#cracking up at venti's fear of zhongli

[https-furina]

— in another lifetime ! ★ | edition: archons, version 1.0

ft. venti, zhongli & ei x fem!reader

content. heavy angst, mentions of alcohol, death, blood, details of injuries, illness. refers to their story lore. spoilers for inazuma’s archon quest.

✉️ mail received! sender: venti

you had every ounce of reason to believe that the boisterous bard was in fact not a mortal. he knew mondstadt like the back of his hand - i mean seriously, do all bards recite the crevices of a cliff face the way that he does? - and even drunk he could blabber for hours on mondstadt’s history, occasionally mentioning things that were not public knowledge.

therefore you knew you’d be swallowing yourself into a mess when you fell head over heels for that playful giggle, the lingering taste of wine on his lips between kisses and how he always seemed to reassure you so perfectly - regardless of whether you worshipped the archon of anemo or not (he doesn’t mind anyways!)

you remember the day that he finally gave up his secret well. it was carved into your memory the same way venti had every inch of his country burned into his mind, the rocks, the lakes, the trees he rustled with familiar, warm breezes as you walk under them. you’d been ill for months, seeking help from a multitude of doctors to try pinpoint exactly what was wrong - it turns out you didn’t have long left to live. in a bout of emotion, venti exposed his true identity to you underneath windrise, not far from a statue of his own person.

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a gasp falls from your lips, another coughing fit shaking your body as venti perches himself down beside you on the picnic blanket, his hand rubbing your back warmly. you flash him an appreciative smile, to which your boyfriend returns as he presses a kiss to your head. weakly, you raise a tissue to your mouth as you continue to cough, as if something is stuck in your throat.

it’s becoming harder to breathe and when that lump in your throat finally hacks up, the white tissue in your hand stains a bright red. venti’s eyes notice it before you do, the hairs on the back of his neck standing in a panic as his breath hitches - no, you couldn’t possibly be leaving him this soon?

it was as if celestia was mocking him for falling in love with a human in the first place. a mortal with an archon? a concept so amusing in the eyes of those who live forever. it was bad enough falling for you knowing you too would leave him one day but it was even more of a stab to his chest when you were ill with mere months left.

“windblume?” venti whispers, concerned when you don’t respond straight away. your breaths are staggered, weak and wheezing somewhat. it feels like your lungs are filling with liquid, drowning out your vital organs as you become dizzy. your vision is darkening, static around the edges as you look over at your boyfriend.

he’s crying; rivers of precious, glittering tears are dancing down pale cheeks as he stares at you in fear. there’s no reassuring him now. you know that venti has seen his fair share of death, you couldn’t lie to him in such a scenario.

“in… another lifetime, okay?” your voice cracks, you’re running out of oxygen when your chest tightens and constricts like there’s a heavy weight pressing on you, “i-i love you.”

“wait- no!” venti cries out, catching you as your body slumps forward, your eyes unblinking. he squeezes you close, burying his face into your shoulder when he can’t hear your struggled gasps for breath anymore, “i love you too…”

✉️ mail received! sender: zhongli

he figured he’d done a good job of hiding his status as an archon, especially when he tries to emphasise that he is retired - xiao will always send him a straight, deadpanned look in response to this that makes you giggle. you’d seen through it all, namely because you’d been familiar with xiao prior to meeting zhongli. you knew the last remaining yaksha well, on friendly terms.

you knew xiao wouldn’t just respond to anyone the way that he does zhongli. you’d seen first hand how the adeptus responds at the voice of the taller man - obedient and loyal. not to mention, you’d heard plenty of times when xiao stumbles on his words, referring to zhongli by his archon name before his cheeks flush and he stutters out his human name instead.

zhongli thought the idea of love mediocre. it never seemed to impress him - you suspected that there had been a past lover involved but neither xiao nor zhongli confirmed or denied your suspicions. you also knew however that zhongli had every right not to return your feelings. what would an archon ever want with a human anyways?

but the benevolent turned archon cracked under your smile and contagious energy, admitting that he was an archon the same night he had said his true feelings out loud into the night of guyun stone forest - where he had taken you to delve into liyue’s history. it was a personal favourite activity to do with you, your eyes glittering whenever he’d speak of events long ago.

sadly, zhongli knows that he had delved too deep into too many scenarios for his own good, trusting the fatui within liyue at what cost?

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guyun stone forest was as peaceful as ever, the waves rolling up the sand beaches in melodies you wished you could paint on a canvas. zhongli knew you particularly loved this spot - he’d offered to take you to jueyun karst this evening but you was hellbent on coming back to guyun stone forest, a harsh reminder of the archon war to the tall male.

yet as peaceful as it was, a solace that the two of you would cherish any other day, there was the struggled gasps of your breath that broke the silence, meshing with the crash of waves and the whip of the wind on liyue’s coastline.

golden eyes stare at you, panicked and dilated as he takes in the way your blood is staining your attire, painting it red in the shade of jueyun chilis - would he ever look at the specialities of his own country the same again? let alone the location that he held the most memories at, especially with you, the only one he’d truly let close again?

“zhongli?” you whisper, watching the way he’s clutching his polearm with such vigor, brandishing it in anger after having fought off your attackers. if he wasn’t wearing his gloves, you’d see the way his knuckles are turning white.

“how are you feeling? does it hurt?” his polearm clatters to the stony pebbles of the beach you stood on, the very pebbles that are splattered in blood - not just yours but of numerous fatui lackeys zhongli had put to rest in your defence. he rushes to your side, gloved hands cupping your face as he makes you look up at him.

“it burns, li,” you wince, breathing is starting to hurt. it’s starting to take its toll paired with the blood loss zhongli knows he can’t stop, “i’ll be waiting for you in our next lifetime.”

zhongli grimaces at your words, not willing to grasp the concept of you dying yet - no, he possibly couldn’t. he was prepared for much longer time with you, he couldn’t have it cut so short. but he watches the way the sparkle is dying from your eyes, chapped lips parted as shallow breaths leave them.

“perhaps, then we will get this whole thing right, my love,” he reassures, a hand falling down to your waist when your knees buckle weakly under you, protecting your fragile body from the stones below, “i love you, y/n, always.”

✉️ mail received! sender: ei

following the traveler’s escapades in inazuma, ei wandered inazuma city many days to bask in the sunlight she hadn’t seen in decades. she’d hang around a particular café, one where you worked as a waitress delivering cups of hot matcha to tables of smiling elderly couples, dying old together until their last days. ei would sink deeper into thought whenever she saw you, some days even managing to run into you when you wasn’t working - it truly was accidental!

you would be a fool to not recognise her as inazuma’s archon, to which you do. she knows this when you respond to her in polite, formal gestures and yet you never fear her. you never cower in her presence or shake and shiver. it’s a peace she had yet to experience in her time out of the plane of euthymia.

when she announces her feelings to you, under the dazzling, colourful displays of naganohara fireworks in a quiet spot of tenshukaku’s gardens, she makes it clear that you will leave this realm of existence before her - without her. you do not fear this idea either, the same way you do not fear her. ei finds it courageous that you do not fear death as others around her do.

you do fear her capabilities as an archon, the destruction she can cause in mere seconds and the enemies she makes in the blink of an eye but ei never meant for it to turn out this way, they were her enemies to deal with, not yours.

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“ei…?” her name falls from your lips within seconds of your attack, a red river trickling from the corner of your mouth as ei lowers you to the grass below, kneeling at your side as she holds you close in her arms.

“shh, my dear, it is okay.” ei coos, raising a shaking hand to brush her thumb against your cheek, collecting tears yet to fall from your eyes although she can see them sparkling in rhe moonlight. thunder roars over head, lightning flashing around you in the midst of ei’s anger and worry.

it is the first time she has seen you so fearful with eyes wide as you choke on your own blood, coughing it up. it splashes onto her pale skin but she does not react, watching you helplessly as her grip on you tightens.

“this is it, isn’t it?” you ask with a raspy voice, a single tear rolling down your cheek that ei wasn’t quick enough to wipe away in time. ei flashes a sad smile down at you, not wanting to say the words you crave to hear.

“you belong with me - you know that, yes?” she suddenly states, her voice firm but there’s a slight waver in her tone, “maybe in another world or lifetime but i know you belong with me.”

you choke on a sob at her words, succumbing to your injuries as they burn and sting, red drops of blood dripping to the ground below and staining blades of grass. ei presses her lips to your head in a silent reassurance, knowing that nothing she could say would bring you calm now. nothing would bring you the divinity you feel when the two of you would sit under a shared parasol in tenshukaku’s gardens or wandered in the shallow waters of inazuma’s coastlines barefooted.

ei keeps her lips pressed to your clammy skin until your sobs and cries of how painful it is subdue, leaving her with your lifeless body in her arms. only then does the woman cry, screaming out into the night sky in a battle with the thunder - who truly felt more anger in that moment? she wails, wondering if she’ll ever live without the ones she loves getting taken from her so brutally.

© https-furina 2023.

#꒰꒰・♡ cold cases #https-furina #genshin #genshin impact #genshin angst #genshin impact angst #genshin venti #genshin zhongli #genshin ei #ei #venti #zhongli #ei x reader #venti x reader #zhongli x reader

[buoyant-breeze]

if you’re still accepting requests, could you do scaramouche and gorou for the bathe au, the xiao one was so cute🥺🥺🥺

authors note  ⊱ YES!!!! UR WISH IS MY COMMAND!! a few people have asked for these same two characters so i’m glad i can finally deliver!

part one (diluc, kaeya)

part two (albedo, kazuha, xiao)

part three (childe)

part four (venti, zhongli)

characters ⊱ scaramouche, gorou

warnings ⊱ completely safe! enjoy!

rating ⊱ sfw

scaramouche

he is not easily lured into this sort of thing.

intimacy, on it’s own, is a monumental task of will that he often lacks. throw in some vulnerability, and it becomes even worse. your relationship can often feel like an uphill slope, but he’s trying.

it’s this miserable dance he ends up in: one step forward in the right direction, until the fear kicks in, and he’s two steps back where he’s started. this is a thing that needs patience, and time.

most invitations prior to when ‘he’s ready’ often leads him to either turn bright red and flustered, or ghostly white and afraid. even if it starts at the first, it often sours into the latter. no matter how gentle your hands, your eyes, or your smile... he feels too sharp, with rough hands, hollow eyes, and crinkled frowns.

but if you’re the right person, and if you’ve really waited this long, if you’ve really made it this far with him... then he melts.

the thing about walls is they can’t really fall down. you can’t wreckingball your way into scaramouche’s heart, or else any progress you’ve made will quickly backfire. they can only softly crack open, like the moat around the castle has a drawbridge for you to cross.

you never really know when it’s going to happen, but then it does.

you don’t expect him to go with you, this was just you saying, “i’m going to bathe. i’ll be back soon.” it was a courtesy, not an expectation.

but this time, he surprises you. he looks up, hesitates, shrewd eyes narrowing as his mouth subtly moves, but makes no sound. until his throat cracks open, and he finally finds the words, “okay. can i come, too?”

and really, it’s not surprising how nerved-up and rattled he is, the moment he’s there. it doesn’t matter if it’s a warm water bath, or a soft-falling shower, his fingers clench anxiously against his palm, and his mouth sours into an unsteady line.

and the first thing he does?

as the water shrouds around you, he presses himself against you, resting his head against your shoulderblades, his arms curling around you to press you close. you can feel the sharp edge of his cheekbone, the gentle tickle of his lashes against your skin. and then he sighs, deep and warm and so tired, he was always so tired.

“i’m sorry,” he tells you, as if you needed it. you don’t. maybe you do. he does.

bathing with scaramouche is a test of intimacy and vulnerability. but now that he’s here, it’s a little easier. with gentle hands, you can touch him, and with rougher ones, he touches you.

when you soap down his neck down to his chest, and you meet eyes, the gravity of how much he trusts you, and how much he cares for you, truly sinks in.

this isn’t just a bath, this isn’t really about being clean, not that it ever was.

this is about his fragile heart, and how he still lets you hold it between your two gentle hands, in spite of the cracks he has endured, in spite of the shatters that have left it a mangled remnant of what once was whole.

gorou

super, super into it

it’s just as likely for you to ask him as it is for him to ask you, but it goes a little like this:

if you ask him, he turns bright red, ears perking up with a sense of alertness as if he’s trying to guess if he’s heard you right. for a moment, he’s frozen solid, flushing and gasping for words. and then his tail starts wagging a mile a minute, eagerly agreeing to join you.

alternatively, if he asks you, he’s a little shy about it. he smiles sheepishly at you, biting his lip as his tail idly swishes side to side, like he’s excited to reveal something to you, but still waiting to see your reaction. when he asks you, he asks it softly, but nevertheless eager. and the moment you accept? well. there goes his tail. he likely doesn’t even notice how hard it’s thrashing behind him.

baths with him are not necessarily intimate, besides the act itself. it’s more like... an affectionate affair.

he’s not drowning you with attention, but he’s eager to please you, enthusiastic about helping you get clean. he immediately wants to scrub your hair himself; all he wants is for you to just lean back into him with all the trust in the world, his fingernails softly scratching at your scalp as the soap foams up along your head.

and maybe you hear his heart skip a little bit when you look up at him with that tender, love-lost look. the type of look that makes him flustered and crumple, a nervous smile wobbling at his lips.

he’s a little self-conscious when you want to touch his tail or his ears, but because it’s you, he’ll generally deny it at first... but then ultimately wants you to touch it, assenting with a flustered look away to your request. 

his fur is incredibly soft, especially at his tail. apparently, there’s a pretty strict routine for how he maintains it, but for now... he’s just melting into your hands, spine shuddering with every soft stroke and delicate touch.

he considers bathing with you a relaxing, albeit, nerve-racking affair that ultimately brings him great joy, and allows him the time to fully savor you, soap-bound and watery in his two arms.

