WRITING MASTERPOST

Just a sideblog to archive/backup all my writing (fic, wips, memes, and the occasional meta thoughts). Main blog is over @laindir.

I know I already have links on this blog’s sidebar which aren’t accessible at all if you’re using tumblr mobile. But hey, since pinned posts are all the rage and something we can finally do on tumblr now... This is a good enough excuse to organize all my writing into a pinned masterpost for easier access. So:- My fics My edits/memes tldr meta ramblings fic snippets/WIPs Fics are listed by order of whichever fandoms/series I’m currently hyper-fixtated on and am inspired by. My writing consists of both SFW and NSFW content, but I always list ratings and tag for all major content warnings (as much as I can) at the beginning of every fic. So please do heed the warnings/tags, especially for my darker pieces, and curate your reading experience as necessary. I generally like leaving some things up to reader interpretation/imagination in my writing since authorial intent =/= reader response at times. Comments are always appreciated; if you have enjoyed my fics (old or new), I would be sufficiently ecstatic to hear your thoughts :) All fics can also be read on my AO3. —Updated as of 31st December 2024— GENSHIN IMPACT that which is wrung from (our) inmost hearts Luminous Beings Are We Imaginary Friends Spider-Mehrak Rite of Passage Daemon Rent eye of the beholder Stasis visceral sentimentality, and a deluge of padisarahs unconventionally, ever after The Conundrum of Delirium Amidst The Ruins the pursuit of knowledge fusion perversions Professor Kaveh snippet JUJUTSU KAISEN Symphony of Florae ver.1.22739645 together; a piece of us Les Retrouvailles Burgeoning Youth The Little Shoppe of Favours Blood and Hemlock (on hiatus) and so it goes (like this) Loss/Control In Bloom At World’s End Juju Sanpo Hallowe’en: Entanglements in liminal spaces, with (un)wavering hearts and in the end, the world begins (rends) anew Mononoke It’s (Sweet) Like That to one’s last Older works under cut:- 

[fic] Chocolate Puzzle

Series: Genshin Impact Characters/Pairing: Kaveh x Al-Haitham, Mehrak Rating: T Tags: Valetine's Day, White Day, Chocolates, Fluff and Humour, Established Relationship, Implied Sexual Content, Top Kaveh/Bottom Al-Haitham. Summary: Kaveh attempts a surprise; things go awry, and Al-Haitham is a tease. A/N: For Liz's prompt: "Kaveh makes a chocolate puzzle box for Al-Haitham but it melts before he can give it to him." I first wrote this as a short drabble for V-day last year, and then forgot about it till now because time is a social construct. So I decided to rewrite it and brush it up for posting this time.

Fic also be read on AO3. _______ “Oh no,” Kaveh said, dismay and disappointment articulated all too succinctly in just two syllables. “Hm,” Al-Haitham supplied, almost as eloquently, arms folded across his chest and curiosity evident in his sharp gaze. “And this is…?” “It’s a puzzle made of chocolate…” Al-Haitham angled his head, arching a brow at the opened box on the coffee table once more. “Or at least it was supposed to be,” Kaveh continued, one hand already massaging at the space between his eyes. “Miss Enteka was kind enough to let me use her kitchen two days ago so I could make it for you. I’d arranged for it to be delivered this afternoon, but I never expected the weather today to be so scorching that it’d melt the puzzle so quickly like this!”

lol me, whenever my undergrads mess up their pre-lab assignments because they didn’t read the instructions I wrote on the announcement board:

Kaveh, vexed, and being sarcastic in the midst of their usual bickering: Hmph, well someone's a real comedian today. Al-Haitham, flattered, and actually perceiving himself as the funniest person he knows: Thanks for the compliment. I am indeed full of excellent wit.

hello! I’ve just checked and I don’t have any bids yet for both my auctions as of now. the minimum starting bid for both is $5. thank you for your interest :’)

FANDOM TRUMPS HATE 2025

Hello! I’m participating in @fandomtrumpshate once again, an online fanworks charity auction to raise donations for progressive non-profits to help and support marginalized communities. How it works:

You can read more about FTH here.

