BeeTober 2023 Day 6 - Tea spilling
This follows after "Passing of time" and won't make much sense without reading that first.
Albedo bites back a scream of frustration when the third vial of the day shatters in his shaking hands.
He can feel Sucrose’s eyes on him, knows that they are full of worry and pity and even that makes him want to smash something. Albedo has to put his hands on the table in an attempt to stop himself from simply sweeping everything off it and his knees almost buckle when he takes a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself and pain shoots down his back.
It’s not real, everyone has tried to convince him about that, but the pain makes his vision swim and it doesn’t help with the anger inside of him.
And as if Kaeya can feel Albedo burst apart at the seams he strolls into the laboratory.
“My love, Sucrose,” he greets both of them, a knowing look already on his face. “I think it’s time for lunch, Albedo,” Kaeya tells him, his eyes only briefly falling to the mess of shards in front of Albedo and Albedo wants to yell at him, too.
He doesn’t though, because Kaeya deserves better than that, and so he simply takes a step back from the table.
“I’m not hungry,” Albedo bites out, unable to keep the anger still rolling in his stomach completely in check, but it seems as if it doesn’t have any effect on Kaeya.
“But I am,” he simply gives back and looks expectantly at Albedo. “And I would hate to eat on my own.”
It’s not even a lie, Albedo knows that; Kaeya likes it better when Albedo is there as well, even though he barely eats these days. He didn’t need much sustenance before his unfortunate accident in Dragonspine and since then Albedo barely eats anything at all.
His body doesn’t protest the lack of food and Albedo doesn’t see the point in it anymore but Kaeya insists on his company during meal times anyway.
Mostly because his pleading look can get Albedo to eat at least a few bites, Albedo knows that very well, but he still can’t refuse him.
“Fine,” Albedo says, his teeth pressed together hard enough that they crack and Kaeya is by his side a heartbeat later, pressing a kiss to his cheek, Sucrose clearly forgotten. “Careful, petal,” Kaeya whispers, obviously concerned for Albedo’s teeth and despite everything, Albedo finds himself softening at the pet name.
He learned only recently that the golden glow he faintly remembers conjuring was a single petal of his isotoma, which rose just high enough over his own body to alert Kaeya to his position. Albedo finds it kind of sweet that Kaeya has taken to calling him that and he leans into Kaeya’s form.
His body aches less when Kaeya is close, and that too is apparently just his imagination, because according to Jean and Barbara and Bennett and even Baizhu who they visited last week there shouldn’t be any pain in his body to begin with because he has been completely healed.
“Ready to go?” Kaeya wants to know, molding his body around Albedo in a way that means he’s safe and protected and Albedo slowly completely relaxes.
As long as Kaeya is there he’s safe.
“Sure,” Albedo answers and marches out of his own lab to prove that he can function without Kaeya around.
His knees still shake and there’s still the unreasonable thought in his head that he’ll lose time again if he blinks but he marches on. He’s not going to admit to anyone though that he’s straining his hears for Kaeya and that breathing is a little bit easier when he hears him follow.
“My place, I ordered in,” Kaeya says, catching up to him and tangling their fingers together, absolutely uncaring of who might see and even that small gesture makes warmth unfurl in Albedo’s chest.
Kaeya doesn’t care who sees them, doesn’t care who might judge because he’s just here for Albedo and because he loves him, like he says at least once a day since the whole accident.
Albedo is matching him with that, because he still remembers that visceral fear when he thought he might die without ever saying this to Kaeya. It seems a near death experience helps a lot with inhibitions.
“Awfully sure of yourself, huh?” Albedo says, squeezing Kaeya’s hand in his and redirects his steps towards Kaeya’s home.
It might as well be their home at the moment with how often Albedo stays over—every night, because he can’t bear the thought to sleep on his own—and Kaeya even refurnished his study so Klee can have her own room.
It would probably have been easier if they all moved in to Albedo’s home where Klee already has a room but the one time they tried Albedo had a panic attack when he woke up and didn’t see the ceiling he saw when he woke up for the first time after the accident.
That, apparently, is psychological too.
“I just know you well enough,” Kaeya says, raising their hands so he can press a kiss to the back of Albedo’s.
Kaeya has been—not directly clingy lately, but he likes to know where Albedo is. He checks in once, twice a day, and he visibly gets nervous if Albedo isn’t where he said he would be. That, too, seems to be psychological, though Kaeya handles it a little bit better than Albedo does.
The one time Albedo mentioned it to him, Kaeya simply shrugged and told him “You left for Dragonspine, no definite time frame set for your return, and by the time I got worried you were already missing for at least a week. I’m not doing that again.”
It had taken Albedo off guard to hear just how long he had been trapped underneath that stone and even a little over a week was just an estimate. The longest he ever stayed in Dragonspine was a month before he came back for supplies and to see Klee at by the time Kaeya and Bennett found him it was closer to one and a half month since his departure.
Albedo feels faintly sick thinking about how long he might have truly been trapped and the thought of food just makes his stomach turn even faster.
“I’m not hungry,” Albedo informs Kaeya, trusting him to understand just what he really means and understanding softens Kaeya’s features.
“Alright, but I have the tea Baizhu left. You need to at least drink a cup of that.”
His stomach doesn’t protest at the thought of tea, so Albedo nods.
“One cup.”
“Thank you,” Kaeya breathes out, and Albedo hates to see how worried he still is about Albedo even though he’s right here and physically healthy.
It’s not as if his body really needs the sustenance food can provide him, as his little stunt on the mountain made more than clear, but it seems as if that is hard to understand for Kaeya, despite everything.
The smell of food in Kaeya’s apartment almost makes him throw up and Kaeya is quick to open a window with an apologetic smile.
“Gimme a moment to brew the tea for you, okay?” Kaeya says as he disappears in the kitchen and Albedo sits down at the table.
It’s not long before he’s back, plate with food for himself, a cup of tea for Albedo and a worried frown on his face.
“There is some for you, if you change your mind,” Kaeya casually says and the anger spikes in Albedo again.
He understands that it’s just worry that makes Kaeya act like that but all the fussing is grating on Albedo, though usually he can tolerate Kaeya’s brand of fussing better than anyone elses.
His hands shake with the sudden anger—more than they usually do, nowadays—and tea is spilling everywhere. That—the inability to keep control over his own body—makes the anger spike even hotter and Albedo is just about to throw the cup across the room when Kaeya takes it out of his hands.
“It’s alright, petal,” Kaeya softly says and Albedo sneers at him.
“That’s not always going to help, you know,” he hisses and then the anger leaves him as quick as it came and Albedo is left with the hurt look on Kaeya’s face, even though he tries his best to hide it.
“I’m sorry,” Albedo breathes out, unable to meet Kaeya’s eyes. “I’m sorry, I don’t know—”
“It’s fine,” Kaeya interjects, even though it’s anything but.
Albedo smacks a hand to his forehead.
“I don’t know what’s wrong,” he gets out even though they both know it’s a lie.
“It’s fine,” Kaeya repeats and Albedo wonders just how long he’s going to believe that himself.
Albedo is in constant pain, he’s short-tempered, he lashes out at everyone and Albedo is more than aware that he barely acts human anymore.
“Why are you even trying?” he asks, finally raising his gaze to Kaeya again. “I’m not—I’m no longer—” human, he wants to say, but that would be wrong, wouldn’t it? He never was human to begin with it’s just that now the façade has started to crumble.
And Albedo doesn’t know how he’s going to build it up again, how he’s ever going to feel normal again.
“I love you,” Kaeya says as if that is an answer but he continues before Albedo can snap at him. “And I know that alone is not enough, but it’s a fact. It hurts me to see you hurting like that. Klee, too, you know. We just want to help.”
“I don’t know how,” Albedo admits and Kaeya lets out a long breath.
“I know. And I know you’re not doing this on purpose, it’s just—I don’t understand.”
He sounds helpless in a way Albedo hasn’t heard him before and it’s enough to make him inquire further.
“Understand what?”
“The food thing, for example. You didn’t need to eat before, either,” he says and Albedo hates how his life can be divided into before and after right now. “But you did anyway. Why?”
Albedo doesn’t immediately have an answer for him because Kaeya is right. He was something other than human even before the rock so violently reminded him of that, so why is this different now?
“I’m not sure,” Albedo slowly starts. “I did it to blend in, I guess. And—there’s some comfort to be found in routines, I think.” He looks down at Kaeya’s plate and finds that Kaeya ordered Albedo’s favourites. “Plus the food tasted nice, even when I didn’t need it.”
“It no longer does?” Kaeya carefully asks and Albedo has to shrug.
“I haven’t actually tried at all, since—” he trails off, unwilling to say it and he suddenly figures that this might be a problem too. It makes his stomach turn, sour bile rising up in his throat but he forces himself to speak. “Since I was crushed by that rock.”
Kaeya flinches slightly at hearing it and Albedo doesn’t even want to imagine the sight he made when Kaeya found him.
“I see. Do you—want to try?” Kaeya asks and slightly pushes the plate towards Albedo.
Albedo wants to say no, wants to get up and leave but that is not going to help.
So he nods and then tries to ignore the blatant look of relief on Kaeya’s face.
He takes the plate and takes three bites. Albedo guesses three is a good start, a solid number, and he has to admit that he relaxes slightly when the familiar taste hits his tongue.
“It’s—good,” Albedo carefully says, not completely trusting his stomach yet but maybe Kaeya was on to something here. “You’re right, it’s still good.”
Kaeya gives him a small smile at that and Albedo reaches across the table to take his hand.
“How long until you have to go on a mission again?” Albedo asks to distract himself from, well, everything, and he doesn’t like how Kaeya tenses.
“A while yet,” he cryptically says. “I’m yours for as long as you want me.”
“But Jean needs you, right? You can’t just do paperwork for forever, can you?” Albedo asks because he doesn’t quite understand.
“Forever, huh?” Kaeya whispers as if that is the only part he took away from that and Albedo squeezes his hand.
“Kaeya. What’s going on?” he asks and he knows that there must be something going on when Kaeya can’t meet his eyes.
He only ever does that when he has something to hide.
“Nothing.”
“Don’t do that. Don’t—I know I haven’t been a very good boyfriend with all this mess in my head but—won’t you even try to rely on my? To trust me?”
“I do trust you, Albedo, of course I do. I love you.”
“But you don’t want to rely on me?”
“It���s—you’re preoccupied,” Kaeya gives back and Albedo goes cold. There is something Kaeya has been hiding from him, something he didn’t want to share because he didn’t want to burden Albedo more.
“Kaeya, please,” Albedo says, tightening the grip he has on Kaeya’s hand. It’s not quite the same as when he was trapped under the rock, but breathing is suddenly hard and he feels hurt at the thought that he might have let Kaeya down. “Talk to me.”
Kaeya lets out a sigh, deflating in his chair and he sounds tired when he finally speaks.
“They call it vision exhaustion,” he says with a shrug. “I can’t access my powers at the moment and they don’t know when they will come back.”
“Vision exhaustion,” Albedo repeats and he distantly remembers the brittle cold that engulfed him before the fire took hold. “From when you destroyed the rock?”
Kaeya had infused the rock with cold until it shattered like glass to get Albedo out from under it and Albedo never gave it more thought than that.
“I’m good at wielding my vision but that—apparently it was too much or something. I used up more than I had, too quickly and too reckless if you want to believe Jean, and so I’m left with a useless gem at the moment.”
