#((think of it as singing w paimon))

[dewdrip]

[ Mic Check ]

"Just give us a little tune for calibration, now."

"This shouldn't be my--" job, Lumine isn't quite able to complete as the mic is thrust into her hands. Her smiles wavers, something awkward, as digits wrap around the metal, and she tries to push it back again to no avail. Her glance lands then, apologetically, upon the little -- well, that's not a melusine, is it? But there's a girl beside her who's been requested (or forced, maybe, who knows) to assist, too (they ought to commiserate, if it's the latter), and while she understands they need all hands on deck to ensure a solid performance... does it have to be like this?! This stranger's poor ears...

She takes a breath, before offering a wavering, discordant note into the poor mic, cringing at the sound. Melodies were surely not her forte -- but if nothing else, she's proven that this device did indeed work!

The price of cinema is steep, isn't it?

"Would you mind taking the next one? I should.. be helping on the technical side, I think." Laughter, embarrassed, but she still manages to sound amicable enough.

( .... couldn't she have simply spoken into the mic instead? )

overture 2024

Her ears twitch at the sound. It has a piercing quality that seems more fitting for seagulls or the whistling takeoff of a starskiff—not the human voice. She wonders how it's even possible. Perhaps the blonde lady had a sore throat, or perhaps even a few nodes? That would be something for later. For now, she gladly takes the microphone from her hands, clutching it in her own in an all-too eager motion. 

"Yes, it'd be best for me to handle this." Bailu looks up at her, a small frown in her face, "You should rest your throat. In fact, why don't you talk to me once we're done? I might have something that can help soothe your voice."

At that, Bailu turns back to the microphone in her hands, and to the expectant sound crew that stare at her. She actually rather likes singing—she hears lots of it in the night bars and teashops and has always yearned to drunkenly belt along to some opera or elegy. But of course, she's not permitted to have any fun. Here, though, far from the eyes and ears of her guardians? She'll certainly have her try.

She takes a deep breath. The inhale echoes uncomfortably on the speakers.

"When the dragon turns reeeeeeed," she sings loudly, confidently, but has little support to carry the tone of her voice. Dear reader, it is about as pitchy and horrific as you think it might sound. For a Vidyadhara elegy as tragic as it is, Bailu makes it sound horribly comedic. Suppose laughter was good medicine… "then the green pines shall sheeeeed! Pass like a dream—"

 "CUT!" The director bellows, "PLEASE CUT!"

"—out of sight and mind, six hundred years in this mortal bind~ When the dragon turns reeeeeeed…"

[thatkippycat]

Doing something a bit different from my headcanons, though this one-shot does tie back to some headcanons I did a while ago. Hope y'all enjoy!

(The Headcanon)

Tick Tock: Stolas x M!GoetiaPrince!Reader One-Shot

☆-------------------------------------------------------☆

     This was fine, you were fine. Sure, you were currently waiting to see the love of your life, the prince who you were kept from for decades. This was it, your chance to finally go back to him, to finally have him back in your arms. Satan's sake, that clock in the corner was far too... loud wasn't the right word. It was normal, just making you aware of the passage of time, both present and past.

     ...Annoying, that was the word. Although that still didn't feel right. Disquieting? No, that wasn't it either. Stolas would probably know the word, being a little, adorable nerd. Did he still wear those adorable glasses? You hadn't seen them in any pictures during your time forced away from him, but maybe he only wore them in private? You remember when you used to wipe the tears from underneath the lenses, the looks of adoration Stolas had given you through them, and every other emotion possible in his eyes. His beautiful, mesmerizing eyes.

     You were getting nervous now. Stolas was taking his time, and you wondered if maybe he wasn't interested in seeing you again. You wouldn't blame him, you didn't even try to fight back when you were "forbidden from seeing him." Yeah, Paimon would've crushed you, but you could've atleast tried. Plus, Stolas supposedly has a new man in his life. Why were you even here?

     "Because you're selfish," you mumbled to yourself. You wanted Stolas to be happy, but here you are, waltzing back into his life just like the two of had waltzed before. Except this time, you were the one butting in, not Paimon. Your brain was telling you to leave, to disappear again and save you both the heartache. But your body didn't move an inch, facing the fears you wanted to cower from.

     Damn, that clock was getting to you, and you still couldn't find a word to describe it! Stupid, idiotic, useless, guilt-inducing, depressing, none of them worked. It was the only thing saving your mind from tearing itself apart and it was just as frustrating as your own feelings. Stolas never would've bought something like that, the clock was definitely from Stella. And then, you started thinking about her.

     That lady made your blood boil. She was a status obsessed bitch, and you hated her for it. Why did she get to be the one to be with Stolas? You were there and ready, you would've actually loved him, unlike that overgrown brat. Yeah yeah, Stolas was supposed to produce an heir and you were both guys, but still! Magoc is everywhere in Hell, there had to be something, right?

     It didn't matter now, though. Stolas already went through that pain, and you couldn't even hold him as he cried. You couldn't wipe the tears away. You couldn't sing a song just well enough to soothe him. You, the man who promised to protect him with your life, couldn't be his knight in shining armor, because you were a coward!

      ...That's it, that clock was going to be smashed. You couldn't take it anymore, it needed to be stopped at the least. You stood up and marched to it, ready to turn it into tiny splinters. You almost didn't hear the voice behind you. Almost.

     "Y/N...?"

     "Stolas, I-"

     "Y/N!"

     Stolas had gotten stronger apparently, as he fully tackled you to the ground, knocking over everything in the way. You could see the tears falling from his eyes, as a wide grin filled his face. He held on to you tightly, and you embraced him as well, tears also forming.

     "I can not believe this is real. I thought that I would never see you again."

     "Yeah, this is real. So are the pieces of whatever you knocked me into sticking in my back."

      "Oh goodness, let me help you up."

     Ironically enough, you landed on the clock, breaking it in half, leaving you with a slight sense of satisfaction. You didn't dwell for long though, as Stolas had you sit down with him on a nearby couch.

     "It's... been a while, are you-"

     "Stolas, I'm so, so sorry for everything. I should have been there for you, I should have protected you, I-"

     "Y/N, please, there is nothing to apologize for."

      "But there is! I should've been there for you!"

      "And you would've been killed by my father if you did. I...I know I can't convince you that you don't have to apologize, so I want to accept your apologies for everything."

     "I don't deserve you Stolas."

     "You absolutely do, alright? "

     "Heh, yeah... um, I don't want to intrude into your personal business, but I saw you were with someone else, and I wanted to let you know that, even though I still love you, I don't want to interfere with your relationship."

     "Ah, Blitzø. I...I do love him, but our relationship is complicated, to say the least. There is far too much to really get into, and besides, I want to spend time with you. You've always had a piece of my heart, you know."

     "I know, I know. Should we do dinner maybe? Catch up then?"

     "That sounds delightful. Oh, and Y/N?"

     "Yes?"

     "Thank you, for coming back. I've missed you."

     Stolas took ahold of your hand, gently brushing your knuckles. You missed this, you really, really missed this. You and Stolas made eye-contact, and before either of you knew it, you were kissing.

[dragon-queen21]

Okay, I just had a thought about more shenanigans that some other characters would get into, but I realized that some of these characters would be a tippy toe from bursting into song if given the chance. I know this isn’t agere related, but I felt like sharing anyway because why not

Characters that would burst into song at the drop of a hat:

Jigglypuff - Everybody run before you fall asleep and she puts marker all over you if she starts singing! Either that or pretend to sleep because she won’t stop singing to breathe

Mitsuri - Never give her a music playlist unless you want to sit for hours while she rambles on about each of the songs in a musical, ESPECIALLY HAMILTON, THERE IS TOO MANY SONGS TO MAKE IT A SHORT CONVERSATION!

Maya Fae (Ace Attorney) - Abby Trott voices her, I’m not gonna be surprised if she starts repeating Baby Shark out of nowhere

Tanjiro Kamado - Give him 10 minutes and he will not shut up, much to Zenitsu’s chagrin

Tengen Uzui - The last person to ask for music suggestions unless you’re okay with him being super critical about any song you bring him if he doesn’t like it

Clefairy - IDK, they just seem like it

Kyojuro Rengoku - Look up a video of Jonah Platt & Mark Whitten (first person not someone I’m familiar with) singing “The Riddle Song” from Floyd Collins, and you’ll see why I put the flame flavored Kirby on here

Side note: Mark Whitten is Kyojuro’s English VA for all his appearances in Demon Slayer

Sanemi Shinazugawa - Not in public, but he probably would

Shinobu Kocho - Her English VA has done a cover of “Soldier, Poet, King” and did a hand puppet short musical about why she loves Kingdom Hearts, there’s a chance Kocho would at least hum

Hu Tao - She will do it for free

Mona - Will do it to get money

Venti - He already does it for apples. See Shinobu above.

Paimon - She will get bored, she will find some way to make it a scene, do not test her, SHE WILL DO IT

Beidou - Give her whatever alcohol you have that she likes and the whole crew is doing it

Childe - You can thank Griffin Burns for this, he’s already made meme song covers

Kagome - She probably had an iPod in her time period, it’s not like she wouldn’t do it

Klee - FOR THE LOVE OF BARBATOS, DO NOT LET HER WATCH COCOMELON, IT WILL BE THE END OF JEAN ;W;

Kaeya - He will be like “This is the song that doesn’t end, and it goes on and on, my friends, some people started singing it not knowing what it was, and they will keep on singing it no matter what because this is the song that never ends and it goes on and on, my friends, some people started singing it not knowing what it was, and they’ll keep on singing it forever just because-” just to annoy Diluc, and poor Diluc will lose his mind within the hour because the song will keep going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and eventually he will freak out and then Albedo losing control is gonna be the least of their worries with the way Diluc will start causing problems over not wanting to hear singing from anyone IN THE MIDDLE OF TOWN

Kazuha (I know he’s from Inazuma, but he has to frequent Liyue often with Beidou and the Alcor, he’s getting that exception) - While it won’t be often, he’d most likely hum a bit if the mood strikes him; DO NOT INTERRUPT HIM WHILE HE DOES IT

Itto - The most obvious pick because he already does it XD

Yoimiya - Not sure if this is a character you know much about, but I’m willing to bet that if she got a chance, and convinced to do so, she’d probably do it

Cyno - I know he’s from Sumeru and that’s not a region you’re familiar with, but hear me out: search for We.B song covers, and then get back to if you think he’d be singing or not (PS: Same VA as Kaigaku from Demon Slayer)

I have a lot more than just the ones listed that I think would be singing at any point, but they were part of stuff that weren’t in your fandom list, so I avoided mentioning them in case to avoid confusion. It was kind of a slow day for me at the time of writing this, so this was super long. I hope this ramble is something fun for you to read, Mayliz!

