modern au ceo!ayato who visits boba barista!reader at their little shop on the outskirts of the city and goes out of his way to visit them every afternoon instead of getting his order at the shop closest to his office because he likes talking to reader because they make him feel like a normal person aaaaaaaaa
Trigger warning(s)/Tags: angst, hurt(?)/comfort, fluff, comfort, mentions of insecurities, body image issues, body type descriptions
Word count: 1469 words
Date posted: Feb. 2 2022
•~•
• First of all, this has been on my mind for months so I have to share it
• Second, Itto would be WEAK for a chubby s/o
• Like, you cannot tell me this man wouldn’t be over the fucking moon for any type of s/o
• Regardless of your body type, Itto would give you the utmost respect, love, and support
• It’s already known that this loving himbo would go out of his way for anyone he loves and cares about, even if he doesn’t know them that well
• So him loving all types of appearances is completely within the realm of reality
• He also just gives off that vibe
• But back to the main topic here: our beloved himbo absolutely adoring his chubby!s/o
• He loves to cuddle into your chest or stomach and just be surrounded by your warmth
• His love language is 1000% physical affection
• If you gently pull his head down into your chest when cuddling, he will fucking DIE
• This man is down bad, please take care of him
• He prides himself on protecting you and making sure you’re okay
• He gets into a lot of trouble on his adventures, so he has to make sure you’re okay over everything else
• You’re precious to him, so he’d do absolutely anything to keep you safe and healthy
• Insecurities? Not on his watch
• He tells you how much he loves you every moment of the day
• One day he finds you looking in the mirror, poking and prodding at fat
• It doesn’t click in his mind at first
• He honestly just thinks you’re admiring yourself the way he usually does
• Then you suck your stomach in, sighing out in frustration when you don’t achieve your desired outcome
• He’s still a little confused to be honest
• Confused as to why you’re frustrated
• What’s there to be annoyed with? It’s skin, beautiful skin that he loves to squeeze and kiss and admire as of it was a shining star placed into his hands by a god
• It isn’t until you avert your own gaze, looking away at the mocking reflection, and grab your previously discarded shirt from the counter, that it clicks
• Are you unhappy with your look?
• He doesn’t quite understand this struggle personally, but he empathizes with you still
• He’s far from immune to insecurity, having his fair share of the wretched feeling
• Itto understands what it feels like to have those plaguing thoughts ringing in the back of your mind, screaming at you
• He fears not being able to protect you, thinking he’s not good enough for you or that he’s only going to bring you down with him. The list goes on
• So when he sees you in such a vulnerable state, it breaks his heart
• Especially since you’re fretting over a part of yourself that he loves so much
• Nuzzling his face into your stomach is probably one of his favorite pastimes
• The chub on your arms makes you one of the best huggers he’s ever met
• Your chubby cheeks? The best place to plaster sweet kisses over and over so he can hear your melodious voice giggling while you tell him to stop
• Your thighs are heavenly pillows which he thanks the archons for every morning and night
• Itto understands the feeling of insecurity, but he can’t quite understand this insecurity
• But that doesn’t make it invalid!
• He knows that it’ll be a nagging little voice regardless of what he says
• But if he can help reduce it to just an annoying nagging voice that you can flick away, then he’ll do just that
• Making his way to the bathroom, he steps behind you, looking at the reflection of you both in the mirror
• His arms snake around your waist and he bends slightly to rest his head at the base of your neck and shoulder
• He wordlessly gazes at your reflection, a soft smile taking over his lips at your image
• The words he had quickly planned out seemed to float from his mind, lost in the lovesick grin he adorns
• “You’re so gorgeous.” is all he’s able to muster up
• Realizing he must have seen you, your face heats up, eyes widening and trying to hold back the embarrassment rising in your throat
• Itto sends a silent, understanding smile, before kissing the base of your neck and nuzzling his nose into the warm skin
• “I love you, you know that right?”
• His words never fail to make your heart flutter, but you can’t help but wonder if your heartbeat speeding up is from the sentiment or the anxiety
• “Yeah,” you choke out with a stiff chuckle, “ you tell me everyday.”
• “That also means every part of you.” His voice is muffled with his face planted comfortably in your neck
• He looks back up into the mirror, the gentle, loving smile never having left his face
• “What do you mean?”
• “I mean,” he takes in a deep breath, standing up to his full height, pulling you closer against his chest. “it’s time for us to cuddle and for me to show you how much I love you’re pudge!”
• The words don’t seem to hit as well as he would have hoped, you tiny smile still holding an edge of resentment
• “Why do you like it?”
• “Like what?”
• “My fat. You’re always holding or squeezing it, doesn’t it gross you out?” You sneer at the reflection which seems to mocks you
• “Gross me out? Why would it do that?”
• “Well it’s just.. there. Wouldn’t you want to be with someone that’s more fit like you?”
• Now that genuinely confuses him
• Man is the embodiment of the meme where the woman’s confused with math equations around her head
• “What makes them any different from you?” His hands, still tightly wound around your waist, start subconsciously rubbing and kneading at your stomach. A comforting action he’d picked up fairly early on in your relationship
• “They’re skinny, I’m not. Wouldn’t you want someone prettier? Like with a flat stomach?”
• Your words hit him like a punch in the gut, but the tears starting to form in your eyes only make the feeling worse
• “But you’re gorgeous, I couldn’t dream of being with someone else.”
• Itto’s hands move to your shoulders, turning you away from the mirror to look at him
• His hands move to your cheeks, caressing the skin with a gentle thumb
• “Being skinny doesn’t make you beautiful and having extra fat doesn’t make you ugly.”
• His eyes flit back and forth between yours, holding back the urge to pull you into a kiss that very moment
• “I love you and every part of you. Your chub just makes you all the more better to love and cuddle with and kiss and hug and everything else!”
• He planted scattered kisses along forehead, cheeks, and nose. Muttering “I love you”s between each
• Describing and explaining things may not be his strongest suit but the sincerity of his words is enough to get the message across
• Again, his love language is physical affection, so showing how much he loves and adores you is the best way he knows how of assuring you
• “Thank you, I love you too, Itto”
• You’re still not feeling great, Itto can tell
• Your smile doesn’t reach your eyes and you have a tired and drowsy look in your eyes
• “So, about that cuddling part…”
• Itto looks at you hopefully, taking in the gentle smile which grows just a little bit wider at his suggestion
• “Okay,” you chuckle. “Come on, I could use a nap.”
• You take his hand to drag him over to the bed, now pulling a lovesick man who seems to be floating on cloud nine
• Crawling under the covers, you lay on your back, opening your arms to your boyfriend invitingly
• Itto’s eyes light up like a kid being given some fresh and sweet dango
• He cuddles up to your chest, placing tiny kisses along your stomach and chest, whispering sweet nothings after each
• Finally, he settles when you gently pull his head down to your chest, running your hands through his hair and humming a small tune
• Hearing your contented sigh, he watches as you slowly drift off to sleep, comforted by the warmth he was giving
• If he was standing he might have just fallen over
• He swears that whenever he’s with you, it feels like he’s died and gone to Celestia
• He’s not fully sure how to help but he’ll do whatever he can to make sure you know that you are cherished and loved. Chubbiness and all
Summary: When Prince Scaramouche picks you out of a random group of commoners to marry, your life is turned upside down. He’s mean, snarky, condescending and he doesn’t act like a proper husband or prince at all. However, when Prince Tartaglia from the neighbouring kingdom takes an interest in you, Prince Scaramouche finds himself even more annoyed than usual. This is the story of him and you navigating this roller coaster of a relationship.
Warnings: slow burn, does not exactly follow the genshin lore, AU, nasty and mean fight
Word Count: 2.2k words
Summary and a recap on the Royal AU plots are here.
“Scaramouche, long time no see,” Tartaglia let out a laugh, waving briefly at the man next to you. You immediately get the sense that they’d known each other for a long time, with Tartaglia not using the proper title for Scaramouche, but your husband doesn’t say anything just as your eyes lock with Tartaglia’s.
It surely is dazzling. His deep, cobalt blue eyes. Arguably the most stunning you’ve ever seen.
“And this must be princess Y/N. I heard about the marriage,” Tartaglia picks your hand up in your dazed state, and you can’t break your gaze as he leans in to softly press a kiss against your hand. He withdraws a few inches away, but seems unwilling and reluctant to let go of your hand as he keeps it in his for a few moments more, before releasing it from his hold and standing straight up.
Scaramouche eyes the interaction second by second. He already had a natural dislike towards Tartaglia, ever since they were little. Tartaglia was quite persistent in several different angles. He irked Scaramouche in ways that he had never been irked before. Though he didn’t say anything about the hand kiss, he was certainly wary of what else the Snezhnayan Prince might pull.
“You haven’t changed,” Scaramouche’s voice is flat, he’s controlling it rather well while Tartaglia answers with a chuckle. “I could say the same for you,”
There’s a bit of hidden tension between them, but it gets cut off as you finally come back down to Earth and introduce yourself to the newly arrived prince. You curtsy properly and state your name in accordance with the rules, just as you have with the other guests you’ve talked with before.
“…and it’s nice to meet you, Prince Tartaglia,” the words roll from your tongue easily, having done it almost a hundred times now for the past few months.
Tartaglia doesn’t show it, but he’s a little surprised. He thought that Scaramouche would have chosen someone who was more timid, more reserved and would only talk when being talked to. That didn’t seem the case at all as he observed you more closely.
The way you carried yourself was still a little unpolished, but the smile looked almost genuine and was very welcoming. That was possibly part of your charm.
“If you don’t mind me asking, how’s the weather in Snezhnaya? I hear it’s cold most of the time,” and great at starting conversations too. Nothing like what Tartaglia thought you’d be from the rumors. It didn’t look as if you were caged nor forced into anything, but Tartaglia knew a good actor when he saw one. He was somewhat of a good one himself.
Scaramouche let you talk, or attempt to, at least. It strangely gave him some semblance of normality and authority, to let you talk to Tartaglia as if he was just like anyone else in the party. There was no need to treat the Snezhnayan Prince any differently.
Tartaglia falls into another chuckle, this time directed towards you. “Correct, it’s extremely cold in the winter. Though, there’s no use of me talking about it. Experiencing it yourself is a better answer, princess. You should visit some time,” smoothly, Tartaglia offers his hand out towards you, and you stare blankly at his outstretched hand until he explains. “Care to dance, princess?” his eyes dart at Scaramouche, whose face is still unreadable. “I’m sure Scaramouche wouldn’t mind. It’ll only be a moment,”
“Oh, uhm–” Dancing. The bane of your existence. Sure you’ve had plenty of lessons by now, but come to think of it, you hadn’t tried it out in an actual ball, mostly because Scaramouche didn’t want to bother with dancing, and perhaps no one dared to ask Scaramouche’s wife for a dance…up until today.
Your hesitation is obvious. Tarataglia and Scaramouche sees it, but Tartaglia, just as Scaramouche thought, had his ways of getting what he wanted. “Don’t worry about the steps, princess. I’ll guide you through it,”
You look up at Tartaglia’s earnest eyes and honest smile, there was no rule against dancing with another prince, in fact, it was like a form of greeting. Yet, you can’t help your automatic instinct to look towards Scaramouche for an answer.
It was now Scaramouche’s turn to be secretly surprised, you had always done what you wanted to do, regardless of his opinions. Suddenly realizing that you were asking him for permission inflated his ego a little…and he saw an instant flash of himself saying “No,” immediately, only for himself to thwart the feeling and bury it under the depths.
“Go ahead, what you do doesn’t concern me,” he sounds nearly angry and the voice that he hadn’t used in weeks towards you resurfaces. Your mouth falls slack as you watch him walk away, grabbing a drink from a table while he’s at it.
‘Oh,’ It’s bizarre, the little dip your heart does. You don’t know the reason for it. ‘I thought for sure that I’ve gotten through to him a little…’
But you weren’t the type to be rude to guests, and so you hide the thought away for later on, smiling towards Tartaglia and taking his hand to accept his offer for a dance.
The simplest way to describe Prince Tartaglia’s laugh was the word picturesque. The way his eyes crinkled perfectly at the sides, he’s not obnoxiously loud, but anyone looking from a mile away knew that he was having fun. “Well, not bad at all princess! You don’t really have much to worry about when it comes to dancing,”
You know he’s lying, because you were sure that you’d stepped on his foot at least 4 times now, and you were slightly horrified and yet, Tartaglia was so convincing with the way he complimented you, it was easy to forget that you’d made so many missteps. “M-Maybe we should take a break,” there’s a lopsided smile on you, as if unsure whether you should laugh or apologize to him.
He’s amused, but relents and escorts you off of the ballroom floor after a few elegant minutes on it.
The funny thing about royal parties like these, was that there were no chairs in sight. People came away from the dance floor still standing side by side each other, just falling into another conversation, or curtsying towards each other and then moving on to the next person they would want to socialize with.
Tartaglia had drawn you in with his amusing and exciting stories about Snezhnaya: about the snow, the cold mornings, their special brew of tea. About the way night falls faster and about his family. He has siblings, and he talked of them as if they were his pride and joy.
A thought suddenly crosses your mind.
Scaramouche and Tartaglia could not have been any more different.
They were like night and day. The other choosing to be away from people, refusing to socialize with his audience and the other was like a magnet. Even if you didn’t know him, you were drawn to how confident and welcoming he was.
“I see! I’ve never witnessed snow before, so building snowmen and snowball fights and the like are unfamiliar to me,” you tell Tartaglia as he was discussing how him and his siblings pass the time.
“Scaramouche used to join us,” Tartaglia thinks that the way your head snaps up, the way your eyes search into his at the mention of Scaramouche’s name was not only because you were curious about your estranged husband. There’s a sort of eagerness mixed in your curious eyes, a longing for you to understand the cold prince.
“He did?”
“He used to visit when we were younger. Back then, Teucer wasn’t born yet. But then…Well, I suppose growing up changes a lot of things,” Tartaglia chuckles, taking a sip of his drink, feeling your eyes still on his form as more questions about Scaramouche threaten to spill out of your mouth. However, he speaks up first. “I’m surprised he hasn’t told you about this, princess. It’s not a secret that we used to be good companions,” He turns his head sideways, watching as your eyes now flicker away from his. Your hesitation is back.
“Oh…Well… He’s…rather busy,”
“Is he now? Has he told you about his vision, at least?”
Your eyebrows crease together in confusion at the word “vision”. It could have simply been another word for “goals” but the way he says it lets you know that wasn’t what he was talking about. “…You mean, his magical artes?”
Rumor has it that when a thunderstorm erupted in the country, it was probably because the Ruthless Prince was in a foul mood. That’s how powerful people thought he was and yet you… had seen no sign of this “power” that Scaramouche supposedly held. “No, he doesn’t talk about that,” you confirm and Tartaglia lets out a slight huff mixed in with a laugh.
“Ever the secretive person,” He adds, placing his empty glass down on the table and fully turning towards you, his cloak billowing behind him as he moves. There’s not quite enough time to react to his hand suddenly finding its way under your chin, he tilts it up to get a better look at you, or perhaps to draw your attention fully on him.
“Though I wonder, princess, is it really because he’s busy…….Or because he would rather not spend time with you?” The hair at the back of your neck stands. Looking into Tartaglia’s unwavering gaze, your eyes widen for a fraction of a moment before getting your bearings back. Before reminding yourself that you have to put on an act, to let everyone else know that you and Scaramocuhe were a perfectly normal couple.
“H-He’s just busy…”
Tartaglia’s eyes narrows, as if searching for a flaw in your otherwise perfect show. He leans in closer, a whisper already on his lips. “What a pity then, missing out on such beaut–”
The way that Scaramouche grabs Tartaglia’s wrist from your chin and flings it away, and the way that he roughly pulls you backwards by the shoulder. It was rather unprincelike and crass, but you were already used to Scaramouche’s mannerisms.
There’s a quick flicker of murder in Scaramouche’s eyes, but only Tartaglia sees it, earning an amused grin from the Snezhnayan Prince. “Ah, sorry, I was merely…enamored,” Tartaglia offers easily, as if not perturbed at all by what had transpired.
It doesn’t help that they were in a public gathering, prying eyes were already turning their way. You take a quick glance around you and back towards the two men in front of you, Scaramouche wedged in between you and Tartaglia, the former with his hand balled up on his side, and the latter pleasantly smiling, as if nothing had happened at all.
You step up and wrap both your hands around Scaramouche’s fist gently, whispering “…We should… step back,” another way of telling him that escalating would not do anything for anyone. He listens quite readily and unfurls his fisted hand, grabbing yours before exclaiming, “We’re leaving,” and tugging on it, leaving you no choice but to follow.
“I’ll see you next time then, princess,” Tartaglia still waves at you as you pass by, though he didn’t give any greeting towards Scaramouche, you merely give the taller man an apologetic smile.
It’s uncomfortably silent in the carriage. You sit there replaying the short but sudden scene, of Tartaglia nearly nose to nose with you at how close he’d been, and the rage that Scaramouche barely hides. It was not Tartaglia on your mind, or how he’d blatantly flirted with you–somehow you got the impression that he was just that kind of person. Instead, it was Scaracmouche’s rather…unusual reaction that had your mind going back and forth with questions.
Why was he so angry?
Unbeknownst and sat across from you, the prince thinks the same thing. He watches the scenery outside the carriage, letting the silence fester between the two of you. No one had said a word about it yet. You only had the courage to once the two of you stepped out of the carriage. “…Are you alri–”
“Don’t be disillusioned,” He cuts off, his back facing you. “What I did back there had nothing to do with you, in fact you can go right ahead and kiss him in private.” He swerves around, familiar snarl on his face and yet, it was much, much more menacing. Like staring at the open mouth of a lion, about to tear your face in half. “It was to uphold my authority, what would others think if I let him do that? And you–!”
He grit his teeth before continuing, “You stood there doing nothing, knowing that the other nobles were watching!” You’re rendered frozen at his words, whatever thought you had that Scaramouche might have been a little jealous, just even the tiniest amount, washed away from your mind.
“Let me make this clear to you, Y/N. Out in public, you’re married to ME, so act like it!” There’s a harsh comeback on your tongue, about to berate him for the fact that HE doesn’t act like the two of you are married, but he continues first. “Your private time, it doesn’t concern me, you can meet up with whoever you want and do whatever the hell you’d like with them, and I’ll do the same,” he spits his next words out with intensity.
“Play.your.role.”
And he walks, leaving you standing there for a moment longer, numb and blank. It slowly dawns on you that there was nothing in his heart for you. You were a pawn, just like his knights, servants and maids. You were merely a pawn who had the life of a princess.
“We’ve all come from royal and pure blood, and then you, tainted and filthy like where you came from–there’s no way the prince would ever love you!”
The words echo in your mind as you find your way back to the bedroom, Scaramouche nowhere to be seen. You didn’t have it in you to cry, thinking that when you wake up, these few months had just been a big nightmare, and everything would be back to normal in your quiet and quaint house in the village.
You fall asleep, more exhausted than you have ever been and the hope in your heart merely a dying and suffering small flame.
As you slept, the sky rumbles, the beginnings of a terrible thunderstorm covering the country.
SUMMARY: just the things they’re willing to do and they do when they’re courting you.
FEATURING: diluc, kaeya, childe and zhongli
WARNINGS: mentions of violence and death in childe’s part.
NOTE: i’m back everyone! *looks at my asks and schedule* maybe not… *goes into hiatus for a month*
DILUC
even though diluc is a very busy man, he doesn’t forget to give you your favourite flowers every morning—with a letter containing compliments and other things he wants to say.
free drinks at the tavern. he would give it to you in front of everyone with a soft smile just so that everyone will know that he adores you and you only.
giving you gifts. it’s either something that reminded him of you or something you eyed last week when he accompanied you because you wanted to buy groceries (he was about to pay for everything you bought but you stopped him and said that it’s fine but in the end, diluc won and paid for it.)
letters, again. if he has some free time, he would write you letters. sometimes, it contains poems but he thought it was cringe so he swore he won’t write you anything like that again—and now, his letters only contain how he misses you (if he’s in another nation doing business) and how he wants to see you…or just straight up praises.
he’s willing to do anything for you, no questions asked. he doesn’t care if it’s going to make him look stupid. he doesn’t care if he’s going to get hurt in the process. this man loves you so much that he doesn’t care about anything when it comes to you.
he’s a 10/10. i’m going to say yes immediately.
more characters under the cut!
KAEYA
when he told you how he feels about you, you thought he was only joking. you thought that it was just kaeya being kaeya—but he wasn’t. he was serious.
like diluc, he will give you flowers too! he’s willing to neglect his work as the cavalry captain just to annoy and flirt with you.
speaking of flirting, this man only flirts with you. he doesn’t flirt with any random people anymore—just you.
the literal definition of “cool on the outside, sweating on the inside”.
to you, he’s like a mysterious man—full of hidden secrets and mysteries but he’s willing to tell every single thing about him to you when the time comes.
this man’s love language is physical touch and quality time (same kaeya, same) so expect this man to be clingy. CLINGY. he’s literally attached to your hip when he has free time.
ah yes, trust. kaeya trusts you so much that for the first time (in like- forever) he took his eyepatch off in front of you as he smiled softly. his adoration for you written in his eyes.
and for the second time, kaeya felt the warmth of a home—and it’s you. his safe haven.
CHILDE
literally has his guard down when he’s with you, shows you his “true and real” emotions, laughs with you but very loudly, can’t stop wheezing every time you make a joke about something and you’re telling me that this man isn’t down bad for you?!?!
he spoils you so much. gifts, and other things? he got you covered bro. you don’t have to worry about mora when childe’s there. you just gotta chill and let him court you.
even if he’s doing his missions, his brain can’t stop thinking about you. you’re literally on his mind 24/7.
to quench his “y/n starved” self, he looks up and watches the stars. it reminds him of your eyes…shining and full of emotions, unlike his.
when he’s done with his missions, he will go straight back to you, wrapping his arms tightly around your waist as he whispers in your ear how much he missed you.