“Why didn’t you say?” Albedo wants to know and Kaeya gives him a sad smile.
“You barely talk to me. You’re clearly struggling with finding your way back to us and I just—I didn’t want to make things worse.”
Albedo opens his mouth when it suddenly hits him—he’s not the only one struggling. It shouldn’t be quite such a revelation but it somehow is and Albedo can feel tears prickling at his eyes.
He tries to stop them, tries to keep his composure but he loses that battle spectacularly because just a second later he’s heaving out big sobs. Kaeya is around the table in a second, pulling him into his arms and still Albedo can’t stop.
He cries and cries and cries until he no longer knows why, until he can barely breathe and then until no more tears are coming and still, Kaeya holds him.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Kaeya says again and again, barely audible over Albedo’s sobs and it’s enough to shock Albedo into stopping.
“No, don’t,” he gasps out, his voice raw and scratchy but this is important. “Don’t apologize. You found me, you got me out and I don’t think—thank you, Kaeya, thank you.”
“Don’t thank me,” Kaeya says, his voice sounding just as wet.
“Then don’t apologize,” Albedo immediately shoots back and pushes away from Kaeya so he can cup his face in his hands. “Don’t apologize.”
“I upset you.”
“You reminded me that it’s not just me who’s upset,” Albedo corrects him and it still barely makes sense how that is the one thing that brings some sense back to all of this.
It clearly doesn’t make much sense to Kaeya, going by the confused frown on his face but Albedo is too tired to figure out how to put things into words at the moment, so he simply leans forward and presses a kiss to Kaeya’s lips.
“Let’s just eat, and then go to bed for a while, okay?”
Albedo knows that it’s the middle of the day, but he couldn’t care less about that. He’s exhausted down to his bones and clearly Kaeya isn’t doing much better and he’s certain that this will do them some good, upset stomach be damned.
He hopes so, at least.
“Okay,” Kaeya agrees and he doesn’t let go of Albedo as they get up, as they sit down and share the plate between them, as they make their way to bed.
He doesn’t let go of Albedo at all, as if he could slip through his fingers at any given moment and Albedo clings to him just as hard and in a way he hasn’t done since he woke up in Kaeya’s bed for the first time.
Kaeya pulls him close the moment they lay down and Albedo counts his heartbeats rather than his own, being lulled into sleep by that.
It’s more restful than anything else he got these past few weeks and when they wake up again, Albedo knows that things aren’t magically fixed but he thinks that maybe now they can figure this out, together.
As it should have been.
19 notes
·
View notes
Albedo der Kreideprinz
4 notes
·
View notes
8K notes
·
View notes
Perhaps surprise shouldn’t be felt when Albedo’s hands, in between the states of warmth and freezing, are calloused. Right now is the very few times the alchemist’s gloves are nowhere to be seen—most likely due to the work of a certain man with an eye patch—and as his partner (and admirer, as you’d always like to add), intertwining hands with him seemed to be the best idea at the moment.
“I don’t quite get why you have an intense interest with my hands,” he comments quietly, though not at all bothered with the closeness you’ve initiated. Albedo’s gaze often oscillates between observing to thinly veiled interest, which right now is a combination of the two, your brain helpfully supplies, and it doesn’t help with the rush of heat in your cheeks.
He doesn’t find the desire to hold hands with him weird, does he…?
“I don’t get the chance to hold your hands like this. You’re… always, uhm, wearing your gloves. Not that I want you to take them off, of course!”
Albedo stares at you. “Hmm,” he says, giving you no clue whatsoever if he doesn’t like it.
Maybe he’s just tolerating it…
The sudden tight squeeze to your fingers makes you raise an eyebrow at him. What is he doing? A concentrated look furrows his eyebrows, as his gaze drops to your intertwined hands… then he gives you another squeeze, this time much gentler, and you find a content expression is on his face.
“Well. Perhaps we should do this more often,” Albedo says. Is he joking? “I like how warm your hands are… as well as your cheeks, too. I’ll make sure to put this in mind.”
You don’t even have time to react when he lifts the back of your hand to his lips, placing a kiss on it.
It’s hard to miss that smile on his face.
91 notes
·
View notes
Happy Birthday to Albedo!! How do you think Albedo would react if darling casually remembered Albedo’s birthday and gifted him a small homemade cake while still being under his watchful eye?
THIS IS LAAAAAATE but! i like this idea...
if you wanted to pursue baking as a hobby, he'd be (mostly) all for it. there's the oven aspect and burns to consider, but you gave him a perturbed look when he brought this up, so he ultimately acquiesced. his roundabout way of having a grasp on when you'll bake is by only providing the ingredients you need when he's around. he goes off to do something? the flour magically goes poof. the eggs have entered the abyss. you have no idea where he hides it but he's consistent about this.
birthday celebrations aren't high on his priority list. still, he'll humor whatever you might concoct. he feels flattered for all of two seconds before he remembers this is just your way of not going stir crazy. regardless, those two seconds were blissful. short and sweet.
baking is a science, so he's more than happy to help if you're stuck on anything. (please ask for his help, he's over in the corner silently staring, waiting for you to require his expertise).
no matter what your intentions are, he'll genuinely be touched by your effort. he considers saying a cheesy line like this is the best birthday he's had yet, but even he thinks that's a bit much. he settles for a soft, closed mouth smile instead.
116 notes
·
View notes
WAIT I JUST THOUGHT OF A SUPER COOL CONCEPT
okayokayhbnkd imagine you’re like this chef right? or maybe you own a cafe???? idk. bUT !! basically you own whatever it is i decide later on and have a pretty secluded business that is well-received with a steady flow of customers & regulars. ppl enjoy the stuff you give them, you get money, everyone’s happy !!
but. what they don’t know is after you close at 8 pm, your business opens to those not of this world & non-humans alike. vampires? check. wizards? check. elves? check. monarchs and heirs of empires and kingdoms? check. immortals? check. mythical creatures? check.
and the list of what everyone perceives as fantasy goes on. sure, the place gets more rowdy and troublesome compared to when humans dine there, but you can’t deny the fact you hear a lot of.... rather interesting stories when they come. and they enjoy your food! a big w if you say so yourself.
(what you fail to realise from your ever so loyal regulars is that it’s not your food they come back for — though they won’t deny that’s part of it — but rather it’s you that unknowingly draws them back time and time again)
46 notes
·
View notes
shattering glass crack crack crack
Albedo stared at the shattered glass and the small pool of liquid of unidentifiable color. Something inside his stomach twisted.
He messed up. His master told him to bring her the vial of that thing ─ that he couldn't remember for his life what was supposed to do ─ that she had been working on for the last months, that she had only one vial of, that was nearly entirely made of extremely rare and expensive ingredients, and he messed it up.
It wasn't even a hard thing to do. He was just supposed to bring it to her, it was easy, laughably so. Take a vial, hold it, give it to her. He did more difficult things, like, like learning the Art of Khemia, reviving branches and creating butterflies and more, investigating the ley lines and─ and there was that thesis, too, and all the new languages, and, and─
And he still messed it up.
There was something twisting inside his stomach; a lump at the back of his throat making it hard to swallow and harder to breathe. The lack of oxygen could cause dizziness but he didn't even need to breathe, so why did he begin to feel lightheaded? Was he sick? He felt like he might throw up, and his hands were shaking violently like tree branches in the middle of a hurricane. He wasn't supposed to be able to get sick. Did he somehow mess that up like the vial, too?
The vial. Oh gods above, the vial.
He was going to die. His master was going to see just how much of an useless and bumbling idiot he was, and then she'd create another one that would be smarter and useful and would never fail something as simple as bringing a vial to her. Albedo was a failure.
He was a failure, a stupid useless thing that couldn't manage to hold a fu─ a freaking vial. He wasn't supposed to swear. He almost messed that up too, and he was supposed to be his master's greatest achievement? A joke, that's what he is. And it's completely his own fault, too. If only he could act like he was supposed to, do what he was supposed to, be exactly what he was supposed to be.
But he couldn't do even that, no! Wasn't that pathetic? Wasn't he pathetic?
A weird constant ringing overcame his senses and Albedo felt as if he was choking on air. He shouldn't be able to choke, either. It was so loud. Too loud. Much, much too loud he felt like his head was splitting open, where did the sound come from anyway?
"Albedo? What on earth are you doing?"
He really can't do anything right, can he?
2 notes
·
View notes
BeeTober 2023 Day 5 - Passing of time
Albedo comes to with a groan and immediately wishes he wouldn’t because there’s white hot agony all over, burning him alive and making it hard to form a coherent thought.
He tries to blink his vision clear but there’s a veil over it and it takes him a moment too long to realize that it is probably blood. Albedo still tries a few more times until he at least can make out some things around him.
There’s white all around and Albedo puzzles over this until he remembers that this is probably Dragonspine. It has to be, right?
He wrecks his brain, trying to remember what happened but it’s all in bits and pieces in his mind.
There was his laboratory at some point, and a loud explosion and noise, though Albedo isn't sure about the order of things. Did an experiment of his gone wrong?
Albedo closes his eyes, trying to take a deep breath but something is stopping him from doing so. He tries to raise his arm, wanting to check his chest but not even that is working.
He blinks his eyes open again, surprised to find that things have gone dark around him. It makes no sense because it was just blindingly white but when he spots a star in what he assumes to be the sky he realises that it has turned night.
This is not good. He’s losing time, it seems, and he still doesn’t know where he is or what happened. He tries for his hand again but when he still can’t move it he turns his head.
It turns out he’s on the ground, flat on his back and he feels a bit better having figured out his own position even if everything else is still a mystery. The agony is still present, filling every part of him but Albedo thinks it’s been so long that it barely even registers anymore.
It takes him a few tries, blinking his eyes rapidly before his vision finally focuses and he sees why he can’t move his hand.
Makes sense, he thinks, with the stones burying him. It also makes much more sense why he can’t seem to take a deep breath because everything from his ribcage downward is crushed, apparently. Huh. Maybe he’s not in enough pain after all, Albedo thinks and despite the spark of worry he loses a bit of time again.
It’s light again when he can focus next time and he’s unsure if it’s a blessing or a curse that he’s not human. The agony is still there, as is the stone on top of him, and he figures a normal human would have long died. Not so Albedo.
It barely matters to his body that he can’t breath properly and that he’s steadily leaking blood still—is that another thing to worry about?—and that most of his form is probably nothing more than a shapeless mush by now.
Albedo would prefer if he stopped feeling pain at some point, though, because the agony is making it hard to think.
He still doesn’t quite remember how he ended up here, but the snow around him reminds him yet again that he must be on Dragonspine and that means help is a long way out. People don’t tend to look for him when he leaves for one of his expeditions to Dragonspine and it’s not as if he’s still in his lab where people would go first.
Kaeya might come for me, he thinks but between one blink and the next, between light and dark, that thought is lost as well.
The passing of time is strange for him; he knows that time must pass based on the fact that sometimes it’s day and sometimes it’s not but it doesn’t feel like it at all. He’s still crushed, he’s still trapped and he’s still in so much pain that his mind is hazy.
At one point Albedo remembers that he has a geo vision—something that should potentially help him with the stone crushing him into the ground but he can’t muster the strength or concentration to access that power. He doesn’t even know if the vision is still with him or if it’s been crushed like everything else.