Hello again friend!

~I used to be like Mitsuri lol. Not in way of Hamilton music but just over explaining the meanings to the song lyrics that I liked.

~The audible gasp at finding out you know ace attorney. Maya my beloved. Best girl >:3 She would annoy Phoenix to no end. Just finds the one song that he hates and will not stop singing it.

~Tengen would be so judgmental. And I feel like even when he’s trying not to be, he just raises an eyebrow like “oh, this is what you listen to? No clearly you need flashier taste)

~I couldn’t find the song with Shinobu’s va that you mentioned sadly :<

~Hu Tao is another one who will do it just to annoy Zhongli

~Assuming you mean Kagome from Inuyasha, can’t think of any other characters I know with her name lol- her and Miroku would be music buddies. Sharing earbuds to listen to the same songs together. Annoying everyone else. Idk it’s just a cute idea.

~Bdjsjjdbsk oh my gosh. Kaeya would be the one to show Klee cocomelon.

~All I am imagining is the hero of Mondstadt getting called in, over the threat Diluc poses from the sheer rage of hearing that song one more time. And Paimon would start in singing too until she’s met with Diluc’s weapon swinging just a tad bit too close for comfort.

(Also go look up the annoying pigeon meme. I can imagine Kaeya, Venti and possibly Rosaria doing that to Diluc)

~Kazuha and Beidou- look up the song ‘my mother told me, gingertail cover’ and tell me they wouldn’t be singing that together. Or at least I could see Beidou doing it.

~Since we are talking crossovers anyways, thought I would being up the random fact that Yoimiya reminds me so much of Kohaku from dr stone. Just in character design at least haha

~Random side note, the characters I know from genshin are all over the place as I don’t actually play the game. (I tried too but my ipad can’t handle the storage needed to play it and that’s the only device I have that even had the possibility of running it, so yeah >\\\< hyperfixations are weird sometimes)

But I do know Cyno or of him, anyways yeah I could see it >:3

This was super fun to read through! I always look forward to all your headcanons they are always so fun. Thank you for sharing! <3 If you want to share more I would be more than happy to hear, even if I don’t know the characters :3

[100beep]

The Linyue Festival

Of all that Liyue is famous for, music is not traditionally part of it. They have a few native musicians, some of which are quite good, but they aren’t nearly as well-known as other nations’ music. However, Rex Lapis does care for music - and so, every four years, Liyue hosts the Linyue Festival.

The first festival was, despite Rex Lapis’s patronage, a small affair with only a few actual musicians attending. The second one picked up a lot of steam from Mondstadt’s bards, due mostly to the endorsement of Venti. And the subsequent ones simply snowballed, the honors from Rex Lapis gaining prestige and competition.

The four hundred and seventieth festival is nearly canceled because of Morax’s death. It’s saved by a timely intervention by Venti. “It’s what he would have wanted,” he successfully argues. (He knows that it is, in fact, what Zhongli wants.)

He also manages to convince Xiao to attend. “It’s to remember Rex Lapis,” he says. “And how long has it been since you’ve heard me play?” The answer to that last question is about fifteen years, which is a long time even for a pair of immortals.

“And whose fault would that be?” Xiao grumbles, but nevertheless agrees to attend - although not to sing as Venti also tries to convince him to.

\The festival traditionally takes place over seven days. The first half of the last day will be dedicated to tributes to Morax - Venti had argued against that change unsuccessfully, not least because Xiao had been on the other side of that argument. As “one of those closest to him,” Xiao is offered the role of judge several times, all of which he denies. It is, however, the only part of the festival he plans to attend in its entirety. For every other category, he chooses only a few musicians to minimize the effects of karma. Venti, who, as the seventy-two time winner has managed to talk his way into seven of the twelve categories plus the opening and closing, is always one of them. He hadn’t managed to talk his way onto the first performance, instead coming third. The first two are nearly as good, Xiao thinks, even without Venti’s healing abilities.

Venti is about to take the stage when Xiao hears his name called in… was that Vanarana? He’s there in an instant, spear drawn, ready to take on whatever is threatening whoever called him. Which, he quickly determines, is the avatar of Marana. He leaps into battle alongside the Traveler, quickly defeating it and its minions. And then another two times when it revives somehow.

“Thank you,” says the Traveler.

“Paimon doesn’t think they could have survived without you,” Paimon says.

“You’re welcome,” says Xiao. Then he gusts away through the maze that is Vanarana - he’d been here before, and not willingly.

He’d given up hope of hearing Venti’s performance, but he does manage to return in time for the last half of the closing verse.

Despite the length of that song - from past experiences, it takes anywhere from nine to fourteen minutes depending on the mood Venti’s in - he’s still met with thunderous applause… and then rushed off the stage by the manager of the competition.

“Thanks to the great length of that performance, I don’t have time for my usual speeches,” she says, to gales of laughter. “Next up is Yun Jin…”

Xiao gusts away. Yun Jin is skillful, but he doesn’t enjoy her singing.

The second half of the day is dedicated to war songs, one of the few categories that Venti isn’t participating in. Nor does Xiao care much for war songs, despite Venti’s insistence that he could perform well. After the afternoon’s performances are complete, Xiao tries to find Venti and fails. Despite Venti’s many attempts to teach him, he never could use the wind to find people - “to hear something other than your name,” as Venti put it. After about half an hour of searching through the various taverns in the city, he leaves the city once more, returning to his role as protector.

The second day is traditionally quieter after the excitement of the opening, which makes it both more pleasant and safer for Xiao to listen. Venti’s performances run nearly back-to-back, ending the morning and beginning the afternoon, with a five-minute intermission between them.

Xiao appears before Yanfei’s performance, which comes just before Venti’s. He’d been rather surprised to see her here and came entirely out of curiosity. And he’s not the only one - he can see Cloud Retainer there as well. He’s even more surprised when she turns out to be a pretty good singer - it was not what he’d expect from her.

Venti’s first performance of the day is apparently one he wrote himself. (He’d refused to tell anyone anything about it beforehand, saying that he wanted a surprise. He hadn’t even told the organizers, only that it wouldn’t be nearly as long as the first one.) He’s saying as much on stage when Xiao hears a call and disappears.

He reappears in the forest of Wuwang Hill somewhere even he doesn’t recognize. The ghosts of humans are not normally a problem. But apparently, they still scare children - which is why he’s called here now.

As soon as he appears, the child in question runs behind him and hides his face in Xiao’s legs. “There’s a ghost,” he says, voice shaking. He looks around - he can see spirits everywhere, but there’s only one strong enough for mortals to see it. To his surprise, it is indeed a malicious spirit of some kind, a poltergeist that feeds on fear.

He ignores the spirit for now and tells the child “Don’t be afraid. If you’re not afraid, it can’t hurt you,” trying to be comforting

The child looks at him. “I can try,” he says. Then he shouts at the spirit “Go away! I’m not scared!”

Xiao almost laughs at the sudden turnaround.

The poltergeist makes one last rush at the child, then turns and floats off.

The child turns to Xiao. “I think I’m lost.”

Xiao extends a hand, says “Hold on,” and gusts above the forest to see where they are. Once he’s oriented himself, he speeds towards Qingce Village. Once he arrives, going slower than he normally would, he sets the child down. “Do you know how to get home from here?” he asks.

The child nods and runs off.

Xiao gusts back to the harbor, to find, of course, that Venti’s performances are both done. Time must run differently on Wuwang - he swears that he was gone for less than three minutes, but intermission alone is five. He remains for the next few performances, then leaves.

Once more, he searches for Venti after the day’s performances are done, and once more, he fails to find him.

The next few days repeat in a similar fashion. Right around the time Venti begins his performance, Xiao gets called away for increasingly trivial reasons. Normally, he wouldn’t mind such calls, but their precise timing makes it rather annoying. The second time the Traveler calls him, he nearly snaps at them when it turns out they only wanted an inhuman opinion on their cuisine. Which again, he’d normally be happy to provide, but it’s really a bad time. And given it’s in the far end of the Sumerian desert - why the Traveler is cooking there and how Xiangling got there, Xiao doesn’t know - even if he returns as soon as he can, he’ll miss the end of Venti’s performance. And every time Xiao tries to find Venti, he can’t, to the point where he suspects Venti’s avoiding him for some reason.

As planned, the last day’s morning is dedicated to remembering Rex Lapis, and as planned, Xiao attends the entire morning. It’s the first time he properly hears Venti over the festival - no one calls him for the entire morning.

Venti’s last performance is the beginning of the end - or less dramatically, the first performance of the last day’s afternoon. And, of course, as soon as he’s introduced, Xiao gets called away.

After the end of the competition are the awards, which Xiao does stay for out of curiosity, and at which Venti wins his seventy-third first place. And after the awards, Xiao tries once more to find Venti, and this time succeeds when Venti calls him to a room in Dawn Winery.

“Where have you been?” they ask each other almost in unison.

Venti laughs and then answers. “It was one of the conditions of the festival that I don’t go out and get drunk every night. Apparently, mortals don’t get better at music the more drunk they are.”

“You’ve spent so long in bars, you should know how drunk mortals act,” Xiao answers.

“Probably…” Venti laughs again. Then he turns more serious. “But where were you for most of the festival? I was starting to worry because I didn’t see you.”

“I kept getting called away,” Xiao answers. “Somehow it always happened as soon as you took the stage.”

Venti nods. “And of course, you being… you, you’d never turn down a call.”

“Of course not. You can still call me even after so many calls to get rid of stray cats,” Xiao answers.

Venti laughs, then cuts himself off. “I forgot about that,” he says. “Since you never managed to hear me, would you like a… private show?”

The way Venti asks makes Xiao think that there’s another meaning there. “Yes, but just the music,” he answers.

Venti grins and pulls his harp out from… wherever he keeps it and begins playing. For a second, Xiao’s paranoid that another call will come, but it doesn’t, and he relaxes to the music.