#scaramouche x reader #scaramouche x gn reader #wisteria moon #gorou x reader #gorou x gn reader #gorou fluff #scaramouche fluff #kunikuzushi x reader #genshin x reader #genshin fluff #genshin x gn reader #genshin headcanons #genshin hcs #genshin imagines #genshin impact headcanons #genshin impact imagines

[mayullla]

I think I mentioned this in one of my ask bundles but imma double down on it just because. Stepbro au, mc's first crush. She comes home dazed for days and her brothers initially worried she was getting sick. When confirmed she was not, they start noticing strange lil habits like requesting small treats to take to school and then asking them questions about what they tended to like when they were her age. Then Xiao and Albedo, whom both help her with homework sometimes, notice something odd. (1)

(2) There are doodles scattered in some of her notes sometimes. Full of hearts, sometimes stick figures of a girl and boy holding hands, and finally...a heart with two initials in it and a plus sign in-between (the cliche romance gimmick mc saw in one of Ayato's old rom-com flicks). To make matters worse, Albedo finds out Klee instigated it when he asked her about it. At that moment, the brothers realized in horror that the day had come. Their baby sister's first crush. They panic and started...

(3)...doing the silliest antics like comically crying while hugging her, saying they're not ready to give away their baby sis; or just giving her this protective look while glaring at the other kids in school whenever they pick her up or drop her off in school. It becomes so stupid when the crush fades after a month. Little do they know it was because mc's crush had some older sisters that wanted him to befriend her so they have an excuse to talk to her brothers. Her crush faded as she pouted to herself, thinking with a hint of bashful possessiveness that she isn't ready to share her brothers with anyone. She told this to them when she caught Childe and Venti scheming a stakeout near her school to investigate her crush. Cue all the brothers going 💘💓💘💓 knowing their baby sister is as protective of them as they are of her. Like, they just adore her even more now.

( - Related to here;; 13 stepbrother au - )

It was basically chaos when some of the members of the house heard what happened. You fell in love?? Crush?? How??? You are like smol, very smol, basically a baby! how can you even have a crush now?

Okay maybe that was a bit exaggerated but Childe and Venti's panic wasn't getting any better anytime soon. Childe is basically asking how could you betray your brother like this, he thought that you loved him the most! How could you?? Venti was no better as he started playing dramatic music with his harp sighing and in tears. How could you betray your amazing brother!!

Kazuha watched as the older brothers who all gathered together that day for some time to catch up, and update each other on what they were doing and such all in union choked on their drinks (wine and for Diluc grape juice.)

"Pray tell Kazuha where did you find such information? Cause clearly none of us found it really funny." Ayato was the first one to speak, placing his glass down and looking at Kazuha with a smile on his face yet his eyes were frosty and sharp, if it was someone else they would hesitate to talk.

"She told me," Kazuha told him bluntly

Kaeya watched as the glass that Albedo was holding cracked slightly, his face strangely stoic. Albedo has grown rather protective over you, especially after that bike incident where you almost hurt yourself. Kaeya had to scoot a little away from the blond man having a bit of fear when he saw his eyes.

Zhongli carefully placed his wine down "She should have told me..." he mumbled in a low tone rather than the fact that you had a crush he was more surprised that you didn't tell him. "Big brother, just because you are the oldest doesn't mean that our little sister would go to you for everything." Ayato was rather miffed by what the oldest had said.

"Yeah! I am her favorite brother!!" Childe suddenly cut in.

Somehow the topic changed to who you liked more. Xiao and Kazuha were the only ones who weren't technically in the conversation and instead choose to find where you were to find more information about this boy.

The others would join later... when that happens... Kazuha isn't sure when the fight would end but Xiao isn't gonna be helping them.

#genshin imagine #genshin impact #genshin #genshin impact fluff #platonic #platonic fluff #genshin imagines #genshin x reader #genshin childe #childe #zhongli #kazuha #albedo #xiao #fem!reader #child!reader

[genshinarchives]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐇. 𝟏𝟕

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟕 : 𝐁𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐑

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘 : Something important has been revealed to you as a demonic fog is unleashed upon Mondstadt City.

𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐒 : Aether, Albedo, Baizhu, Bennett, Chongyun, Dainsleif, Diluc, Kaeya, Kazuha, Osial, Razor, Venti, Xiao, Xingqiu, Zhongli

𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄 : Romance, hurt/comfort, reverse harem

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 : N/A

𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄 : If you’d like to learn more about Muramasa (his canonverse version), here’s his profile.

𝐍𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟔

Lumine approached the kneeling Transcendant, Abyss Herald and Lector before her, her eyes devoid of the sunny warmth they once had. Muramasa held his breath in fear and trepidation as her gold-accented boots came to a halt in front of him, and before his brain could register what was happening, a powerful blast hit him which sent him flying into a stone pillar. The impact of the sudden collision created a dent on the surface as a web of cracks appeared around it, and his body slid to the floor pathetically.

"Be grateful that I'm not in a foul mood today. For almost ruining our plans, you could have had it much worse," she said, lowering her hand that unleashed the attack, "I ordered you to act like her enemy and incapacitate her, not break free of Crestoria's influence and help her. It was a good thing I ordered Regn and Elding to check up on you since you were taking longer than expected."

"I'm sure he could have survived a stronger blast, Your Highness," the Abyss Lector, Elding interjected, "He does possess the gene of the Transcendant Kusanagi, who was known to have the sturdiest body among the seven."

"Indeed. We had been fortunate enough to obtain the Transcendant's data and create him after retrieving Aragami Muramasa's brain," the Abyss Herald, Regn added.

Lumine narrowed her eyes at Muramasa, who was still recovering from the collision. "The Abyss Order created you and gave you a second chance in life, which is why you're obligated to follow my orders. If you don't want me to force you with Crestoria, then do not oppose me."

"I... I apologise," he uttered, coughing, "But I have to ask... what does Your Highness plan to do with (y/n)? Couldn't Your Highness just talk to her?"

She folded her arms over her chest. "It's not easy to convince a loyalist to abandon their ideals. Her king was a cunning man as he made sure to raise her to become humanity's sole protector. Showing her the ugly side of humans by having them turn against her after everything she's done for them will break her and give us an opportunity to convert her to our side."

Muramasa's eyes widened in realisation and he rose to his feet. "So you're telling me... that you'll make her a hero in their eyes and then instigate an event that will make them think she was their enemy all along?"

"That's correct."

He didn't know what to feel about the plan, but he knew that something was morally wrong about it. However, he decided to keep his thoughts to himself in fear that Crestoria will be used again in order to make him obey. He swallowed thickly.

"I have one more question. Where did the original seven Transcendants come from? And why did Celestia order for their total annihilation?" he asked. Ever since he was born with a body that was made using a Transcendant's gene, he's been wondering about their origins; even omnipotent beings like them must have originated from somewhere.

Lumine was silent for a moment. She had expected him to question her about the Transcendants one day, and decided to spare him a portion of her knowledge.

"The original Transcendants were seven great heroes summoned by the Primordial One from another world to fight against 'one enemy'. The one that will cause humanity's premature destruction. Brahmastra, Excalibur, Fragarach, Gae Bolg, Gungnir, Kusanagi and Ruyi Jingu Bang... The strongest of them all was Gungnir," she explained, "The primeval seven that watched over this world were innovative beings who loved the humans like their own children. Perhaps it's their immense love for humanity that warranted the end of their era."

Muramasa could not believe what he was hearing.

"That's not fair," he murmured, lowering his gaze to the floor, "They were summoned to Teyvat to watch over the humans, but were later rejected because of their love for humanity?"

"Ironic, isn't it? It's always those who have a lot of love in them that misfortune greets first," Lumine said with a sardonic smile, "In any case, story time is over. Put on a good show for everyone in Mondstadt. There is no room for failure."

He solemnly knelt before his master with his head bowed. "Yes... Your Highness."

❀

Time stilled for a moment. The people of Mondstadt ceased their activities to gaze upon the haunting red light that had suddenly flashed from the hands of the Anemo Archon's Statue, awed by its inexplicable appearance.

Kaeya, Amber and Eula stared at the spreading hue from their seats at Good Hunter with wide eyes, their practical soldier's instincts telling them that this was no ordinary occurrence.

"I have a feeling that we've just made a grave mistake," Kaeya remarked, sounding unusually grim.

Eula immediately stood up and frowned at Kaeya. "Grave mistake? We've made a very fatal error in our judgement. We let the enemy take us on a wild goose chase, and it turns out that they were in the city all this time!"

"It was a decoy," he said, pressing a palm against his forehead, "The enemy knew that (y/n) would hinder their plans, so they created a decoy to lure her away from Mondstadt. By letting her leave, we've pretty much fallen for their ploy."

"What about Aether? Is there any way for us to contact him?" Amber asked, leaping onto her feet.

The Cavalry Captain let out a muted sigh as he rose from his seat. "We can't rely on the Traveler to solve every single one of our problems. We're the Knights of Favonius, so we should take matters into our own hands."

"Captain Eula!"

Eula turned her head when somebody called her name, and saw the surveyor of her division running towards her. Mika looked extremely panicked and she could already figure out why.

"Mika, your report. Now," she ordered.

Skidding to a stop before his captain, he then saluted her. "Yes ma'am! 50 hilichurls, 25 rifthounds and 5 abyss mages have been sighted on the bridge leading to the main gate! I've also received a report of 20 strange beasts and 2 ruin guards congregating at the Northeast Gate!"

"The enemy is not giving us any time to prepare," she muttered.

"They've blocked the only exits from this city as well. We're essentially trapped," Kaeya remarked, cupping his chin, "Judging from Mika's report, the ones at the Northeast Gate must be the main army. The enemy is planning to make us focus our manpower at the main gate so that they can break through and storm the headquarters."

"Shall I inform the knights to gather at the Northeast Gate?" asked Mika nervously.

"No. Hold the line before the bridge and let the enemy's main army in. We'll ambush them in a pincer attack once they're inside," Eula replied, "Relay my orders to the knights in charge of guarding the Northeast Gate. Make haste!"

"Understood!" Spinning on his heel, Mika left to carry out his task as the other three knights prepared for the tough battle ahead. On his way to the Northeast Gate, a blue portal suddenly materialised in his path, causing him to halt in his tracks. He took a few steps back when a gloved hand protected by a glowing blue gauntlet emerged from the galaxy-like hue.

"You'll be my first victim."

A deep voice resonating from unknown depths echoed in Mika's ears, sending chills down his spine. A being he had never seen before, fully clad in a dark regal attire, pulled the rest of his body out of the portal to tower over him menacingly.

Regn promptly activated his water blades and lunged for Mika.

Before the Abyss Herald could get close to him, a thundering spear swiftly sliced off his right arm. The surveyor let out a gasp as he stumbled to the ground, his awestruck gaze landing on the (h/c)-haired woman standing in front of him.

"Your opponent is me!" (y/n) exclaimed, pointing one of her spears at the herald.

As black ash coalesced in a cloud at his arm stump, Regn growled and lowered himself in an attacking stance. "Very well. Let us fight to the death, Spear of Dawn!"

"Go. I'll keep him busy," she told Mika, snapping him out of it. Nodding, he pushed himself to his feet and ran away to complete his task whilst praying for her safety.

(Y/n) waited until he had disappeared from sight completely before speaking up. "First Khaenri'ah, and now Mondstadt. When will you monsters ever be satisfied?"

"You talk like you're not a monster yourself for murdering your own people 500 years ago," he said, making her eyes widen.

"I would never do such a thing!"

"But you did because your so-called duty blinded you! We weren't trying to harm them that day. You were the one who turned against us and killed the very people you had sworn to protect!"

Her head throbbed as memories of Khaenri'ah's destruction flashed before her eyes abruptly, and she quickly shook her head, blinking away the pain that was etched in the remnants of her past as King Irmin's spear.

"We used to be the proud humans of Khaenri'ah," he continued, "This monstrous form is the curse we have to bear."

She stared at him in disbelief, her mind struggling to process this new information. "Then what about those riftwolves that's endemic to the Abyss? They instigated the kingdom's destruction-"

"Those wolves couldn't be controlled, so cease the blaming game!" Stabbing his water blade into the ground, he broke off a large piece of the stone path before swinging it in (y/n)'s direction. She immediately reacted, piercing through the boulder as the tip of her spear glowed blood-red. Cracks webbed out from the impact point before it shattered into tiny cubes; emerging from the curtain of falling debris, she then propelled herself forward and engaged in close combat.

"You've been betrayed twice, yet you still choose to stop this old world from perishing. Why?" he asked, parrying a lethal slice to his torso.

She shot him a burning glare. "As long as people wishing to live proper lives exist, I will continue to protect them. I was given this power for that purpose. Know that as long as my life remains, my king's ideals remain immortal."

"Absolutely foolish!" Regn roared.

"You're the one who's foolish for thinking that sacrificing one's joy for another's pain will bring back what we've lost!" she furiously yelled.

(Y/n) raised her left arm to block a roundhouse kick before swiftly catching his water blade between the top of her knee and right elbow. She then swung her spear horizontally in front of her, prompting him to flip into the air to dodge her attack. She quickly followed it up with a cross-shaped slash that forced him to retreat a few steps, and when he leapt forward to retaliate, she leaned back and slammed her foot against his abdomen. Red lightning crackled around her leg briefly as (y/n) channeled all of her strength into that one kick, and Regn was blown backwards from the impact, his back smacking against the wall of a nearby building.

He didn't get a chance to recover as (y/n) promptly threw her spear at him, forcing him to jump to avoid getting impaled; however, she had anticipated his move. Without another second to waste, she leapt towards Regn and kicked him to the ground, causing a loud crash to resound through city. Extending her arm in the direction of her spear, she opened her palm as a red galaxy-like aura was emitted from it.

"Come!" (y/n) yelled, commanding her spear to dislodge itself from the wall and spiral back into her grasp. Gripping the pole with both hands, she descended upon the weakened Abyss Herald, aiming to impale his chest.

Suddenly, she heard the sharp crackles of lightning and something collided into her side, knocking her away from her target mid-air. A gasp was forced out of her throat and before she could crash on the ground, a pair of clumsy arms caught her.

"(Y/n)! Are you alright?" asked Bennett, his eyes roaming around her body to check for any injuries. (Y/n) gritted her teeth as he carefully lowered her to her feet, frustrated that victory was snatched out of her hands at the last second.

Bennett then gasped, drawing her attention. "There's blood on your clothes! Where are you hurt?" When he tried to get a closer look at her already healed wound, she pushed him away. He was slightly shocked at her aggressive rejection, if not a little hurt.

"I'm fine," she hissed, the frustration from earlier still lingering in her tone. As she turned to look at her incapacitated target, she saw an Abyss Lector helping the Abyss Herald get through the portal they would always withdraw to when they need to make a quick escape.

