#dk reads | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kmgkmg · 1 year

Text

FAVORITE - LEE SEOKMIN

word count: 1.3k...

pairing: seokmin x gn!reader

synopsis: seokmin's on tour and a little lost without you, how does he fix this?

genre/s: fluff, idol!seokmin, non-idol!reader, bf!seokmin, ldr, established relationship

warnings: none!

rating: pg

a/n: was i craving bagels while finding the cover for this fic? maybe so...anyways the fic title is based off favorite by kim ji-su. :P

The faint scent of Seokmin’s cologne still lingered on the pillow next to you. It had been five excruciatingly long months since he left for tour with the rest of Seventeen, but it felt closer to seven thousand years. You had been dating for four years, but every time he left it was still as hard as the first. He was still extremely attentive and would FaceTime you nearly everyday. If he couldn't videocall you, he would spam your phone with sorrys until his phone overheated. You understood his schedule though, telling him to never apologize for working hard.

He wasn’t the only one putting effort into your long distance relationship though. You would set alarms throughout the day, trying your best to align with a reasonable time for him when he wouldn’t be practicing or on schedule somewhere. Most of the alarms when he’s across the globe were set to wake you up in the dead of the night, but you loved him so much that it didn’t bother you. Hearing his voice instantly washed away any fatigue you had. He’s your energizer.

Still, nothing could beat the small things you two would do together. Who knew that you would miss taking out the trash together on trash collection days and then going grocery shopping to check out new deals? Breaking your habits such as making two cups of coffee in the morning, or sitting on the left side of the couch since he always sat on the right, were virtually impossible. The empty space due to the lack of his presence is without a doubt noticeable.

When Seungkwan texted you that Seokmin was looking down lately, you knew you had to take it into your own hands.

“Let’s go for more drinks!” Soonyoung shouted to the group as he stumbled in the hotel hallways, oblivious to the rest of the members’ desire to sleep.

“We have practice tomorrow, Soonyoung,” Seungcheol reminds him, watching Soonyoung trip over his own feet.

“But look at how sad Dokyeom is! We, as members of Seventeen, have an obligation to make sure we’re all happy!” Soonyoung’s comment makes the members’ attention shift to Seokmin.

Seokmin was unaware, checking his phone to see if he got any texts from you. You usually responded to his messages within a day, but it’s been three days since you last replied and his worry only grew more by the second. Maybe you were busy with work? Even so, you would react to his messages or would text and explain that you would reply later. He tried to call you earlier and was only met with the busy dial tone.

After a couple seconds of the members still looking at the oblivious Seokmin, Seungkwan nodded his head signaling that he would talk to him.

The other members headed to their rooms, dragging the intoxicated Soonyoung. Seungcheol had a grateful expression on his face, as if saying I’m leaving him to you. Seungkwan nodded again, slinging his arm over Seokmin’s shoulders.

Seokmin finally looked up, “What’s up?” He finally noticed the absence of the other members, “Oh, where’d the other members go?”

“They went to bed…but I want you to stay calm for what is about to happen,” Seungkwan warns, stopping Seokmin at his hotel room’s door.

Seokmin raised his eyebrow in curiosity, “What’s going to happen?”

You could hear Seokmin talking to Seokmin outside. Only a door separates you from your love. Your favorite person in the entire world. No, in the entire universe. It’s too much to bear and soon enough you flung the door open, to see Seokmin’s utterly surprised and overjoyed face.

“Kyeomie!” You hugged him so tight that he got the wind knocked out of him.

“Y/N, you’re here!” He hugs you back.

“I swear, I can’t be on my own without you. Saying I’m a little bit lost without you would be an understatement, Y/N,” Seokmin confesses, nuzzling his head into your neck.

“Always so dramatic, Kyeom,” You tried to act aloof, but in actuality his words were melting into your soul the moment they left his lips. He did have a knack for that. A specialty in making you fall in love with him over and over again.

Seungkwan quietly made his way back to his room, satisfied with his participation in reuniting the two of you.

Seokmin cursed himself at drinking so much coffee the day before, needing to use the bathroom. He could feel your arm around his waist, with the rest of your body cozied up against him. He smiled softly to himself before carefully sliding his arm out from under your head. When was the last time he was able to be your human pillow? He missed this. Seokmin missed you.

Wiping his hands with the hotel towel, he opened the bathroom door once again, trying to tippy toe back to bed.

You were already rustling underneath the comforter, sleepily noticing the absence of your boyfriend. Did you dream that you went to visit him? Worry came over you as you jolted up, calling out for Seokmin.

“Kyeom?” You called out sleepily.

“Sorry babe, did I wake you up?” He apologized, stopping mid tip-toe.

“Mm, no! I just thought I dreamt that I came here. I’m just so scared you’re going to disappear if I close my eyes again. I don’t think…I can’t-I can’t sleep anymore,” You explain.

“Baby, I won’t disappear,” Seokmin climbs back into bed with you, facing you and cupping your face with his hands, “See? I’m really here with you.”

You nodded, relaxing with his touch. Why was he awake?

“Can’t sleep either?”

He decided to agree with your inference about him, “Yeah, I wanna stay up with you! Did you eat on the plane though? I realized we were too excited to order food earlier tonight.”

You panic internally, if Seokmin knew you hadn’t eaten since the morning of your departure he would scold you incessantly.

“I did eat on the plane! They were serving some dinosaur chicken nuggets, so you know I had to eat them!” You lied effortlessly. I’ll eat breakfast as soon as the hotel’s dining room opens, you reasoned to yourself. Yet, your body had other plans. A large grumbling arose from your stomach. You could only look down at your stomach as Seokmin did, before meekly making eye contact with him.

“You should always be eating well, Y/N! Let’s go out early in the morning for some bagels. Joshua and Soonyoung found a place two days ago and now I have a reason to check it out,” Seokmin beams at you, determined to make sure you’re well-fed.

“Okay, baby!” You beamed back, still not over the high of being with him again.

Both of you entered the bagel place, but to your surprise there was already a decent amount of people. Seven in the morning is the time most people are up to get ready for their commute to work so it makes sense they would eat bagels to recharge. Yet, in front of your eyes the line accumulated much more than you expected.

“What are you thinking about getting?” You ask, although you had a rough idea about which bagels he would pick.

“I definitely want to try the cinnamon cranberry one, Joshua let me try a bite and it was amazing,” He answers, “How about you, Y/N?”

“They don’t have the flavor you wanted,” You frown in revelation, looking up at your boyfriend who was still looking at the menu.

“It’s okay! My favorite dessert is your lips,” He smirks while not taking his eyes off the menu.

