#Genshin Rewrite

[juniette13]

Mavuika redesign!

Tried to stick as closely to accuracy as I could to the admittedly limited sources I could find for my research on Māori culture, so please do forgive me if there are any inaccuracies

Archon lineup so far:

Canonical Mavuika for comparison:

[shinpikurage]

I have a HC that because Baizhu uses the contract too much, he starts getting more snake-like. First it's the exchange of eyes, then he wakes up with fangs, then scales start appearing in his body everytime he uses it, then he gets point ears and maybe some instincts

This is why I always draw him like that, plus I think it's funny if people that knew him during different periods of his life encounter him in the present and get confused

[vaultureculture]

And she stops, in the midst of washing off the makeup and ointments she'd earlier lathered her face with; she stops, eyes half-lidded, mouth parted, water rolling down her still-whitened cheeks like tears, leaving sorrowful streaks in their wake. Streaks like canyons, like gorges. Like the Musoujin wound.

Who is the person staring back at her in the lacquered bronze mirror? Her brother's trusted advisor? A princess, a poet, a warrior? Could her pale, unyielding hand turn the tides in freedom's favor?

All those things and this Ayaka wondered. If there could still be a chance that she could be great, a mere chance, she would take it in a heartbeat. She would be great.

The outsider is coming.

Finally, an outlier.

Her war starts tomorrow.

_________________________________________

In my genshin AU/rewrite, Ayaka is an unstoppable political force that puts her life on the line for the sake of her nation's liberation. This moment occurs the day before she meets with Aeva (our Traveler); a day before the fate of her vanguard is changed forever.

[ac-liveblogs]

Inazuma Rewrite - Act I

Late, but finally out of my head - this is part of an ongoing project in which I rewrite Genshin Impact as a more traditional party-based RPG (not a live service gacha game, so a more contained and character driven story experience)!

This entry is part 1 of an overview of how I would handle the Inazuma Archon Quest, most of which has been in my head since it originally released back in 2021. This one is first because I've technically been thinking about it the longest.

The current party consists of the Traveler (still player choice, but I will be using Lumine), Venti, Paimon and Xiao. By the end of this AQ, Kazuha will also become a playable main character.

What To Expect:

Liberties are taken with just about everything (though supported or influenced by the source material for the most part), especially re; character history, relationships and personalities.

Rampant speculation about unconfirmed plot elements, or mildly altering/streamlining the lore.

Ei/Raiden Shogun is portrayed as an antagonist. A sympathetic one, probably, but still.

Lumine is treated as a full character, not a self-insert. If Aether were the chosen MC, there would be slight differences to dialogue/their overall character arc to reflect the change. She's still the main playable character, but Venti is considered the deuteragonist and gets some playable segments.

Major character deaths: Raiden Shogun/Ei, Kamisato Ayato (off-screen backstory event). Signora will survive Inazuma to be fought another day. Some minor named NPCs may die, but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

A long read. Sorry about that... hopefully I can knock this out in 3 or 4 parts.

Timeline Notes:

Unreconciled Stars, AKA Scaramouche's limited introductory event, is non-canon. Scaramouche has been stranded in Inazuma since the Sakoku Decree was enforced almost a year ago, and boy is he mad about it.

Zhongli doesn't notify Venti that Makoto has passed on and Ei has replaced her as Shogun. I doubt he saw much of her after the Cataclysm, so he probably just didn't know.

Please refer to the bottom of the post for additional notes to provide context for certain changes. [number] indicates notes at the end. My original draft was a lot longer... Act 3 still got away from me though.

Prologue - Prologue to the Storm

Lumine, Paimon and Venti try to find a way to get to Port Ormos, and decide to compete in Beidou's fighting tournament to barter passage. Lumine fights Kazuha, who is participating to try and find someone that can light his dead friend's Vision. Kazuha gives a brief overview of the situation in Inazuma, but no details on his own backstory.

It's established that Kazuha is a very competent swordsman, as he had defeated most of the other competitors before Lumine's arrival.

Beidou definitely wasn't supposed to be hosting a fighting tournament and has to convince Ningguang to let her off. Xiao joins the party as the group are leaving Liyue Harbour to learn more about what happened during the Cataclysm.

Act 1, Part 1 - Ritou Escape Plan

The journey to Sumeru goes predictably astray, and thanks to a sea beast and Inazuma's storm wall the Alcor shipwrecks on Ritou Island. The crew is forced to register with the Kanjou Commission, and Kazuha admits he's a wanted ronin[1]. Needing to repair the ship but unable to leave the island to find a capable shipwright, Kazuha conspires with his old friend, Hiiragi Chisato[2], to get passage for himself and the Travelers to sneak out of Ritou to find Beidou's shipwright friend, Naganohara Ryuunosuke[3].

The Sacred Sakura Ritual has yet to be completed - angry spirits and accumulated 'filth' roam the land, stretching the Shogunate's forces thin. Kazuha is perturbed by how bad things are - he's never seen Inazuma in this bad a state before. While wards are in place to protect settlements, travel is heavily restricted for civilians. And so, this plan involves staging a fake kidnapping attempt - holding Chisato hostage to force the soldiers to let them leave.

Act 1, Part 2 - A Shadow in Konda Village

As night falls, the effects of the 'filth' in Narukami become stronger and the Travelers decide to stay the night in Konda Village, who believes them to be answering their request for aid in dealing with a spirit haunting them. They also encounter the masked shrine maiden Kazari/Hanachirusato and the masked shinobi Tsubaki[4] who both claim to be representing Narukami Shrine (like liars do), who Kazuha realises is a member of the Shuumatsuban.

While Kazuha is cautious of Tsubaki, who seems to have taken an interest in him, the group comes to realise the spirit isn't harming anyone. After investigating the situation in the morning, they realise the spirit is Tejima, a victim of the Vision Hunt that took his own life and was unable to rest in peace. With Kazari's guidance, they help Tejima pass on.

Increasingly disturbed by the situation in Inazuma, the party moves on the next morning. On the way out, they run into a priestess from Narukami Shrine. She's surprised to hear the situation has already been resolved, and is confused when the party mentions Kazari and Tsubaki - surprise, surprise, she has no idea who either of them are.

Note: Tsubaki is Ayaka in disguise. Mentioning that now - definitely not an OC. She's wearing masculine clothes, a blue kitsune mask and a hood, so while she recognises Kazuha, Kazuha super doesn't recognise her.

