Ascension Materials

ascension materials

🍂🍄🍁 reblog to wish your beloved mutuals a blessed and lovely fall/autumn 🍁🍄🍂

Carry The Moon / Part 2

Xiangli Yao x Reader

Part 1 ~~~ Part 2 ~~~ Part 3

Synopsis: From first meetings to searching your voice in every room, how very intriguing you’ve become to him.

As a spirited adventurer, you’re used to a life of action and impulse, having little interest left for the world of data and deduction. But when you stumble upon a rare mineral, you find yourself drawn to the unexpected warm soul that resides within the logic-stricken researcher Xiangli Yao. And as your practical instincts clash with his world of science, sparks fly in more ways than one.

You have been in luck.

More so with the blooming of this strange mineral, despite how short its life span may be.

Yet, your luck has been less generous with the amount of people swarming the halls of the Academy.

It is crowded as hell, with people literally everywhere. Students, scholars, researchers, scientists and who knows who else, all buzzing like bees in a hive. Really makes you miss the TDs you’ve just encountered on your way back.

Good thing of this, people don’t even bother to look at you, too engrossed in their own work or conversations.

Aside from that, finding Xiangli Yao’s work office was still surprisingly easy, conveniently near the archives. And against your presumptions of a typical researcher, you find his workshop to be less… chaotic than you previously imagined.

Perhaps not deserving the label “tidy” quite yet, but enough to discern his care for structure. You guess that’s probably down to his title as the principal investigator.

You step into the room, greeted by the soft hum of various devices and flickering holograms. The man himself is hunched over a stack of books; several loose sheets of paper are scattered across the desk and some even on the floor.

You notice how Yao is standing, rather than sitting on the chair right next to him. Not wanting to startle him, you tap a quick knock on the open door.

At the sound, Yao looks up and you’re caught off guard by how genuine the smile is he greets you with. “Y/N, good afternoon. I hope your trip to the Sea of Flames wasn’t too much trouble.” He places a bookmark between the pages of his book, averting his full attention to you.

You arch an eyebrow, faintly surprised. “So, you found out my name, then.”

“Of course, you’re among the most frequent task-takers of the Pioneer Association.” He nods and tilts his head slightly. “And you’ve handled several commissions and requests for the Academy itself.”

You offer a dry bow. “At your service.”

“Please, come in,” he makes an inviting gesture. “I have some time to spare, before a meeting with some colleagues.”

As you walk further into his super high-tech workshop, you come to realise how surprisingly endearing the décor is, despite the clear cyber-style design.

“So… this is where you tinker away all day then, huh?” You murmur as you catch sight of the several plants and flowers adorning the room and is this… a plushie of a Gulfpuff on the top of that shelf?

Xiangli Yao gives a quick laugh and rubs the back of his neck, avoiding eye contact. “Ah, well, yes. It is sort of my second home. Can I offer you some coffee, or we also have juice here if you prefer that?”

“Coffee would be nice, thank you.”

While Yao moves to another table and starts preparing two cups of coffee, you slip off your backpack and take out the collected Ardores Lapis. You move some newspaper and strange-looking trinkets aside - carefully of course – before arranging the minerals along the counter.

“You have my greatest gratitude and also my deepest respect for this, y/n.”

You raise your head to meet Yao inspecting the stones before his eyes settle back on you.

The guy is practically glowing with excitement at whatever possibilities these rocks are sparking in his head. “The chances of finding Ardores Lapis in the wild, let alone in full bloom are remarkably low, bordering on the extraordinary.”

“So, what I’m hearing, these rocks are basically my retirement plan?” you quip, tilting your head.

Yao lets out a soft, amused huff and pushes himself off the counter to hand you your cup of coffee. You accept with a quiet, ‘Thanks’.

“Only if your retirement plan isn’t scheduled in the near future. Otherwise, let’s just say my theories still need to be proven before I can guarantee the stones’ effects and potential. But as of now, they’re definitely priceless – at least scientifically speaking.”