You lean your head back onto his chest, with Seokmin silently stroking your hair.

“Is it crazy to say I even missed your cringey pickup lines?” You say quiet enough for only him to hear.

“Not crazy at all,” He smirked, booping your nose softly with his index finger.

You looked at the display case to check out the daily special, Chicago Pizza. Your eyes lit up, “Min, look!”

His eyes followed the aggressive head bobbing you were doing to direct his attention to the display case. Once he saw what you were so excited about, he reciprocated your excitement.

“We chose the perfect day to come!”

With your turn quickly approaching, you admired your boyfriend’s face once more. You missed this. You missed him.

“Next in line!”

188 notes · View notes

scaredpigeons · 6 months

Text

More than you can chew. 1 (sfw edition)

Authors note: I’ve been wanting to create some lore for my Genshin impact oc, Elirah for so long now. The other night I had a rare shot of inspired adrenaline and mashed this out in the span of two evenings. This is the SFW introduction, but there are scenes and suggestive moments that allude to the NSFW companion piece, which I will release as soon as it’s finished. Something to keep in mind is that this is an x OC series, and while I don’t think I’ll explicitly say this, Elirah is polyamorous. Elirah is also the type of person to genuinely be able to have casual relations with friends and it not affect their friendship whatsoever.

The main relationship in this series will focus on Elirah, Kaveh and Alhaitham. But because I’m a fan of letting my girl get around, you can expect to see in this series and it’s nsfw counterpart:

x Venti

x Wanderer

x Lyney

x cynonari

And of course the final chunk of this piece alludes to a group Elirah x haikaveh x cynonari scene.

Possibly more to add later, as I am insatiable.

CW: SFW. Swearing, loosely depicted violence, kissing, slightly suggestive scenes but no straight up nsfw. Consumption of alcohol, sex pollen scenario (again, no actual scene yet, just the intro to keep it pg.)

These are a series of short tales that depict important pieces of Elirah’s life. Please enjoy.

If you would like to learn more about Eli, please look here.

Word count: 8.9k (a lot)

In the Dendro Archons gilded cage sits a small child. The air around her thrums with energy, though very few get close enough to realize this for themselves.

The ornate door to the sanctuary opens, and the being appearing to be a young girl only looks up when she hears the soft coo of a baby.

“Halima, is that you?”

A woman walks the bridge from the entrance of the sanctuary to the platform dedicated to the containment of one seemingly fragile little girl. The field around the platform thrums with about as much energy as there is within it, a prison created with the power of its own prisoner.

For hundreds of years, only a small group of very select people have been able to pass through the field of power containing the dendro archon within.

Five hundred years ago, after the fall of the Greater Lord, the grand sages knew not what to do with this seemingly powerless replacement, not understanding the significance of the child that lay where their archon perished. Only a small group, who came to be known as the ‘caretakers’ understood the importance of the lesser lord.

This woman is a direct descendant of the very first, and though she was now the last, the bundle in her arms provided solace that she was not the very last.

The woman, Halima, passes through the barrier, the last of her people and the last citizen of Sumeru to be able to do so freely, without permission and without consequence.

As she kneels in reverence, Her long, luscious pink braid falls over her shoulder, strands delicately framing her face, contrasting beautifully with her light brown skin. She wears no Akasha terminal, yet is wise beyond her years.

“My lord, I hope you forgive my intrusion.”

“Hush, Halima,” the young girl huffs. “The sages aren’t here, and you know I hate it when you speak to me so. You are always welcome here, to me.”

Halima laughs softly, rising to her feet once more. “My apologies, it's been many moons, I just wished to honor you once more.”

The dendro archon notices that despite the soft dark circles beneath her yellow-gold eyes, Halima looks wonderful, happy, and healthy.

“I’m happy to see the birth went smoothly, and that you are still in good health.” She states, a warm smile crossing her lips.

“And you, my lord? Have you been faring well? Have they been treating you with kindness?”

The girl smiles, though it doesn’t meet her eyes. “As kind as they’re able.” She says. “They bring me books from the House, food if I feel like eating, though nothing compares to your cooking.”

The woman smiles. “I’ll bring you some fresh candied ajilenakh nuts as soon as possible, my lord. I know how much you adore sweets.”

“Mostly just your sweets, but yes, I’ve not experienced a sugar rush in quite some time. I look forward to it.” The girl waves a small hand dismissively before peering shyly over her shoulder. “Enough about me, please. Can I…meet the baby?”

Halima's smile could not have been any wider as she stepped closer and sat on the raised dias next to her god.

The bundle of fabric in her arms coos once more, and Halima moves the soft cloth aside to reveal a small pale face, topped with tufts of pale pink hair. Large, golden yellow eyes stare up at the archon, empty and unknowing of the significance of this moment.

“I see she inherited her fathers complexion,” the girl says, running a hand just above the baby's skin, not quite touching yet wishing to, all the same. “But her eyes are yours.”

“That they are. We thought for so long that she would be a boy, so the name Elijah was all we could think about. But when she came, we knew it didn’t suit her.”

“Elijah.” The archon said. “A name of reverence. I would have been honoured. What name did you go with instead?”

“Don’t laugh,” Halima said. “But we chose Elirah instead. Similar, yet the meaning changes with that one letter.”

“Oh?”

“Loosely, it means freedom bringer. I thought it was fitting, as I pray that she will be the one to help free you from this… cage, you seem to keep yourself locked in.”

Nahida smiles softly, her eyes filled with a sadness no one else had ever taken the time to notice. “I’ll continue to let my people do what they think is best.”

Halima’s face falls, serious and stern. Nahida supposes that happens when you become a mother. “And I’ll continue to have faith in your wisdom, my lord.”

—————

“FOR FUCKS SAKE, LET ME THROUGH!”

Lyney holds the young woman’s arms, keeping her from the door to the House.

“I’m sorry Eli, but I’m under strict orders to keep you here, you have to understand.”

“Fuck you, Lyney. You lied to me! I thought….” She pulls back, running her nails through her scalp, eyes wild. “I thought we were friends! I thought we… I thought you liked me!”

He steps closer, though he tries not to feel much about the way she steps back like he burned her, like he was a threat.

“I’m sorry Elirah, it’s not… it’s orders from Father, I don’t even know why—“

“Fuck you, and fuck your Knave, Lyney. How dare you keep me from my duty. How dare you keep me in the dark when my archon is in danger.” Something in Elirah snaps, and her face falls, all emotion draining from it— the same mask she had before he and his siblings wormed their way into her heart.

“The Fatui have already taken everything from me. I should’ve known better than to trust you.”