Act 1, Part 3 -

When the party arrives at Inazuma City, the preparations for a week-long summer festival[5] are in full swing. The party purchases festival masks to blend in and search for Naganohara Ryuunosuke. (Xiao refuses to use the mask he already has... he and Venti hide their Visions, too.)

Word on the street is mixed - muttering about the dangerous state of Inazuma outside of the main city, the Vision Hunt Decree and disparaging comments about the Watatsumi Rebels, as well as excitement for the festival.

Ryuunosuke is unwilling to help, claiming he's retired and won't defy the Sakoku Decree. Increasingly agitated by the situation in Inazuma, Venti decides to seek an audience with Makoto. That starts a minor argument with Kazuha, who thinks it would be reckless.

The group splits up - Lumine, Paimon and Kazuha try to find another shipwright and Venti and Xiao head to Tenshukaku.

Neither are successful, though Lumine, Paimon and Kazuha are approached by a member of the Arataki Gang[6], who has heard they're looking for a way off Narukami and 'knows someone' who can help. This turns out to be a clumsy sting operation, where Itto accuses the group of being Shogunate plants trying to arrest Yoimiya and challenges them to a fight.

Lumine and Kazuha dispatch him quickly. Yoimiya + Shinobu appear and scold Itto - they clear up the misunderstanding and share some information while Itto sulks 'watches for potential threats'. Turns out Yoimiya and the Arataki gang teamed up to help Vision Holders escape Narukami, to meet with the Watatsumi Rebels - the gang is convinced the rebels are good people.

Venti and Xiao catch up with the group. Itto picks a fight with them. This one ends so quickly it isn't even really a fight. Venti complains that they got kicked out of Tenshukaku (literally, in Venti's case), but had learnt the Shogun was meant to be making appearance at that night's festival.

Yoimiya wants to help the group, and Itto is enthused by Venti's plan to confront the Shogun. The pair are planning to smuggle some refugees out of Narukami during the festival that evening. Venti agrees to help, Kazuha doesn't want to get involved. Unfortunately, pan the camera a bit - they're overheard by someone.

You'd ideally be able to wander around the festival for a bit - interact with the party, Arataki Gang shenanigans, Yoimiya playing with local kids, etc. One of the girls would mention seeing a pretty lady wearing a cool black mask that looked like a crown[7].

The late night events begin, starting with a cutscene introducing Kamisato Ayaka as the Shirasagi Himegimi (her fan-dance). Kazuha tells Lumine who she and her brother are, though he sounds pretty subdued. Ayaka seems to notice Kazuha in the crowd mid-dance. Interspersed with the dance animation, Itto & some Arataki gang members sneak away during the performance.

Lumine sees Tenryou soldiers following Itto and takes off. Meanwhile, everyone else gets their first glimpse of the Raiden Shogun and her companion - La Signora. Venti is stunned (that's not Makoto, what is she doing here), and listens to the start of the Shogun's speech.

She thanks everyone for their bravery and resilience during tough times, but their hardship is necessary. The Vision Hunt, and the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual not having been completed - are necessary, but will be over soon. She vows to ensure Inazuma's prosperity and their safety - forever. "Heaven, hell and the outside world will, soon, be unable to reach them, and Inazuma shall live in this moment forever. With one slash, I shall remove all outside elements from Inazuma. With one slash, we will be eternal."[8]

At this point, Venti's heard enough and confronts the Shogun directly, accusing her of just planning to lock everyone up forever - this isn't what Makoto would want. This shocks the crowd, but the Shogun acknowledging Venti as Barbatos, God of Freedom, makes things a lot worse.

What ensues is pure chaos. Lumine and Yoimiya fight off the soldiers while an unhappy Itto follows Yoimiya's instruction to get the refugees to safety. Kujou Sara[9] appears - cutscene fight, Yoimiya is defeated and arrested but Lumine fights her to a draw.

Kazuha is pointed out by the Tenryou soldier that had overheard the Travelers talking with Itto and Yoimiya earlier; he tries to flee but crashes into Ayaka, who has ended up in his path. Kazuha tells her to move, but he is quickly grabbed and arrested.[10]

Signora heads off to subdue Lumine. Xiao and Venti try to help her, but Ei blocks them - she, Xiao and Venti trade blows, but they're obviously struggling. Very one-sided boss fight (Lumine vs Signora - extremely short, no special phases).

The soldiers search Kazuha for his Vision, but both are are missing - they deduce he's not a Vision Holder.

Lumine is defeated by Signora and blacks out.

END ACT 1.

Note: Part 4, which was previously here, has been moved to the start of Act 2.

[1] Kazuha, Criminal - his official charges are avoiding the Vision Hunt, obstruction of justice and theft of government property (his friend's Vision).

[2] Hiiragi Chisato - Being of a similar age to Ayato and the daughter of the head of the Kanjou Commission, Chisato has met Ayaka and Kazuha before.

[3] Naganohara Ryuunosuke - I changed the Naganohara family business from fireworks to shipbuilding. Yoimiya is still a skilled pyrotechnician, though this is something she's learning for herself. He really is retired - Yoimiya has taken over the business, but he didn't tell them that. When he refuses to help the Travelers, he's trying to protect her. He's probably the one that tipped off the Arataki gang, actually.

[4] Tsubaki/Kamisato Ayaka - This is Ayaka in disguise as a Shuumatsuban shinobi. She and Kazari aren't working together - they assume the other is legit and are acting as such. The blind leading the blind, truly. The name 'Tsubaki' was her mother's alter-ego, from Ayaka's character quest. She took up this identity when her brother died under mysterious circumstances to investigate what's happening in Inazuma.

[5] Unnamed Summer Festival - the same one from Ayaka's quest. I don't believe there's a canon name for it, but I've taken a bit of inspiration from Gion Matsuri and tied it to the end of the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual.

[6] The Arataki Gang - Teamed up with Yoimiya to help Vision Holders escape Narukami. They also try to protect people from vengeful spirits where they can (well, Shinobu does, and the gang cheers her on). They're still delinquents that the majority of Narukami looks down on, and Itto and Yoimiya bicker constantly. Itto calls the gang a 'super secret underground resistance movement!', but its a wonder they haven't given the game away yet.

[7] Signora Cameo at the Summer Festival - "I saw a pretty lady with a cool black crown! I asked her where she bought it, but she said I couldn't have one. She gave me some weird candy though!" NPC dialogue from a child to foreshadow Signora's presence. References Arlecchino's line about Signora liking when kids compliment her. The weird candy are Snezhnayan sweets, nothing malicious - the kids just haven't seen them before. (Speaking of cameos at the festival, that guy selling masks that wants to meet the Conqueror of Demons should be there too. I think that'd be funny.)

