#Given Thoma was raised in the Kamisatos.

[kaeyas-beloved]

a moment too late

Characters: Ayato, Diluc, Childe, Cyno, Wriothesley, Zhongli

— your husband doesn't make it to you in time...

CW: ANGST w/ very little to no comfort, gn!reader (they/them pronouns), scars (Diluc), blood (Diluc, Childe, Cyno, Zhongli), death (all except Cyno and Diluc), kidnapping (Cyno), minor Fontaine Act 1 + 4 spoilers (Primordial Sea Water - iykyk), spoilers for Childe’s real name

val's no sympathy novemeber masterlist

I don't know if I can take a month of hurting my boys....

Thinking about them not making it in time...

Ayato, who had been in an important meeting.

He'd given strict instructions to all his retainers and the Shuumatsuban to not interrupt under any circumstance. So, when one of the newer helpers knocked on the door, the commissioner was less than pleased. Without letting the young man get a word out, Ayato cuts him off, a sharp smile on his face. "Please, wait outside. I'll deal with the matter after this."

When the retainer tried again, a feeble "but, my lord-!" sputtering over his twisted tongue, the change in Ayato's tone couldn't be missed, and it left no room for interjections.

When a second knock echoed through the room some minutes later, it took everything in the clan head not to sigh out loud in front of all the powerful politicians and businessmen. This time, however, when it was the familiar face of Thoma that stepped in, a scarily straight face as his expression, something shifted in the male. It didn't help that the pyro user didn't stop his advancement toward him, even at the call of his name.

It was like the whole world shattered the moment the blond leaned by his ear, the news that you'd been placed in the nearest hospital plummetting his heart into his stomach.

There's this inner struggle that takes over, the role of a leader and your husband fighting against one another - he can't just leave so abruptly, but he also feels like he might crumble if he isn't by your side in the next ten seconds.

It's the firm hand that's placed on his shoulder that breaks him away from his thoughts. Following the arm he meets the slight smile of Thoma, "I have this handled, my lord. Go, be with them."

He's up and out of the room in an instant, briskly walking in the direction of the hospital. When he gets there he borderline demands the receptionist to tell him your room number, off again the moment she gets the last syllable out. Just as he reaches the curtain separating you from him, his heart threatening to beat out of his chest, a doctor steps out.

"Lord Kamisato..." his tone is grave as he blocks the entrance with his body. Despite the obvious attempt to stop the young lord from entering, your husband tries to sidestep him. He's stopped by a simple raise of the hand and he feels a mix of disdain and unsettlement swirl within.

"Please, let me speak with them," Ayato nothing but begs, something he never does. He's known as a negotiator, a logical reasoning man, he doesn't need to beg for what he needs in the political world, but for you, his world, he'd gladly grovel at this man's feet just for you.

The aforementioned man licks his lips, adjusting his clipboard so it rests against his chest, "I'm sorry Mr. Kamisato, but that won't be possible..."

The urgency rises and Ayato moves the doctor out of his way, stepping into your room. It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together about what was trying to be said, but your lover can't bring himself to believe it. Not you too.

The moment he's at your bedside he leans close, trying to wear a smile as he places his hand on your shoulder, softly shaking you the exact same way he did that very morning. "My dear... wake up. This is no time for your silly tricks, we have to go home and have dinner together like I promised." His warm hands move up to your cheek, brushing his thumb along your equally warm skin, but when you make no move or noise the reality finally sets in for him.

His broken smile slips and all he can manage is a soft call of your name. Of course, there's still no answer, and Ayato is stuck flipping between the different stages of grief.

What if he'd listened the first time? Let the retainer who initially walked in speak? Would he have gotten a chance to speak with you? To tell you he loves you? To say goodbye properly?

You can't actually be dead, right? There's no way this is happening to him again.

He starts to promise to spend more time with you, he'll take off as much time as you want him to, he'll take you to that restaurant you've been wanting to go to but couldn't bring yourself to without him, he'll visit the land of Liyue with you - he knows you've been gushing about the scenery and culture recently. He'll do it all and more, you just had to open your eyes again for him.