This is not good at all and the despair he suddenly feels is enough to even overshadow the pain. What if this is how it’s going to be from now on. He’ll stay here, body crushed and broken, unable to do anything, neither decaying nor rotting and definitely not dying.
Albedo thinks he’d definitely prefer death over that.
The thought brings a spark of anger with it, because he was supposed to do things, still; Klee is not nearly old enough to look after herself and he still hasn’t finished his Master’s assignment and Kaeya—
Albedo was looking forward to seeing where things with him might go and now he’s stuck on this mountain, neither dead nor alive and it’s unfair. It’s unfair enough that the spike of his blood pressure—of the little he has left and is he regenerating blood perpetually?—makes him pass out again.
It’s dark once more when he comes to and there’s a sound in the air, something Albedo can’t quite place. It drifts in and out again and by the time he realises that it’s his name he hears it’s already light again.
Albedo opens his mouth, trying to call out to whoever it is calling his name, but he’s not sure his mouth is even moving. There’s certainly no sound coming out of him and he distantly wonders if the seeping of his blood will be enough to alert anyone to his position.
It probably isn’t, Albedo thinks desperately and he wonders if the people looking for him will leave without ever finding him, dooming him to haunt the mountain as a ghost made of agony. He wonders if he’ll be a beating heart forgotten in the snow, like Durin and the thought of joining his brother like that is almost comforting.
Comforting enough that the next shout of his name has him flinch, making his body light up with pain. He thinks he lets out a groan, or maybe just a silent breath but he can’t be sure.
Albedo closes his eyes and concentrates on his ears for a change, trying to figure out what’s going on around him.
His ears work better than the rest of his body, it seems, or maybe the wind is just strange in this part of the mountain, because he can hear quite clearly.
“Kaeya, it’s getting dark again,” Albedo hears someone say, and he has a hard time putting a face to the voice.
“I don’t care,” Kaeya’s voice gives back and Albedo likes to imagine that he might be worried about him.
They have to be looking for him if they are shouting his name, right?
“It’s dangerous in the dark,” the other voice insists again and a face flashes in front of Albedo’s eyes.
Bennett. That’s Bennett talking, he thinks and that gives him a little comfort. At least Kaeys is not going to freeze to death on this mountain with Bennett in tow.
“It is, so if he’s out there somewhere, then he’s in danger, too!”
“It’s been so long, though,” Bennet cautiously says. “Maybe—”
“Shut up,” Kaeya snaps at him and Albedo wants to chastise him for being mean to Bennett. “I’m not leaving before I find him.”
Albedo can’t move a muscle in his body but he can identify the stubborn streak in Kaeya’s voice. He’s not going to leave here and he won’t let Bennett leave without finding Albedo.
Albedo needs to alert them somehow if he wants them to return to the safety of the city. And with Kaeya on the mountain, who is even looking after Klee at the moment?
The thought of Klee being on her own, of Kaeya being stuck on this mountain sends a jolt of panic through him and it gives him just enough energy to focus back on his body. So far he’s concentrated on his right arm—it’s the one he uses most, after all—but now he extends his focus. His left arm isn’t completely trapped like the right one and Albedo uses that tiny little spark inside of him to press his fingers into the ground.
It doesn’t feel like much, doesn’t feel like anything at all and of course it’s not enough to summon a complete isotoma but he knows he did something when there’s a golden glow.
It vanishes after a few precious seconds and with it Albedo’s strength and he can just hope that it is enough.
“Did you see that?” Kaeya asks and Albedo wants to weep.
I’m here, he desperately thinks, hoping to somehow imprint his thoughts onto Kaeya but he can barely keep his focus.
Just that little bit of movement had cost him everything and he can’t even keep his eyes open anymore.
“I didn’t see anything,” Bennett gives back, his voice growing fainter with the second and if Albedo could he would cry.
“There was something. Go back if you want, but I’m not leaving before I checked it out,” Kaeya replies and his voice in contrast is getting clearer by the second.
He must be coming closer, right? He must find Albedo, he must end this agony, there’s no other choice. Albedo can’t contemplate what it would mean if Kaeya leaves now.
“Captain, I don’t think—holy fuck!”
“Albedo,” Kaeya’s voice breathes out, and Albedo wants to frown at the tremor in it.
They found him, right, they must have, so why does Kaeya sound like that? Albedo wants to open his eyes, check if they are really there with him, but he’s tired. He’s so tired and getting his lids to open requires more strength than he has so he contents himself with listening to Kaeya’s voice.
He could die to worse sounds.
“Albedo, can you hear me?” Kaeya’s voice asks and it sounds close and scared and that last part is enough for Albedo to flutter his eyes open.
Kaeya is not supposed to be scared.
“He’s alive,” Bennett says. “I’m going to heal him, step back.”
“No, don’t,” Kaeya rushes out and Albedo wants to cry out. Healing means less pain, so why would he stop him? Doesn’t he know that Albedo is nothing but pain? “The rock—if you heal him before we move it, he’ll just be crushed again. Where’s Noelle?”
“She—Captain, everyone else returned to the city already,” Bennett carefully says and Albedo thinks that everyone else was really smart.
Nights on Dragonspine are dangerous and it is night again, right? He tries to look at the sky to check but everything around him is dark again and Albedo figures he must have closed his eyes again and he doesn’t think opening them once more isn’t worth it.
“Well, we have to do something, we can’t just leave him like that! Albedo, do you hear me?” There’s barely controlled panic in Kaeya’s voice and Albedo would love to reassure him that he’s listening but his body isn’t cooperating.
“We have to get that rock off him, no matter what,” Kaeya decides. “Bennett, be ready to heal him.”
“What are you going to do?” Bennett asks and it’s a good question, Albedo thinks, because even though his body has long gone numb he can still feel the excruciating brittle cold that suddenly engulfs him.
“Everything shatters if it’s cold enough,” Kaeya presses out and there’s an ominous crack in the air.
Albedo tries to open his eyes to see what Kaeya is doing but it feels as if his body has turned to ice. He’ll just have to trust that whatever it is is helping him.
“Get ready,” Kaeya pants, the cracking growing more frequent with every second.
There’s the sound of something akin to glass splintering, followed by the absence of pressure on Albedo before there’s a small explosion and then Albedo is certain that his body has been replaced with agonizing white-hot fire.
It’s bad enough that a scream is ripped from his throat and he loses time again, his mind unable to comprehend what is happening.
“Just a moment longer,” he hears Kaeya’s voice through the blood rushing in his ears and the pain slicing through his brain and Albedo clings to that.
Kaeya is there. Kaeya is promising him that it will stop.
And it does stop, but it feels as if it takes an eternity. When the pain recedes, Albedo finds that he can open his eyes again.
“Albedo, can you hear me?” Kaeya asks again and this time Albedo manages a tiny nod.
It seems to have been the right answer because the relief is clear on Kaeya’s face.
“Bennett, can you do it again?” Kaeya asks without taking his eyes off Albedo and Albedo can’t find it in him to look away either.
“Gimme a moment,” is Bennett’s answer and Albedo sees Kaeya nod.
“You’ll be alright, Albedo, you hear me? I’ve got you, you’re going to be fine.”
Albedo trusts Kaeya, trusts his voice, trusts him with his life and so he manages a small smile before everything goes dark.
~*~*~
When Albedo comes to it’s to softness all around him and a careful hand engulfing his. Albedo’s mind is hazy, but he does remember that the last time he was awake things were radically different and his inquiring nature wins out over his exhaustion.
He opens his eyes and isn’t met with a starry night sky or the burning sun but instead with a wooden ceiling.
Albedo blinks at it for several times before he finds it in him to turn his head and he’s not quite surprised to find a slumped Kaeya next to him.
It’s his hand holding Albedo’s and the warmth rushing through him is almost enough to send him back to unconsciousness.
He’s back home. Kaeya has found him, has saved him and Albedo is back home.
Albedo manages to squeeze Kaeya’s hand and it’s enough to wake him up. He shoots up, his eye big and scared but when he finds Albedo looking back at him he deflates.
“Albedo,” he breathes out and carefully squeezes Albedo’s hand back. “How do you feel?”
“Shit,” Albedo croaks out, surprised that his voice manages even that much and he panics when he sees tears gather in Kaeya’s eyes.
“You scared me,” Kaeya admits, carding his fingers through Albedo’s hair. “Does anything hurt? Blink once for yes and twice for no.”
“No,” Albedo says, stubborn as anything and it’s enough to make Kaeya chuckle, though his voice is wet.
“Stubborn bastard,” Kaeya mutters. “Though I guess I should be thankful for that, otherwise you’d probably be dead by now.”
Albedo’s memory is still trying to catch up to everything but he remembers with sudden clarity how he passed out at the unfairness of leaving Kaeya before they could even try to define this thing between them and he needs for this to never happen again.
“Love you,” Albedo manages to get out, forcing his body to give voice to his thoughts in case something else happens and Kaeya doesn’t know.
The though is unacceptable to Albedo.
He regrets his choice when the tears spill over but he figures it’s okay when Kaeya smiles at him.
“I love you, too, but you need to rest more. I’ll be here, I promise, but you’re still weak.”
“No pain,” Albedo reminds him again, kind of amazed by that himself after what must have been days of constant agony.
“That’s good, but it doesn’t change the fact that you’re weak,” Kaeya gives back and cups Albedo’s cheek in his hand. “So sleep some more. At least enough to converse in complete sentences, okay?”
It’s a reasonable demand Albedo guesses but he remembers how he lost time in the mountain and he’s not keen on doing it again. Some of that must have shown on his face because Kaeya’s gaze gentles.
“It’s okay. You’re back home, and I’m here. Nothing will happen to you. You can sleep, I promise.”
“Stay,” Albedo still says, as if Kaeya would ever lie to him but Kaeya doesn’t seem offended at all.
“I will. I’m right here.”
It’s enough reassurance for Albedo and he almost immediately falls into a deep sleep, secure in the knowledge that when he wakes up again, things will be right again.
17 notes
·
View notes
found this in an old sketchbook and now you all have to see fleshlight albedo. treatsforbeasts @ 16:04 for reference
feat. headcanon design for rhinedottir
0 notes
CASH- app or zelle?
Sugar mommy/daddy AU
...wanderer...Xiao...tighnari...albedo...
Wanderer
Scaramouche never really needed a sugar mommy nor a daddy since he was a harbinger. He was rich...but now that he's wanderer...things have changed.
Ever since Nahida enrolled him in the Akademia he's had to find out how damn expensive some of the books he needs for his essays are
What the fuck! Why should he spend a million mora on a damn book he'll only use once!
While he was complaining about this to the traveler she jokingly suggested that he become a sugar baby.. " hah- do you think I would lower myself to such a degree-" once piamon mentions how he could basically get all the books he needed for his essays for free..he was sold.
One thing Wanderer didn't quite get the grasp of is what he needed to do for you in return...
His sharp breathing filled the room as your hips snapped in and out at a rough pace- he didn't know this was a part of the deal!!
Though he couldn't find it in himself to complain, as he gripped onto the bedsheets till his knuckles grew white "Hahh..fuuuck"
"you have to repay me for those books after all, don't you, so be a good little darling and hold fucking still." he wants to say he tried but it was nearly impossible! That fake dick slammed into him so hard! He couldn't! How could you except him to hold still
"i- hah.. I'm trying yo- mmh!" he was glad that he was facing away from you he most certainly didn't want to see that amused smirk on your face.