"Her Highness has ordered for us to fall back, Regn," Elding said before facing (y/n) and Bennett, "I have to applaud you, (y/n). Truly, you and the real Gungnir are selfless heroes... who will only end up being betrayed by their own ideals."

She knitted her eyebrows together. "... The 'real' Gungnir? What do you mean?"

He slowly retreated to the portal whilst supporting Regn. "If you wish to learn more about the Hero of the Heavenly Spear, consider joining us. Her Highness will tell you everything you want to know about him... and his five remaining companions who still wander below the waters."

"Wait! Are you implying that some of the Transcendants are still alive?" (y/n) asked, stepping forward. However, she never got her answer because Elding had already disappeared through the portal with Regn in tow. As if on cue, a powerful gust cascaded from the direction of the Anemo Archon's statue, threatening to send (y/n) and Bennett flying. The former instinctively reached out for the latter and shielded him with her body as a mysterious fog rolled in, draping a foggy veil over their eyes.

"Wh-what's going on? What's with this fog?" Bennett exclaimed in surprise.

"I don't know," she whispered, bewildered by the phenomenon herself. She didn't know what was happening, but she knew that she had been too late in stopping the Abyss Order from carrying out its plans. "Just stay close to me. We don't know what's-" Her sentence was abruptly cut off by the clatter of an armour and a human-like groan.

"Someone's hurt!" Bennett said. Freeing himself from her arms, he headed in the direction he had heard the noise come from. The red glow of his Pyro Vision caught her attention, and she watched with wide eyes as the fog in front of him parted to create a path for him.

Realisation dawned on her.

(Y/n) quickly distanced herself from Bennett and the other person, ensuring that they were well out of her range before stopping. Driving one of her spears into the ground, a three-petal flower glyph expanded beneath her feet. Two identical glyphs then materialised on top of each other in the air, summoning a single massive bolt of red lightning that created a large dome of energy around its impact point. The surrounding fog dispersed just like she had predicted, though she knew that this was only a temporary measure.

She soon spotted a certain blond sitting on the ground a few metres ahead of her, gaping like a fish out of water. When she approached him, he snapped out of his daze and glared at her.

"Are you trying to get me killed?" Rubedo hissed.

"Where have you been?" (y/n) asked, helping him stand up.

"I've been trying to find a particular someone who left me with those two guards by the main gate earlier," he replied, dusting the dirt off his clothes, "Anyway, what were you doing just now?"

"This fog is dense with Abyssal energy. Celestial energy repels it, so I thought that I'd be able to clear the fog if I used my lightning."

He raised an eyebrow. "Well, good job. Because you also made the Favonius Knights paranoid about a powerful enemy being in the city."

(Y/n) grimaced. "At least I did something that produced useful results, unlike you. Is there anything that you're capable of?"

"Yeah. Saving your ass every time."

Rubedo yelped in pain when she punched his shoulder.

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟖

𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 : @smoochi-modest / @kazmori​ / @bobaducky / @laugh-like-the-moon / @selinatherealname / @otomefan / @rionah​ / @phoenixdaneko / @lucy-roo / @melkxsh / @noodleshark420 / @xioseu / @muzanscumslut / @lunavixia / @falling4fandoms / @coco-goat-milk / @flowwerpot / @idealwriting / @lnrchii / @minimari415​ / @whattaweeb / @magpiemissy / @ayolk / @stygianoir / @alezayku / @kazukazusbaby​ / @fxaavt​ / @kalncallily / @valeriele3 / @dulcetamore

#✍️ : alice writes #genshin impact x reader #aether x reader #albedo x reader #baizhu x reader #bennett x reader #chongyun x reader #dainsleif x reader #diluc x reader #kaeya x reader #kaedehara kazuha x reader #osial x reader #razor x reader #venti x reader #xiao x reader #xingqiu x reader #zhongli x reader #fem reader #the beginning

[banterismylovelanguage]

If they entered a haunted house…

(The fake ones)

(And assuming they’re all with a group)

VENTI is 100% the type to laugh in the face of danger. Every single guy that pops out to scare you, he’d be reduced into a giggling mess. He’d also absolutely laugh at the other people getting scared, but he would crack jokes to help lighten the mood if someone was too scared in his group.

XIAO is over everything. He’s stone-faced through most of the expected scares, but if one caught him off guard or got too close, he’d instinctively punch the guy.

ZHONGLI is distracted by the detailing of the house. He doesn’t notice half the scares, and he tends to ramble about parts of the house that reflect the theme well—not even pausing in his speech when someone jumps out and yells at the group. He’s great addition for background noise to focus on in the midst of all the random screaming.

AL HAITHAM is one that just doesn’t care. He’s just got this dead stare and non-interest in the whole concept of a haunted house. There’s no mystery to solve—it’s all straightforward. He doesn’t flinch, doesn’t startle, and doesn’t run when prompted. He’s not a great addition to the party.

SHENHE doesn’t understand the concept of a haunted house and thinks she’s supposed to play along and fight the dude that chases you with a chainsaw. She’s promptly banned from the house when an actor scares CHONGYUN (who Shenhe probably went with) and she proceeds to beat him up.

DILUC is unflinching throughout most of it, almost looking bored, but one scare catches him off guard. Maybe he flinches or jumps a little, but KAEYA would then use that opportunity to make fun of him for the rest of the night and greatly exaggerate (in Diluc’s opinion) how “scared” Diluc was in the haunted house.

YUN JIN would scream and get jump-scared throughout the house, but imagine she witnesses SHENHE punch someone in the face and immediately forgets her fear in favor of lecturing about haunted house etiquette.

CHILDE wouldn’t be scared, but depending on the group he’s with, he’d either start interrogating the actors about whether the weapon is real, the logistics of the scene or ask for a fight. Or, if he’s with someone he deeply cares about (say, Teucer), he’ll be the one to laugh off the scare and offer a hand or arm to the scared one. He can be charming when he wants to.

ALBEDO is similar to Childe in wondering about the logistics of scenes and potentially questioning the actors, but he’d actually start to scare the actors from the types of questions he’d ask. If KLEE’s with him (which. Why.), he’d 100% have her up on his shoulders so when it’s time to run, they run.

LISA saunters throughout, but she’s rather open to touch and comfort to anyone that’s scared in the group. She might even pretend to get scared to help others feel less embarrassed by getting scared.

JEAN volunteers to lead everyone through, but she’s also keeping an eye out on the ones prone to punching if caught off guard. She, herself, would jump at a scare or two, but she’d immediately laugh it off.

HU TAO creeps out the actors. Either she’s smiling creepily, she hides and scares the actor, she does some kind of action or takes the chainsaw from the one that chases you; she’s all over the place. She’d get banned, too.

KAZUHA is calm throughout the whole thing. Completely unfazed. He still enjoys the house even though he doesn’t get scared once.

SCARAMOUCHE/WANDERER is a menace. He points out the actor before the guy can jump out to scare the group. He just stares at the one that’s supposed to chase you and maybe taunts him. And he can’t even get banned for this attitude so the actors just hate whenever he joins the group.

DEHYA gets scared easily but she’s putting on a front for all of it, yet she jumps at every big scare and tries to then play it off as if she wasn’t. CYNO and AL HAITHAM would give her the look every time and by the end of the night she’d try to beat them both up for it.

XINGQIU would be too distracted trying to scare CHONGYUN with random screams or touches (which poor Chongyun falls for every time) that he’d get through most of the scares unfazed because he’s too distracted trying to scare his friend. The chase scene would get both of them, though.

YANFEI gets scared for every jumpscare but she’s completely unfazed by the chase scene because she knows the actors can’t hurt anyone. She’s very logical about it. (I could also see Yanfei not even jumping at the random scares considering what she deals with, but I think she knows how to let herself have fun sometimes and she’d actually be taken off guard for some of the scares enough to make her jump.)

SHINOBU is the friend that’d have to drag ITTO through the house because he got too scared after boasting he’d have to protect everyone else.

BARBARA gets scared to the point of tears. She declines next year’s invite to the house.

BENNETT is the one that trips in the chase scene.

#genshin headcanons #venti #kaeya #xiao #zhongli #hu tao #xingqiu #yanfei #chongyun #al haitham #shenhe #yun jin #diluc #kaeya and diluc #childe #albedo #klee #genshin lisa #genshin jean #kazuha #dehya #cyno #genshin barbara #bennett #bennett ily I swear #scaramouche #wanderer #kuki shinobu #arataki itto #my thoughts

[spumonibones]

Chasing Wings: Memoria 04

Pairing: Xiao x Venti First Chapter (Ao3) ; First Chapter (Tumblr) Lore/Story Notes Chapter CW: None | Update Schedule: Every Wednesday Canon Divergence AU; Other Four Yaksha Still Live; Zhongli already retired but Osial hasn't happened; Canon Typical Violence Note: I am slowly uploading (to mitigate spamming) this fic to be on Tumblr in addition to Ao3 - patience is appreciated!

Summary:

"To Err is Human, to Forget is Godly."

Almost 500 years ago, the Cataclysm happened. As the fires and monsters dwindled, most of the Seven had fallen. One, Barbatos, simply disappeared - and in his absence, the mourning songs of Dvalin would serenade the land of wind each yearly anniversary. The surviving Archons presumed him dead, and Monstadt presumed he simply never was.Then one day, before a Traveler will fish Teyvat's Best Guide from its waters, a young man named Venti is rescued by the Vigilant Yaksha. Without memory a face as familiar as it is foreign, the question then becomes... What path can one take, when new memories meet old?

A week had passed. 

Nimble fingers calloused from years of playing instruments tested each branch before Venti pulled himself up further. There had been no signs of the yaksha returning to his perch today, making this the opportune moment. It was the middle of the night, most of the inn was already asleep. The workers who were awake would check the roof at timed intervals, prepared to assist their yaksha once he returned. Not that Venti had seen any instance of the mystery man contacting anyone. That included Venti, of whom was supposed to be learning something from him. Venti, who was playing his flute every night. The guy was getting free concerts, and at this point Venti only knew his name because he asked around. 

The yaksha had a lot of titles, but Xiao seemed to be his actual name. Not that Venti was sure, given they still hadn't formally met. 

As he maneuvered his way upwards, he would occasionally glance down to check his footing. The potential drop didn't create vertigo or fear - simply awe. That he was so high, and the ground so far away… Venti felt like he was climbing into the sky, and if he kept going he'd be able to touch the moon itself with his song. 

Each time a breeze caressed his face, he'd lean into it. Take a slow, languid inhale of the fresh air one could only get this far above the ground. A hint of the tree's bark was mingling into the air, a scent that Venti never wanted to become nose blind to. 

As he sampled the air, he became perhaps too focused on it. The next purchase his hand attempted to grasp onto was a weak branch, the snap! a warning he both heard and felt too late as a result of his distracted mind. The pull of gravity was a foreign sensation, the backwards experience of falling down instead of up more startling than the cracking of a branch. The other hand had a solid grip on what he thought was a sturdier branch, but was proven wrong as it couldn't handle the sudden yank of Venti's full weight on it. Another sharp crack, and neither hand found a branch to stop his descent. His rear hit part of the roof as he fell, but not enough to stop him from falling off that next. The part of the overhang his rear bounced off of was not above the balcony, him rolling down past the building onto air alone. The bruises forming from each collision couldn't compare to what he was plummeting towards next.

Venti was falling. It felt wrong, his stomach knotting upwards into his throat. In his chest, he could feel his heart breaking. He knew he should have been more terrified than sad, yet the tears of sorrow were the only ones coming from his eyes. Venti was falling, and his heart ached in how badly he yearned to be rising upwards instead of plummeting down. “Please!” He called out, as if he could implore the clouds to assist him in defying physics. His hands were desperately trying to reach the sky, the top of the tree, anywhere that wasn't the ground. 

The earth trapped him for too long.

A breeze from underneath him, a faint glow in the blues of his hair, in tattoos he kept covered, in eyes that begged to fly once more. 

Then arms caught him, one lifting him from under his knees and another supporting his back. In a flash of black shadows, Venti was startled from his trance to find he was in someone's arms, held atop the roof of Wangshu Inn. Blinking rapidly, mostly to get the moisture from his eyes so he could see, Venti cast a bewildered gaze upon his savior.

An annoyed visage stared at him, lips pulled into a tight frown. It was the man that saved him. No, he's a yaksha, right? Is man the right word if you aren't human? Or is it wrong to ask that? Venti pondered, ignoring the agitation directed at him. 

“What were you doing?” Xiao asked, his voice gruff. Did he always sound like that, or was he simply that perturbed?

“Falling.” Venti answered ever-so helpfully. He even offered a smile, despite needing to wipe the last of his tears away. The yaksha's frown deepened.

“Why?” Xiao pressed, ignoring such obvious bait.

“Ehe… Well… I fell?” Venti stuck his tongue out, stalling as he tried to find a way to be honest without telling the truth. Eyes of gold held no amusement. Not a dad-joke guy, apparently. “I wanted to hear what the acoustics are like at the treetop?” That was close, but not quite right. That consultant, Zhongli, had said that this Xiao was supposed to be helping Venti learn ‘Anemo.’ Naturally, Venti was a bit curious about the person. According to everyone at the inn, Xiao hung out on the rooftop. The workers kept an eye up there as well, confirming they weren't making things up. That Xiao prioritized his duty as a yaksha, only returning if nothing called to him. Until now, this seemed as good time as any to investigate his… Living space? Venti wasn't sure he trusted the yaksha lived there. That the inn workers believed he did, certainly. Not that Venti agreed that was the truth. 

The yaksha didn't appear to be convinced. “You almost killed yourself… For acoustics.” Xiao repeated, daring Venti to clarify his claim. 

“When you put it that way, haha, yes!” Venti couldn't help the laughs that left him. Somehow that felt right. As if he would even rearrange geography to build that perfect concert, to feel the vibrations of every instrument, every song all over his body in a symphony that was felt as much as heard.

This garnered him a frown and silent judgement.

“Fine.” The yaksha said, voice flat. Venti assumed that was the end of the conversation. He would be dumped back into his room, another night in which not even pleasantries were exchanged. To his surprise, there was a green glow from Xiao's hip, emanating from the mask. On his left hand where a Vision was set in a glove remained quiet, Venti noting its odd silence. The wind gathered at Xiao's feet, and with no more effort than walking he leapt into the air, bard still in his arms. The Vision began to glow, its light noticeable in the midnight darkness. A breeze danced from underneath, lifting the pair up, up, up. Looking all around him, Venti's eyes brightened as the two moved through the air almost as if flying. 