Silence.

"Damn it all..." he whispered, face twisting in agony. Of course he couldn't have it his way this time. As if his parents weren't enough, the world just had to take you away from him too.

The doctor watches for a moment as one of the most powerful men in Inazuma sheds tear after tear before him, the droplets falling and hitting your lifeless body. As Ayato sinks to his knees before you, the doctor takes this as his cue to step out.

For the next few hours, the hospital is noticeably quieter, no one daring to interrupt a man who's just lost one of the dearest people to him.

For the next few hours, Ayato's tears slowly soak your shirt, his grip on the bedding knuckle white, his sobs muffled by your skin as it slowly grows colder and colder, fighting to commit everything about you to memory.

That night, he could not bring himself to eat dinner, for all he could remember was you, the way you smiled at him and how it was all ripped away from him, never to be seen again.

———

Diluc, whose connections are spread all over the world yet no one could locate you.

It should be impossible. The owner of Dawn Winery only associates himself with competent business partners. So, how could it be that the best of the best from all walks of life and all backgrounds couldn't locate the one person he needed to find?

Tirelessly, the redhead looked for you. Many sleepless nights weighed on him from shouldering so many responsibilities at once. He constantly asked for updates on the investigation and every time the news that there were no advances was just another layer of stress for him. So, of course, the moment the word of your location reached his ears, Diluc was up and out the door, claymore in hand, a fury in his eyes that few have seen only a handful of times.

When he got there, there being some far corner of Starfell Valley on the mountainside, there was no time to process or ask questions. All he knew was that you needed help if you wanted even a chance of making it out alive.

By a stroke of luck, you managed to escape the Abyss Mages that had been holding you hostage, an atrocious act that was no doubt aimed to make The Darknight Hero suffer. However, weaponless and exhausted, the creatures of down under easily caught up to you, surrounding you and throwing you around like a ragdoll. Diluc counted seven - one hydro, two electro, two cryo and two pyro - each using the elements to keep you from running too far.

With a few swift strikes of his enflamed claymore, the cryo and hydro mages disappeared in a cloud of red and black. Of course, they'd be the easiest of the group to get rid of. The last four would be the real challenge.

In between strikes, Diluc managed to get close to you, bending down to your fallen form. “Are you alright? Can you walk?” He did a once over of your body, noting that dirt clung to you and a couple cuts littered your skin. You could barely move too, having the shit kicked out of you.

“Not very far…” you groaned, raising your body slightly off the ground. Your lover nodded, glancing at the enemy before helping you stand.

“That’s alright, just get to that tree over there. I’ll come get you and take you home soon.” Diluc watches for a moment as you nod and begin to make your way over, turning his back to you once you've made decent progress. Taking up his weapon once more, it's a brutal clash of sparks and fire as he lets his adrenaline and rage fuel his every move. Soon, one electro mage goes down, and then the second and then one of the pyro ones until all that stands between him and getting you medical care and a nice bath is a single pyro Abyss Mage.

The demonic creature cackles loudly, a shrill sound that echoes in the silence. As it begins to wave its staff, a shock of recognition strikes Diluc and he glances around, looking for where the fire-breathing faces are going to appear. When he doesn't spot any dread fills his being and he chances a glance towards you, praying to the Archons that what he's thinking isn't about to play out.

The gods weren't in his favour.

Time seems to slow as he watches the triangle of heads surround you; he watches as you slowly turn to face one head-on, your tired eyes widening as you register the situation. Dilcu's only able to catch you turning your face away before he attacks the mage while its guard is down, interrupting its early dance of victory.

The next few minutes are a blur, both for you and your husband. Everything hurts, any slight movement or breath sends shooting pain through your body. When Diluc picks you up off the ground you let out the most heartbreaking cry he's heard and it took everything in him not to just stand there and soothe you.