LMAO why is he acting like you guys have any label
like diluc, he’s willing to do anything for you. he already stained his hands—and it won’t hurt him if he stains it more. he will do unspeakable acts for you. he will quit the fatui if you want him too. mans obsessed…
ZHONGLI
he’s so old fashioned when it comes to courting but i love him for that and i know you do to :((
he treats you very gently. he respects your boundaries and privacy too (not in a yandere way but this guy sometimes follows you for fun and to know more about you)
acts of service and gift giving is his love language. he will give you trinkets that remind him of you or he made by himself. he will also accompany you if you like! it doesn’t matter where you want to go—he will follow you.
compliments and praises EVERY SINGLE DAY. this man won’t get tired and he never runs out of things to say too! sometimes, he will brag about your achievements in front of childe and hutao! he can’t even control how his lips form into a smile when he talks about you!
he’s willing to do anything for you (3) and he’s also willing to spend his everyday life with you—since mortals only have a little time to live.
he literally keeps everything he does with you in his mind—his favourite moments, the times he made you flustered, and the times he kissed your knuckles goodbye.
SUMMARY: random sagau brainrots i’ve had in my mind while i was on hiatus in one post!
FEATURING: various × gn!reader
WARNINGS: this contains yandere behaviours, gore, violence, self aware characters, reader being worshipped, worshipping and many more so please proceed with caution.
everything in here (except the one with links in it) is a work in progress. i’ll try to write and post the other parts when i’m not busy.
all of my sagau works will be linked here. so if you want to get tagged, send in an ask! i plan to make another taglist for this series and more characters are going to get added in the future!
every asks, posts and other things related to this series will be tagged as raidengaile; wonders of another world!
SUMMARY: being in a secret relationship with him has its ups and downs. but as you reassure each other secretly, everything is going to be okay.
WARNINGS: none, all fluff
NOTE: i love diluc so much guys- i can’t do this anymore✋ anyways, have a small hcs about him
secretglances. it’s either him, you or both the two of you giving each other knowing glances with little smiles here and there.
a sprinkle of favouritism. it’s rare for the winery owner to give free drinks to someone when he doesn’t even give one to his brother. it was suspicious but hey—maybe the winery owner is just thanking you! for uhh…something! hehe…
lingering touches. “is it just me or master diluc is rather very touchy with Y/N?” venti whispered, loud enough for rosaria and kaeya to hear. “maybe you’re just drunk, venti. he still has the same facial expressions.” rosaria took another sip on her drink. clearly not paying attention. kaeya chuckled as he secretly glanced at you and his brother—connecting some dots bit by bit. “hey guys, wanna have a bet?” he smirked as the two listened to his bet and conditions.
the type to sneak into your house/room after his dark knight stuff. but of course, he will ask for your permission first by sending his pet eagle to your location with a letter wrapped in its feet (consent king <3). if you agree, he will do his best to finish his duties faster—just so that he could cuddle with you and sleep the night away.
speaking of letters, his pet eagle is the official letter sender! his eagle loves you and diluc couldn’t disagree because he loves you more! he’s a bit jealous though because your eagle gets to see you more often.
every time he’s away for business trips, he wouldn’t forget to buy and give you gifts that remind him of you! one time, he bought both of you matching necklaces! it has a very tiny heart pendant!
overall, he’s a 100/10. a perfect boyfriend and a husband material. oh! and don’t even worry about when you guys are going to tell everyone about your relationship because a certain cavalry captain, bard and a nun will accidentally reveal it very LOUD and even talk about how their so-called master diluc is down bad for you.
Warning: kissing. reader has enough hair to be tied up
Notes: Sorry I’ve been so dead over the last month my school decided to spit out a shitton of homework ;-;. Sorry if the ending is a bit rushed I was scared I won’t be able to complete it on time. (and sorry for posting it so late (ಥ _ʖಥ))
Albedo knew you crossed the line this time. But no matter how hard he tries, he can’t do it. He just couldn’t say no to you. He couldn’t say no to the way your eyebrows scrunch up and your lips stick out in the most adorablepout. He couldn’t say no the way your pleading eyes dug into his skull, waiting for the answer.
You knew. Albedo knew you knew. You knew that you had an exam, yet you stilldecided to go to the bar. You stillmanaged to get yourself so drunk you could barely walk. You stillnearly fell asleep on his unused bed after you had come knocking on his door in the middle of his experiment.
Albedo tried gently pulling away from your sleeping form, but even in your drunk state, your arms still wrapped firmly around his neck.
“y/n,” he whispered, gently shaking you by the shoulders, “you can’t sleep here.”
“I’m tired,” you said, “can I just crash here?”
“y/n.”
You buried your face into his neck, murmuring something that Albedo couldn’t quite make out.
“y/n?” You lifted your head from his neck, your eyes were hazy, lips slightly agape. Your lips. Your goddamn perfectlips.
“I said,” you slurred, giving him a sleepy grin, “you’re so warm, ‘bedo. And so pretty too. So, so pretty.”
Albedo raised an eyebrow.
“You think I’m pretty?”
You nodded violently.
“You’re pretty. Much prettier than Ariana Grande or Taylor Swift or any of those celebrities.”
Albedo chuckled. Even when you’re drunk and half-asleep, you could still make him laugh.
“Y/n, you have to go home. I need to finish my experiment.”
“Nooooo,” you dug your head deeper into his neck, “Don’t leave me. Please.” Then you gave him that look. The look you know he just can’t say no to. After a few moments, you took his silence as confirmation and snuggled closer to him, taking his arms to wrap them around yourself.
“Y/n, even if I don’t do my experiment, I still need to sleep.”
“This is your bed, isn’t it? Just sleep here.”
Albedo could feel his ears heating up. Even if your comments before didn’t bother him, this definitely did. You and Albedo had been friends ever since you remember, and it’s not uncommon for a bit of casual flirting, but this was different. You haven’t slept in the same bed as him ever since you were seven.
You sighed, reaching out to untie his braids and card your fingers through his blond hair.
“Does your scalp hurt, ‘bedo? If I tie my hair up for long amounts of time it gets really sore. My poor baby,” you cooed.
You were going to kill him.
“Y/n-”
“What am I doing?” you mumbled, cutting him off.
“Huh?”
“What am I doing? I can’t compare to the others,” you sighed, slipping out of his arms to pull the blankets up to your chin.
“Y/n? What are you going on about?”
“You’re the perfect human being, you know that right? It doesn’t surprise you that half the people on campus like you?”
Albedo was popular, he knew that. But he barely paid any attention to any who had an interest in him. After all, his education comes first.
“Well, that’s the reason I’ve held off telling you. I can’t compete with half the campus.”
What were you telling him? You can’t compete with half the campus?
“Since this is the only time I’ll be able to do it-”
Albedo’s lips met warm skin as you barely grazed ur lips against his. Within a second, you had propped yourself up and kissed him. Albedo was stunned, body frozen. This kiss barely lasted a moment, yet Albedo could feel the lingering sensation of your lips on his. The taste of alcohol and underlying tones of cherries and strawberries. You sent him a shy smirk before hiding yourself under his blankets again.
“Whoa there,” Childe catches you before you can throw yourself into another pile of work. “Slow down, comrade. When was the last time you took a break?”
He recognises it; the desperation hidden in your tone when you tell him there’s too much to do to mess around, and that you were fine.
You were obviously not fine. Childe has seen many work themselves to the bone only to burn out in terrible ways. He doesn’t want that to happen to you - selfishly, he likes you better with some light in your eyes.
“Then how about this? Come have lunch with me, and I swear I’ll let you get back to work after.” He extends his hand to you, palm up, with a boyish smile. You wonder if he’s been in your position before, in some shape or form. “But you have to promise not to think about work while we’re hanging out, alright? Focus on one target at a time.”
“…Traveler.” Zhongli’s voice is gentle as he sets a teapot onto your desk. A calming aroma drifts from it; when did he brew that? Were you so distracted that you hadn’t heard him?
The man only chuckles at the question written on your face. “I’ve been here for a while.” He gestures to the window, sunlight streaming in like ribbons from a dance. “You’ve been working for hours.”
…You didn’t have the time for what he was suggesting. There would be other days, where–
When you meet those amber eyes, you feel your excuses deflate. “…Perhaps I’ll go for a walk, just a short one.”
There’s amusement in the way he pretends this wasn’t the outcome he was hoping for - for you to take a break, however short, and remember there was a world outside filled with color. A bit of the weight on your shoulders lifts as you take a walk with him, allowing your world to slow down.
“Catching up… to me?” Ganyu repeats in surprise. Understanding crosses her face when she realises how her work habits must’ve made you feel. Guilt comes next; she’s promised you a long time ago that she would take care of herself, but it seems like she’s failed to recognise when you started to need the same attention.
“Y/N, please don’t ever feel like you have to match or surpass anyone’s progress.” Ganyu’s gaze holds yours, and you’re unable to look away. She takes both your hands to give them a squeeze.
“There is value in you regardless of work results. You’re plenty irreplaceable without pushing yourself like this; your friendship in itself has made an impact on me, more than you’d know.”
“I… I wish to be someone you can rely on, just as you’ve accepted my insecurities.” Ganyu laughs lightly. “I suppose in that way, we’re both hoping to catch up with one-another, so don’t treat yourself too harshly, alright?”
About: A star-crossed AU that’s part of my ‘In Another Life’ AU collab! Do check out everyone else’s work through this linkif you’re interested in more content
CW:Angst for the most part! Specifics below:
Venti: Love that can’t happen due to outside forces (right person, wrong lifetime) –> mortallifespan
Zhongli: Reader death implied (he loses you in the archon war)
Gorou:Reader has memory loss about their s/o (your vision was taken away from you)
A human and a god… That kind of story sounds like something out of a bard’s tale, doesn’t it? Yet in light of your mortal lifespan, Venti hesitates to approach you in a way that expresses his true feelings.
If it was hard for normal individuals to be vulnerable, the idea can only be more taxing for him - after all, what right did he have to share a heart so heavy with sins of the past? Perhaps it’d be better to keep his distance while you still saw him as someone good and kind.
Losing someone is something he’s used to, however… that doesn’t make each time easier than the last. And in the grand scheme of things, wasn’t Venti just being selfish by occupying your attention? When surely you’d be happier with someone else, your time better spent with them more meaningfully?
He could not learn about the world with you with bright new eyes, experience age or illness - how could Venti bear to let you go through them alone? Thus he keeps his feelings to himself, lending you a shoulder to lean on when you needed, and playing melodies to lift your spirits.
When you do find someone else, he’s happy for you! He ensures you reach your happy ending, both as a guardian deity of Mondstadt and your friend.
It’s the least he can do, so just enjoy your life, alright? That’s his only request. For you to live without regrets; live a life that makes your chest ache with joy. He’ll do what he can to protect that.
Zhongli lost you during the archon war, where you fought by his side. On the rare occasion where there was no conflict for a day or so, you’d regroup and finally let your guards down in the solace of one-another’s arms.
It was a dangerous period - the loss of lives, immortal or otherwise, was nothing of an oddity. Zhongli… he considered himself lucky, for when he lost you, he had been by your side in your last moments.
You asked him to continue living without regrets. You said that rock could withstand the most brutal of things - so Morax, please don’t burden yourself with my end. Just remember me fondly and know that I’ll always cheer for your happy ending, alright?
You were one of the best of them, and yet you had no desire for a title or land in your name. You… Zhongli paused in his stroll, looking at the sea that stretched beyond the city’s harbour.
You were a little too much like him. Headstrong, well-meaning, willing to move mountains for what or who you loved.
He misses you, he wishes you could see Liyue as it was today, where mortals were beginning to take charge of their future. Zhongli wonders what you would think of his new name, his new job. Would you make fun of his statues? Tease him about being the almighty Geo Lord?
Ah, so it seems that he hasn’t completely moved on yet.
Zhongli covered his eyes with his hand. Soon, you’d always say. Soon, we may lay down our weapons and only worry for ourselves. I’ll expect proper gifts from you then, Morax. No more dinners by the campfire in the middle of a war.
One of the scariest things that’s happened to Gorou was when you looked at him through the eyes of a stranger. You’d returned his hug with a light squeeze - out of politeness, and leaned away with an unsure smile:
I’m sorry, but I don’t recall if we’ve met before…
Gorou has to try so hard to not let the hurt show on his expression - were you joking..? No, you didn’t usually try to prank him like that. Then why…
When his gaze trails to the place where your vision normally rested, Gorou’s blood froze. Something fearful clawed at him as the color drained from his face, and his hands slacken.
Those that lose their visions also lose memories tied to those ambitions. Please be careful, Gorou.
The world came to a pause as his mind started to scramble for signs that this wasn’t the case. In his desperation, Gorou takes your hands and searches your eyes, asking, pleading for you to talk about the dreams that you held so dearly.
But you only looked at him with more confusion in your gaze. A conflicted look crosses your expression as you feel something familiar about his touch, yet…
Even if you searched your mind, you were unable to find any memory that resembled what the man was hoping for.
I… I don’t have a vision, General Gorou. You gently took your hands out of his, giving them a squeeze. Do you have the wrong person?
About: You’re isekai-ed into the world of an otome game as the antagonist, who’s due for a bad end in most of the routes! The protagonist (MC) still hasn’t entered the game however, which means you have time to turn your fate around!
Diluc, the crown prince; often busy with his studies and training, you recall he was one of the most popular characters within the fanbase.
In the game’s route, the first meeting was in the gardens at night, where Diluc was taking a walk to clear his head and found himself talking to the MC.
However here… yours was a bit different.
Diluc almost attacked you at first, thinking you were an enemy tracking him - he was strolling in the gardens, yes, but it’d been to ponder over things related to his darknight hero character; created to investigate the kingdom without restrictions from status.
He recognised you, seeing as you belonged to an influential family. Diluc initiated safe conversation that you were thankful for, even if its purpose was to deter from prying questions.
The next times you met were coincidences as well, but you did find something endearing with how Diluc wasn’t as polished or experienced as he was in the game. There were still a few years before he’d grow even more capable - thus you took the time you had to leave an amicable impression.
…After all, the villain in his route faced harsh retribution. You’d prefer to avoid something as unsavory as that.
How convenient would it be if you managed to befriend him for real? He was to be a ruler in the future, and that kind of power was something that could be much to your advantage.
…Besides, in the moments you managed to catch him off-guard, Diluc was kind of cute. He was quite competitive as well, as you’d learn later on.
“I’m starting to think you just like sitting on rooftops.”
“I could say the same for you,” You raised a brow. Diluc’s face was hidden beneath a mask and hood. You had to pretend you weren’t aware of his real identity, lest it roused suspicion from the prince. “Were you on a mission of some sort, Darknight Hero?”
“It’s nothing I can disclose.” He said neutrally, pausing at your disappointed sigh. “Is that what you hope to find out when coming out here?”
“What I hope for is something interesting.” You gave Diluc a sardonic smile. It wasn’t untrue, even if your hidden intention was to leave an impression on him. “Would you be able to tell me something like that, at least?”
To your surprise, he does move to sit a little bit away from you. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Growing up as the adopted son of the royal family, Kaeya was no stranger to feeling like he didn’t belong.
What was curious is how you seemed to be feeling the same way.
Why was that? You’ve been a noble all your life, and even flourished as a formidable individual in social circles.
Kaeya wasn’t one to believe rumors of all things, but he’d at least expected to see some semblance of that when he first met you.
The way he carries himself is as suave as ever. Knowledge of his insecurities and troubles was private, and knowing how secretive Kaeya can be, it was quite safe to say that he kept his charming, confident mask on at all times to deter unwanted trouble.
The time Kaeya properly meets you was during a hunting event, where you went to a quieter area to collect your thoughts - unknowingly entering the dangerous side of the forest.
He finds and escorts you back since you weren’t armed with equipment or signed up to hunt (modern skills usually don’t include things like archery on horseback) - he could have travelled faster, but chose to take a longer route and stay at a leisurely pace to get to know you better.
…Which was another way of saying “try to ease your secrets out of you” - Kaeya observes the way you fiddle with your hands or glance around. There was something odd about it; as if you were worried about survival - and not in the economical way most nobles did.
After that day you were sent a flower and note from the prince - something lyrical about how interesting your meeting was, and how he hopes you’ll continue to hold him in good graces.
At least you knew from there that Kaeya didn’t deem you an enemy. You’d even replied with a flower in return, one that held a more subte meaning compared to the popular blooms that were normally used.
Kaeya couldn’t help but smirk at what you sent him; arguably the shortest he’s even gotten in reply to his pretty words, and with a small note hidden on its back:
‘Though honestly speaking, I think I’d have better chances facing off with a bear than with you. Your words make quite the sharp blade, my prince.’
He twirled the flower in his hand. Your speech could be cold, but the thoughtfulness of the bloom suggested sincerity.
How intriguing indeed…
‘A cursed child from a fallen, forgotten kingdom.’
‘Look at that golden eye! The king and queen were blinded by kindness when they took him in!’
‘Shh! They’ll hear you!’
It didn’t take long for a child to start and believe those rumors, even if just a little.
‘What?’ You laughed, as if it was the silliest thing in the world. ‘I’ve seen monsters, Kaeya. And you’re certainly not one of them.’
Sometimes he wondered if your words were empty ones - then he remembers the look in your eyes, the kind that’s as desperate as him to live in peace.
…Maybe he’ll let himself believe in words like that, just this once.
Childe was a foreign nobleman that visited your kingdom often. Granted, not many knew of his reasons for being here, but the money in his pockets and friendly smiles were more than enough to win them over.
Your home was no Snezhnaya, but the glow of the marketplace in winter was quite reminiscent of his snow-covered memories. That’s where you bump into Childe, who was there in hopes of finding souvenirs for his siblings.
You were simply there to enjoy the day and nice weather, so when the man offers to treat you to lunch in exchange for a bit of local expertise, who were you to deny him?
Childe was aware that part of your motives was to see if he was a potential ally. But he didn’t mind that in the least - considering how he was doing the same. Eventually Childe deems you worthy of befriending, and invites you to an event his ‘friends’ were hosting on the weekend.
You soon find out it’s not like any social event you’ve attended before
So this was what Childe’s been up to… tracking down criminals from his home that were stirring trouble elsewhere.
Childe likes how you’re not afraid to lie and cheat to get things done. The more ruthless you are when faced with a situation, the more blatantly Childe would brag about your friendship with others; there’s a nice balance between regular fun and Childe inviting you to help with his other work.
The inclusivity surpasses that of his route in the game, which only gave the MC a brief idea of his underground life and limited the player’s actual contributions to help. There, Childe hadn’t wanted to put them at risk. Here, you were his teammate.
You once found yourself in a very illegal, incredibly hidden casino. (With disguises, of course). You spent the night collecting intel and keeping track of people of interest, but much to your surprise the casino erupted into a fight from an argument, resulting in Childe defending you from getting hurt.
(Okay, so maybe he was just itching to join too - it’s not often he gets to fight hand-to-hand)
“Do you want another drink?” Childe asked as he clinked his glass against yours. “They seem to have quite the menu.”
“You seem to be having fun with this,” You deadpanned. “Thank you for the offer, but I’m fine. I’d much rather we figure out how we can catch that man.”
“We could join his table. I’m quite curious as to how well you can play, comrade.”
“…I’d probably lose all your money.”
He barely batted an eyelid, having the nerve to smile as he passed you a heavy pouch. “So is that a yes?"
Xiao was one of the best swordsmen that worked for your family. In about a year’s time, he would be promoted to become a royal knight, and the game would begin soon after.
You’d planned to avoid him for the most part - if you simply didn’t antagonize him or the MC when they arrived, you were quite sure there were no repercussions to be faced.
But that was hard when he lived and worked at your manor, and you find yourself encountering Xiao many times; some ended with a simple greeting and glance, others involved formal events where you were actually being escorted by him.
Now, Xiao’s not one to really care for what others think of him, but seeing as you were one of the people he’s meant to protect and you seemed wary, Xiao starts to pay closer attention to you.
He promised Zhongli before that he’d strive to do his job well and make him proud, so it was only logical that Xiao doesn’t let this go until he figures out what’s wrong.
Were you receiving threats from unknown sources? Was he simply too intimidating that even you had started to avoid him? If he wanted to be a knight, Xiao had to be reliable and trustworthy enough that you’d come to him for help, so he tries a few times to initiate conversation when he’s off-duty and bumps into you.
It was definitely an uphill battle, but you eventually gave in one day and resigned yourself to the fact that you could not in fact avoid him.
From there a friendship starts to develop! Because Xiao isn’t the type to push (unless it’s related to your safety), you find yourself more comfortable around him than any of the others (they were all nobles, after all. And while your character was one as well… you originally weren’t, so it’s only natural that it starts to become stressful, living in such a foreign world while feigning familiarity.)
You grew hopeful that when the MC of the game does enter this world, Xiao would still be in your corner like he assured you he’d be.
…Yet you remembered how he was one of the most loyal in the game’s route, and a bittersweet feeling blooms in your heart at the idea that one day, he might leave you for real.
“Hey, Xiao.”
“Yes?”
“Remember the promise you made? To always be there when I called?”
“Of course.” He met your gaze.
“You don’t have to worry about that anymore,” You played with your hands. “I wouldn’t expect you to, seeing as you’re not bound to our house any longer.”
Silence followed, before finally: “I wouldn’t mind keeping that promise.” At your surprised look, Xiao merely shrugs. “What kind of knight would I be if my loyalty was that cheap? While it may not be my job to continue to guard you, I’d still come if you needed me.” A pause. “I’d like to think I’m not that shallow of a person, at least.”
That was the day you formally became friends and would address one-another as such. The insecurity in your heart lessened bit by bit. You never took Xiao as one to send letters, but he did every few weeks just to keep in contact with you.
It was fun. You looked forward to the next time you’d meet; even if the player may be in the picture by then.
Right, Xiao’s loyalty isn’t that cheap.
You chose to believe in those words as you started to write a reply to him, the parchment crinkling under your touch.