This was it. This was the feeling his heart chased after, this was what was supposed to happen. 

All too quickly came the gentle landing atop the tree, leaves chattering as they were tousled by the sudden weight. Throwing his head back in delight, black hair touched by Anemo swayed in the motion. Eyes that blended blues and greens reflected back countless stars, a hand reaching towards them to test if he could really reach the moon. Pure, unbridled delight. The sensation of Anemo, of wind, moving around him was almost euphoric. In that moment, Venti wasn’t just in the sky - he was part of it. 

That the memory this was temporary was what made his chest ache, his smile falter. 

“...Do you want to test the acoustics?” Xiao's voice reminded Venti why he was there to begin with, but it was gentler. That gruffness he spoke with was quieted, replaced with something soft. 

“Right! That's… Why I'm here.” Venti muttered, trying to push that ache as far down as he could. “Is it safe for you to put me down?” The bard requested. Wordlessly, Xiao placed Venti onto the branch the yaksha landed on. This was as high as they could go without falling, Venti noting the man hadn't let go until he was confident the bard was secure. Reaching into his bag, Venti pulled out what was now his flute. Pressing the mouthpiece close to his lips, fingers got into positions as his eyes closed. This was something he could do without sight should his eyes fail him. Notes were tested, getting a feel for how sound was heard, was felt, was carried at this altitude, amongst these leaves. Let the taste of the air filter through the flute before hitting his tongue, lungs filling with the sky and song. 

A song, unfamiliar yet painful in its intimacy, weaved from his heart and from his lips. Words not his, spoken by someone long gone that he couldn't recall, came to him. A woman, though he didn't recognize her. Long pale hair, somewhere between gray and brown, hands that loved memorizing every note of every instrument just as Venti did. “He loves this song.” She said, fingers plucking at her instrument. “But maybe that's because I composed it for him?” A laugh, a wink, a finger to her lips asking this to stay a secret. “Promise me you'll play this for him?” In his heart, he knew when she asked for that promise she didn't know. 

She had no way of knowing. 

Who was she? What didn't she know? Who was this ‘him’ that Venti was supposed to play this for? When did this happen, and was this memory or dream?

As his thoughts sought answers and found none, he continued to play the song the woman had taught him. Much as he wanted to know who the music was intended for, it was a beautiful song all the same and he would play for that reason alone. When his eyes finally cracked open, Venti glanced at where Xiao was standing. The yaksha's arms were crossed, his eyes closed as the breeze tousled the teal hair. That stern visage was relaxed, the muscles that normally pulled his brows and mouth down fully at ease. An easy smile came to Venti's lips, the movement not interrupting the flow of music. 

Even if he didn't know who the song was for, it warmed Venti's heart to see it could at least bring comfort to Xiao. That was, after all, what Zhongli had said Venti was there for. Closing his eyes once more, the bard put more of his heart into the music. That ache was buried too deep to infect the notes. Without its presence, the bard let his joy at seeing the affect the music had on Xiao carry the notes. Whoever that woman was, she hadn't written the song to be a sad one. No, this was some kind of oath. What sort Venti didn't quite recall, but if he played this enough… Perhaps someday he would. 

A piano would fit this better, Venti thought. The memory didn't have a piano in it, but even so that somehow seemed right. 

As he so often did, Venti lost himself in song. Felt his mouth go dry, and even then only stopped because he was coughing too much to play properly. Putting the flute away, securing it, he turned to look up at Xiao who remained standing there. The yaksha's eyes were still closed, expression peaceful as a resting man. Realization dawned on Venti that, at some point, Xiao had fallen asleep. While standing. 

Yaksha are something else… Venti thought, taking stock of the growing list of inhuman capabilities the other had. Sleeping while standing took the cake, for some reason. Not wanting to interrupt the man, Venti turned his gaze on the tree he was in. If he was careful, he was certain he could get down. Biting his lower lip, he began to climb down the tree as quietly as he could. The leaves complained as he did so, the tattle-tales, and between every particularly loud jostling of the branches Venti would check the yaksha hadn't woken. 

The way the inn spoke, Venti suspected this was his first real rest in days. At minimum. The bard couldn't fathom how anyone could live like that. Maybe it was due to the emotional and physical toll he took when first waking, but most mornings Venti woke up wishing he could just nap for a few centuries. The fact that Xiao made a point to be awake and alert much as he was for long as he did… It was frightening. No, that wasn't right. Worrying. That couldn't have been good for Xiao's heart, at the very least. To be afraid to sleep, always scared to do so would be to be too late. That type of guilt in someone who would live for so long. That was too much, wasn't it? 

That was too cruel of a request, yet it was one that Xiao filled. Pausing in his climb, watching the idle form of Xiao there was an ache in Venti's chest. More empathy than sympathy, a subconscious hand reached out in offering. This had to be why so much of Liyue so readily tried to help their illuminated beasts. No one could make Xiao or others like him stop saving everyone he could. An everyone that included people like Venti, a stranger that didn't belong to Liyue… Yet Xiao decided was someone worth saving all the same. 

A foot slipped, a startled yelp leaving Venti's mouth. Reflexively he caught himself, breath held as his descent had stopped as quickly as it started. This would have been fine, except the sound alerted Xiao. In a burst of greens and blacks, the adeptus was scowling and collecting Venti once more. This time, he teleported the pair onto the inn's balcony. Unlike the way he was held earlier, now it felt oddly like the bard was a sack of troublesome potatoes, and Venti wasn't sure how he felt about that. 

Nothing wrong with potatoes, but apples were just so much better!

“Why didn't you tell me you were done?” Xiao growled, that frown back in full swing. For a split second, the yaksha genuinely seemed ready to just let go of Venti so the bard would fall to the ground flat on his rump. Thankfully, he didn't. Instead, he tilted the bard forward to allow him to plant feet onto the floor of the inn's balcony. Even in moments of weakness, Xiao had the strength to resist tossing nuisances onto wooden floorboards 

“You were sleeping. I didn't want to wake you.” This time, Venti told the truth in its entirety. 

“...Just wake me next time.” Xiao sighed, eyes closed as he flared his nostrils. That looked like counting to stop angry words. Not an expression Venti had seen recently, but felt oddly like one he was especially familiar with. 

“I'll consider it next time.” Venti promised, a playful smile on his face. No reply, only more of what Venti assumed was mental counting. Taking a step away, the bard assumed this was where the two would part. Each got what they wanted, sort of. To an extent the bard did, anyway. He hoped the yaksha got something out of it, after all the trouble Venti put him through. 

“Where… Did you learn that song from?” Xiao asked, his voice still rough but had some curiosity to it. Glowing gold eyes watched Venti, and now that they were open the bard found he couldn't look away. 

“Uh… I, hah, don't really remember?” Venti admitted, scratching the back of his head. “Was it… Bad?”

“No!” Xiao was immediate, startled by his own urgency in reassuring what he heard wasn't ‘bad.’ Sucking in a sharp breath, Xiao then gave a slow exhale. Voice steadier this time he amended with, “You play beautifully, that song was… Good night.” And he immediately left in swirling smokes of greens and blacks. 

On the balcony, Venti's gaze remained transfixed on the spot Xiao used to occupy. His heart was hammering, contrasts hastening its pace. There was obviously the warmth that came with receiving a compliment from someone who put on airs of stoicism. Xiao lacked the indifference that his mask claimed he had, that much was clear. Venti didn't need to be good at reading people to figure that out. Someone who didn't care wouldn't have been able to resist the urge to drop someone so troublesome. Still, the real Xiao that came out just to compliment Venti was one he hoped to see more of. Wanted to see more of. 

Across from that warmth was confusion. That song was one that Xiao recognized, based on the way he stopped himself. That was a song that Venti probably shouldn't have known. None of the music books he was given contained any sheets that matched what he played. That woman in his memory wasn't one he knew, either. Was it possible… That the world was bleeding into Venti? That he would become this, ‘Barbatos’ and lose himself just like that woman wanted? Wrapping his arms around himself, Venti shivered as if the gentle breeze gave him a chill. 

If he were honest though, Venti had to admit that he didn't really know who, ‘Venti’ was, either. 

“And I missed my chance…” Venti realized, closing his eyes as he verbalized his thoughts. No, had to get distracted by, ‘you play beautifully.’ Of course I do! I know that! Mentally kicking himself, Venti blew out an exasperated breath. Did the yaksha even know his name? Was that the sort of thing yaksha cared about? Xiao didn't appear to be the mean sort, but lacking knowledge on cultural differences made it tricky. Shaking out the annoyed energy he had at himself, he walked back inside the inn.

“Am I going to have to start assigning watch, Bard?” A woman asked, her words clipped by a grin betrayed her tone. It was Verr Goldet, leaning on the front counter as her blond hair fell to the side. 

“For so lovely a scene, all should Watch with eyes most keen.” Venti replied playfully, slipping into his rhymes with ease. It did wonders in selling that he was truly a bard from Monstadt. The bad ones he said for fun got laughs, but failed in convincing anyone he wasn't talented. After his first performance behind a curtain, everyone demanded to know how he wasn't famous. Huai’an, Verr Goldet's husband and the innkeeper, commented that Venti was going to get regulars to visit. A flash of fear, the bard asking if any of them were from Monstadt.

The married couple exchanged quirked eyebrows, but didn't press. Instead, Huai’an assured Venti that no, not really. Most of them were farmers from nearby, who didn't want to make the trek to Liyue Harbor for entertainment. “Especially now that we offer better entertainment.” Verr Goldet had added with a wink. The two were supportive, and immensely accommodating. When Venti claimed he suffered from stage fright, another of his many lies, neither questioned the validity of his words. Sometimes the bard wondered if they preferred to keep things simple and accept what he said at face value, or if there was more to the inn than simple hospitality.  The way Verr Goldet spoke to him, watched him, had that knowing look… He suspected there was more to it all. Decided so long as they weren't asking too many questions about him, he would reciprocate the polite acceptance. 

There was a small stage in the restaurant, and when it was Venti's night to perform they put up curtains. Allowed him into the hallway behind it, a back entrance he could use without being seen. The fear hadn't abated, but there had been plenty to occupy himself with thus far. For example, tonight. Venti wanted to learn more about Xiao, tried and failed to climb the tree. Met Xiao for a second time, and didn't collapse this round. Overall, the bard decided this was a very successful night. 

“Sweet talk doesn't work on me.” Verr Goldet laughed, speaking in the present. “Normally, I'd kick anyone out without question for bothering our ‘friend.’ But I heard music…” She moved from tilting to leaning forward, eyes widening with a growing hope. “Is it true? Can you really…?” She was trailing into silent implications, asking without cluing in potential eavesdroppers. A nervous laugh left Venti, adjusting the bag his flute was in. He felt unnaturally exposed, naked beneath her gaze despite his flimsy attire. 

I should do something about clothes. Where do I even go to get more? He wondered. The night clothes Hu Tao lent him had been sent back, along with his poem of gratitude. Which left him with exactly one shirt, one set of shorts, and shoes that were too big for his feet. Everything was secondhand from the knight, who had apologized profusely that he lacked anything proper. The stains from Venti's escape wouldn't come out, and no matter how hard he scrubbed his clothes looked dirty. It had also been frustrating that he was stuck in his room after he washed them, nothing else to wear as it dried. Five days of the same outfit, it was bound to have body odor on it. 

“Who knows? But, I'm happy to keep doing it.” Venti answered, shoulders tightening in. “If they say it helps, who am I to argue?” He continued. 

“Music does have a certain magic to it. I'm certain it does.” Verr Goldet decided, nodding her head and pulling away. Her warm gaze turned upwards. Most people would assume she was turning her eyes to the heavens, but Venti knew she was looking to someone much closer. “I know in older folks, when their minds are going the songs they loved as children help them.” She closed her eyes, smile wistful. “The songs you've played so far, some I haven't heard in ages. Each took me back, to memories I thought I had lost.” She opened her brown eyes, and looked at him. Held his eyes with her own. “Even if it only helps by a margin, I'm willing to go all in. If there's anything you need, please. Ask. Call it bribery to keep you here.” And she smiled. Anything? Venti echoed, hopefully. 

“In limited supply are my threads, perhaps more clothes for the day? Each step is dangerously tread, these soles on my feet won't stay.” If she really meant it, then Venti was going to try. Her laugh rang out, good humor in ample supply.

“Hahah! I'm sorry, I thought you were going for the suffering artist look! I really apologize, I should have asked instead of assumed. I didn't realize that's all you have.” Verr Goldet at least had the decency of putting on airs that she was slightly ashamed. “Of course. I can lend you some of our uniforms to borrow until a tailor can fit you into ones of your own. I'll also get a cobbler in, get you some shoes. Would you prefer Liyue or Monstadt in style?”

“Uh… I don't want to ask for too much. I already drink more of your wine than I probably should.” Venti gave a nervous laugh, running his fingers through the shorter strands of his hair near the base of his neck.

“So that's why I've been told I need to order extra, extra.” Verr Goldet nodded with newfound understanding. “We all have our vices.” She paused, taking stock of Venti's build and size. “You must have one Abyssal tolerance to drink that much and still play so well.”

“Music is why I wake up, Verr Goldet. No amount of drink can persuade me to hurt a single note by playing it wrong.” Venti assured her. “Give me an instrument, I'll play it with the same affection as two lovers do.” At this, her eyes lit up. 

“Prove that to me, and you're going to have one Celestial closet.” Verr Goldet promised. “All right. It's getting late, I have paperwork, and you've given some of us extra work. Get to bed.” 

“Okay, okay… But. If I want to… Talk to ‘some’ of you… How would I do that without falling out of a tree?”

“You don't.” Her tone shifted, a protective exterior turning her once happy face into something colder. “So long as you play, we can all hear you. You'll have a place here. But do not bother my people.” Verr Goldet didn't use a name, but she was clear in her warning. 

Venti learned two things right then. One, his arrangement with Xiao was not discussed with the inn. Two, Verr Goldet was much more than an inn owner. A simple business owner didn't turn into a soldier on the flip of a mora. 

“That is excellent information to have!” Venti went with those words instead of, this is frustrating news. With a flourish and a bow, he exited to let her do paperwork. 

Well. Now what? 