He mumbled apology after apology, offering words of comfort as he ran as best he could without harming you further. When he made it to the cathedral he was ushered out of the room, every nun available flocking to your side. Despite the overwhelming emotions building in him, Diluc lets you go, waiting with as much patience as he can muster, which isn't a lot at that moment.

It takes about an hour before a sister approaches him, every second that he waited excruciating. She tells him that while your face was unharmed, you having managed to lean out of the way just in time, your upper arm, shoulder and the base of your neck on your left side were burned pretty bad and that scarring was almost guaranteed.

"But are they alive?" is all he asks in return. He cares that you were hurt, but he cares more to know if you'll live to spend another day with him. All the sister can do is nod, informing him that recovery will be slow, but you are alive. She adds right after that while you passed out from everything he was still allowed to enter and sit by your side. So, he does.

The nun didn't lie when she told him that things would be slow. It took several days before you could be discharged, and even when you were the days and nights that followed were filled with more torture than the usual joy.

Your burns would irritate at the slightest things, and you started to doubt your looks, wondering if your husband would still love you by the end when the wounds were all healed. At night you were haunted by nightmares of your time in captivity, and by the face of the abyss spell that burned you. It didn't help that the face was red and fluffy, just like Diluc's hair, leaving you to back away from him every time you woke up from that recurring dream, your mind tricking you that that thing had come back.

And all Diluc could do was hold you close to his chest once you saw that it was just him. He'd rub a warm hand along your back as you sobbed and shivered, quietly blaming himself for not being fast enough - to find you, to defeat the enemy, to get you out of the way of the fight. If he had been, if he succeeded in any of those things, then maybe you wouldn't have to live with this pain and trauma.

You were alive, but at what cost?

———

Childe, who was all the way in Inazuma for a mission.

Your husband left you that fateful day with a tight hug, a promise to come home and a kiss on the lips. As he walked further and further away from you all you could think about was greeting him in the same fashion. Your touch was his favourite thing after all, a reminder that you're there with him and that you love him despite all his wrongdoings.

The day came when Ajax set foot back in his homeland, and the first thing he did was search for you at the dock. When he didn't spot you, he'll admit he was a little disappointed but didn't think much of it. You were most likely just relaxing at home.

Yet, when he walked through the door he couldn��t find you anywhere. “Strange… where could they have gone? Maybe mom and dad’s?”

A quick trip over there reveals nothing however, just the tidbit of information from his mother on how it’s been a couple days since you’ve visited and that you last told them you were needing to chop some firewood.

Now he was not only confused but a sense of dread plagued his chest. Hoping it’s just his normal worrying, Ajax bids farewell to his family and heads back home. Sure enough, he spotted some stacked logs off to the side. What didn’t make sense though was the lack of an axe and the footprints that lead further into the tree line behind your home.

Following the tracks, the male’s eyes widen and his expression falls as the patterns in the snow go from clean prints to frantic clusters, as if you began running. What really injected fear into him though was the barely visible Treasure Hoarder insignia buried in the snow, its gold sheen glistening from the sun.

At this point his feet had a mind of their own as he picked up the pace, his mind running a mile a minute with the scariest thoughts his brain could conjure.

He wasn’t sure if he should've been relieved or frightened when he found you lying in the snow. Either way, he sprinted the rest of the way to you, calling out your name. You were on your side, back to him; you must’ve rolled into the fetal position to stay warm.

And that’s when he noticed it, the pink tint of the usually pure white snow surrounding your fallen form. Panic shoots through him as he rolls you onto your back, his hand recoiling at the state you were in, covering his mouth.

"No..." your cold gaze stares up at the sky, skin lacking the warmth he craves after a long day. Between the folds of your undone coat reveals where most, if not all the blood flowed from, now dry from days passed. With a shaky hand, he moves the cloth aside, surveying the damage.

