seen her in forever, till that point. Her name…)  She cannot remember.  Then, a certain voice mumbles, “I think Bronya might be dead.” Pela leans over the commander. Bronya’s expression has contorted into one between worry and contempt, arguably because of her attempts at deciphering the cryptid dream.  At the sound of a foreign voice interrupting her train of thought, Bronya rouses from her slumber, groggier than when she first woke up. She grimaces to make her consciousness known, and Pela peels her gaze away from her phone. “Bronya! I was starting to think you would never wake up. Gepard probably wouldn’t be too happy if you died on us, you know,” she wags a finger.  “And you would be?” Bronya furrows her eyebrows, scratching her head. She tries her best to retain as much from the dream while not sounding too distracted during the brief exchange, otherwise, the intelligence officer over here might pull up a stethoscope and start checking if she’s ill. “A Silvermane Guard would never turn their back on their home,” Bronya recites out of habit because it’s the most fitting response to any question the latter might have. Her mind circles around the dream from seconds ago, trying to retain details from it while it’s still fresh in her mind.  It’s a struggle, especially when Pela’s chattering in her background, talking about Gepard’s hundredth attempt at making a simple plate of bacon and eggs but somehow failing at it once again. He is living proof that humans are far from perfect, and a person can’t be good at everything because somehow, the masterful swordsman and fighter can’t make breakfast to save his life—as Pela comments.  Bronya, in the foreground, is still thinking about the girl with a missing name, how close she’d been to finding out anything about her but being so far regardless. Her chest tightens, and the ridge in her heart that had been created by loneliness widens. She doesn’t know why she’s so interested, and she comes back to this doubt now and then when she finds herself digging too deep. Sometimes, she thinks of reasons like the deep-rooted, inexplicable familiarity or the affection that doubles her over at any memory of the girl. Bronya knows, by a large chance, she might only be a figment of her imagination—but wouldn’t it be so nice if she was real?  “Oi, Bronya,” the officer pouts, snapping her fingers to catch her attention. “If you keep frowning like that, you’re going to have wrinkles by the age of thirty.”  “Pela,” Bronya says back, unimpressed. She would have had a lot to say, but she determines that most of them are better off kept to herself. She sighs. “It doesn’t bother me. I don’t know why you’d come in here to look for me in the first place,” she continues with a sigh, rising from the bed. Bronya lowers her head to the floor, to the purple that’s a royal shade and it’s no wonder that the girl from her dreams returns to her so frequently. It’s because of the damn carpet.  “Don’t I always come in here, though?” Pela quirks an eyebrow, tucking her phone away.   A valid point, indeed. Bronya withholds a response for a second. “Now that you know I’m alive, you don’t have to linger around here anymore,” she speaks up, along with a subtle invitation for her colleague to leave her be. She has better things to contain herself with, and she’s sure she has that much time with how uneventful things have been around the frontlines lately.  Pela continues walking forward, instead. “Before you try to shoo me away,” she begins, holding a finger up. She is well aware of the stare pointed at her upon her advancement. Bronya looks away to promise her silence, and the former continues, “We’re having a guest over tomorrow. A member of the Wildfire.”  “Wildfire?” Bronya enunciates, turning her head quizzically. “Why can’t Gepard deal with it?” And it’s a reasonable question because her presence is rarely required for meetings like this. Her expertise lies in delivering commands—just as her title would suggest—and it is difficult enough monitoring the influx of soldiers every time they are dispatched on missions to account for emergencies. Nothing is easy around these parts, especially when the current version of the world is no better than anything before.  (Although, those are only cover-up excuses to hide the fact that she doesn’t like interacting with people outside the bubble over here.)  “I don’t know,” Pela shrugs. “Gepard told me you had to be there. I’ll be there too. It’s an important meeting about some change in decision, so it needs coordination from both sides.”  Bronya doesn’t think it’s a good enough reason to warrant her presence. It’s not like she has much of a say in it either unless she wants to ruin her reputation whining over a meeting she doesn’t want to attend. It shouldn’t be that hard, she persuades herself, because they’ve worked closely with the faction on many other occasions. She has never met the captains on their side, surprisingly, but it’s about time to hope that they aren’t so bad at conversation. “Fine,” Bronya relents, given no choice. “If you plan on showing up, make sure you aren’t caught up with your phone. That way, it’ll feel like you’re actually there.”  Pela, who’d been happily on her way to leave the room, having successfully delivered the news as she was tasked to do, turns her head. She pushes her glasses higher onto her nose bridge and squints her eyes at the captain who can’t hold her tongue. “I wonder how you’re able to say so much without letting a single emotion pass over your face. Curiouser and curiouser.”  The corners of Bronya’s lips turn downwards. She rolls her eyes and turns to pull her uniform out of the cupboard, disacknowledging her friend’s snarky words, and in the meanwhile, Pela takes the opportunity to return to the room. She’ll find somewhere else to humour herself, likely trying to crack another mysterious code in the lab or bothering Gerard if he’s still on campus. It takes her only a few moments after that to think about the dream again, both of them, one distinctly clearer than the other but either one leaving as many questions as the last. Bronya feels strange, an uncomfortable burning at the back of her throat that makes her think she has something to say. She lifts her head and places her hand against her neck, eyebrows furrowed. Can you find my name, Bronya? she hears an unknown voice trying to reach her.  (A pair of hands held Bronya by the shoulders, clutching her with so much force, it was as though her bare hands were enough to claw her out of the shackles of death. Bronya struggled to remember the details of what ensued earlier—a fight, perhaps, because her wounds weren't old and it didn’t seem like she’d gotten her bandages wrapped that much time ago.  “Bronya! Bronya! What happened?” the nameless girl called out to her, voice stretched thin with distress. They were be friends, or at least, they weren’t strangers.  Bronya felt something envelop her, something nearly as warm as an embrace. At this point, however long she must have harboured these feelings, it seemed like she wasn’t accustomed to them just yet. It was not a sensation, but rather a series of thoughts that led her to this half-cooked epiphany. Bronya peered through bleary eyes and damp eyelashes, and there were a pair of faded eyes staring back at her. They looked like they were nearly as agonised as Bronya; pupils dilated, shaky eyes. Her words caught in her throat and she looked down slowly, where she came to notice the damp fingers that were holding onto her. “Please don’t leave me, Bronya! ----- cannot live without you!” the girl cried, pulling her closer.  They were hugging then, or as close to it as they could without Bronya reaching her arms out. She was stunned, and even then, she tried to talk. She tried to say something, utter a single sound so she could confirm that was alive because she hated seeing her friend—a label that she could confidently say, given how much they seemed to care about each other—crying over her. Crying over what? Maybe because they were too young to lose each other, and the possibility was imminent.  “Your hands…” Bronya mumbled weakly, avoiding a name. She couldn’t tell why it was so necessary to not utter her name. Maybe it was the fear of saying the wrong name because the girl with indigo hair and starry eyes wasn’t the same one she’d always known. Bronya looked at her, and she had a gut-wrenching feeling that her eyes weren’t always such a jarring shade of red. She could not be sure, but her hunch must be right, otherwise, she would not have felt something in the pits of her stomach. Bronya, leaning away from her friend, held her hand and lifted it. “They are red…” she pointed out and rubbed her thumb against the smaller, paler palm in her grip.  The girl looked down, and for a second, the awry red in her eyes flashed. “----- did it to protect you, Bronya, because it was my fault that you got hurt. It hurts very much to see you this way. My heart cannot take any more of this. She deserved it. Anybody who hurts Bronya would deserve it. Don’t hate me, Bronya. Don’t hate me.”  “I don’t hate you…” Bronya said, and it was a promise more than reassurance. A promise that she would not hate her. She meant it with sincerity. Even if she tried, Bronya could not hate her, even though she was sitting there with bloody hands, reeking of another person’s stench that wasn’t her own. She could not hate her, even though her eyes were such a cruel shade because she would always be the most gentle girl in Bronya’s eyes.)  Bronya finds herself standing in the middle of an empty corridor. Her eyebrows crease at the idea of being plunged face-first into another dream when she was supposed to be on her way to Gepard’s office in the meanwhile. Bronya walks with slow, staggering steps because the dream was so strange that she doesn’t know what to make of it anymore.  It has started to feel more like a memory than a dream, something that happened instead of being a mere fiction of her imagination. In trying to recall the events, her mind goes blank. Bronya doesn’t know how long she’s been standing here, but it must have been a while since her heels have started to ache from the pressure and her skin is cold from standing in the corridor that’s always too cold.  “Bronya,” she hears behind her, and she recognises the voice too well. Bronya exhales and turns around, where she notices the captain approaching her at perfect timing—well if she wanted to see him, to begin with. “You’ve been here since I left my office to fetch papers from the storage. It’s been twenty minutes, and you haven’t moved an inch.” It’s his way of sounding concerned—this interrogation. Bronya is grateful that he cares, in a however roundabout way he can with his unscrupulous attitude, but she’s better off not being asked questions about something she can’t explain herself. “Good morning,” she greets in a monotonous voice, somehow masking her discomfort. “I was busy with my thoughts. Forgot I had to walk,” she lies, though it’s probably not all that serious, to begin with.  “I see,” Gepard notes, striding forward. There is an air of confidence that surrounds him as he does, marching in a soldier-like manner with his arms swinging uniformly by his side. “I take it that Pela has informed you about the meeting with the ally faction tomorrow? You’ll have to be up earlier than your usual time because they’ll be arriving in the morning.”  “Noted,” Bronya nods, confirming her understanding. “On which note, I won’t be around today. I will be visiting Belobog for a short while for an errand.” “Oh,” Gepard begins, checking his wristwatch. “If you’re heading to Belobog, I need you to stop by my sister’s shop to pick up some equipment. There has been a decrease in the weapon stocks, but there have been increasing threats around the area because of the approaching winter. I can’t attend to it myself because I have important business to handle but I trust you’ll be able to take on the task just fine,” he elucidates. Clearly, anything Bronya said must have flown over his head, and the man has a habit of making transparent excuses just like herself.  She would like to deny the offer, but she knows no excuse she has in store would help her weasel out of such a demand, especially when it comes to Gepard. All is negligible in the face of duty, he would tell her before giving her a lecture, and Bronya would rather attend to the assignment than deal with that. “I understand,” she acknowledges, and Gepard doesn’t spare another second after that.  “Thank you, and good luck on that journey,” he nods stoically, turning on his heel. Bronya isn’t allowed to respond after that, because he’s off flouncing in the opposite direction, the same way he came. She watches him, too dazed to believe that the entire interaction happened , and decides she’s better off heading to Belobog instead of worrying about that enigma of a man.  (The first time they met was under unfortunate circumstances.  One would think that nothing good could happen to a friendship, should it be born out of situations threaded with so much agony. But stars can only emerge in the darkness, so that statement must have been created by a cynicist who doesn’t know how to hope. Bronya understood the falsity of that assumption after an interaction with a girl from her orphanage whom she’d never met before. It was such a simple beginning to something so enormous; when she was in the clinic trying to tend to her wounds and a fellow orphan traipsed into her life equipped with a bandage and cotton balls.  Bronya was a sensitive child; not emotionally, but physically. Her bones were brittle and her skin was easily torn, but she tried not to make too much of a fuss about it. She found herself injured so frequently, she’d gotten used to it with time. Waking up with bruised knees or realising an excruciating pain over a cut she didn’t know she had was normal. Adults at the orphanage didn’t care much for the children, even though it was their life’s goal to pretend they did in front of the watchful eyes of a righteous society, so Bronya would make a home for herself in the small room of the clinic.  It was an easy feat when the rest of the world didn’t open its arms out to her, and she was left looking for comfort in places that couldn’t deny her presence. Having woken up with another slit on her arm from cutting it against a tree bark when she was running with the other kids, Bronya pressed her hand against the open wound and hobbled into the clinic. As always, there was nobody to watch what she did.  At that age, she didn’t know the names of things, but she knew how to tend to her wounds. She kicked the lowest drawer of the medicine cabinet and leaned downwards to choose bandages for her arm. Bronya chewed on her lower lip anxiously, trying to retrieve the equipment without injuring herself further. In her attempt, she accidentally knocked over a metal tray with her elbow. She stared at the mess with wide eyes, and suddenly, there was a sting. A sting in her arm, then everywhere else. The ever-familiar sensation of something terribly damp enveloped her and her chest tightened.  Looking at it all, Bronya was certain she’d landed herself in boiling water. She felt a presence lingering at the door, watching her. She was apprehensive about looking, but it dawned on her that no adult would be watching her in silence. Bronya turned her head to the doorway and noticed a girl around her age looking at her, hugging a stuffed toy to her chest. She calmed down a little, but she wasn’t at ease just yet. She looked away to hide her face. “Bronya,” the girl beckoned to her, even though they’d never interacted before. “Bronya is hurt?” she asked, taking a step forward. Bronya looked at her again, taking a step backwards. She didn’t want to involve herself with the latter when they’re no better than strangers to each other. They were distant acquaintances at best because they’d played with each other and the other children on weekend mornings, sat at the same breakfast table on weekdays and slept in the same room every night. They never interacted before, because Bronya was closed off and from her observations, the latter was too.  “----- is worried,” the other girl told her, stepping over the clutter on the ground. Without a warning, she held Bronya’s hands and pulled her closer. It was an awkward interaction, knowing that the most they knew about each other were what they noticed through furtive glances and dinner tables, but Bronya didn’t resist her grip. She was fascinated, to say the least, at the fact that this girl with pleading eyes was so determined to help her. “Let me heal your wounds. I will make it all better.” Bronya was inclined to deny the offer. She looks down at her wound, blood pooling between the gaps of her fingers and an ugly gash left behind. There were still splinters from the tree and while she’d like to help herself, she would have to believe that it wouldn’t be an easy task. Not to mention, the state of the clinic at this moment is… disastrous, and it would get her into trouble if she couldn’t fix it up quickly. Bronya looked back up at the girl, hesitant, but she asked, “Why?” “----- cares for Bronya,” she confessed, and although it should have been revelation, there was a feeling in her chest that suggested she'd always known. “----- wants to care for Bronya, and heal her wounds,” she said, threading their fingers together. It was such an intimate moment for two children who should not have known each other before then, and Bronya felt things that she never did before. She could not recognise those feelings, and she was not an expert at hiding them either. She felt heat in her cheeks, then at the tips of her ears, like an ocean of fire was flooding her face. She felt heat in her palms, and eventually found her rubbing them against the fabric of her skirt in an attempt to scrub the inescapable clamminess. She was overwhelmed by a multitude of emotions she was not capable of understand, but for what it was worth, Bronya nodded her head.  Upon receiving Bronya's approval, the girl led her carefully to the bed at the edge of the wall. She held her by the waist and lifted her onto the bed so she could sit comfortably. She was cautious to steal a peek into the corridor before shutting the door, but it seemed like she knew enough about the schedule to know there wouldn't be any adults in the halls at the hour. She was aware of the glaring issue with whatever she had offered to do—as were most children when it came to punishments—but she didn't hesitate once.  Bronya leaned forward, following the girl with a concerned stare. Her heart was racing in her chest, and she was sure her face was helplessly red. She prayed that she wasn’t ill, otherwise, she’d be subject to lie on a rigid bed for days and she’d be living off nothing but watery oatmeal. The girl returned to her with paper bag of cotton balls, a bottle of antiseptic, and a bandage to wrap the wound. “Let me see your arm,” she said gently, taking a seat on the bed beside Bronya.  Bronya didn’t want to, because she knew the injury was hideous and might scare her away. She clasped her hand tighter around her arm and tried to hide it, but her attempts to shy away were barely subtle. The girl, her make-believe doctor, clasped a hand over her hers with a reassuring smile. Her actions felt tailored; hesitant. Her arm would pause ever so often when it was lifted, and it would look to anyone else as though it was forced, but Bronya found sincerity in her eyes that meant otherwise. Their eyes met, and she said, “I have seen worse things. I will not be scared.”  It was like she could read Bronya’s mind.  Bronya lowered her head and averted her gaze. Slowly, she pulled her hand away from the injury and pushed her shoulder forward for the other girl to see. She was still scrutinising her injury and the rest of her arm which was slathered messily with blood. The girl was expressionless, and Bronya thought this was strange. She was conditioned to be unfazed in the face of such, but she knew many children her age who would have burst into tears at the mere sight of blood.  “Trust -----, okay?” the girl made her promise. Bronya wondered if she should. Her stomach fluttered like the wings of a butterfly and as good as she was at hiding her feelings, she didn’t like the sensation. She searched for any reason to remain silent, but the earnestness in the girl's eyes made it impossible for her to remain quiet. “Okay,” she replied inaudibly, speaking for the first time.  And as was promised, the nameless hero kept her safe.)  Bronya isn’t new to the Belobog. In fact, she would be able to draw a labelled map on the spot based on what she remembers of it from the back of her head. She is fond of the place, but she visits so often that she gets sick of it sometimes. She doesn’t visit Boulder Town often—the Underworld alternative of the city—because she is told that its buildings are eroding and its fabric of reality is tearing because of the chaos down there. Upon hearing news like this, Bronya reminds herself to be thankful for leading the portion of the soldiers that aren’t dispatched there—otherwise, her job would be that much harder.  It shouldn’t be a long journey, after hopping on a single-cabin train that would drop her off in the central district. Bronya, on her way to catch one, notices Gepard strutting towards his car, with his signature grumpy frown on his face. He never knows how to loosen up a little (even though Bronya is no better when it comes to smiling) and anyone might believe that it’s the reason he’s so stuck-up all the time. Bronya decides not to stare before he notices her and strides over with another assignment in tow. She catches a ride from the station that’s not far from the Silvermane’s headquarters, and on a weekday afternoon such as this one, it’s no surprise that there are no passengers to accompany her. She hands a ticket to the collector and nuzzles into a seat at the very back of the train, the seat that’s always left empty and the one she always takes, whether or not the train is vacant. Bronya leans her arm against the windowsill, propping her elbow up against it. She leans her cheek against her arm and looks out of the glass, waiting for the train to embark on its journey. She feels the train rumble beneath her feet, and the coal engine running not far in the front. Not long later, with the absence of any more passengers, it embarks on its journey. Bronya tips her head back against the seat with magenta cushions and stares absent-mindedly at the view.  It has always been her favourite part about being on the train, watching the view as it slowly melts into a blur of colours dragged by the bristles of a paintbrush. Bronya rests her fingertips against the windows and notices her reflection against the glass, staring back at her with that smileless expression. She looks herself in the eye, and they are haplessly grey, humming under her breath.  It would be nice to ride the train with somebody else, she thinks at random because it dawns on her that she has never travelled with anybody before. Gepard is a man of solidarity who would much rather die than be near a woman (trauma left by his older sister, perhaps), and Pela would much rather die than be anywhere close to the sun’s exposure. There is a reason her whiter-than-snow skin doesn’t have a dash of red on it at all.  The train can be crowded at times, mostly on weekday evenings or throughout weekends, but Bronya’s too busy during those times to catch the train at all. And when the cabin’s empty, it’s usually empty throughout so peace comes in a package-deal with loneliness too. Bronya feels her eyes coming to a close again, but her chest feels tighter than it did before. A suffocating feeling; it makes her lungs stuffier, more spaceless, and she doesn’t know what to do with it. She sits up, looking down at her feet but her vision divides and blurs. Bronya can’t feel anything, but there is so much more to it than numbness.  Naturally, thoughts of falling asleep bring Bronya returning thoughts of the girl from her dreams—the one with a pretty face, and bloodied hands. It must seem like she was a fierce protector of things, possessive in better words, and from the passion in her voice it would seem like she cared about Bronya dearly… or, at least, the Bronya in that dream. She has never worn her hair up like that, in drills, and she’s sure her chin is sharper than what she saw.  Maybe the girl in her dreams fell in love with a different version of herself, and her dreams were a way for Bronya to fulfil her loneliness. That way, she could pretend that loving her is not an impossible feat and in another universe, that which is in her mind, she has a friend who would do anything for her. Bronya has been dreaming about her for a while but, sometimes, more often than not, they are recurring dreams of the same situation. Bronya is intelligent, but she can’t fathom what any of it means. They are cryptid in the sense that they are sensical, but she can’t decipher their meaning. A few minutes later, the train makes a stop in the middle of the tracks. Bronya tilts her head to the window and notices the view of the Underworld, or the entrance to it at least. It’s in the middle of the road between Belobog and the headquarters, which are at the edge of the Overworld. She squints her eyes at the opening door, not knowing who could be boarding from such a place. Not many from that part of the world choose to come over to the other side, mainly because the security there is so tight and so many of the residents don’t dare to step foot out of their houses, that Bronya would have assumed they’d much rather conduct their business in Boulder Town than waste their time travelling elsewhere.  Then, eventually, another passenger boards the train, and Bronya’s lips part. She follows the stranger with her eyes, teetering into the train while brushing her hands against the top of the seats. She has electrifying purple hair, a portion of it glowing gently like a luminescent firefly, and mellow eyes that are kept on the floor. She is dashing , in a midnight princess kind of way, but that is not what shocks Bronya. “The girl from my dreams,” she murmurs, surprised.  Unfortunately for her, the stranger doesn’t spare a glance in her direction and sits in the row that’s diagonal to Bronya’s right, across the narrow corridor. She leans her back against the chair and pulls out a manual to read. She’s wearing tedious clothing that’s easily impractical in Bronya’s eyes—instead of a simple dress, she has cloth tied to her arms and a rope hanging from her hip. Even though she doesn’t know her very well, Bronya would be certain the girl from her dreams—wearing a simple dress—would never entertain extravagant clothing such as this.  Bronya continues to stare out of curious habit, wondering if she may be the girl from her dreams. It would take a miracle and a coincidence to work hand-in-hand, and it makes even less sense than they meet under such boring circumstances, but she’d like to think that there’s more to them than what shows on the surface. Although she would like to act on her suspicions, Bronya knows better than to approach a stranger with no reason apart from, “I think we’ve met before… in my dreams.” By the time she reaches the end of her thoughts, the train comes to a halt. Bronya’s eyes travel to the stranger, who promptly packs her things away and stands up, almost hitting the roof of the carriage with her height. She rises as well, hands on the seats for support. They approach the opening door of the train and Bronya doesn’t realise how much she’s been staring until a pair of violet eyes turn to her. Bronya gulps in response, expecting her to say something but she’s returned with a look of raised eyebrows and before she knows it, the stranger’s gone.  Bronya slips out in time before the doors close, but once she’s on the road, she can’t see the stranger anymore. She didn’t come out that much later, so she should’ve still been visible in the area but even looking in the distance doesn’t show her a silhouette. Bronya leans her hand against her hip and squints her eyes. Maybe she’s seeing things.  ─────── But there is a half chance that she isn’t. Bronya sees the pretty stranger for the second time on the streets when she’d been busy in her mind trying to figure out a plan for the day. It’s not like she wanted to drop by the camp, but she’ll have to make sure she visits at a strategic time or she’ll be stuck helping out in the middle of chaos. Bronya looks to her sides as she’s strolling down the road, at all the familiar buildings that stand high and tall, and navigates to the hub of stores around the statue. She visits the bookshop enough to know it’s there.  Then, upon making a turn, she catches sight of the stranger standing in front of the Golden Theatre, reading a sign on the closed door. Locals, or frequent visitors, would know that the building is closed on weekday mornings and its stingy owner doesn’t open its doors. It looks like the stranger hasn’t inferred that, from the way she’s knocking persistently in hopes of somebody letting her in. Bronya pauses in the middle of the road, watching her from a cautious distance. She’s standing in broad daylight, and with how much she’s staring, she expects the stranger to have noticed by now. However, the latter looks perfectly contained with her knocking, which later escalates into yelling as she demands to be let inside for business she has to conduct. Bronya notices passersby staring the stranger down as they pass her, wondering if she’s gone mad.  She thinks about approaching her and sparing her from any more embarrassment, but Bronya knows herself well enough to know she won’t be able to manage the words to help. She purses her lips and averts her gaze, continuing on her way down the path. When she reaches the front of the theatre, the fervent knocking stops, and the stranger pulls away from it. She bends to lift her bag off the ground, and upon turning, notices Bronya watching her from the pavement.  She pauses too, her bag dangling mid-air with its contents threatening to tip out. Bronya doesn’t move an inch, nor does she look away, despite knowing she must. She continues to stare rudely, as though searching for something in those violent eyes, an ounce of red emerging from her irises. Bronya finds herself squinting, taken aback by that distinct red that hides under a blanket of calm purple.  Just when Bronya thinks that, maybe, they were sharing an intimate moment of silence as two souls reunited by coincidence, the stranger rolls her eyes and storms away in annoyance.  (Bronya’s strained relationship with injuries didn’t get any better over the years. Eventually, with time, she started to care less about the pain since it bridged the gap between her and her newfound friend. It was with little things that they learned about love—like bandaging each other’s fingers after being paper cut during arts-and-crafts sessions, delivering potato soup on sick days (in secret, because the adults wouldn’t allow it), or combing each other’s damp hair before bedtime.  Bronya wasn’t any good at conversation, and she discovered that her friend was popular among the other children at the orphanage. They adored her, and they treated her well, contrary to the way they denied Bronya’s presence entirely. Bronya would search for pockets in time to get her attention, like deliberately tripping over a rock while running so she’d be noticed, or walking up to her in the middle of the night because of a nightmare she needed calming from. And her friend would help her every time.  For that, Bronya was grateful. She felt things because of her friend that she didn’t know existed, and many of these feelings were so incredible that she didn’t want to let go of them at all. She couldn’t get used to them, but she held onto them so tightly that she didn’t know how to live her life without them—and, by extension, the friend she adored so dearly.) Bronya stops in the middle of the path again, and her head throbs with a splitting headache. She staggers back against a wall for support and lowers her head, unable to focus. Her breathing has gotten heavier, and a bead of perspiration trickles from her forehead. Her stomach churns and she feels each push and pull sensation inside to such a great extent that it leaves her nauseous. She sees the girl from her dreams again, her face leaning close with such a delicate smile on her lips.  Bronya presses her arm against her head and her knees feel weak, as though she’s on the cusp of collapsing unconscious in the middle of the road. A gaping hole grows wider in her chest, leaving an abyss of space within her that cannot be stitched together with needles or thread. Bronya looks around the road, at the hundreds of faces that pass by her, and a shiver runs against her skin. A cold winter breeze blows and suddenly, she’s aware of the chill running against her spine.  Groggily, she lifts her head to identify her location and finds herself standing in front of the bookshop she meant to reach. She must’ve been working on auto-pilot because she can’t remember anything about the past few moments except never-ending darkness. Bronya lets out a sigh and attempts to push the door open. It doesn’t budge. She tries again and the bell above her head rings. Then, she notices the sign reading ‘ closed ’ right in front of her face.  Bronya stands back, frowning at the closed door with betrayal. She leans her head towards the door, trying to peer inside but it’s too bright on the outside and the inside is too dark for her to see through something so opaque. She stands back and knocks her fist against the wall. “After coming all this way,” she curses under her breath, staring with folded arms at the closed door. “Can’t believe it had to be closed today,” Bronya grimaces and kicks the glass.  If she’d done so any harder, it might have broken too.  She combs her hands through her hair and rolls her eyes, deciding she’s better off taking her business elsewhere, lest the day will go to waste. She turns on her heel and, to her surprise, spots a certain somebody looking at her from the other side of the road. Bronya narrows her eyes and leans forward, not because she struggles to see but because she believes her eyes are playing tricks on her again. On the other side of the road, is the stranger she has run into for the third time this day, staring at her with a blank expression. She looks engrossed in her thought, but Bronya is confident that she’s staring. She feels conscious of it, too much, and there is a burning urge deep within her to walk up and confront the young lady. Perhaps she’s being followed, perhaps they’ve known each other from before but Bronya can’t remember and neither of them can do anything else but stare at each other. It’s starting to get frustrating—the dreams that hit her while she’s trying to go on with her day peacefully, setting her day into a reverse clockwork and messing up her mind.  Bronya doesn’t even know where this started from—this mess. If she had to be completely honest, she couldn’t even be sure who the Bronya in her dreams is. There is nothing about them that’s similar, not the colour of their eyes, their hairstyle, or their personalities. She doesn’t have a single ounce of information on the source of her dreams, or what in the Aeons’ names they’re trying to tell her every night.  Bronya’s chest burns again.  (It is harder to keep friends than to make them.  No, it is not a fact, nor a statistic, but it should be.  Friendships are difficult things, so fickle and easily broken that one would reckon a glass heart is easier to maintain than them. Friends come and go, that is the moral of life. Bronya abided by it for a long time, convincing herself that would be the one way she would avoid getting hurt in her life. It was not a lesson she learned willingly, but something that grew onto her with time when she cared too much about understanding and being understood. Bronya hadn't had many experiences with friends, or people in general, but she knew that she would rather a tragedy occured in the world than have to lose her one true friend. They didn't know each other well, but it didn’t take that much for them to form an attachment. Bronya was the product of unstable parenthood. She tried to survive alone in a world that was so wide but had no space for little girls with issues like her, and the attempts left her uncaved and helpless—but her friend loved her still. Her friend loved her conditionally, with so much of her heart, that Bronya could forget that she didn’t have one of her own.  Two broken pieces made one whole, and Bronya felt a little better every time she was around her. She learned to love everything that made her—her laughter, the way the skin crinkled around her eyes when she smiled, the way she held her dress when she ran. The world then was tough, and it got tougher with every year that beasts tormented the planet, but Bronya could not feel hatred when she was so filled with love for her friend who taught her that.  On one of those days, so filled with adoration, Bronya was practising a new technique in the bedroom. She knew her friend was watching her from the back, shaking with excitement and eyes afire with an enthusiastic flame. She knew she was being watched by an enemy—rather, a girl with short, white hair who didn’t like her very much—but Bronya paid no mind to her. She turned a shield into a project bunny, just as her friend had taught her a while back, and suddenly, holding her around the shoulders, she was pulled into a warm embrace. Bronya lurched forward and turned to look over her shoulder, where she found her friend nuzzling her face into her neck and holding her tight.  “You’re the best, Bronya!” she cried.)  Bronya awakes again as the picture in her mind crumbles to black. Her heart races at a sickening pace in her chest, and a second later, she might find herself unconscious on the ground with how dizzy she is at present. She averts her gaze to the road but she can barely make out shapes with her blurry eyes, and she doesn’t know how she’ll last herself throughout the day if she keeps slipping into a state of unconsciousness. It’s dangerous—what happens to her around that stranger, that she prays, for her own sake, that they don’t meet again.  Bronya teeters against the wall and leans her head against it, the back of her neck damp with sweat. She tries to think of what to do, and where to go, but her face has gone pale and she can’t make sense of her fumbled thoughts. It has gotten to a hazardous point—these indecipherable thoughts—so Bronya makes it a point to consult Pela about them when she’s home.  But it dawns on her that she can’t leave just yet unless she wants to earn herself a lecture by Gepard. He’s the last person in the entire galaxy whom she’d like to give her excuses.  Bronya looks across the street and notices the workshop, where she might be able to rest for a bit and pick up what she needs. She might be able to purchase a diary there because Serval has a habit of keeping around more knick-knacks than items that would be relevant to her workshop. Bronya steps away from the wall and brushes her dress, then her hair, and hopes that she can’t look any worse than she already does.  And once again, she prays that she’s not unlucky enough to chance upon the stranger of her dreams. ─────── Alas, it would seem like luck isn’t on Bronya’s side today.  It doesn’t take her long to reach the workshop, even though she’s still in a daze from the dreams she’s been lapsing into without control, and the sickening feeling that plagues her relentlessly. Bronya hobbles inside thoughtlessly, scanning her surroundings with a careful eye to look for something that might be of use. She doesn’t pay enough attention, at first, to notice who else is inside with her, because she knows once Serval is around, she’ll make her presence known effortlessly.  All of a sudden, when she roams far enough, Bronya hears a shriek. She snaps her head in the direction of the sound but before she can make sense of what’s going on, she’s grabbed by the collar and thrust against a bookcase. Bronya groans and closes her eyes to brace for the impact, but she isn’t hit after that. “Are you following me?” a voice barks, so Bronya slowly looks up again. It’s then when she notices a pair of furiously red eyes glaring at her with the terror of a thousand, forcing an answer out of her. Bronya lowers her gaze and it dawns on her, then, that it’s the stranger from earlier who’s staring at her with so much pent-up frustration. At such proximity, heaving breaths against each other’s lips and their noses almost touching, Bronya loses herself again. Her head spins, but she cannot compose herself this way. She is backed up against a bookshelf, and her arms cannot move. Bronya tries to focus on the red to keep herself grounded, but she cannot manage the strength. “I could ask you the same. It’s not as though I ran into you first,” she forces out through gritted teeth. The stranger says nothing after that, perhaps realising the audacity she must have had to confront somebody she has never met before and accuse them of stalking. “Shut your trap,” she curses, rolling her eyes nonchalantly. She releases her grip on Bronya and turns away, as though she hadn’t done anything at all. Bronya’s skin boils at the flippant treatment so she stalks forward and grabs the stranger by the shoulder, spinning her around and pinning her wall.  “Who do you think you are?” she seethes, voice dripping with a fatal kind of venom that could easily kill an army. Her eyes have started to flicker with uncontrollable anger, and this seems to instil fear in the stranger who had the temerity to sound so accusatory. “What are your intentions? Because you must know me from somewhere if you’re able to sneer at me even from afar.” The stranger scoffs. “And I’m surprised you don’t know me, princess.”  Bronya recoils at the name. She draws her eyebrows together, and so deeply, that wrinkles emerge against her forehead. She glares with poison in her eyes, trying to scry out any similarities in her features. Yes—she looks familiar but Bronya thought that was merely a trick by her mind. She parts her lips, wishing to say something, but her voice hushes into a whisper. “Am I supposed to know you?” she begs the question, more gentle now and her expression softer.  Something seems to change in the stranger’s demeanour too. Her edges soften and she’s no longer frowning the same way. The red in her eyes melt into purple but, then, she promptly turns her face away and says, “You’ll realise tomorrow.”  Then, she’s gone, like she never existed, to begin with.  ─────── Serval pokes her head out of the staff's room a minute too late to have caught the argument. "Did my brother chase you away again? I see he's too afraid to visit his beloved sister again," she laughs boisterously, strolling out with an ink-stained face and a wrench in her hands. She isn't too far off on the brother part, Bronya acknowledges and wallows in annoyance after that. ─────── (Good things cannot last in a cruel world. They exist momentarily as a deliverer of hope to people with pure hearts, but they must wither away when the time comes. Even the stars will die one day and when it happens, the universe will dissipate into a cold and congealing place.  On one of those days, Bronya was torn away from her friend before she had any right to express herself. It was then when her eyes were opened to the brutality of the world, how little it cared for the little people that resided within it. Her friend was snatched away from her, and all that was left of her was a mere hairpin and a mirage of memories for her to cling to. At that age, Bronya could hardly understand the severity of everything that was happening, but she was certain that anything that meant her separation from her friend could not be cherishable.  When Bronya saw her friend again, after an eternity of separation, her tears knew no end. It had taken a lot out of her to fight to that point—to demand seeing her friend once more. She had to scream, beg, and threaten the same people who did not listen to her before, swearing that she would end her life if she could not be reunited with her friend again. And she knew, deep down, that she would be able to end her life easier if it meant she could not see her friend once more because the world had no worth in Bronya’s eyes without her. She cried and cried for hours, holding her friend so tightly and with so much desperation, and loosening her arms for a second might mean she would disappear again. Bronya could not afford to lose her again. That day, she promised her friend under the light of a hundred artificial stars in a lab with chilling metal walls, that she was the only one that mattered to her the most—not the tests, or the real world, or anyone else. Bronya swore to look for her again, no matter how far they would be from each other, even if it meant having to cross the world or traversing the afterlife to be reunited with her again. She did not know how well she could keep to that promise, but she knew herself well enough not to break it.  Before they parted, her friend looked at her with the light of a supernova burning in her own eyes and held her by her jaw. Then, she tilted her head and pressed their lips together, murmuring, “I gave you my first kiss, Bronya! You'll have to kiss me back when you return to take me home.”) Bronya wakes up on a couch in the middle of an office that isn’t her own. She tip-toes the in-between of asleep and awake, but when the reality of everything that could have happened crashes down on her, she jolts up. Her eyes fly wide open and her cheeks burn bright red at the memory. She clasps a hand over her mouth and her heart starts drumming a rhythm in her chest, stringing a series of beats she has never heard before. Bronya makes an embarrassed sound as she rewinds the dream in her mind, and the thought doesn’t even cross her mind as to why she’s not in her room, to begin with.  “You’re awake,” Pela exclaims, surprised, which isn’t too good of a sign to work with. Bronya turns her gaze to the intelligence officer who’s approaching her kindly with a glass of water, and it makes sense to her why she’s in a room that’s not her own. “You passed out in front of the building, like right in front of the train station. Lucky I was there or you’d be eating mud.” Bronya’s cheeks flush, and she scratches her head in confusion. She can’t figure out what must’ve happened, but she knows it had something to do with the dream. It’s going to be a problem if this continues to happen because she’ll have work to do, and she can’t afford to keep passing out over these stupid dreams.  “Bronya,” Pela snaps her fingers, noticing her slipping into another trance. She shoves the cup of water into her hands, which Bronya dazedly accepts, and continues, “Your mind has been drifting off into another universe, these past few days. What’s going on with you? I’d say you’re lucky that Gepard hasn’t noticed this fainting spell of yours yet.” Bronya tips her head back to drink the water, but the following epiphany crashes down on her with so much force that she almost forgets how to swallow. She stands up too quickly, which makes her stomach turn, but her colleague holds her down and makes her sit. “I forgot to do the task he told me to,” Bronya facepalms. “I don’t know what’s going on with me these days. There has to be a mistake.”  “Tell me,” Pela suggests, sitting down on the couch beside her. “If anything, I could probably solve your problem faster than you can, you know. You know I could.” “I know,” Bronya sighs, shaking her head. “It’s just… I’ve been having strange dreams lately, and I can’t understand them. It’s always about the same person—a girl with purple hair, and purple eyes that sometimes turn red—but I don’t know her name. And the me that’s in the dream looks nothing like me now because she wears her ponytails in drills and she has a baby face. It looks like the both of us, being me and her, were in an orphanage together but I was not raised as an orphan in this life. Nor have I ever tied my hair into ponytails, much fewer drills. Then , I saw her today, when I was in Belobog.”  Bronya lets out a breath, pressing a hand against her chest. She glances at Pela who makes an increasingly quizzical expression, which, soon enough, morphs into one of realisation. She can’t figure from her expression what kind of mind-blowing epiphany she must have had, but she can only hope that it isn’t something so bizarre.  “Her, as in, the girl from your dreams?” “Yes,” Bronya confirms, although it’s starting to sound a little strange now that she has said it out loud. Pela rubs her chin in thought. “I think I have an idea as to what this might mean. But you have to promise that you’re not going to pummel me,” she says, looking up. It only makes Bronya wonder what exactly she has to suggest that would warrant a reaction of that sort. “Pummel you?” Bronya scrunches her nose. “When have I ever done that?”  Pela shrugs. “Eh, then I’m pretty sure it has to do with reincarnation.” Bronya squints her eyes at the suggestion, unable to make sense of it. She sits back in thought, once again rubbing the back of her neck because she can’t understand where such a bizarre solution would have come from. It shouldn’t be possible—not when that sort of thing is impractical and has only been talked about in fiction. Science cannot prove the logic behind reincarnation, so there should be no reason as to why it would exist—not to mention, running into somebody you knew in your last life, and have been dreaming about relentlessly, is such a perfect coincidence.  Bronya shakes her head firmly at the officer, not knowing why somebody as mathematical as her would ever think about such a possibility, to begin with. “Listen,” Pela insists, holding her hands. “It’s the only logical diagnosis—see, you’re having strange dreams. You know for a fact that the events in your dreams aren’t from your past, but you know they’re familiar. The person from your mind is a living, breathing human being, and something is going on between you two so—” Bronya turns her head away and snatches her hand out of Pela’s hands. “Reincarnation doesn’t exist,” she asserts, sceptical about the idea. “How do we even know there was a world before now? You know, it’s probably a coincidence, all of it—as a matter of fact, I wouldn’t like to be related to such a woman as her. Even if there was a world before, there should have been no reason for me to reincarnate back into the same body, the same identity as before.” Pela pulls her back before she leaves the room. “The universe has always been around. There was a time before us, a time before everything we know now. There was a time before APHO when the Honkai still roamed the very planets that we step foot on right now. Reincarnation cannot be proven, but it doesn’t mean that it’s not real, Bronya. It could be. Maybe that’s why you’re so scared of it now—because you don’t know what you’ll do if you find out she’s from your past life.” Bronya inhales a breath sharply, words caught in her throat. “That cannot be true,” her voice wavers. “But the dreams—what if they’re only a coincidence—” “One time is an occurence,” Pela interrupts, holding up one finger. “Two times is a coincidence. Three times is denial, Bronya. Listen to me. I don’t know anything about your situation, nor will I ever. It’s something beyond my expertise but as your friend, I know something isn’t right here. You have to take my advice. Find out what’s going on with you, or you might make a mistake you’ll never redeem yourself from. I promise you, once you start looking, it’s going to make so much sense.” She stands up, wrapping her fingers around Bronya’s hand. Bronya looks down at their hands and intertwined fingers and manages a tight-lipped smile. Even though she is hesitant, she closes her nod and she smiles; a promise that she will try.  Bronya doesn’t dream again after her conversation with Pela.  She awakes to the sound of her alarm for the first time in a while, and to much of her surprise, her heart is not palpitating wildly in her chest. Reincarnation, Bronya thinks incompletely, not knowing what opinion to hold on the matter. Reincarnation, she thinks again, because it’s so bizarre yet it makes so much sense in her mind. It could only be that—but there is no one else in the world who could confirm to her that she is the same person in the last life, living on in this world to fulfil a purpose that she couldn’t before. Not long later, Bronya hears a garbled voice call out to her beyond the door and decides it best to stand up before she wants to have her room bombarded by Pela’s loud presence.  It would have helped if she remembered to buy a diary from the workshop but, alas, she has reached a point where she is desperate for an immediate answer instead of wasting time piecing together clues that she knows for certain aren’t that deep. Bronya glances at the wall clock and realises she has five minutes on hand to make it to the meeting on time.  She slips into uniform promptly and combs her hair with her fingers, enough to smoothen out the knots and make it look presentable. Bronya checks her face, and she looks better this morning than she has on most, often waking up with pale skin, and clothes damp with sweat. She was lucky enough to be spared from that this morning.  Bronya steps out of the door a precise sixty seconds later and sees Pela waiting for her with wide eyes, and she claims to have been there for a while. “Why did you wait for me in the first place?” Bronya retorts while she’s being scolded for waking up only minutes away from the meeting to start. Her question isn’t answered and, instead, she’s grabbed by the forearm and dragged through the rest of the corridor lest they want to face silent treatment from Gepard about their impropriety.  Upon reaching the meeting room right on the dot, the women pause at the doorway to catch their breath. Bronya bends over and leans one hand against her knee, letting out a heavy breath because running in heels is certainly not the way she would have liked to start her morning. “Bronya… didn’t you say the girl from your dreams had purple hair and purple eyes?” Pela whispers, leaning into her. “What about it?” Bronya inquires, looking at her. “I don’t think you were dreaming, exactly…” Pela points out and nudges her head in a particular direction not-so-inconspicuously. Bronya looks up, following her gaze and to her dismay, finds the stranger from yesterday sitting at the head of the table, where her seat belongs. Her eyes widen, partially in shock and otherwise in anger, because the stranger who had backed her up into a bookshelf is now seated with her legs kicked up onto the meeting table, that too—in Bronya’s seat.  And then, she understands it—why the stranger told her she’d know in due time. Bronya clenches her jaw and flounces forward, slamming her palm down against the table. “You’re in my seat. You may sit at the other side of the table if you so wish,” she demands, trying to contain her anger. She knows better than to express irresponsible emotions while Gepard is in the room, but being civil was a ruled-out option the second the stranger looked up at her with a blasé smirk.  “It’s taken,” the stranger replies. “You can sit somewhere else.”  And any hope Bronya might have had in being reunited with somebody from her past is tarnished because, really, if somebody she knew back then could turn out to be so rotten then she wants nothing to do with her anymore. Then, behind her, she hears, “Bronya.” So, she turns her head with a scowl, the closest thing to an expression she would spare to the guest. “Why didn’t you know who I was before?” “Not everybody has the capability of remembering names and faces,” Bronya deadpans, even though she knows full well she could if she wanted to. “I don’t leave the headquarters much, to begin with. I don’t know you would expect me to know your identity when I likely haven’t run into you before.”  Gepard looks up from his papers at that godforsaken moment before the argument gets any more heated. However, unassuming and completely unaware of the scuffle between the women, he says, “Ah, I see you’ve gotten acquainted with Seele already,” and proceeds to slide into his chair on the other side of the room. “And that, Seele, is—” “No worries, Gepard, I know her well enough,” Seele clarifies, pulling her legs onto the chair.  Bronya glances at Pela, who looks back while gesturing ambiguously. A form of encouragement, she would have realised if she could understand it at all. Seele, that’s her name, Bronya acknowledges mentally before glancing back at the person who’s no longer a stranger and happens to be a member of the Wildfire. They should’ve worked with each other before, considering how closely their factions coordinate to protect Jarilo-VI, but it’s a wonder how the world has managed to keep them apart until their fateful encounter.  Bronya looks into her eyes and recognises something in them—familiarity, to an extent she has never known before. Her lips part and her fingertips tingle with the urge to caress Seele’s face, to verify that she’s real— really the girl from her dreams—and if she is, then all of Bronya’s anger would dissipate on the spot and she wouldn’t mind being so annoyed at her. She pays careful attention to the look in Seele’s eyes, and for an earnest second, she realises that she must know her too. She knows it from her expression, the way her eyebrows are briefly furrowed and she doesn’t utter a word in defiance despite this easily being an awkward moment for either of them. “Did you finally remember me?” Seele snaps at her, scrunching her nose in disgust.  Bronya blinks at her, wondering if Seele’s asking about their past life together. She almost enthusiastically agrees but another second of thought leads her to the understanding that she’s referring to her current identity as a member of the Wildfire, and how Bronya had carelessly forgotten. “I always knew you existed, I just didn’t know your face,” she sneers, maintaining her nonchalant demeanour.  Seele snickers. She leans forward in her chair, and without warning, tugs Bronya by the arm. “You have something in your hair. It’s bothering me,” she explains, but it sounds more like an excuse to make an advance. She lowers Bronya to an easier height for her to reach and fiddles with a strand of loose hair to push it out of her eyes. “There we go.” “You were accusing me of stalking you and now you’re playing with my hair?” Bronya cocks her head, parting her fringe away from her eyes.  Seele shrugs at her. “Get over it.” Bronya pulls back in surprise, having not expected such a reaction. All of a sudden, rage fills her insides again and her skin boils. It flushes red out of embarrassment and across the room, Gepard issues another instruction for her to sit down so they may proceed with the meeting—clearly missing any of the tension that’s brewing in the room. Bronya bemoans and takes a seat beside Pela, deciding not to resist the order. Unbeknownst to her, Seele looks at her with earnest eyes across the table, heart throbbing loudly.  ─────── Over the next few months, it becomes an obligatory matter for Seele to stop by the headquarters for frequent meetings to sort out a new issue that has been arising in the city. Bronya, as much as she would like to, does not oppose her frequent visits because, one, she doesn’t exactly have much say on the topic and, two, she learns that she isn’t so bad to have around.  The enmity between them does not heal itself so easily because of their contrasting personalities, and the ever-so-often snarkiness that Seele carries with her when she visits, but Bronya gets used to it with time and before she realises, the hatred that she bears is more feigned than it is genuine. Over time, she would look at Seele from afar, and slowly coincidences would become serendipity. They would finish each other’s sentences, tease each other about a mistake they made before, and slide each other an occasional cup of coffee on mornings when their meeting extends past breakfast, so between those moments of shared space, they would learn to get used to each other.  And, eventually, they reached a point when they could joke about the first time they met—when they hated each other’s guts and wanted nothing to do with each other. It moulded into such an easy friendship that neither of them realised what was happening until it did, and Bronya realised that it meant so much more to her than she would have realised.  Since Seele’s arrival in her life, the dreams stopped too, but she had a slight suspicion as to why they started at the very beginning. They were peculiar, definitely, and at the time, Bronya could not understand why she was dreaming of a time that was foreign to her—but one night, when she sat with Seele and talked about all the impalpable things in the world, she realised there was one thing she could not achieve in her past life that she must fulfil in this.  And as Pela promised, it starts to make sense.  ─────── “Do you think it could be possible that we’ve met each other in another life?” Bronya asks the question gently, gentler because she would not dare to ruin the conversation with such an unusual question before it has even begun. She glances at Seele, both of them sitting in front of a lake with azure waters under the vast, blue sky. Seele bursts into a fit of laughter upon being asked the question—not like it wasn’t a predictable reaction from her. Bronya tries to join her, but her smile eventually fades, wondering if Pela’s theory isn't true. Even though she had written it off as nonsense for a long time, how closely and miraculously she had gotten close to Seele could not be explained any other way. She left her faith in that theory, as bizarre as it was, because she knew there were things that she didn’t know, and those things burdened her soul. There was a reason why the dreams stopped after they imparted their final message upon her, begging her to reunite with her one true love from a past life. Bronya knows she must sound foolish after believing in such fallacies, thinking that such impossible feats are believable. She knows she must not count on one-perfect chances that matters like this are real and not fiction, but she does, and she cannot stop after she has indulged herself for too long. Then, Seele says between her laughter, “I think we could have. I would believe it. We could’ve been friends in our last life too.” And then she lifts her hand to her face in a feeble attempt to hide how red it is. Bronya, observant enough, notices her flushed cheeks. Her heart starts throbbing incessantly against her chest, and she can almost hear it egging her on, urging her to say something because she has gotten so far and she must not abandon the conversation right there. Bronya averts her gaze to the water, wherein she sees her reflection watching her back. “Would it be weird if I told you that… I see you in my dreams?”  Seele’s laughter stops. She looks at Bronya with an unreadable expression on her face and for a punctuated few moments, utters nothing at all. She stares, and she stares, but she doesn’t move an inch of her body—and this goes on for so long that Bronya starts to worry that she said something wrong. “Seele,” she leans forward, propping herself up with her hands. “You’re looking at me like I said something that changed the entire course of my life, you know I’m not being serious—” “Bronya,” Seele reaches out for her, now kneeling on both knees. She holds Bronya and pulls her closer, such that they’re forced to look each other in the eye. “Don’t take back your words or I’m really going to hate you forever. How could you say something like that and suddenly pretend you didn’t?” “What?” Bronya narrows her eyes. “Did you want it to be true?”  Seele blushes furiously in response and she turns her head away. She ducks her head under her arms and hides it, but she leans forward and pressed up against Bronya’s body in the process. All of a sudden, neither of them is sure whose heart is racing faster but enough time ensures that their hearts are one and the same, equally mischievous as the other. “I don’t know. Is it so bad if I want it to be?” Seele murmurs shyly, unable to meet Bronya’s eyes.  “In my dreams, we weren’t the same people, Seele,” Bronya utters, and when she does, the force of her words is so magnanimous that she realises, for the first time, that she called out her name. Seele looks up in surprise, and her face looks as though it’s been burned under the sun. Neither of them the wiser, Bronya decides to continue, as though the situation isn’t embarrassing enough with the half-confessions that could easily change the course of their friendship for good. “In my dreams, we were children. We were younger, and you weren’t you and I wasn’t me, but we looked like us. We loved each other there, and I’m almost certain that was a past life. A past world that isn’t the one that we’re living in now—but back then, we had to face so, so many turmoils. You loved me there—” “I love you here too,” Seele snaps at her, squeezing her shoulders. She lowers her hands and takes Bronya’s in her grasp, holding them tightly even though their palms are so red and sweaty, and holding them together could be so uncomfortable. If it is, neither of them notices because of how enchanted they are by the moment—or Bronya, at least, because she makes an expression for the first time in her life. A new one, that isn’t just blank or unknowing, but a heartwarming smile. “Bronya, it isn’t just you. You’ve been in my dreams every night for the past two years, and I can’t get over you. I have tried, time and time again but I could not get you out of my mind from the very first second that I knew you. I prayed that you knew me too, but I thought you were ignoring me purposefully because there was no reason that you wouldn’t have known me before, me being a part of the Wildfire. Then, I found out you just… didn’t know and I was making problems up in my head. Oh, princess—”  I would love you in this life, and every other.  Bronya proceeds to feel so much after that it’s like a flame had been set off to the domino of matches that coiled around her heart. She wishes she could say something, anything, in response but they’re are as broken as they’re whole; and all the fallen pieces that had been left behind by their failures in their past life will finally be glued together with careful hands.  Remembering her final dream, she closes her eyes softly and leans forward, gently leaving a kiss against Seele’s lips to interrupt her spiel. It catches her off guard, but it works well in keeping her silent. Her words catch in her throat, and Bronya’s heart is hammering out of control in her chest. She wonders what she should do—where to put her hands—and then Seele kisses her back, resting a hand on the back of her head and the other on her forearm. She pulls her closer and guides her into the kiss, and simultaneously heals what they couldn’t a lifetime ago.  And maybe this was what they were reborn for—to engage in this true reunion of hearts.  I was devoured by loneliness long long ago. Nothing keeps me company, except... my thoughts for you.

Eternal Shangri-La

['Hyoumaki']

Teen And Up Audiences

M/M

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Blade/Jing Yuan (Honkai: Star Rail)

Jing Yuan (Honkai: Star Rail), Blade (Honkai: Star Rail)

Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Top Jing Yuan, Bottom blade, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, JingRen

English

2022-07-01

Completed

2022-07-01

2,268

1/1

14

447

31

8,316

['yunmi_17', 'boothillpeitos', 'Woodsy_01', 'Arty_drawinng', 'kysserimm', 'SAKUSASTHIGHSAREHEAVEN', 'pewpiopew', 'C0FF1NC0RPZ3', 'Paleroze', 'HouseofJegulus', 'The_Truth_Or_Falsity', 'aliaes', 'Thingtodo', 'Clould', 'ganghana093', 'Crystal_Caryophyllus', 'wandererofwords', 'WingsOfGlory14', 'lotoflost', 'T1r3d_And_3xp1r3d', 'torumei', 'eresai', 'Ether_fafa', 'pisangcoklat', 'relatablechump', 'YUUMI_19', 'Xiaohani', 'Unsuspecting_keki', 'silversv', 'UrBubble01', 'Assassin_Princess', 'Nevy_C_Harvy', 'BadHyeen', 'Enby_Sif', 'ksi_ssss', 'MidSummer_Night_Love', 'Hiken_no_Ace', 'rrulu', 'Tulipanes', 'tinniehanguk', 'I_have_no_life_I_am_Karma', 'myosotis_ss', 'whitefayte', 'chocobuub', 'Wolf0902', 'Ju_leczka', 'wiredfiredready2xpire', 'Blades4you', 'FrederickKreiburgMyBeloved', 'Elverasson']

[]

It has been weeks since he's held a prisoner in the Luofu, but never once he's confined in a damp, dark dungeon underground. However, being kept inside the personal complex of one of Xianzhou's generals can still be counted as being in captivity, is it not?   In all honesty, the swordsman is conflicted. He doesn't like the idea of being held captive, though he understands his position. After all, he is one of the Stellaron Hunters, whose heads are so valued either alive or dead. It is amazing how he can still keep his head alive despite almost destroying the city for the sake of his organization's goals. But, what can be better than being free, especially from the presence of one pesky, annoying general?   Jing Yuan has been treating him so well that Blade feels more like his…'honored guest' rather than a prisoner. Never once did the general chain him to the post of his personal chamber that Jing Yuan provided him. They eat the same food, down to the same amount, and sometimes, Jing Yuan shares the very same wine from his collection and urges him to get drunk together under the ancient ginkgo tree that grows in his chrysanthemum field, saying it's the best place in whole Xianzhou to enjoy the best of wines. He shares mundane topics like he's talking with an old friend instead of an enemy.   And worse (or…better?), Jing Yuan looks at him in a way no one else has.   Blade can't put it into words. All that he knows that those eyes…radiate just like the sun in spring.   Everytime he recalls those golden eyes, the small smile on the general's face, the hunter feels something pooling in his heart. The sensation is almost similar as when he enjoys his favorite comfort food, but…more intense. As if something hatches in his chest, and he can neither understand nor process these emotions.   Right, it must be because Jing Yuan is an alpha. Blade is an omega, perhaps that's why. Biological reasons, nothing more. Perks being an omega, Blade begrudgingly thinks. If this continues, he might lose himself and endanger his mission.   So, he does the most logical solution. He subconsciously evades the general for days, lessens their meetings, turns down Jing Yuan's offer to dine together, and not even accepting the invitation for a drink under the fine night. Jing Yuan doesn't look impacted at the slightest and lets Blade be.   Yet, despite his utmost efforts, the strange feelings don't go away. It stays, persistent. And it's annoying him because he's confused and lost.   One night, Blade wanders the silent corridors. His breathing is rugged, his face is flushed red. It's that time of the cycle, he usually can control it. But now, every single of his nerves are burning, threatening to scorch his whole body in an invisible fire that will soon render him into ashes. He struggles, propping himself steady with the help of the walls. But there is so much he can do before stumbling onto the floor, his legs give in.   In that hazy state, he crawls, following wherever his primal instincts guide him. He opens the door, finding the room empty. There is a bed at the other end of the room, he makes his way there and climbs onto it.   A familiar scent of chrysanthemum from the white sheets penetrates his senses, making him heady as if he's on cloud nine. It's the very same scent as the one he catches wafting from the general, and his mind blares in alert.   But, his omega side won, and Blade mewls as he rubs himself on the cold sheets, warming the fabric up with his body.   He mutters a name that echoes too loudly for his liking in the quiet room, but Blade doesn't care anymore.   He just wanted to be touched, to be needed, to be pinned on the bed and conquered. His breath grows hotter, it hitches as he pressed his body further, his sensitive skin scrapes the smooth material. A mewl escapes his opened lips, he feels pathetic and is disgusted with himself. Nonetheless, he continues, to cover himself in Jing Yuan's scent, to leave a mortal mark on his body despite the man not being here.   He is so immersed in the act that he fails to catch the sound coming from the door, and doesn't react in time until the general hovers behind him, the scent is many folds stronger.   " Ren… "   Ah, he loves it when Jing Yuan calls him like that.   Oh , it finally dawns on him.   These pesky, annoying feelings he thought were from his omega biology…are actually something even worse.   "Let me help you."   Blade heaves a long sigh as Jing Yuan unbuttons his attire, he can't help but shiver as the older man peppers loving, possessive kisses on his scent gland.   "Jing Yuan…please…" he begs in a whisper. "Mate… mate…!"   And that is all Jing Yuan needs to hear. He locks their lips with a fierce, passionate kiss. Blade embraces him and lets the general swallow him whole. He doesn't even retaliate as Jing Yuan bites down on his gland, making him his possession.    When the morning breaks, the swordsman finds himself still on the very same bed. The only difference is that there is another occupant on it, and it's a naked Jing Yuan, wide awake. Blade mentally curses himself for lowering his guard and let the other man took advantage of the situation.    Detecting the uneasiness, Jing Yuan speaks up.   "I…I know I shouldn't have done that," he apologizes, sincere enough to convince Blade not to kill him on the spot. "I know it's our biology acting up but–"   "It's…not your fault," Blade cuts in. "As you said, it's a matter of our natural biology. You alphas are unable to resist an omega in heat, and neither us omegas can resist the urge to mate. Still, you decided to apologize, I respect you for that, Jing Yuan."   Jing Yuan remains silent, but Blade can tell that he's relieved. "Let me make it up to you. What do you want to have for breakfast? I'll personally cook it for you." The general asks.   "You cook?"   "Despite how I look, yes I do. It's a part of primary survival and livelihood, I have to learn one way or another. But trust me, I'm not bad in that department and you won't get instant food from me."   "...People who retire from the battlefield sure have a lot of free time to waste."   "It's not a waste if it gives a productive result."   Blade snorts at the remark and faces the ceiling. "I don't have any particular request. Do what you want."   Jing Yuan beams. "Okay. I have told the servants to prepare your bath. Breakfast will be ready by then."   The general climbs out of bed and wears a simple hanfu before heading out for the kitchen. Blade spends another five minutes just to stare at the ceiling, ruminating the events that have transpired so far.   He climbs out of the bed and prepares himself for the day. The breakfast that morning is warm and hearty, Jing Yuan isn't lying about his cooking skill.   Perhaps it isn't so bad, spending time with the alpha.   Their relationship gets better and they grow closer to each other. Blade gets to be himself and so does Jing Yuan, they went on the days like usual. The days are peaceful, unless Jing Yuan gets himself drunk. Probably, this is the thing that has the closest experience to retirement, Blade muses.   Yet, despite the current state of their relationship, they never tie the knot. Something is holding them back, it's a matter that only seasoned warriors such as them know.   For everything has come to an end. The beginning and the end, it's a cycle of life that no mortal can ever change. The battlefield calls for him and his sword, Blade has to leave Luofu behind.   He has to leave Jing Yuan behind.   Jing Yuan accompanies him to the main gates of the city, he wants to see his departure. Their journey is silent, how very unusual for the chatty general who loves casual talks over wines. Is it because of the lack of alcohol? As much as Blade wants to believe it, that is not the case.   They finally arrive at the main gates, all Blade needs is one more step and he's officially out of the Luofu.   He stops, but he doesn't hesitate.   "Ren," Jing Yuan calls for him, his voice is as kind and warm as it has always been. His golden eyes are still shining ever so brilliantly, but something feels…off. "I…" Jing Yuan pauses for a moment, "I'll be waiting for you here."   "...We both know we might never see each other again. It's the battlefield where I'm going. Anywhere can be my grave."   "Yes, but," Jing Yuan tries so hard to keep his eyes steady on the younger man, "I'll still wait for you, even if…if all…" he turns quiet.   Blade knows what he wants to say. As a fellow warrior, he knows. But more importantly…it is because they are fated . "Jing Yuan."   His call brings Jing Yuan's attention to him, and Blade closes in. Their lips press on each other; innocent, yet heartful. The general is stunned to silence even as the swordsman pulls back.   "There are two requests I'd like to make."   Blade states his will, Jing Yuan listens to him.   He agrees to them and watches as the swordsman walks further towards his destination.   The general spends his day per his daily routine; wake up, do his morning preps, goes to work and comes back home. Burying himself in any busyness he can find and do, all to distract himself from the fact that his home feels all too eerily silent.   At times, he recalls Blade's requests. He thinks he's ready, both mentally and emotionally, but later, he learns that he, in fact, is never ready.   Two of the Stellaron Hunters secretly visit him in the dead of the night, introducing themselves as Blade's coworkers. The look on their face can only be described as solemn as grieving friends. The taller woman of the pair, Kafka, hands out the remaining half of a broken sword that is…all too familiar . Right then, Jing Yuan feels as if he has been struck by lightning. As he wordlessly receives the broken sword into his hands, his heart shatters, his soul ripped away from his body, and suddenly his whole world becomes dark, cold and lifeless.    He accepts the death of his mate, and accepts that he's not quite as ready as he initially believed he was for the heavy toll. Only after the hunters leave, Jing Yuan lets out a wounded howl into the night, a cry of a brokenhearted lion.   Jing Yuan buries the broken sword as promised, fulfilling the first wish. Under that ginkgo tree amongst the chrysanthemum field. There is a small stone monument erected on it, nameless, because until the end, Blade never tells him his real name.   Jing Yuan carries the smallest shard with him, saying it's his lucky charm. He has let blade go, because he loves him. Or so he convinced himself.   Deep in his little heart, he knows.   He isn't ready. The little shard dangling on his necklace is the sole evidence.   Regardless, Jing Yuan continues to live on until his natural death comes for him. For it is Blade's second request, and he loves the swordsman too deeply to break their promise. He's buried beside that nameless grave under the ginkgo tree that will continue to flourish for another thousands of years, watching over them and the world they left behind.   The golden, noble flowers grow around it along with the sea of red spider lilies.   It is their eternal garden, their everlasting Shangri-la.   …   A man with long cobalt blue hair stands beneath the humongous golden tree, his amber eyes watching as it sheds its fan-like leaves. His hand catches one of them, admiring the perfect shape and the elegant shade of yellow. He remembers a certain man once told him that the fan-shaped leaf is often lauded in ancient poetry to symbolize health, longevity, happiness, love and auspicious tidings. Anyways, it's too much information, he skipped some details but he gets what the point is.   No wonder he's so fond of it , the man muses as he tucks the leaf into his wallet for a good luck charm.   "Ren!"   A voice calls for his name. The young man, Ren, turns to face the caller who is jogging towards him, waving his hand and smiling as bright as the sunshine today.   "Sorry I made you wait! The traffic is bad today and–"   "It's alright, as long as you're here, Jing Yuan."   "Awww~ My future wife is so forgiving!"   "Shut up," Ren flushes at the remark. "If you're so remorseful of it, then you'd better treat me to that noodle shop we saw the other day."   "Of course! As long as my wife is happy, I am the happiest man alive~"   Ren sighs, making Jing Yuan laugh. The two walk down the trails between the sea of yellow and red flowers, heading for the waiting sports car parked just outside the flower field.   It's time to fulfill their third, unspoken request…or rather, the last wish from their forgotten past lives.   The untended graves behind the tree become their silent witness to their second chance.   [Happily Ever After.]

frost gives way to spring

['LazyKatie']

Mature

F/F

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Serval Landau/Cocolia Rand

Serval Landau, Cocolia Rand, Bronya Rand, Gepard (Honkai: Star Rail), Seele (Honkai: Star Rail), Natasha (Honkai: Star Rail), Pela (Honkai: Star Rail)

Fix-It, Cocolia lives, pls mhy let the blonde milfs be happy together im begging u, if you won't make it happen I'll do it myself, cbt 2 spoilers, Useless Lesbians, Sharing a Bed, Pining, Homoeroticism, side bronseele, Love Confessions, Getting Together

English

2022-06-02

Completed

2022-07-01

9,744

4/4

75

295

23

5,464

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[]

Serval had been holding the front line with her brother and the Guards for over two hours by the time they got a break, and with it, they could see the Astral Express crew, Seele, and Bronya slowly approaching them. Serval couldn’t help but notice there was one person who was conspicuously absent, though. “Where’s Cocolia?” she asked, once they’d gotten close enough. “Mother, she… she didn’t make it,” Bronya said, a somber expression coloring her face. “What. Why?” Serval said in disbelief. All she’d wanted was for Cocolia to go back to how she was before. The last thing she wanted was for her to die. “She let herself be assimilated by the Stellaron. There was nothing we could have done.” “No…” Serval cried, her fists clenching, her eyes holding back tears. “Dammit, Cocolia, you idiot… Why…?” Bronya reached out to try and comfort her, but Serval brushed her off. “I’m gonna head back to the workshop. I need some time to process this.” No one tried to stop her as she walked away. Broken and defeated, Cocolia staggered through the fragmentum as she made her way towards the front line. Whenever a fragmentum monster approached her, it would be quickly destroyed by one of her divine ice lances. With the Stellaron gone, so too was her dream of achieving that new world. Now at a loss with what to do with herself, she made her way to the most important person in her life, and, if word about what she had done had spread far enough already, probably the only person in Belobog who didn’t hate her. When she finally reached the front line, she was greeted by a shocked Gepard and his subordinates. “Madame Guardian?! Is that really you? I was told you were dead.” “Well, Captain Landau, I’m not, for better or worse.” A pause. “Can you take me to Bronya? I want to see my daughter.” “Of course, she should be over at Fort Qlipoth. Let me escort you there. I’ll send for another squad of men to provide backup up here,” Gepard said, taking Cocolia and putting her arm over his shoulder to provide support. “You should see my sister too, when you get the chance. She still thinks you’re dead.” Though Gepard had several sisters, it was clear which one he was talking about. “Serval? What would she care? I stopped speaking to her years ago, after I kicked her out of the Architects which in turn got her kicked out of the Landau family. Surely she hates me now.” Gepard shook his head. “Her feelings are more complicated than that, but I don’t think she’d be unhappy to see you. Quite the opposite, really.” “I’ll think about it.” Outside of the people of the Underworld, Serval was probably the person Cocolia had wronged the most, and as a result was going to be one of the most difficult to face, especially when they’d been so close before. Eventually, they reached Fort Qlipoth, where Gepard led her straight to the Supreme Guardian’s office. There, Bronya could be seen engaged in conversation with that Seele girl she seemed to have become fond of. Gepard cleared his throat. “Lady Bronya, your mother is here to see you.” “My mother? But-” Bronya turned and stared at her in shock. “Oh my god, it really is you. I could have sworn you were dead. How did you survive?” “I’m not entirely sure myself. I-” Cocolia started, before being interrupted. “You’ve got a lot of nerve showing your face here! What are you here for, huh? Come to try and get revenge for us kicking your butt?” Seele ranted, walking up to Cocolia and pointing at her with an accusatory finger. “Calm down, Seele. I don’t think she’s here for any nefarious purposes, and even if she were, she doesn’t appear to be in any state to fight us right now.” Seele sighed. “Fine, I’ll stand down.” She then retreated back behind Bronya. “Thank you. You may take your leave, by the way, Captain Gepard.” “As you will,” Gepard said, bowing and exiting the room. “So… did you finally come to your senses, mother? I’ll admit it’s a relief to see you’re still alive.” “I… The Stellaron is destroyed, and with it, the promise of a new world. All the bad things I did, all the lies I told, the work of over a decade, all for nothing… I don’t even know where to begin to make it up to all the people I hurt…” Cocolia confessed. “So you’re looking to repent, then…” Bronya pondered for a moment. “I think you should start with Serval. She didn’t seem to take it well when I told her you were dead.” “Serval… Gepard said I should go talk to her too. Does she really not hate me, even after what I did to her?” “I haven’t known her very long, but in the little time I spent with her, I could tell she really missed your friendship. The way she talked about you, it was a lot like Bronya does— like she still trusts you in some ways, despite it all,” Seele said. “I had no idea… Even after all this time, even after how I’ve wronged her, she still cares about me… It sounds like you’re right then, I’ll have to go pay her a visit. But first, Bronya!” “Yes, mother?” “I hereby relinquish the position of Supreme Guardian to you, effective immediately.” “A-Are you sure? I thought you wanted to make amends for all your wrongdoings?” “I do, and this is the first step of that. I’ve burned too many bridges to repair them as Supreme Guardian. The Underworld already hates me, and once the Overworld finds out about how I’ve been deceiving them throughout the years, I’m sure they’ll hate me too. All of Belobog would demand my resignation. It’s better to get this over with now, before I’m forced into it. By giving them a new leader to put their trust in, it should be easier to repair the damage I’ve done.” “I understand, mother. Truth be told, I’d been prepared to have to take over for you anyway, in the time when we thought you were dead. I’m determined to make things right. I won’t let the people of Belobog down.” “That’s the spirit, Bronya,” Cocolia said, smiling for the first time since her defeat. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go see Serval.” Serval could still hardly believe it. Cocolia was dead. Never again would she get to hear her talk, or laugh, or cry. The last time they’d even spoken to each other had been when Cocolia kicked her out of the Architects, and that hurt to realize. Why did Cocolia get caught up protecting the Stellaron? Was there anything she could have done to prevent it? She wished she had done something. But it was too late, Cocolia was dead, and with it, their chances of reconciling. She’d never even gotten to tell her how she felt about her… Serval was interrupted from her thoughts by a knock on the door. Serval took a moment to compose herself enough that it wouldn’t be obvious she’d been crying. “Shop’s closed today!” she yelled out. She was answered by a voice she hadn’t heard in years, the last voice she’d ever have expected to hear in that moment. “Serval, it’s me.” “Cocolia?” Serval said in disbelief. She had to see for herself, so she got up and opened the front door, and sure enough, there she was. She looked to be in rough shape, her hair let down and disheveled, her clothes torn in places, her body barely able to stand as far as Serval could tell, but it was her. Serval let her inside, closed the door, and, in a moment of weakness, pulled her into a hug. She let out a sigh of relief. “It really is you…” “Serval… Have you been crying?” Cocolia asked, tentatively hugging her back. “Bronya told me you were dead,” Serval explained. “Well, the rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” “I can see that,” Serval said, at last pulling away. “So, why are you here?” “I came to say I’m sorry, and that I want to make it up to you.” “Really?” Serval could hardly believe it. Cocolia had actually come to reconcile. “Yes. I ruined your life and threw away our friendship for the sake of what’s now nothing but a pipe dream, and I want to atone for it. Is… that okay with you?” “Believe me, it’s more than okay. Besides, my life now’s not all bad. Sure, I no longer have my cushy job with The Architects, and my parents won’t even talk to me anymore, but I also don’t have to worry about their expectations of me, and I’ve still got my workshop and my music. It’s actually a pretty carefree existence,” Serval said with a shrug. “Now, first things first, let’s get you sat down. You look like you can barely stand.” Serval led Cocolia to the kitchen and sat her down in a chair, before taking the seat across from her. “All right, now, let’s hear your story. What’s the deal with you and the Stellaron? Why did you change after becoming Supreme Guardian? What made you so willing to protect the Stellaron and its secrets that you’d throw away your closest friendship? If you really want to make it up to me, you’ll tell me everything.” “Well, it’s a long story, but…” “Cocolia, I’m sorry, but that sounds literally insane. This ‘new world’ you’re talking about, I don’t think it’d be as perfect as you claim. It honestly hurts to hear that that’s why you threw me away.” “I wouldn’t expect you to understand. Nobody I’ve told has understood. Not that it matters any more anyway— the Stellaron is gone, and the dream with it. Now I’m just trying to make it up to all the people I hurt pursuing it. Bronya told me I should start with you.” “Well, I’m glad you came. If, after all my grieving, I had to hear that you weren’t really dead from someone else… I think I’d have marched right into Fort Qlipoth and given you an earful.” “To be honest, part of me is surprised you didn’t just immediately send me away when I came to visit. I was certain you must have hated me. Even after your brother, Bronya, and even Seele told me you didn’t, I still had a hard time believing it.” “I could never hate you. Believe me, I tried, but I just couldn’t hate the person who’d been my best friend since we were kids, even if we’d become estranged. I was bitter over our falling out, certainly, but I also missed our friendship. I just wanted the old Cocolia back.” “Is that how I can make things up to you? For our friendship to go back to how it used to be? For me to go back to how I used to be?” “Yeah. That’s all I want, really,” Serval said, though it wasn’t the whole truth. There was something else she wanted, but she couldn’t say it now. They needed to repair their friendship first before she could try pursuing anything deeper. “Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not so sure it’s possible for me to go back to how I used to be. Once a person has changed, it’s not so easy to revert back to how they were before. What I can try to be though, is a better me than the one I was when I was Supreme Guardian, one I hope you can be happy with. Will that work for you?” “Yeah, I think I can work with that.” “Great. As for our friendship… I’d be more than happy to go back to being as close as we used to be. Truth be told, as much as I’d believed cutting you off was for the greater good, I still missed our friendship too. I’ve unblocked your number, so I’ll be sure to keep in touch.” “I’m glad to hear it,” Serval said, smiling. Things were really looking up now. “Now if you’ll excuse me…” Cocolia said, standing up to leave. “Oh no you don’t,” Serval said, getting up and forcing her to sit back down. “Have you taken a look at yourself? You’re in rough shape. You need to rest until you’re better. I’ll let you use the guest bedroom.” Cocolia crossed her arms. “I have my own house, you know.” “And no way am I letting you leave in this state. Come on, just stay here at my place until you’ve recovered.” Cocolia sighed. “Fine. I already passed the supreme guardianship down to Bronya anyway, so it’s not like I have to worry about those responsibilities right now. Just be sure to let her know I’m here, okay? I don’t want to leave her worrying about why I haven’t come home.” “I’ll be sure to. Now come on, let’s get you to bed,” Serval said, scooping Cocolia up and holding her in a princess carry. The small blush that dusted Cocolia’s cheeks at this didn’t escape her notice. “You don’t have to carry me!” Don't ask me what happened with the first part of this chapter, the spirit of homoeroticism just took over my body and suddenly I had to bump this fic's rating to M. Enjoy. (See the end of the chapter for more notes.) After being carried to the guest bedroom, Cocolia was laid gently on the bed. “There. Now, let me go get the first aid kit. I may not be a doctor, but I’ll do what I can to help you recover.” Cocolia had to wonder why Serval didn’t just get an actual doctor, but she figured Serval probably just wanted to do it herself as an excuse to spend time with her, likely wanting to make up for lost time after years of estrangement, and if that were the case, Cocolia certainly wasn’t going to deny her. “Take off your clothes,” Serval instructed as soon as she was back, first aid kit in hand. “Excuse me?!” Cocolia could feel her face heating up. “You heard me. I need you to take off your clothes so I can see where you’re hurt and apply first aid. I’ll find some spare clothes for you after. We’re about the same size, so you should be able to borrow some of mine with no issue.” Oh, right. She couldn’t help but be concerned about what clothes Serval might grab for her though, as she and the rock and roller did not exactly have the same fashion sense. “Fine, but you have to step outside the room while I strip,” Cocolia insisted. “All right, just let me know when you’re finished,” Serval agreed, stepping outside to give her privacy. Slowly, still gripped by the hands of embarrassment, Cocolia stripped off her clothing until she was clad in nothing but her bra and underwear. She hoped Serval wouldn’t ask her to take those off too, and if she did she would definitely draw the line there. She felt exposed enough as is. “You can come back in now!” As Serval opened the door and stepped back in, Cocolia could feel embarrassment take hold once more, and she found herself pulling the covers up to hide her half-naked body, despite that defeating the purpose of having her take her clothes off in the first place. Next thing she knew, Serval was straddling her and holding her hands above her head to stop her from pulling the covers back up, and Cocolia could feel her face heat up even more. Looking up though, she could see that she wasn’t the only one blushing from the situation. “Come on, Cocolia. What’s the point of taking your clothes off if you’re just going to hide behind a blanket?” Cocolia sighed. Serval was right. What was she so embarrassed about anyway? If this were an actual doctor, she knew she wouldn’t have cared. Maybe it was the fact that it was someone she’s close to that made it so embarrassing. “Sorry, my embarrassment got the better of me.” “Good. Now hold still this time, unless you want me to have to tie you up.” Cocolia dared not entertain that train of thought, her blush already deepening at the mere suggestion. “Don’t worry, I’ll behave.” “Good,” Serval said, sitting back and finally letting go of Cocolia’s wrists. It took all of Cocolia’s willpower to not try and cover herself up in embarrassment again, but she managed. Serval was very thorough and attentive in her examination of Cocolia’s body, checking every inch of her to see where needed attention and what attention it needed. Any cuts or gashes were promptly disinfected with rubbing alcohol and wrapped with bandages. It took about half an hour, but eventually, her work was done. All the while, neither woman had stopped blushing. Cocolia did have to admit to herself though, despite the embarrassment, it felt nice to let Serval look after her. “All right, that should do it. Let me go fetch you some clothes now.” As soon as she had shut the door behind her, Serval buried her face in her hands. God, she could just die of embarrassment. What had she been thinking in there, straddling Cocolia like that and saying those things to her? It felt way too forward. Not to mention how it’d taken everything she had not to ogle her. The image of a half-naked Cocolia would not be leaving her mind anytime soon. She was interrupted from her embarrassment by the buzzing of her phone. BRONYA: Is my mother still at your place? I notice she hasn’t come home yet. Oh right, Cocolia had wanted Serval to inform Bronya that she’d be staying at her place until she recovered. Serval wouldn’t lie, it did make her a little jealous knowing that Bronya would always take priority over her in Cocolia’s heart, but she kept that to herself and didn’t let it get to her. It’d be selfish and unreasonable to expect Cocolia to put her before her own daughter, after all. SERVAL: Oh, right, I forgot to tell you, Cocolia’s in pretty rough shape right now, so I’m having her stay at my place until she recovers. BRONYA: Fort Qlipoth is right next to your workshop, would it really have been so much trouble to have her rest at home? SERVAL: You also have to climb a giant staircase to get to the front doors of Fort Qlipoth, no way was I letting her do that in her condition. BRONYA: I suppose that’s fair. Has she seen a doctor at least? SERVAL: No, I did first aid on her myself. BRONYA: And why did you do that instead of getting an actual doctor? Before Serval could manage to think up an excuse, Bronya had already sent another text. BRONYA: I think I know what’s really going on here: You’re having my mother stay at your place and looking after her yourself as an excuse to spend more time with her. Am I wrong? Fuck, Bronya had it exactly right. SERVAL: Look, the two of us haven’t spoken in years, but now we’re finally on good terms again. Can you blame me for wanting to make up for lost time? The two of us used to be inseparable, and I’ve missed it. BRONYA: Don’t worry, I understand completely. Take good care of my mother, Serval. SERVAL: I will, I promise. The situation with Bronya resolved, Serval headed back to her own bedroom to grab a change of clothes for Cocolia. Since it was getting late, she decided to grab a white nightgown for her. She knew most of her clothes weren’t really Cocolia’s style anyway. With it in hand, she headed back to the guest bedroom. “Here, put this on,” Serval said, tossing the nightgown to Cocolia. As she turned to leave, she heard Cocolia call out to her. “Wait!” Serval turned back to Cocolia. “What?” “Can you keep me company? I don’t want to be left alone with my thoughts.” Serval smiled. “I’d love to. Just let me go get changed first.” “Thank you.” After heading back to her room and changing into a cami and shorts, Serval returned to the guest bedroom and joined Cocolia in bed. “This is just like one of our sleepovers from when we were teens,” Serval remarked, scooting up close to Cocolia. “I don’t think I was injured during our sleepovers.” “Well, minus the you being injured part, then.” Serval almost wanted to offer to kiss her better where it hurt, but she knew that’d be way too forward, and so left it a fleeting fantasy. “Maybe.” Cocolia paused for a moment, before speaking again. “You know, Serval, if you ever wanted to get your job with the Architects back, I’m sure Bronya could-” “Okay look, I’m gonna stop you right there. I appreciate the sentiment, but like I said before, I’m happy with my life now. I’ve got my workshop and my music, and that’s all I need really. The only thing I was missing was you, and well… that’s not really the case anymore, is it?” Serval didn’t miss the way Cocolia’s cheeks went pink at her words. She was so cute… Serval wanted so badly to kiss her, but it was too soon for that. She hadn’t even confessed yet. “You missed me a lot, huh?” “Of course I did. We were best friends! Don’t tell me you didn’t feel the same way?” “No, I did. I also missed you a lot. Cutting you off was one of the hardest decisions I’d ever made, but the Stellaron had convinced me I had to let you go. I never thought we’d end up reconnecting like this.” “Heh, it’s ironic. I spent all those years researching the Stellaron, and little did I know the object of my studies was the very reason you had changed. I’ll never forgive it for taking you from me. I’m glad it’s gone now.” Cocolia didn’t respond. “So… What are you planning on doing once you’ve recovered?” “I intend to do what I can to help out in the Underworld. Bronya tells me it’s in pretty bad shape after 10 years of being closed off from the surface, and seeing as I’m the one responsible for that, it’s only right that I do what I can for them in repentance.” “Yeah, that makes sense. Does it scare you at all, going back down there after having left it sealed off for 10 years?” “I’ll admit, it does. I’m worried about how the people down there will react. I’m sure they think me a tyrant, and maybe they’re right about that. Still, I have to do this. It’s a problem of my own creation, and I have to set things right.” “That’s really admirable of you. You know, if you want, I could go down there with you, that way you’ll at least have someone in your corner.” “Thank you, Serval, I appreciate it, but are you sure you’d want to be so openly associated with me? It could damage your reputation.” Serval laughed. “Come on, Cocolia, I thought you knew me. You should know I’m the last person to care about their reputation. Besides, between getting expelled from the military, kicked out of the Architects, and disowned by my parents, what’s another hit to it?” “Touche. Well then, I’ll be happy to have you in my corner.” The two continued chatting for a couple of hours, reminiscing on old times and getting caught up on new ones, until eventually they couldn’t ignore their own fatigue. Serval yawned. “It’s getting pretty late, we should probably sleep now. Do you want me to stay here, or should I head back to my own room?” “Stay. Please,” Cocolia insisted. “All right then.” Serval was unable to stop herself from leaning in and kissing Cocolia on the forehead. “Good night, Cocolia.” Cocolia blushed a little and smiled at her. “Good night, Serval.” Serval woke up to find herself and Cocolia wrapped in each other’s arms, which was strange, because she could have sworn they had been on opposite sides of the bed when they went to sleep. Had they found each other’s arms in their sleep? Blushing, Serval quickly detangled herself from Cocolia’s arms, careful not to wake the still sleeping woman. After finishing her morning routine, Serval decided to text Pela. SERVAL: Hey, when are you free today? I wanna rehearse some new material I’ve been working on. PELA: I’m actually free right now. Do you want me to come over? SERVAL: That’s great! Please do. PELA: All right, I’ll be right over. Serval thankfully did not have to wait long for her friend to show up. “Hey Pela, guess what? You’ll never believe who showed up at my door last night.” “Who?” “Cocolia.” “Really?” “Yeah, let me tell you all about it…” “Oh my god, Serval. You useless lesbian.” “Hey, I’m making progress! I’ll tell her how I feel eventually, but we only just started even talking again yesterday, it’s too soon to tell her that right now. And at least my crush is on someone who actually exists. Tell me, how’s that phone game boyfriend of yours doing, Alfred or whatever his name was?” “It’s Artem. And he’s fine, thank you very much.” “I thought Artem was the Tale of the Winterlands guy?” “That’s a different Artem.” “You seem to really like guys named Artem. If I run into one in real life should I try to set the two of you up?” “Please don’t.” “Relax, I was kidding. Anyway, enough relationship talk, it’s time to play some music.” Cocolia woke up to the sound of rock music playing from another room. Serval must have been rehearsing. She would have to see it for herself later, but first, she wanted to see how Bronya was doing. She grabbed her phone, which was sitting on the bed-side table, and sent a text. COCOLIA: Did Serval tell you I’m staying at her place? BRONYA: Yes, mother. COCOLIA: Good. How are you holding up? Being the Supreme Guardian is a lot of responsibility, and with my sudden resignation yesterday, I can’t help but worry about how you’re handling it. BRONYA: Don’t worry, mother. I’ve spent most of my life preparing for when I’d take over for you, I’m handling it just fine. I’ve already ensured news has spread about the change of guard, and the reopening of the Underworld. I’m already discussing how to handle the Fragmentum down there with Wildfire as well, and plan to redeploy the Silvermane Guard there. COCOLIA: That’s a relief. But don’t hesitate to come to me if you need advice, okay? BRONYA: Okay, I will. COCOLIA: Good. I love you. BRONYA: I love you too, mother. Her conversation with her daughter over, Cocolia got up to go see Serval’s rehearsal, limping down the hallway and opening the door to the main part of the workshop where Serval and Pela were jamming away at their instruments, so focused on the music that they didn’t notice her come in. Cocolia leaned against the doorway as she admired their performance, only speaking up once it had ended. “I see you’re still as talented as ever, Serval.” Serval turned to her, before immediately rushing over to her. “What are you doing standing up, Cocolia? Your body needs more rest.” Before Cocolia could protest, she found herself once again being picked up bridal style by Serval. Once again blushing, Cocolia found herself wrapping her arms around Serval’s neck for stability. “Why do you insist on carrying me?” “Why do you insist on standing and walking in your current state? How long have you been up, anyway? Have you had breakfast yet?” Forgotten by the other two, Pela muttered to herself. “Suddenly I find myself feeling like a third wheel…” Cocolia felt a little bad for Pela, but still, she couldn’t ignore Serval’s questions. “Actually, I only just woke up, so no, I haven’t had breakfast yet,” she admitted. “All right, let’s get you back in bed, I’m gonna go make you something,” Serval insisted, carrying her back to the bedroom and laying her down there. “I better not catch you sneaking out of bed again. If you want out of bed, tell me, and I can carry you to a seat, okay?” Cocolia sighed. “Do you really have to carry me everywhere?” “Yes! I won’t have you limping around my house. Your legs need to recover first,” Serval insisted. Another sigh. “Fine, have it your way.” “Thank you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go make you breakfast.” As Serval left the room, Cocolia couldn’t help but smile fondly at her. As embarrassing as her fussing over her could be, she had to admit, it was nice to know that despite all that happened, she still cared. Once again thank you to my friends Celeste and groves for betaing for me, and to you, the readers for reading. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe, especially comment, as comments are an author's lifeblood. Until next chapter. same betas as usual, shout out to Celeste and groves, also shout out to Maya who beta'd most of the fic but then had to go to bed. (See the end of the chapter for more notes.) It had been a week since Cocolia had started staying at Serval’s place, and she was pretty sure she had finally recovered; there were no visible injuries remaining on her body, and she no longer had a limp when she walked. As much as she’d come to like letting Serval take care of her, she knew it was time to move on. “Serval, I think it’s time I returned home to Fort Qlipoth,” Cocolia announced as she entered the main body of the workshop. “Really? Already?” Serval said with disappointment in her voice, walking over to inspect her. “Are you sure you’re not still injured?” “Quite sure. Do you see any injuries still on me? I’m having no trouble walking or standing either.” Serval looked her over thoroughly, before sighing. “It seems you’re right. I guess I can’t stop you from leaving, then.” Cocolia smiled at her. “Don’t worry, we’ll still spend time together, even if I’m not staying here anymore. I’ll be sure to keep in touch. I’ll be back before long anyway, since you did say you would go down to the Underworld with me.” Serval’s spirits lifted immediately, and she smiled back. “You’re right. It’d be selfish of me to keep you all to myself anyway. Just be sure to take care of yourself, all right?” “I will,” Cocolia assured her. “Good. Now come here,” Serval said, pulling her into a hug, which Cocolia reciprocated. “You know, it’s already been a week, but having you back in my life still feels unreal to me.” Cocolia let off a small laugh. “I could say the same thing. I’m glad for it though. Bronya’s got so much on her plate now that she’s inherited the guardianship, it’s nice to have someone else I can fall back on.” “Well, get used to it. Someone’s gotta look out for you, after all.” When Cocolia returned to the Supreme Guardian’s office, she found Bronya once again engaged in conversation with that Seele girl. Just how close were the two of them? She ended up coughing to get their attention. “Huh?!” Bronya exclaimed, startled, before letting out a sigh of relief when she saw it was her mother. “Oh, it’s just you. I wasn’t expecting to see you here today. I take it you’ve recovered then, mother? Why didn’t you notify me?” Cocolia laughed a little. “I wanted to tell you in person. Serval did a good job taking care of me despite her lack of medical credentials, and I’m feeling a lot better now.” “You certainly look a lot better. I do feel a bit bad about being partially responsible for you ending up in that state in the first place though…” “Don’t. I might never have come to my senses had you and your friends not knocked it into me.” “I guess that’s true… I just wish it hadn’t had to come to that.” “I wish it hadn’t either, but it’s too late to change the past. Speaking of, before coming here, I stopped by my quarters to gussy up, and typed this up while I was there.” Cocolia pulled out a sheet of paper, holding it out to Bronya, who took it. “Mother, what is this?” “It’s an apology letter to the people of Belobog. I figured the first step in righting my wrongs should be to take accountability for them, which I’ve done here. See to it that it ends up in every newspaper in Belobog, I don’t want there to be a single person in the city who doesn’t know what I’ve done.” “All right, I’ll see to it that it gets done. I’m glad to see you’re being responsible about this. Was there anything else you came to see me for?” “I intend to head down to the Underworld. Seeing as the people there are the most affected by my decisions as Supreme Guardian, I want to do what I can to help them out. From what you told me, the 10 years of neglect have left it in pretty bad shape.” “Well, if you’re looking to help out in the Underworld, I suggest you go see Natasha. She’s the leader of Wildfire, an organization formed in response to the lack of protection from the Silvermane Guards in the wake of their withdrawal from the Underworld. If anyone’s best equipped to tell you how you can help, it’s her. Seele here is a member of Wildfire, she can take you to her.” “What?!” Seele exclaimed, not sounding happy about the prospect. “I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to, I’m sure she could find Natasha on her own, but I think it’d be best if you escorted her there.” Seele sighed. “Fine, I’ll do it, but only because you want me to. She can apologize all she wants, but I won’t forget or forgive what your mother has done.” “I don’t expect you-” Cocolia started, before being interrupted. “Shut up! I don’t care what you have to say! Now come on, let’s go,” Seele said, storming towards the door. Cocolia started after her. “Can we stop by the Neverwinter Workshop at least? Serval said she’d come down to the Underworld with me.” “Fine, but only because I like Serval.” As soon as she heard someone knock on the door, Serval quickly withdrew her hand from her shorts and wiped it off, rushing over to answer. Sure enough, standing in front of her was the object of her affections - Cocolia Rand. The memory of her half-naked body quickly flashed in Serval’s mind, but she shooed it away. She didn’t need to be having those kinds of thoughts right now. Looking past Cocolia, Serval could see Seele there as well, much to her surprise. What was she doing hanging out with Cocolia? “Hey Cocolia!” Serval greeted. “I know you said you’d be back before long, but I wasn’t expecting it to be this soon. What brings you here?” “Do you remember how you said you’d go with me when I go down to the Underworld? Well, I’m about to go down right now. Seele is taking me to meet the leader of Wildfire. Do you know about Wildfire yet?” “I do, actually. Seele and the outsiders told me about it when they came to me for help finding the Stellaron. I’m surprised she’d work with you so readily though.” “Don’t get the wrong idea,” Seele said. “I’m not doing this for her, I still haven’t forgiven her for what she did to the Underworld. I’m only doing this because Bronya asked me to.” “Now that sounds more like the Seele I know.” “What’s that supposed to mean?!” “Don’t worry about it,” Serval said with a knowing smirk. Seele would probably figure it out before too long anyway. “Whatever. Come on, let’s go,” Seele said, already walking off. Cocolia followed after her and Serval joined her, clinging to her arm. She didn’t fail to notice the suspicious look Seele gave them when she looked back to see if they were following. She was not beating the gay allegations. After being led down the Furnace Core and into the Underworld, they ended up being led to a building in the corner of Boulder Town. Serval didn’t fail to notice the looks people were giving Cocolia as they passed by. Inside the building, between the hospital beds and medical equipment, it was pretty clear it was a clinic, and at the center of it all was a gray-haired woman with red eyes. The woman eyed Cocolia with suspicion as she watched them approach, before turning to Seele. “Seele, it may have been over 10 years since I last set foot in the Overworld, but I recognize Belobog’s former Supreme Guardian when I see her. What is she doing here?” “She says she wants to help us out, to do what she can to make up for leaving us cut off from the Overworld for a decade. While I’m hesitant to trust her, and certainly not willing to forgive her, Bronya has faith in her, so I’m willing to give her a chance,” Seele explained, before sending a glare over to Cocolia. “Don’t make me regret it.” The woman turned back to Cocolia. “Is what she’s saying true? Do you want to help the people of the Underworld?” Cocolia gulped, and Serval could tell she was nervous, so she put a hand on her shoulder for reassurance. This seemed to help, as Cocolia soon spoke. “Yes, I do. I did many things that I now regret when I was Supreme Guardian, and chief among them was sealing off the Underworld. Bronya tells me the past decade has not been kind to you, and I think it’s only right that I aid in the Underworld’s recovery, since I’m the one responsible for its decline. Anything I can do to help, just tell me, and I’ll do it.” “You can certainly talk the talk, but we’ll see if you can walk the walk.” The woman then turned to Serval. “And who might you be?” “I’m Serval. Cocolia and I go way back, I came down here to help support her,” Serval explained. “Serval’s a good person, I can vouch for her. She helped me and the outsiders get past the Silvermane Guard Restricted Zone so we could get to the Stellaron,” Seele said, sticking up for her. “She helped you even though it meant going against Cocolia?” “Well, Cocolia and I weren’t even on speaking terms at the time. We had a falling out after she kicked me out of the Architects, but a week ago she showed up at my doorstep to apologize, and we’ve been working on repairing our relationship ever since. I believe she’s sincere in her desire to help the Underworld.” “Well, I guess I can give her a chance. I’m Natasha, by the way, Boulder Town’s local doctor and leader of Wilfire.” “I’d surmised as much,” Cocolia said. “Well, anyway, you want to help the Underworld right? Of the problems that have been plaguing us ever since you abandoned us, I’d say chief among them is poverty. So many of us struggle just to make enough to survive on. Some even go so far as to try to brave the dangers of the Fragmentum in hopes they can find something of value to sell.” “Bronya told me about that, which is why I’ve brought this.” Cocolia pulled out a ridiculous amount of Shield. Serval couldn’t even begin to guess how much it was. “Feel free to distribute this among the people of the Underworld. Don’t tell them it was from me though. I’m not doing this for my own self-image. You can tell them it was from an anonymous donor.” Natasha took the money. “Some of the people down here are too proud to accept such a handout, but I’ll gladly distribute it among those willing to accept it. Don’t think I’ll let you get away with that being the extent of your contributions though.” “I wouldn’t expect you to.” “Good, now what else can I have you do… We could use more medical supplies, but I’ll be meeting with my mother soon to take care of that, so we can cross that off the list. Hmmm…” Natasha held her chin in her hand, pondering for a moment. “You can fight right? The neighboring Rivet Town was taken over by the Fragmentum, but it’s still full of countless objects of worth, making it a common scavenging site for those brave or foolhardy enough to venture in. Why not try your own hand at scavenging? I’m sure the monsters would be no trouble for a former Supreme Guardian like yourself.” “Yeah, I can do that.” “Bronya and this Seele girl seem to have become quite close,” Cocolia remarked to Serval as the two of them walked through the streets of Boulder Town, making their way towards Rivet Town. “I’ve noticed. It honestly kind of reminds me of how close the two of us were at their age.” “I think it’s a bit different, it’s more like-” Cocolia didn’t notice the fist flying at her face until it was too late. Next thing she knew, she had fallen backwards onto the ground, a man she didn’t recognize straddling her, ready to throw even more punches, but before the next one could connect, he was pulled off of her and shoved away by Serval. “Just what do you think you’re doing?!” Serval yelled at him, indignant. “Getting payback! Thanks to this bitch and her withdrawing the Silvermane Guards from the Underworld, I lost my home and my family to the Fragmentum!” “That doesn’t give you the right to attack her out of nowhere!” “Doesn’t it, though? She’s got a lot of nerve, showing her face down here after what she did!” “I’ll have you know, she’s trying to help you guys.” The man scoffed. “Heh, I’ll believe it when I see it! Where was her help when the Fragmentum overtook Rivet Town, hmmm? Now get out of my way! I have unfinished business with her.” Serval pulled out her guitar and glared at him. “If you want to get at her, you’ll have to go through me. It may have been well over a decade since I was in the Silvermane Guards, but my fighting skills are as sharp as ever. Do you really want to mess with me?” The man gave her a quick once over, before storming off, apparently deciding it was a fight he wouldn’t win. Once he was gone, Serval ran over to Cocolia, taking her face in her hands. “Are you all right? Sorry, I didn’t notice him coming at you until he’d already punched you to the ground.” Serval’s touch and gaze were so tender that Cocolia found herself blushing and looking away. “Don’t worry, I’m fine. I deserved it anyway.” “Don’t say that.” “But I did! You heard the man, he lost his home and family all because of my order. If anything, I deserve worse than just getting punched.” “Look, I don’t care if you ‘deserve’ it or not, I won’t have you getting hurt on my watch, okay?” There was a real passion to her words. “Serval…” “Now come on.” Serval pulled Cocolia up from off the ground and smiled at her. “Rivet Town awaits us.” Cocolia smiled back. “Right.” remember to like, comment, and subscribe pls and thank u Hi thanks to Maya, groves, and Celeste for betaing this for me. Happy end of pride month, enjoy. (See the end of the chapter for more notes.) After the fighting had ended, Cocolia and Serval eventually ended up in front of a large residence that overlooked the rest of Rivet Town. In front of it was long abandoned playground equipment. “This must be the orphanage where Bronya lived before I adopted her…” Cocolia remarked, looking over the deserted building. “To have been orphaned at such a young age… I can’t help but wonder who her original parents were and what happened to them.” “Going from an Underworld orphan to the Guardianship’s heir apparent… That’s quite the increase in status. Bronya is a lucky girl.” Cocolia shook her head. “Luck had nothing to do with it. She was specifically chosen by the Architects because she was the most worthy to become the next Supreme Guardian, and they were right. She’s certainly more worthy than I ever was…” “Don’t say that. No one could have known you’d end up being manipulated by the Stellaron. Were it not for its influence I think you would have made just as fine a Supreme Guardian as any other.” Cocolia laughed. “I think you may be a bit biased there, but maybe I would have, I guess we’ll never know. Being here though, I can’t help but wonder where I myself come from. I have no memory of who I was before I was adopted into the Rand family. Was I an Overworlder or an Underworlder? I have no idea. Maybe I came from the orphanage too. It’s been around since before I was born. Maybe something will jog my memory like it did for Bronya, but I won’t hold out hope. I’ve made peace with the fact that I’ll probably never know where I came from.” Serval gave her a sympathetic look. “Cocolia…” “Don’t worry, like I said I’ve made peace with it. It’s not like I regret becoming a Rand either. If I hadn’t, I might not have met you. My only regrets are the actions I took after I inherited the Guardianship. But that’s enough sentimentality. We should head inside— maybe we’ll find something useful there.” The two of them made their way into the building, moving past the foyer area into what seemed to be a kitchen. As the two looked around, Serval set her eyes on a broken coffee machine. “You know, I bet I could fix this up,” she commented. “Do you think we should bring it back with us then?” Cocolia asked. “I think so. I’d wager there’s plenty of useful stuff in this town; it’s just been left behind because it’s broken. I should be able to fix all of it, and give it back to the Underworld.” “I think you may be on to something. Let’s head back to Natasha.” Cocolia and Serval managed to get a system going with Natasha where Cocolia would scavenge for useful items in Rivet Town, and if what she found was broken, she’d bring it to Serval to fix it up, before bringing it back to Natasha for the Underworld residents to put to use. Cocolia would also find herself doing various odd jobs Natasha would give her. Serval would often try to accompany Cocolia on her excursions down to the Underworld so as to keep the punching incident from happening again, to the point Cocolia had to remind her not to neglect the workshop she was running. Working with Wildfire was improving her standing in the Underworld anyway. While she still got plenty of glares, nobody had outright attacked her since the incident. When she wasn’t helping Wildfire or Bronya, Cocolia was mainly spending time with Serval. The two had successfully managed to regain the closeness they once had, and Cocolia was glad for it. They would occasionally be joined by one of Serval’s other friends, usually Pela. Such was the case currently, as Cocolia sat watching Serval and Pela rehearse their music. It was going well until a sudden snapping sound came and Serval’s guitar started sounding off. “Shit, I broke a string, give me a sec while I go fix it,” Serval said, heading out back to do that, leaving Pela and Cocolia alone in the room. “You know, Cocolia, Serval’s been a lot happier ever since you came back into her life.” “Has she?” Pela nodded. “Don’t get me wrong, though; it’s not as if she’s spent your years apart miserable, but I never saw her quite as happy as she’s been lately.” “Wow. I knew being back in her life had made her happy, but I didn’t realize it had made her that much happier.” “She talks about you all the time too. Not that she didn’t talk about you before, but she talked about you less often back then, and it was usually lamenting the kind of person you’d become. The things she has to say now are a lot more positive.” “What does she say about me?” Cocolia asked. Before her question could be answered, they were interrupted by Serval coming back into the room, a now fixed guitar in hand. “All right, this baby has been restrung. Let’s rock!” “You wanted to see me, Bronya?” Cocolia said, entering the Supreme Guardian’s office. She noticed Seele was once again accompanying her daughter. “Right. Mother, I have something to announce,” Bronya took Seele’s hand in hers, and took a deep breath, before speaking again. “Seele and I are dating.” Cocolia smirked. “So it’s finally happened, has it?” Bronya and Seele both blushed a little. “You mean you knew how we felt about each other?!” “I wouldn’t say I knew, but I’ve had my suspicions.” “I guess you approve, then?” Cocolia laughed. “Even if I didn’t, what would it matter? You’re an adult now, Bronya, and Supreme Guardian, no less, you don’t need my permission to date anyone. To answer your question, though, so long as she treats you right, she has my blessing.” “That’s a relief, I was worried you might not approve,” Bronya said with a relieved sigh. “How are things with Serval, by the way?” “Huh? Things are good between us, why?” Cocolia asked, not sure why Bronya was bringing up Serval out of nowhere. Bronya sighed. “Don’t worry about it.” Cocolia entered the Neverwinter Workshop to find Serval in conversation with an unfamiliar blue-haired woman, presumably a customer. As soon as she stepped in though, Serval immediately turned and acknowledged her presence with a wave. “Hey Cocolia, you’re right on time. Are you ready to head out?” The two of them had planned to spend the day out on the town. “I am. Do you need to finish with this customer first?” “Oh, she isn’t a customer. This is Molly, she works for the technology division of the Silvermane Guards. Her home recently got ransacked by a group of corrupt Silvermane Guards, so I’m letting her live here for now.” “Hi, I’m Molly. Miss Serval’s talked about you a lot,” Molly said, nervously waving at her. “She’s living with you?” Cocolia asked in shock. For some reason the thought of someone else living with Serval made her stomach churn. “For now. She’s staying in the guest bedroom. Why, is there a problem with that?” Serval said, looking at her with some skepticism. That’s where I stayed… Cocolia did have a problem with it, but she wasn’t really sure why, so rather than admit it, she chose to lie. “No, why would there be a problem with it?” Serval smirked. “Are you sure? It sounds to me like you’re jealous.” “Why would I be jealous?” Cocolia asked, though she still found herself blushing and looking off to the side. Why should she be? “I don’t know, you tell me,” Serval said. After no response from Cocolia, she decided to change the subject. “Anyway, come on, let’s get going. Molly, you can look after the workshop while we’re gone, right?” “Yes, Miss Serval! I won’t let you down,” Molly said with a salute. “Great! We’ll see you when we get back.” Serval took Cocolia by the hand and led her out of the Workshop and onto the streets of the Administrative District. “So what was that about corruption in the Silvermane Guards?” Cocolia decided to ask. She’d been too concerned about the fact that someone else was living with Serval to ask about it at first, but it was still something she wanted to know about. “Oh, don’t worry about it. Pela and Bronya are taking care of the situation.” “Good. I’d hate for a problem like that to just be ignored. Even when I was Supreme Guardian I wouldn’t have tolerated such things.” “And Bronya isn’t either, so you don’t have to worry. Anyway, we’ve reached our first destination,” Serval said, stopping. They were in front of the Eversummer Florist, the local flower shop which was located only a short walk away from the Neverwinter Workshop. “Stay out here while I head inside.” “Why make me wait outside?” “I don’t want you to know what flowers I’m getting you until I give them to you.” “That’s fair enough, I suppose. All right, I’ll wait out here.” “Thanks.” With that settled, Serval headed into the flower shop. Before long, she came back out with a bouquet of flowers, which she held out to Cocolia. “Here you go.” Cocolia took it from her, giving it a good sniff. “Rainbows, huh?” They were the shop’s most popular flower, and a common gift among old friends. If Cocolia remembered correctly, their meaning was “ordinary beauty”. “Do you like them?” “Of course I do. I like anything you give me.” Serval blushed. “You’re just saying that to flatter me.” “I’m being serious. I’ll be sure to put them on display as soon as I get home.” “I’m holding you to that,” Serval said. “You won’t need to. In fact, we still have time before the play starts, and Fort Qlipoth is right there— we can do it right now. They sell vases for the flowers here, right?” “They do, yeah. I wouldn’t mind doing that. It’s been years since I last set foot in Fort Qlipoth.” “Then it’s settled.” Cocolia quickly went into the shop to buy a vase for the flowers, placing them in it once it had been purchased. She and Serval then walked over to Fort Qlipoth, making their way to Cocolia’s room. Cocolia set the vase down on her bedside table, while Serval looked around the room she hadn’t been inside in many, many years. “Oh my god,” Serval said, picking up a stuffed bear off of the bed, her cheeks a faint pink. “I can’t believe you still have the old teddy bear I gave you back when we were kids. It’s in remarkably good condition for one that’s 30 years old too. I guess you really weren’t kidding when you said you like anything I give you…” Cocolia found herself blushing. “Of course I do. You were my closest friend, how could I not?” Before Cocolia knew it, Serval had pulled her into a tight hug. “Thanks, Cocolia. I appreciate it.” Cocolia’s blush deepened. “We should get going. We wouldn't want to miss the play, after all.” Serval pulled back and pulled out her phone, checking the time. “I guess you’re right. Let’s go.” The two left Fort Qlipoth and started making their way down the street to the theater. “You know, I’m surprised you didn’t invite Pela to go with us. Didn’t you tell me she was a big fan of Tale of the Winterlands? Surely she’d love to see its theater adaptation.” “Oh, don’t worry, she’s already seen it, she was at the opening performance. Besides, I wanted this to be just the two of us.” “Ah, that makes sense.” The two made their way into the theater, showed their tickets, and headed to their seats on the front row of the balcony. The play was enjoyable enough, fairly faithful to the novel it was based on, and the lead actors and actress performed their roles excellently. Cocolia had noticed, however, that during any of Artem and Anna’s more romantic scenes, Serval’s focus had seemed to be more on her than on the play. What was up with that? Cocolia decided not to worry about it, and as the show came to a close, the crowd gave a standing ovation, before everyone made to leave. Cocolia and Serval were no different, making their way through the halls of the theater as they made their exit, however, after a muttered “fuck it” from Serval, Cocolia found herself suddenly up against the wall of the hallway they were in, Serval’s hand pressed up against it above her shoulder. “Serval…?” Cocolia asked, confused why she’d suddenly stopped them. Serval let out a deep breath, before speaking. “Look, Cocolia, there’s something I have to tell you. I really should have told you 20 years ago, but it’s better late than never, so I may as well get it off my chest now: I’m in love with you.” Cocolia’s mouth fell open. Oh. Oh. Before Cocolia could even fully process what she’d just been told, her body moved on its own, her fingers hooking under the chain attached to Serval’s collar, and pulling her in for a kiss. It didn’t take long for Serval to start kissing back, and soon they were outright making out. It was exhilarating, kissing Serval, and she hadn’t even realized she’d wanted it until that moment. She’d been such a fool. “So it’s finally happened, has it?” They broke apart immediately, and turned to find Bronya and Seele looking at them, smirks on their faces. Cocolia found herself suddenly flustered. “Bronya?! What are you doing here?” “What do you think? I came to see the play, of course. Even the Supreme Guardian needs to take a break every now and again, you know. Surely you of all people understand that.” “You never told me you were going to be here.” “Do I really have to tell you every minute detail of my life?” Cocolia sighed. “I suppose not.” “Anyway, that’s enough about me. How long have you and Serval been a thing?” “Since just now,” Cocolia sheepishly admitted. “That explains what you were doing making out in the middle of the theater hall,” Seele remarked snidely. “Look, after over 20 years of pent up romantic tension, can you really blame us?” Serval defended. Though her face was also red, she’d at least managed to compose herself a bit better than Cocolia. “No, I suppose not,” Bronya said. “So how long before I see you move out of Fort Qlipoth and in with Serval, mother?” “Oh please, you can’t expect me to have an answer for a question like that already, not when Serval and I haven’t even discussed anything like that yet ourselves.” “Well you know Cocolia, you shouldn’t keep me waiting too long, I’ve got a double-bed at home just waiting for you to join me in it,” Serval said with a smirk, stroking Cocolia’s arm. Cocolia blushed again. “I think it could be in the cards in the near future.” “I’m happy to hear it,” Serval said, and pulled her in for another kiss. Hope you liked the fic. Feel free to drop a kudos, subscribe to me for more servalia and durarita content, and especially please leave a comment down below.