Xiao
Xiao didn't realize how it even happened, he just thought you brought him gifts and such out of kindness
Right, it had to be kindness. What else could it be?
In time, he began expecting your gifts and trinkets patiently he would sit on the railings waiting for your arrival, and when you finally arrive he greets you still sitting on the railing
Xiao didn't even realize how this relationship developed. Due to his duty to guard liyue he never went anywhere too far from it, so whenever you would come back from your trips and expeditions you would give him gifts and trinkets.
And in turn, he would give you himself for the night.
He lets out breaths in a set rhythm "hah..hahh" his breaths come out as pants and his body jerks up and down at every touch
He's so damn sensitive, twitching at every minor touch, you can milk his cock all night and he'll try his hardest to be your good boy. To follow your commands without a word,
He'll grab into you so tightly so desperately trying to hide his embarrassment in the crevis of your neck
Albedo
Albedo gets paid well by the knight of Favonius but lately, with some of his rather grand projects, he hasn't enough funds for them.
He thinks of ways to get more money, maybe he could work overtime. No, he already does and it's still not enough. He's in a stump. That's when he learns the term sugar baby from a drunk venti and kaeya
They both were drunk only jokingly suggesting that the man become a sugar baby if he was that desperate
What they didn't know was, yes. He is that desperate. He absolutely needs more funds, so this is the best and easiest option.
All he needs to do is lay himself on his table on Dragon spine, and the rest is up to you, you can do whatever you please with his fair skin, leave as many marks as you wish,
He thought it was easy enough. All he has to do is lay pretty and let you ravage him. He is a homunculus after all, he was confident he could take it,
"oh f-fuck mhm..." it seems he had overestimated how much his delicate body could take
Though he didn't mind, he enjoyed the feeling of being pushed to his utmost limit. His nails dig into your skin leaving red scratches all over, he can't help it you drive him insane.
Tighnari
Much like Albedo the Fox Boy needs funds for his experiments and expenditures, the scholars at the Akademiya after hearing his reluctance to join them being petty decided to cut his funds in half!
He's annoyed but he's even more petty than those stuck-up scholars, so even with his funds cut he decides to come up with another way to secure them
It wasn't his idea to become a sugar baby, but it came up when he was talking to his friends during a game of TCG, Kaveh had the same problem being in debt and not having enough funds to cover them.
He told Tighnari about how he planned to sign up to become a sugar baby, and so Tighnari albeit reluctantly decided to try it out. He means, what's the worst that could happen?
This is the worst. Though, he's lying.
His breathy pants fill the room his scratching and digging into your back, creating deep red marks on your skin,
"ah- ah..mhm, Hah-" he forces his head up to look at you, flushed cheeks tinted a harder red the more you stared back. "Y-you'll buy me t-the- mhm!" you couldn't help but chuckle.
His tail desperately wraps around you as he lets out a whine, he pouts a little at your teasing, "Don't worry darlin', I'll get whatever you want, so don't worry your pretty little head over it."
2K notes
·
View notes
Sleep Headcanons💤
How your non-human husbandos need or not need to sleep. This is part of Better Find Husbandos AU and speaks of the times when reader was in a relationship with each of the boys. Contains: fluff! Domestic slice of life! Headcanons canon for Better Find Husbandos!
Characters: Venti, Albedo, Xiao, Scara/Wanderer/Kuni in order x female reader. (arranged in the order reader slept with them :3)
Venti
The body your dear wind spirit created to inhabit completely resembles the one of a human. Even if he is strong and resistant due to his nature, he needs to eat, drink, go to the bathroom, etc, to sustain this vessel without resorting to using his Archon or wind spirit powers, which cost energy that is no longer unlimited now that he doesn't have the Gnosis anymore.
Therefore, obviously, he totally needs to sleep. He sleeps every single night (or day, after a hangover) like any healthy human. That keeps him in shape and without the need to cheat and grab elemental or divine energy from his stash, which he only does when strictly needed. Because of this, in his humanoid, weakened state, it's really easy for him to get drunk. But if something very bad happens and he needs to sober up to protect you, he won't hesistate to grab that power and using it to strengthen or modify his body and fight alongside you.
As I said, he sleeps every night and he likes doing it with you. He was so happy when you gave him a room in your teapot, since then he didn't need to sleep on the street or sneaking under Diluc's vines to get shelter. But ever since you got intimate with him he doesn't use that room and to be perfectly clear, he has no intentions to go back to it. He crawls into your bed every single night and he loves it.
He uses the cute little pajamas you made for him when Barbara taught you how to sew, sleeping hat and all. He snuggles up to you and demands being little spoon. He snores all night, most of the time softly light a spring breeze, but some nights noisily like a hurricane, and he drools all over your pillow.
Albedo
Your dear friend Albedo, the chalkboy, the homunculus. It took a bit of time of friendship and some nights of sharing the bed with him whether because there was a snowstorm after you visited his lab and you were trapped or because he invited you with a straight face, but you learned about his sleeping habits too.
Very much like Venti, he needs to sleep and eat. He is a nice cook but he has weird tastes, such as eating spiders or so, but when he has guests he cooks decent food. He does have some resistance when it comes to spending some days without sleep, but it's not clear if this is due to his physical nature or his workaholic behavior. Sometimes he works for three days in his experiments running on 3 hours of sleep and caffeine seeminly unaffected. But besides those marathons, he does sleep regularly. He is careful with his health and the health of those close to him, like Klee and Sucrose, and he always exercises and eats healthy. (Matbe thst's why he is obsesses with the nutrients of spider and other unconventional foods) He is a grat brother and a grear friend and makes healthy foods for Klee and forces Sucrose in and out of bed whenever she is in one of those workaholic insomniac marathons or depressive strikes that prevent her from going out. After all, she doesn't have his superhuman resistance.
From the few times you slept with him, you know that he has a comfy double bed in a room behind his lab, sheltered from the frigid environment of Dragonspine. You were super comfy there, but honestly Albedo is kinda restless even when he sleeps. Apparently his curiosity doesn't stop even if he is dreaming, and he twitches and mumbles things about his experiments in his sleep. Sometimes he sits up, turns on the lamp, and writes notes on the notepad he keeps on the nightstand for when he gets ideas in the middle of the night. The few times you were with him, he apologized for waking you up, he gave you a warm smile and a gentle kiss and tucked you back, spooning you just to fall back asleep and mumble things about whopperflowers in your ear while his hand twitched like he was trying to write in his dreams.
Xiao
Xiao doesn't need to sleep. He can go an entire century without doing it, but it doesn't mean that doesn't take a toll on him, or that sleep doesn't help him. In fact, it's wonderful for his health, both psychological and physical, making him get stronger.
But sleeping is not easy for him. He hadn't slept in a long time, because he is scared of stopping his watch over Liyue for the smallest second, and because the nightmares he gets are atrocious.
It was only very deep into his relationship with you that you convinced him to sleep. The bond you have with him is so special, not only you cleanse his karmic debt energy but also your proximity manages to calm him down enough as to fall asleep. It took a long time to reach this stage but then when he laid by his side he could finally sleep, even if Venti was making a ruckus with his snoring and drooling. He loves him too, and wants to protect the both of you. So no, he doesn't need to sleep, and most of the time he is only keeping guard while in bed with you, enjoying the peace and quiet and your proximity, the sound of your breath. But sometimes he does relish in the luxury of sleeping by your side, and the morning after he always feels so refreshed that he feels like a different person: light, stronger, healthy.
He is a big spoon with an iron grip, his protective instincts never go down, not even when he is asleep.
Kuni
Ei created Kuni based on Khaenrian technology that aspired to create perfect humans, (such as Rinherdotir plans for Albedo) with a twist. She didn't want to create a human, he wanted a puppet that could fool humans into thinking that it was one of them.
She did succeed in making him indistinguishable from a human from head to toe. On the outside. But on the inside, he doesn't have the same organs humans have, (not even synthetic, improved humanly organs like the ones Albedo has) but synthetic organs that even if they are not like the ones of humans, they were designed to mimick their noticeable functions.
That is to say, as we all know, Kuni can drink and eat, and feel the flavor of the food. He loves bitter tea and despises sweets. But that doesn't mean he needs to expell those things. In fact, his "stomach" will dissolve everything with a potent acid which its recepy was lost along with Khaenria's demise.
So that's about all his bodily functions: he can perform them, to trick humans, because that was his original purpose. But he doesn't need to do it to survive. Eating, drinking, peeing, breathing. That is unnecessary keeping himself alive. That's just for show (As Kabukimono, not only he began drinking to pass as a human, but also he learned that he had to blink often to make humans less uncomfortable). Or for pleasure.
Because he knows you love when he breathes in your neck when he gives you kisses. And he loves to enjoy the flavor and aftertaste of a bitter black tea. Or to accompany you with a little platter of whatever you two are making for dinner for you and your glutton floaty companion.
Same goes for sleeping. He doesn't need to sleep. He could go an eternity without doing it and he would not die, his body would not get weaker. And as Kunikuzushi and Scaramouche, he never slept, he deemed it lowly and weak and he considered that the fact that he was able to wake himself from the slumber in which Ei put it was a signal of his superiority.
But sleeping is good for his mental health.
Ei planned his body meticulously, making sure to be in control of all his bodily functions. But as we all know, she everything regarding his mind slipped out of her control. She wanted a thoughtless, emotionless, empty puppet. But Kuni is so much more than that.
He had his own thoughts and emotions and desires from his first waking moment, and oh those feelings were human. They were so profoundly human Ei panicked and did what she did. Because if humans do have a soul, then Kuni definitely has one too.
And even if the body and brain don't tire, age or wear down, the mind does. The heart does. The soul does. Going around without sleeping won't make his body crumble, but it sure makes him stressed, irritable, depressed.
He got back in touch with the act of sleeping when he was still the Balladeer, when he started hooking up with you. Just to play. Just to experiment. After your passionate nights, he fell to the temptation of closing his eyes while you were cuddled up against him, nestled in his bed he never used before he met you. He was just planning to rest his eyes for a while, to experiment with those mundane pleasures. He never expected them to feel so good.
Nowadays, he loves sleeping. But it has to be with you. Otherwise, who would comfort him when he gets those atrocious nightmares??
When they don't haunt them, there's nothing better than to cuddle up against you in your shared bedroom in the Teapot after a long day. To close his eyes, hold you tight and relish in the warmth of your human flesh, of your steady breath, of your beating heart. Well, maybe there is something better: to wake up beside you the next morning and play with your hair until you wake up, laughing at you because you're grumpy that he interrupted your sleep.
He demands being big spoon all the time: he NEEDS to cling to you and cage you in his arms all night to feel like you will never abandon him because he truly doesn't want to end up alone again. He doesn't hate being little spoon though, it's just that it makes him feel so...vulnerable. Receiving love always makes him feel so vulnerable. Because it reminds him of how much he is convinced that he doesn't deserve it. So getting in contact with his feelings it's a struggle for him. He prefers when you hug face to face, when you nestle your face in his chest.
The same way he loves your human flesh, you love his truly special body. You love how cool it feels. It's not cold, it's just cool. His warmth is subtle, it's there, but it's not enough to make you sweat under the covers. He is the perfect cuddle buddy for summer! You love the way he syncs his breath to yours until you fall asleep. You love the sound you hear when you press your face to his chest. That sound you found that night when you held Scaramouche close for the first time in his camp. When you discovered it ticked.