Lyney would be a monster if he said what was left of his heart didn’t break a little at her words. But even still, he had his own duty to fulfill.

“I cannot let you leave Elirah.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the air in the room started swirling, as if a vacuum had appeared. His lungs grew strained, and he found himself choking and gasping for the air that was no longer there, that was instead swirling towards the woman in front of him, wiping around her like a vortex.

Her eyes were hard as she watched him fall to his knees, choking and shaking with the need to breathe.

“You cannot keep me, Lyney. I will never be anyone’s prisoner.”

She walks calmly towards the door, and as soon as her hand touches the handle, the pressure drops, and oxygen fills Lyneys lungs once more. She opens the door, and walks out, completely disregarding Lynette and Freminet as they rush in to Lyneys side.

Lynette takes one look at Lyney on his knees and turns to rush after Elirah, but Lyneys strained voice calls her back.

“Wait—“ he coughs. “Let her go. We’ve done what we were asked. Two months. Keep her for two months, longer if possible.”

“But Lyney, she-“ Lynette starts, fury clouding her normally neutral expression.

“It’s fine,” Lyney breathes shakily, sitting back and looking at the ceiling. “It’s nothing I didn’t deserve.”

————-

“Remember that favor you owe me?”

The rest of the Harbingers had shuffled out of the meeting, though the Doctor lingered, and his eyes bore through that mask directly at the Knave, so she too lingered, if only to keep him from following her to pester her about it later.

“You’ll never allow me to forget it, Doctor.”

His wicked grin spread across his face, sharp teeth gleaming in the light of the crystalline chandeliers. She could never tell if this one was the original, or just a copy so perfect it was impossible to tell.

“I’d like to cash it in now, if you do not mind.”

The Knave rolled her eyes. “You speak as though you’re giving me a choice. Skip the pleasantries, just tell me what you want.”

The Doctor inspected a non-existent loose thread on his immaculate gloves. “I need your children to take care of a problem for me.”

“Absolutely not. I will never have my children carry out one of your filthy misdeeds. Their hands will stay clean for as long as I’m able to keep them that way. Why don’t you have one of your beloved assets take care of this, why my children?”

The Doctor tuts in disapproval. “You didn’t even give me a chance to explain! I don’t need them to get their hands dirty, which is precisely why I cannot send one of my assets to do it for me.”

The Knave seemed to release the tension from her shoulders, and so the Doctor took that as approval to continue.

“I need them to… distract someone for me. Two months, more if possible. She’s a hindrance to some plans I have, and I cannot allow her to get in my way.”

“And why don’t you just take her out? Isn’t that more your style?”

The Doctor kissed the front of his teeth, staring around the grand meeting room as if it was far more interesting than whatever explanation he had to give.

“I may have been the downfall of the girl's parents, and in the interest of not invoking any more potential wrath from a certain adversary of mine, I’d like to leave the girl be, for now.”

The Knave deadpanned. “How generous of you.”

“So, is this task clean enough for your precious children? Or will I have to take other measures?”

“It’s fine,” she said. “But how will you get the girl there? What will be the excuse? My twins can only distract so much, and if this one is a problem, I don't want them to have to work more than necessary.”

The Doctor sighed, walking towards the door. “I’ll have the sages at the Akademiya send you a proposal. Orphanages or whatever sparks your interest. A collaboration between Sumeru’s brightest and the House of the Hearth, for the betterment of Fontaine's children, all with this problem girl as the Akademiya’s most willing representative.”

He waved his hand dismissively, “I look forward to working with you again in the future!”

—————

The air in Lambads tavern was thick with tension, and the other patrons tried to no avail to avoid hearing the argument that had broken out at a certain table in the back.

Elirah, normally calm and collected, was showing various amounts of emotion normally reserved for the people she was closest to. Somewhere in the deep recesses of her mind, she supposed these people were who she was closest to, but right now, she wanted to strangle Alhaitham with her bare hands.

Kaveh watched in abject horror as the argument between them went back and forth, poison dripped words lashing out, and though Alhaitham maintained that irritatingly calm and collected demeanor, he could see a couple veins straining in his forearms, like he was holding back quite a bit.

Alhaitham and Elirah never saw eye to eye, but this was new. Elirah was on edge after returning to her home only to find out that a plot to overthrow her archon had formed directly under her nose, and that she specifically had been sent away and kept in the dark to prevent her from doing anything about it.

Kaveh doesn’t remember how this argument started, all he knows is that now, Elirah is stood up out of her seat, leaning across the table and pointing a rather accusatory finger at Alhaitham’s chest, keeping it there even as she let him strike back.

“My apologies, freedom bringer,” Alhaitham sneered the honored name as if it was a slur, as he gestured to her anemo vision. “Apologies— that I was the one who had to organize the freedom of your beloved archon, maybe don’t flit off on vacation and next time I won't have to do your job for you.”

Now, everyone knew that Elirah never wanted to go to Fontaine. Elirahs father was from Fontaine, and even before her parents were killed, Elirah never wanted to travel far away from her archon, from her duty. Especially to Fontaine, where she would be reminded of her father everywhere she looked.

Alhaitham knew it wasn’t her choice, and he also knew that she hadn’t been on vacation. Later, when asked why he said what he said, he’d say that it was a mistake, a snap decision made in anger.

Alhaitham knew all this as the venomous words slipped from his tongue, and so when Elirahs hand raised to slap him, he allowed it to connect to his cheek with a crack that resonated throughout the now silent tavern.

Maybe he’d said it because he resented her. For a woman who never set foot in the Akademiya other than to bring books from the House of Daena back and forth, she was the Archon's most trusted advisor. And she was so goddamn intelligent it hurt. Alhaitham conceded (in the deepest, darkest, most shameful parts of his mind,) that Elirah held the kind of wisdom that couldn’t come from books, lectures, or even from a blessing from the dendro archon herself. Elirah was smart because she listened. Watched. Observed like a hawk and acted instinctually, and usually, those instincts were spot on. It was like she didn’t ever have to work for it, it just came so naturally, and he despised that.

So as he watched her down the rest of her drink, and rub her now stinging hand on the fabric of her sash before storming out of the tavern, something inside him shifted a bit as he watched her leave.

——————

“I take it Lord Kusanali told you.”

Elirah looked at him as if she was seeing him for the first time.

“So, have you come to take your anger out on me?” He asked.

“What?” She scrunched her nose in confusion.

“Everyone who knows you even a fraction knows that you harbor a deep resentment for the Fatui, especially its Harbingers.” He stands from the edge of the cliff he was sitting on, spreading his arms out wide. “I was directly responsible for the threat against your archon, one of the Harbingers you so desperately loathe. My only conclusion is that you’ve come to kill me, or at the very least make a decent attempt at it.”