Paradox

['Hyoumaki']

Mature

M/M

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Luocha/Welt Yang

Welt Yang, Luocha (Honkai Star Rail)

Top Welt Yang, Bottom Luocha, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Past WeltOtto

English

2022-05-08

Completed

2022-06-29

21,971

9/9

39

701

60

13,635

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[]

‘Parallel universe’ has always been a confusing, complicated discussion among humans. One debates that it’s simply a world ‘mirrored’ from the main universe; another says that it’s a totally ‘different’ world; and some argues that all the casts in the parallel universes are the ‘same’, but the systems and the rules of that world are ‘different’. The debate has sparked hot and long, but it never reaches an end. For the humans who are ignorant and untouched by the taints of Honkai, the discussion won’t end anytime soon. But for those who have tasted its cosmic powers, the discussion has long ended the moment Otto Apocalypse reached the Imaginary Tree and forced a new branch where his beloved one could live on. The answer? It is something only they knew. There is also another long heated discussion among these fragile beings. The concept of ‘reincarnation’ believed by the Buddhists where one soul would be reborn as a new being according to their karmic deeds in the past. There is evidence about it around the world, among them is the young child from Louisiana claiming to be an Air Force pilot during the war. Still, despite the numerous children claiming to remember their past lives and can recite it almost accurately, the world still debates its credibility. If both ‘parallel universe’ and ‘reincarnation’ are not true, then who IS this man standing in front of his own eyes?! The man has the very same emerald eyes, the long blond hair…not to mention that flawless, fair skin. No matter how hard Welt tries to dismiss that man’s image, Otto Apocalypse returns to his mind, haunting him like a persistent soul of the damned. As if the existence of Void Archive living in one of Otto’s surviving clones isn’t enough to mock him. As if Otto hasn’t had his fill of bullying him after taking everything away from him..this man…this man with those very identical (unforgettable) features has to appear in this parallel world. There are hundreds of emotions Welt wishes to express, most of them are spiteful. (Some of them are…longing. But he won’t admit that. He will never.) Fortunately for the former Sovereign, his clenched fist is hidden inside his coat’s pocket as if waiting for Heaven’s permission to land a punch square to that (beautiful) face. The permission he’s hoping for never comes. “My name is Luocha of the Intergalactic Merchant Guild. It is a pleasure to meet you.” Same voice, devoid of venom. Same face, different name. How far does God intend to mock him? By making him believe that ‘reincarnation’ does exist across the multiverses?! “Sir Luocha, is it?” Welt repeats and extends his right hand in a welcoming gesture. “I am Welt Yang from Astral Express. It is a pleasure to meet you too.” Luocha flashes a thin smile, returning the gesture with a warmth unfamiliar to him. The blond takes his hand and shakes with him. No pressure, just gentleness from the slight firm place of his fingers. Otto Apocalypse never did such a thing. After all, they were enemies, and enemies do not shake hands in a non-hostile manner. As if blowing another punch straight into his gut, those emerald eyes glint in kindness with no trace of ill intention. Meanwhile what he remembers are mischief and debauchery. “I have heard of your excellent express service, Sir Welt,” they both retract their hands almost at the same time. “I wish to board the train so I can deliver this coffin as soon as possible.” Welt glances at the coffin carried on the younger man’s back. Not only it’s bigger than its carrier in terms of size, but it also appears to be heavy. But Luocha doesn’t seem to complain about this particular task weighing down on his shoulders, perhaps it’s a matter of career professionalism…or it can be about who’s inside the white wooden box. Back then in his old world, there is a rumor that Otto carried Kallen’s coffin on his back as he searches for The Sage who might have a way to revive the maiden. Since it’s a mere rumor, Welt doesn’t believe it, but now he can imagine that tale thanks to its living example in front of him. This is a perfect chance for him to get rid of this Otto-lookalike away from his sight and his life! Indeed it is! He tries to look for a hint of deceit in Luocha’s eyes, deciphers a hidden clue of his treacherous plans from his words; anything that he can legally use to turn down the man’s request and get the hell out of here ASAP! He finds none. No deceit, no tricks, no evil. Luocha seems sincere in his quest of delivering that coffin and whatever is inside as if it's his only mission in his entire life. There’s nothing he can use to reject Luocha’s request. “Very well. I shall arrange the trip for you.” That familiar face beams, and the image of Otto Apocalypse smiling happily is so out of character. But it happens in reality, and Welt has to remind himself that this man is Luocha the merchant and the guy who carries a large coffin on his back, not the dead Overseer of Schicksal. “Thank you. I shall repay your kindness in any way you wish.” His heart begins to waver — perhaps, ‘melt’ will be more fitting. The hostility he reserved slowly is being washed away and for the first time since their initial interaction, Welt can relax his shoulders and ease his mind. “There is no need to do that. It is our duty to make sure our passengers reaches their destination.” Luocha briefly chuckles in agreement. “I shall remember this for as long as I’m alive.” The Otto he remembers was never grateful to him…not even once. “Let’s board the train now. We will depart in five minutes.” “Yes.” Luocha makes his way through the passenger car. He’s lucky that the train isn’t packed so he can rest the large coffin beside him. Strangely, the owner of the train – Himeko, doesn’t reprimand the young man that the coffin should go to the storage car and casually enters the driver’s cab. Welt watches as the man takes his seat beside the window, looking comfortable as he stares outside. (Somewhere, deep in his heart…it relieves him to see Luocha like that. Now that he thinks about that man again, Otto doesn’t have such luxury back when he was alive…too focused, too determined to reach the end of his goal. Restless, relentless – all for the sake of someone who won’t love him back.) March 7th pops her head out of the sliding door, giddily warning him. “Mister Welt, we are about to take off! Please take a seat or else you might hurt your back!” This lady and her brash mouth…Welt doesn’t have enough energy to remind her that he’s not that old for his bones to break easily. Even if it breaks, he can still repair them using his honkai powers. “Okay,” is his simple answer and he takes a seat a few rows away from the IMG member. Welt glances up. There is a rear view mirror above the front door. From his position, he can see the coffin carrier admiring the view, and he can’t tear his eyes away from the sight. The Luocha in the mirror’s reflection looks content, much like a sage unperturbed by mortal affairs. He notes how gently the afternoon sunlight hits his fair visage, his eyes shine much like polished gems worth thousands. The image of ruined buildings, burning cars, and his dying hero appear in his mind whenever he remembers Otto; instead of such a grotesque scene, looking at Luocha pulls him into the imaginary world of a lush forest, its tranquility, and a small lake in the middle of its green earth. He can easily portray the blond man resting on the lakeside, surrounded by white flowers. The emerald eyes in the mirror move, Welt is caught red-handed have been staring at him for God-knows-how-long. The older man hastily swifts his eyes away, looking at anywhere but the rear mirror. His heart beats as fast as a stallion gallops through the vast plains of Ireland, the beating is so loud that it renders the train’s engine almost inaudible. Luocha must be thinking he’s a creep by now, it will require him a miracle for that man to not think bad of him after this incident. He expected the merchant to be heading his way by now, inquiring about what one can deem as ‘stalking’. He definitely isn’t stalking Luocha, he will get that straight into the young man’s head. The expected confrontation never comes, Welt gathers enough courage to look at the rear mirror again. Luocha remains in his seat, only shifting his position slightly. He’s fixated on the stars sparkling in the dark space as if he didn’t realize the former Herrscher was staring at him just a few minutes ago. Welt doesn’t know whether he should call this a miracle, but it happens, and he’s grateful for that. Perhaps he should explain his action later…or maybe he will just leave it behind if Luocha doesn’t inquire further about the incident. The rest of the journey feels awkward for him, He picks a tour book from the seat pocket and distracts himself with the information he has read for the nth time since his journey with Astral Express. That was embarrassing, Welt thinks. He swears he can hear the arrogant Void Archive laughing mockingly in his head. You acted like a perverted teenager just now, Sir Welt. That was extremely amusing. Shut up. Thankfully, the Divine Key ‘respects’ his will and retreats to the far end of his mind. He wonders how Otto was able to tolerate his existence for more than 500 years when he can’t even stand its presence for five MINUTES. If there’s anything he praises about Otto Apocalypse, patience is one of them. He remains unaware that the very same pair of green eyes are staring at him with the very same method. It lasts only a few seconds, though, the merchant doesn’t want to garner attention from the man he just knew. [To Be Continued...?] (See the end of the chapter for notes.) This train ride is going to take some time, and it's too quiet for a long journey. Sure, silence has always been his companion, and he appreciates it from time to time because it gives him a private space where he can rest and collect himself back. But he knows there's someone else here, in this very same car he's riding. And that person is sitting merely a few rows back with a possibly dead body inside that huge, white coffin leaning against the seat like it's one of the living passengers.   The silence is awkward, moreover because that someone is an uncanny copy of his archnemesis (also someone he—). Anyone, even the most audacious god there is, will feel the same in this situation, suddenly speechless and lips as tight as a pulled string.   The tour guidebook he fake reads doesn't help at all. He realized what he might need desperately right now is a conversation, a topic, an exchange of minds; anything that can be used to confirm that this man – Luocha – isn't that man's ghost.   He sighs and closes the unhelping guidebook. Yet as he doesn't have any other way to entertain himself, he takes out a worn-out novel from the briefcase. It's a story that he had read hundreds of times, even with his eyes closed, Welt can recite what is happening in that particular page. There's no suspense waiting for him, no excitement can surprise him..but he adores the story nonetheless. Reading this novel distracts him more than other things can. With this, hopefully the journey will feel sho—   "What are you reading, sir Welt?"   Welt jolts slightly and whips his face to his right side. He is met with a mass of golden, silky strands, his nose catches the fresh, spring-like mellow scent. He immediately recognizes it's the lily.   Purity and innocence. So the Bible says.   There it is again , Otto Apocalypse's face the former Sovereign's mind has unconsciously conjured. Why, he doesn't have to ask that. After all…   He knows Otto better than anyone else. He knows the former Overseer better than the being that lived with him for bloody five hundred years.   Always wearing white like the lilies growing around churches. Everyone said that the color of purity and innocence doesn't suit a man with a heart darker than the abyss. Black of the darkness and red from the blood he spilled in his conquest, these are the colors they deem fit for the vilest villain of all universe.   Then again, the definition of 'purity' by itself is…ambiguous.    If being honest, upright and kind is considered 'pure', why does 'pure evil ' exist? It means that merely having good traits doesn't give someone a free pass as a 'pure' person, does it?    People also say that purity rhymes with innocence and holiness, is it true, then? Take an example out of those priests from churches. There's a lot of cases where these so-called 'holy men' hide behind God's gospel and glory to commit sins.    They say purity also takes form in fair judgment. Take an example of someone's lifeworth of sins being washed away the instant God pardons them, doesn't that mean God allows humans to commit crimes and not face punishment as long as the guilty begs for forgiveness? Isn't that unfair?   In the end…isn't 'purity' and 'innocence' a subjective matter?   The more he thinks about the concept, the more he understands the damned villain hated by the entire world.   The more he thinks about it, perhaps, he can say that Otto Apocalypse is as pure as lilies.   "-elt?" Luocha's calling pulls him out of musing. "Sir Welt, are you alright?"   Welt blinks and looks away. "I-...I'm fine," he can't say it straight to this face.   "I see," the merchant nods. "May I sit here? The young lady said it will be quite a journey before we can reach Luofu, so I figure that perhaps, we can use the time to get to know each other better."   He says he knows nothing about him, Welt glances at the blond man, looking for any sign of lies. The former Herrscher mentally slaps his own forehead, he really should STOP thinking about that man and instead accepts the reality this man is not him .   He's NOT Otto Apocalypse. He won't know a thing about him; the legacy he inherited, his naive desire to become a hero that the late Schicksal Overseer utilized for his own ends… and their relationship.   "You may. Make yourself comfortable."   "Thank you," Luocha takes the seat. Unlike the awkward Welt, he doesn't seem the slightest perturbed. "So, where are you from?"   "I came from a planet called Earth. It's dozens of lightyears away from where we are now."   He can't just explain that he came from another universe and multiverses exist. It's a confidential matter only selected people may know, a mere coffin-delivering-merchant isn't one of them.   "You have traveled far, sir Welt," Luocha replies with a hint of amusement. "Do you miss your home?"   Home. Welt looks at the old novel in his hands. When he thinks about home, it's not the grand mansion he once lived in, or the headquarters of Anti-Entropy. To him, 'home' is where he's surrounded by the people that he cares for and those who care for him. In the midst of an unknown space where he has no such people by his side, of course he feels lonely…and he misses them badly. Einstein's and Tesla's childish bickering, Joyce's innocent smile as he proudly showed his 'father' his crayon art.   Yet that man doesn't exactly fit in. Though he still denies it, he also misses that man in a way or so.   "I do. But I won't dwell in this feeling for too long," Welt says. His heart feels heavy, but this sensation doesn't pressure him. Because he knows they are doing well without him, and he can see them in the future. "I will see them again, I promised them I will return home safe and sound."   "I see," Luocha flashes him a thin smile. "I'm glad to hear that."   Now, it's his time to ask. "What about you, sir Luocha?"   "I…" the blond merchant leans on the backrest. "I have been away from that place for so long, I have…forgotten."   "But, now that I mention it, I should plan for a week-off after delivering this." He points at the coffin with his thumb, Luocha doesn't drop his smile as he continues his reply in a lighthearted tone. "I will have to 'fight' the higher ups a teensy bit, though."   Welt doesn't ask more. From the way Luocha responded, he has a feeling the other man isn't very fond of his private life being investigated. He has to keep his lips shut or change to another topic soon, knowing the merchant, the latter seems more welcomed.   "Good luck with that. I hope you win the fight."   "That's very kind of you. Thank you."   Welt says no more on the matter and instead, he hands out the book. "Do you want to read it? You seemed curious about what's inside."   "I have read many books but this one certainly isn't one," he admits. "Care to quench my curiosity?"   The older man hums and decides that yes, recapping the whole story will be a load of work. "I can lend you this book instead. It's one of the most famous works in our world."   "Oh? Are you alright with that? This book seems…precious beyond words to you."   Is it that obvious? Or is it a mere wild guess? "Why would you deduce that?"   He's expecting a smug look that says 'Of course I knew', but what appears on Luocha's face is nothing short of that. Rather than smug, it is a tranquil confidence that paints his youthful face. "People will usually throw away their old books, but you still have it. Judging from the yellowing of its pages, I'd say it's at least seventy years old by now. Aside from the natural aging of the book, there's no significant damage caused by human error. I can smell the sweet, musky scent of premium chocolate and vanilla. It's very strong, but it's not the scent that makes one dizzy."   "And…" the green eyes gaze at the novel. "The way you look at it gives everything away. Longing, content, and a hint of mourning. Someone you hold so dear must be its giver."   Welt Yang is silent. The man known for his intelligence can't conjure up a single word. Everything this man said…is the truth. All those…just from simple observation. Perhaps he has grown too senile to hide these emotions under poker face.   Hence, he cannot refute the blond's flawless deduction.   "I…must say I'm taken aback by your deduction, sir Luocha. I started to doubt your identity as a merchant."   "You surely jest," Luocha tucks his long hair behind his ear and continues, "It's just a common trait between us, but it's our trade secret."   "You have a point."   Observance is the first step to become a good merchant. As the trade and finance world is full of deceit and ploys, one must know or can guess what's in their business opponent's head. Once one muster this skill, they can manuaver through ebb and flow of economics.   "But, you made one mistake, sir Luocha."   "Oh?" The blond man raises an eyebrow. "And pry tell me where did I flaw, sir Welt?"   Welt extends the novel at his interlocutor. "Just because it's precious, doesn't mean I won't lend it to you."   It's the eloquent man's turn to be out of words. "...Why would you trust me with its wellbeing?"   Rather than distrust, what the former Sovereing detects is doubt. Of course, why would he trust one of his most precious belongings to someone he just knew? It's unthinkable, irrational, and mayhaps, idiotic of him.   "There's no merit in harming this book," Welt replies. "Merchants will only take risks and gamble when it has a high merit for their agenda."   "And secondly, you're a bookworm yourself. A book is also a life, isn't it? You will take good care of it even if not asked to."   Luocha chuckles, the curves when his eyes are closed doesn't belong to a mendacious man of trades. "You're pretty observant yourself, aren't you?"   I have read many books but this one certainly isn't one.   Welt shrugs. "I just happen to have good memory and attention."   "You do," he accepts the offered book with both hands, seemingly delightful upon receiving it as if he was awarded by god's blessing. "Thank you. I shall take good care of it and return it as soon as possible."   "No need for the hurry. Take your time, sir Luocha."   "But…"   "I'm fine with it. It's a long story with complicated plot and conflicts, first-time readers usually need another reread to finally understand its lore."   "Interesting," Luocha mumbles in amusement. "Very well. I shall take my time. It seems the next time we meet, we will have a lot to discuss. Ah, I will bring you some of my favorite works, I'm sure you will like them."   "Looking forward to it."   Luocha nods and puts the book inside his bag. Maybe he will start before sleep. That was what that man used to do.   Of course, Welt knows.   He ponders why did he decide to lend the book to Luocha.   It doesn't take him more than three rounds to reach his conclusion.   As much as he hated to admit it…he misses that man.   The next time we meet.   The next time they meet…it won't be Otto Apocalypse of Schicksal he's seeing.   It is Luocha of the Intergalactic Merchant Guild, another bookworm just like him and not a twisted, obssessed sociopath who ended millions for one.   Still, he can't help but missed said sociopath.   Welt Yang has long acceptes that he's a literal mess himself.   [To Be Continued…] I changed 'millions of lightyears' into 'dozens of lightyears' for several reason 1. The distance from solar system to the center of milky way is about 27k ly. Since we're on the outer ring of the galaxy, the radius of the galaxy should be twice that. 2. We don't know if space warping exist in HSR or not. Even with space warping, there's still some time needed to reach other places outside the solar system. Hence the mention of 'quite the journey'. 3. For measurement, light needs around 80 minutes to reach saturn from earth. Saturn is 1.4 billion km away. 4. The nearest star system to solar system is around 4.3ly away. It's Alpha Centauri. 5. 1 ly = 37k human years. (See the end of the chapter for notes.) The restaurant car has a truly outstanding design. Since Astral Express travels across planets and solar systems, the interior has a salient astronomical theme. Its roof and walls are replaced with golden metal bars and tempered alumino-silicate glasses, allowing the dining passengers to have the greatest view deep space has to offer. Violet to blue gradient resin is used as flooring, glitters and gemstones are added into the mix, making it seem like the reflection of what's above. A miniature of an early 16th century telescope sits on the bar counter, of course it's useless for stellar observation as it only serves as decoration.   "They look more beautiful the closer we are to them, don't they, sir Welt?"   Welt nods once, agreeing as he munches his steak.   The colorful stars are flickering like fireflies, however, unlike the light-emitting insects, these stellar objects don't budge from their spot…as if everything in the dark space is frozen by Time. It takes him back to when he's slumbering inside the chaotic Sea of Quanta, and it's not something he wished to experience because it's painful both physically and mentally.   When the Time stops, it should be…peaceful and dreamy. In a world of stopped time, perhaps he can dream longer. But, even with the powers derived from the destructive cosmic powers itself – Honkai, all the best he can do is to slow Time down.   Time moves on, uncaring if the humans want to keep on chasing it or simply give up and stop.   Physically and mentally, Welt keeps moving onward. Being a realist, he knows Time doesn't have patience. But emotionally…his heart stays behind.   And he feels that he has lost a part that's important to him.   "Would you like to tell me something unique about your hometown?"   He doubts he has anything to be told. Finland, his home country, is considered to be a dream by many people back on earth. Its stable economy, education and sociopolitical conditions make Finland the happiest country in the world…maybe the whole universe. He scrapes for any topic he can mention while having this pleasant dinner with the merchant; discussing food seems to be the best option.   "Have you ever eaten 'blood sausage'?"   "This is the first time I heard about such bizarre food. There's such a thing in your world, sir Welt?" Luocha asks, the peak of his curiosity is even higher than any mountains known and deeper than any oceans there are.   "Yes. We named it Mustamakkara. It's a sausage made from animal blood, meat, fat, spices and grains, then we eat it with fruit jam. Is it uncommon from where you are?"   "The most eccentric food we have from where I'm from is toasted waterhoppers…toasted amphibian insects," the merchant muses. "Mixing animal's blood with meat, fat, spices and grains, then consuming it with fruit jam is unthinkable."   "It's a delicacy of my hometown," Welt introduces, he sounds more confident and proud. "We eat them daily and as snacks."   "Won't it have a pungent smell since it's made from animal's blood?"   Welt shakes his head. "The spices help rid the bloody smell, but expertise in making the sausage is also important. Just because you have the ingredients, it doesn't mean you know how to bring the scent of spices up while keeping the quality of the sausage acceptable."   "I cannot refute that," Luocha agrees. "Chefs and herbalists are more or less the same."   "You're saying you work as a herbalist too?"   "It is not my main career, but yes, I do have the knowledge and skills," the merchant explains. "It's very handy especially when we venture to dangerous places such as Jarilo-VI where frostbite and hypothermia are common. Have you been there?"   "I do," Welt replies. "It's even harsher than the coldest place on my planet. It amazes me how humans can still survive on its surface."   "True," Luocha pauses to clear his throat with a gulp of fresh water. "Some of the guild's merchants have perished in the midst of the everlasting tundra. Hence why the guild enforces stricter policies of who can travel there."   "And a medic such as you is required."   "Correct. And they have to earn their certification not only from their respective health departments, but also a guild-issued one."   "It must be a lengthy process…" the ex-Sovereign mutters.   "It is. Most physicians in my hometown are sent to local monasteries at a very young age. There, we're not only trained about medical practices, but also physical exercises and self-defense that helps us with building our mental strength."   Welt examines the younger man. "How long does it take you to acquire certification?"   "About seven years."   Medics on earth need around ten to fourteen years to be a doctor and this man did that half the time everyone else needs. "I assume you're a prodigy."   "A prodigy…" despite the smile, Luocha doesn't seem to be enthusiastic about it. "I get that a lot, but it's actually thanks to my master's meticulous training and guidance."   Such humility doesn't fit Otto's face.   "Your master must be proud of you, sir Luocha."   He catches a flash in those emerald eyes. "...I hope she is."   Welt knows that look on Luocha's face so well and he doesn't press further.   The two pauses their small talks to finish the last of their meal. Unlike a train that moves on land, a train that moves in empty space doesn't rock because it doesn't move on rails. It has been an enjoyable dinner, especially with the companion of a nice interlocutor such as Luocha.   The waitress picks up their empty dishes and the waiter soon follows up with pouring them two glasses of red wine as well as a plate of dessert. Luocha raises his glass, urging Welt to do the same.   "A toast to our friendship."   Welt remembers Otto once did it too…but any sane people lose their appetite when he puts up that degrading, arrogant look on his mein. Welt is still sane.   Or maybe, he isn't. Who knows? But he didn't toast and drank his share, leaving soon afterwards.   That was the first…and the last drink he shared with the dead Overseer.   He silently eyes his glass, glancing at the younger man in front of him. The smile is as thin and genuine as usual, Luocha humbles himself as someone equal…or lower. He is, after all, a servant to the 'kings'.   But a servant to the 'people' is actually lower…and Welt is a 'slave' to both humanity and his own ideals.   He lifts the glass and returns the gesture in the same fashion; a welcoming smile, an open heart.   "A toast to our friendship." He repeats. The rim of their wine glasses kiss each other with a soft ting, a fine alcohol perfect to end the day.   Luocha excuses himself, the train will arrive in another couple of hours and he must rest well before disembarking. Welt watches as the younger man's figure disappears behind the sliding door, looking up to the twinkling stars after.   In less than 10 hours, they will part ways. It shouldn't bother the former Herrscher by much, but it does. But, what bothers him? Is it about the need to prepare a parting speech? No, there's no need for that as it might embarrass him instead. A parting gift, then? That seems more acceptable…but something doesn't feel right.   So…what exactly that bothers him?   "Sir Welt," a mature voice calls his name, Welt turns his face towards Himeko.   (She looked…exactly the same as his former student.   First Himeko, then Otto. Ghosts of the past…coming back to haunt him from their restless sleep.)   "Ah, miss Himeko. Is there anything I can do for you?"   The redhead smiles. "You're not heading back, sir?"   Welt shakes his head. "I'm not sleepy, and the stars are beautiful tonight."   It's not…he's not sleepy. He can't, he's used to this lifestyle. He once lived and grew together with a core containing three hundred thousand souls, they kept on agonizingly whispering to him like sinners of hell. Welt forced his eyes open all the time, hoping it could reduce the tormented moaning his ears kept on hearing. It didn't work, and so he kept on staying awake. And so, he can't dream.   All these suffering…for the sake of being a hero that saves the weak.   He never regretted it.   "May I sit here?" She points at the spot where Luocha previously took.   "Of course. What would you like to drink?"   "A glass of Rosé, please."   Welt places the order, it doesn't take long for the drinks to be served on their table, accompanied by a platter of supper snacks. Drink and snacks always mean something — yes, an opening for new conversation.   "I see you're making a new friend, sir Welt," Himeko chuckles, her lips curve in tease and her eyes glint in elegance.   "You can say that," her passenger doesn't rebuke. "He's…a pleasant conversationalist."   "So I saw."   His cheeks grow warm and he whips his face left. Judging from the redhead's reaction, he's positive that he's blushing and he's doing a damn poor job of hiding it. Himeko is (always) a sharp and tactful woman.   "I was worried that the journey might make you feel lonely, since most of the staff are busy and March 7th is the only one available to bully you," the woman gently swirls her glass. "I'm glad you found a kindred spirit today."   "I'm not sure 'kindred' is a fitting adjective to describe our…relationship."   Himeko snorts in amusement. "You're jesting, sir Welt," she takes a sip of the pale pink champagne and sets the glass down. "You have spent the last twelve hours talking with him. The two of you are almost inseparable."   Almost.   It's always Time that separates them.   "You said he's headed for Luofu, isn't he?"   The older man nods. "Yes." Is his short answer.   "Luofu…" Himeko takes a roasted almond and puts it into her mouth, leaning back against the soft back cushion. "This is my first time visiting that place, but I have heard several unrest has been happening lately."   "Unrest?" Welt frowns at the news. "Is there a riot or dispute happening?"   "Seems so. That is all I know. News of whatever is happening in Luofu rarely leaks out. The Xianzhou Luofu has extremely strict control and safety over their information."   Which…makes it seem to be a more dangerous place than he initially thought.   "What is this Xianzhou Luofu you mentioned, miss Himeko?"   "It's the government of Xianzhou," Himeko explains. "Nothing is much known about them except that they have a group of elite warriors known as the Cloud Knights."   "I see…" Welt rubs his chin, letting the new information sink. It might be useful later– wait, why would he think that way? "Does the unrest affected IMG in any way?"   "It does," Himeko replies. "Time is of essence for those who dwelt in business, but the immigration approval becomes more complicated and time-consuming. Not to mention trade isn't doing well in the middle of the crisis. Less merchants are willing to go there these days."   "I was surprised when you notified me sir Luocha is headed there. I trust he's not blind to the conflict ravaging Luofu." The lady continues.   "Hopefully, he isn't," is all Welt can say. If he possesses that man's appearance, the former Sovereign hopes he is as intelligent as him too.   "Aside from that, I don't know anything else. I wish I could provide you with more information."   "It's alright," Welt assures her. "You did your best, miss Himeko. If there's anything we can blame on, it's Xianzhou Luofu's secrecy."   Himeko chuckles, agreeing. She finishes the last of her drink and stands up. "We will be arriving at Luofu in seven hours. I have to excuse myself for now."   "Very well. Good night, miss Himeko."   "Good night, sir Welt."   The light of the restaurant dims, a cue that they should leave ASAP because it's closing for business today. Welt retreats to his room. On his way, he walks past Luocha's room.   He stops and faces the wooden door separating them.   Instead of a wooden door and its surrounding wall, all he sees is a plain of tall grasses. In the distance, a huge tree grows, its canopy spreads wide and lush. A breeze blows by, it's solemn yet tranquil.   Under its shade, a familiar man stands, gazing at some kind of children toy in his hands.   Welt turns away, the red carpet returns, the trees and the grasses are no longer here as they have transformed back into wooden walls and doors. The roar of train's engine returns, and its distinctive chimeny choos loud.   He continues heading for his bedroom.   A stinging pain sears his chest. He breathes out a long sigh.   The pain remains persistent until he closes the wooden door. Even then, it only turns dull.   [To Be Continued…] I decided to put Canon Divergence because 1. We have no information what is Xianzhou Luofu and why Luocha is dragged into their fam drama 2. So i decided to build my own lore b4 star rail releases lmao LETS GOOOOOOOOOO This is going to be the longest seven hours forty-eight minutes and sixteen seconds in his life, Welt dreads as he watches the floating golden cube transformed into that familiar appearance (how dare he take his body?). Void Archive elegantly lands on the cabin's floor, the first thing he does after is combing his bangs with a hand and then sits cross-legged on the couch. That despicable smug smirk doesn't leave his face, he has his share of entertainment after all.   "My, my, dear Welt. You really do enjoy that man's company."   Stop speaking in his voice.   He breaks a sigh, Void Archive always gets on his nerves EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. "If you're here just to tease me, then you should waste your time at the arcade car or somewhere else."   Leave me alone.   "Hmm… I have beaten every last one of the leaderboards, even the master of this train is flabbergasted someone beat her perfect five years of winning streaks."   "Then do something more productive or just go back to your library."   "You're so cold to me, Mr.Welt," Void singsongs, his eyes narrow. "I didn't expect you would warm up to him, though."   "Did I just hear someone's jealous?" Welt retorted, unamused.   Void Archive stands up and leans towards the sitting man. His eyes gleam…dark like unpolished emeralds. And he says, tone heavy, dangerous…like a tiger guarding its territory. "And what if I am?"   Welt stares Void back straight into his eyes, challenging. "There's nothing I can do about it."   The two men keep their eyes glued on each other, there is a dense tension rising in the room. Each one stares deep into the other's soul, seeking for their weaknesses. Welt holds his fort and so does the Divine Key. Void pulls back, chuckling. "You're truly a cruel man, Welt Yang. You hurt my feelings."   "Says someone who sacrificed a whole city and made this whole mess to begin with."   Void Archives has the audacity to put on a hurt look. "Hey, hey, you're still bitter about that? As I have told you before, I was practically 'enslaved' by the Sky People and you know I'm telling the truth."   "That is your biggest lie, Void Archives, and I don't have to elaborate," Welt turns his eyes away from the Divine Key. "I don't have to live with you for bloody five hundred years to know you."   "Ouch, your distrust hurts me," he jokes. Void walks back to the couch and takes his sweet time resting on it. "So, what do you think of him? That carbon copy of Otto Apocalypse…"   There's a spark lit behind those chocolate eyes. The frown tells Void all he wanted.   "He's not Otto's carbon copy," the former Herrscher hisses disapprovingly.   "Same face, same hair, same eyes, same voice…and you're still denying it-"   He is cut short by a hand slammed on the wall beside his head. There's fire burning in Welt Yang's eyes – touch it, and one shall be turned into cremated cinders.   Why does he get so agitated all of a sudden? And moreover, it's for an acquaintance he just had one toast with.   "Then, are you saying you're his carbon copy, Void Archives?"   Solinum bodies shouldn't be able to feel temperature, but Void Archive feels how his ears are literally burning from those words. He shouldn't be feeling anything at all, not even the faintest sting, yet his fists are gripping the perfectly ironed pants, sharp nails digging into the wool. "You…" the sentient weapon growls back. "Don't you dare to even think about IT."   "Then stop saying Luocha is Otto."   Void Archives fights the urge to rip Welt's head off. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath despite not having a need for oxygen. And it makes him want to puke, because it's also what Otto did when he's exasperated.   "As you wish, O' mighty Sovereign."   Welt brushes off the crude satire and returns to his bed, laying down with his back facing the late Overseer's former weapon. The tension slowly dies away, but it will never disappear.   "Are you coming with him to Luofu?"   Welt remains silent for a few moments. His reply comes short, "I don't know. And why do you suddenly care?"   "You will."   Welt raises an eyebrow at Void's confidence, but before he can inquire, the divine weapon has gone back into its library. Unlike Otto, Welt is unable to telepathically communicate with Void Archives in this state. He decides that this is a cue for him to stop thinking and takes a rest.   But, how can he sleep when Void Archives' words keep on replaying in head?   You will.   And as usual, he dreads for the Divine Key's crow's beak.   You will.   He closes his eyes tight and forces himself to stop thinking.   You will.   He loathes it when Void Archives isn't lying.   Welt shuts his eyes and counts the lambs. He loses count after five minutes, though, but it still works its magic and stops Void Archive's whisperings.   The ex-Herrscher doesn't need to hear the announcement to tell that they have exited the warp. After the passing blue light shimmers, the train ride feels even smoother and slower. He gets up and looks at the clock. There's almost half-an-hour left before they reach their destination.   …Thirty-one minutes and ten seconds to decide.   Welt puts on his glasses and takes out a set of fresh clothes, a morning bath is all that he needs apart from its necessity to start the day.   The shower knob squeaks lightly, warm water soon flows out and hits his body. He finds it comforting, and speaking from experience, shower room is where his best decisions came from.   With most of the fatigue gone, he voluntarily recalls Void's question from the night before. He hopes Void Archive can't perceive his mind and heart. Good thing he wasn't the one bound to this cursed weapon – if he can't stand even more than five minutes with that being, then there is no hope for them if he were in Otto's position.   Are you coming with him to Luofu?   The answer is…he wanted to. There is an invisible force reckoning him to follow the blond man wherever he goes. It's a fair logic, Xianzhou is a mysterious place that everyone has little to no information about. Traveling to an unknown region ravaged in some sort of major conflict might endanger one's life. Welt Yang doesn't doubt Luocha's prowess, being a fighter himself, he instinctively can tell the merchant will be able to handle his own fort. As a member of the Astral Express, his passengers' wellbeing is both his obligation and concern…but once that man steps down to the station's platform, it's hands-off.   For a man that has lived through six decades, Welt doesn't shy away from the fact that he's not thinking logically.   Following Luocha is just what he WANTS. Not as a member of the train, but as Welt Yang himself.   He gazes up at the white ceiling.   He's bound to this train. He can't leave.   He has to concede his want and stay behind, they will have to go their separate ways on their own.   He has decided.   Welt turns off the shower and puts on the new clothes. He does the rest of his morning routine then heads out.   Luocha is standing in front of his own room, carrying the large coffin on his back, a leather bag leaning against his left calf. Welt must be delusional to think that the man has been waiting for him to show up.   It is as if they both knew this will be the last time they see each other in a long, long while…   "Good morning, sir Luocha. We will be arriving at Xianzhou Station soon. I shall see you off."   Hence is his decision.   The merchant's lips form a thin smile, and a sudden pang of pain struck his chest.   "Yes. Thank you for everything so far, sir Welt. The journey has been a lively one thanks to your presence."   Welt fights back an urge he still can't make clear of. He smiles back, bowing slightly.   "I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying your ride."   "It can only happen because of–"   The train choos loud, the last of Luocha's words is inaudible.   Yet, Welt hears it loud and clear. He remains on the same spot, eyes widened as he stares at the blond man who is heading for the exit at the main car.   The pain grows more evident that he has to wear a mask on his face so Luocha won't have to see what kind of expression he's making.   He wonders is this how Otto had always been feeling throughout his selfish conquest…?   The train comes into a full stop, a minute later it opens its doors. People came out of the train like rushing waters out of a dam, new passengers will come in after the last one leaves the car.   Luocha turns around, saying. "We shall depart here, sir Welt."   Welt nods, it must be unusual of him for giving a late reply. "Yes. Be safe on your journey, sir Luocha."   "I shall," The merchant chuckles. "After all, I still have to fulfill my promise to you."   Ah, that's right. The book that Welt Joyce gave him on his seventh birthday.   "I will always be here in Astral Express," the train crew casually hints. Luocha laughs softly and nods.   "Yes, yes. I shall book a return trip with Astral Express. I can see myself becoming your regular, sir Welt."   "That will be a pleasure."   Luocha picks up his baggage and gives the older man one last look. "I hope to see you again soon."   "As I do you, sir Luocha."   The blond man steps onto the platform, and with that, the new passenger rushes in. From inside the train, it looks as if a rushing river is separating them, carrying Welt adrift to the shore as Luocha climbs upstream. Their distance grows further, and his urge to extend his hand grows up. His right hand moves on his own accord, following Luocha's shrinking image amongst the sea of people, searching, like a compass locating the north pole.   A smaller, slender hand grabs his arm and soon a bag is shoved into his hand, Welt has no choice but to stop daydreaming and grab the bag's strap before it falls unceremoniously to the floor. Wait. Why would this pink-haired girl hand him a traveling bag…?   "Mister Welt!" March 7th happily chirps, eyes sparkling. "Miss Himeko said you should take a week-off and have a vacation here in Xianzhou!"   It takes Welt twenty seconds to process what he just heard. Even then, he can only reply with profound confusion written all over his mein. "Excuse me?"   March 7th rushes behind and pushes him out of the car with her superhuman strength. Well, no one is normal on this train. "Hurry up! You need to catch up with your friend! Godspeed, mister Welt!"   Before Welt can say something, the door closes. Behind one of the windows he swears he sees Himeko proudly drinking her tea as if she just got rid of an inconvenience. He knows the redhead lady doesn't mean it that way, Himeko proves his intuition by glancing at him and giving him a hand salute.    She knows.   Welt bows down until the train passes and blast to the skies. The former Sovereign turns around, making haste towards the exit. He hopes he's not too late, that Luocha is still nearby, waiting for him as he did back in the passenger car.   He doesn't realize how delighted he is to find that familiar blond hair in the midst of the sea of walking passengers. Luocha stands in front of a vending machine, waiting for his hot tea.   And yet…as if he has been waiting for his friend, Luocha turns his face around, throwing Welt that soft smile he has been yearning to see.   "Sir Welt? Did I leave something behind? How careless of me…"   "N-no, it's not that," Welt approaches. "Miss Himeko told me to have a week-off here as well as gather some information. It is a rare opportunity to set foot on Xianzhou."   Welt is surprised at himself for being able to come up with a flawless, logical answer. He mentally congratulates his working brain juice.   "I see. It is a wise decision to send you here."   "Do you think so?"   "I can see you're a capable and reliable man," uncaring of the freshly made tea in the vending machine, Luocha extends his hand to Welt. "I will be under your care, sir Welt."   He doesn't bother to count anymore, for there is no need as he exchanges a handshake. "As I do you, sir Luocha."   The two men make their way towards the exit.   "So, where are we heading now?" Welt asks.   "Of course, I need to deliver this coffin to the Luofu," Luocha replies. "It will be a long walk, though, as they are on the other side of the mountains. Due to the conflict, any transportation heading there has ceased their service."   "But we will be fine, won't we?"   That is not a statement of overconfidence. Luocha trusts Welt as much as Welt does to him.   "We will," Welt replies.   And thus is the beginning of their new journey…and a new page in Joachim Nokianvirtanen's life.   —   "Miss Himeko, are you sure about sending sir Welt to Xianzhou?" Danheng inquires as he looks out at the dark space.   Himeko chuckles. "Danheng, don't you realize how he doesn't look like a brokenhearted widower when he's with sir Luocha?"   "...I thought you sent him to gather intel."   "Well, that too. But," Himeko looks at the orange-brownish liquid in a cup. "I feel that it's better when they are together."   Danheng says nothing as Himeko continues, "Sir Welt never tells us about his life, but both you and I know he has seen and been through a lot of tough times. It's all over his face."   The lady of the train lifts her cup gracefully, savoring every moment of it. "He deserves to be happy too."   "..." Danheng fixes his eyes on Himeko. "That's rich coming out of you."   "What? Just because I'm single doesn't mean I don't understand," Himeko sighs.   "If you say so."   The red lady looks at the round planet drifting in its orbit faraway. From space, everything looks tiny and powerless.   "Godspeed, sir Welt and sir Luocha. Please be safe."   "M-miss Himeko!!!" March 7th panickedly runs towards her boss. "I forgot to put the immigration letters into sir Welt's luggage!"   It's too late to turn back, Himeko facepalms as the train jumps into warped space, heading for another system.   [To Be Continued…]   •••••••   Wow. I didn't expect I could write this far. Thank you so much for the supports so far!   Actually, I was wondering whether I should continue this story or not. Since I already think about the ending, I decided to write the future chapters after I know what XZLF is and what's Luocha's relation in their crisis.   Stay tuned for further updates! As I don't know much about HSR lore despite playing it, everything happening in this fic are ALL HEADCANONS. Please do not take them as canon under any circumstances. 💦 I'm used to do headcanon worldbuildings and this fic won't escape that habit ksbsksjsksns I hope you enjoy this fic! Luocha stops his steps and turns around. He takes a passport and a small arrival card from his bag. "The immigration is just ahead. Have you prepared the required documents, sir Welt?"   At that cue, Welt rummages through his belongings. His hand freezes and slowly, he looks up to meet the merchant in the eyes.   Looks like that is all Luocha has to know, it's evident by how his expression breaks into a silent, yet amused surprise. No journey is smooth indeed, but forgetting one's immigration documents while travelling to an unstable nation gives more pain in the neck. March 7th can be a reliable girl but this is one of the many times she doesn't.   "...I'm sorry," Welt whispers lowly, only audible enough for his companion to hear.   "Please don't be. You're in a sudden hurry and you're not the one who packed your things," it's amazing how Luocha is still able to look calm despite the dire situation they are in. Normally, people would panic and break down from the stress…the merchant isn't a normal person, then. "But…" his green eyes glance at the patrolmen stationed every five meters. Judging from their looks, these men are not mere security guards. They might be from the Cloud Knights Himeko mentioned a while ago, elite soldiers handpicked and raised by the Xianzhou Alliance. "We will have to think of a way to get past the immigration and get out of this station."   Welt braves himself to ask. "Do you have any idea?"   The blond man flashes him a thin smile. Instead of reassuring him, it sends a chill down his spine. It can't be that Luocha is thinking what he's thinking, not when he stood out so badly with that huge coffin sticking out of the crowd like a sore thumb.   "I have thought of such possibilities for entertainment in my spare time, but never I dreamed I would be in this situation myself," Luocha calmly replies. "Please lend me your ears, sir Welt."   Welt doesn't like the grim feeling that has been haunting him for the past ten minutes. Still, left with no other options, he leans in and listens to every whisper of the details Luocha had in his head. The brown eyes stare at the emerald pair in disbelief. No way that's going to work, won't it? Still, what choices do he have…? Might as well give it a shot.   "Don't worry. I will be with you until the end, sir Welt."   Yeah, that sounds reassuring. "...Please don't say that. If I'm caught, you shouldn't involve yourself with me and go straight to Luofu. I will have the Express to bail me out."   "My creed is that I won't leave my customers behind, especially a friend."   That sounds less like a merchant and more a hero. Welt can see this man working multiple jobs at once.   "Let's go. The guards will be suspicious of us the longer we stay here."   Welt gazes behind Luocha's shoulder and mentally agrees with the young man. They move out of the crowd and act as normally as they can.   Time to commence the operation.   He hopes things won't go south.   …   When he hopes, fate decides to entertain itself by not granting his wish. In the end, despite the arduous effort they made to sneak into the employee's wing, stole a set of uniform and dress Welt up in it, the Cloud Knights are a force to be reckoned with. At least, the pair made it out of the immigrations before being discovered by a suspicious guard.   Welt has run out of facepalms today so he decides to make a run for it alongside Luocha, sprinting together across the crowded city. He can hear the galloping and the shouting of their pursuers hot on their tails.   "It won't be easy to shake them off."   Welt steals glances at the coffin. It sticks out like a sore thumb. But, Luocha is unable to leave it behind in ALL circumstances, after all, it is his job to make sure it's delivered safely and in one piece. He still has a professional name as a merchant to be kept in good image. Another thing is that despite its towering size and heavy weight, it doesn't seem to slow Luocha down. Just how much strength that slender body posesses?   "Aside from the coffin that easily attracts their attention," that line from his friend alone almost made Welt feel guilty in a way or two. But it's the blatant truth and Luocha isn't going to refute it, "the town is under Xianzhou Alliance's iron grip. Security is expected to be high."   The passersby have to stop on their tracks, occasionally the runaway duo almost bumped against the innocent citizens.   "Still, it is amazing that we made it this far. Even the best of the best still has a hole to exploit."   Luocha's amazing indeed, he has to admit that. Getting past the immigration is made possible thanks to Luocha's observation and tactics; had it not been for the young man, Welt is sure he will be stuck with the station guards for a long time. He might get free drinks and food in the cell, but nothing beats the freedom from authorities.   "What do we do now?" Welt scans his surroundings and is met with widened eyes of countless living witnesses. "We have caused enough commotion as it is."   "They are a very persistent bunch," Luocha moves his right hand back, reaching out for the side of the coffin and instantly, a horrible mental image of the merchant swinging his luggage at the chasing guards flashes through. Upon closer inspection, it's not the white chest Luocha is going for, it's something that is attached to it.   A sharp, white rapier. White seems to be Luocha's favorite color but that trivia has to be set aside.   Before the slender fingers are able to reach its handle, Welt grabs the man's wrist, effectively stopping him. Luocha looks at his bespectacled companion, shooting a perplexed expression.   "You don't have to dirty your hands," Welt says almost instantly. "I will handle it. It's my fault, naturally, I should be the one responsible."   "But-"   "It's alright. I'm used to this."   Welt lets go of the hand and takes his cane. Its ruby-like handle glows faintly, Luocha senses great powers dwelling within. He nods out of instinct and runs ahead, clearing the coast for the other man. At that moment, the former Sovereign turns around, and he extends his hands. His eyes glow dangerously red, his body hums with inexplicable cosmic energy.   Welt opens his mouth, and thus the command is absolute .   For he was the Sovereign. For once, he was one with these cursed powers.   For he is Welt Yang, second to 'his' name.   " Kneel ."   Their pursuers abruptly stop and bend their knees, much like knights honoring their king. Welt stands a few meters away, his figure feels imposing yet regal, sending fear straight into the guards' souls. Feeling the heavy presence, Luocha halts to witness the unfolding event; his companion seems…different.   But he knows, he knows that man donned in grey is still the sir Welt he befriends.   Yet…the sight is breathtaking, if he may be blunt.   Welt leaves the scene shortly and the two continue their escape. Somehow, that event gives them enough time to shake off the Xianzhou guards, traversing through the dark alleys between the buildings. They stop once they are outside the town, Luocha relishes the moment by taking in deep breaths and stabilizing his pace.   The former Herrscher stares down at the very same hand that grabbed Luocha's wrist back then. It was…purely instinctive. Eventhough the man panting beside him isn't Otto, he feels that he had finally…being able to convey something he has been longing to say.   In reality, he never got the chance.   "That was…a staggering display of might, sir Welt."   "It was nothing," compared to the strength I used to wield .   "Haha, you surely humble yourself too much," Luocha takes out two pieces of handkerchiefs, offering one to Welt. The older man accepts it and they wipe off the sweat and grime on their faces. "I never saw such powers before. What did you do to the guards?"   Welt doesn't seem to be reluctant in indulging Luocha's curiosity. "I manipulated the gravity to a certain extent. That way, they will be forced to their knees."   "Oh. That is the first time I actually witnessed gravity manipulation with my own eyes."   "Isn't it a common thing?" Welt asks back. "Astral Express and Herta Space Station use it."   "Yes, but yours is unique, I can tell." Luocha takes back the handkerchief and puts it into his bag's pocket. "It's as if…you can control even the stars themselves."   The man stares through his glasses. "I am nog as great as you see me."   Welt examines the area. He steels his mind and sharpens his ears, it doesn't appear that any hostile presence is around. As if nature is helping their escape, the birds aren't disturbed from their nest is the apparent sign that they are safe.   "We're safe. But…where are we now?"   Luocha sets down the coffin respectfully, pulling out a folded map from his breast pocket afterwards. Welt recognizes that map, it's from the shelves in the station. Probably the merchant took it before going to the vending machine.   The map is unfurled and laid on the grassy field, Luocha points to the station's icon and drags his finger west. "I happened to catch a glimpse of the street names we went through. I'm sure we are heading west."   "Where is our destination?"   The finger slides to the north, Welt mentally sighs in defeat. They have run off towards the wrong direction in the midst of the chaos, but at least they get out in one piece and unharmed.   "The Luofu is located in the north. I predict that we will need at least a week to be there."   A week traveling across the wilds won't be an issue as long as the food rations are enough. Thing is, it isn't. While Welt won't die from starvation and dehydration, Luocha's body is that of a normal human…it's made up of living, natural cells, not from solium avatars.   Human body dies way too easily.   "But don't worry," Luocha draws a long line towards Luofu and three circles along the path. "There are several settlements around the area."   Welt doesn't cut in despite having several issues, he lets Luocha finish. "The Cloud Knights most likely have notified everyone about us being wanted intruders. But, the guild has some connections inside. We can rest in these places."   "But, be vigilant. We are dealing with merchants ," the blond man's eyes glint with hidden meaning. Right…business and capital come first.   "We will reach the first settlement in two nights. Are you prepared for the long journey, sir Welt?"   A memory flashes in his head again ; sunset, wuthering waves…the still world of the long, bygone past. On the shoreline, that man stands bare feet, the seawater gently crashes on them as if luring the man to dive in and never come back. The lips speak, mouthing inaudible words.   The playback stops, Welt is unceremoniously slammed back into the present.   His visage melts into a soft smile, one that seems to please Luocha from the looks of his warm expression. "I am. How about you?"   "We merchants travel from time to time. We are always ready for any adventures in our business."   It's settled, then.   Luocha carries the coffin on his back and heads north. Welt follows beside, facing him. "Let me help you with that."   "I appreciate the offer, but I'm fine. Although, I wish you could use your powers to lighten it a bit."   That is a joke, but Welt takes it seriously. "I see. I will arrange it for you."   He taps on the coffin and to Luocha's surprise, it does work its magic. The merchant can't help but chuckle. "You have a pair of magical hands, sir Welt. I will believe you if you say you worked as a magician at some point in your life."   "I never work as one. I'm an animation storyboard artist."   "Oh? I never heard of that career before."   "I can tell you along the way, sir Luocha."   "Please do. I'd like to learn more about you."   Alright, that certainly caught Welt off guard. Hope Luocha didn't catch how his breath hitch, he hopes Luocha doesn't find it strange for him to talk in a more hushed voice.   "...I…I'd like to know more about you too." The reply almost made Welt give himself a slap.   But, he really wanted to learn more about Luocha as Luocha himself. Childhood, career, hobbies, interest...any information the young man is willing to give him, he will be sure to cherish it.   "Certainly. But merchants have their own trade secrets."   "That is alright. It's a privacy you wish to keep and I won't pry into it."   "Thank you," Luocha pauses to fix the position of the coffin's strap. "Let's start with this 'animation storyboard artist' you mentioned before."   Rather than feeling like runaway fugitives, Welt feels that they are just like a pair of tourists walking down the path nature provides. Under the fine sky and its bright sun, the conversation goes on.   Two old men traveling in the forest…I'd imagine that will be a funny experience for the both of us. We have grown senile indeed, Welt.   Said the voice from the past he left even further behind as he keeps on heading north alongside his blond companion. The conversation goes down the stream of time, perhaps recorded by the trees surrounding them. A pair of birds chirp happily as they hover in the skies, flying towards the same destination.   [To Be Continued…] It should have been at least a couple of hours since they started their adventure across the lush forest, Welt notes as he gazes up at the orange sky. A great conversation accompanied by beautiful nature made them forget about the presence of Time. As if it was displeased by the mortals' ignorance, it decides to fast forward to sunset in a blink.    Traversing down the path some more, they reach a small lake. Luocha suggests they should survey the nearby area's safety first, so Welt heads right and the other goes left.    The former Sovereign looks closely at the lake, noticing several diversities of marine life swimming in the calm waters. Some of the fish are…eye-catching, some of them are just out-of-this-world. Maybe he should ask Luocha which one is safe to eat; for now, he takes a picture of the ones that catch his fancy. The next thing he does is take out a small testing tube and scoop up the lake's water into it. The water is safe for humans, according to the kit. There are also several berry bushes and mushrooms growing just a few feet away, again he will consult with the merchant before collecting them. They meet up ten minutes later at the agreed point, exchanging information.   "The lakewater is safe and houses an abundant amount of biodiversity in it. I believe some are consumable," Welt hands his phone, showing the photos. "What do you think?"   "Oh, these are…" Luocha quickly swipes across the screen, his emerald eyes are unmoving. The younger man seemingly has a spectacular speed-reading skill, Welt can imagine what might have transpired in his career. Watching Luocha reminds him of those skilled tellers whose speedy and precise hands are able to flip a thick pack of paper money in a short time.    "Yes, some of them are consumable. Like this one," he shows Welt a yellow fish. "This is the golden perch. It is considered to be one of the best delicacy anywhere. They are best steamed with ginger and soy sauce."   "On the other hand," Luocha swipes left, showing a strange fish with red stars-like pattern on its scale. "This is one of the most poisonous fish, it's called Da Jiao. Currently, there is no cure, and we mustn't consume any meat that has been bitten by it. The fish at its right back is a kind of needlefish, it's an ingredient, but apparently doesn't taste well."   "I see," Welt murmurs. "You know a lot, sir Luocha."   "I won't call myself an expert on the subject," the young merchant replies as he returns the phone. "I just happened to read it from the magazines in my spare time. I'm glad these trivias came in handy now."   Huh, the image of this young man reading some gossip magazine is pretty…cute. Welt tells the rest of the investigation before Luocha shares his own findings.   "The topography of the lakeside looks promising to set up a camp," Luocha stares at the sky, calculating the cloud's movement, wind's pace and the humidity of the air. He nods in satisfaction. Welt knows what he is doing – predicting the weather. Right…what can't this man do at this rate? "Based on my observation, tonight will be clear and cloudless. A perfect night for stargazing, isn't it?"   "It is," Welt swears he just witnessed Luocha beamed. "Let's set up the camp now. We have some rations with us, so we will fish for breakfast tomorrow."   Luocha leans the white coffin against the tree and takes out a small silver cube with blue linings on its six sides. He puts it down, tapping the top surface and it expands into a dome tent. It…doesn't look very spacious, but it has a bit of room to crawl around in it. And he doesn't have one for himself because of March 7th and her forgetfulness…no, he's not mad at all.   "I must apologize that I only have this at the moment. It fits two grownup people if we squeeze ourselves into it."   Two grownup men sharing a tent. As an artist, Welt has been exposed to various fictional tropes that the women fanbase enjoy the most.   Roommates .   More like they are tentmates.   Welt doesn't mind sharing a space with someone that he befriends with; back then when he's still very young, he would share the bedroom with his parents or Tesla, Ein and Joyce. There's absolutely nothing strange and awkward about it, he actually enjoyed the presence of those people, especially Welt Joyce's. But now…he's a grownass senior citizen, he has been exposed to too many adult…experiences to feign ignorance.    (Not to mention that he's sharing a tent with… this man.)   He misses the cluelessness of childhood.   "I-...I can sleep outside. It's okay."   "That won't do," Luocha firmly refutes the idea. "It's monsoon right now, mosquitoes are extremely active. They might bring alien pathogens and you might fall sick from it."   Why the persistence? There are so many things that Welt still doesn't know about this universe, Luocha might use his lackness against Welt for his own gain. Yet, what will the man gain from insisting the former Herscherr to stay inside the tent? His instinct tells him that Luocha doesn't seem to make up the mosquito story, and it's a perfectly logical explanation.   "...Are you sure? I…might take up your space."   "It's fine as long as you're comfortable, sir Welt. I will find the experience of sharing a tent with a friend enjoyable."   "Thank you for having me."   "Always the pleasure."   They finish setting up the rest of the camp and lit the bonfire. By then, the sun has completely sunk into the west horizon, the sky is no longer adorned by orange hues. Welt sits in a flat boulder just across the blond man who is busy unpacking and arranging the rations, Welt does the same.   "What would you like to have?"   Most of the foods are ready to serve, they just need to reheat it. Welt picks up one by one, selecting the one with the lowest shelf life. "Let's have these for tonight."   The fire crackles and sparks for a flash second when the marinate liquid falls into it, for an instant, the campsite feels brighter. Does the area get any warmer? Due to his body being constructed using the honkai energy, he can't tell the temperature. He steals a glance at Luocha, his companion doesn't shiver at the slightest, so it should be warm enough.    Still, he asks, "Are you cold?"   "I'm not," cold steam blows out of his mouth as Luocha replies. "It's a little windy, but that's that."   Welt turns around the duck meat, cooking its other side. Savory scent wafts in the air, it's going to be a delicious meal.   He leaves the bonfire and takes a piece of blanket from his bag, draping the soft wool fabric on Luocha's shoulders. This action seems to catch the younger man unguarded, evident how those beautiful emerald eyes flicker and widen.   (These gems are simply…priceless. And he selfishly wants them all for himself.)   "You don't have to trouble yourself, sir Welt."   "We are in a deciduous forest, I can tell the night air is colder today. We can't have you catching a cold when you still have to deliver that coffin."   Luocha chuckles softly. "You're right. Thank you."   His slender fingers lace themselves on its edges, delicately.   (Somewhere, deep inside his tiny heart, he wishes to take those hands and entwine their fingers together. Kiss every one of the digits, feeling their smooth skin, perhaps he might catch a whiff of natural herbs and lilies.)   There is a faint pink blooming on Luocha's cheeks – it must be really cold.   Welt returns to his seat and transfers the cooked duck onto the stainless steel plates, while Luocha prepares two bowls of rice. The dinner is simple yet filling, but everything feels lavish when they are dining under such a scenic sky, surrounded by tranquility. He eats his dinner slowly, the reason being that he cannot take his eyes away from the other man.   The flickering orange hues illuminate his youthful face, the smoldering little flame dancing in those emerald eyes, the golden strands swayed lightly by the night breeze…it is all too…picturesque.   His brain engraves the sight deep into his memories, treating it akin to a collector's most prized possession. His fingers tingle with a desire…not to touch that body, but to worship it.   The bonfire still burns albeit dimly by the time they finish. Luocha picks up the dirty dishes and offers to wash them, Welt cleans up the place. His hands might be working normally, but his mind is somewhere so close yet so far away.    All these activities make him think about a domestic life, fitting for an old, retired couple. Far away from the chaos of war and the grieves of suffering it wrought upon. It was something that a long time ago, he wished to have with 'that' man.   (As much as Welt desires for that life, he won't walk down the same path Otto once did. He won't sacrifice countless innocent souls for one, Welt Yang is not an egoist.   This loneliness is a price he must pay.)   Luocha comes back with the cleaned cutleries and they sit down on a dried log, wanting to enjoy the starry night just a little longer.   (And for him to indulge his fantasy for a few more minutes.)   "Sir Luocha," his calling piques the merchant's attention, "...Will you sacrifice the whole world for that one person you love dearly?"   It's a weird question, he shouldn't have asked that for real! But it's already out of his mouth and Luocha undoubtedly has heard it, there is absolutely no way his companion is going to leave him without any answer.   Luocha looks down at the cup of warm water in his hands, his answer follows soon after: "I won't."   The answer shakes Welt to the core of his being.   "I think it's unfair for everyone who isn't involved to be sacrificed just like that," he explains. "That is something a maniac does, but I'm not a maniac."   "Moreover, I am a doctor, and I walk down the Path of Abundance. I use my abilities to save as many people as I can, not to murder them for the sake of such selfish goal."   "But…" he looks at Welt, the two men lock gazes, looking into each other's souls. "The desire to do everything for that person – even the impossible, the most atrocious actio one can think of – will be hard to resist. Because I care for that person a lot, to lose them is like losing half of myself. I can imagine the pain will be unbearable, and it will make me lose my mind."   It's the doctor's turn to ask. "Has someone you know ever did this, sir Welt?"   Welt stays silent, it serves as enough evidence for Luocha of his answer. "I see… That person must really care about the other a lot."   "...Yes."   Only not to be loved back, and only to die alone without a grave for him to rest.   "..." Luocha eyes the sparkling stars. "...If he had to do it, I hope he's happy too."   Those words struck something deep in the former Herrscher's being. His chest twists from a phantom pain, as if a saber has skewered itself through his beating heart. Welt hangs his head down, he's unsure what he's looking at now.   "He was," Welt responded. All that man had been striving for half a millennia, all that he had sacrificed for that one sole goal bore into fruition. And he can tell Otto Apocalypse was beyond happy.   "I'm glad to hear that."   And the conversation, as well as the day, ends. The two men retreat into the shared tent, bidding each other good night. Once again, Welt is unable to sleep, so he spends his night staring at the tent's ceiling, watching it swaying gently from the cold breeze.   He recalls the way Luocha's lips opened and quickly closed before he could speak more back then. Yet, Welt knows what he wanted to ask.   Are you happy, sir Welt?   Unfortunately, he doesn't have the answer now.   He's in no rush. It's alright… So he convinces himself.   [To Be Continued…] (See the end of the chapter for notes.) The night, as usual, is sleepless. He can still hear the distant voices belonging to the three hundred thousands murmuring, whispering, moaning in agony as they relish the last moments of their dying minutes. Welt takes a breath in and heaves it out, dampening the disturbing sounds as low as he can. While he doesn't have the core anymore, he has been living with them for most of his life time, so they have rooted too deep in his memory.   And Welt can't forget them, he has willingly turned himself into a living, walking tombstone for those unfortunate souls.   He turns his face to the side, Luocha's peaceful face greets him. The doctor is sound asleep, as if they weren't fugitives on the run. His chest rises and falls in a steady tempo, it doesn't look like he's suffering from a nightmare. A dreamless sleep is better, but the former Sovereign hopes that he is having a good dream.   He contemplates what kind of sleep Otto had when he was alive. Was he dreaming, or was he not? If he dreamt, was it a nightmare where he replayed the day the holy maiden died in front of him? Or was it a sweet dream where he happily spent the rest of his life with her?   While the former Overseer and him were archenemies, there were times where basic human needs prevailed over their mutual hostility to each other. Their bodies entangled on the warm bed, pressing against each other, skin flushed red and drenched in sweat and come as lust and pleasure struck their nerves, sending them to that white oblivion of bliss.   (It was purely sex, just a mutual exchange to blow off some steam…nothing more, not even a hint of affection.)   By the time it's all over, Welt stayed if Otto wasn't in the mood to kick him out. Not even the fatigue was able to make him fall asleep, so he spent his night watching the sleeping Overseer.   Jealousy shrouded his heart at the sight, how could the man who brought only misery and death sleep peacefully? While he alone had to shoulder the consequences…the mission and purpose he inherited from the previous Welt. He alone carried the weight of the world.   Strangely, despite all the animosity he had for the other man, Welt…couldn't hate him. Moreover, at that time, he didn't know a single thing about Otto's purposes. The Welt in the present remembers how hard he frowned back then, that was the first time he couldn't understand himself.   Because he couldn't understand that man.   Now, he does, he can't help but ponder upon the subject.   Deep down, he already knew the answer.   "Can't sleep, sir Welt?"   The question out of nowhere surprises him back to present time. Luocha's emerald eyes gleam in the darkness, like a cat's eyes fixated on its target.   "Is it because of the small space? Are you claustrophobic?"   Welt shakes his head. "It's nothing like that."   "Oh, you're an insomniac?"   "...A terrible one, if I have to be honest. But, it's not a big deal-"   "That is a big deal," Luocha carefully sits up so he won't hit the dangling lantern. "How long has this been?"   "Sir Luocha, I assure you I'm–"   "How long?"   Welt is left with no choice but to answer that. "...For as long as I can remember."   "...It's amazing how you're still alive."   It is, indeed. Normal humans would have died in ten years of sleep deprivation, Welt is now 69 and he has been living like this for more than half a century. Since the moment he received the core, he is no longer a normal human.   Luocha crawls behind Welt. "I have treated several patients with this case but you're the most severe among all, sir Welt."   (The image of their exchange in the Tower of Babylon flashes through his mind.)   "How can you be so sure?"   "Doctor's intuition, let's just leave it at that," the merchant sits on his folded legs resembling seiza posture. "I have practiced several ways to help my patients sleep better. Our time is limited, so I can't offer an accurate diagnosis. But, I shall apply a temporary solution."   "You don't have to trouble yourself."   "You're not a trouble, never," Luocha extends his hands, asking, "May I?" Welt nods, so he  slowly lifts the older man's head and rests it on his lap.   "...So…what are we doing?"   "Just a simple head massage," Luocha replies, his fingertips touching Welt's temples. "It helps you to fall asleep faster, it elicits the parasympathetic nervous system response and creates a return to rest and digest."   "Aromatherapy speeds up the process, but the herbs I bring are to treat bodily harm. This should do for the time being, I hope you don't mind. Now, close your eyes."   Welt does as instructed and soon, he feels the light pressure applied in circular motion to his head. True to Luocha's words, the massage starts to work wonders. His head feels lighter, he can feel his blood flow smoothly into his brain and his muscles relax. Luocha doesn't speak a word as he works through the session. He moves his hands towards Welt's neck, rubbing the area with his thumb.   The message is so good that his body starts to shiver, and Welt lets out a soft moan. Luocha doesn't stop, he must be used to it by now after treating so many people before the former Herrscher.   "How do you feel?" The doctor asks, still continuing his work.   "Better," Welt doesn't lie about it.   "I'm glad it's working," Luocha replies with a thin smile. "Your jaws and neck are very stiff, this tells a lot about the stress you have gone through both physically and mentally."   "...Do they?"   "One body will always be true to oneself, sir Welt," he gently presses his palm on Welt's forehead before returning to massage the other areas. "For instance, these wrinkles under your eyes "   "A-are they that apparent?"   "Sir Welt, I am a merchant, but also a doctor." Luocha can't help but chuckle. "You must take notice of these signs earlier than anyone else. Your body is your own home, it will be your lifesaver."   "Noted."   The next minute is filled with silence, safe for the leaves rustling outside their tent. Welt can feel himself drifting away, the darkness becomes welcoming. A dim gold flickers at the end of his darken world, swarming him in warmth like a blanket does in winter. He doesn't hear them anymore; the voices of the dead…as if finally, those souls find their peace and move on, leaving him alone.   For the first time in sixty-one years, Welt Yang has a peaceful slumber.   Luocha ends the message after fifteen minutes, checking Welt's condition. He's pleased that his method works, now that his job is done, he should go back to sleep too.   He doesn't move an inch, instead he keeps on gently stroking Welt's scalp with a hand.   "...You have been through a lot, haven't you, sir Welt?" Luocha monologues, asking a question that the sleeping man won't ever answer. He caresses the broad shoulder, murmuring, "I wonder… what were you before you came here."   Nature replies with a hollow, cold whistle of the night breeze; only then Luocha returns to his own mattress. They are going to have a long journey ahead tomorrow, he should be getting some sleep too.   Although doctors can cure people, sometimes they can't save themselves. Luocha stays awake with his eyes closed, it is his first time being unable to sleep well. Welt's presence starts to affect him in a way no one has ever done before, but he can't put it into words how.   Ah, right, he still has his friend's book to read. That should help him to get through the night. Luocha flips around and rummages the inside of his bag, fishing out the worn-out novel. He examines its yellowing cover, noticing the wrinkles on its leather body. The material itself doesn't 'crack', Welt really does take a very good care of his belongings. Aside from the cracks and the diminishing golden-ink printed title, there is nothing else noteworthy, so he opens the first page.   It is a story about a hero who tries to save the world. The hero is alone at first, forced to bear an inexplicable amount of heavy responsibility at such a young age. The world's fate is in his hands, after all, and the little hero forces himself to be ready to carry the weight of the world. He meets a lot of friends and allies who want to save the world too, and they care about him. Together, they did their best to conquer the evil rooting in their world, but along the way, tragedies come and go. The hero lost many who are important to him, the love of his life plays the villain, he feels like he's losing hope.   He wished that someway, somehow, he could save everyone. But the truth is that…he's just a young boy carrying the cape of a hero.   Still, he moves forward, for the sake of everyone that has done everything for the world and fallen in the path.   At last, evil is defeated, the world is saved, but the hero…is all alone by now.   The novel ends in a bittersweet tale.   When he finishes, dawn is approaching. Luocha closes the novel and returns it to his bag. There's still another two hours, he should take a quick nap to energize himself for the journey.   The merchant gives Welt one last look before resting his eyes.   It is…extremely easy for him to imagine his friend as the young hero.   Welt — 'The World'...it suits the name of a hero who is carrying such heavy weight to save everyone.   "You should be a hero to yourself, sir Welt."   …   It is five in the morning when they are packing to leave the campsite. Both men take a quick wash on their face to wake them up from sleepiness. Luocha hands Welt a piece of short towel which the older man uses to dry his face.   "How was your sleep last night?"   "It was great. Your massage works, I have to thank you properly for the help, sir Luocha."   "You don't have to. Knowing that your insomnia has somehow been negated to a certain extent is all that I need."   "But–"   " But , if you insist," Luocha packs the rest of his things and zips his bag up, carrying his coffin first then the bag, "I will think of a way later. For now, let's head off to Chang'an village. We should be able to reach it before nightfall."   There's no point in prolonging the argument, both of them know that well. Welt relents since Luocha has said his piece. "Alright," is all he could reply with. They do one last check before leaving the lakeside, heading north.   "We should restock once we enter the village," Luocha tells his plans ahead. "There are several inns that provide lodging, we are going to stay in one of those."   "I hope we are lucky enough to get rooms for both of us. I mean…we haven't booked in advance due to our circumstances," Welt sounds apologetic. After all, all this mess happens because of him. Well…It's March's fault, but he is also to blame to a certain degree for being here. Instead of helping the merchant in his speedy delivery, the former Sovereign is dragging his legs. Welt eyes the white coffin on Luocha's back, worrying that whoever inside the coffin starts to rot and it might cause further issues on a later date. Then again, he doesn't know whether the coffin does house a dead body or empty.   "Are you worrying about the coffin, sir Welt?"   Of course, the tactful doctor notices. "An embalmed body only lasts for a week tops. We have spent more than 2 days."   "You're right," Luocha agrees about the concern. "The weather isn't very friendly for preservation, I fear that the decomposition might happen faster. But…" he glances back, "I am instructed not to open the casket in any situation, even for emergency re-embalming purposes."   Welt frowns hard at that. Why would the merchant's client instruct so? "Is it because your client is confident you will deliver it on time?"   "At first, that is my thoughts, but…" he trails off, "I don't believe that is the case."   "Huh?"   Luocha looks at Welt dead in the eyes, a seriousness that the doctor hasn't shown him since their first meeting. Those sharp emerald eyes, the intensity… they look alike. "The coffin isn't heavy at all." Welt grows more confused the more he knows. Seeing the evident puzzled look on the older man's face, he continues, "I am not as athletic as you are, sir Welt. I can handle a weight on my own, but a coffin with a body inside isn't something that I can carry around easily on my back."   "Have you ever tried lifting a dead body and somehow, you feel it is heavier than when the person is alive?" Welt nods, so Luocha explains further, "Rigor mortis stiffens the muscles, and so it makes the dead body have a fixed center of gravity and mass depending on the body's position when it died."   "The same applies to a body in a coffin, but I don't feel the weight I was expecting."   "...Are you saying that the coffin might not…"   "Precisely," Luocha confirms without hesitation. "The strange terms, the coffin's weight that doesn't match, it is safe to say that the guild is dealing with something we shouldn't have dealt with in the first place."   Various of possibilities storm the former Sovereign's mind; could it contain a ticking timed-bomb inside? A bio or chemical war weapon? Some kind of abomination?   "I mean, it could just be an empty coffin, right–"   Of all sudden, Welt's heart beats faster. "If you knew about that – the dangerous possibilities,  then why did you still accept this job?"   He has been trying to prove himself that Luocha isn't Otto, that they are completely different persons, but in the end…the more he wishes, the closer the doctor is to the late Overseer.   It scares him, because it shows how he hasn't been able to move on just yet, how he's still not willing to let go of that man after all these years.   Luocha stops, staring at Welt with widened eyes. The older man realized he must have acted uncharacteristically, he just raised his voice, did he not?    He realizes he cares about Luocha more than he admits.   The merchant's visage softens, a small smile spreads his lips. "We don't know the dangers this coffin contains, and I am the only one who's prepared to face the consequences. I have to see this request through, hence why."   "...Even at the cost of your life?"   Luocha doesn't immediately reply. He glances up at the blue sky, watching a pair of swallows hovering in freedom. "I am a merchant, I only strike a deal I know I can profit from. But, I am also a doctor, and someone who walks the path of Abundance."   It's one of the many Paths that exist in this universe, Welt knows that well. Himeko explained to him the kind of people who are graced by Yaoshi, the Aeon of Paradise.   Those who follow the 'Abundance' admire selflessness, altruism, and healing behavior, Himeko did say that, I kind of respect them.   What is there to be respected for? It shouldn't have matched someone who bears too much resemblance to Otto Apocalypse, the most selfish, egoistic fool in his universe. One who didn't hesitate to sacrifice more lives if it brought him closer to his sole goal, one who wouldn't back off no matter how diabolical the methods were.   One who painted himself the villain… for everyone to hate.   Then again, for that holy maiden – for Kallen Kaslana – Otto Apocalypse became the most selfless person ever known to history.   "I'm sure you understand, sir Welt."   He does, he begrudgingly admits that he does understand.   A pair of hands grab Luocha's shoulders, they belong to none other than Welt Yang. The man himself hangs his head down, looking at the ground beneath their feet. Luocha speaks not a word, not even when the hands on his shoulder tremble and tighten their grip…as if holding onto a lifeline.   "You are a fool…"   All of us are.   "...Perhaps, I am."   Indeed, we all are. Stupidly helpless clowns.   Welt takes a deep breath and looks at the blond man in the eyes. "Since I'm also here, we are going to shoulder this together, Luocha."   The grip relaxes as Welt's hands slide away, returning to their owner. Luocha nods as he lets out a soft chuckle. "Thank you, sir Welt. That is very assuring to hear."   "However, if things turn out to be out of control," Luocha turns around, taking a step forward, followed by the next, "I hope you know what you have to do."   Welt silently stares at the man, a quiet resolve.   There was once a time where he wished he could shoulder half of the pain that man carried. Circumstances forced him not to, and regret has been living with him since. It was too late, the past has long gone in the flow of time.   Welt thinks that he could fix his regret with this universe's equivalent of Otto.   By the time he comes back to his senses, Welt realizes his hand has been trying to reach out to him .   It isn't Otto, but Luocha.   Yet, he fears history might repeat itself for both of them…no, for him W̶e̶l̶t̶, specifically.    Noticing that his companion isn't following, Luocha turns around to have a look. Only then Welt quickly retracts his hand back and starts to walk again. Without saying a word about it, they continue on with their journey, step by step closer to the Luofu.   The cloudless sky that morning becomes the silent witness to the fate that bounds them together.   [To Be Continued…] None of this correlates to the canon story because the beta version doesn't reveal much about HSR's lore especially on Xianzhou and Luocha. Even Luocha himself might be OOC here, his actions and attitude in this story are all purely based on my headcanon from what I know about the Abundance (read it up in the fanwikia). Hence why I aim to finish this fic before the official release. All in all, this is a fanfiction in the end. All that I do is just dumping my love and imaginations for WeltLuo here 🥰 Another note is that I decided to increase the rating of this story due to sensitive languages and possible other NSFW stuffs that's not just sex in the future. Let me know of what you think about this chapter in the comments! Please stay tuned for the next updates! Chang'an Village is slightly larger than how Welt had imagined. Judging from the size of the settlement and the amount of housing, there should be at least five hundred villagers inhabiting the community. Using his superhuman sight, Welt takes notes of its security pattern. The village is surrounded by fences instead of stone walls; there is a six-feet wide moat that flows surrounding it, ending in the river southwest. It has four main entrances, each guarded by two to four guards.    "Their uniforms are different from the ones that pursued us back in the city."   "They aren't the Cloud Knights, probably just regional guards dispatched from the nearby town," Luocha concluded.   "It's strange," Welt replies, still eyeing the guards at the south entrance, which is the nearest to them. "The news of us fugitives should have reached here, but they didn't tighten their security at all. This might be a trap."   "You are right," the merchant walks out from behind the trees, standing on the open road. "Or, they think we won't be doing any harm to these innocent people."   "...How can they be so sure of us?"   Luocha laughs softly. "I am not the leader of the Cloud Knights, but the one who leads them might want to test us."   "Test us?"   "Yes," the blond man walks downhill, so Welt follows suit. "If its residents or the village itself is harmed, the Cloud Knights won't spare us. They will definitely label us as hostiles and might kill us on sight."   That's not pleasant news, but it's better to know the possibilities and be prepared than to be kept in the dark. "So…do you know who's the leader of those elite warriors?"   "I do, but not personally," Luocha replies. "The leader is still young, his name is Jing Yuan, one of the Six Generals." It's an unfamiliar name in the list of Welt's contacts, so there's no hope of getting out of an icky situation by being buddy-buddy with the general. Sensing the former Sovereign's silence, he continues, "I have heard of his heroic deeds and prowess, but it has been some time since I heard anything about him being on the battlefield in person."   "Being on the battlefield?" Does the Xianzhou Alliance currently wage war with someone? Considering the threat the Antimatter Legion possesses throughout this universe, it's probably those followers of Nanook they're fighting against.   "Yes," and Luocha's reply comes up short. Welt notices the sudden stop, it's very unusual for the merchant to provide one-word answers especially when it's about an event that can be described in great detail.   "Sounds like he got promoted to the back office."   "No," the merchant shakes his head. "There is a rumor among the Guild that General Jing himself left the frontlines."   From Luocha's stories, this Jing Yuan must be a very powerful warrior, his strength might equal hundreds or thousands of soldiers. The leader of the Cloud Knights himself probably knows his value in the army, so why did he choose to step down from the war against the evil plaguing this universe? He can't contain his curiosity. "Why?"   "It's…a complicated matter," Luocha tries to explain, but it's evident from the furrow of his brows that he has limited knowledge…that, or too many secrets concerning the subject. "But alas, at least we're not hearing any news or gossip about the general's death, so he should be fine."   Welt hums and decides not to continue as they are nearing the village's entrance. One of the two guards approaches the travelers and asks for their legal documents before they are allowed to enter the settlement. Welt freezes, and the memory of the chase plays in his mind. They can knock these guards out easily, but the village is too small for them to hide. Everyone must be familiar with each other and have better solidarity compared to the individualistic people of the city; who knows the innkeeper might leak their whereabouts. Even if they don’t, Welt feels bad for troubling the good people. The last thing he wants is to drag the innocent into a dangerous business he’s dealing with.   His thumb caresses the head of his cane out of habit…and wariness.   Calmly, Luocha presents the required documents. Welt glances at them and is dumbstruck to see his own among the papers. The guards hand them back and open the path for the two travelers.   "Where did you get that?" He asks in a low voice.   Luocha winks, "I am a merchant."   Welt doesn't know who's the more fearsome opponent; a general with the power of thousands of warriors, or a merchant with two or three trade secrets. He weighs the threat and comes to the conclusion that the latter isn't the type of enemy he wishes to face. As Anti-Entropy's Sovereign, he prefers negotiation over bloodshed, he knows well that he's not an amateur when it comes to bargaining. But, as someone who spends most of his life on war, Welt's cards are different from that of a merchant's, and these people of trade will have various types of chips under their sleeves.   The difference between a faction leader and a businessman is that the former only want victory, and the other wants to survive. Predicting a survivor's mind is more difficult because they can pull the trickiest…and even the nastiest move – all for the sake of surviving another day. Now that he recalls it, the people of his world have turned the famous Thirty-Six Stratagems originally created for war into strategies for business. They truly are forces to be reckoned with.    Along the way to the inn, Welt notices that despite the size of the village, there are too few people in the community. Moreover, the only residents he sees so far are mostly underage, women, and senior citizens. He can feel how the village seems to have lost half of its supposed liveliness. He remembers the war Xianzhou Alliance is waging now.   "Sir Luocha, are the youngsters and men conscripted to the army?"   "As you have guessed, yes," is the answer. "Xianzhou has always been at war and intense territorial expansions. Once a year, they will recruit every manpower available on this planet into the army."   "Won't there be a shortage of manpower in other sectors, then?" Welt asks, looking worriedly at the group of women who just got back from the fields, evident from how dirty their clothes are and the farming utilities they carry on their bodies. A middle-aged woman suddenly wobbles forward, luckily the ex-Sovereign's reflexes are as quick as ever. Welt catches her body and guides her to the nearest bench. Luocha gives her a quick examination and tells her to have a rest after giving her a small package of traditional vitamin pills. The two bid their farewell and continue on with both their topic and their journey.   "There is," Luocha confirms his worries. "The lack of manpower has caused several problems, especially in the food sector. Two years ago, a six-month drought hit Xianzhou, and it experienced severe famine everywhere. Xianzhou Alliance's army houses an immense number of soldiers under its banners, they couldn’t feed these hungry mouths due to the failed crops. Mutiny and rebellion sparked in several areas;  humans, after all, will turn into the worst beasts when they are hungry."   Hunger has always been the reason for all wars, it's the truth.   "Now that I think about it again, it does align," Luocha mutters to himself.   "What does?"   "General Jing's rumor and the famine. If I remember it correctly, he returned from war shortly after the first wave of the famine hit. I heard it was thanks to his quick response, the famine was subdued and the uprisings in Xianzhou were pacified."   "The general seems to be a very sensible person."   "So I'm told," Luocha points at the lodging where they are planning to stay tonight. "Oh, we're here."   They arrive at an inn in the heart of the village. Said inn is a two-storey building, the wooden blocks and the brick walls have apparent signs of aging all over their surface. It must be at least seven decades old, Welt muses, his hand touches the stair's railing, caressing the rough surface. Still, it looks well-maintained, and honestly speaking this inn has the best maintenance compared to the others they passed by.   Luocha goes in first, Welt follows soon after. Inside, they are greeted with a rustic Xianzhou-style interior, soft melodious music from a nearby recorder wafting in the air. Soft clinks catch their attention, the pair avert their eyes onto the innkeeper who's busy tending her ceramic wine cups.   The merchant approaches the innkeeper, calling for her attention with a soft smile who returns the gesture in the same fashion. "Excuse me, we would like two rooms for a night."   Welt doesn't know whether he should be relieved or saddened that he won't be spending the night in the same space as Luocha. He should be relieved, he convinces himself.   "Ah, we're sorry. Since the festival is coming, most of the rooms are fully booked for the next five days. There is only one available room, it has a queen-size bed and an indoor bathroom."   The former Herrscher mentally groans in embarrassment. He puts up a poker face so neither his merchant friend (is it still a valid relationship term between them? When Welt cares more about the other man more than a friend does?) nor the innkeeper notice.   "We will take it," Luocha agrees without hesitation.   "Wait. Please give us a minute, ma'am," Welt pulls his…friend (yes, a friend!) to the side. "Sir Luocha, we should check the other inns first. Maybe they have at least two unbooked rooms left."   "They don't," Luocha answers almost immediately, as if he had predicted this from miles away. "I can tell because those inns are hanging the signboards on their front door." Welt's silence is taken as distrust, so the merchant leads him outside and points at another nearby inn's front door. "Look, it's read 'fully-booked'."   "Not to mention the lack of residents, which means less workers," Luocha's expression turns solemn, "Two of the five inns in this village have closed down. And, the innkeeper lady is lying about the festival."   Welt can't help but frown. "How can you be so sure that she's lying to us?"   "Simple. Did you see any other workers in the inn?"   No , his answer is stuck in his throat.   "For an inn this size to be managed only by one person, it must be very tiring," Luocha looks at the door, as if he's watching the working innkeeper. "It's easier for her to clean up one room than two."   "Then, we should camp outside again tonight–"   "That won't do," Luocha points at the sunset sky, it has turned darker and heavy clouds begin to cover the atmosphere. "There will be a heavy rainfall tonight, camping isn't very viable under such weather."   It's true. Despite human's technology and knowledge to predict and prevent, Mother Nature can be uncertain at times. Flash floods are common during rainfall, setting a camp near bodies of water is akin to nailing one's own coffin. Even if they set their tent up far from a river or lake, the possibility of rainwater getting inside their tent remains possible. No one will be able to sleep soundly in that situation.   "Let's go. We should put our belongings in our room and restock our supplies, sir Welt." the merchant heads back into the inn.   Welt stares up at the sky, the conversation makes his mood gloomy.   He's no stranger to war and its effects on the people. War is created by the powerful and the desperate, but it's always the weak and innocent people who suffer the most. Even back then, as a Sovereign, he had shed the blood of the innocents for Anti-Entropy's goal.   (The fact that most of the deaths are collateral damage in his war against the Honkai and Schicksal makes him unable to forgive himself...even until today.    Even he had redeemed himself a lot.)   "Sir Welt?"   "Ah, sorry…"   Luocha smiles as usual. "It's okay. I have paid for the room and checked in. It's very comfortable, I'm sure you will like it too."   "Wait. I should be the one who–"   "Please do not fret over such trivial things. The amount doesn't put a dent on my wallet," the merchant assures, gesturing Welt to come inside. "Let's go and see the room for yourself."   Welt scratches the back of his neck, he feels he has burdened the younger man more than enough. Sure, as an Astral Express crew, he's most likely making less than Luocha, but it should be him who pays for their necessity solely because he's the older one. Yet, knowing the man's attitude after befriending him for several days, Welt decides not to pursue the matter further. "Thank you, sir Luocha."   "You're welcome."   Luocha walks back in, this time Welt tails behind. It's amazing how the innkeeper didn't ask about the coffin in her customers' room, maybe she's not curious at all. They climb up the stairs and make their way through the silent corridor. Luocha was right, the innkeeper is lying about the festival and the fully-booked situation. He doesn't feel any presence behind these doors and walls, Welt is so sure that they are the only ones who inhabited the second floor. As to why the lie, Welt has his own guesses. He keeps it to himself, though, because the walls are thin.   The door creaks softly as Luocha pushes it, inviting his roommate inside.   The flooring and the ceilings are made out of wood, there is a large circular window facing north, the bathroom is on the left side, and the queen-sized chamber bed mentioned by the innkeeper sits quietly on the other end of the room opposite to the door.    Right…Xianzhou's culture and architecture so far matches Chinese's… Of course the bed has that raised platform and a wooden awning that encloses the sleeping area. Of course, there's a piece of curtain hanging down from those awnings. Of course, it adds to the sense of intimacy even more. And yes, Welt doesn't want to think too far because if he keeps on continuing this train of unholy thoughts, he fear might not be able to come back to his usual self.   "It's lovely, isn't it?"   He has to convince himself Luocha is talking about the WHOLE room. Welt musters a reply, "It is."   "A fair price for such a spacious room," Luocha comments contentedly, sitting on the provided redwood chair. "Have a seat, sir Welt. I have brewed us some tea."   "I thought we were going out to restock before the rain falls?" Welt asks, putting down his luggage at the corner alongside Luocha's belongings.   "Why the hurry?" Deft fingers elegantly pick up the teapot, carefully pouring the hot, greenish liquid into the porcelain cups. "We just arrived after a long journey, our legs are made of flesh and bones, not gears and metals."   "You said that it's going to rain tonight."   "You're right," Luocha sets the teapot down and hands one of the cups to Welt who's walking closer. "It won't rain until midnight, though. And I doubt we will spend the day until midnight struck."   Welt quietly sits down and drinks the tea. He hopes that Luocha is right about both things.   …   The village's center is livelier now that it's dinner time. Various stalls open and sell their goods; from food, beverages, daily necessities to luxury needs. What they have can't be compared in quantity to the ones in the city, still, they manage to find what they need.   Well, mostly they are what Luocha needs.   "Mmhm, this 'meng jian you' is of high quality," the merchant admires the vial in his hand. "I will take this one, young miss."   The young shopkeeper jolts slightly, Welt catches the faint tint on her rosy cheeks. "Y-yes!"  The lady makes haste to pack the oil in a small wooden box and hands it to Luocha.   He knows what the lady is feeling towards her customer. Luocha is undoubtedly beautiful, not to mention he exudes a refined aura that complies well with his intelligence. Posing a warm smile that bears no malice, a pair of emerald eyes that shines as clear as nature's kindness, his words and tone are both elegant and ear-pleasing…He's definitely a type of man ladies will kill to get for.   The former Sovereign's chest suddenly tightens, Welt quickly distracts himself before these emotions get the better of him. He averts his eyes away, looking at anywhere inside the shop but the merchant.   (It's still there – the desire to take Luocha's hand and pull him out of the shop, to take him somewhere else far away, just the two of them.)   "-elt, we're done here."   Welt turns towards his smiling friend. God knows how long Luocha has been standing there, staring at him. "Ah, yes. Do you have somewhere else you want to go to, sir Luocha?"   "Let's grab something to eat. The kind young lady told me that the food stall over there has the tastiest food this village has to offer. I am very curious about their specialty…or so the lady claims."   "Okay."   The mentioned food stall isn't very far, just thirty meters away. From the distance they are, he can already smell the mouth-watering scent wafting from the pot. There's a line of five in front of it, Welt can imagine that it might be five to six times longer during the village's heyday. Alas, it was all in the past for Chang'an's glory.   The two line up and patiently wait for their turn.   "What kind of food do you think they are serving, sir Welt?"   Welt sniffs once. "I can smell garlic and spices coming from it. There's a hint of wine and soy sauce too," he eyes the opened pot, some pieces of meat are floating alongside chunks of radish. "From the marbling of the meat, I'm guessing it must be braised beef soup."   "You're correct," Luocha confirms with a nod, "The local specialty is a braised beef soup. However, this particular shop raises their own cows, feeding them with their secret grain-rice straw mix. And Xianzhou's cows are a different breed from the other planets. It's said that the beef is more tender, the marbling is luxurious, and its flavor is so rich like no other."   That sounds really amazing , Welt thinks. "Is it true?"   Luocha instead, returns his question with a tricky inquiry. "Can you trust the words of merchants?" Welt's frown invites a chuckle from the merchant himself. "Xianzhou beef is a rare commodity on other planets. Not only because of the high cost in raising the livestocks, its shipping cost is so high that it becomes a luxury. A kilo of the lowest quality still costs you a grand, of course, I don't usually have it for lunch and dinner."   "So, what do you usually have?"   Unlike Welt, Otto was an extremely sophisticated man, whenever he's allowed to stay in the late Overseer's personal mansion, Welt was served with high quality food and beverages. Schicksal is one of the strongest factions on earth, their capital is near limitless. Even if Otto had luxury meals thrice a day for his whole five hundred years of lifetime, it would never put a dent on the organization's funds. He recalls that one time the blond man complained about his granddaughter's spiced beef.   Cold, cheap, basic, mediocre-   Yet, you still finished it, didn't you?   Otto faced the other way, still reluctant about admitting that he did.   And…that was one of the moments the Overseer known for his cruelty and coldness showed that he's still a human regardless…a human that still harbors love and care somewhere in his jaded being.   "When I'm at the headquarters, I will have whatever the canteen serves that day. Sometimes, I cook for myself. It's nothing fancy, but enough to continue the day without a rumbling stomach."   "I see."   "What about you?"   "Nothing special. Just…" he remembers the meal he used to have with Einstein and Tesla back home, "...simple, fulfilling meals."   "A meal that satisfies both one's stomach and heart is more important than those high-end, classy fine dining," Luocha takes a step forward and so does Welt, "however, if you are in the mood for one, I shall take you to the best."   "I'll look forward to it."   Wait. Did he just ask for a d- date …?   Welt tells himself there's no way Luocha is asking him out for a date in a fancy restaurant.   Unless…?   The man beside him doesn't show any suspicious expression. In the end, he convinces himself that he's just being too hopeful and has started imagining things.   …Being hopeful…of what, exactly?   Luocha isn't Otto Apocalypse, and all that he felt for the dead man…has long been buried alongside him in that non-existent grave.   As it should be.   [To Be Continued…] (See the end of the chapter for notes.) It does rain, as the merchant has long predicted. Welt sits by the window, watching the tiny droplets cloaking the earth, his ears listen to the pitter-patter of the rain. Luocha sits just across from him, grinding some kind of herbs and the oil he brought before in the small, portable hand-grinder. The older man doesn't want to interrupt him since he seems so concentrated, so he leaves him be. There's nothing else either of them can do under this weather, and it's still a little too early to call it a day.   He watches Luocha work on his…enhanced version of 'meng jian you' which is said to be more potent, but at the same time reduces any side-effects. He trusts the doctor enough that he believes whatever Luocha is making for him doesn't include creating an instrument to murder him.   Back then, he didn't trust Otto enough for the late Overseer to take a look at his battered condition post his fight with the second Herrscher.   It's…different now, as it should be.   "It's done," he said fifteen minutes later, satisfied with his work. "Do you wish to rest now, sir Welt?"   Welt shakes his head. "It's…still a little too early. Not to mention, I can't sleep on a full stomach."   "Haha, you're right," Luocha pours the mixture into a sterile vial. "It's recommended that the earliest you should sleep is at least four hours after your last meal for the day. But, is there anything we can do in this room?"   Welt doesn't need to recheck their surroundings. There's absolutely no entertainment available here aside from the out-of-date magazine on the shelf. He usually plays cards and mahjong with his friends, but his deck is left in the train. And Luocha doesn't bring anything like that in his journey.   If March 7th was here, she would most likely complain they are such boring old men.   Luocha is still young though, most likely in his mid or late-twenties.   "No idea, huh," the doctor puts the vial on the nightstand for later use. He looks outside, mesmerizing about something. "When I was a kid, I had a fragile body. So, I never play in the rain."   This is the second time Luocha reveals his childhood, of course Welt is interested. "You never?"   "Yes," he returns to his seat. "That's why I became a doctor, to find a cure to my physical condition. In the end, I succeeded, and here I am, traveling with you, my dear friend."   Welt instinctively looks another way, his heart thunders in this chest. He's still not used to being called in that manner, it is a…complicated mixture of delight and awkwardness. Delight – he's happy that Luocha thinks of him as a valuable companion. Awkward – because…he doesn't need to even think of the reason.   "Still, I prefer my clothes dry and clean. That's why I never travel when it rains," Luocha chuckles. "But…sometimes I can't help but feel reeled in by this weather, as if it is inviting me to relieve one of my unrealized childhood desires."   "I always wonder what it feels to be drenched by the downpour," he continues, "to feel the cold that makes one's body shiver, to feel a taste of freedom because one worries not about getting their clothes dirty, to…scream and let out whatever one wishes to speak because we know, the rain is going to swallow our secrets whole."   "And…I'd like to know what's behind those gloomy, heavy clouds. Is the sky still crying up there? Or does it not?"   Welt listens until Luocha stops talking.   "Do you want to play in the rain, Luocha?"   The young doctor turns to him, the expression on his visage cracks as Welt stands up and offers his right hand, waiting for his answer.   "I'll take you outside."   The smile returns, softer, more emotional.   "You don't have to trouble yourself with my childish musings, sir Welt," still, he stands up and accepts the offered hand.   It is the first time their fingers entwined on each other, the grip tightens slightly. Welt feels Luocha's warmth on his palm as his calloused skin brushes against the younger man's smoother palm. Subconsciously, Welt smiles.   He opens the window and the rain water pours in, but the droplets never make its way to any surface due to his powers.   "Let's go."   The pair floats away as the window shuts tight. Rain pours heavily on their bodies, drenching them in cold droplets. The town below is eerily silent, no one wants to go outside especially because it's nighttime. Welt feels that there's only the two of them in this raining world. Despite downpours usually signifying grief, none of them think the sky is crying from sadness tonight.   "How are you doing?"   "It's cold," Luocha replies, "but nothing I can't handle. How about you, sir Welt?"   "I'm alright. If it's too much, tell me. We'll stop and immediately return to our room."   "I assure you it's not. So, where do we go next?"   "Just around the town, floating like this."   Luocha looks worried. "Are you sure prolonged usage of your powers won't take a toll on your body? Please don't overexert yourself."   His heart warms, the doctor genuinely worries about him. "It won't. This is nothing compared to what I used to do," Welt lets his hand go, but his power stays on Luocha's body.    "Thank you."   "No need," the former Sovereign distances himself four feet away. "While this power belongs to me, it doesn't mean you don't have the freedom to move on your own. All I did was manipulate the gravity applied on you. If you want to move, you have to control your own body. Just think of it as if…you're swimming in zero gravity."   "That is an interesting way to put it," Luocha moves his limbs, testing said freedom. "All right, just like in zero gravity."   He bends his knees and makes a jumping motion, his body automatically shoots up higher into the air. Welt readies himself to catch Luocha before he drifts too far, but the man calmly rotates his body and makes a U-turn. Catching the drift of the power's mechanism, the merchant stops three meters away from Welt.   "It's indeed like moving in a zero gravity field," Luocha comments in amusement. "You are amazing, sir Welt."   "I-it's nothing, really."   Luocha chuckles. "Let's go. We should enjoy this moment while the rain lasts."   The two drift away like passing birds across the peaceful village. Welt watches as the younger man spreads his arms akin to a bird celebrating its freedom, he follows Luocha higher towards the dark sky, braving against the heavy downpour and the chilly winds, piercing the thick clouds. They are lucky that the thunders decided not to roll tonight, and the rain gradually lessens the higher they fly.   Welt speeds up and catches Luocha, giving their flight a boost towards the light amidst the darkness.   I'd like to know what's behind those gloomy, heavy clouds.   And finally, they escape the rainy world under them. The sky is black but clear, the full moon shines brightly in all its pale glory, the stars are glimmering in the sky akin to sprinkled gems' dusts. Luocha admires the scenery with wide eyes, captivated by the beauty hidden by the crying clouds. He looks at the man in front of him, Welt is smiling.   It is a smile…of someone who has finally realized his dreams. For he can sense relief in those chocolate eyes; yet at the same time, it feels as if…the bespectacled man isn't looking at him.   The merchant can't help but wonder: was there… someone else that Welt wished to bring here?   "How is it?" Welt asks.   "It's…" Luocha gazes up, the stars and the moon are reflected in his emerald eyes, making them sparkle much like the most prized gems there are, "simply beautiful. I'm unable to conjure better words."   "I'm glad that you are enjoying the view," he looks down at the thick gray blanket that begins to thin and disperse away. "The world feels small underneath us, isn't it?"   "It is," the blond man agrees. "Makes us feel even smaller than we already are."   "I can't refute that."   When a man truly desires to change the world, only then he realizes how pitiable his strength is, how insignificant his existence is.   Those are that man 's words.   "Sir Welt," Luocha cups his cheeks, gently making the other face the doctor, locking their gazes. Those emerald eyes are looking at him…and no one else. "Thank you for taking me up here."   Something snaps inside his heart, making it bleed. He feels an invisible hand grabbing the bleeding organ, causing him an unbearable pain that burns his soul alive. At that moment, he wishes he could hear it from that man , but he knows that will never happen.   Welt cups Luocha's cheeks and pulls the involuntary man close.   Two fingers stop him in his tracks, snapping him back to reality.   Luocha is still smiling, but his eyes…don't. He smiles like the clear sky, but his eyes…are crying like the rain clouds below. Yet those emerald orbs shed no tears, it is a silent cry.   Welt realizes he has deeply hurt the other man.   It…it is never his intention to do so.   "I can't," Luocha whispers, it sounds…painful. " We can't. Not when you're still…looking at another ."   Welt wants to say something, perhaps to make Luocha feel better, or more likely…to defend himself. But Luocha speaks up first, saying a name he never knew the other has knowledge of.   "Otto, isn't it?"   He knows, but, since when?   As if the doctor can read his mind, he receives his answer, "You muttered that name in your sleep."   He must mean the night before.   "Luocha, I–"   "I'm sorry."   Why? Why must the merchant be the one who apologizes first? Luocha did nothing wrong; it was him, he's the wrong one, because he's unable to let that man go yet and starts projecting him into the doctor.    Was eight years not enough?   "I don't know who this 'Otto' is, what he looks like but, I have a hunch." Luocha pulls away, standing a meter apart. But the distance between them is growing further, and suddenly, Welt feels how the other man is out of reach by now. "He must be very precious to you."   Welt sews his mouth shut. His heart urges him to say something, to give an explanation, but his instinct knows that he will only worsen the situation with just one word.   "It's late and the rain has stopped. I'd like to call it a day," Luocha says casually, as if he has forgotten what just transpired. "Let's go back, sir Welt."   Luocha wordlessly flies downward, heading back for the inn. Left all alone behind, Welt finally can muster a reaction. He bites his lower lip and shuts his eyes, muttering an apology that Luocha can no longer hear. He makes his way back, not even trying to keep up with the other's pace.   When he enters the room, the scent of the  aromatherapy oil has filled the room. The sound of the drizzling shower comes from the bathroom, a dry towel is placed on the bed. Luocha must have prepared it for him, ever the caring man. Welt takes it, wiping his face and hair as dry as he can.   The former Herrscher sits on the wooden chair, looking at the window.   The rain has stopped for some time, but how he wishes it could just be a little longer.   Long enough for his screams to be swallowed by its loud pitter-patter.   Luocha faces the wall, staring at the ceramic floor under his feet. Unlike Welt outside, he has the shower's gentle rain to devour his silent scream.   They still sleep on the same bed, back facing each other. The aromatherapy works, it is Welt who fights against its effects. How can he sleep when that solemn smile keeps on haunting his mind, filling his heart with remorse?   The former Sovereign turns around, his hand trying to reach for the sleeping Luocha. It stops just a few inches away, Welt hesitates, and pulls it back. He returns to his initial position, not saying a word as he welcomes his sleep. Luocha too gives in as all hopes are lost between them. He has accepted that it will be one of his biggest regrets he's going to bring down to his grave.   None of them are unaware that soon, they won't have the chance once the sun rises.   The end…is coming for them.   …   There is a commotion down the floor below by the time they are readying to leave. Welt is the first one to go downstairs to check on the situation, he is immediately met by a group of soldiers that have been waiting for them, donned in those familiar uniforms.   "The Cloud Knights?" His eyes directly went to the innkeeper who is standing rigidly behind the counter. Did she snitch our location to them?   "Please spare the kind lady from your suspicion, sir Welt," Luocha calmly walks down, step by step. "Remember who we are dealing with."   Ah, right , the leader of the Cloud Knights, Jing Yuan. It shouldn't come as a surprise that he might be able to predict their exact location and summon his troops here. After all, he's one of the Six Generals, someone who has been dabbling in the affairs of war and politics for half of his lifetime.   "Should we fight them?" He readies his Star of Eden, causing the elite guards to be on alert. It's just a walking cane belonging to a man past his prime, but they are already aware that it's a weapon of mass destruction just after tasting its powers once.   "No, they are here to invite us."   "Invite us?"   Another Cloud Knight soon enters the premises, she's a young lady with two long pigtails. On her back, she carries a broad sword, and she doesn't look weak in the slightest. If the former Herrscher and the lady warrior had to go all out, the village might not be spared in their clash of power.   "Greetings! You must be sir Luocha and sir Welt my leader informs me about," the lady cheerfully introduces herself. "I am Sushang of the Cloud Knights. I am here to extend an invitation to the Luofu upon General Jing Yuan's behalf."   Luocha hits the mark perfectly. Welt has no choice but to lower his weapon and so do the elite guards accompanying Sushang. The merchant takes the stage and stands in front of the girl, bowing slightly in respect.   "Very well. We shall cause you no trouble and head to the Luofu with you."   "It's decided then!" Sushang chirps and turns around. "Please prepare the carriage for our guests! Hurry, the general is asking for their presence before noon."   The guards salute their leader and hurries outside to prepare the carriage. Sushang leaves soon after with Luocha and Welt following close by.   The former Herrscher doesn't know why Jing Yuan would 'invite' two fugitives into his place. There must be a reason, but with minimal knowledge about the alliance and the general himself, Welt can't draw any hypothesis or conclusion. He looks at Luocha, hoping to find a clue.   He finds nothing, but as usual, the merchant poses a thin smile.   That smile, however, doesn't belong to a happy man.   And despite seeing that…Welt still can't talk. Not even when they enter the carriage and are brought towards an uncertainty.   [To Be Continued…] None of what is written here is canon. It's purely based on my worldbuilding and theories. The only canon things are the ones hoyo have posted on their official pages so far. ... WOW i didnt expect to finish this chapter sooner. Binge watching chaptet 26-28 gives me a lot of brainrots especially after learning what kind of man Otto is. Tell me what you think of this part, because next, we are going for one hell of emotional ride!!! ...hopefully 💦 Thank you so much for coming by! Please stay tuned for future updates!!!