He was defensive and ashamed back then, and he is insecure until today. He is convinced he doesn't have a heart, he can't press his ear to his chest, he can't hear the magical sound you claim to hear. He thinks it's your infatuation for him playing tricks with your mind.
But you know what you hear. When you nestle your face in his chest, on the left side, you can hear it. Tic, tac, tic, tac, steady, a mechanical sound ticking like a clock. Tictactictactictac, quickens, if you mamage to fluster him. It's the only sound that soothes your nights, along with your voice, so you sleep by his side every time you can.
But when you're away in yoyr travels, so busy or imprisoned in Meropide Fortress for stealing Furina's cake that you can't even go back to spend the night in the Teapot, what can he do?
He doesn't wanna sleep. There is no point. He has spent ages without doing it, so he can keep going without sleeping until you come back.
But...
He is now a college student, and the mental health toll of having to keep up with the Akademiya classes, his classmates that seem to chase him everywhere, and the constant deadlines of his thesis is too much to bear without sleeping. He knows he wouldn't be able to survive that hell without ending up snapping and kicking some sage's butt if he doesn't sleep regularly. He doesn't want to upset Nahida, so he does sleep when he has time. But it's just not the same without you! Hurry up and come back from those dumb travels to cuddle him!
Author Notes: I guess it surprises no one that Kuni's part is always longer ehe. Homegirl has her favorite. Also I'm super sorry I always do the same: posting a new random thought I had one night instead of finishing chaptwrs of ongoing series I've been promising for ages. I swear I'm working on them. I'm working on finishing that Albedo fic and I had a meeting with my editor (aka my boyfriend) to talk about the major plotpoints of Assembled Love and that gave me some inspo to write the next chapter. Im also working on another spin off chapter for it. (Honestly my most popular post is the other spin off, I wonder why)
Weird of me to post something that it's not smut, ain't it? 🤔 Normally my fluff has smut in it but ig this is like, my 3rd or 4th completely sfw post. Anyway, the posting of something new and random instead of finishing old wips is like a personality trait of mine 🥲 I struggle so much to finish old things cuz I don't find the right vibe that I craved to write something fresh and new. Note to self: hurry up and finish what I'm writing while it's new and the vibe is not gone, exactly what I did with the Assembled Love spin off that blew so much, I pulled an all nighter finishing it before I forgot the plot bc it was a dream I had.
In other news, I haven't had a genshin smutty dream in AGES. I bet that's the cause of my relapse into depression and not the economic crisis. Praying for Kuni to visit me in dreams like old times 🙏
Ig you can see I'm very in the mood of talking about my fics and genshin in general so inncase you are too, my dms and mailbox are always open, and so are my requests.
421 notes
·
View notes
Oracle!Reader Part 23
Masterlist - Part 1, Part 22, Part 24
Warning! This is a SAGAU imposter au so this is pretty gory and not happy all the time. Plus yandere but that's the expected for SAGAU.
Xingqiu and Chongyun both showed muddled emotions at your words of leaving Liyue.
“That may be best for you…” Chongyun says first as he keeps his gaze on the floorboards.
“Yes, I agree. Although I never expected that you would have to leave Liyue so soon, it's clear that you aren't safe here.”
Xingqiu’s words that were full of understanding still had disappointment sprinkled in.
“We can't do much to help you when it comes to Ningguang, but Mondstadt is a different story. Do you have the talisman on you right now?”
Chongyun takes a few steps closer as you lift the amulet for him to see. He rubs one finger on it, examining the symbol that appears at the action.
“It's still at full charge, good. The road to Mondstadt can either be empty or full of demons depending on the day. But once you get to Wangshu Inn, it becomes much safer.”
“Because of Xiao, right? Despite how the situation looked when I first met the Adepti, I'm on relatively good terms with them now.”
It was a bit risky telling them this, but they both deserved to know at this point.
“When are you planning on leaving? Is your meeting with Ningguang today?” Switching the topic, Xingqiu brings the focus back to the most pressing issue.
Nodding, you answer. “My meeting is with her today, but I'll probably have to leave either at midnight or early tomorrow morning. The sooner, the better.”
“Then I can offer you some help that should make staying in Mondstadt a bit easier.” Xingqiu grins as he takes out paper and some ink. “I happen to know someone-”
“Albedo, right?” Cutting off Xingqiu as you think back to his connection, you continue. “Together you made the book, uh what was the name again? A Legend of a Sword? It got pretty popular in Inazuma. I remember there was a whole festival on light novels that you both attended too.”
Once you stop, you notice Xingqiu squinting his eyes at you before replying. “That's really creepy, you know? If I didn't know you were the Oracle, then I would have believed you to be some stalker.”
“If I was, then I wouldn't be stalking you of all people.” You snapped back as he grins while shaking his head.
“But yes, I'll send Albedo a letter in advance so that he can arrange for you to be settled nicely over there. I won't mention the Oracle situation as the Creator didn't want you to be known widely like that.”
It's been so long since you last heard the title ‘Creator’ be mentioned despite the fact that all of your problems come from their supposed existence.
Only goes to show just how ingrained the Creator is in this world.
“Thanks Xingqiu. Albedo is the chief alchemist and well respected among the community, so I should be in safe hands.”
Xingqiu merely hums in response as Chongyun tugs the amulet closer to him.
“Just trying to apply a better talisman on it.” He mumbles in accordance with your stare as he settles himself closer to you.
He's basically pressed against your side, but you strangely don't feel uncomfortable to have him close.
As the pair focus on their own activities, your mind wanders off to Albedo.
Albedo, the chief alchemist and homunculus created by Gold, the famous Khaenri'an scientist. Khaenri'ah, which also held so much information that could be connected to Celestia…
It was a long shot, but you could try digging for information about Celestia from him. The deal that Celestia made with Teyvat still bothers you to no end. With the age of this deal unknown, you might even have to look into the primordial dragons if it's even older than the Archon war.
A light shining brought you back to the present and your eyes flickered down to where the amulet shined in Chongyun’s hands.
Once it died down to reveal a more intricate symbol than before, Chongyun nodded, satisfied with the final product.
“This one is a lot stronger and should last longer now. I know you can fight well, but the demonic energy in Bishui Plain and Qiongji Estuary has shown to rise around this time of the year.”
Carefully taking the amulet from him, you thumbed the symbol with curious eyes. “I get it, thank you. Does it activate on its own, or do I have to activate it with something?”
“It'll work on its own. Depending on the amount and degree of demonic energy around it, the workings will change.”
Motioning with his hands, Chongyun’s calm voice explains the working to you. At the end of the rather lengthy explanation, you nod and condense the information in your mind.
“And now that Instructor Chongyun is done teaching you, I'm happy to say that I'm done with the letter. Have been for a while, but I saw no need to interrupt the oh so fascinating lecture.”
Raising the letter, Xingqiu lazily waved it as Chongyun bristled but ultimately said nothing.
“I can send this once I get home. Unfortunately, neither me nor Chongyun will be available to accompany you through your journey.”
Xingqiu tsk’d at his own words while Chongyun turned his head away, visibly sulking.
“My family was just hired to check out Wuwang Hill and my attendance for this is mandatory. Xingqiu’s father is forcing him to stay and attend meetings with his brother for the week as well.”
All you could do was smile sadly in response.
Before long they were both forced to leave by Baizhu who insisted on total privacy for the reviewing of your medication and discharge.
Watching them climb down the stairs from the window in your room, you listen absentmindedly to Baizhu.
Changsheng still refused to see you. Something Tevyat was clearly displeased with, as the once sunny weather quickly turned cloudy. The cold-blooded creature must be huffing in annoyance by now.
“And this is the overview of medication and supplements to take, with the doses and dates to take them.”
Casually looking over the paper received from the shady snake bastard, you hummed for a moment before stuffing it into your bag.
“All of it is paid for by your special benefactor. And the drug you requested has already been paid with by your body, as we both know.”
‘Must he phrase it like that?’ You internally questioned as you snatch the medication and shove it into your bag.
“I'm glad for it. Maybe even more so if she didn't pin so many babysitters onto me.”
At your grumble, Baizhu’s smile wavered at the edges. Either he truly hadn't known why there was extra ‘security’ or he was a great liar. You suspect it's a bit of both.
“Then if everything has been covered, I’m happy to say that you're officially discharged as of-” He merely glanced at the sun still high in the sky before finishing. “1300. I sincerely hope that the next time we meet you'll be in a better physical state.”
“And I sincerely wish we never have to meet again.” The words you utter are full of sarcasm, something Baizhu simply chuckles at.
“Now what could I have possibly done to deserve your ire, dear Oracle?”
“It's what you haven't done. A little heads up about all the guards would have been nice.”
“Oh, but I did!” His smile seems a little sharper as he leans toward you, his glasses sliding down to the bridge of his nose. “Didn't I let you know early on that there were quite a lot of guards?”
With an annoyed scoff, you snap back. “You said it was due to the two temples nearby, not cause Ningguang wanted to keep an eye on me.”
Raising his hands with wide eyes, Baizhu tried to placate you. “I'm not part of the Millelith, how on earth could a physician like me know the true reasoning?”
Holding his gaze, you tried to discern what he was truly thinking at this moment. Malice? Amusement? Mocking kindness?
But at that moment, all you could see was genuine surprise in his eyes. It only served to confuse you further.
Was Baizhu truly innocent in this? Your instincts in situations like these were usually correct. Besides, what would Baizhu even gain from deceiving you?
Still, that didn't explain why Baizhu was always so damn shady, but maybe you should chalk it up to an unfortunate side effect of being contracted with a snake.
“Well, then let me reiterate my earlier words. While I still hope we won't have to meet again. I do wish for us to want to meet again.”
Baizhu lowers his arms while fixing his glasses to laugh, the sound is surprisingly tender. “And how do you expect me to tell when that would be? I’m no mind reader.”
Standing up, you stay silent as you slip your bag over your shoulders and move past him. The door opens with a creak as you tilt your head slightly to meet his eyes.
“To put it simply, I’ll want to see you when you discover whatever is hidden in my culture sample.”
The door clicks shut as you leave Bubu’s Pharmacy for good.
----------------------------
After a brief but firm pat to Qiqi’s head, you walk down the stairs casually. The slight rustling of the leaves, the fabric of curtains drawn, and the quieting of chatter are all brought to your attention.
Ningguang’s spies and the Millelith guards are all watching you like rabid dogs, waiting for you to slip up and give them an excuse to arrest you right now.
Smiling without hesitation, you get to the last step and pretend that the forced conversations around you aren't scripted, and that the eyes locked on you are of a curious bystander and not the ones of detectives.
Bringing your attention back to the list you have clenched in your hand, you read the first errand on the list.
Return books to library.
Easy enough, and it's even easier when people seem to automatically avoid being in your path.
Is this what a day in Xinyan's life feels like? It's honestly not that bad.
At least you thought so until you got to the counter and waited for the receptionist to return.
Five minutes pass. Then ten minutes, which quickly turn into fifteen in a blink of an eye. You can feel your mood worsening.
Deciding to test something, you walk away from the library and turn the corner. Peeking around the corner, you watch as the ‘customer’ that was standing in the corner all those minutes gets to the counter. Almost immediately, a swarm of people return to it.
Sighing heavily, you ignore the weight of suspicious stares and turn the corner back into the library. Getting back into line feels humiliating, but it's just a quick errand, you tell yourself.