The cut was deep but didn't hit anything major from the looks of it... you would have bleed out slow and painfully, and the mere idea makes him sick to his stomach. More and more he looks at the damage done to you and the more his blood boils and his heart stutterers. You were innocent, his spouse, his best friend, you had no intimate dealings with Fatui work, so why you?

His eyes narrow back in the direction of the insignia, the sorrow morphing into anger; they were fucking cowards, going after you instead of him. At the sanctuary of your home no less.

Looking back at the body that once housed your soul, he noticed something odd about your hand. It was clasped shut like you were holding onto something.

He starts to pry your fingers open, and for just a moment he can imagine that you're alive, back in the warmth of your home, grasping his scarf in a game of keep away. He'd pull you close, wrapping an arm around you and trapping you to his chest, grasping your wrist and trying to get the red fabric from you. Your husband would laugh merrily, "demanding" that you give him it back or else, to which you'd tell him no, because as long as you had it then he couldn't leave for the day.

When your palm finally opens up is the same moment time really stops and the world doesn't feel real around him. Picking up the small object, Ajax clasps it in his own hands, bringing it close to his chest - his heart - in hopes of feeling just the last bit of you left behind. He won't ever know this, but what he's doing now was exactly what you did in your final hour - you held the tangible promise you made with him close to you, your thoughts filled with him and only him as you took your last breath.

From that day onwards, your wedding ring rests against his collarbone, a string looped through it. He never takes it off, nor does he remove his own ring, because to him, you were the only one fit to take the place at his side in life. He doesn't want anyone else to love him, because no one could ever love or hold him in such high regard like you did.

It was everything or nothing, and you are his everything. Since you're gone, he'll gladly settle for nothing. Anything else and he'd label himself a cheater to your love.

———

Cyno, who prioritized catching the mastermind, lest any more innocents get hurt.

The General Mahamatra trudged back through the desert sands, clouds of dust trailing behind him. His grip was tight against the criminal’s wrists, leaving no room for escape. While part of him was solely focused on the captured mastermind, another part of him was thinking about you and how he's going to make it up to you for neglecting you the last few weeks. How could he ever possibly thank you or repay you for your neverending patience?

Rounding the last rock, Cyno finally makes it back to where he left you, having instructed you to wait there until he returned. You know that it was vital to stay put, so why is it that you've disappeared? Eyes red like the sunset scan the camp, finding that nothing was missing among your personal belongings or supplies.

As he continued to try and piece together the clues, you stood frozen in the shadows, an arm pulling you against a chest, keeping you in place. The hand over your mouth didn't help quell your fear, nor did the warm, rancid breath that tickled your neck.

How hard do you have to stare at the back of your lover's head for him to just turn in your direction!? Apparently very hard, because no matter how much you will a telepathic message his way, he still fails to find you. Tears begin to slide down your face - is this really it? Will this be the end? When he's so close to you? Will he turn and walk in the wrong direction, giving the man holding you time to escape with you in tow?

The looming threat that if you step out of line you risk harming yourself and Cyno plays in your mind, but you also remember nights lying in bed with your husband, whispering reassurance to him that no matter the situation you knew he'd always save you. You had full confidence in his abilities.

Gathering your resolve you take a leap of faith and elbow your captor, biting the hand that impairs your voice. Making a mad dash from the hiding spot, you scream for Cyno, watching as his head whips in your direction.

It all happened so fast after that. One second there's just you, him and the two Eremites and in the next, you're surrounded. The mastermind Cyno had been holding manages to retch his arms free, whistling a tune causing other desert dwellers to pop up from seemingly nowhere. A capture net is being thrown over you, aiming true and trapping you once more. Cyno, now flanked from all sides, can only watch helplessly as two men grasp the ends of the net, dragging you like you're nothing but a sack of goods.

You squirm with all your might, but it does nothing as you're effortlessly tossed in a caravan, screaming and sobbing for your husband. Amidst the scuffle, the leader orders the others to "shut them up" and right after a powder is poured on you, the effects taking seconds to kick in.