The Silver-Haired Maid and His Hardworking Master

['Hyoumaki']

Explicit

M/M

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Blade/Jing Yuan (Honkai: Star Rail)

Jing Yuan (Honkai: Star Rail), Blade (Honkai: Star Rail)

Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Sex, Sexual Roleplay, Jing Yuan as maid and Blade as master, Top Jing Yuan, Bottom blade

English

2022-06-28

Completed

2022-06-28

3,284

1/1

13

579

47

11,902

['yunmi_17', 'Tilin', 'boothillpeitos', 'Shechir', 'littledarksunshine', 'yovendaa', 'SAKUSASTHIGHSAREHEAVEN', 'Alex_IsDead18', 'Fishflyyy', 'ikennat', 'Izyno_haru', 'Shiba6', 'mqicqi', 'Clould', 'jiminfired95', 'Sesenka', 'Weiss_Kuro', 'waii111', 'Sj_wodo', 'feiying', 'Ominesca_Deliat', 'Kyekoon', 'shawarma_rice', 'Amaiamaiame', 'Luciscaelum42', 'Sirhyung', 'ultradespairboyz', 'MTKiseki', 'Voodoo', 'eresai', 'Near9', 'aliaes', 'unperfect', 'AsheWilt', 'punkbishounen', 'Tentaclord', 'tinniehanguk', 'crywisteria', 'fatui', 'shiz99', 'Gyllenhaal', 'SanjisGoodBoy', 'JackTrades', 'Capellainthenight', 'why1sy', 'nintendogs', 'YukinaEster', 'hatsustar16', 'Anime_fan9095', 'Nanuki']

[]

Today has been a long, hectic day. The mission almost went bust because of the misinformation the Hunters received about their target. Blade and Silver Wolf had to go an extra mile just to get the job done for the money. It's not even that high paying, and their client refused to compensate for the damage when it was his fault in the first place. Thanks to Kafka's 'narrowly missed' bullet, the arrogant fool agrees to pay the extra fees. At the end of the day, job's done, they have their money and their boss, Elio, is more than pleased with the result. Good things sometimes can happen to villains too.   Blade gets off the MRT and walks out of the station. Despite his fatigue, his legs stride as fast as they can, for all he wants now is a nice bath and a good night's sleep. It takes him a ten minutes walk to reach home. The lamps are on, it means someone occupies his house.   Well… their house, to be precise.   Blade unlocks the door and walks inside. A silver-haired man wearing a maid uniform greets him on the entryway with a bow and an elegant smile.   "Welcome home, master Ren," Jing Yuan, his maid, gives him a warm reception, "I have prepared your bath and the dinner will soon be ready."   "Would you like to have a bath first? Or dinner?" the maid lifts his knee-length skirt provocatively, "Or–"   "Bath." Blade quickly cuts him off and he swears he saw Jing Yuan pout for a brief second.   "Very well, master. Let me help you with your dirty clothes."   "There's no need for that."   "But, as your maid, I have to take good care of you, master."   Blade sighs, he's not in the mood to debate with his pesky, hard-headed maid when fatigue has been banging his brain for the last two hours. "Fine. Do as you please."   Hearing that, Jing Yuan beams. They walk into the master's bedroom together. Blade stands in front of the bathroom door as Jing Yuan skillfully undresses the master of the house, starting from the red ribbon tied to the back of his black coat. His assassin name, Bi'an Hua, is derived because it's shaped resembling a red spider lily, the flower of death. The red ribbon falls ceremoniously onto the carpeted floor, Jing Yuan unbuttons the black coat and finally his master's pair of gray pants. Blade walks away and enters the bathroom, leaving Jing Yuan outside.   The bath is already filled, but he has to shower the grime and dust away before getting into it. Cool droplets drizzle on his skin, drenching his body with a freshness that he desperately needs. Blade heaves a long sigh, relaxing down and faces the wall. The door slides open, he doesn't bother to keep an eye on who's entering, he recognizes this presence as Jing Yuan's.   Jing Yuan silently puts the clean bathrobe on the countertop, and that should be it.   "Master Ren…"   Blade tenses as a pair of hands slide on his shoulders, fingers lightly massaging the area.    "Let me give you a massage. I read that it's good to have a massage during shower."   Blade doesn't care from where Jing Yuan read that. It feels good, the assassin has to admit that his maid has always been great with his fingers. Each good press relaxes his muscles, and his overworked body can't help but quiver in delight from the treatment. Jing Yuan continues with his work, moving onto Blade's back next and applies pressure on the massage points.   Blade clasps his mouth shut, swallowing back a moan. Jing Yuan might or might not heard that, either way he diligently continues on with the session. One final press, and it stops, Blade almost feels disappointed.   "Master Ren, let me help to clean you thoroughly."   From the tip of his eyes, Blade watches Jing Yuan fetch the shampoo bottle and squeeze out some of the golden liquid. His nose is hit by its rich, elegant and sweet scent. It's chrysanthemum, Jing Yuan's favorite flower and of course it is not his shampoo.   "I have my own," Blade says, though he doesn't stop the silver-haired man.   "But, chrysanthemum smells so good on you, master. So much better, even."   The tired assassin sighs. Jing Yuan wastes no time in washing his hair all the while massaging the scalps underneath, all his movements are tender and careful. The shampoo does smell good, yet neither that nor Jing Yuan's hair massage makes him shiver.   It is…something else.   A mark .   "Mmhm…"   "Is it good, master?"   Rhetoric, Jing Yuan sure loves to ask such questions.   The maid showers his hair clean, but it doesn't stop there. He takes another bottle from the shelves, Blade immediately notices it's the goat milk's liquid soap.   Again, it is not his.   "I will clean my master's body next."   Jing Yuan slides his hands starting from the shoulders, moving down to Blade's wrists slowly all the while applying pressures on his sore muscles. The master shuts his eyes tight and looks away, but he can't hide the faint blush coloring his heated cheeks. The maid heeds it no mind as he continues, cleaning the gaps between his calloused fingers and rubbing the tip of his digits. The maid's hand grasps his hand for a split second for final pressure and retreats.   Another batch of liquid soap is applied on Jing Yuan's hands and he starts to work cleaning his upper body. This time, Jing Yuan starts from his back, moving ever so slowly down to the spine before sliding up to his neck. Then, he moves to Blade's chest, rubbing the assassin's torso and massaging it in circular motion. Blade sucks his lower lip, but relents with a soft moan when the deft fingers rub his shy nipples.   "Ji-Jing Yuan–"   "I have to clean these too, master," Jing Yuan says, pinching the hardened rosy buds and rubbing them with his soapy fingers. "Because they are always hiding in your breasts, dusts and dead skin might settle there."   Again with that scientific bullshit Jing Yuan probably reads from gossip magazines. The master doesn't give two shits about it.   Jing Yuan finally leaves his nipples and moves downward, cleaning his waist and the navel. It's an evidence that Blade is brought to this world by a fellow human, unlike what people who read too much science fiction imagine assassins to be.   And then, the hands go lower.   "Jing Yuan– aah…"   Not there , he wants to say it, but the words are stuck in his throat. Jing Yuan hums a merry tone, while his hands are cleaning his master's groin, yet carefully evading the most sensitive parts.   A weight rests on his whole back, enabling the hands to reach lower and deeper betwen his thighs.   Finally, he moans, loud and clear.   Jing Yuan smiles.   "Does my master enjoy this?" He asks, almost sounding innocent, but it's evident that his composure is crumbling down too. The back of his hand grazes against Blade's hardening cock, eliciting a moan out of the younger man's mouth. "Ah…Does my master want me to clean his wee-wee too?"   Blade doesn't give an immediate response, so Jing Yuan runs the tip of his fingers along the growing length. "Ji—Jing Yuan…!"   "What is it, master? I can't do anything if my master doesn't request it."   This maid… "P-please clean my wee-wee…"   "Yes, master," Blade lets his body be turned around and leans on the ceramic wall. Jing Yuan kneels on the drenched floor, the hem of his black skirt meets the water on the surface yet he doesn't seem to care. Jing Yuan clutches his fingers around his cock, stroking it languidly. Blade moans into the air, his nails clawing on the ceramic behind. "Master's wee-wee was so small and cute back then…look at how big it has grown now. I'm happy that my master is growing well under my care."   "S-shut up– ooh…."   Jing Yuan rubs the head with his thumb, sliding back and forth on the slit. It takes Blade his whole willpower not to buck his hips from the stimulation, but Aeons , he doesn't know how long he can last. His chest rises and falls frantically, the water raining on his burning skin feels colder.   "My master has worked so hard today, he deserves a nice, good reward, doesn't he?"   Blade cracks an eye open at the wrong time, because he has to quickly shut it again as Jing Yuan takes his cock into his mouth. Blade thrashes from the sparks zapping his nerves, his grip on reality starts to slip away as his maid's treacherous mouth takes him deeper into that wet, hot cavern, his cock sinks in as far as Jing Yuan can take him.   Oh god , Blade breathes out as he feels his cock bumping against the soft end. Jing Yuan is deepthroating him with no gag reflex.   Jing Yuan pulls back, wrapping his lips around the head and sucks hard, teasing the slit with his tongue and taking the whole length down his throat again. His head bobs back and forth, sucking and licking every inch of that sensitive organ. He lets out a pleased mewl, the vibration causes Blade's lust to spike uncontrollably. Jing Yuan massages his balls with one hand, while the other reaches for the assassin's ass, sliding a finger between the  cleft. Blade's breath hitches in anticipation.   The maid lets go of his dick with a loud pop. The smile has turned darker. "I will clean here next, master."   "Y–yes…"   Jing Yuan wraps his lips around the cock's head, his finger circles the rim of his asshole, teasing the twitching muscle. It feels slick, he doesn't remember where Jing Yuan applies lube on his fingers.   "Jing Yuan…please…"   "As my master wishes."   A nod, the finger then probs in, going slow and starting small. Blade grabs the mass of silver hair, moaning, his eyes begin to tear up. His bodily instinct kicks in, trying to clamp around the digit and push it out. Jing Yuan caresses the side of his waist, reassuring both the body and its master. Soon, he feels the ring of muscle relaxes, growing more familiar with the penetration.   The maid adds another digit, thrusting in and out, rubbing the insides for as far as he can reach. At the same time, Jing Yuan swallows Blade's cock, sucking and licking vigorously, sending Blade so high in his ecstasy that he has lost control of his body. Jing Yuan lifts one of his legs and hooks it on his shoulder, giving more room for him to suck Blade deeper.   Blade's screams are muffled by the drizzling water, nonetheless it is a music to Jing Yuan's ears. His golden eyes look up, watching Blade's wide blown eyes and tongue sticking out of his mouth as Blade cums in his mouth. The body in front of him convulses, basked in an intense afterglow.    Jing Yuan gives the cock one last lick before pulling out, swallowing his master's semen wholeheartedly. Blade sees it, and his cock twitches in response to his building lust. His panting lips let out a soft moan as Jing Yuan pulled out his fingers. He's satisfied, but also desires for more.   "Master Ren, does it feel good? Did this lowly maid do well?"   Blade doesn't reply with words and proceeds to kiss his maid who eagerly welcomes the gesture. Their tongues dance on each other, Jing Yuan reaffirms his dominance and sneaks into Blade's mouth, licking and sucking every nook and cranny inside that hot, wet mouth. Blade tastes the remnants of his cum; it's bitter, a bit of salty, unpleasant taste compared to the extravagant, high-class dinner his maid has cooked for him.   Had it not for their mutual need of oxygen, the kiss would never end. They break apart, the string of saliva is soon cut by the rushing water droplets.   Jing Yuan smiles, stroking his cheeks lovingly. His golden eyes don't smile, the light radiating in them signifies danger…and lust.   His maid is lusting for him…his master.   "Does my dear, beautiful master desire anything else? Please tell me, otherwise I can't fulfill your wish and my duty."   While the silver-haired man sounds pleading, Blade knows he doesn't.   Jing Yuan never pleads, he always desires.   Blade turns around, lifting his ass and spreading the plump cheeks, showing the man behind him his twitching hole.   They are going to forget about this once it's all over, or at least that's what the older man promises.   "Please…" Blade begs, "f-fuck my hole already, Jing Yuan."   "Mmhm, my dear master is a naughty boy, isn't he?"   "Yes…"   "And naughty boys deserve to be punished, don't they?"   "Y-yes!" Blade shuts his eyes and looks away from Jing Yuan's predatory eyes, he's growing more and more embarrassed. "Jing Yuan, h-hurry up…!"   Jing Yuan chuckles lowly, grinning much like a sadistic cheshire. He lifts up his skirt, revealing the garter belts and the aroused cock, Blade can't help but to lock his eyes on the erotic sight, his blood pumps faster and so does his heart. Jing Yuan is big, and the man takes a lot of pride in his girth. "Since my master is asking for it nicely, your maid shall do his best."   The maid brushes the tip of his cock on Blade's waiting hole, wetting the awaiting rim with his pre-cum and finally, it slides in. Blade moans loud, his whole body is shaking hard. The cock goes in slowly, Jing Yuan pulls back slightly and sinks back in, repeating until it sinks down to the hilt. The maid gasps as Blade tightens. As much as Jing Yuan wishes to brutally fuck his beloved master's ass already, he wills himself to give his master a bit of time to adjust. His hands crawl on the toned abdomen up to Blade's chest, giving them a short massage. Once again, he repeats what he did to the hard nubs during their massage session, eliciting soft gasps from the man under him.   "Master really has cute nipples. They are so shy and sensitive…so lovely, just like master~"   Blade doesn't know where Jing Yuan learns that, but to hell with it, maybe this perverted man is just a natural born pervert.   "Mmh, you just grew tighter, master. Are you imagining yourself lactating out of these puffy nipples? Breastfeeding our little kittens as I breed your fertile womb? What do you think our kittens will say if they know you're such a perverted mother?"   He doesn't deny that he enjoys it whenever his lover talks dirty. He's the only person alive that can reduce such a prestigious man into a beast in heat.   The assassin pulls his mouthy maid for a deep kiss, effectively shutting him up.   "Just– nggh…g-get over with it already!"   "My, my, how impatient," Jing Yuan growls in a husky voice, "but if such is my master's wish, his loyal maid can do nothing but grant it."   With that, Jing Yuan begins to set up a brutal pace. As a good maid, he knows his master likes it rough. Blade moans louder, panting harder as Jing Yuan fucks his ass, abusing his prostate and molding his hole to fit his girth. Tears flowing down his reddened cheeks, the sound of their flesh slapping against each other arouses him further.   Jing Yuan hits his buttcheek, the sting shoots an electrifying spark all over his already burning nerves. Another strike soon follows, and another one, it becomes a relentless assault. His ass feels hotter, Blade already can imagine how red they become without looking at them. All he needs as evidence is Jing Yuan's satisfied chuckle and the man's usually warm hand feels slightly cooler.   "Master Ren, you're so– nggh! …tight! Hah…it's seizing your maid's dick, you don't really want to let it go, do you?" Jing Yuan leans on Blade's back, pressing their body heat together. He grazes his teeth on the assassin's shoulder and sinks his teeth in. "It's okay, I'd love to stay inside master Ren forever too~♡"   "D-don't be un–aah..ooh~ u-unrealistic!"   "Roleplays aren't supposed to be realistic, though?"   Being reminded of what they are getting into, Blade flushes madly.   "Look, master is tighter now," Jing Yuan teases. He grabs onto Blade's hips and hastens his pace, sending the younger man into the heights of pleasure. "This is why- nggh!- master's ass is the best…ooh…!"   "Jing Yuan… Jing Yuan…! Haah–! Aahh~ ♡"   Jing Yuan languidly strokes his cock with one hand, rubbing his thumb on the slit. Both of them are close. "It's okay, Ren~ I'm going to milk you until you're dry and satisfied. Cum for me, my dear mas-ter ~"   "I– I'm coming! Aaaah~!!!♡ "   " Ren –!"   White blooms in his vision alongside black sparks, Blade arches his back forward, cumming hard into Jing Yuan's waiting hand. Jing Yuan empties inside him all the while doing several short thrusts, sliding out a few moments later. He whistles as he watches his cum leaking out of the abused hole, Blade looks beautiful every time he gets creampied.   Jing Yuan catches the assassin's body before he falls onto the floor. Blade's legs are shaking from the overstimulation, totally wrecked and blissed.   "Dear me, you really enjoyed it in the end, Ren."   Blade wants to punch that smug off his lover's face, but he gives in to his fatigue as Jing Yuan tentatively carries him into the bathtub he has emptied out. The water has grown cold, after all, it won't do. Jing Yuan turns on the two taps, filling the bath with warm water from the very first drop. Blade sighs in content, leaning against the tub's backrest. He casts a glance at the young CEO who is undressing himself, Jing Yuan throws the maid costume without much care. He joins his lover soon after, the bath has always been more than spacious enough for them both. Jing Yuan sits behind, turning off the taps when he deems the water is enough.   "...Maybe I do."   "See? I told you it wasn't a bad idea," Jing Yuan embraces his assassin lover, purring. Blade scoffs as a comment, but that is a form of his validation. "Can we do it again in the future? Maybe you're the maid next."   "No."   "Oh, come on, Ren my baobei ~ I will treat you that guilinggao we saw the other day."   "That payment alone isn't enough. You know how the economy works."   "You're so cruel, Ren…" Jing Yuan whines. "Okay, so what do I have to do to get you into a maid costume complete with cat ears and tail?"   "...You and your obnoxious requests…" Blade sighs defeatedly. He pulls Jing Yuan for a passionate kiss and stares deep into the golden eyes he loves so much.   "If you can last for ten rounds tonight, I'll consider."   Jing Yuan freezes. "...That's a pretty tall request. Can we go with–"   "Ten, or the deal is off."   "F-fine. Guess I'll have to work super hard tonight."   Blade turns around, smirking in victory. The young CEO famous for his cunning, dominating and opportunistic persona, turns putty beneath him. The assassin circles his arms around Jing Yuan's neck, not letting his lover go.   Not after they made the deal that day that spares Jing Yuan's only life from his dagger. Even God only allows his humans to cheat Death once, and the silver-haired man has used his.   "You'd better not regret this, Jing Yuan."   Jing Yuan smiles back, cupping his beloved assassin's face. "I never regret anything when it comes to you, my dear Ren ."   [The End]

Knights and Valkyries

['EternalKing']

Teen And Up Audiences

F/F, F/M

崩坏3rd | Honkai Impact 3rd (Video Game), 崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Main Character (Honkai Impact 3rd: A Post-Honkai Odyssey), Adam (Honkai Impact 3rd: A Post-Honkai Odyssey), Kiana Kaslana | K-423, Sirin (Honkai Impact 3rd), Elysia (Honkai Impact 3rd), Kevin Kaslana, Raiden Mei, Bianca Astagina | Durandal, Veliona (Honkai Impact 3rd), Susanah(Honkai Impact 3rd)

What if Honkai was a Battle School Anime, Inspired by Rakudai Kishi no Calvary, Inspired by Chivalry of a Failed Knight, World building to come

English

2021-12-10

Updated

2022-06-19

18,704

2/?

5

55

16

2,782

['XDHeroDark', 'Yesod', 'ZeeTheSecond', 'Person_in_powerarmor', 'UnnamedUndead', 'jusq0', 'Resurgent_Epos', 'Legoman3377', 'Futurufo', 'BlueSpring', 'Mr_Shadow', 'Luxcas___7', 'ModaCross', 'Draco_180601', 'Rodvek97', 'Xllg1', 'Dogstar9069', 'TheMoistLad', 'Bucku', 'shootingrock', 'SirKhakingtonIV', 'kiozx13', 'SneakyTrinky', 'tori_s', 'Unknownl928', 'Recyclepath', 'AGuyWithAnArchive', 'Crysis11', 'GrimmSoul1', 'Volfy790']

[]