No one moves out of the way, but the quick glances they send you make them pale with each minute.
Not a soul dares to stand behind you.
It's finally your turn, and you place your books on the table with the last bit of patience you had. She doesn't meet your eyes and mumbles something.
“I'm sorry, what did you say?” Leaning closer, you try to catch her words, only for her to yell.
“It's lunchtime now so I can't accept any more returns or purchases. H-Have a good-d da-ay!”
Flabbergasted at the sheer audacity, you watch her flip a sign on the table and flee the area.
“Fuck this shit.” Colorful curses leave you as you drop all the books haphazardly on the table and storm away.
Crossing it off the list, you follow the main path to the next errand.
Collect reward from Guild
That commission should have given you one hell of a paycheck the last time you checked. Primogems may be worthless now, but you could use the Mora the commission provides.
Plus, you needed to let them know to change it to the Mondstadt region.
Lost in thought of all the technicalities and paperwork you would have to fill out, you weren't focusing on the fleeting whispers around you.
“Is that them?”
“Who else could it be?”
“What a monster…”
“-as long as we get paid.”
“Who cares about-”
“It's me or them.”
“As long as it's them and not me.”
Your experience at the guild was a much kinder one. Katheryne was the epitome of professionalism, just as you remembered her to be. Not that you expected much else from a robot.
After handing all the written work to her, you finally noticed the absence of a certain person.
“Where’s that grouchy Lan? She's usually here, isn't she?” Checking the vicinity, you try to spot the brown recognizable bob.
“The Branch Master Lan is currently undertaking a commission at this time.”
“About the unseen razor, right?”
“That can not be disclosed to unauthorized-”
“It's fine. I’ll see you later, Katheryne.” Turning around, you leave without another thought. Lan wasn't anywhere near the ‘threatening’ list you've created since you last saw her.
Pick up plushie
Crossing out the previous task, you look at the present one with mixed emotions. On one hand, you were happy to get a chance to see something related to Earth, to your world. But at the same time, you couldn't help but wonder if it would serve more as a distraction than anything else. The memories it brought up never failed to leave your heart troubled…
Remembering the money you spent commissioning it ultimately tipped the scales, and so you dragged your feet to the little old lady’s toy shop.
It was empty just as the first time you were there as she hummed. If she was a vision holder you'd guess Hydro judging by the tranquility she radiated.
Her eyes meet yours and a happy smile slips onto your face without much thought.
“Here to pick up the toy, dearie?”
“Yup.” Popping the ‘p’, you watched as she gathered a delicately wrapped box from under the other boxes and presented it to you.
“Enjoy the nostalgic memories a toy can bring.”
You politely thank her before taking the present and walking away. The weight of the box is heavy with dread, and you can only find solace in the fact she didn't refer to it as ‘happy’ memories.
Once sufficiently out of sight, you take to grasping the lid. But you couldn't bring yourself to remove it.
Too many memories. All of them are rushing in and filled with conflicting feelings that would surely crush you. The fear and selfishness of the broken promises and unfulfilled desires would throw you off your game.
With a little too much enthusiasm, you stuff the box of the cat plushie into your bag.
Most likely to stay forgotten and distant from the present you're facing.
Scratching it off harder than the rest, you get to the last errand.
Refill supplies
A smart and mature move considering how you used the whole Medkit during the chase. The soggy bandages and washed away ointment really hurt your heart and wallet.
Revisiting the same shops you went to the first time proved to be ineffective. Either they were completely sold out or no longer supplying them.
Forced to visit more stores, you had to walk around the city a lot more than you cared to. Each store had one of the two situations, and the skittish actions of everyone around you were just the cherry on top.
At one point you even tried to buy the individual items separately, and even that failed.
It's not like you could just wait till next week for the first shipment. You weren't even sure you would live till then.
Eventually, you found yourself sulking on the lower docks, turning the situation around in your head.
If only you lived in Liyue for a little longer, maybe you could have found some of the hidden shops. Befriend a store owner and get a hidden one.
Just who the hell would even go out of their way to get every medical first aid part when it's such a crucial item for so many people in this era?
A name finally comes to mind and your expression sours at the thought. Not that you’d let it show, Celestia knows how many guards are watching you at this moment-
A sudden, rapid series of taps on your shoulder has you spinning around in surprise.
A young boy stands before you. The clothes he wears has visible wear and tear as the fabric frays from the edges. Yet you can't help but think you might have seen him before.
Placing a finger on his lips, he uses his other hand to grab hold of your elbow and tug you along.
Surprised but not suspicious of the kid, you let him lead you deeper into the docks. The dark red of his eyes seem to glow within the shadows as his dirty blond hair acts as your beacon of light.
The smell of fresh fish turns rotten, and the dirt caked under his fingernails stains your clothes. The complete and straight planks become jagged and creaky as you follow him farther.
But you stayed silent.
You recognized a path to the seedy part of the city when you see it.
Instead, you examine the younger boy with a critical eye and finally connect the dots. He must be one of the kids you saved with Yiran.
A smirk creeps up your face. It seems you managed to use your time wisely in making connections after all.
Following along the twists and turns, you don't worry too much about the Millelith. Most of the guards probably couldn't even get this far. If you had to guess, it would only be the detectives who could keep up.
It's not like the hidden underworld of cities as popular as Liyue Harbor are any big secret to them.
Stalls and various shops fill the area as flickering lanterns and other extra lighting give you a wider view.
Multiple people call out to the boy as he silently waves to them. The gaze of the homeless and shady people around aren't warm, but aren't hostile either.
Not that you were exactly expecting a warm welcome, but at least you didn't have to worry about sudden personality changes.
Money could buy you information, but it wouldn't buy you trust in these parts.
He finally stops at a little nook in the corner of the area. The door is worn down with scratches and marks yet the light you can see under it is warm.
Silent as before, he points at you, then to the rows of shops in a sweeping motion before stopping at the door.
Pinching your brows in slight confusion, you chew on the gestures to understand it. High-pitched laughter that suspiciously sounds like children eases into your ears as the boy squirms in place.
“Did you want me to knock on the door when I'm done shopping? That you'll lead me back to the surface?”
It was the only thing that you can think of. And despite your hesitation, the boy nods, clearly relieved that you understood the message.
He must truly be mute, no doubt from whatever horrors he must have faced that lead to the scars poorly hidden by mud on his arms.
You were thankful either way. Just leading you here was great but getting an exit too was even better. Now you could avoid getting mugged and/or murdered on your way back.
“Thanks man, I'll be quick.” With that, you walk away, already following the invisible path to the shops that caught your eye.
As much as you would have liked to explore the various items and weapons they had, you didn't want to keep the kid waiting.
After having to buy a rather expensive medical kit, a minor downside to finding the first medical anything since you left Bubu’s pharmacy, you pick up a minor stitching case.
You could have really used one during your latest and probably not last chase. Stuffing it into your bag, as people eye the magical item with desire, you quickly find the home.
Getting to the door, you step closer than before and take note of the older voice. A woman that's chuckling, and a lingering sense of guilt invades your mind.
Quickly rapping your knuckles on the wood, you step away as the home goes dead quiet.
Multiple little eyes peer at you from windows below you as you lazily grin and wave. They all scatter as giggling resumes and the sound of playing returns.
But not the woman’s voice. You didn't expect it to. It's hard to face the only person you've poured your raw wounds from a child's death to.
The kid finally steps out with multiple clicks of locks echoing around the small space. Smiling, you take no offense to the action. You weren't here for trust, and they weren't helping you out of it either.
His crimson eyes glisten with interest at your bag. He wants his pay, and you're more than happy to oblige.
Stuffing your hand into the bag, you feel the familiar clink of Mora gathering in your hand. Pulling it out, you place an appropriate amount into the pouch he already has prepared.
When you drop it all, he takes it closer to him and picks up a piece. The first thing he does is try to bite it, and the familiar memory of you testing coins the same way makes you smile sadly.
Counting the Mora, he frowns, clearly displeased with the amount. He holds his hand out, and you can feel the other children’s stares digging into you.
“I'm going to give you two things that aren't Mora, okay? But you have to keep it a secret.”
He narrows his eyes, no doubt suspecting you of being a shady person. That's probably why he brought you here first and demanded payment before returning you.
Like this, he has back up and cornered you further into payment of his choosing.
“Do you have a cooking pot?”
He frowns in confusion before nodding slowly. Lifting one finger in a pause motion, before heading back inside his home.
He returns while holding a clean cooking pot. It doesn’t take long before he places it over the open fire you already started.
Small eyes follow your every step as you dig out ingredients from your bag. Mentally going over the ingredients you had originally prepared for your celebration feast if you survived tonight, you drop them into the pot.
4 ham, 3 crabs, 3 shrimp meat, and 3 matsutake potatoes are dropped in.
Turning around, you count to five as the boy gives you a confused stare. But you only wink at him before turning around to look at the pot, as his eyes widen at the sight.
Adeptus’ Temptation sits innocently in the pot as the rich aroma wafts around the area, drawing curious hungry eyes.
Leaning down, you whisper to the boy.
“Get your friends and bring the pot back into your house quickly. This food is blessed and safe as you watched the whole process. I suggest you let the sickly and injured children eat first.”
He looks between you and the pot with conflicting emotions. On one hand, he can't trust you too much, but even the smell of the food was clearly tempting him.
It's the shuffling of feet getting closer that makes him bang on the door, signalling for the other children to come out and help him bring it inside.
By the time the shabby adults come into view, it's just you and the boy ‘talking’ as they grumble and turn around.
The kid still looks displeased. You don't blame him completely, since how can he trust that the food you cook isn't spiked with anything nefarious.
You're not even sure if it can heal people that aren't acolytes. It doesn't work on you after all.
At least they'll all enjoy a hot meal, even if it doesn't work.
Sighing, you take out your last resort from your bag, sadly selecting it and pulling it out. The secret weapon you've been saving since your time in Inazuma.
The colorful assortment of candy wrappers makes the kid’s eyes sparkle with the childlike glee that was absent since you met him. Probably long before you met him.
“It's not just Liyue candy, some are even from Inazuma.” The thought of giving up your hard-earned candy hurt you, but you let it go.
The candy you squirreled away during the Inazuma festival, and the discount ones you bought at cheap prices at Liyue’s markets, were both never going to be eaten anyway.
His hands reach out to snatch the candy greedily from you but you raise it out of reach at the last second. He stomps his foot in childish indignation as you chuckle.
“Sorry, but I need you to bring me back to the outside before you scam me out of any more goodies.”
Finally giving up, he grabs your elbow again and leads you back through the streets. You enjoy the sights as he leads you zigzagging through the stalls.
You can't help but wonder if any detectives are still watching your boring little interactions. Admittedly, you played into the kid's desires more then you had to.
But you couldn't stop yourself from doing so when all you could see in him was yourself when you were that height.
The sun comes into light as the dim lanterns fade away. Like this, you can see his features once more as the stomping of soldiers return.
His eyes scan the area at the sound, but he keeps his hands open for the sweet treats. Smiling, you drop the candy into his open palms before he rushes off with a beaming boyish grin.
Stretching as you walk up the planks to the surface, you finally cross off the last item and drop it into the nearby trash can.
You try to ignore how it disappears when you turn the corner.