Bidding is now OPEN until March 1st, 8pm ET.

I have two offers:- #1 Genshin (Kavetham/Sumeru-centric) fanfic; up to 5k words #2 Fan Labour (betaing) for Genshin, JJK and Star Wars; up to 5k words

If you've enjoyed my tl;dr keysmashes and stories, and would like me to write something for you or just need some beta-reading help, do consider checking out my auction page for more details. I would be adequately elated to help that whimsy/angsty/feral idea claw its away out your brain and into existence :P

You can also check out my Kavetham fics on AO3 if you want to have a feel of my writing. If you have any questions before making a bid, feel free to drop me an ask/message here. Alternatively, you can also message me at Bluesky (@/birbleafs) or Twitter (@/labyrinthmess).

"We usually keep a few packs of coffee beans at home" They are so disgustingly domestic, they don't even bother hiding it anymore lmfaoo

and AAJJSJAKDJSHS KAVETHAM COFFEE BEAN SHOPPING (HOUSE CHORES??) ROSTER... I guess that's a shopping list Alhaitham is holding while he purchases the coffee beans from Puspa Cafe. I imagine Kaveh must have made a loooong list of requirements of the beans he thinks they would enjoy based on taste, smell, etc. He probably also included some other extra groceries he’d want Haitham to buy from the bazaar too. The fact that it's somewhat implied they now take turns buying necessities for the house, and possibly also share the house chores together (as opposed to Kaveh wanting to shoulder all of it at first because he'd felt guilty and that he'd owed Alhaitham for taking him in at his lowest point in life).... Something about these minute details of routine mundanity and the subtle shift in their dynamics to something more balanced and equal, that speaks volumes of their shared comfort and companionship really rejuvenates my dead fossil heart. I HATE/LOVE them lol.

And I absolutely love how Alhaitham can sass Kaveh for his late-night workaholic over-reliance on coffee while still being point-blank about their mundane domesticity and shared grocery-shopping duties in a single breath like it's NO big deal... Just the Sumeroommies roommating....

I haven't really checked, so I'm not too sure how the lines are written in CN/JP/KR since those languages can skip (obvious) pronouns altogether and the context would still be understood. But it's nice to see the EN translators going with "We" and "home" here because it gives us yet another sense of the subtle changes in Kaveh and Alhaitham's companionship now. Alhaitham is a very strong-willed person who tends to favour the use of "I", and people's individuality and agency first, so seeing him explicitly use "We" and "home" now—which aligns with how Kaveh uses it often too when he refers to both of them together—just feels so heartwarming and so very earned :")

Still laughing at Alhaitham's birthday letter and how he actually enrolled Paimon in a course at the Akademiya jjxjsjsjsjgjjsjkffdn Alhaitham continues to be the FUNNIEST man in Teyvat lmfaoo he is so invested in Paimon's reading progress, and gifted her the gold Talent book too as we all correctly predicted that he would.

And since he mentioned Vahumana here, I guess he believes it's the Darshan best suited to Paimon’s capabilities and interest? I really love how he even says she has potential as a future research assistant for the sages if she passes the course hhsjsjjsf they're too cute!! Like sure, one could argue he may simply just be teasing… I mean, he is kind of doing that too, but it’s more like playful, good-natured jesting in the same vein as him teasing Kaveh just to rile him up because Alhaitham finds his reactions amusing. At the same time, I do think he's actually being earnest/serious enough if ever Paimon decides to take his offer. She'd probably hesitate to though, because the course material would scare her. Lol.

At this rate, I think it's almost indisputable that Alhaitham’s three favouritest people in the world are Grandma, Kaveh, and Paimon loooooool.

It's also murdering me inside to realise that Alhaitham did for Paimon what his Grandmother did for him when she’d enrolled him into other cross-faculty courses so that he could later gain knowledge and wider perspectives beyond his Darshan too. He is truly his Grandmother's child hhjfkdjss......... Feels…. :__)

Oh, JP fans pointed out this one other thing which I’d wondered abt it too while reading his letter—but Alhaitham only gave Paimon one gold Talent book this time, instead of all three. And it's the same type of Talent book he uses (Ingenuity). Did he come to feel such affinity for Paimon over time after observing her reading progress that he'd decided and believes she too possesses a similar kind of ingenuity and wisdom like Kaveh and himself?