As soon as he closes his eyes, a wind picks up, moving him around. He assumes that it’s Venti messing with him again and doesn’t pay attention to it until his head is dropped in Venti’s lap.

He looks up in surprise and sees Venti grinning down at him. Venti releases the harp midair, playing one-handed while the other hand strokes through Xiao’s hair.

Half an hour later, Xiao has fallen asleep. Adepti don’t need to sleep, but they still can. Venti moves him very carefully off his lap, then lies beside him.

[xstarlightxstarbrightx]

thoughts on how the Liyue Archon quest went [8]

so Lumi and Paimon go to inspect the Sigil stuff, while Kaeya meets up w/ Zhongli and essentially just chats w/ him while they wait for Lumi, right? i feel like Zhongli, at this point, totally sees this as an opportunity to learn more abt them, since Kaeya's a primary source. definitely feels like he'd make a comment about Kaeya's pupil being a unique shape—but i also feel like this would put Kaeya on edge, b/c i feel like Kaeya,,, knows? like he probably knows the Archons destroyed Khaenri'ah, and since Zhongli's very clearly the Geo Archon (and also once a War God), it probably puts him on edge a bit? Very much like 'ur not gonna kill me if u find out i'm Khaenriahn, riiiiight?'

and then when Zhongli notices him dodging the question, he probably just pivots to asking abt traveling w/ Lumine and Paimon b/c he recognizes that yeah, Kaeya probably knows. idk, i think abt this conversation a lot, b/c it's essentially just the unspoken acknowledgement between both of them that Kaeya knows who Zhongli is, and Zhongli knows who Kaeya is. it's just interesting to me.

and then Lumi shows up and they're both kinda relieved b/c MAN was it getting a lil bit awkward haha—and then Zhongli hears abt the Sigils getting reproduced by the Fatui (this is like the ONLY thing i remember from the Sigil bit ngl) so he's like 'mmm be on your guard around them.' i personally think this is when he kinda starts developing a desire to protect these people, which is,,, incredibly precious.

it only gets better when Lumi has to sing to the Glaze Lilies??? b/c listen, guys, LISTEN ok, i feel like Lumi is a decent singer. like she's not Pro(tm) but she's definitely a lil above average yk??? anyway i like to imagine Lumi singing to the Whopperflowers and for like the brief moment of her doing it, both Kaeya and Zhongli are like 'oh,,,,,' b/c who doesn't love a pretty song????

anyway the whopperflowers are assholes and interrupt the very cute moment, and then Ganyu shows up as a one-two whammy :( but it's fine b/c Glaze Lilies and also Zhongli warns Lumi and Kaeya abt the wear and tear of working. i love it a lot b/c Zhongli's whole thing is trying to relax, and it just feels like he already sees these scars growing on these two and he wants them to not earn any more.

unfortunately, upon their return and everything coming to a head, Lumine's like 'well we can't just stand by and do nothing'. i really love how Zhongli warns her to think this through and to be careful. i just think it's so bbgrl of him guys please.

pretty sure that from here, it's just the Golden House fight. that fight actually does leave scars on Lumi's leg and Kaeya's arms (b/c he blocked a nasty sword slash at some point), but generally the fight is over and done w/ pretty quickly (b/c Lumi a tough bbgrl and Kaeya's got her back <3)

They barely have time to like, bandage their wounds before they have to go and help the Qixing, and then they have to deal with THAT WHOLE DEBAUCLE. genuinely, that entire thing was just Lumi being a badass ok. i literally would do anything for her (and so would Kaeya b/c he was also incredibly awe-inspired by how much bad bitch energy she exuded in helping w/ the fight).

and then her being a mediator??? and then her being so wise and smart??? guys please let me gush abt her more i love her so fuckin much GUYSSSSSSS

which is why it sucks that Lumi and Kaeya have to see Signora again after Signora kinda traumatized Lumi a lil bit (yknow, attacking Venti outta the blue, sending Paimon flying away, knocking Lumi out, etc). personally feel like Lumi and Kaeya are a little wounded to see Zhongli just,,, willingly offering his Gnosis up to her??? when he explains it, it kinda makes sense, but also Lumi just,,, very much feels Danger from being around Signora, so she's still tense and wary.

it doesn't help that Zhongli couldn't tell her what the Tsaritsa promised him in return for his Gnosis. b/c that kinda just left a sour taste in Lumi's mouth for a bit.

[deathbxnny]

The bird in an open cage. (Venti x Reader)

Content: fluff, a bit of angst, Venti's dead friend is referred to as "Himmel" here

Not fully proofread btww, so sorry for any mistakes!♡

-------------------------------------------------------

A hum of a long-forgotten melody filled Mondstadt's cathedral in the early morning. No one was awake just yet, except the head priestess, that softly swayed from side to side, as she rearranged some flowers to put near the entrance as decoration. The first beams of the sun shone through the large windows and ingulfed her in a warm glow, as through greeting her a good morning. She closed her eyes and allowed herself a moment of peace, before all the other nuns would rush in for their own morning routines.

The door opened in that moment and a familiar nun tiredly walked in, to finally get some rest after a long night’s work.

"Rosaria, good morning, dear. You're back much later than usual." you mused, as your voice echoed softly off of the cathedral’s walls. The nun nodded lazily in greeting, as she passed by. "Good morning. It was a long night, so I might just have to skip morning prayer." "So be it then. I'll cover it for you, so go get some rest, my dear." Rosaria nodded once more thankfully, before disappearing into the sleeping chambers.

A chuckle escaped you once more, before you placed the flowers down into a vase. Behind you, the large doors open once more. "Good morning, my muse! I hope you don't mind me visiting you!" a familiar voice chirped, making you smile softly as you turned around.

"Barbatos... Please come in and take a seat." you chuckled, gesturing to a bench. Glancing behind him, you noticed familiar companions trailing after him. Shock flashed through their faces, as they heard you call the Bard by his actual god title.

"W-Wait! Lady (Y/N)... Knows you're a god?!" Paimon yelled, as she pointed an accusing finger at you. "My, my... You didn't even bother telling them that I was your wife?" "Ah, it must've slipped my mind! But you also didn't tell them about your own godly titles, did you?" he retorted playfully, making you smile at your husband innocently. "Oops~!" you only said, as you took a seat next to him. The traveller and Paimon glanced at each other, before asking the two of you to clarify the confusion.

"Well, for starters, I am no ordinary human. Though I took on the form of one to fit into this role, so I could keep on living my life next to my dear husband over here." You explained, as you glanced at the windows of the cathedral. The white birds on the tainted glass glowed in the morning sun, as they flew around the image of Barbatos. "I am a god as well. Albeit not a strong one. Which is why I only get mentioned as Barbato's bird companion in history books, since I was the goddess of flight and birds." You finished, as you watched their stunned faces with a small smile.

Venti silently watched his wife's warm smile with awe. He has seen it for so many countless of years every day already, yet he still felt refreshed anytime he gazed upon you. He could never tire of your presence. No, in fact, he craved it every single time you two were even a small moment apart. Ever since he met you that one fateful day, when the birds flew for the first time, he knew that he couldn't live a moment without you anymore. He refused to.

"Ohhh... So, you decided to take over the church then, just to stay close to him? That's quite romantic!" Paimon gushed, as the traveller nodded along silently. "Well, it was the only way to truly excuse and disguise my knowledge of him. After all, I know a little too much about him." You giggled, as you gave your husband a teasing smile.

"Well, that's a given, ehe~! Anyways, I think we need to get going. After all, I did promise to show my dear friends a new tune at the tavern!" Venti laughed, as he grabbed your hand, softly kissing your knuckles. "Have a good day, my dear! I'll try and visit you tonight to sing you a new song I composed just for you~" He beamed with pride, when he saw your face light up, as you laughed.

"Ah, I'm surprised you still find something of me to sing about after all this time." "And I'll continue to do so, even if you tell me to shut up, hehe~!" He retorted jokingly, as he exited the building with the traveller and Paimon. You waved them away chuckling, before turning back to the church. Soon enough morning service will begin, waking up the rest of the nuns as well.

The unfamiliar song escaped your lips again, as you softly swayed with the tune and swept the entrance to the church.

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When night finally came and most nuns retired to their rooms, you found yourself wandering out of the church along side Rosaria to the Angels share Tavern. "Up for a drink?" Rosaria joked sarcastically, as she watched a small smile rise to your face. "Not at all. But I'd like to see what my husband is doing." Rosaria only nodded chuckling, knowing exactly who you were talking about.

Whilst no one really knows of yours and Venti's actual identity, it was still a known fact that you were both married. People questioned the odd dynamic, yet never spoke much of it. Maybe there was more to the drunk bard, than he let on. But few actually bothered to dwell on the inconsistencies in your stories anyways.

You closed your eyes against the breeze of the warm evening. It was as though the wind was caressing your face lovingly, softly pulling you to your lover. The unfamiliar symphony left your lips again, making Rosaria silently listen in interest. "Where is that song from?" she finally said, making you look off into the sky in thought.

The long-lost memory of an old friend singing the song flashed through your mind. "Oh... It's just a song I used to hear quite often from an old friend. I don't remember the lyrics, though... Just the melody..." your voice trailed off, as your eyes trailed after the birds that happily flew through the wind, freely.

-------------------------------------------------------

The Tavern was full and loud. Yet the loudest of them all was your husband, who was cheerfully singing and drinking along the drunk attendees of Angel's share. A chuckle left your lips, waving Rosaria off, as she disappeared through the large crowd to her own drinking partner. The cavalry captain raised his drink in greeting, making you nod back smiling.

Deciding to get yourself a drink as well, albeit not an alcoholic one, you calmly walked to the bar and slipped into a seat. "Good evening, Master Diluc." You said, as you took off your white gloves and put them on the counter. "Ah, good evening, Lady (Y/N). How can I help you?" He asked, as he handed another guest a drink. "Just a medium cup of cold apple Juice would be fine. I'm not staying for long you see." You said, as you glanced at your husband singing on one of the tables. "Coming right up." He said with a small chuckle, as he went off to get your drink.

