#ANYWAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZHONGLI

[endlesscacophony]

@inanthesis || Morax Zhongli

Despite the inherent redundant nature of commemorating ones birth on an annual basis, Xiao was quite aware of what today was. How could he not? Given the celebrations flooding the streets of Liyue below, civilians chattering amongst themselves happily, all planning what they were to do with today’s festivities. Today was a day of celebration, appreciation for someone that Xiao held in such high regard, a selfless man who had saved not only Xiao but countless other lives since the Archon War.

What does one get for someone of such esteem?

Perhaps this was the explanation of Xiao’s pensive nature on this day, his apprehension towards actually meeting the other as he had requested. Xiao had been told time and again that he need not thank Morax for anything, that his fight against the gods of old, the unending and thankless war that he took on in Morax’s stead was more than enough renumeration. But it was days like these, times like this in which he felt like an extra sentiment was necessary. Especially given Morax’s sudden ... ‘retirement’, if that was even the proper term for what had transpired.

A long winded sigh left the adeptus from his spot on the roof of Wangshu Inn, below him was the table, decorated with the finest placements awaiting not only the food to be completed but the guest of honor to finally make his timely arrival. Not something the adeptus typically requests of those at the Inn, not something he truly wished for at all if he were honest. But a humble request from the one who had saved Xiao time and again is one that he dared not deny. So, they agreed to meet when the sun had settled low on the horizon, the sky above an incredible smattering of reds and oranges, the endings of the daytime’s blue. 

Guessing by the look of the sky as it was now, it was only a matter of time. 

More time for him to ponder over the foolish trinket the traveler suggested he give Morax, ‘To let him know how much you appreciate him!’ A golden smile accompanied the golden eyes of the other, it was impossible to part it from his mind and thus explained the adeptal amulet that lay within his pocket now. Stored in the event that his mind is swayed from actually giving it to him.

Timely as always, it was only a mere few moments that passed before the visage of the other crossed the threshold, his grand presence unable to hide itself from the likes of Xiao, even in this form. With a flash, a blink of an eye and Xiao is on the balcony just behind the other, one knee pressed to the wood as he bowed his head in recognition.

“M --” A pause, a breath and he tries again, “Zhongli, you have arrived.”

[genshin-impact-updates]

Happy Birthday, Zhongli!

"Each passing year resembles the last, but not so the people that live them."

[fuwahua]

Worm my way into your heart

Happy belated birthday to genshin's worst ginger!!!!

WC: 2.8k

tags: zhongli / childe , established relationship , fluff!!!

“Would you still love me if I was a worm?”

“Excuse me?”

Zhongli blinks incredulously at Ajax’s furrowed brows and pout, falsifying hurt as he repeats himself. “I said, would you still love me if I was a worm?”

“I… apologize. I believe I misunderstood.” May still be misunderstanding. The puzzlement on his face must be readily apparent since Ajax’s facade cracks into an amused smile, patting his shoulder patiently. “May I inquire about the source of your curiosity?”

“Well, Wanderer—”

Ah.

Ajax’s description of yet another debacle between the Traveler and their partner from Sumeru is no surprise, though the contents of said debacle are… interesting, put mildly. Lumine, for all her graciousness when speaking to him, seems to prefer the saying “might is right” when it comes to her new Anemo companion. He had never seen her so triumphant and boiling over with irritation as when returning from her weekly spats with the other; not, of course, that Wanderer was innocent by any means. One might suspect he enjoyed riling her up just to see the consequences she’d unleash upon him.

In that aspect, he and Ajax were remarkably similar.

“Then he called her a worm, like usual.” Of course, the usual. Zhongli nods as Ajax outlines the encounter, hands moving in the air to give a better approximation of the two combatants until they meet at the center. “And she was pissed, but instead of caving his face in like I would, she just said aww, would you still love me if I was a worm then? You should’ve seen it xiansheng, his face was hilarious.”

Wanderer’s bared teeth flash in his mind. “I imagine he was fuming.”

“Yep.” The word comes out popped, buoyant, and perhaps Zhongli should not feel so enamored by his lover’s amusement at another’s misery. Alas, it is a dilemma for another day.

“So? You getting it on with worm me or not?”

Befriending animal companions is a rather mundane pastime for a god who could carve stone into life. He humors Ajax with a hum. “The optics of this scenario are rather unclear: would you retain your same spirit, just encased in a different body? Is it temporary or permanent? Would I be able to communicate with you in human speech to confirm your consent to continue courting you? I would hate to offend you and any new instincts your worm form may give you, but in the case that we could no longer verbally communicate we should set up a system now: at the very least, yes, no, food, water, sleep, should be set in various signals. As worms have no hands, we could communicate with the number of times you wriggle your new body, but that comes with its own complications if you grow too tired of movement to—”

“Xiansheng! It’s not that serious!”

“I am merely concerned for your wellbeing,” Zhongli replies. He smiles as Ajax sputters, rolling his eyes in fond exasperation. “Regardless, I suppose that answers your question quite clearly. In the highly improbable scenario that you are cursed to become a worm, I would still love you.”

“Thanks. Really feeling the love here.”

He chuckles, indulgent, and Ajax beams at the noise. He is beautiful in every sense of the word, but especially so when he gives to others, when his smile melts and gentleness smooths the vanguard’s harsh reputation. Zhongli reaches out his hand and Ajax takes it, filling an ache he never notices is there until it’s already soothed.

“And I?”

“Hm?”

“What about you?” Zhongli asks. “Would you love me if I were a worm?”

Ajax laughs, leaning into a kiss. “I mean, yeah? Rex Lapis already kind of looks like a furry worm, and I love you, so…”

“I–excuse me?”

“What?” Ajax bumps his hip, teasing. “I said I love you, worm and all.”

“You did. You also said that I already look like a furry worm?”

“Well, yeah. I mean, Natlan dragons are, uh, bulkier? They’ve got stronger arms and legs to traverse with but Rex Lapis, well—” Ajax huffs, amused. “When you fly, don’t you wriggle around like a worm?”

Zhongli gapes at him.

A worm. Six thousand years of history embedded in that body, carved into caverns long before they inherited the name of Liyue, worshiped across illuminated beasts and mortals alike. Even now, after his public death, the name and shape of Liyue’s deity remains holy to many.

Yet Ajax, his lover, called him a furry worm. 

“Hello? Earth to Wormli?”

Zhongli’s neck might’ve snapped if he were a mortal at the speed with which he turns to Ajax, affronted, displeasure and sheer bewilderment draining his face of color. Wormli? Worm-Zhongli? The strangeness of the combination aside, it was mind-boggling that Ajax would decide to call him such a thing. What had he possible done to incur such a horrendous word—

Ajax’s grin meets his gaze. Oh.

“You are deliberately trying to get a rise out of me. Not unlike Wanderer.”

“Don’t compare me to that shortie.” That grin grows pinched, Ajax’s brow twitching. He’d almost pin the look as guilty if not for the determined mischief that crosses Ajax’s face, intent on pushing until he wins his prize. Were it anyone else, it would irk Zhongli to have his buttons pushed so brazenly, not an ounce of respect for his person; but it is Ajax and for him, Zhongli is more than willing to let his buttons be pressed.

It helps that he knows Ajax enjoys his buttons being pressed much more.

“And yet you are deliberately acting like him.”

Ajax heaves a dramatic sigh before him and flops across his lap, arms raised in a manner that has the hemline of his shirt rising. His stomach winks as red fabric pulls taut, and Ajax flashes a crooked smile at Zhongli when he realizes he’d been caught staring. ‘What a terrible thing to accuse me of! Maybe I like the fluffiness of Rex Lapis, huh?”

“Is that so?”

His hands move slowly, hovering, and Ajax’s eyes dart between him and his face with growing trepidation. He hums, patient where Ajax is not, and his lover chuckles. “You’ve got a dangerous look on your face, xiansheng.”

“I’m pondering,” Zhongli says, “how best to respond to your taunts.” His hands touch the surface of that belly at last, skimming the skin with the back of his knuckles. It tightens, instinctual, but the grin on Ajax’s face doesn’t face and Zhongli indulges in his own smile as he tweaks the open side to Ajax’s flinch. “Would you prefer my traditional form? To be held down; to have fur caress the skin you enjoy flaunting, just like this?” His hands turn, nails pinching the thin layer of fat covering Ajax’s abs, and his love shivers. “Or perhaps you’d prefer my claws appreciating every centimeter of you, the pieces you hide from other gazes but eager to expose under mine?”

“That’s… a difficult decision to make.”

“I’m sure it isn’t so hard, considering your attempts to goad me.” Zhongli leans downward, arms holding Ajax steady as he kisses him. The warmth of it lingers and he hums. “If you’d like some attention, you could simply ask.”

“Yeah,” Ajax says. His grin is dopey, keyed up with his prize in his, well, Zhongli’s lap, and his arms loop around Zhongli’s neck. It leaves him defenseless, shirt spilling further open and skin eager for Zhongli’s touch. “But where’s the fun in that?”

And Ajax wonders how exactly he resembles Wanderer. But whereas Lumine has grown fond of might, Zhongli has come to appreciate other forms of discipline—if it could be called that, when Ajax craves it so. Who is Zhongli to deny his wishes?

His hands trail the window of exposed skin, gentle, kneading at the places he knows Ajax likes best. He likes a slower, deeper touch on the hips, light presses on the shallow curve of his stomach when sucking in; the shape of his abdominal muscles, stark against his skin when tense, are eager to be traced over with blunt nails. His hands press against the sides of Ajax’s waist, thumbing the backside that is often forgotten, and Ajax’s legs kick out at the sensation. There’s a chortling noise that escapes from his mouth, strained, and his brows knit together.

“C-cohohome on,” Ajax grits out, teeth clicking as he cranes his neck to Zhongli. “Is thahat all you nn got?”