#xiaoven #xiao x venti #xiaoventi #genshin fic #ChasingWingsFic #Slow burn

[royal-ruin]

genshin: misc. genshin platonic fic recs

other genshin fic recs here genshin fic recs by pairing here personal favorites are starred, by the way. everything is complete unless stated otherwise.

kazuha and friends

The Sounds of Nature (the world through your eyes) by jello12451 (~5k)

“What colour are your eyes?”

Kazuha tilts his head from where he had been sitting on the rock, meditating. “And what prompted this question, Traveler?”

“Ah, I don’t know…” Aether mumbles before answering. “It’s just that the eyes of vision bearers are so peculiar in this world.”

Kazuha hums, noncommittal. They sit in the quietness of nature before he speaks again.

“I would say that I don’t remember.” Kazuha says, a tinge of sadness in his words. “But Tomo would always say that they were like the brightest reds of the maple leaves.”

OR: In which Kazuha is blinded while escaping Tenshukaku with his friend’s vision, and the way his senses have always influenced his life slowly become known (along with a few new family members and friends to go with).

thoma and ayaka

what is taken from us, and what we leave behind by Korora8 (~2k)

Head bowed, wrists chafed, Vision burning against his side, Thoma knelt in front of the Statue of the Omnipresent God.

He had seen those who had had their Vision stripped from them, empty husks of people who would never again remember their ambitions, hopes and dreams.

His biggest fear was what memories would be taken from him along with his Vision.

My ambitions…

My ambitions have been long intertwined with yours, my Lady.

Forgive me, Ayaka.

thoma and ayaka. it’s really short, but it broke my heart :(

shenhe and xingqiu

Tea for Three by BeyondTheClouds777 (~2k)

[She lets down the seal of her abode, bringing one hand between her eyes while the sigils shine.

Then she meets eyes with the mortal, and the sigils die in her hands.

It’s that boy, Xingqiu, the one hanging around (and off of) Chongyun just about every time Shenhe sees him. Usually put-together, from a wealthy and well-off family who trains him in fine mannerisms and artsmanship and every kind of elegance. But he’s scared, now, and he looks at her pleading, hair tousled and filthy and bloody, and he’s clinging to—

Chongyun.]

Shenhe might sort of maybe kind of still-figuring-it-out have a soft spot for more than just her nephew.

includes shenhe and xingiu bonding. mostly family feels and hurt/comfort. it isn’t tagged as a ship fic, but xingqiu and chongyun could be read as platonic or romantic.

zhongli

*my faceless self, alone by recursion (~7k)

[There is one lone glaze lily left, shining brilliant blue in the depths of Dihua Marsh. Zhongli kneels over it as Xiao looks on.

“The contract is fulfilled,” he whispers. He takes his mask off with trembling fingers and sets it aside. The blood that stains it seeps into the ground, turning it rust-red. “That which thou seeketh is now bestowed unto thee, for my promise is solid as stone.”]

(Zhongli, in the before and after.)

technically it’s tagged childe / zhongli but it’s really more of a character study of zhongli.

venti | barbados and raiden ei

More than Skin Deep by Ford_Ye_Fiji (~2.5k)

Lumine reaches out and invites the Raiden Shogun along on her travels.

She forgets to mention that the anemo archon is coming along.

some much need venti and raiden (ei) interaction.

diluc and diona (platonic)

A Feeling I Know by MeiliSheep (~11k)

Diona has learned not to trust the drunk adults of Mondstadt. She has been failed and tricked too many times. Dion has learned she has to be the responsible one. Then she stumbled upon the person she didn't even think was real... The Darknight Hero. Could he be the one person she could rely on?  

diluc and venti, zhongli, childe

Dandelion Drunkards by iellimau (~2k)

Diluc puts up with a lot of bullshit, but the universe decided he hasn’t had enough yet.

or A certain archon and Harbinger visit Venti in Mondstadt.

this is basically just crack.

#Genshin #genshin fic rec #platonic #thoma #Ayaka #venti #raiden ei #raiden shogun #zhongli #shenhe #xingqiu #kaedehara kazuha

[mrcyclopsfan]

@debtofaloneyaksha : What is an AU you really want to play with your muse?What advice would you give to a new RPer?

⨳ — MUNDAY;

What is an AU you really want to play with your muse?

WELL SINCE YOU ASKED!!! I actually have two I would adore to deep dive into.  One is one that I developed  with @idrottore​ . It dove into the concept that a because of crack that led to the Abyss that Childe fell into, the whole village has been slowly exposed to Abyss taint and each generation of children born there are slightly mutated and attain traits of abyss creatures. Like Teucer for example can see ley lines and its why he never lets lost when he adventures.   As it goes, Dottore catches wind about this village and Childe’s family affinty for adapting to the abyss peeks his interest. Eventually leading to dark path and Teucer becoming a small Geo Abyss mage.  The SECOND ONE is, Cryo Archon! Teucer.  I love love love this one. If The cryo  archon always had to be child and just the idea of Fatui being the ones to actually run Snezhnaya, because their archon is to young and holds love for all even thoughs who would wish harm upon their home. So they become this fearful power house and people spread rumors their archon is cold as the ice they make.  Just the idea of Teucer arriving in Liyue still, looking for Childe. Leaving a little ice trail because he doesn’t have full control of his powers and likes to slide on the ice even though he’s been told not to. Him pouting and stomping on the ground creating huge jutting icicles that are quickly crushed by Zhongli who scolds him.  It has the chance to be super cute, but also very sad if think of how the each Harbinger could manipulate their young archon.  What advice would you give to a new RPer?

Oh gosh...  Be open to all kinds of muses. Like I love and adore my Venti but Teucer is such an amazing muse to be. So challgening to compose up ideas for various characters. But also, take care of yourself and your partners. This is simple really. Take time for yourself and allow your partners to do the same. Don’t send them things expecting a reply, send them things cause it reminded you of them! Send them things because you respect them or they are your friend.  Be open to listening all ideas and accept that not every muse is going to click or want to interact.  That’s ok! It’s ok to not want to or not to interact with some muses. This isn’t a comment on your skills but just a mis click! That’s ok! Just keep going and don’t get hung up on it!!  HAVE FUN!!! Don’t strive to be other’s special muse or be the “best”. If you can smile and have fun with the threads you write. Then you are doing just fine! 

#Wooo this got long... #debtofaloneyaksha #ooc

[gxdsetmxnsters]

Sub specie aeternitatis

So this is it. Match point for eternity.

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Category: General

Fandom: Genshin Impact

Characters: Raiden Ei | Baal, Yae Miko, Thoma (mentioned), Lumine Traveler (Mentioned), Zhongli | Morax (Mentioned), Venti | Barbatos (Mentioned)

Additional Tags: Missing Scene, Inazuma (Genshin Impact), Eternity, Vision Hunt Decree (Genshin Impact), Raiden Shogun | Baal is Called Ei (Genshin Impact)

Language: English

Words: 1,314

Chapters: 1/1

The roaring of lions, the howling of wolves, the raging of the stormy sea, and the destructive sword, are portions of eternity, too great for the eye of man.

— William Blake

Lightning forked across the sky, lighting up the darkened sky for an instant before plunging the world back into darkness. Again the lighting flashed, accompanied by a crack of rolling thunder. The rain was far off, but still the lightning and thunder remained. As it would for eternity.

Ei watched over her domain from a balcony on Tenshukaku. It had been a long time since she had touched down into the land she rules over with a puppet.

“You finally break your mediative state and grace us with your presence,” a voice said from behind the god. Few dared to attempt to approach the deity from behind unannounced, fewer still got away with it.

“It is but for a moment,” Ei replied, turning from her position and laying her eyes on the guest before her. “Tell me, Miko, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I wish only to speak with my friend of whom I have not truly seen for centuries,” Miko said, placing a hand on her chest.

“I suppose I could do with the company,” Ei said after a moment of consideration. She inclined her head before returning to stare out over the city and the land beyond.

Yae Miko joined Ei at her side, mentally counting the seconds between the bolts of lighting striking into the ocean far off in the distance.

“It must be lonely,” she said, pausing for a moment to allow Ei to interrupt if she wished. Only silence greeted her, a slight eyebrow raise was the only indication of acknowledgement. A silent ‘go on’ gesture that spurred on the kitsune and invited her to continue.

“Eternity, that is.” Miko continued to watch the ever lasting storm as she spoke. “I cannot help but think of it akin to death. It is stagnant, unchanging, isolating.”

“It is also calming, predicable, and comforting,” Ei countered.

“Does predicable not get tiring after a while?”

“You are far more inquisitive from the last time we spoke face to face,” Ei said, tilting her head as she side eyed Miko.

“Perhaps I merely have had time to think about many things, living in your Eternity,” Miko said, giving a small smile. “There’s not much else one can do but think.”

“Hm…” Ei shrugged. “To answer your question, no, predicable does not get tiring. It brings me comfort. I have comfort in knowing everything will turn out exactly as I want it to be.”

“And if it turns out it doesn’t?” Miko pressed. “I mean no disrespect by asking such questions, I merely fear what you are doing is not only going to harm the people of Inazuma, but you as well. As a friend I would hate to see such harm come to you.”

“If something ‘goes wrong’, then it is merely something I allowed to happen under the guise of it being unplanned,” Ei said, pressing her lips into a thin line.

“There are rumors being spoke of a distant Traveler,” Miko said after a few moments of silence. “One who hails from, or at least made her name, in the City of Wind.”

“And what does that information grant me?” Ei asked. “I am well aware of this Traveler. She took down one of The Four Winds, did she not? On top of that, she unraveled the secrets of the ‘assassination’ of the Geo Archon.”

“You keep yourself well informed despite spending the majority of your time in the Plane of Euthymia,” Miko said, bowing her head.

“Of course,” Ei replied. “Everything my puppet knows, I know. The Fatui have warned me—us— of this Traveler, how she would potentially pose a threat to my Eternity. While they have not given any details, I can infer by the events in Mondstadt and Liyue that the Fatui’s plans had been foiled.”

“That would be correct,” Miko said, raising her head.

“Why bring it up then?” Ei inquired.

“I hear news that the Traveler has landed phone the shores of Inazuma,” Miko said. “I thought to inform you as well as to see what you want me to do about it, if anything.”

“I see,” Ei narrowed her eyes. “That must be quite recent news if I have not heard of it yet.”

“The Yashiro Commission seems to have taken a special interest in her,” Miko continued. “Captain Beidou was the one who brought her here. You know of her connections to Thoma of the Yashiro Commission.”

“The Fixer…” Ei mused. “Yes, I am familiar with him.”

There was further silence that was only interrupted by the crack of thunder in the distance.

“Tell me, Miko,” Ei said, “are you aware of the number of Visions we have taken under the Vision Hunt Decree?”

“I believe it is nearly a hundred at this point,” Miko said, tapping her chin with a finger.

“Ninety-seven to be exact,” Ei said with a nod. “I wonder…”

She trailed off and furrowed her brow, thinking.

“Thoma’s will be the one-hundredth Vision I take to add to the statue,” she decided. “It won’t be long until we reach that milestone anyway, it is a momentous occasion. Why not have it be the Vision of someone the people so look up to?”

“A wise choice, Raiden,” Miko said, bowing her head. “Surely it will be a heavy blow to the people, and the resistance.”

“Precisely,” Ei said, raising her head slightly. “Perhaps it will also draw out this so called Traveler. If her feats are true to what the rumors say, I wonder how she will do against a true Archon. Barbatos, while being one of the Originals has been heavily weakened over the years. He and the Four Winds have sustained heavy blows from the Abyss Order, particularly Dvalin. Morax is no more after his little stunt too. Both are weak compared to the might of the Shogunate.”

“Perhaps preemptive measures should be taken just in case?” Miko said, raising an eyebrow. “I would not be so hasty to cast off the feats of this Traveler.”

“As I said before,” Ei firmly replied, “If something happens to go ‘wrong’ it is because I allowed it to be. The moment the Traveler steps into my web, the trap will be sprung. Let her become friends with Thoma and those of the Yashiro commission. It will only prove to cow and put them in their place when both fail.”

Miko remained silent, processing and thinking on her old friends words.

“Are there any other inquiries you have?” Ei asked, looking at Miko.

“No, not at this time,” Miko said. “I can leave if you wish.”

“I do need some more time to ponder on things alone,” Ei replied.

“Then I will leave you for now,” Miko said, bowing to Ei before slowly backing away. “I am always just a word away if you need me.”

“Thank you, Yae Miko,” Ei said sincerely. “You are a good friend, even after all these years.”

Ei turned back to watching the storm as she felt Yae Milo’s presence fade. The winds of change Ei so detested were slowly starting to pick up. She could smell it in the air and feel it in her bones. She could not—would not— allow it to happen. If she could not weather the approaching storm, then she would create another that would completely engulf her realm, capturing it in time for all Eternity.

I saw Eternity the other night,

Like a great ring of pure and endless light,

All calm, as it was bright;

And round beneath it, Time in hours, days,

Driv’n by the spheres

Like a vast shadow mov’d; in which the world

And all her train were hurl’d.

— Henry Vaughan

A/N: Sub specie aeternitatis is Latin for "under the aspect of eternity”, though it can be also translated as "from the perspective of the eternal". I know people do not like the Raiden Shogun / Ei as they view her as a tyrant, taking others dreams and aspirations. I hope to convey, in not too many words, Ei’s own dreams and aspirations, or at least how I personally view them.

To me, Ei is someone who is stuck in the past and afraid of the future so her present remains stagnant. She has already lost so much already that she clings (albeit unhealthily) to whatever else she can reach within her grasp. In this case it is her people. For me, I view her as seeing change as scary, perhaps it is even traumatizing, with the loss of her sister. She has to cling to something, so why not the people and place she ruled over with her sister? If everything stays the same then there is no risk of anything going wrong or her losing anyone else again. At least in her eyes.