Elirah crossed her arms and leaned her weight into her left leg. “I don’t want to kill you.” She looked him up and down. “In fact— at the expense of your pride, I’d actually like to say I pity you.”

An arc of sharpened wind flies through the air and she barely dodges it, curving her body just in time. Her attention flicks back to him just as he ascends into what she later found out to be called his ‘windfavoured’ state. (“That’s rather cute,” she’d said, teasingly. “Say that again and I’ll kill you,” he’d said, with no true malice behind it.)

He rose through the air and she couldn’t help but think he looked rather ethereal, even as he raged at her.

She summoned her sun spear with ease, knocking his attacks as quick as he was throwing them. He was fast, and she found herself breaking into a sweat within mere minutes.

“You were a victim!” She yelled over the raging winds surrounding them. Their shared elemental power thrumming around them. She parried another strike, and called upon the winds to throw him out of the air.

He screamed as he fell, anger and fury slathered across his expression as he caught himself at the last minute, charging towards her.

“You were a victim just as much as the rest of us!” But he wasn’t listening.

He came at her, blinded by emotion, and if she'd had the time to stop and assess, she would have made note about the tears forming in his eyes.

She dodged a few more strikes before swiping her polearm in a wide arc at his feet, knocking them out from under him with the blunt of it. (Though she felt rather bad, even though it wasn’t the bladed edge, her polearm was quite ornate, and that couldn’t have felt great either way.)

She launched herself atop him as he fell, bringing the pointed tips of her spear into the ground just beside his face. Her hand fell to the other side of him, caging him in as she sat on his abdomen.

His eyes were wide, frozen in shock, and the tears started to flow freely as she spoke in labored breaths.

“You are a victim of him, just as much as me.” Elirah said, sweat dripping down her throat. “He took so much more from you, though.”

She searched his eyes, watching him calm and realizing what it was she was really saying.

“I don’t pity you, I’m sorry for saying that. You’ve done a lot of wrong things, and you made mistakes, but if I had been through at least half of what you’ve lived, I think I’d have made the same mistakes. Worse ones, even.”

It’s only now that she realizes she has him pinned at the very edge of the cliff, and she can see the drop below if she looks just above his head.

She drops her head to his chest, still leaning her weight on her polearm.

“I… I’m sorry you had to go through it all. I want to… be there for you. I want to be someone that doesn’t leave you, because I need someone who won't leave me either.”

As she huffs out a few steady breaths, they hitch when she feels his arms wrap around her, and she squeaks a bit when he pulls her entire weight into him in a hold both desperate and gentle.

She relaxes once she realizes what’s happening, and wraps her arms around him too.

They’d been quick friends after his existence had been erased, though she surmised that you can’t really erase someone’s existence, just others' knowledge of it. After Nahida had told her the truth she was mad at first, but the look in Nahidas eyes made her calm down and re-evaluate.

She didn’t want to lose someone who finally understood her pain, and she didn’t want to abandon someone who so desperately needed anyone— anyone to understand his own.

“If you tell anyone about this, I’ll kill you in your sleep.”

And she giggled.

———

“When were you going to tell me you’re the anemo archon?”

Venti spit out his wine in shock before staring at the puddle in his lap with a pout. He tried to play it off, scratching behind his ear with an exasperated smile.

“What are you talking about? Everyone knows I’m just a humble bar—“

“I’m not an idiot, Venti.”

He drops the mask, resting an arm on his knee to lean his face into the heel of his palm, gazing at her with lidded eyes.

“No, you’re not. You’re rather perceptive, actually. So tell me, freedom bringer,” (and oh how he loved the way she cringed when he called her that, knowing what she knows.) “how did you come to such a conclusion?”

She leans closer to the trunk of the tree they were lounging on, closer to Liyue’s borders than she’d been in a long time, just so that if she squinted, she imagined she might see the peaks of Dragonspine from their usual meet up spot.

The wine in her travel cup sloshes against its container as she scoots closer and rests her head on Venti’s shoulder. She’s barely old enough to have purchased the wine, but had been doing so from the very beginning, back when she thought this really was just a budding friendship between two bearers of the same elemental power.

“You’re an anemo vision bearing bard from Mond, and at first I thought maybe you were just a very dedicated follower of Barbatos, what with your braids and all,” she reaches up and tugs on one gently, making him snicker. “Very subtle, you know.”

“But the energy around you feels… different. It’s different from any vision bearer I’ve met before.” She looks up at him, and he suddenly seems much bigger than before, a little more distant, untouchable, despite her body pressed against his.

“It feels like Nahidas energy, and when I came to that conclusion it all fell together for me.” She smiled at him, wine warming her cheeks. “And when that happened, I remembered.”

He took another sip of his wine. “Remembered what?”

She nuzzled closer to him, looking out at the landscape once more. “I remembered a voice,” she said. “Soft and comforting. A presence like a warm hug holding me, making me feel safe in moments where I felt most trapped.”

“Hmm.” He wouldn’t meet her eyes, but she could see a flush along his cheeks that pointed towards the obvious.

“It’s the same feeling I have whenever we meet, like this. I thought such kindness was reserved only for the people of Mondstadt?”

He scoffed a little then, wrapping his arm around her. “The anemo archon’s benevolence isn’t reserved for the people solely of his nation, Elirah. Anyone who bears the mark of anemo is automatically guaranteed his love and comfort. Hence why anemo vision bearers tend to be those who need it the most.”

She hummed, resting her full weight against him. “I see.”

“Don’t go treating me differently now though,” there was a lilt to his voice again, his bright humour trying to break through the seriousness. Elirah couldn’t tell which version of him she preferred. Maybe both.

“If that's what you want, can I do something I’ve wanted to do since before I realized?”

“Of course!” He giggled. The bright tone was back, the mask slipping back on just as easily as he let it fall. “Whatever you desire—“

Her hands slid up to his cheeks, and before he could process what was happening, Elirah was kissing him. His eyes widened in shock before he let them slip closed, letting his near empty cup fall as instinct took over, and he pressed deeper into her embrace, meeting her kiss with passion.

He let himself lay her back to loom over her, their lips only parting when he realized what it was he was actually doing.

“Wait—“ he pulled back abruptly. “I can’t. I can't take advantage of you like this.”

“You’re not, Venti.” She said, shaking her head and attempting to pull him back to her.

“I…” he shook his head, half heartedly attempting to pull from her embrace. “I know you’ve never… I couldn’t possibly be the one to take that from you… knowing what you know— it feels like I’d be taking advantage.”