Taking out a pouch of mora, you payed for your drink... And your husband's. You usually never heard Diluc complain about it to you, but you still saw his relief, when you finally paid a part of your husband’s debt off. "Here is your drink." "Thank you." With a nod, the red head turned to another customers call, leaving you to watch your husbands shenanigans.

He had still not noticed you, but you didn't mind. Instead, you just watched him with a small smile, your mind taking you back to the days you met him. "Himmel..." you whispered to yourself absently. The name of yours and Venti's old friend. The boy who fought for his freedom a long time ago, only to never be able to peer upon it himself in the end. It wasn't fair. But since when was life ever fair, you wondered. But a part of you felt at peace, thinking that your friend was able to live out his freedom through your husband.

-------------------------------------------------------

He was the one who practically introduced you to your husband, when he found you in your bird form with an broken wing. After healing you and taking care of you for a couple days, Himmel set you out in the wild to fly again. Yet, you couldn’t. So, you, Himmel and the kind windspirit tried until the sun bid it's goodbyes over the horizon. However, nothing worked and, in the end, you sat in Himmel's hands in tears.

"Oh, dear human, I am unable to fly anymore! How ever will I return to the free skies, my dear home?" You had cried, making Himmel frown, as he glanced to the wind spirit. Until then, it had shied away from the pretty bird, too flustered to speak to it. But with a quick nudge and a teasing smile, the young spirit floated to you slowly, before speaking.

"Please don't cry! I'll help you fly once more; I swear!" he promised.

And so, he did.

Soon you three found yourselves on a cliff. Himmel calmly sat back, as he watched the bird and windspirit speak to one another with a knowing grin. He somehow knew of Venti's love for the mysterious bird. Yet he never spoke on it, knowing that with time, everything will settle into place.

So when the time came to try again, you stood at the tallest cliff and allowed yourself to fall off of it. You closed your eyes and spread your wings... And then you flew. Much higher than you've ever done before. Himmel laughed, as he held his arms out and cheered you on.

Looking to the side, you saw the shy wind spirit next to you. "This is of your doing, correct?" You softly asked, making young Venti nod shyly. "Thank you, dear wind spirit. Out of gratitude, I'll stay by your side and fight for our freedom next to you." you said. Venti only starred for a moment, before he nodded excitedly, trying to hide the redness spreading across his small form.

------------------------------------------------------

After that day, Venti found even more reason to fight for the freedom of his nation. Not only for his people, but also for you. He wanted to build a free nation, in which you could live in safely. Like a bird cage with an open door.

A sigh left his lips, as he finished his last song for the evening. Venti didn't understand why he was thinking of the past suddenly, yet he didn't mind. In fact, he looked back at his first memories with you in absolute happiness. "Quite the performance, dear." A familiar voice chuckled next to him, making him smile softly. Sitting down on a chair in front of you, he looked up at you. The light of the tavern fell around your form beautifully, making him gulp slightly before speaking.

"Ah… for how long you have been here?" Venti asked, as he grabbed your hip with one arm and pulled you closer. You hummed, as you put your hand on his chest, acting oblivious to his red face. "Just a couple minutes. I decided to visit you for once. I hope you're done for tonight. The night is so clear… I would like to take a walk, if you don't mind." You peered down at him through your lashes pleadingly, knowing that he was unable to deny you anything.

With a nervous chuckle he agreed and got up to quickly take you out of the Tavern. After waving everyone goodbye- and after Venti promised Diluc once again, that he'll pay for his alcohol next time- you both stepped out onto the cool streets of Mondstadt. Lacing his hand in yours, you both silently walked next to each other.

The moon shone brightly in the clear night sky, as a warm breeze drifted past you, making you smile and close your eyes for a moment. Glancing up at you, Venti felt his mind swirl at your beauty. He had gazed upon you in many ways before, yet he could never tire of your presence. No, that was impossible, and he didn't mind it. He felt blessed to have you and even though you sometimes had all reason to leave him, you still stuck by his side. You were freedom to him, for with you, he could be himself and feel as though he was a young wind spirit once more. Softly flying through the clouds of love that you provided him with.

A soft chuckle ripped him out of his thoughts, as he blinked a couple times, before his eyes focused on your teasing eyes. "Are you alright?" you asked, as you pushed some stray hair out of his eyes. He smiled as he grabbed your hand and kissed your wrist. "I'm always alright when I'm with you, my songbird." He responded, as he gave you a wink. You hid your face behind your hand shyly, making him chuckle in victory of having successfully beaten you at your own game. "Now, how about I bring you home, hm~?" He asked, as he held out his arm. Smiling in agreement, you took his arm and allowed yourself to be pulled closer to his side.

The rest of the night was spent with the laughing and talking of the former wind spirit and bird-goddess, as they relished in the freedom of their nation and reminisced on their fallen friends in good memories.

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Ahhh it's been really long since I've written anything, so I hope this is okay!

If u have any questions or requests, please let me know!^^

[wesimpforxiao]

Say My Name and I’ll Be There: 8.1

Author’s Note:  As for the next few or possibly several chapters, give me some time to write them.  I want to write the Lantern Rite chapter perfectly and in order to do that I need 1. for us all to experience the in-game event so I can capture it accurately and 2. to catch up on my schoolwork because my college goes by the 10-week quarter system and we are smack in the middle of it.  Apologies for the inconvenience, but I refuse to give a sub-par Lantern Rite chapter as I believe it will be the most important in this story!!  The next one or two chapters should be released by the end of next week.

......

Only on the eve of the Lantern Rite, several days before the celebration, did Xiao come to appreciate the hours of hard work you were putting into practicing music.

He had slaughtered a band of mitachurls, hilichurls, and lawachurls near Lihua Pool when he fell into darkness.  He collapsed to his knees, struggling for breath, spots filling his vision beneath the mask.  While he had dealt with karmic debt for two thousand years, this time had to be one of the worst falters.  He knelt beneath the somber moon that bore witness to his shortcoming.

The waves of pain drove him mad and the voices drowned out the singing of the crickets and frogs.  Xiao clutched at his chest in an effort to rid himself of the agony as he wondered if it was finally his time to die and join the fallen yakshas.  His mask disintegrated as he fell to all fours.  It's fine, just breathe, he reminded himself.

It was then when he heard the tune.  

"B-Barbatos?"  The yaksha groaned despairingly as he forced himself to raise his head toward the sound.  He was being saved by the wind god for a second time--No.  That's her, he realized when he recognized the all-too familiar tune.  But the way you were playing this time...had he only heard a fraction of your practice sessions? You carried the notes so well compared to last time--

Xiao rolled over so he lie on his back, eyes meeting the glints of the stars that shone down upon him.  It was like the pain had knocked the wind out of him.  No matter.  At least he would die listening to you.  The idea was peaceful to think about.

...miss...love you...

Your faint prayers that accompanied the moonsong somehow broke through the crowded shouting of the damned and eased the heavy knot in his stomach while he gasped for air.  The tune continued to build until Xiao could only compare your talent to that of the wind archon.  It was beautiful, soft, and it fit you perfectly despite your stubborn personality that was accentuated by the harbinger's shenanigans.

The image brought a faint smile to his lips, the expression slowly widening as you played on.  Your selfless nature; the need to protect a yaksha from harm's way...Your daring eyes when you butt heads with Childe...The honey-sweet grin you reserved only for Xiao and Xiao alone.  It was  the way you carried yourself in battle, the way you interacted with strangers.  How and when you prayed to him.  Your light humming accompanied your music.

Archons, you were remarkably stunning in every way imaginable.  The yaksha failed to notice how big his smile was as a few of his tears slid down the sides of his face.  It was his own longing for you that manifested and whirled around in his chest.  Beautiful, he thought as the music continued.  So, so beautiful.  It was as if the music described yourself.  For how could he give up and die now, after falling for you?  Maybe...just maybe...Xiao allowed himself to sit in the fluffy cloud of human 'compassion' as he listened to you play.  He wouldn't dare call the emotion for what it truly was.  Not now.  Not yet.  You had to understand something before he could allow himself to love you.  Er, to care for you.  Y-yes.  That's it.  Xiao refocused his attention on your music to avoid thinking any deeper on the subject.

Yet though his mind listened to your moonsong, his heart entertained the possibility of finally admitting his lo--er, compassion for you.

He didn't notice that the pain had long faded, that the spots in his vision had cleared and that the voices of the vanquished silenced themselves.  He drifted to sleep right there in the middle of the dirt road as you played into the night, and for the first time in a long time, he slept with mind and body in peace.

................................

"Morning, Mezzetin," Childe greeted you with two mugs of hot chocolate in his hands.  He gave one to you before indulging in his while he leaned against your door.  "Sleep well?"

"I did, surprisingly.  The pain was pretty bad until I started practicing."  You rubbed your bleary eyes and let out a long yawn.  "Why do you ask?"

"You didn't call for him."

"Hm?"

"You've yelled for the yaksha every night you've been here.  You were quiet last night."

"How would you know that? Are you just constantly sitting outside my room like a creep?"  Your quip brought a smile to Childe's lips as he sipped at his mug.  

"Well then, since you're feeling well enough to banter with me, I guess I have no need to reward you for your cooperation..."

"Huh?  What do you mean, 'reward?'"  You perked up when he faked reaching for the door handle.  "Tartaglia?"  In your effort to get him to explain, you jumped out of bed and subsequently spilled your drink all over the sheets.  A jarring pain shot through your bones, but you ignored it.

"The Tsaritsa has requested I return to my post in Liyue Harbor to...discipline a few underperforming officers during the Lantern Rite.  Since I am in charge of you, I requested that you accompany me.  Her Majesty agreed."

"W-what?!"  Your sudden shout made him jump slightly.  "You...she...you're letting me return?"

"Temporarily, yes, and it is for business reasons.  We figured it would aid in your...dilemma."

"I..."  Your gaze fell to the half-empty mug in your hands.  

"You don't want to go?" The harbinger raised a brow in surprise.  "Why, I thought you'd jump at this opportunity."

"It's not that..." you trailed, your finger absently circling the rim of your cup.  "Would I...be able to roam around by myself?"

"Depends on where you want to go."  His eyes narrowed slightly and he set his cup atop your bedside table.  "You won't be able to visit Qingce Village, nor the Wanshu Inn."  He watched your shoulders drop in disappointment before continuing.  "But I will allow you to enjoy the festival."

"...Am I allowed to talk to them?  My adventure team?"