#genshin impact #fanfic #fanfiction #a03 fanfic #Pre-Inazuma Storyline #Post-Liyue Storyline #Inazuma storyline spoilers #Raiden Shogun #Ei #Raiden Ei #Yae Miko #lumine #Lumine Traveler #Thoma #Genshin Thoma #genshin impact venti #Venti #zhongli #Morax #Barbatos #Genshin Impact Fanfic

[sparrow-stunned]

Okay so I had a thought recently and what about a platonic yandere Zhongli where the reader is his child and said child was around during the archon war so obliviously it would only increase the overprotectiveness of yandere Zhongli especially if his child is all he has left of guizhong as well I can only imagine how enraged Zhongli would feel if his child was secretly in a relationship with Venti for all those years seeing as how he also refers to Venti as a "disgrace to the arts" I feel like he would be a very angry papa and we all know how Venti likes to fuel the fire and calls him block-head and a brute and overall getting the old dragon angry

this is the funniest fic I’ve ever written, thank you for this amazing ask. also, i found this on twitter and i feel like it matches the mood perfectly.

overprotective dad!Zhongli would be the most stubborn father ever. he's not the type to raise his voice or get angry, at least on the outside. but whenever he gives you that look, you can’t help but look down and feel guilty, even when you vehemently think that you’ve done nothing wrong. he's the type of father who would be pretty self-indulgent with their child, very patient with you, but also with the occasional sternness that’s hard to fight back against; considering how mild tempered he is usually, if he ever gets mad, then you know that it’s serious.

it'd be hard to hide it from zhongli, your relationship with venti. he's already so protective of you, after your mother’s untimely death. you remember how, when you were a toddler, there was always a cohort of adepti at your side while he had been off fighting, deadly guardians who were ready to murder anything that even breathed in your direction. it was a very trying time when you were in your youth, and it’s even harder to swallow now that you’re over three thousand years old. for goodness’ sake, you were older than ganyu! you're not a child anymore! but when you tell this to your father, he always sighs and pats your head. “you’re still a child to me,” he says. “i still remember when you…” and then starts recalling aloud all these embarrassing stories from when you were a kid, like that time you accidentally started shoving dirt and rocks in your mouth because you thought that it would give you his geo powers, since you wanted to "be just like daddy!"

you groan, facepalm in mortification because he and cloud retainer always does this! even after all these years! whenever ganyu was there to witness this, she always gives you a pat on the back and whisper, “i know,” as you both share a sympathetic look with each other.

you strike up a friendship with venti when he first visits zhongli after the archon wars end. he taught you so many new things during that time. plays for you the strange melodies on his lyre, so different from the music of liyue. he even snuck you dandelion wine while your father had gone away on some rex lapis business—though of course, when zhongli caught you both giggling, faces red and speech slurred, and arms slung around each other’s neck and acting as if you were best of friends… let’s just say, on that day, mountains were moved—no, hurled.

you exchange letters with venti throughout the years, friendship slowly becoming into something more. he never fails to make you laugh with his stories, and his purposely awful attempts at you love poems. you worry for him sometimes when you lose communications with him, but you know that he tends to wander off sometimes; he’s not the strict ruler that your father was, after all. it's okay though, because he always gets back to you eventually.

sometimes, you sneak out and meet venti on the border between liyue and mondstadt. you can't tell your father about venti—whenever you bring up the anemo archon, zhongli's always going on and on about how venti's behaviour is unfitting for an archon, or just for a decent human being. he talks as if venti's some cockroach that refuses to die, no matter what. and you know their relationship is strained, because any time you talk to venti about your father, he just freezes up and whispers, "is he still mad at me? how's that aim of his? still precise as ever? ahaha. i see..." so no, unless you want venti to be pummeled into an anemo archon pancake, you cannot speak a word of your relationship to zhongli.

but of course, zhongli knows when you’re sneaking out; he notices everything, after all, especially his child. but he wasn’t truly that worried at first. thought it was just you being rebellious once in a while, venturing to where you're not supposed to. besides, xiao knows to follow you and make sure you’re safe. but fortunately for you, xiao’s always been too embarrassed and reticent to tell zhongli that you’re meeting venti of all people, and zhongli’s never asked, as he just wanted to make sure you're safe, above all else.

but of course, zhongli finds out eventually. from you, actually. one day, you stumble into zhongli’s arms, cuddling into him as you would when you were a child, murmuring about how much you love him. the scent of dandelion wine leftover from your tryst on your breath. his brows furrow, about to ask you why you’ve been drinking, when you say something that makes his heart stop. “I love the smell of the winds. I love it so, soooo much.” you hiccup, and then before falling asleep, you murmur, “I love him. maybe as much as I love liyue… or even you, father.”

zhongli's not an idiot. he immediately put two and two together and after tucking you into bed, after brushing aside the hair that’s fallen over your closed eyes, frowns and gets to work. some drunken bard’s been putting his grubby hands where he shouldn’t have been. looks like he needs to put the fear of rex lapis back into the idiot.

venti’s humming a romantic tune, swinging his legs as he sits in the oak tree at windrise, feeling ecstatic after your secret meeting that day. but then he gets the scare of his life when the angry ex-ruler of liyue shows up out of nowhere in mondstadt, a giant meteor hanging over him that blocks out the sun.

“ehe,” venti laughs nervously. “how have you been doing, ol’ blockhead?” he slaps a hand over his mouth, cursing his stupid lips. now's not the time for quips.

zhongli doesn’t say anything. just pins him with this death stare. with the flattest voice venti’s ever heard, zhongli says, “this is order.”

the giant meteor suddenly drops out of the sky, and then everything goes to hell.

#psyche.dabbles #psyche.answers #this was so funny to write #cracking up at venti's fear of zhongli #overprotective dad zhongli is so dramatic #how dare you touch my child with those filthy hands #did you even remember to wash them #you no culture barbaric drunken bard who can't hold a tune to save his life #'no money no job no house' bard how are you going to provide for my child if you marry them #platonic zhongli x reader #my overbearing dragon father

[primofate]

Genshin [All male characters] When you ask “What would you do if I disappeared?”

Notes: Feeding everyone.

Characters: Aether, Albedo, Bennett, Chongyun, Dainsleif, Diluc, Gorou, Itto, Kaeya, Kazuha, Razor, Scaramouche, Tartaglia, Thoma, Venti, Xiao, Xingqiu, Zhongli, fem!reader

Warnings: not proofread, hints of death, implications of dying, mentions of death, bit of crack, bit of angst, bit of fluff, bit of everything

Personal Favourites in this work: Venti, Diluc, Albedo, Xiao

Aether

His sister is already missing. What do you think he would feel if you ask something like that?

The fear in him is real. It seems endless, all this looking around for his sister. Adding you going missing into the mix, it was like torture. Like an endless spiral down into an endless hole.

“Aether? It’s just a hypothetical question, you don’t have to think about it too mu--” you were really just blurting out thoughts and nonsense.

He pulls you in for a hug, one arm tight around your waist and the other behind your head. “Please don’t” he whispers. “I don’t have anything else,”

He’ll become a shell of himself if you disappear. He’d look for you, but he’ll shed tears every night. 

Albedo 

“Disappear?” Albedo asks, curious. There’s so many different meanings of disappear. 

“Is it of your own accord? Or unwillingly?” You scratch your head cause you just meant in a general way and Mr. Alchemist here has decided to break your sentence down and analyze it. I mean, what did you expect gurl.

 “If you’ve been taken against your will, then I simply must take you back. If you leave on your own accord, however,” he puts a hand under his chin, looking at the ground and thinking a little.

“I suppose I would still bring you back and figure out what it is that made you leave,” he tilts his head a little and stares at your face.

He’s actually analyzing you and analyzing the past few days if he’s done something bad or weird or something offensive. 

Finally he just opts to ask you directly cause he’s lowkey worried that you might leave. “Is there a reason you might want to leave? We can discuss it and make changes,” 

Poor thing thinks he did something wrong. 

Bennett

He doesn’t catch your drift.

“Disappear? I’d just follow you!” and he says it with such positivity. “I’ll go wherever you go Y/N! We’re adventure buddies for life!”

You don’t really press the matter further, it’s hard to ask Bennett such a loaded question. 

But later on when he thinks back to it, it’s like a lightbulb suddenly goes off on his head. 

“W-Wait... Are you... Are you sick of being my adventure buddy too?” his tone and mood drops so low that it’s hard to even look at him.

Good gracious. Give him a hug and tell him you’re just asking in general and didn’t mean anything by it. 

He’ll brighten up right away.

Chongyun

“Disappear where?” he asks, curious.

“I don’t know. No one knows. That’s the point of disappearing!” You laugh. He doesn’t.

He was eating a popsicle and now it’s just melting as he absentmindedly holds it. He tries to think of several different ways and scenarios of how to find you. Then he realizes it’s impossible. Teyvat is so big, where would he even start? 

“...I should be able to keep track of your negative energy... If anything happens then I can...” He starts to mumble to himself while his popsicle drips. 

Boy is paranoid the next few days and keeps asking if there’s anything amiss or if you’ve felt any evil presence lingering around you recently. 

Dainsleif

Doesn’t immediately say anything because he’s mulling over the idea. 

He’s gone really silent and you’re a little worried.

The guy has gone through some rough times, he knows how it feels like for everything around him to disappear.

That’s the exact reason why he refused to get close to anyone, you were just an exception that he couldn’t let go of. 

He speaks up after a while, when you think that the conversation was already over and you thought he just ignored your question.

“...If there comes a time...” he’s looking at anywhere else but you. “...that you aren’t by my side, then so be it. But know that death is the only thing that can keep us apart, Y/N. Anything or anyone else that takes you away from me...”

There’s a very eerie one second pause. “...I’ll make sure they’re the ones who disappear,”

Diluc

immediately turns towards you with his brows furrowed. The perpetual blank look on his face is gone and he definitely looks alarmed. “What do you mean? Is there something wrong?”

He jumps to the worst case scenario. Was it the Fatui? Did they threaten you or something? Or were you really sick? “Y/N if there’s something wrong, please, tell me,”

Doesn’t even hide the fact that he’s worried. He doesn’t want you disappearing under his nose. He legit thinks that someone’s out to get you, or you’re keeping a secret illness from him.

Is a little obsessive with guarding you the next few days even though you said it really was just a general question.

Gorou

“You can’t disappear, I have the best sense of smell around here,”

He’s got this toothy grin on his face but is lowkey worried why you would suddenly say that.

He doesn’t usually do so but uses his position as general to get a few guards rotating round the clock, trailing you. 

Might lose sleep over it. 

Is overly attentive towards your activities the next few days. “Where are you going today? With who? For how long?”

Itto

“No one disappears on my watch! Specially you Y/N!”

Not worried at all. 

If he can badger Kujou Sara to no end you can bet your ass he’s gunna relentlessly find you wherever you are. Size of Teyvat be damned.

He says that but he gets suspicious the next few days even over the smallest things. Like the dog that’s sniffing your leg. Itto’s glaring at it wondering if it’ll snatch you away.

Kaeya

First reaction is to chuckle.

Second reaction is to pull you by the waist and peer down at you. “Not happening, love. I’ve got my eye on you,” 

Makes sure no one else is in close proximity before lifting his eyepatch and grinning. “Two eyes, if you really want to,” 

Doesn’t worry about it too much but has random times where he thinks back to you asking that question and he gets a little antsy over it. 

If he’s free, he’ll come looking for you if he randomly thinks about it. If he’s on the job, the first thing he’ll do is look for you when he comes back. 

Kazuha

“I believe I’ll always be led back to you, my dear,”

The guy is not a stranger to loss. He knows what its like to be away from the people he loves and the land he’s from.

Ponders on it a bit more, doesn’t seem like the type to think over it for too long but he actually does and takes glances at you over his shoulder just to make sure you’re still there.

He knows that you’ve only asked it as a general question and just to see his answer but now he’s a little anxious about the thought.

Will try to accompany you wherever you go.

Razor

He knows what the word means but he really doesn’t get why you’re asking it and just goes on overdrive thinking that someone’s out to get you.

Definitely doesn’t sleep at night guarding and watching over you. He dozes off eventually but snaps up at the slightest sound and growls at whatever movement he sees. 

It kinda wakes you up from time to time so you start to try and explain to him that you’re not going anywhere.

He’s even more confused, but kind of eases up afterwards. 

He’s already immensely protective of you so if there ever was a day that you go missing he’ll definitely blame himself for it.

Scaramouche

Man scoffs

"Go ahead and try, I’ll find you and kill you,”

but is secretly keeping an eye on you and is extra snappy the rest of the day, specially towards his men who gets too close to you. 

definitely a “If I can’t have you, no one can,” type of guy

lowkey yandere and might chain you to himself

Tartaglia

Laughs. The kind of laugh that’s challenging. The kind of laugh that says “Who dares to take you away from me?”

“There isn’t anywhere you can hide, darling. But if someone takes you away. Well, I’ll be sure to make them suffer,” 

He’s confident in his abilities in combat but is still slightly anxious at the idea that there may actually come a time where you disappear without a trace, specially in his line of work.

Will ponder on it a little more and tell you seriously “...If you feel like you’re in any type of danger, tell me, Y/N,”

Thoma

“What?” why would you ask that, is his first thought. There must be something wrong.

He’s beyond worried.

Cups your face in his hands and tilts your head so you meet his eyes. “Did something happen Y/N?” His lips are in a deep frown. “Where would you go? Why would you go? Is everything okay?” 

Seriously thinks that you’re hiding something from him and is anxious that you’ll just poof away one day. 

Is so jittery that it’s starting to affect his daily life. You promise him nothing’s wrong, you just wanted to ask for fun.

He sighs and shakes his head. “You say that but I can’t get it out of my head,”

Venti

Gives his signature “ehe~!”

“Ever heard the phrase let the wind guide you? It’s cause I know where to go! I know every nook and cranny of this world. There’s no escape for you!” crosses his arms proudly on his chest and doesn’t think about it for a long time.

Until he suddenly gets the thought that you might actually disappear into another world. After all... that’s what happened to the traveller right? They jumped worlds and now one of them is missing. 

Goes quiet and that is extremely unusual for him. 

Contrary to what everyone sees, Venti has also seen loss and is someone who thinks about it from time to time. 

“...Don’t go anywhere I can’t follow, Y/N. That’s all I ask,”

Xiao

Also scoffs “Impossible,”

He’s like an all seeing eye. He has knowledge of what happens across the vast lands, and it only takes for his name to be called and he’ll be there.

But what if you don’t call his name? What if you CAN’T call his name? What if an other worldly being takes you to somewhere he can’t reach?

“...Listen, Y/N, however small of a danger you think it is, call me...And if you find yourself somewhere far away... Keep calling,”

He might not hear you immediately, but he’ll keep searching, so you shouldn’t give up calling.

Xingqiu

“Hmm... Disappear, you say?” might have the most normal response to it. 