“For a school independently funded from any nation, it sure is big.” A black haired young man said to himself. Rather than just a huge school alone, it was also surrounded by a huge city, on top of it being a metal island beyond the Far East. He stood on one of the bridges hanging over a busy street that lead up to the school. “Well, no point in wasting time. Classes might start tomorrow, but I don’t want to get careless.” He held a simple sack over his shoulder. He didn’t have many belongings to bring with him to the school dorms. He walked over to the location on the key he was given, looking over all the students and the school. A brown haired man with glasses and an older boy with a ponytail were talking to a small group of girls, a blondish haired girl who just looked like the definition of cheery was leading some grey haired girl, a green haired older girl was looking down from the roofs with an expression that brought back bad memories, a red haired woman was talking to a white haired kid, every person he saw had [something] that caught his eye. As expected of people training or trained as Valkyries and Knights. It felt like it would be a mistake to just glaze over them. Odds were he was going to fight and die with them sooner or later, so he might as well get started on memorizing their faces. When he reached his dorm, he started thinking back to his acceptance letter. Due to females having stronger or being more likely to have Honkai Energy resistance, a minority of soldiers and students were actually male. Which meant there was a good chance he would be rooming with girls. He just really hoped that they would be reasonable if that was the case. Eventually he reached one of the dorm sections he was placed at, and using the key, he took a first look at where he would likely be living. Off to his right was a small kitchen that seemed to have been in use not too long ago, so he guessed his roommates were already here. On the opposite side was a TV with a low table and cushions in front of it, while a little deeper inside and down the hall was an open but empty room and some closed doors. He assumed the empty room was his, but decided to see if anyone was inside to introduce himself before he got too comfortable. There was always the chance that his roommates would be uncomfortable with him being a guy and request the staff for a change. He first set his sack against the wall and walked over to the bedrooms and knocked on the first door, and as expected heard a female voice. “Yeah? Come in!” “I’m the-“ He immediately cut himself off as he was caught off guard by the sight in front of him. It wasn’t that the Valkyrie in front of him was incredibly beautiful, though that was still the case, what with most Valkyries and Knights having exceptional appearances in one way or another, she was no different, with bright, shining blue eyes and wavy, eye catchingly white hair. It was the fact that she was currently half naked, in the middle of zipping up a hoodie over her bra, pausing in surprise like him. Years from now to his friends, he would blame his lack of human contact, especially with women, and lack of internet access for the way he froze up and forgetting how to speak. “Er-“ “Huh, I have to say you have a lot of guts to perv on a girl so openly, but at least you have good taste to choose me over any of the other girls in this school.” She said proudly and suddenly composed. “What? No I-“ “No, no, I get it. I’m the picture of beauty after all. But it’s still no good to sneak into the school just to get a peek, but if you’re a real gentleman, you’d hike up your shirt to give me an equal opportunity.” Adam found his possible roommate liked to say some outrageous things. “What?” “What, don’t tell me you’re sexist or embarrassed after coming this far. You obviously just burned the sight of my body into your brains, so at least give a girl the same thing. It’s gender equality.” He would also later blame this on his confusion, regardless of what the girl in front of him would say years from now, but he ultimately followed her directions and showed off his trained body to her. Valkyries and Knights also generally had.....colorful....personalities to go with their appearances. But this was definitely out of his expectations in every way possible. “Wow, for a pervert you sure do have a good body. You’re looks aren’t half bad either. In the future, instead of peeking on girls, you should probably just ask them out normally.” She said nonchalantly, tilting her head while looking at him. Thankfully, he caught his voice after her last comment. “Hold on, it was on me that I didn’t announce who I was after knocking, but I’m not a pervert or anything. I’m gonna be one of your roommates as a future Knight in training and came to introduce myself.” “Really? I guess that makes more sense than a pervert having the guts to come in so openly. I was hoping for a girl as hot as one of the sempai living with us, but I guess you aren’t a bad trade.” She said putting her index fingers and thumbs together and capturing him in her view, completely ignoring the fact that her cleavage was still out in the open. Already getting used to her personality, he sighed, “Can you zip up your hoodie and let me put my shirt down already? Also, you probably shouldn’t let someone in if you aren’t entirely proper.” “It’s rare I get such a nice guy body to look at, so I might as well give you an eyeful just so we’re equal. And what do I have to hide? I look amazing, and it’s not like I care what our other two roommates see me in.” “I’ve heard that roommates lose a lot of modesty with each other, but I don’t think this quite what they meant.” He said, still keeping his shirt up. “Well, I guess I’m satisfied for now. I’m sure I’ll get some good eyefulls later in the year like after you shower. C’mon, I’ll introduce you to our roommates, they’re both senior students a year above us, I think the students we replaced graduated early or something.” She zipped up her hoodie and looked appropriately normal to where he was positive no more pervert accusations would come from a third party. “Does this count as sexual harassment?” He asked her while moving out of the way, letting his shirt back down. “Because suddenly I’m worried about living with a girl even though I’m pretty sure it should be the other way around.” “I hope you’re not the prudish type because otherwise living together will be hard on the both of us. Kevin! Mei-senpai! Our other roommate is here!” He paused as she knocked on the doors and called out the older students. One year older and named Mei? What were the odds- “Did you need help moving in Kiana-cha-“ An older, familiar girl cut herself off as she opened the door, and Adam suddenly found another reason to want a room change. “Eh!? Adam!? What are you doing here!?” He fought down the grimace to look neutral. “I can’t believe it either. What are the odds that I would end up in the same school, much less the same room as you of all people.” It was almost as if it had been pre-arranged, but family influence and aversion aside, he knew better than to say such an accusation even as a joke/murmur to himself. “Wait, you two know each other?” “Adam I-I can’t believe you’re here!” Once the fact that he was honestly, truly, unfortunately, in front her, had hit her, she rushed at him and pulled him into a hug. This time, he couldn’t hold back his grimace. “Wait you two know each other?” The final door opened up to show, stunningly in both ways, a male student with headphones around his neck who also had a startling resemblance to Kiana. “Is everyone alright or is all the yelling for something serious?” When he saw his squadmate for a year hugging onto a new student with slight tears in the corner of her eyes, he looked between them before being hit with a realization. “Er, why don’t we move to the table and get properly acquainted.” “Right.” Adam jumped in, hoping it would get Mei off him, alas, she simply pulled him arm and sat them across the other sibling pair who sat cross legged compared to their seiza. With Mei blinking her eyes clear, Kiana staring at Adam accusingly, and Adam sighing in reluctance, Kevin took the opportunity to take the lead and move the conversation along. “Well, I’m Kevin Kaslana. As you might have guessed, I’m this hard-head’s big brother. I’m currently a 2nd Year student in school, but I’m already ranked as an A Rank Knight, so there might be times where I’m away if I ever get picked on missions, unlike our sempai, I didn’t want to graduate early and took the option to continue with my training and education. Kiana here’s already been introduced to Mei earlier today. Since my sister will be in your year and is currently unranked, I hope you get along and watch over her when she needs it, but don’t be afraid to reject whatever weird ideas she gets. Let’s get along.” He rubbed Kiana’s head before bowing it along with his own head. “Hey! You’re gonna give him a weird impression of me at this rate!” Kiana complained. Adam deadpanned. “A bit too late for that considering you had me flash you for your mistake.” “Don’t act like you didn’t enjoy it! I saw those beastly eyes wandering my body while your lust turned you bright red! You want to hold me just as much as I do beautiful girls!” She pointed her finger at him lightly. Before he could correct her, her brother awkwardly tossed in his unhelpful cents. “.....I don’t think I want to know what’s going on just yet, but you should probably know that the walls are thin except for the shower and where the other students live. If Kiana somehow tricks a poor girl into coming here, I have extra headphones if you don’t have your own, and if you do have weird tastes and like Kiana back, just make sure to keep it to your rooms and the shower and give us some sort of warning.” “Hold on, aren’t you too accepting!” He commented incredulously. Kevin shrugged and gave a small laugh. “Kiana takes after our old man, who likes to hit on women as a pasttime. Last year Mei and I also had to deal with our seniors, well, let’s call it skinship, a lot. They rarely slept in separate rooms, but thankfully they weren’t all that loud so wearing headphones helped a lot.” That felt embarrassing coming off second hand, but somehow he saw how that could have helped them adjust. He and Mei had slight blushes compared to the laughing Kaslanas. However, something seemed to register to Mei and both her blush and formalities disappeared. “Wait, I don’t have a problem with Kiana, but what was that about flashing and them getting together? I don’t think I approve of any of that.” Adam fidgeted. He was hoping she was still too out of it to notice. “Oh, he walked into my room while changing and stared at my naked body.” Kiana enlightened her nonchalantly. “You were hardly naked! And as if you’re one to talk! It was obvious you were grinding meat over my stomach with the way your eyes sparkled.” “I don’t approve of that type of relationship.” Mei said seriously, furrowing her brows. “Uh, since you say that, what exactly is your relationship with this guy Mei-sempai?” Kiana asked without realizing the minefield of history that was. Mei’s hands went to the back of his head and he inwardly sighed, but didn’t fight it since what would come next would be rude to the white haired siblings if he did. “Kevin, Kiana-chan, this is my little brother, Adam, we’ll be in your hands this year.” She said while bowing together similar to how the pair in front of them did. “EEEEEHHHHHH!?” Kiana jumped as her head swerved between them. Keven meanwhile nodded himself while looking to the side while murmuring, “....I thought it was a long shot given the odds, but....” “Y-you two don’t even look that alike though! Unless....!” She compared their looks. Mei’s hair was a darkish purple along with her eyes that often changed between dark blue and purple. Adam had black hair and piercing yellowish-gold eyes. They were both pretty tall and looked Japanese but... “I’m gonna stop you there,” Adam interrupting, not liking where that train of thought might lead her, “We have the same parents and everything. No adoptions or anything like that. Not all siblings look like twins.” “Huh, it’s not like you’re wrong, but it’s still pretty surprising.” She sat back down, looking between them and thinking about the weird reunion they had. “Trust me, it’s not as if I was expecting to see her either. I mean, what are the chances we’d meet up like this?” This time, he vividly sighed. “....but I‘m glad that we did.” Adam didn’t reply to that and just tightened his fists against his legs under the table. Mei couldn’t help the morose look that came over her for a second, but looked at the Kaslanas. “Kevin, Kiana-chan, I’ll help Adam get settled in his room. Afterwards, I’ll show Adam around the school, if you want to join, why not start getting ready?” “...I’m not sure if I want to spend much time around that weird girl, but that’s not a bad plan.” Adam stood up and grabbed his things, Mei following him into the room. Mei watched Adam take out his belongings before closing the door and walking closer. She didn’t know why he had so few things, but it gave her a sense that the things he had lacked individuality. They were all impersonal, and with the exception of a handheld console all lacked something personal to the owner. “.....have you been....well....?” “.....As well as I could be given the circumstances.” He answered her well meaning question with his back turned to her. “Adam why....why are you here?” “The same reasons why anybody is here I guess. To fight the honkai. To become strong. Something among those lines.” “But you’re different! You know that-! That-!” Mei became more distressed and tightened her hands in frustration. “.....everyone who becomes a warrior probably has their own goals, but one thing they all share is resolve.” He answered her question indirectly. Whatever it was the two were speaking of, it caused Mei to give off a sob and hug Adam from behind. “.....Just don’t be reckless....I’ll be watching closely to make sure.....” “You’re such a sap.” He sighed out lightly. “The way St. Freya handles its valkyries...I mean students, is different from other schools and nations. It’s why I chose it. And probably why you did too. With that in mind, you don’t need to be this clingy you know.” His response made her tighten her arms just slightly as she began to smile. Their past still hung over them, and they hadn’t gotten any closer, but his attempt to comfort her and how he could tell why she chose this school told her that he still cared. It gave her hope. “Adam, I already decided last year that I wouldn’t run away from you anymore. So please, don’t run away from me either. Regardless of how St. Freya handled its Knights and Valkyries, let’s not use that as an excuse to put off talking, okay?” She wouldn’t allow them to separate for years on. Not again. ———————- “So I wasn’t the only one who thought that was oddly awkward right?” Kiana asked her big brother when the door closed. He simply rubbed the back of his head and gave a forced laugh. “Well...I don’t exactly have all the details, but from what Mei has said in the past, they have a lot of....history....to work around. Despite what happened earlier, I hope you get along with Adam and help him out when he needs it.” She gave a thumbs up that pointed to her herself. “Heh, sure I will! Whether he’s an lucky pervert or a real one, Kaslana’s will always help others who need it.” He could only give an awkward laugh at that. At least Adam had an easier time dealing with Kiana given her openly.....horny personality. Last year he ended up forcing their aunt to referee a fight between him and Mei when the exact same incident occurred, right down to how far undressed the girl was. He wondered if this room was cursed or something. “Anyways, enough about details you can’t give me, are you and Mei-sempai dating! I’ve been waiting to ask for when she couldn’t hear us!” She leaned forward with stars in her eyes. He leaned backward and turned his face away. “Haha...er, between you and me, no, but she’s really warmed up to me in comparison to how she was when we first met. She was kind of an ice queen to everyone. Sometimes I get the feeling she likes me, but I didn’t exactly have anyone else that can tell if that’s true or not. Mei’s not the most...social...person around.” Although that’s not to say she wasn’t caring. Being a big sister probably helped with that, given her interactions with Kiana were pretty maternal. He had hope it would turn warmer sooner or later, especially with her brother here too. “Well lucky for you, you got me now! As your little sister and personal Cupid, I’ll do my best to have such a graceful sister-in-law.” He sweatdropped at that, but let it go. “So, you got all your belongings sent here already? Might as well help you get your room all homey while we wait for Mei and her brother to get their, uh, business, done. When classes start things will be hectic for you guys for awhile if you go through anything like I did.” ——————- “Narukami Adam right?” Ignoring Kiana’s confused face that was clearly asking him a silent question, he turned to his would be classmate. Unfortunately, he seemed to be the only male in this class. He noticed another guy that was meant to be a first year a few classrooms away, but it didn’t look like their paths were likely to meet. With red eyes and long matching inner colored hair to match, he was glared at by arrogant eyes that said everything. Her uniform was worn loosely and carefreely, but not to the point of drawing eyes too strongly, much like Kiana’s. “I can’t accept that I have to be in the same class as weak looking as you. If you’re anything like that other boy, you’ll only be holding us back.” Considering his fellow Knight was rather sickly looking, it was a relatively fair comment. That being said, it only had that much basis. He wasn’t sure if she was sexist or just arrogant, but she was clearly dismissive of him without even bothering to give him a chance. Unfortunately, it wasn’t too rare to fight a girl like this. Considering that women were both the main protectors of the world, and were also the ones most likely to live their full lives, a lot of important positions in the world were commonly held by women. While the status who wasn’t entirely flipped in their favor, it wouldn’t be wrong to say women held superiority over men, although most wouldn’t act like it. “Hey! I’ll have you know Adam’s body is really well muscled!” While he was trying to find out a way through this mess, Kiana, hair in braids unfortunately, jumped in, not helping at all. “Hmph. Already working on flirting with other girls?” She scoffed and her eyes moved between him and Adam. “....it’s not what you think, believe it or not. She just happened to see my chest since we ended up being roommates.” He half lied, hoping to direct a conclusion that wasn’t too unbelievable. “Vollerei-san, regardless of what you think, it’s impolite to be so directly accusational of someone that’s meant to be your new comrade and classmate.” Walking forward, uniform done properly and contrasting to the two girls about to argue in front of him, was a blonde girl that everyone in the class knew. “Tch. Is any business of yours “Immortal Blade”?” “It should come to no surprise when you choose to make a confrontation during class time.” Around them, the other girls watched in awe and curiosity of the events happening around them. “In any case, I don’t approve of how you choose to go about your feelings. As for you Narukami-san, while I approve of the fact that you’re trying to avoid conflict, simply staying silent as you have will do you no favors either.” “.....I know that much. What would you suggest then, as someone who stands as one of this generation’s strongest hero.” “Unfortunately, as boys such as yourself are uncommon fighters against the Honkai, it’s true that you have much more to prove for other girls to accept and be used to your presence. As such, why don’t I recommend Himeko-sensei to let us spar during our first battle class?” So no matter where he goes, he still has to prove himself then? It was in a different way compared to what he was used to, if he was being technical about it. Fine then. Even if he didn’t like it, she was right. Since the moment class started he could feel the other girls gaze at him in curiosity. “....I’ll agree to a spar then. But still, shouldn’t my opponent be her instead of you? She might just make another excuse to get mad if it’s not her I’m fighting.” The blonde ponytailed girl smiled. “I don’t believe Vollerei-san to be blind. She’ll accept you provided you reveal to her your strength.” He looked over to the girl in question. She was frowning, but rolled her eyes and relented. “If you can put up a decent fight against an inheritor of a Divine Key, I won’t be able to deny that you might not be completely useless after all.” He held his fist up and tightened it with his eyes closed. If he was afraid of failure, he wouldn’t have decided to train as a Knight. Or rather, it’s because he was training as a knight that he no longer held a fear of failure. “Then it’s decided. Ataegina-san, no, Durandal, the Holy Blade, as a Knight, I accept your offer to fight in Vollerei-san’s place. I won’t shame myself as Achilles, the Blessed Blade.” So Adam’s powers, while more or less the same as what canon gameplay showed, are a bit different on account of AUness. His canon outfit will be named Galaxías Virtus on account of using insipirarion from Durandal and Kiana. Both of their first battlesuits are Valkyrie Gloria and White Comet, if you look at their name associations or poetically, Kiana’s involves (her) color and planetary body/Space, while Durandal’s is about the Magnificence/Beauty or Renown/honor of female warriors. It shouldn’t be too hard to figure out what the meanings are behind Adam’s. Currently, the only battlesuits with more than 2 names or the name Knight are Godsbane suits, so I held back from adding Knight or Devil-synonym/Hunter(because of the obvious DMC Nero references people make) for the time being. Also, I just realized I never explained the justification for Adam being Mei’s brother. It basically has to do with that semi-random scene where Mei rescues a boy with a stigmata. How she saves and sends him to safety kind of had me thinking that if she kept him by her side, they’d basically be family. Since Kevin and Kiana were going to be siblings as they “are” in Deliverance Strikes, I figure it would help and be interesting to mirror that relationship through Adam and Mei, with them being siblings directly being both AU yet based upon something in the Honkaiverse. In other words, this is all based on the possibility that Adam, the Persona/SMT medium who we experience APHO through, had met Mei. I also never really explained the nickname portion. Seeing as it’s kind of canon a codename had to be picked, and that APHO Skills held big names like Hercules/Icarus/Achilles/Prometheus/Medea/Hypollyta, and I find that the names shared between them connect more with Adam than the other two. Code names are pretty symbolic, and not just for the sake of being cool, like with Durandal, so if you know anything about Achilles, you have big hints about Adam’s character here. Shouldn’t be too hard with the blatant foreshadowing either. If you kept up with Honkai’s canon, Durandal is still open for that to be her background. Yes, Ai-Chan is the announcer for the fights. The words leading up to the fight is pretty specific to St. Freya for a good reason, but needless to say it’s symbolic much like Arcsys Fighting games have their intros poetic. Also, when Himeko pulls out the word cool, think of it how a JP person would use it, like in APHO. Speaking of fighting and fights, if it wasn’t extremely obvious, I’m taking liberties with the fighting capabilities of the characters, even Durandal. Honkai wasn’t really built for human/LN fights to say the least, so if you ever get mad at how Adam is used, remember that the other characters are actually much crazier and that Honkai as a whole was not very descriptive in the first place. I still have a lot of worldbuilding to slip in to show why I am doing all this. But needless to say, the Rakudai influence is coming in outside of the fights, feel free to guess and see if you get what I’m heading for, for literally anything in the story, characters, plots, or abilities. Maybe I’ll let you in on the future if you want, or maybe your guess will help inspire me for something else I don’t have in mind. I’ll leave it off at saying the Honkai will still be a threat and focus, but it will be a much more indirect attack on humanity. Btw, if you know of Desperado’s, that might come in handy. Magika Kenshi and it’s Basilio’s are also a good comparison to this story and it’s future. By the time of making the first chapter, Durandal’s true identity had just been near being confirmed. It’s still open in this AU. I actually had most of this fight done months ago, but I wanted to write more beyond the fight, and well, that was harder. So I gave up on only making the chapter longer. “I thought I asked you to not be reckless.” Mei sighed and rubbed her forehead in stress. “It’s the first day of classes and already you’ve picked a fight.” She did ask him that, and his response was to not promise anything and instead change the subject, but he knew better than to point that out. “I’m not. Maybe it was different for a Kaslana like Kevin, especially with such a great lineage from both parents, but as a guy, it’s natural that the Valkyries in training would need me to prove myself to them.” “But against Durandal? She’s a bona fide Valkyrie Legend. Kevin may have said he’s an A-rank in his introduction, but he could easily be S-rank if he ever trained a squad. He’s admitted that Durandal had to be as strong as him and her dedication to her martial and Honkai manipulation skills is what earned her the S-Rank designation along with her charisma to push others to their limits as she does to herself.” Hearing that Kevin was even partially qualified to be ranked S did a lot to change how Adam saw the friendly senpai. The differences between an A and S rankings were not all that hard to understand, but the gap between them was larger than the gap of an average A rank to B rank. The different countries had their own requisites required for the title, for example St. Freya wanted their S rankers to be able to lead a squad, but one thing was unanimous between them all. To break past the designated A ranking, you needed to hold the strength above that of other Valkyries and Knights. Not just individually either. If the Average Valkyrie and Knight was a C-rank, than an A-ranked Warrior was someone with great strength, but could be taken down with anything between a squad of lower ranked Valkyries and Knights or a skilled B-rank, but an S-Ranker was someone who could not be scaled by any parameters. Even if they were thrown against one or a dozen squads, they were entirely capable of coming out on top. They were the legends and heroes passed down by history and myth. In other words, the pristine and beautiful, dutiful and strict, Class President he was up against was the sort of monster who was supposed to not go down even if the entire class had fought her. Someone so strong that attempting to quantify her strength was nothing other than futile. “Then, it’s another story if the person she’s up against is another Monster capable of breaking their limits, right?” He said bluntly and closed his storage locker and sent it underground as he finished his preparations. Outside one of the doors in this room was the arena in which he would fight in. “What?” Mei was initially caught off guard by his words. When they were younger, they were taught kenjutsu by their families, so it wasn’t as if she thought he was weak, but they were also taught that strength wasn’t measured by their skills and so it wasn’t often either of them called themselves strong in a serious sense. The degree of confidence and the accompanying dark tone also stopped her from thinking it was anything similar to arrogance. However, she found the reason in his words, and in the past from the time their family was “normal” and lived in the same house, and most of all, what had changed that. “No....Don’t tell me that-!” Her eyes sparked with disbelief and anger. Slowly, they darkened while simultaneously gaining a glow within the center of her irises. “She did. But it wasn’t like it was recklessly done. My lifespan expectancy actually got longer, believe it or not.” “Even so-! That woman....! Even if she’s a scientist-! I thought what she did behind our backs all those years ago was bad enough, but to go even further than taking samples of your blood and DNA-! Father and I should have never believed her when she said that she wouldn’t actually experiment on you!” Neither of them knew if it was because that woman was a Mad Scientist who experimented on Adam for the sake of Scientific Curiosity or for the sake of a cause. But they did know that it was because Adam was a male not only born with greater Honkai Resistance than the average male, but with natural stigmata with symbols that have never been recorded in any database. Mei had never garnered that attention of the scientist because there were no aspects of her that were truly that unique. On his back was a burning shape almost like a rose and upside down cross beneath with both made of sharp lined flames was instinctively dubbed by him, the “The Revelation of Flames”, though red lines almost like veins could be seen attached to the stigmata and creeping up his neck. On Mei’s back was all the stigmata that was associated with their family, with an Oni-ish Samurai helmet/face and bolt-like shapes to represent thunder and lightning. These tattoo like symbols that were so much more more complex than ordinary birthmarks had dictated their Fates in life. Stigmata(s), or otherwise called stigma(s), was what separated the diamonds from the rocks, so to speak. While artificial stigmatas existed, they often came in simpler form and offered less benefits in comparison to those who unlocked them naturally, whether it through birth or from intense training. For example, Adam’s allowed him to create and manipulate flames and affect the World in a way that’s beyond ordinary understanding or means, and Mei’s allowed her to control Lightning to the extent that it seemed that she could turn into lightning. The manipulation of Honkai energy was why artificial stigmatas had to be developed, as besides gaining a better resistance, it was one of the more reliable ways to fight due to what one could achieve, as while their stigmata allowed for a manipulation of flames and lightning stronger and less easier than an artificial, enough training from a Valkyrie or Knight could change that. The experiments made on Adam had changed his body even further than what the Stigmata already did. When he stopped living with Mei and their father, he had ultimately ‘consented’ to it as much as a child entering puberty could, due to being convinced that it would help his father and other men in the world. While most of the experiments were just discoving what the stigmata allowed him to do, when he was 14, he finally received the first of the few “experiment” operations. As he got older, he realized that they weren’t worth it at all, but due to his lifespan already being what it was due to the same stigmata that gave him such power and the Eruption in the Nagazora from when they were kids, ultimately decided to continue with the observations and experiments. “Adam...be honest with me....! If you fight, will you be in danger?” Her voice quieted and became almost dangerous. And despite the wording allowing for an easy way to push aside the question, he knew better than to start a fight when he needed his focus on the challenge ahead. “I’ll be fine. The poisoning on my back didn’t look as bad as when we were kids right?” Mei, who was texted by Kiana the situation, had rushed over to the changing room while he was putting on his Battlesuit. “My Battlesuit and my Equipment are all meant to help regulate Honkai Energy. Unless I purposely try to absorb HE into my body, I’ll be fine no matter how many times I create flames and slash through dimensions.” His Battlesuit was a white dress shirt with a black waist-coat and black pants, gloves and boots. He had a small black scarf around his neck, and three red belts: one across his chest, one on his hip, and one around his leg. Over his shirt was a trench coat with a black hood. This Battlesuit’s Designation was Galaxías Virtus. Besides a Time Fracture capability, it mostly just protected him from HE, since he didn’t need body enhancements. His sword, Labor of Olympus or otherwise called Trial Ignis by him to sound less gaudy or to say it faster, collected HE from within his body and his surroundings for him to use. In any case, he was confident in his ability to give Durandal a fight. While he had no intention to collect honkai energy into his body to allow for his stigmata’s stronger tricks outside of Honkai emergencies, he still had enough party tricks up his sleeve along with his sword skills that he was anywhere near A or B rank obejectively. While he didn’t have too much experience against Honkai beasts, many of the experiments/training had been done against Valkyries. “Look, just trust me alright? This isn’t a battle to the death or anything like that. All I have to do is prove myself, and our family’s sword skills would be enough for that anyways. I haven’t stopped training while I was away.” He didn’t look at her to avoid her face, but held his hand back for her to squeeze. He felt her tense hand’s warmth through the glove. Despite everything, he couldn’t help but think back to the time when they were close. But now look at the distance between them. No, it would probably be more accurate to say the walls he had around her. He couldn’t even stop himself from feeling so bitter around her. “.....okay. I’ll believe in you. Because you’re my baby brother. Of course you can rely on me for anything, even if it’s just moral support.” Truthfully, he was surprised that she was letting the topic move on. Maybe it was years they were separated, or the year of Valkyrie training, but she wasn’t the same caring and nagging sister he remembered. But then, he wasn’t exactly that starry eyed brother anymore either. “Knight Achilles the Blessed Blade, heading out for battle.” He let go of her hand and started walking out. “When we get back to our rooms, let’s have your favorite for dinner, okay? Kevin and Kiana-chan won’t mind.” She called out after him. “Sounds like an incentive to do my best. Good meals taste best with a side of accomplishment.” He chuckled as he exited, putting on a serious face as he entered the short hallway and saw the arena as his eyes adjusted to the lights. The stands were filled to the brim. There were many who were even standing against the walls and railings or sitting on the stairs. It went without saying it was because of his opponent, who was widely admired and regarded by even normal civilians. All it would take was even a single person to let someone in another class know to gather a crowd, and no doubt more than one had spread the word especially when the opponent to the Holy Blade was a rare Knight. His class could be seen on the front row seats, all excited while the one who started this mess was sitting with a look of annoyance. The noise in the room rose as he moved close to the center, and he ignored the murmurs and pointed fingers to roll his shoulders. “Ne~! Good Luck Narukami-san!” He singled a voice out and looked, continuing to stretch his body around. A yellowish-blonde girl with orange-ish eyes waved out to him with a smile. He was surprised to hear her. As far as he knew from the Class self-introductions, Susannah Manatt was a member of Durandal’s Immortal Blades, so he didn’t fully understand why she would cheer on her leader’s opponent. Then again, maybe it’s because she knew Durandal that she wished him good luck. Or maybe that was just part of her good nature and cheer. “Adam! Go kick her ass!” Meanwhile, completely ignoring the surrounding stares at her words, Kiana cheered him on with more vigor than Susannah, with Kevin and an empty seat besides her. Kevin gave him a thumbs up before pumping his fist towards Adam. “My oh my. It looks like you kids really attracted some attention from your peers. Hope you don’t have stage fright~.” ‘It’s your fault in the first place!’ Also at the center of the arena near him stood his red haired homeroom teacher. She stood without a care in the world and a canned drink in hand. Murata Himeko the A Rank Valkyrie and before that, he reminded himself, a scientist of space. Himeko-sensei rejected Durandal’s request to have their duel during class time, before then proceeding to switch lesson plans so the combat training was one on one combat, as if to flex her authority as a teacher. During class time, he was paired against Susannah while Kiana got paired against Veliona. The latter pair’s fight had gotten heated enough that Himeko interrupted the fight and turned it into a 2 against 1, before then winning as she effortlessly dismantled the two. He thought Kiana could get along with the red themed girl if they actually tried, but as it stood Kiana disliked the girl for trying to start a fight, while the other girl was naturally aggressive to everyone, even the teachers to an extent. Meanwhile, his fight with Susannah seemingly endeared himself to the friendly girl. Specifically, she was impressed by his sword skills to the point that she said that she thought it was a shame if nobody admired it when it would later shine against her squad leader. So he could blame at least half this audience on her since he was pretty sure she knew plenty of girls in the other classes, considering the Immortal Blades have more than a few handfuls of members, most of whom are still in school like their leader. “Ne, Adam, you sure you want to go through with? The whole world might actually see you get humiliated if you do.” His teacher pointed out as she pointed out the students already recording the fight, on top of how the duel is going to be caught on video for the school and participants of the duel for later review if either wishes. “.....If I run, I’m just using the strength of my enemy to avoid my own weakness.” “Oh~? That wording is rather cool. But that line of thinking is equally dangerous as it is self reflective.” “....we don’t get to pick our battles. While we might be allowed to run, that just means to retain our lives we have give up something besides our pride. Something that likely doesn’t belong to us.” “......Hm. You aren’t like most of the students here are you? Even though you aren’t in a squad, you already have a heavy sense of responsibility. But as a teacher, I’m a failure if I leave it there you know.” He stopped mid stretch to raise an eyebrow at her. “If you’re going to drop wisdom on me or something, at least do it when I’m not about to drop into a fight Himeko-sensei.” She gave him a look similar to his sister from just now in the lockers. “....I suppose I also have to accept that your circumstances aren’t exactly normal, but rushing to fight to your death won’t be worth much.” “I get enough about this from my sister. I’m not about to have a heart attack right now.” He sighed and began to stretch and close his fingers. “Big sisters are generally onto something you know.” He gave her a quick look before looking away so she wouldn’t see his reaction to that. It was pretty clear she wasn’t just referring to his sister, and he didn’t dare risk joining Veliona and Kiana on the got their asses kicked list from insulting their teacher. The noise picked up and his eyes turned to the opposing entrance. Confident and Smooth. Ready and Carefree. Every beautiful and simple step broke past the chatter for him, proving his instincts could feel how ready she was to fight. That he was sensitive and conscious of her strength. The atmosphere surrounding her person was different from that of the rest of the arena. Even Himeko-sensei, who treated Kiana and Veliona as children couldn’t match this feeling. Black top and skirt, knee high metallic combat boots and stockings, a cape. There was no mistaking the uniform. One of the mass produced Battlesuits meant for the Immortal Blades. Valkyrie Gloria. Despite the....”average”, nature of the Battlesuit, it by no means meant much in this case even with a distinct lack of features added onto it. Some might say that Durandal was going easy on them for not using her Personal Battlesuits. They would be wrong. Certainly there were less factors for them to need to account for, but to consider Durandal any easier of an opponent was underestimating her. Adam wouldn’t be surprised if she fought through a whole Eruption naked and came out unscathed. To shake that image away for another time, he nodded to Durandal, but still didn’t summon his weapon, as she too was not armed yet. “Achilles-san, I’m sorry we’ve gathered this much attention even if this duel is for our class.” She nodded back to him in greeting. She was self aware enough to know this crowd could have only gathered because of her. “Durandal.” he acknowledged her own codename in return, signifying he was equally taking this duel seriously. “It is what it is. All that matters to me is proving myself enough for anyone in the class to get off my back.” She smiled. “I’ve heard you’re actually related to Raiden Mei, an older student. I haven’t had the honor or pleasure of meeting her directly, but I do hear she practices the Raiden-Family way of the sword. However Susannah’s description of your style didn’t seem to match the Raiden Ikazuchi-no-ken, so does that mean you practice the Narukami Family’s Murakumo-ryū?” Knowing it was an innocent question, he closed his eyes and stretched far backwards with his hands on his hips one last time, releasing any bitterness, emptying any lingering thoughts. There was only one thing he needed to think about right now. He would not allow his sword to be weighed down by anything unrelated. “Why does it have to be one or the other?” He responded in a friendly tone. His lips twitched upwards as he finished the stretch to look her in the eye. “Yes yes, you two get along well and all, which is great, don’t get me wrong, but if any more people squeeze into this arena the Principal won’t let it go next time we meet. So let’s get the show on the road.” He sweatdropped, but nodded with Durandal as she said, “We’re ready sensei.” “Alright then, you know the rules, Equipment in Phantom States, and the duel goes until KO or Yield. You can start upon the announcement. I’ll leave it at that since both of you are responsible and have good heads on your shoulders.” She finished off the regulations and walked off calmly as if a fight wasn’t about to break out behind her. Even if Soulium made weapons allowed for a shift their forms into something “blunt” that ate one’s energy rather than body, it didn’t stop fights from being dangerous. “Labor of Olympus, set, on.” A bright flame illuminated from behind him and lengthened, he grabbed the tip of the condensing fire from behind his shoulder and brandished it forward to show his weapon, revving up flames in preparation. “Eos Gloria!” She softly commanded as a lance made of golden light was stabbed into the ground from the sky and lifted up by her as the light faded to reveal her weapon of choice. “I’ll warn you now. Whether it be the Narukami or Raiden schools, I’m well versed in them enough that relying on those skills will not be enough to challenge me.” For a second he let himself wonder, did she know those martial schools by study, or was she acquainted with users of the style? The question left his mind to the back of his head to ask later. It was important, but not so important he had to know now. “FOR ALL THAT IS BEAUTIFUL!” Despite everything, he couldn’t resist the scoff on relying on anything from that family and having it be so important to his fighting capabilities. “Against the S-Rank Valkyrie who helped save the world on entering puberty, there’s only so much that can bother you to begin with.” “If you believe that, what leads you to stand so confidently? Even if you don’t have to win, that doesn’t mean you’ll get to show off yours skills in a manner that disproves their concerns. I take every fight seriously, whether it be against a human or the Honkai.” “ARE YOU READY!” “I wonder if all that strength has made you forget one thing.” Flames began to shoot out from the engine of his greatsword. “Whether it be the weak or the strong, people only fight to WIN!” “FIGHT!” Shouting the last word as the battle started, he sent forth a Drive, a fiery wave of energy larger than the two of them put together. Monster or Human. Driven or Optionless. Just because he couldn’t get the ending he wanted didn’t mean he couldn’t get a good ending at all. ———————————— “Thank you for saving a seat for me you two.” Kiana hummed. “No problem for us! Besides, he’s your brother, so why shouldn’t you get a front row seat?” “Still, thank you....especially for warning me in advance about the fight...I really needed that talk with Adam.” With Adam entering the Arena and Durandal nowhere in sight, Kiana let herself look at Mei. She still looked pretty sick with worry. “Erm, Mei-senpai, you don’t have to worry about Adam you know. I saw him a little of how he fights in class, I don’t think he’ll do bad or be seriously hurt.” To Kiana, who learned the Kaslana Gun-Kata from her father and the newly made Kaslana Hi-to-Kori Sword style her brother was creating, she wasn’t ignorant to the disciplines and movements of Martial Arts, even if the Kaslana styles weren’t heavy on the discipline part. Whereas a normal person might see a simple swing of a weapon, she could see the strength, timing, and the motion of body to clearly recognize it was a precise strike from a body formed for combat. While she didn’t really have actual Martial Arts Techniques that broke common sense, she understood their principles enough to figure out how they worked or how to counter them even if it was an thrust that never missed or a single slash that turned into three from different directions. It was this training that lead her to realize that Durandal most certainly had the greatest physical body in their class, with every muscle and nerve built for quintessence movement, the strongest possible force, with the fastest possible movements, and the shortest possible timing, all of which was the result of honing herself to be stronger than she was a day ago, and faster than she was a minute ago, it was only Adam and Himeko-sensei that could even match such a degree of refinement. Before she fought with that annoying Veliona and Himeko-sensei interrupted her match, she had watched Durandal and Adam’s separate matches, and unlike the rest of them, those two had taken their opponents easily and their movements flowed even more than Kiana, as annoying as it was to admit. If Durandal was a Model of what the Physical Body could reach, and Himeko-sensei was the model of what Experience could teach, then Adam was the model of something as well, and she would surely find out once she sees him fight without holding back. Even if there was a world of difference between Durandal and the other two, she couldn’t help but set them all on the same category from their metaphorical aura. And between them all, there was one thing they shared, the Will and Spirit to fight, improve, and reach their goals as if the only obstacle was their own desires. The only other people she knew with those traits were her own direct family. However even then Kevin was the only one who seemed to embody the potential that stood above all others. While he always told Kiana she was closer to his strength than she thought, she couldn’t fully understand what he meant when he said that, and because of it she couldn’t help but lag behind in her training in order to spend time with other girls. It probably didn’t help that she felt like she was in his shadow, even if nobody ever compared them. In a way, she couldn’t understand people like Kevin and Durandal. Sure, maybe the Honkai were a threat, but it’s not like they were so dangerous that it necessitated the type of strength to defeat armies. Knights and Valkyries lived all over the world. They weren’t just in their countries’ armies, but worked everyday jobs until such a time they were called in for Honkai attacks, and there was also Factions dedicated against the Honkai like [The Rounds] of Britain, Japan’s Honored Clans, America’s Sky Flags, or China’s Jade Guardians. Then there were organizations like Anti-Entropy, Schicksal, and St. Freya that didn’t just defend their country, but the whole world, as evident by Durandal who helped solve Outbreaks of Honkai all over the world alongside her parents and aunts. It’s not that she didn’t have experience, but rather, it’s because she’s fought the honkai along with her brother that even if she agreed in defending the world, she didn’t see the point in becoming three times stronger when you’re already twice as strong as what you’re fighting. It wasn’t the same as training to be stronger than other humans for the sake of a warrior’s pride. When Adam turned out to be Mei’s brother, she was curious to see if maybe she had found someone who shared any of her feelings or could relate, Kevin had told her all about the Empress of Thunder and her shared feelings toward the Honkai like him, but she realized that Adam’s awkward hostility towards Mei was definitely somewhere closer to home. And yeah, she knew better than to pry into that. Kaslanas could be tactless, but not that tactless. “It’s not the fight I’m worried about per se....well, even if Durandal is stronger and faster than Adam, I won’t discount the possibility of him winning since those things alone didn’t determine the end result. He always loved to fight.” Kiana paused and looked over at the wistful Mei in disbelief. Win against an S-Rank? Fights weren’t exactly determined by power, but S-Ranks were kind of the exception to the rule. Her brother looked at Mei in surprise, but he seemed to overall take her word for it, leaving her the odd one out. “Is Adam really that strong?” Naturally, she couldn’t simply believe it without any other proof. “Ever since we were younger, we were taught by our family in order to run away or fight from the Honkai or anyone else if it ever came to that. My Father wasn’t particularly close to the other members in the Raiden family, but he did still believe in some of their traditions. During the stealth training, while I would always take my time to make sure to slip by the “guards” for the training undetected, Adam would never stop himself from knocking them all out and getting to the goal fast.” Kevin gave a smirk to Kiana, who couldn’t help but redden a little and turn away. Well, at least she and Adam had that in common. So what if they were violent! If it works it works! “However, it was swordsmanship where he truly thrived. Enough that he gained our extended families’ attention for further instruction. While I was always faster than him with the Raiden Ikazuchi-no-Ken, he was good at predicting where I would hit, and had no trouble learning the secret techniques of our family.” “Is that jealousy for your little brother’s skill I hear senpai?” She teased Mei for sounding so defensive of her own skills to keep Kevin from saying anything about her stealth habits. “I-it’s not like that! Well, not entirely.” Mei took a breath as she watched the fight. “I always knew my brother was more gifted than me at some aspects. But like Kevin, as an older sibling it made me proud to have a little sibling more gifted than me.” Kiana took a look at her brother at that only to see him steadfastly refusing to look at her. Geez, why did he have to be such a tsundere at times like this. It would be nice to know what fields she was more talented him at. “It just worries me sometimes....that he has....had.... such a one track mind directed to combat. He loved the satisfaction of winning a bit too much I feel.” Kiana thought back to Adam during classtime. She wasn’t really sure she felt any of those feelings coming from Adam. He did seem to have fun teaching Susannah, but overall he didn’t seem tunnel visioned on fighting. Was it because it was training and he was being dedicated, or had he changed from when he was a kid? When Veliona was picking a fight, he seemed to treat her and her challenges as a pain in the ass. Even when Durandal had stepped up he treated it like someone learning their destination was just one more street away. No fear, excitement, no anything other than considering it like homework, something that has to be done despite not wanting to. “So Adam’s a battle maniac huh? I never would have guessed with how he acted in class. Well, if he can lay out Durandal in front of the whole school like this nobody will be able to doubt his worth.” Kiana concluded with a grin and nodded to herself. “Does Adam have a favorite food? We should totally have it for lunch or dinner either way. It’ll be deserved after needing to fight in front an audience like this.” Kevin snickered. “I’m fine with that too. Still, I’m surprised to hear you offer something nice to a guy Kiana. Feeling pretty close to Adam are you now anti-social womanizer?” Kiana’s ears reddened at his reading. “I-it’s not like I like him or anything you idiot brother! I’m just being kind and thoughtful like a Kaslana should!” “I dunno~. Most guys wouldn’t catch your eye enough to make you want to peek at their bodies~.” If the battle weren’t actual seconds from starting, she’d kick him for that. She wasn’t purely on the side of loving women, but really, just because she wanted to see Adam’s body it didn’t mean anything more than that. Really. So what if most guys didn’t match her preferences and Adam was the only one in her memory who did? “It’s going to start.....Durandal won’t be an easy opponent. Even from here she seems fierce.” Mei interrupted off handedly as the appearance of her brother’s opponent took over her as if she was the one going to fight. “Hey Kevin, you’ve fought with Durandal before haven’t you? What’s her style like?” She put aside her grudge with her brother in favor of getting a better idea of how the fight would play out. Kiana took a second look at that lance of the class president. It looked heavy, but she doubted it would take Durandal too much effort to swing it around. “Bianka’s....aggressive to put it one way. She puts a lot of power into her strikes, counters or otherwise. But she’s smart. Even though she doesn’t focus on gaining experience against other people, she still has excellent judgement in a duel like this.“ “Then, Mei-senpai, can we expect the same from Adam? Er, I mean, then hopefully Adam won’t try to take those hits directly.” Kiana backpedaled as quickly as possible after remembering who she was asking about and asking from and the likelihood of that knowledge being relevant. “FIGHT!” Thankfully, their attention was diverted to the fight as Adam let loose a wave of large amount of Honkai energy. If she was forced to compare, she didn’t think anyone other than a B-rank could control so much Honkai energy. But it would never make her brother flinch. And so- With a swipe of her lance Durandal blew away the wave only to find a black blade inches away from her stomach. Her eyes widened and she backstepped to move away and activate a time fracture to slow him down, only she found that she was moving as slowly as he was. From where Kiana was sitting, it was as if someone had slowed down a video game. Did Adam activate a time fracture at the same time as Durandal? But the timing to activate it would have to be nearly identical to each other to cause an effect like this! It was closer to a third party activating time fracture as opposed to on each other. The fields generated from the time fractures were unequal when activated consecutively. Specifically, within the same area, though the science escaped her. That it was able to work so well meant that it was activated so soon after Durandal’s that the effects on the area merged together. On top of that, he still had to have it activated from within the time fracture. Adam chased her down with the tip of his sword point at her. The engines of the blade that was as tall as Kiana was lit up and pushed him forward. Durandal’s eyes narrowed as the time fracture began to hasten as the effect dwindled and her hunter neared closer. Just as it ran out, Durandal vertically spun her lance around and used it to block the stab and got sent flying backwards from the sheer force. Adam kept up the offensive, chasing her down with slashes faster than what one would expect from such a long and heavy weapon. Kiana couldn’t deny being impressed. Despite it being a weapon that looked like it needed two hands to be used, he used it readily with one, something she couldn’t see Himeko-sensei doing. She didn’t think Kevin’s new sword style could reach that speed either. Durandal flipped back again and pulled her arm back to launch her lance as it began to glow gold and blue. Meanwhile Adam spun and launched his blade at the same time like a disk and bounced it off the top of the lance, forcing it into the ground where the light of an explosion missed him. She landed and launched a Straight punch forward at a speed Kiana couldn’t say she could reliably dodge, while picking up her lance on her offhand from behind her when she passed it. While he just barely diverted the punch over his shoulder, she immediately closed in to knee him, while that too was blocked with his elbow, it sent him skidding to the side with a grunt and a wince, no doubt being hit with enough force to break someone’s bone. He caught his spiraling blade just in time to block several speedy thrusts from Durandal’s huge lance, to which she responded by jumping forward and launching an axe kick that Adam knew better to block. Doing so would only lead to getting crushed, and so he retreated as a small golden blast erupted from where her kick landed. The two backed off from the other and looked at the other observantly. Adam’s eyes were narrowed in focus since walking in, but Durandal seemed as cool and calm as ever. “That’s not good, first strike goes to Durandal.” Kiana thought aloud. “In a way I’d say it was inevitable with her all her Equipment and Core Ability from her stigmas....Mei, do you know if Adam has other weapons? If he doesn’t, then throwing his weapon like he did before is a risky move. Necessary on occasion, since Durandal can pierce a tank and cause explosions with one of those javelin throws, but it’s less safe for him if he’ll have to hope he can angle it back to him or run to get it.” Kevin held an arm across his chest, holding his elbow up and holding his chin. “....I’m not sure. But I do know that he earned the right to wield some of the weapons passed down to our family. If he has them, I think he’s just waiting for the right time to use them. He can go even faster than this...or at least he should.” “Then what about his stigma? I don’t know if Bianka named it since we last met, but her core ability hers gives is a formidable one. With Honkai energy, she can manipulate the light of a Star, which she then imbues into her weapons or even to create spears. Even my [All Back to Zero] would have a hard time freezing any of that.” The two warriors lunges forward for battle once more. Durandal’s thrusts were diverted and used to add momentum to Adam’s slashes, and the two began a dance of blurring black and grey. They didn’t just fight like normal warriors either. They jumped around and weaves between each other’s blows. “With his stigmata....his manipulation of flames is stronger than any other Valkyrie I know, but he also learned how to use lightning like me from our families. I think in terms of Honkai manipulation he isn’t below Durandal.” “Then what about techniques?” Kiana asked. “It looks like Durandal has an edge up when it comes to physical force, but as far as I can tell she’s a simple fighter.” Martial Arts Techniques. They were born as a result of conflict and desire. Against the Honkai, techniques stagnated against predictable beasts regardless of power, but it was another story against people. Knights and Valkyries bolstered their country's battle strength, and so they naturally sought combat skills to surpass their enemies. Such techniques was needed not just for warfare, but also to oppose terrorists and criminal organizations, and so even in eras of peace, fighting techniques and styles continued to be honed. But peace hadn’t always reigned. The American and French Revolutions. The Three Kingdoms. The Sengoku Era. It was only the last century or so where major nations hadn’t experienced some form of human combat against each other that would go down in the history books. Even with the threat of the Honkai, humans sought conflict with each other. “Durandal may know some of the techniques held by our sword styles, but that doesn’t mean she’ll be able to do anything against all of them. The Raiden style focuses on fast Strikes and manipulation over lightning and Honkai energy while the Narukami style focuses on martial skill, but they have incredible synergy together.” Kiana wondered, was that pride she heard from her? If so, then it was at least less prideful than the tone she took in describing her brother. Adam reared back his fist after a slash, it emanated smoke and fire as he crashed it into Durandal’s own fist, causing an explosion of red and gold. They both skidded back before moving back into close quarters, flames and energy trailing after their strikes. She realized that Adam’s weapon began to change. It had extended its blade even further and gained a red single edge look to it to replace its black coloring, reminding her more of a Odachi, uchigatana, or a longer katana, but not losing the thicker edge or width of his usual claymore. It wasn’t just his sword, his slices were getting even faster. Despite still wielding his blade with one hand, his weapon struck out with speeds and different offensive movements similar to iaido. Whether his blow was deflected, blocked or dodged, he was able to reverse his attack into countering Durandal from taking advantage of any opening or return his blade to his hips quickly to strike out. And if Durandal’s attacks were accompanied with the lit colors of space, Adam’s were accompanied by flames shrouded in darkness. The contrasting powers ate at the other. Where the lights coming from Durandal held the appearance of flames or trailblazed like a star at night and lit up the after images of her strikes, the flames did the opposite of what one would expect and instead ate up all light at where they passed like a physical shadow. Durandal went in for a stab which skidded off Adam’s blade as he stepped in with his left side turned to her to slam his shoulder into her chest. While she skidded back, he wielded his blade with both hands and continued to send her backwards as he shattered a blue shield she summoned to defend her. When she moved in to feint with a sweep of her lance, she deftly changed into a thrust that made contact with the bottom of Adam’s sword’s hilt. She created a spear in her off hand and made to strike only for it to be gripped by Adam’s other hand. Their arms were crossed as they pushed into the other. “He’s really on even terms with her!” Kiana muttered with wide eyes. “That’s just in physical performance though....still....Mei, you said he knew the techniques of your families right? He hasn’t pulled them out from what I’ve seen, but they could really turn the tide.” “Yes...to be honest, I think he’s still planning something.” Mei muttered as she looked closely for something Kiana didn’t know of. “Or maybe waiting for something? He’s too....wild isn’t quite the right term, but I don’t understand why he’s switching his movements so often.” As if to prove her point, Adam, who since launching his weapon earlier, had taken to keeping a close grip on his weapon regardless of Durandal tried to disarm him or javelin thrown her weapons, had suddenly underhand tossed his weapon and turned it into a flaming saw across the ground. Durandal hopped over it and set her lance aflame and launched it as Adam was sucked in closer towards where it landed. As it exploded, he ignited the bottom of his boots and counteracted the explosion with his own and sent himself flying towards Durandal. His weapon came wheeling toward’s her back as the two engaged in hand to hand combat. However, just as she thought Adam would land a decisive blow, a shield emblem defended Durandal’s back as her created spears were held and the two were once more locked together. A grinding sound rang out as Adam’s blade fiercely pushed towards Durandal like a wheel. The orange spears began to appear in droves around them like a dome before shooting down towards Adam. Flames appeared on Adam’s back before it shot upwards in different directions like spikes and created hexagonal shields that kept him safe before they all exploded. “...I think you’re right that he has something in mind, he really is on even terms with Durandal if we take out Honkai manipulation and weapons out of the equation, I’m sure he knows that and is....aiming for something maybe?” Kevin said as he leaned over and narrowed his eyes. “Their positions in this battle are fundamentally different, so I guess that’s the reason why he seems to be fighting differently so regularly.” “Their positions?” she asked her brother in confusion. “It’s not a matter of confidence, but station. Durandal can afford to take it easy, she’s strong and knows it, and so does everyone else. She doesn’t need to win, even if she aims to. But for Adam, he comes off as the challenger to everyone due to not being known. Even if he only needs to show his strength, he definitely [wants] to win, to make a statement, or because of honor or pride or anything else. The way they’re approaching this battle is the same as their thoughts.” “Then, I’m sure Adam will win.” Mei nodded. Kiana was rooting for Adam too and didn’t necessarily disagree, but, “Is it enough? Durandal is still an S-rank.” “Yes....because Adam isn’t just a Knight. He’s a Warrior. It’s how the Raiden and Narukami families raised us.” ——————-————————————— Durandal, as expected, was a tough opponent. She lived up to her title of Holy Blade and S-Rank. Forms were nothing more than guidelines on how to react to a given situation. That was why this girl was the most unpredictable opponent for any martial artist, as every movement was speedy and strong, while also changing on the fly. She would start off as a super powered brawler, and then mix in martial arts within her strikes. It’s because of that he who sought only to utterly defeat his enemy as he usually would, would also switch forms for the sake of manipulating the opponent’s movements and thoughts. Even if Durandal fought as a brawler, that she was knowledgeable in martial arts and capable of understanding the flow of battle and the openings in her opponent could not be hidden or ignored. Adam held greater insight than the average person. His ability to assess situations and act decisively was his greatest strength besides his gift for combat, though neither of which were things Durandal would particularly lose to him he felt. But whether it's technique or people, there's a principle that fundamentally governs all their actions. You can call it a system of values. By using that―the person's actions and plans, what that person is thinking right now, how to move in response, what countermeasures should be taken, whether to move forward or draw back, to attack or defend―every possible action can be predicted even on a scale of war with these understandings. Durandal, the current generation’s strongest hero. There was no doubting that she’d earned that title. However, that wasn’t to say that she was the strongest. A title is only that. For Durandal, a Valkyrie who stands against the Honkai, human threats were innately secondary in her mind. She’s taken in every possibility that would add to her strength and made it her own. The foundation of all that strength lied in Good Intentions. Durandal had become an official Valkyrie at a young age. Taken in by Schicksal, raised to control her great strength and powers, she came into conflict with the Honkai of her own free will. She did not shy away from the responsibility of other lives resting on her own potential. Eventually, she was transferred by the Archbishop Otto Apocalypse to St. Freya, an organization with ties to Schicksal, yet independent of its influence. He could tell from the moment she walked up to him in class to interrupt Veliona Vollerei and offered him a challenge to silence any doubts to where he stood. Even if he were to lose, nobody could say anything with her as his opponent. She was a considerate girl that thought about the wellbeing of others. Individual or Collective, both were maturely and logically observed and guided her actions. No matter how he looked at it, the weight of responsibility they held were completely different. She had taken to duty like a moth to flame. But… in the world of battle, one could not reach the heights of greatness with gentleness alone. The brutality and ferocity that submerges the enemy in a sea of blood. That was something he had that she didn’t. Even without the feeling of being pushed forward from the need to protect others, he didn’t think he was in any way much weaker than Durandal. Therefore, in order to beat this warrior with incredible prowess, he needed to think steps ahead of her. Not just in tactics, but in observations. First, how far did her physical performance go? Second, how far was she willing to go on another human? Third, what were her habits when striking at a stance without holes? Fourth, how did she react when seeing openings? Fifth, if she saw more than one opening, which ones did she strike at? Sixth, what were the ways she defended herself against the same strike? Seventh, how did she defend herself against different types of strikes? Eight, how willing was she to commit to attacks or defenses? Ninth, what made her willing, and how did she follow through? Tenth, If she subtly influenced his body to certain positions or reveal certain openings, how did she do it? Eleventh, what were her powers granted to her, and how did they interact with his? Twelfth, how far did her instincts, or senses, extend? What he needed to do was put all these observations together in order to form a seamless series of movements that would lead to the perfect opening without letting her know. Information was key. He already knew her ability was based off of some sort of heat or light. The explosions and temperature rather gave it away, ignoring how bright it was when enveloping her weapons or otherwise. The only thing left was figuring out how she was using it, rather what she was using it for. In terms of battle tactics, he could see that she was much the same as him to an extent. Pin your opponents down with attacks, and deal a fatal blow to their weakness. Earlier, Susannah made an offhand comment on how she was taught as he helped her, but now, he had a stable hold on how Durandal followed through with that statement. It wasn’t that she didn’t plan or observe, but she believed in her incredible capabilities to whittle down her enemies however she needed to. However, aggression and power weren’t the only ways to victory. Trickery and skill opened the path just as well. In that regard, he found himself a little more practiced than her. While Durandal fought to take advantage of opportunities, Adam fought to make his opponent believe in their opportunities. Murakumo-ryu Secret Art: Hangeki. Take an opponents attack and energy and send it back as a counter while adding in your own force. Secret Art: Shindo. When your opponent takes your blow, send the force of your attack into them via vibrations. Despite being called Secret Arts, they were more like the foundations of the Narukami family martial arts. They weren’t quite as flashy as certain techniques in his families’ styles or out in the world like Mumyō Sandan-zuki or Tsubame Gaeshi, but they were just as effective. Or rather, their flashiness depended on the skill and personality of the wielder. While they’re meant to be used for every strike, block, and movement, most did not quite have the muscle control to succeed at using these techniques to their full capability 10 times out of 10, so most tended to use them as finishing blows or when they found the timing to use them. They were martial arts skills taught down only in the Narukami family, but an observant warrior knowledgeable in the Murakumo-ryu could dissect their existence through the style. After all, like most techniques, the only thing required to use them was knowing how to properly use your own body. Even if that was easier said than done, in this case, Hangeki and Shindo were both easier and harder due to not requiring incredible muscles, just muscle control. For Adam, his success rate was the ideal 10/10 only when provided he was uninjured, but that was still rare despite him knowing certain family members of the Narukami’s could do so even while tired and injured. However, in this case, doing so would give away too much of his plans. Instead, he used the techniques at the lower levels while slowly ramping them up. However, he would resist using the techniques to the point that it would possibly put Durandal at clear disadvantage. Now, back to Honkai manipulation, from the looks of things, Durandal’s ability was based less on [manipulation] and more [emission], if he were being technical about it, something that was actually important at such a high level battle. The flames and explosions she gave off were the remains and the result of her using her abilities. While she could create spears and shields and all, she didn’t gather the previous creations or additions of her honkai energy manipulations to strengthen them. To contrast, his ability, Sunblaze, was not just the creation of flames, but the manipulation of flames. If he wanted to, he could create flame swords, throw them, then create a third sword that would absorb the previous ones. However, he didn’t only have control over flames. Temperature and heat, in general all things related to fire he could control to some extent. It could be said that his stigmata’s core ability was that over the concept of flames. However, he also inherited his families’ natural affinity over storms. This was why the nicknames he received from them when he was learning to fight was Prometheus and Hercules, as the Titan who gave humans the hope and knowledge of Fire through sacrifice, and the Stalwart Powerful yet Intelligent Demi-god of the God of Sky who was associated with lightning. However, the reason he went for Achilles as his code name was the value of its history in relation to his own. He was here at St. Freya for a reason. He couldn’t back down even here. He could tell that Durandal was indeed quite familiar with his families’ techniques, and even if she were not taught the techniques passed down only among family, it’s possible for her to dissect them from observing the General martial katas. Now, at this time where their Honkai attacks created smoke, his opening to make use of the sacred techniques he’s honed was near. They were both techniques even his sister didn’t know, because it was his cousins and him that created these techniques, using the principles of the Narukami styles, with tints of the Raiden family’s knowledge in Honkai manipulation. Rather than call it a Narukami Secret Technique or a Raiden Family Secret Technique, it was more appropriate to call it an Original School Secret Technique, creates by 3 people. Many martial arts masters have pursued the extremity of Movements in martial arts. Rather than a simple quickness, there are numerous phenomena that are connected with how a style is formed, body movement, breathing, blind spots, the smoothness of and flexibility of the body, predicting and guiding the movement of the enemy, getting them within striking range, etc. But what if you simply bypassed all this? Sufficient martial ability, much like science, could strike within a range beyond ordinary comprehension and surpassed reality itself. Unlike Honkai Energy attacks, which can be interfered with by stronger Honkai energy or better manipulation control or simply defended against with Honkai Resistance, martial ability was more reliable as a weapon. Kyokuchi and Shukuchi, the perfected movements through space are a perfect example of this. What was originally Shukuchi[Reduced Earth], meant to reduce the distance of the enemy and oneself, could become Kyokuchi[Furthest Earth], as the ultimate way of movement, allowing for maneuvering across all forms of space, even to the point it could be considered dimension hopping. He slide backwards out of the smoke into the view of the audience, unminding that this would be the first time since someone outside of his older cousins would use this technique. He caught his sword as it traveled across the air in a reverse grip with his left hand, his ears focused in and as expected, Durandal had yet to see the need to clear the smoke, believing he would use it as a cloak to get blows in. By the time she realized her mistake, it would already be too late. All the kinetic energy his sword stored up from being thrown like a boomerang and taking in Durandal’s strikes using Honkai energy manipulation was more than enough now. No matter what shield Durandal brought out, even if it were those Phantom Knights of her, he would be able to burst through. First, to catch her off guard! “Burn to ashes! The Dawn has come!” He gathered up the Honkai energy and flames he and Durandal had been throwing around into his sword as it lengthened until it was a match for the Sephiroth Masamune. By making her use her stigmata, he ensured his attack would be greater than if he had used it alone. By mixing in Durandal’s energy, it would absorb any further Honkai energy she would emit using her stigmata. With a slash, he simultaneously cut away the smoke as his blow avoided Durandal’s shield that was put up from his words as a fierce line of energy emerged and sparked at her chest, and created Fleeting Flames in the form of rings that turned into a vortex black hole behind Durandal. It wasn’t that the power of Lightning resided within the blade to allow it to happen in a blink. It was that because it was within a blink that Lightning accompanied the slash. The moment Durandal realized she couldn’t use her stigmata to give her a burst of flames at her feet, she stabbed her lance into the ground, giving him his opening. Her resistance could protect her from being damaged, but it couldn’t protect her from the side-effects, namely being blown back, and being suctioned. - Original Secret Technique One - Why did it exist? It was to overwhelm the enemy. The Principle of Iaido was that a resting blade could hold anything. The mastery of such a principle allowed one to use their blade to slash at blinding speeds and distances. Emptiness was the State of Being Martial Artists strove for, true harmonization of mind, body, and weapon. As such, one is able to cut down enemies faster than their thoughts form and the body is able to react without conscious will. Together, these two could bring untold damage toward others. Fighting to bring about Zero. In other words, reducing the amount of possibilities to establish a conclusion of victory. Fighting with Infinity. Essentially, continue creating possibilities to create a future of victory. These two concepts were similar yet contradictory, yet what if they could be merged together? These approaches to battle could only be called equal. Kyokuchi, Iaido, Zero, Infinity, Emptiness. Make use of your understanding of space with your movements and attacks. Take away the Possibilities of your opponent until they lose. Use every Possibility until you win. Strike with all your force. Strike with your opponent’s force. Strike through multiple angles. Strike within a flash. Strike from a distance. Strike using all your knowledge and techniques. This strike, for it to be Zero, Infinite, Empty, it must not be able to be done in one way. Regardless of the weapon, how the weapon was held, how the weapon was swung, how the weapon was avoided, the technique must and can be able to go through. For it to be the strongest it possibly can, for it to be in accordance with Emptiness, merge as many principles of your Family Schools that you were taught as possible. Raiden Ikazuchi-no-ken, Narukami Murakumo-ryū. Bring the Raiden’s Lightning, and with the Narukami’s martial skill, create a skill that bypasses Honkai resistance. With the Narukami’s martial skill, bring the Raiden’s Lightning, create a move of unstoppable force. With Three who are all of Raiden and Narukami blood and skill, only then can this move be possibly created. “Secret Art: Musou no Hakushin!” What happened next could only be seen in a second by those with the sharpest eyes and reflexes. In a flash, Adam appeared on the completely other side, beyond Durandal. Multiple slashes of red and purple donned the air and Durandal’s body. They converged and created a pillar of lightning and flames that bathed Durandal mercilessly. Durandal’s eyes could only open wide in surprise before she braced herself for the attack. A technique to destroy the Honkai. A technique to destroy his enemies. It couldn’t be blocked because it couldn’t be seen. Even if it were blocked, an understanding of how to stretch your strikes to the opponent’s blind spots at where they couldn’t block would take care of your enemy. A strike with the weight to destroy a building and flames and lightning strong enough to erase that building. It was Annihilation in the form of a swing. When it ended, she was covered in burnt marks and electricity visibly exited her body on occasion. But she did not fall. She took a knee while breathing heavily, and turned back to look Adam in the eye. She gently smiled and nodded in respect. “It seems I took became overconfident in my knowledge of the Raiden and Narukami family styles....no, I simply took you too lightly.” She said wistfully. Somehow, Adam got the impression she wanted to pout and complain on some level. “It’s simply the difference in our mentalities. You were serious, but you weren’t serious in defeating me.” “Rather, my training against other warriors is lacking....I’ve never faced such a technique before. Right now, even moving will be a challenge. It’s completely my loss.” “Yield Acknowledged. Victory goes to Narukami Adam.” Ai-Chan announced the results to the baffled silence of the audience. “Well, you say that, but objectively speaking, a fight with our all being put into our weapons is different from a sparring match. Even if you say you can’t move, that’s just a lie, isn’t it? Maybe you can fool everyone else, but your body’s durability doesn’t end there.” “It seems that my body is in no condition to move. Narukami-san, no, Adam, won’t you bring me to the hospital wing? Surely you wouldn’t leave a girl you mercilessly beat down to her thoughts in front of everyone.” Bianka had the same gentle smile as before as she slowly stretched out her arms, asking to be picked up. “You’re surprisingly petty.” He sighed and picked her up princess style. The surroundings became noisy upon Ai-Chan’s declaration of his win, but this only increased the amount of squeals. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. A friend of mine once said that this type of contact was something boys liked as a reward. Besides, if I show everyone I have no hard feelings towards you, it’ll only help your reputation, no? Although, in the future I intend on asking you to spar again. I don’t like the thought of having only lost against you, and I can surely improve if I observe your techniques closely.” ‘Talk about an honest girl.’ He thought. But he didn’t hate that. “Well, it’s forbidden for our family to teach the higher portions of our styles to others as you know, so don’t expect me to give you any hints. But then, if it’s you, you probably understand at least two of them already by now, right?” He passed into the tunnels. Despite nobody being around, neither felt the need to change their current positions. “Am I that obvious? Well, I suppose that’s why you seemed to use them subtly. The ability to center your attacks into the opponent’s body even when blocked is somewhat doable for me. I don’t believe I have the body control necessary to sufficiently block attacks and send them back.” “I had to take into account that you already knew how to use them, it was a risk to keep using them, but I chose to gamble on the fact that if we were both stocking up and trading the same force that I would be the one able to take advantage of it most. By the way, muscle control isn’t the only thing necessary to do this, though it’s the most efficient way, in a fast paced battle doing it in a rush is a recipe for disaster. Helix movements are helpful.” He advised her. “Didn’t you say it was forbidden to teach others?” She quirked an eyebrow, but didn’t seem to disprove or care. “You already knew how to use it, I’m just helping a comrade execute what she knows another way. While not exactly the same, the same principles behind many of our secret techniques exist in other fighting styles anyways. The Narukami’s are the origins for many martial arts, so it’s not to say they are unique in what they can do if you trace the paths closely enough.” Also, he could really care less if he broke the taboo, he didn’t really owe either of his families any loyalty as a whole, though he cared for individuals, hard as it was for him to admit. “You’re much more open then the family members of yours that I know. Have you met them before? They’re also of the Raiden name like your sister, they didn’t say their names, but their titles are-“ “I think know who you speak of. The prized Twin Princesses of Inazuma, Baal and Beezlebub. They’re the ones who helped create the final technique. For that one, if you want to learn it in any sense, then you better ask them.” “If I understand correctly, they’re both in their final years of schooling correct? It’s a shame they’re so connected with their clans. I don’t see them changing their mind and accepting my invitation to join the Immortal Blades.” She noted in casual disappointment. “Makoto wouldn’t mind actually, but given that she’s a Heir Apparent, it’s unlikely she’ll shirk her responsibilities. Nor would Ei, who’s a warrior in mind. She’d rather support her sister above anything else.” “Hm. Well, I can’t say I don’t understand why they prioritize their families, I simply thought they would an honor and pleasure to work with.” “Well, you could always find someone to marry into the clans. Then they wouldn’t have a choice but to interact with you and could even teach you everything about our techniques.” “Oh? I’ll take note of that. I wouldn’t want to be blindsided by you again.” “You let yourself by blindsided. You could have kept up a fight if you wanted to.” “Perhaps I should’ve.” She mused in his arms. “I didn’t get the best look at that technique, even before you launched it my attempt at blocking was fully ignored.” “Well, it’s not a technique that can be launched consecutively. My muscles would tear with that much speed and force being exerted if I don’t space them out. And it’s a death sentence to risk giving you a new move. I’d rather avoid you dissecting my moves to use against me whenever possible.” “You give me too much credit. Even I wouldn’t be able to understand an attack like that just from watching.” “I already know you’re going to replay our fight in your head and on screen for the next few weeks, see if you can say that again in a few weeks, especially after experiencing it directly.” “Oh? And what will I get if I can’t?” “How am I supposed to know? Does it matter?” “Well, lets just that if I’m right, you’ll give me cake.” He snorted. “Sure. Anyways have fun telling your subordinates not to kill me, meanwhile I’ll be eating delicious food in celebration.” “I don’t think I have to worry about them killing you. If anything, I have to worry about them doing something else.” She said casually. “I don’t know what that means and I decided it doesn’t matter.” “Hmmm. We’ll see how long you feel that way. By the way, tell Kiana that she should tell Cecilia-san about the trouble she got into during class before she finds out herself.” “Are you close to her?” He asked. Her tone towards Kiana was even friendlier and warmer than when she pulled out his first name. “Not quite. Her parents and I have gotten along since we met. Her brother also took care of me like them during my earlier days. I’ve always felt that we’ve had a connection of sorts, so I can’t help but extend it to her as well.” “Well, for all we know you’re somehow blood connected to them. Since, you’re, well, an orphan.” She smiled in amusement. “I’m not sensitive about my background. Though that’s more than what you could say I suppose.” ————————————————————— “”“”Itadakimasu!”””” Adam and Kevin quickly began digging into their extra large ramen bowls with fervor. Kiana had one of the same size while Mei had a normal sized bowl, both eating at a more moderate pace. Kiana was eating while staring at Adam in admiration. Even though he mentioned his and Durandal’s conversation after the fight, it was still amazing for her that he could match up with an S-Rank. Maybe Kevin had a point that she was having a crush after all. When her mom hears about Adam, she’ll probably assume as much anyways and try to get them together. She wonders how her dad will feel about this given that he gave her tips on hitting on girls before. This wasn’t exactly her first crush. “Ne- Kiana-chan, Adam, so besides today, how have you been finding St. Freya and Soukai City? Have you two been getting along?” Mei casually asked as she blew on some noodles on her chopsticks. Kiana and Adam snorted. “Mei-senpai, you really are motherly huh? But I’ve been liking it here a lot! No wonder Mom and Dad moved us to the city.” She avoided the latter question. Ignoring her newfound attraction to a guy, she wouldn’t say she was close to Adam even if she was friendly to him. Preparing for school had taken a lot of time as she was formerly homeschooled unlike Kevin. She’d seen him play games, so she’d hoped that they could do that together at least. Kevin picked up from there. “Soukai definitely beats out Kolosten. Or any of the other European cities we’ve lived in.” “Oh, that’s right, your family used to move around a lot, right?” Mei asked them. “At least until I was in middle school, my mom had us move over to Japan to prepare me for St. Freya, and Kiana would have gone to school too if she didn’t get herself expelled on the first day.” Adam puffed out a laugh. “Now that’s got to be a record. A real troublemaker then?” Kiana’s cheeks reddened. “It’s not my fault that that Kyu-something girl and her chuuni act picked a fight! I didn’t even mean to destroy the school building!” Adam and Kevin laughed while Mei’s eyes widened at the new story. But her lips did curve upwards. “Well, anyway, after that, Mom got paranoid and took her back to homeschooling. Instead though, she forced Kiana to do all sorts of activities to get her to interact with other people her age, like ice skating or baseball.” “Hm. She does look like she’d be good at those.” Adam offhandedly mentioned. He’s seen the girl in her White Comet Battlesuit and how it clung to her skin. That, coupled with his little peak at her bare skin gave him a lot to work with if he tried to think about her body. Kiana, who was wearing a simple black shirt underneath a small green jacket with Neko ears on the hood, instinctively puffed up her chest, not that anyone could see it due to their focus on the food. “Well, Kaslanas tends to be good at just about anything physical. We do have some talent with honkai manipulation, but nothing to the level of your clans. Kiana and I haven’t seemed to inherit much on the Schariac side of the family.” Adam looked up like he felt the need to say something, before thinking on it and shrugging back to eating. Mei also looked a bit awkward on how to respond to it, so Kiana took point to ask something that was on her mind. “So can you two tell me anything about the Raiden clan and Narukami clan sword styles?” Kiana asked in interest. “I didn’t really really get a handle of them during the fight, and I wouldn’t really say I’ve heard much about your families besides the fact that they’re strong enough to have some reputation outside the Far East.” Adam looked at Mei and started slurping a long set of noodles. He didn’t mind explaining himself, but it was also a long explanation and he was feeling hungry from the fight. His sister smiled in slight exasperation and replied. “To best explain our clans’ fighting styles, it would also help to know some background knowledge. First off, the Raiden clan. They’re one of Japan’s Greatest Known Defenders. They’re similar to the Kaslana family, if that helps you understand.“ “You mean they ignored human conflict in favor of Honkai beasts?” Kiana asked. “Exactly. It was a bold choice given the chaos of the Far East, but it was one they stood by for quite a long time. And because they didn’t have important land or territory with a desired position, they were ignored. As they focused on Honkai beasts, they sought effective ways of fighting while using the school of techniques they already had and modifying it. The Raiden Ikazuchi no ken was always based on Iaido. This lead them to simply incorporate Honkai manipulating using the most effective element with Iai movements.” “Lightning.” Kiana nodded, knowing that. “Lightning.” Adam repeated, pretending he was adding to the conversation. “Now, the reason we chose Lightning was not simply because of the synergistic properties they held, but because of our cultural beliefs. Do you know anything about the worship of Japan, Kiana-chan?” “Uh, not a whole lot outside of video games, but I do know about the...pantheon?....main gods from looking them up out of curiosity.”? “While we do respect and worship all the gods, our patrons in particular are the reason behind our gift over Lightning. The God of Sword was also known as the God of Lightning. There was also the Hero God of Sea and Storms. Even without Honkai manipulation, the strongest Ikazuchi-no-ken technique held enormous power that could sound as if thunder had fallen. The speed at which the most skilled Raiden could swing was exactly like that of lightning speed.” Why was a god of sword talked for generations as a god of lightning? Because people had no way to illustrate that technique which was the expression of terrific destructive power other than as lightning. Those two gods who wielded swords against the Honkai were exactly whom the Raiden family wanted to imitate. “Thus, the Raiden family could only hone their blades until they reached the Realm of their Gods, and in their place, slay any Honkai beast regardless of size or distance.” To the people of the Far East, the Raiden family were a clan of heroes that they could have hope in wherever they were, who would defend them regardless of class, location, or race. Kiana could only look at the two in awe, while Kevin calmly took a sip at the information he already knew. Somehow the Raiden family history really seemed to fit Mei-senpai. It’s not like Kiana thought no families like the Kaslanas or Schariacs existed, but the Far East had been more isolationist in comparison to Europe, so it’s not like she could have known about this this as something obvious. “As for the Narukami family, they could be closely compared to the Apocalypse family if most of their family actually fought, their martial arts were developed as a result of the chaos of the past. To conquer Japan and the surrounding islands of the Far East, they required two things. Numbers, or power. And while they achieved the former as they made the warlords submit, they did so by choosing the latter. They would then pass down a watered down version of their school called the Minamoto-ryuu to their vassal clans and later to peasants, giving the Narukami Murakumo ryu and Minamoto-ryuu the nicknames of The Origin/The Source for most modern martial arts of the Far East.” It was through this unification that shoguns were first called the Narukami Ogosho. While there were still battles of conflict between clans, especially as the Shogunate would choose not to involve themselves too deeply to restrict their freedom provided the battles would not cross certain lines, all would listen to the Shogun when rallied to a cause, be it the Honkai, or foreign invaders. “In other words, the desire to triumph over other humans and human techniques is what caused them to create a martial arts meant to counter any obstacle.” Adam concluded their family history more simply. Truthfully Kiana understood Mei-senpai’s explanations rather easily, but the way Adam put it made her reevaluate the conclusion she was originally making. Kiana, innocently, asked another question. “Then Adam, is possible for you to teach me any of your family techniques? The Kaslana gun-kata isn’t quite as amazing in comparison, and Kevin’s fighting style isn’t quite fitting for me yet.” Having seen Durandal fight, she thought that learning a weapon style beyond guns and her body would be necessary to keep up with her. Kevin snickered, having also been through this. Adam rose an eyebrow as if wondering if he should or shouldn’t, but it was Mei who gave a mischievous smile. “I’m sure Adam won’t mind helping you learn the forms of our kata, but if you want to learn any techniques, you’ll just have to learn them on your own. Of course, if you want to take the shorter path, you can simply marry Adam and he’ll be allowed to teach you.” Kiana immediately spat out her water into her ramen, having taken a drink as she didn’t see this coming. She hoped Mei and Kevin wouldn’t mention this to her parents. She didn’t want to think about the embarrassment she would feel from it. “Er- anyways! Kevin, any thoughts on how Adam and i should proceed with squads?!” Kevin smiled wryly and let the change of topic go. “Well, obviously you two, if you want to go out on missions outside of emergency deployments, you would have to make or join a squad. If you do the latter, you’ll have to be beholden to another person’s orders and permission outside of the academy. Mei here had only my joined my squad because it made going on missions easier and safer. Aside from me, the only squad in your year would be Durandal’s. For the second years, none of them are interesting in expanding their personal circles.” Kiana looked at Adam. “What do you think? I’m not too sure I want to join my brother’s squad, but if you join then I wouldn’t mind either since I’ll have someone in my year at least.” Adam rose an eyebrow as he slurped on some noodles. Why was he suddenly the deciding factor for her? He did give it an honest thought still. His sister had already offered him an opening before school had officially started. But he really wasn’t keen on spending any more time with her than necessary, even though he could trust his back to her in battle. It was just too soon for that. “It’d be a pain, but it’d probably be better if we were to just make a squad of our own until we decided to disband or learned how to keep running one. But there’s still the issue of needing more than two people to create a squad, and who would be leader....actually, I take it back, you can play leader.” He rescinded his words partially. “Really?” Kiana smiled at his words. She probably wouldn’t be if she realized he mostly just didn’t want to deal with paperwork. Even if she tried to pass them on to him, a majority could still only be signed and looked after by the actual squad leader. Though beside that, he did think that it would be better for her to be leader. Putting aside his personal hang ups, his future was certain and uncertain in a way that he didn’t feel comfortable being leader. Besides, she was clearly more of a people person. Her ‘louder’ personality than his was better as charisma he believed. “You know, if you’re going recruiting, I at least have one student in your year who you could ask.” The younger students looked at him in a curiosity sync. “You might find him awkward, but he’ll be a good comrade to you both. You can trust your backs to him in a fight. He’s skilled, and can get rather powerful, even that’s troublesome in its own right, I don’t think either of you would have a problem with that and blame him, or with keeping him under control if that happens either.“ Kosma was a boy younger than him, but Kevin has faith in his strength, skills, and resolve. He had met the boy during a Honkai disaster, saving and helping him in the process. “I might have a potential recruit as well, but she’s a bit more...troublesome. She actually knows Kosma rather well, so if you get him to join, it shouldn’t be too hard to recruit her either. The student is his childhood friend, a daughter of one of my mother’s coworkers. I haven’t met her in a long time, but I know that goes to this school now since mother sent me an email that you and her would be joining the school.” Mei spoke up to her brother. Adam snorted and leaned back. “You mean Griseo? Now that’s a surprise. I would’ve thought she turned into a NEET or something with her disinterest in the world.” He resisted the urge to question her about their mom’s message. He was surprised the woman cared enough to go that far. But now he understood why his sister hadn’t crushed him with a hug and never let go. His mother’s message had prepared her for him, just them rooming together had been a surprise for them both. “Adam, don’t be rude to her....” Mei smiled though, knowing he didn’t mean much by it. “She’s just a little....enthusiastic about painting is all. It’s also a part of her powers on top of being her hobby.” “Hobby is putting it lightly, but yeah, I’ll see if I can get some files to send to Kiana about her and talk all about how Griseo nearly crushed me with a giant purple whale once. It hasn’t been as long for me since I last saw Griseo, but I assume she’s the same as ever.” “Wait, you’re serious about that whale thing?” Kiana double taked at that. ————————————————— As it turned out, both Griseo and Kosma ended up being in the same class. The sickly boy he thought he saw on his first day ended up being Kosma, who he hadn’t met before, but had seen at one of the laboratories once. He was more acquainted with Griseo, but “acquainted” being the key word, as the girl was even less social than Adam. Kiana, who had walked with him to the rooftops, saw a skinny girl with light blue hair painting a storm of red lightning and a skinny boy with dark green hair leaning against the bench. She leaned over to Adam. “Uh, you sure we should ask them to be on our squad? I think we’d have greater luck asking the Chinese girl who is class representative of her own class and ranked 2 of the first years. Hell, even Veliona herself.” He chuckled. “We can always ask them too. But I wouldn’t say they’re as weak as they look. I don’t know anything about Kosma, but at very least Griseo has the ability to turn what she paints into something real. It gets even more effective if you let her paint your “colors” as she would say, as dangerous as it is.” She tilted her head. “What’s that supposed to mean?” “Better I let her explain. I’ll give examples later if you want though.” He walked up to them, his footsteps attracting Kosma’s attention, but Griseo ignored it entirely. “Oi, Griseo, I’m surprised to see you actually here.” The short girl looked over with slight surprise. “Ah. It’s Adam.” When Kosma stood up defensively to ask them to not bother her she shook her head. “It’s...okay Kosma....Adam...is a friend like Kevin and Elysia.” The boy relaxed at that, and Kiana remembered the advice her brother gave to bring him up. “And I’m Kiana Kaslana! My brother Kevin mentioned you before! If you don’t have a squad yet, he suggested that you join ours since we’ll be making one.” It wasn’t exactly what he was saying, but it was close enough. To be honest, Kiana thought she would be doing this guy a favor. The boy lost most of his tension hearing who Kiana was the sister of. “.....” However he stared at them in thought, and Adam could literally see the thoughts and responses bouncing in his head through his eyes. Adam elbowed Kiana slightly and she remembered the rest of what Kevin said. “Kevin told us a little about you. He said he trusted you to watch our backs, and that we could take care of whatever problems you bring. I saw your battle scores, you’re more impressive than you look, and I want to see how strong you are for myself.” Griseo took a look at Adam and Kiana, before nodding to herself. “If...you let me paint you and your colors....I don’t mind joining.....Papa said I should join a squad with people I trust.” Adam grimaced, knowing what exactly that entailed and shook his head to Kiana, who saw it and chose to ignore it. That’s what he gets for making her the leader. Well, he highly doubted it would be an overly huge disaster, so maybe it was fine. “You two don’t have anything to worry about! Adam and I are plenty strong! He’s even defeated Durandal once you know!” He wasn’t sure if he liked how she worded that, but it did seem like it would be effective for Kosma. “Then Kosma too....?” She looked over to her friend, who sighed and continued to think. Kosma looked over to them. He thought back to what Kevin said about risks and trusting yourself and others. The older boy said he would have a place on his squad if nobody accepted him, but he wanted Kosma to try his luck with comrades in his year first. He also wanted to stay with Griseo, and it would be harder to ask to join squads himself....so....”I understand. I’ll come with Griseo and join your squad. I’m Kosma of Daybreak.” “And Kiana, meet Griseo The Stars. If she tries to paint you, make sure it’s somewhere with supervision.” Adam told Kiana for her benefit. And also for generally safe reasons. He remembered the last time he let Griseo paint his color. The whole laboratory he had been staying at had been destroyed and they had been forced to call in Valkyries and Knights. While he was naturally reluctant or letting Griseo’s dice roll of a power be used with how chaotic it was, he couldn’t say that was a terrifying memory of his mom’s lab getting destroyed. “Alright! Now we got enough to make an actual squad! Now we just need a name and I can enter in all the paperwork necessary!” Kiana pumped her fists in success. Adam smiled as she put on a guts pose, Griseo copying her with a blank face. Kosma awkwardly stood there and looked at him with a “....(am I supposed to recommend names....?)” or so Adam thought it was. “I might have a good name to fit us all.” Adam decided to recommend. He’d seen Kiana’s usernames and email. He didn’t hate Homus, but he wasn’t going to let it be part of his squad name. He still had some semblance of pride. Both Kosma and Griseo nodded stoically. Kiana pumped her fists once more with a small smile. They seemed to like his suggestion. “Fitting for our powers and personalities....Magatsu Hellions...No matter what comes forth from ourselves or by disasters, what we need to do hasn’t changed.”

In Case of Emergency

['Hyoumaki']

Explicit

M/M

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Blade/Luocha (Honkai: Star Rail)

Blade (Honkai: Star Rail), Luocha (Honkai: Star Rail)

Anal Sex, Dirty Talk, Body Worship, Top Blade, Bottom Luocha, Not Canon Compliant, Breeding Kink

English

2022-06-19

Completed

2022-06-19

2,256

1/1

12

406

36

8,968

['InnocentUntilProvenGuilty', 'SummerFox9', 'Shioluchi', 'Hyxie', 'Lychee_Tea666', 'Y0ng_bbokkari', 'shnjie', 'HamSandwichWithCheese', 'JohanneMei', 'unmei_na_no_da_yo', 'Zakkai', 'VilenLa', 'oreosnomnom', 'songsui', 'random_Kenic', 'ghostymeowsty', 'Aiseeee', 'Mattietthao', 'xx2181544928', 'averagelivingbeing', 'mangoest33n', 'Sussy_Cat', 'Amemu', 'Chibi_Kirkland', 'archterigen', 'Nami', 'wandererofwords', 'icystormdragon', 'WingsOfGlory14', 'bl00dy_r0ses', 'JD_M', 'Alice2795', 'AbiRoa', 'b1ub', 'KawaiiCinnamonroll', 'geshulins', 'Crystal_Caryophyllus', 'TOM9TO', 'x762Risley762x', 'HyunWuu', 'Me_fkoff', 'MissLilac', 'La_soeur_de_Hangyul', 'Laniethelocalclown', 'soraetherei', 'JackTrades', 'Lamaya_21', 'admonishing_empyrean', 'AHawrnyBypasser', 'LocallLurker']

[]

The tip of Luocha's cool fingers gradually grows warmer the more they slide down his skin, scientifically speaking, friction creates heat and spark. Such logic doesn't deviate by far from its literal approach, but the swordsman isn't much of a literature person, nor is he a scientist.   The merchant straddling on top of him bends down, planting kisses along the old scars that marred his chest. Luocha claws at the interrupting worn-out bandages (ah, it all started because the blond man insisted on changing the dressing), causing them to loosen and meekly slip off to the mattress. Blade relieves with a long sigh, his chest rises high and falls flat.    Luocha finally stops and sits on his abdomen, tracing a finger over the longest scar, feeling the bumps of his taut muscles and the cleft of the old, closed wound. His emerald eyes studies, and the doctor lets out a hum, finally reaching a hypothesis…no, more like, a conclusion of what transpired.   "A Stellaron made that," Blade says, so Luocha looks up and listens, "That was from my first mission."   "I see…" the blond retreats slightly onto Blade's lap as the other man sits up, "I assume you're going to say when you're still young and reckless."   Blade side eyes the comment, from the twitch of his lips, Luocha seems to have hit the nail. He runs his fingers up the same scar and slithers down, admiring the work as if it was the finest art in the universe. An urge to give silent affection to the evidence of bodily trauma surfaces, and Luocha trails kisses along it, starting from its upper tip.   "It wasn't a shameful thing to admit, Blade," Luocha comments, despite his flat tone, the swordsman can detect reassurance and validation in the spoken words. "We have been there, it's the process of being an adolescent after all."   "...You're saying as if you already had one of your biggest regrets."   "I did," Luocha pauses when Blade combs his long hair back, he can't help but to let out a whispered moan upon the contact. "But, we have to grow up on it."   The hunter hums in agreement, which is rare. Blade often hides his opinions under that stoic visage, so earning validation from such a man fills Luocha with a new kind of satisfaction. The merchant caresses his lover's muscular arms, then his back, feeling the spine along his back, as well as multiple deep and shallow scars along the length of his body. His fingers stops on a circular wound – gunshot, he silently notes.   "That one is…embarrassing to tell," Blade looks away, a tint of pink makes up his cheeks.   "Oh? Pray tell me, Ren ."   Hearing his name being called in that sweet, loving voice tingles Blade's nerves. On that, his initial reservance to not let the past see light crumbles. Luocha coaxes him further by touching his cheek, stroking his face gently. In the end, he caves in.   "It was Kafka's stray bullet. Unfortunately, the bullet stayed. Fortunately, Silver Wolf was able to pull it out. Kafka had the nerve to laugh about it whenever it was brought to the table." Luocha's lips curl into a smile, but his body's little trembling gives it away. "Don't you dare."   "I'm sorry," Luocha replies apologetically, he does sound sincere. "Your friend does have a mean streak."   "...She does," the swordsman admits. "But, she's reliable when we need her the most."   "It's amazing to have reliable partners."   "...It does."   Blade manhandles the doctor, turning the blond's slender body around so that Luocha is on all fours. He slots himself between the spread legs, leaning forward until his chest is pressed flush on the expanse of the doctor's naked back. Luocha shivers from the contact, his hands grab onto the bedrest for better leverage.   Unlike his scarred body, Luocha doesn't have any scar on his skin. It reminds him how blessed the followers of Yaoshi are, protected from the reaches of Death. Perhaps, he can be a better hunter with such skill in his possession, but Blade isn't anything that the Aeon of Peace favors. Hence, he is granted with the cursed powers of destruction; alas, it was his role to destroy everything on his path.   And who knows…one day, he might destroy this particular kind-hearted doctor under him. Perhaps by then, Luocha will finally express his regret of knowing him.   Noticing Blade's lack of action and words, Luocha takes the man's hand and spreads kisses on its calloused palm, sucking off the fingers in his mouth. It breaks the swordsman out of his stupor and Blade moans lowly, his husky voice sends chills straight to Luocha's spine.   His amber eyes glint dangerously as Luocha looks back, releasing his fingers with a loud, wet pop. Luocha guides the spit-covered digits to his ass, prompting the man behind him.   Blade thinks the way those emerald eyes glints with need, the redden skin painting the doctor's luscious, pale body, hot. The sight alone fills him with a dark desire, close to something he feels when he's facing his sworn enemies, but even darker, and more dangerous than that.   "Ren, ruin me ."   That is all it takes for his preservation to crumble. Blade sinks in two digits at once, causing Luocha's hips to buck and the doctor moans loudly from the burning stretch. Of course, spit as lube doesn't provide the best lubrication, but he is in the mood for some pain. The fingers inside him curl, their hard knuckles scrape his prostate, abusing his sensitive nerves. Blade presses the back of his hips to keep him in place, the younger man adds the third digit in. Luocha's eyes widen from the intense sensation, the wood under his grip creaks in protest. He instinctively moves his hips back and forth, setting a pace comfortable for the both of them.   Blade raises his other hand and slaps the doctor's plump buttocks, sending Luocha to another height of pleasure. Another hit comes, followed by the next, until his ass stings and warms from the bloodrush.   "Re— Ren …! Aah~!"   The continuous assault on his ass and in his hole spark imaginary stars in his eyes, his brain cease to function properly as carnal pleasure floods into his being.   "I don't know you have a taste for masochism, doctor."   "And you turned out to– mmhh~ have a streak of sadism… o-ooh…"   What started for dressing change now becomes their mutual need for a good fuck, and to be loved both phsyically and spiritually.   They seek a way to mend their broken beings.   Feeling that Luocha is stretched enough, Blade pulls out his fingers. The doctor whines at the loss, his watery eyes hazily gaze at the swordsman, pleading to be filled. Blade sucks in a deep breath and spits on his palm, stroking his own cock, coating his length with saliva. He can feel Luocha's intense gaze on his size, the doctor is practically drooling with lust.   He aligns his cock in between Luocha's ass, preparing the man for what's to come.    "Ren…hurry…"   "Aren't you taught to ask nicely for something, doctor?"   Luocha whines at the denial, pushing his ass back instead. Blade smacks his ass, hard, clearly isn't impressed by the disobedience. Luocha pathetically whimpers, and he relents. "P-please, Ren … f-fuck my ass already…"   "That isn't so hard, is it?" Blade bends down and captures the other man's lips with his own, kissing Luocha deeply. Luocha lets himself be dominated, following the way Blade's tongue dances against his own, licking and sucking every nook and cranny he can reach. The doctor moans into the wet kiss, melting even further into ecstasy. They break for a breath, and Luocha uses the opportunity to say his piece.   "Ren, please…please… I need you in me already…"   Blade snaps and pushes the head of his cock in. Finally , Luocha's pleasure-filled brain relishes, the doctor moans loudly into the room as the length breaches in further. Blade pulls out and pushes in, burying down until the thick base. It's painful, but Luocha takes immense pleasure in it.   "Yes, yes…! Ren… mmhh~ m-move, please…!"   Blade licks the back of his neck and sinks his teeth in at the same time he snaps forward. Luocha screams into the air, tightening around Blade's cock. The younger man behind him hisses and grabs his hips, repeatedly slamming in and out in a brutal pace that sets Luocha's every nerve ablaze.   Luocha moves one of his hands to stroke his own hardened cock, but Blade swiftly slaps the hand away, so he has no choice but to grab onto the bedrest for his dear life as the swordsman plunges into him without reservation. Luocha's hips move according to the pace, so Blade leaves his hips and moves his hands onto Luocha's chest. His fingers circle around the hard nub, scratching the sensitive nipples with his sharp nails and pinches them almost painfully.   "Ren~ Ren! Aah– ooohh~♡ !!"   "I always wonder…" Blade pauses as his breath hitches, "what kind of blessings can your Aeon gift you. Maybe, enabling you to- aah… become pregnant and lactate?"   "I–I'm still a m-man…" Luocha groans, throwing his head back when Blade pulls his rosy nubs. "Re–Ren! It hurts…! Aaah!!"   "You can ask your Aeon for that blessing, can't you?" Blade licks the doctor's ear and nips its soft shell. He lets go of one of the nipples and presses down on Luocha's stomach. Luocha's insides greedily tightens upon the contact, the doctor can feel how big Blade is inside of him, reaching his deepest parts. The thought of his fertile womb carrying their kid and his reddened nipples lactating heightens his lust, he has lost the ability to think straight.   "Y–yes! I-I– ooh…! I'll…ask…for a womb!!"   "Mmhm," Blade embrace's Luocha's small waist and hasten his pace, fucking the crying merchant's body into abandon. "Good… I can't wait to fuck our babies into your womb, Luocha."   "Oooh! Ren! Reee~n …! I– I want to cum~..."   Blade turns Luocha's body sideways, dangling one of the milky legs over his shoulder and continues. In this position, the doctor is given the view of the thick cock going in and out of his ass, precum smearing where they are connected. His abandoned cock hangs helplessly, beads of precum pools out of his slit, dropping down onto the messy bed cover. He lets out a silent scream as Blade tightens his fist around his weeping cock, stroking it languidly.   "You're not allowed to come until I say so."   Luocha whimpers and obeys, withholding his orgasm as far as he can. Thing is, he won't last long, and he silently hopes Blade is close to finishing soon because the longer his release is delayed, he will definitely fall deeper into that spiral of craziness of lust.   "Luocha…" Blade groans, sweetly, "Luocha…!"   "Ren…haah–aaah~ Oooh! Mmhm…!"   Blade looks down, catching the sight of tears drenching down from those lovely emerald eyes. His pace grows shorter, he knows he's close.   "Let's cum together, Luocha… Cum for me– hngh..!"   With a final snap of his hips, Blade pours his seed into the waiting hole. Spurts of semen bursts out of Luocha's cock the moment he releases it, spraying some of the sticky mess onto the doctor's abdomen and the rest lands on the bed. Both men are panting hard, relieving down from the heights of their blissful libido.  Blade slowly pulls out, watching his come drips out from the abused hole. He pulls Luocha's limp, sweat and cum covered body into an embrace, sitting on the bed until both of them calm down.   "I think I went too far…I'm sorry." Blade gently strokes his lover's back. He knows he acted so uncharacteristically, but who's able to stay in their right mind when Luocha tempts him with his ravishing beauty?   "That…was great…" Luocha murmurs, weakly chuckling a second later. "You don't need to apologize."   "Ah, about the dressing…" Luocha caresses the warrior's body, smiling softly. "You don't have to worry about it. I have healed those wounds."   Blade chokes on that fact that came out of blue. "...Y-you can heal people during sex?"   "That was a part of the emergency treatment," some emergency treatment that way! Blade is sure he's not in any mortal danger right now, but the thought of Luocha riding his battered body makes him tingle in a way he never has been. Wait, does that mean–   "Don't worry," Luocha blushes, looking away from the inspecting amber eyes. "You're…my first patient for such treatment. And my last."   Blade can't help but chuckle at that, earning the doctor's undivided attention. The swordsman cups his cheeks, pulling Luocha closer. "As obnoxious as that treatment is, I'm more than delighted to receive it from you."   "So, you're going to ask for CPR for your cock in the future?"   "That was a bad joke you're pulling but, I'll take that offer."   Their lips touch, innocently.   "We…should clean ourselves up. It's almost dinner and we haven't prepared anything," Luocha is the first to get off the bed, he doesn't mind about Blade's cum dripping down the cleft of his ass.   And the swordsman doesn't seem to shy away from the lusty view as well. In fact, he seems…interested.   "If you want another round, please do it after we fill our stomachs. I'm hungry, Ren."   Blade glances away and gets up from the bed, making his way alongside Luocha to the bathroom.   [The End…]

dancing in a white dress

['miravrse']

Teen And Up Audiences

Gen

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game), 崩坏3rd | Honkai Impact 3rd (Video Game)

Himeko & March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail), Himeko & Welt Yang (Honkai: Star Rail)

Danheng (Honkai: Star Rail), Murata Himeko

Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Angst, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Childhood Trauma, Ambiguous Relationships, Found Family, Not Canon Compliant, Canon Universe

English

2022-06-07

Completed

2022-06-07

12,740

1/1

3

197

43

2,689

['Astrae_17', 'A_bored_writer_for_fun', 'captinartemis', 'boredycat', 'MintyMiks', 'nvme1942', 'ReverieSage', 'flooringdemon', 'Reddaemon', 'Camelia_Sumori', 'TheKwingDoctor', 'Haperlink', 'LikeMorph', 'GoodGrief_Itsa_drag', 'fishybre', 'Odds_of_life', 'Void_Watcher0907', 'CopperPolyphony', 'Rin_Hawaki', 'Silver_drag0n', 'FleetingWaves', 'Awkward_Hooman', 'Chronyx', 'PancakeFlowers', 'stellarseas', 'fanficgrillx2', '2003719', 'grag', 'rvzen', 'Lenkasashi', 'JustXary', 'koopermine', 'autismsubway', 'Red__Fox', 'delixir', 'WaterRose3', 'p3paula', 'jae3_3', 'I_Feel_Lonely_While_Reading', 'NamelessDandelion', 'Sytuational', 'HansyJockey', 'EstIgnis', 'WhiteVolder', 'aqvariux', 'kei_akari', 'SkyLine0610', 'Noxtorious', 'ilikedyinglight123', 'MrM_31']

[]

“What if reincarnation is actually a thing?” Then. Himeko looks into the ochre hues of the semi-opaque tea, watching as the flakes of grounded tea leaves sink to the bottom of the cup. She narrows her eyes at the question, not because of its nature, but because of her failure to conjure an answer. She holds it at an awkward position between drinking it and not, close enough for the steam to hit her face but not any closer. Himeko can see the teenage girl squirming around in her seat in her peripheral vision, vibrating with excitement as she always is. She sets her cup down against the plate in her other hand. “It isn’t.” It is a simple answer meant to put an end to the meaningless question and of course, somebody of her calibur shouldn’t be wasting any time pondering on such things at all. With the arrival of Trailblazers with an intention to embark on a nameless conquest, she ought to prepare the Astral Express instead of wasting her time, sipping a cup of tea while winter seeps through the cracks in the windows. She feels a shiver run down her spine; although, the mere cold would be a doubtful cause. “Really?” March 7th asks, and the former would think that the young girl is too curious for her own good. There is no time for questions like that when there is always something waiting to go wrong, and when it does, Himeko should be composed enough to attend to it immediately. At some point, she has been told that pragmatism doesn’t fit her character and she never struck as the stoic, no-bullshit kind but she doubts anybody has known her well enough to judge. “Yes, Mar, really,” Himeko replies, taking another sip from her tea. She holds the cup in its limbo state again as she turns her chin faintly in the direction of the window. She sees the same view that she expects, that of livid blue. There is only ever any time to breathe when the world is dull like this—when, for once, everything is not vehemently at conflict with each other. “I don’t understand why you’re looking at me like that,” Himeko frowns, finally placing her cup down. She doesn’t mean to be annoyed. Her feelings catch up to her many atime before she means for them to, and she counts on the fact that the people around her can forgive her for it. March 7th is easy-going, and has an awfully big heart—enough for forgiveness. Sitting on the other side of the table with a pout held for too long, Mar makes a stubborn sound. Himeko wonders if her attitude has soured their relationship for good this time. She folds her hands and organises them carefully on her lap, exhaling a sigh. She has always had a soft spot for the girl, and she rarely denies answers to her endless questions when it comes to their conversations scattered between every now and then. But Himeko cannot muster the answer she would like, something calm and collected or supported with data. It irks her because she has thought about it too—in moments of foolishness, of course. “Reincarnation. It’s simply not probable. Souls don’t stay anywhere when people die, they simply vanish. People don’t re-exist again, there’s no need for them to.” “How do you know if there’s a need for them or not?” Mar tries to scry, still trying to push her question. She’s fidgeting in her chair with that same enthusiasm as when she’s talking about her photos, or drinking a glass of overly-sweet milk, or discussing her many fantasies in escape from her past. “No, hear me out! There has to be people in the world who did not die satisfactorily, or their purposes were never fulfilled. It couldn’t just end there! They would come back, wouldn’t they?” “It could, and they wouldn’t,” Himeko states dimly. “The world hasn’t been around for long enough for it to be reusing souls, especially ones that can be traced. I don’t know what you would do with the information, really.” It dawns on her, then, as she’s staring at the remnants of her tea in the porcelain cup that she has been looking everywhere except at Mar while speaking. It’s strange for her, when eye contact is hardly anything more than basic courtesy. Moreover, she is rarely so unforthcoming, and it’s not that she has had anything beyond an average day. At moments like this, Himeko would like to point out that the world is more difficult than it seems, that they are running on seconds and not years, and there is no time to waste on pleasantries. She could think of a million things that are wrong and could worsen within the blank of an eye—then, Mar simply whines, “You’re no fun!” and it’s like a stab to the heart. Separated only by a table and thin air, there is not a lot stopping either of them from leaving the table. Mar starts to tinker with the camera in her hands, and it’s a sign that she’s lost complete interest in the conversation. Himeko presses her back against the cushions which, for the first time, feel too stiff against her back. She closes her eyes for an intimate moment and curses herself for not holding her tongue, or not feigning enough care to last the conversation. It’s egotistical for her to think that Mar doesn’t know enough about hardship without her lectures when they’re both orphans—only for different amounts of time. It doesn’t make much of a difference, at the end of the day. Himeko picks up her cup of tea again and even the handle of the cup has since lost the heat of her fingers once holding it. She sees her amber eyes staring back at her, glinting and faintly glowing like gemstones against the mellow tea. She narrows her eyes, vaguely intrigued, but her silence only leaves with more questions and none of the ones before are ever answered. “If you could prove to me that,” Himeko begins, peering over her cup to catch a glimpse of Mar. “...reincarnation is real, then I will hear you out.” “You’re being for-real?” Mar raises an eyebrow, utterly surprised by the possibility. It’s disappointing. Himeko hums in acknowledgement and later, nods her head in confirmation. She hides a twinge of guilt behind a small smile as she watches Mar leap up from her seat with renewed excitement. Her eyes twinkle like the brilliant stars and with willpower, enough to incite a supernova. “Welt was talking about it with me, the other day. He was researching the possibility of reincarnations, and well, recovering memories. It’s like—er, he explained it with geometry and I suck at maths.” “Welt?” Himeko clarifies, stifling a laugh. “He’s a storyboard artist, and retired from this research business forever ago. He’s probably trying to humour you, at best.” Mar presses her hand down on the table, leaning forward. She has her ‘focus-on-me’ frown equipped, which only happens when she can tell Himeko’s not taking her seriously. It’s an effective weapon of hers and it catches the older woman’s attention when it needs to but the conversation has dragged on for ages, almost, and they are better off going to bed than continuing it. Himeko glances over as she needs to and Mar raises her voice, “I’m serious.” Nothing changes. “Fine, do you know APHO?” “APHO?” Himeko’s brows crease. She reaches to take another sip out of her tea but peering down, she realises her cup has been empty for a while. Her fingers gradually loosen around the handle and she sits up properly against the seat. “What do you mean ‘do you know APHO’, of course, I know—” Himeko babbles, and it’s a decibel away from becoming a scolding. “Then, what if…” Mar holds her finger in the air, hanging it in the uninterrupted silence. She makes a face, stretching forward and darting her eyes away like she expects Himeko to interject somewhere. Her shoulders sag when it hits her that she’s better off talking than expecting any engagement from the latter, who is almost down to her third success at ruining the conversation. “What if there was a world before APHO? Before the Honkai were sealed to the moon.” Himeko finds that the possibility disturbs her brain… too much. She finds herself being pulled back into what is a terrifying moment of silence as the world around her fades into a void. She tries to move her face—slowly pressing her lips together or inching her hand across her lap, but the movements are so subtle and she begins to feel stuck in this liminal space. Before the Honkai were sealed… Honkai… Honkai… Himeko hears, feels the words churning at the back of her mind and it slowly reaches her stomach, this worser feeling doubling with each second. She sees flashes of unfamiliar memories and she tries to blink, to snap herself out of this dark, dark place that has consumed her. She doesn’t feel like she is in the same body anymore, but looking down—she sees the same flesh and skin, the same furiously red hair. Himeko recognises something in these memories that aren’t her own and she starts to hear thudding… one, two, three, two, two, three… It goes on, and on like clockwork in lost time. “Himeko? Himeko?” a voice calls out to her and the shrill sounds start moving faster, out of control. Himeko feels the pressure of a million sounds, forcing against her ears with immense speed. She cannot feel a single part of her body, except the numbness that echoes through it. “Himeko!” the distant voice yells, louder than before and Himeko snaps out of it. It happens so suddenly, and with a single breath, that she doesn’t realise when it happens. She feels breathless and she lowers her eyes. “What happened?” A bead of cold sweat trickles down her forehead, and it’s only the first sign that she has gone through something on the brink of disastrous. Himeko muffles a grimace as her head starts to throb, the only confirmation that the past few minutes were real and not, merely, fiction. She stands up, so out of it that she doesn’t fix her dress out of habit or picks up her dirty cup out of obligation. “I’ll head to bed.” She doesn’t look anywhere else. “What about your—” March 7th cries. She watches with a scowl as Himeko strides away, wordlessly. ─────── Melancholy slithers into the dimly lit room—timely, as it always is. Most situations hardly call for such, if any, melodrama but there is something about the breathless feeling that still remains that leaves Himeko stuck on the question from before. She plummets against the bed and bites her nails, staring blankly at the clean arrangement of her things, placed where they should be. Himeko searches the room for anything that could be desperately wrong, something out of place, but her gaze falls on the mirror across her room. She looks at herself, her reflection that is impartial and speaks the complete truth. She feels it again, the rush in her veins and the blood coursing through her body. Such a vivid sensation; like she was suddenly aware of every movement, and could touch her soul. By now or a little later, she would’ve been tucked into bed. She would’ve been loading fuel into the tank that fuels the train. She would’ve been lingering in one of the quiet corners of this place, watching something distantly. But no, something about that darned question—it leaves her thinking, what if? It’s dangerous enough. There may be no place in this galaxy for what-ifs but she had forgotten there are more than she can count, and it presents enough opportunity for something bizarre… unthinkable. Himeko would frown upon the question and if that split moment had not happened—perhaps she does still. She pulls her eyes away from the mirror and stares at the mess lying in front of her. She stands and starts walking towards the clean desk, with not a single loose paper in sight, and her hands start reaching for things they don’t know. “Honkai… A world when the Honkai were not sealed…” she chants the words under her breath, daring them to overcome her like the first time. Himeko pulls papers out from colour-coded files and yanks out folders with documents from the time she spent studying the many phenomena that engulfed the universe and spat it out in a ruined state. Surviving APHO as an abandoned child was not easy and with needing the knowledge to rebuild the Astral Rail, came the unquenchable curiosity of why everything happened the way it did. Perchance, it was worse because it was an aftermath of something she never experienced; which leads her to think, for an aftermath, there needs to be a tragedy that caused it. Something before the Sky people, when humanity lived well. When they invaded, they came for a particular thing—an energy that could destroy mankind as they know it. Himeko spreads her papers out on the desk, each sprawled with notes till there are hardly any gaps on the pages. She flips through studies and receipts and documents of findings from years ago, scavenged from the space station or pried out of office catalogues. In the midst of her search, Himeko’s hands reach an article she bookmarked aeons ago, it seems. She pulls it out, and in its clean states, assumes she has never touched it. Written by an anonymous author, it looks to be an archived report on who the Sky people were. She holds it with nimble touch and walks distractedly in the direction of her bed. She takes slow, counted steps forward, dragging her thumb against the page. APHO: WHAT HAPPENED? Anonymous ● 2026 To anybody who’s alive and capable of reading this, you must have been through APHO, the post-apocalyptic shit-show that we know it to be. We, being humans, were inclined to think it was the aftermath of a problem because the world was already in ruins when it had begun. Cities were destroyed and in ruin, and some countries simply ceased to exist because of the Honkai. Not to say that they were the cause of most destruction, when humans had a lot to blame. They were only the beginning to something which would prove itself to be a downward spiral and the gradual destruction of humankind. APHO was a problem within a problem. It was an issue within itself, and it was not simply suffering in the wasteland that was left as a result of the Honkai Impact. Despite the expectations I may have set with the header, I won’t be able to tell you who the Sky people are or where they came from. They’re an unknown, invasive alien species that sought to destroy humankind with the remaining Honkai energy that we could not seal to the moon. So, in some ways, maybe APHO was a consequence—not an aftermath. Then, you might wonder, where did the Honkai energy come from? It was always there. It has been there since the beginning of the world, during the birth of the galaxies. ‘Life’ has always been a raging battle between humanity and the thing that sought to destroy it. It was created to worsen parallelly to the humans’ technological advancement—no matter how hard we tried, we could never escape it. It was an ambitious and, partful, wishful belief to trust that the Honkai would be gone for good once we sealed them in the moon. There is nobody to blame, apart from hope itself. Before APHO—Earth was so much worse. There were monsters and beastly creatures, each so inhumanely that a mere thought of them could make a human’s blood run cold. There were things with robotic talons and wings, or ones so big that a single punch would end a human life. And, of course, there were the ‘gods’ among them, but they were humans too. Herrschers only caused more harm than good, rarely by choice. Most of them could not control themselves. Needless to say, there were organisations who fought the Honkai valiantly to protect humankind. Though, by the end of it, it only seemed like Anti-Entropy cared about saving anybody. Corruption was inevitable, but the extent it reached was unforeseeable and we suffered. The most commendable group were the Valkyries, who were battle maidens who fought against the Honkai beasts and sometimes, amongst themselves. I could think of many names— But there is no point in mourning dead angels. I, oftentimes, wonder if those surviving after APHO would like to know what happened during the original Honkai Impact in the first place. This article may never see the light of day, and I may make sure of it myself. I wrote it out of rage, but my frustration has since dwindled and I realise, now, that there is no point knowing what happened back then. They’re gone. Most of them are, and there’s no point searching for what once was. Although, since I have written this anyways with the presumption of an audience—I will surmise the contents of this article with an analogy. To explain in mathematical terms, think of the planet as a sphere and put humanity at its very centre. From whichever point on the circumference you draw a line to, the radius would always be the same. So, here, I tell you this: there is no life beyond us. Regardless of the direction we walk in, we are doomed to face the same ending. Himeko tightens the grip around the page. It crumples in her grip as she stares at the words, sounding so bitter and cynical, as though the author had lived through it all. Her gaze circles back to the end of the paper, where she reads the analogy under her breath. She furrows her eyebrows, anticipating an impending realisation. It doesn’t hit her. Himeko lifts her head from the paper and looks outside, beyond the window of her cabin. “Ah,” the careful epiphany dawns on her belatedly and her hands relax. She stands up, stalking firmly towards the open door of her cabin. She halts at the door as she hears the slow rumble of the gears, then the pattering of something hard against metal. Himeko feels a presence ghost across the corridor and a chill passes beneath her skin. Looking at the empty corridor of the train, she looks back down to the paper and takes a step back. “I should retire for the night,” she says groggily, reluctantly shutting the door. As the lights dim, she starts to think, what if reincarnation is actually a thing? ─────── Himeko awakes to complete darkness. In the far distance, she sees a waning light shine upon her as she opens her eyes groggily. She sits up, hearing the howl of heavy wind passing. It doesn’t faze her initially, but it slowly sinks in that her body is lighter than it should be. Himeko presses her lips thinly, running her fingers against her skin which has gotten so pale that it is passably translucent. She stands up, finding herself in what seems like a desolate wasteland, at first. Did I die in my sleep? she thinks, scrutinising her surroundings, or what little she sees of it in the pitch darkness. Then, Himeko recognises a pattern in the trees and how they’re placed. She finds familiarity in the silhouettes surrounding her and her eyes widen with realisation. Before she can act on it, something brushes past her, halting her mid-thought. I’m… Himeko finds a girl with dull red hair tottering past with wobbly steps. She stops in front of a tree, lugging a bag that’s almost half the weight of her body. As the strong wind sends ice and hail tumbling towards her tiny body, she curls over weakly. She wraps her arms around her abdomen and squats against the cold ground. A deadly coldness fills her up from within, shaking away the humanly warmth that should be left within her. She tries to raise her head but it feels as though her neck has been frozen stiff and her eyelashes are rough with snow. Himeko looks down at her own hands, how they’re only a twinge paler than normal but in no state of concern. She takes a step forward, closer to the little girl but her presence is ignored. She scrapes her hand against a tree and steps on a twig but nothing she does reaches the child. Himeko clenches her jaw in frustration, and deduces that she has, once again, fallen into a nightmare she cannot save herself from. It always begins this way—in a vague part of her childhood, with her watching as the distant narrator. The small girl tries to rub crumbs of snow out of her eyes; an attempt which proves itself to be futile. It’s too cold for her to use her head but at eleven years old, there’s not much for her to use. Stuck in what seems to be a wintry abyss, the only probable ending that awaits her is death. She remains in her position, squatting against a tree in the woods as the coldness captures her from within. Himeko feels a pang in her chest—watching this younger version of herself suffering alone. She runs forward, trying to do anything to help and ease the pain which would later remain as trauma but she fails time and time again. As the girl’s knees grow weaker with time, she slides her back against the bark and falls with a heavy thud. Her gaze starts to flicker as her eyelids struggle to bear the weight of her creeping fatigue. She feels something sinister and cold crap its hands around her neck, squeezing the last bit of air out of her lungs as she fights to survive with this small body. Upon leaving the town, Himeko was sure that her frail body would not survive the wrath of the winter winds. She stretches her legs out against the ground and rests her head against the support of the tree. “It hurts… Mom, it hurts…” “Save me… Mom, save me…” “You’re not… really gone, are you? Mom…” Himeko falls to her knees, tears welling in her eyes as she sees the little girl within her writhe. She shivers and agony continues to burn from within, leaving her cold. Himeko tries to hold her hand, mumbling, your mom isn’t here but I will be. If she had known back then that even an older version of herself was watching her omnipresently, her heart would have been lighter. Her hand lies on top of the girl’s and she knows, for a fact, the girl will live because years later, she’s in her twenties and the owner of a railway. Still, Himeko’s heart struggles to accept this grief. Get up, and go. If you walk forward, you’ll see a railway and you’ll find shelter there. Himeko tries to tell her, but the words evaporate into a whisper before they leave her tongue. She tries to pat the little girl on the shoulder, urging her to open her eyes and go on so she wouldn’t have to suffer this pain in the merciless cold. Soon enough, a flicker of hope ignites within the girl’s chest as she sits up, with the renewed determination to go on living. You will make it alive. Go on. Himeko stands in unison with her, pressing a hand against her back to push her along the right road. She follows, walking step-by-step along the way. A second later, she blinks to ease the itch in her eyes and when she does, something changes. Himeko doesn’t realise it at first, but the younger girl has vanished and she’s now alone in the hellish forest. She turns on her heel, calling, where are you? Himeko, where are you? She doesn’t find the little girl she lost. Behind, she hears agile footsteps cutting through the silence in the air. Himeko snaps her head around in the direction of the sound, and her arms fall limp to her sides. She stares at the woman in front of her, with the same fiery red hair and amber eyes—but there is something critically different between them two. She’s wearing a shabby military uniform, armed with gear that Himeko has never seen before. Her hair is tied deftly into a messy bun, a style she has never tried in her life. The woman is much younger than her, and if this had to be a memory, then somewhere during her adolescent years. She locks eyes with Himeko like they can see each other, but she remains frozen in her place like something is awry. She only moves when she catches movement lurking within the darkness, upon which she hides behind the bark of a tree. Himeko moves towards her cautiously, barely able to believe her eyes. Her clone doesn’t seem to have noticed her at all, from the way she’s acting like Himeko isn’t standing there. She’s rummaging through her bag for—canned spam, it looks like, moments later. Himeko pauses at what she determines to be a safe distance. She is hesitant to reach forward, to continue with the knowledge that something is not normal. She takes another step towards the impostor version of herself who’s presently eating ‘cooked’ spam fresh from the can. When she stretches a hand forward, she feels a pressure pushing her backwards, forbidding her from going any closer. Himeko goes closer again and bends, trying to call out to this part of herself she cannot recall. Who are you? The woman looks up and now, much closer, their eyes meet again. Himeko holds her stare, but there is this voidness in her eyes that makes her flinch. Brushing her fingertips against the silhouette of the woman, then, slams her with a sensation she has never felt before. She feels a fire ignite at the very tips of her fingers and a blinding light emerges from where their skin makes contact. I am you. Like she’d torn the fabric of reality itself, Himeko is pushed back with great force where she plummets into steep darkness. Again, and again. ─────── Himeko wakes up in cold sweat, chasing a ray of sunshine. She flinches and a tremor passes through her entire body, leaving her sore against the bed. She pushes herself up hesitantly with her elbows, propping herself in that position for a long while as she verifies that she’s not stuck in that godforsaken dream. Himeko massages her aching forehead, closing her eyes again. She feels a weight overcome her, pushing her back into another slumber. “What a dream,” she groans, fighting the temptation to sleep. She wakes up for good, not wanting to relapse into a cycle of nightmares. Himeko rubs her face with her hands till it’s flushed red like her hair and stares distantly ahead. She can hear the song of the morning birds outside, and the flutter of their wings, trying to rouse her from the bed. A buttery ray of sunshine tries to reach her, falling till a certain part of the floor while barely brushing her foot. She taps her hand against her cheek in thought. It’s peculiar. In the foreground, she hears Mar screaming, “Breakfast’s ready!” and Himeko finds it best to rise, unless she wants a visitor peeking in through the slit window at the door. She glances toward the mirror and fixes her dress, if only it would make her look any less shaken than she does. She completes her morning routine whilst spending all of the time in her mind, detached from the world. Himeko remains this way until she reaches the main cabin, with Mar and Danheng. It has become a tradition, over the years, to wait for the staff to gather in one place before they begin meals. There’s rarely anybody around beyond the four of them—including Welt who has, since his arrival around a year ago, somehow found himself a place in the hearts of the staff despite spending more time in his cabin than seeing the light of day. “Mornin’,” Himeko greets, announcing her presence. “Finally!” Mar exclaims, and it’s a relief that she’s in the better of her two moods this morning. Not that the alternative is much worse, but she’d let out a grimace if anybody showed up too late and make it everybody’s problem to improve her mood. It isn’t hard, most of the time. “Danheng made pancakes for the first time so you’re going to try them with me!” she grins, sliding a plate across the table. Himeko presses her lips thinly at the pancakes shaped like HOMU, more worried about the burnt edges than she would be about the form it’s in. She can be sure those belong to Danheng and surely enough, when she looks up, she sees him looking at her with expectant eyes. He wouldn’t say it out loud, to be sure, but he can be soft. Himeko would hate to ruin the mood, even though she’s sour as it is. Instead, she clears her throat and tears a piece of the overcooked—not burnt, Mar clarifies—pancake and stuffs it into her mouth quickly. She swallows. She feels the taste of burnt batter linger on her tongue, even after. To save face, Himeko changes the topic. “Is Welt not going to join us?” I was hoping to interrogate him. “Nope,” Mar chirrups, chewing on her pancake zealously. “He’s in his cabin, doing research or something—oh! Speaking of research… about that question from yesterday—” Himeko stands up, interrupting her in the middle of her sentence. She mumbles an excuse under her breath and turns on her heel, her mind stirring a hurricane upon recollecting the tumultuous nightmare from the night before. She feels a hollowness at the bottom of her stomach, unquenchable, and convinces herself she wouldn’t be able to stomach an ounce of breakfast even if she tried. Without taking even a sip out of her tea, Himeko walks with haste steps in the direction of Welt’s cabin. In the wake of her sudden leave, Danheng frowns at her uneaten pancakes, slowly patted by Mar who tries to convince him that “he’s not that bad of a cook.” ─────── “What did you mean when you said ‘Himeko, you’re alive?’ when we first met?” Himeko imposes her presence upon the self-proclaimed artist as she stands at the door of his cabin, forcing him to answer her question while he can’t run. Welt has a way of slipping out of conversations and inconvenient situations with the help of distraction and his skilled tongue. But with Himeko standing at the door, he has nowhere to flee and even if he tried, she’d only come back with the question again. His frown deepens into a scowl, visibly unhappy by the fact that he’s being backed into a corner. Previously sitting in a chair, he now stands while sorting a couple of storyboard sketches in his hand, shaking his head in denial. For a while, Welt speaks solely to himself, grumbling incoherently under his breath. “It was nothing,” he says, feigning total ignorance. Of course, if he can’t run, he’ll avoid the situation altogether. Tactical; everything is, about him. “Mar was talking about your reincarnation research yesterday, how you were investigating the chances of it being an actual phenomenon,” Himeko steps forward, leaning her hip against her hand. She balances her weight on one of her legs and stands with attitude, threatening him with the expectation of a proper answer. Welt will cut corners if he has to—he’ll only do what’s right in his definition. “So,” she adds, expecting him to continue after her. She’s giving him the chance to speak on his own. “So?” He avoids her gaze, continuing to shift around the room even though there’s no space. Himeko narrows her eyes at him, wondering why he’s denying the conversation so fervently. He is open about his research, especially when it comes to his storyboarding. He could go on for hours about the nitty-gritty details of his animations—each curve and line, finding meaning in the little things. But there’s more to this if it means Welt can’t talk about it, and she must scry the reason for it. “So, what is the probability of reincarnation being real?” Himeko inquires. “And I know you know something because I found one of your articles and I know, for a fact, that you know what happened before APHO.” Welt’s hands stiffen around the papers and gradually, he stops pacing around the room. The change is as subtle as the widening of eyes in shock, or a gasp of surprise. It’s his way of realising that there is no way to deny and pray the tension would ease itself. He looks up at her for the second time since her arrival and the glare which once was has whittled down into something softer, but dispirited. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve written too many articles to know—” he lies, striding forward. He tries to flee through the open door but Himeko slams it shut with her foot and pins him against the wall. “Don’t lie to me, Welt,” she warns, no longer smiling. There is a harsh edge to her tone that rarely reveals itself, apart from the instances that she is deeply agitated. Himeko is tired of chasing for answers when she is only asking for something solid—not hours of his time or even his thousand pages of research, but only one-word answers to questions which should be easy for a man of his calibre. “Tell me why you sounded like you knew me before, the very first time we met.” Welt doesn’t bear even an ounce of fear in his eyes, despite being backed up into a wall this way. He holds her gaze with his pretentious confidence and keeps his lips firmly shut in a scowl. A moment later, he rolls his tongue over his mouth reluctantly—considering a lie, but he admits, “I knew somebody like you, a long time ago. You looked identical and I thought you were her so the words slipped out of my mouth before I could hold them back.” “And?” Himeko asks when he turns his face away. “I was going to ask you about it, eventually… for my research. After thinking about it for a while, it felt wrong and I wasn’t going to tell anybody,” Welt’s scowl deepens. He pushes his glasses higher up his nose bridge and folds his arms stubbornly, no longer willing to impart any more information. His Adam’s apple bobs up and down as he tries to swallow the bitter feeling at the back of his throat and the nervousness being stirred at the bottom of her stomach. Himeko’s lips twitch into a disbelieving smile as she finally stumbles backwards, unable to believe the audacity of his man. “Besides, the research is complete bullshit and something like reincarnation—” “What if it isn’t?” Himeko yells, cutting him off mid-sentence. He lapses into a silence, only punctuated by the sound of heavy breathing. “What if I told you that it’s real, and that I know what happened back in my last life? I mean, how could you not tell me this crucial information, what if I got hurt or something worse—” she scolds, clenching her fists with rage. Welt inches towards her, trying to hold her hand. She shakes it off immediately, angling her face away so he wouldn’t be able to see the mess that’s left of her. She’s better off running now, when she has the chance of not divulging too much information but everything would go to waste, then, and there would have been no point for her to go through it all. Himeko feels her chest getting heavier as her breathing speeds up, one two three, one two… one-thousand, two-thousand. “What happened?” Welt asks her, till his voice is wilted by the sound of crashing tides. Himeko opens her eyes and is engulfed by the darkness from within, standing in the middle of a fury of waves that try to drag her into an abyss of forgotten memories. She tries to scream but she only manages a gasp and then—somewhere, she finds a date… two-thousand… two-thousand, fourteen… Then, she hears a snap of fingers and the blackness fades away. Her pupils dilate as she watches everything from the past and beyond melting away again, far out of her reach. Beneath her fingertips, she feels something soft and sees Welt waiting in front of her. “Himeko?” he beckons. “I was alive… before, in this world,” Himeko breathes out, and the conclusion crashes with so much finality that goosebumps prick against her skin and erupt with a wave of disappointment. She buries her face in her hand and pushes her hair out of her eyes because it had, annoyingly, been sticking to her skin. She looks up at the man standing before her and she chokes out, with what strength remains in her, “I had a dream last night, and there was a woman in it that looked exactly like me. It felt like a memory, but I know that the memory isn’t mine. I’ve been having flashbacks since yesterday—and now, I have a year… two-thousand and fourteen? Twenty-fourteen?” Welt’s expression softens, remembering something. He lifts his hand to face and cups it over his mouth, exhaling deeply upon hearing her confession. He closes his eyes and pauses in thought, ultimately nodding his head at the deduction he reaches. “I… I see,” he says. “To answer your question, then, there is a hundred-percent chance of reincarnation being real. Like yours.” His lips tug into a half-smile. “You knew who I was!” Himeko points, standing. She does so too quickly and staggers backward, eventually plummeting onto the bed after kicking her ankle too hard against the edge. She winces but she continues to stare at him in the eye, woefully obstinate. She sees his shoulders visibly sag as he, once again, shows his disinterest in answering her question. Himeko, having only broken out her trance minutes ago and in a desperate search for the truth of herself, “I deserve to know. You can’t withhold that information from me, especially if you know what happened in my past!” “Yes, I can,” Welt reminds, pressing his lips into a line. “There is a reason the world works the way it does and there is also one that justifies why we don’t remember memories from our past births. Trying to scry them out is only going to cause suffering. Any knowledge of what happened back then will die with me,” he tells her firmly. Himeko looks back at him like an obstinate child, as though her forceful gaze would do anything to persuade him, or change his mind. She tightens her fists against the bed and swallows the urge to destroy everything within his space so he would know the pain of starting over from scratch, not knowing how to return things the way they were before. “What if I have an unfulfilled purpose? A reason I was reborn in this body?” Himeko frowns, rising once again. Even when she feels like she may give in to the weakness in her knees, she clutches onto the rods of the bed firmly to hold herself up. Her heart drums loudly in her chest, urging her to pummel her words towards him and leave him with the same collateral damage of unfulfillment. “What if I died on a mission and never got to complete it—” Welt winces, turning his head away with jarring speed. Himeko notices it. “That’s how I died, didn’t I?” she questions, standing upright. He avoids her gaze and turns his back to her, allowing her to drive herself mad with the silence imposed by his unwillingness. He shifts his papers around on his desk. “I failed a mission?” she verifies. Welt refuses to indulge her. “In year twenty-fourteen, I—” Himeko raises her voice, talking so loudly that her voice echoes within the room. Any louder, and it might ricochet throughout the entire train. A hand presses against her lips, forcing her to shut her mouth before her problem involves every other person around them. Welt hardens his jaw as he meets her defiant eyes, none of them the wiser. He retracts his hand away from her only when he’s certain she won’t act up again. He begins, “You were a carefree woman—good humour, laughed at everything. You were a valiant fighter as well, and had the admiration of many students. That is how we met in your past life. We happened to be teaching at a specialised academy, one of few in the world. You did not fail your mission, to be frank. It was an unfortunate event and you happened to be in the midst of it.” He says this in the most monotonous, unfeeling voice; as though, trying to shove away any unnecessary emotion and carefully packing it aside to a remote place in his mind. Himeko blinks her eyes, and sees a nameless feeling flash over his face— She’d forgotten how bizarre it must be to see the reincarnation of somebody he once knew. Himeko takes a step backwards, combing her hair back with her hand. “...What would I have wanted to do?” “Knowing you, your last wish would have been to dance in the rain, having no care for the world. You sought simple things, even in times of hardship. Quite unlike you, in this life,” he comments, almost snarkily if he’s capable of it. Himeko squints at him, circling her mind around his bare attempt at an insult, if that’s what it was. The ghost of a smirk lingers on her smile as she looks back at him, though only he would know that she has lost her habitual twinge of mischief since her past form. “I’d be willing to bet you were a history teacher,” she tells him, walking towards the door. Himeko tucks his answer to a corner of her mind where it will be safe until she is alone to ponder on it. Welt cocks his head in confusion. “And if I was?” he asks. “Your ancient mind could only like history, after all,” she strides, hooking her fingers around the door as she opens it. Noticing a frown return to his face, she lets out a chuckle and speaks up again, only to humour herself after the trouble she went through. “Thank you for the information, old man.” And even as she walks out, Himeko could be sure that he’s frowning like the grinch; unbeknownst of the amused smile on his face at her predictability. ─────── By nightfall, Himeko lies at the back of the train—by the open carriage with her legs swinging. It would have been warmer if they were parked at the station, where the glass mirage would’ve protected them from the snow. She leans her head against the cold, metal wall, accustomed to its temperature with how long she has been lingering here. For a moment, she tips her head up to the moon where, in all its glory, she sees the craters glowing, and much bigger than Himeko recalls. Her unsaid words topple out of her mouth in a sigh as she closes her eyes shut and tries to accept the peace of the night. It has been a long time since she has chosen to relax like this—although she used to do this many times before. It has been a long time since her conversation with Welt (one week, to be exact) and she hasn’t been the same, with the knowledge. Himeko’s eyelids flutter open again as she hears footsteps thudding against the ground. She can feel the vibrations against her skin, where she’s seated, and she deduces that somebody is running around in the carriage. It could only be one person, whose presence requires no alertness. Himeko lets her body relax under the cover of the stars, speculating what she would’ve been like in a different body. She feels the question tug at her heartstrings every now and then, even when she has tried to move on with her life like Welt advised her to—in all ways, easier said than done. She can’t imagine herself in the past that isn’t so far behind—a former friend, teacher, colleague to people who might still be alive at this time. Himeko furrows her eyebrows as the bitter taste of wine comes to memory, in tow with her speculations. It has been a long time since she has drunk it, or gotten anywhere close to enjoying luxuries beyond what keeps her alive. A version of herself that isn’t so proper all the time, wearing messy buns and carefree—Himeko frowns even more. Was I ever like that? Then, she’d remember that she and the person in the mirror aren’t the same. She’d only taken what was necessary from the last life; a warning and a lesson, maybe that’s why she’s so wary and unlike the cheerful, trusting woman she was in the last. It’s the law of nature—there is nobody to blame here. Himeko feels, with much agony, another part of herself wither away at the incompleteness of the thought. Mar reaches her before her mind is tipped off the edge into thinking anything bad, her steps gradually getting slower as she slows into a walk. “Can I join you?” she asks, first, because she recently learned about courtesy. Upon hearing a consenting hum, she smiles and takes a seat beside Himeko, in the little space there is for the two of them to share. “Are you alright?” she asks, again, and it’s the only chance she has had over the past week since the beginning of the unfortunate series of events. “I will be,” she replies curtly, not leaving room for false promises. Mar looks over her shoulder with a pout, noticing how out of it Himeko seems, even with the week coming to an end. She reaches forward without warning and tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear, a dopey smile on her face. Himeko turns her head, taken aback by the gesture. “Mar, I’m fine,” she insists, and the lie unravels itself. “Welt wanted me to tell you not to be so hard on yourself,” Mar explains, gently patting the older woman on the shoulder. Himeko scrutinises her face for a few seconds, wondering if she knows anything she shouldn’t—the young girl is certainly talented enough to scry information, with enough willpower. “He didn’t tell me what it was about but he wanted you to not… think,” she recalls. Himeko makes a face. Typical. “If only it were that easy,” she sighs, turning her head away again. She inhales deeply as the wind blows by once more, bringing with it dead, discoloured leaves and the scent of thorns and brambles. It takes imagination to find joy in murky blues like this. Mar fidgets in her peripheral vision, trying to think of appropriate things to say. Instead of talking, she pulls out her neon-blue camera and clicks the shutter. With a bright flash, the camera beeps and Himeko snaps her head towards the younger girl. “Mar—” she starts, annoyance causing her cheeks to flush red. Then, the teenager tinkers with the camera and leans towards her as though she’s not seconds away from a scolding. Himeko’s breath hitches as she looks at the version of herself captured in the camera. Unlike what she would’ve expected of herself—her face is glowing. Her eyes are shining bright like gemstones and her hair looks perfectly lit, even when their only light source is the lantern above head. “Oh… That’s a very pretty picture,” she praises, hardly able to believe she could look this way. Himeko rests her hand on her lap, cracking a smile at the photograph. “Well, if I wasn’t fine before, I’m better now,” she reassures, tilting her head up to the sky. Then, she feels her heart rest in its place, and she leans her head idly against the wall behind her. “You’re welcome!” Mar replies boisterously, enthusiasm knowing no bounds. She looks up from her camera, moments later, glancing in Himeko’s direction with hesitance. She opens her mouth, thinking of saying something, before closing it again. Even though she’s silent, Himeko notices her from the corner of her eye. She jerks her head, egging her on to spit it out already. “I was wondering what Welt meant by not thinking about ‘it’… what’s it?” she questions. Himeko hums in reply, though she knows it’s no answer. She feels a tingle against her skin and a bright light erupts in the bright sky overhead—before flashes of cosmic light start travelling across the deep blue. She straightens her back against the wall and her eyes widen as she takes in the glorious sight from her distance; the beauty of falling stars. Mar tilts her head belatedly and instantly, a gasp of amazement slips out of her lips. “It’s so cool!” she squeals, flailing her arms into the air. Himeko whispers a wish against her lips. I want to fulfil the debts from my past life. She opens her eyes again and all remains the same, except an epiphany that piques her curiosity. She inches her hand a fraction closer to the younger girl’s, trying to catch her attention. Bewitched by the stars, needless to say, Mar doesn’t notice her miniscule gesture. “Hypothetically,” she begins, as with all questions that aren’t meant to be hypothetical. “If I was looking for a person… probably from a long time ago, tied to a certain organisation or place, where would I start looking for them? Assuming I know nothing about them, except their hair and, vaguely, what they look like.” “Are you searching for yourself?” Mar sits up, and the question is asked with such high-pitched excitement that the latter wonders if it’s only to mask the gravity of her question. Himeko shakes her head at an appropriate time, not too fast or too slow, calmly denying the question. She continues to watch as the younger girl’s shoulders sag at the ‘failed’ attempt of deducing Himeko’s intentions before eventually falling into a phase of silent thought. “Well, if I had to start somewhere, I’d look at past records! If you’re looking for someone with a title, or part of an organisation then there would be a record, right? I heard the world was always pretty developed.” “Records,” Himeko repeats, eyes widening. “Where would I get them, though?” “Welt has them in his computer,” Mar replies casually. “He let me play a game on it the other day and told me not to mess around with any of the files. He’s a smart guy so maybe you’d find something about the person through him,” she shrugs nonchalantly, as though she hadn’t just imparted the most critical information to Himeko discovering her past identity. In this time, she watches with innocent eyes as Himeko recoils with surprise, pretending to know nothing at all. “Right… He’s been part of organisations before,” she remarks under her breath and like the final piece had been slotted into an incomplete puzzle, she finds the end to everything that has been bugging her at the back of her mind. A smile pulls at the corner of her lips. “Hypothetically, what are the chances you’d be able to successfully distract Welt while I get something done? Maybe fifteen minutes, at best.” Mar perks up. “Hundred-percent,” she winks—or attempts to. Her attempt lands in the awkward and somewhat hilarious in-between of blinking and wincing like she got something in her eye; and because the night has already proven itself to be nice enough, Himeko laughs for the first time in a while. ─────── The week after comes with silence and careful observations. Himeko lingers inconspicuously in parts of the train where a certain somebody is known to roam outside of his cabin—sometimes, the couches around the front where he’d sit with folded legs or near the observatory where he would be working his magic with the equipment that’s conveniently in his forté. They’ve always been there; the telescopes, and diagrams but he was the first person who knew how to make any use of them. She watches from a maintained distance, and always with a watch on hand. Welt’s schedule is carried with complete predictability, as one would expect from a man of his age. He follows it with consistency throughout the days with only some changes every now and then, when his mood changes or Mar meanders along into his day and throws him off schedule. Himeko has also noticed that he’s most tired on the last day of the week, during which time, he lazes around instead of trying to crunch out a new storyboard or pursue maximum productivity in his room. He has been spending a suspicious amount of time there, for the time since their conversation. Keeping the thought in mind, she approaches Mar while she’s sorting through her pictures in the main carriage, sliding into the seat in front of her. “You’re still down to help me, right?” she confirms. Mar nods distractedly, paying half-attention. “Tomorrow, I need you to distract him and get him out of his room,” Himeko tells her, leaning forward so she can lower her voice into a whisper. Mar nods her head again, clicking buttons on her camera with utmost concentration. “I’ll give you a signal, alright? After breakfast,” she continues and the teenager holds up her thumb to show her agreement. “—This picture’s nice, isn’t it?” And it’s a photograph of Welt. ─────── At night, Himeko sees the face of a white-haired girl. She’d barely gotten used to the sinking comfort of being alone when the darkness engulfed her again, like it has been in its attempt to lock her in a perpetual cycle of remembrance with loaned memories. Like every time before, Himeko tries to blink away the darkness and open her eyes, breaking free from the chains of her past life before the terror grips her. She vaguely recognises the girl’s face, her white hair flowing to her ankles and brushing over her shoulder like an elysian waterfall. Her eyes are an electrifying shade of yellow, the same way Himeko’s are but they could only be more different. Between the two of them, Himeko feels like she might succumb to the dizziness any second but the latter stands, unscathed. Who are you? she’s yelling out again, and her voice melts again. She watches warily as gloom settles in the air, making its presence known and much worse than the stench of acrid smoke. Himeko looks down with blurry eyes and sees a weapon in her hand—a large sword, almost the size of her body. It might be as heavy as well, if not heavier, and made out of solid metal. She looks ahead to the seemingly docile being, unable to reach a coherent conclusion. Like she’d been jinxed at the thought, the white-haired creature starts charging towards her and screams furiously at the top of her lungs, and Himeko realises, too late, that she’s not a mere distant narrator in this nightmare. She side-steps but the impact of the attack still ripples towards her and knocks her off her feet. She tries to stand but Himeko can’t remember the last time she has wielded a sword. She swings it once but it lands with a thud and misses the enemy altogether. Next thing she knows, she’s on the ground with the girl pinned to the ground and both hands gripped around her weapon. It has since transformed into a bow, but Himeko can’t remember anything that happened within the flash of time between now and the moment before. She feels a growing ache in her chest that only worsens with time. Himeko resorts to a manual kind of breathing; heaving each breath unsteadily and squeezing the next gasp of air in its place. It’s a little like drowning, but she doesn’t know how she got here in the first place. Do I know you? she begs the question as she locks eyes with the demon pressed under her and something breaks—like the shattering of glass. Like being locked by chains around her wrists, she’s dragged back by an invisible force and pushed into nothingness. Her surroundings waste away into ash and Himeko simply gives in to the numbness, allowing it to consume her as she falls, once again, into an abyss she cannot conquer. ─────── Himeko rouses from her slumber at the behest of her mind, threatening her with the possibility of yet another nightmare when they have already left her sleepless over the past week. Her eyes have sunk into their sockets and the dark circles hanging beneath her eyes are only becoming more obvious by the day. She rolls her head against the pillow, feeling an emptiness fill her chest and she is suddenly more aware of the cavity that will not be filled till she reaches the end of her search. Here, in the middle of it all, she wouldn’t have chosen this fate for herself. Fate is cruel in that way, and trying to weave it together is a gruelling task. If only the conversation had never happened, then she wouldn’t have been here at all. She regrets it between intervals, while she’s gasping for air and cursing herself for lapsing into a cycle she struggles to put to an end. Standing at her door, she sees the familiar face of a certain girl taking a peek into her room, waiting for her to come out. Himeko, in her daze, doesn’t remember what she is meant to do but it falls on her eventually that this morning is supposed to be the end of it. Once she gets her hands on the records, she’ll find everything she needs to know to trace back to the person she once was. If she had to bet, she had the same name in her past life as well. Himeko waves weakly at March 7th in greeting, swiping a thumbdrive in a swift motion of her hand. “Is it time?” the girl verifies, bouncing up and down on the spot. Glancing outside, it looks like she slept in for too long and inferring from Danheng’s absence from the carriage ahead, she would assume her opportunity to snag breakfast is also gone. Himeko nods groggily, pressing against an ache in her neck. Mar runs along the corridor to Welt’s room as she’s instructed, Himeko stumbling along behind her. It comes together smoothly, with the tired artist being pulled out of his room easily. He must’ve let their exchange slip his mind because Himeko has been spending too much time in her own cabin, making it seem like she was busy wallowing in self-pity to care about the topic anymore. Himeko rubs her eyes, inching forward gingerly as Welt is led away from the room. Mar winks surreptitiously in her direction, to which Welt turns his head with a look of scrutiny. Luckily enough, Himeko could slip behind a corner quick enough after gesturing a sign for them to hurry along. She waits with bated breath as the target is led away from the vicinity before scurrying into his room soon after. She slips inside, unseen, and scans the room from where she’s standing. “Take the records and run,” she convinces herself with a firm nod. The laptop in question is hidden among a mess of papers and files within the room, and almost too difficult to spot if only Himeko wasn’t so good at finding things. She rushes toward it, glancing over her shoulder to ensure that there is nobody to watch her. Mumbling a hopeful prayer under her breath, she lowers herself onto her knees and opens the laptop. Himeko stares at the loading screen and blinks, her brain blanking completely. And it, also, comes with no surprise when she finds that the laptop is password locked. Conclusion: the world clearly isn’t on my side this morning. Himeko looks up in her time of chagrin, drumming her fingers against the desk impatiently. She’s no hacker but she’s good enough with technology to have started a train. If the laws of engineering worked on computers, then it wouldn’t be so much of a problem—hell, she’d be better off dismantling the thing than trying to crack the password open. Suddenly, with almost convenient timing, Himeko spots a post-it pinned against the top of the desk, camouflaged amongst notes and other things that aren’t her business. 01010111 01100101 01101100 01110100 00100000 01011001 01100001 01101110 01100111 Himeko squints her eyes, trying to read the numbers. Upon deciphering it, a smile tugs at the corner of her lips and she scoffs at the predictability of the password. She keys the words into the bar experimentally and surprisingly enough, she makes it into the laptop. She plugs the thumb drive into the side and her eyes search the screen for the records she’s searching for. Himeko notices an array of files—properly labelled and organised in a certain pattern. She clicks on one labelled “Archives” and finds a trashed application labelled with a name she recognises from before—“Anti-Entropy database.” 01010011 01110100 00101110 00100000 01000110 01110010 01100101 01111001 01100001 As expected, she has to go through the trouble of unlocking the file with a password, which she finds on another post-it stuck over the desk. A habit of writing simple passwords; a fatal flaw. She hasn’t done enough of this to know exactly what she’s doing but she counts on her skills either way, leaving it up to her luck. She sits back as the file is downloading, choosing not to snoop around his computer what remains of her decency. Himeko glances towards the door upon hearing footsteps and leans forward, seeing nobody else in the vicinity. After what feels like eternity passing, Himeko notices the application load into her thumb drive successfully while leaving his laptop in-tact. She gathers her things and returns to her feet again, clasping her hand around the thumb drive like before. Himeko leaves the room unscathed, as though her presence had never interfered with it in the first place and hurries out of the room. Behind her, a voice calls out to her, “You haven’t changed?” Himeko feels her heart stop in her chest. She pauses, tightening her fist to hide the thumb drive. She has made it far enough away from the room to avoid suspicion but she can tell from the vaguely sceptical tone that she must rely on an extraterrestrial power to weasel her way out of this situation. Himeko turns around mechanically with a forced smile on her face. “No, I haven’t,” she replies curtly. “Strange, were you rushing from somewhere? I can’t think of a reason why you’d be running away from this direction,” Welt cocks his head. “Can’t think of a reason why you’d need to ask me these questions,” Himeko retorts, and the response does enough to earn a grimace out of the man. He shakes his head, waving off his question for the sake of sparing himself an argument with the feisty young man. Mumbling something about how he’s “too old for this”, he walks towards his room. Himeko presses a hand against her mouth as she turns around again, cursing herself for being so snarky when it definitely wasn’t the cool-headed, nonchalant response she was going for. She continues to flee. Himeko wastes no time in furthering her endeavours the second she reaches her room. She closes the door behind her and locks it, rushing to her laptop where she’d be able to transfer the file from her drive. Years of engineering have taught her to do this much with ease, and thankfully, she manages to download the application into her own computer without much trouble. “Anti-Entropy,” she says the name under her breath and she feels something in her chest—that subtle feeling she gets when she has an inkling that something is oddly familiar. Her computer makes chirrups as the application downloads successfully. Himeko leans forward, double-clicking the file and the device starts to buzz, perhaps because it’s too large. She furrows her brows, tapping its sides as though doing so would make it work faster. At the very least, the noise ceases and the database opens in front of her. Himeko smiles, satisfied, and looks at the screen. She drags her mouse to what seems like a record of… “Valkyries?” She presses her lips thinly, not sure what she’s looking at. She clicks on it regardless, and a gallery unravels in front of her. Himeko sees an array of faces—profiles, it looks like. She drags the mouse across the screen and clicks on somebody who has a face more familiar than others… Kiana Kaslana. She reads the name under her breath and feels a pang in her chest. Himeko tilts her head, scrutinising the face like it’s that of an old friend she can’t remember. She stares in the zealously yellow eyes of the girl, and her fluffy hair. From the look of her smile, she looks strangely spirited already. Himeko cocks her head, particularly the shine in her eyes which look… out of place. She clicks on the profile, attempting to zoom in but it seems to do something else to the screen itself. It flashes black, and within the blink of an eye, returns as something entirely different. Himeko’s hand relaxes against the touchpad as she stares, face pale, at the alternate personality staring back at her on the screen. Herrscher of Void, the words slip vulnerably out of her lips. Her heart starts to drum loudly against her ribcage. The realisation comes within seconds and Himeko instantly remembers, with a snap of two fingers, that this was the person from her memories. Kiana Kaslana, Herrscher of the Void. Parts of the incomplete puzzle start to come together, but something in her chest tells her that she’s far from completing it. Himeko clicks out of the interface, suddenly feeling a rush for time—it must be the adrenaline. She sees another face… Raiden Mei… and the pieces start falling together quicker than she would’ve thought. Himeko taps her hand against the edge of the computer, faster and faster as she feels the pressure closing in on her again. Herrscher of Thunder. It’s so bizarre, looking at it all as a stranger when she would’ve known this at the back of her head in another life. It’s unthinkable—how each person she sees looks so different in their “herrscher” forms, as though something had overcome them. Himeko feels the world dim around her as she scrolls through the gallery of names, hardly able to believe her eyes. Fu Hua, Herrscher of Sentience… Bronya… She counts the names under her breath, how many of them feel right on her tongue. Then, she hears banging against the door. Himeko snaps her head in the direction of the sound and sees somebody throwing fists at it frantically—or, perhaps, furiously—and through the slit window in her door, notices auburn her. She presses her lips together and chooses to ignore the yelling outside, the screams of “what the hell did you steal from my computer?” and “Himeko, get out of there!” between intervals and the rapid throttling of her door. Time is running thin and she’s on the verge of unspeakable trouble so Himeko skips the idle scrolling and continues to search for herself. Over the sound of the door, Himeko’s heart is pounding on her chest. Welt’s voice is muffled by the thick walls but there’s only so much longer that the door can hold his strength—old or not, he surely packs a punch. At the very bottom of the interface, she finds profiles with lost colour, the faces with monochromatic palettes unlike the rest of the “Valkyries”. Himeko’s eyes widen gently as she notices the most familiar face among the ones that are black-and white… She clicks on it, and the profile opens. Her heart simply stops in her chest. Nothing else could’ve prepared her for a shock like this. She retracts her hand and staggers backwards, stunned, if her emotions can be surmised into a word. Murata Himeko, she chants the name under her breath, familiarising herself with it like it isn’t her own. Murata Himeko, she stares at the fiery redhead in the picture, convincing herself that they are the same person. Murata Himeko, the name etches itself so deeply in her mind that she forgets that there could’ve been a world where she had a family name, and a flamboyant personality, and a life that she didn’t have to build from scraps. By the time the door gives way to Welt’s attacks, the chained memories from the past have been unleashed and it’s too late for the Himeko to save herself from drowning. ─────── In the darkness, Himeko picks up pieces of herself that she lost. Standing under a glass mirage, she looks up at the menagerie of memories that are so far-fetched, they only seem half-real. It comes expectedly, of course, it’s a part of her she wasn’t supposed to recall at all. Himeko looks up at them with a twinkle in her eyes, reaching her arm up to them as guilt fills her chest. Longing, it soon becomes, for the life she has lost and easily enough, she realises why humans aren’t meant to remember memories from their past. Hearts are fragile and hers is too; it’s her fault alone for climbing onto a sinking ship. Himeko sees “herself” red-faced with half her body thrown over a wooden table in a bar, somewhere in the middle of a city that no longer exists. There’s a bottle of alcohol in her hand, being swung around rambunctiously because her drunkenness has allowed her to forget that she’s a grown woman with class. Himeko sees “herself” talking to her students at the academy, waving her marker around like it’s a wand and telling them about the big, big universe. Her students are carrying her books for her—a careful detail, one would realise—because they’re close enough to have willingly done so. Himeko sees “herself” laughing over hot pot because it’s too spicy but her students have insisted that the spice is necessary to battle the winter cold. She doesn’t look fazed, in the least, and Kiana seems fine in the way she’s been stuffing her face but Fu Hua has been reduced to tears. Then, she realises—reincarnation is a tragedy. It was a tragedy to have died at all. Fate is a gruelling cycle, flawed at every step because it makes less sense the more one tries to decipher it. She looks at herself in the shining memories, her face glowing in so many of them. Himeko sees everything that she lost and that is what hurts; the regret that she couldn’t live longer in that form. By now, she would’ve been in her forties and just as bright but she is here, twenty and starting over from scratch. ─────── It comes with enough predictability why humans challenge the world, doubting that it is truly a force to be reckoned with. Some things are difficult to believe and others are simply too ambiguous to be accepted as the truth without any questioning at all. Himeko rouses from her slumber a month later, from a coma that her body pushed itself into. She wakes up with blurry eyes and sees the blinding lights shining down on her from above—that beam of light she’d been chasing in the darkness, saving her from the torment she’d caused herself. Himeko closes her eyes once more and stifles a sob, her lungs squeezing themselves so tightly that there’s only half the space and not enough to last the weight of her body. Despite the ache in her back, she pushes herself groggily into sitting up. Expectedly, it only worsens and the month she’d spent asleep burdens her physically. She hears a chair screech and a gasp preceding a scream of names. She hears footsteps beyond the door and voices calling out to her, trying to reach her. Himeko looks up at them—the people in this life that have cherished her and a tear slips out of her eye. You’re crying, she hears in her head and she must; she deserves to. Remembering every last memory, she buries her face in her hands and the most gut-wrenching sob retches out of her throat. It’s funny how regret comes at the very end of the cycle. ─────── “Are you considering dying again?” Himeko receives the question while she’s sitting on the roof of a moving train. She shouldn’t be, that much she is aware of, but she has mustered enough strength to withstand the wind. She chuckles under her breath, angling her head towards the bearer of the voice. “No,” she replies, because she’d only fall into the cycle again and re-exist with a new purpose and bear her karmic burdens from before. Welt invites himself to a place next to her, a reasonable distance away like they’re not well-acquainted already. The latter would think it’s because he still holds a grudge from the time she broke into his laptop against anything he would’ve advised or perhaps it is his way of showing respect to a woman while approaching her without a warning. Himeko’s hand relaxes and it brings her to the epiphany that she’s been clenching it for a while. “Was she nice?” she asks calmly. Welt doesn’t ask a question back. He knows precisely what they’re talking about, and it doesn’t take much inference for him to determine that. He lowers his head and a smile tugs on the corner of his lips. He nods silently. Himeko smiles longingly. She hasn’t changed much since waking up, apart from the regret that weighs heavier on her shoulders each day. It overwhelms her sometimes but it has gotten better since the first week when she could only muster the strength to cry. Looking back at it now, she’s not sure what she would’ve liked to change; after all, a husk with more water would remain the same, only more filled. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while, and I realise you’re right,” she begins. “Maybe all I would’ve asked for in my last life would’ve been to dance one last time before dying. I would’ve hated being chained to the bed with all those tubes… and whatever.” Welt stares at her, unable to guess what she’s getting at. “Would you like to accompany me in a dance?” Himeko offers, looking back at him too. She holds a hand out to him with an invitation, her lips curled into the happiest smile she can muster. It may only be feigned, and her joy may be false but the ability to fake is something in itself. Welt’s expression softens—and he doesn’t look too happy about the prospect of dancing—but he takes her hand regardless. They rise to their feet, standing on the roof of a moving train—high and tall and with the entire galaxy beneath them. Himeko takes a step backward and spins on the tips of her toes, engaging in the riskiest waltz in her lives. She pulls him forward, and it occurs to her that such a stoic man wouldn’t know how to dance. If anything, it’s only funnier so she lets out a laugh. Although her soul may never rest in peace at the knowledge of a perfect life cut short, she can try her hardest to fall in love with the one she has been gifted again. With a smile on her lips and her heart a little easier, Himeko roams the farthest galaxies and highest skies, dancing in a white dress.