Childe let out a small sigh before nodding.  "I think it would be good for your health to see them."

"Why are you allowing me?"  It was your turn to narrow your eyes in suspicion against the harbinger.  "Wouldn't this be, you know, a risk for you guys to let me see them?  Aren't you worried about that?"

"There will be several Fatui agents in Liyue during the festival; even if you're 'alone,' one of us will always be nearby.  I don't take you as a complete idiot," he admonished.  "Besides, Mr. Zhongli knows more about adeptal blood than we do at this point.  If you manage to gather more information, that would be a plus."

"I'm not gathering information for the likes of you," you retorted, crossing your arms much like Xiao does.

"I'm not asking you as your superior, nor your captor.  I'm suggesting it as your comrade in arms."

"Ha!"  You couldn't help but let out a full laugh at the set of statements.  "You really expect me to believe that?  All you guys do is manipulate and deceive.  I don't trust a word that comes out of your mouth!"

"Even if you learn something and keep it to yourself, do it for yourself, Mezzetin.  I've realized something after you joined us."

"Oh? What could you have possibly realized?"  You rolled your eyes and returned your gaze to the window, not particularly caring about his side of the conversation and instead wishing he would just leave already.

"I realized some of my actions were not for your wellbeing, but for mine."

........................................

It was sprinkling when Childe, the Eleventh of the Fatui Harbingers, finally tracked your rescue team down in Fontaine.  It really didn't take much of an effort, which was highly disappointing considering the harbinger loved to play cat-and-mouse with his foes.  Oh well.  At least Mr. Zhongli was here; the plan wouldn't work if he hadn't accompanied Aether and the yaksha.

The harbinger stood in the shadow of a nearby tree and scouted the sheltered camp.  Besides Aether, Zhongli, and an apparently-unconscious yaksha, there were two more opponents.  Childe recognized one of them to be the wine master Diluc, but couldn't name the other one.  Maybe he was one of Mondstat's knights, judging by the way he carried himself?  Then again, he seemed to be drinking pretty heavily...

Childe glanced back a ways where a few Fatui agents were waiting for his return.  This wouldn't take long; he knew two of the adventurer's tricks, and the knight didn't look like he'd pose much of a challenge.  All he needed was to speak with Zhongli.

"I have to admit I'm disappointed for finding you so quickly," the harbinger made his presence known and stepped out of the shadows.  A chill ran down everyone's spines.

"I still can't believe you were naïve enough to get involved with the Fatui," Diluc sent an admonishing look Aether's way before summoning his broadsword.  "And hid it from me, no less."

"We're sorry!"  Paimon squeaked with her hands in the air.  "We didn't trust him completely!"

"It was my fault for allowing this to continue without your knowledge, Aether."  Zhongli rose from his seat and manifested his polearm.  "Allow me to make amends."

"I assume you're the one we're after?"  Kaeya unsheathed his sword and stood side-by-side with Diluc, much to his bro's dismay.  Despite all the wine he had consumed, he remained unusually composed.

"I've come to speak with Mr. Zhongli," Childe answered, both hands raised semi-defensively while the expression on his face was no less than that of a sly fox.  "And to retrieve the yaksha."

"We don't think so!"  Aether charged first and swung his blade through the air.  It collided against the well-known hydro blades of the harbinger before parrying off.  

Next was Diluc, whose flaming weapon created steam as it sliced through Childe's blades.  His attacks were slower than Aether's, but the amount of power coming from them nearly made the harbinger flinch both in hesitation and in excitement.  It was then that Xiao's eyes had opened slightly before he lost consciousness again.  Kaeya lunged forth and used his skill to send a burst of ice at the harbinger in an effort to freeze him in place.

Childe barely dodged, one blade freezing over.  "Tch."  The last thing he needed was to deal with a cryo user in this weather.  He was already at a disadvantage by wielding a hydro vision in normal circumstances.  His hydro burst threw everyone backwards, and he switched to his delusion.  

Electricity surged through the camp as everyone got to their feet and readied themselves for an onslaught of electro attacks.  None came; instead, the harbinger stared straight at Zhongli, who remained reserved and unbothered as he pointed the tip of his lance at him.  "This is your only warning, Childe," the archon spoke in an especially deep voice.  "Return her to us, or suffer the consequences."

"I only came to speak with you, Mr. Zhongli," Childe's eyes narrowed beneath his mask.  "As much as I'd love to indulge in a fight, I came here with a proposition.  Would you hear me out?"

Everyone's eyes turned expectantly to the archon, and he returned their gazes before allowing his polearm to disintegrate.  "Lower your weapons," he ordered much to everyone's dismay.

"But Zhongli!  He could trick you!" Paimon reappeared before the consultant.  "You can't--"

"Relax, Paimon," Zhongli quietly assured.  "I may not have a gnosis, but a harbinger is still by no-means what I perceive to be troublesome in battle."  He followed Childe a few meters away so the group was unable to hear them.

Childe shifted his mask to its resting place on the side of his head.  "There may be a way to retrieve her," he started in a quiet voice.  "But it would only be possible if you declare war against the Tsaritsa."

"Tell me, Childe, why should I trust you after you breached our trust?"

"You can't, but I trust that we all have our comrade's best interests in mind, no?   If you're able to rally the people of Teyvat, the Tsaritsa may yield.  Her Majesty has no interest in declaring war against the mortals as you are already aware."

It was a fitting task for the God of War; declare a world war against the Tsaritsa, and she'd yield without calling his bluff.  Even so, the former archon was not convinced.  Childe would need to up his charming façade.  He was only lying for your own safety after all; he'd back you into joining the harbingers, and you'd be free of the Fatui's grasp in the outside world.  You wouldn't be hunted for the rest of your life; you could live freely in your captors' backyard.  The suffering you were being thrown into now would last a lifetime if you continued to resist.

Some part of the harbinger knew it was a twisted form of compassion--dare he call it love--for you.  He needed you to free yourself both of the Fatui's and Xiao's grasps.  The only way to do that would be to recruit you, but you weren't so easy to convince.  You wouldn't be in danger of getting hurt by his subordinates his way.  You wouldn't hurt yourself by chasing after Xiao if Childe stepped in either.  He didn't care that it was selfish of him to step between your struggling romance.

What better way to keep you safe, mentally and physically, than to break you into submission?

The two opposing forces continued their hushed discussion for twenty more minutes before Zhongli broke away from Childe.  He was about to fill the group in on the details when Childe attacked him from behind.

[elzetastuff]

Date Night

Paimon: “New mail!”

Lumine: “Huh?” sees the small box “What is it Paimon? Another set of primogems?”

Paimon: “Better! it smells like food inside!” drolls “Paimon can't wait to see what's inside*

Lumine: rolls eyes “You and your fascination for food. And who sent it?”

Paimon: “Oh! There was a letter for you along with the box!”

Paimon gives the small scroll to Lumine. The traveler opens it and sees a small message inside

Lumine: “Its from Keqing”

Paimon: “Oh! Is that the girl we met at the Guizhong Ballista when we were looking how to enter the jade chamber? and after that you two started to know each other better?”

Lumine: “Yep. well, something like that. It looks like its her birthday today”

Paimon: “Oh really?! Paimon loves Birthdays! We should make a gift for her! Or better yet, a cake!”

Lumine: “I'm not going to bake her a cake made of slimes, Paimon”

Paimon: “Hey, what's wrong with cooked slimes? They're delicious!”

Lumine:“You spend too much time with Xiangling… Oh wait.”

Paimon: “What? what does it say? Please tell Paimon what does the letter say!”

Lumine: “It says she has been busy for two days to finish all her work, and since its her birthday she wants to show me around Liyue harbor tonight..”

Paimon: “Oh! That sounds fun! There are a lot of good shops that sell funny gadgets and toys. and lots of delicious food! Paimon wants to join too”

Lumine: “I dont think it will be possible Paimon”

Paimon: “What? why not?!”

Lumine: “The letter says “We can spend some leisure time time shopping together, just the two of us”

Paimon: “What?! that's so unfair! Paimon wants to go- Oh wait, Paimon starts to realize something”

Lumine: “Eh?”

Paimon: giggles “Paimon cant go with the traveler because the traveler has a date tonight!”

Lumine: “What?! No, Paimon, it's not a date, Im sure its just to show her gratitude after what happened with the overlord with the vortex”

Paimon: “Fufufu, is that so? and then why is the traveler blushing now?”

Lumine: hides her red cheeks “I'm not blushing, and don't start teasing me”

Paimon: sings “ The traveler has a date, the traveler has a date!”

Lumine: “What are you? a five year old kid?”

Paimon: “Oh don't be so grumpy, Paimon can still help you searching for a good gift for your date tonight”

Lumine: Sighs “Why you have to be so annoying..:”

Later, that night, Lumine was waiting near the Liyue harbor, with a small gift box on her hands

Lumine: sighs “I cant believe Paimon made me buy this gift.:”

???: “Oh, you arrived early. I was expecting to arrive first and wait for you”

Lumine: “Huh?”

Lumine looks at her right and some meters away, Keqing was approaching with some more casual purple clothes

Keqing: “I apologize if I make you wait too long. I had to finish some details in my clothing so I wouldn't be recognized so easily by the citizens and merchants of Liy- Uhm, are you alright?”

Lumine blushes as she clungs her heart “First Mondstalt, now Liyue, why does everyone have to be so freaking gorgeous?!”

Lumine: clears her voice and smiles “Oh, its nothing, I feel fine, you don't have to worry I just arrived too”

Keqing: “Oh, that's a relief. So, there's a few shops that I want to take a look at, shall we go now?”

Lumine: “wait! before we start, uhm… heres a gift” handles the box to keqing

Keqing: “Oh? ¿A gift? well.. you didn't have to, you know”

Lumine: “Maybe, but Paimon insisted and, well, it would be weird if I didn't bring anything for your party, considering you gave me a box this morning”

Keqing: “Oh, it was just a small treat, after all you did for this nation, I feel that-!”

Keqing opens the box and her eyes widened and blushes

Keqing: “W-What is this?”

Lumine: giggles nervously: “Paimon told me you may have liked it. I'm still not sure why but, if you don't like then-”

Keqing: “N-No! I didn't say I didn't like it, but uhm” holding a Rex Lapis plushie “I didn't expect someone would give me something like this . It's a really unexpected surprise, but a very welcomed one”

Lumine: “O-Oh is that so? t-then I'm glad to hear it!”