“To properly map out its route, a worm must carefully explore its surroundings. It would be no good for it to rush through.” Zhongli says, drumming his hands on the twitching stomach in his lap.

“You’re nnnohat aha worm though!”

“Aren’t I?” His eyes twinkle in amusement, pinching the sensitive skin of Ajax’s underbelly and earning a bark of startled laughter. “That’s not what you said earlier.”

“T-thahahaha—!”

What snippy reply Ajax has is lost to a high-pitched wheeze as Zhongli’s hands move upwards, digits hidden beneath crimson red as his nails scratch in the divots of Ajax’s ribs. His lover gasps, head bobbing left and right before giggles break through his clenched jaw, hands tangling in Zhongli’s hair as they scrabble against his shoulders for a semblance of control; the warmth of those hands against his back is gentle, careful to not pull at his loose hair, and Zhongli finds himself distracted by how easily Ajax gives his care and joy away, a present in his lap.

It's with that thought that he leans over, kissing Ajax’s reddened cheeks, chuckling as they seem to flush deeper. “Have you thought about your answer?”

“Whahahat ahansweheher?”

“You seemed rather taken with the idea of my former body, so I asked you simply: do you prefer it for the fur or the claws?” He clicks his tongue, scrunching up the shirt as he thumbs the divots under Ajax’s outstretched arms. Ajax’s back arches, gasping, and his feet slap against the floor as he squirms in laughter. “I could give you both, if you wanted.”

“WaHAHAIt—nAHAHA!” A flash of panic crosses Ajax’s face before his head tips back, hands clenching and unclenching against his back as Zhongli presses against the curve of his uppermost rib and the bottom of his armpit, an area Ajax protests being teased at because he doesn’t know if the hands will rise or descent. He bounces in Zhongli’s lap as they linger, shaking.

Zhongli drinks him in, the sight of his open mouth, eyes scrunched in delight. It’s dangerous, what the idea of bringing more of that giddy, unrestrained laughter does to him; power thrums in his arms, prickling, and Ajax reacts to it with a shriek as he drums his way back down to his sides.

“You wouldn’t even have to wait. I could give either to you now,” Zhongli croons, and he nuzzles Ajax’s neck to a choked-out protest. His illuminated form, his old Archon robes, the body he’d built that had carried the traits of both… There was never a reason in modern day Liyue to shift back to those bodies and yet there has never been any temptation stronger than the sound of Ajax’s laughter, the sight of his smile, the touch of his hands warm against his back.

Ajax trashes in his lap, hips bouncing away from wandering fingers but never far enough to avoid them entirely. “PleaHAHAHSE!”

“It would be easiest if you preferred my claws. Hands are finicky to create, human ones especially, but manipulating the shape of the nailbed is a far easier transformation. Would you like that? Longer nails pressing against you like this,” he presses Ajax flat against his lap with the palms of his hands, nails skittering the jut of his hips and carving out a space that earns him desperate, shaky giggles. “It’d be easy for me to love your favorite spots, wouldn’t it? Like here,” they skim the taut skin of his stomach and Ajax trembles when they scratch against his navel to wild cackles. “Would you like that?”

“I CAHAHAN’T! AHAHARCHONS NNAHAHAHA DON’T!”

“No? You’d prefer fur?”

“ZHOHONGLIII!”

Ajax’s head shakes, hair matted to his forehead and cheeks with sweat, and Zhongli sees unshed tears beading at his eyes as he begs; his arms remain up and willing, but Zhongli has always appreciated Ajax’s limits more than he has. His hands slow, moving to dig into Ajax’s sides and earning deep belly laughs.

“I’ve had forms with my tail in the past; I didn’t need one as Zhongli, ordinary mortal, but I suppose there’s an appeal. I had a plume, you see, at the end of my tail. If you wanted,” he caresses bare skin as breathless whines punctuate Ajax’s tired giggles. “It could adore you as much as I do. Would you like that? For it to love you like I do?”

The garbled noise that escapes Ajax could easily be mistaken for a please. A plea for what—more or less, remains unclear, but Zhongli takes the opportunity to move his hands up to cup Ajax’s face instead, pulling him upwards for a kiss. Ajax is flushed red, ear to collarbone, and adoration bubbles in him as he presses another kiss against hot skin.

A hand presses against his lips when he goes in for a third and Zhongli blinks upwards to Ajax’s amused grin, arms dropping to his side. Lingering giggles leave him as his shoulders slump. “Hehehey there.”

“Hello,” Zhongli replies. He nuzzles against Ajax’s hand and presses a kiss to that open-faced palm. “Did I go too far? Are you feeling alright?”

Ajax scoffs. “I didn’t say stop, you know.”

“That wasn’t my question.”

“Peachy,” Ajax says, snorting as Zhongli picks up his other hand to deliver a matching kiss. “I’m fine, seriously. I could have kept going.”

“You push your limits too much.”

“Do you dislike it?”

The sound of Ajax’s laughter rings in his head, bright and free, skin warm as it twisted and bent beneath his hands. He thinks of that willing body darting away but never too far, laid bait to an ex-archon. Ajax bats his eyes at him, conniving, and Zhongli relents.

“No,” he says, “I don’t think I ever could.”

Ajax flashes teeth, pleased, before his eyes slant, familiar mischief already rearing its head. He pulls on Zhongli’s hands to kiss them in blatant mimicry. “Were you saying that stuff about transforming just to mess with me or were you serious?”

“A bit of both,” Zhongli admits. He chuckles when Ajax nips at his palms in reply. “It has been many years since I took on a form between this mortal one and the illuminated Rex Lapis; it’s wholly possible and I’ve done so many times before, but it would be a bit unfamiliar to do so without prior preparation.”

“Really? How much notice do you need?”

“Perhaps a few days at first though it should be an easy shift afterwards. Think of it as using old muscles—they are still fit to be used but require some stretching before they can be utilized effectively.”

The words leave him before he recognizes the grin already pulling at Ajax’s face though it is already too late. “So, if you start preparing now, I can see it in a week?”

“Ajax.”

“I’m just curious,” Ajax purrs. Zhongli’s eyes narrow, warning, though it has the opposite effect of stretching Ajax’s grin wider. “What was that you said about a tail? That I’d like it to love me like you do?”

“That wasn’t my intent.” Warmth flushes his cheeks. He would never be ashamed of his affection for his lover, but the heated replication of his words, teasing as they were meant to be in the moment, is embarrassing in how it affects him. Worse so the knowledge that his tail, if he were to have it out, would most certainly make its pleasure known by wrapping around Ajax’s waist and pulling him closer.

“It’s my intent,” Ajax replies. He pinches Zhongli’s cheek. “So, in one week’s time, I’ll get to see wormli?”

This, again? Zhongli sighs, pressing one hand over his eyes. He loves Ajax, he does, but it’s times like this that he sometimes wishes he could throttle the other. “I do recall saying that if you’d like attention, you could simply ask me.”

“I could,” Ajax says, “but what fun would that be?”

If nothing else, he supposes it’s a charming quality of how quickly Ajax can recover from his antics. Zhongli’s eyes narrow, considering, before Ajax yelps when he’s pushed downwards before bursting into giggles as hands grapple at his waist. He may not be able to throttle Ajax in good conscious, but there is plenty else he can do to entertain in the meanwhile.

(Ajax ends up very fond of the tail)

[aeb-art]

hehe 🌪️🍃🔶

[siribunbun]

Happy Birthday, xiansheng ;y

(or alternatively, Venti’s fanfic lol)

fun fact: I had to fight the Childe weekly boss multiple times to figure out what Zhongli’s charge attack sounds like upon impact. 

fun fun fact: this story actually has a sequel gag relating to the boss drop (haha), but i’m too tired and got other projects to move on to, so maybe I will draw it later. ;yyy

That’s it for my dumb gags involving Childe, thanks for being a part of this ride. I’m finally gonna move on to a more “serious” involving Noelle and Diluc in January, so uh look forward to that I guess. ;w;

[tenebriism]

When Baizhu does the ^_^ thing.

[prttykittes]

staying anon for this bec i feel disgusting indulging in this.

i’m big on dark/dddne stuff and yet I feel terrible reading it so i’m kinda glad i found somewhere i can kindof have a place to express more extreme stuff.

anyways big sis beidou wants to be your first so right when you turn 18 she takes your virginity :3

or dad zhongli sees that your bf is not what he thinks a BF should be like to he takes him out and makes you his. i mean this is more of a possessiveness than actual NSFW. i dont know😭

Stoner kazuha roofies you (with prior consent tho w this one)

Diluc gives you too much to drink so he fucks you instead.

i have so much more.. and if i ever do come back i’ll be “:3 anon”

do what you want w any of these 💕

Woahh:0, there's alot so I tried my best to do everything blog, I won't shame anyone for liking these things kind of stuff!!<3

ෆ Big!sis Beidou, Stoner!Kazuha, dad!zhongli, diluc X Afab!Reader [you/your]

— Synopsis:: multiple characters x reader, yeah

CW. Incest(father/child, Sister/slibing), smokes, weed, roofies, consent(Kazuha), dubcon(for everyone else), possessive sex(zhongli), drunk sex(Diluc), age gaps, fingering, Dom!characters x Sub!reader, reader wears pants in kazuha's part

A/N :: Multiple sexy characters :4— written by a minor

[MASTERLIST] — ╰⁠(⁠⸝⁠⸝⁠⸝⁠´⁠꒳⁠`⁠⸝⁠⸝⁠⸝⁠)⁠╯ works in link!