[8] Ei/The Raiden Shogun's Plans - to literally sever Inazuma from the rest of Teyvat, including Celestia and the Abyss, permanently. The Storm Wall isn't the same as untethering Inazuma from reality. She'll use the accumulated power from the stolen Visions and the energy stored in the Sacred Sakura to empower her Musou-no-Hitotachi so that she can literally cut through space.

[9] Kujou Sara - an Archon's favoured servants gain a lot of buffs and special abilities within their Archon's domain (country), but lose them when they leave. This accounts for Xiao's loss of teleportation etc. outside of Liyue, but to put it bluntly - Sara is a lot stronger than in canon.

[10] Uh, Kazuha, do something? - Kazuha is traumatised by his friend's death. Kazuha also fled Inazuma instead of trying to rebel, and happily escaped the responsibility of being his clan's head and tries to avoid conflict/doesn't care for the past. I'm tying a lot of this together - Kazuha's flightiness and avoidant personality is a character arc for him to be overcome during the Inazuma quest. He doesn't want to get involved because he genuinely thinks its a bad, dangerous idea. He Will Get Better. This is all out of love, I promise.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

Party dynamics; Lumine and Venti get along fairly well, but have conflicting morals that sometimes cause conflict. Venti and Paimon argue like cats and dogs (they do not get on at all lol). Xiao is awkwardly respectful around Venti and struggles to interact with him, but is much more comfortable with Lumine and talks to her fairly easily. Gets along fine with Paimon - he's a bit bemused by her, Paimon thinks he's Cool and Reliable. No-one quite knows Kazuha yet; dynamics still evolving. That said, whenever Kazuha talks about 'the wind knowing him' or anything about how in tune with nature he is, please imagine Venti's initial reaction when asked what the deal is as;

Ayaka and Kazuha are childhood friends of the 'well our families hang out a lot and you're the only kid here my age so...' variety. They got into some misadventures as kids, including discovering Ayaka's mother's secret (Ayaka's Character Quest), which is why Ayaka thought Kazuha would recognise "Tsubaki". They lost contact when the Kaedehara clan fell.

Yoimiya and Itto are not friends. Yoimiya stops Itto from bothering the neighbourhood all the time and the two often bicker. In the face of the Vision Hunt, they decided to work together, though they do still argue sometimes. Shinobu is the peacekeeper and the brains of the operation.

Each new party member brings with a new gameplay mechanic or two along with them. The party's Serenitea Pot is actually Xiao's - totally unfurnished and collecting dust for centuries. He lets Lumine do what she wants with it. Pretty homey, for a realm belonging to the Conqueror of Demons. Kazuha would bring custom blacksmithing and the Starskiff (it's Beidou's). Lumine cooks.

Xiao and Venti are somewhat nerfed. Xiao is weaker outside of Liyue, but still much stronger than the average human, and Venti is weaker without his Gnosis and [censored plot spoiler]. Xiao is heavy hitter, Venti is a magical support/buffer/minor healing unit. Lumine is a mix of the two. Paimon cheers on the sidelines! Harbingers are just OP as hell no matter where they are.

Oh, Kazuha still yoinked that instrument from that one Adeptus' realm. Xiao is horrified.

Lumine, Venti and Xiao don't advertise their ages or that they're not human (Lumine HCs will apply). None of them are perceived as adults and none of them can buy a drink. Kazuha, just barely 20, has no issues at all. Very irritating.

[icekingofhope]

so my friend @little-bean99 and me are working on a rewrite on Genshin impact

and so I decided to make fanart of the two and their new redesigns I’m very proud of this and I hope you all love it as well

[lunarfly-studios]

*asks chatgpt for some ideas on some more regional specialties in Genshin cause like 5-7 per nation is nice but not nearly expansive enough, plus a rewrite gives me a lot of freedom to introduce new stuff and new ideas*

*I mainly just use Ai for inspiration so I just make it spit out a bunch of stuff at me until something clicks*

AI: *getting to Liyue* #3: Stonefruit

Me: ……hOLY SHIT THAT’S GENIUS

[latimeria-fell-from-heaven]

⌗︙・⚠︎ being intimidated by love-struck and obsessed wriothesley ⚠︎ ♡⸝⸝

Wriothesley is aware of how intimidating he is.

Sometimes he doesn't even mean to be, and he feels a bit guilty about it. Given his stoic and less-than-inviting expressions, he doesn't blame the average person for flinching in his presence whenever they notice him in the vicinity. Hell, he's accidentally given the staff at some of the restaurants he frequents a bit of a fright from his tone and expression alone. And all because he had been simply inquiring about his meal, as it had taken longer than usual to be brought out.

But his seemingly unapproachable manner doesn't mean that Wriothesly doesn't attract his fair share of admirers and potential suitors. He'd have to be a fool to not see the lovestruck stares that were thrown his way by certain individuals, to not hear the hushed whispers of admirers fawning over his attractive features and squealing whenever he'd coldly glance their way for a split second. He isn't one to let all of that admiration inflate his ego, let alone pay much attention to it, to begin with. If at all, he'd rather avoid people's attention, much preferring to enjoy the quietness of solitude.

But he doesn't care about any one of them. Wriothesly only cares about you—his eyes are reserved for you and you alone.

Love-struck gazes on your form are often what he finds himself doing a good majority of his time, his heart beating so hard—so painfully loud—that he feels dizzy by just looking at you. Wriothesly looks at you as if you're the very reason he takes each breath, the reason why he wakes up and gets up out of bed, the very reason why he lives on. Sometimes if he catches himself passing by a mirror after having seen you, his cheeks and even ears are tinged with blush. To the unsuspecting eye, the dark haired male is more akin to a happy dog having received a treat for being good, his gentle smile and softened eyes making him look nothing like the intimidating man he is supposed to be.

But his lovesick puppy gazes fade away upon seeing you with somebody else, somebody else making you smile and laugh in a way that makes his belly fill with warmth but is quickly snuffed out once he remembers that your sweet laughter is not for him. Jealously rears its rotten, ugly head within Wriothesly's gaze, sick thoughts coiling to fruition within his mind. He cannot stand the thought, let alone the sight, of you interacting so merrily with someone that is not him. If looks could kill, then the bastard would have long since torn to pieces, left as a bloody pile heaped upon the ground long ago. He ends up crushing the fragile tea he'd been holding in his hand to pieces from the raw anger surging through his veins.