“Great.” You reply dryly as you follow him to his desk, with tons and tons of books and loose paper sheets gathered around. “So, in other words, this might end up being some pile of plain ol’ vanilla rocks?”

“The worst-case scenario will be that your retirement might end up a rock garden.”

Yao’s attempt of consolations makes you snort in return. “At least they’re pretty rocks,” you sigh, tracing your finger along the warm mug in your hand.

“Don’t misunderstand. I fully intend to hold onto my word and compensate you adequately. Here, let me show you.”  He nods towards a hologram on his desk, adorned by barely legible scribbles and sketches.

He points to one of those sketches. “This shows one of the initial discoveries of Ardores Lapis, such as you’ve encountered. Out of all the essays and data logs I’ve studied, only three other researchers have encountered Ardores Lapis in person. To have these samples here in the academy could revolutionise technology.”

Even though Yao maintains a calm voice while explaining, his inner turmoil and excitement are as clear as the day. You skim over the lines of words projected in the hologram, trying to make sense of the information as well as the significance of it. “Have you informed Mortefi already? See if he’s still in a foul mood because of me?”

“Don’t worry. As soon as he lays eyes on these minerals, all will be long forgotten. I will bring them to him later today.”

“But you’ll keep the ones from yesterday, right?”

He smiles. “I will. Definitely. Mostly because I already started working on them.”

Yao gestures toward the giant cubic on his desk, now glowing as its claw clearly contains the shards of one of the Adores Lapis you’ve brought, along with some other materials you couldn’t name.

“I’ve made you copies of the books, along with my conclusions and comments,” he says, tapping on the hologram. “I’ll send the data to your Pangu Terminal. “

“For Me?” You ask, a bit incredulous, as your terminal pings with the incoming information. “Listen, I respect science but like… from a healthy distance. I’m not much of use for this, trust me.”

He chuckles softly in a way that fills his blue eye with warmth. “Don’t worry. I’ve written it in a way that’s easy to understand, even for non-scientists. I simply want you to be able to determine your own pricing for the minerals. Once word gets out about your find, Mortefi and I won’t be the only ones interested.”

As you open the log file and skim through his summaries, you can’t help but be touched by his thoughtful gesture. He could have easily dismissed your limited knowledge on this topic and offered a low price for the stones or even written them off as worthless. You’ve dealt with enough customers like that in your career to know well how rare this kind of consideration is. Still, you are also aware, not to end up on the loose end of a deal.

So, looking at him, the genuine “Thank you” flows with an uncommon ease from your lips.  

After a few moments of silence, you clear your throat, trying to shake the feeling of vulnerability that threatens to rise within you. “You did all that…this morning?”

“I can prioritise my research,” Yao explains matter-of-factly, “especially when it’s such a unique experience, I can indulge myself in.”

“So, you really are a full-on nerd, huh.”

He laughs. “Indeed. I find joy in scientific research. Immersing myself in data and theories, exploring various possibilities… It’s a blissful experience.”

“Alright, Iron Man,” you tease, “I find myself more on the hands-on side of the experience.”

“And thanks to those experience and skills, we’ve uncovered this miracle. Ardores Lapis should not even be able to exist.”

“Isn’t that what all the fuss about science is?” you counter, surprising yourself by how engaged you suddenly feel in the topic. “Pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and knowledge that seemed limited suddenly expands?”

“Science is life's questioning of truth,” Yao replies simply, his voice carrying a touch of melancholy that seems to hold its own story.

It pushes you to treat into dangerous territory as your next words escape you, “Is that why you’ve become one? A scientist, I mean?”

“In a way,” he says with a reflective smile. “I’ve become a researcher to follow my parents’ footsteps, but in a way, I’ve also strayed away somehow.”

“In a bad way?”