BIG SIS! Beidou ! — She was so happy for you! It was your birthday! She got off her boat and went to your parents house! She saw you, you were still gorgeous as ever! She tears up, she was with for 18 years, her lovely slibing.... Oh how she dreamed about this day, she wants to be your first. So she's going to take you to her boat since you had always wanted to go on the water with her! She would spent time with you on there, just you and her. She celebrated your birthday, then she asked if you wanted to go on a ride. You said yes, now your both on her boat but instead of familial love it was filled with romantical love. She was half she was your first, she at first toying with your nipples. She went lower, she can hear you breathing heavily. Your eyes are hazy, your mind cloudy. Her hand was your sex, she rubbed it. She sees your lovely juices on her fingers, she can't wait to claim you as hers. Her sweet, lovely slibing all hers!

STONER!Kazhu— The smell of weed brunt your nose, he was smiling at you. His hand on his chin, his eyes were slightly red. He had his eyes on you, you sat down next to him. "{Yourname}" he says, you tilt your head in confusion. He gets up, his legs slightly trembling, he wraps his arms around you. "Can I?" He said, you knew what he had wanted to do. You never went this far in your friendship with him! You did have dreams and did wish for him to like you, you also had sexual dreams about him. You can't believe what your going to do with him, he smiles. He grabs some pills, he was going to roofie you but instead of doing it without consent. He has your consent, you close your eyes and take it. You gulp and your head feels weird, your eyes become hazy. He smiles and gently lies you on the bed. He is on-top of you, he lays soft and gentle bites on your neck. He continues to do while his kisses gets lower, you close your eyes and let yourself into the pleasure. He toys with your chest, rolling your nipples between his fingers. He pulls down your pants and touches your sex through your underwear. His finger going up and down, pressing on it. "Your so cute..." He mutters, he take soff your underwear and Lena's down and licks at your sex. He smiles when your sex twitches. He coats his fingers in your pre-cum, then he prods his finger at your hole. His fingers scissor your virgin hole, making you more open for dick. You can feel his clothed dick against your leg while he continues to finger you, after some minutes. He stops and and pulls down his pants so his underwear shows and he slides his underwear down and his dick jumps up. He aims his cock at your hole, your hole clenches around nothing as you anxiously wait for it. He grabs a condom and enters you, his hard dick inside of you. He moves once you get used of his size. The motion is lazy and tried but it still feels good. Your virgin hole is not a Virgin anymore!!!

DAD!ZHONGLI !— He doesn't deserve his sweet baby! He stares at you and your boyfriend, he isn't a boyfriend. His boyfriend ideals for you are something like him!! He angrily glares and judges your boyfriend from afar. He can't believe that you chose someone that is trash, he gets so mad that he gets rid of your boyfriend... Oh I wonder how he got so bloody and why he is covered in blood.. don't worry it's not his!!don't worry baby, no need to worry about anything~ he comforts you after you find out your boyfriend is dead, shhh.... You still have him, your daddy is always here for you!! He won't leave you, he is going to make you his, not like you weren't his from the start! His kisses start form your temple to near your lips, his hands on your thigh to inner thighs. You sniff as you lean into his touch, just enjoy his touches. he slips his hand into your pajamas pants, touching your underwear. He continues to kiss your neck, wanting to mark you with his kisses and his touches. His fingers touch your sex and he slips his hand into your underwear, he smiles as he can feel your sex being wet. He pleasures you with his touches, he can't wait to claim you for his own. Emptying his seed inside of you!

DILUC !— He watches you, you weren't this drink from the start but you know... Things change, he continues to give you more. You were worried about the drinks because you wouldn't have enough to pay but you don't care anymore. Your drunken state, it exitces him but it's only with you. He gives you two more drinks and you drink it up fast like you want to please him... Your flustered face makes him want to kiss you and fuck your face but he can't bring himself to do so~ you let out hiccups and you lay your head on the table. He cleans the empty cups and gives you one more, you grab it weakly as you managed to drink it. You rant to him about annoying people and troubles in your life, he smiles as he listens to you. Your face still on the table, your hands are in a fist but then it goes limp. He hears soft snores from you, he walks around and rubs your hips. He blows in your ear, you still don't wake up. Your body is asleep and he could take advantage of it. He groans while he moves you over to more of a comfortable spot. He takes off your lower clothing and slides down your underwear. He sticks his finger in a cup as it is soaked with the alcohol, he pushes inside of you. Your loose and not tight, your whole body being loose. He kisses your forehead and continues to finger your hole, he lets out a grunt. His dick is really hard, he pulls out his cock and aims it at your hole. He can't wait anymore, he spits on his palm and rubs it on his dick. It's unsanitary but whatever because he is going to be inside of you!! His dick enters you, he lets out a groan, he moves his hips. It feels so good, he should do this more often to you until he gains courage to ask you out!!

[euniveve]

(𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐱 𝐆𝐨𝐭 𝐇𝐢𝐬) 𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐲𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 - zhongli

pairings: zhongli x reader tags: angst & fluff (mainly fluff tho with sprinkles of angst), wife! reader, mentioned xiao w.c: 946 a.n: happy birthday my darling husband here's your birthday gift, the drabble that i rewrote; my fellow sibling spouses, enjoy

Your lashes flutter as you look down, your lips carefully pressed against the red paper to leave a cherry-red stain. A soft breath escapes your lip and your gaze shifts back to the jade mirror. Scenes such as this, remind you of your duty to your husband, to your nation– and yet as you glide your fingers, carefully blending the stain to your natural lip colour; your husband, Morax stood behind you and began parting your hair, his fingers already braiding it and arranging into an elaborate updo. 

This is a maid’s job – but the lord of geo has always insisted on doing this task himself; and how could he not? Another minute in your presence and feeling your being under his touch is another minute well-spent. His beautiful wife, his only love.

You watch his thick finger take one of the many golden hairpins on your jewellery box, the intricacies of the designs complimenting the placement of your bun– and your husband’s amber eyes gleam from the light cast by the metal, a soft smile sitting on his lips as he hummed a familiar tune. 

Your heartbeat skips, and you relish sight of his majestic form; his toned arm that’s dipped in gold, his glowing antlers that resemble the warm sun, his rich brown hair that so elegantly drapes against his shoulders and frames the sides of his face–

'Mirrors,’ you thought, breathless and lips parting, ‘really are great inventions', 

"Dearest?" His deep, sweet voice says; vibrating down your spine with warmth, hypnotizing you further into his hold. Ah yes, Morax, the man standing behind you, the god watching over you, is everything he is supposed to be and more.

"Not- Nothing!" You manage to say, flashing him a nervous smile before you shake your head, trying to save face in front of him– a wife should maintain some dignity after all.

Morax chuckled, his calloused fingers finally placing the last hairpin as you reached to take a brush from your vanity and dip it in the porcelain pot of red-stained beeswax. A personal gift from Morax's anemo yaksha, one he so offhandedly gifts after you flick your finger on his forehead, warning him to not take his duties too far. You worry over that boy– the more times he comes to the palace, the more scars riddle his body.

And yet he fights anyway. 

You could only hope that one day, the sweet yaksha will learn to smile again. A smile he once held, a smile like your husband's.

Morax's golden fingers soon find their way to yours, breaking your thoughts and submerging you deeper into his warm comforting embrace. 

"Let me help you, darling," he whispered into your ear, his hot breath hitting the tip, making you shudder from the sensation. Feeling your cheeks heating up from his declaration, you shyly nod and turn your back to face him. 

His finger makes contact with your face and you are instantly reminded of his domain. Like it, the colossus on his fingertips is rough; his hold unmoving despite being so gentle. But you close your eyes and with no hesitation, you place your face safely in his grasp. Morax, the God of Contracts, is capable of many things, but hurting you isn’t one of them.

You feel a cold touch on your forehead, knowing that with careful precision – your husband is drawing a plum blossom, your favourite flower.

"There," he said softly, planting a gentle kiss on your red-stained lips, making his appear to have a slight tint. You stifled a giggle at the sight, brushing your fingers against his lips, moving them slightly and forcing his smile to grow wider.

Morax raises his brow, thinking that you are trying to play with his face – he opens his jaw and tilts his head, breaking out a burst of unexpected joy-filled laughter from you.

"Here,” you giggled, remembering how Xiao too, acts like this when you try to force a smile at him, “lǎo gōng."

The brown-haired man hummed, watching as you tried to tell him what to do with just your face, urging him to mimic your movements. He surprisingly understood, fitting his face on the palm of your hand and closing his eyes; trusting you completely when he felt your fingers taking the brush from his fingers. 

‘Xiao,’ you recalled, ‘could really be his son..’

‘Bright golden eyes… same stubbornness…’

You giggle again, carefully painting the edge of the stone lord’s eyes, the same way as his warrior has his painted.

‘Same behaviours… same selflessness…’

"Open your eyes," you whispered and Morax instantly obeyed, his piercing amber gaze taking in your face inches from his. You smile, shifting from your seat and allowing him to see both of you in the jade mirror.  

And there it was, the both of you. Rex Lapis and his wife. You couldn’t help but widen your smile, blinking slowly as you whisper underneath your breath; "Xiao would love this.”

Then you snickered to yourself, already imagining the look on the yaksha's face when he had seen what you had done. It would probably hold horror and awe, yet still accompanied by subtle gratefulness he would display in between quiet murmurs. Indeed, you should probably talk to Morax about adopting him…

The geo god lets out a small chuckle as he wraps his arm around you, enveloping you back into his warm embrace. His lips kiss your neck, his face buried on its crook. With a nostalgic sigh he takes in the bliss this scene emits. A short pleasure in the inevitable long life of the Geo Archon.

"He'd have to thank you for that, my precious wife."

[seelestia]

— 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐋, 𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄?

SUMMARY. in which you decide to do their eye makeup for them and the many antics that come with it.

CHARACTERS. zhongli, alhaitham, xiao, wanderer, gorou, itto.

GENRE. fluff, slight crack, established relationship.

CW. close proximity, one use of pet name, zhongli sorta acts like a cat, alhaitham is a lil insufferable but you love him, wanderer is also an inch away from choking you (affectionately).