------------------------------------
Time ticks down slowly, and you aren't looking forward to seeing Madam Ping just yet. Besides, you made a long-overdue promise to someone else beforehand.
Starting up at the somewhat hidden Funeral Parlor, you push the door open with a casual; “Hey, I'm here to meet up with the Director of this fine and totally not macabre establishment.”
The receptionist blinks at your sudden words before a cheery voice responds from behind her.
“You sure took your time, Y/N. I almost wondered if you up and died before I got a chance to have you purchase one of our very convenient and practical deals!”
Yet again, Hu Tao was right on the money about you being close to death. Idly, you wonder if you look half as dead as you feel.
The receptionist is more than happy to slip away as her boss bounds up to you with that elemental ghost hovering around her.
Flower pupils stare into your eyes, giving you a vague sense of unease as Hu Tao examines you from various angles.
“Yup, yup! Just as I suspected. You are in desperate need of escape, and it seems the only way you'll be getting it is in death. My honest suggestion is that you buy a coffin from us and lead a hedonist lifestyle to enjoy the few years you have left.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” You dryly respond as she nods approvingly.
“A business needs to be honest for it to succeed in the long-term. Trust of the customers is one of the biggest key factors.”
Not willing to argue on a topic you were admittedly clueless on, you follow her deeper into the Parlor.
“Then you got any good deals for a traveling adventurer like me who could be dead halfway across the world?”
She sighs, exaggerating it to the utmost while circling you. “I thought deeply on the topic and while the Wangshsng Funeral Parlor has grown enough to reach all of Liyue and a good amount of Mondstadt and Sumeru, we still haven't grown enough to pair up with each region.”
Passing by multiple doors, your eyes scan for a clue on where she was leading you.
“But considering you're the most eager customer I've had concerning their own death, I decided to present you with a special deal.”
“Wouldn't suicidal people also be enthusiastic in this topic?”
“They're usually more focused on the moment and their own afterlife, instead of the corpse they leave behind. Besides-!”
Whipping around to look at you with a knowing grin, she lays a hand decorated in rings on the handle.
“You aren't that far from being called a suicidal person yourself, Y/N!”
Before you can question her on those words, she swings the door open to show multiple rows of various coffins.
“The special offer I'm giving you is to purchase a coffin and I will personally escort your wandering soul to the border for proper peace.”
Tearing your eyes from the admittedly impressive collection of varying caskets, you have the sense to ask her a question. “So, what's the point in me buying a coffin if my body ends up in the waters of Fontaine? And how could I even trust that you have the ability to escort souls?”
From what you remember, Hu Tao should have no clue about your oracle status, so logically you should act oblivious to her connection with the border. Would you even be able to cross the border? It’s not like you were born on Teyvat like her other customers.
Unless Zhongli told her, but that would require more of an explanation on his behalf that he wouldn't want to do.
“Very good question, dear customer!” She spins around to face you once more, her long twin tails swinging during the motion.
“Even if your body is irretrievable for whatever reason, the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor will deem your casket full after I guide your soul.”
The atmosphere visibly shifts after she speaks. The room darkens as the lanterns flicker, her back lowers in a familiar position as a cold phantom touch caresses your hand.
“You of all people should know why and how I'm able to guide souls. After all, I wouldn't expect anything less from an Oracle of the Creator.”
A crooked grin makes its way to your face as goosebumps raise on your skin. Hu Tao’s ‘threatening’ words of knowing your identity were like the sweetest song to your ears.
Finally, all your hard work in creating connections and stabilizing your identity has paid off. Acolytes you've barely begun conversing with already see you as an Oracle.
“Should I applaud you or something, Director? Or should I just accept the deal and make us both happy?”
Hu Tao laughs at your words as you take confident strides to stand by her side.
“I would appreciate the second option much more!” Signature flower pupils drink your smiling visage in with delight before her hand grasps yours in a tight hold.
“Now, if you will, I'll introduce all these amazing coffin and casket types for you to ask about and choose between.”
There's no time to protest, not that you would as she pulls you along excitedly as butterflies made of Pyro brush against your cheek.
------------------------------
Somehow you and Hu Tao had managed to look at every single coffin type in existence. A style, color and even additional design to it has already been decided.
You're just left with choosing the best wood for it.
Hu Tao wanted to stay with you throughout the whole process, but an important matter came up again, making her complain loudly as she left.
But before she did, she insisted on sending one of her employees to help you in choosing, as ‘the wood is a vital part of the process!’.
So now you're left waiting in the absolutely quiet room, with only the sound of your own breathing accompanying you.
Looking down at the two coffins made of different wood, you waited for this employee. A small smirk played on your lips as you heard the door audibly click shut.
The thumping of shoes coming closer was silent, but the slight hitch of breath gave away how close your new consultant was.
“White cedar wood and Teck wood are both very fine choices. Though I would consider the Catalpa wood two rows down to be the best choices considering your position.”
Hot air fans your skin as the knowledgeable words spoken in that low timber light your nerves aflame.
Turning around, you look into amber eyes that remain steadfast on your face. His outfit is pristine and there's not a single evidence of the battle he was left to fight on him.
“If that answers your last question for the coffin customization, then would you mind stepping outside with me?”
Waving your hand, you dismiss his words without hesitation. “We can do so after I check out the Catalpa wood you recommended.”
Your head angles to the side to look at him with a teasing grin. “I know it's your retirement, but you of all people should know that rushing a job is never good.”
A long-suffering sigh leaves Zhongli as you walk away to the Catalpa coffin, before he follows you.
More than happy to kill time like this, you feel the wood under your fingertips in a smooth stripe.
“Catalpa wood was and is still often used as an outer coffin for the jade inner coffin that Liyue officials were buried in. Not only can it be carved fluidly, but it is also very resistant to decay, unlike other ornamental wood. Its stability is quite underrated, with only the drying to be a tad problematic. And even that will be for us to deal with.”
Vaguely you wonder if this information was inserted into the game based off China’s own history or if Teyvat really did age throughout many years to build its own history.
“That’s why I recommended this type of wood to you. While you’re not officially a member of the Qixing or other affairs, your position of oracle is enough to warrant such a valued coffin.”
“Are you trying to convince me to buy it for your job, or are you trying to flatter me for your proposal?”
“You may see it as both, neither, or one of the two. I'm simply here as the consultant. I am to assist you with all of your decision-making inside this building.”
A huff of laughter leaves you before you tap on the casket. “Then I'll go along with what you want and take this wood.”
Zhongli nods, not bothering to write it down as his memory must be far greater than you care to imagine.
His gloved hand is displayed to you in a silent question, but before you can move, he removes the glove.
Quizzically, you raise an eyebrow before placing your hand on his now bare one. Peering at his face from your place you note the slightest blush on his otherwise composed expression.
Smiling to yourself, you allow his fingers to intertwine with your own as he guides you out of the side door. Following him blindly up the staircase, past a set of rooms, another staircase till you finally arrive at the roof.
Zhongli squeezes your hand one last time, clearly relishing in the touch of your calloused fingertips before letting you go.
“I've waited patiently for you, Y/N. What is your answer to my marriage proposal?”
His eyes stare at yours with unshakable firmness. In a sense, it's endearing, and you make it clear by smiling widely.
“It's a no from me.” That resolute expression cracks and his mouth drops open before it's slammed shut at your bright laughter.
But even his poorly concealed embarrassed expression can't smother the blood rushing to his cheeks as his ears hang onto every addictive note that leaves your lips.
This has taken a long time. Like super long. I haven't dropped this series, just have lots of school work to complete and exams to study for. Like I literally have one tomorrow.
My editor did me a solid and highlighted the parts that I had to fill in after I gave the mostly completed document for editing. When I have to write the next chapter, it'll take a bit as I gotta reread for recalibration.
Taglist is open as always!
@vvyeislazzy, @nikqi, @the-dumber-scaramouche, @etherisy, @yourlocalstranger123, @ra404, @iruiji, @goldenglow149, @haru-tofuu, @lsleepysimpl, @bebobeboben, @yuyuzi-ling, @amidst-the-tempest, @resident-cryptid, @mxd1zzy, @mochicurls21, @nervouseaglelover, @thedevioussmirk, @yumuramma, @kwqsla, @undecidingfate, @ehjane, @game-savvy, @akiramirae, @liansh3ng, @fluffy-koalala, @formacoon, @sxftiebee, @khxii-i, @ursinaw, @chuuya-brainrot, @sweetbills, @kazuchaos, @snowfoxnix, @bluebelony, @shellofthewell, @pencil-of-ashes, @ghostlyintervention, @taiformaifoe, @goaudduck, @carminerin, @maddysflowers, @zenith-of-all-zenith, @crazydreamcat, @leafanonsforest, @grimreapersscythe, @leylanx, @sapphireknown, @help-whatdoimakemyusername
@zhonglisfruityass, @mer0n37, @victoria1676, @mochinessss, @sinnful-darling, @emilymikado, @pix-stuff, @esthelily, @luxie963, @emmbny, @starsofabundance, @kbar1013, @xxblackroses623xx, @chxrlxtteee, @aludicpoet, @yandematic, @atrcclovsxoxo, @0lshadyl0, @esthelily, @t-rex-red, @ck123, @steadybreadbluebird, @118gremlin, @stratonia, @time-shardz, @farelady-fate, @valeriele3, @francisnyx, @byakuren100, @waveto-earth, @flyingpansaurus, @silverstarred, @iamapotatoe, @ghosthii, @beloveddroplet, @uchihaeirin, @ibelieveinsleep, @idk098, @thefirstonetoeverlikemeback, @toramune, @haaaaaades, @horologiumwise, @melovaaaa, @alittletiredcry, @aphxdea, @atsukawolfcat, @desirabletravel, @pinkpainc, @eccedentesiast-sapphic, @yuyuzi-ling, @hyperfixationwhore
@juuuuuj101010, @avalordream, @kurayamioterasu, @tottybear, @koiikuno, @lynx-of-skies, @quacking-simp, @synthe4u, @kascar-chronicle, @hug4helios, @hug4helios, @silverstarred, @koiikuno, @ithoughtthinks, @remiivx, @lemonade7255
526 notes
·
View notes
Just a couple sub Albedo thoughts :)
- Albedo is a great mix of awkward inexperience and unexpectedly smug. Like, have you seen his face sometimes? That smug Albedo face? That one. That.
- He’s 100% a virgin before you get at him, this isolated mf. So when you get to take his first time (after a very long time dating), he’s not used to… well, not studying things.
- When you first start out he’s going to be like… the kind of awkward only scientists can be. Attempts to dirty talk will be met by unimpressed looks and judgmental eyebrow quirking.
- Mostly because at first he uses the biological terms (“penis” 💀)
- But that’s before you turn him into a mess
- He absolutely overestimates how much he can take. He assumes he’s going to have plenty of stamina and resistance because of his efficient homunculus body. Sure it’s good for physical activity and such, but it’s not like Rhinedottir built him for withstanding pleasure!? He fails to realize that sex is an entirely different wheelhouse than just physical activity
- So when you manage (your cock or strap) inside him (after many gasps about how much bigger it seems when it’s inside), and start to pound him he absolutely falls apart.
- Poor boy isn’t built for this. His every sense overridden by a sensation he wasn’t built to withstand. The normally composed alchemist, reduced to a blathering mess of tears and drool as he completely loses it.
- He will deny that happened the next day though
- In the future, when he knows what to expect, dirty talk will start to become more effective. And, you can start to explore more kinks with him!