No character indicated in particular! Just a bunch of general fluff
It’s a time when you’re outside, and your hands get cold and a little bit numb - they intertwine your fingers together, asking if you want to hold hands to warm them up.
Their fingers are cold too, but it’s true that it doesn’t feel as numb when you lace them together, and slowly you get the feeling back in them.
You still keep your hands linked afterwards, even if they aren’t freezing anymore
Imagine sitting by a window with them at a cafe, hot chocolate and marshmallows in your mugs as you both watch the snow drift about outside.
Your friends ask when you two plan to go out to join them - your partner simply says you’ll do so after you finish your drinks.
You don’t miss the way they take a small sip, smiling as they asked if you preferred the warmth of the building. They prop their chin on their palm, leaning against the table to fix you with glittering eyes.
Hmm, who’s the one that doesn’t want to go out? “I guess I’d like to stay in here a little longer.” You said amusedly.
Imagine sitting on the floor by the christmas tree - it’s not even the right time to open presents yet, but since you were so curious, they agreed to do so earlier with you.
You’re a bit distracted by the gifts, smiling in a way they swear brightens up the room more than any light can - and then you pick up a box with their name on it, placing it into their hands.
They blink, not expecting this - admittedly, they were simply happy with seeing your excitement with your gifts. It hadn’t occurred to them yet that they might be opening theirs as well.
You’re looking at them with anticipation, making them laugh and unwrap the present carefully. Their eyes widen at the gift inside.
Oh, this was your present to them, wasn’t it?
Imagine talking to them and not knowing you were under the mistletoe - but when it’s finally pointed out they give you a tender hug instead, before placing a chaste kiss on your forehead and leaning away.
The next times you end up like that again, they do different things other than the simple kiss on the lips - when you asked why, they simply said that if they did, they might be even more inclined to drag you under the mistletoe on purpose all day
When you’re feeling a little lethargic, you’d bundle up on the couch or bed and spend hours like that together. Your legs are sometimes tangled or bumping against the other person’s, but considering how cold it was that day you didn’t really mind.
Perhaps they might sing for you as you drift off to sleep, or read something aloud, or simple ramble as you’d requested because you found the sound of their voice comforting - to be honest, they’re not really sure who’s doing who a favor here, because when they see you sleeping so soundly their heart feels so much lighter.
Imagine sharing a kiss just as the snow starts to fall outside - you laugh as your friends yell at you to go indoors, and your partner brushes the snow off of your hair and kisses the tip of your nose before you start to head back.
plot: the way they ask for affection when they’re not feeling their best
contains: tartaglia, diluc, kaeya
warnings: it gets a little angsty in childe’s and diluc’s, but nothing too serious. diluc being grumpy but are we surprised
authors note: for the one anon who wanted fluff as an apology, here u go!!
tartaglia
i guess i just need to be close to someone for a bit
listen i know he’s listed as one of the clingiest and cringiest of genshin boys, but i personally think he’s so used to being on his own, that he slowly forgets how easy it actually was for him to ask for these kind of things as a kid
because for sure he was a momma’s boy who never had a hard time saying “hug me” or “sing me something” or “read me a story”, he was, and still is, a communicative person.
but the sheer transition from the warmth of his home to the coldness of military training at a young age toughened him up enough to forget those little instincts a bit
you’re both sitting in his office, focused on some work, he’s doing his papers with the most bored expression ever, obviously office duties are not his favorites at all.
you were lost in some book for a good couple of hours, before finally deciding to get up and stretch your muscles a bit. without a word, not to disturb childe, who you know has a hard time focusing when it comes to documents and all those little “fine prints”, you go towards the door, intending to leave.
“where’re ya going?” he mumbles, not lifting his eyes up.
“oh, to take a walk, i think” you answer quickly, before pressing on the doorknob. he does look at you, expression suggesting he has something to say, but ultimately he doesn’t, only nodding, as you leave.
before you can reach the front door of the northland bank though, quick footsteps follow you down the stairs.
“actually” you hear behind you, and turn around to see the most trouble look you’ve ever seen on his face “if it’s not any trouble, can you wait for me to finish, and we’ll go together?” he pleads.
you don’t see why not, but why was he so hesitant about it?
“of course”
you go back upstairs, and he assures you it’s not gonna take any longer than fifteen minutes.
“sorry, it’s just a bit… ah, you know what, nevermind” a smile falls onto his lips, and he waves off whatever comment he had.
well, someone’s acting weird.
“tell me” you say, getting comfortable on the couch “you look stressed, what’s up?” when he still doesn’t answer, you walk over to him, hands traveling up to gently fiddle with his fluffy hair.
“it’s a bit easier for me to focus when you’re around” he admits, not looking at you. “in a foreign country, hundreds of kilometers away from my own people, and on hard terms with the ones i love the most, the loneliest i feel is in this office, when there’s no stimulation to keep my brain busy. you being here just puts my mind at ease, however dumb that sounds” he laughs off his own problems, a common response he has.
you can’t help but smile at how difficult that was for him to admit.
“i guess i just need to be close to someone for a bit” he whispers, half hoping you won’t hear, but you do.
“okay” you say softly “that’s completely okay, but, just feel free to tell me”
he nods.
“i’m just being dramatic” he chuckles again, already not liking the vulnerability in what he says. “there are not even that many things to be missed in snezhnaya, especially not the people”
you smile.
“regardless. it’s normal to feel lonely and sad, even if technically there’re people around you. actually, it’s normal to feel in general, you know?” you wink at him knowingly, referring to how he tends to mask whatever is going on in his head all the time.
when he doesn’t answer, you lean forward to press a short kiss to his forehead. “chop chop, pretty boy, let’s go for that walk, you could use one”
diluc
i don’t want to be alone
we all know this one sucks at opening up to anybody
he considers anything he feels a sign of weakness, and wants to surpass it as fast as he can
his inner fight with his emotions is visible to others, no matter how hard he tries to hide it, noticeable by how he’s quieter, less focused, and more likely to snap out of the blue
which is exactly what is about to happen, when you’re helping him close up angel’s share, hating the silence between the two of you.
diluc is usually closed off, but that doesn’t mean he won’t hold conversation with you when you two are alone, in fact, those are the times he looks forward to in a day. he hopes to see you pop into the alcohol-smelling room and brighten it up with the way you smile at him, talking about your day, asking about his.
this time, however, he doesn’t answer at all, focused on the way loneliness is eating him up inside, with the feeling of helplessness at not being able to tell anybody what’s going on, even though the right person to listen is within arm reach from him.
“are you even listening?” you whine, hands theatrically falling onto the bar, a faux frown on your face. “diluc!” you say louder, to snap him out of his train of thought.
“fucking archons, what?” he finally snaps, the towel on his shoulder falling. “what’s so important?”
you’re taken aback a bit by his mean remark, not knowing what to answer.
“are you listening?” you repeat, quieter, and he replies instantly.
“no, i’m working, if that’s not obvious already” the sarcasm in his voice apparent as ever.
“well, i did offer to help” you continue “you just didn’t answer” your hand reaches for the cleaning product he has standing on the bar, but his hand takes it away.
“no, you’ll interrupt”
that did hurt you a bit, and you decide to get your stuff and leave him for a bit, to cool off and come to terms with himself. but as you’re about to get up and walk over to the door, a mumble reaches your ears.
“please don’t go” he says a lot softer than he did before. “i don’t want to be alone”
the quiet desperation in his voice hits you, and you stop in your tracks.
“but you don’t want to talk?”
“no.” he shakes his head instantly. “not yet” he adds after a while.
“mhm, fine” you answer, settling back into your spot. “come sit, though, i’m sure you’ve been on your feet enough today.”
he hesitantly comes over to sit on the other side of the bar, your hand instantly covering his, thumb moving in soothing motions.
“you know all you had to do was just ask, right?”
he nods.
“sorry.”
kaeya
can you sing me something?
now this one, he might seem more open, but he just has a mental limit of how far he can go without entering the level of vulnerability he’s scared of
he’s an upbeat person on the outside, but even he, the mighty calvary captain, has his worse days.
he’s used to being told he’s annoying, even taking pride in how many times he can make diluc say that in one day. but after a particularly nasty fight between him and bartender, rosaria being there and taking the redhead’s side, he decides not to spend his evening at angel’s share
it comes off as a surprise for you, to see kaeya at home by the time you get there, so you don’t even take off your shoes before walking over to the couch he was laying on, an arm over his eyes to cover them from the light.
“are you drunk?” you giggle, your voice startling him awake from the half-sleep he was so obviously in.
“no” he simply answers, standing up slowly, and gently grabbing your waist before placing a soft kiss on your cheek. “you hungry?” he asks, walking over to the kitchen.
“a bit, yeah” you nod, slightly surprised by his behavior. “how was your day?”
“normal” he shoots back, swiftly moving around the kitchen to warm up some dinner for you. silence falls on the two of you after that. you don’t know what to start with, he’s not in the usual mood for talking. “here you go” he says after a while, placing a plate for you on the table, sitting on the other side.
not even your usual ‘voilà’? you think to yourself, thanking him before sitting down. throughout your meal, you study his face. he barely says anything, eyes set on the surface of the table, not lifting once, even his usually busy fingers staying still.
“alright, mister” you finally speak up, voice firm and determined. “come on.” you get up, stretching to take his hand into yours, guiding him to follow your lead to the couch, where you sit, inviting him to do the same, and when he does you pull his shirt, making him fall directly onto your lap. he shoots you a confused look, and you explain “you didn’t even say anything like your usual ‘oho, well thank you, but may i ask to what do i owe the pleasure?’” you mimic kaeya’s voice terribly enough to make him smile a little. “so we’re gonna sit here until you tell me what’s wrong”
he studies your expression for a long while, not believing how did he ever get this lucky, and how could he ever forget that no matter how annoying did he think he was, he would never be that to you.
he takes a big inhale before explaining, shortly and not in detail. you nod along the way, and think what to say for a bit after he finishes.
“well, the past is the past. there’s nothing we can do with what happened, but we can change the way we’re dealing with it, and the way we act in the future.” you state, and with the clarity of your voice, his composure is coming back to him. “it’s late, we’re both tired, let’s not go over this in detail, okay? for now, tell me what i can do to make you feel better”
he finds himself dumbfounded at your question. he doesn’t remember the last time he has been asked that the last time, and has no idea how to answer you. you see his gaze flickering from place to place, as if the answer is gonna show up on the ceiling, but ultimately, he replies quietly:
“can you, maybe, sing me something?” the hesitation in his voice is disarming, and you can’t help but smile at how cute that sounded, flattered by the realization that your voice must be soothing to him. he clears his throat. “since we both know, your voice is way outta this world?” he adds a lot more confidently, and you let out a chuckle.
“seems as though you’re already feeling better.”
your friendly reminder that requests are open [here]
Arataki Itto is one hundred percent the man who would so obviously be into you there’s no way you wouldn’t know. He is basically a golden retriever every three seconds it’s just “Hey wait!! Come look at this cool thing I’m gonna do!! Did you see the cool thing I did?? Wasn’t it cool?? Aren’t I cool??” Just Trying His Best if you say he’s strong or literally any compliment you better apologize to his gang because they will be hearing about it for the next two months nonstop
note. i surprised myself with how much plot this actually has.
零 ; you, the typecasted “passerby a”
the path to stardom is an arduous journey, but you’ve already abandoned your dreams not even halfway down the road.
you are far from the fresh newbie you once were. maybe you hoped to be famous at some point, your name sung in ardent praises and joint with stellar performances, but you’ve never received major roles that strayed from “classmate b” or “the protagonist’s best friend” who only ever appears to give advice.
the closest you’ve been to getting a main character role is being part of the second pairing of a cheesy romance drama that never became a hit, a series with a generic plot and a bland cast of no name actors.
but you can’t deny the spark of hope lighting your heart when you receive word of an audition for an upcoming drama adaptation of a well-loved webtoon series, a series you are an avid fan of. it’s a murder mystery following a genius detective striving to solve a serial killings cold case, with snippets of romance and the occasional comedy, grim as the premise may be.
once the drama adaptation was confirmed, it quickly became a hot topic; fans are anticipating the casting and filming crew, expecting nothing less of perfection to honor the brilliant source material. by all accounts, it’s big news, and snagging even a minor role would definitely earn you more recognition.
if you’re chosen to act as the victim in the first murder, you would already be beyond satisfied—being part of such a masterpiece is enough to make you overjoyed. you don’t have too high hopes but there’s no harm in trying for the audition, right?
yes. no harm at all.
that’s if you don’t count the brain damage you suffered when your head slammed against the wall from complete shock as you received an e-mail from the staff confirming your admittance to the project.
as the protagonist’s love interest, no less—a journalist investigating the serial murders to enact revenge on their younger brother’s stead, the third victim in the killings.
一 ; xiao, the celebrity crush
acting practice is generally considered a casual affair in every project you’ve taken on, yet you couldn’t help but spend hours trying to make yourself look presentable (and avoid looking like a beggar compared to your shining idols when you stand side by side). you may be a tad bit overdressed, but you’d hate to make a fool out of yourself on day one.
except that is exactly what you do. because you’re a walking disaster.
in your defense, it’s not even your fault! the moment you step foot in the venue, you’re ushered by the staff to a row of waiting rooms… without any nameplates attached by the doors and no indication of where you’re supposed to go. left with no other choice, you mentally count eeny meeny miny moe and surge forward for the chosen room.
you can’t tell if you’re tremendously lucky or the most unfortunate person on earth, but you come face to face with a person you never thought you’d see in the flesh.
the thing is, the staff never informed you of your future colleagues. the casting is a well-kept secret, even from the actors themselves, to prevent information leaks to the media before the official announcement.
you really wish you had time to prepare yourself before you had to meet xiao, though.
he’s lounging by the sofa, curls of dark hair sprawled on the cushions. his face is obscured by an eye mask, fashioned in a cute design you wouldn’t expect him to take an interest in at all. if you took a picture of him right now and printed them as merchandise, you’re sure they’ll sell like hotcakes, but a selfish part of you wants to keep this sight to yourself.
yes, because… because you’ve been crushing on him since forever!
you’ve seen his growth as an actor as far back as five years ago, when he only just started his career! he made the perfect mysterious pretty boy male lead, and the romance film he starred in was such a good classic! but he didn’t get typecasted, no no. he went beyond his pretty boy persona to work in other productions, where he acted as the crazed antagonist in a horror movie. that, too, eventually became a classic film for any horror movie fan. his murderous glare is just too damn scary!
he’s excellent in action-packed movies as well, there’s never a need for stunt doubles with him. you’ve seen his behind the scene clips, and they’re just awesome. he doesn’t speak much in interviews, his replies clipped and hardly substantial, but you try to catch each piece of precious footage.
oh fuck i shouldn’t be here. you snap back to your senses and reach for the doorknob, but the creaking sound of the door prompts xiao to twitch.
a pale hand drags down the eye mask to his chin, and his dazed golden eyes pin you in place.
“…who are you?”
it’s a simple question, but it’s like you’re trying to prove your innocence to court. you begin to ramble, introducing yourself in a series of stutters, and explaining how you got to his room. you insist you aren’t there to peep on him and it was a complete accident.
“…so you entered my room by mistake,” xiao summarizes your ten paragraphs-worth of explanation into a single concise sentence. he doesn’t look angry, but doesn’t look pleased by your presence either. “it’s fine. i could guess the staff was too busy to show you your room.” he sits up properly, fixing his hair messy from his nap. “you’re the journalist, right? i look forward to working with you.”
rather than a job, filming feels more like a reward. you get to see xiao everyday, get to talk to xiao even if it’s just you commenting on the weather, get to eat with him in lunch breaks (you’re seven seats away from him but that counts, right?) and get to act alongside him-
and xiao is the second male lead. you get to act romantic scenes with him. you get to act lovey-dovey with xiao in a police uniform because he’s a policeman in this show.
each brush of your hands together sends your heart racing in a speed too fast to be healthy, but as an actor, you’re expected to keep your composure and deliver your lines properly.
(the makeup artist is always wondering why you look so red on screen when she swears she didn’t put much blush on you, though.)
“don’t you need to ask something of me?”
you blink innocently as you peel off the heavy costume, the last scene for the day finally wrapped up. xiao must be feeling hot too because he’s also wearing a huge coat in the middle of summer—his face is beet red.
“ask you for something…?” your cheeks burn bright. “oh no, was i too obvious?”
xiao awkwardly looks away. “you could say that.”
how mortifying! you fan your face, hoping your makeup isn’t too melted. you already feel like an idiot, no need to look like one.
but xiao already thinks you’re stupid. no turning back now.
“o… okay… since the cat is out of the bag, then…” you pull out a pen and a piece of paper, holding it out to him. “please give me your autograph!”
“…what.”
“i’ve been your fan for the last five years! i don’t know who ratted me out, actually i’m about 87% sure it’s childe, but since you know-”
“wait- what? five years?”
“………if that’s not what you’re talking about, then what is?”
“no, i thought you wanted me to ask me ou-”
he seals his lips at the most crucial moment, horrified at himself. “sorry. i’ll ask you another time.”
… and then he walks away. just like that.
“xiao, what about my autograph?!”
“forget it!”
“why all of a sudden?!”
二 ; childe, the scandal magnet
notorious for the massive number of scandals under his belt, it’s a surprise to find ajax (with a stage name of childe) in the set of this major production. you’re advised by your manager to steer clear of him and avoid unnecessary contact to prevent sullying your reputation, but you can’t deny his acting prowess—he shines on the stage, a performance you can’t tear your eyes away from.
he’s incredibly versatile, capable of taking on any role and absorbing the character to make it come to life, almost as if he is its incarnation.
it starts as a simple game before actual practice, each actor asked to draw lots from pieces of paper scribbled with different roles, and given an accompanying script to base off of.
everyone laughs when childe, ironically enough, draws the “womanizer who cheats on his lover.”
unfortunately, you couldn’t laugh along with them because you picked the “lover” role. your incredible (read: atrocious) luck astounds you.
it goes just about as well as everyone expects it. childe, seemingly in his element, plays the part of a perfect scumbag. it’s easy to hate him like this, all flamboyant gestures and empty promises of “you are my one and only.” his performance inspires you to try harder, and so you raise your voice, your passionate screams of indignance almost sounding heart-felt, like you truly are experiencing a severe betrayal.
when childe sweeps you into his arms, whispering platitudes dripping with honey, you’re nearly fooled into forgiving him.
it’s hard to get yourself out of the role when the director ends the scene, satisfied with the act. childe’s expression returns to its usual lazy grin, a far cry from the smug smirk prior, and he pats your head to wake you up. “nice work. i really felt like i was getting scolded by an angry girlfriend.”
dazzled by his brilliance, you barely have enough coherence to return the compliment.
your awe doubles when he performs his next act.
much to xiao’s horror, he picks the “dying younger brother” role, a direct accompaniment to childe’s “grieving older brother.” they make an… interesting pair, but they’re also professionals, and the scene they perform almost makes you weep real tears.
xiao lays limp on the floor like a lifeless doll, and childe cradles him to his chest, delivering his lines with sobs and cries that sound too real to be an act. his heart-wrenching wails bounce from the walls, going straight to strike your heart. his voice cuts through the air, demanding your attention, as if telling you to keep your eyes on him and to never look away.
it’s nothing like the sleazebag character he was playing twenty minutes ago, and you have to remind yourself your scripts are only given once you’ve drawn lots; he had a maximum of five minutes to read through it, process the information, decide how to deliver his lines, and visualize himself performing it in the best way possible.
like this, he doesn’t look at all like the scandalous man everyone makes him out to be. he’s just an earnest man who’s good at pretending to be someone else.
it’s terrifying to think about. did he ever act like his true self when the cameras stopped rolling, then? was he just playing the part of a “good co-worker” when he was talking to you earlier? was the whole “scandalous womanizer” image something he set up for himself? a reputation he deliberately made to attract the media’s attention? it isn’t unusual for actors to cause drama as a publicity stunt, after all.
no, that doesn’t make sense. no matter how desperate, nobody would like bad rumors circulating about them. as much as your name is spread around, it also goes hand in hand with distasteful gossip. childe is plenty famous, even before the scandals began popping up, so he never really needed them and they would only further ruin his image…
…on the contrary, if there’s anyone getting famous from those scandals, it’s…
…the girls he supposedly hooked up with?
rather than making those scandals for fame, doesn’t it make more sense if those girls fabricated stories and took advantage of his reputation?
it’s no secret that meddlesome paparazzi and hardcore fans obsessively pry into celebrities’ personal lives. if they sniff a hint of dating scandals, they don’t stop digging. furthermore, once the media releases information to the public, people will take it as fact. in actuality, it doesn’t matter what’s true or not; what the public wants to believe becomes the “truth.”
if the people deemed it plausible, if they thought “childe would definitely do something like this, so of course if the girl says they hooked up in the dressing room, they did”…
…even if childe denied those claims, nobody would believe him. not even you. you didn’t think about it until now. in fact, at the very beginning, you already had assumptions about him, devouring the media’s lies.
childe laughs when you apologize to him. it was certainly a shock when you suddenly knocked on his door, then the instance he opened it, you began to bow deeply, nearly slamming your forehead to his chest.
“i’m used to it, don’t worry.” he smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “you were so stiff around me, it was pretty obvious what you thought of me. but you didn’t have to apologize.”
“no, i do! i was being disrespectful!” you insist, taking him by surprise when you grab the lapels of his jacket. “you’re nothing like what they say! i’m sure you’ve been through a lot just because everyone keeps saying whatever they want, without thinking of your feelings… and everyone laughed that one time we played the acting game… i… i can’t take back the time i’ve spent being suspicious of you, but i want to change that!” you stare directly at his widened eyes, determined. “i want to know you better, ajax!”
the use of his real name stuns him and for a moment, all he can do is gape at you.
then he narrows his eyes, his lips shaping to a firm line, and he tugs you inside the room.
a yelp unwittingly escapes your mouth when you’re pressed against the door, his arms caging either side of you. his expression is unfamiliar now, unlike anything you’ve ever seen before; uncharacteristically stern, harsher around the edges, spiteful gaze boring holes into your skull.