THOUGHTS. question: is their eye makeup waterproof or do they apply it every morning?? fascinating. p/s: happy birthday to @zhongrin! lots of love to one of the best people i've ever met on this site <3

✰ masterlist.

© written by @seelestia. do not copy, translate, repost to other sites nor claim as yours!

— ZHONGLI.

❝Apologies, dear. Is this distance acceptable?❞

ZHONGLI smells of rich cologne and the vapor of tea brews wafting through the air when you step into a teahouse. You know this, of course, you've buried yourself in his embrace countless times before — but to have your face so close to his like this, you've never felt an urge to look away quite this strong before.

You stay composed, however, Zhongli can't always be the only one with the cool composure in this household, after all. "Mhm, perfect," you nod with a quiet hum as he closes his eyes, settling his chin in your palm so snugly that you laugh.

"You're like a cat," you remark, trying to suppress the littlest impulse to bump your forehead onto his in an affectionate way. "Is that so?" Gentle eyes that resemble amber gemstones flutter open to meet yours.

(Almost, were you accidentally about to poke his eye out of sheer panic from his beauty. Almost.)

"I'm glad to know that comparing me to felines seems to bring you amusement," Zhongli brushes his hand against your hair, "But let us focus on the task at hand, my love."

"Lest we miss our reservation at Liuli Pavilion. It is most polite to be punctual," he reminds you. How mean of him; to say such things and expect you to fully register it when he is softly rubbing your cheek like this as if lulling you to sleep.

Seriously, the amount of self-control you have to muster spontaneously in order to fight off the need to lean further into his hand is indescribable. Who's supposed to be the feline again? Anyway. "Okay, okay, I won't dawdle anymore," you adjust his chin in your hold as your other works to bring up the eyeliner to his eye.

"My husband has to look his best, after all," you slip in a little joke."Of course, darling," but Zhongli's answer doesn't sound like he's kidding at all.

(How can he say that with such a straight face? This man, seriously.)

— ALHAITHAM.

❝You're actually concentrating, I'm impressed.❞

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" you scrunch your face, frowning at how his words are jabbing at your pride. Has he not realized the power you have in your hands right now? You could actually poke his eyes with the eyeliner you're holding if you want to — not like you would, but Alhaitham is making it a smidgen harder to resist.

"I can focus, alright?" Huffing, you put aside your trivial grudges to grab his chin softly with your other hand. Alhaitham relents with an entertained smile, "All those times you fall asleep every time I read to you says otherwise."

"Well, that's— that's different," you stammer. In your defense, most of the books he chose to read to you are either theoretical physics or philosophies; it's a wonder how you're lulled to sleep even though it isn't a storybook. Of course, Alhaitham's library is a range of wide genres but you're starting to think he picks those books solely for you.

You're pulled out of your train of thoughts when you put in some distance to view your finished artwork. With Alhaitham's face as the canvas, somewhat comically.

(Well, aren't his eyes pretty? They look even sharper when accented with the eyeliner... whether that be for better or for worse. You shake your head internally at any poor person who happens to test his patience later today.)

"Wow," you mumble dazedly, "Red eyeliner really suits you." He raises an eyebrow at the genuineness in your quiet voice but only lifts his face away from your hand in response. Alhaitham regards your efforts in the mirror beside the two of you with a hum, "Maybe we should make this a routine, then."

There is a little something oddly hidden behind his sentence. Accusingly, you voice your suspicion by squinting your eyes at the Scribe, "...You just don't wanna do it yourself, do you?" And he enables it without a doubt, "Feel free to speculate."

(Ugh, this man.)

"But regardless..." he crosses his arms against his chest with a nod, "It doesn't look so bad."

(Would it have killed him from the inside out to say a compliment with a positive connotation? Okay, whatever, you love him.)

— XIAO.

❝....❞

Silent, quiet, and frozen in place like a statue.

The mere presence of those traits are more than enough reasons to have you worrying whether or not XIAO is still breathing. He is, thankfully, you can confirm that from the close proximity between the two of you and you mentally let out a sigh of relief.

(Thank the Archons you didn't lean in any further lest you would've heard how terribly his poor heart is faring and he doesn't want that.)

There is one more problem, however.

"You don't have to close your eyes that hard, you know..." you try to start, but Xiao still doesn't falter one bit; "It is of utmost necessity," he insists for the nth time since you've lost count.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

(Talk about stubborn.)

Your question is coming from a place of genuine concern because the frown on his forehead looks like it's going to engrave itself there forever from how intensely he is closing his eyes... Doesn't that hurt? You resist the urge to soothe away that frown with your thumb.

It's a good thing that it's only the two of you here right now, though. A stranger would be scared to death if they were to be gazed at with such an intense look and from the Conqueror of Demons at that. Oh, whatever will happen to your efforts of trying to prove to the children at Liyue Harbor that Xiao is actually a softie? Gee.

(But still, you can't help but smile.)

"Utmost necessity, huh?" you echo back his words with a hum. Your intentions bear no mockery but it seems the adeptus still manages to find some sort of dissatisfaction in your reaction. "Do not smile at me like that," Xiao mutters within a choked exhale that only serves to make him come off less stern than he would've liked.

His eyes are still, very much, closed as far as you can see.

The irony of it all tickles a chuckle out of you, mirth glazed over your eyes. "Is this an Adepti art I'm not aware of or are you secretly looking at me even with your eyes closed?" you ask cheekily. Xiao's cheeks are but a mere inch away from bursting into flames and he can only use words as his defense.

"...There is no need for you to know," he huffs.

Well, he isn't denying it, that's for sure.

(The answer is intuition.)

— WANDERER.

❝...Are you done yet? Any more second of this torture and I might just perish from boredom.❞

You're doing his makeup for him and this is the kind of treatment you get? You would've faked a gasp if you weren't so busy holding in a laugh over how his body is betraying his speech. That flustered look on WANDERER's face isn't helping his case at all.

"Uh-huh," your drawled out reply is enough of an indication to show that you're not really taking his words (threats?) seriously. Wanderer's bark can be as harsh as his bite, but you've never minded all the barks he sends your way — so much so that you barely even spare him any eye contact in favor of perfecting the red shade you're trying to blend around his eyelids.

(Perfection requires concentration, they say.)

But that doesn't mean you can't see anything else, though. You're uncertain if the Wanderer realizes this or somehow forgets because you can, in fact, see from your peripheral vision — and from said peripheral angle, he seems to be looking at something of yours rather intensely.

"You're staring at my lips," you point out.

"Shut it," he grumbles out his defense as fast as lightning.

(Caught him red-handed.)

"Sorry," you chuckle teasingly, "If you want a kiss, you're gonna have to wait for a bit." The way he looks so undeniably irritated by your statement makes you have no other option but to burst into a mini chuckling fit.

"Ugh, it's not like you can't lean in closer to—" His mouth snaps to a stop once it dawns on him; that your words are an attempt at reading his mind and he is technically confirming it to your face.

"Actually, nevermind, whatever. Just get this over and done with," he averts his eyes quickly with a scowl that feels as harmless as a naby deer (to you, anyway). "Giving up already?" you raise an eyebrow jokingly. With how Wanderer closes his eyes with a sigh, you assume he is only mere seconds away from giving your forehead a good flick.

"Don't think you're completely off the hook," he sternly interjects with a huff, "You still owe me some kind of compensation for taking your sweet time with this."

"And will that compensation be in the form of a kiss, per chance?" you hum amusedly.

"...It better be," he closes his eyes as if to signify the end of his willingness to comment any further.

Wanderer has never been one to shy away from the truth, but that is only because its taste always turns out bitter. Yet, in this case, when the truth entails something as embarrassingly sweet as desiring a kiss from you, then it becomes a conundrum for him.

After all, he is not fond of sweet things but he is fond of you. Maybe, this close proximity is getting to his head a little too much for his liking — darn it, he knew this was a bad idea the moment you showed him those puppy eyes.

— GOROU.

❝This is... embarrassing...❞

GOROU looks like he is merely a hair's breadth away from digging a hole into the ground and burrowing in it forever. But thankfully, the only thing keeping him on the surface happens to be you, the person holding him still by the cheek.

"There is nothing to be embarrassed about," you squish his cheek gently and Gorou lets out a noise akin to a little whine. "What if one of the soldiers sees us?" he protests, yet makes no actual initiative to remove himself from your grasp.

"Let them," you tap the eyeliner pen against his forehead two times and he winces dramatically as if you just struck him over the head. "Ouch!" Gorou rubs the sore spot instinctively and you can feel a faint trickle of guilt (even though you only hit him with the amount of strength someone would need to blow a dandelion), yet that is still not enough to the little lecture you're about to give him.

"Being the General of the Resistance doesn't mean you have to do everything yourself. It's okay to rely on someone to do something for you once in a while, you know."

"Even something as small as letting them do your eye makeup for you," you huff with a proud smile as an emphasis, carefully tracing a line on the outer part above his eyes.

"...Mmpf," the muffled noise that comes out of his mouth has you raising an eyebrow. Although unsure if it's because of that pout on his lips or his puffed cheeks, you still let out a little laugh at the thought of said possibilities anyway.

"Pfft, what's that sound?" you tease, "Does that mean you agree with me or not?"

"[Y/N]," Gorou calls your name in a stern tone or at least, tries to.

(He has never been good at scolding people but he swears if you keep on teasing him, he'll actually explode. ...And by that, he means melting into a puddle of jelly on the ground.)

— ITTO.

❝You gotta make em' look super dope, alright? Make sure you put more highlights on this one! And oh, this one right here too!❞

No one really knows whether the tattoos on ITTO's skin are actually real or not. Knowing he is someone of Oni blood doesn't narrow down the answer any further but if you were to ask him about them yourself, Itto prefers to call them "100% natural, baby!".