Morning Dew

['senretonins']

General Audiences

Gen

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Luocha (Honkai: Star Rail), Luocha's Coffin - Character

Character Study, written pre-release, Not Canon Compliant, brief cameos by astral express characters, just some man-talking-to-his-coffin-bff action

English

2022-06-06

Completed

2022-06-06

871

1/1

2

36

1

448

['randomsoulnix', 'tirednat', 'Defiant_Delphi', 'vanessa_deathchild', 'LuochaLuvr', 'Kotofeila', 'idomeven', 'Ausmeria', 'modernKhione', 'kkevco_amr', 'v1vienne', 'Hyoumaki', 'Isralenn', 'TempestDouble']

[]

In the early morning, the world is quiet.    Peaceful.    For Luocha, however, this is the only time when his thoughts come to the forefront of his mind, as it’s the only time he can sit and rest. His usual duties have not yet started, though as one of his guild’s foremost medical experts in the field, he is never truly “off the clock”.   But on this morning when there are no new messages alerting him to someone in need of his skills, or one of the crew looking to ask about his precious cargo, or another mission he needs to fulfill with the Trailblazer, he can finally indulge and let himself relax. Breathe. Drink the coffee Welt recommended to him during their last assignment together. Read the book Dan Heng quietly mentioned during their last patrol. Maybe ask to look at March 7th’s current photo album, before she starts another collection.    There is so much more on the list, but as of now, sitting in the lounge of the Astral Express and indulging in his coffee is his number one priority. Eventually his eyes stray to the side, locking onto ornaments of gilded gold and silver white plating. The coffin sits next to him inconspicuously, innocently gleaming under the artificial lighting and just as still and somber as the day he received the missive of delivery.   He takes another sip of his coffee, letting his thoughts simmer in his mind.   “I don’t know if this is to your liking,” Luocha admits to no one alive after some moments tick by. He is alone here, far from his guild, with only his thoughts and the cargo he was entrusted to bring back to the Luofu to keep him company. By all means he should feel discontent but he hasn't enjoyed such a calming morning for sometime now. “While a more direct route would have been useful, considering the circumstances, we were very fortunate to find people such as the Trailblazer. I hope you don’t mind me taking their offer in transporting you.”    Curiosity gnaws at him as he trails off in silence. He wasn’t sure whose body was in there but he did wonder, if whoever was in there was alive, would they have reacted the same as he did in joining the Astral Express? Would they also be here, with him in this lounge, drinking the same coffee and enjoying the tranquility he has come to cherish during his time on the train?   He wonders, what else would they have liked?   Were they someone who would enjoy ball peonies or would first snow be better?   Have they ever visited Belobog during its warmest days, or seen Luofu under a starlit sky?   What would they look like, how would they sound like…   I doubt I’ll ever find out, he admits to himself. Even if he somehow finds the answers, it’s not going to be useful to anyone on the Astral Express. And by now isn’t it usually the time when someone will inevitably come rushing in, ending his break…   “Luocha, there you are!” He jinxed himself, didn’t he? He can recognize that particular voice anywhere by now, and usually that spells the end of whatever time he had for himself.   “Trailblazer, March 7th, good morning.” He nods his head in greeting to the duo, already placing his cup down on the table. The Trailblazer looks to be ready as ever, cocking their hip to the side with a wide grin, as March 7th smiles back widely, camera ready in her hands. Even at this hour, they both look ridiculously energetic.   And from all the time he spent with them, with the familiar grin he sees on the Trailblazer’s face, he already knows what will be asked–   “We’ve been assigned a mission, and I figured your talents will be of use there. Are you free to join us?”   Besides the Trailblazer, March 7th pokes them mercilessly back, her tone teasing, “Wow, and here I thought you were improving how you ask people when you’re dragging them to missions.”   “But I asked nicely this time?!”   “Oh, wait, wait, your face right now, keep that position! Lemme take a picture!”    “What, hey, March–!”   –even with all their bickering, and all their flaws, Luocha knows how he will always answer.   “I’m more than happy to help, Trailblazer.” He says warmly as he stands, hoisting the coffin onto his shoulders. The duo’s loud exclamation of “yes!” rings in Luocha’s ears and at the entryway, the familiar hue of Himiko's vermillion hair catches his attention, Welt and Dan Heng chatting behind her in quiet conversation.   “They’re always a handful in the morning,” She says with a smile, her eyes twinkling in amusement. “Are you ready to use that coffin of yours?”   “I do not understand why you people have an obsession with the coffin. You might as well get one of your own to carry.” Luocha grumbles good naturedly. Behind him, he can hear the Trailblazer and March 7th walking back, still bickering about the impromptu photo session.    The coffin on his back says nothing, as it should. Yet the weight of it on his shoulders is a comforting presence, equal to those of the people around him. 

Metamorphosis

['lambadfishroll (Isralenn)']

Explicit

M/M

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Jing Yuan/Luocha

Jing Yuan (Honkai: Star Rail), Luocha (Honkai: Star Rail), Top Jing Yuan - Character, Bottom Luocha - Character

Enemies to Lovers, Written Before Honkai: Star Rail Official Release, Reluctant Lovers, Jing Yuan has hidden secrets, JingLuo - Freeform

English

2022-06-05

Completed

2022-06-05

2,396

1/1

14

264

19

4,723

['IkusenIshiyama', 'rane_ne', 'Pluviophile06', 'yllirya', 'Ph03nixs_FicStop', 'oreosnomnom', 'Antha_May', 'Babyblack69', 'BeautifulTrash_4', 'Novae_Asteron', 'oleandertheoil', 'Pototato', 'heavenlyheart', 'Ashire', 'thinkofmarie', 'SyKo_SleepyTech', 'yenu', 'DrowningDevil', 'paka_sush', 'hieroclesx', 'windfalldreams', 'Calxxi', 'atinynctzen', 'YingSAKURA', 'Prienova', 'hyacinthinium', 'Justarandomperson101', 'jeokyeon', 'Ablution', 'Msmiza_0208', 'geshulins', 'TaeTaeChimChim', 'Ravenace', 'BottledEmotion', 'cealix', 'zizzizz', 'Biopsssihozz', 'mimingpspsps', 'Skai157', 'pinkdandelion', 'sayhalcyon', 'MyL1fesALi3', 'thystardust', 'Amarilynn', 'ochkaros', 'cwanningisbbg', 'FrederickKreiburgMyBeloved', 'Rvensphere', 'isafangirlproblem', 'Uchiha_Hikari']

[]

The general studied the blond man's profile, his face showing vague emotion, his knuckles whitening in a minute clench around the metal handle of the cup. Dinner was not what he expected. Dinner in the fancy inner area of the Goethe Hotel.  And he definitely did not expected to be sitting down with the merchant who had pulled him out of a rushing tram's way. The merchant whom he had followed all the way here to Jarilo-IV Jing Yuan was bothered. He felt bothered. Rarely did this man let feelings mark his expressions but before this particular older man, something irked him. His brows twisted as he watched Luocha slice up the steak on the table with the finesse of a surgeon, the blade of the knife flexing against bloody flesh in quick motions, slim wrists twisting with the slightest movements to part the meat into equal slices.  Blood pooled onto the plate as the blond man ate. The steak was rare, barely seared. And he only wanted meat. Nothing else. Not even a soup, or a salad, or bread. The blood stained Luocha's lower lip, a runlet of red slipping from the edge of his mouth. The blond man continued to eat in silence. No small talk, no continuation of the earlier rudimentary checks a doctor would give a patient.  Luocha's voice. He would want to hear it again. There was a strange plausibility to it. It was oddly soothing unlike water hydrating a dry throat but almost like the chill air of a mountain caressing his cheeks. Neither did it sound like he was apathetic. The merchant (who was very much capable of interesting medical techniques) spoke, but in all, five sentences.  "What time was sunrise today in Belobog?" "How many fingers?" "What is your name?" "Move your left leg." "All things bear unanswered questions, so is there an answer to everything?" He did what he was instructed, and he answered. Of course, the last question irritated Jing Yuan slightly. It was inconsequential. But if he'd had answered wrongly, the merchant would had packed him off to the nearest clinic.  In other circumstances, the general would mind less of what others thought of him. In this circumstance, he felt a little of that old impulsivity rile up, like a spark of stale lightning crawling inside his spine; like a long-gone madness that he'd had once facing a whole field of abominations.  Perhaps he should had answered wrongly.  Jing Yuan finished what was left of the beverage in his cup. He tasted nothing even if it was likely a strong mix. He was not hungry either though the sight of Luocha's meal did whet his appetite some, the passive manner in which the merchant ate, made it look as if it was the most flavorless configuration of cells and tendons.  "This is the first time I've seen you eat everything in front of you." Jing Yuan remarked, sitting straight.  Luocha glanced up, his eyes following the angle of the general's shoulders, eyes passively marking a trail which the other could sense but not see. "You should rest. There should be a room here for you. Or any of us should we need." Luocha continued, pulling up the napkin to tap at his lips. "He had made the arrangements for us as long as we are here in Belobog." "I was not hurt." "I was not speaking about the tram." Came the reply, mildly insistent. Luocha had finished with cleaning his lips. "I do not need to rest."  There was no more reply from the blond man, except a single, insipid stare and a oddly affectionate curl of his lip. ╚══ ❀•°❀°•❀ ══╝ A bad decision. It was such a bad decision.  The legs twined underneath his twitched, sliding cold toes against his naked skin. The lips that kissed against his collarbones trembled slightly. Fitful breaths slipped from those lips at each thrust he made.  How many times had they gone at it? Jing Yuan felt as if he was grasping at some strange shared fate. He burrowed his sweaty face into the hollow of Luocha's pale neck, distinctively smelling a profusion of scents. Salty, sharply floral, maybe an astringent.  He pushed again, his hips grinding down slow on the blond man's body, hearing the other swallow a cry. And he felt hands move over his own back, slow soothing paths, making him arch upwards like a cat. Luocha's voice was not soothing but his touch awakened some sensations within that the general forgot about for a long, long time.  "This was not the rest I had prescribed." The blond man murmured, his voice hoarse, though barely unshaken. Luocha's gaze travelled to where they were connected, the stains of his previous orgasm still coating the bunched muscles of his belly. He would had said another statement if not for a hot, urgent press of lips on his mouth, and Luocha's words were extinguished into a groan of unneeded pleasure and want.  Bad decisions always seem to follow in natural order. Luocha thought, his mind methodically still fighting against the desire to fall further. Make a poor decision, a worse one would follow.  It was not the first time they'd had sex, neither would Luocha make this the last time. Not that the rest ever not guessed that the two of them have been sleeping together. Relief like this was probably good for Jing Yuan if Luocha were to continue with this unorthodox treatment. The merchant did not mind either way. And there were conclusions he still had to make, and this particular affliction Jing Yuan seemed to be suffering from was determined to remain as elusive as possible. Luocha broke the kiss first, staring up into Jing Yuan's dazed golden eyes.  Ah, Luocha thought, there was indeed something wrong with the general. Distraction, and the growing insensitivity to his environment. It all seemed to fall into place. His mind tracked a line of probabilities before his attention was taken by a series of hot, shallow laps of a tongue into his mouth. A shiver panned down the blond man's spine as his mouth was ravaged again by an aggressive kiss. He reached around, gripping the stretch of Jing Yuan's back, his fingers touching the expanse of hard muscles that went on, and on. Parting his legs, he allowed the man above to impel himself between his thighs once more.  "General." Luocha said, staring up, his lips curled with that same, mildly flat, softly courteous smile. Those golden eyes looked down on him helplessly, and Jing Yuan's lips twitched shakingly. Their bodies scrapped against each other, the heated friction causing Luocha to nearly to lose his own control.  "Something is happening to me." Jing Yuan whispered, eyes widening, locks disheveled, drenched and clinging to his temples, like a wild, white mane. "I know."  Luocha breathed deep, lifting his hips against the demanding hardness inside him, each thrust pumping wicked sensations, spreading an unwanted heat within. He knew he did not sound assuring even, either to himself or to Jing Yuan.  "We can do it again." He told the general quietly, plaiting his fingers into those damp, white locks.  Those golden eyes turned bloodthirsty, a hunger flashing across Jing Yuan's sights, a growl that filled the air with almost an indecent pleasure. There was no ripple of delight as the hard, heavy body above him pressed down. Luocha's throat cinched around a short-lived groan. His legs arched, curling around Jing Yuan's heaving back. Moans littered his ears, growls and purrs as his ears were licked by a rough tongue.  The thrusts between his legs grew frantic, and he could feel his walls pushed and stretched. Teeth scrapped his neck, biting down and marking his skin, some to the point of drawing a bare drip of blood.  "Gege," Jing Yuan's voice was low, passion-thickened. There was an muted insanity skewered in the way he repeated that pet name he would call Luocha. The blond man raised his hand, pressing his palm over the bare, flushed skin, covering Jing Yuan's wild heartbeat. Gege - Jing Yuan called again, burying his mouth against Luocha's neck.  Luocha felt his toes curl, and his own heart flailing to the same wild beat pulsing through his palm from Jing Yuan's body. He could only blame his own nature for falling into this conundrum with a man he should naturally consider an enemy. He was told a long, long time ago, the gifts of his medical abilities would be his bane, and he would do all in his powers, even if he did not have them, to rescue anyone in times of danger. Even if this particular anyone would be potentially a foe. Luocha still very much enjoyed the mutual surrender for that moment they were joined, being fucked to abandon in a luxury hotel on this blasted ever-cold planet. His toes curled again into the bedsheets, feeling the familiar tension growing taut, coiling low in his belly.  He let out a moan convincingly, maybe even convincing himself. And he slid his hands down, fingertips gliding to stroke Jing Yuan's hips, encouraging him to push even deeper in. Yet, every stroke caused a sharp burn, and the general's motions were not forgiving, neither was his size. Then, Luocha pulled Jing Yuan's face close, tilting the general's face to one side, gasping into the man's ear. "I want you deeper..."  The feeling of having him inside was far beyond pain or pleasure. It was needed, necessary. Luocha thought. They were enemies. Were - perhaps still are. And that was the reason (and that Luocha thought so) why Jing Yuan kept such a tight lock on his movements. Jing Yuan reeled up at the blond man's words, his face flushed, his eyes brilliant, dripping gold, the harsh flow of his breath plowing from his lungs. He thrust again, burying his cock further in, sighing as softness and tightness clenched around his entire length. "Gege," He groaned, thrusting upwards in finality, his eyes closing tightly, his skin electrified by the strokes of his back, surprisingly tender and he wondered if Luocha had a change of heart, his movements quickened to a single push, and Jing Yuan trembled, emptying himself once more. The touches Jing Yuan felt later was gently emphatic, urging him to roll over and rest himself on his back instead. He heard rustling, and through his failing sight, saw Luocha's slim silhouette lift away from the bed, pathing to the attached bathroom. His ears barely registered the rush of water, of a splattering shower.  Jing Yuan realized he must had dozed off for a minute, and he woke, semi-paralyzed, his eyes adjusting to the darkness, the scent of sex and salt still clinging to his nose. The sharply floral astringency had returned, and still-damp skin slid and pressed next to him.  In the darkness, he could not see but he felt Luocha's body nestle close, naked flanks pressed against his hip; his pulse tightened with confusion, and a smote of despair. Luocha's sleeping face was unfathomable.  Jing Yuan let out a breath, that sounded a hoarse whimper.  "Gege, if it is true, then you must forgive me." He muttered, his thoughts sinking darkly, harshly into his mind as sleep too fought with his unwanted nightmares. ╚══ ❀•°❀°•❀ ══╝ Jing Yuan slept a fitful sleep. They woke the next day as morning shuttled into the room, and they dressed in silence, only to have clothes pulled off again because the general insisted he wished for more warmth.  Luocha left thirty minutes before Jing Yuan did yet the general caught up with the merchant later in the street.  He wanted to give the merchant a flower. Though, a flower was a rare luxury on Belobog. Since he had no wine on him. On Jing Yuan's persuasive insistence, Luocha followed him to the florist. Surely a general can afford a flower. Surely his flower would be desired. But not all precious things were treasured in the same way. Unlike his memories of the past, these flowers were fragile and fleeting, and perhaps it was a wrong decision to buy a flower. Again the same soft smile, unassuming, gentle on the blond man's lips when he was handed a bunch of white fluffy blooms. Flowers were expensive. The resources they had could be better used to rare commodities or medicine. "I merely pulled you out from the path of a tram." Luocha said, repeated even, gaze shifting, trying to ascertain if the florist had a refund policy. Obviously, there was none but he made a big show of looking everywhere else instead of the white-maned tall fellow before him. These small pale flowers cannot be dried, nor could they be made into medicine. After a few days they will dry to dust and float away like an afterthought. To a trader, this was perfect profit - impermanent goods, short-life, high price. To Luocha, it was a bind, a chain. "Would the leader of the Cloud Knights have more on his mind than what happened last night?" The blond man said, slipping into dissonance, as he turned to leave the florist. His fingers gripped the stems tight, and he paused in his steps. A change of heart again? Jing Yuan wondered as he chose words to reply. He wanted to thank the merchant for last night - for not letting him sleep alone. For that affordance of warmth even if it was merely the charity of a travelling companion. His gratitude would likely be met with that flat disdain once more. But he would say it because his heart wanted to, and it did not concern him if Luocha thought otherwise. "I want to thank you for last night." "The general is stubborn." Came the answer. Expected. Standard. Soft, Luocha's voice drifting off into the mist, like an airy cloud. Jing Yuan smiled to himself, despite the disinterested, yet polite reply, his grin hanging lopsided on his lips. There will be more things he wanted to do. More. He felt it last night. A tear in his own psyche, a hounding need to break those glass green eyes that stared at him. But now he was content watching the sway of Luocha's hair, and the alluring glint of winter brightness on those flax-gold locks as he obediently followed the merchant out of the building into the fake blue of the Overworld.

Roleplay

['Hyoumaki']

Explicit

M/M

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Jing Yuan/Luocha

Jing Yuan (Honkai: Star Rail), Luocha (Honkai: Star Rail)

Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Sexual Roleplay, Top Jing Yuan, Bottom Luocha, Established Relationship

English

2022-06-03

Completed

2022-06-03

3,742

1/1

20

249

16

5,873

['Yurianna', 'hwanhee_luna98', 'AkariLulu', 'swartheet', 'ElIbArRa_BiTcH', 'lasagnaesque', 'Ashire', 'Zakkai', 'oreosnomnom', 'Starryknight222', 'Kodzuzen', 'Peppermintttea', 'Pototato', 'YuriSou_Li', 'KawaiiCinnamonroll', 'mangoest33n', 'CrystalRedfox24', 'WingsOfGlory14', 'kanzakith', 'rhapsodylotus', 'relayouter', 'wyj2010', 'JackTrades', 'Reias_AlR', 'isunboyz', 'Ravenace', 'Ablution', 'lady_rice', 'La_soeur_de_Hangyul', 'TheHangman', '5unny_deez', 't3mptatixn', 'lalascoffe', 'shenjeo', 'cealix', 'mimingpspsps', 'Skai157', 'MeidifangSY', 'daydreamingrambler', 'joonieji', 'ILoveMuQing', 'memoriesofdust', 'Mainxiao', 'DianxiaChengzu', 'shimikos', 'candelee', 'biblically_accurate_sinner', 'sansoukuu', 'chay', 'seunsun']

[]

It’s been a long day, Jing Yuan’s thought announces as he ceremoniously flops onto the sofa, laying on his back. Luocha- gege hasn’t returned from the clinic, no wonder the house feels so quiet. Well, it’s not much different with the addition of his lover, but it’s comforting regardless to know someone else is here with him.   His stomach is growling, but he can hold his hunger back. And yes, another reason is the only one who can cook in this apartment (t-their home, Jing Yuan gleefully muses) is Luocha. He can simply imagine he will perish if it were not for the other man…which is a hyperbole, of course, he won’t perish because he still can buy takeouts with his money. But, he has tasted gege ’s delicious homemade cooking, no way he’s giving in to capitalism’s junk food after that one heavenly meal gege expertly (and lovingly) cooked for their first date.   To avert his attention away from the irksome empty stomach, Jing Yuan takes out a book from his bag. This novel has been intriguing him since he saw its title in the bookstore’s recommendation, and to his knowledge, the owner of the bookstore is hard-to-please. So, for this piece of work to gain her recognition, it must be worthwhile reading material. He examines the book’s content starting from its cover page. It has a beautiful ancient Xianzhou-style painting of two men standing on the edge of a cliff, looking toward the horizon. At the bottom-right end of the illustration, lilies bloom daintily, a pair of birds hovering over them. It’s truly a remarkable illustration, Jing Yuan could guess what is its correlation to the story inside.   He opens the first page, then the next.  The story is set in ancient Xianzhou, in a world of turmoil and endless chaos, cultivation exists. Oh, so this is the popular xianxia genre those youngsters have been talking about, interesting. There are several sects introduced into its fictional ancient Xianzhou as well as its two main protagonists. It seems that these two men are the ones drawn on the cover page. He continues his reading.   Male A subjected to injustice by Heavenly Principles and male B becomes a demon king to create a safe paradise for his love – male A who he calls ‘gege’ ( what a coincidence , Jing Yuan thought to himself), tirelessly dedicates thousand of years solely for his eternal love and his own selfish wish. Jing Yuan finds himself empathizing with ‘Jiangjun’ – the demon king, he will do the same if he were in his position. He will do everything he can for his gege , and even if he can’t, he will keep on challenging fate until they emerge victorious against Heaven’s mandate. He begins to imagine both Luocha and him to be the characters instead, and it makes his heart race like a prized stallion gallops through the vast plains.   Each sentence strings the plot which engrosses him, his skepticism dies the more he reads into it. The characters, the conflicts’ progression, the characters’ development, and their relationship are extremely fascinating. By the time he reaches half of the novel, the grandfather clock at the corner of the living room tolls loudly. Jing Yuan spares a little time to check on the time, it’s six in the evening, so his gege should be home soon. He can’t wait to tell the doctor about this novel, he’s so sure gege will also like it. Wanting to look more knowledgeable, Jing Yuan decides to read a little more since the story gets interesting.   The next page forces time to stop.   The setting of the story has moved to ‘ Jiangjun ’s private chambers. Right, ok, it’s justified though because the demon king did say he has something important to be discussed with ‘gege’ . Ok, that’s valid, important matters should be discussed in a disclosed area where not even the walls have ears. But what stuns Jing Yuan the most is that…the demon king confesses his love, and the two men share a passionate kiss.   His face burns, he’s even redder than the hair ribbon gege bought for him a month ago. Dear Aeons, the image of him kissing his gege with the same passion vividly flashes in his mind. His lips quiver as his eyes wade through the words, burning the image of the characters’ perfervid affection for each other into the deepest core of his being. His mind goes haywire, he breathes hard.   A cool hand slips under his pants, his back jolts slightly upon feeling his half-hard cock through the tight fabric. He kneads it with his palm, the delectable pressure sends a moan out of his slightly parted lips. Jing Yuan can’t stop imagining them both doing the very same thing as the demon king and ‘gege’, the images keep on coming and the poor man throbs harder from the pleasure.   Just like that, he misses the sound of the doorknob clicking, and a blond-haired man steps into view.   “Jing Yuan?”   Jing Yuan swears his soul just went straight to Heaven at the call of his name. He stops whatever he is doing and jolts up, yet forgetting to pull out his hand and wipe the dirty stain off. Either way, it’s too late…Luocha has seen everything .   Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit SHIT! the younger man panics, his heart thundering wildly.   The doctor stands in the hallway, his trench coat is still on his body. Luocha must have rushed inside due to hearing strange noises which turns out to be him jerking off to some hit novel. Jing Yuan fears the worst, both of them knew Jing Yuan is a pervert (he’s a human and he’s not a hypocrite), but to be found out that he’s masturbating to fiction is either a new high or new low in his sex life. Cold sweat drips down his temples, his mouth gaps and closes as he tries to string out an explanation.   “Uhh… Welcome home, gege,” he snaps the book shut, he’s pretty sure it’s loud enough to break Luocha out of stupor. “I…uh, well-”   “I see,” Luocha calmly cuts in as he enters the room. Jing Yuan gulps loudly, most likely loud enough for his lover to hear; evident from the way those soft, red lips curves into a thin smirk. “So, you can jerk off to fiction too, Jing Yuan. I never expected this out of you.”   “I-I just happened to see this book in the recommendations,” he tries to reason, but the closer Luocha gets to him, his rationality starts to break down. “Gege-”   Luocha drops to his knees between Jing Yuan’s spreaded legs, his face just inches away from the hard bulge. The young man catches a glimpse of pink tainting the paler skin, he can feel his gege ’s hot breaths through his black pants. His cock twitches, the doctor seems to notice it too.   “I was about to go for a bath and cook dinner for us but…” Luocha hums suggestively — hell, there’s nothing to be suggestive about when his face is already in front of Jing Yuan’s dick! —, he rests his hands on his young lover’s muscular thighs. “Tell me, what do you want me to do to you, jiangjun daren …”   Shit, shit, shit, shit! There’s no way he’s going to win a battle of wits against gege when he looks this slutty! And the fact that Luocha seems to know about this story doesn’t help his odds at all! He forces his stagnant, overworked gears to rotate once again, and realization dawns upon him.   Luocha is suggesting a roleplay. Holy shit! The image of his pure, innocent, and pristine gege breaks into unmendable pieces just like that. Fine, if this is the dangerous game they are going to play! He recalls what ‘Jiangjun’ said in the story, and he recites it after a gulp.   “Strip for me, ‘ gege ’.” He commands, voice low and husky – dangerous yet loving.   Luocha shivers from the command and obeys, he stands up and begin to peel his clothing away, slowly…one piece at a time. The expensive coat Jing Yuan gifted him for his birthday falls graciously to the floor, the slender fingers tinker with the belt next, the long scratch between the pants’ fabric and the leather is music to his lover’s ears. The belt lands on top of the coat without care.   The room suddenly gets hotter and louder with the voice of zippers being pulled down, a whispered moan coming out of Luocha’s lips accompanies the rustle of the article. The older man shys away, his eyelids flutter and the emerald eyes glint through the cracks, the pink blush has spread to the tips of Luocha's ears.   Luocha looks absolutely…inviting. Damn it, he's doing it on purpose.   "That is enough, gege," he issued the next command, "Come, sit on my lap."   The pale hands stop working, they rest on Jing Yuan’s broad shoulders as the doctor straddles over his right thigh. Jing Yuan holds Luocha by his hips, caressing the defined yet soft muscles through the wrinkled cotton. Luocha hisses at the sensation of nails digging through his skin, shocking his nerves awake. The doctor shuts his eyes and begins grinding his crotch on Jing Yuan, it doesn't take long before 'Jiangjun' holds him on place.    Luocha mewls at the loss, clearly desperate for more skin contact. "Ah…'Da-daren' …"   "Be a good boy and you will get rewarded," Jing Yuan whispers and nips his ear lovingly. "Isn't that what you used to tell me, 'gege'?"   'Gege' nods, silently waiting instead. It always reels Jing Yuan up when he's dominating the other man, oh how badly he wants to break his 'gege' , tattering his unblemished body with love bites and hickeys, how badly he wants to make 'gege' cry and beg for his dick.   'Jiangjun' does have a mean streak of being a sadist.   He has to stay on script.   Jing Yuan nuzzles on the crock of Luocha's neck unprotected by the opened collar, inhaling the herbal scent mixed with the sweet fragrance of lilies. "Mmm… 'gege' , it seems that your chi is a mess right now. Is this why you're so insatiable? We have to fix that before your life is in mortal danger."   "P-please…"   'Jiangjun' licks his lower lip and holds 'gege's chin, pulling him into a chaste kiss, just mere innocent touch of their lips. Luocha simmers into the tender sensation, he rolls his hips back slightly as he feels a pair of firm hands massaging his buttocks. Jing Yuan squeezes, causing a gasp to escape from his lips. The younger man uses the opportunity to slip his tongue in, Luocha accepts the intrution wholeheartedly. As their tongue rolls on each other, tasting every nook and cranny of the wet cavern, saliva drips down from the sides of Luocha's mouth. Hot, wet voices roam free inside the room, perhaps loud enough for their poor neighbors next door to hear. That's the furthest thing he wants to be concerned here, he has an important matter to finish in front of him.   More moans slip past Luocha's throat, the little trembles send sparks straight down Jing Yuan's cock. Without breaking the kiss, he helps Luocha to straddle over his lap, rubbing their clothed erections together in a slow rhytmn. Luocha breaks the kiss, throwing his head back and panting hard for oxygen.   "A-aah~ Jiang -...'Jiangjun daren'..."   Aeons, Jing Yuan's resolve crumbles sporadically. At this rate, not even the patient 'Jiangjun' is able to fight back the urge to throw 'gege' to the sofa and fucks him senseless. Not yet…just a little more…he wills to endure just a little more…   "Ohh… mmh… there… touch me there…"   Jing Yuan latches his teeth on the pale neck and bites down, making the blond man scream into the air. He sinks his teeth until he can taste the iron tang unique to blood, only then he lets go with a lick, kissing the wounded area vigorously. He gazes up, meeting a pair of hazy, watery emerald eyes and crimson cheeks. The sight makes his heart skips two beats and sets his darkest desire alight.   "Hah...'Gege', you're going to be the death of me."   Luocha cups his face and kisses him again. "Then, I will find you in our next life, just like how you found me in this one, A'yuan."   The words sears a sting into his heart. Those are the same words as 'gege' said to 'Jiangjun' , but…it sounds…sincere. It is as if Luocha doesn't act and does really mean it.   (And somehow, there is strange feeling of…de javu. He doesn't understand.)   Jing Yuan doesn't speak another word and disrobes the rest of the clothing from Luocha's body, ravishing every inch of the warm body with bites, kisses and licks. Each of them are possessive, Luocha can tell, and he lets the younger man do as he pleases to his body. Just like how 'gege' offers everything to 'Jiangjun' , Luocha offers all that is him to his beloved. And he revels in every motion of affection Jing Yuan does to him.   Luocha bends back and his arms dangle without restraint, exposing his naked chest for Jing Yuan. He moans loudly, feeling the hot, wet tongue licking his shy nub, biting and sucking with great vigor. Jing Yuan's finger flicks the other, teasing it until it perks out and pinches hard, earning a long, delicious moan out of the blond man.   "A'yuan…a'yuan~"   Just as he is about to reach his peak, the ministration stops. Luocha whines pathetically while Jing Yuan manhandles him easily, switching their positions. Luocha kneels on the sofa with his legs spread, his twitching hole and dangling erection are exposed. Precum drips down from the slit of his flushed cock, the cool air blowing on its sensitive skin doesn't help Luocha to find his release.   "A'yuan…"   "Gege, you're so perfect, so damn perfect for me only..." Jing Yuan growls in his husky voice, leaning on the length of Luocha's back. The heat from his body made the smaller man shiver in anticipation of what's to come.   Luocha's hips jolted at the cool, watery sensation dripping down his ass, Jing Yuan must have applied some lubricant on it.   "Don't hold back, okay? Just cum if you want. I'd like to watch gege in his most undignified moments."   "A'yua-" his words cut short with the first finger digging in, sheathing itself down to the first knuckle. "Oh-! Aaah~"   Jing Yuan pulls back and pushes in, reaching deeper and deeper with each thrust. Luocha moves his hips, trying to sync their pace together as he chases after the stars that begin to appear behind his eyelids. A second finger is added, going all the way in. The stretch burns his nerves, his body shakes from pleasure as he reaches his climax, spurting cum onto the sofa. Jing Yuan whistles, musing how they have to clean the poor furniture first thing tomorrow.    " Gege , you have such a slutty body," he stuffs the third finger, watching the hole gagging wide around his wet digits. Jing Yuan picks up the pace, brutally assaults Luocha's hole, torturing the rings of his inner muscles with carnal pleasure. "No wonder those- nggh! - lowly demons wanted to fuck you stupid."   Luocha isn't able to conjure up any smart retorts, his mouth can only form incoherent words of Jing Yuan's name.   "But you're safe here, with me," 'Jiangjun' embraces the other man around his waist with an arm, kissing the back of Luocha's neck. "I won't let anyone touch you, moreover, hurting you."   And he sincerely means it.   "Not even the corrupted lowlifes of the mortal world, and those lofty heaven officials can ever harm you. I shall create a paradise for you, for us both…"   Jing Yuan pulls his fingers out and without waiting for Luocha to come down from his high, he pushes the older man's hips forward, sinking the half-hard cock in between the sofa's backrest. The sudden rough friction along his cock sends spark after spark of pleasure up his brain, it almost causes him to fall unconscious. Luocha can feel himself hardening between the coarse, thick pillows, he sinks his nail into the fabric. He's not even worried he might rip the sofa off.   "Mine…mine…all mine…" Jing Yuan murmers lowly, possessively.   His breath hitches the moment he feels something poking his abused hole, and he readies himself.   "Say it, gege. Say that you're mine . Let the three realms know that you belong to me."   That's…no longer a part of the script, isn't it? Alas, who cares.   "A-A'yuan…I'm A'yuan's whore wife…!" Luocha announces without hesitation. "Please, A'yuan, please! I— o- OOOHHH ~ ♡ "   Jing Yuan pushes the head in, pulling out and pushing back in until he's buried to the hilt. He pauses, letting Luocha to get used to the stretch (this is not the first time they make love, but he relishes the way Luocha's body trembles, his hole clamps and relaxes around his girth). He unties Luocha's hair with his cum-stained hand, pulling the golden strands and snapping his hips forward at the same time.   Gege screams, loud and unrestrained, bridled with carnal lust. The sound of flesh smacking against each other mingles with their deep moans. Luocha can only hold onto the sofa for his dear life as Jing Yuan violates his body, sending every cell of his nerves to hellfire. His ass reds from the constant impact, and Jing Yuan adds fuel to the fire by slapping it repeatedly.   "N-no! S-stooph~ " Luocha slurs, begging, but Jing Yuan doesn't stop and delivers another hard spank onto his burning ass. "O-ooh~! M-mhore~♡♡ "   "I always knew you're such a whore, gege ," Jing Yuan utters. "I'm afraid- aaah…I can't let you out of my sight."   "I-I-I'm only hgnh-!!~"   "I know… You're only whoring yourself for me, gege ."   Jing Yuan hastens his pace, both of them almost reach their edge. His thrusts is faster and shorter, Luocha is already too fucked out of his mind to speak coherent sentences. Jing Yuan pinches and pulls Luocha's hard nipples, sending his gege to the edge.   "Let's cum together, gege… "   "A'yuan! A'yuan a'yuan a-AAAAAHHH~~♡♡♡ "   White clouds their visions, sparks of black stars flicker soon after. Luocha cums into the sofa as Jing Yuan unloads inside his tight cavern, filling him up to the brim. The young man embraces his fatigue lover, all that Luocha can feel as his consciousness drifts away is the familiar warmth and love Jing Yuan has always been showering him with.   As his consciousness fades, he recalls a certain scenery.   A valley of white lilies, a familiar man donned in ancient Xianzhou garb stands in the middle of the sea of pure white flowers.   A wave of longing hits him as he sees the wide smile on that visage.   Gege, I always love you even after ten thousand years.   Luocha closes his eyes and welcomes the comforting, tranquil darkness.   As I do you, A'yuan… He replies to the fading figure.   …   By the time he wakes up, sunlight has spilled in from the gaps of the curtains, its warmth touches his naked skin. His head feels both light and heavy at the same time, he has to admit it was one of the best sex in their life. Luocha struggles to get his eyes open, by the time he does, he's greeted with a pair of soft, golden gaze. Jing Yuan has a pair of pretty eyes, it is as if Heaven poured molten of the purest gold into him.   "Good morning, gege," Jing Yuan welcomes him back to reality, he looks as refreshed as a watered plant. "You sleep like a log last night, you're really cute."   "And whose fault is that that we skipped dinner?"   Jing Yuan bashfully averts his eyes away and whistles comically, earning a pinch on his ear from Luocha. "O-ouch. Blame that erotic xianxia novel, gege. I'm just a man with desires, you know…"   "You should take responsibility. I'm hungry and my hips are sore beyond words. You really outdid yourself last night, Jing Yuan."   Whenever gege addresses him this way, it means he's dead serious and won't take no as an answer. "Alright, so, what do you want to have for breakfast?"   As if he had it all planned out since the beginning, Luocha replies almost immediately. "I heard the canteen across the road is serving seasonal catering now. I'd like to try it."   "On it." Jing Yuan calls a number and orders the exact menu for two persons.   Luocha moves closer, snaking his aems around the man's muscular waist. The action almost make Jing Yuan dropped his phone, it's a shame the young man learns to restrain himseld this time.   "Gege, you seem awfully familiar with the book."   "A co-worker of mine keeps on talking about it, so she lent me the novel. I must say it has a very solid plot and lore, a fluid, dynamic character development despite having erotic scenes in it." Luocha sits up, uncaring of the blanket falling off and revealing his bruised body. Jing Yuan blushes pink at the titillating view. "Speaking of which…"   Luocha yanks off the blanket and sits on Jing Yuan's stomach, staring deep into his soul through the golden eyes. "'Jiangjun daren' ..." Luocha lusciously calls that title and takes Jing Yuan's hand, placing it on his own stomach, just a few inches above his limp cock. "I think you went too hard on my poor, sinful body last night and now I'm pregnant with our kids."   Jing Yuan feels as if a lightning just struck him dead, only to ressurect his heartbeat to 200 beats per minute.   "A-a-a-a-are you SERIOUS?!"   "Of course not," Luocha chuckles in amusement. Teasing Jing Yuan has always been a hobby from time to time. "I'm a man, I don't have a womb."   "Unless," he leers at the panicked man. "You'd like to really get me impregnated like 'gege"."   "U-uhh…"   "Just like that, you're hard again," to prove his point, Luocha grinds himself on the hardening cock. "You and your libido are simply insatiable."   Might as well gettind round two before breakfast arrives. Luocha doesn't seem to oppose the idea as he willingfully be mandhandled by his young lover.   The book lays quietly on the nightstand, being a silent witness to their passionate love.   [The end…]

Premonition of Imminent Disaster

['blankscripture']

Not Rated

Gen

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Main Character (Honkai: Star Rail), Trailblazer (Honkai: Star Rail), Caelus (Honkai: Star Rail)

Astral Express (Honkai: Star Rail), Stellaron (Honkai: Star Rail), Angst, Intrusive Thoughts, Insomnia, Oneshot, the trailblazer has worrying thoughts and deals with them, Mentioned Astral Express Members (Honkai: Star Rail)

English

2022-06-03

Completed

2022-06-03

1,426

1/1

79

8

837

['seitennosinker', 'Babyblack69', 'Sr_PringleProngle', 'saycriii', 'JJY221', 'narinari777', 'Luna3003', 'randomsoulnix', 'ayamamamiya', 'Erif_Of_Taloma', 'Asophogus', 'FukazeJin', 'thePerfectSon_MightyWarrior', 'NexuxPoint', 'Avali734', 'Blue_rose999', 'Qynx', 'Lyria_Locke', 'St4r1ight', 'Cory_001', 'Cryptic_Qrow', 'Kotofeila', 'PuffyRoses14', 'rmsebi', 'Fiugk17', 'begoes', 'blackswanswife', 'honkEna', 'T1aGenius', 'BoneDealer', 'ssskaay', 'Someone_bored', 'GWDYKM', 'teatreemint', 'Crazy4abby', 'Animelover7032', 'Rakshiem', 'kiwi_03', 'MeteorGarden', 'kosi_AnneC', 'LinniLotus', 'miHoYomaketomoplayable', 'hachi1106', 'ZombieLisa', 'kkevco_amr', 'DaOneAndOnly747', 'Ripaphantom', 'yourfavculer', 'ModaCross', 'Grand_Marxc']

[]

Danger lies ahead of their path and the road ahead of them is shrouded in uncertainty. Staring into the cosmos outside the window, the fareway stars seem to shine as brightly as ever, along with a few stray asteroids found scattered here and there, near and far, decorating its vastness. It's a beautiful sight that stores unending possibilities in the inexplicably vast universe that folds and unfolds before his very eyes. And yet, there is an uneasiness in his heart, a strong feeling that something is about to happen, especially something unpleasant and very dangerous, which he finds unable to shake off. That presentiment was what had woken him up on an ungodly hour of the night, and what made him unable to return to sleep. Since the others were still unperturbed in their slumber, he was left to his own devices, unable to rest, he found himself wandering aimlessly through the Astral Express' wagons until settling down on a booth with the perfect view of the stars. Unsurprisingly, these feelings of dread are not uncommon to individuals such as himself, this worry, this presentiment, it is a warning that danger is near and that sooner or later they will come face to face with it, he knows that is the case due to being painfully aware and in touch with these troubling thoughts that surge prior to disaster striking. Oh, and dealing with that disaster as well, as troublesome as it sounds and as matter of factly was. March 7th called it precognition once he made a passing mention about it and she fussed over him about it with pink and blue eyes sparkling with wonder, he didn't have to look outside to see the stars back then. Only if she knew it wasn't that simple. Things were never simple when it came to him anyways. Not that it matters, things were always complicated and giving her an explanation would likely only lead to further confusion and fussing. Still, he cannot deny he has grown fond of the pink haired girl and her magnetic personality, along with her recklessness, her strong will to brave the unknown and always in search for a new adventure. She reminds him of himself quite a lot. A little too much for comfort. Something old and familiar creeps in at the back of his mind at that, a memory of days long past, of simpler times. Slowly and calmly, he pushes it back from whence it came with a gentle shake of the head and a wishful sigh, there was no use dwelling on the past anymore, it has become nothing but history now, nothing else remains. Nevertheless, practice makes perfect, and dealing with disaster and these terrible terrible thoughts has taught him a lot, to say the very least. A lot as in, deep knowledge of things and beings of destruction, like the Stellaron, deeply engraved into his mind to the point where it has influenced his person and is an universal constant in his life. It was hard to forget, especially when that knowledge became a part of you, in more ways than one considering the Stellaron in his chest, it's akin to carrying a ticking time bomb with no countdown awaiting to explode at any given moment should he or others not thread carefully enough. At first, he perceived letting him join the Astral Express as a means to keep others away from any harm the Stellaron might bring, but it's clearer now that they intend to keep him safe and want him around, even if it would bring their own demise. The point is that they care about him, not the fact he is basically a sentient weapon that might be able to destroy whole planets, they keep him around because they genuinely worry over his person, and that? That hurt. It made his heart ache in a painful manner, one that he hasn't felt for a very very long time. The trailblazer thinks of photos on an album, an odd book on a table, a scalding cup of coffee, a cane brimming with power, and wonders vaguely: When had he begun worrying about them anyway? The trailblazer doesn't know the answer. That worries him further. Should the Stellaron awaken from its dormant state, he too will become one of the dangers in their path. Not something any of them were looking forward to, and yet, they kept the Stellaron, and therefore him as well, even when made aware of the dangers that would come with that decision. They were willing to take the risks. In spite of that, do they know what that truly entails? Only one way to find out. Worrying won't solve anything in the end. So he forcibly stuffs those thoughts kicking and screaming back from whence they came to be dealt with later on when the subject doesn't make him spiral into despair of all things. Either way, even if something bad were to happen, he wouldn’t be able to stop it anyways. The multiverse worked in mysterious ways, and no one is ever really ready to face the unexpected, however, he could enjoy the air of mystery and uncertainty behind it. Fate is called as such for it cannot be changed, nor can it be reversed, it can only but be accepted. Where has he heard that before? Nevermind that, what matters is that he has already accepted his fate and whatever it has in store for him, and now his focus can move onto other things besides stargazing and the dread trying to climb its way back to the forefront of his mind. There is much that can be done within this train, and they have the time to go through with them. So he decides to start with a simple activity, one that will help clear his head for a while and allow him to find other activities to do on the way. The gray haired man with yellow on black clothing stands out of the booth, amber eyes sparing a glance to the cabin’s entryways before heading out the nearest one without looking back. A stroll is in order to see the sights the Astral Express has to offer and ease his mind from his ailments, to appreciate the momentary peace of the train to its fullest instead of moping around. To live in the moment, to not worry over the future and past, that is what he wishes and aims to accomplish. Living in a loop of irresolution and a constant state of doubt is not truly living, so he stills his wavering will and ambivalence, even if it's just for a moment, so that he may not live his journey with the Astral Express in disquiet. So that he may live this journey alongside people who truly care. People that he hopes someday to call friends if and when he finally lets go of these hauntings of the past. Amber colored eyes shine as brightly as gold against the endless night sky that is the cosmos with newfound passion and wonder, the action causing his lips to curl up in a small smile that is maintained for quite some time while walking down wagon after wagon on his mission to record this train's every detail to memory. He has a feeling that something unexpected will happen along the way, but for once, he doesn’t worry nor stress over it, he is ready to tackle head on whatever gets in his way. Spurred on by this surge of confidence of unknown origin, the man finds himself looking forward to coming across whatever it is. As a matter of fact, instead of being worried about it after much turmoil caused by his treacherous mind, he is excited to cross the unknown and at peace with the choice he is making. The trailblazer doesn't have to worry about being prepared now, after all, the best defense is a good offense, and he is never backing down from peril. Now, putting all that self-hype and sheer nonsense aside, the man quietly wonders whether someone will awake any time soon, the company would be appreciated and saying they hadn't carved their way into the trailblazer's heart would be an utter lie. The barely noticeable sound of footsteps keep getting farther away, quiet and quieter, until the trailblazer disappears from sight and only silence remains. Danger lies ahead of their path and the road ahead of them is shrouded in uncertainty. How exciting. Just what will they come across this time?

Downtime

['fowllegacy']

Explicit

M/M

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Sampo/Gepard

Gepard (Honkai: Star Rail), Sampo (Honkai: Star Rail)

First Time, Fluff and Humor, some dirty talk, gepard being really fucking awkward is probably worth a tag of its own, questionable canonical accuracy, bottom gepard, top sampo, Written Pre-Honkai: Star Rail Release

English

2022-05-25

Completed

2022-05-25

5,026

1/1

57

4,668

429

48,935

['Aki_yuno', 'sh1ttbit', 'MiraiCutiyama', 'holky_a_vdolky', 'WhiteSakura59', 'staledirt', 'GB7', 'starswallowingsea', 'redspecs', 'DizzySilver', 'FizzyAsInTheDrink', 'Kieruzelv', 'SunlitSparrow', 'EroticMonsterSimp', 'alien_platypus', 'Yeetdachild', 'migueloharasirlwifesband', 'GlitchWitch', 'KJE', 'Canisleepnow9', 'Mediatruck', 'sheer_ill', 'RichardPham', 'PandoraHasABox', 'HuggyBee', 'Di_Artemissa', 'yellowmanemoji', 'Lilbon42', 'mewomaru', 'gyuvin', 'Nee354', 'SmartieQueen', 'Nigai_KouRen', 'Nik_Mim', 'I_Like_Being_A_Ghost', 'Timeywimeyassbutt', 'SnowyFool_606', '10vers', 'TitanMeat', 'snowskinrabbits', 'atypical_ghost', 'larii_cipher', 'wrappedonigiri', 'karkinides', 'Persona13gg', 'KaorusFishsticks', 'AHalia', 'KiravaDivy', 'Nova_blitz', 'nlealei']

[]

It’s not that Gepard is a raging workaholic who has no social or recreational life outside his Union duties, as kindly observed by Serval.  It’s also not that Gepard lives off the adrenaline of doing mundane reports and briefings out of obligation which ultimately end up being nigh redundant, as pointed out by Pela.  In truth, the captain of the Silvermane Guards is simply a man of habit. Joining the military at a young age indoctrinated him to the rigid structures surrounding the nature of his work very early on. His promising skills, along with his family name, meant that expectations and duties set upon him were far more than the others. It soon became a habit to place his work at a higher priority than even his health.  Admittedly, it was only by cultivating this dedicated attitude that he was able to achieve such a renowned rank at such a young age, perhaps at the cost of other important things. Such as an appreciation for good music, as once again pointed out by Serval. “…which is why,” Sergeant Pela slams a hand on his desk and glares at him with as much deadpan as her large doe eyes can muster, “we’re kicking you out of the office for a week.” “You just can’t do that,” is the only reply that the renowned captain can muster, sitting behind the desk with a pen in hand. “What about these reports?” Pela’s brow twitches worryingly. “You know that the higher-ups don’t even read them, right?” Gepard doesn’t even deny it. “Then, what about the patrol squad I’m supposed to lead in two days?” “Assignments have been shifted. Captain Dunn is subbing in for you,” she replies. “Huh?” Gepard says, wide-eyed. “But, Pela, you know the official procedures, I can’t just walk away from my work unless I file a request for leave—” Pela’s gaze shifts from annoyed to tired in an instant. “I filed it for you. The Madam Guardian has already approved of the leave.” Gepard blinks owlishly. “What.” “What.” The blond knight runs a hand through his hair, “Madam Cocolia—” “—thinks you deserve a break as well,” Pela finishes for him. “Even Bronya came to me with concerns the other day, you know. You’re going to work yourself to death, and you’re the only one who can’t see it coming.” “I…” “Gepard.” “Okay. I understand. I guess you do have a point.” Gepard sighs, defeated. Lately it has felt like it’s been harder to get up in the mornings, not to mention all the times he spaced out between training drills. Pela says nothing for a moment, as if surprised that it was really just this easy to convince her coworker like this.  “Well, enjoy your temporary freedom.” She puts her hand on her hips. “Remember, just because we’re not gonna bother you for a week doesn’t mean you can skip meals again. And you better sleep eight hours.” He laughs. “Okay… thanks, Pela.” “What for?” Gepard gives a small, sheepish smile. “For looking out for me.” In return, Pela simply huffs and turns towards the door, leaving after replying, “Serval is the one you should actually be thanking. I would simply rather not have to get used to a new supervisor if you do end up incapacitated from overwork, Captain Landau.” The door closes with a resolute click, and Gepard is left alone in his minimalist office, staring at the dying plant on his desk that an officer gifted him a month ago. …Oh, he thinks belatedly. Of course it was her.     “Serval, what is the meaning of this?” The blond woman turns around, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the man at the door of her apartment above the workshop. “My dear little brother! Finally off from work, are we?”  She’s got a strange glint in her eyes, and Gepard can’t help but notice that something seems different about his sister today. Is it her over-enthusiasm? Her change of attire? That plotting grin on her face?  “Off from work…” Gepard grumbles, pulling his mind away from all the questions. “I suppose so.”  Serval slinks around him and pats his shoulders reassuringly as the blond man takes off his boots and armoured jacket. “Aw, little Geppie, wipe that disgruntled look from your face. Your big sister is going to take you somewhere fun today.” “You mean,” Gepard sighs, “you’re going to drag me off to one of your rehearsals again.” “Haha, of course not. I’ve already given up on trying to get you to understand my music,” Serval smiles sunnily. “So this time, I’m taking you somewhere that will help you loosen up.” The younger man takes off his gauntlet and flexes his hand, trying to shake out the chronic cramps. He looks up into sharp blue eyes, and finds himself suddenly uncharacteristically scared. Once Serval has made up her mind, it’s almost impossible to talk her out of it.  A Landau signature trait, really. Serval straightens up. “First, I’m getting you out of that stuffy uniform. You’re in your sister’s apartment, not out there brawling with monsters in the Freeze. We’re getting you changed. Right now.” With no small amount of effort, she manages to drag Gepard further into the apartment, much to the latter’s confusion. “Look, I just came here to talk, I’m not—” “So,” Serval spins around, a sad (but also unconvincing) pout on her lips, “you really don’t want to spend family time with your lonely big sister? It’s been a long time since you came to me about anything other than work and repairs…” “I,” Gepard scowls, biting down whatever remark he had in mind. It’s true, after all. His loyalty lies first and foremost with the Madam Guardian… But that doesn’t mean that he should neglect his family either. “Okay. You win.” Serval responds to that with a victorious little fist pump, and Gepard, with a resigned smile on his face, decides that at the very least, he can afford to give his sister this small happiness.     …Unfortunately, it is only two hours later that he begins to have some doubts.  “Serval,” he starts, but is cut off by the older Landau waving over one of the waitresses and rattling off another order for various different kinds of alcohol that Gepard has never even remotely heard of, much less drunk before. Before the waitress leaves, he quickly adds a request for a jug of water, just in case. “Serval,” he tries again.  The older woman laughs around a hiccup as she focuses her attention back to her little brother. She’s holding a strangely coloured cocktail with a little umbrella in it, and it looks just as steady in her hands as the new Union recruits trying to hold a heavy cast iron sword without toppling over.  “Gepaaard, you’re such,” another hiccup, “a stick in the mud,” Serval bemoans, downing the rest of her cocktail in one gulp. The tiny paper umbrella falls down somewhere beneath the table. “I brought you— brought you here to get wasted, not to be… my fucking chaperone, hic.” Gepard glances around. “It’s not that I’m purposely trying to ruin your fun. It’s just, why did you choose such a…” “Seedy looking place on the outskirts of Belobog?” she slurs. “Gimme a break, you really think you can let loose drinking in the main district when every second person recognises your stupid face?” “I, well,” Gepard furrows his brows. “Actually—” “Shut uuuup,” Serval groans. “Just shuddup. You’re gonna lecture me again about saving face for the Union or ‘maintaining duty and vigilance’ aren’t you?” Gepard crosses his arms and closes his eyes. He knows where this is going.  Serval continues on, relentless. “Well, lemme tell you this, big boy! You’re what now? In your twenties? How many friends do you have? Have you ever gotten a girlfriend? Have you ever even gotten laid?” Keep calm. Gepard thinks. His eyebrow twitches. Calm. That’s it. “I’m just looking out for you, little brother.” Serval lowers her head to the table until there’s an audible thump. “It jus’ makes me sad to think that you’re probably gonna be a Union bootlicker for the rest of your life. The world outside this city’s a hellhole, Plamya’s blessings won’t last forever, and eventually we’ll all freeze to death. You can’t fix everything, so you should really… learn to live a little instead.” “Serval..” The blond woman lifts her hand to her face to check her watch, before pulling herself upright, looking around. “Should be here.” Gepard blinks. “What?” Serval’s eyes stop somewhere past Gepard’s head, lighting up. Gepard turns around to look at the entrance of the establishment, but fails to see anything of interest. “What’s wrong?” he asks, turning back around. “Nothing!” Serval smiles in that saccharinely sweet way that she always does whenever she’s hiding something.  Gepard frowns, choosing not to comment on it. Serval is terrible at acting, but also terribly good at guilt-tripping Gepard into doing anything she wants, so most of the time he doesn’t bother trying to suss out her antics anymore. “I’m going to the bathroom,” Serval stands up, wobbling a little on her heels. “Will you be okay?” He stares worriedly at her. “Right as rain,” she smiles back unsteadily. “Remember, Gepard, you gotta live a little, got it? Sometimes you’ve just got to take whatever life throws at you.” “…Understood,” he replies, but actually not quite understanding at all. The younger Landau watches as his sister’s figure sways towards the restrooms, prepared to run over in case she falls over. An audible sigh of relief leaves his lips when she disappears behind the door.  Old habits immediately rev back up again; he sweeps his gaze across the establishment and notes the time, points of exit, the other people around him.  A couple sitting at the bar, a woman in the corner, a group of teenagers at the back, and a… man approaching him? Said man slides into Serval’s seat opposite him with practiced ease, a wide smile on his face. He’s quite built, with an admittedly handsome face and sly grin.  Gepard scowls. “That seat is taken, unfortunately.” “Ah, is it?” The purple-haired man says, looking not even a little surprised. “My apologies, it’s just that you looked like you were in need of some company here, all by yourself,” he grins. The stalwart captain opens his mouth to respond, but is cut off by a waitress setting a tray of drinks onto the table. Serval’s cocktail orders, he recalls. There’s a lot more than he remembers. Not wanting to make the situation awkward in the presence of an unfamiliar third party, he silently closes his mouth again. When the waitress leaves, the unfamiliar man sweeps his gaze across the glasses, picking one out that holds a bright azure liquid in it. “Blue Lagoon,” the man smiles; when he does, his eyes wane into moons, long eyelashes stark against the pale lighting. For some reason, Gepard can’t stop staring. “One of my favourites, try it.” Gepard wonders if Serval is going to berate him for finally drinking for the first time tonight in front of a literal stranger rather than her. But reason tells him that she would be ecstatic to see him step out of his comfort zone regardless of circumstance, so he accepts the glass with reluctance.  The first burst of flavour on his tongue has him scrunching his face, the sour taste slowly receding into a more pleasant sweetness. The aftertaste lingers, notes of lemon zest tingling at the back of his throat. The melting of winter frost into cool spring mornings. “It’s… not bad,” he decides tentatively. Emerald eyes light up with satisfaction. It’s strange, Gepard thinks, how the warm light of the bar makes everything seem just a little softer around the edges. All he’s known while growing up are the sharp edges of silver blades, the creaking of frostbitten joints, the distance between him and the rest of the world. His men trust him unconditionally, yet he is their captain first and foremost, and the weight of their lives on his hands is too heavy to share. But it doesn’t matter—he understands; this is his duty as the bulwark of the people, and he will spend his life to see it through. What rips him from his dazed musings isn’t the stranger snapping his fingers in front of his face, but in the background; Serval waving silently as she spots Gepard in the presence of another man.  Gepard stares at her as she slinks towards the bar counter and starts conversing with the bartender instead, essentially leaving her brother to fend for himself. “…” A warm weight slides over the top of his hand. Gepard blinks, muscles going rigid. He looks down to find a black-gloved hand covering his own, then looks up to find unreadable emerald green staring into his icy blue.  “That’s one hell of a glare you’ve got on,” the stranger smiles, eyes thinning. “The drink not to your liking?” “No.” His hand twitches. “It’s not that.” “Then,” the other continues, “what could be bothering our dear Silvermane Captain like so?” The blond tenses, sliding his hand out of the loose grasp and fixes the man with a critical look. “How did you—” The stranger laughs, a rough sound that’s surprisingly pleasant to the ears. “Your face is quite well-known throughout Belobog, you know? A real work of art. Exquisite,” he drawls. The owner of said face coughs lightly, feeling his ears heat up at the words. It’s true that civilians would recognise him anywhere he goes, but most of the time Gepard associated that with his weapon, uniform and Union badge. Outside of his work environment and in different clothes, he didn’t expect anyone to give him a second look. “Well, regardless.” The man swirls his alcohol and holds up his glass, the amber liquid inside glinting under the pale lights. “The name’s Sampo. I’m here to serve you for tonight, esteemed client.” “Sampo,” he rolls the word around his tongue. Hesitantly, he holds up his own glass in toast. “Gepard.” Sampo laughs again. “I know.” The alcohol spreads across his tongue and lights up in his mouth. It burns his throat as it goes down, and Gepard’s still not exactly used to it, but he can’t say that he dislikes it either.  “Well, Gepard, or if you prefer Captain Landau—” “Just Gepard is fine,” the blond interjects, “I’m not on duty at the moment, so the titles are meaningless.” Sampo beams a little at that. It’s kind of an endearing sight, but Gepard doesn’t allow his mind to think any further than that. “Of course! So, Gepard, I heard from a little birdie that you’re in a bit of a dilemma. I’m here to propose a solution.” A dilemma? Gepard thinks, but before he can dwell on it, Sampo rises and leans over the table to whisper something in his ear. “…!” Quickly drawing back, the purple-haired man chuckles, settling back onto the chair in a manner that Gepard thinks is far too relaxed for what he just offered. “How about it?”  Gepard is lost for words.  Sampo waits opposite him, a strange tension etched into the lines of his shoulders. He leans forward, elbows on the table, green eyes piercing.  Gepard is already halfway through formulating a rejection before Serval’s jabbing words echo insistently through his mind: have you ever gotten a girlfriend? Have you ever gotten laid?  “…” “Well?” Sampo murmurs, words quiet against the sound of Gepard’s thundering heartbeat. Gepard swallows, forcing down the heat in his cheeks. “…Okay.”  Take that, Serval, he thinks. It’s time to take what life throws at him.     Gepard tries his best to ignore the all-knowing smug look that Serval shoots his way as the two men leave the bar. Sampo doesn’t seem to notice, or perhaps he’s enough of an actor to pretend not to care.  There’s a flashy looking hotel just down the road from the bar, which Sampo brings him to. Gepard doesn’t need to squint against the flashing neon signs to know what sort of patrons it accommodates for.  “Room 402.” Sampo winks at the receptionist. The blond is too busy trying not to let his face combust into flames to notice that the other man seems to have booked the room ahead of time. “Welcome to the land where dreams are made!” Sampo singsongs as he ushers his companion into the room and flicks on the lights. Gepard blinks. “This is a hotel room,” he says intelligently. “Just humour me, dear captain,” the other shrugs his jacket off and hangs it behind the door. Gepard stands frozen next to him, unsure of what to do. What comes next? What would Serval do in a situation like this? Actually, perish that thought. “Well. Fancy a snack?” Sampo juts a thumb to the small cocktail bar in the corner. “They’ve kindly provided us with,” he peers at the bowl of something sitting on the counter, “free raisins.”  “….No, thank you.” “Suit yourself.” The taller man shrugs. You can head into the bathroom to freshen up first, I’ll go after you.”     By Plamya’s blessings, somehow Gepard manages to ‘freshen up’ without dying inside and/or texting Serval to come pick him up ASAP before he melts into a vaguely human-shaped puddle like a water flavoured popsicle that Pela once likened his personality to. Though, the look Sampo shot him as he left the bathroom makes him kind of wish that he did. To take his mind off the situation, he opts to stare at the array of alcohol in the bar instead. There’s a small bottle of Belobog’s specialty vodka, some tonics, some wines, glasses, raisins… A breath ghosting his nape causes his muscles to stiffen up. “So you did want to help yourself to the raisins.” Sampo’s voice rumbles behind him. “Hardly fond of them,” Gepard grumbles in response.  “Well, that’s alright.” A large, warm hand slinks under his shirt and wraps around the curve of his waist. Gepard shivers. “There are better things to savour throughout the night if we take our time…” Gepard really wants to die now. Thankfully Sampo seems oblivious to the knight’s raging inner turmoil and hums as he kisses down the line of the other man’s neck. At the same time, he rubs his hands on the knight’s abdomen, tracing the shallow valleys of his abs. Each touch sends Gepard reeling—he’s hardly ever been intimate with anyone before, let alone let someone else seize control over his body like this. Sampo bites gently into the junction between his neck and shoulder then licks the area, sending a full body shudder running through Gepard. Strings of saliva connect between Sampo’s mouth and Gepard’s pale neck as he draws away.  “Wow, so sensitive… could it be, the famous shield of Belobog, the righteous guardian of the people, the sweetheart of all the single ladies and elderly grannies in town,” Sampo fakes a gasp, “is a virgin?” Stop talking!!!! Gepard thinks almost hysterically. In a sudden rush of adrenaline, he grabs Sampo’s collar and crushes them both into an open-mouthed kiss, completely mismatched and clumsy and both of them tasting faintly of alcohol. Snapping out of his shock, Sampo pushes back against the other man, vying for dominance. He pushes a knee up between the blond’s legs, earning him a tight moan and a desperate jerk of hips. By Plamya, Gepard thinks hazily, this man is going to be the death of him. Sampo kisses him so fiercely that he can hardly find room to breathe, tilting their heads to slot further into each other’s mouths. “…! Hah…” They eventually fall onto the bed together, Sampo tries to roll on top of Gepard but whether it’s the lingering liquid confidence in his veins or the ingrained habit of leading the charge, Gepard knees him in the stomach and straddles the bigger man instead. Looking down at those cocky green eyes, Gepard sucks in a breath.  Sampo rests his hands around the other man’s thin waist, then against the curve of his buttocks. Gepard shifts himself backwards; he can feel the other man’s member rapidly hardening beneath him. He curves his back down until his forehead is almost touching Sampo’s, strands of soft blond hair closing the gap between them. He hopes Sampo can’t hear his heart almost beating out of his chest. Perhaps sensing his hesitation, Sampo grabs the blond’s arm, and in one swift motion flips their positions back around. Facing downwards now, Gepard notes that Sampo’s movements are unnaturally agile, even with such a sturdy frame. Careful, quick, almost deceiving. What kind of background does this man have? Maybe… he could check with the citizen archives later— Sensing that Gepard’s mind has wandered off, Sampo ruts against the knight to tease him. “No thinking about anything else for tonight, like work!” The words sound suspiciously like something Serval would tell him, but Gepard has no time to dwell on that.  “Then you’ll have to make me forget about work,” Gepard grins daringly, in true stubborn Landau fashion. Sampo raises his brows. “Oh,” a glint shines in his eyes, “I’ll make sure you remember tonight well.” Sampo descends upon him with intentions true to his words; he presses heavy kisses into Gepard’s nape, his shoulders, down to his trapezius, mapping out a constellation of red marks across sensitive skin, like markings of territory in fresh snow. Gepard tries to crawl out and away from the onslaught of stimulation, but Sampo’s grip on his waist is iron, and it keeps him in place, helpless and receptive.  “Oh,” Sampo breathes as he finishes vandalising the pale body beneath him. “I like this. Someone as powerful and revered as you, turned into a mess like this beneath me.” Gepard wants to retort. Wants to say literally anything at all, but instead he can only pant as a hand slides into the dip of his ass and gently spreads him open, the feeling of being exposed like this causing him to close his legs and bury his face in the sheets. “…Mmh.” “It’s alright,” Sampo coos reassuringly, coaxing his legs open again. “Just need to prep you, okay? Won’t hurt.” Gepard isn’t worried about pain. He grew up on it, thrived on it—but the feeling of a lubricated finger breaching his hole is of neither pain nor pleasure, instead an intense discomfort. It’s a feeling that he never thought he’d ever experience, but Sampo works him open patiently and skillfully, and after a few minutes Gepard is leaking onto the sheets, dizzy from the onslaught of new sensations. “Ready?” Sampo asks. He takes the cant of hips as a positive answer, quickly rolling a condom onto his hardened dick with a precision that belies his enthusiasm. He ruts a little against the knight’s backside, sliding between his buttocks. Observes for reactions. Gepard gasps when he feels the length of the other’s dick against his hole. It can’t fit, there’s no way… right? …But he wants it. It doesn’t matter, he’s already burning up inside, and the feeling of Sampo grabbing his trembling thighs and resting his huge cock against the entrance is already enough to make Gepard mewl. For a moment it seems like Sampo’s going to push in, but then he pauses, as if contemplating, and draws away slightly. “What… what are…?” Gepard blinks, jerking his hips back minutely, his mind fogged up as he ruts against Sampo’s cock, focusing single-mindedly on the heat in his stomach, the need to be used. “Hurry,” he groans, not caring about dignity or properness anymore and simply wishing that the other man would stop teasing and hurry up and fuck him. Behind him, Sampo wets his lips. “Hm? What was that? You gotta be clearer, babe. Ask for it nicely.” With burning cheeks, the knight moans, twists his waist, spreads his legs slowly. One hand reaches back and exposes his trembling, moist hole, willingly presenting himself to be devoured.  “Please,” he begs, slightly hoarse. “Ple…ase… hurry, take me— ah, uhn! Uh—” he writhes when the head of that thick cock sinks in past the rim, “oh… ah, gods…” “Relax, ‘kay, just relax.” Sampo eases in slowly, mindful of the other man’s reactions as he opens him up, rubbing the back of Gepard’s hand. “Feels,” a gasp, “strange.” The hot length buries into him deeper inch by inch, dragging against sensitive walls. It’s almost overwhelming, that feeling of having something so large in there, laced with sparks of indescribable pleasure. “At least it doesn’t feel bad. It’ll feel good soon,” Sampo hums casually, as if they were just having a normal conversation. “Y’know, I watched you fight once. It was like,” he pauses, “watching a great snowstorm razing everything into the ground. I was awestruck.” A part of Gepard’s brain tells him he should be concerned about why a civilian saw him fight monsters potentially out in the great Freeze, but all that turns to mush as Sampo changes his angle slightly— grinds down against something that punches a filthy, needy sound out of Gepard’s mouth.  “Found it.” Sampo smirks. “Everything okay? You can take more, can’t you, even for a first-timer? Look, you’re leaking for it.” No I’m not, Gepard thinks feverishly. But his body is telling both of them otherwise. He’s thrusting back without thinking, chasing the tail end of that white hot pleasure, the drag of cock setting his nerves alight.  “Maybe you’re just born to take cock,” Sampo whispers against his ear. “Nnho, wai… wait, wait— ah…!” Gepard cries out as Sampo grinds against his tight walls, the latter’s member a heavy weight within his hole as it presses repeatedly against his prostate. “Wait.. I’m gonna, you’re—” “Relax,” Sampo growls low and hot against his ear. “Think of it… as endurance training.” Endurance training, Gepard thinks with a groan, gripping the sheets with whitened knuckles as Sampo pins him down, begind to fuck him until he’s wide-eyed from pleasure and shivering from the slightest touch. For me, or for him? Coherent thoughts leave him as Sampo grabs his wrists in one hand, holds his nape with the other and continues to thrust into his raised ass until Gepard can hear himself moaning whorishly into the bed. It’s so much— the drag of his cock hitting so deep, so much, almost too much, but it feels good it feels good it feels good but he can’t come— “…!!” A hand wraps around his cock, causing him to jolt as if electrocuted. The rush of pleasure turns his knees into jelly and wipes his mind blank until he’s coming onto the bed. “Mmguh—! Nn…!” It takes a few more thrusts before Sampo climaxes too, spilling inside the condom with a gasp. Gepard grunts when Sampo pulls out, thighs twitching as he pants through the aftershocks. It takes a few moments to clear his head before he can muster a thought together.  “That… was…”  “Good?” Sampo presses light kisses across the shell of his ear, the gesture so gentle and comforting that it almost seems out of place. Gepard nods slowly, the orgasm having left him lightheaded and pliant under the other man’s touches, hardly noticing that Sampo has slipped off his condom and replaced it with a new one. “Great.” Sampo rolls the blond over, wipes a bit of the latter’s come from his dick and licks it off his thumb, then licks his lips. He looks absolutely predatory.  “Then, another round? This is training after all… and I know you would never skip out on those.”     The morning light pouring into the room rouses Gepard from his sleep. Blinking, he spends a few moments reorienting himself and staring up at the ceiling, before pushing himself upright. “Ow.” He winces—his back hurting like he’d just carried three tonnes of recon equipment while trekking through the Freeze. He swears he just heard a part of his spine creak in despair. Something shifts to his side. There’s a groan as Sampo throws the pillow on his face onto the floor and yawns. “Urgh… mornin’.” “Good morning,” Gepard replies candidly as he tries to slide off the bed in a way that won’t cause his sex-aggrevated early onset arthritis pains to explode through the rest of his body. “Ow. Fuck.” He hears rustling behind him. “Wow. I didn’t know the white knight of Belobog knew how to cuss.” “Thanks to you.” “Hey! Not my problem that you were begging me to f—” Gepard whips his head around to retort, but instead he stops. And stares. Then he opens his mouth. “You have the most terrible bed hair on the planet.” A bark of laughter. “Do I? You don’t look any better.” “That’s because you tried to pull it last night when we…” he trails off, “when, you…”  Sampo raises an eyebrow. Gepard buries his face in his hands and tries not to have a crisis. What kind of situation is this… the captain of the Silvermanes. In a bed with a stranger. In some shady part of town. On vacation. Serval’s laughing face flashes through his mind, vaguely chanting something like truly a virginal maiden!  Gepard decides to stop thinking altogether, finally stands up and starts collecting his clothes together. Lazily watching the other man get dressed from the bed still naked, Sampo eventually speaks again with a pout. “So you’re just gonna leave?” Gepard busies himself with buttoning his shirt. “My sister is probably wondering where I am.” Sort of true. Serval would wonder, but wouldn’t do anything to actually search for him. “And I have work today.” A lie. “Mmh.” Something tugs him backwards. “Wait.” Gepard turns his head. Sampo pulls him back onto the bed, earning him a surprised yell and a glare of annoyance.  “What?” he asks, heat creeping up his cheeks again. “We had a great night, y’know? Maybe we could find some time to meet up again.” Sampo smiles—that damned, suave smile, “I know you don’t like raisins, so… how ‘bout a date?”