But it is not just possessiveness that fuels his obsession with you. It is envy—envy that others could make you laugh and grin so merrily in ways that he cannot. You are uneasy around him, unwilling to spare him one of your smiles that renders him a clumsy fool.

Self-hatred festers inside him every time you flinch in his presence, how when he does manage to ease a measly excuse of a conversation from you, you don't even look him in the eyes—the dust gathering in the dingy corner of a room is far better than looking at him. He supposes that your less-than-stellar first meeting has something to do with your wariness around him, as well as his frightening demeanor and voice—he sometimes forgets that he comes off as scary to you even if that was far from what he was intending.

But Wriothesly can only hold in his suppressed feelings for so long. He's only human, and even he has his limits too after all, no matter how standoffish and collected he appears on the surface. He wants nothing more than to lose himself in your warm embrace, bury his nose in the side of your neck and soak in the tranquility of being so intimately close to you without having to worry about scaring you off once again. Those daydreams that leave him shuddering with need and wanting more can hardly suffice anymore.

Wriothesley is uncertain for how much longer he could possibly hold in his festering feelings.

© latimeriafellfromheaven

[clouvu]

*wheezes* Okay so Hear Me Out-

[juniette13]

Tried doing Chasca some justice! Wanted to mix in a cowgirl aesthetic cause the Wild West was super diverse so like why not LOL (I am horrifically obsessed with the Wild West, I just don’t show it too much 💀)

Original design for comparison:

[shinpikurage]

Baizhu polycule (+Venti) from my rewrite! I have been working on this for a long time, and there's still a long way to go, but I'm so happy with what I have and what I created

The rewrite is focused on Baizhu, Wanderer (separate storylines) and redesigns!

[ac-liveblogs]

inazuma rewrite summary dropping soon. hopefully. ahhhhh

i am very conflicted if i should have kazari/hanachirusato keep the original name 'kazari' or the updated name. kazari is easier to write AND was what she was called when I originally played...

[ogh-rambles]

Rewriting Fate - Chapter 4

chapter 3 > chapter 4 (you're here!) > chapter 5(in progress...)

word count! 2k.

warnings! only curses but if u count angst as one... a/n: oh boy we're back with the famed scene (click here for the full scene of the art below!)

A short, comfortable small talk envelops your party as Katsuragi guides you both to the village, an ever-present smile on his face. 

“I see… I’m glad you left that place before the landslide hit.” The man hums thoughtfully. “And your friend…”

Katsuragi’s gaze eventually lands on the golden feather that sways from Kuni’s neck, the latter restless under his intense stare.

His dark eyes grow wide at the sight, shocked to see an item of such importance so far from the mainland where Tenshukaku stands. “You... You have the Plume of Luxury. What affiliation do you have with the Shogun…?” 

You stiffen at his words, watching as he quickly notices Kuni’s avoidance in question to the topic behind the feather. Kuni nervously clutches the golden ornament in his palm, moving closer to you.

Pausing, Katsuragi clears his throat, nodding to himself as he averts his attention away.  “I suppose it’s for the best that you keep your background to yourself.” 

Kuni nods quietly, tucking it into his collar.

Your eyes move on from the two, quickly distracted by the plentiful clusters of homes and warmly lit windows emerging in the distance, exposing a much more lively view of Tatarasuna than you were previously familiar with. The buildings were in their prime, the wooden panels worn yet steady under your feet as you made your way into the village under the cover of night.

The aching sensation in your heart grows strong as you take in the prosperous village, knowing what is to come in a matter of years. Guilt, maybe. Hope? You’re already scared of the butterfly effect that was inevitable with your arrival, but you can’t help but wonder what would happen if you gave a small hint here and there. Would Tatarasuna still be thriving in the future as it is now? 

Your wandering eyes meet the prototype beside you, who lights up under your attention, still holding onto your sleeve with his firm grasp.

What will happen to him then?

You barely stop yourself from face-planting into a wall of muscle as Katsuragi stops abruptly in front of a small home. He slides the door open and turns around, gesturing inside.

“I will take you both to my superior, Nagamasa.” Katsuragi briefly explains, ushering you both into the warm interior before he heads in himself.

Your shoulders sag at the heat that enveloped your shivering body, noticing a small, dusty fireplace nestled into one of the corners. It seems newly built, you note as you stare into the embers. A couple of leftover stone bricks were still stacked up precariously against the wall. 

Kuni looks around, starry-eyed as he stands rather close to you despite the extra space, his synthetic skin cool against you. The one room was a little cramped to be housing three people at once, but you couldn’t complain. It was much better than the small cavern you and Kuni had found a few moments ago.

You lift your head, eyes wide at the sound of footsteps approaching.

“Ah, Katsuragi. I need your help with something, do you think… Oh?” A man, a little older than Katsuragi walks in from the other room, slipping through the sliding frame doors. He looks a little taken aback by the two strangers who seem just as lost as he. “And… whom might they be?”

So this was the man who would later be the one to slay Katsuragi when everything fell apart. You hold back a grimace, the soft murmurs between the two men turning into white noise in your ears as you study Nagamasa discreetly. 

He hadn’t made an appearance in the game, so you were at least a little curious about what he looked like. Dark brows are drawn into a tight crease, and brown eyes, clear and sharp, flicker from his yoriki to you and Kuni. 

He rakes a hand through black hair as he nods at Katsuragi’s explanation. The locks were a little unkempt, loose and just barely brushed his shoulders as he moved to face you. 

“I apologise for the wait. Welcome to Tatarasuna village.” He murmurs, steady gaze flickering between you and Kuni. “Kasturagi has explained to me that he found you both while patrolling on Nazuchi Beach.”

It wasn’t really a lie. Katsuragi had found you on the beach as he said but had excluded any mention of you finding Kuni in Shakkei Pavillion. 

You nod along to Nagamasa’s words as Katsuragi turns to the other man, gesturing to you.

“Yes, this is…” Katsuragi paused, looking a little sheepish. “Ah, my mistake. I forgot to ask you both for your names in the rush to get you both here.”

You blink. “Oh. Right.”

With hidden trepidation, you tell them your name, eyes darting down to your hands. Now your name was out there. You quickly move on from there, turning to the one sitting beside you, staring at you with wide shining eyes. Right, you hadn’t even told him your name.

Kuni whispers your name under his breath, lips curving into a small smile that had you mentally squinting against the pure light that emitted from him.

“And you?” Nagamasa quirks his brow, briefly eyeing the expensive-looking fabric that the other had donned. 