She laughed, and he couldn’t help but smile. Her laugh sounded like the softest bells, like twinkling starlight. If he wasn’t careful, he could get himself into some serious trouble with this one.

“Seriously, Elirah.” He shook the grin free. “And I can’t… I cant be yours, not completely, not the way that humans do. I can’t—“

“Who ever said I wanted that?”

He blinked at her.

“I’m not stupid, Venti. Your loyalty is to your people, and mine is to my Archon.” She grinned at the way he inwardly cringed a little. “I’m not asking for your hand in marriage, I’m asking you to let me have my first time with someone I trust, and who I know won’t hurt me.”

“By the seven, can you get any more perfect?” He cussed under his breath as he stared at her in bewilderment.

She quirked an eyebrow at his choice of phrase, and he couldn’t help but break out in a fit of giggles.

“Sorry, it's a bad habit of mine.” He snorts. “It comes with pretending for so long.”

She shushed him with a grin, and he let her pull him back into her.

“Shut up and kiss me, Barbatos.” She said against his lips.

“As you wish.” He grinned.

—————-

“Never have I ever… been skinny dipping.”

Eli laughed. “Seriously, Kaveh? Never?” She took a sip of her drink.

Kaveh chuckled, his face flushed. “I’ve never had the opportunity!”

“Well, we’ll have to rectify that,” Elirah said with a smile and a wink. It was only until after Kavehs flush spread down to his chest that she realized the sexual connotation behind that comment, but it was too late to take it back. Besides…. Kaveh, naked, splashing around in the water, laughing and glistening in the moonlight? Yeah, she wouldn’t complain about that one bit.

To no surprise, Tighnari and Cyno both took a healthy sip of their drinks, but even Elirah gawked when Alhaitham took a sip.

“You?” Kaveh beat her to it, exclaiming in shock. “You’re so uptight I’m surprised you even shower naked, let alone swim where anyone can see you!”

“You and I both know I’ve caught you staring at me fresh out of the shower more than enough times for you to realize there really is nothing beneath that towel, Kaveh.”

Kaveh sputters, face now the attractive shade of a tomato, while everyone else laughs lightheartedly. Though she and Alhaitham aren’t on the best of terms still, even she can admit that Alhaitham’s physical appearance would be… distracting to say the least, especially having to see it every morning and night. It’s a shame it came attached to such an infuriating personality.

The Wanderer returns from the kitchen with another platter of drinks, setting them down at the low coffee table they were all sat around.

“What did I miss?” He asked Eli.

Eli absentmindedly takes another sip of her drink, despite the round being over. “Hmm. Kaveh has never been skinny dipping, though surprisingly Alhaitham has, and we all learned that Kaveh is indeed human, and immune to the charms of ‘Haithams rippling pectorals.”

If she noticed Alhaitham’s subtle flush at her choice of words, she didn’t make a comment.

The Wanderer smirks, sitting down next to Eli and raising his cup in Kavehs direction.

“To Kaveh’s humanity.” He said dryly.

They all raised their glasses in mock cheers, laughing with Kaveh as his neck returned to its normal colour.

They’re all a little looser, more pliant, many rounds of drinks and laughter being the best explanation. Maybe its also because at their core, these people are friends. Despite their differences, past fights, present grudges, they care about each other, and a chance like this to unwind doesn’t come by very often.

Kaveh turns to Cyno, nudging him with his arm. “Hey, I think it's your turn.”

Cyno rubs his hands together excitedly, his helm long been tossed aside so that Tighnari may play with his hair freely, as he tends to do when inebriated.

“Never have I ever….” He hums, thinking on his choice. “Ah! Never have I ever had sexual relations with someone of a higher status than me, be it social, financial, political status, or otherwise.”

Elirah watched as Tighnari took a sip from his glass without ever breaking eye contact from Cyno, and she supposed that the general Mahamatra was of higher status than most people in Sumeru. She held back a snicker at the way Cyno’s face twisted in fluster.

Both Kaveh and Alhaitham looked away from each other as they took their sips, and Elirah attempted to do the math on that one.

They had to have slept together at least once, their chemistry was undeniable, despite the bickering. For Alhaitham, he would have had to sleep with Kaveh during their akademiya years for Kaveh to count as someone of a higher status, and for Kaveh, he would have had to sleep with Alhaitham….

Does the scribe count as a higher position than the light of kshahrewar? Or does that mean… if he’s slept with him recently, the acting grand sage certainly has a higher status than most everyone in Sumeru.

Or perhaps she’s reading too far into things, they could be drinking for entirely different reasons, and she’s just a pervert for thinking about this so much.

Finally, she realizes she has to take a sip, and as she does, everyone turns to her in their own respective shock.

“…what?”

Kaveh coughs, and Cyno looks to Tighnari in a silent plea. The fox sighs, and sits up to speak.

“Well, its just that you are a very dedicated person to your archon, Elirah, I don’t think any of us would have expected you to uh… even have done something like that.”

She scoffs, taking another absentminded sip of her drink.

“No, seriously, I have to know,” Kaveh said, leaning over the coffee table. “There’s not many people who have a higher status than the dendro archons right hand. Except maybe her left one,” he looks to The Wanderer, whose cheeks flush.

“Certainly wasn’t me.”

Elirah laughed and nudged his shoulder, which only deepened his flush. She found this curious, but let the matter be.

“Who…” Kaveh looked around, glancing to Cyno before shaking his head, and then pointedly looking between Elirah and Alhaitham.

“Whatever you’re thinking, stop right now, because you couldn’t be farther from the truth.” Alhaitham said, with zero emotion.

Elirah scoffed, As if I would sleep with him in the first place. But in the deepest, darkest parts of her mind, a tiny voice whispered. “As if he would ever sleep with you.”

Kaveh laughed, “yeah I knew that was a long shot.” He slammed his hands on the table, “seriously, Eli, Who!?”

She flushed, fiddling with her vision on her hip. She stared at it a bit longingly, and debated whether or not she should tell the truth.

The Wanderer beat her to it. “You didn’t.”

She turned inwards on herself, her cheeks warming once more.

“Ugh, you did, didn’t you?”

“What?” Kaveh nearly screeched, “who?”

Everyone was watching her now, waiting for the Wanderer to elaborate.

“She fucked the goddamn bard.” He sighed softly, shaking his head with his fingers pressing to his temples.

Kaveh’s nose scrunched up in confusion. “What?”

“The Anemo Archon, you numbskull, Elirah slept with Barbatos.”