“you want to know me better… some pretty words you just said. what do you actually want?”
your breath hitches when his hand caresses your cheek, but the striking glare he’s giving you makes you think he wants to sink his nails deep into your skin instead.
“this isn’t the first time someone tried to approach me, you know. what, you want to be friends with me? you’re going to ask if i can invite you to my house? then you’re going to tell people how i took advantage of you while you were sleeping?”
“what- no! of course not!” you yell, face heating up just by the thought of it. “nevermind lying to the media, i don’t have the guts to sleep over a guy’s house i barely even know!”
his expression falls to a deadpan. “oh. my bad. you’re quite pure, aren’t you. of course you wouldn’t.”
“that’s what makes you believe me?!”
the arms caging you falls to his sides as he walks away, leaving you dumfounded. “right, right, sorry for scaring you. can’t you let me off easy? it’s pretty hard to trust someone when you’re in my position. if i treat you to dinner, will you forgive me?”
“i… i came here with good intentions… now i feel as though i was harassed…”
his usual smile falls on his face, like he’s a completely different person from the man who trapped you just seconds prior. “what do you think about seafood? i’ll let you eat as many crabs as you like. i really am sorry, promise. if you were saying the truth earlier, then i’d be glad to know you better too, [name].”
you give him a look. “…if they saw us entering a restaurant together, wouldn’t that attract rumors?”
“hm? is everyone so narrow-minded they think anyone who eats together is in an illicit relationship?”
the answer is no, so you eat as much crabs and shrimp as you want to your heart’s content. you’re getting your food’s worth for that fright he caused earlier. childe isn’t complaining anyway, only impressed with how much dishes you’re practically inhaling.
in any case, it isn’t a date. there is no ambience or heart-pounding romance of any sort. not when you’re overtly taking advantage of his money and childe’s taking ugly pictures of you mid-bite.
but then, of course, the media takes note of it; the topic of your outing is brought up at an interview, to which you fret and panic because you were never popular enough to be interviewed before, and they’re asking if you’re fucking childe, of all things-
“what are you talking about?” childe pops up behind you, unhelpfully wrapping an arm around your shoulders as if he wants to add fuel to the fire. he chuckles, tilting your chin to lean closer to his face. “i’m just pursuing [name]. nothing’s happened yet. unless [name] wants to…”
you take it back. he’s definitely at fault for having this many scandals.
三 ; albedo, the male lead
the first day of rehearsals, the protagonist of the drama isn’t even there.
to your astonishment, nobody complains about it. twenty minutes into practice (most scenes skipped due to the protagonist’s absence), the director gets a call and excuses himself outside. less than a minute after, he informs everyone the star of the show won’t be able to make it.
the actors trade unsure looks, wondering what the hell is going on, but the rest of the staff remain unfazed. the director notices and explains, “it’s albedo. his busy schedule can’t be helped. his manager called me to let me know his flight got delayed.”
and then it makes much more sense.
albedo is well-renowned in the film industry, an extraordinary talent who first came into showbiz three years ago. it’s not at all a long time, but it’s long enough for him to receive countless awards and bountiful movie offers—he was just born for the stage. if anything, this drama is lucky to have him in it, not the other way around. a late arrival for a rehearsal is nothing. he could probably disappear for two months without telling anybody and when he comes back, the director would beg him to act for the drama for twice the pay. (an exaggeration, but you get the point.)
and… you’re expected to partner with him? you? a speck of dust compared to the sun that is albedo? you have to match his brilliance and not look like a turd beside him on screen? you have to be equals with him and- and you actually get to- you get to hold hands with him, kiss him, and- those couple stuff? everything? his fans would murder you if your mother doesn’t kill you first! you know she likes his movies a lot!
the fourth day of rehearsals, he finally comes to the set. not with an air of arrogance or excessive pride. he just exudes confidence, strutting to the room in an elegant poise you can’t hope to replicate. he gives his sincere apologies for the inconvenience to the staff, all polite bows and offer of recompense.
“but there’s no reason to worry,” he declares, gaze steely. “i won’t make any more trouble for you.”
he refuses when the director suggests taking it slowly and instead goes straight to practice. but it doesn’t look like he needs any of it at all.
as if he’s been here all along, he falls into place with the other actors, not a single awkward pause in their scripted conversations and everything smooth sailing. he delivers a flawless performance, like the cameras are already rolling and he’s practiced for tens of thousands of times already, not read through a portion of the script in the car ride towards the set.
there is one thing he’s struggling with, however.
“you’re too stiff with each other,” the acting coach comments, frowning slightly at the two of you and cutting the scene short. “rather than bickering, it’s like you’re actually arguing, and that’s not what we want to portray.”
you blink, exchanging a look with albedo, and look down at his collar you’re still gripping.
maybe you do look like you’re trying to strangle him instead of pulling him closer to your face for some good ol’ sexual tension.
originally, the characters you play didn’t get along well in the beginning of the webtoon; the genius detective didn’t like to rely on others, conceited enough to believe he can solve the case on his own, hence seeing the journalist as a hindrance since they kept pestering him to let them help him, and he help them in turn so they could work together. the detective didn’t deem them “useful” for the investigation, and it was only much later that he (begrudgingly) admitted the journalist can be helpful… sometimes. thus officially starting their partnership for the investigation, and later on, partners in the romantic sense.
there were quite a lot of bickering scenes before the actual romance commenced, and you’re struggling with finding a delicate balance to that—where exactly do you draw the line between petty squabbles and severe disputes? how do you show the chemistry between these two characters while butting heads in every instance? the enemies to lovers trope is harder to act than it seems.
“try to get familiar,” the director suggests. “you’re stiff because you don’t know each other well. you’re too shy to touch or get closer. why not leave early and go on a little date by yourselves to fix that?”
“is that really okay…?” you say, unsure. besides being hesitant to leave earlier than the rest, you’re also nervous to be alone with your co-actor.
“if he says it’s fine, then it’s fine.” albedo shrugs, starting to walk towards the dressing room and tugging you along. “but if we’re going outside, we should wear disguises. it’s also fine if we borrow some of your clothes, right?”
“of course, of course~” the director indulges him. “have fun, kiddos.”
as it turns out, albedo is a master of disguise. he doesn’t even have a wig or anything but you almost can’t recognize him clad in casual attire. he also almost looks like a stylist while figuring out what outfit to give you, and you’re left in awe when you look at yourself in the mirror wearing clothes you wouldn’t normally pick out yourself but they look really, really good on you, and they do a good job changing your image too. not that you think anybody would recognize you anyway, unpopular and all.
“where do you want to go?” you trail after him on the way to the bus station, always a step or two behind. albedo makes a humming noise, subtly slowing his pace to match your strides.
“why not just go wherever our feet takes us?” he pipes up. “as long as it’s not teeming with people, of course.”
so with zero preparation at all, you do just that. you stop by a bookstore, with you showing him around the comics section and him adamantly insisting the plain hard-cover literature he’s picking up is a thrilling epic that will definitely pique your interest, [name] stop yawning-
you pay a visit to the arcade, where you find albedo is clumsy with his feet and can’t play dance dance revolution to save his life, but also unnecessarily adept with claw machines because he has a little sister who loves getting stuffed toys. you compete over who gets the most points in the basketball game to decide who pays for dinner, end up in a tie, and move on to a zombie shooting game. you win by a narrow margin and albedo tells you so, but you point a finger at the results and tell him to cough up the cash. then you play around in the photo booth using the craziest filters, and you take the liberty of pasting stickers everywhere.
dinner is a simple affair. albedo looks ready to go to some michelin star establishment but you introduce him to a sushi restaurant that’s relatively cheap. he’s impressed by the way you swipe at the conveyor belt so quickly. okay, so you may look like an utter glutton right now, but it’s fine. not the first time you embarrassed yourself in front of a co-actor.
lastly, you stop by an ice cream shop to get gelato. your appetite is “awe-inspiring,” as albedo put it, but you argue there’s always room for dessert.
“will this actually help us, though…?” you sigh, eating a spoonful of gelato. “i don’t understand the difference between bickering and arguing.”
“we’ve done it the whole day,” albedo reminds you, using a tissue to clean the residue of cream on your cheek. “we’ll do just fine.”
you stare at him in disbelief. “…is this also one of your habits from taking care of your sister?”
“ah. you could say that.”
just as albedo said, filming goes a lot more smoothly. the playful air is a huge improvement compared to last time when they said you looked ready to beat him to submission. the romantic tidbits are coming along well, too, spun between action-packed scenes where you’re pressed against albedo in a slim locker to hide from the murderer lurking nearby or sweet slice of life moments outside of the investigation.
at last, the confession scene is upon you. just a while back, the two main characters got into a full-blown argument; the detective was irritated by the lack of progress in the investigation, and deduced his feelings were distracting him. he decided to keep the journalist at arm’s length, never allowing them to go close. of course, they didn’t react well to this, and so they pester him again, but the argument became heated and it eventually peaked to “you’re an inconvenience to me!” which led them to separate ways.
the journalist, desperate to solve the case on their own, approached people who seemed to be in the know. they were nearly pulled into bed by an attractive yet suspicious man, who’s genuinely interested in the journalist romantically and used intel on their younger brother’s murder as leverage, but they get interrupted by the detective pounding on the door.
he dragged the journalist out, thoroughly upset at the notion of selling themself, but they deny the accusations and claim they were tricked.
the argument stretched longer, the both of them airing out everything they dislike about the other, but the detective accidentally slipped and confessed his real feelings. the journalist, who never thought of him that way, was frozen on the spot.
it’s a long scene requiring much preparation. aside from the amount of lines you have to memorize, there’s also a hotel suite you have to borrow for the shoot, the cameras they need to set for the “dragging” scene that has a lot of movement, the really awkward half-bedroom scene you have to act with your co-actor, and the fact that you have to take the confession scene before the sun completely set.
it’s truly a busy day. anxiety plagued you the moment you came out of the makeup room, knowing what comes next.
but it’s a job, and one especially you couldn’t afford to slack on. the kind-of-but-not-really-bedroom scene goes without a hitch, but albedo interrupts you a tad bit too early; the top of your shirt is barely unbuttoned but he’s already storming in, ripping you out of the other man’s grasp.
the director doesn’t chide him for it however, and he drags you out of the hotel as planned. you’re a bit frazzled by the suddenness of it all, clothes still rumpled, but it adds on to your acting and your stuttering questions make the scene look more natural.
albedo’s fury seeing you in such a disheveled state seems almost genuine, too.
“why are you acting like this?!” you pull your wrist away in an effort to make him let go, as described in the script, but albedo refuses to. an improvisation, perhaps? but now of all times…? “you didn’t care about me before! are you trying to be nice now? didn’t you say you were sick of putting up with me? you hated me for being stupid, right? guess what, then! i was stupid enough to get almost taken advantage of! if you’re just going to lecture me, let go. i don’t want to hear any of it. i already know how much of a fool i am.”
you’re supposed to back away now, but he doesn’t let you do that either. for one step backward, he takes two forward, nose nearly brushing with yours in the close proximity. your face heats up in a combination of confusion and embarrassment, your ears barely registering his lines.
“…never listen to me. you always go off on your own and i still think you’re a reckless idiot. you’re noisy and brash and you annoy me to no end,” he says in one breath, staring deeply into your eyes. “but seeing you with someone else annoys me even more. to the point i’d abandon everything just to get you back.”
“w…” your throat is incredibly dry. “why would you…”
“whether i like it or not, you’ve become important to me. i love your stupid laugh and your stupid smile. i love the way you look at me, and i don’t want you to look at anyone else. you drive me crazy when you put yourself in danger because i don’t want to lose you. i want you so badly that i want you to only think about me, spend time only with me, only love me. i-”
you’re fairly certain this is nowhere near his lines in the script.
“i love you so much that it scares me.” his voice trembles as his hand lifts to cup your face, something that finally bears semblance to the original scene. “it was wrong of me to say those horrible things. not just last time. i’ve been terrible to you, and no amount of apologies can make up for it. but i ask only one more chance.”
his finger hovers at the corner of your lip.
“[name], won’t you only look at me?”
you gape like a fish out of water, unable to reply. you’re trying to remember your lines, flipping through the mental script in your head, but the director’s “cut!” pulls you back to reality.
albedo blinks, getting himself out of the role, and he lets go of you reluctantly, the heat of his fingers lingering on your skin.
“the scene was good, but you said the wrong name.” the director laughs. “it’s alright. we can still shoot where we last left off. return to your positions.”
as told, you go back to your previous position. you give a furtive glance at albedo, whose cheeks flare in humiliation. he’s probably never done such a rookie mistake before. there’s no reason to be that flustered about it; you’ve made the same error plenty of times.
“i apologize. i won’t do it again next time.”
(if he’s going to confess, the least he can do is make his own lines for the occasion.)
contains:archon quest “chapter ii: act iii - omnipresence over mortals” spoilers, baal’s divine punishment, ooc scara :(
summary:with the reveal of the newest archon quests, our streamers are not prepared for the very first canonical onscreen death.
notes:hey uhh… archon quests are slowly tearing me apart, how are y'all? also, i did this with scara and childe since it made more sense, if that’s okay!
Anon asked: Inazuma Archon Quest Spoilers!!
hello!! I hope you’re having a wonderful day! I wanted to give an idea on the Reader Impact series; perhaps, the reader taking Signora’s place and getting executed, and the characters’ reactions to that?
childe -
okay, first off, you’re supposed to be in liyue >:(
why did no one tell him that you were gonna be in inazuma?????
he’s so genuinely excited to see you again.
so… why?
why does he feel his chest tighten as you fall to the floor?
“my… you’ve gotten… stronger since we last met… sweetheart,” you heaved, slowly turning around on the floor. childe’s character turns to look at you, only for the camera to cut to the heels of the electro archon.
she passed the traveler, staring straight ahead as if they did not exist. you looked back up at the archon, struggling to push your body up from the floor.
“you know… i’m not going down… without a fight…” you hissed, managing to push your body up. you glance over at the traveler, a determined shine in your eyes. you smile the very same smile childe had seen dozens of times before.
“your journey… is yet to be finished…” you mutter, mainly to yourself. “take care… of them, okay? just like we promised…”
and before childe could even process your words, your character charges at the electro archon.
as the legends and tales said, she delivered her divine punishment, cutting your character into pieces. you fell to the ground in a cloud of particles similar to your vision.
“…chat,” childe whispers, staring at the camera. “how… dare you… not warn me about this.”
he’ll spend the rest of the stream hugging his plush of you.
scaramouche -
scara was already excited after seeing you in the 2.1 trailer.
(of course, he didn’t let anyone know how excited he was.)
seeing you again after the unreconciled stars event was, honestly, the happiest his chat has ever seen him.
and fighting you was the most they’ve seen him hold back.
totally not because he wanted to see you and hear you longer, no sir.
but when that final hp disappears from the top of his screen, his heart drops.
“huh… so the rumors… were right,” you huffed as you gathered your weapon from the floor. and as the electro archon’s looming presence griws closer, scaramouche begins physicallyshaking.
“wait…” this is the most vulnerable he will be on stream. he genuinely does not like where mihoyo is taking this.
“i can’t believe… this is how… we meet,” you proclaim as the archon’s sword glows brighter. her piercing gaze doesn’t leave you, the very eyes that you share cutting through your soul.
“and to think… my journey would here… of all places…” contrary to how scaramouche would expect and hope you to react, you simply fix your posture to sit in front of the archon, your legs tucked to support your body. “with all the training… i cannot… i will not raise my hand to you.”
“hold on…”
“i hope to be welcomed to eternity once more.”
those were your final words as your body disintegrated into nothing but ash.
“…” scaramouche doesn’t say anything for the longest time. a few of his viewers complain, but the long time fans know that this scaramouche, the one they are seeing, is the most emotion they will ever see from him.
and what they don’t see is him breaking down at the mere idea of your character disappearing from memory forever.
contains:hinting the loss of a lover, (name) isn’t specifically mentioned
summary:with their journey continuing, the traveler decides to pay the archons a visit.
notes: just an idea i had :) not a request but i promise i’m working on them!
“we’ve never seen their homes, have we?” paimon hums as they float beside their partner. the twin nods quietly, watching as paimon continues to interrupt conversations in search of the archon’s residence.
venti -
“you’re looking for venti?” jean echoes, earning a nod from the duo. the acting grand master sorts through papers for a few seconds before settling on a single file. her eyes scan over them before she states. “i think this is where he lives.”
she hands the paper over to the adventurers. paimon peers over the traveler’s shoulder before cheering, “oh! paimon knows where that house is!”
“you do?” the traveler chuckles, following their floating companion out of the knights’ headquarters.
“mhm! we pass by it all the time!”
the traveler, trusting paimon’s word, continues following after them before they arrive at the door of a secluded home.
the blond(e) knocks on the wooden door, sharing a confused look with paimon when no response is given.
“do you think he’s ignoring us?” paimon asks, prompting the traveler to shake their head. paimon puffs out their cheeks before proposing, “let’s see if the door’s open!”
“…why not?” with a shrug, the traveler goes to push open the door. and to their surprise, it opens with a simple nudge.
“is he not home?” paimon questions, floating around the empty living room. the traveler begins walking through the home, noting the picture frames littered around the rooms.
some were turned down with their photos pressed against the counter. others were simply empty, the backs of them broken as if the last person clawed at them.
they eventually reach the top of the stairs, a single door open by an inch. they peek through the gap of the door, spotting a person standing in front of a mirror.
the person’s eyes were closed and their hands cupped their own cheeks. they stroked their own skin as they hummed quiet songs, taking shaky breaths in between each one.
“hello traveler,” the person suddenly greets, remaining in front of the mirror with shut eyes.
“u-uh, hello!” the blond(e) replies nervously, opening the door to step into the room. “sorry, we thought this was someone else’s house…”
“who were you looking for?” they inquire, turning around to face them.
“a friend of ours. he’s… a bard!”
“hold on,” with that, they disappear from the traveler’s view. after a minute or so, venti walks in from what was seemingly a bathroom. “what pleasure do i owe you, traveler?”
“we just wanted to visit!” paimon, who had floated beside the traveler, answers.
“ah, i see, i see,” venti laughs half-heartedly.
“who was that earlier?”
“hm?”
“the person in here,” the traveler clarifies. “the one in front of the mirror.”
venti purses his lips before looking over his shoulder, staring at the one frame that still contained a photograph. he lets out a quiet sigh before walking over to it, delicately taking it from its place on the wall.
“them?” the single word he uttered held a sadness the traveler was quite familiar with.
a sadness that screamed desperation and longing.
“that’s them,” they nod. venti hums quietly, holding the frame close to his chest.
“they… were my muse. and they still are.”
zhongli –
“ah, you’re looking for zhongli?” hu tao grins, adjusting her grip on a box.
“yep! we’re just here to visit,” paimon states, twirling in their spot in the air. “is he here?”
“unfortunately, you came at the wrong time,” the director replies, shaking her head. “zhongli is on his break right now.”
“i wouldn’t expect zhongli to be the type to take a break,” the traveler chuckles. hu tao drops the box near her desk before whirling around to face the duo.
“i know where you could find him, though!” she beams, swatting at the ghost chewing at her hair. without waiting for a response, she grabs the blond(e)’s hand and drags them out of the parlour, pointing down the walkway. “if you go down this road, there’s one house! that’s where he should be right now.”
“he owns a house?” paimon questions, furrowing their brows. “he doesn’t seem like he could afford it.”
“he doesn’t!” hu tao grins once more before disappearing into the funeral parlour. brushing off hu tao’s normal, happy-go-lucky attitude, the two head down the path through liyue.
a small home greets them at the end with small bushes of flowers surrounding it. the silk flowers, qingxin, and glaze lilies planted around were well taken care of. small water droplets could be seen on their petals, falling to the grass with each passing second.
the wooden stairs barely made a sound as the traveler stepped on them, allowing the blond(e) to walk up them silently. paimon kicks the air excitedly before pushing the door, letting out a yelp when the door swings open without a squeak.
from where they stood, they could see a figure with (h/color) hair mumbling to themselves as they paced around the kitchen.
“um…! excuse us!” paimon calls out as they squeeze through the gap in the door. The person turns around, smiling softly as they nod in acknowledgment. they motion towards one of the empty chairs at the table.
“thank you…?” the traveler nods, pulling out the chair to sit down. they glance around the room, staring at the small pieces of paper taped on the walls. only a few notes were intelligible from where they sat.
take care of the flowers every day.
tea breaks after work.
ingredients for bamboo shoot soup, almond tofu, universal peace, and crab roe tofu are in the cabinets.
tend to azhdaha’s tree.
“apologies,” the (h/color)-haired person hums, placing two cups in front of the traveling duo. they take a seat across from them with their own cup, taking a small sip as they ask, “is there something you needed from me?”
“we were looking for zhongli!” paimon cheers, jumping in the air. “hu tao said he lived here.”
“ah, i see,” they nod before standing up. “i can get him for you.”
a few minutes pass before the two hear soft footsteps. They turn their heads, finding the geo archon walking towards them with a picture frame clutched in his hand. he takes the seat across from the traveler, placing the frame in the middle of the table.
“i assume you have questions about who they were,” he mutters, turning the frame to show the picture inside.
“are they your partner?” paimon teases, folding their hands together.
“they are,” zhongli chuckles, gliding his fingers over the glass. “they are the one thing i will protect from erosion. no matter the cost. such is… my final contract with them.”
contains:set after chapter ii act iii, thoma missing pre!vision hunt decree you :((
summary:the universe was a cruel mistress, but also a merciful one. plagued by memories of a former lover, thoma strives to return to normality.
notes: you guys wanted another part, so here it is :)) also perfect time for a fic involving remembering since unus annus’s one year anniversary is nearing <3
“i’m sorry. i can’t seem to remember anything right now. who were you again?”
his whole world shattered right then and there.
in the second following those words escaping your mouth, thoma found himself on the floor. his knees throbbed as the pain flooded his system. taroumaru had jumped off the counter to nuzzle into his side.