Keqing: “Of course, I would not throw a gift like this, despite that I'm not that interested in Rex Lapis”

Lumine: “Oh, it was Paimons idea, not mine”

Keqing: “I understand” hugs the plushie closer to her “So, let's start shopping then?”

Lumine: nods “Let's begin*

After some hours shopping, watching new gadgets, artifacts, and buying some food, the two girls walked along with each other, talking, smiling and laughing together

Keqing: “What did you buy in that bag?”

Lumine: “Oh, this? Just some artifacts I may need in the future. I remembered I should upgrade my sword again”

Keqing: “I think you spend too much time in the forge, lumine”

Lumine: “I'm just there in the mornings, before I go to another adventure”

Keqing: “Don't you get bored of adventuring too much?”

Lumine: “mhmm, sometimes, but there's always interesting and new stories with each new day. and besides, I'm never alone in this journey, there's always Paimon next to me and others who have joined me in one of my adventures”

Keqing: “That sounds… pretty nice. Maybe one day I can join too, but work is always busy”

Lumine: “I understand. but don't worry. Maybe one day we will go on an adventure, for for tonight, I'm glad to spend some time with you”

Keqing: blushes “Im.. Im happy to hear that from you, Lumine..:”

???: “Lumine!”

Lumine: “Huh? *looks behind* Xiangling?”

Xiangling: carrying a knocked out Paimon “Hey there you are!”

Keqing: “Woah, what happened with her?”

Xiangling: “That's why I came for! We were enjoying my new plates when she suddenly fell to the floor! Would she be alright?”

Paimon: “Too many… slimes…”

Lumine: sighs “She may have a food induced coma again… Don't worry Xiangling, she will sleep all night”

Lumine grabs Paimon and she carries her in her arms. the little pixie rests her head on her shoulder as she mumbles something ininteligible

Xiangling: “Oh that's a relief! I thought she got poisoned or something, since I tried to wake her up and nothing happened”

Keqing: “Im worried about your dishes sometimes, Xiangling…”

Lumine: softly smiles “Its okay, I think she will be fine”

Xiangling: “Alright! So, I have to go back to the kitchen, you guys can visit me tomorrow if you want lunch or breakfast!”

as Xiangling leaves, Keqing looks at the small fairy groaning and drooling on Lumine's shoulder “Is she really okay?”

Lumine: “It's just Paimon, sometimes she doesnt down when to stop eating”

Keqing:“I wonder how much she can eat with such a small body”

Lumine: “Oh, you will be surprised, I assure you, I will just have to tug her on bed and she will be back to normality”

Keqing:“Oh, well, since you have to go back to take care of her, and most stores are going to close for the night… there's a place that I want to visit”

Lumine: “Eh, sure, where?”

Keqing: “The Yujing Terrace, come follow me”

Lumine: “The Yujing Terrace? Do you think we can go there now?”

Keqing:“Of course we can, and don't worry too much, as long as you're closer to me, no geoarmy soldier should ask you why are you up there.”

The two girls , plus the sleeping Paimon being carried on Lumines arms, walked in silence, until they arrived to the terrace

Lumine: “Wait, This is..”

Keqing:“The place where the Rite of Descension took place. I know you were here that day. and since then, the nation of Liyue changed forever, thanks to its citizens, the adepti, and you, of course”

The two approached to the roof where they could see all the lights of the city”

Lumine: “It's beautiful..”

Keqing: “It's the lights of a new Liyue. It's truly precious..”

Keqing stares for a few seconds to Lumine as she stares at the view of the city in the night and the stars

Keqing: “Truly beautiful..”

Keqing: “So, I hear you were looking to travel to Inazuma?”

Lumine: “O-Oh? Well, yes. I still have to keep going. I'm planning to visit every nation, after all”

Keqing: “It will be difficult, to enter to Inazuma, but since I don't see you carrying a vision with you, you shouldn't have an issue”

Lumine: “I dont think not having a vision would be a problem. Looking for a ship to bring me there, in the other hand”

Keqing: “If you need a hand, I can help to contact a captain for you”

Lumine: “Would you do that for me?”

Keqing: “After all you did for Liyue, its the least thing I can do… but with a small condition”

Lumine: “What is it?”

Keqing: “Once you finish your tasks at Inazuma… promise me you will come back”

The two girls blush a bit. but soon, Lumine smiles and nods

Lumine: “I promise I will go back, and I will tell you everything about Inazuma once I my adventure in that nation ends”

Keqing: smiles “I'm happy to hear that. Miss traveler”

They giggle for a minute as they stare at each other for a while. Then Keqing clears her voice

Keqing: “Anyway. I should go to sleep soon. My job always starts early in the morning. you and your friend should have some rest too”

Lumine: “I will make sure Paimon rests well. thank you”

Keqing: “So, you know how to leave the Yuying terrace on your own, right?”

Lumine: “Well, of course, I have been here a few times, but not at night, maybe if I use the wings I-!”

Suddenly, something softs touches Lumines cheek, shocking her, along with a small *chu* kiss

The traveler was frozen in place as Keqing kissed her cheek. then she pulls her face away with a big blush

Keqing: “S-So anyways, Haveagoodnight!”

Using her vision to escape and run like a lighting bolt, Keqing quickly disappeared, leaving Lumine in a frozen state as she touched her left cheek, still not believing it

Paimon: groaning “So cold.. need blanket…” opens eyes “Oh, it's your traveler, that's strange. The last thing Paimon remembers was eating a cake of anemo slime and chocolate. Did Paimon fell asleep again”

Lumine: “....”

Paimon: “Lumine? Hey Paimon’s talking to you! Why is your face so red?”

Lumine: “... best, night, ever..:”

[scarabbai]

11, 17, 23, & 30 for the genshin asks 👀?

AYYY KYN HOW ARE YOUUUU

11. Least favorite element?

Idk if it counts bc there’s no character w this element yet but DENDRO IS THE BANE OF MY EXISTENCE. I’m a pyro main, which means that I’m constantly on fire and taking dmg that way regardless, but the MOMENT dendro gets thrown into the mix, I start taking MASSIVE damage bc suddenly in addition to being on fire, I’m BURNING. The little dendro samachurls? I hate them. So much. Every time I see them (or honestly any samachurl) in a hilichurl camp I make a BEELINE for em to take em out first bc theyre SO ANNOYING. STOP INDIRECTLY SETTING MY CHARACTERS ON FIRE, I’M FLAMMABLE ENOUGH AS IS AAAAAAAAA

17. Favorite mission?

I’m assuming this one means Daily Commissions bc tbh I don’t really know what this q means by “mission” ALJSKMSS

Weirdly enough, I really like the “This Novel is Amazing!” commission even though it’s basically just a fetch quest?? I think it’s bc you can peek at the novel you’re delivering KAMWKSMSMSJS something about that commission in particular is weirdly heartwarming and I really like it uwu

Maybe it’s also bc it has an indirect connection to Xingqiu, who is one of my top favorite characters lmao

23. Bow, Sword, Polearm, Claymore or Catalyst?

CLAYMORE CLAYMORE CLAYMORE CLAYMORE CLAYMORE

Okay so on my main acc I basically started the game off w Diluc already in my party (that acc was a formerly scrapped reroll acc handed over to me from the family member who got me into genshin in the first place) so I went through more or less the ENTIRE game w Diluc as my main dps and honestly??? I never really got used to using any other weapon AKJSJSJSMSJ

Bc I’m so accustomed to the way claymores work (the 4 slow strikes w a longer animation that you need to dash/jump to shorten on the last strike) a lotta times I’ll mess up my sword and polearm gameplay by dashing to animation cancel before my series of attacks are over OTL i’ve ended up losing out on a lotta the dmg I should be dishing out as a result and it SHOWS on my alt acc w Xiao 😔

I also like claymores bc they break ores easily and bc their hard hitting attacks mean you can stun lock enemies p easily as long as you’re good on the uptake! I like seeing the large dmg numbers uwu

30. Something you like in general.

OH idk if this counts bc this teeechnically isn’t really directly about the game itself/what happens in the game BUT I adore genshin’s va community! The english va’s are HILARIOUS and the chinese va’s are FEEDING us w all the lovely music content they’ve been putting out recently! In particular I really like Albedo’s english va Khoi Dao bc his twitter is just. ITS HILARIOUS AKJSKSJSKSKSS like does he realize that he’s an absolute comedian or??? Wksjsjwjjs I also live every day in fear of Childe’s english va... Griffin’s content is SO cursed and I am ✨Afraid✨

I have more to say about the cn va community bc I keep up w them a little more ALJSKSJAMKS I adore them so much and even though I can’t read very well, I go on bilibili JUST for them! In particular my favorite va’s are the ones for Venti (喵☆酱/“Miao Jiang”), Xiao/Chongyun (kin sen), Aether/Scaramouche (鹿喑kana/“Luyin kana”), and Paimon (多多poi/“Duoduo poi”)!

All of them are wonderful singers, though I have to say I like Luyin especially (his singing is soooo smooth!) and I’m VERY weak for Miao Jiang’s voice ;u; please give me strength for the venti rerun coming soon I don’t know how my heart is gonna take it HHHHH VENTI VOICELINES VENTI APPEARANCE VENTI VENTI VENTI HHHGNHJHGHHNGHHG AAAAAAAAAAA

Kinsen is also very sweet! He and Duoduo kinda fall into the category of “HOW ARE YOU SO FUNNY” in terms of how I see them, though in all honesty Duoduo takes the CAKE for being the funniest like omg if I could only find where to join her streams PLEASE shes so FUNNYYYYY I love her to bits!

WOW uhhh I kinda went off for way longer than I expected OTL

Kyn!!! Thank you for sending me questions and letting me ramble uwu

Ask meme from here uwu

[riskeith]

good morning love! (or afternoon for you hehe)

deku vs kacchan part 2 is my favorite ep of the entire series actually. i’ve watch that ep so many times as well it’s just perfect. i got into them when i watched that episode actually! the voice acting god..... literally shivers. now that i think about it it might even be my favorite anime ep of all time help. i just love how bakugou lets it all out and we get to see that side of him.. the insecure scared child he tries to hide. god i could ramble about it forever idk just love it. OH YOU WATCHED THE MOVE RIGHT AFTER? a scene with bakugou and todoroki is guaranteed a good time.. and they work so well together. haha that’s such a nice coincidence tho their dynamic is great in that movie even if it’s mostly kiribaku sjsksjk. what do you think about kiribaku btw?