Not to mention, he is always looking for ways to make them stand out or look cooler — which led to this grand idea of asking you to do his makeup for him because apparently, your touch is magical since you're his favorite person on this emtire planet (his words, not yours).

...He can come up with the most random things to say sometimes. But hey, seeing a grown Oni beg on his knees sure was something and you didn't have the heart to say no to him.

"Sooooo," Itto starts with an attempt to clear his throat professionally, "How does it feel like having the honor to prepare me for my next battle?" he accentuates his sentence with a series of haughty laughter that cause his shoulders to shake vigorously.

"Don't move," you scrunch your face with a frown, pinching him indignantly for nearly breaking your focus. "Yikes! Sorry, sorry, I'll stay still!" the Oni yelps, a noise so embarrassing he almost cups his mouth like second nature.

But he doesn't do that, in fear of being pinched by your lovely fingers and proceeds to look at you with eyes befitting that of a kicked puppy's. "...You'll come and cheer for me, right?" Itto asks pleadingly and you smile.

"Of course," you say and he has to resist the urge to do a full-on fist bump into the air. But you still have some more left to say as you continue, "Just don't cry if you lose, alright? You'll ruin the makeup and besides...." There is a devious grin resting on your face now, "You don't want the kids to think your face makeup look like tear marks, don't you?"

Yup, there comes that offended gasp you've been waiting for.

"What— heck no!" Itto places a hand on his chest dramatically, "Tear marks?! Preposterous! The Arataki Itto doesn't shed tears! Of course not!" You can only hide your giggles behind your palm while Itto struggles to defend his wounded pride.

"...Forrealthough, doesitactuallylookliketearmarks—"

Now, you've got him second-guessing himself (but at least, he's cute?).

─ ⊹ ⊱ ・・・・・・☆・・・・・・・⊰ ⊹ ─

© SEELESTIA, may 2023. do not repost, plagiarize, translate nor claim as your own.

✰ TAGLIST: @meimeimeirin @hcikazu @tsuk4sa-yug1 @catcze @semi-orangeapple @yuuki4646 @d-a-r-k-s-w-a-n @daisydkj @omgscaramouche @coquettemaiden @lemontum @herdrops @lleoll @xiaosonlybeloved @chiisananingen @irethepotato @ainescribe @blooodyvampy @starlightaura @jihyuniepark @duhsies @maybemiko @lordbugs @sakkakuu-squared — [ bolded names are unable to be tagged + register here to be a part of my taglist! ]

[stxneflxwers]

弦外知音

⋯⁂ summary. happy birthday, zhongli. here's to many more!

⋯⁂ a/n. i love zhongli i love zhongli i love zhongli i love zhongli i love zhongli i love zhongli i love zhongli i love zhongli i love zhongli i love zhongli i love zhongli i love zhongli i love zhongli i love zhongli i love zhongli i love zhongli i love zhongli i love zhongli- anyway. there's a song link in the title! feel free to go listen to it 💕

⋯⁂ characters. zhongli. gn reader.

⋯⁂ cw. fluff. physical affection.

zhongli.

◈ somehow, someway - you manage to beat zhongli to waking up all too early in the morning. but today is a special day - a very special day! his day, to be precise. you stopped caring about all the shenanigans revolving around new years eve when you got together with him 3 years ago and learned when his birthday is. to you, he is so much more special than a holiday.

◈ the first thing you do at the butt-crack of dawn is slip and slither up closer to him. and then you tackle him and cover his entire face in many, many kisses! how many kisses? well, you aimed for 6003, but he stopped you partway while chuckling sleepily. he asked with his velvety and sleepy voice what you were doing - as if he didn't know what day it was today. okay, to be fair, he just woke up - so he most likely hadn't thought of it. yet.

◈ you grin at him like a sly fox, waiting for him to put the puzzle pieces together. and then you dart out of bed, waiting no longer to get ready for the day. you leave the poor man there all bewildered and half-awake. he lays there for a bit longer - registering all that had happened just now.

◈ you beat him to the punch during your morning routines - getting ready rather hastily. when he goes to start brushing his hair after a nice, hot shower, you insist on letting yourself brush his gorgeous silk-like locks. he lets you without protest. somehow that all devolves into you practically babying him the whole morning - getting him ready from head to toe. he could hardly retaliate when you were being so pushy about it.

◈ at the very end of his morning routine, you adjust his cuffs and gloves. you grin up at him, he smiles back and parts his lips to speak - but you take this chance to yank him down by his tie and smash your lips against his own,

"happy birthday, handsome."

[tartigglez]

"mess with you?"

zhongli x f!reader (gn!reader until bonus section!)

・❥・slice of life/fluff

・❥・1.5k

・❥・HAPPY FRICKIN BIRTHDAY CELESTE!!!!!! MY FAV ZHONGLI KISSER! i hope this is an adequate gift, and i intended to make this much longer however if i did it would be like 2 weeks more late LMAO. i hope u had the most fabtabulous day ever, now everyone go check out @thesparklingwriter because she can write this man 8000000x better than me lollllll

・❥・SUGGESTIVE. VERY. dragon!li (bc celeste loves dragonli and i will push the agenda bc yes), physical touch, zhongli is the little spoon somehow, kisses, zhongli is a france-boo, you guys eat together, zhong is lowkey just nakedly vibin for a bit of this lol sorry, also if it doesn't make sense: xiao can't see windows cuz he's in bird form (they do that i swear)

waking up is never an easy feat, but being around him makes it a whole lot easier. on this particular morning however, you wake up rather annoyed, frustrated over the quality of the last portion of your slumber. yet opening your eyes would reveal that a small portion of golden-brown hair is rested upon the tip of your nose, lightly tickling it. so, this was the reason for your lack of quality sleep. 

even still, he is a sight to behold. such a graceful creature, large, scale-clad arms, shimmering horns and long, elegant tail meeting your eyes as he slumbered, quiet snores –which were closer to purrs– coming from somewhere in his chest, all whilst he’s curled up in a foetal position, your arm draped over his waist.

you assume he is soundly sleeping, moving slightly closer to him to nuzzle into his neck, this however would prove false, as his chest rises, a low pitched, loud yawn filling the room, practically bouncing off the walls.

“good morning, dear” he grumbles, voice lower than normal. you giggle as he turns to face you, stretching his limbs as he yawns once more. golden horns slowly begin to retract and he wraps his arms around your waist, pulling you close to him before beginning to press gentle kisses against the skin of your neck. the ticklish sensation makes you laugh again, throwing your head back slightly to allow room for his in the crook of your neck.

“already? we just woke up!” you wheeze, rolling away from him as you turn your back to him. this would prove pointless though, because he immediately scooches to your side of the bed, wrapping his arms around your waist and burying his head comfortably into the back of your neck.

“what are you implying? i merely wished to kiss you!” he says, but the playful tone in his voice tells you this question is rhetorical, and he knows full well what you were insinuating.

“you’re squishing me silly,” you whine, grabbing on to his hands, which met fair in the middle of your stomach. “you’re like a koala, but even then they wouldn’t have the strength to squash me like this” 

“are you calling me a koala? should i be offended?” he grumbles against the back of your neck, nuzzling even further into it, somehow.

“no, i’m calling you a brute” you chuckle, wriggling a little, trying to loosen his grip.

“i will have you know, “brute” is a compliment in dragon culture” he scoffed, loosening his grip a little.

“maybe i meant it as a compliment then” you mumble, turning back to him to peck his lips, snuggling up to him once again. 

“hm, i’m sure you did” he chuckles, “anyway, what time is it?” 

“i have no clue, let me check my phone” you let out a content sigh, grabbing your phone from the bedside, “ten thirty-ish. what does it matter anyway, we can lay around for a bit, no?” you question, eyes closing as you lean in to him. 

“have you forgotten, dear?” he whispers, hand making its way to your hip, thumb and index finger fiddling with the hem of your pyjama top, “check the date again”

upon staring at the glorious digits on your phone screen, you abruptly pull away from him, raising yourself up on one arm and grinning excitedly. “date day?” you question, voice high and squeaky compared to your normal tone.

its a tradition between you and zhongli that once a month, you would make time for a day with each other, no matter the situation. simply a day to exist in one another's presence. together you came up with the philosophy that it doesn’t really matter what you do, as long as you’re with each other. 

“it is indeed “date day”, as you say” he laughs, “so, tell me. what would you like to do today, my lily?”, the question rolls off his lips like music as he too sits up, blanket moving to just cover his hips, barely. 

“anything,” you giggle, “as long as you’re there i don’t mind”. you step out of the bed, slipping on a pair of sweatpants and running to his side of the bed. “c’mon,” you laugh, grabbing his large hand by a couple of fingers, “lets get movin’ zhong!” 

“can you at least hand me some underwear, please?” he asks, laughing when your face morphs from pure joy to looking like you’ve seen a ghost. you oblige quietly though, moving to one of the dresser drawers, pulling out some boxers and giving them to him, albeit a little flustered. 

“what is it, my dear? you don’t remember last night?” he chuckles. its amusing how he is so nonchalant about such affairs with you, however if he were with anyone else, the topic would never even be thought about. 

“n-no, no i do, but how am i wearin-”

“i figured it would be only right of me to put them back on you. you were awake, but apparently so far gone don’t remember,” he laughs, acting calm about it when in reality his ears are turning a little red.

“rex lapis!” you exclaim, “don’t be so lewd!” you push his shoulder a little in a teasing manner, but he quite literally does not move a millimetre.  

“aha, i apologise my dear, your reactions are simply quite amusing, is all” he claims. putting the boxers on under the duvet before standing up in front of you, toned body catching your eye as one his gold-threaded arms makes its way towards yours, long fingers intertwining with yours. “shall we?”