You begin to quiet until you slump on your side, and Cyno feels the urgency build even more. He channels all the strength he has into at least breaking through to get to you, but the moment he does the snap of reins echoes out and the cart takes off.

So, he runs, because for once something much for valuable that his life is on the line. Because he can't afford to let the bad guy get away this time.

But a man cannot match the pace of a horse, and it isn't long before his stamina reaches its limit and he stumbles, and you disappear over the horizon.

———

Wriothesley, who believed he could save everyone.

By no means was the warden of the Fortress of Meropide lacking in skills. He's proven time and time again that he's worthy of the title of Duke among the underwater structure, able to shoulder the responsibility of keeping each and every inmate well cared for and as comfortable as possible.

Perhaps that was the reason he's failing now to protect those he really cares for, for you were no inmate, but rather the person he swore to spend the rest of his life with.

He knew that this day would come, but he was still so, so unprepared for it. The damn seal was due to break sooner or later, and it chose today of all days to do so. The evacuation was quick, maybe even quicker than the first one, but there was one difference this time around. Today was also the day that a couple Melusines had come in Monsieur Neuvillette's place, delivering some reports to Wriothesley while also taking this time to speak with Sigewinne.

"Where are they?" The Duke grits his teeth, running through every area he can reach. You weren't far behind, having insisted a second pair of eyes was better than one. When another room turned up empty he slammed his first into the wall, cursing loudly.

You did another look through in the places he missed before sighing, placing a hand on his chest, "We'll find them Wrio. Take a deep breath, please." He stares at you for a moment, doing as you suggested. You offer a small smile, "There aren't many rooms left, they've gotta be here."

"I know," he sighs, running a hand through his messy hair, "but we're running out of time."

Just as he says that the building rumbles and shakes, the sound of a pipe bursting in the distance sending fear through your body. All it takes is a shared look for you two to start running again, eyes and ears sharp as you try to catch even the slightest signs of life.

There were only two rooms left to check when you heard a call, not by a Melusine but by a pair of inmates. Turning to look, your stress levels spike.

“Shit, this isn’t good,” Wriothesley mutters, surveying the situation the moment you both made it over. One of the inmates was trapped underneath a metal panel, and his buddy wasn’t strong enough to lift it off him on his own.

They plead for help and you can see the cool grey eyes of your lover start to unfocus, a million thoughts passing through his mind. Time is running out, and as he's internally about to lose his cool the sound of your voice brings him back.

Laying a hand on his shoulder you squeeze firmly, "Listen, how about we split up? You deal with this and I go find the Melusines. We'll be faster that way."

His eyes widen at your proposition, and he doesn't even have to think twice about denying, "Now, hold on just a-!"

Another tremor, and you have to harden your tone to get your point across, “We don’t have time Wriothesley, help them and I’ll search the two rooms. When you’re done get them out of here, I won’t be far behind!”

He wants to say no, wants you to get to the surface and he'll take care of the inmate and missing Melusines, but as he looks at the crumbling Fortress he finds himself biting his lips before nodding. "You better stay safe, or else."

You smile, turning and disappearing into the second last room. A quick search proves nothing and when you leave you see your husband beginning to pull out the stuck inmate. You're able to meet gazes for a moment only to break it off, rushing into the last room.

It's easy to spot the brightly coloured blue beings amongst the dreary Fortress walls. "Thank Archons!" You sigh, almost tripping over your feet in your hurry to get them, scooping them up in your arms, "we have to go now you two!"

There's a groan of metal and the clatter of something collapsing in the distance, and it's safe to say you didn't waste time sprinting out of there. As you pass where you last saw your husband, there's a momentary wave of relief at seeing him no longer lingering there. You know then that he's gotten out, and that he's probably waiting anxiously for you.

The thought pushes you to get out faster, jumping over any puddles that have formed or debris. But just because you can jump doesn't mean you can dodge.