“i’m sorry!” you immediately shouted, rushing over to join him on the hardwood floor.
he doesn’t respond, opting to reach up and wrap his arms around you. you jumped at that moment before relaxing. although you had no recollection of your relation to him, it just felt right to have him hold onto you.
“(n…name),” he sobbed into your neck, tightening his hold on you when you wrapped your arms around him. “(n-name)… (naaame)…”
he continued to whine and call out to you, despite holding you as close as he could. and that didn’t bother you one bit.
sure, he was heartbroken that you didn’t remember him. but he would spend an eternity waiting for you to return to the life you both planned to have together.
he was relieved to hear that you would be staying with him in the komore teahouse. not only could he keep an eye on you and your wellbeing, but… maybe he could build new memories with you.
he loved the you before, of course. he would give anything to see that version of you again. he would love to wake up to see the you that fits so well with him. the you that completed him.
just like that night the gods looked upon you and gifted you with a vision.
the vision that complimented his oh so well.
but, he couldn’t. not now at least. that version of you had been taken away, sealed behind the glass covering of your electro vision, and showcased in the archon statue that overlooked the nation.
and since he couldn’t have that iteration of you back, he would just stick with the one he had now. the you that he would love until beyond the end of eternity.
“(name)! let’s have a hot pot tonight!” he had shouted one night. he had already found himself perched in the seat embedded in the ground, motioning towards the large metal pot stationed in the middle of the table.
you stared at him for a moment, as if debating whether or not thoma had ulterior motives. did he want to poison you?
sensing the hesitation, he merely patted the space beside him with his signature bright smile on his face. he wasn’t completely bothered. was he hurt? of course he was! but he wasn’t going to let that dampen the plans he had.
he just wanted to pretend everything was normal.
“we don’t have to play the hot pot game!” he reassured. “i just want to eat with you!”
“…hot pot game?” you echoed, finally making your way over to sit beside him. “what’s that?”
“hm? ah, well, it’s a game where everyone brings their own ingredients and we make it into a hot pot. then, each person was to eat some and guess the ingredients! but, we won’t be doing that tonight.”
“oh… so what are we going to do?”
“just… this,” he took a deep breath before scooting closer to you, sliding off the seat to situate himself in between your legs, his back resting against the ledge. his legs were uncomfortably squished against his chest and his toes pressed against the table. how he managed to squeeze into that small space was beyond you.
“thoma?!” you cried out, reaching over to try and pull him up. his sudden seating in front of you caused you to scoot back, pressing your calves against the dip in the floor. “you’re gonna get hurt down there!”
“will i?” he hummed softly, craning his neck to look up at you. the moment you reached down to place your hands on his face, cupping his cheeks and emitting small electro tingles from your fingers, he immediately felt his body and mind relax.
he practically melted under your touch, placing his hand on top of yours and nuzzling his face into your palm. you lightly chuckled as he let out a soft sigh into your hand, ignoring the ache he was bound to get from his cramped position.
and just as how the hot pot game became a tradition, simply reveling in each other’s presence while sharing a normal meal in komore teahouse became another, one the two of you would cherish forever.
“thoma!” you, the present you, shouted to interrupt thoma’s mind wandering. by the time he had realized where he was, you had already served him a portion of the hot pot that had been left to cook on the table in front of you. “the food’s ready.”
“huh?” no wonder he felt at ease despite you not remembering your beloved tradition. when he had looked down, he realized your arms were thrown over him and draped over his shoulders, simply resting there as you tried to stir him out of his thoughts. “…right.”
“hey, taroumaru,” you greeted as the small shiba inu bounded over to you. he let out soft barks and yips as he nuzzled into your leg, practically begging you to pet him. once you placed your hand on his head, he leaped on his hind paws and placed his front paws on your legs, nuzzling into your palm.
from the doorway of your rented-out room, thoma peeked in from the hallway. a small smile had found its way on his face as he watched you coo to the small dog.
“thoma! look! there’s more of them!” you gasped as the dogs gathered by the tree charged at you, jumping at you with their tails wagging and tongues sticking out. the cats, as always, simply stared at you and thoma as you walked closer to their spot. “the weather’s getting cooler… we should make them something to wear soon!”
he missed those days, too. the days when the two of you were able to take a few minutes off from work and visit the animals that gathered around the tree.
he wondered how they were. he should bring you to visit them again soon…
“we… can leave now?” you asked quietly, hesitantly reaching out to grab thoma’s arm. all you knew was this small teahouse run by taroumaru. long had you forgotten the wonders of inazuma outside out of fear for your life.
“the traveler did it!” thoma grinned, covering your hand with his own. “the vision hunt degree is over! and…”
his eyes wandered back down to the rope that used to hold your vision, still empty yet tied in the same way it had been the night you obtained it.
“we can get you your vision back,” he muttered, wrapping his arm around you. he closed his eyes as he stepped in front of the door, placing his hand on it as he prayed.
he prayed to whoever would listen that your vision would return.
he prayed to whoever would listen that youwould return.
when thoma stilled for his prayers, you glanced up at him. you knew what he wanted, ever since your arrival at komore teahouse. you knew that he longed for the old you back. you would catch him whimpering in his sleep on the days you first arrived.
he would clutch onto his pillow, burying his face into the cloth as he called out for you. he would cry and whimper, just as he did when he first saw your amnesiac state. even when you curled up into his arms, his sobs would not cease.
“thoma,” you called, placing your hand over his on the door. his eyes shot open to glance down at you, prompting you to grin up at him. “let’s… let’s go home, okay?”
“..okay.”
as the two of you push open the door, you were immediately greeted by a set of familiar faces outside. ayato and ayaka stood side by side and the young ninja of the shuumatsuban sayu, accompanied by the shrine maiden kano, stood behind them. ayaka greeted the both of you with a small wave while ayato simply nodded, his eyes flitting down to his hands which were folded on top of each other, concealing something in his palms.
“is that…?” thoma immediately asked, pointing towards ayato’s hands with shaking fingers.
“it is,” ayato smiled softly before stepping in front of you, clearing his throat. he moved his hands out before stating, “(name). i believe this rightfully belongs to you.”
he opened his hands to reveal the dimly lit vision in his palms, its once bright purple interior waiting to spark once more. you slowly reached out, your fingers barely grazing the glass before you felt… something.
something familiar.
“l-look at you. our elements… are a perfect match.”
“they are… aren’t they?”
“(name)?”
“thoma! open wide!”
“aaah…”
“…darling?”
“they’re acting like children, thoma! they’re so cute!”
“it’s our little family, huh?”
“love? can you hear me?”
“thank you for handling the work today… i won’t be long, i promise!”
“don’t worry about it, dear. take your time, okay?”
“(name)! please, answer me…!”
“i love you!”
“i…” you finally managed to utter something, your head shooting up to look at thoma as he paused in shaking you.
“are you okay, (name)?” thoma asked, his grip on your shoulders tightening slightly. “are you hurt?”
“no, i…” you gulped, your tears that you had unknowingly built up over the course of your stay at komore teahouse threatening to spill out.
“you…?”
“i-i love you so much, thoma,” you finally sobbed, leaping forward to wrap your arms around him. you buried your face in his neck, mumbling into his skin, “i’m so sorry…”
“(name)…” thoma sniffled before returning the gesture, allowing himself to squeeze you closer to him and bury his face in your shoulder. “don’t apologize, love.”
he managed to pull himself away from your shoulder, lightly placing his hand on the back of your head. you continued to sob into his neck as he pressed a kiss into your hair. despite your vision just being returned to you, he felt a little shock against his lips. he quietly laughed, his voice strained as he felt tears build up once more. he continued to press light kisses on your head, reveling in the shocks from the reaction between your visions.
just like the night you gained your complimentary vision, it seemed as though the universe brought you together.
contains:honestly you’re just being attacked in this, a mention of death at the end, sagau/genshin cult au
summary:it seems you’ve stumbled into a world that unwelcomes you.
notes: so. that thought i had? here’s part of it. inspired by @nicebonescomrade and all of the wonderful genshin writers i’ve found under the sagau tag :)) don’t know if i’ll make a continuation??? we’ll see
how did you end up here, bruised and bleeding, on an island in the middle of the ocean?
the last memory that you had was waking up in the very same spot the traveler had woken up at. you were able to revel in the sunrise that blessed your first day in teyvat. it peeked up from behind the sea, making the water sparkle and glisten as its light bounced off of it.
you already had small scratches and cuts from your climb up the first wall, but you quickly wiped the dirt away on as you stared out over the view that dragged you into this game.
mondstadt stood before you, the distant noise of city chatter and music filling the air.
you couldn’t get there faster. you hurriedly dodged the hilichurl camps and slime spawn spots to stand on the bridge’s entrance, watching as small dandelion tufts drifted with the wind.
and as you took that first step into the city…
it was hell.
the first people to see you were flora and donna, both stationed at mondstadt’s entrance. they had a habit of looking at the people as they entered the city, ready to pursue business and sell their flowers. but once they saw your face, they caught everyone’s attention.
donna had shrieked once her eyes settled on your face.
flora had begun to sob and babble on about something you didn’t quite understand.
wagner’s sudden banging of metal had pierced your ears in that second. you turned to look at him, only to see the blacksmith pointing the sword he seemed to hammer relentlessly at you.
you could vaguely remember the hate-filled words they screamed at you, their cries blending together into a single sound that made your head pulse and your wounds ache.
the knights relieved the citizens of their chase, taking over and allowing them to try and trip you or throw their goods at you as you ran past them.
not even the church was safe. the nuns there would shout at you, damning you to hell for an eternity and more. the children there, just like flora, would cry incessantly as you passed them.
so you jumped. straight over the side of the church’s fence. your feet and ankles hurt, sure, but you could tell they weren’t completely shattered as you had expected they would be.
you couldn’t bare to stop, especially when you caught glimpses of the characters you held dear to you in the corner of your eye. if they hadn’t stopped the citizens of mondstadt when they were attacking you, what chance did you have if you asked them on your own?
so you fled.
and fled.
and fled and fled and fled.
until you began to wander along the pathways, passing the road to dragonspine as you continued to liyue.
it wasn’t like that nation was any better. in fact, it seemed more brutal than mondstadt was.
perhaps it was because it was more of an archon and celestial being run city. perhaps it was because the adepti could see you coming even before you stepped close to liyue.
it was even worse when you met the liyue citizens in person.
they were quick to chase you, hoping to push you over the side of the bridges and fences that blocked off the sea or bludgeon you with any available resource they had.
you couldn’t stop to smell the flowers you saw growing in yujing terrace as they stormed behind you, forcing you to once again leap over the railing into the water below you.
you almost drowned that day.
the people of liyue would toss things over the side if they saw you popping up for air, aiming to hit you in the head and send you sinking to the ocean floor.
they almost succeeded in that plan multiple times, creating cuts and bruises on your face from their tables and chairs.
you didn’t even make it to land that night.
your body ached. you were exhausted. you let the water carry you to wherever it wanted to.
except for inzauma.
only the gods knew what would be in store for you there. you either died by the hands of its citizens or by the blade of the ruthless shogun archon.
luckily, the storm seemed to read your mind and kept you away from the set of islands at all costs.
and so you drifted off, away from the cities that had attacked you.
all because you looked like someone they worshipped. you didn’t even know who it was. they were never mentioned in any of the lore you read back home.
so that was how you ended up here on the coast of an island separated from the rest of the world. musk reef was what you remembered it being called.
luckily, no one would find you here. and if they did, they’d have to enter the spiral abyss to take you.
the portal seemed to warp as you stepped inside it, swallowing you and leaving no trace behind.
unlike the floor select screen you grew used to, you were met with a long corridor, empty and quiet with the only sounds being the soft dripping of water from the portal behind you. a staircase was what the corridor led you to.
at least it was nice and quiet here.
and if the monsters that occupied this tower were to kill you?
at least they wouldn’t scream words of damnation that you could understand at you.
you lead yourself to believe that the monsters in the spiral abyss would kill you. you built up the image in your mind of your body being ruthlessly attacked by arrows and pyro slimes. you imagined being beat around by wooden shields and axes while being pelted by electro, hydro, and cryo elements alike.
it was a strange sensation, walking towards your death, that is. unlike in the movies you had seen at home, there wasn’t a sense of foreboding or fear in your body. you felt nothing but peace. you had long prepared yourself for this moment since you stepped foot in teyvat.
so when you reached the top of the stairs, ignoring the sounds you would hear from the corridors that lined the walls, you were more than shocked to see a hoard of monsters standing before you, unmoving and far from attacking.
you didn’t say anything. in all fairness, what would you have said to them? you weren’t just going to offer your life on a silver platter, there was some semblance of self-preservation in you.
luckily, you didn’t have to make a decision.
the monsters, namely the abyss mages hovering in front of them, began to float towards you. they stopped just in front of you before moving into a deep bow, their staffs spinning aimlessly beside them.
“your grace,” the hydro mage greeted, sending a shiver down your spine.
that title haunted your thoughts ever since you arrived in teyvat. its people would curse you in the name of “their grace” and swear on their name that they would hunt you down.
“please don’t call me that,” you managed to whisper, prompting the mage to look up at you. the hydro mage seemed to hesitate for a moment before its shield disappeared, allowing it to get closer to you without the bubbling sound of water separating the two of you.
“if… i may ask,” it began, bowing its head once more, “is there a reason you would like to be addressed differently…?”
its question was just as hesitant as it seemed before lowering its shield. there was something else it was hiding, that much you could gather.
“you already know, don’t you?”
“… of course.”
figures. if every person in teyvat knew of your existence, why wouldn’t the seemingly omnipotent creatures know as well?
“if i may,” the cryo mage chimed in, having lowered its shield as well, “the cretins of teyvat have convinced you that you are not worthy of your title.”
“they… what?” you muttered in response. the mage nodded, moving forward to float beside the hydro mage.
“their actions have convinced you that you do not deserve your title,” the cryo mage repeated. “ever since your descent on teyvat, they have been worshipping a nonexistent entity. they have turned their back on the true creator.”
you could gather what it was trying to tell you, but you were far from accepting it. even though all of the creatures of the spiral abyss, the ones from the corridors lining the stairway included, were standing around you, ready to wait at your beck and call, you couldn’t accept it.
“i… i’m sorry, but i think you have the wrong person.”
“we can assure you we don’t. give us a chance to prove it, your grace.”
as soon as the traveler entered the mysterious archway, they found themselves in front of a towering staircase. the floor they stood on was covered in a thin layer of water which made quiet splashing sounds with each step they took.
they summoned their sword once they reached the top, having been met with a few slimes that hopped around the arena.
and with each floor they passed, the more monsters they found at the mercy of their blade. they had grown numb to the cries of the creatures, unbothered as they surpassed each chamber.
there had been a total of twelve floors, each one progressively harder than the last. however, that did not deter them. instead, it fueled them to keep going.
and as the final abyss herald fell to its knees, its weapon clattering to the floor as its body disappeared into yellow sparks, the traveler found themselves climbing one last stairway. the walk was quiet, save for the light sounds of their shoes clicking against the steps.
what greeted them at the top was another room, this one devoid of any monster. instead, a single person sat atop a throne, sobbing into garments.
their body was covered in, what the traveler could only describe as, godly attire. their shoulders were covered in a white shawl that had been decorated with gold accents. the rest of their clothes had a similar design, framing the person in a sort of heavenly aura.
“excuse me?” the traveler called, their words barely escaping their quivering lips. the person on the throne jumped, their cries stopping abruptly as they looked up at the blond(e).
“you…” they muttered before their voice turned into a harsh growl. “you!”
the traveler was frozen in their place, their sword having long dropped from their hand. the person on the throne stood up before walking towards them, each step more menacing than the last.
and when they stood directly in front of the blond(e), a single sentence came from their mouth.
“you have committed a cardinal sin against the creator.”
contains: spoilers for phantom tales of the night (manga series), my own au i literally created on the spot, aether’s tired of being teyvat’s dog,(name) is not referred to by name but it’s you :), some talks about cannibalism, some similar to hypnosis is kinda insinuated? i don’t know how to describe it
summary: it seems a traveler has wandered into a quiet inn on the outskirts of teyvat. however, the source of payment the innkeeper seeks isn’t mora. in fact, it’s nothing physical. it’s the visitor’s deepest darkest secret.
notes: so i’ve been waiting for phantom tales of the night vol. 5 to be delivered to my house so i can finish up to vol. 7. so while i’m waiting, here i am making a weird au based on it. i hope you enjoy :D this basically follows the first chapter of vol. 1 but with genshin,,, also i got a bit carried away with this going to 2,979 words…
all he wanted was to find his sister. his sweet twin sister who always stuck by his side, no matter what challenges they were faced with.
instead, he was stuck here, in a world he was widely unfamiliar with accompanied by a strange pixie-like being. he traveled through cities, aiding in whatever fetch quests he was asked to complete in exchange for… nothing.
mora here (which was always used up for resources, leaving him with double-digit amounts), food there (which were always eaten by paimon), respect elsewhere. what about the help he was promised by the higher ups of the cities?
the knights of favonius promised to help find his sister after he defeated a raging storm fueled by a dragon’s anger. and all they did was put up missing person posters.
the liyue qixing promised the exact same thing in exchange for defending the city from an awakened ancient god. and, once again, all they did was put up missing person posters.
he was tired. he was tired of being teyvat’s dog with no reward.
all he wanted was his sister back.
“aether?” paimon called out nervously, watching as the blond traveler trudged through the grass. heavy bags had formed under his eyes and his blond hair stuck out of his braid is curly wisps.
“not… not now, paimon,” aether sighed, swatting at his floating companion. a few moments passed before aether heard the familiar sparkling sound of paimon disappearing to archons know where. he let out another sigh, one that was more resigned and choked.
as he wallowed in his sorrows, he didn’t notice the geo creature towering behind him.
“watch it,” a calm voice echoed through his ears. just as aether turned to face the roaring geovishap, he felt the back of his scarf get tugged on as he was pulled back.
from what he could see through the blur of rock and ash, the dark brown scales were what caught his attention the most. the creature’s tail flowed along with the golden fur gathered at the end of it, its claws tipped as gold as mora. the polearm it grasped in its clawed hands matched its body perfectly, from the color to the rigid edges mimicking crystals.
“who…?” was the only word aether managed to mutter as he stared up in awe at the creature. it, or rather he, peered over his shoulder to look down at the traveler, his eyes sharp as he stared.
“i’m afraid we will attract more attention if we remain here,” he bellowed, seemingly speaking to someone other than aether. “it would be wise to bring him inside.”
“of course,” a distant voice responded. as aether blinked, he found himself a ways away from where he had been before. instead of the soft grass of liyue, he found himself sitting on smooth rock littered with sparkling geodes and crystals. in front of him stood an intricate building framed by lanterns of varying sizes and designs.
“aether,” the same voice cooed, this time coming from a source visible to him. walking towards him was a figure wearing a (color) kimono covered by a similar haori. hanging from their fingers was a lantern, its light illuminating the area far better than the countless lanterns hanging on the building behind them. “i have been awaiting your arrival. please come inside.”
aether managed to push himself up, careful to avoid the sharp and ragged edges of the rock beneath him. the figure stared at him for a moment before greeting, “i shall be your host. if you have any requests, please feel free to ask.”
“my… host?” aether echoed, cautiously walking towards the (h/color)-haired figure. their smile remained unchanged as he grew closer.
“yes. that is our job here, after all. come, we mustn’t delay,” the host ushered, reaching out to grab aether’s wrist. they pulled him along the trail before continuing, “if we do, there’s no guarantee they won’t catch up to us.”
“they…? huh?!” aether quickly glanced over his shoulder to see a hoard of geovishaps and their hatchlings barreling towards them. he reached out to summon his sword but was quickly interrupted by the hand of his host.
“ah, there’s no need for that,” they muttered, lightly pushing aether’s hand down as wind began to swirl around the two. “let us handle this matter. for now, let’s head inside.”
“inside… this?” aether questioned, nodding up to the lantern-filled building.
“my inn,” the host answered with the same smile, watching for a few moments as the wind began to flow towards the hoard of monsters. “i can assure you that this inn is the safest place to be when being chased by teyvat’s creatures. however…”
the host released aether’s wrist, prompting the traveler to pause just before the steps of the inn. the host turned around slowly, their haori flowing behind them as if it were a cape.
“i do need… one thing from you.” their lantern seemed to glow brighter, causing the shine in their eyes to become more intense than before. “i ask that you grant me one of your secrets.”
the moment aether stepped inside, the inn was far grander than he had previously thought. keeping up the theme, the ceiling was shrouded in lanterns, making the wood that presumably supported it invisible due to them while tatami mats lined the floor in a distinct pattern.
“well? is it suitable for your tastes?” the host asked, sliding the door closed as quietly as possible.
“uh… how do i say this…?” aether muttered to himself, looking around at the room he had just stepped foot in. “it’s… actually really nice. am i even allowed to be here?”
“of course,” the host reassured, ignoring the roars outside the door. aether jumped back suddenly as the door was pushed in, barely keeping intact as another roar was heard.
“how is this even standing…?”
“ah, company secret,” the host grinned before clapping their hands lightly. “now then. venti! get the luggage, would you?”
aether yelped as he felt wind fly up behind him, the bag he had carried being hoisted from his shoulders into the air. as the wind began to swirl, a figure began to manifest from the air.
“huh?! wh-what?!” aether gaped, looking back and forth between his host and the wind being only known as “venti”.
“don’t fret,” the host called. “he works for me.”
“that’s not what’s weird…” aether clarified, fiddling with the end of his scarf. “he… formed from the wind.”
“oh? it seems our guest is not as shocked as we thought he would be,” the host hummed, glancing over their shoulder at the traveler.
“he isn’t one to be easily scared,” venti points out, twirling the end of one of his braids with his finger. “in fact, i would have been surprised if he were afraid of a mere wind spirit.”