“put a robe on at least! the neighbours might see you!” you giggle, dragging him in the direction of the closet, before throwing a silk robe his way. he looks so very eloquent as he puts it on, fine fabric smoothing over his skin, and his honey eyes look up at you when he’s done, walking towards your bedroom door, ready to go downstairs. 

zhongli is a surprisingly good cook, but that’s not relevant at all right now, because the first thing he does when he gets to the kitchen is boil the kettle and get out two plates, placing a large croissant on each one. 

you rub your eyes a little as you sit down at the table, staring at the all-butter pastries which seemed to make some sort of miraculous apparition in your home.

“where the heck did you get those croissants?” you ask, folding your arms at the table and plopping your chin on to them.

“i teleported to fontaine for them last night”

“last night?”

“yes, last night.”

“zhong…”

“mmm?”

“you were naked all of last night.”

“before that!” he laughs, “more like yesterday evening actually, i apologise for misspeaking” 

“you should be sorry! why did you go all the way to fontaine for croissants anyway? the ones in liyue are fine” you question, voice muffled by the sleeves of your pyjama top. 

“nothing beats authenticity, hm? what is it they say in fontaine, oui oui?”

“i’m not sure any person from fontaine has ever said that,” you cackle, as he sets down one of the plates in front of you, along with a cup of the tea he was just brewing. “thanks for the food anyway, can’t believe you went all the way to fontaine just for a couple of croissants”

“not a problem dear, if it’s for you i would do it every day” he speaks, tearing off a part of his croissant before -rather animatedly- swallowing it whole.

“dragons eat so weirdly” you laugh, chewing away at your own food.

“we don’t always eat like that, you realise?” 

“i know,” you giggle “i’m messing with you”

“you’re lucky, you’re the only person who has ever been allowed to mess with me”

“i’m grateful for that, y’know”

“i know, but now isn’t the time for philosophical conversations, let us just enjoy each others company today.”

“sounds good to me!”

“i’m never letting you go shopping again! seriously, how do we have three new colours of  eyeliner, six new vases and an entire pet bird”

“adeptus xiao does not count as a pet bird”

“are you sure about her, rex lapis? she has no respect for the adepti”

“calm, alatus. this is her form of humour. i would appreciate if you do not criticise her.”

“my apologies, i did not intend to offend you, i will take my leave now”

“XIAO THAT WINDOW ISN'T OPEN”

“ALATUS!”

“told you he was a pet bird”

“please just get me a blanket for this unconscious creature”

“going~”

sfw masterlist || nsfw masterlist || taglist: @lioria @celestetalkstoomuch

© tartigglez, 2023. do not copy, translate or repost, reblogs appreciated

i can't write in the present tense, happy birthday celeste!

[teaberrii]

The Genshin Boys Surprising You on Your Birthday

Featuring: Alhaitham, Childe, Heizou, Xiao, and Zhongli

Notes: It's my birthday, so I wrote a little something.

He's done. He's prepared. He's ready to give you your annual birthday surprise.

Alhaitham

Alhaitham wouldn't let you in your room for weeks, and you have no idea why. You didn't mind sleeping with him, though.

You get home that day to see the door of your room slightly ajar. Alhaitham comes out and tells you to close your eyes. You're skeptical, but you do as you're told anyway.

Alhaitham's hands are on your shoulders as he guides you inside your bedroom. Then, when he tells you to open your eyes, you see a custom-made bookshelf in the shape of a tree. It sits perfectly in the space you've been meaning to fill in your bedroom.

You notice each branch has a book. When you take the books off the shelf, you notice that they're new and ones you haven't read before. Each book is also from a different genre.

Alhaitham helps you organize your books and surprises you with a two-tier cake he made himself. It's not until later you discover Kaveh had secretly given him cooking lessons.

I know you think that I do not care much for these anniversaries, but celebrating the day you were born is a must. Let's continue celebrating together as we continue our journey hand-in-hand.

Childe

Childe picks you up after work, and you go straight to his place for your birthday surprise... if only you knew what he's planning.

Childe has all the lights off, and as soon as you turn them on, the entire place is decorated with fairy lights, heart balloons, and scented candles.

Childe had spelt a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY using balloons in the living room while the bedroom had I LOVE YOU and rose petals placed in the shape of a heart on the bed.

Childe takes you back to the living room, and you enjoy his homemade food as he serenades you.

You lead Childe back into the bedroom and end your birthday festivities with a nice, long cuddle.

Happy birthday! I hope this wasn't too much. I always say this... but even when we're old, I'll always find a way to give you the best surprise ever.

Heizou

Heizou makes you work on your birthday. He's prepared some riddles and puzzles that you have to solve to get to him and whatever surprise he has waiting for you.

You start your adventure at your house, and you end up going to four different places. The first is the place where you first met. The second is where he confessed to you. The third is where you had your first kiss. The last place is your final destination.

You arrive at a Ferris wheel where he's waiting for you. You playfully scold him for making you run around on your birthday.

You and Heizou ride the Ferris wheel until it stops at the top. You think something has gone wrong when fireworks go off, and Heizou gives you a passionate kiss.

You ask Heizou if this place will be the one where you spent your first birthday together. He smiles at you in return, and you enjoy the rest of the fireworks show holding hands.

These ordinary places can become so special from just a single action. Today's memory is my gift to you. Let's continue creating great memories together!

Xiao

You know Xiao doesn't like being around crowds or care much for birthdays, so you're surprised that he takes you to the beach. It starts with breakfast-in-bed, building sandcastles on the beach, swimming in the ocean, and a beautiful view of the ocean at a seaside restaurant.

You and Xiao are walking hand-in-hand on the beach just as the sun sets over the horizon.

Xiao stops you, and you turn to see him pull out a traditional Chinese hair clip. It's hand-carved with two golden butterflies flying together on the top.

Xiao helps you put it in your hair. He doesn't like being in photos but takes one with you with the clip in your hair.

You find out later through a friend that Xiao had got the hair clip custom-made and that he chose the butterflies to symbolize long life, happiness, and eternal love.

If I'm not wrong, birthdays are a day when you spend time with people you love. If that's the case, I hope to continue spending this day with you for the rest of our lives.

Zhongli

Zhongli pulls up to the most expensive restaurant in town. When he told you he was taking you out for your birthday, you were not expecting this.

You loop your arm around his, and a waiter escorts you and your date to a table with the perfect view of the city skyline.

You end up having a lengthy conversation with him about life, your troubles, books you have read, and anything in between. Zhongli is a great conversationalist but an even better listener.

Zhongli pays for everything, and you enjoy an evening stroll together at the lake.

Zhongli takes you to a pier, and as you look at the moon together, he takes a piece of paper from his chest pocket. His gift to you is a poem where he details he will always be your biggest cheerleader in all your future endeavours.

I understand that it doesn't have to be your birthday for me to give you this. But let today be the start of knowing that you will never be alone.

Bonus: Paimon

You come home to find your place filled with smoke. You panic and are about to call the emergency number when Paimon suddenly appears.

Paimon bluntly tells you that she just remembered it was your birthday and wanted to do something special for you.

You also find out that Paimon had used your card to buy an expensive gift online. A gift that you really didn't need.

You spend your birthday chasing her around as she tries to convince you that she tried her best.

Paimon helps you clean up the mess she made and finally asks if you can make both of you dinner.

Paimon didn't do it on purpose! It's the thought that counts, right? But, happy birthday! Here's to another year together!

[the-travelling-witch]

𝐀 𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑

@zhongrin, this one’s for you!! i’m a little late and i rushed to get this done between lectures but i hope you can feel my love anyhow; happy birthday!! i hope you have a great day and i wish you only the best for the new year and all the ones to come ♡ this was too long to drop it into your askbox, so i'm yeeting it at you this way

warnings: a little suggestive at the end, zhongli (that’s your warning right there)

A soft hum and the feeling of pillowy lips pressing against your temple roused you from your sleep. Slowly blinking the night from your eyes against the soft streaks of sunlight filtering through the curtains, your gaze focused on the smooth planes of muscle in front of you. You decided you might as well sleep in a little longer as you mushed your face into your husband’s chest.

Feeling the deep rumble of Zhongli’s chuckle against the side of your face, you exhale a soft sigh at the feeling of slender fingers running soothingly over your scalp, the sensation only aiding in lulling you back to dreamland.

“Good morning, my dear,” a deep rasp sounded from right above your ear. “As pleased as I am to see you find so much comfort in my presence, I am afraid I must rouse you all the same. After all, today is the day we celebrate your birth and I have a few things planned, which I hope will be to your liking.”

You merely give a half-conscious grumble which was probably more of an acknowledgement you heard him speak, rather than an expression of understanding what he was speaking about.

With an amused sigh, Zhongli slipped a strand of hair behind your ear. “I suppose letting you rest some more is just as well. There is no need to rush my appreciation for you, isn’t that right?” 

By the time you raised your head again, the sun had tracked a little farther in its endless cycle. After patting around on the bed, you quickly figured out what had caused you to wake up. Your lovely husband was nowhere to be found as you sat up on his side of the bed.

But you needed not search for him long as the door to your bedroom opened quietly and you were greeted by Zhongli and a tray full of breakfast, the fragrant aroma of tea driving more sleepiness from your senses.

“Ah you have finally awoken,” Zhongli mused, setting the tray aside to lean down and press a sweet kiss to your forehead. Much to your pleasure, he hadn’t dressed for the day yet, giving you a nice peek down the untied front of his robe. “Happy birthday, my dear. May this day be as pleasant and gratifying as all those to come.”

“Thank you,” you whispered, eagerly pulling him down for a proper kiss, breakfast almost forgotten. You could’ve lost yourself to the sensation of his soft lips against yours, yet your mortality came with the downside of needing air to breathe. With your chest rising and falling, your eyes found molten golden ones, as always utterly entranced by their depth. 