- The idea of dollification with Albedo is fun, but I feel like he’ll only subscribe to that idea after a while, when he gets a better grasp and confidence with all this.
- Start out slow. Light bondage, praise, maybe a little edging and overstimulation. All light, please ease him into things
- Over time, he’ll be able to handle more and you can become more intense ofc :)
- He understands how sex works, but isn’t well-versed in the world of kinks and fetishes. So, corrupt away, my good fellow.
- At the end of the day, Albedo is always going to be high commitment and patience-driven relationship. High commitment high reward. Be good to him, and all that brain power will focus on making you happy (and being a good boy for you~).
- Albedo is my favorite if you can’t tell. My baby boy 🙏 Frfr. Love him so much.
This has been stuck in my drafts for months ❤️
453 notes
·
View notes
4Dango Comic Masterlist
These are mostly twitter links right now. I’ll slowly replace them with the tumblr posts as I upload the comics here!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BIRTHDAYS Anthology
Bennett’s Birthday (twt 2022)
Childe’s Birthday (twt 2021) (2022)
Diluc’s Birthday (twt 2021)
Eula’s Birthday (twt 2021)
Jean’s Birthday (twt 2022)
Kaeya’s Birthday (twt 2020)
Kaveh's Birthday (2023)
Kokomi’s Birthday (2022)
Razor’s Birthday (twt 2021)
Rosaria’s Birthday (twt 2022)
Sara’s Birthday (2022)
Xiao’s Birthday (2021)
Zhongli’s Birthday (twt 2021)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CELEBRATION Anthology
Secret Santa (2020)
Father’s Day (twt 2021)
Christmas (2021)
New Year (2022)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MONDSTADT Anthology
Albedo-centric:
Voices in Ice & Snow (Corrupted Albedo dj, Completed) [twitter] [webtoon]
Cold Tolerance & Homunculus Body (ft. Albedo, Aether)
My Sword (ft. Albedo, Aether, CW: GORE)
Ghost AU page test (ft. Albedo, Aether)
“Father” (ft. Albedo, Subject 2, Dainsleif)
Fleeting Shadow (ft. Albedo, Subject 2, Aether)
Teasing Huffman (ft. Albedo, Huffman)
.
Dawn Winery centric (Diluc, Kaeya, Adelinde):
Eye (ft. Diluc & Kaeya)
Badass Adelinde
Diluc’s Raw Strength (ft. Diluc, poor hilichurl)
Long Live The King (ft. Kaeya, Diluc, Kaeya’s father)
500 Years (ft. Kaeya, Kaeya’s father)
Rain Anthology flipbook animation
.
AUs:
LUPICAL (Modern AU) [webtoon]
Mondt Gala [twitter thread]
.
Others:
Klee’s Big Bang skill (animation)
Use Your Claws, Boy (ft. Razor, Rosaria)
If You Hurt Him (ft. Razor, Rosaria)
Shadows (ft. Diluc & Rosaria, crack ship)
Growing Up (ft. Razor, Klee) [part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4]
Ties (ft. Diluc, Razor)
Summer Event (ft. Razor, Diluc, Kaeya, Albedo, Dvalin)
Viktor & Lily
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LIYUE Anthology
Ancient Liyue Collection
Burning Karmic Debt (Indarias’ death)
Farewell Harvia
Xiao’s Hobby
Qiqi’s Wish (Lantern Rite comic, ft. Qiqi, Xiao)
Resonant Wave zine entry (ft. Tartali, Childe/Zhongli)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
INAZUMA Anthology
Teppei’s Ambition (ft. Teppei, Aether, Scaramouche)
Familiar Fatui Recruit (ft. Aether, Childe, Chouji)
Grand Aspiration (ft. Kazuha, Kazuha’s Friend)
Orobashi & his Generals (character fandesigns)
Rui & Kanna Kapatcir (character fandesigns)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SCARAMOUCHE Anthology
KAGOME [Webtoon compilation]
Kabukimono's Tales of Tatarasuna
[part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4]
If Niwa, Katsuragi, & Nagamasa comes back to life (ft. Wanderer)
If Niwa comes back to life (ft. Wanderer, Kazuha, Niwa)
Kabukitty
Standalones not featured in my books:
Catharsis (ft. Wanderer, Dottore)
Wanderer animation (based on Deko’s illustration)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SUMERU Anthology
Bug Talks (ft. Collei, Cyno)
Following Footsteps (ft. Cyno, Collei)
Caretaker & Protector (ft. Collei, Cyno, Tighnari)
Pay Attention, Or Else (ft. Collei, Cyno, Tighnari, Aether)
Do You Remember (ft. Nahida, Aether, Lumine)
Ashes & You (ft. Kaveh, Alhaitham)
Samsara (ft. Dottore, Nahida)
Flower for my most gallant knight (ft. Dehya, Dunyarzad)
Your Turn, Milady (ft. Dehya, Dunyarzad)
.
NPC-centric:
The Gilded Sand’s Lullaby (ft. Jeht, Jebrael)
Falcon’s Sunset (ft. Aether, Tadhla)
Child of Snow & Forest (ft. Alphonso, Rana, Arana)
Waiting Forever (ft. Alphonso, Aether, Iotham)
Zandik’s Dream (ft. Zandik/Dottore, Rukkhadevata)
.
Character Fandesigns
Professor Cyrus [grandpa energy] [fandesign]
Pari [part 1 twt] [part 2 twt]
Sheikh Zubayr (doodle)
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata (before cutscene release)
Nabu Malikata, Goddess of Flower
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Others
Rhinedottir fandesign
We Promised (ft. Aether, Lumine)
“I’m Just A Feeble Scholar” (commission, ft. Alhaitham/Aether)
Albedo vs Childe rough animatic
Abyss Memories [part 1, ft. Kazuha, Kazuha’s Friend] [part 2, ft. Lumine, Enjou, Kazuha’s Friend]
Missing You (ft Aether, Lumine, Albedo)
Humble Wish (ft. Lumine, Dainsleif, Aether)
Deception (ft. Aether, Venti, Zhongli)
907 notes
·
View notes
Being a traveler multishipper is so fun because there's always something for any trope you want no matter what mood you're in.
Xiaother/Xiaolumi? They're so soft. Canonically they're very close friends who care for each other a lot. Xiao's pain lessens in the traveler's presence. He wants to protect them and tells them to call his name whenever they're in danger. He's so shy and afraid of hurting people, but attends events because of the traveler. He was ready to die to save them. They got him to write poetry. They're both old and hurting and in need of a break and so many hugs.
Scaraether/Scaralumi? He tried to kill them when they first met. He destroyed their friend's clan. He mocked Teppei's death and likely would've killed them if Miko didn't trade the gnosis. The traveler had to fight him 168 times before they were able to defeat him for real. They then became allies and held hands. When he erased himself, they freaked out and went out of their way to bring him back. They're still not friends, but they aren't as hostile to each other as before. The part of my brain that craves enemies-to-lovers eats this ship up.
Albether/Albelumi? When the traveler met Albedo, he instantly wanted to study them, and they let him. At the end of his story quest he makes it clear that he wants to rely on them (If one day, I lose control… destroy Mondstadt… destroy everything..Can I rely on you to stop me?) They looked at him and memorized his appearance enough to notice that susbedo was missing the gold star marking, and they didn't judge him for being a homunculus. They're so sweet to each other when they meet during events. He probably studies them off screen. I like to think that he made a bunch of portraits of them, too. He literally says that he's interested in them in his teapot voicelines. This ship opened my eyes to scientist x test subject.
425 notes
·
View notes
mini love report — albedo
relationship health diagnosis — 90%*
symptom one — reserved
albedo favors a reclusive lifestyle. dealing with social nuances and niceties is a draining prospect, he'd rather forgo them altogether. it's for this reason that rumors swirl around the alchemist. he's been described as cold and calculating. which, to be fair, isn't completely wrong. if he'd rather be elsewhere it isn't difficult to tell. still, that unquenchable thirst to peel back more layers of this mysterious world hasn't made him unfeeling.
this public perception never bothered him until he realized it may influence your opinion of him. this explains his uncharacteristic effort to seek you out. it starts off awkward, as you're certain the chief alchemist has more important matters to tend to. his attempts win you over slowly yet surely. it’s endearing, how his stoic visage belies frustration when he struggles to keep the conversation going, having exhausted platitudes.
you being the exception to his preference for isolation is rather flattering.
symptom two — knowledgeable
albedo is a natural educator. there's hardly a moment where his field of study isn't bouncing around in his mind. with sucrose and timaeus, he keeps his teachings succinct and formal. when he's sharing his recent findings with you, however, it's a different story. his monotonous voice takes on a lively cadence. comparatively speaking, at least. no one else is privy to his nerdy side. self-consciousness catches up, when he notes thirty minutes have gone by and he's only on his second of ten samples.
there you sit. bundled up to stave off the dragonspine's unforgiving weather, contentedly sipping hot cocoa he had ready for your arrival (a suggestion from klee). you tilt your head and ask why he's stopped. it's in that instant he realizes miracles aren't limited to physical manifestations. they can come in any form. even one as simple as you trying to resume the conversation, despite getting tongue-tied by the alchemical jargon.
future discoveries that will amuse you hold more weight to him than anything actually groundbreaking...
symptom three — conscientious
if you ever happen upon albedo's dense collection of relationship-related reading material, please keep it to yourself, lest he die of embarrassment. he wants to get this right! interpersonal relationships aren't his forte, he's not so blinded by pride to acknowledge this shortcoming. he knows he can be blunt and accidentally trample over feelings. he refuses to seek the counsel of his peers, which leaves him at the mercy of klee's tutelage.
he hypothesizes that the lack of self-awareness in children makes them conducive to offering unfiltered advice. gift-giving is her field of choice and her standards are high. almost every trinket, flower, or artwork you've received has undergone rigorous quality control. he was amazed that this klee verification system went over so well with you, hence his reoccurring patronage.
he cares a lot. expressing it might not come naturally to him, but he's willing to overthrow his nature for your benefit.
primary area of concern
...
albedo has some baggage regarding his creation. his search for unraveling the mystery behind his creator's parting challenging, while not all-consuming, influences him to some extent.
truthfully, there isn't anything that'd place major strain on your relationship. there are times he discovers a secret of the world that would've been better of remaining unknown. so long as it isn't anything that'd endanger you, he handles overwhelming information quite well.
although he's often holed up in his laboratory, you're welcome to come and observe. he doesn't allow his research to isolate him from you. he involves you whenever he can and gladly engages in your interests as well. he tends to absorb them, returning a few days later with the expertise of a scholar.
you've scored yourself a solid homunculus.
prognosis
his interest in you is a flame that'll never wane. you add warmth and color to his life, he adds stability to yours. the memories you cherish are always the small, seemingly insignificant ones, that steadily build. the sticky notes you leave on his desk reminding him to take breaks. a homemade meal he's left for you to warm up for those busy mornings. enjoying a tea party with klee where albedo gives a 'toast' to his generous host, dodoco, spoken with a straight face.
these scintillating fragments form a greater whole.
*the universe has tried (and failed) to wrench you apart (0-20) your friends are praying that you'll break up (21-40) 'well it could/has be worse' bargaining mindset (41-60) a lil messiness as a treat (61-80) pure and wholesome (81-100)
313 notes
·
View notes