And you, among the stars

['ValeriyApocalypse']

Teen And Up Audiences

M/M

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Welt Yang/Luocha, past Otto Apocalypse/Welt Yang, past Void Archives/Welt Yang

Luocha, Void Archives (Honkai Impact 3rd), Welt Yang

Multiple Universes, Luocha is Otto, but an Otto that didn't suffer, mentioned past Otto/Welt, mentioned past Welt/VA as fuckbuddies, troubled memories, Welt has a crush, unbeta'd we die like Himeko

English

2022-05-15

Completed

2022-05-15

1,606

1/1

3

241

15

5,049

['That_one_aroace_thing', 'MEEDM', 'Rimim', 'ElIbArRa_BiTcH', '4NG3LR4M', 'Soi_Scrawls', 'RyokoMasa', 'FlyingShibaInu', 'Chlorofoamialokin', 'wrobelsolos', 'kaeyab4lls', 'SlothOnCaffine', 'Yoru_zuki', 'listgro', 'ritsu030', 'cxnstantine', 'Ryuuna31', 'MoonMoon_Bunny', 'Crm23', 'EternitysLover', 'Amemu', 'Chuuyaslightswitch', 'kizuuki_aa', 'Adamantem', 'JustAPansexualGemini', 'Xuan_xuan_234', 'AshinaUzumaki', 'Mizuchi_15', 'ImmenseMocha', 'Yukina_Kari', 'Zyrenia', 'Nerinashope', 'skartmoryy', 'Yapingiong', 'RoseMarina', 'Fuuyuk0', 'Aiko_cg28', 'threepen', 'Zsoup', 'busterbuster', 'I_Like_Being_A_Ghost', 'Tensa_0_Zangetsu', 'JustAnother_Fool', 'cruel_god', 'WierdShinigami', 'Demons_Fangs', 'rogwn', 'stressedmoons', 'artemiswontmind', 'eheherna']

[]

Welt’s life aboard the train was as hectic as even, but at the same time it was predictable.Every journey has a clear start and ending, and while the road in between never ceases to surprise him with bumps and turns, he can be sure that there’s a station waiting for them. Ever journey is one or more new faces, the stories he could tell! But he’ll never betray the trust of customers who confided with him.One day, one extremely normal day, he’s informed the train will travel with just one man as passenger. Nothing unusual, it was frequent enough to have a single passenger per trip.So, Welt went to work expecting nothing outside the ordinary. How wrong he was.The waiting room indeed had just one man waiting, a big white coffin standing beside him. But it wasn’t that detail, which surely wasn’t something people tended to overlook, that made Welt stop dead on his tracks.No, what struck him was that the man in front of him, who didn’t seem to have taken notice of him yet, offering him his profile, was Otto Apocalypse.At least, at first glance he looked EXACTLY like Otto, long blond hair that looked so, so soft, the same jade green eyes, gaze fixed outside the window.He looked exactly like him, but at the same time he didn’t.But after all, if the multiverse held multiple versions of them, his friend Himeko being the living proof, it was reasonable that even Otto had a counterpart, somewhere.It’s just that Welt didn’t expect to meet him here, his heart now drumming fiercely in his chest, threatening to burst out, its sound filling his ears.A wave of nostalgia fills him, his memories of the few quiet moments he had spent with Otto crashing his mind. Especially from the times they co-hosted the idol contest, a way to keep a farce for the general public, that instead developed in Otto and Welt actually interacting with each other in a friendly way.Welt had been smitten by how, beneath the cold, heartless façade Otto used to wear, there was a nice, kind person. He missed those times, where they could cast out their roles and responsibilities and just be…friends, and even taking it a bit farther, indulging in each other. Sadly, all good things come to an end, and Welt would’ve never abandoned his ideals, but in his heart bloomed the regret about their roles and destiny, who forbid them to be even friends, let alone something more than mere acquaintances and occasional fucks. Their ideals might have not aligned, but in retrospect Welt found himself understanding what Otto did, and why.And despite still not approving his actions, he came to terms with himself for the fact that he respected Otto. They were like the stars Altair and Vega, destined to never meet except for a single night, when ravens of black formed a bridge over the Milky Way. Only that he had no ravens, but he did have a train.This wave of nostalgia, longing and regret had completely invaded his mind as he stared at the pretty man by the window.It was the blond man who broke the moment, turning by chance and noticing Welt, a soft “Ah” escaping his lips.They stared at each other in silence for a moment, and Welt could bet his cheeks were flaring up.Forcing himself to snap out of it, Welt cleared his throat “Ahem, good morning. I am Welt Yang, you must be our 8AM appointment”The man blinked “Ah yes, indeed I am. You can call me Luocha. Nice to meet you, Mr. Yang” he answered, softly, extending his hand towards Welt.Welt gulped, he hoped in a non-audible way. The man, Luocha, had even the same voice.Plus, Luocha, really? Aside from it being clearly an alias (not that it was that uncommon), he has studied enough to associate that name to another word, a more famous one in the west, “raksha”. And wasn’t “Raksha” the name that the Valkyrie, Sushang was it?, had called Otto? The name he was known as when he traveled to the Far East? It was too much to be a mere coincidence.Welt shook his hand. It was warm, calloused in a way that suggested a man used to work with his hands, but soft enough to show self-care.“The pleasure is mine, Mr. Luocha”That jade green gaze met Welt’s, and he felt his heart skip a beat. His eyes were crystalline, pure, just like Otto’s.“Sorry if this question comes a bit unexpected but… have we met before, Mr. Yang?” Welt shook his head, retrieving his hand from the comfortable hold of Luocha “I don’t think so. This is the first time we meet”Luocha shook his head in turn, eyes closed as if he was trying to chase away a fleeting thought.“I understand. It was just a sensation of deja-vu. You can call me just Luocha, by the way. As you probably realized, that’s just a title I hold, and not my first name. Regrettably, I’m not allowed to reveal it”“Very well, Luocha. If you follow me, I’ll take you to your carriage. And you can call me Welt”Why did he add that last part? He never asked a customer to call him by first name, not at his first trip anyway.Luocha looked at him straight in the eyes, and smiled.Welt’s mind came back to him, to his past he had glimpsed thanks to Void Archives, and while he DID feel a bit bad for that snoopery, he knew he had longed for that smile.But here, it felt different, even better. In Luocha, there wasn’t the ever present shadow of loneliness and guilt that always hang upon Otto’s shoulders.Welt had felt guilty for so long, for missing someone who ultimately was his enemy, and just when he thought he was free from it, that his very inappropriate little crush on Otto Apocalypse had disappeared among the stars, here comes a man that looks just like Otto, talks exactly like him, but who seems free from all the burdens Otto had.“Welt”Images of Otto overlapped on Luocha when he spoke his name. Welt couldn’t deny it rang nicely.Welt forced a smile though his tormented thoughts, and directed the man towards the train. He marveled at how he effortlessly lifted that heavy-looking coffin. That object alone remind him of Otto, the tales VA told him… he forced those thoughts away, he had a job to do.The embarking process went quickly and smoothly, and soon they set off.Of course, the look of their passenger was noticed by his esteemed colleague, no one else than Void Archives.“So, the world has given another chance with the man of your dreams, uh?” said VA’s teasing voice once they were alone in the next carriage. Despite inhabiting one of Otto’s bodies, the way he spoke and moved had never really reminded Welt of Otto. Not as much as Luocha.“What do you mean?”Void Archives crossed his arms, looking very amused and playful.“Don’t play pretend with me, Welt Yang. I KNOW you miss him. Probably I’d miss him too if I could feel that emotion”“I don’t miss Otto, he basically was my arch enemy” said Welt, a bit too quickly.“When did I ever mentioned Otto?” VA teased.Welt scoffed. He had been played. VA DID learn something from Otto after all.“Anyway, you should go talk to him. Better than torturing yourself over here anyway”“I am not torturing myself”“If you’re really convinced about that…”Void Archives sprawled more on the conductor’s seat, and took something out of his pocket.A lollipop.“Mmmh, this is so good” he moaned, sucking on the candy “if I knew such things were this good, I would’ve demanded a body much sooner. Anyway”He turned to face Welt, his eyes suddenly serious.“Nobody knows Otto better than me. I lived in his head for five centuries after all, and I can tell you that our dear passenger IS Otto. Ok, not Otto-Otto, but you know what I’m talking about. He might not have the same background and memories, but I can tell it is him”“What do you expect me to do about it?” Welt already felt exasperated. It wasn’t enough that their passenger was the exact same of the man who was his enemy and he had a very improper crush on, Welt had to suffer VA’s teasing as well.“I don’t know. Just go there and talk, isn’t it what you humans do? Make small talk, pay him a compliment, get his number…”“Ok, ok, I got it” Welt sighed “How low did I fall, taking relationship advices from you, who aren’t even human…”“Hey, I’m your agreeable pal, remember? Or you forgot our time in that wreck of a space station*?”“That was nothing”VA chuckled “A “nothing” that repeated itself in multiple occasions” he teased, then, taking mercy of Welt’s red face, he added “but don’t worry, I’m fine with being just a fuckbuddy. But him? You shouldn’t let him go”Despite himself, Welt knew that Void Archives was right. The world gave him a second chance, and after all the sacrifices he made, he would’ve been a fool to not take it.Welt stood up from his seat, a resolute glint in his eyes.“Once you go through that door, everything will change” said VA.“I hope so” was the answer.Welt opened the door.        

meis bottom surgery

[]

Teen And Up Audiences

F/F

崩坏3rd | Honkai Impact 3rd (Video Game), 崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game), Guns Girl School DayZ (Video Game), 原神 | Genshin Impact (Video Game)

Kiana Kaslana | K-423/Raiden Mei, Fu Hua/Raiden Mei, Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee

Kiana Kaslana | K-423, Otto Apocalypse, Otto (Genshin Impact), Raiden Mei, Danheng (Honkai: Star Rail), Charlie Dalgleish, Siegfried Kaslana, Fu Hua, Murata Himeko, Hua Cheng (Tian Guan Ci Fu)

Yaoi, Trans Female Character, Trans Character, Canon Trans Character, BNHA Omegaverse Event 2021

English

2022-05-15

Completed

2022-05-15

886

1/1

6

23

1

1,056

['irisgf', 'Kay6jay', 'Kotofeila', 'vaemiko', 'jininredroses', 'KBLPRT', 'ry0ba', 'reverseaccuteangle', 'starstrucktwilight']

[]

tiday was going to eh t eh beet day of mei’s life she is goig to be get bottom surgery at auto asspocalhpse’s mediclal clinic she has waited so long to get a coochie and now is the day she is going to get HER CUSTOM MADE COOCHIE!!!!!!! “hi welocome to otto apcialypses medical clinic we sell italian food and brazilian butt lifs which do you want” say the red hairsd 30 year old lady with red hair and is 30 yesrs old “omg… hi ^_^!!!! i am here for my appointment with doctor fu hua for my bottom surgery” mei said nicely to the red haired 30 uear old lady with rad hair who is 30 years old “ok” red hair lady (this is himeko btw she had a brazilian butt lift) looks theough the appointment files “so you must ratxidne mei scheduled for 3:00pm for the normal-sized coochie right” “yes (n_n)” mei says again “sorry your appojtnment time was changed to 7:00pm because mr auto assopocalgosr who runs the plave wanted to gave sex with his boyfriendinsfid the office ummmm… sexyfried cockslana becaude he has a penis enlargement surgery right before your vagina surgery” “oh. o_O” mei is sad now “dont be so sad miss mei lady at least you have time to rethink your decision becuadr eho the fuck wants a normal-sized coochie when i got my bottom surgery i went for the fattest wettest tighest coochie rhat semelled the nicest available and oh my god my life has never been better” himeko-sensei talks about her bottom surgery and continued to talk about her life after getting her mega fat pussy and how that imrpoved her sex life or soemthing idk and mei zoned off and fell asleep “hey girlie you fell asleep on my shoulder” oh my god mei sufdenly woke up in the arms of some white hair 🧑🏻🦳🧑🏻🦳🧑🏻🦳🧑🏻🦳 guy with blue eyes like gojo satoru and jelsa #IFUCKINGLOVEJELSASOMUCH mei apoglozidf to him and he was like ok thats cool and also he was really hot this is t about his appearance his hand was burning meis skin and she needed to get away before she becomes a charred corpse “hi my name is kiana kaslana and this my voice three months on t sorry i jusf wnated to say that because its been rotting in my brain for weeks now ajd i needed to get it out or else i wouldve shot myself in the head “oh ok my name is raiden mei” “Like the genshin impact character?” kiana chan asked her “what is a genshart imfact?” mei asked “ Genshin Impact[b] is an action role-playing game developed and published by video game company miHoYo. It was released for Microsoft Windows, Playstation 4, iOS, and Android in 2020, and on Playstation 5 in 2021. The game is also set for release on Nintendo Switch. The game features an anime-style open-world environment and an action-based battle system using elemental magic and character-switching. The game is free-to-play and is monetized through gacha game mechanics where players can obtain new characters and weapons. The base game is expanded on a regular basis through patches using the games as a service model.” kiana replied “oh” mei said and decided to ignotr him forever until she heard a moan coming from a random door in the clinicj “what the hell was that???” “😭thats😭otto😭apocalypse😭😭AND😭😭HES HAVING SEX WITH MY FATHER” “im so sorry.” was all mei could utter out before doctor fu hua iinochou sama called her in for her bottom surgery “ummmmmmmmm can i have a raiden mei from super danganronpa 2 ultimate despair for the normal sized coochie bottom surgery” fu hua said to the entire waiting room and mei left to go with fu hua “alright miss raiden but i don't like it ertyy but it's not a joke lol 😆 just like the one that you guys want to have a google voice number and then you send me the link you can never 👎 my phone 📞 you can't keep me up 🆙 i but it's like crazy”” fuchua said sometihing mei didntnt undestand buecuase she doesnt know what fu hua is saying because she didn tunderstand but fu huantoock her to the operating room where she was going to get her bottom surgery done “ok in the other room next to you is the guy who runs the place and hes having really rough gruesome sex with his seme and hes been screaming and moaning forthe last 4 hours so try and ignore him and dont remind me of him pretend he doesnt exist im gonna get distracted and commit suicide on the spot and you die with me ok” fu hua told her and then put her under anastasia (i dont know hoe to spell it) **2 hours later** “wow i have a vagina now” “yes you do i wish i didnt have one though” fu hua mhttefed under her breathe “aahhhhhhhhh” otto apckatose moaned from the other room and both of them left immeidatley because it was so gross I ran out of ideas for this fic but kiana burns the otto clinic to the ground and everybody dies and reincarnates in heaven with their true pronouns attached to their usernames s and then miles morales is there

remaining strangers

['h1mmel']

Explicit

F/F

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Himeko/Kafka (Honkai: Star Rail)

Himeko (Honkai: Star Rail), Kafka (Honkai Star Rail)

explicit nsfw, Car Sex

English

2022-05-12

Completed

2022-05-12

1,833

1/1

6

626

27

10,879

['Kate_Gayden', 'migueloharasirlwifesband', 'Rishiiiiii', 'Karomei', 'Juijit', 'veeveespritey', 'AliothTheOverseer', 'valth3neerd', 'tiredtsukasaaa', 'Melohoney23', 'Sifer31', 'Ripsawikc', 'MrsDeadSerious', 'Jack0lantern0o0', 'Nameless_Something', 'sovizetic', 'Sixerry', 'Ein180', 'Freathien', 'Ao3_DRider', 'Smutty_Fluffer', 'Luxy', 'starkindred', 'Laviina', 'JustARegularGay', 'karmachen', 'Koipurr', 'miiym', 'Izzacorn2006', 'dyskinesia', 'hamburgersandwich', 'SeleneSchnee', 'XMessenger', 'Artemis_by_Design', 'vinsorey', 'wiinwinter', 'randomthings1', 'fyeb', 'twicethetrash', 'Degenpig', 'L_Y_R_A', 'flooringdemon', 'totheonewhoatethesun', 'vesnavtobi', 'emily0405', 'm8bius', 'Ligushkatnik', 'Adamantem', 'Ariaistired', 'ItsSimplyFaith']

[]

Himeko’s phone dinged. She’d been expecting a call from March 7 and Danheng for a while now in regards to the stellaron they were currently searching for, so she opened her phone anticipating a message from one of them. Instead, she was greeted by a notification from trailblazrsonly.com - a dating app that Mar had gleefully signed her up for a few weeks prior. When complaining about her seemingly permanent single status, the girl had made fun of her and helped her download a dating app, which Himeko had raised an eye at but not objected to. She hadn’t taken it too seriously, but she’d let Mar put together a profile for her nevertheless. New message from kafkaesque > hey The woman raised an eyebrow. Whoever it was hadn’t even bothered to try and start a conversation with her. Shrugging and figuring she’d ignore the message if they wouldn’t put any effort in, she found herself feeling a bit nosy and clicked on the person’s profile. Himeko nearly dropped her phone when she saw the woman’s pictures. It was an older lady with dark cherry-colored hair and clothes that were rather expensive looking in a way that made Himeko’s wallet ache merely from the sight. She was stunningly beautiful, even though most of the pictures obscured part of her face to where anything below her eyes remained a mystery. Her profile read. “Looking for something casual. Don’t waste my time.” Red flags had never looked hotter. All intent of ignoring the lazily-executed message had faded from Himeko’s mind as she re-opened the text and typed out a response. She thought about her reply for a second… should she just say hey back, or would that make her also sound lazy? But if she said anything more, would it seem like she was trying too hard? Eventually, she opted to get straight to the point. Message from muratas > hey, you’re hot New message from kafkaesque > Thanks. Want to meet up? Himeko hadn’t expected the other woman to also get straight to the point. Both of their profiles indicated that they were looking for a casual meetup, so she didn’t know why she’d expected any more of a response when it was already apparent what this woman wanted. Oh, but the woman’s profile indicated that she was 10,370 miles away as of current. That might be a slight problem, but Himeko could worry about it later. Message from muratas > sure, what do you want to do? New message from kafkaesque I want a hookup Also very straight to the point. Himeko’s head spun giddily momentarily and she wasn't sure how to reply. Message from muratas > sure, I’m kind of far away though, is that alright New message from kafkaesque > Don’t care. Where are you? Message from muratas > the closest planet from here is jarilo-vi, I’m kinda floating in space New message from kafkaesque > Can be there in 2 hours. Down? Message from muratas > hell yeah Himeko had no idea what she was agreeing too, but after a week of waiting on the train with not a soul to talk to except for Welt, she’d grown bored and wanted an excuse to have a little fun, even if that fun was a walking warning sign whom she’d never even met. Two hours passed painfully slowly and Himeko was thankful when Welt went to bed- she didn’t wish to have to explain her disappearance. Sure enough, there was something approaching the train, which Himeko spotted out the side window. It looked something akin to a small spaceship, but was no larger than a car. The woman flipped the switch to open the landing deck, letting the ship enter the train’s final car which was specially equipped for such. Once the car had de-pressurized, Himeko entered to greet her guest. From out of the ship stepped the stranger, her violet-colored hair pulled up neatly and heeled boots making clicking sounds on the floor. Himeko approached her cautiously, a friendly smile rising to her face. “Hey, nice ride!” “Mm, this?” the woman glanced back to her vehicle. “I borrowed it… from a coworker. I’m sure she isn’t to mind.” The stranger had a very confident yet quiet voice, her tone very deep and words slow. “Do you want to come with?” Himeko blinked. This woman looked very rich and very important; there was a chance she might get involved in stuff way above her, or her kidnapped, or never return, or- “I’d love to.” A gentle hand found Himeko’s waist and helped her board the step that led to the car. “I’m Himeko, by the way,” the red-haired woman offered a friendly smile. “A first name basis, then?” the stranger spoke coldly as she took a seat in the vehicle. “Kafka.” She was so getting kidnapped. Himeko didn’t speak a word as the door closed behind her and car pulled out of the airlock on autopilot. The inside resembled something akin to a fancy limousine, with leather seats all the way around in a circle, a small table, and a control console. Thick velvet and silk blankets and fancy throw pillows decorated the seats. “How about I get something straight before we get into things, Miss… Himeko, was it? I’m just looking for a bit of fun. There’s no need for us to… overthink things, you see.” “So you just want a casual lay?” Himeko winked and sat back slightly into a more comfortable position. “Fine with me. I’m down for whatever.” “Mm, perfect,” a smile tugged at the corner of Kafka’s lips. “I’m glad that you understand. I’m not a person who cares terribly for commitment.” Himeko glanced out the windows and admired the view for a moment. They were a distance from the train now, close enough that it could still be seen but now rather as a small shape on the horizon. Kafka’s hand was on Himeko’s hip, and next thing she knew, she was being pushed back onto the couch, pinned against the cushions by the taller woman’s strong form. Rather than bringing their lips together, Kafka kissed her neck, roughly enough to leave behind marks. Himeko gasped and her eyes fell shut, groaning while the other woman’s teeth dug into the sensitive skin of her collarbones. “You’re pent up, aren’t you,” Himeko mumbled quietly in an amused voice. “I’m bored,” Kafka pulled back momentarily to reply, not making eye contact and instead speaking up against Himeko’s skin. “Maybe seeing you writhe under me will fix that.” Himeko laughed lightly as Kafka’s hands trailed beneath her blouse and lifted it to expose her torso. It was tugged off quickly and tossed aside, leaving the woman in her fancy red-laced bra. Himeko opted to help her by reaching back to unclip it, exposing her breasts. She gasped as Kafka’s fingers grabbed one, and a thumb dug roughly into her nipple. Himeko’s hips buckled at the sudden stimulation, but she managed to regain her composure. “Usually I prefer to be offered a drink before I let someone grab my boobs.” “You’ve already been drinking, I can smell it on your breath,” Kafka replied coldly. The woman’s hands found the zipper to Himeko’s pencil skirt and tugged it down, and her heels were tossed aside. Himeko found it unfair that she was the only one being undressed, so she tugged at Kafka’s coat and watched her set it aside. The other’s shirt unbuttoned quickly and she was left in only a bra and dress pants, the knee of which slid up to press against Himeko’s crotch. Himeko jolted at the sudden pressure from Kafka’s leg, and her eyelids fluttered. “...Ngh.” The violet-haired woman slipped a finger under the side of her panties. “May I remove these?” “If you take off yours too,” Himeko managed a cheeky grin. “Of course… just give me a minute,” Kafka’s lips grazed Himeko’s panty line and she kissed the tops of her thighs while she tugged the garment away. The woman was surprised by the other’s gentleness, but didn’t protest when Kafka’s fingers slipped lower into red curls and her thumb rubbed small circles around her clit. “Ah…!” Himeko gasped softly. “Cute…” Kafka murmured, fingers trailing lower to gather her wetness upon her fingertips before slipping inside of Himeko. She started with slow thrusts, thumb still applying pressure that made the red-haired woman fall back against the pillows with a muffled groan. Even though Kafka was going slowly, it had been a very long time since Himeko had been touched like this and it didn’t take long before she was shivering and twitching, hand covering her mouth to keep sounds from escaping. She was getting close, she could tell from the way pleasure coiled in her stomach and her legs trembled weakly. However, before she could have her release, Kafka slowed to a stop. “Nghhk-” Himeko spluttered and her hips bucked against nothing, desperate for more friction. “Please…” “Shhh, be patient.” Kafka watched Himeko with a smile as she licked her own fingers clean. “You haven’t even given me the chance to get undressed.” Himeko managed to sit herself up slightly and leaned forwards to help Kafka unclip her bra. She cupped the woman’s now exposed breasts in her hands, unable to tear her eyes away from the jewelry that adorned her nipples. “I’ve never seen… piercings like these before,” she murmured quietly. “They’re cute. Makes you look tough.” There was a slight smile on Kafka’s lips as she tugged her pants down. “Thanks.” When Kafka tossed her pants aside, Himeko’s staring was directed elsewhere. Kafka hadn’t been wearing undergarments; instead of panties, she’d wore a black harness with straps over her pelvis and thighs, and a connecting piece on her groin that made it not difficult to surmise what it was meant to be attached to. “You’re… missing something,” Himeko managed to speak up after a moment, a mischievous smile tugging at her expression. “Oh, you mean this?” reaching under one of the nearby pillows, Kafka produced a notably large toy which was a bright shade of pink. The redhead nodded giddily and watched her partner attach it to her harness with skilled fingers. She was swiftly pinned down again, her hair spilling out across the pillows beneath her. “Now Himeko, there’s no need to keep quiet,” Kafka spoke softly as her strap pressed between the other woman’s legs. “There’ll be nobody to hear you if you scream in space.” … After over an hour had passed, Himeko was a disoriented heap atop the car’s seats, still panting and sputtering even while Kafka had enough time to properly re-dress herself. “Help me clean your cum off the seats.” Kafka spoke up, gently tapping on Himeko’s shoulder. “I don’t want Silver Wolf to notice I took her ride, from the mess you’ve made everywhere.” “Gladly, just… give me a minute…” the red-haired woman panted, eyelids fluttering. She looked a mess; Welt would have a lot of questions for her when he saw her next.

wither

['LazyKatie']

General Audiences

F/F

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Serval Landau/Cocolia Rand

Serval Landau, Cocolia Rand

Pre-Canon, Angst, Love Confessions, Break Up

English

2022-05-11

Completed

2022-05-11

1,056

1/1

11

56

3

635

['Sifer31', 'ErodiumsMnemic', 'RichardPham', 'Foxtayters', 'Sixerry', 'JustARegularGay', 'swrlsq', 'SneakyTrinky', 'monochromer0ses', 'Yui_samidare', 'windbloom', 'LesbianLuoBinghe', 'citruscolada', 'Mischievous_unknown', 'topajade', 'Channel_Prince', 'RinuZen', 'iidxae', 'Flavourse', 'NoxNightale', 'Kotofeila', 'The_FoolishLovers', 'CMC_07', 'Hanug', 'Lucien0818', 'Duduingurmom', 'CelestialDrafts', 'MagicalDogToto', 'Dogstar9069', 'unhealthy_obsessions', 'strwbrrymoon', 'wanderlxst', 'aikoheli', 'CorrinMaya', 'grazergroves']

[]

“There, your stopwatch should be good as new, Cara.” Serval handed the now-fixed object to its owner, a young woman of around 20. “Thanks, Serval. You sure work fast, I was worried I might not be able to make it to the florist before it closes today, but now I don’t have to,” Cara said, a relieved expression on her face. “Oh, what are you planning on going to the florist for?” “I’m planning on confessing to my crush soon, and since it’s almost the time of year when the Ball Peonies bloom, I wanted to get one before I do it. They say if you can get a ‘yes’ from the one you love before it blooms, even death cannot part the two of you from each other.” “So I hear,” Serval said, a fake smile on her face. “I hope they say ‘yes’.” “I hope so too, thanks again!” Cara said, before leaving, waving goodbye as she did so. As soon as she was out the door, Serval let the smile fall from her face. The Ball Peony… Serval didn’t have the heart to tell her the legend was just that: a legend. It was something she herself found out the hard way. “Serval, is that a Ball Peony?” Cocolia asked, blushing a little, as Serval set it on top of her dresser. “You do know what that means, right…?” An also blushing Serval nodded. “Yes, I know full well what it means.” Serval took a deep breath, working through her uncharacteristic nervousness. “Cocolia, I… I’m in love with you. I have been for a while.” Cocolia’s blush deepend, and she looked off to the side. “Serval… I-It wouldn’t be proper for us to-” “Forget propriety!” Serval said, taking Cocolia’s face in her hands and forcing her to look at her. “I don’t want to hear any excuses. Do you return my feelings or not?” “Yes. I-I do, but-” “But what?” Serval snuck a glance back at the Ball Peony. It hadn’t bloomed yet, what a relief, she’d gotten her “yes” in time then. “If you feel the same way, what’s stopping you from being with me? If you’re really so worried about what other people might think, they don’t have to know.” Cocolia gave a sigh of concession. “I suppose you’re right. But we tell absolutely no one, okay? Not my daughter, not your bandmates, not even your brother. The public at large already knows us to be close friends; let their perception of us stay at just that. Is that acceptable?” “Okay,” Serval said, and the two leaned in, sealing the deal with a kiss, the first of many they would share. When they eventually broke it, Serval spared another glance back at the Ball Peony. “Oh hey, it’s blooming now.” “Was it blooming before I said yes?” “I checked after you did to make sure it wasn’t,” Serval said, shaking her head, before grinning. “Guess not even death will keep us apart now.” Oh, how she wished that had been true. At the time, she’d really thought it was. Cocolia had been so much kinder then, it was hard to believe she’d ever become as cold and distant as she was now. Serval wasn’t sure what had made her heart freeze over like that, but one of the first signs of her changing came when Cocolia dumped her. “Let me get straight to the point: We need to break up.” “What?!” Serval couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. She’d thought Cocolia had summoned her for another one of their little trysts, so to hear this instead was especially devastating. How could Cocolia do this to her? And to break the news so bluntly too… “What about the Ball Peony? Weren’t we supposed to stay together forever?” Cocolia shook her head. “That’s just a legend. Don’t tell me you actually believed it?” “I wanted to…” Serval said, sadness in her voice. “Why are you doing this?” “This relationship was never going to work out. It was a mistake to even entertain it in the first place.” “A mistake?!” Serval’s hands were balled up into fists, and she was holding back tears and visibly shaking. “Don’t you dare call what we had a mistake!” “You can take your leave now, Serval Landau,” Cocolia said, in a commanding tone that made it clear the discussion was over. Serval turned and stormed out the door, avoiding other people as she quickly made her way back home. She kept her tears held back until she got there, not wanting anyone to see her cry, before finally letting them flow. When had Cocolia become so cruel? Had it been a lie when she said she’d loved her? Had she just been using her this whole time? These days Serval was certain she hadn’t, but back then, when she was at her lowest point, it felt like a possibility. Serval had cried harder that day than she ever had before or since. Though she thought she’d done a good job moving on since then, as Serval felt a tear streak down her face, she wondered if she really had. Then again, it was the first Ball Peony season she was experiencing since the breakup; it was probably inevitable that these old wounds would reopen. And yet, the breakup wasn’t even the worst part. That was what came after. Apparently not content to merely break her heart, it wasn’t long before Cocolia had her Research and Development department dismissed too, crushing her aspirations as well. Despite it all though, Serval still loved her. She refused to believe she’d lost all her compassion. She just needed to find a way to bring what remained of it to the fore. In the meantime, she hadn’t let the loss of her job keep her down. Thanks to the help of an Underworld merchant named Sampo, she’d been able to continue her Geomarrow research in secret, and she was confident that one day, she would find the answers that proved her theories right. And maybe then, Cocolia would… Serval had no delusions about getting Cocolia to take her back, she hoped she could at least make her see reason. What hurt more than anything, more than the break up, more than losing her job, was seeing the kind of person Cocolia had become.

what's new pussycat

['LazyKatie']

Explicit

F/F

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Serval Landau/Cocolia Rand

Cocolia Rand, Serval Landau, Bronya Rand, Gepard Landau

Pre-Canon, back when Serval was still working in R&D and before Cocolia changed, Cunnilingus

English

2022-05-09

Completed

2022-05-09

1,119

1/1

14

195

10

3,046

['Ivan_inthevoid', 'kinuchang', 'ErodiumsMnemic', 'RichardPham', 'Sifer31', 'Sixerry', 'JustARegularGay', 'Nikki_vsf', 'Jsksksldh', 'C3c1lia', 'XtremeManiac33', 'melibelle', 'Helbsal', 'anemoon', 'LadyFuXuan', 'gloryyy', 'indigo_skies_and_cozy_vibes', 'empatheticstars', 'xielly', 'Zero_chan', 'SneakyTrinky', 'RzesiaIII', 'hisutoria', 'LargeOctahedron', 'sunnie_star', 'kokonuts', 'MagnustheRed', 'LTBiff', 'hamzzy', 'blamidle', 'Constellation_WatcherOfLife', 'Box_stick', 'Draco_Voice', 'Ammyschl', 'kokosaras_pet_racoon', 'AfternoonPancakes', 'Schelban228', 'tiredDucky', 'sy_jrz7642', 'topajade', 'toastediloaf', 'Foxtayters', 'Applebingus', 'Yakato', 'forest_onyx', 'BreadnCoffee_forbreakfast', 'najkoli', 'Holidaybea', 'Bubasaulo', 'Xocoment']

[]

“To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, Serval?” Cocolia asked as Serval sauntered over to her desk. “Oh, I think you know,” Serval said, sitting in her lap, taking her head in her hands, and kissing her on the lips. “You’d really have us do this here?” Cocolia said, once the kiss had been broken. “We could get caught you know.” “And?” “It wouldn’t be good for either of our reputations if word got out that the Consul was secretly seeing her head of Geomarrow research.” “It can’t be any worse than when I got kicked out of the army. Besides, you’re the Consul. You’re in charge of this city. If we got caught, so what? It’s not like they can fire you. Besides, the risk of getting caught just makes it more exciting anyway, don’t you think?” “Mmm, I can’t deny that,” Cocolia said, leaning in for another kiss. As soon as they parted, she spoke again. “In fact, I think we can make this a bit more interesting.” “Oh?” “Get under the desk,” Cocolia instructed. Serval did as asked, and Cocolia lifted her dress. “I trust I need not tell you what to do next?” Serval understood, and situated herself between Cocolia’s legs, pressing her mouth up to her clit and starting to suck. Cocolia did her best to suppress any moans that might have threatened to spill out of her mouth. Keeping her composure was key to pulling this off, after all. It wasn’t long before a knock came at her door. “Come in,” Cocolia said. It was one of the captains of the Silvermane Guards, Sid, she was pretty sure his name was. “Captain Seth reporting, Madam Consul.” Oh, so that’s what his name was. Close enough. “My team has just finished patrolling the outskirts of the city, and I’m here to deliver my report.” Serval began flicking her tongue over Cocolia’s clit. “What -nngh- is your report, Captain?” “I’m here to report that there is nothing to report, Madam Consul. We found no objects or persons of interest in our patrol.” “That’s it? If you’re -hnnngh- done wasting my time, you can take your leave now, Captain,” Cocolia said, waving him off while trying to keep herself in check. The captain gave her an odd look, before bowing. “As you wish, Madam Consul.” As soon as the captain was gone, Cocolia dug her fingers into Serval’s hair, and could not manage to suppress the groan that came out of her mouth as she hit orgasm. Panting, she hoped no one heard it. “Keep going,” Cocolia instructed as soon as she’d regained her bearings. Serval did as asked, getting right back into it, but seconds after she started doing so, a voice came from the other side of the door. “Mother?” Bronya said, accompanying it with a small knock. “Shit,” Cocolia muttered to herself, before pulling Serval away from her pussy. If there was one person she did NOT want to be doing this in front of, it was her teenage daughter. After whispering a “Stop” to Serval, Cocolia called out to her daughter. “Come in, darling.” “I heard you groaning earlier, are you feeling alright?” Bronya asked after coming in. Shit, Bronya must have heard her then. Cocolia quickly thought up an excuse. “Truth be told, I’m not, no. I had a bad lunch, and my stomach hasn’t been feeling very well ever since. I think it might be food poisoning.” “Do you need help with that? I can call for a doctor if you need me to,” Bronya offered. “Oh no, don’t worry about it, I can tough it out. Let the doctors focus on more urgent things,” Cocolia insisted. “Now, will that be all, dear?” Bronya nodded. “I just wanted to see if you were okay.” “Very well, back to your studies then. Your mother is a very busy woman.” “Yes, Mother,” Bronya said with a bow, before taking her leave. As soon as she was out of earshot, Cocolia shoved Serval’s face right back between her legs. “Get back to it,” Cocolia instructed, and Serval obliged her. Before she could reach her second orgasm however, there was another knock on the door. Cocolia sighed. “Come in.” In came none other than Serval’s younger brother, Captain Gepard Landau. After walking up to her desk, he gave a respectful bow. “Madam Consul, I was wondering if you had seen my sister. I’ve been looking all over for her, but I can’t seem to find her. Seeing as the two of you are so close, I thought that you might have seen her.” Cocolia half-expected Serval to stop the cunnilingus with her own brother present, but instead she did quite the opposite, not only did she keep going, she also slid a couple fingers inside her for extra stimulation. What a tease. “Fuck,” Cocolia muttered, before remembering Gepard. “I’m -nnn- afraid I can’t say I’ve seen her. Did you -hrrrngh- need her for something, Captain Landau?” It was a blatant lie of course, she knew full well where the woman in question was, but Gepard didn’t need to know the truth. “Well, the automated Geomarrow pipelines back at the base are having issues, and we need her to come and fix them.” Shit, so it was actually a serious issue. She’d have to send Serval to fix it once they were finished. Unfortunately, Serval was having a bit too much fun teasing her at the moment. “Urrrrgh,” Cocolia grunted as another skillful flick of the tongue and rubbing of the fingers sent her ever closer to orgasm. “Um, are you all right, Madam Consul?” Gepard asked, not failing to notice something was up. “Nnngh, don’t worry about it. Just a bad case of… indigestion,” Cocolia explained, making up yet another excuse on the spot. “If I -uhnf- see her, I’ll be sure to -rrgh- inform her of the situation. You can -hnnngh- take your leave now, Captain Landau.” “Thank you, Madam Consul,” Gepard said with a bow, before leaving. As Cocolia hit her second orgasm, she made sure to shove as much of her fist in her mouth as she could, trying to muffle the sound of her moaning. She didn’t want anyone to hear her this time. As Cocolia regained her bearings, Serval finally stood back up, after spending some time hunched down beneath the desk. “I’ll clean up here, you should go fix that pipeline,” Cocolia told her, still panting a little. “Right,” Serval said, turning to leave. “Oh, and Serval?” Cocolia called out just as Serval was about to step out of the room. “Yes?” Serval asked, turning back to look at her. “Come back when you’re done.”

This Universe's Version of 'Him'

['kavehnyan']

Explicit

M/M

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Luocha/Welt Yang, Void Archives/Luocha

Welt Yang, Void Archives (Honkai Impact 3rd), Luocha (Honkai Star Rail)

Not Beta Read, Overstimulation, written before honkai star rail official release, Void Archive is not dead here, Welt remembers everything from the original world, Not Selfcest But Feels Like One, Welt Actually Loves Otto, Rape/Non-con Elements

English

2022-05-07

Updated

2022-05-07

2,134

1/2

13

195

13

4,763

['niioonn', 'RichardPham', '9ri', 'Blixer', 'Soi_Scrawls', 'unmei_na_no_da_yo', 'VerklemptvKL', 'kkoshuu', 'Bluebirs', 'Enby_Sif', 'Yoru_zuki', 'Orangegingerflame', 'Chibi_Kirkland', 'SetoApocalypse', 'Archive_of_love', 'yangsephone', 'OtterLlette', 'Kouen_chan', 'AshinaUzumaki', 'life_no_hope', 'gubby3', 'WingsOfGlory14', 'edawaseaten', 'LucieBonnefoy', 'TomieandTeslasimp', 'Jooniemooniemeh', 'xiao_rin', 'Tensa_0_Zangetsu', 'LizzieBT', 'Dolphinus', 'Rissile_Missy', 'Lulamooon', 'Gabi_nt', 'Mishopin', 'dianaonice', 'Neptune_BlueJewel', 'GamerofEverything', 'Chelz8', 'just_a_persona', 'BatsInTheBelfry', 'Gaiathra', 'Ravenace', 'Darkerthanblue', 'Yagislove', 'Yveltal1281428127', 'RiReRoNiNaYuu', 'AnimeIsMySin666', 'Lamaya_21', 'finalvictor', 'leorook']

[]

Parallel universe. He did not want to travel to another universe no matter what but as always, the world always threw trash to him. Something in the universe broke and trapped him in a certain universe where everything is more advanced, even more advanced than he originally knew. There are flying trains, and now everyone can use some kind of technology to harness the power. He said every universe has its own version of something or someone . As much as Welt doesn’t want to acknowledge it as true, he has seen a certain red-haired woman who Bronya has talked to sometimes in the past.     And with the exact same name. It shouldn’t be just a coincidence especially with such similar talking mannerism and the voice is the exact same as well. The woman is indeed Himeko —this universe’s version of Himeko .     Technically he is just a faceless coward, who uses that man's face and voice. Copied it perfectly but unable to copy the same personality. Welt thought it might be a possibility that man version of this universe does not exist since he is here but then in a man-made garden—a man with striking resemblance. Long beautiful silky blonde hair, sitting under the warm sunlight, while his hand picking the tea cup and bringing it to touch his soft lips. He opened his eyes, revealing the same green eyes that no one has but him .     The blonde man notices Welt, stands up and greets the unknown man. He has heard from someone that a brunette man, who wears glasses, appears cold and distant at first but actually just a person who always gets straight to the point. A genius man, as he heard from someone.     “Good day. Care to have afternoon tea with me?”     It’s also the exact same voice. But even in comparison to that man it’s softer, calmer and less sinister. No, it’s like the sinister evaporated. Welt is sure that this is this universe’s version of that man .     “My name is Luocha.”     With a different name. The same voice, same appearance—with the same handsomeness and beauty as that man. The man who steals everything from him— yet Welt can’t help himself but still remembering that man looks.         “You despise me yet fall again for this universe’s version of him .”     Welt absolutely despises everything about this man . Everything about him just screams cowardice. No face, using another man’s face and voice. Welt also despises how he can appear from thin air, and has caught him off guard not once or twice since technically Void Archive is with him. His forehead frowns from the statement followed by an amused chuckle.     Falls? Welt? That couldn’t be. That man stole everything, and he meant it by everything . How could he even feel any romantic feelings to the most egoistic living man in the whole universe?     But something more concerning is how Void Archive is taking interest in Luocha. Of course, those who knew that man would get curious due to the intense similarity. Void Archive both grateful to that man for letting him able to manifest into someone even if it’s stolen and also loathe him for trapping him for hundreds of years inside his mind. He who should be the guidance of humanity stuck inside in the mind of a man too crazy for any universe to forget about him .     “What are you planning?” Welt asks, did not even try to hide his doubtful tone.     The blonde man drinks another sip of expensive wine and chuckles, shaking the glass lightly before drinking the remaining red liquid inside. He puts down the glass and walks past Welt who is still waiting for an answer, “If you don’t love him then it won’t be much. The case will be different if you love him.” One step and disappeared in an instant.     Welt doesn’t like the tone of that coward talking. He was never a living being after all, he takes human’s life as something beautiful, granted, fragile and doesn’t matter much as long as his goal is fulfilled.         Luocha was just about to withdraw for the day, he had already taken a bath and was ready to take a good night's sleep after working on missions and papers for the whole day. Just when he closes his bathroom door, a voice can be heard from his back. He turned around quickly, and was greeted by a handsome face. A face completely similar to him just with a different expression.     “Good evening. This universe’s version of him . Ah, in here you are named Luocha, correct?”     How could this man know his name?     Luocha takes a few steps back, trying to find a distance from the uncomfortable aura surrounding the man but before he could escape much, his chin pulled to face the man once again. Hands wrapped in white gloves move his chin, left and right, as if he is observing Luocha’s physical appearance. Smiling when he is fulfilled by observing.     “Who are you…? How could you…?” Luocha moves backward again, still confused on how the man is like a split image of him.     “If I say that I am your long-lost twin sibling, would you believe me?”     Of course, Luocha wouldn’t believe it. Not ever. He might have some siblings but not twin siblings .     “Smart. Even if you are not such a madman like him , you are indeed still a smart person.”     Who is this man talking about? Luocha could only hear that this man keeps comparing him to someone else. But as if talking, the person does not come from this world. The man pondered, hands on his mouth, chuckling in amusement and Luocha took the chance to strike him down. In which he instantly regrets it. He never thought the man looking all elegant has some amazing physical ability to manhandle Luocha in a swift strike.     Arms around his neck, ready to do more if Luocha keeps struggling.     “What do you want?” Luocha asks, he can provide everything for the man as long as he lets him go.     “What do I want?”     It feels so eerie to hear and see the same face and voice as you. Luocha’s skin shivers in fear of this phenomenon. His eyes widen, turning into small dots when his skin’s nerve reacts to warm fingers crawling slowly under his robe. Hand tried to stop him but a pressure on his throat made him withdraw. What is this man doing? Once he acts as if trying to kill Luocha, now his hand—     “Ngh!”     Rubbing and pinching the rose buds. Luocha wanted to bite his own tongue for letting out such embarrassing voice for a grown man like him. But he can’t hold it. His chest rose buds is one of his sensitive spots and with so little friction it receives usually to suddenly pinched and pulled aggressively only making his soft lips slips some soft moans.     “Different name, different personality, I presume. And still have the same spot as him .”     Luocha's hands started to move to try to stop the hand from keeping touching his chest but failed miserably from the sudden pleasure creeping its way to his head, making it start to see only white. The man smirks, letting down hand from capturing Luocha’s neck to stripping the bath robe, pulling it down and revealing Luocha’s milky-white shoulder skin.     “Not there—”     Ah yes, even Void Archive always remembers that he moans the loudest when his neck gets attacked. Any part of the skin starting from the neck to near the ears is where it feels too good . It always made him tremble in pleasure, even as an old man whose age surpassed 500 years, his body is always so responsive. Especially now when there isn’t any Honkai radiation in him. Sweet whines slowly turning into sweet addicting honey-like whimpers.     Void Archives caress the slim waist, Luocha shakes his head. Protest starts to come out again and Void pushes his fingers inside Luocha’s mouth. Touching and letting his fingertips taste the wet muscle inside, trying hard to push the foreign object inside him though slowly accepting and sucking it as reflexes in desperate to breathe normally. The fingers pull in and out as the other hand gently caresses the smooth thighs under the robe.     A seductive lick on the earlobe and he chuckles, “Even this universe’s version of him is the same whore as I remember.” He slowly moves the position to Luocha’s bed.     What kind of nightmare is this? Luocha shouldn’t feel this good being touched by a man he doesn’t even know. But every touch is like a blast of jolts of addicting pleasure. Especially when the unknown man is so similar to him, it’s like he is fucked by himself even though what’s on the inside is different. He will never let out such a vulgar choice of words, that is why it couldn’t be him.     “N-No! Anything but there—”     His hand grabs Void Archive’s hand who is already rubbing their fingertips on the pink rim. He should never! He never let anyone touch that part of him in sexual way. He never even slept with a man this way. He has slept with some men but never like this. More reason that it is his virginity and he doesn’t want to give it to some random unknown man.     “No? Are you sure you consent enough to say that?”     “What do you mean—ah!!”     It pushes itself inside, not much but it’s already making its way in. Luocha grabs the sheet, holding it to dear life as the blunt fingertips brushing his sensitive rim’s nerves.     “Capable of lying from the mouth above but unable to lie from the mouth below. Typical you as always.”     The deeper the fingers went in, the louder his voices got. Just when he almost reached the peak of his voice, a knock came in the door. Luocha doesn’t invite anyone to his room. D-did he get too loud that someone outside heard him?     “Luocha.”     That’s—Welt’s voice!     Void Archive lifted his head, his face turned darker, his lips let out a dark amused voice. Looking back to Luocha who is now afraid of Welt came barging in even though he knew the man is not like that but in reality, if anyone heard strange voices, they will come to check on it, right? He licks his lips, ignoring Luocha’s begging and clawing on his arms to stop before he lets out too much voice.     “Luocha. I have something to tell you. It’s about your safety. Can we talk?”     Luocha bit his lips hard enough to draw drips of red liquid when the fingers inside him brute its way in. He doesn’t have enough energy to answer Welt’s question without him letting out lewd moans in each word. Tears started to overflow, and the fingers brushed something. Making his body jump, trembling under the intense sensation. No, no! The voices leak out. Welt will hear him!     “Luocha?! What is that sound? I’m going in!”     No—!     Time suddenly stops the moment Welt opens the door and walks in to see the thing he is afraid of. Luocha cried with no sound, trying to hide his debauched and blissed face. While Void Archive just laughs lowly to see how shocked Welt to the point of freezing in place. Ah, the always calm and collected Welt was destroyed within seconds as his second chance of loving and embracing that man was stolen by someone else.     “No! Agh—no!!”     Watch the show, Welt Yang.     Luocha’s legs trashed around, trying to break loose from the stimulation. His teary eyes looked at Welt’s eyes, begging in silence for Welt to look away and not see this insightful scene. His hand tried to help him get up, only for his head to be thrown to the back when the blunt fingertips abused the sensitive spot inside. Sending intense waves of pleasure, making him unable to control his body. His heart thinks this is shameful, but his body keeps an orgasmic sensation from each time the spot is pushed.     “Look away! Welt! Welt!! Please, please—don’t look at me!!”     High pitch scream came, and soon splurts of whites from the red tip spurted out to the white robe. His legs quiver from the intense sudden rush of white pleasure. Lips shaking whimpering Welt’s name, as if still begging for the said man to look away from such ugly state of him. Void Archive can’t hold it anymore and lets out hot heavy breaths, licking Luocha’s tears and moaning when he gets the taste into his throat. Such delicious tears .     “Delectable indeed. ♡” Void’s green eyes glance to Welt, it’s filled with seductiveness and arrogance, “You should’ve tasted him first before someone else stole him again. Just like Honkai stole him .”  

Perfect Counterparts

['moonlight_flamscion']

General Audiences

F/M

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Danheng (Honkai: Star Rail)/ March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail)

March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail), Danheng (Honkai: Star Rail)

Pining, DanMarch nation rise, soft Danheng, Probably ooc, no beta we die like himeko murata, Fluff, he’s in love your honor, Perfect counterparts? You mean soulmates

English

2022-05-04

Completed

2022-05-04

1,053

1/1

20

266

17

2,981

['RichardPham', 'Gentlewriter58', 'Sirius_Liv', 'Sriracha2707', 'sunisalsoaflower', 'Lisa_Libao', 'Sand_A_Man', 'TimeTravler777master', 'Rotten__Mango', 'Spinebunnies', 'Skylar_Danmarchstan', 'Dear_Yolaine', 'Aquakanameow', 'wishtobefictional', 'PositivelyPachi', 'wlfglxy', 'wanewine', 'Enby_Sif', 'lunaminary', 'ShiftHaze', 'mauliya', 'MysteriousMagic', 'RioMiyuki', 'greenmaple', 'bella_donna418', 'cherrybae', 'Aubreyx0x', 'JustKazuha', 'PRLORS', 'lady_franccie', 'MiYukie_7', 'Romantinide', 'Wanderingdogs', 'Kallan123', 'MyL1fesALi3', 'KomiXo', 'Cxelus', 'skaldin_kesting', 'Phaeye', 'postfixrevolution', 'jmayworks', 'Lei_Re', 'DespicablyCharming', 'OLaLa9911', 'Kualahumus', 'xDaizy', 'TheEnderShooter357', 'Just_gaby', 'CattusFeroxx', 'vbsfan']

[]

  “Perfect counterparts”   Or so they called them.   March 7th was a girl full of life. Energetic and eager to learn about her mysterious origins, she could be quite reckless, but despite all her mishaps, she still always wore a bright smile on her face.   On the other hand, Dan Heng seemed to be the total opposite. Calm and distant, he never really expressed his feelings and often thought critically about his plans before putting them into action. He also wanted to run away from his past, in fact, it’s the reason he joined the Astral Train crew in the first place.   So why were they described as ‘perfect counterparts’? Despite Himeko’s reasoning that his quiet and rational demeanour worked perfectly with March’s often careless and emotional self, Dan Heng used to find it hard to understand.    At first, getting along was tricky. Lots of bickering over silly things and it didn’t help that Dan Heng acted as if he was only there out of duty to keep March out of trouble. They were completely different in every way, shape, and form if you asked him. Plus, he had to admit; things haven’t changed for the most part… There was still a lot of pointless arguing, March was still her carefree (slightly troublemaker ) self, and overall nothing really took a turnaround for a while.    Nothing other than one thing in particular… It took a bit of time for Dan Heng to be able to place a finger on what exactly had changed, but eventually, he understood.     He no longer felt like he “had” to protect March 7th because he was asked to do so. Instead, he “wanted” to protect her out of his own free will, to be by her side and make sure she’s okay.   The solitary train guard didn’t know when exactly he started feeling this way, he just did at some point. At the same time, everyone including him could agree he wasn’t the best at figuring out his feelings… Dan Heng suspects that he gradually warmed up to the bubbly girl due to the insane amount of time they hung out together for work. It was all still a foreign feeling to him, he wasn’t used to getting attached to someone. Especially someone as different as him. Someone who a few years earlier he would’ve never thought he’d get along with.   Yet there he was.   Who would have thought the resident loner of the Astral Express would’ve ended up wanting to keep the social and cheerful girl safe? He supposed Himeko was right, they did balance each other out perfectly.    Dan Heng still didn’t understand why it was that his heart seemed to soften around the happy-go-lucky girl. Perhaps it was her persistence and willingness to keep going, or maybe her contagious optimistic smiles eventually got to him and infected his heart.   But of course, he was a master at not letting any sign of emotions other than ‘neutral’ and ‘annoyed’ out, so for the most part hiding his ever-growing tenderness towards his friend was an easy task.    His days with March were never boring, she would always get into some weird situation only she could fall into in the first place. And as much as he hates to admit it, she was awfully fun to be around. Sure, exasperatingly so at times but still a kindhearted girl. Dan Heng did like that about her.   They often stopped in various places just so March could take photographs. Dan Heng did have to admit he admires how dynamic the pictures she captures are. It’s embarrassing but he caught himself smiling while looking at her and her shenanigans. She wasn’t perfect at what she did, she often slipped and fell, took pictures at the wrong moment, or even just straight up forget what her original target was and shifted her focus onto something entirely new. But all of this was part of her charm.   While looking at her living every second to the fullest, Dan Heng can’t help but wonder where he would be if he never joined the Astral Express, if he never met her. Where would he be? It was no use asking such questions but it’s hard to not imagine an alternative reality born of “what-ifs” and “maybes”, Dan Heng knew that. But it’s always though to not let your mind drift away into such scenarios. For now, Dan Heng was glad he could have met such great people, and although he’d never say it, he truly was grateful.   And he was most grateful towards March 7th for showing him how to enjoy the present. He hated sounding sappy, but it was the truth.     ———————————   Just like that, Dan Heng’s train of thoughts and reflection was interrupted by an all too familiar voice.   “Helloo! Earth to Dan Heng? You’ve been spacing off for a while now!”   Ah, right, he agreed to accompany March while she took photos of the landscapes. He assumes he just got lost in his mind while he looked at his companion taking pictures. It was nothing out of the ordinary, he was used to this sort of thing happening. He did notice that lately he was thinking of March 7th more often than not. He wondered why that was. Before he knew it, he starting spacing off again, pondering about his many questions. Until a hand gently brought him back.   “Hey I’m done taking pictures of the city view, wanna take some commemorative selfies with me!”    March cheerfully smiled, Dan Heng sighed, photos aren’t his strong suit.   “Do I have to?..”   “Come onnn pleasee it’ll be super duper fun I promise!”   “Alright, Alright fine we can take some pictures”   March 7th yelled out in victory, and every day Dan Heng asks himself where she gets all this energy. But that doesn’t matter right now. For the time being, he’ll just enjoy spending time with March 7th and take some pictures. Knowing her, she’ll probably want matching ones for both of them. He isn’t complaining about it though on the other hand he finds it to be a nice idea.     “Opposites attract”, maybe that saying was right. Or maybe in the end Dan Heng found that March 7th and him weren’t so different in some strange ways. “Perfect counterparts”, truly was the right way to describe them.

sparks fly, check engine

['LazyKatie']

Explicit

F/F

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Serval Landau/Cocolia Rand

Cocolia Rand, Serval Landau

milf hunter Serval, Car Sex, Lesbian Sex, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting

English

2022-05-02

Completed

2022-05-02

1,969

1/1

18

291

12

3,883

['SilverFox_97', 'Freexis', 'ErodiumsMnemic', 'littledovie', 'BorderingMasochist', 'Run_to_Sunoo', 'MagnustheRed', 'AnakKecil', 'RichardPham', 'Sifer31', 'SapphicSapphire12', 'Hulang', 'CoffeeWings', 'Smugsimplily', 'robo12', 'C3c1lia', 'Timetraveller29', 'arayamjpg', 'JustARegularGay', 'Kogash1', 'XtremeManiac33', 'adislexia', 'twicethetrash', 'sigmabsd0', 'BreadIsDum', 'Astraeus_the_rey_of_moonlight', 'Artemis_yuri', 'itschaoticdude', 'empatheticstars', 'xielly', 'Sid552', 'UnknownAshie', 'Saphicghosthuntr', 'Notjessi987', 'Luxy', 'Blahblahblah', 'apantat', 'peachieteas', 'Straydilettante', 'LargeOctahedron', 'Kylenza', 'Noah_echo', 'Suzy_yy', 'Nakurokami', 'bittersweet_taste', 'LTBiff', 'gaylittledaisy', 'Skylark253', 'KicuBicu', 'Skye1376']

[]

Cocolia was halfway to her destination when she heard the sounds of her car’s engine sputtering. Checking the fuel gauge, she saw she was still good on gas, meaning something else must have been causing it. Sighing, she pulled out her phone and started searching for the nearest auto repair shop. She was hoping she could get this over with quickly— she didn’t want to be late to Bronya’s chess tournament, after all. Seeing that the nearest one was a place called “Neverwinter Workshop”, she put the coordinates into her GPS and started heading for it. It didn’t take her long to reach the place in question, and she parked her car and walked over to the building. As she approached the doors, she could hear rock music playing inside. “Hey there, what can I help you with?” the woman behind the counter asked her as she came in. She was white, with long honey-blonde hair that had its ends and a streak of the bangs dyed blue, and looked to be in her mid-to-late 20s. She wore a set of coveralls, indicating that she was likely a mechanic. There was no one else in the building, so she must have been running the workshop by herself. “I have a sputtering engine I’d like you to check out,” Cocolia explained. “Be quick about it too, my daughter has a chess tournament at another school today, and I’d hate to be late.” “Have you checked to make sure you aren’t just low on gas?” “Yes.” “All right, I’ll have a look under the hood.” She stepped out from behind the counter, toolbox in hand. “I’m Serval, by the way.” “Cocolia.” “Nice to meet you, Cocolia. Now let’s go have a look at your car.” The two of them walked out into the parking lot, where Cocolia’s Lamborghini was in plain view. “Is that your car?” “Yes,” Cocolia replied matter-of-factly. “Wow. What kind of job do you have that you can afford one of those?” “I’m a civil servant,” Cocolia said, a practiced half-truth, as the full truth wasn’t something to just go around revealing to strangers. “Government, huh? Must be a pretty important position then,” Serval surmised, before setting her tool box down and popping open the hood of the car, taking a look inside. “You mind getting in and starting it up? I should be able to figure out what the issue is if it’s running.” Cocolia nodded and got in the car, turning it on. After a few seconds of leaving it running, Serval spoke up again. “Okay, I think I see what the problem is here, it sounds like your spark plugs have worn out. I have some replacements inside, so I should be able to get this done tonight. You can shut off the car now.” Cocolia did so, and stepped out, pulling a handful of hundreds out of her purse. “Will this cover it?” “Oh honey, that more than covers it.” “You can keep the change.” “Oh you don’t have to tip me. I just run this place as a hobby, I’m not short of money.” “Take it anyway, it’s nothing to me. I just want my car fixed as soon as possible, I don’t care to spend time figuring out exactly how much I owe you.” “Well all right then,” Serval said, taking the money. “About that though, replacing spark plugs is better done on a cool engine. If I do it while it’s still hot, I could end up damaging the threads holding the spark plugs in. We’ll have to wait about half an hour for the engine to cool down, and then the process of actually changing the spark plugs should take about an hour, is that alright with you? I know you mentioned wanting to make it to your daughter’s chess tournament.” Cocolia checked the time. “I’ll be late, but I should still make it before Bronya’s first match ends. Wouldn’t want to take her home with a sputtering engine anyway.” “That’s good,” Serval said. After slamming down the hood of the car, she spoke up again. “So… Is there a father?” Cocolia shook her head. “No, it’s just the two of us.” Serval smirked. “Really? Tell me, how does a woman as gorgeous as you manage to be single?” Cocolia found her face heating up a little from the compliment, which was strange, she never blushed, and never cared about such things. What was going on? “Are you… flirting with me?” “Is that a problem?” Serval asked, not even denying it. “You know I’m probably a good decade older than you, right?” “Oh I’m sure. Don’t worry, I like older women.” “Do you normally flirt with your customers?” “Nope. Guess that makes you special.” She punctuated this with a wink that made Cocolia’s blush deepen and sent her frozen heart pounding. Before Cocolia could formulate a response, Serval started to unzip her coveralls, tying them off at the waist when she finished, revealing the black sports bra she wore underneath and the lightning bolt tattoo on her left hip. Embarrassed, and feeling unwanted thoughts start to brew in her head, Cocolia turned her eyes away. Serval giggled. “I didn’t take you for the shy type.” She wasn’t, but when she looked at Serval, she could feel desire brewing in her, something she hadn’t felt in years, and she couldn’t have that. But despite this, Serval walked over to her, and Cocolia found her back against the car as Serval took her by the chin, and her icy exterior melted at her touch, her purse slipping off her shoulder and falling to the ground, forgotten. “You know Cocolia, as a mechanic, I’m pretty good with my hands. I can give you a demonstration, if you’d like. We have time to kill before the engine is cooled down, after all,” Serval said, looking her straight in the eyes. It was obvious what she meant. Cocolia knew she should say no, to find some other way to kill the time, but the rational part of her brain was getting drowned out by the part of her that wanted this, wanted to feel Serval’s fingers inside her. How long had it been since she’d last had sex? She couldn’t remember. As wetness began to form between her thighs, she came to a decision. “Okay.” “Perfect,” Serval said, and her lips were on her in an instant. It was like lightning, and by the time Cocolia realized they were there she found herself already kissing back. As Serval deepened the kiss, Cocolia fell back against the hood of the car, Serval keeping her pressed up against it. Cocolia couldn’t remember the last time she’d been kissed, but she doubted it had been this good. Eventually, the kiss had to be broken, and Serval looked down at her, not even trying to hide the fact that she was staring at her cleavage. “We need to get that dress off of you.” “Mmmm, we should probably take this inside the car first.” “You’re right,” Serval said, pulling Cocolia up, and they hastily made their way into the backseat of Cocolia’s car, Cocolia kicking off her heels along the way. Cocolia now lay across the backseat, with Serval straddling her. Serval took hold of the straps of Cocolia’s evening gown and slid it down her body, Cocolia kicking her legs to help her get it off. That task finished, Serval got to work removing Cocolia’s bra, tossing it aside when she was done. “They’re beautiful,” Serval said, admiring Cocolia’s now exposed breasts, taking them in her hands and kneading them. When was the last time someone had touched her there? Cocolia didn’t know, but she knew it was far too long ago, as Serval’s hands rubbed and kneaded them in all the right spots, eliciting moans out of the older woman, moans that only increased their fervor once Serval leaned in and took a nipple into her mouth, sucking on it gently. This continued for some time, before Serval slipped her hand beneath Cocolia’s panties. “Oh my, you’re sopping wet. You must really be enjoying yourself, huh?” Cocolia bit her bottom lip and nodded. “Don’t worry, you’ll get your release soon, let’s get these panties off first though.” She slid Cocolia’s panties off, leaving the woman now completely naked before her. “Now to really show you what these hands can do.” “Ahhhhh!” Cocolia moaned as Serval began to rub her clit, spreading her legs to give her better access. Serval then slowly moved her fingers down her vulva, sliding two of them into her vagina while her thumb kept her clit occupied. The fingers inside her began to rub at her g-spot, all while her thumb rubbed circles around her clit. It was electrifying, sending shockwaves of pleasure all throughout her body, and bringing her closer and closer to orgasm. This continued for a bit, before Serval suddenly slowed her pace. “Say my name,” Serval commanded, before picking the pace back up again. “Nnnnn, Serval!” Cocolia moaned as she felt the orgasm finally start to hit her. “Good girl,” Serval said with a smile, letting her ride out the orgasm, before withdrawing her fingers, sucking the cum off them, before speaking again. “How was that?” Cocolia wasn’t able to form coherent words yet, so she just nodded and gave a thumbs up. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself,” Serval said, starting to zip her coveralls back up. Cocolia wanted to protest, to offer to get Serval off in return, but her protests died in her throat, as she knew they didn’t have the time for it. As attractive as the young mechanic was, Bronya always came first, and Cocolia still wanted to make it to her tournament as soon as she could. “Now let’s get you cleaned up.” Serval took out a rag, and wiped the cum off Cocolia’s body. When she was done, Cocolia went ahead and started getting redressed, picking up her dress and undergarments off the floor of the car and putting them back on. Stepping out of the car, she got her heels back on and put the strap of her purse back over her shoulder, and took a moment to fully regain her composure. “Do you think the engine has cooled down enough now?” Cocolia asked, her mask of cold indifference back up, as if Serval’s fingers hadn’t been between her legs mere minutes ago. “Let me check,” Serval said, putting on some gloves and lifting the hood of the car back up, feeling the engine. “Feels like it. Let me head inside and grab some replacement plugs, and then I can get to work.” Serval went inside, and before long she was back with the replacements and getting to work. She was like a machine, intensely focused, not slacking even a little, doing the job quickly but not sloppily, and after around 45 minutes, less than the hour estimate she’d given, she was pulling the hood of the car back down. “There, this baby should be running good as new,” Serval told her, putting the hood of the car affectionately. “Go ahead and start the engine, so we can make sure.” Cocolia got in, and turned the keys, and sure enough, the engine sounded like it was running fine, and Serval seemed to agree. “Yep, sounds good to me! Here, before you go,” Serval said, pulling out a slip of paper and writing something down on it, before offering it to Cocolia, who rolled down the car window and took it. “It’s my number. Feel free to call me if you ever want to hook up again, or even just hang out or talk.” “I’ll think about it,” Cocolia said, but deep down she knew that she would definitely be calling that number.

Danheng was a cat boy maid who stutters when he texts

['HareHunter']

Teen And Up Audiences

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Danheng (Honkai: Star Rail), Himeko (Honkai: Star Rail), MC

danheng is secretly still a furry cat boy maid, omg, i wrote this in like 10 minutes

English

2022-04-24

Completed

2022-04-24

285

1/1

8

45

719

['RichardPham', 'reina_riri', 'Zoela', 'Gugurinda', 'bunibunii', 'Lost04', 'Kotofeila', 'ShadowCherry', 'delixir', 'BoneDealer', 'Soukokumylovess', 'tsukishima_tadashi', 'xXAstraM1dnight', 'zydeco', 'just_pure_brainrot', 'ozax', 'CatEatingLemons', 'Dogstar9069', 'hiyroi']

[]

Danheng was a simple man, who worked as a waiter on a train that went around the world. He was silent. To the crew, they thought it was trauma, but to Danheng, it was much worse. Today, Danheng sat in the bathroom, tears in his eyes. His phone lay in his hands as the world faded around him. The only thing on his screen was a text conversation between him and his crush only a year ago.   Dany: UwU h-hewwo >~< miswer p-pwetty wetty~~~ it’s me Danheng OwO Blocked Number: Danheng, please talk normally. Dany: QwQ I wove you <3333 Blocked Number: Please. Dany: I am talking nowmally <3 OwO Blocked Number: I hate this. Dany: UwU   Danheng was a furry when he was in his late teens. He tried to run from this past that he long regretted. He longed for a day when he didnt have to see his cat boy maid fursona ever again. He dropped his phone and rested his hands on his head.    “Danheng? Are you okay?” MC asked.    Danheng grabbed his phone and exited the stall. “I’m alright,” he told MC. He walked out of the bathroom quickly. He tried not to make it awkward as he swiftly walked to the employee room and wait for his 30-minute break to be over.   Himeko walked into the room and sat down across from him. “Hello, Sweetie,” She said softly, “How are you?” She hummed as she drank from her cup of tea.   “Im fine,” Danheng said to her. “What do you need?”   “Let’s talk about what's going on with you,” Himeko asked.   “I used to roleplay as a cat boy maid, who stutters via text,” Danheng said.    “You what?” Himeko asked.

Safe and Sound

['blankscripture']

General Audiences

Gen

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail), Himeko (Honkai: Star Rail), Danheng (Honkai: Star Rail), Welt Yang

Light Angst, Photography, Memory Loss, Memory Related, Found Family, Ficlet, Character Study, the astral express crew is mentioned

English

2022-04-22

Completed

2022-04-22

391

1/1

6

48

7

662

['RichardPham', 'seitennosinker', 'ZephyrWasHere', 'PositivelyPachi', 'NPennyworth', 'JJY221', 'Its_Ame', 'randomsoulnix', 'Fintastica', 'KomiXo', 'omanu', 'p3paula', 'Kael_del', 'Mr_Mortx', 'fromagecreme', 'xXAstraM1dnight', 'aegiuu', 'Kotofeila', 'reisinbran', 'Mangoose', 'Smooth_and_bald', 'Ausmeria', 'Void_Watcher0907', 'UltimateWaifu', 'kkevco_amr', 'ksaiira', 'insolidarity_withyou', 'Draco_180601', 'Dogstar9069', 'SummerYakshi']

[]

To March 7th, photography is her life. Taking photos of the places she goes, the people she meets, and the moments she shares, to store away in an album or two and look back at them and smile fondly, remembering the journey she went through with her friends, and most importantly, her family. She will remember the Astral Express, the place where she got a clean slate to start over her life and journey. March 7th is grateful for all the people in the train that came to rescue her from her crystalline prison, otherwise she would never have met such wonderful people and would still be drifting in space until somebody else found her. Happiness fills her heart, thinking about them, because they are not only her saviours, but also her friends and the closest she has to family. They warm her heart and soul with love and companionship, the pink haired girl would never trade this for anything else. The short and adorable conductor named Pompon, the beautiful redheaded lady Himeko, the reasonably intelligent old man Welt Yang, the lone and emo Danheng, and her best friend the grey haired boy with a baseball bat and an aeon inside his body who goes by a lot of names, and many others. This is her family, her found family. They are all she has, and maybe that's enough to have. One day, if worse comes to worse and all the memories that she has made are erased just like when she was stuck in the ice, she hopes that these photos will not just be pictures on a page, that she remembers and cries in relief because she remembers. That's why she keeps these photos, why she even bothers taking them, because these are her memories. She doesn't want to forget their warmth, to return to the cold depths once more. March 7th will make sure she never forgets again no matter what happens. Through photography, March 7th keeps these memories safe and sound inside their photo albums. Because she never wishes to forget the people she loves and the adventures they went on together. Because with the Astral Express, she has everything she could ever want. Through the good and the bad memories they share, she has them and they have her. Life couldn't be more perfect than this.

Peculiar

['SummerYakshi']

General Audiences

Gen

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Himeko (Honkai: Star Rail) & March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail)

Himeko (Honkai: Star Rail), March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail)

Coffee Shops, Character Study

English

2022-04-22

Completed

2022-04-22

670

1/1

2

133

12

762

['glitchy241', 'migueloharasirlwifesband', 'RichardPham', 'Melohoney23', 'hyperfixations_and_toothrottingfluff', 'mintpicker', 'Veterlyn', 'Babyblack69', 'ZephyrWasHere', 'PikachuDedInside', 'Neophilic', 'PositivelyPachi', 'NPennyworth', 'bleblebl', '310nip', 'violet_ll', 'snorlave', 'JJY221', 'AzureMilque13', 'Morayne', 'LeSkye', 'RedOrions', 'Elyely_amaiyoru', 'Its_Ame', 'randomsoulnix', 'TraKlitor', 'turnipdad', 'Shocker1576', 'Kogash1', 'ayamamamiya', 'pseudosmug', 'Lspaceship', 'DarlingStitches', 'KomiXo', 'apripokon', 'TheWaffleGalaxy179', 'Elysthir', 'atlasofstars', 'AquaJet738', 'solomivan', 'Artemisia_Petral', 'Shrishasha', 'greasyolives77', 'Salty_p1geon', 'BaalsBoobieBlade', 'TheMadRabbitsGrin', 'Tendaklon', 'Idontknowwhattowritehere', 'ExcaliburLaw', 'Pchela']

[]

When it came to the young girl the Astral Express has found frozen in cosmic ice, the only word that came to Himeko’s mind was “peculiar.” “I’ll have my coffee black!” March 7th said, giving the waitress only a brief glance before going back to her photo-taking. The waitress scribbled the order on her notepad and nodded, not a single trace of surprise on her face. Unlike Himeko. “Dear,” she said. “You don’t drink coffee, right?” She lowered her camera and tilted her head, a look of confusion in her cotton-candy eyes. “Yeah. How come?” “Don’t you want to start with something… lighter?” Himeko had stopped the Express outside an intergalactic coffee shop for her daily fix of caffeine. And when March 7th decided to tag along because it’ll be fun! she was aware that the girl would probably end up ordering something. But she had imagined it would be something with lots of milk and sugar. Because there’s no way, she thought, that you’re drinking an entire cup of black coffee. But March 7th raised her chin, a confident expression on her face. “I already know that I like sweet stuff. But I don’t know if I like coffee. So what better way to figure out than to try it in its purest form?” Well, that sort of makes sense, but… “And for you, ma’am?” the waitress asked. Himeko had wanted to order a black coffee for herself. But thinking ahead, she instead made a tactical decision. “I’ll have a latte, with added honey.” The waitress nodded, wrote down her order and left, leaving the two of them alone at the table. “Say cheese!” March 7th said, raising her camera and pointing it at Himeko. “You’ve already taken five photos of me since we got here,” she said. “But you haven’t smiled in any of them!” Himeko sighed, then forced the corners of her mouth upwards in the best imitation of a smile her sleep-deprived self was capable of. March 7th grimaced. “Um… you look kind of scary.” Despite saying that, she snapped the photo anyway. Yes, Himeko thought. A peculiar child indeed. Having woken up without any memories whatsoever, March 7th was very dedicated to chronicling their journey across the stars with photographs. Maybe she wanted a record that she could easily refer back to, out of fear that she might wake up and lose her memories all over again. Or maybe this habit of hers was born out of the desire to compensate for lost time… Either way, Himeko respected it. And thus she practiced patience. “Okay, Himeko. Now let’s do a silly one!” But stars above, is it difficult sometimes. “Your coffees,” the waitress said, setting a small tray onto the table. On that tray were two cups — one of which held a light brown, creamy mix and the other of which held a stark black liquid. “Thank you so much!” March 7th said, seemingly having forgotten about the photo entirely. As the waitress left, she gingerly pulled the black coffee closer to her and blew on it several times. Himeko did not touch her latte. The aroma was rich and inviting, but she had no intention to drink it. Rather, she kept her eyes on March 7th. At the very least, she thought, this will be entertaining. March 7th lowered her head and took a sip, a look of childlike curiosity in her eyes. One that quickly melted to disgust. “This is bitter!” she said, face scrunched up. “Yes, dear,” Himeko said, swapping their drinks. “That’s the point. Now enjoy your latte.” She pouted, but then took a sip of the latte and perked back up. “Oh, I like this a lot better! It’s so sweet.” Himeko drank deeply of her coffee, letting its warmth wash through her. It’s amazing, really, how quickly that girl can go from a frown to a smile. But at the end of the day, that’s what made her March 7th. She was happy, carefree, and above all else… Peculiar.

That one night (if only you hadn’t found me)

['etk_archive']

General Audiences

F/F, F/M

崩坏3rd | Honkai Impact 3rd (Video Game), 崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Herrscher of the Void (Honkai Impact 3rd)/Reader, Herrscher of the Void (Honkai Impact 3rd)/Original Character(s)

Sirin (Honkai Impact 3rd), Herrscher of the Void (Honkai Impact 3rd), Original Characters, Original Non-Binary Character, Original Female Character(s), Original Herrscher Character

Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts, Symbolism, is the oc female on nonbinary? Fuck if I know, Affectionate Insults, Hugs, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Light Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Mild Smut, just wait for a sex chapter, Oneshot, OR IS IT

English

2022-04-11

Completed

2022-04-11

907

1/1

4

26

1

893

['RichardPham', '890909', 'DragonTank186', 'Riptide123', 'Coral_Allium', 'louseev', 'Kotofeila', 'AleksandraBlade', 'Ryuguji_Kaiser', 'Lynette_for_some_reason', 'Minerenzzz', 'xyvesuu', 'KiryutheDragon', 'Unknownl928', 'Raffaelka', 'Xenonikal', 'AbyssWatcher', 'NightmareYandere']

[]

“Never thought I’d find you here, worm” You looked to the side, softly patting the sweet smelling grass you were sitting on. The entity next to you went to sit down when you quickly put yourself in that spot, just as she lowered herself. Her face, you noticed, blushed of a pale pink, barely enough to be seen but nevertheless a sight to behold. A few second of silence passed between the two of you, the only sounds that could be heard were your soft breathing against the skin of her neck and the heart beneath the chest which everyone thought to have died long ago. “I never thought you’d ever dare to do s-such a t-thing” her speech broke at the end as your hands started to slowly travel up her thighs, letting themselves enjoy the soft flesh under them. “Well, you’ll have to admit that it’s not everyday that we celebrate our 1000th year of us knowing each other” A wilful look glossed over her eyes, likely reminiscent of harsher times. “…I’m glad we’re still here…” “You won’t get rid of me quite that easily lo-“ “Love” A beat of silence passed, finally accompanied by the whistle of the passing wind. Your hands, having stopped their course to her chest, skipped it and quickly went to her white hair which still fell over her shoulder to her lower back, just as it did when you first saw her.   It was a snowy night, the moon wasn’t visible from where you stood, but seeing as it always had the power to relax you, you went looking for it at the top of the closest mountain. Could you have simply walked out of the forest? Sure, but you had time… way too much time.   Just a hundred years earlier, the core of a Herrscher conjoined with the young body of a little child, the latter being left in the snow by all those around them. Now helped only by the power whiting them, there was no option left apart from completely embracing it. No one ever bothered to tell a simple kid from a simple village about such complex subjects. After all, why would the Herrscher of Time decide to awaken in a so pathetic body. The child never came back from that forest on that dark snowy night.   Only once the mountain top was beneath your feet, did a strong golden light shine upon your form, illuminating all around you and for the first time in a century blinding you. The figure in the beam of golden suddenly turned around, interrupting its staring off a never ending void and letting the light fade off. The figure, likely another Herrscher, your brain helpfully supplied, had long white hair and shining golden eyes. Her (?) outfit was simple in its complexity, it didn’t have too many layers but enough colours to stand out from the paleness of her skin. A hairpiece made from the same Honkai that characterised the single wing sprouting from her back. “Another Herrscher up here? Peculiar” The echoing voice sounded oddly alluring to your ears. “I could say the same thing” her eyes narrowed, you didn’t want to see such a hostile look aimed at you ever again “but of course, we both have our reasons, don’t we” Slowly taking a step forward, letting your dress slide across the snow, you tried to decipher whether or not she approved of your motion. After she turned around once again and crossed her arms in front of her chest you decided to gently get closer and sit on the edge of the cliff, letting your feet dangle off the ground, reminding you of the long nights spent with only the power within you to keep you company. The Herrscher next to you also sat down, keeping her slender legs together and standing straight, a perfect picture of regality. You thought it really suited her. “My name is Vish” your voice came out softer than you wished it to be, but you just let it flow out of your mouth “I’m the Herrscher of Time, I’m glad we met” The last part was more whispered than spoken out loud, but your companion didn’t seem to mind. “Sirin, Second Herrscher of the Void” You gently nodded, letting your hand come a little closer to hers, just as she seemed to relax a little more. Looking up at the sky, finally seeing the shining moon above you, only one thing came to mind “The moon is beautiful tonight, isn’t it?”   Her far away gaze told you enough.       Seeing the far away look in your eyes, Sirin leaned once again back into you, letting her body heat warm your strangely colder body. Snapped out of it, you let her do it gladly, enjoying her presence in and of itself, knowing just how fragile your time together was. Your hands in her hair felt better than usual, she observed, letting her eyelids fall, entrusting you with her body and core.   Feeling her relax further into you, you gently, as not to bother her, started lowering the both of you until your back hit the ground, letting Sirin turn around and letting her cheek rest on your chest. The night had already fallen by then, the snow couldn’t freeze either of you anymore.   “The moon is beautiful today, isn’t it?” Her eyes drifted close, giving yours one last glance. “I can die happy”

bittersweet cranberry flavoured euphoria

['h1mmel']

General Audiences

F/F

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Seele Vollerei/Bronya Rand

Bronya Rand, Seele (Honkai: Star Rail)

short piece, this isn't really gay they just argue, seele snaps and bronya feels bad, based on beta test lore

English

2021-11-28

Completed

2021-11-28

449

1/1

97

4

1,262

['RichardPham', 'MorinoHisashi', 'HappilyHopeless1', 'JustARegularGay', 'StellaronTwinsz', 'ValkyrieShinki', 'Astrealiaa', 'KatiePuh', 'Whrlingx', 'Azuos', 'DemonMoon11', 'Sorryexcuseforahumanbeing', 'FenrirV1', 'Helieth', 'milkteamegomi', 'V0LC4N1C', 'Kotofeila', 'starkindred', 'IzukiFan', 'Tyrux', 'itschaoticdude', 'MariFaye', 'e_wew', 'jamjamx', 'schro', 'Kitsu_k', 'spacedoutpi', 'UltimateWaifu', 'DragonlordKickpuncher', 'Wali', 'Justaanotherreader', 'VannessaCloud', 'ImAnIllusion', 'Cringeymika', 'velonie', 'Dogstar9069', 'CorruptedKomaeda_11037', 'mashironz', 'cii_an', 'crouashyoui', 'Yoru_ifg', 'Korablick', 'DarkAAC', 'calamityCavalier', 'Seeles_Omega', 'Sunfish1863']

[]

“You’re staying the night with me, princess. I hope you can get used to sleeping on the floor quickly.” There were few cold words exchanged between the consul’s daughter and the blue-haired Wildfire member. March and Danheng had taken up the last spare room in Natasha’s home, meaning Bronya had been left to stay the night in Seele’s room. Seele had halfhazardly thrown a blanket on the floor for her. Bronya wasn’t about to complain or ask for anything else. Even when the pair was alone together, it was apparent that the blue-haired woman had no intent of lowering her guard. She constantly was glancing over her shoulder, expression never softening, making it very obvious she had no trust in the other woman. “Hey, Overworld princess,” Seele called out, hitting the top of her dresser with a thump. “Say something. The awkward silence is killing me.” “What do you want me to say?” Bronya narrowed her eyes, though her voice was soft. “I don't know! You’re just sitting there with that stupid expression on your face. You look like you’re so deep in thought- are you having a moral crisis? Are you pondering back in that little head of yours whether or not I’m a person just like you? Did seeing the ordinary lives us devils live shake your foundation?” Bronya didn’t respond. Seele had struck a nerve, which was apparent in her expression. “Say something, princess! Just spit it out already, I know there’s something on your mind. I can’t stand it when you just sit there all quiet like that.” “Even children know that the people in the underground are descended from demons,” Bronya finally replied, though her voice had lost its previous conviction. Seele grabbed Bronya by the collar of her shirt, and pulled her face in close. “You’re not a fucking child any more, Rand, so shut your goddamned mouth. Do you see yourself? Surrounded by pain and suffering and all you can think about is how we’re demons?” Seele couldn’t keep her voice from cracking. “Do we look like devils to you? When you see this place, do you only see filth and evil?” “I-” Seele didn't both to remark at Bronya’s loss of words. Tears were stinging her eyes, so the girl broke eye contact and turned her head away. “I’m sorry.” “Excuse me?” “I’m sorry.” Bronya repeated. “I know my words fix nothing, but I'd like to apologize.” Seele released her grip on Bronya'a shirt. There was a long pause of silence, before the blue-haired girl turned back, using her free hand to hurriedly wipe a tear away from her face. “Sorry doesn’t come close to near enough, but… thanks for trying.”

Okay So...Wat's a Relic?

['crystevaix']

General Audiences

Gen

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Himeko (Honkai: Star Rail), March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail), MC (Honkai: Star Rail), Danheng (Honkai: Star Rail), Welt Yang

Chatting & Messaging, Found Family, random shenanigans, lowkey a crackfic, Domestic Fluff, who am I kidding, highkey a crackfic, Other Additional Tags to Be Added

English

2021-11-14

Updated

2021-11-14

89

1/?

2

56

6

862

['RichardPham', 'PositivelyPachi', 'castilla_cake', 'OLaLa9911', 'Tendaklon', 'Aratasu', 'Bork__Bork', 'Ash_Filled_skyz', 'personthatexists_writing', 'xXAstraM1dnight', 'Aruth', 'Mehihah', 'Fiugk17', 'BoneDealer', 'Miyukidreams', 'SillyYu', 'Robin_Waves', 'AkiYuu', 'frostycryo', 'Ostrichings', 'kkevco_amr', 'Muje_uni', '0ctoFox', 'Herro_there', 'Frecherons', 'Dogstar9069', 'yushyi', 'Seeles_Omega', 'MunchCutie', 'kitty_bunns', 'Lolz123UwU', 'Vaness_ehe_0104']

[]

Pompom suggested that Himeko create a group chat for the members to notify important information while on missions, away from the Astral Express. A group chat... what could possibly go wrong? (See the end of the chapter for notes.) The Astral Express   Himeko has added Danheng, Welt, March 7th and MC to the chat   Himeko: This chat is for us to text each other when we are away on missions or are apart in general. Please use this space professionally and wisely!    March 7th: i think i may have committed arson   MC: How many people died?    Danheng: And how did you possibly manage to let aflame to a place when you can control ice?    MC: Do you need help?    Himeko: We're doing great, everybody!    Welt: I doubt that... I was in a rush to get the first chapter out. Later chapters will have more to read I swear hhh. Also, expect the rest of the Star Rail cast to be added as the chapters go by. I had some ideas whether or not to make this a modern au with no astral express but I decided canon time was the best option.