The rest of your morning was spent sharing breakfast, holding up food for the other to taste and sharing kisses in between bites. Then, you washed up and got dressed, all without haste, fleeting touches full of adoration sprinkled throughout.

You might not have remembered what Zhongli told you that morning but he held true to his word anyway. From walking around the harbour to filtering through the collection at Wanwen Bookhouse to indulging in your new purchase over a cup of afternoon tea and finally to an early dinner at Luili Pavilion, he had planned enough to never bore you but not enough to tire you; not that you could ever bore or tire of him in the first place. 

The setting sun painted the sky in gorgeous colours of pastel and ignited the leaves around you to glow all kinds of crimson and amber. Yet, on the hills on the outskirts of Liyue Harbour, you had once again found an amber much more interesting to study.

Twisting in his protective hold, your palm came to hold the side of his face gently once more, your thumb tracing the sharp contours of his features in reference.

“I hope you found today to be enjoyable, my love.” A strong hand softly caressed the length of your spine, the fingers of his free hand tracing the length of your collarbone. In contrast to the size of his fingers, his touch was as soft as a feather, treating you like the finest china under his care. “For you, I wish to give only the best. I will never leave you wanting; if it’s in my power to give, you shall have it. That is my promise to you, now and forever.”

The sincerity, deep as his voice, had goosebumps rise in the wake of his touch and you had to exhale sharply to ground yourself. Running your hands over the front of his fine coat, you didn’t stop the smile from playing around your lips. “Today was perfect, thank you, dear. But since you brought it up… there is something I’m wanting.”

“Oh?” Catching onto the playfulness of your tone, one of his brows raised in curiosity. “And what would that be? I’ll be sure to satisfy your every need.”

“I’m sure you won’t mind granting this wish of mine.” You couldn’t help but grin at his choice of words, no doubt you were of the same mind here. Pushing your palms against his sturdy chest, the former geo archon was pliant under your will and slowly laid down on the blanket covering the ground.

With both his hands resting on your hips, fingers grazing the dips of your hips and the plush softness of your thighs, you merely gazed down at each other for a few moments, ingraining the sight of each other into memory like countless times before. Gloved fingers tangled with yours as your husband brought them up to his lips, looking up at you through the lashes of his half-lidded eyes. Despite the seeming innocence of the action, this kiss in particular had your skin heating up more than any of the previous ones you had shared.

“It will be my pleasure, my love.”

[thatdeadaquarius]

Sobbing and crying just saw your post of us sounding like a Sim, and I am DYING.

What if it went the other way? They can understand us, but we can't understand them!

Us : hey so what the fuck is happening why tf am I in genshin impact

Them : OMG ASKSKSKSKS FEDERRRALL MEERKK TREEESO! (Omg it's the divine God I'm shittinh myself oml) or whatever idk)

Us: excuse me what the fuck did you just say about my mother? (US mishearing or maybe the words are randomized? Who knows)

Everyone just being confused and frustrated on why you can't understand them. Is it because they aren't worshipping you enough? Maybe some friendship level BS where obly those who are lvl 10 can understand u or smth? Who knows, certainly not the Creator.

I highkey am thinking about writing smth for this now but having it be for like each archons reaction or smthin but who knows. I just wanna see a bunch of divine beings confused outta their mind in like whatever cities square and it turning into a "holy game of charades"

Also happy early birthday ajdjdjkdkdkdk

I”M SO LATE SO THANK YOU FOR THE BDAY WISHES LMAO SORRY KARMA MY BELOVED

AHHHHH U INSPIRED ME BY THE ARCHONS HOLY GAME OF CHARADES-

AND OH NO LVL 10 ONLY FRIENDSHIP UNDERSTANDING-

(づ ￣ ³￣)づ here have a hug for your patience- sorry karma!! :')

LMAO this inuyasha gif- obviously everyone else guessing what ur doing and the 2 others r like ppl like Venti or Kaeya who r just fucking with ppl by joining you lol

OK BUT WHO DO U HAVE LVL 10 FRIENDSHIP?!

BC I GOT NOBODY 😭

ITS RLLY HARD TO DO OKAY-

I HAVE TO PUT ACTUAL EFFORT INTO THE FEW THAT ARE LEVEL 4-5 

ID BE SO FUCKED-

Oh no.

Oh god (you??) no.

What if you had the highest friendship with little d**ks like Scaramouche.

noooOOOOOO

He’d be like, “Eh, I don’t feel like translating today.” 💀

Also I’m rolling with the idea that 

perfect understanding = lvl 10,

Most words 7-9

Some words 5-6

Kinda ?? they get 2 words per sentence or smth 3-4

Basically nothing 1-2

◇

Anyway ornery bitches like Scara/Xiao/Alhaitham/Rosaria/Diluc (all for diff reasons like diluc/xiao would just be overwhelmed and dont like ppl that much lol, whereas haitham doesnt give a fuck lmao) would kinda suck to have as translators

OH NOT THE PEOPLE WHO WOULD JUST LIE ABOUT WHAT U SAID ON PURPOSE TO DECEIVE THE MASSES LIKE Heizou/Yae Miko/Kaeya/Venti 

They pull something like “oh well the god of gods said I could have the last slice of cake/an extra glass of wine hehe”

For different reasons these people would also be ROUGH translators: FISCHL OH NO- , Zhongli, Albedo (he simply would omit “unnecessary details”, cyno, ITTO PLEASE, Raiden (puppet) bc shed take stuff too far/too literally u would never be able to communicate jokes, Razor (im sorry bbyboy), Shenhe

THE CHARADDEEESSS

THE CHARADES OF THE GODS 

You may or may not get another title of a jokester god bc of these SILLY charades 💀

The people u have higher levels of friendship with giving hints LMAO

♤

“Uhhh….. Oh! Oh! Greatest Lord wishes to see a dance performance!” 

Nahida’s sweet voice rings out in Yujing Terrace, her tiny hand waving in the air like an elementary student who’s really excited to answer. …Which isn’t that far off honestly.

“Hmm, I disagree Buer, I believe the Hundun Emperor is saying they wish to take a bath perhaps. I am also attempting to use context, as it has been a long day for them.” Zhongli is in his classic “majestic thinking gentleman” pose, and you’d admire it more if it weren’t for the fact that they don’t seem to be getting what you’re saying.

You hadn’t yet found someone with a higher friendship level than 2 or 3 (hey, don’t blame yourself, you really have to put effort into friendship levels to get them anywhere and you were still busy screwing around in Sumeru when you got spirited away).

So needless to say, most people were getting “the, me, I, you, etc.” rather than the actual important keywords you needed them to, hence the godly charade game now.

As you “hold” something, you throw your hands up in the air, still keeping your hands wrapped around nothing. You think if somebody told you last week that you’d be playing charades with the archons in Genshin Impact so you could actually communicate with them… well you don’t know what you would have done. Maybe just gave them a really awkward laugh.

“Oh! Are you asking for a weapon? Akitsu Mikami, my emperor, we or our nations will surely provide protection from any harm that might befall you. Hm, I suppose we should offer something anyway… I wouldn’t want to displease them…” Ei mutters to herself, having taken over her puppet once more for the occasion.

She and Buer, still retaining their authority status, had asked for the area to be cleared in order to try and get closer to communicating with the Divine First, or you.

“Ha! What idiot would try to hurt the All-Parent in their home, unless they wish to get thrown?” Venti cheekily says, as you don’t understand him, but judging by Zhongli’s clenched jaw, Ei’s sigh, and Nahida’s giggle, you can guess.

You give your own sad sigh… it’s already been 3 hours. 😭

How hard is charades for 4 archons??

Well… apparently very hard.

You put your face in your hands, and you hear the (retired) archons start to debate something, you can tell it’s getting a little passive-aggressive between Venti and Zhongli by their tone alone. 

…Okay, now it’s just aggressive.

The archons eventually give their attention back to you so you can go back to your charades lol

You tried opening your mouth and closing it, very obvious, they can’t go wrong. 

…Turns out they can. 

Somehow you find yourself with a hot tea brewed by the geo archon. 

(Venti attempted to offer you Dandelion Wine, or Osmanthus Wine even, and only god, well you now, knows where he pulled them from. Ei swatted his head, he looked so offended, and his cheeks were all puffed up, heh.)

Giving up, you just try to motion for them to stay still, your hands gesturing like trying to calm a wild animal.

They give you questioning looks, and you begin to walk off, they all seem to immediately start discussing something with each other. All of the gods look very conflicted, and after a minute of you getting further away (yes, you’re almost home free, Xiangling here you come! ) Nahida skips to catch up with you.

She gives you a beaming smile, and you can’t bring yourself to not return it. She's so much cuter in real life, even the official art didn't do her justice.

You make your way towards the restaurant, finally.

And apparently you’re happier than you thought to smell the savory scents flowing out of the kitchen because your stomach growls loudly.

You’re too hungry to even attempt to stop it, no one will care, except Nahida’s eyes go wide. She begins to sputter, and flail her hands desperately trying to charade an apology at you.

…you were just trying to tell them you were hungry. 💀

☆

Ask box open again! :] 🎊

Pspspspspssubliminalmessagingyouwillsendthatdeadaquariusanaskpssppspspspspssss

✨️Hope you guys got smth out of this rough draft✨️ ♡

:D hope u guys have had a good weekend!

My senior art exhibit is april 6th so wish me luck and prayers (from any religion im not picky pls)

Safe Travels,

💀♒️

♡the beloveds♡

@karmawonders / @0rah-s / @randomnatics / @glxssynarvi / @nexylaza / @genshin-impacts-me / @wholesomey-artist

[dumbstuffsstuff]

Tartaglia’s Birthday Present || Happy Birthday Childe Special || Lee!Childe

Happy Birthday to the skrunkly!! I also have a very late (im sorry for the delays, ive been having writer’s block) Kaveh birthday special fic coming out soon! As soon as I finish writing it. Anyways Enjoy!!