“There isn’t much to do except to seek you out... How long would I keep looking?” He pauses again and thinks. “Why, until I find you, of course. Remember, if you’re lost, just stay in one place, I’ll find you eventually,” 

Doesn’t think much of it because he thinks the chances of someone just disappearing into thin air is low. 

He believes you would leave some kind of clue, if ever you disappeared, or he trusts that you would tell him if something was amiss. 

Zhongli

is the one who is most used to people coming and going in his lifetime.

“I have ways to seek people out, Y/N. It wouldn’t be a difficult task just to find you,” closes his eyes and sighs a little.

“But I suppose the world is a much vaster place than I imagine... If I was unable to find you...” he trails off, looking at his tea and swirling it around a little in his hand.

“It isn’t something that is easy to accept,” he ends his statement and looks over at you. “Is there any specific reason you’ve asked this?” tiniest bit worried that you might be in some sort of trouble.

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[hiraya-rawr]

Last Resort (SAGAU brainrot)

contains !! imposter au, cult behavior, kind of crack, spoilers for character backstories

about !! in a last desperate act to save yourself, you reveal their secrets (note: venti and zhongli did not reveal their identities as archons)

You've finally been cornered by your beloved characters after weeks of running from the angry crowds. They immediately bring you to the middle of the town square, the archons present and deciding on the verdict.

Not that there's any other punishment but death.

"For your grave offense against the divine creator, you are hereby sentenced to a public execution," It was Ei who announces this and your stomach drops.

"On what grounds! I didn't- I don't even know this divine creator! How could I have insulted them-"

"Blasphemy! You claim not to know of the divine creator yet you dare to impersonate them!" Venti accuses, stepping forward to face your kneeling form. You were growing desperate and frustrated at their stubbornness. As a lover of the genshin lore, you couldn't help but spout the next words from your mouth.

"Pretty bold coming from a wind spirit! That isn't even your face!"

The winds of Teyvat freeze. You freeze too. Oh god oh god is he angry? Are they going to torture you now too? You take this pause as a chance to ramble — your last resort in worming your way out of execution — your entire being high on adrenaline and fear. "I mean, as the anemo archon of the land of freedom, doesn't this seem too oppressive? Appearances, really?"

"And- and what's this talk about an imposter? If anything, are we really going to ignore Albedo's double in Dragonspine?" Much of the crowd is confused, but you visibly see Amber, Eula, and Albedo stare at you in mixed shock.

"The raiden shogun is practically an imitation of the real god as well! Aren't our situations kind of the same? Archons, Inazuma had twin rulers yet no one seemed to realize that!" Ei grips onto her sword, taking a step back in quiet horror, "If anything, my case sounds a little unfair!"

"What about Kaeya! He's not even from Mondstadt! He's from- actually let's not get into that." The cavalry captain flinches. Jean, who opted to watch quietly, steps forward to narrow her eyes at you.

"What in archons name are you saying? This does not plead your case of impersonating-"

"I'm trying to convince you that I'm not even from here! I've never heard of a divine creator and all that matters to me in this world is the lore and the characters! Archons, all the months I've spent studying the lore just to get killed by something I missed-"

At this point, you don't really know what you're saying. It was beginning to be a ramble about your lore knowledge and the people around you stared in mixed confusion and shock.

"All of your archons are broke. Xiao eating snow and Ganyu eating glaze lilies are really concerning. Diluc's the darknight hero and he still keeps Kaeya's ugly vase in his manor! And um- Ningguang tried to sell her vision once and Keqing has Rex Lapis plushies in her bedroom! And erm Shenhe is Chongyun's auntie? Guoba was the stove god and Xiangling found him! And there's also- I- and- ah-"

"You," Zhongli points his spear at you, a vortex vanquisher which you've grinded all your primogems for. His voice is calm and cautious, almost hesitant. "Spouting such obscure information-"

"That.. vortex vanquisher," You start, "It took me months of saving to earn it. I finally equipped you with it last month. I thought it would suit your aesthetic as Zhongli."

Last month. You had finally earned Zhongli's weapon, quickly equipping him and falling asleep only to wake up in the world of genshin.

Last month. The day their divine god disappeared, leaving the vessels to feel empty. When talks of an imposter surfaced, they were quick to assume that perhaps your existence had angered their god. If they deal with you swiftly, the creator would grace them with their presence once again, right?

Could you really blame them for their desperation? The thought of being abandoned by their god is an inborn fear for the people of Teyvat. So many imposters were given unquestionable worship in the past, only for them to misuse it.

Zhongli remembers the day an imposter made him slaughter his fellow gods in the archon war. Ei was pitted against her friends for an imposter. And Mondstadt was ruled under the tyranny of one during Decarabian's era. The ley lines of Teyvat consumed sin and it manifests itself through imposters.

Now, Zhongli's grip on his polearm weakens as he stares at you. His hands tremble and jaw relaxes. Suddenly making eye contact, the geo archon notices the faint glimmer of stars in your eyes.

The stars of Teyvat will always have a place for you.

"Y-your grace?"

—

Kaeya: So... You really kept that ugly vase in the manor?

Diluc: Hmp

— 🤍 —

Zhongli: Xiao, how many times did I tell you to stop your habit of eating snow?

Xiao: ...

— 🤍 —

*Venti having an existential crisis because of his appearance*

You: I'm uh, sorry, didn't really mean that. Kind of.

— 🤍 —

Ningguang: So... Rex Lapiz plushies huh...

Keqing: It's not what you think!!

— 🤍 —

*cue people worshipping Guoba*

All hail the stove god

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note !! a quick random drabble bc in reality, we really do know a lot of secrets if ever we find ourselves in sagau. this was a sleep deprived drabble but i hope you like it anyway!

#genshin #genshin fluff #genshin imagines #genshin impact #genshin fanfic #diluc #genshin hcs #genshin diluc #venti #kaeya #zhongli #sagau #cult au #genshin cult #genshin sagau #imposter au #genshin imposter #genshin angst

[kirozai]

No because imagine like "disciplining" the acolyte basically the acolyte get on there yandere shit and you don't like it so you give them a punishment it could be the cold shoulder just you being mean or a more " physical punishment"

The Arcons (I think that's how you spell it I don't know man😞)

Basically someone do something the Arcons don't like they get mad and hurt the person you get pissed off and punish them

archons* 😭 dw anon we all get spelling mixed up

“that’s enough from all of you.”

CW: angst, religious themes, cult au, sagau, self awareness, yandere themes

synopsis: the different type of punishments you give to the archons.

T.O.R: gn!reader, god!reader, darling!reader

zhongli

“please your grace i beg your forgiveness!”

gosh.. you sure got them riled up haven’t you?

i suppose at times zhongli does go quite overboard. no matter what power they have over you or the whole entire world, the one truly in power is you. you could have the world of teyvat destroyed in a matter of minutes if it was your wish.

zhongli is strong and can endure much of your insults or punishments. he will take them all with no question. but there is a point, when you give him no eye whatsoever, he beg and begs, this is where you’ll see him on his knees on a daily occurrence.

this is where you can get what you want no matter what you want. zhongli is basically a puppy infront of you…. waiting for a drop of attention. oh but don’t break him to much, stone that has been cracked is quite difficult to repair….

venti

“w-wait! f-forgive me your grace it won’t happen again!”

venti absolutely knows when he has pushed to far, which is when he starts profusely apologizing out of fear and regret.

the fear that you’ll throw him out, never pay any need of attention to him. all of those things will shatter his core. he can’t, its killing him inside, he’s like a trapped bird in a cage with no right way out. he will do absolute everything to appease you.

sometimes it’s kind’ve cute though. when his annoying demeanor turns into a hurt puppy against his god.

venti hates the pain. physical punishments make him shrivel up in distress. so a piece of advice. unless you want a clingy bard following you around begging for forgiveness stay away from the physical punishments. its also much better to just ask him to be clingy if your into the that stuff.

baal

“i’ll do anything! anything!!”

baal’s fantasy of spending an eternity of you is shaken by the fact she did something wrong to be punished.

she’s in fear that she has made a mistake and one of the biggest mistake she made was the vision hunt decree. the punishments were harsh but justified. it made her learn to keep her place in your domain.

baal is probably the most fragile out of the three, immediately offering up her own nation to make you haply with her. afterall who needs a nation anyways?

punishments would range from lack of physical touch to complete isolation, but it’s different. she has to think about you might hating her for the rest of her life. an eternity.

during those times though, she thinks if eternity is really what she wants, but of course, she will be running back to you right when she has the chance.

an angst and fluff prompt in one day!! yayy!!! im glad i was able to complete this! -12:16am!

kirozai out!

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#genshin impact #genshin x reader #genshin self aware #genshin impact x reader #yandere genshin impact x reader #self aware #zhongli #venti #sagau #venti spirit #venti genshin #yandere venti #genshin impact venti #venti x reader #gi zhongli #genshin impact zhongli #zhongli x reader #zhongli yandere #genshin zhongli #genshin baal #baal supremacy #baal #genshin ei #ei #yandere ei #raiden shogun #genshin cult #sagau x reader #venti x you #venti headcanons

[buoyant-breeze]

hello!

this is my first time requesting but your hand hc's are so wholesome i'm literally crying 🙏

could you please do them with childe, itto and thoma too?

thank you!

hand hcs [ pt. 3 ]

authors note ⊱  i love this hc set so yeah here u go <3 i added scara cuz im a simp

part one (albedo, diluc, kaeya)

part two (kazuha, venti, xiao, zhongli)

characters ⊱ childe, itto, thoma, scaramouche

warnings ⊱ none

rating ⊱ sfw

childe

his hands are veiny; thick enough with muscle to show his hand strength, but slim enough to show his dexterity and precision

quick reflexes

fingers are thicker, especially at the end; he keeps his fingernails clipped as far down as they can, because they can get unruly, chipped, and broken from his busy and combative lifestyle

skin gets dry very easily, but he forgets to moisturize tbh

lots of freckles. l o t s

this image

soft amounts of ginger hair on his arms

has a few nearly-invisible scars all across his hands and wrists

however, has a nasty and very visible scar down his elbow and towards his wrist on his right arm

loves handholding

will grip your hand pretty tightly, likes to intertwine your fingers with his own (he also squeezes hard)

has a thing for sucking your fingers in his mouth (sorry)

a few stray ginger hairs can be found hiding near the freckled, pale skin of his knuckles

double-jointed (especially his thumbs)

cracks his hands a lot

inside of his palms are tough and thicker than the back of his hand; not quite calloused, but just enough where you can sense the skill and age and use to them

heavy-handed, he puts all of his weight into what he does; can lead to a few clumsy incidents

itto

thicker than a snickers (id apologize but i dont want to)

knuckles protrude to the extreme

his veins practically pop out, and you can visibly see his wrist and knuckles shift each time he moves or flexes any part of his hand

fingers are wide, thick, and struggle to hold tiny things like the back of your earrings, needles, or flower petals

always keeps his nails painted dark to hide the grit that gets underneath (and also he feels like it makes him edgy)

his tattoos, obviously

also very muscular, obviously

extremely, unfathomably warm to the touch; he feels like a furnace

gets a lot of dirt on his hands

handholding is not so much holding but more like him engulfing your entire hand in his own, to the point you fear you might not have one anymore

nips your fingertips playfully

likes leather or iron braces for his wrists; no practical usage, just looks and feels nice

there are indentations in his skin from said braces being on pretty much all the time

long fingernails

thoma

pretty average hands, with fingers just a little longer than usual

not particularly veiny, or portruding, or bony, or calloused, or even muscular; literally, just very plain, if a bit dainty

takes good care of his hands! he’s very good about hygiene, and he also puts on lotion, especially after using harsh cleaning products

generally wears gloves to help protect the skin, as well

he actually hates callouses, so on the off chance he actually developed any, he would end up removing them with deep exfoliation and scrubbing; he feels like they are a little unsightly, and it makes it uncomfortable when he rubs his hands together out of habit

dexterous with his fingers; can easily catch and maneuver things in his hands (i.e. coin from opening scene of meeting thoma)

wrists have a very visible vein line that goes down, other than that there is hardly anything

intertwines his fingers with yours and likes to swing your hands together

fingertips are a little colder, but his palms radiate heat

scaramouche

the palest hands you’ve ever seen i stg

extremely bony, his veins are very blue and very purple, and are visible mainly on the inside of his wrist (pulsepoint) and on the center of his backhand

long and dainty, rather small, but they look elegant and graceful

either paints his nails the darkest color he can find or bites all of his nails off, sometimes both

lots of scars on his fingers, very silvery and very pale, like lightning

these also exist on his wrists

prefers to hide the wrist scars, doesnt give a shit about the hand ones

his hands are not very strong at all

vein pops out a little on the inside of his arm/elbow

very expressive with his hands, he gestures a lot, especially when he talks; likes to rest them on his hips, or rub them along his temples when he has a headache

if you hold his hand, he’s holding them tight and he will not let go; you are letting go on his terms

his hands are nearly freezing everytime you touch them (his body temperature in general is pretty cold; he probably has poor circulation)

that said will leech ur body heat, and this often includes stuffing ur connected hands into his pockets when walking with you, or just holding them while cuddilng with you

#wisteria moon #scaramouche x reader #scaramouche fluff #genshin fluff #genshin impact #hands #hand hcs #scaramouche x gn reader #thoma x reader #thoma fluff #thoma x gn reader #itto fluff #itto x reader #itto x gn reader #childe x reader #childe fluff #childe x gn reader #genshin impact headcanons #genshin impact fluff

[that-foul-legacy-lover]

Digital Heart

Foul Legacy Childe x Reader Gender Neutral (no pronouns mentioned) Angst Warnings: Falling, fighting, minor injuries, nausea, breathlessness 

In which Genshin is an interactive RPG accessed through an immersive headset, and you find yourself pushed to play it by your friends.

~ * ~

It started with a game.

For thirty days and thirty nights, your friends have been pleading for you to play it. Genshin Impact it was called, an free immersive open-world RPG with hundreds of weapons, characters, and power ups. Accessible through a specialized headset that tracked movement, it had only been a month since the freely downloadable game’s release and it was already a success, garnering praise from the customizable main character and the interactive playstyle. Play it. Your friends beg. You’ll love it. We can play together. 