“i guess let the wind lead was literal, huh?” aether laughed to himself, earning a small smile from venti.
“that it is,” venti hummed softly, part of his body disappearing as the wind carried it away. the upper half of his body remained, allowing him to float around the host and wrap his arms around them. the host remained unbothered, lifting one of their hands to lightly glide their fingers along venti’s neck. “the people of mondstadt cherish that saying. in a way, they cherish my ability to lead them in the right direction. and you were led here. we will do our best to help you relax. both body and mind.”
“follow me,” the host ushered as venti fluttered after them in a gust of wind. as aether walked down the halls, he couldn’t help but take in the only piece of decoration that littered the inn.
lanterns. varying lanterns of size, color, shape, and design lined the walls and filled the ceilings. he recognized a few of them as xiao lanterns, the very same ones he had written a wish in during liyue’s lantern rite.
“uh, excuse me?” aether called out, prompting the host to look over their shoulder at him. “i’m… i’m really grateful for all of this but… i don’t think i can afford any of this? it just looks really expensive…”
“…pfft!” venti, who had appeared beside the host in a gust of wind, tried to suppress his laugh but to no avail.
“venti, you’re being rude,” the host scolded as they guided aether into a separate room, they led the traveler to a small table beside a window, the outside still littered with floating lanterns. the host took their seat and motioned to the chair in front of them, causing aether to sit opposite of them.
they placed their lantern on the table and interlocked their fingers, resting their chin on the small platform they had formed. “aether, the compensation i’m searching for is not mora. i’ve told you before, the one request i ask of you is simply your secret. nothing more.”
“that… that’s it?” aether asks, nervously squirming in his seat. “there’s no… extra thing you need? nothing for me to find or fight or make. just… a secret?”
“that’s all,” the host reassures, smiling softly. “and in exchange, we promise to do whatever we can to find your sister. and that’s not putting up missing person posters.”
it was as if aether just shut down at that moment. anything regarding his sister, even if it’s a lie, is sure to attract aether. all he could think about at that moment was reuniting with lumine and leaving this world that took advantage of him and his kindness.
“just a secret… just a secret…” aether muttered to himself, squeezing his hands. “let’s see… i guess my secret is that i’m not from this world.”
“…”
“ah-hahahaha!” venti’s laugh echoed throughout the room, causing aether to furrow his brows in confusion.
“venti!” the host calls, snapping their fingers as if scolding an animal. they let out a quiet sigh before leaning forward, their arms resting on top of the table. “i’m afraid that isn’t much of a secret to us.”
“…huh?”
“it’s quite clear to anyone who has heard of you and your deeds. no normal person from teyvat should be capable of that,” the host explains, prompting aether to hum softly.
“…i guess? so, that means i can’t stay here, right? and… you can’t help me?”
“i wouldn’t say that,” the lantern’s light suddenly dims, casting shadows on the host’s face and body. “but… i hope you don’t think that’s all you have to offer.”
“i… what are you talking about?” aether felt a chill run up his spine.
“there are other secrets, one that particularly interests me. it’s a secret that may shake your very existence,” the host points out, reaching across the table to place their finger on aether’s lips. with a sickeningly sweet smile and glazed over eyes, the host mutters, “and unless we reveal that, i’ll be unable to assist you.”
he really should have left this inn when he had the chance. one minute he was in the hot spring outside with the strangely pushy host and the next…
he’s caught in the middle of a geovishap attack with nothing but a towel to guard him. not even his sword was hidden away in the pocket space it always disappeared to.
just as the geo creature’s claws were about to crush the blond, a familiar polearm-wielding creature intercepted the attack.
“owner…” the creature huffed, kicking their weapon towards another geovishap. “with all due respect, why did you let him outside?”
“he is a bit carefree, isn’t he?” the host, now known to aether as owner, hummed. similar to aether, the only item that guarded them was a towel obtained from the hot springs. however, in their hand, they held their signature lantern, brightly lit with a flame. owner wipes away the water dripping from their face before explaining, “we were in some sort of rut regarding what he is, that’s all.”
“…i trust your judgment, owner, but we must be more careful with our guests,” the dragon-based creature sighs as it traps the geovishaps in stone.
“yes, yes, of course,” they hum as they head towards the grassy area aether had previously been taken to. they face the geovishaps before smiling, “now then, i ask that you return my guest.”
the geovishap lets out a roar followed by a series of growls. venti’s top half begins to form behind owner as he drapes their haori over their slightly dry body. “zhongli? what’s it saying?”
“hm… they’re complaining,” zhongli answers, his tail swishing as he continues to translate. “they claim to have found our guest first and that we stole him from them.”
“huh… odd,” owner hums, reaching up as venti peers over their shoulder to cup his chin. “surely you wouldn’t be complaining once you admit you followed the wind and the earth to him. without them, you wouldn’t have found him. if you’re making excuses, at least make a good one.”
as the geovishap lets out another roar, owner moves their hand to cup their lantern’s flame into their palm. “this will be my final warning to you.”
“this outlander is my guest. keep away from him.”
zhongli seems to growl at the geo creature as it responds to owner. the innkeeper lets out a dry chuckle before placing their finger on their chin, lightly tapping it as they warn, “or else, i’ll expose your secrets right here and now. do i make myself clear?”
surprisingly, the geovishaps let out a noise akin to a low whimper and scamper off, leaving aether behind in the grass. he looks off into the distance, searching for the monsters as they disappear beyond the horizon. he opens his mouth to say something before letting out a sneeze, earning a light laugh from venti. “you know, you’re the first one to run off with nothing but a towel. do you want your clothes back? they might not help much, though…”
“did… you know those things?” aether grumbles, ignoring venti who simply fiddles with the end of his wings. “you… knew their secret. you must have known them, then!”
“…i suppose you’re not wrong,” owner nods, lifting their lantern to illuminate their face. “we definitely aren’t friends, per se… but regardless, you were too occupied with the idea of us being enemies. had you stayed calm, i would have answered any questions you had. although, i don’t blame you due to all of the fetch quests you’ve been through…”
owner fiddles with the top of their lantern, the quiet squeaking of the handle moving filling the air.
“to answer your question before, they’re a part of teyvat’s creatures that are in an active search for their country’s downfall. or rather, they were recruited by that nation’s survivors to search for their oppressors or their lost comrades. it was only a matter of time before he found us since we house a myriad of creatures.”
aether paused before slowly turning to stare up at owner. oppressors. if those geovishaps had infiltrated this inn after encountering him…
what had he done to be labeled an oppressor?
“what… what did you mean by oppressors?”
owner slowly looks down at aether to meet his stare, their eyes darkened as they lift their lantern up to their face. “oh dear. you really don’t know, huh?”
they slowly walk towards the blond traveler, reaching down to trace the underside of his jaw lightly. as their finger curls back towards their palm, aether finds himself drifting towards them as if searching for their touch once more.
and as their finger pressed against his forehead, he remembered.
the cataclysm.
the fall of k'haenriah.
he wasn’t an oppressor they were searching for.
he was one of the lost comrades.
“what… what do you want from me?” aether hissed. his first question was to ask of their identities, but he felt in his gut that he already knew the answer. “you’re not… here to take me celestia, are you? or did you save me to… eat me or something…?”
“eat you?” owner echoed, covering their mouth with the tips of their fingers. “me? eat you?”
the air was soon filled with loud laughs which came from owner themselves. they turned to look at their employees, giggling, “guys! did you hear him? another one’s asked if we’re here to eat him! why do they all think they’re worth it?”
“i have no answer for that,” zhongli hums softly, his tail, once again, flicking behind him.
“maybe it’s what they want deep down,” venti giggles, his body half formed from the wind.
“heh… aether, do you remember what i’ve said before?” owner asks quietly. “mora holds no value here. we have no interest in the weight of your soul as ordained by the gods, either. and, to answer your question, i am not interested in eating your body. i’ve lost the pleasures i felt when indulging in those actions. the only thing i wish for is your secrets. nothing more.”
aether let out a yelp as he was pushed to the ground. he blinked to see owner directly above him, their legs straddling his waist and their face mere inches in front of his. they reached up and seemed to cradle his face, their thumbs brushing against his bottom lip.
“gnawing at your bones, nipping at your flesh, swallowing your remains, all of that is a source of nourishment that my body does not need nor crave. aether,” as his name came out as a soft coo from their lips, aether felt his mind fogging up and becoming distant. “i yearn for something that is much deeper in you. and that only comes to the surface when your mind and body are completely offered up to me through your deepest, darkest secret.”
contains: spoilers for gorou’s hangout quest (specifically final remembrance), reader death, gorou mourning (name), sad dog :(
summary: recovering that treasure box was the only thing on gorou’s mind. well, other than the incident, that is.
notes: gorou’s premiere fic! and keeping up with tradition (that has for some reason formed on this account), it’s angst! yayy… anyway, just finished all of gorou’s hangout quests so take this
oh archons, how could he have let this happen? he didn’t think that anyone would dig up the box, let alone bury stolen treasures there!
sure, he and the traveler got the box back, but still… the amount of time he spent away from that box, away from the contents inside of it, drove him insane.
returning to watatsumi island with it felt relieving, almost cathartic. sorting through all the objects some may consider junk only sent more relief through his system. the familiar names of his fallen soldiers stared back at him, almost taunting him to return the goods to their intended recipients.
and beneath it all lay his beloved, their dull vision gleaming in the sunlight.
that battle was embedded in his memory, the attack intended for him lodged deep into their chest. and yet, as they fell to the ground with blood bubbling in their mouth, they continued to command the troops as they panicked over the second in command falling in battle.
although gorou was conscious at the time, his body acted like a completely different entity. no matter what he did, he couldn’t get his body to move the way he wanted that day. perhaps it was because he was still inexperienced. or perhaps it was because of his instincts.
he had dropped his bow and fell to the ground beside them, high-pitched whines escaping his throat. his ears had flattened and his tail was tucked between his legs.
the ears and tail you loved to run your hands along when he had trouble sleeping.
he pawed at your arm, which weakly moved to cup his cheek. your blood smeared across his skin. oh archons, he still can’t get that horrid smell out of his nose.
with your dying breath, you proclaimed your love for him. perhaps that was why he could never give love advice for the advice column. any mention of a relationship that he could have had in the future sent him spiraling. spiraling back to a time where he ultimately lost that future.
you had pressed your fading vision in his hand that day. just like the rest of his fallen troops, you had left behind a memento. one specifically for him.
he gently scooped it out of the box, ignoring the eyes of the traveler beside him. holding it close to his face, he could imagine you standing before him. he could feel your hands cupping his cheeks and your fingers running through his fur. he could hear your soothing voice in his ears and smell your familiar scent in the air.
oh archons, he could never forgive himself if he ever lost these treasures.
so. childe. how on earth did you end up dating the most idiotic, most playful, but surprisingly level-headed boy in your class? sure, he isn’t as bad as some of the others like scaramouche or dottore, but to say he’s well-behaved would be a total lie. yet somehow, you, the ‘golden student’ of your class, gravitate towards him and his weird sense of humour. you don’t know what it is about him that attracts you, but over a few years, the two of you become best friends.
perhaps best friends is a bit of an understatement. best friends who flirt all the time, or best friends with half-benefits of being wingmen for each other, would be a better description. it’s funny, really, how you had to listen to him gushing over signora when he was obsessed with her, and he had to listen to you going crazy over diluc when you had a crush on him, but after all that you both fell for one another. (fun fact; the irl versions of signora & diluc became a couple later LMAO)
although when you think about it, it’s impossible not to fall for him. seeing his smile practically lights up your world, and he always manages to make you laugh, and the two of you have so many pictures together where you’re going :D and he’s just -_- to annoy you by not posing properly. you just never expected him to possibly reciprocate your feelings.
-
you’ve just got off a call with kokomi and yoimiya where you talked about your feelings for childe, and both of them encourage you to confess. unfortunately, you decline, saying you’d rather not ruin your friendship, but when you see his status as online, a stupid impulse washes over you. maybe it’s the fact that it’s 2am, or the fact that you’re willing to throw caution to the wind at this point, you’ll just play it off as a joke if anything goes south, but whatever the reason, you end up texting childe and asking 'hypothetically speaking, if i asked you out, what would ur reply be?’
yeah. basically you’re a coward AND a dumbass who can never ask things straight. archons, this is stupid. but then he replies almost immediately, 'yoo??? hypothetically i’d say yes’ and you’re like ?!?!?!? and then he goes 'hypothetically, if I asked you out, what would you say’ and you reply 'i’d say yes too’ and both of you are just kinda !??!?! then childe, who has such a way with words (/s), says 'wait can i ask you now’ and you’re like 'WHAT’ and he goes 'can i ask you out now or is it like a bad time idk how to do this’ and finally after a lot of flustered-ness from both sides he eventually goes 'y/n, would you like to go out with me?’ and obviously you reply 'yeah childe i would’.
anyways, then childe is like 'can’t believe i finally got myself a cute s/o’ and you’re like 'well i finally got myself a cute bf’ and both of you are just kinda rambling to each other about how cool is this, and although you’re not entirely certain you’re pretty sure that both you and childe are equally flustered but also having so much fun.
the thing is, childe manages to say the cutest things ever while seeming so genuine that it really makes you want to spontaneously combust or fly to the moon or just hug him. like that same night he’s like “wait i can finally call you cute… oh ur so fucking cute” and then goes on to explain in length all the reasons you are. and you just ?!?! then you say that you can barely form a coherent reply because you’re so happy and he’s just like 'that’s right i always leave you speechless’ please slap him. he deserves it!!!!!!!!!!
yk that thing in relationships where they ask stupid questions like 'if i was a bug would u still date me?’ yeah childe does that except he says 'if i was a ghost would you still date me’, and when you reply 'yeah sure’ he goes 'okay good because if you said no i would haunt you’.
also literally every single time you flirt with childe he’ll tease you by saying 'stop flirting i’m taken, i have an s/o’ and you’ll be like 'what a coincidence, i have a boyfriend but he’s an idiot.’ and he gets so offended,,, but then you say 'he’s my idiot though’ and he switches up real quick LMFAOOO
-
as for your friends’ reactions to hearing that the two of you are a couple now when you get back to physical school, honestly nobody’s surprised. you and childe are the couple that everyone knew was going to happen, even the teachers, and it was just a question of sooner or later.
being in school together is a million times more fun though! you get to spend so much more time with him, and although you’ve been friends for years and dating hasn’t changed much between you both, it’s still more fun to hang out now that it’s a definite fact that he likes you too.
one time you’re in the library studying, and childe stands behind you with his hands on the back of your chair and bends over to ask, “hey, how are you?” you lean back to look up at him and grin, “good now that i get to see you.” and he just smiles although his face is turning redder by the second, “you’re so cute.” now it’s your turn to be embarrassed!
also you talk to him all the time in class because you sit behind him, and you just kick his chair whenever you want to get his attention. he leans back and catches your hands with his (they easily dwarf yours and he later tells you that your hands are adorable) and you make fun of him, “are you trying to hold my hands? simp.” “yeah, i am!” is his immediate reply, though he can’t meet your eyes after that and you end up getting more flustered.
childe brings food for you too. it’s just one of the little ways he shows you affection, remembering your favourite and bringing an extra in his lunchbox just for you, it’s genuinely so sweet. you always scold him and say that you need to repay him for all this, but he just laughs it off and tells you not to worry, after all, “you being my s/o kinda means i get to shower you in gifts. does that mean you’re my sugar baby though?”
his entire family knows about you too! teucer especially likes you, and randomly gifts you cans of fizzy drinks from the vending machine, which you accept wholeheartedly with a lot of gratitude. you and teucer also bond over your shared love of the game genshin impact, and childe complains that teucer gets heart eyes whenever he talks to you about all the characters he has and that childe is really getting jealous. you reassure him that he’s still your favourite no matter what, and that satisfies him.
you and childe have a private discord server just for the two of you, with multiple voice and text channels although you don’t even really need them. one of the voice channels is named 'childe bullying’ and that’s the one you’ve spent the most time in, talking for hours and hours about the stupidest things yet when you’re together they become the most interesting stories in the world. you also use the truth or dare bot and have a ton of fun forcing each other to answer the weirdest truth questions.
also, childe is a closeted romcom enjoyer, and you swear he’s watched even more than you! he finishes them all so fast too and gives really good recommendations. it is slightly embarrassing though when he tells you to watch 'love chuunibyou and other delusions’ and you haven’t started it but he’s already finished watching 'the pet girl of sakurasou’ which you recommended last week. he also reads 'spy x family’! and it’s so awesome for you to finally have someone to scream about it with, it makes you so happy that he likes it and you’re even happier that he actually takes your recommendations into consideration.
for your birthday, childe gets you a necklace. it’s stunning, though honestly if it was from him you’d have accepted a rock. but the fact is, he put so much thought and effort into this gift, shopping at jewelry stores for almost three months and messaging all your friends to confirm what they think you’d like, and eventually buying it and wrapping it and giving it to you. just to tease him, you ask childe to help you put it on, and although he nearly explodes while doing it he finally succeeds at fixing the clasp and promises it suits you perfectly.
and every time the two of you talk and laugh together, you’re certain that you love childe, and that he loves you, and for the moment, that is the most wonderful feeling ever.
a/n ; he also texts u stupid stuff that is somehow cute such as 'can we play val together (romantically)?’ ahhh :(
Kaeya Alberich x GN!Reader (Platonic), no pronouns used for reader
WC: 6180—Angst with a Happy Ending
In which Kaeya made a promise he didn’t keep.
In Khaenri’ah, they worship no god.
There is no watchful gaze cast upon them. No loving deity, no wrathful and vindictive god, no indifferent yet almighty being.
The people of Khaenri’ah live in a lonely exile, their anguished cries reaching the ears of no one but each other. Most dare not dream of redemption, of salvation from their dark and dreary corner of the world.
In Khaenri’ah, they dream only of dreaming.
A few, though, let their thoughts wander to better times and places. Better circumstances for themselves and those they love.
“Where would you go,” you whisper, “if you could go anywhere?”
Kaeya hums from his spot next to you. The two of you are lying on the hard ground outside, staring up at the inky black sky. There are no stars to light up the sky—only a few shining gems embedded in the ceiling above—and though you both know that there is an end to the vast firmament above you, you cannot help but stare at it in wonder. Being underground never was enough to suffocate your dreams.
After a moment, Kaeya turns to you and gives you a big grin. “If I could go anywhere… I would take you anywhere you wanted to go!”
Your chuckle only makes him smile more. “Well,” you say, “I guess we’re just going everywhere, then! Because I want to see it all.”
-
“Where are you going?”
The Cavalry Captain is snapped out of his thoughts by the stern voice of the Acting Grand Master. Just his luck to be noticed by the one person he was trying to avoid.
He spins around, giving Jean an innocent smile. “Why, I was just going out for a bit of air. Archon only knows what would happen if I stayed locked in my office all day.”
She levels him with an unimpressed stare, but Kaeya holds his ground. She breaks first, heaving a sigh and waving him off. “Fine. As long as you get your paperwork turned in by the end of the week, I don’t mind.”
“You know I always do,” he chuckles. “Would you like anything while I’m out? Perhaps a treat from Good Hunter?”
Jean smiles but shakes her head. “No, no, that’s alright. If anything, I could alsouse a bit of a break.”
“Well, then, why don’t you join me? I had planned on heading to the tree at Windrise.” The offer is a genuine one, concern for the Acting Grand Master shining through unintentionally.
Kaeya knows how hard Jean works—her tireless efforts are one of the few things that keep Mondstadt running like a well-oiled machine. But, she hardly ever takes a break, so he isn’t holding out too much hope that she will take up his offer. Even more so now, with Lumine being a day or two’s journey away in Liyue. Jean has had a lot on her plate, even with the various captains taking some of her workload.
He is pleasantly surprised, though, by the falter in her resolve. “I… well, I suppose I could go out for a while. Just today, though, and not for long; I wouldn’t want to get too far behind on my work.”
“Of course.”
And so they go to Windrise.
The air is clear there, crisper than in the city proper. The various shops and houses tend to muddy the air a bit, at least when it’s not particularly windy out. Kaeya appreciates the breeze’s almost sweet taste in Windrise, with the gentle swish of the leaves brushing away the anxieties that perpetually haunt his mind. He can’t help but wonder how long it will last.
The two of them stand silent in front of the grand tree until Kaeya can find it in him to speak up.
“Can I ask you a question, Master Jean?”
“How many times have I told you to just call me Jean when we’re not at work?”
“Very well then, Jean,” Kaeya laughs, “may I ask you a question?”
She nods, motioning for him to continue.
Kaeya lets his gaze drift out to the mountains in the distance. “Do you have any regrets?”
“Doyou?” She asks quietly. The question is not meant to be harsh, yet Kaeya has to fight the urge to flinch at the words hanging heavy in the air.
The breeze at Windrise has never felt so suffocating.
Jean takes a few steps towards the statue of Barbatos, sitting at the base of the grand sculpture. “I don’t mean to pry,” she amends, patting the empty space next to her. “But I imagine if you’re asking me, you have a few of your own.” Her blonde hair floats in the wind, the light angling off of it in a way that makes her glow. The dark sadness in her eyes seems out of place.
“Of course, I have regrets, Kaeya. I don’t believe a single person out there can truly say they are without anyregrets. In fact, I think they make us… not stronger perhaps, but wiser. As long as I can keep moving and trying to be better… well, what else is there to do?”
“I see.” He avoids her burning gaze by watching a crystalfly glide on the wind, disappearing into the lush branches above. “Thank you.”
“If I may ask—” Jean presses on even as Kaeya’s expression quickly becomes guarded— “what is it that you regret?”
Kaeya’s eyes turn icy. An open book Kaeya is not, and one might think that he never will be. “Forgive my rudeness, but the details are not something that concern you.”
Jean smiles a bit and shakes her head. “Nothing to forgive. I shouldn’t have pressed.” Jean breathes deeply as she takes one last look at the tree she loves so much. “I believe I should be getting back to work. Thank you, Kaeya, for inviting me out. May Barbatos guide you.”