_

Lee!Tartaglia

Ler!Zhongli, Aether, Teucer

-

Tartaglia wakes up feeling as great as ever. His birthday is today!

And he feels excited to spend time with the ones he loves. He gets dressed quickly and hums as he walks through the city of Liyue.

That’s when two of his favorite faces startle him in the street.

“Happy Birthday, Tartaglia!!” Aether cheers, holding a large box wrapped in pretty paper.

“Happy Birthday, Tartaglia,” Zhongli is carrying a bottle of champagne. He takes Childe by the arm and wraps his own around it. Tartaglia’s cheeks flush with happiness and excitement.

“Aha! Wow! All this for me?” Childe chuckles as the three walk in sync.

“Of course!” Aether smiles.

“You’re only getting older…” Zhongli teases. Tartaglia gasps and shoves him playfully.

“I’ll never catch up to you that’s for sure,” he snorts. Zhongli eyes him and pinches his side.

“HYAHA!” The ginger jumps away from his partner’s grasp, holding his sides and walking with a blush on his nose,

“D-Don’t do that in public!”

Aether snickers at the dramatic reaction that Tartaglia had. Zhongli also smiles.

“We have a surprise for you,” Zhongli says. Tartaglia is hesitant, but takes the older’s arm again and allows himself to be walked to Wangshu Inn.

The three of them check into the hotel, as it turns out, Zhongli had booked a hotel room for the three of them.

The moment Zhongli opens the door to the room, Tartaglia’s smile turns into an expression of emotional mirth.

“Teucer?!” he yells out when he sees his litte brother sitting on the couch surrounded by birthday decorations.

“Big brother!!” Teucer runs to hug his brother and Tartaglia returns a tight bear hug, picking him up and blowing raspberries into his neck to make him giggle.

“Ahaha big brother! IhI am so hahappy to see you!” Teucer smiles, “Come on! Bring your friends!” He leads Childe inside and Zhongli and Aether follow.

“You guys really did all this for me?” Tartaglia admires the red and gold decorations.

“Of course,” Zhongli sets aside the champagne for later and sits down with the others on the couch, “And this is not the only surprise we have in store for you~”

Zhongli winks at Teucer who winks at Aether and they all turn to smirk at the birthday boy.

“Why are y’all looking at me like that?” Childe sweats.

“ATTACK!!” Teucer calls out and suddenly Tartaglia is tackled to the floor. Childe in return shrieks.

“EEP! GUHuhuys! Whahat is going on?!”

“We are delivering you your birthday present, brother,” Teucer grins as he sits above his brother’s head, wiggling his fingers over him tauntingly.

Childe realizes what’s happening and begins to squirm, but Zhongli and Aether already have him pinned. With Morax on his waist and Aether on his legs, there wasn’t much he could do other than watch as their thirty threatening fingers approached his skin.

Now he had wished he’d worn a different shirt.

“Wahahahit guhuyss!! Whahat kind of gihift is thinis?!!” Childe giggles before they even touch him.

“A present that Teucer told us that you’d enjoy. And we all kind of already knew you would anyway…” Zhongli taunts.

“I wonder…” Aether thinks out loud and scribbles his socked soles.

“AHAETher! Nahahahaoo!! Wahahaahitt!!”

“I told you! He’s very ticklish!” Teucer giggles. Tartaglia’s face turns pinkish and he hides his face in his hands.

“Don’t hide that smile from us now,” Zhongli smirks and he pins his arms to his sides and holds them down with his knees.

“Zhohohongli! Dohont you dahare!”

With that, Morax dug into his exposed stomach, tracing his abs and skittering his lower tummy.

“MOHOHORAAAHAHAXX!!”

“Hehe, his tummy is his worst spot,” Teucer teases and begins to wiggle his fingers against his brother’s neck. Childe scrunches his shoulders and squirms side to side.

“NNNAAAHAHAHA!! T-Teuhucer! Thahat is tohop secret information!!”

“Don’t worry, I didn’t tell anyone else,” Teucer says innocently.

Aether squeezes and pinches his knee caps, causing him to spasm.

“AHEHEEK! Aether! Ahahaetherr!! Thahat tihihickless!!”

“And how about here, hm?” Zhongli scribbles all over the center of his stomach, Childe bucks his hips and cries in laughter.

“ZHOHOHONGLIII!! AHAHAHA!! IHITS SOOHOHOO TIHIHICKLISH!!”

“And yet you haven’t asked us to stop.”

“WHAHA-!! SHUHUT UHUHUPP!”

“Hey,” he says, “watch your language. There’s children present.” Zhongli pinches his hips in retaliation.

“YEEEHEHEP! NAHAHAT THEHEHEREE!! IM SOHOHORRY FOR MY LAHANGUAGE!”

“Yeah! Get em Mr. Zhongli!”

“I feel like I’ve forgotten something…” Aether thinks to himself quietly.

“BUAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

“pfffttt!!”

Tartaglia loses himself in his laughter when both Zhongli and Teucer begin to blow raspberries on his bare stomach and neck.

“EEEEHEHEHEHEHE! MOHORAX! TEUHUHCER! GUHUHUYSS!! OHOHOKAYY!! OHOKAY I GEHET IT! PLEHEHEEHASE! THAHAT’S ENOHOHOUGHh…! AHahahahah..! Hehehehe..!”

The tickling comes to a stop. Tartaglia is left on the floor breathless and blushing. The three friends help the poor ginger in regaining his composure. Bringing him water and hugging him.

“Did you enjoy your gift, brother?”

Childe looks over to Zhongli with a blush, but admits, “Yes Teucer, I very much enjoyed my birthday present. Thank you!”

Teucer giggles with happiness that he succeeded in making his brother laugh.

“HEY!” Says a loud and ear piercing voice. The three jump and Aether realizes what he’d forgotten.

The present box Aether had brought bursts open to reveal a big birthday cake with Paimon hiding in the center of the cake.

“You forgot about Paimon! I was suppose to be the big surprise! Are you surprised, Tartaglia?”

“I’m very surprised actually,” he smiles and serves some cake to everyone, cuddling with his beloved family on the couch.

It really was a great birthday.

-

[boundless-iridescence]

Random Asks | Always Open

@viatrixtravels asked:

"...Nn...Almost...there...Phew!"

A sigh of relief fell from the Traveler's lips, one hand moving to wipe the sweat off her forehead after the long climb up. "Aha! I knew I'd find you here!"

At least all that effort had not been for nothing. She had a faint suspicion that the Yaksha would be resting on top of the large tree right besides Wangshu Inn. It seems to be one of his favorite napping spots. Unfortunately, it is not the easiest to reach. There was a shortcut by jumping from the balcony of the building, but still required climbing up several branches afterwards.

"Ehehe...I guess I'm a little out of shape, huh? I haven't been climbing as much in Fontaine."

While the region of Hydro did have some steep hills, most of the exploration takes place underwater. Not that this was any easier - it actually required her to learn a whole new way of combat, but she had gotten the hang of it by now.

"Ahem. Anyway...I'm sure you know what I'm here, right? ー Or did you think I'd forget?"

Lumine had made many friends here in Teyvat, but she made sure to remember...

"Happy birthday, Xiao. This is for you."

A bouquet of Glaze Lillies or Qingxin would have been way too cliched. He has seen plenty of those in this thousands of years of living. Instead, she went with a Fontainian speciality - the Romaritime Flower.

"These flowers actually bloom under the sea level! Some of them can grow above ground as well, but then you need to apply Hydro for them to bloom." She explained, lips curving into a gentle smile.

"I hope you like it. The purple color in them reminded me of you."

He'd heard the noises of strain, but recognized the incoming presence of the traveler far before her voice or face made her presence clear. He respected her effort and simply settled into his curiosity as he waited for her to reach him, sitting atop his favorite spot in the tree...as she had apparently expected, with his arm resting on a bent knee.

Any other hunting him down here might be subjected to severe frustration and judgment, having invaded a rather sacred space for him. Very few would be met with a sense of welcome. The man who called himself Zhongli was one.

And she was the other.

"Forget...?" he questioned, speaking for the first in this current meeting. He wasn't sure what she would think he would forget...unless.. He sighed, even as she came closer. It really was not necessary, but he could already see her winding up something. This was nothing more than a passage of time, a moment marked but the marks were like tallies and nothing more to him. At least they were in regards to his existence, even if the tallies were feeling, these days, only a little less like marks. "Lumine, you needn't--"

And yet she did, gifting those words that he was not shy to offering when he knew the time had passed over her own birthday. Not that his was normal, it was...more of a rebirth-day, but he supposed that counted far more. And the his eyes zeroed in on the flower, as she explained about it and it's unique nature.

He hesitated, before finally, reached to take it in hand, twisting it left and right as he observed his fullness, and it's color. It was very unique, not like any he saw here in Liyue, ever really. This homeland of his hand it's beauty, but this was certainly one worth appreciating as well. And it reminded her of him? Well, he supposed he could see it, in the colors.

Finally, bringing the flower a bit closer to his chest, he looked back to Lumine. "...How...far did you go, for this?" was his first question. She had said they bloom under the sea level, didn't she? But no. No, that wasn't what he should focus on. Effort or not, he should be recognizing it with more appreciation. She was gifting this, specifically on this day. He could not disrespect her gift, never from Lumine.

He shook his head, clearing his throat a bit. He scooted just a bit nearer to where she'd settled in his tree, lowering the flower but keeping it close. And he looked to Lumine, the proud smile on her face, the gentle care he always felt from her--felt so strongly it was now flowing into dreams for him, strange as it was. His lips ever so softly tugged into a tender smile.

"I may not treat such a day, as others do, but...thank you. For this, and giving me a way to enjoy this day anyways. If you're not....busy, perhaps...we can sit for a while...?"