It just cracks me up to imagine a scenario where Alhaitham makes Paimon fight alongside him in the Steeple of Ignorance to farm gold Talent books for her own ascension as per course requirements XD 🥧: But why does Paimon have to fight monsters now!? Isn't this just supposed to be a lecture?? 🌱: Hands-on field experience builds character. 🥧: AAAAAAAAAAA

On the last note, I'm also really loving the way Kavetham are mirrored in their birthday web arts above: - Kaveh inside their house, thinking his friends don’t know it’s his birthday even though they planned a surprise for him; Alhaitham outside the tavern, waiting to go in because he already knows his friends have planned a surprise for his birthday.

Love the juxtaposition of these two scenes in the Sumeru AQ and the Parade of Providence event — Alhaitham pretending to be overwhelmed and corrupted by Forbidden Knowledge in the fake Divine Knowledge Capsule vs. Kaveh actually being assaulted and nearly overcomed by Sachin's consciousness and despairing despondency within the Diadem of Knowledge... Something something about Kavetham being mirrors of each other; how they are one half of the perfect citrus sphere, two contrasting images of the same reflection; and how, essentially, the sum of all their individual traits and flaws still compliment one another in the unending pursuit of wisdom and enlightenment.

My garbage Kavetham brain is still consumed thinking about that five seconds where Alhaitham’s composure actually slipped, almost almost imperceptibly so, when he heard mentions about Kaveh’s ordeal in the desert; that he was even compelled to give Kaveh a quick glance over for injuries out of concern.... Also, the fact that they later had that offscreen heated argument about this very thing once they were home, which then got Alhaitham upset? vexed?? enough to storm off and leave the house…. says a lot. Without actually saying it. Lol. I have feels :__)

I've been rewatching some of the Sumeru AQ moments and I need to keysmash about why I always find this scene 10x funnier in the original CN VO. When Dehya tries to prompt Alhaitham for a few words of encouragement for their team, what he actually replies here is more like "If you're asking for my personal opinion, I would rather just choose to go home [than to give an inspirational speech]". And Alhaitham says it point-blank so impassively with such a flat monotone that it even made Cyno let out the smallest huff of amusement lol.

I don't know why the EN subs translated part of his line as "we all" because that's just wrong—he literally says "我 / Wǒ" so there's no doubt he's referring to himself. In both the CN VO and the JP dub, the implied emphasis in Alhaitham's tone was that he wants to go home now; he doesn't really care what Dehya and the rest will do after this meeting. They can psyche themselves up if they want, but Alhaitham's just gonna go home and sleep XD Even after when Dehya points out that Akademiya big-shots were all supposedly great speakers (so surely, surely Alhaitham being both a scholar and an Akademiya staff would have some inspiring words for them??), Alhaitham counters that he's only the Akademiya's Scribe, and that the Scribe's job is simply to record down meeting notes, not to speak. That's why Dehya was so Done with at him throughout this exchange, and she sounds more exasperated in CN roflll. Maybe it’s also that I’m a bit more familiar with listening to spoken Mandarin, but the underlying snark in Alhaitham's delivery here is just so HILARIOUS and he's even more unintentionally sassier, I can't help but laugh hhhjsjskfdhhjs

This man is so annoying (affectionate) I LOVE HIM....

A/N: Written for Yuen, for the FandomTrumpsHate2024 charity event. Prompt was for a found family/friendship fic with some Kaveh and Faruzan moments where they bond over "loneliness" + losing family/friends they'd never see again, and with sprinkles of Kavetham throughout. This piece became much more plot- and dialogue-heavy than I had initially expected. But thank you for your patience, Yuen, and I hope you'll still enjoy reading it! :') Read here on AO3.