Wolf's Bite

['Angelblaze']

Explicit

Gen

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Danheng (Honkai: Star Rail)/Reader

Danheng (Honkai: Star Rail)

Reader-Insert, Rape/Non-con Elements, Predator/Prey, unbetad i dont care

English

2021-11-06

Completed

2021-11-06

1,097

2/2

4

366

25

13,006

['RichardPham', '7isthemagicnumber', 'wyvern13', 'yunsicles', 'pronnpto', 'Eclipse2486', 'OHIKODREAMER', 'Bubblekitty15', 'YukiTsukiro', 'TheRandomestCreator', 'komikomi', 'Lulucae', 'AnyaNekoFTW', 'Youkai_Eevee', 'pinkypong', 'Godess_of_the_Moon', 'Hornycollective', 'Fleuretty', 'Mochachino12345', 'Friska', 'StellaFox', 'PurpleLicth', 'KindaTired_IDK', 'Caitlyn6285', 'AJPlayz562', 'imasimpandiknowit', 'Feiyunxi', 'Mavrakss', 'Ice_Princess', 'pickingprimrose', 'sorahoshis', 'yumeirofestival', 'Madara3437', 'KuruKuruKururin', 'Pipefoxsune', 'Hikari777', 'The_Bone_Collecting_Mushroom', 'Unk_nown', 'mimihateyou', 'Whatismy_life', 'CaitlinMoriens', 'Elizabeth12', 'Rizzlana', 'M4r144', 'hestia_zehera', 'Allmyfavesarebi_07', 'kitty426', 'ProphecyFlame', 'sisev', 'nytemaric']

[]

You, another all too bright face popped into his life. Not unlike a rabbit hopping up to a wolf. The first time you'd graced him, flouting your weakness like a badge of honor he'd been stunned. Too naive, out of your own element, all too ready to simply follow him into even the grandest of dangers. You called it friendship. He blinked and the others, all too willing to ignore every warning sign he put up, glazed over it and implied that his steely eyed coldness was a front for a warm bastion of personality that had to be earned through trust. They excused it more and more in the coming days as he would drift off, thinking of taking you. Sometimes by sneaking away with you hand in hand, pressing a kiss to your lips when you were both alone and looking in your eyes knowing he owned you down to your very soul. Other times...grabbing you and shoving you against the wall, muting your cries with his mouth, tearing through all that risque clothing you had the nerve to call armor. Did you ever notice the flicker of an almost beastly hunger in his eyes? Oh, that was a delicious thought. That you'd known all along. Of course it wasn't true, but the idea that all your skittish tendencies hid your real desires, that you were baring your neck for him on purpose...well... "Are you busy?" "Nope!" You say and pop right up to your feet. A wondrous, awful shudder shot straight down from his core through to his feet and leaving him with a rapturous, tingling sensation all over. How many weeks, months, had he been replaying this scenario in his head? Two, three? With a hum of your favorite song you followed him past the gray stones. The walls were weak and did nothing to block sound. no matter. One hand over your mouth and a couple minutes was all he needed. "I need you to come scout out the next battle field with me." Your eyes lit up. That hint of additional weakness, the vulnerability to feel excite about something so damnably minor, was the cherry on top. where the actual dirty happens. The cold edge of the rock pressed into your stomach. Your heart shot up to your throat as things fell into place too late. Danheng's fingers curled underneath your lower garments, pulled them down. With an objecting cry you clung to them, whimpering. He let out a hiss and slapped your ass and you went still. Your stomach turned as the hard shape of his cock pressed against your backside and his low, baritone growl echoed through your ears. His arms seized around you moments before the instinct to fight back kicked in. His mouth found the crook of your neck and whispered things that would scandalize the others, if they heard them. Or, for that matter, were bright enough to realize the difference between disinterest and plotting. You could only do so much to fight back, bent over something hard as stone. Danheng pulled your clothing to the ground and held your body still for him. "Please, no--no--" You'd wanted this. You hadn't wanted it like this. Danheng didn't care, its how it was happening. If only because he couldn't stand to wait for it anymore. The first thrust is heavenly. Stars ignite behind his eyelids and the choked out, half-pained sound you make makes it all the sweeter. He doesn't give you any time to adjust. Why wait even longer? "Mine. Understand? Mine." He whispered, breathlessly between thrusts. Little whimpers escaped you, entered the open air and were music to his ears in time with his thrusts. A merciless rhythm to be sure, one you couldn't keep up with an got lost in. Eventually outright moans left you. Your hand scraped against the rock, your body stretched out lovingly across its surface. Your pleasure was more an afterthought. Charming, but not why he was here. He wanted to burn you up in the fire of him. Leave you a shell of what you were beforehand as revenge even awakening these feelings in him in the first place. His moan, a long, wanton cry, echoed off the stones of the ruins in time with yours as he emptied himself inside of you. You trembled all through it and took it well. Enough so that he leaned down and pressed kisses to the column of your spine. A parting gift of sorts, as he pulls his cock out and steps back to watch you shudder and and shake without him. He redressed himself as best he can. You collapsed to the ground, used and panting so sweetly that if he were not so sated he may have taken you again right there. Then a despairing emptiness reared its ugly head. What now? You'd be outright foolish to not tell someone what happened here. Even more foolish than he thought you were. Though, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't interested to see what you were and what you'd become in that case, now that he'd happened to you. Would you shy away in that same cutesy way, or now with an endangered, frightened lilt? Would you act differently, now that you knew better? "You should dress yourself." He said and watched as you lied there for a concerning amount of time, getting back up only when the coital warmth subsided and the cold became too much to bare. You did so without a word. He turned on his heel and walked and you followed. He rejoined the others, claimed no luck. No one questioned it and awkwardly joined back together, sharing knowing looks. The scent of sex was heavy in the air. The space where your hips met the rock was a bruised up mess. Anyone could tell you were freshly fucked by the gait in your walk or the distant glow and glassiness of your eyes. Instead of walking behind Danheng as you normally did, he watched as you slunk to the back of the group. Where you thought you'd be out of his sight. March was the first to breach the line. "You alright?" She whispered. The test. Now would be the perfect time, in front of everyone, to tell them what happened. To see who would support you and who would have pause. To escape the wolf before you were doomed forever. Danheng could see the idea of it flicker across your expression. "I'm okay, just hit my knee on a rock is all." He smiled. Wonderful.

a lesson in impartiality

['talionprinciple (Triskai)']

General Audiences

Gen, M/M

崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Gepard (Honkai: Star Rail) & Danheng (Honkai: Star Rail), Gepard (Honkai: Star Rail)/Danheng (Honkai: Star Rail)

Gepard (Honkai: Star Rail), Danheng (Honkai: Star Rail)

Gen or Pre-Slash, hand massages, Injury Recovery, CBT1 spoilers

English

2021-11-03

Completed

2021-11-03

1,545

1/1

6

411

50

3,802

['RichardPham', 'Uryan_Karl', 'Emma_Shiota', 'Verzy', 'rena091', 'WhatAmIDoing_IDontKnow_ButHereIAm', 'castilla_cake', 'KawaiiCinnamonroll', 'Moondancer2006', 'FantastiCat', 'ReadintheReeds', 'kristinab09', 'madroj', 'Luvzan', 'HikarySanoko18', 'kaleidoscopeMediator', 'MerOdie', 'roppiepop', 'AcatnamedPhil', 'Talis03', 'RJ_Hastings', 'awmarocean', 'AroVibes', 'Saniwa_Seo', 'Scribblelife', 'K4z4n3', 'snowwieyu', 'Wiserwords', 'End1ess_Parad0x', 'Suyorina', 'DarlingStitches', 'Amorai', 'Vikare', 'NoPersonIsHere', 'Paperbag34', 'underhue', 'August_Dona', 'Flora626', 'JJKMagic', 'pan_peterparker', 'Nelleloper', 'koopermine', 'onyasuminyasai', 'kazufuyu_petshop', 'BalanceInMadness96', 'snowdrops', 'Shinosunshine', 'xeriscape', 'emmahmlf', 'littlesecrets']

[]

Gepard wakes to the unmistakable hum of large machinery. Sister's up to something again, he thinks muzzily, but then he opens his eyes to an unfamiliar metal ceiling - and it all comes crashing back. The outsiders, the Furnace, how his whole body had burned slowly from the inside out as he stood guard before the gate. He's no longer burning. Which means he must be somewhere else. He sits up, or tries to, but falls back onto his elbows with a hiss as pain shoots up from his right wrist all the way up to his neck in a white-hot bolt. Fully awake now, he takes stock of his surroundings: smooth metal walls, a low desk, a plushly upholstered chair, and a single door. The green-garbed outsider leans against the doorframe. The outsider looks no worse for wear. Gepard wonders what that means for Cocolia, who must have tried to stop them herself after Gepard fell. "What have you done to the Consul?" Gepard demands. "She is fine." The outsider regards him expressionlessly. "But you are not. Don't strain yourself." A shiver runs through him involuntarily as he recalls those same cold eyes trained on him in battle. Even his ice had cracked beneath the force of this outsider's lance. It's hard to reconcile the eyes he'd seen at the Furnace, filled with intent to kill, with the almost colorless, detached gaze that watches him now. "What are you talking about?" "Your wrist." The outsider - Danheng, Gepard remembers now - inclines his head. "We had our healer tend to you after you collapsed, but given how severe your condition was… some minor injuries may have been missed. You should let me inspect it." So he'd fallen unconscious. Gepard ignores the offer, trying again to sit up, managing only to prop himself up with his left arm. "Where am I?" "This is the Astral Express. Our base of operations." That confirms his suspicions. Grimly, he says: "So I'm your prisoner, then." Danheng's gaze slides away. "You seem to misunderstand the situation. Our crew seeks something on your world, but we have no stake in your conflict. I am no champion of the Underworld, nor do I harbor any particular hatred for the Overworld. I simply had no desire to let you die." "And that thing which you seek, it is in the Furnace?" The outsider's silence answers the question for him. Gepard gingerly maneuvers himself with his left hand until he's sitting on the edge of the bed - and it is a bed, he realizes now, his mind finally catching up with his body. His armor has been removed, leaving him in his long-sleeved undershirt and pants. (Unused to appearing this way outside of his private quarters, he finds himself faintly embarrassed.) "You must know that the Furnace is the only reason we yet survive. Were you to damage it, or to remove a component, Belobog would freeze over within the day." That brings Danheng's icy gaze back to him. This time his expression is grave. "I give my word to you that our actions in the Furnace did not endanger your city nor its residents. You can see for yourself, once you're well enough." "I'm well enough now," Gepard snaps, rising to his feet. His legs scream in protest, as wobbly as if he'd just run ten miles in his armor. He abruptly sits again. "Yes, I'm sure you are," Danheng says dryly. (Gepard thinks he smiles slightly, but it's gone so quickly that he wonders if it was imagined.) "Natasha said you'd need three days' bed rest. But with some determination, you might be able to walk out of here tomorrow." Gepard shakes his head. "I need certainty, not promises. I'm responsible for people's lives. I won't shirk that duty." "I've already given you my word," Danheng says quietly. "There is no better assurance." It's not enough for me, Gepard thinks, but bites back his protest. This is the best he can hope for, for now. He slumps over, suddenly exhausted again. Danheng had not been exaggerating his condition. Gepard can hardly remember the last time he felt this terrible; even when he'd first begun training with the Guitar Case his sister built for him, learning to endure the bite of its icy energy even in the already-cold environs outside the city, he had never been this drained. He flexes the fingers of his right hand gingerly and winces at the needling pain that comes in response. This, at least, he is familiar with. He's overused the hand again. The energy from which he forms his barriers takes a steady toll upon his flesh, and he had used it far too often during that fight. "Let me look at your hand, Captain." Gepard glances up to see that Danheng is no longer leaning against the doorframe but has come closer to the bed, hovering just outside of arm's reach. He considers refusing and asking to be left alone, but another twinge of pain changes his mind, and he holds the hand out, palm up. To his surprise, Danheng kneels down on the floor and reaches for it. "May I?" Gepard's first instinct is to pull away, but all things considered Danheng has been equitable to him, and moreover, the steadiness of the outsider's manner puts him strangely at ease. He nods. He's grown so used to the gloves of his uniform that the heat of Danheng's fingers on his bare skin unsettles him. But the touch is brisk, professional; he turns Gepard's hand this way and that, pushes against his fingers. Gepard can't hold back a flinch when Danheng presses his thumb into the meat of his palm. "You're tense," Danheng notes. His thumb begins to make slow, circular motions that send sparks of pain skittering up Gepard's forearm. "You use this hand to fight, do you?" Whatever Gepard had been expecting, it wasn't this. Gepard looks away from their joined hands, and then back, unsure which feels less intimate. "My barrier technique," he offers, vaguely. Caught between the alien closeness of another body and the still-sharp pain, he's lost his eloquence. "I see." Danheng, for his part, is unreadable as ever. "Repeated use leads to injury. Like water wearing down stone, even the simplest of motions, over time, will wear down the body." The pad of his thumb continues its warm, unrelenting pressure. "Massages such as this will release the tension, but the best cure is prevention. Stretch your hand and wrist before each shift." Distantly, Gepard recognizes this as good advice. What comes out of his mouth is: "Um." Danheng looks up at him. From this close, his odd colorless eyes have resolved themselves to a blue so pale it's nearly translucent. The same color as the ice which covers the world. Danheng's thumb stops. "Is the pain too much?" "No," Gepard says quickly, feeling his face heat. He takes in a breath and tries to regain his composure. He isn't used to being - well - taken care of; even his sister had ceased coddling him once he grew up and no longer cried at scraped knees. And Danheng, by all rights, remains his enemy, although he doesn't act as if he's aware of the fact. Gepard feels like a man caught in a blizzard, barely able to tell up from down in the cloud of snow and hail. "I am just - surprised. We were at odds only a short time ago. You don't find this situation contradictory?" Danheng sits back, considering. "You could say I consider myself an observer, and not an actor. It's rare that I interfere so directly with the people of the worlds I visit. Perhaps I want to make amends." There's something Danheng isn't saying, something laying just beneath the surface of his speech that Gepard isn't grasping. He prods: "Perhaps?" "Some things are not your business," Danheng says bluntly, and then as if to soften the blow, "I truly bear you no ill will." "I'm not sure I can say the same." Gepard weighs his words carefully, trying to pick his feelings apart into coherent thoughts. "You came from nowhere one day and upended the city, attacked me and my men... what am I to think? Although you've made your amends to me, my loyalty lies beyond myself. The injury you did to Belobog cannot be so easily brushed aside." "I see." Danheng's expression shutters then, as surely as a door slamming shut. He withdraws his hands. "I apologize if I've overstepped, Captain. I'll leave you to your rest." The outsider stands stiffly and makes to leave. Feeling somehow that he's made a mistake, Gepard casts about for something to say. It's not as if he regrets drawing this line between them; it's his duty, after all, to stand fast against any who would disturb Belobog's fragile equilibrium. But Gepard is suddenly unsure if Danheng, who's been unfailingly kind to him since he woke, is the one that should receive his censure. "Thank you," Gepard blurts out just as Danheng's about to open the door. "For… assisting with my hand." "It was no trouble," Danheng says quietly. Perhaps it's only Gepard's imagination, but the tense line of his shoulders seems to relax just a fraction. Then he's gone.

Just Right Before a Dead Star

['sleepserum']

Explicit

M/M

原神 | Genshin Impact (Video Game), 崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Gepard (Honkai: Star Rail)/Kong | Aether (Genshin Impact)

Kong | Aether (Genshin Impact), Gepard (Honkai: Star Rail), Original Child Character(s)

Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossover, Intersex Kong | Aether (Genshin Impact), Introspection, Existentialism, Surreal, Horror, Romance, Domestic Bliss, Melodrama, Tragedy, Eventual Smut, Exhibitionism, Overstimulation

English

2021-11-02

Completed

2021-11-02

22,400

1/1

4

100

17

2,370

['RichardPham', 'aeIuminary', 'Devvilyn_0n1y', 'PleaseBleachMyEyes', 'Dee03', 'Micaela_1', 'xxxrsssimppp', 'crustyphrog', 'Lucicq', 'Renova_Deen', 'taengmo', 'coerlut_1', 'KitsuneWhirpool14', 'izukuxbb', 'GoodDoktah', 'chqifuyu', 'Kotofeila', 'Yukihito', 'syydneyy', 'baby_do_the_conga', 'Take_Han', 'auugustus', 'Anthea_Maia', 'Orangelover', 'Hiromesu', 'hana_madoka', 'Yeo_reum', 'Half_eaten_doughnut', 'JoannaNeet', 'Athanasia23', 'SiriusGames', 'Some136796_1', 'Shinichioiyx', 'StrangexWi7', 'Applepi226', 'Arkhamyst', 'fluffybrowniees', 'FancyNightEyyy', 'Lunlie', 'yelshijuuro', 'chitan', 'Maxim_Raid', 'Ririisme', 'leiflindgren', 'ThatOneFreshAvocado', 'heavenshole', 'ReyesOR', 'Lillty', 'Asa_mune', 'Chinos']

[]

I For every hour that it rained, Gepard would find himself questioning the duties he held as Captain of the Silvermane Guards. And that was saying a lot because the last time that it rained was three months ago. In this blizzard-battered city of Belobog where snowstorms were more prevalent than the sunlight, the rain had been more of a rare phenomenon than a natural state of the weather. In the meeting room of the Union, the leaders sat in their respective seats, and one seat was for the Captain. Despite the windows being made of tempered glass, there was the underlying anxiety that in one unfortunate day the blizzard would be strong enough to blow and shatter the windows to fragments. Or, at least, that was Gepard’s worries. This night, it rained — rained harder than the howling snowstorms. It was unnatural, really, for it should’ve been hail, but Gepard should’ve appreciated that it hadn’t come to a hailstorm. The damage that may cause to the citizens may be drastic, especially to the Guards who were stationed outside the walls of Belobog, those patrolling the streets, and those who were outside guarding the Castle. There was another thud of wind against the window and Gepard’s eyes twitched slightly wide, glancing at the side where he saw the direction of the wind: to the left. And what was the information for? Gepard couldn’t understand but the fact that the wind and the rain along with it were going to the left stayed afloat at the shores of his thoughts. He blinked twice until he heard his name echoing in the room. “Captain Gepard? Is there something on your mind?” Said one of the Union Leaders, the special mention had caught the attention of the rest of the Departmental Leaders. Their raised brows or expression of indifference were all focused on the mentally absent Captain. “Oh,” Gepard rolled his shoulders back, completely dusting off the rain outside of his thoughts and shook his head, “Not of any importance, Sir,” he began and saw the leader nod, gesturing him to continue. “I had found it simply peculiar that it rained, simply rain, not a hailstorm. While I am thankful it is not the latter as it would be safe for our guards and the people, I am worried something has been changing in our climate.” He had to grab whatever he could think of, speak in a diplomatic tone and make it seem as if he said something worth their attention. And it seemed to have worked. The leader and researcher who monitored Belobog’s climates had raised her hand, “I agree with Captain Gepard.” The previous leader gave a nod of approval, gesturing that Gepard’s time to speak was done and his point was duly noted, now it was for another to state their point. The woman coughed and cleared her throat as she looked at the rest of the leaders, “While I oversee the atmosphere, Doctor, here, oversees the changes in our land. The past week I have noticed a strange object enter our atmosphere, however, my instruments were not able to capture it due to the high frequency of its speed, perhaps even faster than what we know of light.” The rest of the leaders began mumbling to each other, “What could ever be quicker than light?” She shook her head, “I am not quite sure, Sir, what I do know of it is an existence that clearly has entered our world, and our territory, Belobog. The doctor here has gathered data from the Agricultural department, farmers have said that despite our stormy weather, craps in their greenhouses have flourished even better as if there was a change in our land’s matter. Currently, different samples of land are taken all across Belobog and there has, indeed, been a change in their matter.” The Doctor nodded, “Yes, unfortunately, this unknown substance that spread across our land and atmosphere is unidentified. So far there have been no adverse effects, it seems to be an evolution of our world or of some sort.” While different leaders were connecting their findings, Gepard had stayed still until the voices of his superiors were drowned out by the loudening pattering of the rain against the windows. Even when his attention drifted away from the meeting, he didn’t consider the rain to be obnoxious, rather, quiet and unobtrusive. A sound of nature, if anything. Man-made sound, after all, was noise. The incessant words, the varying tones, and pitches, too many variabilities but all of it would always tunnel into one sound: noise. That was why music had been a field he couldn’t find himself enjoying, or, rather, accepting as the man he was now. His sister, Serval, was a musician, one who perceived manmade sounds differently than he did. The eagerness of creating a collation of notes was something Gepard could not truly fathom. But should these thoughts even matter?  The rain… why wasn’t it hail? It had always been hail. The wind… it was going to the left. What was at the left of this castle? Past the walls would be nothing but the empty sheets of snow — it was endless land where a traveller could possibly die whether it was day or night if they travelled unprepared. Not even a single horse could make them survive the thick snow. Supplies for one man was not enough, to take care of their horse was another. Gepard knew that much since he had been travelling to the entirety of Belobog territory, the mainlands, the outskirts, each village, he had been stationed at every part of this land that any Belobog native knew his face and his name The sound… why did his thoughts circle around sound and noise? He never thought too much about it before, always focusing on his duty first and foremost, The sound of metal clashing, the echo and the clang of his shield against sword, maces, even through magic spell casts, or the shatter of thick ice when he would summon his power, shaking the earth and letting it reverberate a deep rumble. Which of those were sound but not noise, and which of those, too, were sounds that were noise? No, he couldn’t get himself distracted, no. Gepard had other duties. Gepard had other duties— “The meeting is dismissed, we shall continue seeing the progress of these changes, if there is any adverse effect or abnormality, even the slightest percent of it, you are to quickly alert the Captain,” The Union Leader looked at Gepard and nodded, “He shall mobilize his men as soon as possible and tighten our defenses.” He hadn’t even listened to a word in this meeting, and that was the first since all the years he had served Belobog and the Union. II It was a lonely existence. Gepard had only realized that now. Spending his hours in the cold, much colder, night with his grasp around his shield tight and secure, it was a moment he wondered if this could be considered as ‘existing’. His footsteps heavily treading through the thick snow. Was all that it took to exist as to have the physical body of his existence in the physical, living real? He wondered. Hanging by his waist was a small fur tail, and on it was a compass. His footsteps halted, one hand cupping the compass as he eyed the red and thin needle pointing north. He looked ahead. The wind and the rain were pushing him from the side. It hadn’t changed directions even when it was already three hours since the meeting.  A part of him almost believed that something unspoken was being ushered to him. As if some ghost, no, maybe a phantom. Not technically a dead soul, rather just a mere figment of his imaginations. Gepard believed ghosts and phantoms were different, or, at least, in the way they originated. That ghosts were souls of the dead whereas phantoms were beings unreal that manifested with an existence from the human mind that was recognizable by any of the five senses. And, right now, at his very moment, Gepard was recognizing a phantom that took the form of a sound. Twinkling.   He could remember a sound like this. An insignificant yet bizarre memory from childhood, an extremely vivid memory at that. He was in a crib, and there was a mobile floating and turning atop him. The exhaustion never came, as he watched the stars spin and in place and all around, he could hear the little bells attached to it that echoed through his ears. But the memory ended there. He couldn’t remember if he tried to reach it with his tiny and pudgy hands or if he had quickly fallen asleep after the burst of enthusiasm. To try and reach the mobile (did he even reach for it). All he could remember was the white crib, the blue blankets, and the fluffy and long pillows, one on each of his sides. The twinkling he could hear now was akin to that childhood memory and there was a shift in his stoic expression. He could feel the stiffness of his cheeks relax and the tightness of his jaw fall. He looked to the right where the wind was coming from, ahead were the tall walls of Belobog. But such majestic infrastructure was clouded by the thick snowstorms, no one could truly appreciate his city for its marvellous works of art. After all, they were known for something else — its impenetrable stronghold defense all in the efforts and wits, strategized and led by the Stout Defender and Captain of the Silvermane Guards, Gepard. He who stood tall and proud carrying the name of Belobog in his battles. But did that define him? Gepard, for the first time, had asked himself that. The twinkling grew louder in the direction of where the wind and rain went, and so he walked towards it. Something in his heart grew frail as if the trepidation was wearing his heart to frays. He walked further, following the sound he could still hear. That was a sound, right? It felt too natural that it couldn't have been sung by a human mouth, no. But it could’ve been an instrument. Still, the way it reverberated wasn’t from a string nor was it any clang or drum of a metal. The mystery of it all piqued Gepard’s interest, clawing his heartstrings as though a puppeteer was pulling their puppet to the stage. Gepard should be worried, worried that he was falling this easily in some mystic allure. What if it was an ambush?  What if he was being seduced? Gepard had never been seduced all his life. Too prudent. Too righteous to leave his duties behind. And, now, he was merely grasping at straws to justify that he was a man of virtue when all it took was a mere twinkly to lead him away from the walls of Belobog.  Just a sound.   The rain poured harder that, now, the heavens split with a slash of lightning straight across, a roll of thunder rolled afterwards and he stopped walking, looking up with squinted eyes as the rain was pushing his back. Even as he was in the middle of a white land, he could see through the clouds and watch the dark heavens lit with stars all across. Now that he thought about it — he had never been truly certain of his sentiments. He would recall his sister teasing him that he would rot in the snow without a heart. That he would forget what it was to be human and he would succumb to living as nothing but a mere tool of war. But this was not war, this was people, this was homeland. He respected his sister’s virtues, her aspirations were on a different path. She served people’s hearts, whereas he served people’s well beings and futures. He looked back only to realize that the walls of Belobog were nowhere to be found. His eyes widened, breath hitching as he hastily grabbed his compass and it was spinning erratically. He needed to think fast, and needed to return to Belobog. The twinkling abruptly stopped and he could feel his body even growing heavier. When he decided to turn his entire body around, the winds pushed him further. That’s right. The wind hadn’t changed, if he battled against it, he would find his way back to Belobog. At least, that was what he believed. He carried his shield to battle the harsh winds but it seemed the winds pushed him harder and further behind. His legs were digging into the snow until he toppled over. He kept a tight grip on his shield, slamming it into the snow, and held his footing. When he took a step back he noticed an odd lump in the snow and he immediately looked back and down. Because of the blizzard, he could barely see through what was underneath. He anchored his shield on the side and went on his knees, his gloved hands digging through the thick lump of snow again and again that the cold speed through his armor and into his skin. His teeth began chattering and his vision was getting blurry but he fought through the frostbite and continued digging until his hands finally felt something — an object? No, it was too soft to be an object. Just another layer of snow and his eyes widened. It was a human. Their skin was already turning grey, it was so pale that their lips were nearly blue, “Oh my God—” Gepard quickly pulled the human into his arms. They were wearing white robes that were barely any fit against the blizzard, it was thin and loose and his thin and stick-like arms were bare. They were barely moving. Panic coursed through his veins, he took the glove off and pressed two fingers against the side of their neck— Thump… thump. The stranger was still alive, but the pulse was weak. Every inch of their body was cold and it worried Gepard how such a small and frail body was able to keep a pulse underneath all that snow. He wore his shield on his back and carried the wanderer in his arms, He looked left and right, just as lost as he was before, but, again, he heard the twinkling. It was circling around his head as if a herd of horses were galloping around him. Such a sweet dream.  And the winds began to wane, the snow was thinning, and the rain decreased even if momentarily. With his glove latched onto his belt, he used his hand to make sure to check on the wanderer’s pulse every now and then. Determination morphed his expression as he walked ahead. He remembered this path.  How could he forget his very own plot of land and house? III It took about an hour or so of battling through the gruelling storm, and now he stood in front of a two-story white brick house with a wooden porch that should’ve been brown but with the snow latching onto it, everything was practically white. The black lamp lights attached to it were unlit, and that was to be expected. Just at the foot of the Belobog Mountains was an abandoned town, most of the houses were still intact, although left untended as such were covered in thick snow, even turned into ice. It was in this town that Gepard had spent most of his childhood. Playing hide-and-seek, playing Knight with his sister and his friends. Once he was old enough, even when no one tended to this abandoned town, Gepard still bought the one house he wanted to stay in, or, at least, the house that gave him a rush of nostalgia. He walked right to the porch, grabbed the key he hid in a corner hole, and unlocked the door. He pushed it open and slammed the door shut. His body relaxed at the immediate warmth that settled. While no lights or fireplaces were lit, the absence of the blizzard was already one thing. Gepard first unlatched the shield off of his back, letting it stand by the wall as he hurried to the living room. Despite the dark, Gepard easily navigated through, his years of training to battle the blizzards and fog honed his sense of sight in the dark. He set the stranger on a sofa then grabbed the necessary tools: a lighter and a blanket he would always prepare in the cabinet nearby. Good thing the fireplace seemed to have fresh new wood. He made sure to make it a habit to keep wood there before he would leave the house. Once it was lit and had blazed brightly. He pushed the couch closer to the warmth, wrapped the thin body in the thick and thermal blanket, and only then did he finally take a good look at the stranger’s face. The color was returning. No longer was their body grey, but it was turning fair white, and their lips nearly once blue was turning pink, although it was still chapped. Their cheeks were in deep pink, the warmth of blood must be flooding back in their veins. But Gepard’s attention was caught more in the way this stranger’s eyelashes were sparkling, their hair was a beautiful golden blond and he was certain it wasn’t the light from the fireplace, but their hair was glowing. He found himself on his knees, still, even as he lowered himself, the stranger was still so small and all curled up in the large sofa chair he looked down at them. He reached his ungloved hand to tuck a lock of thick, silken tresses behind their ear and he saw how round and plump their face was. Long and light eyelashes with a natural curl at the tip, a small nose and pink lips, thick and symmetrical eyebrows, a round and small forehead, and their hair were so thick and long it was curling past the sofa. Gepard didn’t realize his hand was already cupping the side of their face when the stranger shifted away with a sudden gasp of air and a painful whine. Their body was curling closer into a ball, their little hands grasping on their chest as they were panting and whining. Gepard abruptly stood up, ran to the kitchen, and began preparing hot water, all he had was lukewarm, but this should be enough for now. He turned the stove on and began heating water in a kettle and rushed back to the living room with a glass of water, “Here, water.” He could barely recognize his own voice with how dry it sounded. In his hand, too was a smaller towel that was slightly damp in one half. He was wiping the sweat trickling down the stranger’s forehead and he helped them sit upright, “Breathe in and out, slowly…” He gently instructed over and over again until his words seemed to have registered in the stranger’s mind. They were slowly breathing, following Gepard’s directions… in… out… slow, and deep breaths.” SImultaneously he was wiping the stranger’s sweat, keeping them warm and secure, while holding onto the glass of water. Eventually, the stranger had opened their eyes, revealing such bright golden eyes. Their chin tipped up and they looked right into his own cyan ones. The only time Gepard had ever lost his breath was in battle when enemies would crowd him, too strong magic, and difficult offenses, but, not once, had he felt shortness of breath merely from a glance. Their mouth opened but another sharp pain drove them to whine and curl up into a ball. This time, Gepard set the glass on a nearby table, placed the towel aside, and removed his hard and sharp armor. He bundled the stranger’s body in the thick blankets as well as another blanket, then carried them into his lap. The position almost felt peculiar, he had never been this close to anyone. All the lost travellers he saved had always been carried by those from the medics. And, if he had memories of carrying someone, it was during battle, carrying his men back to retreat or to safety before he would rush forth to the battlegrounds.  Gepard’s hand made its way to gently press against the stranger’s neck, their pulse was beating loud and clear and he let out a sigh of relief. Still, he found it too peculiar that even if it seemed their body walls all warmed up, their skin was as cold as a corpse. Then again, was this being really human? Such alluring hair, and the bright lashes and the gleaming golden eyes. They looked as though a God in their renaissance paintings as if he was a very character in those marble artworks and he had come to life. But his awe was thwarted when the stranger began grasping on his skin-tight shirt, his lithe fingers were grasping on it so hard that it was digging and scratching his skin through the cloth. His brows furrowed, not out of pain, but in the worry that was rendering him breathless.  Their body was twisting in such pain, breathing so heavily and whining, but, eventually, they seem to have calmed down. Resting right on his chest and placing the side of their head right where his heart was. IV One minute. Then five… something. Until the wood in the fireplace was thinning out. Gepard couldn’t tell how much time passed, but he knew that he had fallen asleep with how heavy his head was. He groggily opened his eyes and then heard soft breaths whistling in measured intervals. He blinked twice and looked down at the weight all curled up on his chest and his body relaxed. He turned his head to look outside the window, the blizzard was still ever the same but the rain seemed to have stopped. That was good. Now he was sure he could return safely back to Belobog without getting lost. Now that he thought about it, this was the first time he had truly gotten lost.  Even being swayed by a mere sound too. He was discovering more disturbances with himself more than he’d like and it was bothering him. The dissatisfaction at his train of thoughts ended up morphing his expression into a frown, but his displeasure was short-lived when he heard a too shallow sigh from the stranger and he slightly shifted in his seat, completely waking the smaller person. “Hello, are you alright, I’m sorry I fell asleep, I… do you need anything…?” He kept his voice soft, his words slow, but the baritone pitch made it reverberate and he worried if it had scared the other.  The stranger let out another sigh, their light and sparkly lashes fluttering as they revealed the wide and bright golden gleam of their eyes.  Tantalizing. Gepard found his thoughts blacking out, a drastic contrast to such bright eyes that the stranger wore. What he saw reflected what he was thinking. Lost in the very moment he found himself unable to process anything else but scrutinize every detail of their face. At the back of Gepard’s thoughts, he wanted to say a word or two, to move his lips and breath but he was still in place. Even as the stranger raised their little hand to trace the side of his face, Gepard couldn’t move. Their skin was smooth, even from such a ghostly touch, he could tell how soft and smooth their skin was. And it would be a lie if he didn’t admit how much he wanted the stranger’s hands to press deeper.  Their mouth opened. But not a word left their lips. Their eyes arched into little crescent moons, shaping the golden irises as though a hiding sun, The way their lashes gently covered their eyes was as though a trail of clouds — was it possible for Heaven to be a human being? No, it can’t be possible that his person was human. Those gleaming, golden eyes, that long, thick, and silken sunlit irises. “Gepard… Gepard… that’s my name…” he was surprised at himself for what he said. The stranger barely said a word, but something sparked in his ear, something like a soft and muffled chime. And that chime translated to, “Hello, what’s your name?” Gepard couldn’t understand how or what had happened but the smile that the stranger wore was more than enough to wash away the doubts he held. And there it was again, a quiet moment. Neither the howling winds nor the rattling of the windows and the door he could hear, not even the crackling of the fire. Instead, something sang in his ears and he nodded, “Aether… that’s a beautiful name…” He didn’t even realize how much his cheeks hurt. He was smiling. He’d only realize it when this Aether was giggling, that thin hand all curled into a gentle fist, demurely covering their upturned lips.   The ticking of the wooden clock suddenly came to Gepard’s senses, followed by the snaps and the crackling of the fireplace, then the pitter-patter of harsh snowfall against the windows, even banging against the doors. All of it came soon after and he saw the patient and quiet look on Aether’s face. A small smile on his lips until his head began to loll, a yawn stretched his lips wide, and Gepard wondered if that was the widest Aether could do, other than his small body, his mouth, too, as small. Not soon after, Aether had fallen back asleep on his chest. Nervous. Gepard was nervous if his heartbeat was being heard by the other. But how Aether’s breathing stabilized into gentle snores reassured him. Warmth flushed his cheeks until the heat blazed up to the tips of his ears. It didn’t help that his skin was pale and the way the blood tinted his cheeks pink would’ve been too obvious. Gepard swallowed with difficulty, feeling the rough saliva drag and claw at the back of his throat as he wrapped his arms around the blanketed Aether.  Slowly, he hoisted Aether up in his arms and carried him upstairs. There were four rooms in total, two were supposedly meant as a bedroom and then one for a bathroom and the other seemed to be good enough for a lounge, or, well, another bedroom. But Gepard had only furnished and cleaned two rooms and that was one bedroom and a bathroom, the other was meant as a storage of his supplies, some other weapons that he’s been meaning to sharpen and furbish. The other bedroom was meant to be a guest room, perhaps, but he had never invited anyone — not even his sister, into this house. Now, his predicament came.  Was it ethical to make a complete stranger who was vulnerable to be in the same room as he was going to stay in?  Should they share a bed? No, could they share a bed? After all, this wasn't the same as sleeping at the Guards resting area, the bunk beds in the same room with the rest of the Guards gave them enough room and space to be distanced from each other, it wasn’t crowded, this circumstance, however, was a quaint room with a double bed. Gepard questioned all those. And, Heavens, it was only a double bed. Oh God, it was a double bed. Even sleeping here wasn’t exactly comfortable when he stood six feet and eleven inches tall. The bed was only six feet and three inches long with a width of four feet and around a half. As his head was beginning to wage war on what to do and what not to do, he didn’t realize there was a tug on his shirt and his bubble of thoughts popped as he looked down. “Can you stay with me?” He wanted to say a word, something, or even just a nod. But the confusion and his stoic expression remained as he walked to the bed. He first set Aether down on the mattress then removed his boots before pressing his knees into the bed as well. He was careful, fully realizing how small Aether was now that they were both in bed. “Are you comfortable…?” He asked, his hand pulling the thick blankets as he tucked both of them under, Aether seemed to be giddy, scooting deeper into the warm blankets and curling into a little ball.  Gepard laid on his side, wrapping both his arms around Aether who was snoozing once again in his hold. Bizarre. Something absurd. This was a time and a situation in his life that Gepard never had dreamt of nor possibly thought of. He tipped his chin down, looking at the slow and serene glow of Aether’s hair. And much to his surprise, he found himself tightening his hold, intertwining his legs with the other and dozing off to sleep.  V Was it possible to dream of something so serene? It felt like such a sin to even feel this peaceful. For once, the weight on Gepard’s shoulders hollowed. The storm subsided, no longer did it rattle against his windows but it did continue to whisper and howl.  Gepard awoke with a familiar yet harrowing emptiness in his arms. His eyes fluttered open and he saw a pile of blankets in his arms. Too many blankets. And it finally dawned upon him what was missing in the picture. He abruptly sat right up, his head hurting at the immediate action that he was seeing dark and light floaters spinning around his horizon while the blur made it even worse. He held his throbbing head and looked left and right. Everything else seemed the same. And the fact that the two extra blankets in his arms were there meant everything from last night was real. He narrowed his gaze, carefully slipped out of the bed, and barefoot stepped out of the room. Each step he took was quiet. Quiet… until he heard a shatter of ceramic and he rushed to the source of the sound; downstairs, to the room at the right where the kitchen and the connected dining room was. Because the house was old, it was inevitable to prevent the creaking of the staircase, not to mention, Gepard was a heavy man. Just as he arrived by the doorway, his eyes widened at the sight of Aether. Aether. Aether, who was tiptoeing on a wooden tall chair to reach the cupboards, small hands struggling to even touch the knob. Gepard was lost in thought, mostly out of the surprise that Aether was actually real and standing right before his eyes. And he just had to stand still a deer in the headlights when he saw Aether struggle, struggling enough that the old stool wobbled and threw Aether off balance. Not a gasp or a scream echoed, no, but there was a tingle in Gepard’s ear as if a scratch tore right through one eardrum and through the other. He rushed forth, his arms opening wide to catch Aether in his arms, then a trail of sparkling dust floated at the impact once Aether fell into his arms. But it wasn't like dust that would make him sneeze, in fact, just a whiff of it had him feeling fully wide-awake. Like a cup of coffee with a shit ton of sugar, with an accidental pinch of salt. Gepard blinked twice and saw Aether whose hands were clasped tightly together, his pink, plump and little lips were formed into a little ‘o’ whilst his eyes were wide in mirrored surprise. Gepard slowly helped Aether to stand on their two feet. And when Aether dusted off their white robes, Gepard coughed into his fist and looked up, nervously trying to find a word or two perhaps in one of the cupboards or in the white ceiling, “Um, what did you need?” He walked to the cupboard and his hand just resting on the knob before pulling it open. The initial confusion Gepard had remained when there was only radio silence, and it took ten minutes before he realized he was right in front of the stove with a pan being heated up and corn soup was already being boiled. “Oh.” He glanced at the clock. It was already ten in the morning. That was already past breakfast hours. And… And way past his time for work. “Oh no, I’m late—” before he could’ve spoken another word, small arms were wrapped around his waist and he twisted his body to look behind. Aether peeked their head under his arms and gave a wide smile. “... Well…” He did have to look after Aether, the latter was almost going to die when he found them, not to mention, they would be dead by daybreak if he hadn’t discovered Aether’s body. “I’ll get this ready soon, do you want anything to drink? Do you like coffee?” In the air, he could smell chocolate even when no cocoa beans were being melted. He blinked twice, seeing the unchanged smile on Aether’s face, “Hot chocolate, then?” Aether nodded with glee. Gepard found himself smiling. This quietness, this slow pace. It wasn’t anything like at Belobog, or, at least, within the walls of Belobog.  Always marching, always on his guard. Making sure his face was one of a noble Captain of the Silvermane Guard. He had to be strong, he had to keep that face not just for himself but for the entire city and the Union. The leaders and the citizens placed their faith in him to keep the peace secure. All that promise and duty, Gepard had carried it all his life ever since he swore to protect this city. Not even his death in battle would be enough, he would live the rest of his life serving his people, for the peace of his people. But, looking as he sat adjacent to the mute stranger, the peace and the quiet was not so bad. And the taste of something he has never experienced before was pleasing. An experience that may have been forced upon him, but Gepard accepted it willingly. Aether was, after all, someone in need. And perhaps their encounter was a little more than a person buried underneath an avalanche or of some sort.  Gepard wondered what would’ve happened had he not fallen over that lump of snow.  He wouldn’t have found his way back to this old town. He probably would have died in the cold that night too, lost in the middle of Belobog’s outlands, far from the mainland where the Union’s castle stood tall. And that would have been a horrible way to die, even as much as he hated to lose in battle, he would rather die in war than die in the snow. He watched as Aether blew the heat off of each spoonful of soup, carefully sipping it and relishing the hearty taste of breakfast.  Gepard wouldn’t have had the chance for this moment. “Hey, be careful.” Gepard scooted his chair closer to sit beside Aether, grabbing a towel nearby and wiping Aether’s cheeks, “So messy.” He found himself laughing. The arch of his own eyes, or the ache of his cheeks. It was like his entire body that was frozen was being thawed by the mere warmth of Aether’s presence. VI There were too many things Gepard had brushed off, overlooked, and noticed too late. Right now, the day passed too quickly and it was nightfall yet again.  He was sitting at the single-person sofa chair with Aether on his lap, all curled up and cozy in his arms. They never spoke much, and Gepard never probed a question or two about it. He watched Aether carefully, let him walk around the house and discover the rooms all on their own. Aether seemed curious about everything, dusting off the old books in the cabinets (which Gepard was sure he promised to read but never did). Aether also went to the storage rooms, and seemed to have a keen eye on blades, especially swords. Knew what was a dull and heavy blade, and knew which swords were light and pleasing for battle. Although Gepard was still sane enough not to let Aether touch the weapons. He simply watched them navigate through the two-storey house.  Other than the childlike and raw enthusiasm and curiosity evident in Aether’s face, Gepard also keenly watched the thin figure Aether had. The loose robes weren’t helping. It covered the necessary, but the way it flowed, the long and wavy golden hair made each second of his life straight out of a lucid dream. Gepard wasn’t sure when he could offer clothes, should he have offered it right before? But he didn’t have clothes for Aether’s size and it would be rude to give him blankets and curtains as an alternative. Or at least that was the excuse he gave, and the excuse he deemed justifiable. Nothing Aether could’ve worn would truly highlight his godlike features. “I’ll go to work tomorrow, Aether,” Gepard said, looking down at the smiling figure who gently wrapped their arms around him, quietly listening to his heartbeat. “Will be alright alone here? I’ll make sure to put enough food and wood for you to put in the fireplace. I’ll—” But a tug on his shirt made him stop trailing his words and he eyed Aether, patiently waiting for their words. The crackling of the fire, the way it illuminated the dim room, seemed to have made his body weaker, and the silence was eventually followed by his yawn and he held Aether more securely, careful not to accidentally let go of him.  Because tomorrow he would leave for his people, he wanted to spend the next moments until past his rest with Aether, at least in this serene moment. Aether was holding onto him as a sweet lover would, and Gepard had never loved anyone more than Belobog, nor had he ever been loved as such. But he knew that in some way, this was what love would have possibly felt like. Despite the weariness, Gepard fought off the exhaustion, lasting a little longer in his waking consciousness as he watched the sleeping Aether in his arms. Far from anything like the first night, Aether’s breaths were warm, and Gepard had accepted Aether’s unnaturally cold skin to be natural. Something that the “old him” would’ve found alarming, but the “now him” was complacent and had so conveniently accepted to be normal.  Today wasn't eventful. Not quite in the eyes of the many. A breakfast, an unspoken tour, then they spent the rest of the afternoon in each other’s arms, whether in bed or on a single-person sofa chair while looking at the snowfall from behind the window, safe and cozy in this white brick house. Gepard had never stayed this long without his armor, never stayed this long without the thought of a possible ambush.  In the Union, he would always imagine this: windows broken, an ambush from above, his guards knocked unconscious, their bodies tied in ropes or blades piercing through their necks and chests, Achilles heel split and their eyes gouged. The grounds would be charged with a thick line of defense, shielded men charging through with the archers from behind and rouges from both sides. Gepard had always visualized every moment of a possibility for that. No matter if the day was peaceful, the people were cheering with their basket of fresh fruits of children playing tag with their loud cheers and peals of laughter, or the men clinking their tankards with their foamy beer. All this would be gone in a flash if he ever let himself get distracted. A sigh breathed out of Aether’s lips, visibly audible that Gepard woke from his half-sleep. He blinked twice, stifling the yawn with a flare of his nose, then stiffening his jaw and a tight squeeze of his eyes shut for a second or two, before taking a deep breath and smiling at the other, “Shall we go to bed?” Aether didn’t seem to smile in return but they nodded and lolled their head right back to lay on his chest. Gepard wondered if there was something in his heart that Aether heard differently?  Because of the lack of the ever blizzard knocking right into his eardrums, the quiet made him hear his breathing, even his own heartbeat, It didn’t seem to be particularly out of place. Thump, thump. It was just like any other human heart. Perhaps he should borrow one of the medics’ stethoscopes? He’s always wanted to have the chance to hear his heart as they did. But that wishlist might be a tad bit too outdated because what he wanted now was to hear the world the way Aether did, and see the world how Aether did.  Now, they were walking upstairs to one of the vacant bedrooms (or the only livable bedrooms). In their room. Yes, their room. Gepard had found himself referring to his room as their room. For himself and for Aether. And he couldn’t recall which particular hour of the day he began thinking that way. He hadn’t voiced out his thoughts, however, and he couldn’t possibly know what Aether saw of that bedroom. What he did understand certainly enough was that Aether was comfortable sharing the bed, arguable and surprisingly more comfortable than Gepard had expected, Aether had a habit of curling themselves, making them even smaller than what they really were. Once they were both under the blankets, Gepard embraced Aether in his arms. This time, his mouth was all too close at the top of Aether’s head. He could even feel the strands of hair brushing against his lips, and the urge to press his lips against Aether’s scalp was growing by the second. But the light snore from Aether’s mouth had stopped him. He swallowed hard, and began gently, and slowly, patting Aether’s back.  VII The Gepard from a few years ago would have been delighted with this scenery, with this day, in this situation. Fed until full belly, rested well to relax muscles and an unsore body, brought up in the way a true noble guard should be. With both his magic, his sword, and his mighty shield, he learned to fight, to tread through the fields of battle with a delicate control on his horse, and with just a mere raise of his hand, he knew how to lead his men. Now, he stood, standstill, shoulders rolled back, and chip tipped up as cyan-irises looked at the way auroras danced in the wide, indigo sky. Today, the blizzard was not as bad as it usually was, he could see the snow-capped mountains from far beyond, embraced by the thin trail of clouds and crowned by the stars above with a full moon as an intricate pendant at the apex. And from where he stood, he was surrounded by the people who respect him, who trust him through every moment of this living present. Everything felt like a picturesque version of perfect, but Gepard had known better. “Hey, Gepard.” Serval approached him, carefully and slowly. Not out of suspicion, but out of care. Her voice was soft, her expression was understanding, there was even the flush of pink tinting the top of her cheeks as she let out a familiar sigh of relief, “It’s unusual to see you around here, you’re usually stationed at the front.” She stood beside him. No other guards were around, usually, two or three would be stationed at the sides, the rest were at the towers to watch from above. But Belobog had that much faith in their Captain’s strength. “What’s on your mind?” Gepard felt a moment of disparity: from reality and truth, that is. He blinked twice, gaze averting from the auroras then to his sister. For once, she didn’t tease him, but when he took a good look at her hands, fiddling nervously behind her back, or the way she chewed the insides of her cheeks, Gepard felt a moment of reassurance. Everything was unfamiliar, and even to his sister, the moment was unusual. “Nothing, really. Being able to see auroras in Belobog was just a rare sight.” Half the truth. And he knew his sister had caught on to his half a lie.  “You were absent the entire day yesterday, where were you?” Serval asked with curiosity and worry interlaced in her words. While she wasn’t one to pry in his affairs, an unexcused absence was one, but his distant and rather absent-minded presence was another that Serval took note of. A part of her wanted to tease him, “Is it a woman? Oh, who could have possibly broken through Belobog’s Iron Heart?” those words with her cheeky grin, but it seemed that her silence would be better than shallow words. Not to mention, a little feeling of disturbance lurked in her heart whenever she thought about that line. “Who is it?” Who? There took a moment of silence, Gepard was trying to find the words to say but Aether’s face only came to mind. His eyes mimicked the rising sun, it was as if Aether had stolen the sun that never rose high above the skies of Belobog. Clouded by their snow, they rarely ever saw the sun. Gepard understood that maybe he didn’t need to look up for such, all he needed was to look into someone’s eyes. “Patrolling.” Gepard began, trying to put Aether’s face at the shallow waters and the current conversation at the shores, still, it was difficult. Aether was overriding his focus, fraying his thoughts to thin strands. “But the blizzard became too strong, along with the rainstorm I had to find shelter.” Gepard looked back at the skies, choosing not to elaborate further. “I see.” Serval laughed, finding her brother’s evasiveness almost nostalgic, “Um, I’m sorry if this is overstepping my boundaries. I know we don’t… talk as much as before, athletes when it comes to personal matters. But even if I do tease you, you know you can talk to me” Serval offered with a nod, “A man, or a woman, or something at least preferably human, you can talk to me about it. I’d be proud and relieved to see my stoic brother finding his way to settle down.” “I’m not settling down.” Gepard interjected, “My duty and my heart is with Belobog and I will protect it until my very last breath.”  “I know you’ve sworn your loyalty to your duty, Gepard, but you don’t have to throw away the rest of your life for such.” Heroes were not born, they were made through their own virtues. And if they were swayed, perhaps heroism and ideals weren’t really what they were meant to be for. She drew a small smile, reaching a hand out to place it on her brother's shoulder, “I know Belobog needs you, but it’s okay if you want to want or need something else. Just make sure you protect yourself and what your heart holds dear.” Gepard didn’t respond, but he did hear his sister stand up and dust off her clothes. She seemed to have waved at him, at least that was what it looked like at the corner of his peripheral vision. And she was gone. Her words lingered in his mind but he couldn’t possibly choose between Belobog and Aether. Aether, who was an anomaly, something inhuman but Gepard couldn't care less about that. Was it because of their beauty? If it was beauty then Gepard would have to retract his statement of being noble, that shallow perspective couldn’t possibly be him. Was it Aether’s innate innocence? The simplicity of his thoughts, needs, wants, and actions? Gepard was inclined to believe it was the latter and worried it could be the former. After all, each second he spent patrolling Belobog’s walls was a moment he thought of how smooth Aether’s skin was when they embraced, how Aether’s legs were so thin that Gepard was so careful in intertwining their legs when sleeping together, how Aether's eyes were so wide and golden or the way his eyelashes were quite literally sparkling and his hair was gleaming as if it were alive on its own. His hand rose to cover his mouth until both hands were cupping his face. A deep, exasperated sigh left his lips as the thoughts began to burn his mind.  It was like his mind was a lit cigarette forcibly pushed onto the ashtray to stop the string of smoke rendering him paralyzed and addicted to the momentary fanatical phantoms. VIII It’s been two weeks since then. Maybe it was all a dream. When Gepard slept in that room with the rest of the guards that night a week ago, he found himself sinking, forgetting the sensations he shared with Aether. He forgot the notes and the pitch those twinkling sounds echoed in his ear, forgot how soft and smooth his skin was, and, by the third day, he’d forgotten how he had looked like from the neck down. What did he wear? Gepard couldn’t remember. By the end of the week, he’d forgotten Aether’s face, each night he dreamt of a sweet, sweet, blanket of white, something like a tsunami of snow. Each wave rose taller than the walls of Belobog and it loomed over his lone existence. Before the impact would’ve drowned him, he would wake in cold sweat, hearing the unsynchronized breathing of the rest of the sleeping guards.  Now, it was the second week, and all he could grasp of that day was that it existed and that their name was Aether. But the moment spent began to dissipate.  “I’m sorry, Doctor. But I hope that was enough explanation.” Gepard said as he sat across the medic. His absent-minded presence was taken notice by one of the superiors he had forgotten to greet when they passed each other. Not taking that lightly, Gepard had to admit his head hasn’t been well since his first sudden absence. And, now, he was taken to the infirmary where he had to explain his situation, starting from the rain, to the moment he got lost in the snowstorm, and the peculiar creature he met under the snow. Interestingly enough, despite forgetting how everything felt, he could remember the moments they shared. The time they embraced in bed under the thick blankets, or when they were so closely hugging each other in that single-person sofa chair, or when he sat adjacent to Aether and watched him eat the hot and plain corn soup.  “I believe it might be stress, Captain Gepard.” The Doctor began. She stood up, went to a cabinet of six shelves with bottles and bottles, around ten differently sized bottles for each shelf. “A few of your men have visited me saying the same, not really in that specific… um, person you’ve met — but they’ve visualized something different. Like their family, or a lover from distant lands, usually, it’s someone they already know.” She was turning the bottles, looking closely at each name, repeating that same action over and over again until she went to the third shelf and got the fifth bottle from the right. “Ah, here.” She took out a bottle, sat back behind her desk and took out a permanent marker, “It’s the first time I heard something so intimate and detailed, really. You make it sound like they really exist.”  “They really do—” But Gepard decided not to interject. He couldn’t even be certain if they were real. For two weeks, he didn’t return to that house. Would Aether even still be there? If that was so, would Aether get angry at him? Would he lash out for being left alone for two weeks? What signified or justified that Gepard had to return to that house each night and tend to Aether? They were no lovers, just a Captain and a stranger, a lone traveller, right? But, a part of Gepard wanted his consequences to come biting back. That, if he made a mistake, he would face his punishment and when punishment came he would realize that Aether was real, and that Aether meant something more important than Belobog to him. “Here.” The doctor handed a bottle with ‘GEPARD’ written on the blanket paper around. Past his name, at the other half of the paper was the contents of the pills, the ingredients and the caution, the usual. The doctor waited for Gepard to accept the bottle and smiled, “It’s anti-stress pills, I recommend you only take one pill before sleep, make sure you’ve also eaten a full meal beforehand. The pills are narcotics and they will make your muscles relax, so you definitely must not use them while you’re on duty, no matter how much your hallucinations may act up, if you’ve gotten worse you’re having migraines while on duty, take a different set of pills for headaches.” She had her hands clasped together over her desk, a polite smile on her face as she nodded to the Captain. Gepard bowed, thanking the doctor and held onto the bottle as he left the room. Once the door clicked shut, he took a good look at the pills. The glass was tinted dark brown and he couldn't quite see what the color of the pills was. He twisted the cap open and his eyes widened at the color of the pills: half white and half yellow. Something in him rushed forth to twist around his heart, pulling, and pulling like a corset’s strings that rendered him breathless. The sudden sharp pain was as painful as a sword piercing through his ribs and he gritted his teeth, his hand tensing into a fist as he slowly but tightly began hitting his chest. He couldn’t possibly return back to the infirmary with a new discomfort right when he was given medication.  Still, he couldn’t forget what the doctor said. “They visualized someone else, a familiar one, a dear loved one whether family, friends, or a lover.”   And from Gepard’s understanding, these relationships were established through time or from blood. He had neither with Aether. Not years of intimacy, flirtations, and confessions. And definitely, two nights and one day spent with Aether shouldn’t be considered reasonable enough to know someone. It would be disrespectful to those lovers who spent five, no, maybe ten, years to get to know each other before promising marriage in their golden years.  Gepard now was walking back to his post.  At the gates of Belobog’s walls. Ten minutes, until it turned to thirty, then an hour. His focus was solid, he hadn’t thought of anything else, his face was as rigid as ever as he held onto his shield while looking out for even the slightest shift in his surroundings. His men were all ready to follow his orders and Gepard had to make sure he would lead his men as smoothly as before.  Then a twinkle came sparkling through his ears. A sound he’d forgotten and never thought he’d hear again. It wasn’t the surprise that rendered him immovable, nor was it the reason that sent him breathless. It was the guilt that quickly swelled as a lump in his throat. It was warm, turning hot, around his chest. The bile in his stomach started to boil and crawl up his esophagus, clawing at the back of his throat until it tasted acrid at the back of Gepard’s tongue. The guilt was making him dizzy that he couldn’t tell if it was his vision starting to blur or if it was merely the thickening snowstorm. His fingertips started to tingle, not in the way his ears were resounding, but it was like static, pins and needles prickling the rough pads of his fingers, cutting through his calloused palms.  “Ae—” And a loud explosion thundered, shook the ground and ropes were being shot and latching onto the towers. Gepard’s eyes widened and the next thing he knew was his throat burning as he commanded the orders to his men. IX For once, an ambush was quicker than Gepard’s senses. After discovering what the doctor had prescribed for Gepard, the Union leaders shared a unanimous worry for their Captain. They had agreed to give Gepard a week off, and if refused for a full vacation, he could return halfway to Belobog but would only oversee the village streets rather than the main walls and gates. Despite Gepard’s initial refusal, he understood the gravity of his situation.  Serval was quick to hear the news, immediately running to her brother’s aid but he held his hand up and shook his head. “A personal matter.” He stated, refusing to elaborate further and simply accepting the time off given to him by his superiors. As he left the room, the second in command in his team entered and he momentarily watched as he was being given the job he was supposed to lead. Envy, disappointment, shame. They all swirled in his stomach. Worse, that he sustained a deep injury which the medics have stitched up. But nothing could ever heal the scorn in his pride.  Gepard should be staying in the Guard’s quarters, but he packed up his bags and left. Pushing through the blizzard despite the injury and arriving at the deserted town. This time, the twinkling that he heard before the ambush began to play again, but rather than something melancholic, it was loud and indignant. Rather than dust in his ears, it was like fire was being shot into his eardrums, drilling into his brain like a meteor crashing through their atmosphere, breaking through the layers of air as they pushed further down to the land. His breath hitched as he stood right in front of the door of his home, the twinkling turned into static in his mind and the heat waned from his body, numbing in the anxiety that he felt. He pushed the door open, and the house was unlit and cold. Not even the smoke of the fireplace wafted in the air.  Gepard’s first thought should’ve been to rest easy, that there was no one at home and he should just lay in bed. But what he found himself doing was running to the second floor, leaving his shield behind and making a loud racket with his heavy boots banging against the wooden staircase. He arrived at the bedroom, pushing the door open and the guilt in his heart twisted even further.  There was no light, or at least not from the lamps or ceilings and walls. Instead, at the center of the bed was a small body all curled up and emanating a bright and pulsating glow. Wings as wide as four feet on each side were extended, brightly reflecting the light from Aether’s body all around the unlit room. The wings were made of crystals, uneven clear crystals of varying sizes. Some were rectangular, some were flat at the edge while some were sharp. Gepard had never seen wings like those. In books, it had always been feathers, soft, silken feathers. But, perhaps, a story will always be a story. He couldn’t even decide for himself what the right course of action was.  Still in his armor, he took careful steps to the bed, eyeing carefully the idle wings. Any sudden movement may surprise Aether and their wings would cut him quicker than an ambush.  But he fell quiet, still, in fact. “I’m sorry…” Gepard found himself stringing those words out of his mouth, the heat pooling in his face that tears were welling up at the corners of his eyes, daring to stream down his cheeks. “Aether, I’m sorry, I’m here now—” Rather than lash out at him, Aether’s wings opened and they sat upright, the sleeves of their white robes slipping from their thin body revealing the rest of his skin. Pale torso and pink nipples with a small swell of chest, a cute and small inward belly button and a stomach that was flat. Their wings were spread behind their back, careful not to leave a sharp crystal on the bed. His head tilted, his golden hair swaying to the side as it trickled down particles that gleamed a white and golden glow. Gepard swallowed with difficulty, his breath even as he stood at the side of the bed, looking down at the little and gentle creature who looked at him with such weary eyes. One by one, Gepard took off his armor until he was left with his pants and his shirt, a shirt that outlined the bandages wrapped around his skin. It seemed the scent of blood wafted in the air and it woke the sleeping creature’s senses.  Their wings flapped, crystals falling off their wings as a cry echoed out of their throat. Their face twisted into an unimaginable horror, skin wrinkling and spiralling at the center and their mouth stretched wide that it encompassed half of the small and round face. There wasn’t even a single row of teeth, just ridges in the roods and the walls of Aether’s mouth that echoed nearly as reverberating as a whale’s cry and as high-pitched as a banshee’s scream. Even through the horror of it all, the lack of blood, the lack of darkness, the white light struck not fear but grief in Gepard’s senses and thickly coated his heart with a condition of despondency. When Gepard sat in bed, they quietly melted to lay flat on the bed, their arms carefully wrapping around Gepard’s waist as their wings slowly disappeared, leaving only a trail of dust that piled onto the floor and the bed. “Aether… I’m alright… it’s been…” healed. He wanted to say but Aether’s hands were already working on pulling Gepard’s shirt up and cutting the bandages with a pull of the threads. His palm hovered over the reddened wounds, the stitches undoing itself as the skin expanded, widening the disfigured wound. Gepard would have screamed or pushed Aether away, after all, this was stitch undone, but he found himself merely watching as his little angel cried, their little hands quivering as it emanated a bright and white glow. Warmth rushed into his wound with an immediate chill afterwards. He looked at his side where the unsightly wound was but there was none.  Not even a scar. He couldn’t even speak Aether’s name, but it didn’t seem to be a problem. In his ears, he could hear Aether’s little sighs, the stifled and waning hiccups from his earlier cry, but most of all he could hear his own breathing and heartbeat in such a measured and calm manner. Aether’s face that was in a momentary twist of horror had returned calm. Then, at the sudden relaxation of his muscles, he sank into the bed, curling and embracing Aether who held onto him tightly. His calloused hands were rubbing circles on Aether's back but he didn’t feel any disfiguration nor a lump. Where were his wings? He shuddered a sigh and neared his face. This time, he pressed his lips at the top of Aether's head, a long and slow kiss. For the first time, Gepard could close his eyes and feel safe with his thoughts, leaving him in utter peace as he drowned in unconsciousness.  On the floor was Gepard’s bags and the rest of his hard armor, but there, too, was this brown-tinted bottle left untouched. X Waking up no longer felt like a chore. He didn’t force himself to live because he had to. Now, with open eyes, he was grateful to have seen the colors of his house, the rays of sunlight, but, most of all, the meek one who was so closely snoozing in his embrace. Gepard felt a burst of merriment bubbling in his stomach, he quickly shifted in bed, resting his arms on both sides as he towered over Aether who groggily woke up. They opened their sweet, gentle round eyes all wide up at him. Gepard’s cheeks were hurting as he was grinning from ear to ear, showing a boyish smile that he couldn’t even imagine himself doing back then. With one hand supporting his weight, the other cupped the side of Aether's face and his thumb pushed their chin up.  Aether obliged, their lips slightly parting as they felt Gepard press his own on theirs. Sweet, everlasting, the chills that ran down Aether’s spine felt like a rush of ecstasy. A giggle left off his lips and his thin arms wrapped around Gepard’s neck, pulling him closer that their bodies were touching, skin on skin, warm against cold. The need to hold Aether only grew stronger that Gepard was roaming his hands over every inch of Aether’s skin, cupping their cheeks, rubbing tier ears, tracing his fingers by the crook of Aether’s neck and dipping them onto their collarbones until his palm rested between the two small mounds of flesh. Gepard pulled away from the kiss, breathing heavily as he looked at Aether’s unwavering gaze, the flushed complexion and the pink, glossy lips. “Good morning.” He wanted to say, but the happiness that hollowed his thoughts only made him wander his hands lower, and lower until it settled on the soft stomach. He pressed it lightly, earning a squeak and a girlish giggle followed from the other. “Did you like that?” a teasing smile drew on his lips and he pulled his back up slightly, both his hands working to tickle Aether’s stomach and sides. It continued for nearly a minute before Gepard decided to fall back in bed, grabbing Aether into an embrace and peppering his pretty, little face with quick smooches. Gepard watched as Aether was catching their breath… that reminded him, what was Aether? Mindlessly Gepard found his hand groping and gently squeezing Aether’s breast and his face flushed pink when Aether let out a squeak of embarrassment. Gepard pulled his hand, his gut twisting as he blinked twice, “Oh God, sorry, I—” Rather than see Aether’s mad expression, Gepard gasped when the gentle creature suddenly wiggled out of his arms, stumbling off the bed and even leaving behind his loose robes.  “Aether, wait…! Your clothes…!” Gepard quickly grabbed onto the robes, eyeing them with confusion on how Aether even wore these in the first place; they were practically just scarves placed over his shoulders and wrapped around by the waist to keep the cloth intact. Gepard scrambled out of the bed, almost tripping when his foot got tangled in the blankets and he chased after Aether who was running down the stairs, “Aether…!” in one of the rooms he saw a trail of floating particles twinkling at the sun’s rays and he chased after it, but Aether was already across the hall, giggling and hiding.  At that moment Gepard had forgotten all about the shame he felt from his mistakes back at Belobog, had forgotten even why he was in this house in the first place. The happiness that swallowed him whole led him to run from room to room chasing after a little light that teasingly kept baiting him. But there was only so much a house could have. Not long after, Gepard had tackled Aether down, grabbing him by the waist from behind and they, fortunately, rolled down to the thick and fluffy rug by the living room.  “Got you…!” He said, kissing the crook of Aether’s neck, breathing hotly against their ear before sighing. With his palm placed flat against Aether’s chest, he could feel no heartbeat, but he could hear his own, reverberating and drumming right through Aether’s little body. His quickened heartbeat throbbed up to his ears. “Hehe… you sneaky one.” Gepard laid down on his back and Aether turned in his hold, their legs folded on each side of his torso as their… their… cunt was resting right at the top of his toned stomach.  Gepard’s face was in deep red as he could no longer look at Aether’s face but it trailed down at the plump and pink lips squished against his stomach, along with it was a small and flaccid cock with a pale pink gradient at the tip. He swallowed hard as his hands felt cold and before he could’ve done anything else, Aether already crouched down, their lips pressing against Gepard’s. Surprise? It was a pleasant surprise. The short yet sweet smooch was enough for Gepard to feel all his blood rush down. His hands ran through Aether’s thick and silken golden tresses, gently grabbing a handful of them as he pulled Aether’s head closer, deepening the kiss and letting it last a little bit longer. His tongue slotted through and he could feel Aether’s saliva dripping into his mouth. The next thing he knew, he was moaning, moaning so eagerly as Aether was breathing heavily and whining.  The thick string of drool connecting their lips even as they parted, cut, and dropped on Gepard’s cheek, he looked up at Aether, adoring the way his hair curtained the bright rays of sunlight. Lightly, Gepard caressed the side of Aether's face, and they keened and sighed into his palm. This skinship, this warmth, this reality, every second of it, the absurdity and bizarreness of their situation. A man-woman with wings, glowing hair and such bright golden eyes, a skin so cold yet a breath so arm, no heartbeat in their chest but had a pulse echoing, now running around naked with such a sweet smile — a drastic contrast to the twist of skin and enlarged mouth they wore when a cry tore right out of their throat last night.  When Aether looked back at him, that demure flutter of his light and thick lashes, Gepard could only draw a small smile, slowly sitting up and guiding Aether to slide down and sit on his lap, holding him the way Aether had the first time they laid in bed, like a lover.  To live every morning like this, was it possible? If it wasn’t could he possibly make it happen with his willpower? This was no mere want, it was a need, something of the sort like hunger. A desire that his very being could not live without. XI In Belobog, the repetitive days felt like a blessing. That if anything were to disturb the change it would mean the end. Right now, the repetitiveness felt like a threat, and if anything were to disturb it, Gepard still hadn’t prepared himself for such a possibility and he refused to believe this life would end so.  “Got you!” Gepard said with evident glee as he smooched Aether’s cheeks and even bit it playfully, earning a giggle from the other. In the same house, in the same morning, they played tag right after they woke up. Aether was still bare in Gepard’s arms and he wiggled out Gepard’s embrace running to the living room where he plopped down on the longer couch, laying down and hugging the large pillow that covered their entire torso. “We need to get you clothes, Aether,” Gepard noted as he sighed and sat at the other end of the long sofa, picking up Aether’s foot by the large toe and raising a brow.  Aether was pouting, throwing the pillow aside to show their body again and tapping their chest while shaking their head.  “You do.” Gepard, unlike the first time he saw Aether’s naked body, didn’t feel the humanly urge to ravage him, rather, the normalcy of it all settled and he only found himself playfully flicking his fingers against Aether’s puffy pink nipples, “You don’t get cold?” Aether didn’t respond but Gepard nonetheless nodded. He patted his lap and Aether scooted to lay down on their chest, their head resting on Gepard’s lap.  The clock chimed, another hour had come. But so long as there was still sunlight, then it was morning, and then there were none, it was nightfall. The numbers didn’t matter. Gepard relaxed, sighing as his hand cupped over Aether’s plump ass, he was gently groping it and eventually he smiled when Aether giggled and he even felt the way Aether's buttocks tensed. Now, Gepard slipped two fingers between the crevice and felt the twitching hole against the rough pads of his fingertips. He rubbed his fingers back and forth, feeling the wrinkled rim until he pushed his finger further down and felt wetness in Aether’s cunt.   “You’re really wet.” Gepard teased with a small smile and he dipped one finger further into Aether’s hole. On the contrary of Aether’s cold skin, everything inside was warm, it was comfortably wrapping around his fingers, twitching and tensing as if sucking him to go deeper. Despite how close they were now, Gepard had never gone further than touching and fingering, teasing Aether seemed to be something more that he liked. His breath lumped in his throat as he peeked down to see aether biting onto the joints of his curled fingers, his toes were all curled up and his ass tightly clenched. Gepard slid in another finger, now spreading the walls with a scissoring motion, each time his finger closed together, he curled the tip, making them into a makeshift spoon and scooped the clear fluids out of Aether's cunt, pouring slick all over the cloth sofa.  Aether whined and keened, letting out a heavy breath as his body shivered, the globs of slick scooped out for him poured out, following in little squirts. He turned now on his side then around until his face was facing the ceiling. He hung one leg over the backrest of the sofa, and the other hanging off the sofa, spreading his legs wider and rolling his hips against Gepard’s open palm. He pouted, eyes wide and pleading.  While Gepard relaxed on the sofa, he probed four fingers into the stretched hole, tapping and scooping the slick. The squelches and little bubbles popping echoed, mixing along with the sound of Aether’s whines and mewls but Gepard kept a steady pace, neither slowing down nor speeding up even when Aether's hips were thrusting into his hand quicker. Even more juices were being secreted, coating his hand so thickly that whenever he pulled out he would feel a chill. Soon, Gepard felt his muscles tense, specifically in his thighs and the flesh in his groin. He swallowed hard, breathed gruffly as he watched the way Aether’s face twisted in pleasure. Their lips were clamped shut and pursed. Lithe fingers trembling as it was curled up to their lips, back arched and pussy clenching. Aether was so good for him like this.  Just like this — rub, rub, rub, rub, and rub, and dig, and he was coming, oh, he was coming and it felt so good, so good that, oh, oh God. Aether’s back arched further, mouth agape in a silent scream as the heat flushed out in puffed breaths, flared nostrils and teary yet shut closed eyes with clear fluids thickly spurting from his cunt. The pitiful noise that followed after was a broken mantra of the word “coming” repeatedly echoed even when Aether had already come, though still trembling into the orgasm. The tears that were mere little droplets flowed down his cheeks, soiling into his earlobes as watery mucus came dribbling down from his nose. But even as Aether was quivering in place, his legs numb and aching from the unnatural imbalance, Gepard hadn't stopped, the squelching grew louder, squeezed and popped as his fingers were practically already slapping against his smooth pussy. The dark blue sofa had an even dark pool in one spot with how much Aether had soiled it, and Gepard's white pants had pots of grey, wet with the copious amount of tears Aether has shed and the strings of saliva drooling from his lips. Aether’s legs finally pulled to tighten, squeezing Gepard’s thick arm between his stick-like thighs. Had it not been for how thick Gepard’s arm was, the gap between his thighs would’ve made it impossible to even lock the larger male’s arm.  Aether was kicking back and forth, trying to tighten their thighs around his arm pulling it away from being wrist deep into their canal. But Gepard sunk his hand further. A smirk drew on his lips, eyes arching with a mischievous glint in those cyan-azure irises. A hot huff of breath rolled out of his tongue, beads of sweat accumulating at the sides of his head as he looked adoringly at the way Aether had twisted their body. Rather than keep their teeth chattering against their fingers, they are already biting onto his pants, mewling and crying while shaking.  Just when another surge of static coursed through Aether’s body, the climax of their nth orgasm was cut short when Gepard’s hand slowed down, just right at the moment Aether wanted him to go faster. Another painful cry escaped their lips, their hand weakly clawing onto Gepard’s bare chest, gently circling their index finger across the skin and pouting with such teary and puffy eyes.  But Gepard didn’t budge. Not one bit. His hand slowly pulled away, massaging lightly the soaked pussy lips before moving to the inner thighs then wiping the slick on Aether’s stomach then hair. He was smiling, leaning down to massage Aether’s breast as he propped his free hand onto the armrest, his cheek resting on his knuckles before smiling at his pouting Aether.  That afternoon, they spent the rest of their hours on the sofa. Quietly, save for Aether’s periodic sighs, mewls and sometimes he would moan and gasp on his own while rubbing his aching pussy against the same wet spot on the sofa. Sometimes he would crawl up onto Gepard’s lap, hopping onto the once-dry pants with his dripping cunt and rubbing it out. He would rub, bounce, press, thrust, anything. But Gepard would only smile at him, squeeze his stomach playfully or pinch his thighs and grope his ass, but oftentimes a kiss on the lips, a suck on his breast, a bite on his shoulder and neck, then a lick by the ear.  Now, Aether was resting his head by Gepard’s chest, their legs spread while sitting on Gepard’s lap. His body had long stopped sweating and still remained cold. His breaths have followed the chill and it stabilized now that it was nightfall. Spent and exhausted, Aether was snoozing until Gepard had picked them up in his embrace and off they went back to their shared bed in their shared room.   XII “There’s nothing much to see outside, Aether,” Gepard said with confusion still evident as he donned himself in casual attire. Something he grabbed out of the dusty cabinet and he was surprised the clothes didn’t smell like an old attic yet. A little like an old cardboard box, but tolerable enough. A thick brown scarf around his neck, then a patched up beige fur coat and thick brown boots with grey pants. Something cheap, something definitely out of his persona. He would be unrecognizable as the Captain of the Silvermane Guards when he dressed so lousily like that. But, his own fashion wasn't his concern, “And are you sure you’re really not going to wear anything?” Right beside him at the main door was Aether who wore nothing from the head down. Even when Gepard insisted Aether at least wear his old robes if he wouldn't want the oversized clothes, still, Aether shook his head and smiled, bouncing at the tip of his toes in glee as he was holding Gepard’s hand. “Alright, but you’re the same Aether who almost froze to death in that blizzard, I’ll take you back inside when you even feel the slightest chill.” He must be a madman, a complete lunatic, for even agreeing in the first place. Gepard looked at Aether closely, his flowy and wavy golden tresses that pooled on the floor with how long it was, the pale white skin that was as sweet as now, and the way his eyes glowed like the clear and wide sun. He must really be insane. And so he pushed the door open. Surprisingly, the blizzard wasn’t as terrible. Maybe it was because it was near afternoon, the peak of it, rather, so there was less condensation for the harsh winds.  “Stick with m—” But before he could’ve said another word, Aether rushed past the porch and ran to the cold cobbled path. He was stretching his arms wide and spinning around the deserted town. A smile was apparent on his face as he shook his head in disbelief. He walked out of the house, closing the door and catching up with Aether who was jumping from one spot to another. “What are you excited about? There’s just more houses, empty ones, and most of them are already covered in ice.” Without Gepard’s usual armor, the cold seemed to seep more into his skin. He had his hands in the pockets of his coat as he followed Aether.  Prancing around, light on his tippy-toes, sliding against the smooth iced floor. Aether would do pirouettes, he would gallop so lightly as if he floated in the air. He would knock in the empty houses. Sit by their porches, climb on poles and immediately slip down. Gepard was laughing when he saw Aether trying to spin on a pole but the other just dropped to his buttocks. The next thing Gepard saw, Aether was already sitting on the dried-up fountain, or, rather, a fountain turned into ice. There were sitting on the edge, their legs spread and their little fingers probing around their cunt. Gepard tilted his head as he stood in front of Aether, practically looming over him with a shadow that extended past Aether’s body, “What’s wrong down there?”  Aether didn’t respond for a second or two and he let go of his cunt. His thighs clamped shut, although still leaving a gap in between. He tipped his chin up, looking right into those cyan irises, and drew a curl of his lips into a sweet smile until his cheeks stretched enough to bare his teeth. His hand cupped over Gepard’s bulge and he kept rubbing over it until Gepard’s face flushed pink. “You want it?” He crooned with a hand running through Aether’s hair until it cupped the side of their face, Gepard’s thumb lightly pressing on the plump cheek. As if the question needed anymore to be asked and Aether worked to unzip Gepard’s pants and pulled the underwear down, revealing the thick bush of dark blond pubic hair. His cool hands slowly pumped the throbbing cock. Aether’s mouth was probed open and he innocently and curiously probed around the object in his mouth, brows slightly frowning when the rough pad of Gepard’s thumb decided to press at the further back. Rather than gag or even bite it out of instinct, the sensation was pleasant, pleasant enough it warranted a suckle and a moan. His hands, too small, could barely wrap around the cock, not even with both could do a good enough circle. Even when his wrists were touching, the middle fingers were two to three joints far apart. The hot breath from Aether’s pants contrasting his cold skin left an indescribable wave of pleasure pumping into the throbbing length. Aether’s eyes widened keenly moaning as the finger once again thumbed down at the back of his tongue, eliciting a shiver of his thighs as his own thin fingers pressed against the line of the thick vein until his index began rubbing on the slit of the leaking cockhead.  With a press of a meaningful kiss at the top of Aether’s head, Gepard uttered a string of praise, something in between, “That’s good.” and “I’ll come like that.” and all those seemed to calm Aether, rather, induce him to a hotter arousal.  The praise, the long kiss at the top of his head, they all buzzed pleasure in Aether’s mind, flooding his head to wash away everything he was thinking, leaving a harrowing emptiness to be filled by nothing but Gepard. He was slowly unwinding the bits and pieces of his frazzled mind, picking apart the unnecessary thoughts to reflect nothing but the happiness and the pleasure before its end, before its very climax. Gepard’s cock grew hotter in his palm, warm, definitely warm, and even twitching. Gepard’s four fingers were caressing his cheek, lightly tapping it as a gesture that he’d pull his hand away. Aether suckled on the thumb one last time, letting it off with a sweet pop. He scooted closer and Gepard took a step forward. Now, the cock was tall and pressing against the left half of his face.  Gepard’s hands threaded through the thick tresses, smiling as Aether was lost in the haze, pleasuring himself by rubbing his smooth and cute face all over his sensitive cock. His gaze lowered, then took notice of the cocklet turning pink and also leaking dribbles of precum. “You can start licking now, go on, put it in your mouth, then you can use your hands to touch yourself,” Gepard instructed. Aether obediently followed. His mouth opened as wide as it could, but his little mouth could only do so much. He could barely push the cock head into his mouth, careful not to scratch the skin with his teeth, His breath fell short a sit lumped at the top of his lungs, he was slowly inching his head forward until it buried deep enough his nose was running against the rough bush of pubic hair, taking in the strong scent of musk and sweat. The thick and heard cockhead was practically drilling down half his throat and he could vividly feel its round and smooth skin hitting against the back of his tongue. He couldn’t even dare to breathe rapidly and mindlessly. The warmth dispersing throughout Aether’s body led him to pleadingly look up at Gepard who only gave him a smile and a nod. His back arched and he slowly raised his ass, the angle didn’t match well when he simply sat down. Even as his legs ached, Aether was squatting slightly over the frozen edge of the fountain, his pussy began to drip little droplets but by the time his hand started sliding over the slit of his cunt, the juices started to flow and stick onto his fingers. While Aether was rolling his hips against their own hands, he was also working on bobbing his head against the thick cock. His eyes were clamped shut, brows furrowed as the difficulty in properly moving the cock in his mouth was evident. It elicited a peal of hearty laughter from Gepard however. He looked so desperate, so eager, so innocently eager. But Aether’s body seemed to wear out so easily. His hands were trembling, his legs were growing supple and his sucking grew sloppy no matter how vigorous Aether tried.  Gepard now held Aether’s head with both his hands, “Focus on rubbing yourself, Aether.” he said as he worked on setting his own pace, thrusting his cock deep and hard that he could feel the ridges of Aether’s throat bumping against his cockhead, his balls were slapping against the drool coated chin which echoed loud and sloppy wet noises. Aether was moaning and squealing into his cock and the added vibration drilled pleasure down to his balls and shot blood right up to his head. A guttural groan left his lips as he watched Aether practically roll their hips into their hands, moving their hips back and forth in quickened pace as their hands were running around the pool of juices.  Hard, measured, and quick thrusts. Gepard could tell he was breaking Aether’s throat but it didn't stop him. The blood kept pumping to the base of his cock and his balls were feeling it. Another cry of Aether was all it took for him to slam his hips against Aether’s skull and shoot a thick, huge load of spunk straight down Aether’s throat and straight into the belly. A loud huff of relief washed over him, blanking out his thoughts, but his relief was abruptly halted when he felt Aether lose balance and he was holding onto a limb body.  He looked down, watched Aether who had half-lidded eyes and a gaping mouth with cum overflowing from his mouth and his hands unmoving and dripping with his cunt fluids. Slowly he pulled away his cock still coated with his own cum mixed with Aether’s saliva, Aether clamped his mouth shut, even used both their little hands to cover their mouth as they began chewing the thick cum, swallowing it and making sure no more ounces we're wasted. Even though Gepard wanted to let Aether stand on their own, he could see how wobbly Aether’s legs were and so he hooked one arm over Aether’s waist and hoisted them over his shoulder. With one hand securing Aether, the other began playfully spanking Aether’s plump and pale buttocks, but he didn’t forget the squealing noises coming from the slit. He had his pants zipped up, his unclicked cock’s slathered cum seeping into his underwear and to his pants leaving a wet spot, but he wasn’t the only one wet around here. Because of Aether's pose earlier, even their ass was coated with slick. And so as they walked around the quiet town, he worked his hands on fingering Aether’s tight little asshole, spreading it wide that Aether was hitting his back with cries and whines.  That day, they spent their time looking at empty houses, playing house in fact. Wondering what their life could be in a different house. In one house, Gepard found a not-so-dusty sofa and he sat there with Aether immediately following after and plopping their body on his lap, the next moment Gepard started to finger Aether for around twenty minutes until Aether cried and soiled the couch with his urine. Aether hadn’t recovered for another ten minutes and in that time Gepard used Aether’s mouth to dump his own piss. After all, trips needed their breaks. In the same house, they tried to play the same game they played every morning: hide-and-seek. The mention of the game seemed to have revitalized Aether and even as he was leaking, he still ran around the house. Unfortunately, Gepard caught up to him and they remained breathless at the staircase. The next moment, Aether was bent over where Gepard was sliding his cock up and down in between the cheeks, but never pushing it into the twitching rim.  In another house, it was filled with bedrooms, unused bedrooms. Because of the tightly shut doors and the closed windows, there is barely any dust around. And so they played around, testing out each bed. In one bed, it was far too small, but they managed to tuck themselves in, only if Aether was right on top of Gepard with Gepard taking up most of the bed space (or, at least, Gepard’s upper body and half his legs were taking up the space), his feet were on the ground, if that helped. They stayed there for a few minutes or so, laying down in the quiet until Aether began to rub his pussy on Gepard’s stomach, soiling the shirt and the coat. At the same time, Gepard began picking and pulling the plump flesh, twisting the pink nipples and flicking them until little droplets of white were leaking out which had amused him, and it allowed a thought to cross his mind. Maybe this small bed could be used for someone else. In the next bed, it was far too big. Even when Gepard was a large man, there was still room for him to spread out and sleep in different positions. Aether seemed to enjoy the space too. They tried to sleep, to lay down without holding each other. They didn’t seem to last very long without each other, Aether began whining and crying in the first two minutes. In that same bed, they began testing out different positions, Aether was on all fours, or on his side and raising one leg up stretched straight, or on his back with his legs in a wide ‘V’, Aether also had both his arms down while Gepard took control of his legs, raising them up as if he were a bicycle. He kept moaning each time Gepard slapped his cock on his buttocks. But that was it.  The other beds, they broke when Gepard sat down, the others, well, Aether sank with how soft it was. It seemed no bed was particularly eye-catching and comfortable. The spacious one was good, but the thought of accidentally slipping from one’s arms while they were unconscious was almost terrifying.  In another house, there was a beautiful porch, spacious and Aether even had ideas what furniture to put. Two rocking chairs at the corner with a small round table at the middle, then there would also be a little radio on the windowsill, a shelf of hanging plants too. Gepard was enthused about the idea. But the porch was the only thing beautiful. Inside the house was mostly broken floorings and the stairs were even missing a few steps. Aether wanted to take a step inside and look, but Gepard stopped him, taking him away to look at different places instead.  But, other than looking at houses, imagining the “what could’ve been”, Gepard also wondered what life would’ve been if the town wasn’t a lonely, deserted place. Right now, he and Aether were walking around the empty market lane, abandoned vending stalls, with baskets still around though they had already collected snow. At the back of his mind, he could imagine the people easily fooling Aether to buy a basket of unnecessary fruits. Aether would laugh, smile at the vendors, play around with the children of this town, and he would be their beloved charm. “You know, when you told me that you wanted to walk around, it made me think about what more is there to this town?” He laughed. “I began to wonder what our life could be with a lively neighborhood, you know?” but in his little musing, he found Aether stopping. “Aether?” Aether stood a few meters away from him, body still and facing directly right at him. An unreadable expression and wide eyes, “Aether…?” then Aether’s wings appeared, slowly building themselves as the particles of sparkling dust solidified. Something seemed to have changed since then. That breath of fresh air, the sun that shone above them and the thin clouds or the weakened blizzard wind. Everything had been unusual, just like the rain. XIII The same mornings, the same afternoons, and most favorably the same nights. Gepard spent the rest of his days repairing his weary body, his unfocused mind, and his worn heart in this very house in a desolate town. But despite the repetition, everything just sat right in its proper places in his life. Whenever he would open his eyes, he would be met with his cheeky little creature hugging him tightly. Sometimes between his legs and rubbing their face by his thighs and cupping his sleepy hard-on, sometimes, too, he would be woken with anxiety to an empty side of the bed only to find out his meek one had begun playing hide and seek with him. But on one particular morning, he awoke early. Earlier before the sun could even rise. And had left the house. He returned two hours past afternoon, before nightfall could even turn the sky into a light shade of indigo, but way past the hour of lilac morning skies. With bags in his hand, he closed the door and hung his clothes at the clothes hanger at the side. He had his boots at the shoe rack as he walked inside in his socks, “Aether, I’m home—” momentarily, guilt and anxiety flooded in, after all, he had left without even a word. “Aether?” Gepard walked into the living room where he stepped into a pool of warm wetness and his eyes widened.  Right before him was the same image as he saw some nights ago. Aether’s crystal wings were enlarged, floating weakly with shards dripping and shattering, the pens that had already fallen were nothing but little fragments scattered all across the floor. But most importantly was the pool of wetness: blood. Gepard rushed to where the unlit fireplace was, he wondered how it was closed, he remembered clearly he had it running before he left. But that wasn’t the important matter now. Aether, in his arms. Was bleeding… bleeding… from where? Carefully, Gepard had Aether in his arms, cradling him and roaming his hands on each inch of Aether’s skin but there wasn't a single cut nor even a tear on their skin. He was as pristine as before. “Aether… I'm back home, what happened…?” That question was easier said than understood. Aether couldn’t possibly respond back to him, still, Gepard held Aether close, felt a few particles of their wings all on his shoulders as it was flapping. “Aether… Aether… I bought you clothes…” A beautiful dress that fully exhibited Belobog’s intricate patterns. Their perfect fabrics for their harsh climate. A small, yet painful, smile drew on his lips, “Our time… just like this won’t last any longer, and I will have to return to serve my people…” He closed his eyes, envisioning his leaders, the Union, and the merry cheers of the citizens, “I’ll have to return—”  But when he opened his eyes, the beautiful white creature turned pale and dim, grey and dull, their face was warped just like that night, the round face was wrinkled and twisted at the center with the mouth stretching into a large hole revealing the void-like mouth. The echo of a cry was deep, yet it sharply lingered in his years. Gepard couldn’t even see a tongue, not even a throat. It was completely grey inside and pitch-black at the bottom. His words were tied at the tip of his tongue, the fear running his blood cold as Aether’s cry tore right through his ears and drilled into his mind. Even when no words were spoken, Gepard found his tears freely flowing. Warmly streaming down his cheeks as he held onto his Aether close into his embrace, “I’m here, I’m here…”  It was like a fever dream (or maybe a fever nightmare). Because even as the blood was still on the floor, the face Aether wore had reverted back to the same beautiful face Gepard was familiar with. He picked Aether up from the floor and rested them on his lap as they cuddled on the sofa. The wings had yet to disappear and this was only the third time since all day they spent together — which was not that many, so to speak.  One night, the first night they spent together. Another day and the night after. The second, by morning Gepard had fled and it took two weeks before they met again. And now it was the seventh day, the last day, before he had to return to the mainlands of Belobog.  A total of eight mornings and seven nights, soon to be eight nights.  But, while it was just a week, everything felt like an eternity of peace.  Gepard kissed the top of Aether’s head, sighing slowly and smiling as he caressed and massaged Aether’s scalp, “I love you.” Finally, he said the words he had never said before, not just to Aether, but in his entire life. “I love you, Aether.” And the chill on his skin returned. Aether’s cold hands were slithering to wrap around his neck, gently curling themselves into a ball and sighing close to his chest. “When tomorrow comes, let’s leave this house, together,” Gepard said, a smile on his face as he cradled his Aether back and forth. The light snore the other hummed seemed to be one of agreement, of delight, in fact. And when Gepard closed his eyes, it was like a needle was placed against vinyl, the twinkling began to play and his unconsciousness blanketed him with sweet dreams.  XIV “What the hell, Captain Gepard.” The second-in-command stared in utter disbelief at the pair right before him. The moment their Captain returned, every man stationed at the entrance of Belobog had their eyes on the Captain, but he was not alone. A young woman was with him. And this young woman was a small one, and, without a doubt, a beautiful one. Other than the intricate and never-seen-before Belobog dress she wore, there was also her long golden hair and such mystifying and alluring golden irises. “Captain,” The second-in-command shook his head from the intoxicating thoughts from merely looking at the other, “Who is this?” Other than the woman by his side, fear and chills ran down their spine when they saw their stoic captain draw such a sweet and gentle smile on his lips.  “Aether.” Gepard began, “He’s good at healing, when I was wounded and went to temporary isolation, he healed me completely.” He looked at Aether who smiled up at him and nodded. He wrapped his arm around Aether’s waist, pulling him close then pressing a kiss at the top of ether’s head, earning a giggle and a toothy grin from the smaller one, “And he’s my darling.” XV Safe to say that no one had recovered quickly from the sudden revelation. A mere week was given to Gepard to revitalize and help himself, to hopefully recover himself from his slump and exhaustion and when the week ended, he was supposed to return with full focus on his duty, instead, he returned with a lover no one has ever seen before. While Gepard’s men were dumbfounded, the men and women in the medics seemed to be thrilled to meet Aether, a mute young darling. They were impressed at Aether’s healing magic, a skill and technique they have never seen before. They considered it to be a God-given gift.  The Unions didn’t seem to have any word so far, but they did have their eyes on the new member of their committee. Someone of unknown origins with such strong healing magic, anyone would be wary. For anything that can give life, too, had the power to take life.  But the person who took notice of his charm with utmost concern was Serval. When news that the Captain of Silvermane Guards returned with a lover, Serval had to see it for herself. And lo and behold, she felt her stomach twist uncomfortably. Small body, slender figure, thin limbs yet a round and plump face, wide and innocent eyes with an unnaturally vibrant gold in it, a sunlit colored hair so thick and silken long with a healthy shine to it, everything felt unreal about the young woman. But whenever she would see Gepard standing right beside this ‘Aether’ she couldn’t help but hold back her words. Such a bright and free smile that she hadn’t seen in years and years. And as she was standing as though she had seen a ghost, Gepard took notice of her presence and waved his hand. “Serval.” He greeted loud enough for it to echo to her side. He seemed to have said a word or two to Aether and they both walked towards her, “Serval, meet Aether, my lover. Aether, meet Serval, my sister.” It was bizarre for Gepard to even introduce someone as his lover.  Everything was out of place, it felt like a dream, a terribly bizarre dream. But Serval had only forced a pleasant smile, politeness coloring her expression until her smile stretched wide enough for a cheeky grin, “You’re such a cute one, such a darling, aren’t you?” And she reached out to playfully pinch their cheek. But rather than be pleased like a normal person, Aether's eyes remained unwavering and fixated on the other, as if carefully observing Serval. The quiet stare sent chills down her smile and she forced herself to keep the polite and cheeky demeanor, but it wasn’t only Aether who had that odd look on their face. Gepard’s face too seemed to have twisted into disappointment.  Before anything else would’ve escalated, she stood up and nodded, “Welcome back, Gepard. Your men have missed you and the Union certainly hopes you’re better.” In stark contrast to the cold and distant expression Gepard wore, he was smiling warmly, a sigh of relief leaving his lips, “Never better, Serval.” He looked back at Aether and patted their head, “Come on now, you’ll have to stay with the medics since I’ll be with the guards, but later during break, I’ll come to visit you, alright?” Aether’s lips parted but no words rolled off his tongue, still, Gepard had laughed, ruffling those golden tresses.  “You can’t visit me, not yet, it’s dangerous for you to just go to the walls, ambushes from enemy territories, or random thieves, anything can happen, you’re safe in the walls with the rest of the medics, alright?” He looked at Serval and nodded, “I’ll get going, take care.” With an arm over Aether’s shoulders, they left. It didn’t take long for Aether to blend in, really. The guards who were initially withdrawn and suspicious of the young woman eventually warmed up to him. They gave him special treatment, greeting him with a friendly smile rather than wearing their stiff and stoic expressions, all of which Aether appreciated. In fact, a mere smile from Aether had lifted everyone’s spirits unconditionally.  A completely healing existence, one of the Head Healers described Aether as such. But it wasn’t praise. The Head Healer, unlike everyone else who was charmed by Aether’s presence, didn’t fall into his existence and refused to accept him as a part of the team. A few of the healers shared the sentiment but they had given Aether the chance, especially since he held unknown yet strong healing properties. Other than the rest of the medics delighted with their new member, the guards, too, were delighted to see their captain back.  “It wasn’t the same without you, Captain.” The second-in-command bowed politely and smiled, “I couldn't lead the team as you would’ve done.” Gepard was quiet for a moment, remembering the momentary envy he felt towards his Vice Captain and he let out a hearty laugh, “I'm certain you had done your best and that best of yours was more than enough. There is no hierarchy when it comes to the best leadership, all that people ever would need is a good leader. And I thank you for keeping them in good shape.” Gepard bowed his head. With the rest of the guards, it was just like the old times. Gepard was smoothly teaching new strategies, studying their previous mishaps with the ambush nearly costing his life. Everyone was stricken with awe at their captain intelligence, the new formations as well as the integration of support and tools from other departments. It was as if their captain returned not just like himself, but a better version of himself.  The meeting took an hour or two, and everyone else was dismissed, each unit leader going to their teams to discuss what had been strategized during the meeting. Now, it was nearing nightfall, but the scenery from Belobog could never be anywhere near what it was like back in that old town. Despite the same sky, the same land, the skies looked much different from where he stood now and before. He took in a deep breath and nodded to himself and left, walking towards the infirmary where Aether should be. And what he saw next had warmed his heart. “Ow, ow…!” An injured guard was being healed by his darling. Despite the initial abrupt action, the guard immediately relaxed and the bright white light enveloped the arm wound and began to heal itself, the skin patching back together without even leaving a scar. Aether had smiled kindly and removed his hands, clasping them together over his lap as he nodded enthusiastically. The guard was more than delighted saluting and thanking Aether before leaving. But upon noticing his Captain he saluted once again and smiled, “He’s a fantastic healer, such strong magic!” The soldier said before marching away to return to his post. Aether peeked his head to see past the open doorway and his face immediately brightened at the sight of Gepard. He stood up from his seat and leapt into Gepard’s arms, pouting in the slightest at how hard the armor he wore was. It was a significant difference between hugging him bare or when they just wore soft pajamas.  Gepard laughed, “I’m sorry, I can’t change my clothes. This is my uniform.” Gepard thread his fingers through Aether's hair and pressed a kiss on top of their head, “And I’m sorry we can't have much time sleeping together, I believe you'll be in your own room…” he whispered into Aether’s ear. And at those words, Aether looked up at him with vivid worry. Furrowed brows, clamped shut mouth with quivering lips. But it wasn't just Aether feeling this anxiety, Gepard, too, felt uncomfortable about it all but he could only smile as he wrapped his arms around his Aether. “I know, I know, but give it a few days and I'll talk to my superiors, maybe I can sleep in your room?” Gepard smiled then let out a sigh, “I’ll do my best to negotiate, so be patient, okay?” He saw Aether nodding obediently and enthusiastically and he drew a cheeky grin. He looked left and right and when the coast was clear he welcomed himself in Aether’s clinic, locking the door behind him she began to undress Aether.  Aether was more than delighted and eager to shrug off every article of clothing, happily twirling around in his bare glory. He plopped onto the infirmary bed and had his arms under his knees, opening his pussy lips wide to show his already leaking cunt, the red muscles inside twitching and gaping in measured intervals, aching to be filled.  Gepard complied, going on one knee like the noble knight he was. He looked up at his angel who gave such a coquettish smile and he opened his hand, waiting for Aether to hold him. And when they did, their hands intertwined tightly. Gepard’s other hand grabbed onto one thigh keeping it spread open as he darted his tongue out and laid the wet muscle flat against the warm cunt. The way his nose was dipping into the soft skin and taking in the sweet fragrance of Aether's skin, sweat and pussy was relaxing his muscles more than medication ever could.  Sloppy wet noises echoed, it filled the room thickly along with Aether’s pants and whines. His legs quivered as they wrapped around Gepard’s head, his trembling hands running through the blond tresses as he was curling into a ball. He tried so hard not to drool but some strings of saliva had already trickled down to Gepard’s scalp. His body was convulsing and hips rolling against Gepard’s face each time the wet muscle would poke right into his walls, strongly pushing up and down and side to side.  Too used to their quiet home, their moans were slipping louder by the second. Even though Gepard was aware of their circumstance, he couldn't’ stifle his guttural moans and sighs as he never stopped licking and sucking the fluids out of Aether’s cunt. Even when he blew into the hole, it had Aether reeling and whining, mewling louder and begging in sounds and whimpers. The panic froze in Gepard’s mind, too lost into the pleasure that another growl ripped through the air and suddenly their tight position disappeared and Gepard had already pushed Aether down on the bed with his hand placed on the small chest. He rose to his feet and welcomed himself in the small bed, “Reminds me of that time we forced ourselves into the tiny bed back at home, huh?” he quipped, breathless as he watched Aether’s flushed expression.  The surreal change in temperature registered in Aether’s mind and his entire body shivered as the warmth swallowed him. His pussy is bare open, filled with fluids not just of his own but Gepard’s hot saliva. His wells were contracting, tensing quickly that it was making its own wet and uncouth sounds on its own. There was a hand, a cold and gloved hand, snaking to wrap around his neck and it shifted, now his head was turned slightly to the side, eyeing the two empty chairs and a small desk with a few notebooks on it. But as Aether was catching his breath, a mouth brushed against the shell of his ear. The blow of Gepard’s hot breath paralyzed him even if momentarily and Aether sucked in a breath, holding it in his throat as his legs managed to wrap around Gepard’s huge body, desperately clinging onto him.  XVI When nightfall came, many of the staff changed shifts. Those who were active around morning and afternoon now went to bed and those inactive during the mornings were now working the late-night shifts. But one of those in the morning shifts hadn’t gone back to bed, and that was Gepard. As discreetly as possible, the leaders instructed Gepard to undergo another psychological examination. It was late at night, most of them were asleep and only a few medics were awake and the rest of the guards positioned for a late-night shift were, as per usual, doing their work. But there was the Captain of Silvermane Guards who was stuck in the infirmary.  “Hi, it’s been a while.” Gepard greeted with a small smile as she sat on the bed then lay down when the doctor gestured to him to do so. “Certainly, now make yourself comfortable while I ask a few questions.” “Go ahead.” “How have the medications been working?” Gepard paused, almost forgetting about that bottle with his name written on the sticker paper label. And at the doctor’s reminder about it, Gepard realized he hadn’t seen those medications in a long time, ever since he went back to that house, he hadn’t seen them since. “Actually,” Gepard began, and he turned to look at the doctor, “I've never even had any use for that, I think I must’ve left the bottle back at home, I’ll certainly return it to you when I get back there.” He gave an apologetic smile. The doctor blinked twice, “Was it because of that person?” Without even elaborating, Gepard already understood what the doctor meant and he couldn’t help but even widen his smile in sheer glee, “Truthfully, yes.” “Then, if you may answer this, could it be that… that person was the one you met in your dreams, Gepard?” The doctor began as she looked at the captain who was laying down and relaxed with his eyes closed. The captain nodded and the doctor hummed contemplatively, “How long have you met?” “Eight mornings, eight nights. Today is the ninth morning and ninth night that I’ve spent my life with him.” “I see, how much of your future, no, how far into the future do you see yourself staying with him?” “Until I draw my last breath.” Said with no hesitation and a smile on his face. The doctor herself was surprised, not from the response, but how relaxed Gepard’s face was. The Captain had always been so stern that it was impossible to draw out a smile from him. But the mere idea of Aether had him stricken with the rawest form of love. Each slightest action that Gepard had, whether a twitch of fingertips or the changes in his breathing, the doctor took note of all signs. “Alright, then, let me give you a situation, alright?” Gepard nodded. “An ambush attacked Belobog, your men are fighting for their lives and you command them the best you can. Belobog is winning, we’re surviving, and your men are able to take shelter for there is a decrease of enemies. The other territory is retreating, but one of your men is injured, too injured. You’re busy leading everyone else, and so the medics arrive to save one of your injured men back into the infirmary. The medic who came to help your men as Aether, unknown to you and the rest of your men, another ambush struck from a blind spot.” As the doctor was narrating, it seemed Gepard was fully visualizing the situation, evident with the furrow of his brows and the tense hands rendering his knuckles white, “Do you abandon your men who are struggling with the harsh wave of the ambush to save Aether, or do you abandon Aether who will be taken in by the ambush but it will save most of your men.” “I—” Gepard’s voice was shaky, “I—” “Hurry, the ambush is coming closer, they’re too many and your men need a solid strategy, they need you—” Gepard was swallowing hard his shoulders tensed up as his breathing hitched, “I… I can’t… I—” “A group of men are rushing forth to Aether, twice larger than him and are about to take him, at the same time, one by one your men are dying at the hands of the enemy, your men are screaming out for you, their Captain—” The doctor watched as Gepard’s complexion paled and even her trepidation finally crawled under her skin. Was this the end of their Captain’s reign? “I—” XVII Aether’s eyes widened.  The room was dark, but it was quaint. It was a room all for him. There were a few more beds but they were left unoccupied for the moment. Because he was a new medic in the team, the rest of the rooms were already filled and he was given a spot in the new one that hasn't been occupied by other medics yet. He switched the lights open, slipping out of bed with a pillow in hand. He wore unfamiliar clothes, and he stood in an unfamiliar room, and he looked back at the unfamiliar and uncomfortable bed. A difficult swallow made its way down his throat and he looked left and right. He eyed the large door and walked out of his room.  The corridors were empty, not even a single patrolling guard. There were lights on the walls and a few at the ceilings, but that was it. Aether could hear even the slightest shift of dust on the walls with how quiet it was. Still holding onto his pillow with one hand, and the other tensely holding onto his dress-like pajamas, he began walking ahead.  Gepard. Gepard? Gepard. And the emptiness began to swallow him whole. The hollowness grew so heavy that Aether stopped his tracks, looked down at his chest that was no longer white, no longer did he see his plain pajamas, and saw nothing but a black hole tearing right through his torso. His eyes were wide as he began to feel his skin twist and stretch, condensing as it spiralled in the middle. The tears welled up at the corners of his eyes and he saw how his arms were covered in tiny black holes. Beside him was some sort of metal decor, an armor suit or of some sort but it was so polished that he could see his reflection.  A reflection of nothingness.  Soon, his face twisted so much that his eyes were no longer on his face. The little mouth turned grey, chapped and cracked until it stretched wide enough to open another black hole encompassing half his face. The bones in his neck sharpened as it split his skin, protruding out of his throat as deep reverberating cries echoed out. The loud cries even made the chandeliers swing as his body felt the earth quaking underneath his bare feet. “Aether?” A voice unfamiliar. “Aether, it’s late, you should return to your room.” It must be another guard patrolling this corridor. “What was that noise?” His confusion was evident, “Anyways, if you’re lost, let me lead you back to your room, hm? The Captain is still in a meeting so you can’t go around loitering—” His words were all caught up in a lump in his throat when Aether’s body stayed still but the head twisted slowly in a hundred and eighty degrees, showing the protruding bone out of his neck and now the cries was directed at him. It was loud, drumming and reverberation that the guard dropped his sword and covered his ears. But the deep cry didn’t just break his eardrums, it began crushing his chest, morphing the metal armor until it squeezed the flimsy skin and bones underneath. At the intense pressure directed at him, his head turned red, so red, and the veins were outlining on his skin until his head exploded, the shattered skull splattering on the stone walls and the clatter of his armor fell as the innards spilled all over the carpet.  Soon, marching came. Aether stood a few meters away from the gnarly and mangled corpse, and stood surrounded by guards who had their shield raised and their blades pointed at him. He blinked twice, face normal and cold once again. He turned to look at the people who wore the same terrified faces. He tilted his head, his hold around his pillow tightening as his knees began to shake. His mouth was opening and closing but he couldn’t hear a word, there were thuds and some screams being drowned out. He could see people screaming, could see people trying to charge at him but couldn’t.  In such a small and faint voice, he opened his lips and called out to someone meekly, “Gepard…?” XVIII “What evidence do you have that the guard died because of Aether?” Gepard said as he stood beside Aether, holding his hand comfortingly and tightly as he looked up at the leaders of the Union. “Captain Gepard, I understand your distress, but what evidence, too, do you have that it was not of Aether's doing?” One of the leaders said with a disappointed expression, “You bring to Belobog an unknown human with powers unlike any other, though his healing magic is commendable, we do not know the other powers your… lover has.” He explained as he sighed, “Either you hand over Aether to the researchers willingly, or we will forcibly take him away and you will lose your position as Captain of the Silvermane Guards. You will be treated as our prisoner while Aether becomes our project to experiment on.” Gepard’s eyes widened and he shook his head, “Those aren’t even options to choose from, it’s like I would have to choose between living or dying, are you insane?” Gepard practically screamed his throat out. He felt Aether squeak in discomfort when he accidentally pulled their arm too hard and his breath hitched as he looked back at his lover, “Oh, no, no, no, Aether, I’m sorry, did I hold you too tight?” His expression of worry bled as he began gently caressing the bone-thin wrists, “They’re already so red, I’m sorry, I’ll sort this out and you’ll be alright.” Gepard frowned again and faced the leaders, “Unless you have concrete evidence it is Aether’s doing then you have no right to persecute him. He is innocent until proven guilty.”  At those words, Aether quickly wrapped their arms around Gepard, emitting shaky breaths as he buried his face into the embrace. He could see the floor, their feet, and that was it, but he could hear multiple things. Gepard’s screams, the leader’s mixed indignations, as well as the click of cubs and the sound of blades being unsheathed. And his eyes widened. “I will not hand over Aether.” Gepard stated firmly, “This discussion is over.” Before Gepard could have even turned, he saw one of the leaders nod and a sound of a shot tore through the air. But what met him when he turned as his reflection through thick and clear crystals.  He looked at Aether who summoned his wings, shielding them both from the arrows and bullets being shot. The leaders gasped and frowned. Gepard wasted no time, grabbing a hold of Aether as he took out his shield and summoned his magic, erupting tall walls of blue ice that broke and rattled the ground. Aether continued to hold onto Gepard as tightly as he could, his wings providing them mobility. “Gepard… Gepard…!” Aether called out to his lover with a small yet loving voice, “Let’s go home…!” With tears in Gepard’s eyes, he nodded. He turned to finally face Aether, cupped his pretty, small face with both his large hands and pulled him into a deep kiss. The ice Gepard summoned began to thaw and the rest of the guards aimed their weapons at the couple but Aether’s wings only grew larger, thicker and the crystals exploded, scattering sharp fragments through walls, paintings, pillars.  And what was left at the center of the room was a mere pile of glass fragments and a trail of floating sparkling dust. XIX The howling of the winds continued, strong as ever. It was still late at night and the clock had just chimed. In the living room was Gepard catching his breath and in his arms was Aether who was cozily curled into a small ball close to his chest. “Do you remember that too small bed?” Gepard said in a hushed voice as he ran his hands through Aether’s thick tresses. Aether was so cold, but it was normal, Aether had always been cold. “I think, maybe, we can start a family, you and me. That little bed would be perfect for a little one.” Gepard hummed and kissed the top of Aether's head. Aether shifted slightly on the rug as he hummed, “I like that.” And he struggled to lift himself up and flopped on top of Gepard’s chest, wincing at the hard armor but he was pushed gently aside as Gepard began undressing. Aether’s eyes widened in pleasure as he followed the same, undressing himself of the plain medic uniform and comfortably wrapped his limbs around Gepard’s bare torso, “This is more comfortable.” Gepard nodded, “Agreed.” He sighed and continued kissing Aether’s face, feeling the way their cheeks rose in a smile and he chuckled, “Then our porch, it isn’t as big, but we’ll definitely have one chair.” Aether raised a brow, “One?” “You'll sit on my lap.” “What about our baby?” “They’ll sit on your lap.” And it seemed the proposal was more than delightful because Aether was giggling and peppering Gepard’s face with kisses, loud smooches in fact. A yelp resounded from his lips when Gepard teasingly groped his ass, squeezing it tightly and slipping his fingers into the crevice. Aether let out a moan and cupped Gepard’s cheeks, pressing their lips together into a deep and slow kiss. This time, it was Aether spotting his tongue between Gepard’s lips.  Even as Gepard sat up, they didn’t stop kissing, or when Gepard stood and carried Aether in his arms, they continued missing. Aether had his legs wrapped around Gepard’s body, rubbing their wet cunt on his stomach, sometime he would droop low enough their kiss would break but his ass would teasingly brush against the erected cock as his fluids would lather the thick pubic hair with his slick.  Gepard threw Aether to the bed and he jumped right in after. The bed creaked eliciting a loud peal of laughter from the smaller male and Gepard nuzzled his face at the crook of Aether’s neck, tickling his side with one hand and his other hand pumping his lover's cocklet until strings of cum spurted out along with Aether’s cunt squeezing out clear juices. Teasing, playful, filled with love and adoration. Aether’s laughter turned into moans when Gepard’s tickles mellowed into sensual touches. Pressing into their inner thighs or when he flicked his fingers against his swollen cit and twitching cocklet. Aether was at the mercy of utter pleasure. Something about this night was different from the other nights they spent like this. Without any lamplight nor was there barely a ray of moonlight, they were swallowed up in the darkness save from the gleam of Aether's body. His fair white skin, amber-golden irises and sunlit hair, he was the heavens above incarnate.  Each twist of his body, each part of his lips singing out a melodious moan, each flutter of those sparkling and light lashes, everything out him was carved into Gepard’s memory. Gepard shuddered a hot breath, his hands working to rub one small press in his large hand, smiling as Aether was heaving quickened breaths, begging for more, and more, something faster, something that would ease the itch between his thighs, something to cool the pooling warmth in his stomach. “I want you, Gepard, I want this.” Aether smiled, cheeks warm and pink. “I also want this, Aether, for so long.” For everything else has just been right before, and now they were perfectly perfect in each other’s arms. Gepard slowly sunk his length into his lover’s cunt, sighing as the muscles tensed and contracted around his member. He began tucking strands of hair behind Aether’s ear and smiled as he intermingled their moans between kisses. Just like that, they spent the next hours in the quiet night. XX To Gepard, ghosts and phantoms were different. Ghosts were from the dead, and phantoms were from the mind, from the heart, from the very desire of existence. But he’d realized how thin the line in between was now that he’d experienced it himself. Belobog had always reminded him of something more than home, reminded him of what living meant to be. He recalled a memory from years ago, he was just a mere child, far from strong, but refusing to be considered weak. A mere teen, in fact, and it was nightfall at Belobog that time. The auroras were dancing around the snow-capped mountains, he called that memory for it was a night that Belobog barely had a snowstorm. The winds were strong, yet, but the snowfall wasn’t as terrible a usually. In that memory, the skies rain stars. And one particular star was so bright that the rest of the stars and dimmed at its presence. Even his sister who stood by his side admiring the star shower couldn’t take her eyes off the single star that shone brighter than the rest. Gepard couldn’t recall much of that night, what had been said, what his sister thought of the sky, all Gepard knew was right before the star could’ve gone from the horizon, he had his hands clasped together with love in mind. “Adel, Adel, where are you!” Aether sang as he began running around the house. And when he saw a curl of hair poking out of the couch he snickered and jumped over from the backrest only to find that it had been a fluke, it was just a curl of yellow paper taped onto the couch and he pouted. But before he could regain his balance — before he could even step his toes back on the floor, he was pushed from his buttocks and he fell face flat on the couch’s cushions, “Wah…! Hey…!”  Gepard looked down at his wife and raised a brow, “Adel and I have outsmarted you yet again, love.” He had Adel by his shoulder and the young boy merely snickered and a peace signed. Aether’s cheeks puffed and his lips pursed, his face of displeasure was between his spread legs as his bare cunt was wide open. And as he sighed, he felt a slap on his pussy which earned a yelp and squeak from him, “Hey, hey, wait...! Gepard… oh…! ” Despite his uncomfortable position, Gepard was drilling his three fingers into his cunt and Aether began moaning out of control, squirting even. But before Aether could reach his climax, Gepard took his hand and set their son down. “Ge… Gepard… hng… more…” “It’s time for breakfast, love.” and he helped Aether to sit upright and carried his wife in his arms, he could feel the slick dripping from Aether’s cunt and soiling his pajamas and he chuckled raising Aether a little higher to smooch the wet and leaking lips, “Such a needy one down here, hm?” and he felt a light and playful bite on his scalp then he laughed. When they arrived at the dining room, Adel was sitting in his booster chair and Aether was sitting on his husband’s lap, the thick cock tightly snug fit into his canal.  Aether was once again bouncing and rolling his hips on Gepard’s cock, adjusting right and guiding Gepard’s hand to rub over his swollen clit. He was panting as he watched their son properly eating with utensils now and he gave a proud smile, patting Adel’s head as he let out another moan when Gepard’s hand pressed and rubbed in the right direction. Aether’s vision was blurry his head threw back and rested against Gepard’s shoulder, he was moaning and mewling as Gepard was twisting his nipples, pinching the now slightly more swollen breasts and tapping and rubbing for the click, periodically pumping the leaking cocklet as well. Aether’s lips puckered and he saw his husband’s handsome smile. Gepard leaned in for a kiss and before another climax came, their son hiccupped and the food on his spoon fell on his bib. Aether blinked twice, breaking away from the kiss with a thick string of saliva between their mouths and he smiled at their son who was giggling, lovingly adoring the sight of his parents being happy and in love. In the quiet, they could hear their own heartbeat intertwined, kisses, laughters, sighs, all of those in this very house. Even as the doors rattled, or when the earth rumbled, or when the winds howled and screamed, or even when the skies tore apart with a roar and a cry. All of it was insignificant as they stayed in this home. In this quiet town lived a lone house inhabited by one family. 