RIGHT!!! at least we have a couple days to decide hihi.... paimon no longer emergency snack.. only seelie. 🥴 oooh? what kind of thing have you envisioned? (if you wanna share ofc!)

i’ve seen so many people mention that!! like one of the worst parts of the game is that in the higher level you get the less there are to do.. ssjksjdk at some point all you can do is grind domains and try to level up shdkdfhdj

LEVEL 40 INTO A LEVEL 70+ FIGHT ok that’s honestly hilariously brave doesn’t she like die right away 😔 oh yeah you’ll be leveling up Again soon *praying for you*... can’t believe they don’t keep the easy bosses anymore sjdkfh that’s so rude. this game is just grind grind grind. WE NEED A BENNY STORY SO BADLY. like imagine a story with him wanting to seek out diluc because he wants to learn how to fight from a master or something like that. i saw it in a comic and i can’t stop thinking about it 😭 all of them deserve stories!!! there’s so many ways they could make it happen pls mihoyo... chongyun x xingqiu story... <333

shfkjdskdjhf nope right now i’m playing with noelle as my main damage dealer, traveller, lisa and barbara actually. so i think i have a pretty good balance atm.. 2 long range 2 short range-ish. i usually trade out barbara for another character if i have to tho, hehe. that’s only combat though ^ benny is with me when we explore. mood is me having a 5 star and not even using her... i still need to think of ways qiqi could fit into the group yk. is your group still looking the same as before? ooooh if you could rank the elements what would your ranking look like?

172!!!!! that’s a bit short though when you said tall i thought like... 190 or something sjksjdxk. wait how tall are You?

oh i just meant like... people bashing others for spending too much money on the game vs those that bash people for not spending money and complaining that they don’t get 5 star etc? idk yt comments can be so ugly though so it’s a good thing that you don’t read them sjdjdjdkd

that’s super smart!!! you just follow along the plan and delete when you come to the part. must feel so satisfying too i imagine. haha, what little notes i have i put in the notes app and just check up on when i need to. sometimes i even forget they’re there shdkdhsks. my notes are filled with half-assed dialogue or random one words notes that don’t make any sense to me anymore.. nskdhddjdj

you’re right!! so you write at night? sometimes i just open docs on my phone and write a bit before i sleep and when i wake up it’s either a grammatical mess or just... super bad hskshd the brain is simply too tired to create anything shakespeareian

nooo i’ll def check these out and let you know what i think. i’ve seen halsey being in pretty much every klance playlist on spotify so i imagine she portrays their vibes pretty nicely. doesn’t she have a song she sings about being blue and red or something... shdjfhdj such a bad description but i see it being used in edits a lot. also now that i think of it melanie has a song called pacify her that i really like!! do you like it?

THATS SO CUTE YOU ARE A CRYBABY. 🥺 same here tbh i actually like crying sometimes... sjskdjdjd like you said it just feels nice to get it all out. i cry to almost movie or series or book i read i’m a super emotional person but i also think it adds to the experience? you feel more immersed in it that way.

RIGHT??? ITS SO BEAUTIFUL!!! and it’s our boys 😭 and they’re cuddling 😭 under the sun 😭 ssjdjdhdjdj 😭

can’t wait to hear from you again <3 yours, ma <3

good night! more like ahhah

:o!! that’s so legendary of them wow.. <33 and yeah honestly the voice acting is phenomenal.. and all the implications behind the fight too? bakugou finally opening up? midoriya understanding that what he needs is to fight him? ugh. kiribaku is fine! fhdsjfks my brain is so full of todobaku that any other ship is really just... in the background hfskjfs but i can appreciate the relationship they have! with kiri being the only one bakugou has really acknowledged and seeing as being on the same level, that iconic hand clasp when bakugou was being rescued... i have a kiribaku fic in my drafts but idk if i can ever get to it ahha. you like them a lot right?

ikkk also i didn’t know we had to wait until the very end to buy? i have more than enough to buy it rn but when i clicked it said ‘must explore area 14 first’ and i was just... bruh. AHAHAH. okay so in my mind it’s like.. chongyun at a funky angle we’re kinda looking up at him and his body is like bent down towards us fhsdkjs idk how to describe it but i can picture it very well but i also cannot put it to paper/screen. and then his clothes are just black instead of white! HAHAH. tho i kinda wanna see if i can draw a xiao first to offer up to the gacha gods hfsdjkfs (and if i can i’ll do a version w a dark outfit too for u hehe)

legitttt im literally just logging in and grinding the talent domains every day fhsdkjfhskfhjd there are some artifacts i want as well but the domain is literally SO difficult for me fuck.

i just go in and use her skill then heal a bit and switch right away fhsdkjfsd it going alright! and then i go ham with my other 3 charas and switch back to her to heal again fhskfjd. OMGGG that’s so cute please... i miss diluc too... come back!! i wish we had a way to replay the old quests even if we get nothing out of them like i just wanna experience it again ya know.

oooo! that’s pretty nice. hfskjd you could switch barbara out for qiqi! since she’s a healer as well. omg wait you have lumine right? so your combat team has no males? legendary 😩 we love fighting queens! ya! traveller, chongyun, xiangling, fischl. and then i switch depending on the domain/boss i’m gonna fight. hmm elements I think would go: anemo, cryo, electro, pyro, hydro, geo, dendro? LMAO i reckon if i had diluc tho pyro would be higher... i also almost forgot to add geo to that list lmaooooooo oops, hbu??

I JUST SAW THE LINK.... AAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! the bestest boys look how cute they’re sjdkfjdjjdd i’m obsessed. the picture where benny has his back turned sjdudjdjddnd stop. 🥺 they’re so neat. 🥺 also NO ARE YOU SERIOUS? that’s so upsetting are you gonna try it out nonetheless or do you think it’s too risky?

they’re SO neat!!! and bennett facing the other way was so fhskjfd yeah cute <3333333 I KNOWWW IM SO SAD :((( and no...... im not gonna try 😭😭😭 i told my brother about it too and he asked how many rolls i was at and i said 70 and he was straight up ‘you can’t try then’ and i was like ‘i know 😔😔’. @ xiao... i am giving up xingqiu rate up for you 😤😤😤😤 ugh i hope i can still get xingqiu in xiao’s banner tho even tho the chances will be shit. are you gonna roll ganyu’s banner?

FHSKJFSD NOOOOOO don’t tell me 172 is average for you wtf... (apparently the average male height in japan is 160cm! for reference ahah) and i myself am. one hundred and. fifty something cm hfsdjfhskjdfhskdjfhw9uehdsifhwsdkjfhsdkfhsd 😔 big sighs lmaoooooooo. how tall are you? (im assuming much taller 😔😔😔😔😔)

ooh notes app? nice ahaha. fhdkjfhskfsk hdthat’s the mood tho! if i don’t have my laptop with me i’ll write out everything on notes first then transfer to my laptop~

AHAHAH yeahhh i think mostly i do? bc during school times i’ll only write after i’m done with my work which = night time. for a while Peak writing time for me was like 1am lmfao but i do that in a like half-asleep half-conscious state so when i come back the next day at a “normal” time i run into the same issue as you fshdfkjshfs

she does!!! it’s called colours 😩 but i think the one i related to voltron most is control! there was this really good shiro edit with that song i still remember it to this day <3 yeah i do!!! i like most of melanie’s songs actually ahahah. i think my favourite for a while was show and tell~

it totally does!! like it’s satisfying as well you know... like the characters have gone through so much and you experienced that with them so it’s natural to get emotional about it. that reminds me, what kind of books do/did you read? did you read all Those YA novels ahah talking about crying has reminded me how i cried reading those..

<333 i wanna be there with them 😩 actually no i want to BE them 😩😩😩

eager for your response <33 love, c.r.

[wesimpforxiao]

Say My Name and I’ll Be There:  4.1

Author’s Note:  So I’m thinking of updating every other day or every two days? I tend to write compulsively and neglect my schoolwork lol.  Juggling this with work and school will be difficult if I post every day (I can’t help it though, I love updating every day!) So yeah.  Also if anyone has chapter filler ideas or prompts they want me to write out, message me or comment below! Back to the story!

..........................................

Xiao had just cleared a band of hilichurls when he came across the small stuffed bunny lying on the ground.  It was tattered and worn, but still held its original color.  He picked it up and dusted it off, glancing in the direction of the crying girl at the top of the hill. She had been crying over her stolen toy so Xiao took it upon himself to return it to her.  

He may or may not have destroyed a portion of the rice crop in doing so...but no matter! The girl was happy now.

"Thank you Mr. Adeptus!"  She gave him a toothy grin and hugged her bunny close.  "Thank you so much!"

"It was no trouble."  Xiao didn't return her smile and began to walk across the bridge that oversaw most of the rice crop.  What was it with mortal children and material possessions? Was it like him with his yaksha mask and spear?

"Mr. Adeptus sir, would you like something to eat?"

"Mortal food is not to my liking."  He continued to walk away despite hearing her disappointed 'oh.'  His eyes landed at the top of another hill, where the hall of Quince Village sat.  I should check on her Granny while I'm here.

"Welcome to my humble home!  How may I--" Granny's eyes widened significantly when she caught sight of Xiao.  "Oh my, it's been some time.  Is she alright? Has something happened?"

"Mm."  Xiao flicked his gaze around the building before he closed the distance.  "She's fine.  The Fatui will pose a significant problem.  They may come to you first."

"Oh," Granny rolled her eyes.  "Don't worry about me then, dear.  Just make sure she's safe.  I can handle the Fatui's interrogations just fine."

"There's no telling what tactics they may use or what they're after.  Make no mention of my interactions with you, nor how you found her.  It is for your own safety."

"Consider it done!  Now, would you like a cup of tea?"

...........................

"Wait, what?" You and the rest of the adventure team had returned to Quince Village on your request.  