He can’t help but feel himself shrink a bit.
“And Kaeya,” Jean turns to look at him as she leaves, “for what it’s worth, I hope things work out for you. Really.” The words are warm, just as Jean always is. Always looking out for her friends.
He feels sick.
He doesn’t say anything.
-
“Make sure you keep us a secret, ok?”
Kaeya’s head tilts in confusion. “What do you mean?”
You wring your hands, too much nervous energy buzzing inside of you. “I mean everything. Khaenri’ah, me, all of it. I heard our parents talking and… they said people don’t like us. I don’t want you to get hurt, Kaeya.” You chew on your lip, almost like the words hurt to get out. “So don’t tell anyone, ok?”
“But… I can’t keep you a secret! You’re my best friend!” Kaeya nearly yells at you, and you hunch in on yourself a bit. His voice softens in response. “I can’t just pretend you don’t exist. I’m gonna miss you.”
“I’m gonna miss you too, Kaeya.” You whisper. His father tells the two of you it’s time to say goodbye. The coldness of his voice only makes you that much more desperate to keep Kaeya here with you, but you know that it’s a hopeless endeavor. So you settle for asking, “Will I ever see you again?” Your voice trembles, terrified of what you might hear in return.
Kaeya’s blue eyes burn with determination. “Of course you will! I’m not just leaving you here! I’ll come back for you. I promise.” His pinky interlocks with yours, and as such, your fates are sealed.
“You better.”
Tears blur the last glimpse you ever get of your best friend.
-
The last ten or so years have been quiet.
So quiet, in fact, that you can hardly recall what your best friend sounds like. His absence haunts you, as does the promise you two made all that time ago. The ghost of his smile, his laugh, his everythingplagues the back of your mind, filling you with a maddening need to be anywhere but the desolate hell-hole you call home.
You think of the young boy who left you behind and wonder if he ever actually planned on coming back for you. You can’t help but wonder if maybe his promise, like the jewels embedded in the rock above your head, was nothing more than a shimmering illusion of hope.
With a shake of your head, you push those thoughts from your mind. You can’t afford to let go of him, not after all this time.
But maybe it’s time to take matters into your own hands. After all, Khaenri’ah has no god for you to call upon for answers or assistance. Which means the only person you have left to rely on is yourself.
And so you pack your things, leaving behind the only home you’ve ever known.
You don’t look back.
-
The way out of Khaenri’ah is dark and gloomy. Not at all like the cavernous space you grew up in, the walls of the tunnel creep ever closer to you, and you have to fight to make it to the soft light emanating from the end of the trail. The glow is different from the lights underground. The gems in the cave twinkle but provide no substantial light; you all rely mostly on torches to light your everyday life. Your eyes burn at the sunlight greeting your retinas for the first time, and you bring an arm up to shield your face.
“Oh wow,” you whisper. Slowly bringing your arm down, you are mesmerized by the hues that seem to color every inch of the world in front of you. The blues, the greens, it all seems so… bright. Suddenly the idea of returning home feels almost impossible.
(You wonder if maybe this is why Kaeya never came back for you.)
Shaking yourself out of your daze, you press forward in your search for your old friend.
After traveling for a few days, you stumble across what seems to be a statue of some sort of deity. An archon, if you had to guess, though you had never actually heard much about the Seven.
The elders of Khaenri’ah didn’t often talk about the Seven Archons, but what they did say was bitter and cold. They blamed the Seven for Khaenri’ah’s downfall and its current bleak state. You weren’t quite sure you agreed with that assessment, but could never find it in yourself to speak out against the popular view. Not that it mattered much now, though.
Based on the little you know of the current Seven, you’re pretty sure that this has to be a statue for the Geo Archon.
“It’s a beautiful statue, isn’t it?” A voice comes from behind you, causing you to jump with a start. You clutch your bag tightly and step away from the person, who seems to be a short blonde woman with a little… floating friend?
“Woah, hey,” she tries again, holding up her hands to placate you. “I didn’t mean to scare you! My name is Lumine, and this is Paimon.” The little fairy smiles brightly as she waves at you.
You give them your name a bit hesitantly. She looked nice enough, but you didn’t think it would be safe to let your guard down quite yet. “Um, about the statue,” you divert the topic back to the Archon looming over you, “it’s the Geo Archon, right?”
The woman’s floating companion answers for her this time, “Yup! Here in Liyue, most people call him Rex Lapis, but you might know him better as Morax!”
You nod in thanks, and Lumine returns your question with one of her own. “So, where are you from?” She raises her hands again when she sees the skeptical look on your face. “If it makes you feel better, I’m not from Liyue either. Actually, I’m not from anywhere near here at all.”
“How do you know I’m not from Liyue?” You’re sure you must seem highly suspicious but you simply can’t bring yourself to be particularly friendly at the moment.
Lumine glances at Paimon briefly before shrugging. “It’s your clothes.”
“My… clothes?”
“Your clothes are… well, they don’t look like they’re from Liyue, but also not completely out of place. Almost like, they could fit in anywhere, but also nowhere…. Sorry! That probably doesn’t make any sense,” she says, an embarrassed flush covering her face.
“No… It’s, um, fine, really.” You understand her logic, and to be honest, it’s not that far off from the truth. Your clothes were plain— understated and unassuming. But there was a unique sort of flair to them, little details that made them different from the rest of Teyvat’s fashion. You supposed that was to be expected. “So, where are you from, then? You said earlier that you’re not from Liyue either.”
Lumine shuffles awkwardly for a moment before coming to some sort of silent agreement with Paimon. “I’m a traveler; I don’t really belong to one nation or another. So far, I’ve been to Mondstadt, Liyue, and Inazuma. There’s… been a lot going on recently.”
“Oh, like what?”
Surprise grows on her face but Lumine quickly tamps it down. You instantly know you made a huge blunder, but resolve yourself nonetheless. “I’m surprised you haven’t heard,” she says, before continuing, “I’d be happy to tell you all about it! But, this might not be the best spot….”
Paimon speaks up, and you startle a bit, nearly forgetting the fairy was there. (Or did she disappear for a moment and only just now reappear? It’s hard to say.) “Why don’t we head back to Liyue Harbor! We can show you around, and you can even try some of the local food! Oh, Paimon loves Wanmin Restaurant! What do you say?”
You can’t help but smile a bit at Paimon’s obvious love for food; her eagerness is contagious, and despite your reservations, you accompany the pair to Liyue Harbor.
-
Liyue Harbor is nothing like you expected. The golds and reds scream for your attention, and the smell of cooking food invades your senses. You can smell the spices a mile away, the strong aroma trying its best to lead you to the various stalls. Music floats through the air, from where exactly you can’t tell, and you nearly stop in your tracks just to hear more of it.
Everything is just so different from Khaenri’ah. You like it.
Paimon earnestly rushes you and Lumine over to Wanmin Restaurant, and the three of you quickly order your food, eager to eat the steaming dishes. The chef on duty, who you learn is named Xiangling, gladly serves you up a variety of traditional Liyuean dishes—with her signature flair, of course. Lumine leads you to a more secluded seating area near the building, not too far from the main plaza but quiet enough to chat comfortably.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” you say. “I really appreciate it.”
Lumine waves off your thanks, not unkindly, and smiles. “It’s no problem! Besides, you seem pretty nice, and I’d like to get to know you better.”
The two of you eat quietly, only the sound of Paimon’s chatter filling the silence. The food is hot, both in temperature and spice. You can feel it warm you from the inside out.
“Xiangling is a master at spice, isn’t she?” Paimon says cheerfully. You nod in agreement, and you’re sure your excitement shows on your face. It wasn’t often you got to eat anything that wasn’t potatoes or some other starch or root vegetable, so you’re certainly savoring the moment.
“This is probably the best thing I’ve ever eaten!” You grin at the two companions before returning to your meal. “Though, I was a little scared to try the slime candies she offered us.” You shiver a bit at the memory of the various candies she had shoved in your hand, most of which you would guess to be inedible. You had ended up shoving them in your pocket for later. Though, you would probably end up tossing them to some birds or something. Archons bless whatever animal was brave enough to eat them.
“Don’t mind Xiangling’s… ah, experiments. She’s a great chef, but most people know to stick with her more tried-and-true dishes,” Lumine laughs.
Once the food is finished and plates returned to the restaurant, the three of you set off towards the harbor. As the sun begins to set, you marvel at the orange blaze of the sky above you. Lanterns flicker around you, and their soft glow reminds you of the torches your people used to light their homes. Fire was not as commonplace in Khaenri’ah as it seemed to be here, where the light surrounds you on all sides. It makes you feel both safe and incredibly out of place.
After living so many years in the dark, you aren’t quite sure what it means to live in the light.
“Hey, Lumine?” You catch her attention at the top of the grand staircase at Feiyun Slope. Lumine and Paimon are a few steps below you, but you still hold her gaze as you ask, “Could I ask you for a favor?” She tilts her head in a silent cue to keep talking. “I was wondering—since you’ve traveled so many places—if you might be able to help me find someone. I… I’m looking for an old friend. Someone I haven’t seen for many years at this point. And I know it’s presumptuous of me to assume that you might know him or have even heard of him during your travels, but I thought it might be worth asking.”
Something in Lumine’s face softens at the mention of your search, and the genuine distress on your face makes her response come with no hesitation.
“Of course, I’ll help you. I can’t make any promises, but I know what it’s like to look for someone you hold dear. I probably understand it better than anyone.” Her resulting chuckle sounds bitter, but you can’t blame her. “So, tell me whatever you can about him, and I’ll see what I can do!”
You thank her as you continue your journey, telling her whatever you can about Kaeya. Recognition begins to flicker in her eyes the longer you talk about him. It spurs you on in your descriptions, even slipping in a few childhood memories in your excitement.
“There was this one time we were pestering a really tall blonde guy who would come visit the village occasionally, and he was getting really annoyed with us. Pretty sure we tried to snag his mask at one point, but obviously, it didn’t work since he was like, at least a foot and a half taller than us!” Your laughter rings out, and Lumine can’t help but smile at your joyful expression. “Oh man, and then Kaeya tried to climb him, but he almost pulled the poor man’s pants down! I’ve never seen the two of them look more mortified!”
You don’t notice Lumine is no longer at your side until you go to start another story and see that you’re alone. Turning around, you see her standing there with an excited smile. You quickly calm your nerves and take a few quick steps to rejoin her.
“Did you just say your friend’s name is Kaeya?” Paimon beats Lumine to the punch, but she doesn’t look at all upset about the interruption from her friend.
“Oh,” you pause, only slightly unsettled by their eagerness. “Yes, I did. Did I not mention that before?”
“Nope!” Paimon continues. “But it’s a good thing you did! Because now we know exactly who you’re talking about!”
“You do?”
Lumine grins and slings an arm around you. “Looks like we’re going to Mondstadt next!”
-
Leaves crunch under your feet as you approach the gates of Mondstadt. The journey was faster than you expected, though, after your initial trip out of Khaenri’ah, you think most others would feel easy. Lumine and Paimon stand a bit ahead of you, having asked them for a bit of space to think. They kindly obliged, Lumine nudging the small fairy away from you and the obvious dark cloud hanging over your head.
Your bare forearms press into the gritty stone of Mondstadt’s bridge. The rough texture is the only thing keeping you grounded as your thoughts threaten to pull you back to the dark confining walls of Khaenri’ah. The morning sunlight bouncing off the water is not enough to chase away your dark thoughts, but it certainly helps.
While you’re ecstatic that you managed to find someone who knows Kaeya, you feel yourself growing nervous at the thought of meeting him again. You still don’t understand entirely why he never returned. You had never expected him to return for good, or even very soon, but you had always hoped that he would show up one day and take you away with him. Those hopes were obviously in vain.
You can’t even be sure he’ll recognize you. Will you recognize him? Or will ten years of separation render you nothing more than strangers who share a homeland?
“Hey, Lumine?” You call out.
She turns to you, responding, “Everything ok?”
“How well do you know Kaeya?”
Lumine pauses for a moment, thinking. “I’d say I know him pretty well at this point. Why do you ask?”
The cool breeze coming off the lake rustles through your clothes, and you shiver a bit. “Will he want to see me? I can’t say I know him very well anymore, and I don’t know what I even want his reaction to be when he sees me.”
“What exactly happened between you two?” The question is a simple one, yet you still feel at a loss for words. The answer lodges in your throat, burning like a lump of hot coal.
“I don’t know,” you finally manage to whisper. “He made a promise. But that doesn’t matter. Not anymore.”
Lumine’s eyebrows furrow in concern, Paimon looking nervous as well. “What did he promise you?” The pure grief in your eyes startles Lumine. You look… broken.
“He promised he would come back.”
Two pairs of warm arms envelope you as your tears fall and mix with the freshwater of Cider Lake below you.
-
“Hello, dear brother.” Kaeya saunters into the tavern, an unsurprising sight for Diluc at this hour.
“Kaeya.” Diluc gives his brother a short nod, sliding him a Death After Noon.
If you ask anyone in Mondstadt, Diluc and Kaeya are like cats and dogs. Never getting along, never able to work together. And they would be right. Mostly. For, despite all their misgivings about each other, they are still brothers. And even the most vicious of words would not deter them from keeping a close eye on the other.
Which is precisely why, when Lumine shows up in his tavern with a mysterious “friend,” Diluc does not immediately direct them to where his brother sits on the second floor.
“Diluc!” Lumine waves as the three of you walk into Angel’s Share, and you take in the lively atmosphere. People are drinking and singing, presumably having just gotten off of work and letting off some steam. A bard performs in the middle of the room, riling up the crowd with every strum of his lyre. The energy is almost magical. You manage to pull your attention away from the scene and introduce yourself to Diluc. At the mention of your name, his grip on your hand tightens slightly before quickly retracting back to his side.
“It’s you.”
You look at Lumine, but she has no answers. “Um, I’m sorry, but I’m not sure I know what you mean.” Your brows furrow slightly in confusion when he doesn’t immediately answer.
“Lumine,” Diluc turns to your new friend, “would it be alright if I borrowed them for a moment? Feel free to mix a drink while you wait; it’ll be on the house.”
She simply nods, and you hesitantly follow Diluc out the back door of the tavern. He pulls out a chair for you at a small table on the side of the building. You sit across from him, patiently waiting for him to say something.
“May I ask why you wanted to speak with me?”
“You’re from Khaenri’ah.” His words are not accusatory more than they are a simple statement. His face gives away nothing, but you don’t feel all that threatened by him.
“And so what if I am? Will that be an issue?”
Diluc crosses his arms, studying your face. “It’ll only be an issue if you make it one.” After a moment, his face softens. “I know you and Kaeya were friends. He talked about you often when we were kids.”
You curse your friend under your breath. “He promised me he wouldn’t. It was foolish of him to go telling people things like that.”
“You don’t need to worry about his ability to keep a secret. He seems to have a real knack for it.” He sighs. “Besides, my brother isn’t really known for his openness. I highly doubt he’s mentioned you to anyone else.”
“Wait a second,” you sit up straight in your chair, interest piqued. “What do you mean by ‘brother’? Kaeya doesn’t have any siblings, and if he did, they certainly wouldn’t look like you.”
Diluc smiles. “I don’t imagine you know much about his life in Mondstadt?” He raises an eyebrow at you, and for a moment, it reminds you of Kaeya.
“No, I don’t.” You fail to keep your bitterness contained at the reminder that you no longer know your best friend. Your only friend.
“Forgive me; I don’t mean to offend,” Diluc says. “Let me catch you up to speed.”
You listen to his story quietly, unable to picture everything but intrigued nonetheless. You laugh at their childhood antics, and you weep silently at the death of their father— a kind man who seems to have treated your friend better than his birth father ever had. Anger bubbles up in your heart at the tale of Kaeya and Diluc’s falling out. You can’t help the glare that you give Diluc, though you know that you won’t be able to stay angry at him. He clearly cares for Kaeya, his brother holding space in his heart despite everything that has happened.
Diluc finishes his story with a sigh. “Kaeya should be upstairs. But if he doesn’t want to talk to you, then I ask that you leave him be.”
“Sure.”
-
It’s obvious Kaeya doesn’t recognize you. Or, if he does, he’s doing a damn good job at hiding it. His one icy blue eye is tracking you as you make your way across the upper floor of the tavern. Your old friend sits in a shadowy corner, out of view from the rowdy patrons below and away from the more sullen patrons lingering nearby.
He makes no objection when you motion to the chair opposite him, and he sends you a smile that is both unnerving and charming all at once. It feels fake. It feels so unlike the bright kid you once knew—the kid who would run around the caverns with you, playing silly pranks on the elders and sneaking a little extra food to share at night. And you know that kid is in there somewhere; the spark you remember so well is surely still present. Maybe it’s hiding behind his eyepatch, or maybe it’s under the layers of leather, feathers, and fur that he adorns himself with, but you know it’s in there somewhere.
It has to be.
“First time in a place like this?” His question catches you off guard, your attention snapping away from his flashy outfit and up to his face. You situate yourself in the worn wooden chair, the creaking beneath you just a bit concerning.
You’re not sure what to say to Kaeya now that he’s right in front of you, so you settle for a half-assed, “Yes, it is. My first time in Mondstadt, actually.” The ensuing silence is uncomfortable, but you imagine Kaeya isn’t put off by it in the least.
Minutes pass. Nothing is said; you simply watch him, and he watches you in return. Your drink only does so much to help you pass the time. You would give anything to know what he’s thinking right now, but you can’t bring yourself to ask for some reason. You don’t even know where to begin.
“What do you know about Khaenri’ah?” You’re surprised when the silence is broken before realizing you were the one who spoke. You don’t know why that question, in particular, escaped you, but it’s too late to take it back now.
“Khaenri'ah, huh? Now that’s a question I don’t hear often.” Kaeya raises an eyebrow at you, his icy blue eye pinning you in place. “The legacy of Khaenri'ah is long gone; the sinners are all that’s left, and they’re not worth mentioning.”
Your heart drops, and you can’t help the disappointment and betrayal that shows on your face.
“I see.” Even with the confusion and sadness gnawing at the back of your mind, you feel a bitter laugh rip its way out of your throat. “I suppose I should plan on visiting the Cathedral, then.”
“Why?”
Mouth set in a tight line, you reply, “I’m a sinner; you said so yourself.”
Liquor runs over the table, dripping onto the floor. The unsealed wood turns dark under your fingers, and you quickly grasp the fallen ceramic cup, placing it gently on the now-stained table.
Kaeya sits still. His breathing is even but light; you might not even notice it were you not watching him so closely all this time. “You,” he starts, his voice a raspy whisper, “you’re not supposed to be here.”
And doesn’t that just break your heart.
“I can go if you’d like.”
“No!” He grabs your wrist as you start to stand, pulling you ungracefully back down into your chair. His hand shakes, though his grip is iron-clad. He runs colder than you remember.
Seems like a lot has changed since you last saw him.
-
Kaeya is not often at a loss for words. He’s known in Mondstadt for his sweet-talk— honey-coated words carefully picked and crafted into flattery that would lower anyone’s guard. The Cavalry Captain can talk his way out of any situation, even if he would prefer to just fight it out at times.
So it’s an unsettling feeling when everything he wants to say—everything he needs to say— feels wrong.
“I’m sorry, I just”—he reluctantly lets go of your wrist—“I didn’t mean it like that.” He stares at you, the silence growing heavy. He realizes you must be waiting for him to say something, so he grasps for words to give you, inadequate as they may be. “I’m happy to see you again,” he says.
Your brows furrow slightly, and he worries you don’t believe him. “I am… happy to see you too, Kaeya.” You look away from him. “Mondstadt is a beautiful place. I can see why you would want to stay here.”
And he knows what you’re really saying. He hears the unspoken question masked by your friendly words. He knows what you’re asking him because he’s asked himself the same question a million times over the past few years.
Why didn’t he ever go back for you?
“It is.” He says lamely. “I really do love it here.” He moves, and his clothes clink quietly, the metal accessories glinting softly in the dim tavern light. Sounds of music float up from below, Venti somehow managing to keep the crowd’s attention all this time. He’s sure the bard has probably had one too many drinks tonight. Kaeya looks at his spilled drink in dismay; he could really use some liquid courage right about now.
“Do you really think of us that way, Kaeya?”
Your question catches him off guard. “What? Think of you how?”
A dry chuckle escapes your lips. “Of course, you already forgot.” He can see you gripping the sleeves of your coat, wrinkling the worn fabric. “As sinners. You said we were sinners and not even worth mentioning. Is that really how you think of us?”
His silence is more telling than anything he could’ve said.
“I see.” He reaches for your hand again, but you pull it out of reach. “No, it’s— it’s fine, Kaeya. I get it. Really, I do. You got out. You were the one who got to leave, and even with all the shit you’ve had to go through out here, it’s still better than whatever was waiting for you back home.” You shrink into yourself as you continue, “I know we weren’t enough—that I wasn’t enough—to make you want to come back, and that’s fine. I’m not—I’m not mad, Kaeya. I promise you that much. But I just need to know”—your voice breaks, and with a start, he realizes you’re crying—“if you even missed me.”
Your words sting as if he’s been slapped, and his stomach churns in a burning sickness. “Of course I missed you! How could I not?” His chest feels tight. “I can’t ever go back home. I can’t do it. Mondstadt is where I belong now. I have a life here; I have family. I couldn’t just leave all of that, and besides,” he sighs, “I had a mission. You know that. And I don’t care about it anymore; believe me, I don’t. But after a while, it just felt… wrong to go back. Do I even have a place there anymore?”
You cut him off with a slam of your fist. “Of course, you have a place there! You always did! And even if you didn’t want to stay, you know I would’ve left with you! So I just don’t understand why you broke your promise!”
“I’m sorry.”
“No.” You take a breath. “No, it’s okay. I’m just a little confused, I guess. I don’t really know how I’m feeling right now.” You grab Kaeya’s empty cup just to have something to fiddle with. “It’s been ten years, Kaeya. And I still remember you as that happy kid who used to run around with me, just being stupid and having fun. Neither of us stayed the same, and that’s not a bad thing. That’s just life. But I missed you. I still miss you.”