Kuni shuffles uneasily beside you. “I don’t have one.” 

The older man gruffly hums, scratching at his chin while Katsuragi frowns. “Don’t have one, you say…”

Katsuragi thinks for a moment before raising an offer with a subtle tilt of his head. “How about giving yourself a name? What do you think about that?”

The puppet’s eyes widen. “A name… for me?”

"You can think about it as you settle down in our village." Katsuragi leans back, crossing his arms across his chest. He seems pleased at the other's reaction.

The prototype nods as naive hope and admiration blossom in his hollow chest. 

Nagamasa watches the interaction with an unreadable, neutral expression, clearing his throat. 

“Now, about living in Tatarasuna…”

After introducing you to his superior, Katsuragi welcomed you both into his own home, offering a place to sleep for the night before they set up a place for you both to live in for the rest of your stay here at Tatarasuna. 

As you comfortably lay in the warm futon that Katsuragi had so generously laid out for you in a spare room, you absentmindedly stare up at the ceiling. Your new companion was and had been staring at you for quite some time now, sitting on his futon instead of slipping under the covers. 

You think back to the conversation you had with Nagamasa. 

The inspector had given you two a chance to start a life in Tatarasuna after you revealed that you had no memory of ending up on the beach. You were to start learning the basics of swordsmithing by tomorrow morning along with Kuni. Despite having eased your worries about meeting Katsuragi and continuing the story as it was planned, you can’t help but feel a lingering concern. 

Sighing exasperately, you flip to your side, staring back. Innocent indigo eyes blinked at you before a whisper filled the room. “Not sleeping? I thought you said humans needed to sleep?”

“Mn. Not tired.” You prop your head up on the pillow to face him better. “Why don’t you lie down? I know you don’t need sleep but the futon is comfortable.”

You watch Kuni let out a soft ‘oh’, before sliding into the covers stiffly, unsure of his movements. He glances at you for approval. “It’s… soft.”

“Isn’t it?” Settling down, you breathe out, the heavy weight on your chest a little lighter after talking to him. “Even if you don’t need to do the things humans do, doesn’t it feel nice to do them anyway?”

A soft shuffling noise comes from Kuni as he turns to you, the covers pulled up to his chin. He nods.

The corners of your lips naturally lift in amusement. “Now go to sleep. Isn’t it boring to stay up doing nothing all night?”

Shifting slightly under the thick blanket, the puppet finally shuts his eyes, letting his body rest like he saw you do before. It’s a little strange, allowing his body to fall slack when he’s so used to being aware of everything, eyes wanting to take in everything that the world presents him with. 

Listening to your soft breaths fill the room, he can’t help but make his artificial lungs mimic yours. He knows he doesn’t need to breathe or sleep. But as he finds his body relaxing, his mind goes quiet.

Finally, he lets himself rest in your presence.

Sitting up, you watch with a bittersweet smile as your companion ‘falls asleep’. Moving slowly and quietly, you slip out of the sheets, your steps silent against the tatami mat as you cautiously move towards the doors.

You glance back with finality at the unmoving form under the sheets, your distant eyes skimming over his dark hair splayed out on the pillow to his tranquil resting face.

You had been contemplating executing this plan since you had first met him in the pavilion. Initially, you had thought that you had ruined everything by leaving the domain with him, however, things had worked out in your favour and now things were where they had always been. 

Now only you were the abnormality in this moment. You weren’t supposed to be here. Staying would only mean you would distort the story more, and the thought of a future you didn’t know frightens you. 

Feeling the biting wind against your skin, you rip your gaze away, slipping out the doors and closing it behind you with a soft click, walking across the wooden panels of the deck that surrounded the home. You had to leave before your hesitation got the better of you and you ended up making a decision that you would regret.

Your feet touch the grass as you ready yourself to leave.

“Where are you going..?”

Your heart sank, head whipping around. Shit.

He’s staring at you with wild, desperate eyes – confusion and terror written all over him. They dart frantically across your face, as if searching for any reason you might have for leaving the room without him. 

It's almost painful to look at him, his trembling hand gripping so tightly onto his veil.

“...”

You say nothing.

What could you even tell him? That this was for his own good? That you swear that you’ll come back to him in the future?... That you were terrified to ruin his life more than it would become?

His expression grows more and more distraught at your silence and he stumbles towards you, desperately clutching at your clothes.

“Do you not like it here?” His thready voice quivers, sounding smaller than ever. “That’s okay, we can go…!”

The inner turmoil was back again, hitting you in full force. It was for his own good, you think to yourself. You’d rather carry the burden of leaving him rather than—

“... I’ll go with you! Wherever you go! Wherever!” His form shudders with every word, tears pooling in his eyes. “So...! So... Please... Please, please, please, please.”

“... Don’t leave me.”

You fail to swallow down the building lump in your throat, steeling yourself as you breathe in and—

…

You find yourself back inside, face vacantly fixed up at the ceiling again. The pressure on your heart is replaced with the arms of a desperate puppet clinging onto your body, his futon discarded for your own. He’s tense, and the extreme closeness is a little stifling but you can’t bring yourself to complain or push him away. 

His face is buried into your shoulder, and your heart squeezes with immense guilt as you feel him hiccup softly against your shirt. 

Your plan failed.

Closing your eyes, you exhale slowly as you tentatively reach up and card your fingers through his silken hair. He goes quiet, holding your arm tighter.

… There was no way you could leave now.

[cuteguy-fanblog]

like i know most hotguy and cuteguy aus are vaguely dystopian or scifi but what if hotguy+cuteguy but it's high fantasy. they roam the land and nobody understands their weird fashion senses but at least they're good at what they do. travellers from afar. everyone is like "well they're insane but they're also heroes so i suppose that's okay now". there's royal rumours flying around royal courts about where they'll go next. famous maniacs. what do you mean they're banned in 99% of kingdoms who said that

[airyravenmaid]

As someone who's been secretly teetering around the SAGAU (that's "Self-Aware Genshin AU" for those who aren't aware 🥁) tag and works while thoroughly enjoying a lot of them, I think today's finally the day I put my own two cents in on it. Particularly, my two cents about how a certain redheaded owl stud would act in that verse. By all means, no hate to anybody who's written him any differently in their SAGAU stuff-- we're all here to have fun and junk; this is just how I personally think he'd be. You are free to disagree with any and everything I have to say under the cut, but I will have no badmouthing or the like.