All hell seemed to break loose as both Cyno and Tighnari immediately broke into a flurry of rushed questions, and Kaveh started waving his hands in the air while he screeched in drunken stupor.

The only person who wasn’t surprised seemed to be Alhaitham who— when their eyes met for the briefest of moments, only gave her a slight nod, as if to say “well done.”

“What was it like?” Kaveh’s question broke through the noise, and she laughed a little.

“It was just like sex with anyone else? Although, the archons have this… intensity about them. I’ll admit, I was extremely upset when I received my anemo vision. I had prayed endlessly for a dendro vision to feel more connected with Lord Kusanali. But after spending… time with the anemo archon, I think I understand why I was chosen for the gift of anemo after all.” She was rambling to cover her embarrassment, but every word was true.

“Wow… you’re kind of incredible, Elirah, do you know how many people dream of having a singular encounter with a god like that? I mean—“

“Singular?” The Wanderer scoffed. “Knowing what I know, that air headed bard took one look at our girl, and decided once just wasn’t enough.”

Elirah tried no to think too terribly hard about the way he said our girl. Was she truly theirs? What was in this alcohol?

Her flush must have been mistaken for confirmation, which wasn’t inaccurate, and Kaveh slammed his fists on the table once more.

“WHAT?!”

——

A small cloaked figure stands on a hill, overlooking the valley below.

The rain pours down, hard enough to soak through to the bone, and to anyone else, it would have been enough to rack shivers throughout one's body, causing that dreaded internal ache that one feels when a sickness is creeping upon them.

The figure stood deathly still, waiting for movement in the encampment below. It had taken her many weeks to find this place, but at last she stood before it.

A flicker of movement caught her eye, and she could almost hear a faint whisper, as if someone was trying to call her away, away from her mission.

She charged through the moonlight, more silent than the windless mare jivari and just as deadly.

The movement that had caught her eye was none other than her target, and she reveled in the destruction she would bring him.

This fatui grunt and his fellow sinners weren’t the ones who gave the order, but they were the ones who carried it out. She’d find the one who’s made the decision to slaughter her parents soon enough, and they too would know the sharpest edges of her spear.

Her vision burned at her hip, and in the back of her mind she noted how that was a strange feeling, that anemo never burned before.

The whispering grew louder, more voices, more warnings, more attempts to pull her back, but the blood rushing in her ears was too loud.

Though she had not yet reached 16 years of age, the girl spent the majority of her waking hours honing her skills for the day that she may have to protect her Archon from imminent danger. This was her duty, and she lived and breathed it.

The camp stood no chance, really.

In the aftermath, she looked around with heavy breaths as the memories of what she had just done flashed before her eyes. She’d never stolen the breath from someone’s chest before, but watching that man's eyes widen in panic as his hands clutched his throat brought a joy to her soul that she’d never known before.

The whispers and warnings had died the moment blood touched her spear, and now she stood alone, only the sound of the rain to soothe her racing mind.

She should feel relieved, she felt joy when taking that man's life, she enacted her revenge. So why did it still hurt? Why did the hole in her heart still throb with the emptiness she so desperately tried to fill?

She looked around at the destruction she’d created.

No, this isn’t what she needed.

The mask began to slip, and she felt the first tear fall down her rain soaked face.

She crumpled to the ground and began to sob, clutching at herself desperately as if she was going to fall apart.

She didn’t want this. All she wanted was to feel the loving embrace of her mother again, smell her sweet padisarah perfume, hear her fathers booming laughter and see the twinkle in his eyes as he held the two people closest to him.

Her body ached now, and the gut wrenching sobs continued as the rain poured harder. It felt as though it would never end. Like she would be trapped in this state of agony forever more.

Suddenly, and much to her surprise, a warmth spread from her chest outward, seemingly wrapping her in an embrace that felt much like her mothers, only this one was ethereal.

It numbed her all over, ceasing her shivers as she closed her eyes and basked in its glow.

It was comforting, smelled like the dandelion wine her father loved to have imported, like a cloudless summer day. It felt like a warm breeze was caressing her skin, and she found herself slipping into it, slowly losing consciousness.

“I know, I know.” A soft, melodic voice said, though seemingly far away from her as her eyes grew heavier. “You didn’t listen, we tried to warn you.”

Warm hands held her aching body, and she fell into this ethereal presence and its embrace, too exhausted to care anymore.

“Not everything must be a lesson to learn, but you’ve certainly learned yours, haven’t you, little one?”

She found herself nodding, tears still streaming silently as her consciousness truly began to slip away.

“Let’s get you back to your patron,” the voice said, warbled and fading. “She’s awfully worried about you.”

——

“If you weren’t so godsdamned irritating, I’d actually have to commend you on your work fixing up the akademiya, Acting Grand Sage.”

She’d come here to drink with Kaveh. She’d come here to gossip with her best friend and unwind and not think about how much she loathed Alhaitham, but yet here she was.

“Elirah—“

“No, really. If I didn’t know you were such a control freak, I actually might have guessed that you’d been slacking off on your duties, maybe letting everyone else handle your job for you.” She took another sip of her wine. “But we all know that despite your laziness, your arrogant need for complete perfection outweighs anything else.”

“Eli, I—“

“The akademiya has always been a cesspool of proud, ignorant know it alls who think that they’re better than everyone else, solely because they’re more well off than most. At least with you at the helm, maybe they’ll actually have some merit behind them!” Sarcasm dripped from her lips, her fury at him knowing no rest.

She usually kept herself together for Kaveh’s sake. Tighnari and Cyno too. But Kaveh was running late with a potential client, and Alhaithams house was quiet and dark save for the candle lighting up the living room where they sat. He at least got her some of his expensive wine, which is half of what she came here for in the first place.

She opened her mouth to speak once more, but he cut her off this time, silencing her with two words.

“I’m sorry.”

She blinked at him, and looked down at her cup. What was in the alcohol this man buys? Was it hallucinogenic?

“I’m sorry, Elirah.” He said once more.

She narrowed her eyes at him in suspicion, though her traitorous heart fluttered in her chest.

“Why?” She said simply.

“Why am I sorry?” He seemed like he wanted to quip a less than appropriate retort at her, but caught himself and took a deep breath instead.

“I shouldn’t have said what I said that night in the tavern.” He sighed. “It was wrong, and incredibly cruel of me, and I apologize.”

“Why did you say it?” Her voice sounded smaller than she wanted it to, and she cursed herself mentally, thrice for it.

He looked pained as he searched for the words, and she found that rather ironic, considering his area of study.

“I… was frustrated.” He said slowly. “You were angry, lashing out at me, and even though I knew your emotions were valid, something about the way you were acting had me feeling so… irrational.”