You refuse at first. The game might be free, but the headset isn’t, and you need to save that money to pay for food and clothes. Alongside your financial state was your schedule, a long list of work and chores that left little time to play games with constant updates like Genshin, so you told your friends- politely, as that’s how you were raised- that it’d have to wait. They agreed, quietly.

Then the next day, they ask again. You make an excuse- too much work. They agree, again.

The second day, asking. You’re too tired, you say. Of course, they respond.

Everyday, the same question. The same request, the same demand. It wears on you, amused exasperation drawing a sigh from you everytime you open your notifications.

Play it.

You can’t.

Play it.

You don’t have time.

Play it.

You need to focus!

Play it.

…

…Alright.

Finally, you cave. You create an account, a headset en route to your house. You clear an area in your house so you don’t accidentally hit anything. The headset arrives, and you insert the batteries, said to last up to an entire day playing nonstop, a stage you dearly hope you never reach. You pull it down over your head, cringing at the thought of your hair getting so mussed, and switch it on. A long and potentially worrying warning flashes before your eyes and you blink, not used to the in-depth cameras yet, as the screen goes white.

Welcome to Genshin Impact! Please name your character… appears, and you subsequently slip down the rabbit hole.

It’s fun, you find. Your friends were right, you did like Genshin Impact, although you thank your lucky stars that you weren’t as attached as some players were, as you still had work and life to attend to. The combat and story were enjoyable, and the characters were funny and diverse in personality and playstyles. The main character, who was also your customizable avatar, was quite literally you, the story explained, a traveler from distant lands who fell face first into Teyvat by mistake and tragedy. Of course you still haven’t gotten entirely used to the whole immersion thing, and sometimes shuddered under the eerily real programming of the NPCs and characters, but that was nigh unnoticeable when focusing on fighting monsters. Your deep love for exploration and discovery surfaces, and you take as long as you want exploring every inch of the wonderfully modelled map as you follow the main story, or “Archon Quests”. You calm the great dragon Dvalin and bid your friends at Mondstadt- Kaeya, Amber, Lisa, Diluc, Jean, and Venti- goodbye, Liyue sprawling out before you in wooded forests and cloud-covered mountains. A mysterious man runs across you at the Inn, the immortal Adeptus Xiao, although you would’ve thought he was quite young due to his short stature, and you encounter Zhongli in the Harbor, along with Lady Ningguang and her subordinates, Keqing and Ganyu. A member of the malicious-seeming Fatui also greets you and introduces himself as Childe, a name you don’t trust for a second, yet find yourself getting strangely attached too. The story progresses with you at Zhongli and Ningguang’s sides, the suspicion being pointed more and more to the Fatui, and you find yourself staring up at the elegant pillars of the Golden House, the mora mint building.

You gulp. You know this is where Childe’s boss battle takes place, and you’re not sure if your team is prepared, even if you stocked up on food right before leaving the Harbor. Inhaling a deep breath, you shove the enormous front doors open, and a cutscene pulls your fear tight against your throat. Everyone’s suspicions were right- he was here to steal the Geo Archon’s gnosis, and you have to stop him. 

Easier said than done. The cutscene of your face shows a determined, fierce expression, instead of the nervous one you had in real life, and you almost laugh. You dearly hope your characters are strong enough, and step into the arena.

Phases One and Two are relatively short, as you quickly learn to avoid using Childe’s respective elements of his Vision and Delusion while his shield is up. The battle is fun and fast-paced, and you feel a thrill in your bones as you dodge another attack before swinging your sword in retaliation. Childe stumbles, and Phase Two ends with a cutscene. The corpse of Rex Lapis, something you considered a bit gruesome, is discovered to have no gnosis, and you can feel the raw anger in the Harbinger’s voice as the air crackles and hisses. A horrible, blinding light shines, and Childe is gone.

At least, human Childe is gone. In his place floats a monstrous version of himself, nearly 14 feet tall and complete with horns and armor, and your mouth drops open slightly as you gaze at him wide eyed. But your focus is violently shifted when the floor cracks and turns to dust, sending you tumbling down into the belly of the Golden House. You land with an unceremonial thump, thankful that the creators hadn’t been cruel enough to make you feel the damage you took in-game.

And Phase Three, the final phase of Harbinger Tartaglia, commences.

He has considerably more health, and his attacks can range from irritating to deadly, you just barely dodging the falling Hydro arrows that would’ve slaughtered your current character. Of course, it doesn’t help that you’re sneaking glances at your attacker every few minutes. Your mind wanders to the lore as you shield yourself from violet lightning. Does this transformation hurt? Where does it come from? Why does it look like a moth? Maybe one day you’ll get answers. 

Despite the raised difficulty, Phase Three also ends rather quickly. Your characters, it seems, were overleveled. The remainder of the Archon Quest passes, Childe reappearing once at the end, and it’s over. The screen blips off as you log out and place the headset on a table before laying on your bed and using the last few hours before bed to contemplate what you’ve just seen.

The next days quickly fall into routine. After completing all your work, you’d take an hour or two to play Genshin, leveling up your characters even more and going through various quests, Childe’s included. You see his transformation, dubbed the Foul Legacy form, again, and almost swoon before stopping and giving yourself a harsh scolding. You fulfill requests and tasks for various people around Teyvat, or at least the parts of Teyvat you can access, and improve your skills and stats. You have a talent for dodging, you find, and use it to your advantage while fighting.

And every Monday, when the clock resets, you re-enter Golden House to battle with Childe and claim your just rewards.

Of course you could do it everyday, but a squirming, guilty feeling in your gut stops you, making you feel like you’re hurting him, no matter how many times you try to tell yourself that he’s simply a video game character, a program in an electronic system.

This thought makes you a bit sad, you think.

The fights are getting easier, something you credit to your rising stars of characters, and you stand before the Ley Line Blossom quicker and quicker each time, something you expect to be no different today.

Phases One and Two are just the same as you take advantage of Vaporize and Overload, drowning out Childe’s pre-programmed sounds of pain with your own abilities. The battle pauses, and you’re transported to the same chamber underground, with its fiery walls and glittering arches, as the fight resumes. With the same attacks and characters, it’s becoming a tad dull, and you frown, wondering if you should try to get another character soon.

You’re lost in your thoughts when you slip and fall.

This you feel in the real world, having landed hard on your back and knocked the air out of your lungs. For a few moments you struggle to breathe, and Childe takes the opportunity to appear right over you, his spear flashing purple. You swear internally, bracing yourself as he readies his weapon.

But the strike never comes. You inhale desperately, oxygen finally flowing into your chest, and open your eyes. The graphics of your game are gray and fuzzy around the edges, framing Childe as he slowly puts his spear down and, to your amazement and slight terror, jerkily reaches towards you. Voice clips play overhead, pieced together to make not words, but a static-interspersed whining sound, much like a concerned beast. Your eyes widen, and Childe stops, withdrawing slightly almost as if he’s worried that you’re afraid, and you whisper his name once, as a tentative question.

Then with crackle and a ping, your game crashes and everything goes black.

You gasp and rip off the headset, chest heaving as you struggle to comprehend what just happened. You’re shaking, nervous and fearful, but curiosity runs strong through your veins. Your finger slides towards the On button, and you press it and slip the device back on.

You’re standing outside, the doors of the Golden House closed as if the battle never happened. The guards surrounding it look ordinary, occasionally repeating phrases you’ve heard and ignored countless times. Glancing around and trying to squash the nauseous bubbling feeling in your gut, you push the doors open again.

It’s different this time. Instead of being in the upper room, you fall a short distance into the Third Phase Chamber, your shoes clicking on the tiled floor. Childe floats in the center, his back to you, and you take a tentative step forward. He turns and looks you dead in the eyes, before flinging his spear to the side and rushing towards you on his feet, kneeling to your height. Instinctively, you jump away as he sits on the ground before you, letting out joyful chirps and trills, sounds you didn’t even know he could make. You approach him, sword held loosely in your hand as an extra precaution, and he tilts his head and coos as you cautiously sit with him. Your hands are trembling as you try to understand that this is real, he is real, all of this is happening.

And if it’s not, then it’s some damn good programming.

Questions start to fill your mind, one after another, and you ask him, responses coming as a nod or a headshake.

Is this real?

Yes.

Or programming?

No.

Could you always do this?

No.

Just today?

No.

Over a period of time. Yes.

How…?

The final question hangs in the air, and he shrugs slightly, then points at you. You did this. You woke him up, made him feel pain, sorrow, and happiness, all stemming from you, his love for you. From the minute the Archon Quests let you meet, he was vaguely curious, the most emotion he’s ever felt in his cold, empty programming since before. And when the code broke, he adored you, not like Childe viciously adored battle, but a soft adoration, one with all his digital heart could muster. You smile, and he purrs at what a wonderful smile it is.

Something flickers in the corner of your eye. Then another. And another. You turn and squint, then gasp as your surroundings begin to dissolve into colorful squares, the game taunting you as it glitches and lags. You and Childe leap to your feet, only to watch helplessly as the world crumbles away. You look down at your hands and see them beginning to break apart into pixels. Childe reaches out to hug you, to hold you close, but his hand passes right through you, a sickening reminder of how unreal he is. He wails in anguish as you both try to grasp each other, only to shatter more, the pixels covering your screen like rain on a windowpane.

Your game crashes for a second time, the only sound a desperate whimper that soon fades into an electronic squealing.

It takes a week to fix your device, the tech people saying that it was “overloaded”. Finally the repairs are finished, and you’re back at the Golden House, the doors already ajar. You slip into the room, expecting either a battle or, hopefully, someone to greet you.

But the room is empty. No one, human nor monster, stands in the center. Instead there is one lonely Ley Line Blossom, waiting, the final gift from an impossible love. 

#genshin impact #childe #tartaglia #gi ajax #foul legacy #foul legacy childe #genshin childe #genshin tartaglia #childe x reader #tartaglia x reader #foul legacy x reader #sfw #genshin sfw #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin angst #HERE IT ISSSS #i had a really fun time writing this #idk if anyone will like it bc they might find it cringey but i had a grand time writing it #yes i know it's late shut up shut upppp #i'll reblog it tomorrow #i dont expect many people to like this but it made me happy so i don't care!!! #i've been doing this and drawing rosaria for the entire day #it's fun!! hopefully more tomorrow #anyways enjoy!!! >:)c #genshin au #wifi writes #genshin fic

[honey-milk-depresso]

Octavinelle Masterlist (2; Requests)

 Azul Ashengrotto 

The wise and earnest promise maker, s/o (Zhongli)

The Kuudere Nurse, s/o (QiQi)

The playful and intelligent writer, s/o (Xingqiu)

The Money driven and Hardworking s/o (Ningguang)

An indecisive s/o

The witty and lighthearted, s/o (Kokomi)

TWST s/o who laughs at inappropriate times

S/o with haphephobia (fear of touch)

S/o is the Squid Game Winner

S/o with “blood” all over them (Crack/Fluff)

The harsh, two-faced and unpredictable s/o (Scaramouche)

S/o dresses as Pink Soldier from Squid Game

Octavinelle dating relationship: closeness

S/o sleeps in obscure places

The mischievous yet giving s/o (Jack Frost + Man of the Moon)

Insecure S/o asks why they like them (Dorm Leaders)

S/o randomly teleports

S/o spots the fine prints (of Azul’s contract)

TWST S/o's little sibling saying they'll be a good match for them

Musician Y/N that loves classical music (Platonic)

The rebellious, flamboyant and artistic heir, s/o (Marius)

"I hope you're happy but don't be happier" TW: Angst

"Too good of a first impression"

S/o wrapped in their “pillow nest”

Octavinelle S/o’s overworking themselves and doesn’t want to admit

Chubby s/o who gets easily flustered about it

The perfect one for me (enemies to lovers; Oneshot)

TWST Dorm Leaders how they’re like in karaoke

=============================================================

Jade Leech 

The playful and intelligent writer, s/o (Xingqiu)

The perfect gift for Jade (interaction)

The shy and experimental alchemist, s/o (Sucrose)

The witty and lighthearted, s/o (Kokomi)

TWST s/o who can perform glyph magic

The feisty yet affectionate s/o (Diona)

The unlucky but optimistic s/o (Bennett)

S/o with a terrible sense of direction

Tiny s/o with squishy cheeks

S/o is a cute (mer dumbo octopus) who can turn scary when angry

“Give my brother back!” (Tweels x Reader) (Angst)

Jade’s s/o with Mycophobia

S/o with “blood” all over them (Crack/Fluff)

The harsh, two-faced and unpredictable s/o (Scaramouche)

An entomologist s/o

S/o who looks childish but they’re creepy

Octavinelle dating relationship: closeness

S/o who never tried sweets before

S/o sleeps in obscure places

Married to Jade Leech

Tiny, squishy cheeks s/o lightly bites their finger (cuz angy-)

S/o spots the fine prints (of Azul’s contract)

TWST s/o's trust fall flirt

TWST Your heartbeat (Tweels; 1)

Tweels having children

"Too good of a first impression"

"I heard you said that" S/o with Encanto's Dolores' powers

The distant, yet kind, yet absolutely mischievous s/o (Ayato)

S/o wrapped in their “pillow nest”

S/o loves listening to them

Octavinelle S/o’s overworking themselves and doesn’t want to admit

S/o who gets easily distracted and wanders off

=============================================================

Floyd Leech

TWST s/o who laughs at inappropriate times

The carefree yet lonely guitar player, s/o (Venti)

Tiny s/o with squishy cheeks

S/o is a cute (mer dumbo octopus) who can turn scary when angry

Octavinelle: cute s/o who’s a feral driver (grown up!)

“Give my brother back!” (Tweels x Reader) (Angst)

S/o with “blood” all over them (Crack/Fluff)

The harsh, two-faced and unpredictable s/o (Scaramouche)

S/o is a professional basketball player

S/o who looks childish but they’re creepy

Octavinelle dating relationship: closeness

Tiny, squishy cheeks s/o lightly bites their finger (cuz angy-)

S/o spots the fine prints (of Azul’s contract)

Insecure s/o asks why they like them (2)

TWST Your heartbeat (Tweels; 1)

Tweels having children

"Too good of a first impression"

The distant, yet kind, yet absolutely mischievous s/o (Ayato)

Octavinelle S/o’s overworking themselves and doesn’t want to admit

Chubby s/o who gets easily flustered about it

S/o with tiny hands

#azul ashengrotto x reader #floyd leech x reader #jade leech x reader #twst x reader #masterlist #octavinelle