Being perfectly honest, I haven't really seen much of Diluc in a ton of SAGAU works outside of him either being part of the "get the 'Imposter'" mob or individually attacking us if he comes across us solo and isn't in the know that we the reader are the real deal. Basically, he's more or less just kinda lumped in with the other highly devoted followers of the Creator without really standing out much in the plot. And, nothing particularly wrong with that, no, no, no, but here's where my hee-ho funny hot take comes in:

I don't actually think Diluc would really worship the Creator. In fact, I don't think he'd even like us at first. *Sojiro voice* Let me explain!

Diluc Ragnvindr is, in every sense of the word, a disenchanted young man. Now, we know he wasn't born as such, but we have the Knights of Favonius disgracing Crepus' death while the wound was still fresh and the falling out between Diluc and Kaeya upon the latter's revelation as a Khaenri'ahn spy to blame for that. Blah, blah, blah, that's right, we heard the story, over and over again, so, where does this tie into my personal interpretation of his thoughts on the Creator, you may ask? Well!

In the happier, more idealistic years before all hell broke loose on his 18th birthday, Diluc most likely did worship and revere the Creator per his upbringing since I think Crepus also worshipped them like a good chunk of Mondstadt does. No problems there. But, where was the "all-powerful, ever-benevolent" God of Teyvat when he'd lost his father and brother on that same, horrible night in different ways? What did they do when the Knights of Favonius openly spat on his father's name just to save their undeserved reputation? What did they give him during that four-year suicide mission he spent indiscriminately hunting Fatui agents before promptly getting the ban of a lifetime from the entire Nation of Cryo?

Nowhere, nothing, and radio silence.

Just another unreliable let-down added to the list, and another knife to his back.

(Imposter AU-wise) So, come present day, when the Great Big Phony™ drops and takes a throne that very much does not belong to them, everybody's over the moon and pulling out all the stops for their beloved God... except Diluc. Now, he's not so stupid that he openly badmouths the apparent Creator since that would get him some pretty unpleasant looks and land him in rather hot water, so instead, he shows no open reaction while rolling his eyes and scoffing at them wherever people can't see or hear. And, if we're going with the traditional portrayal of the Imposter being an uncaring tyrant, his already diminished opinion of the Creator's image is only further soured. He does nothing to damper or criticize anybody's faith since it's far from his place to, but they certainly won't see him joining in any day of the week, either.

And then comes the "Imposter", who's actually the true Creator that's been jiffy-popped into Genshin's world from the real one. Now, while he thinks it's beyond ridiculous that the people of Mondstadt and the Knights of Favonius (though, not as much surprise for the latter-- always so inefficient...) find it just to hunt down and torture somebody solely for looking like the Creator especially since nobody in town gives a shit that Venti and Barbatos look disturbingly alike for reasons only he (plus Jean and maybe Kaeya, if his Hangout implies anything) knows without actually presenting themselves as an active threat to humanity like, say, the Abyss Order or the Fatui, Diluc still can't help but secretly hand it to the alleged Imposter for being the first to have the guts to knock that "divine do-nothing" down a peg in some way, even if it is considered quite the risky move.

Should he encounter us while we're running for our lives worse for the wear for the above reason (and truly confirming that we mean no real harm and are just a victim of very unfortunate circumstance), Diluc is open to helping us get away safely under the radar and giving false info to the KoF like he did in his Story Quest since getting caught helping Teyvat's most wanted by the mob would not end well for him, either. And, he's pretty amicable when patching us up... but then he sees the dried gold blood and scars all over our body and realizes exactly who we really are. No, he doesn't do a full 180 and start blastin', but Diluc sure is now a lot colder towards us than he already is in general. Still helps us out, but we can taste the sudden mood drop. At some point, we discover his resent towards us for (from his perspective; can't exactly explain that we didn't actually make any of the characters' backstories since we're not HoYoverse and whatnot bc that wouldn't make sense to anyone in Genshin within the confines of the Creator!Reader AU without us sounding completely crazy) being seemingly nowhere to be seen around his and others' suffering despite being the God of All Gods capable of doing literally anything to help it, but simply choosing not to. Even if the Reader rightfully says they didn't do anything, Diluc's cold rebuttal is something along the lines of "No. You didn't.", and it's not the least bit reassuring.

If he were to stick around with us a bit longer during our escape from Mondstadt/whirlwind journey, then Diluc would come to understand that we really weren't as in control of everything bad happening to him or the world as he initially believed, especially if in his misguided blaming, it causes Reader to develop one HELL of a guilt complex feeling like they are responsible for fixing everything if it means putting an end to all the nonsense and abuse some of their once-beloved characters/acolytes are putting them through. Granted, the actual Imposter does have to be stopped and dethroned for all the shit they're pulling, but that's really all that falls on us as the unfortunate hero.

Other than that condition, though, we basically have someone that's thankfully not looking to hunt us down for absurd reasons and even helps us in our need, but at the same time curses us for letting him and many others down by not acting in some way when it mattered most.

[ghostofreach117]

So, in your..AU?(rewrite? Better then the Orginal in every way?)

How protective is Diluc to Kaeya? What is their relationship like?

Did you change anything about their backstory?

They are very similar to cannon, even their backstory(mainly because it is so vague) however there is a few differences

Their relationship is a bit worse (more complicated is a better way to describe it) than it currently is in cannon.

Diluc is A LOT more secretive regarding his “trip” and he lies a lot about it. (The parallels between him and his brother are very strong because I hate them😁😁😁)

Kaeya knows a LOT more about Dilucs mother than diluc does but he’s kinda withholding that information because of their rocky relationship and also because he doesn’t know how much his brother knows

Diluc knows a lot about kaeyas birthmom and doesn’t really say anything for the same reason

For the most part though, it’s just me fleshing out their story. Not a whole lot is presented directly so there isn’t much to change. Here’s a few points that i think I should mention

Diluc lied about “traveling the world”. He went straight to snezhnaya

During his second year. He was taken (by force) by the doctor to one of his many labs to be fitted with experimental prosthetics. (Aka dottore being dottore)

This was not intended to be torture or interrogation because dottore doesn’t really gaf about that. He thought diluc was an interesting subject and wanted to see if his body would reject the implants.

The rest of the fatui harbingers DID NOT know about this. (Except for one) Dottore kept it a secret because they had previously told him that they were cutting his funding but more importantly because dottore wanted a personal trump card should he ever have to face another harbinger. (Basically he has his suspicions about some of his colleagues. He thinks they might actually oppose the tsaritsa)

His experiments only work halfway. If the prosthetics aren’t rejected then they don’t serve their original purpose correctly. Eventually Diluc manages to escape thanks to a third party and fucks off to terrorize the Fatui for another year.