“I’m not certain. There is a balance between exceeding people’s expectations of me and meeting the standards I set for myself, based on my parents’ example. Yet there’s also the human side of them I do not want to lose touch with either.”

As you zip up your backpack again, your gaze drifts to the newspaper you’d pushed aside earlier to make room for the stones. The date was several years old, with headlines about scientific breakthroughs. Your focus shifts to the printed pictures of the article.

Oh.

“What kind of humans were they?” you murmur softly.

“They were kind,” Yao replies, a hint of nostalgia in his voice but filled with a warmth that tightens your heart. “The magazines and papers always spoked of them in the highest regard. But most of what I know about my parents comes from reading about them.”

“That must have been lonely.”

At your words, his expression shifts to one of mild surprise. “Please don’t misunderstand. They were wonderful parents; I have an abundance of happy childhood memories.”

You don’t reply. Not wanting to risk upsetting him further, no matter what you think about that topic. Instead, you take a closer look at the picture on the paper. “You have your father’s eyes.”

Yao looks momentarily taken aback, but then his expression softens again. “That’s… oddly comforting. Thank you.”

“Hey, given your parents were top-tier scientists, the resemblance is pretty suspicious. Are you sure you’re not a clone?” You tease, trying to lighten the mood.

And as he genuinely laughs, you feel something stir inside you. How nice it feels to make a science guy actually laugh so freely. Maybe this could turn into your own personal challenge - how many times could you make Xiangli Yao crack up?

It was true what people said about this science prodigy. Despite his young age, Xiangli Yao lived up to his reputation and even exceeded it. You didn’t expect to have enjoyed the time spent here as much as you did. He carried an air of eloquence and poise, yet remained genuinely kind and inviting in a way that makes him impossible to dislike – even for a science guy.

“Well… thanks again,” you say after some comfortable moments of silence and lift your terminal with his papers to demonstrate your point. “I’ll be off then to tackle my homework.”

But Yao shakes his head. “With the amount of sleep you’ve been missing these days, it would not be futile if you tried to digest the information properly. The mind works best when it’s well-rested and nourished. Please, get some rest – you’ve been running around Huanglong the past few days.”

When you leave the academy later that day, you do so with mixed feelings. An unknown surge of curiosity urges you to dive into Yao’s written summaries and learn what he wrote specifically for you, so you would not suffer any potential losses in your job. Commission. Whatever the hell this whole project is turning into right now.

You genuinely want to understand the way he ticks. You want to understand his nature, his story.

Suddenly, you can’t wait to return to the academy, if only to understand more about the world and the impact of small discoveries like yours. And let’s be honest, having a certain light-haired Resonator as a bonus company certainly doesn’t hurt.

Part 1 ~~~Part 2 ~~~ Part 3

Thank you so much for reading! Comments and reblogs are so appreciated

Intimacy

Xiao x Reader

Intimacy for Xiao is a hard thing to come by.

Intimacy with him is

when you gently slip off the glove from his hand.

Tenderly, softly, delicately holding your fingers against his.

He is reluctant, repulsed even. But not from the gesture, not from you.

Never from you.

It is his own hands that bear the darkness. Or rather the vessel of the darkness. It’s his hands he considered the root of his inner corruption, his hands that have killed and slayed down and diminished countless lives.

His scarred hands you now hold so delicately as if they were something incredibly divine in your eyes. Something worth appreciating. Something worth saving.

That was the way your eyes are constantly looking at him like he was something worthy of salvation.

And when Xiao looks up, instead of repulsion or sorrow he is met with a soft smile that makes something sing where his heart is supposed to beat.

big feelings

The Mentalist’s shift in atmosphere as the viewer slowly realized the episode is a Red John one is so wkdkqlsmwofjwokzlqmzkw

You’re expecting the classic dead rich attorney with a sketchy widow (who’s definitely hiding an affair) and then bam, you’re hit with Simon Baker’s thousand yard stare, gore and the crushing reality of death and grief.