One piece then two fell from above, but when you look up dread courses through you upon the realization that a good section of the roof is about to drop. You acted before you could fully think and tossed the two tiny beings in your arms, sprinting just a little faster before leaping yourself. You're glad you managed to throw them out of the collapse zone, but you weren't so lucky, your leg getting trapped from midway to your knee and down under the pile of rubble. All it took was one attempt at tugging your leg out to know it was stuck under there good.

"Go," you pointed in the direction of the exit, immediately beginning to dig yourself out. The least you could do was get them to safety. The Melusines however hesitated, looking at each other before looking at you again. You knew they weren't strong enough to lift anything off you, so you repeated the one-word order, adding that you'd be right behind them.

You hear more than you see them run off, and after a minute of struggling you manage to free yourself, continuing towards the exit.

Wriothesley didn't stick around the entrance, instead busying himself with checking on everyone. If he didn't then he'd go mad and rush back in to get you. As he made another round he spotted the two creatures of the sea clutching onto the Iudex, their heads buried in his neck. If they were safe, then you must've made it out too, right?

Wriothesley gives the order to close the Fortress of Meropide off completely, and he watches unaware as he cages you in. It's only by chance that, once he's almost to the surface, he looks out the window of his escape submarine and through one of the windows of the Fortress. The horror sets in.

Even if it's useless, you stumble and limp up to the glass, banging on it, screaming for him. You're not sure what he'd do though, maybe you just wanted to see him one last time, wanted to tell him you love him, that it's not his fault. You stare at him, tears streaming down your face before turning your back to the ocean and sliding down to the ground.

Even if he can't hear you, you whisper out your love for him, how you'd never hold this against him. You pray to the Archons, to the Traveler, to Neuvillette, to Clorinde to watch over him for you.

You eye the rising water, and to make it just a little more bearable you pretend it's the first time you got Wriothesley to go swimming with you. You had dip your toes in first, as a show that the water wouldn't bite. He wasn't scared of the water, and he knew how to swim; he wasn't ashamed of the scars on his body either. No, he refused to go swimming back then because he didn't want to freeze, and it took you and the trust he placed in your word to tell him the water was perfect.

So, you repeat that same action, imagining Wriothesley is right beside you like that day years ago.

From the water pod, your husband watches frozen as you vanish in an instant, continuing to watch as the water rises until it's above the height of the glass. In that single moment, most of the warmth in his heart vanishes along with you.

"You promised you'd be safe... I trusted you..."

It was the first and last time any prisoner would see the almighty Wriothesley cry out, for he swore sometime later that he'd close off his heart and never let anyone get as close as you did. He knows deep down that's not what you'd want, but he knew he could never go through the same pain again and still continue to live.

———

Zhongli, who you were fighting side by side with.

It's always been like that, you and him up in arms against the world. It was like that in the Archon War, in the Cataclysm and any other time someone threatened the safety of the Lord of Geo's territory. You had his back and he had yours, something that only grew stronger as your relationship developed from war buddies to friends then finally to lovers.

It was... naive of you both to think that you'd be able to spend eternity together without issue. You were too blinded by the fact that you were both going to withstand time and he believed that there was no way he'd fail to protect you, not with the strength he possessed.

Your downfall was not due to time or a lack of strength, but rather your own desire to keep the man you love safe from harm.

Zhongli did not see the sword pierce your skin, but he did hear the strangled cry you let out. He felt the fear wash over him, he saw the bloody aftermath as you fell forward into him, no longer able to hold yourself upright.

Instinctively he wraps his arms around you, sinking to the grass with you. Crimson stains his hands and clothes fast as if the wound was his own and he knows right then that your time together is limited.

The pain you feel is searing and with each breath you take you're fighting to keep that air in your lungs long enough to get more. Your husband spoke softly as he stroked your shoulder, "Why did you take the hit for me?"

When you looked up into his warm, amber eyes you knew then that this was the last time he'd hold you, the last time you'd speak with one another. How interesting it is that you both realized at different points that this was the end.