This is mostly where it connects back with cannon. The harbingers eventually lock in and find diluc, he’s saved by a different third party and he says hell nah I’m going back home

I wish I could think of something interesting for kaeya other than him prying information about dilucs mother from Alice but I think that clutters the story. Kaeya just waiting and making his moves in silence adds a really interesting piece of tension that really grows between him and his brother as he slowly figures out wtf happened while diluc was gone and also about both of their parents.

There’s more but I want to make comics about it so it’s kinda short n simple here.

Thank you anon for enabling me to yap

[m1d-45]

i gobbled and devoured the post imposter things. scrumptious!! but what if poor little xiao man feels guilty for hunting or scarring us in the hunt? and please don’t feel obligated to answer, i know you’re busy

burden to bear

word count: 2.7k

-> warnings: spoilers for liyue archon quest, canon typical violence…. minor body horror? blood mention.

-> gn reader (you/yours)

taglist: @samarill || @thenyxsky || @valeriele3 || @shizunxie || @boba-is-a-soup || @yum1x || @esthelily || @turningfrogsgay

< masterlist >

during the hunt itself, xiao is driven by a need to prove himself, pushing past his instinct and the way his karma flares around the one on the throne. he sees it as a way to redeem himself, to finally scrape some of the sin off his hands. it’s a way to prove himself, and one he takes eagerly.

it’s not correct to say he’s blinded by faith, but it’s not exactly wrong either. he definitely feels, subconsciously, that something’s… off, maybe, about his god. perhaps it’s the way his vision always seems to flutter and flare, or the ice in his veins when the command to hunt is given. he feels uneasy, unsettled, finding himself rolling his shoulders and wondering if he needed to add more stretches into his routines. and yet, despite the tension in his shoulders and the twist in his stomach, he kneels, bowing his head with a swear of fealty that goes unanswered.

unacknowledged.

perhaps he had delivered it wrong?

he doesn’t think much of it, quickly dissolving from the throne room and appearing besides the statue of the seven on the west edge of liyue. looking out over jueyun karst, he knows it’s a bit fruitless to start his search there due to the vicinity to the other adepti, but the spires there are tall, filled with wiry bushes and crags of rock that are easier to hide in than may seem at first glance.

he draws his pole arm, spinning it once over his hand before tapping the end to the stone beneath him. he’s not sure why he’s so nervous—is it the fact that this is technically the first order he’s been given? is it the idea of slaughtering somebody so identical to his creator that it nearly fooled morax, who’s been alive longer than he could fathom?

or is it simply the prospect of failure?

xiao grits his teeth and steps off the edge of the floating stone, halting his fall with anemo at nearly the last possible moment.

his feelings meant nothing. orders were given, and he had to follow them.

why else was he there, if he couldn’t?

it takes him longer than he expected to find you. he’s almost impressed, really, that you managed to evade his searching eyes, that you dodged not only him but the other adepti as well, all without taking refuge in any villages or otherwise civilized areas due to the orders the millelith put out. you hid well, he could attest to that, and though he was the one to find you, it was only on accident.

he was clearing out a group of hilichurls north of the inn. he was surprised so many had settled so close to the statue of the seven, as hilichurls usually avoided concentrated elemental energy, but didn’t think too hard about it. he simply unhooked his mask from his belt, noticing the difference in strength between these hilichurls and the average, and teleported into the middle of the camp.

the first thing he heard was a spotter’s cry. the second was the mitachurls’—archons, there were three—roar as they hefted their weapons. the final one was the intricate chanting of the abyss, but not any incantation he recognized.

he kept himself half in smoke as he danced around the edge of the camp, taking out the archers while he tried to find the abyss mage. he could catch glimpses of hydro bubbles through the walls of the hut, but the steps were covered in frost-

he barely ducked under the swing of a mitachurl’s axe, slashing his spear along its side as he slipped away, darting across the path of one charging with a large stone shield. it clipped his shoulder despite his efforts, pain spiking down his arm, but he didn’t pay attention to the injurh. normally he wouldn’t be this distracted, but two abyss mages and three mitachurls in one camp could only spell bad news. the best he could likely do was to leave and grab back-up, but who? the millelith were busy, morax and the adepti were on their own search…

xiao quickly climbed onto the roof of the hut, jamming his spear between two of the logs to keep grip on the woven roofing. the grass was damp, squishing uber this feet, likely from whatever hydro magic the mage was busy with within it. it likely wasn’t the smartest idea to stand on the roof, but this area of liyue was mostly plains, with little cover from the charging mitachurls. he needed a moment, if only a short one, to hash out a plan to deal with the camp.

the three mitachurls were standing besides the hut, two with shields and one with a crackling axe, electro dancing along the blade. xiao shifted, pivoting around the peak of the hut to move away from that one, the grass roof squishing below his feet.

the mitachurl’s ear twitched.

he shoved himself off the roof just as the mitachurl slammed the flat of its blade onto the roof, the whole shack shaking. electricity swarmed across the waterlogged roofing, reaching the opposite edge just as xiao dropped off it, landing between the other two mitachurls. they didn’t charge, nor attack, their motivations only made clear when the hiss of cryo froze out the lingering moisture in the air in front of him, effectively boxing him in.

the abyss mage swayed in its circle, staff glowing a sharp blue from within its bubble of frost.

“leave, adeptus,” it hissed, waving its staff in a circle. “you have no place here.”

xiao didn’t reply, instead picking apart his options. he couldn’t do significant damage to the shield mitachurls without utilizing his burst to destroy their shields, but that didn’t cover the mage at all… and he was still wet from the roof, so the mage would be able to freeze him within the time he had drawn in enough anemo energy to wield his mask with any level of efficiency…

he flexed his hand around his polearm. how had he gotten into this situation? his only options were to get lucky or teleport away, but even the latter of those relied on the first.

luck. how useless was he, to rely on luck-?