She stayed silent, not wanting to spook off this rare and honest Alhaitham.

“You had no where to place your anger, and I knew tossing it in my direction was your easiest choice, but…” he paused, and for a moment she thought his face might look a little flushed in the candle light.

“Seeing you so angry with me set off this deep, disgusting emotional reaction inside of me, and like a child, I acted out, wanting to give you something to truly be angry about.”

His words hit her with the force of a charging sumpter beast.

Alhaitham made a bad decision based purely on emotions? No fucking way.

“You…”

“Yes,” he said, taking a healthy swallow of his wine. “For some reason, you are one of the few people in this world able to set me off in ways I find completely illogical and unacceptable. Much to my dismay…”

He trailed off, watching as Elirah stood from her seat on the couch and walked around the coffee table towards him. In the low candlelight, she stood before him, much closer than they had been in months.

She was so small compared to him, stood between his relaxed legs, she was still able to meet his gaze head on, watching his eyes search hers for answers she didn’t even think she had.

She raised her hand, and for a moment he thought she might strike him again.

His breath hitched when her palm cupped the side of his face with a gentleness he was not expecting.

The warm glow of the candle bounced off her long pink hair, backlighting her with an ethereal glow. It reflected in the warm orange rimming his pupils, and she stared at the glimmer there for longer than she meant to.

“You make me act irrationally, Elirah.”

“As you’ve said, Alhaitham.”

“I’m only reminding you because I’m not entirely certain what I’ll do if you keep touching me like this much longer.” He breathed.

“Oh?” Her face was serene and neutral, with a slight quirk of her brow now. “Like what?”

Her other hand slid to cup the opposite cheek, a gentle kind of touch he’d not allowed since archons know when.

“Like this?”

She applied the slightest bit of pressure, raising his head ever so slightly, and something snapped.

His hands rushed her hips, pulling her into his lap with record speed, and brought her face so close that their noses brushed against each other.

His breathing was heavy and labored as his gaze shifted from her eyes to her lips and back up again.

“Tell me to stop, tell me you don’t want this.” His hands squeezed at the flesh on her hips, like he was begging her to do anything but.

“No,” she said. “Never.”

“I’m serious, Elirah.” Their lips brushed now, and she swallowed a whimper. “Push me away and tell me never to touch you again. Tell me you don’t want this or I don't know what I’ll do.”

Her hands slid from his cheeks to the back of his neck, and he groaned, deep and low in his chest as she ran her fingernails through the trimmed hair at the nape.

“I want this,” she whispered into his open, panting mouth. “I’ve wanted this.”

The fraying cord inside him truly snapped, and he devoured her with a desperation he’d not known since… well he didn’t have time to think about the last time he felt this way.

Not with the way she met his kiss with fervor, consuming like he was a shining oasis and she was a dying traveler wandering in the desert.

She ground herself into his lap and moaned into the kiss, panting as his right hand moved from her hip and wound itself in the hair at the back of her head, holding her to him so that he may take from her mouth as he pleased.

He could feel his control ebbing away, and his mind felt like a wetland after a cool evening of rain, a deep fog rolled over and cloaked his senses in her, her, nothing but her.

The front door slammed shut, and the moment broke as they turned and saw Kaveh standing wide eyed in the foyer, the key he always seemed to forget dangling in his limp hand as he stared at the two people on the couch.

“I mean….” Kaveh swallowed hard, tongue darting out to wet his lips as his eyes flashed between them. “Don’t stop on my account.”

——————

“Some of my Watchers found it during their last tour through here, and thankfully they had the sense to wait and tell me about it before they went too deep.”

Tighnari led the group deep into the northern parts of Devantaka Mountain, sidestepping plants and jumping gnarled tree roots with practiced ease.

It was a brief lull in everyone’s respective responsibilities, and Tighnari suggested a group trip to explore a cave opening that had recently been discovered, with interesting flora and elemental energy thrumming within.

“To bring us closer together as friends,” the fox had said. Surely he had no idea how close she, Alhaitham and Kaveh had become over the span of a wine fueled night, but that was irrelevant.

Elirah shook the thoughts from her head, earning a quirked eyebrow from Cyno. She smiled sheepishly at him and continued her trek through the marsh, avoiding deeper points in the water and suspicious looking plants as Tighnari did.

Kaveh rushed up to the front of the group where she was keeping pace with the fox, and linked his arm into hers.

“I need your support right now, or I’ll fall and ruin this cloak.” He said with a chuckle.

“Why not lean on Alhaitham?” Tighnari called out behind him, jumping over a fallen tree. “Surely he’s more sturdy than poor Eli.”

She tried not to roll her eyes. “I’m perfectly sturdy!”

“Yeah!” Kaveh said defensively, though his grin was still present. “Plus, I can’t guarantee whether ‘Haitham would just let me fall or not!”

Behind them, Alhaitham grumbled something to Cyno, who in turn just shrugged with a smile.

“Haitham, huh.” Eli grinned, voice low enough just to tease Kaveh.

“Shut up!” He hissed under his breath. “You started it, it's just in my head now.”

“Mhmmm.” Eli said, walking a bit slower to make sure he didn’t slip.

“So,” he pulled her a bit closer as they walked. “Are we going to talk about it?”

“Talk about what?” Elirah genuinely asked.

Kaveh groaned. “Please don’t make me say it.”

“Oh,” she said, looking up at him. “If you don’t even want to say it, what’s there to talk about? I’m fine if you are.”

He looked down at her, their respective height differences more evident now than ever, it seemed. “I’m fine, its just—“

“What are we talking about?”

They screamed, jolting apart as Tighnari was suddenly in front of them, having stopped his trek ahead to let them catch up. The fox lived for drama and gossip, and his tail swished subtly as he looked back and forth between the two of them.

“No, nothing.” Kaveh said. “We’re not talking about anything.”

Elirah blinked at him but said nothing, following Kaveh’s lead despite not understanding why he was so adamant. Tighnari was extremely perceptive, and would definitely find out eventually.

“Alright, well we’ve made it.” He said, gesturing at a disturbed pile of rubble. The entrance was just large enough that Elirah could crouch through if she ducked, and she snickered a bit thinking about how Alhaitham and Kaveh were going to fit through.

“I’ll go first, just to make sure it’s safe.”

Tighnari flattened his ears to his head and ducked into the hole, squeezing his shoulders tight before disappearing into the relative darkness within.

After a few tense moments, the group outside heard a faint “Clear!” Before they all released a relieved exhale.

“After you,” Alhaitham said, gesturing at the tight squeeze.