"You..." you cough, body trembling in his hold and Zhongli almost regrets asking you to speak. He just wants to make you comfortable in your last moments, to act as if everything is okay. "You... were going to get hurt."

The man you knew to never weep lets a single tear slide down his face, a light chuckle getting stuck in his throat, "ah, how like you to put me above yourself. I'm the same way with you, so I suppose I can't point fingers, now can I?"

“No… you can’t,” you smile back, but it’s tough to force it through the pain. You cough again and this time a little blood comes up as well.

It’s getting harder and harder to breathe as the seconds tick by. “Morax.”

The former Archon stiffens; you rarely ever call him by his real name unless you're serious about something. "Yes, my dear? What is it?" When he sees you trying to lift your hand to his cheek, Zhongli dips his head, placing his own hand over yours.

Glazed eyes watch as you swallow, stuttering on your own breath, "I'm... I'm very proud of the man you've become compared to the Archon I first met. I'm very proud of the things you've done for Liyue, and I'm grateful for the things you've done for me."

Your eyes droop a little, and he knows your time to depart is near when he sees you rest your head against him more and with the way he has to hold up your hand for it to stay resting on his cheek. He swears he won't let you slip away until you've said your final peace.

"I... I need you to promise me something Morax."

"You know I will always do my best to honour your wishes," he tells you, his grip tightening on your hand. A sudden breeze picks up, blowing his hair in such an elegant way that your face softens, never not amazed by his beauty. Tranquillity washes over you, and it may sound crazy, but the scent the wind brought to you smelt like home, like a simpler time in your life.

All other sounds are drowned out, the wind blowing them far away so he could hear you clearly, "You have to find happiness again... even though I won't be there for you. Can... can you promise me that?"

He pulls you impossibly closer, removing your hand just to place a gentle kiss on your palm before returning it to its place, "I promise." In that moment he feels like he's lied to you, for he believes he'll never truly recover from your death, but that doesn't mean he won't try for you. And as you smile up at him for the last time, Morax feels that he could live with his answer to you.

Much like his friends of old, he knows he'll see you in the little things around the city - a lantern, a blooming flower, a cup of tea, the fires in fireplaces - as if you're watching over him. He'll continue to walk forward as everything passes him by, mingling with the ever-changing people and culture and surrounding himself with friends, because that's what he promised you, and he wants you to see that even when you're not by his side to experience it yourself.

"I'm happy now, see? But I will never be as happy as I was with you"

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[raiphoria]

Forced Arranged Marriage | Kamisato Ayato |

(Y/n) stared dumbfounded as he gazed at the single piece of paper that landed right on top of a scroll that he had spread out.

(E/c) hues slowly drifted upward as their owner stared at the figure that dared to place the piece of paper onto something his father ordered him to go over.

"You want me to marry, who?" (Y/n) asked as he stared at his mother in pure disbelief.

"Kamisato Ayato, the head of the Kamisato clan. What the hell is inside of that thick head of yours, my boy?" (M/n) asked as she released a heavy sigh from her lips.

The (H/c)-haired male raised a brow. "Mother, you do realize that father won't approve of this... Right?" He questioned as he lifted up the slip of paper and placed it off to the side.

(M/n) scoffed in distaste, knowing that her only child, her only son, was correct.

Her husband had vetoed every single idea she had placed upon (Y/n), because the senile of a man she married said he'd rather have a son feel wanted and not feel forced in anything that he didn't want to do.

"Oh, that senile old man doesn't know what he's thinking about!" She exclaimed with venom dripping out of her voice.

(Y/n) scowled lightly at the older woman in front of him. "I might've taken my father's main title, doesn't mean you get to choose what you want. It's my life, mother."

(M/n) scoffed once more as she rolled her eyes. "Well, tough luck because I chose the person that you'll be marrying!" She snapped before leaving the office with a loud bang following in her wake.

(Y/n) sat in his chair with a trembling figure as he picked up the slip of paper that his mother had given him, and stared at it in pure hatred.