Fallen Fates

['sleepserum']

Explicit

M/M

原神 | Genshin Impact (Video Game), 崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Gepard (Honkai: Star Rail)/Kong | Aether (Genshin Impact)

Kong | Aether (Genshin Impact), Gepard (Honkai: Star Rail)

Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossover, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Emotional Manipulation, Mental Instability, Mental Disintegration, Imprisonment, Blood and Gore, Marriage, Decapitation, Vomiting, Urination, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Childbirth

English

2021-10-30

Completed

2021-10-30

8,062

1/1

1

58

2

1,475

['RichardPham', 'Thals_Pinetreee', 'HobiVersed', 'Tw4dsYq1066q', 'xxxrsssimppp', 'Padavan', 'Lucicq', 'daisukekambe', 'Kotofeila', 'syydneyy', 'asdfjkle', 'Some136796_1', 'fluffybrowniees', 'Cinnamonbbuly', 'M_mow', 'voidsie', 'Applepi226', 'leiflindgren', 'Ellunaria', 'soraputhyeater', 'ReyesOR', 'AngelDemigod', 'aplcidre', 'momochou', 'soulgazing', 'mia_nash17', 'luciada', 'MemoMerry', 'Berisboxno242', 'boywife_topia', 'Asa_mune', 'heavenshole', 'HourGlassesSan', 'Mulmangcho']

[]

I Belobog’s defenses had fallen. After all, there was only so much the Silvermane Guards could do without their Captain.  It had been three months since he first filed his leave of absence. It was supposed to be a leave worth one month, but his radio silence extended until it came to the third month. In fact, the very first day that Gepard went missing after his official leave, the Union had sent out their troops to find the missing Captain, scouring every inch of Belobog territory endlessly. From one house to another, and venturing deep into the mountains and forests to find their lost Captain. Alas, it was as though their Captain had disappeared from the trace of their world. Despite the rigorous and endless searching, and the fruitless efforts, the Union refused to publicize the loss of their Captain to the citizens. Alarming them would only spread gossips and news about the Union’s mismanagement. Furthermore, if any of these are to be leaked to enemy territories, an ambush could prove to be fatal. Gepard had been proficient in handling strategies and impromptu defenses against all their previous ambushes. His quick thinking matched with his iron strength was what kept the walls of Belobog impenetrable.  And when news of him missing would spread, it might be the day Belobog truly falls.   That was why the Union would continue to search for Gepard for even Heroes had their time of vulnerability, and the Union would not so easily give up on their pride to salvage their Iron Defense. Gepard, he who led his troops with nobility and vigor, with quiet strength and sharp intelligence. Belobog would not dare to stop finding Gepard until they found his dead body. Their perseverance was admirable, sleepless nights and continuous planning — they were all ready to serve the Union and Belobog in returning to its pristine state of solid defense, however, there came a time of realization. Then came the time when the third month dawned.  Their hopes were beginning to thin, unsalvageable, even, and the possibility of rescuing their Captain was darkening by the day. The thought had crossed all their mind that, perhaps, by the time they find him… it could be too late. Nearly half the leaders of the Board of Directors voted to drop the mission in finding Gepard, focusing all the manpower on rebuilding Belobog’s defense. Although it was understood by all it was simply in the best interest of the city and its citizens to build a new Iron wall, many of the leaders voted to pursue the mission. If it was possible an enemy territory had been the one who slain their Captain, it would be impossible for someone new to fill Gepard’s position in leading the Silvermane guards. Serval was no different. Being the sibling of Gepard, she set aside her work for music to pursue finding her brother. The tailor, Miss Vera, had disappeared not too long after they met, leaving not even a trace of her in her shop. One week later, it was found that Vera had committed suicide in the Ore Forests by hanging herself from a tree. No note, nothing. Her death was left as a mystery to everyone. But Serval knew at least a glimpse of her story: that her brother ordered Miss Vera to make four dresses daily with a unique design. And a final project: a wedding gown. In that town, there was a well-known and skilled metal craftsman, known for his metalworks with trinkets and accessories. Serval had also interrogated him.  “He was a tall, young lad. Had the same hair color as you, Ma’am. Although without the blue highlight.” The metal craftsman said, “He gave me pure gold, raw and glistening, it even seemed like the gold wasn’t for this world…! But what had caught my interest was the ores he brought along. It was a few rough and pure crystals I’ve never seen. Crystal clear, Ma’am, they were sparkling on their own that I could’ve sworn I began hearing twinkling at that moment. He ordered me to create a pair of wedding rings using the materials he gave. There wasn’t anything particularly odd about him, although I did notice he was rather nervous. Shaky hands and all that.” But those were too loose of an information. Serval couldn’t possibly report such baseless information to the Union. Even if the description matched, it was as though no one knew for certain it was Gepard. And to think Gepard was not only popular amongst the citizens of Belobog, but also to neighboring cities and towns. He was a pride and joy like no other. His raw talent and his steadfast perseverance, his undying loyalty to his affiliations had made him a role model to people across the world. And even just the mention of Gepard’s name should have made people look ahead with anticipation and awe. Everyone knew Belobog’s Head of Defense, it was impossible not to know his name, his strength, and his feats. But did that mean that Gepard changed that much in his physical form? Would Serval even recognize him when they finally meet again? Those questions floating at the shores of her thoughts. Still, even with the doubt increasing each day, Serval never gave up on finding her brother. And just as she was about to leave the walls of Belobog to travel again she heard a passing conversation. “It was sooo romantic, people even say it’s not just a fairytale but it’s real!” A young teenage girl was walking beside her friend, a basket of apples in her grasp as the other lady had a basket of oranges. They had just gone from the Market lane this fine morning and they must be on their way to their homes. “A real life? That is so heartbreaking, how can you think it’s so romantic!” She cried out with a frown of distress, “The old lady said that the man carried a big shield on his back, and yet he still carried his legless wife who was tucked in a basket strapped on his chest. That has to be the saddest relationship I’ve ever heard!” She shook her head and had a hand over her chest, “I just can’t think of the sorrow or the pity he feels as he carries his disabled lover, and what do you think the woman feels? I presume she must be feeling pitiful of herself, downright disappointed in herself — perhaps even guilty!” She rolled her eyes, “Oh, what a pessimist.” She waved her hand, “That man adored his lover, knew the danger of the world. And even as he brought such a heavy weapon such as his shield, in battle he, too, carried his wife with him. And how romantic is that? His wife had no legs still he created a basket where his wife could be as he carried her during his travels, talk about in love and devoted!” She swooned and sighed, “Now that is a couple of the world, I would love to see them in person…!” Still, the girl with oranges and kiwis begged to disagree, “I don't know Fedya, I just think there’s something wrong with the story. Then again, my mama has said that there is this couple has been wandering from town to town… and she’s told me that the wife was always hidden with a veil, still, there would be crystals or sparkling dust left in their trail, that was what the people have said, I’m not sure about it myself.” “Oh, how heavenesque! I want to see this couple…!” Soon enough, the two girls parted ways as they went to their respective houses. Two doors were slammed shut and Serval’s eyes widened. A wedding gown without a skirt. A man and a woman wherein the woman was in a basket for she had no legs. That would explain it all. II “Gepard, when can I open my eyes?” Aether let out a soft and girlish giggle as he kept a secure hold around Gepard's torso, his face burying at the crook of his neck. He could hear the steady footsteps into the thick and heavy snow trail as well as the howling of the winds, but even with all that, Aether could hear Gepard's heartbeat even stronger.  “ Sssh, keep your eyes closed.” Gepard turned his head and gave a small kiss on the side of Aether's head, he sighed into his lover's ear and smiled, “We'll start our life there, and I want your first sight of it to be a memorable one.” He sighed, “After months of looking for venues,  it was difficult to find where we could hold our ceremony.” Aether kissed his lover’s neck, “Thank you, Gepard, and I’m sorry you carry so much weight—” “I would carry you all my life if I could.” Gepard interjected proudly, “With you, everything is even lighter — my body, this shield that will grant us protection. You’ve made everything easier for me, Aether.” And the weight of his emotions, too, had dissipated and he had never felt any freer than before. The weight of righteousness and indifference pushed all his sentiments until he’d forgotten what it was to feel human and to feel alive, driven merely by duty, he became a human tool for war. Now, he was more than alive with Aether. “Gepard…” “We’re… we’re here Aether…! Open your eyes, my love…!” Gepard breathed out and Aether opened his eyes. But before he was still facing his husband’s chest, he couldn't turn properly while in a basket. Soon, Gepard had taken off his shield letting it drop on the earthen ground as he removed the basket strapped onto his shoulders. He turned the basket around and now Aether was able to get a good look at the place. It was an old and rundown chapel with a small house attached to it from the side, it seemed to be an orphanage or of some sort. Aether’s eyes widened and his cheeks flushed with warmth, “how did you find this palace, it looks beautiful…!” Gepard let out a small smile, dragging his shield inside, “It’s even more beautiful inside.” Although it wasn’t as clean outside, the vines were already crawling all around the building, inside, it was clean and hollow. Dark, but cool and safe. Aether looked at the windows in stained glass art, and his mouth gaped wide in awe, “Wow—” the way the sun shone into it gave rays of gold, blue, and with shades of purples around the place, “If I could be in love with a place, this would be it.” He raised his arms to wrap around his Gepard and sighed into his neck, “I love you.” Gepard hummed contemplatively as he brought his shield to the altar stage and placed Aether’s basket on the altar table. In Gepard’s grasp, too, was a bag and he smiled, “My final dress for you, Aether.” he opened the bag and took our a white gown, intricately patterned with fragments of crystals and layered with stardust, each shift, and ruffle of fabric echoed a twinkle and there was a familiar scent that wafted in the air, something akin to home, similar to a cold breeze in fall, carrying the fragrance of spring. “And you’ll wear this always, hm?” Aether watched as Gepard helped him out of the basket and Aether promptly sat down on the table as he smiled and nodded, “Of course.” Slowly, Gepard removed Aether’s cloak, then the first ribbon and layer of his dress, until it went to the undergarments, but he let Aether wear the silken cream-colored camisole first, taking a step back as he admired the way the stained glass art reflected colored of sunlight on his Aether. “You’re just like a God, Aether.” And undressing him on the altar table felt revitalizing — it spurred a new kind of emotion in Gepard’s heart that his hands began to shake. And, of course, Aether had noticed that evident with the furrow of his brows and the tilt of his head, “Don’t worry, I was just overwhelmed at what I’m doing.” He admitted as he walked back up to the altar table and bunched up the camisole until it slipped past Aether’s arms and head.  Aether shifted and wiggled his uneven thighs, spreading it slightly to show the thin, satin panties he still wore and smiled cheekily. Gepard chuckled, hooking his thick and long finger by the garter and pulling it down, revealing the swollen cunt leaking with juices and his cum. Right before their journey, He had filled Aether’s womb with his cum and he was pleased to see that there were still some left inside. Teasingly, his hand slapped his lover’s cunt, earning a yelp and a blush.  “I was afraid the ring would get lost.” He quipped as he remembered three months ago when he proposed to Aether. “While you were sleeping I had it tucked inside carefully, it took everything in me to keep you from going to the toilet or accidentally wetting the sheets, if you pushed it out while squirting, I’d be embarrassed.” Gepard laughed and hugged Aether tight, rubbed the back of his lover’s head, and kissed his forehead. “I was overwhelmed with happiness and surprise, really, I don’t think anyone else would’ve thought of putting a ring inside their vagina.” Aether shifted in Gepard’s embrace and looked up, “I’m cold, will you dress me now?” He drew a small smile and saw the way Gepard’s expression melted in utter devotion. The dress was carefully worn, Aether pushed his arms through the sleeves and it was such soft and smooth fabric, the fit around his torso was perfect too, but it lacked the length to cover his crotch down to his thighs. His fiance’s name carved on his womb was visible and Aether couldn’t help but let out a whine of confusion, then he looked up at Gepard with a tilt of his head. “Should… should there be something covering under…?”  Gepard smiled, took out the veil, and admired the way Aether’s eyes glowed at the sight of it, “It’s to protect your face everyday, and to make sure your hair is safe too.” He kissed the top of Aether’s head through the veil and sighed, his hand brushing against the carved skin, pressing and tracing his finger against each letter, feeling a chill down his spine as he remembered vividly how the symbol faded from Aether’s skin. The euphoria he had felt at that moment changed his life even more. It was at that moment that his anxieties could rest, that there were truly no more ties with this Teyvat world. Aether gasped, sighing as he let himself be touched kindly, “If… if you could just give me my—” Aether’s words abruptly were choked up when he felt a strong and tight grip on his cheeks that two of his molars were pushed out of his gums. Aether’s eyes widened and he struggled to grasp on Gepard’s coat, “Guh…!” “I gave you your wings, Aether, and that’s what you’ll have. The one I gave, just as how I’m living the life you gave me.” He smiled and pulled Aether’s head into a kiss, his tongue slipped between to cscoop the fallen teeth into his own mouth, letting it sit between his molars and chewing it down to brittle fragments then swallowing it, “I’ll have all of you, Aether.”  Aether fell quiet, the blood tasted acrid as the new hollowness in his row of teeth felt odd. He blinked twice, his chest inwardly shaking as Gepard neatly placed the veil over his head. His visio unturned foggy as the thick cloth was over his face, The weight felt almost familiar, the way it twinkled each time he moved his head stole his breath away until tears were welling up at the corners of his eyes.  “There.” He gently squeezed Aether’s shoulders, “I’ll change my clothes too.” And when Aether thought that Gepard was going to leave, Gepard simply changed right in front of him. He bit onto his bottom lip and hung his head low. Aether clasped his hands together, looked at the way his ring gleamed at the sunlight’s reflection and he smiled. III A gloved hand reached out to grab Childe’s shoulder, Zhongli frowned as he shook his head, “Childe, there is no use for you risking your life to go to the Abyss again. I too have felt that Aether had lost his connections from our world, wherever he is now, he’s been changed.” Childe clicked his tongue and narrowed his gaze, “Physically.” He turned and looked at the other, “Zhongli, only physically. The mark Teyvat had left on Aether was only a physical indication. But that wouldn’t have changed what he felt. Even the Tsaritsa believes that Aether is still under Teyvat’s jurisdiction, that he is still the rightful God governing our world.”  He could never forget the last moment they shared, the last moment he had Aether in his arms. “I can’t leave now, Ajax, this pure soul has to be nourished.” Aether whispered in his ear as he was meaning into each thrust, “He’s a good man, perhaps this world could bear his virtues too.” Then they were chuckling against each other, kissing and grasping their shortened breaths. “And when I complete my mission here, I’ll come back to Teyvat, and I’ll bear its first Godling.” Aether had promised him that, that was why no matter how many worlds Aether traversed to, Ajax would find a way to battle through the Abyss and find him. He frowned as he closed his eyes, “I’m going to find Aether even if it takes all of my life force.” Still, Ajax couldn’t forget Gepard. The man who Aether was supposed to look after. Ajax didn’t like the look on his face when he left. That face of sheer humanity, it bled with undying love and devotion. In truth, Gepard and he never shared eye contact. Ajax knew that Gepard’s gaze was focused all on Aether. Ajax’s hands tensed into fists as he shook his head, “I should’ve gone with him when he left this world — I was the only one who could travel—” “You couldn’t have survived, Childe.” Zhongli sighed, “The only reason you could find Aether was because of the Abyss tearing a space in time and between universes and worlds, had it not been you sealing your fate with the Abyss, it wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.” Zhongli then crossed his arms, “You’ve been going in and out of the Abyss far too long, the Archons are worried.” Childe scoffed, “Worried, really? Or are you all worried you no longer have a tool to freely manipulate into the Abyss? They could barely give a damn to mankind, I don’t care about you Archons, not even Tsaritsa, what matters is that Aether is back here.” He waved his hand as the shadows pooled under his feet and slithered to wrap around his legs until it engulfed him whole. “I devoted my life to this world — not just one God, and Aether wasn’t just some God, he was the very star that gave life to our world.” And only a string of stardust was left floating in the air once Childe had disappeared, Zhongli eyed the dust until it had turned into nothing but thin air. Then, he walked outside the Golden House and looked up at the night sky. Since three years ago when he lost Aether's presence, he knew that something had gone wrong. Although Aether may have retrieved his identity as Teyvat’s Star, he was vulnerable to humanity — the very essence of mankind. IV Candles were lit, a lovely orange glow with a golden rim. Although it lacked an orchestra, the twinkling in their ears was more than enough. The afternoon was still young and the perfect gradient blanketed their complexions. Gepard stood right in front of the neatly arranged Altar table where Aether was sitting, snow-white flowers with red pistils in the middle.  Gepard went on one knee, looking up at his veiled lover, he reached to hold Aether’s hand and kissed the back of his palm, letting out a sigh and rubbing the smooth and thin fingers against his cheek. “For nearly five months I since I found you, I recall vividly your first words to me—” Gepard looked up with a gentle smile, a twinkle in his arched eyes as his cheeks were tinted pink, “ ’Help me,’ you said, but I realize now that it was I you have helped, saved, even.” Gepard sighed, disbelief and awe filling his heart as he could barely see Aether’s face through the thick and sparkling veil, “I’ve never felt any happier, freer, until you showed me what the truth and the light was, Aether. And I, henceforth, vow to preserve this light you shed. I vow, Aether, to pursue this life you’ve given me, And, truly, I vow to love you until I draw my last breath.” His cheeks began to hurt. For all these months he had never shown as much expression but meeting Aether has changed the entirety of him. He smiled more, cried more, begged, and screamed his lungs out, all because of Aether. Then it fell silent. The way the clouds passed by, momentarily shifting the lightness in the room, even then, Aether could still see through the veil and watch how Gepard’s gaze was unwavering. There was heat that pooled in his stomach, twisting his gut into uncomfortable and indescribable knots. He kept his words lumping in his throat, his body growing cold as he returned Gepard’s hold. He gave a reassuring squeeze of his hand and nodded, “I was never wrong with what I thought when I first met you, Gepard, your soul shone so brightly my very being crash-landed into this world, and I made it my very reason of living to be by your side.” Momentarily, he saw the people he left behind in Teyvat cross his mind, his other hand gently hovered over his womb where Gepard’s name was carved into his skin and he smiled, “Until now, I believe your soul to be unlike any other—” his words began to choke up as tears were welling up at the corners of his eyes, thick and salty until it hotly streamed down his cheeks, “That is why I, henceforth, vow, to devote my entire life to be yours, Gepard. I will take care of your heart, your mind, and your soul.” And I vow to make you God. Gepard stood up, walked closer to the altar table and he let go of Aether’s hand. He held the thick veil gently and pulled it over, revealing Aether’s fair and glowing face. The pink-tinted cheeks, the pink and plump lips, the golden-amber glowing eyes, and the curls of his silken, sunlit tresses that gleamed with little fragments of crystals. Gepard was speechless at how beautiful his lifelong lover was and he took in a deep breath, “I love you, Aether.” he cupped Aether’s cheeks and leaned in for a kiss. No fancy ceremonies, no cheers and whistles, no bouquets or wine, not even a slice of cake, none of those humanly lavishes. It was quiet, save for their hungry and breathy moans slipping and echoing loud and clear throughout the chapel. Aether merely sighed and melted into the kiss as he wrapped his arms around his now-husband and smiled. From this day onward, his duty was to be Gepard’s meaning of life and Aether took that responsibility to his heart. “I love you, Gepard, forever, I promise you that.” Slowly his back was pressed against the marble table and he looked up at his dear devotee whose eyes shone only of Aether’s reflection. Carefully, the veil was pulled up and over his head and, now, he could see his husband clearer than the day. Unlike before, Gepard wasn’t hasty in removing Aether's clothes. He was careful, gentle, and slow with untying each article of clothing. In the days before, each dress he wore would be ripped apart the day it was worn. It seemed that Gepard had finally come into terms that night he found Aether and that Ajax having sex on the bed he himself shared with Aether. Forgetting the envy and hurt that burned his mind when he saw the first dress he gave Aether scattered on the floor, untied and discarded by the hands of another man. Gepard shuddered a breath as his hands were squeezing Aether’s thighs, pinching the smooth flesh, pressing each dip between ribs, and sucking the fair and bruised skin of Aether’s neck. When Gepard would crouch over him like a vulgar bird of prey, Aether’s stomach stiffened and a gurgle bubbled and echoed, nearly letting out a wet squelch or a fart slip between his bare ass. The anxiety had Aether breathless and flushed as he watched his lover stare at his now-bare body exposed from the neck down, just the neck down for the veil was still clipped on his hair. Aether took a good look at the other, despite Gepard being undoubtedly tall already, he was even larger from his perspective with the garish accoutrements that expanded his width whenever he loomed over.  “It’s almost unreal to have you in this manner.” Gepard said in between bated breaths. His hand palmed against the plump pussy lips, bunching one lip between his fingers before pushing his thumb into the twitching hole of Aether’s cunt. He ignored the sharp breath and continued to soil his fingers with Aether’s juices, he let out a sigh and soon had his entire hand inside, spreading his fingers to stretch the canal further until he felt the slick and wrinkled muscles grip around his hand. Even in nearly five months, Aether never stopped letting out a sob, Gepard had hoped the proposal would’ve overwritten any other memory that tormented his wife. It seemed that Aether was still twisting in fear. The audibly loud shlick and squelch of Gepard’s hand going in and out at a rapid pace in his cunt was burning him inside, the way Gepard also stimulated his clit with harsh presses and rubs was making Aether cry out loud in strained sobs. The marble table was also so cool it stung his unhealed back that he could feel wounds reopening until underneath him felt slippery. Despite Aether’s string of cries, Gepard ignored it and continued his onslaught of stimuli. He reveled in the wet sniffles and choked up breaths Aether gasped for and found himself smiling fondly each time his wife’s body with twist and arch once his hand sunk deep enough he could flick his fingers against the cervix, teasingly knocking on the doors before forcible making his way in. He patted the cushions, the hard and wet walls as if making sure there was enough room for their child to settle in when it would ever form. Once Gepard deemed Aether’s uterus to be spacious enough, he pulled his hand out, pressed his wet hand on Aether’s heaving chest then smiled. He brushed the back of his fingers against his wife’s cheek, feeling the shiver Aether felt as he admired the arousal that burned Aether’s face.  Aether’s eyes were puffy and his breath coming out was barely anywhere hushed like concealed moans. The tears glazed his eyes as static ran throughout his body, crawling under his skin while Gepard raked his nails on his skin. Up and down, up and down, Gepard continued raking his fingers deep into his skin that Aether could feel the bumps when Gepard ran his hand down his ribs, until it stopped by his cunt. The rubbing of those rough and his pruney fingers were picking up its pace, continuing to rub, and rub, and dig, and dig, and oh God, he was coming, he was feeling so good, it felt so hot— “...!” His mouth gaped wide in a silent scream, eye scrolling to the back of his head as his uneven thighs were flapping like fish fins out of the water, slamming the marble table with loud slaps against the pool of pussy juices mixed in the blood seeping out of Aether's back. He was grabbing onto Gepard’s sleeve, his fingers digging deep into the thick cloth as he gritted his numbing and aching teeth, he was spurting a shocking amount of thick, slick, and fragrant clear liquid that practically soaked Gepard’s hand with a  cup full of his cunt juices. In Gepard’s hand was warm liquid, it was partially thick, it was definitely Aether’s cunt fluid, but there was a portion unmixed that was too watery, was it the semen spurted out by that tiny cock? He doubted, and when the cloud’s shadows had moved to give another shed of light on his hand, there was a tinge of yellow. Aether, while squirting, had urinated a paltry amount, though still recognizable. Nevertheless, Gepard watched as Aether's cock was still dribbling liquid, his pussy lips opening and closing as if it was breathing heavily. Still dazed, Aether turned his head to see through his foggy vision. His husband hadn’t even penetrated him with his cock yet he squirted so terribly that it drained his energy. Aether felt the exhaustion weakening his body but he felt hands carding through his silken tresses and he whined into Gepard’s warm hand, sighing in pleasure with raspy breaths — until Gepard’s hand dug its fingernails into his scalp and Aether’s eyes widened, a screech leaving his lips. A clear warning. That’s what it meant. And the adrenaline made his eyes shoot wide as he was wide awake and alert.  “You pretty little thing.” Gepard brushed their cheeks together, then he kissed the crook of Aether’s nose and in between the bridge and the dip of the eye. He could feel Aether melting in his arms, and he let out a pleased hum, “Come closer, snuggle closer to me, Aether.” And his wife obediently followed his words. Even when Aether had difficulty in pulling himself up, Gepard made sure to support him, wrapping his arms around his waist and pressing his hand on Aether’s back. The hot blood was beginning to pour out of Aether’s wounds, the unhealed back still deep. Gepard wondered why it was only the ruined wings that wouldn’t heal.  Partially, Gepard was nervous if it meant that Aether still held onto the possibility his wings would return, that he would have a chance to leave, and that very thought drilled fear down to every bit of Gepard’s nerves. “Why… why won't these heal…” Gepard bit his lip as he felt a pressure throbbing at the back of his mind. The excruciating pain of heartache took his senses away as he traced his fingers to the two oval-shaped wounds on Aether’s back. The wings back then had floated, disappeared when Aether rested, but when he pulled it away, the invisible string of skin and nerves attaching itself on Aether's body tore apart and it bled copious amounts of blood and crystals. He circled his hands at the warm wounds, coating the cool skin with momentary heat from Aether’s body as Gepard tried to pull and push the two ends of the skin together, hoping it would heal sooner.   Aether dug his hand into Gepard’s coat enough that his hands were scratching through it. He gritted his teeth and sighed whilst Gepard, “It won’t ever heal, Gepard… It’s okay — don’t worry, I won’t leave—” He kissed his husband’s neck, “It’ll be just like that, I’m afraid… I’m sorry—” Was that the truth? Gepard looked intoAether’s eyes. Wide and innocent, full of love. It must be true, right? Gepard shuddered a sigh and embraced his wife, his hands lowered themselves, still wet with strings of blood and he massaged the rugged edges of the pudgy lower half of Aether’s thighs. “You won’t even be able to comprehend how happy I am that I’ll be able to carry you all my life—” Gepard said as he glanced at his shield. The shield he used to protect Belobog. The very shield that held a part of his pride as a Captain of Silvermane. All of which he has abandoned all for the new fate he paved for himself, no, Aether had paved for him. And he followed with steadfast love and loyalty, believing the utmost beautiful future in the end. He sighed and pushed his hands up to massage the inner thighs until he was twisting, inching, and flicking his finger against the swollen pussy lips, smiling fondly as the cocklet twitched and hardened until it leaked precum.  Aether raised his hands to curl up against his mouth, biting onto his lips as Gepard began teasing his sensitive clit. He gulped nervously as he rocked his hips to his husband’s palm, letting the finger dig even deeper into his canal. Aether sighed long and shaky until his breath hitched when Gepard pulled his hand away and unzipped his pants, echoing a rustle of fabric and letting the hardened and reddened cock spring free. It was so red and veiny that Aether had to hold his breath momentarily. Because Gepard was pale, the way the blood rushed to his penis made it too distinct. His thighs were contracting, his pussy leaking as his nipples hardened on their own.  Gepard was amused when he saw how much Aether’s body reacted, more so when the slit of his cockhead finally brushed against Aether’s protruding clit. The way his wife mewled and keened made his dick twitch in arousal. More so when Aether finally moaned as he slowly pressed his length into the canal, pushing deeper and he let out a groan of pleasure when the muscles tensed around him, wrapping tightly that it was milking the semen out of him before he could even orgasm. “You’re even tighter, love.” He grinned and peppered his wife with short and fleeting kisses, licking the beads of sweat and eating the crystals, taking a strong whiff of the line of dust across Aether’s hairline, enough it was getting him into a new high.  Hard and measured thrusts, once, twice, and thrice in quick successions, the loud and repetitive thwapthwapthwap of Gepard’s balls slapping against the soft buttocks, the shlickslickslick of their fluids mixing and sloshing were echoing that Aether couldn’t help but be hyper-aware and drown in the embarrassment of it all. Timidly, obediently, and even shakily, he moaned out a cry as he buried his face into Gepard’s coat, thick strings of saliva drooling out of his mouth as he gasped and hiccuped at each strong thrust, the thick and large penis was curling and breaking right into his already torn cervix, slamming its way into the back of his uterus. The soft and strained mewls that left his lips were high-pitched enough that nearby glass decors and vases began to crack, and even Gepard’s ears began to trickle slight blood.  A loud snarl sounded through the air and Gepard felt the way Aether tensed around his cock, fluids secreting and he shifted further forward, he could feel Aether's pussy was flattening against his crotch at each slam and thrust and he breathed against Aether's ear, “Coming, coming… ” Even if Aether climaxed a little bit earlier, his wife still held onto him tightly while convulsing, the post-orgasm sensitivity was making him tense and vulnerable, crying out sharp cries and whines. Gepard chased his wife’s high with even harder thrust, slamming through the fleshy walls until thick spurts finally released themselves in a pressure strong enough the cum pushed itself out.  Carefully, Aether was laid back on the altar table, thick and heavy tears streaming down as it sank into his scalp and latched onto the strands of his hair. He shuddered a hot breath, panting and catching his air. His entire body still felt sensitive but as he turned his head and looked at his husband, Gepard’s cock was still standing and perhaps harder than earlier. The acid was bubbling in Aether's stomach and the warmth pooled in his womb until his cock was spurting a long trajectory of his urine, tears were gushing from his eyes as his hands shakily tried to wipe his continuous streams of crying. The hot piss that shot out of his penis made his body quake and his cunt was pushing and inhaling the globs of cum pooling out of his pussy.  Gepard was watching his wife cough and gag, he stayed still, his hand tracing the letters of his name on his wife’s womb, a small band of light encircled his wife’s waist until it strapped itself on the skin. The white light sunk and traveled to trace each letter of his name, once it melted the light formed into multiple rings, drawing a new symbol that glowed over the womb. A blood-curdling scream followed after, as if possessed, Aether’s body arched over the table, widely shaking and begging for the burning to stop.  “Ahhg…! Hhngg…! Help me..! It hurts, it hurts, help me…!” he choked and cried out, his body was twisting in agony, writhing at the scathing heat that his skin already tinted pink and red at the burning sensation as the new symbol was carving itself on his womb, the ribbon of light even extended to run to his clit, as though locking it with a ring. “Gepard…! Gepard… please…!” Aether’s eyes were wide as he looked through the tear-strained vision, he could see Gepard standing still and Aether’s mind went in a haze, “It hurts, everything hurts, Gepard…!” Another painful scream sharply sounded through the air, breaking the glasses around. The hot white light had a shade of gold and blue and it dug itself into Aether’s cunt. Awe. Breathlessness. The shortness of breath that had twisted his lungs and snapped his throat was short-circuiting his thoughts and burning his sentiments. It was a moment Gepard knew he would never see again. The bands of light were completely binding Aether with a ring of white, gold and blue. He watched his wife thrash around the ivory-white marble table, the light latching onto his skin as Aether was spilling his tears out. He was hiccuping, burping until thick chunks of brown and beige were spurting out of his mouth, Aether had turned to the side, vomiting a copious amount of bile until the thick volume turned into watery and light-colored ones, strings of red followed after and the pungent scent of rotten food wafted in the air.   “Guh…! Guehh…! Ehhuuah…! Ehhph…!” Aether cried out, his body curling in agony as he shook his head, “Heahse…!” The urine was gushing out everywhere and Aether’s thighs were flapping against the mixture of liquids: blood, sweat, urine, bile, and cum. Gepard looked at the stained glass art of the chapel, it was darkening, the oranges already drowned out by the blues and violets of the night sky. Only the candles and Aether’s body were left to illuminate the altar and his hand pressed against the light on Aether’s womb. With his other hand, he pulled the veil and covered his lover’s head. He carried his trembling and crying wife in his arms and they stepped down the stairs down the aisle. In the dark, Aether shone brightly with a new light.  V The birds were chirping, the whistles of the wind through the trees were loud and in harmony. The cooling breeze of summer indicated that the season was slowly ending. With a mere gust of wind, there was the fragrance of floral essence in the air. Spring was soon to come, and the berries were also growing ripe.  There had been a story of old, of a man and a woman who traveled together. The man carried his wife in a basket for she had lost her legs. They lived deep in the mountains, many have said, but no one dared to truly find out for every night there would be an echo of a woman’s cry tearing through the heavens, and it was said that shooting stars had become prevalent the past two years. Each night, despite the woman’s cries, shooting stars that granted promises of good health and fortune showered over the city of Belobog as well as the nearby towns. It was said the man carried not only his wife, but a shield so large and heavy on his back. Protecting himself and his vulnerable wife from the dangers of the world. It was a tale of tragedy but of utter romance, they said. But, to some, there had been stories that the wife was an angel and the man was a greedy and cruel human who tore off her wings, and broke her legs, claiming the angel all for himself. This story narrated a different perspective, children feared the mountains that cried such a sorrowful song for the fallen angel begged to be one with the heavens once again. But these were mere tales. In these two years, Belobog had struggled to regain its status and security without the Stout Defender of the Union. Dead. They have all believed that the Captain of the Sivlermane Guards passed away in an unfortunate accident. His body had never been found, but for too long, his absence gave everyone the unanimous assumption he suffered a tragic fate. It took Serval a year before she could succumb to the Union’s decision. Even with the information she had, it wasn’t enough and her brother was truly gone from her. Belobog’s pride and joy, Belobog’s Iron Defense — he, Gepard, had finally fallen. But the world did not revolve around a single man. Illnesses and the corruption of mankind continued to spread throughout Belobog and other cities, targeting the weakest villages and towns first until the smaller provinces were left deserted. The immigrants, with no home left to return to, have gone separate ways in various cities, or, instead have chosen to hide away in the forests. Whether they have survived or not was between themselves and their Maker. Once again, tonight, the cries echoed throughout the mountains, reaching even to the nearby towns and haunting their sleep with a cry from the caged angel.  “Hhngg…! It hurts…! Agh…!” Aether cried out, his grip on the sheets behind his head as tight as he was breathing sharp and heavy, his thighs were spread as wide as he could as his husband was right in between, his hands carefully pulling out the head being pushed out of Aether's cunt.  “Just push, Aether, you're getting there! Our baby’s head is out, just push a bit more, okay? I’ve got you…!” Gepard was sweating buckets in their small house with only a mere oil lamp surrounding them to give light. His wife was finally giving birth to their first child and he was carefully assisting Aether through the process. His brows furrowed as he watched Aether in such twisted pain and he nodded, “It’s alright, take a deep breath, take your time okay? Don’t give up, hm?” He momentarily let go of the child and kissed his wife's womb, the rings of light pulsating, and Aether felt another surge of energy as he began to push the child out. With a few more cries, as well as loud and strong umphs, Aether had thoroughly pushed the child out and the hollowness of it all deflated him. He immediately relaxed back on the mattress and Gepard quickly cut the umbilical cord, washed the baby with a damp towel then wrapped the child in a new blanket, “Aether, our son…!” he inched closer and brought the crying infant to Aether’s side. Lovingly, he watched the way Aether’s eyes twitched wide in awe. Aether struggled to open his eyes and he drew a smile, blinking twice as he looked through the thick veil to see his fair-skinned son in his husband’s arms, “He’s beautiful…” He looked up at Gepard and grinned with his pale face and chapped lips, “I promised you, right…? I’d give you a family—” and his words stopped when Gepard set the child down in a nearby crib. “Gepard…?” he rasped out his husband’s name and suddenly a handful of his hair was pulled and he was dragged away. His body was so sore and everything from the head down was throbbing and aching. He stifled his cries as to not affect the child with both his hands cupping over his mouth tightly. He couldn’t even shake his head with how tightly Gepard was holding his hair, “Mngh… gh…! Hhueh…!” The door creaked open and they were at the connected chapel of their home. Aether’s eyes widened as he frantically looked left and right, “Gepard, Gepard?” Until now, he had worn the dress from the day they wed, and until now, the veil still heavily crowning him.  “Now, you can’t leave me, right?” Gepard broke the silence once they arrived at the foot of the stairs towards the altar. The very altar where they exchanged their vows, and the very altar where they spent their first night on.  Aether tilted his head, still unable to look at his husband, and let out a nervous choke, “I… I never would—” Gepard pulled Aether up the altar, the legless body bumping at each step and the edges hitting sharply against Aether’s tailbone. Gepard could hear little crying and he smiled as he walked behind the table, shopping his unfolded shield that was laying on the floor where the stained glass perfectly directed its reflection from the moonlight. He let go of Aether's hair and knelt down, carrying his wife by hooking his arms under Aether’s armpits. “I’ll seal that promise.” Aether's eyes were wide at Gepard’s shield and the horror was evident in his face with how wide both his eyes and mouth were, his nostrils flared and his face ran hot but the exhaustion of having just given birth made him weak. “No, no, no…! Gepard—!” From the shoulder down, Aether was situated at the middle of the shield, with his left hand and his head peeking out, “Don’t move.” Gepard strapped his wife on the shield with a thick leather belt and smiled. Too afraid, too surprised he was frozen on the spot, his heart was beating out of his chest and Gepard quickly pulled the other side of the shield, folding it slam shut. Clangclang , the loud ring of metal resounded, snapsnapcrucnhsnap followed with the synchronous crunch and snap of bones along with the wet and thick squelches of muscle and innards exploding at the heavy and sharp impact.  With the veil still in between the folded shield, the now detached head was cradled in the veil as the hand had fallen off and lay twitching on the wooden floor. Gepard slowly opened the shield, looking at the innards that were stuck in between, despite being flattened, he could discern which is which, after all, the organs were still fairly close to where they originally were. The intestines, however, took up a large spot in his shield’s area. When the shield was fully open, the head fell off, rolling into the veil that blanketed all around it. He slowly walked up to the rolling head, unclasped the leather belt.  Just like their wedding, just like their wedding. He pulled the long veil and watched Aether’s wide eyes still glowing bright, thick crystals continuously streaming and the hair as bright as the morning sun. Gepard tilted his head as a sigh of relief left his lips. The rings of light grew to wrap themselves from the bloodily dripping neck, stopping the flow of blood until it was completely sealed. “Now you can never bear Teyvat’s child, Aether.” He saw the way Another's eyes widened and he smiled, pressing a kiss on Aether’s hairline, tasting the sweet stardust slick with salty sweat, “Thank you.” Then a kiss between Aether's eyes, “Thank you.” Then on the tip of Aether’s nose and both cheeks, “Thank you,” Finally, on Aether's lips, long, and slow, “I love you.” Drowned in their deepened kiss, behind Gepard, there was still Aether’s cut-off hand stayed still, the wedding ring wrapped around the ring finger glowing a small golden light.

Starfell Sacrilege

['sleepserum']

Explicit

M/M

原神 | Genshin Impact (Video Game), 崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game)

Gepard (Honkai: Star Rail)/Kong | Aether (Genshin Impact)

Kong | Aether (Genshin Impact), Gepard (Honkai: Star Rail), Serval (Honkai: Star Rail)

Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossover, Intersex Kong | Aether (Genshin Impact), Obsessive Behavior, Physical Abuse, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Emotional Manipulation, Mental Instability, Mental Disintegration, Domestic Violence, Imprisonment, Cutting, Marriage Proposal

English

2021-10-29

Completed

2021-10-29

6,349

1/1

1

84

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I It had been obvious that the balance was broken, but Serval hadn’t thought too much about it. Since a month ago, his brother had disappeared from the Union and Belobog’s walls completely. Although his absence has caused a frayed string in the Union’s defense, the Silvermane Guards were not honored of their position if it hadn’t been for their strength and noble courage to continue defending their city. Even without their respective leaders, they were strong men on their own, bringing a collective pride to Belobog’s defenses. Still, a month. Her brother had never disappeared for that long, in fact, Gepard had never dared to leave Belobog out of his sight for more than a day. The week before the month ago was already suspicious enough, but she had brushed it off knowing that Gepard, though he was as scrupulous as ever, was still a human being. And Serval knew that the leaders had approved of his leave, knew that there must’ve been a justifiable reason for his month leave, but there was this underlying trepidation that distracted her. A month and a week ago, that was the last time she saw Gepard, and though they normally never cross-paths, at that moment, it felt as if fate was telling her that might just be the last time she would ever see him. Serval had that gut feeling, but she never believed in such, knowing that, even from a distance, her brother would spend the rest of his life being strong and being Belobog’s Pride. What had she overlooked from that moment? The complacency? The shallow enthusiasm? When she had affectionately teased her brother, it felt dry now that she was thinking about it. Her brother had entertained her quip, however, was it effective? That was the question left hanging at the shores of her thoughts. Or, possibly, was he simply that distracted, too caught up in his personal predicament? For the years they had drifted apart, Serval had doubts if she truly understood her brother, or even had the capability to still do so. She clicked her tongue, head tipping in the process as her toes were tapping against the ground, her arms crossed and she looked at the music sheet she was writing not too long ago until her thoughts had been thwarted away by anxiety.  “I need to get to the bottom of this.” She muttered to herself as she stood up from her seat and left her place. She didn’t make it a habit to visit the castle of Belobog frequently, no, oftentimes helping out when she had the time, but what had made her trips more enjoyable was to see her brother being a better man than yesterday. Stronger than ever, at the cost that he hid away every fragment of his emotion. Since the day he won a battle against her, she had never seen Gepard shed a tear, pursuing to be stronger, to be better, all for the sake of Belobog. And that devotion, loyalty, to the nation and its people was admirable, until Sevral realized that Gepard was still capable of perhaps being usurped by human nature: love. If it was true that one unique woman had caught Gepard’s interest, what was she like? What could have penetrated through Belobog’s Iron Defense? By the time she reached the Union she saw a familiar face, the Head researcher, who was busy carrying boxes to his laboratory underground. She rushed to his side, showed a small smile and it seemed he was already catching the message with the slump of his shoulders and the sigh of exasperation.  “No, Gepard hasn’t gone to work. He should be here tomorrow though.” He said and raised a brow when he saw Serval’s open arms, “Get the box at the top, be careful with it, it’s fragile.” Serval gave a polite smile, carefully picking up the top box and saw a glimpse of the one at the bottom. Books and notebooks, a few brochures and maps folded neatly in quarters too. “I know. But I was hoping I could get some information from you, last time I saw him, we were supposed to have a meal, just for the sake of acquaintanceship at the very least, and, as his sister, or, at the very least, a concerned citizen of Belobog I was curious what had thrown our greatest Defense off his focus.” She glanced at the researcher who kept a straight expression, “You wouldn't happen to know even a single detail, no?” “No.” He replied curtly, “He was distracted, yes, he was… worried.” He added. Then they turned to the staircase down to the laboratories, “Truthfully, I couldn’t let myself dawdle or get myself preoccupied with his predicaments, I had my own problems that concerned the entirety of Belobog’s research, and possibly may even concern the entire world.” Serval had to think twice if the researcher was merely averting the conversation, but she had to admit her interest was also piqued, “Hm, what is it?” He was quiet, keeping his silence until they arrived at his dark and dreary laboratory. He opened the door, switched the lights on where maps, lines, photographs, and drawings were pinned on the cork boards attached to the wall. Chemicals were bubbling, the flasks with a quarter of differently colored liquids, but it was the peculiar stinging scent that made Serval out of place. The scent wasn't exactly like burnt crisp, nor was it anywhere like menthol.  If the void and the light had a scent, it would’ve been this indescribable smell. Not pungent, not quite fragrant, but it definitely existed. “Two months ago, there was an anomaly that crossed the stars above our world, it seemed to be a meteor crashing right into Belobog’s territory. Due to its confidentiality, only a few people were given this information. He set his box on the empty table, Serval following him with her own box, but he also noticed the narrowed gaze she wore as if questioning why such confidential information was being shared with her, “and I know your questions, Serval. But, first, let me explain what happened before.” He opened a map where he drew lines across, as well as pulled another sheet of paper with symbols and equations, “At that time two months ago, there was a drastic shift in my experiments, its energy — both light and sound, affected the development of the organisms I had kept.” “And I assume this meteor should be in your possession now, no?” Serval crossed her arms. He shook his head, “No, we couldn’t track it down. It’s possible that the star had only crossed our galaxy with its energy being so strong that it penetrated our atmosphere, momentarily changing our world. That was what I believed for around a week or so until I found Gepard acting aloof in the negative sense.” He looked at her with a frown, “He was absent-minded that his cup of coffee went cold, gave him another and he never even questioned I took the cold cup. I took it to my laboratory and saw odd crystals were formed underneath, along with a strand of his hair. I took it under testing, other than Gepard’s DNA being caught, the crystals were unidentifiable.” Serval’s eyes widened, “He was in contact with that meteor, wasn’t he?” He nodded, “It’s possible, even, that it wasn’t a rock, but might’ve been a whole living being.” he sighed, “But because he disappeared for a week after that, then came back to work with a file for a month’s leave, I couldn’t get any more information from him.”  “I’ll go find him. I'll try to find records of where he built temporary shelters when he’s on borderland surveillance. He needs a palace to stay after all.” Serval cupped her chin, “But why wouldn’t he report it to the superiors…?” “Addiction. Manipulation.” The researcher interjected, “It’s an anomaly, an unknown object or being, and exposure to it may cause a change in hormones, and his very psychology. And if we consider the first time I saw his disoriented, it might have been already a week of exposure to that anomaly’s substance.” He let out a deep sigh, “Because you’re his family, please let me know right away what you find.” “Why didn’t you tell the leaders about this, they could have refused his leave?” She pressed. “The leaders don’t know about this.” Her eyes widened, “What do you mean? Are you—” “Your brother could die, Serval. If the leaders found out that he’s been corrupted, weakened, swayed from his duty and virtues, he would be removed from his position as the Captain of Silvermane, and he would be put in laboratories for research. You could consider yourself losing a sibling at that point then, that’s why I’m trying to minimize the damages by doing it discreetly.” Serval was quiet for a moment, “Gepard isn’t even your close friend, why are you doing this much. You wouldn't be personally affected if Gepard were taken away.”  “Belobog needs him. There is no one who could replace Gepard in the Silvermane Guards, you know that.”  He was right, Belobog needed Gepard. II “Thank you.” …  “I love you.” …  “Thank you.” The same two phrases repeated like a broken mantra. Gepard was on his knees, his hand shaking as he held both of Aether’s hands that were much thinner since the day they first met. While before it was beautifully slender, now it was bone-thin like a withering corpse. Aether stared at the newly changed sheets, the fluffy cream-colored blankets over his lap, and stared at the ribbons of his dress, unlike a month ago, Gepard had changed his attire, returned the pretty dress design with frills and ribbons, back to that comfortable and pretty wardrobe of finely selected Belobog fabrics and patterns. Because of how cold Belobog was, the old dress that was practically thinner than paper was no better than being nude.  A month. It had been that long since he last saw Ajax. Before he fell into this world, there were chances he could meet the Abyssian outlier. Even when Aether had fled Teyvat to pursue his journey as a wayward, rogue star. It had been a month since he was embraced in his dear’s arms. Being in the coolness of Ajax’s shadows brought tranquility in the way his body burned. No matter how cold his skin turned, everything inside felt like a ring of fire all being lit up at even the slightest touch of Ajax. Aether didn't spare a glance to the man who was on his knees, kissing every joint of his fingers and licking his hand, lightly biting on his wrist and peppering kisses down his arms up to his shoulders. Even when Gepard was shuddering pleasured breaths against his palm, Aether felt colder by the second. Another pleased and hot sigh left his lips as he kissed the back of Aether’s palm, “I need you, Aether.” Teal irises looked up and found themselves looking into golden ones, the bright glow of amber rings in those sunlit irises flushed warmth in Gepard's chest and he couldn’t help but jump into their bed, wrapping Aether in his arms and kissing the crook of his neck. Another pleasured sigh left his lips, his breath brushing against Aether’s skin, and the way his dear Aether shivered almost sent a tingle down his spine.  It only took two weeks for Aether’s legs to heal, only half his thighs were left and Gepard looked after him to make sure his lover was healing accordingly and the skin eventually found itself sealing the large wound. Gepard was growing worried that his dear Aether was going to die from blood loss, he had done all he could with his knowledge of medicine to save his lover — he dreaded the thought of seeking help. He couldn’t risk the chance of letting anyone else see Aether. As he was cuddling his tiny Aether, his hands slipping under the ruffles of fabrics, pinching and brushing his calloused hand against Aether’s smooth skin, he heard a squeak from the other. “Ajax—” Gepard froze. His breath hitched and his eyes were wide. He kept a tight hold around Aether. Pulling back meant that he would show his horrible face to his lover, he never wanted to repeat that moment when he first saw his frightened expression. That quiet look of horror. Gepard’s embrace was tighter, tighter that he could hear the twist and crack of his Aether’s bones. He inhaled a sharp breath and let out a shaky laugh, “Hm? What was that?” Aether squirmed whining and weakly sobbing as he felt himself at a loss of breath. Gasping for air as he clutched onto Gepard’s clothes, “ Hah— ” Even breathing in felt like he was swallowing needles.  “Hahn’th… hheahhth—” Aether cried out while shaking his head, but Gepard wouldn’t let him go. “Ahhahx… hahs… my… hah — huoh… lo… ver—” Now, Gepard let him go. Aether was coughing, choking, and his face felt hot. Albeit hesitantly, he looked up at Gepard whose face was in an indescribable form of sorrow and envy. “Geph… ard…” Aether's brows furrowed, tears welling up at the corners of his eyes. “My wings… bring me back… my wings… please… anything—” A month ago, in bed, like this, they never really spoke other than small stories. Aether would talk about his travels, how he experimented with berry after berry to check which would be the best for a quick snack as well as an ingredient for a full meal. But, never, never did Aether cry like this nor did he talk about his companions in Teyvat. This was the first time after a month. Gepard wanted to force himself to keep a cool composure, just like before, but he’d broken that facade of his since he met Aether. Everything about his very existence had already been redefined. Gepard remained silent and, this time, he embraced Aether carefully, slowly, and gently unlike his childish enthusiasm earlier or his ire-filled envy and desperation that nearly crushed his Aether. It was caring, understanding, patient, and his hand was rubbing gentle circles on Aether’s back. He wanted to listen. Aether was shivering, whether out of fear or the cold, not even God could decipher. He swallowed hard even with difficulty and closed his eyes, “He was a human who fell into the Abyss, since then gained nether powers, but a human can only take so much.” He sighed, remembering how Ajax, too, held the power of a Delusion. “But not only did the Gods favor him with a Vision, but his Queen also granted him a Delusion.” Aether found himself leaning closer to Gepard, wanting to hear the beating of a human heart again and he unconsciously found himself smiling in comfort, “Just like this, his heart was beating like this.” Aether sighed softly, “My wings — was how I fell into Teyvat in the first place, then… it was how I fell here — and how he could still manage to find me.”  “Did you really love him?” Gepard rasped out which caught Aether by surprise. “Did you see a future with him, Aether?” He probed further until Aether’s expression grew nervous, “What kind of future, Aether? A family, is that it? You, my Go—” He swallowed his words and drew a shaky smile, “I mean, a God, and a human?” Gepard shook his head and cupped the side of Aether’s face, “Is that what you want?” “… No, Gepard—” But the next thing he knew was Gepard towering over him on this bed they share every night. “Gepard—” not even a cry or a wail could echo from his lips as he saw Gepard rolling his wrist and cracking his knuckles. “No, no please, not, please, Gepard… Gepard, wait, I—! ” The sheets were already on the floor, and his one hand was tightly grasping onto Aether’s dress, another torn one was no problem, there were many he had in store, all for his Aether. He would travel to Belobog’s most renowned tailors to make a dress unique only to Aether. And Gepard had no problem in being the one to take it all away from Aether. He stayed quiet as he watched his lover quiver, his small hands clasped together in a prayer as the ridden relief was all over his pretty face. Why was he relieved? Gepard wondered.  “I… my… my womb… Gepard… I’m begging… it’s… it hurts…” He forced a small smile, thick, hot tears streaming down his cheeks as it soaked his ears and the pillows underneath his head, “I… I’ll give you a child, we… we’ll make a family, Gepard… Please… it—” he choked, his tone turning up a pitch, “It hurts, my love.” His voice, his words, cracked as he forced the words out of his mouth. Please, anything, Aether wanted anything else — he would tie himself into this world forever if it meant for the better, he would give Gepard anything, but all he wanted was for the other to no longer hurt him. If his wings couldn’t be returned, at least not the very place where he could’ve had Teyvat’s first child. Aether could already feel his womb breaking, each time Gepard forcefully entered his fist into his vagina, his walls would be ripped apart and it would take hours until days for it to repair itself.  “What…” Gepard breathed out. He was suspiciously gentle as he was undressing his Aether, untying the ribbons, unbuttoning the little buttons and pulling them away until it revealed the bare body of his little lover. And despite Aether’s initial confusion, Gepard finally saw what he hadn’t seen in a month, what he hadn't heard for a month. That glow. That twinkle in his ears. Gepard’s eyes widened as he watched his Aether all bare for him, even willingly opening his legs and revealing his swollen and twitching cunt with the leaking cocklet all pink and hard. Aether’s eyes were glowing bright gold, his tears were crystals once again and his hair was bright. The twinkling in his ears echoed louder and Gepard brushed his hand gently on the bruised and bite-marked thigh, “Aether—” He neared his face, a small smile drew on his lips. Aether’s chin tipped up instinctively, brushing their lips together but Gepard didn’t lean to seal their lips together, he went to Aether’s ear, blowing a soft breath before chuckling softly, “What… makes you believe I want to protect a brat?”  And when he pulled up, he saw Aether’s face filled with horror. This time, Gepard knew the face he made, and he wasn’t afraid of what he would see reflecting off Aether. “Gepard!” The blood-curdling scream tore through walls that, once again, glass and ceramic vases and decors broke. Gepard’s fist punched right through his vagina, hitting sharply against his cervix until it dug to the furthest wall of his uterus.  “I swore to protect you, Aether.” Gepard rasped out as he pulled his hand abruptly and shoved it in again, beating his Aether’s womb broken once and for all. “You had sex with that Teyvat man, what makes you think that a child with me would stop you from fleeing from me, hm?” His face was getting hotter as he could see Aether’s eyes rolling to the back of their head and he laughed, his other hand slapping his Aether’s cheeks, “I wanted to make a family with you, Aether, I really did—” Aether’s head was sobbing left and right and through the blurry vision and chattering teeth he cried out to Gepard, “Why… why I—” if Gepard wanted a family, Aether would give it. “But if I can’t have you, no one else can, or ever will.” He pressed their lips together, his tongue slotting between Aether’s chapped lips. He continued shoving his thick arm in pounding into Aether’s cunt, and the viscous liquid of blood was already coating his skin. He was laughing, chuckling, inhaling sharp breaths as he watched Aether choke at each punch. “I love you, Aether. I love you.” he took his fist out, eyeing the pussy hole that was wide open and bleeding. He rolled his wrist again and waved his hand, shaking the tenseness away before shaping it into a fist and slamming his hand down on the groin, flattening Aether’s little cock and crushing the pelvic bone. “And if this heals?” He grabbed Aether’s cheek, teasingly pinching the plump flesh, “You’ll bear my kid.” Static rang, and flashes of light were all over Aether’s vision with spots of black floating around. Rather than cry or beg for Gepard to stop, Aether bit onto his bottom lip and mustered the strength to grab onto his lover’s collar, pulled him into a kiss, and wrapped his arms around Gepard’s neck.  The twinkling grew louder, Aether’s skin was fairer and just as cold as the day they first met, his blood smelt strongly of iron, and the bed was filled with stardust atop the sheets soaked in red. Gepard smiled into this kiss, grasped a handful of Aether’s silken and golden tresses with his bloodied hand as the other massaged through the smooth and cold skin, his index and thumb working to pinch and rub over the puffy, pink nubs until it hardened and perked up. Their moans intertwined, loud and clear. After all, Gepard knew his Aether’s body too well. III “He’s nowhere.” Serval slammed the map and all the papers down on the table. “Every place I had everyone asked already, I looked through Gepard’s records, he had lands at the villages, but that’s it, there’s nothing else under his name. I even had people check those lands but they’re empty, the few that had a house built or the apartments in his name were also uninhabited.” She frowned and sat back on a wooden chair.  Two weeks since they began scanning the entirety of Belobog territory, it could’ve been quicker had there been the appropriate manpower and team to search for him but right now it was just a few trusted researchers, guards, Serval, and himself. Not to mention, Serval was the biggest link they could’ve gotten to know where Gepard’s whereabouts could be. The Head Researcher frowned as he looked at the gaps between investigations. “At this point, we might have to ask neighboring towns, but when that spread it’ll reach the Union and Gepard would be in danger.” “But nothing’s going to happen if we don't make our move. I’m ready to lose my brother, we need to find him as soon as possible. If what has contaminated him really were to spread, it would not only harm him but the rest of the people in this world.” Serval looked at the other, her collected composure falling and her shoulders tense as her hands were quivering, “I’m going.” He couldn’t even say a word, Serval had already picked up her bags and left. “… I’m sorry, Serval.” It was still early afternoon but Serval had already gone far enough riding on her horse to the outskirts of Belobog nearing the small towns outside of it. The houses were quaint but sturdy, built in brick with wooden porches. The pathways were in dirt paths, and the plaza was in a scattered and dust-covered cobbled path with a small and ruined fountain in the middle. She was looking at her notebook when a memory crossed her mind. The accountant for Belobog’s economy — Serval had a quick chat with her a few days back, and she recalled a particularly specific point she made. The accountant mentioned that there has been a rapid increase in fabrics being sold. Imported and exported, rather. Although she did mention that sudden increases in certain industries were normal, she found it odd that the reports were too specifically inclined to fabric and tailoring businesses. And, if memory had served her right, one of the most renowned tailors resided in this quaint village: known for her unique spin on wedding gowns, in fact. Ceremonial clothes were her specialty. Serval nervously swallowed as she parked her horse at a nearby public stable and she began asking the nearby vendors around, “Hello, do you happen to know of any tailors around here?” A man around his forties perked up with brightness in his expression. He nodded and gave a friendly salute as he lightly poked his head out of his stall. “Aye, Miss!” He extended his arm to stretch his hand to the right, “Go right ahead and then to the left, you’ll find the navigation to the furthest street and you'll reach the foot of the Ore mountains, well, not before you’re at the entrance of the Belobog forest!” “Belobog’s forest? But isn’t this town out of Belobog territory?” “Well, technically, yeah, but the forest stretches way ahead, not even any body of water separates it, bein’ the pacifist I am, I’d like to believe the forest is shared by both Belobog and this lil’ town!” He laughed and waved his hand, “Miss Vera’s the best tailor in town! Although I’ve heard she’s been busy so you can try your luck if you’ve got an order!” Serval had wanted to ask more questions but she simply gave a small smile and followed the vendor’s instructions. By the time she passed a few streets, she heard two old ladies chatting. “True love, that was true love…!” One old lady said with her shaky voice. The other old lady was nodding enthusiastically, “I have never seen such a pitiful couple, but they were so happy that my pity was washed away, I wish for nothing but a happy marriage for them…!” “My son is a metal craftsman, I heard he worked on his best project and it was a pair of rings… it must be for that couple…!” Serval never was one to be caught with gossips, but something about their conversation intrigued her, worried her. She, however, continued with her journey and finally reached the street where Miss Vera resided. The place was quiet, dark, and dreary too as it was nearing the forest. Had it not been for the lamp posts it would be nearly like an unlit cemetery in this place. Serval looked left and right and saw one house in particular that had a tailor’s wood sign. She walked up to the house’s porch and knocked on the door.  “Good day, is Miss Vera home?” There was momentary silence until footsteps were heard and the locks from inside were unlocked. The door clicked open and a woman in her late fifties showed up. Tall, fairly slim, but it was evident from her face that her skin was beginning to sag, the bags under her eyes were also evident, and her hair was greying. “Hello, yes, unfortunately, I won’t be accepting any new orders as I am preoccupied with one—” “Actually, I’m not here for an order, but a question about a person who may have been your customer.” Serval went straight to the point and saw the confusion in the woman’s face. “I know you wouldn’t reveal your client’s information to me since it's unethical, but, I'm asking if you've seen this man.” She pulled up a picture from her bag, unfolded it, and revealed a portrait of her brother. From the way the tailor’s eyes widened, it seemed she had met Gepard, “Have yo unseen him? He’s my brother, and he went missing for a few weeks.” “Come inside.” Vera instructed and closed the door shut once she was inside, “What is your name?” “Serval.” “The musician?” She laughed, “Indeed.” Vera chuckled, “Well, it’s unfortunate I couldn’t spend more time to get the chance to hear your songs especially in this situation, but, yes, your brother has been visiting me lately. For the past month, I have been busying myself creating unique dresses.” Vera sighed as she walked up to a part of the wall hidden by a red, velveteen curtain, “And if it were just mere dresses for occasions, it would have been fine, but your brother orders four dresses a day. All of the same measurements too.” Serval’s eyes widened, “May I see one?” “All of the dresses I’ve already sent, except for one.” She reached a hand out to the curtain and pulled it aside, “He says it would be the last thing he would order from me, and it was a wedding dress like no other.” And it was true, Serval had never seen a wedding dress like this. It lacked what it usually had, the skirt — it was more of merely a top with a veil long enough to substitute for a skirt’s length. “Is it unfinished?” She asked, confusedly. Vera shook her head, “It’s complete.” “Why…” “Of all the dresses I made for him, this was the only one that lacked a bottom part, there was more intricacy in the veil, as if the head was the most important part—” “Have you seen who the model is?” Serval asked. At first, she had wondered if Gepard was the one wearing these dresses, but that was her humor kicking in to compensate for the trepidation she felt. When she saw how small the fit was, the fear clawed right through her heart. “No, whenever I asked that I needed to measure the model myself, your brother refused, saying that he would be the one to measure instead. It seemed he knew the measurements right since nothing has ever been needed for readjustments.” Vera clarified, “I can’t say anything more other than he never really visits, he only places orders in person and orders me to deliver them to different places. I assumed first it was for different people, but the sizes were all the same.” Serval nodded, “This is more than enough, please call the Union if you see him.” She smiled and reached her hand out to shake Vera’s hand. “I will, but… I must tell you that he’s become the happiest man I have ever met and despite his demands, he looks like a groom that would make his bride the happiest in all his lifetimes.” It took everything not for Serval to gag and cry, but she smiled, “I understand, thank you.” Vera had escorted Serval out and Serval fought back the urge to feel weak. Her legs felt numb and her head was getting fuzzy. Dresses. A wedding gown? Bride? Could those two old ladies earlier be pertaining to her brother? What was Gepard doing? It couldn’t have been that anomaly, right? IV Breathy moans were loud enough to echo throughout the room. Gepard held Aether’s wrists down on the sheets, his thumb pressing against the pulse as he was licking over Aether’s inner cheeks, their tongues rubbing together as his cock was plunging deep into Aether’s cunt. His hard cockhead was ramming against the wounded uterus he knew he had been breaking with his fist the past few days that the tip of his cock was digging into the new hole. When he pulled away from the kiss, a thick string of saliva still connected his lips from Aether’s mouth and he huffed out a hot breath, “Aether, my Aether—” Aether panted out a little laugh, squirming his hands away from Gepard’s grasp to wrap it behind Gepard’s neck, “Why wouldn’t you let me meet the tailor…?” Aether blew out another moan as Gepard’s cock was sliding in and out of his pussy, the momentary hollowness immediately being filled was sending his mind into a blackout and he shuddered at the smooth and perfect thrusts, “There won't be enough dresses for next week if you keep tearing them apart.” Aether quipped, his hands running in Gepard’s ashen-blonde tresses. “It’s special, Aether.” He leaned close to pepper Aether’s face with quick smooches, biting o this cheeks and licking over his eyelids and sniffing the side of his nose, “I knew every inch of your body, I’ve memorized its measurements, and its smell, the color, the texture, I’ve memorized it all.” He kissed between the bridge of Aether's nose and eye and licked Aether’s eyelashes before burying his face at the crook of his lover’s neck, digging his teeth into the soft skin where an old bite mark was already fading, “Everything, Aether, I wanted to prove my devotion to you — memorized you from head to toe.”  Each time Gepard sniffed him, breathed hotly against his skin, brushed his teeth on his protruding bones, or liked over his hair, Aether always panted, shuddered, and whined as he was at the mercy of this human. Aether swallowed hard, his body tensing at the new bite — he could feel the tear of his skin and flesh as Gepard’s teeth sunk. “What’s… oh… oh… what’s… Ah… so special… about it…?” Aether’s sweat dripped, sparkling and light, no longer thick and heavy as his tears before. That, too, Gepard licked and sucked. Tasting the sparkle of light that sent his mind into a flash of haze, “Aether…” He drew a smile and sealed their lips into a tender, long kiss before he pulled away, and pulled his cock out leaving his Aether confused. “Gepard…?” “Aether.” Between Aether’s thighs, Gepard sat on his folded legs, his hand stretching out and probing into Aether’s cunt. It was only four fingers at first, slowly, then his thumb bassoon followed until the entirety of his palm was inside.  Aether winced, grabbed onto the pillows behind his head as his back arched. Even in over a month that he’d been fucked day and night by his lover, his hand punching and molding his womb, carved and peeled over and over again despite the glowing mark on his skin remaining, the slow and gentleness at this moment had made Aether feel unfamiliar. Aether could vividly feel the way Gepard’s long and thick fingers were slipping inside and moving around as if scratching the walls of his womb and poking the wrinkled yet slick flesh and it made Aether grit his teeth while keening loudly. “Ghe… ahhn… hng… Gepard… what’s… going — hng…! Ah… on…?” “Aether…” His sigh of relief followed after when his arm was already inside Aether. He pulled it out, his arm slick with Aether’s fluids, then a lovesick smile drew on his lips, his eyes tenderly looking at his breathless lover, “Aether, please let me love you for the rest of my life.” in his hand was a wet golden ring in an intricate design with the crystals from Aether's tears and broken wings embedded on it. “I can never return your wings, but, in this form, I can give you new wings—” Gepard couldn’t have even finished his speech when Aether began crying, thick tears that were bright were soaking the sheet as his hands were shaking, his stomach rising and receding with each deep and ragged breath he took. His face was pink and his mouth was wide with his wails. He was mumbling incoherent words and Gepard was cupping Aether’s face who only rubbed his cheek against Gepard’s palm.  “I love you, Aether.” And, slowly he took Aether’s left hand, placing the ring into the small and thin ring finger. He had expected to continue their lovemaking until he noticed a pulsating glow on Aether's womb The symbol Ateher had said was Teyvat glowed white, pulsated three times brightly before turning dim and it disappeared completely, leaving only the scar he carved on Aether's skin with his name. “Aether… your mark…?” Fluids were squirting out of Aether’s cunt and he puffed his cheek as he curled his fingers up to his mouth. Now that his wails subsided, Aether found the strength to nod his head, “Please take care of me, Gepard.”  Gepard kissed the ring and squished Aether's round and plump face, kissing him all over as he brushed the tip of his cock between the puffy and smooth lips of Aether's pussy. Each kiss and such he did on Aether’s face, he canted his hips and thrust his length right into the warm muscles that hugged his shaft snug and fit, tensing and twitching at each thrust. And, this time, Aether was rolling his hips against his own and Gepard had never been happier. He hardened his thrust and Aether moaned so sweetly and loudly in his ear that it sent his cock twitching and leaking. “I’m close.” It smelt of Aether everywhere, the air itself — everything he breathed, all of it was Aether.  He held his thin and frail lover in his arms tight, shuddering as hot release made his mind melt and static was coursing all over his body, still, he never wasted the second to look at the way Aether practically melted in his arms, the pleasure turning his lover into putty. He could see the sparks of dust trickling down Aether's hair, their pillows were no longer white with all the white and gold dust accumulating, the crystals buried within had made the moment and their sacred bed even more romantic. He rolled to the side, Aether's back against him, and kissed the nape of his lover's neck. Even as Aether’s body healed, the wounds on his back were still deep and had barely healed. The skin was sensitive and the scratches he made could tear it apart so easily. Rather than beat Aether, he kissed his back and licked the little cuts that bled. Aether shuddered but a smile left his lips and soon a laugh as the kisses eventually tickled him, “You gave me back my wings, Gepard.” He looked at the ring lovingly and sighed. “I love it, please love me forever.” he let out another moan when he felt Gepard suck and nip on the wounds of his back and Aether’s thighs rubbed against each other, spreading the thick cum spurting out of his cunt.  Gepard smiled, “Of course, I promised everything all for you.” All his beliefs, his virtues, he lived and promised for Aether. His very starfell lover, soon to be lifelong wife.