[ficlet] Imaginary Friends

Series: Genshin Impact Characters/Pairing: Kavetham Rating: G Summary: In which Kaveh finally meets Al-Haitham's imaginary friends. A/N: Another simple ficlet exercise, written months back, and posting here for posterity. Based on my original musings about that web event of Haitham and the Aranara, and also Liz's prompt for "Kvthm and the Aranara". Fic also be read on AO3. ※※※ “This is partially my fault, isn’t it?” Kaveh whispers abruptly, his spoon clattering against the table. Al-Haitham frowns, the look of uncertainty so foreign upon his features. “You’ll need to be a little more specific—” “Back then, our thesis…!” Kaveh interjects, voice growing a little sharper, and tinged with a hint of regret. He exhales, one hand raised to massage fretfully against his right temple. “I was the one who tore our—The one who said all those… hurtful things as well…”

[ficlet] Spider-Mehrak

Series: Genshin Impact Characters/Pairing: Kavetham Rating: G Summary: In which Al-Haitham reintroduces Kaveh to his own Franken-creations. A/N: Based on this twitter post of a walking spider night lamp, and Liz's prompt: “Spider-Mehrak crawling on Alhaitham’s bed to wake him up because Kaveh needs moral support (it’s 4am and he still keeps working on a project).” This was written months back - I just wanted to brush it up and share it for posterity. Fic also be read on AO3. ※※※ The first time it happened, Al-Haitham thought a small animal had somehow snuck into their house. Later, he discovered that Kaveh had drunkenly built and added Mehrak's new spider-legs for extra mobility and energy efficiency (climbing was less draining on Mehrak's power-cell reserves than levitating), and silently approved of the ingenuity. "Wha—What in the devilry is tHAT? Why is there a box-shaped tarantula the size of a cat glowing at your shoulder, Haitham?!" Al-Haitham remains impassive at Kaveh's panicked (drunken) outburst, and only tilts his head curiously when Mehrak lets out a despondent electronic warble. "It's not devilry." Al-Haitham quirks a brow, almost chidingly, before he lifts a hand to pat at Mehrak's forlorn expression. "Has our dear master architect forgotten his own creations? Look, you've even hurt Mehrak's feelings."

Kaveh blinks, bewildered and uncomprehending. Al-Haitham doesn't blink back, Mehrak still glowing and chirping softly from his shoulder.

Most people tend to point out how badass Alhaitham is here (true). But what I like and appreciate a lot about this scene is how it also shows that Alhaitham cares enough for the general public's safety (including the Ayn Al-Ahmar members he'd agreed to fight with just moments before) that he rushed in to disable Mizri's corrupted Akasha terminal to stop his rampage. Alhaitham didn't actually need to do so either (he's not the Matra; public security isn't part of his job as the Scribe) since Mizri was attacking his own members. But Alhaitham still crossed that distance just to protect the other members of the faction once he'd realised what was happening, and he didn't even draw his swords out against Mizri. **Edit: I would like to also point out how there's a note of concern and urgency in Alhaitham's voice that you can hear clearly both in the JP dub here and in the original CN voice. It can be argued, of course, that he only did this knowing that Mizri had the Divine Knowledge Capsule and because he'd wanted to steal it. Still, Alhaitham could've kept his distance as Mizri continued lashing out at his men, and during the chaos and confusion, he could've easily filched the Capsule too before letting the Matra deal with the group's in-fighting while he slipped away with it. But he chose to jump right into the fray instead and risk injury to himself by going against a berserk Mizri.... though, I suppose Alhaitham had probably already decided that risk is extremely low and reasons that "I'm a very good fighter and I've a Vision, so I was never in any actual danger" or something along those lines. Because he's just annoying like that lmfao. This also makes that one iconic, quotable quote of his "I'm merely a feeble scholar" all the more hilarious.... What a lying liar LOL...

Still, I'm willing to accept his (modest lol) rationale, that in terms of sheer brute strength and perhaps without any help from his Vision, Alhaitham isn't as physically strong as the most jacked Eremites—he did preface the above line with "Compared to the mercenaries...", after all lol. He's simply a very efficient fighter who excels at using speed and agility to his advantage.