Well...when you say 'the rest of the adventure team,' it was just you and Aether.  Diluc and Bennett had returned to Mondstat on your way here from Liyue Harbor.  After your little confrontation with Childe, he claimed there was unfinished business with the Fatui in the harbor and had to remain there.  You didn't believe it one bit.

"Yeah! Do you think he doesn't like me?" Lil Luo's shoulders drooped in sadness.  She held her tattered bunny tight against her chest.

"'An adeptus that doesn't smile," Aether met your eyes.  "That sounds like Xiao."

"W-well, when was he here?  When did this happen?"  You had to refrain from shaking her little shoulders for answers.

"U-um, maybe a week ago?  I saw him a couple more times after that, but he never smiled back at me..."

"Xiao," you whispered to yourself and scanned the fields for any sign of him.  "When was the last time you saw him?"

"Four days ago, I think."

"You want to look for him, don't you?"  Aether raised a smug brow.

"Can we?"  You pleaded.

"We're here on your request.  Might as well stay a bit, right?"

"Thank you so much!"

"You can just repay us with food," Paimon popped up and was practically drooling at her own imagination.  Aether nodded in agreement.

The three of you--correction, two of you-- climbed the hill to the village center while Paimon floated carefree alongside Aether.  The second you reached the top, you were greeted with a disturbing sight.

Fatui agents.

"W-what the hell?"  You instinctually grabbed the hilt of your sword, as did Aether.  "What are Fatui doing in Quince Village?"

"Paimon has no idea.  Let's get them!"

"Doesn't your Granny live here?" Aether sent you a worried look.

"Yes, she does."  You marched right up to the nearest agent and puffed out your chest.  "Excuse me, what's going on here? Why are you morons moving my Granny's stuff out of the house?"

"Who're you callin' morons?" The agent scoffed through his mask.  "Shouldn't you be in school or somethin'?  Scram.  Get out of here.  Damn kids."

"This is MY house," your blade pressed against his neck in a flash.  "Get off of my property."  Aether followed your lead and drew his weapon too.

"I'm afraid it isn't your home anymore," an all-too familiar deep voice flowed through the air. Zhongli shot the agent a look that caused him to leave the situation to the consultant.  "I sincerely apologize for not being in touch recently.  The funeral parlor has been quite backed-up lately thanks to Hu Tao's mismanagement."

"What are you doing here?" Paimon asked the question that was on all your minds.  "The funeral parlor is so far south of here."

"The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor serves all of Liyue," answered Zhongli.  His piercing eyes turned their attention to you and Aether.  "As you know, the parlor is partnered with the Fatui."

"And? That doesn't explain why you're here," you snarled.  Don't get anything mixed up; you were happy to see him.  But the Fatui at your house? Not as much.  

Zhongli released a short sigh and closed his eyes.  "We received a call from one of your neighbors.  It appears your grandmother died last night of a heart attack."

Something hard panged within your chest and it was suddenly difficult to breath.  "That's not...possible."

"Hey," Aether wrapped an arm around your shoulders as the world seemed to sway beneath your feet.  He slowly led you to the ground.

"That's horrible," Paimon muttered.  "Was it...painful?"

"Paimon!" Aether hushed.

"No.  It was rather quick.  She had not suffered long."  Zhongli knelt so that he was eye level with you.  "I had sent someone to meet up with you in Dihua Marsh, but it appears as though the messenger never met you.  My apologies for the oversight, dear friend."

"Then," you gulped, "why are the Fatui here?"

"Your grandmother had signed the house over to them a day or so before she passed."

"What? Why would she do that? She loves this house!"  Your tears dried before they had the chance to fall.  Your fists tightened as you struggled to determine who the enemy was.  Was it Zhongli?  He was technically Fatui if he worked with them.  Xiao could have been wrong about him.  "Who's in charge here?"

Zhongli almost appeared hesitant to answer.  Xiao managed to reach the grandmother in time, but it appears she still had to make some sort of arrangement to guarantee everyone's safety.  To think that Childe had somehow known to come here--

"Tch."  You stood up and brushed past Aether, heading directly toward the Fatui agent that had the audacity to tell a twenty year old to go back to school.  "Hey, dumbass!"  You gripped the collar of his coat and yanked him close.  "Tell me who's in charge here."

"Heh, want to fight your way out of a contract, eh?  Don't you worship the God of Contracts?  You're not gettin' your stupid house back."

"Tell me who sent you."

"A certain Harbinger," the agent taunted.

"Give me the name!"  You back-handed the masked agent hard enough to hurt him and split your knuckles wide open.  The blood splattered onto the wooden floor and soaked into his jacket.

"Hey, wait!"  Aether grabbed your shoulder.  Zhongli watched him do so.

"You're in luck, sweetheart.  You'd give quite the show badmouthing Childe."

"Wha--"  You stumbled backwards and knocked into Aether.  The two of you shared a look of shock, concern, and betrayal.  "This is all under Childe's jurisdiction?"

"Uh-huh," the agent lifted his mask slightly and wiped at his busted lip.  "He should be on his way back to Liyue Harbor by now, if you wanna try and take it up with him.  But I'm tellin' you he ain't gonna budge."

..........................

You stood alone in the rain.  Zhongli had arranged for a proper funeral and had refused to charge you for the provided services.  He had even managed to retrieve one of Granny's necklaces from the Fatui's grasp, and gave it to you.  He and Aether were alongside you, what...twenty minutes ago?  They decided to leave you alone in front of the new gravestone to grieve.  The funeral was simple, per your request to hold true to Granny's wishes.  The entire village had grieved with you.

"I'm sorry I came too late for a visit, Granny." The words came out robotic and emotionless.  The look on your face was blank.  You placed a small bouquet of glaze lilies on top of the stone; Zhongli had you sing to them before picking them.  "Things got busy, and Childe...well, I'm sure you met him, didn't you?"  You let out a dry bitter laugh that blended with the sound of raindrops.  "I love you.  Thank you for taking care of me even if I was a brat sometimes."

Could it be that you had been the cause of her death just like you had caused your parents'?  Just how much blood was on your hands?

You felt nothing yet everything at the same time.  Your eyes were dry.  After the initial shock, you hadn't shed a single tear.  Thus was your usual reaction to death; you were usually at peace with the idea of it.  If it was their time, it was their time.  But you were not convinced her death was caused by her heart.  

Childe.  Could he have resorted to such extremes to get the house? Or was it for something more?  Perhaps he was the true danger Xiao had warned you about.

Your chest ached, desperate to release the pent up storm of emotions whirling through you.  The wind picked up for a moment.  "Xiao?"  Your hoarse greeting was met with a grim-looking yaksha.  It was possible you were just imagining him in a time of need.  You hadn't seen him in a month now.

Xiao blinked and gave you a once-over as he stood beside you.  He had heard your sorrow like it was blaring in his ears.  His eyes fell to the gravestone, and his expression saddened further.  "She's dead." His question of disbelief sounded more like a tactless statement of fact.

"Yeah," you half-winced, half-scoffed at his remark.  "She's dead."  You knew all too well that he didn't mean any harm.  "Why're you standing in the rain?"

"I don't concern myself with the weather, but you should be inside.  Mortals are fragile."

"I don't particularly care at the moment." Your words cut through the rain like a blade of ice.  

She has lost all of her family now, Xiao realized.  He watched you with admiration at how strong you were acting even though it was clear you were trying not to break.

"I came back to visit and check in on her," you opened up after a few minutes of silence.  His glance towards you prompted you to continue.  "And then a little girl told me an adeptus had saved her toy bunny.  That was you, wasn't it?"

"Mm."

"Did you...see her?  My Granny?"

"I have spoken with her several times over the course of several years.  I did not think it would be the last time.  What happened?"

"Heart attack."  You swallowed.  "When I reached the house, the Fatui were clearing it out."  You caught the color draining from Xiao's face.  "What? Do you know something?"

"So my suspicions were correct," Xiao muttered distastefully.  He looked around the graveyard.  "You're sure they all left?"

"Yes.  Zhongli said that before she died she had signed a contract to hand the house over.  But she wouldn't do that so easily."

Satisfied with his scan of their surroundings, Xiao folded his arms across his chest.  "I told you I would inform you of our predicament when the time is right.  The time is now."

"After my Granny just died?"  Your undirected anger manifested at his words.  

"The Fatui are after the two of us."

"Why?"

"Our guess is they wish to create adepti soldiers or yakshas using the technique I used on you when you were a child."  Your eyes raised at 'our.'  Xiao's gaze flicked to you briefly.  "Zhongli."

"Wait, why would Zhongli be involved with this in the first place?"

"He is the former Lord of Geo, Rex Lapis--"

"Wait wait wait, he's what?!  But that's not possible, Rex Lapis is--"

"--Only a select few know his identity.  Do not go around telling."  You nodded, head spinning from all this new information.  "Childe was tasked with identifying and obtaining us.  If anyone gets their hands on an adeptus or your blood, it could spell the downfall of humankind."

"What exactly is my blood?  Why would they want me?"

"My blood runs through your veins."

"U-um...?"  You shifted uncomfortably at the thought.

"That is how I saved you," Xiao uncrossed his arms and faced you fully.  "It allows you to withstand more adeptal energy than the ordinary human, which is why I can be so close to you.  It also increases your body's healing capabilities.  It is the only reason you survived that day.  It is also the only reason you survived your lawachurl wound."

"...Why didn't you tell me this before?" You mumbled beneath your breath.  The rain hitting the earth nearly overtook the sound of your voice.  "We...We could have saved her."  Your anger leaked through your voice.  It wanted something to blame, something to lash out at.  You caught yourself before you could say or think something you didn't mean.  It was a heart attack.  Xiao is not to blame for this.  Childe is the enemy.

"Childe was listening in on our conversations.  I could not disclose this information to you so we would have the advantage to work in the dark against the him."  He stared down at the gravestone.  "I am...sorry.  I did not recognize the stress it would put her through. She was optimistic and happy when I last saw her."

You shook your head.  "I doubt it caused the heart attack.  I just want to know what they did to make her sell the house," your hands curled into fists.  "Childe will pay for this."

The two of you silently stood in the rain for some time before Xiao held his hand out to you.  "You will get sick if you stay out here longer.  Let us meet with the rest of the team."  You placed your injured hand in his, having forgot that it was aching the entire time.  Xiao's eyes narrowed at this, but he did not question you.  With your blood, it would heal by tomorrow morning.