This time, when he reaches for your hand, you let him take it. He holds it gently as if you might shatter and disappear if he’s not careful. “I don’t have a lot of regrets.”
“Kaeya, it’s—” You try to interrupt, but he presses on.
“No, listen to me.” He holds your gaze as he continues, “I don’t have a lot of regrets, but I will always regret not going back for you. You hear me? I never once forgot about you. And even if I was too much of a coward to face you again, I am happy you found me. You did what I never had the guts to do.”
He feels your warm tears drip onto his hand. He hopes that they can wash away the mistakes of his past.
“I just missed you so much,” you cry, pulling his hand closer to you. He stands, quietly reassuring you he isn’t going anywhere. Kaeya crosses to the other side of the table and pulls you into his arms. Neither of you care about the lingering looks the other tavern goers are giving you; none of them matter in this moment.
The only thing that really matters is right in front of him. And this time, he’s not leaving you behind.
-
One Week Later
“So, you’re staying in Mondstadt?” Lumine asks. It’s a sunny day; the breeze is steady, and the clean air is refreshing.
You smile brightly, a new coat on your shoulders, courtesy of one Cavalry Captain. “I am. Kaeya and I have a lot to catch up on, after all!” You seem a little sad when you say, “Our relationship isn’t the same as it used to be. It’s been a long time, and as much as I’d like to pretend that nothing has changed, that’s simply not true.”
Paimon floats up to you. “That’s not a bad thing, though, is it?” Her eyes shine with worry, and you pat her head to comfort her.
“Don’t you worry about us. We’re both working through things, but we’re doing it together. I know it’s not going to be easy, but I’m ready.” You look around at the shops lining the street and notice Kaeya waiting for you at the top of the steps at Good Hunter. He waves to you, and you raise a hand in return. “And who knows”—you look amused—“maybe I’ll even get Kaeya to visit home with me.”
Lumine is relieved to see you so happy. She knows what it’s like to be separated from someone you love, and it gives her some hope to see you as you are now.
— synopsis: the changing of times and ways to govern, foolish desires and violent ideals. the tenryou commission was versed with a new wielder, having the orders enacted by the lands very deity, though, the news was nothing but a betrayal. unfortunately, having been known as merciless and loyal, the commission would believe no claimed wielder’s claims, even if they exclaimed their family’s betrayal.
— pairing: var!genshin (male) x fem!reader
— genre: harem (??), fluff, slight angst
— warnings: abandonment, injury, mentions of death, not proofread!!!!
— status: coming soon. updates every sunday.
— taglist: open, just hmu
a/n: i know paimon says that when she first met traveller, baal hadn’t introduced the vision hunt decree yet but shhhh you heard nothing
as if the gods of celestia had known what a pitiful day was to come for y/n, the present rainfall raged harder, the pelting of each drop growing louder by the minute. the child-like smile plastered on her face was now wiped clean, a quivering lip taking its place.
the day started off pure. her begging her mother to let her tag along with her while she works, claiming that her little sister was old enough to be able to stay home by herself. clinging to her mother’s arm in a childish nature, her mother was trying her hardest to tug her arm out of her child’s grip. with one final beg, her mother abruptly whipped her body to face the teen.
before y/n could sneak in another beg, she saw a faint look of hesitation in her mother’s eyes. the way her eyebrows creased and her lips turned down into an indistinct frown before reverting back to her hostile gaze at her own daughter. the older woman yanked her arm out of the grip on the teen and opened her mouth. there was a faint realization that this would be the last time she would ever see her mother the same again, hoping that once in her life that flowers would flow out of the older woman’s lips, out only came thorns and stones.
“wait, no!” her cries were ignored as the woman holding a wood-woven basket filled with her belongings had treaded through the undergrowth and out of sight.
“come back! please, mama!”, shifting her weight into her feet to run after her mother but faltered as soon as she heard calls of her younger sister back at her abode.
“tame”, the name left her lips breathlessly, sprinting back to her house and busting open the doors, only to see soldiers of the tenryou commission pushing and pulling at her, in search of her vision that her parent’s had claimed the two of you had.
“there’s the other one, seize them.” kujou sara, the loyal general of the commission, having devoted her life to their deity.
“wait, no! she doesn’t have one, only me! stop, don’t touch her!” [y/n]’s voice boomed through the abandoned home and bounced off the wooden walls as she ran in front of her crouching sister, hiding her figure behind her arms.
the other soldiers raised their weapons, the blades of each taunting [y/n] mocking her to make another move, “i’ll give you my vision, just let her go.”
“how strange, we were told both of you had visions…” her tone was mocking, and venomous.
“it’s not true!! please, let her go” her pleas had made the entire house go silent, the only thing heard was the harsh pattering of the rain outside.
“very well… take her vision if it’s the last thing you do!”
“tame, run.” was the very last thing tame’s older sister had ever said to her, before sprinting out of the house, effectively chasing every soldier out.
though her legs burned and the pelting rain irritated her skin, [y/n] kept running, she had to, she didn’t want to die, not now, not like this. unbeknownst to her, the general was a bow wielder, standing quite a ways away from her, she drew the arrow, and fired, aiming at the [h/c] girl’s calf.
shrieking in pain, [y/n] felt herself tumble to the ground, the soldiers now catching up to her. one specific man drew his sword out, aiming it at the girl’s abdomen. fearfully, she used her arms to pull herself back, but he was quick to catch up to her.
“give up your vision, now!”
the girl cried, looking both left and right, hoping, praying that there was a way she could get out of this situation. a brown wooden boat had caught her attention, it was abandoned left at the shore with no trace of the owner. taking deep breaths in to ready herself on her legs again, she forced herself upwards, dragging her injured leg behind her and running towards the boat.
“stop her!” turning her head to look behind her, she materialized her polearm, given to her by her father before he passed away. she forced it in front of the only soldier able to catch up to her. before she knew it, the soldier was able to land a hit- or rather a stab in her side. he gave it a sharp twist before pulling his dagger out, making her choke on her own breath. her grip on her polearm tightened, swinging it at the man and slicing her arm. she fell to the ground in pain just as he did, and clutched at her side.
“get up!” a voice that lingered in the back of mind sounded through her head.
a voice of whom held a special place in her heart before his life was taken away from him.
“get up y/n!” was she delusional? was this what happens when you die?
still, she obeyed dragging herself to the shore where the abandoned boat resided. up, she thought. one more step and you’ll be safe. she just had to force herself to climb, then she’d be free of her life in inazuma. her father’s voice sounded through her mind, her eyes teary from the pain.
“i can’t papa…”, her voice was weak, but there was a passion that seemed to belong to something- someone much more powerful.
mindlessly, she was able to force herself into the boat, the feeling of someone else controlling the mechanics of her body, she surrendered, laying idly against the wood of the boat as it drifted out to sea.
with one last look at the island she grew up on, reminiscing on the foul and nostalgic memories she had made, she only saw her sister and her tear-stained face, their gazes stuck on each other. tame was being dragged away by the general and her subordinates, writhing and screaming all while staring at her older sister longingly, her protector, her family.
“tame…” her voice reeked of pain, and it was the last thing she said before her world grew dark.
perhaps some people saw it as a miracle, but she only felt guilt. she had somehow made it to liyue harbour alive, and this time as a vision wielder. growing accustomed to the life of the people in liyue, she embraced it rather than pushed it away, in hopes of the lingering reminder of her sister fading. though, she likes to think that she just had a knack for getting herself chased out of nations for things she did not do- or have. that was how she ended up in the forests of mondstadt, exploring and seeking shelter in what she had left.
though, she had made an interesting discovery after having a blonde boy sneak up on her. it was rather interesting, the way they met. she had almost killed him, but lowered her guard as soon as she saw his attire and apologized profusely.
“you… don’t look like you’re from here…” the question seemed to make the stranger nervous, giving the back of his neck a nervous scratch before responding.
“well… you see…”
a/n: erm hi i know her backstory on how she got chased out of liyue was not very detailed but i really didn’t want this to be too long pls bear w me hehe
— synopsis:the changing of times and ways to govern, foolish desires and violent ideals. the tenryou commission was versed with a new wielder, having the orders enacted by the lands very deity, though, the news was nothing but a betrayal. unfortunately, having been known as merciless and loyal, the commission would believe no claimed wielder’s claims, even if they exclaimed their family’s betrayal.
— pairing: var!genshin (male) x fem!reader
— genre: harem (??), fluff, slight angst
— warnings: death, violence (canon-level), injuries, etc. these will be more in-depth at the beginning of each chapter.
imagine fingering him, preparing him while he has his arms around you and he’s just whimpering, whining and moaning close to your ears. and you’ll also be close to his! you’ll be able to whisper to him and maybe even tease him when you can~ “want another finger, baby?” “you seem to be enjoying this, are you?” and you have your arm gripping and circling his waist, hand directly gripping on his ass cheek that prevents him from squirming too much.
can’t seem to have a specific person on this one bc it fits anyone<3
softly biting the edges of one or both of gorou’s ears as you pound/touch him from behind<3 then his tail would be wagging non-stop that you’ll have to grab it with your free hand. this in turn made his moans and whines louder though~
“you might want to quiet down, puppy, if you don’t want anyone to hear,” you whisper, your breath fanning the wetness on his ears, making him shudder.
warnings: nsfw content, size difference, dacryphilia, degradation, praise, breeding kink, choking, Itto has a knot and barbs on his cock, Zhongli has two dicks
DILUC stops immediately when you tell him to — hurting you is the last thing he wants —, though he can’t help but chuckle when you, teary-eyed, tell him that his dick is too big and that it won’t fit. He quickly shushes you with a gentle kiss, his smile warm and loving as he reassures you that it’ll be fine, he’ll try to be as careful as possible.
Even though he tries to go slow for your comfort, he groans in pleasure when he finally bottoms out inside of you, your hips flush together, and while he had originally planned to give you some time to adjust to his size, he can’t help but pick up a fast and hard pace a few moments later, because what you don’t know is that your words sent a white hot spike of pleasure up his spine. His size kink is thriving, especially when there’s a slight bulge showing through your stomach as he thrusts into you.
“You’re alright, dear. It’ll fit, don’t worry. Ah, fuck—, you feel so tight around me. Archons, you can even see my dick through your stomach — fuck.”
When you complain to KAEYA about his cock being too large to fit inside of you, he genuinely can’t help but laugh. You’re adorable — really, he’s at a loss of words here. There’s a smile on his lips as he tells you that you’ll be alright, and he doesn’t bother to stop pushing into you; giving you time to breathe would only result in you overthinking even more. Besides, he knows you’ll be fine.
When he finally pounds into you, his hips slapping against your own with lewd squelching noises accompanying each thrust, you’re moaning and keening, your back arching, and there’s mocking words and teasing sentences falling from Kaeya’s lips before he can stop himself, but, really, who can blame him? Just a moment ago, you were protesting and worrying, and now you’re taking his dick like a champ — it’s almost ironic, really.
“Ah, look at you, darling. Weren’t you just whining about my dick being too big for you? Now you’re practically sucking me in. That’s adorable. Makes me wonder if that innocent persona of you was but an act, doll.”
warnings: nsfw content, size difference, dacryphilia, degradation, praise, breeding kink, choking, Itto has a knot and barbs on his cock, Zhongli has two dicks
DILUC stops immediately when you tell him to — hurting you is the last thing he wants —, though he can’t help but chuckle when you, teary-eyed, tell him that his dick is too big and that it won’t fit. He quickly shushes you with a gentle kiss, his smile warm and loving as he reassures you that it’ll be fine, he’ll try to be as careful as possible.
Even though he tries to go slow for your comfort, he groans in pleasure when he finally bottoms out inside of you, your hips flush together, and while he had originally planned to give you some time to adjust to his size, he can’t help but pick up a fast and hard pace a few moments later, because what you don’t know is that your words sent a white hot spike of pleasure up his spine. His size kink is thriving, especially when there’s a slight bulge showing through your stomach as he thrusts into you.
“You’re alright, dear. It’ll fit, don’t worry. Ah, fuck—, you feel so tight around me. Archons, you can even see my dick through your stomach — fuck.”
When you complain to KAEYA about his cock being too large to fit inside of you, he genuinely can’t help but laugh. You’re adorable — really, he’s at a loss of words here. There’s a smile on his lips as he tells you that you’ll be alright, and he doesn’t bother to stop pushing into you; giving you time to breathe would only result in you overthinking even more. Besides, he knows you’ll be fine.
When he finally pounds into you, his hips slapping against your own with lewd squelching noises accompanying each thrust, you’re moaning and keening, your back arching, and there’s mocking words and teasing sentences falling from Kaeya’s lips before he can stop himself, but, really, who can blame him? Just a moment ago, you were protesting and worrying, and now you’re taking his dick like a champ — it’s almost ironic, really.
“Ah, look at you, darling. Weren’t you just whining about my dick being too big for you? Now you’re practically sucking me in. That’s adorable. Makes me wonder if that innocent persona of you was but an act, doll.”
CHILDE has got you bent in half in a mating press when you whine about him being too big, his dick being too deep inside of you, and he couldn’t deny that your words made his cock twitch inside of you even if he tried. He scoffs, obviously amused, and it’s such a huge ego boost that he thrusts into you roughly, his hips flush with yours as he bottoms out in one quick movement that has you gasping and crying out.
There’ssome half-assed shushing from him as he assures you that it’s fine, you’ll be alright, but in reality, you’re barely able to understand what he’s saying with the almost violent pace he has set and he knows it. You’re drooling while he pounds into you, saliva dripping down your chin, and Childe isn’t shy to mock you for how desperate you look. By the end of it, he makes sure you’re literally dripping with his cum.
“Fuck, babe, that’s so hot—, you think I’m too big for your tight little hole, hm? Don’t you worry, baby, I’ll fill you up so good. You’ll be fine—, ah, fuck, I promise, just let me make you feel good. Just let me breed you.”
ZHONGLI raises his eyebrows when you complain about his size in a seriously worried tone, but he’s quick to shush you despite not understanding why you seem to have trouble taking only one of his cocks. The other one is resting against your abdomen as he slowly but surely continues to push into you, the tip of it dripping precum onto your skin.
While he’s constantly praising you for how well you’re taking him, he can’t help that he enjoys seeing your eyes all glassy with tears, and his thoughts immediately go to how you’d cry and whine under him if he were to fuck you with both dicks, only to fill you up and breed you.
“You’re so good for me, darling. You take me so well. In fact, I’m quite certain you’d even be able to take both of my cocks if you’d like to try.”
Honestly,ITTO is used to this kind of reaction. He’s a big guy all around, which is why it doesn’t come as a surprise when you claw at his back and whimper about him not being able to fit inside of you. Still, while he understands your worries, he’s too much into it to stop now; he can’t help that he continues to push into you until you’re stretched wide around his dick.
He at least has the decency to apologise while thrusting into you, his hips slapping against your ass, even though he gets a massive ego boost from the way you’re crying out. His apologies don’t make it better — especially because his size isn’t the only thing you have to deal with. What’s much more difficult to take are the barbs on his cock, as well as his knot once he fills you up, but what can he say; he’s an oni through and through and his biology is intent on breeding you.
“Ah, baby, fuck, ’m sorry, I don’t wanna hurt you, fuck, I promise, you just feel so good, can’t stop, please, babe, I need to fill you up—”
Honestly,SCARAMOUCHE thinks of you as ridiculously naive for even hoping that he’ll be merciful when you blabber something about his cock being too big. You’re on all fours underneath him, cheek against the ground and ass raised, and he’s not above taunting you as he repeats your whiny plea in a mocking, high-pitched voice.
As if inspired by your words, he thrusts into you at once, his pace rougher than it needs to be solely because he wants to see you cry on his cock, your cheeks flushing and your eyes crossing as you clench around him. When he feels particularly mean, he even wraps a hand around your throat, if only to hear your high-pitched keening noises as you choke and whine, your thighs trembling and tears dripping down your cheeks.
“What are you saying? It won’t fit? Oh, I’ll make it fit, don’t you worry. Besides, you’re already dripping wet. Fucking slut. This is the only thing you’re good for, so shut up and take what I decide to give you.”
WhileAYATO is quick to coo soothing words at you, his voice a low purr and with his hands gently caressing the curve of your hip, his lips also curl into a smirk. You can’t see the way his eyes sparkle with mischief and something more sinister because of your position — your cheek pressed against the pillows, your back arched and ass raised —, but that his polite words are just a facade is obvious in the way his hips snap against yours.
Theurge to make you cry just because of his cock makes his movements more hurried and rough, his usual effortless grace bleeding away into impatience and brutal thrusts. His nails dig into your hips as he rocks into you until your thighs are shaking and tears drip down your flushed cheeks, needy noises falling from your lips, and Ayato can’t help that he wants nothing more than to truly break you.
“Oh, am I too big for you, love? Are you saying you can’t take it? That’d be a shame, I was hoping to have you come on my cock. Ah, there you go — look, it fits. You’re such a slut in reality, hm, darling?”
ALBEDO pauses the second you whine about his dick being too big to fit inside of you, his head cocked to the side in a curious manner as his gaze meets your teary eyes. While he’s an attentive and observant lover, he also can’t deny that his cock twitches inside of you at hearing you say that.
Hetells you matter-of-factly that there’s no need to worry, that your body is quite literally made for this and that it’s obvious in the way your cunt is basically sucking him in, before continuing to push in until he bottoms out, your hips flush together. If you haven’t relaxed until then, he’s honestly at a loss of what to do, though a feeling of pride spreads through his veins when you finally moan and mewl in pleasure rather than in fear. He just loves being correct.
“Oh? Look at you, dripping wet around my dick. Didn’t I tell you you were going to be alright? You’re literally made to take my dick, love, and it seems you’re a natural at it, too.”
When you first tell him to stop, please, that his dick is never going to fit inside of you, XIAO scoffs, his eyebrows drawn together into a frown. For a moment, he genuinely thinks you’re making fun of him, though he quickly stops moving when he notices that there’s tears welling up in your eyes.
Thelast thing he wants is to hurt you, which is why he pauses immediately. It doesn’t matter how aroused he is, your comfort is his top priority, which is why he’ll only continue once you give him the consent to. Even when he finally bottoms out inside of you, his hips flush with yours and with you mewling underneath him, he checks in on you to make sure you’re alright.
“Fuck, I—, please, love, are you alright? Tell me. How are you feeling? May I continue? Fuck, you’re so damn tight around me.”
warnings: nsfw content, breeding kink, Itto’s dick has barbs and ridges, knotting, implications of pregnancy, begging, dirty talk, degradation, overstimulation
WhileDILUC is usually rather tender with you, some part of his mind simply short-circuits when you ask him to cum inside of you. He pauses for a moment, his eyebrows raised in surprise, but you don’t need to say more to convince him. He’s thrusting into you again a few moments later, his pace damn near violent compared to before, and all you can do is whine and arch your back and take it.
Diluc himself is all low groans and grunts; he wants a family so badly, so when you offer him to fill you up, he suddenly can’t think about anything but you, dripping with his cum, anymore. He’s moaning out promises of breeding you so so well while pounding into you, and it doesn’t take much longer before he reaches his orgasm, his cum spilling into you, and he presses a loving kiss to your lips afterwards.
“Ah, fuck, you have no idea what you do to me—, I’ll fill you up so good, darling, I promise you that. I’m gonna make you a mommy, sweetheart, don’t you worry.”
The second KAEYA moves to pull out, you dig your nails into his shoulders, surely leaving red crescent moons there, and he raises an eyebrow at you. When you whimper that you so desperately want him to cum inside of you, he huffs out a laugh, though it sounds strained. His following words are mocking, but they lack the usual sharpness.
He’sa lot more affected by your plea than he lets on; it shows in the way his dick twitches inside of your cunt and how his pace speeds up as he thrusts into you a few final times, his hips slapping against your ass with lewd squelching noises. You mewl as he fills you up with liquid warmth, his cum following his cock out of your loose cunt as he pulls away, and he chuckles when you whimper at the feeling.
“Oh? Do you need me to fill you up that badly? That’s pretty—, ah, that’s pretty pathetic, you know. But I guess I don’t mind indulging you one time, love, even if you’re acting like a slut right now.”
Jesus lord please read this if you’re a fellow Xiao lover. My heart hurts but also warms because Spray is such a talented writer :’) Thank you for blessing us with your insane writing skills, beloved bestie…
It’s nice to meet you! My name is Jay/J, and I write fics/RP for the Mystic Messenger and Genshin Impact fandoms. I use he/him pronouns and I am 18+. Please click below to know a bit more about my new blog. Thanks!
★ When writing for Mystic Messenger, I feel strongest writing for 707, Jumin Han and Saeran. Though, I am always willing to write outside of them!
★ All my “Character X Reader” pieces will be gender neutral readers, unless otherwise specified or requested as something different. Any and all (legal and non-sus) ships welcomed. I am glaring at all proshippers.
★ Within the Genshin fandom, I feel comfortable writing anyone at all! I have a huge bias for certain ships, (Kaebedo, Zhongchi, Aebedo, Eimiko), but I would be happy to write any other characters. Multishipper supremacy.
★I will stick closer to canon for most everything, but I’m not against AUs! In fact, I’m really curious as I haven’t dabbled much in writing for AUs. So, if this is something you’d wish to see, let me know :)
★ My requests are currently open!I’m very excited to write more, especially things my friends/followers would want to see. Please DM me anytime. I promise I’m super nice. I welcome any requests! Ships between canon characters, character x reader, narrative pieces, angst, fluff, crack, headcanons, etc. Let’s chat!
★ This is a warning. I write a lot about my OCs. Probably too much. :D
★I will tag all NSFW implied content but I do not feel comfortable sharing explicit NSFW pieces in such a public space at this time. I am willing to discuss this in DMs and if I decide I feel comfy enough, I would share it with you privately.
I can’t wait to get to know you better. Thanks for reading!