“‘adeptus’?”

the abyss mage startled at the voice, the cryo it had been swirling dissipating. both he and it turned to the side, to the entrance to the hut, where a figure could be seen just beyond the mitachurl.

his first instinct was that it was his god, and he briefly relaxed under the knowledge that he’d get out of this in mostly one piece.

his second was to recognize the torn clothing and dirt-smeared skin, and realize that you could never be his god.

xiao’s eyes narrowed, his spear twisting towards you faster than the distracted mage could react. you, his target, the one he had been seeking out, were hiding behind the abyss. he should have expected it, in truth, figured out the one known for going against the rules of nature would side with the most unnatural force, but that was not for now.

not now, when he was launched forward by the power of anemo, his spear driving him forward, barely skimming the mitachurl in favor of his true target: you.

your eyes barely had the chance to dart in his direction.

xiao was, in truth, not the first one to see you.

many villagers had glimpsed you running around the outskirts of their villages, plucking apples and sunsettias off trees and taking mint from their gardens and leaving bundles of sweet flowers behind instead. they’d seen you, face half-covered in a poor mask made of scraps, your clothes that of the haphazard stitches of the hilichurls, which helped you blend into teyvat a bit more at the price of comfort. many had seen you and assumed you were a run of the mill thief, perhaps one taking advantage of the current hunt since the millelith were occupied. they wryly called you clever, warning the traveling merchants about you, the one they glimpsed at inane hours of night.

he wasn’t the first to see you, by far. he was, however, the first to recognize you.

he was the first to lay eyes upon your form and realize the truth, to realize that the blood seeping into your clothes was the color of stars and galaxies, to recognize that your heart beat blue.

the argument could be made that the hilichurls were the first, or perhaps the mages that had taken you in and brought you food, but it was not them that gathered you into their arms and whisked you away in a flash of teal, uncaring of the spike of cryo that drove into their side at the last minute. the hilichurls did not walk with frosted-over limbs, the abyss did not cry with a throat full of ice, calling for assistance in undoing their own crime.

xiao couldn’t decide whether it was lucky or not that baizhu was in the pharmacy, speaking with herbalist gui over the front desk. on one hand, it was best to have the most experienced healer in liyue at your side, but on the other..

“adeptus xiao, what is-…..”

confusion, then anger, then realization, all flashing over his face in an instant before he tilted his head and walked quickly to a back room, xiao following.

he busied himself with picking the ice off his body and clothes, ignoring the shake of his hands and the stench of blood in the room. the mage had pulled you from the point of his spear, but he still hit the side of your stomach, and he could tell it was messy.

knocks sounded at the door but baizhu turned them away sharply, only allowing qiqi to pass him a bowl of lotus seeds. he was focused, changsheng slithering off his shoulders to grab supplies as needed. time seemed to slow to a crawl, like xiao had entered a domain without an exit, filled with the iron smell of blood and the never ending chips of ice he peeled from his skin. it left behind stinging wounds and red marks, but he couldn’t find it in him to care.

what was his brief moment of injury compared to a scar upon his god?

the moment that baizhu had stopped, all but collapsing into a chair and wiping off his hands with a tired call of ‘it’s done. the foundation will be okay.’ xiao had stood and left, biting his tongue through the protests of both his own body and the doctor.

he’d given changsheng his confession, but he did not wish to stick around and hear his verdict.

weeks later, morax came and visited him at the inn, carrying with him a plate of almond tofu and an apology. xiao leaned against the furthest edge of the balcony, curled around the plate, staying as far as he could from the one with your aura imprinted upon him.

he felt it, when zhongli had first come up the stairs. the shock, then the warmth, the all-encompassing comfort that soothed the pain from the bruising on his shoulder. he felt it, and knew that he did not deserve it.

“it’s not your fault,” zhongli insisted, baritone words colored with unreturned sympathy. “the fake… had fooled us all. even me. i cannot hold your actions against you when i myself would have done the same.”

and maybe that was true. maybe he would have drawn his own weapon, pierced your skin himself, acting on the orders of one who dared to take the place of the divine, but that was irrelevant.

xiao was the one who had hurt you. and it was entirely his fault.

almond tofu, his favorite dish, tasted bitter and sour on his tongue, almost akin to the pain medication that zhongli had made him drink after noticing how cautious he was with his injured arm. he’d made him take the first dose in front of him and swear to take the rest, with a long monologue about taking care of himself tacked on afterwards, but it was for nothing. aside from the first night he had it, xiao hadn’t touched the bottle. it sat on his nightstand, beside a bed he hardly used, taunting him when he returned earlier than usual.

he could take it. there was nothing stopping him from doing so, and he probably should if he wanted to return to his duties quicker. but every time he picked up the glass, thumb tracing over the engravings as he undid the top, he hesitated.

he could take it. he probably should. but did he deserve to?

you were still recovering, possibly still bedridden weeks later. your blood still stained his spear, dripping down to his palms, pale and scarred skin marked further with the blue and purple swirls of his sin. you were still in pain, still healing from a spear to your side, and he was here, reaching for medicine for a sore shoulder?

(it was worse than that. bone had knocked against bone, bruising beneath where muscle could reach. it ached even when he sat as still as possible, dragging him out of every attempt to meditate. the dark purple splotches stretched beyond his clothing, reaching across his back and up his neck, making nearly any action flare the wound. it was far beyond an over-exerted muscle or a particularly tiring day, and yet even the worst nights of his pain were staved off by the memory of having to wash blue off his blade. even as the latch on the bottle was undone, the lip pressed to his, he could never bring himself to drink it)

(even the small droplet of it on the rim, tasting of qingxin extract and violet grass, threatened to make him sick. how dare he?)

yes, it would likely only get him into more trouble were he found out, but he was careful not to be. whenever the wind brought him the heavy presence of geo, zhongli’s familiar footsteps climbing the stairs, he snatched the bottle and emptied it into the stone carving on the balcony, letting the medicine soak into the soil beneath it. it splashed when he was sloppy, the deep purple medicine appearing blue on the stone, sparking a memory that weighed harder on the pit in his stomach.

even as he handed the bottle over to zhongli, his jaw clenched from the strain on his shoulder. the action was stiff, jerky, but evidently smooth enough that it had passed his assessment.

zhongli tucked the bottle away, surprisingly not drawing out a new one.

“i am proud of you, and of the progress you have made,” he said, golden eyes softening in the light of dusk. “well done, xiao.”

how strange, he thought, watching him leave, that the very action that made his vision swim with unshed tears was one that was praised.

he wouldn’t complain, of course. he never would. this pain was his to bear, just as the burden of your bloodshed was his to shoulder. he was well aware his pain could never take back yours—though he wished, desperately, that he could move your injury to him. he wanted to be able to take on the physical reminder of his defect, to take the hit of his own spear to spare you from his lapse in judgement. he would take it, take ten times the pain you endured, if only it meant that your skin was free of his scars.

it would be an honor to assist the divine, even at the price of his own life.