“Yeah,” Kaveh scoffed. “You just want us all in first so we can’t watch you struggle to fit!”

Alhaitham crossed his arms over his broad chest, the faintest glimmer of a smirk hinting at his lips. “What, like I struggled to fit in—“

“AHBAH BAP BAHHH!” Kaveh blabbered, quickly shoving his hands across Alhaithams mouth. “Shut the fuck up, right now. No.”

Cyno looked to Elirah. “Do I even want to ask?”

She deadpanned, looking at the two who were still silently bickering with one another.

“No, you probably don’t.”

“That’s it!!” Kaveh nearly screeched, pushing Alhaitham back a bit. “I’m going in, you can do and say whatever you please when I’m out of earshot, thank you.”

Kaveh grabbed the loose ends of his cloak and tucked them close to his chest as he muttered about potential stains, and crouched and shoved his way into the entrance— albeit less than elegantly.

“I’ll go so I can help you through, it looks like there's a bit of a drop.” Cyno said, taking off his helm before tucking it under his arm and shouldering his way through the entrance.

“Thank you,” she said as he walked past, eyeing Alhaitham pointedly. “What a gentleman.”

Alhaitham rolled his eyes and watched as Cyno disappeared into the entrance.

Elirah stepped up towards the hole and paused, suddenly feeling a bit nervous, despite knowing Cyno was on the other side of the darkness, waiting to aid her through.

Warm hands appeared at her sides, and Alhaithams warm breath brushed against her ear as he leaned behind her.

“Scared?”

“No.” She said, “Just taking my time.”

“Well, don’t take too long,” he said, the faintest smile slipping through his tone. “They might wonder what we’re doing up here.”

“You’re awfully bold these days.” She said, ignoring the heat pooling south.

“You have that effect on more than just me these days, Elirah.”

She scoffed. “He just wanted support through the marsh, Alhaitham. No need to be jealous.”

“He wanted his hands on you somehow, Elirah.” He said, squeezing her waist. “I'm sure he’ll find more opportunities to keep them there. As will I.”

She huffed, rolling her eyes at the insatiable nature of the two men these last couple days. Like horny teenagers. She thought.

She steadied herself and ducked into the entrance, finding it to be a small tunnel that dropped off into more darkness, but cynos electro vision glowed faintly just a foot below her eye line,

“Here,” he said, holding out a hand. “I’ve got you.”

Elirah took his hand, feeling the warmth of his other support the small of her back as she jumped down from the small ledge.

What was with these men and treating me like glass these days? She thought. It’s not as if she’d never been exploring before. She was more than capable of taking care of herself, but despite that, some part of her was enjoying the attention.

“Go find those two,” Cyno said, his hands slipping from her. “I’ll wait and make sure he gets through.”

She nodded, using the sound of Kaveh’s voice to guide her through the cavern.

It was thin and tunnel-like, jagged, wet rock lining the walls, and the humidity was surprisingly high—making her feel uncomfortable just within the minute she’d been down here.

The tunnel widened out into a deeper opening, and she stopped to gawk at the beauty of the sight before her.

A natural underground reservoir, water crisp and clear in a deep pool surrounded by hundreds of what were the most beautiful glowing flowers Elirah had ever seen.

Kaveh stood at the edge of the water, he too seemed enraptured by their beauty.

They were a deep, luscious shade of pink, almost the very same as Elirah’s hair. Five large petals that looked as if they were made of rich velvet, just begging to be touched. The core of each flower had three large stem like protrusions, each tapered off and coated with what looked like an obscene amount of pollen, so much so that it clumped in light, fluffy balls around them.

Elirah followed Kaveh to a bundle of the gorgeous flowers close to the waters edge. They illuminated the entire cavern, casting everything in a perfect pink hue, and she giggled when Kaveh looked at her with bewilderment in his eyes.

Tighnari was kneeling at at patch of the flowers on the other side of the water bed, murmuring to himself.

“Bioluminescent, and such a vibrant pink. Where have I heard of this before?” He scratched the back of his head before pulling a book out of his satchel, presumably a guide on rare flora.

Kaveh and Elirah turned their attention back to the flowers in front of them.

“They look so soft…” Kaveh said, his hands shifted as he reached for the velvet petals of the flower closest to him.

Just as his fingertips brushed the petal, Tighnari called out a startled, “SHIT! WAIT!”

The flower curled in on itself, petals closing up before they launched back outwards with a soft *poof!*

And the chain reaction started. Each of the hundreds, if not thousands of delicate flowers all curled up and shot their pollen into the air, one after another, until the air was so thick with it that they couldn’t even see.

It coated their lungs as Tighnari screamed for them to get to the water, but at that point it was already too late.

The three of them rushed to the reservoir, throwing themselves in the water and submerging completely. Elirah stayed beneath the cool water until her lungs burned with the need for oxygen, and she risked rising up towards the surface.

Tighnari and Kaveh were already standing, coughing water and pollen from their lungs, dripping in pink pollen and soaked to the bone.

“Are you both alright?” Tighnari asked, stepping closer.

His overshirt was soaked, clinging to his upper body and showcasing the lean, lithe torso that Elirah had never noticed before.

She turned to Kaveh, who’s white shirt was doing absolutely nothing to cover his torso after being soaked through, and she could see the faintest marks still decorating his pectorals as his shirt clung to his chest and abdominals.

Elirahs skin grew hot, so very hot. They looked divine, and her knees felt weak. Wait, what is happening?

“Tighnari?” Cyno suddenly appeared at the opening of the cavern, Alhaitham in tow. “What happened, I heard you yell!”

Tighnari’s eyes raked along Cynos entire body, and he slowly came to the bed of the reservoir, gripping the natural stone edge until his knuckles strained against his gloves.

“Coolielust lotus.” Tighnari’s breath grew heavy, and his voice was strained. “A shit ton of Coolielust lotus pollen just exploded in our faces.”

“What the hells is a Coolielust lotus?!” Kaveh exclaimed.

“It’s an extremely rare flower thought to be extinct, it normally grew in desert oases, not in the jungle!” Tighnari said.

“It’s also the most powerful aphrodisiac in the world,” Alhaitham said emotionlessly. “And you were just exposed to what looks to be enough to dose an entire city.”

——-

#genshin impact #alhaitham #kaveh #cyno #tighnari #genshin #genshin impact oc #genshin oc #alhaitham x oc #eventual smut #genshin impact smut #genshin oc lore #idk how to tag this to make ppl see it #i also dk how to get ppl to read this #I’m so proud of it but I know x oc isn’t usually popular

34 notes · View notes