"That woman is out of her mind," he grumbled as he crumbled up the arranged marriage contract, and threw it away into a nearby trash bin.

✧˖*°࿐

(Y/n) stared up at the Kamisato Estate that he had to visit the very same day due to a monthly get together he had with the Kamisato siblings.

As the male was about to knock on the door, Thoma popped his head and beamed when he saw (Y/n)'s figure.

"We've been waiting for you, (Y/n)!" Thoma exclaimed as he urged the slightly older male into the estate.

(Y/n) made a sound of denial as he slipped off his shoes, and replaced them with a set of slippers before following Thoma.

Thoma looked over his shoulder at the male. "I'm guessing your mother told you of the arrangement?" He asked.

(Y/n) tiredly raised a brow. "Oh, you knew about it too?" He questioned.

Thoma sent an apologetic smile. "Found out earlier this morning, sadly. Your mother is quite..." The blonde trailed off as he thought of a good word for (Y/n)'s mother.

"Crazy? Senile?" (Y/n) questioned.

"(Y/n)! But yes," Thoma answered.

(Y/n) frowned lightly. "And how did Ayato take it?" He questioned.

Thoma sadly smiled, "He didn't want to accept it, but you know how your mother is."

The (H/c)-haired male tsked quietly. "If only I knew, I would've stopped this."

"We know you would. But, you can't stop everything that comes tumbling into life," Thoma retorted.

Before (Y/n) could say anything, Thoma opened the room where Ayaka and Ayato sat in.

"I've brought him, your majesties!" Thoma states as he stands off near the side.

Ayaka brightened as she watched (Y/n) come and sit across from her and her older brother.

"(Y/n), it's so great to see you again," Ayaka greeted happily.

(Y/n) chuckled lightly, and nodded his head in agreement. "It's nice to see you both as well," he replied.

"I'll go get tea and snacks, be right back," Thoma states before heading off to get the refreshments.

Ayaka then tilted her head as she looked between Ayato and (Y/n).

"How are you two going to make this work?" She asked in a worried tone.

Ayato tiredly sighed as he shook his head.

(Y/n) sent a strained smile at the young female in front of him. "We'll find something to break this off. If we wanted to actually be placed into a marriage with one another, it would've been by our saying...not my mother's," he replied.

Ayaka stared sadly at Ayato, knowing that he too wanted to break off the marriage due to it being forced.

But at the same time, Ayato didn't want to break it.

He didn't want to because...

He was in love with (Y/n).

Ayaka felt sadness go through her veins as she switched her gaze between the men in front of her.

Seeing as she knew her brother well enough, he'd agree with (Y/n)'s choice and probably wait a week or two to officially ask for his hand in marriage.

No force being involved.

Just love being clasped together like it should be.

[kaiijo]

WINTER ACTIVITIES — [GENSHIN IMPACT]

characters: kamisato ayato, diluc ragnvindr, tighnari, arataki itto, childe content: fem! reader, minor spoilers for ayato and childe’s backgrounds notes: happy 2023 and here’s to the revival of the blog!

kamisato ayato — building snowmen

ayato didn’t get much of a chance to have a childhood, given that he not only began training to take over the kamisato clan at a fairly young age but had to actually assume the role as head of the clan and restore it to its former glory not long after

so you weren’t super shocked when thoma told you that ayato never really participated in any of the winter fun when it snowed in inazuma. “milord always had a meeting to attend or paperwork to do,” thoma said. “all that, coupled with the fact that inazuma doesn’t get a lot of snow, he just never really had the chance”

well, this winter, inazuma saw the most snowfall it had in a long time, and you were determined to help ayato makeup for those lost moments of childhood

You were a little confused when you woke up to an unusually cold room. Usually, the estate was the perfect temperature in the winter, but today, it seemed like the few blankets you and Ayato slept under were no match for the chill air. You glanced over and saw that Ayato wasn’t beside you, which only added to your befuddlement. Wrapping yourself in one of your thicker sweaters, you slid on your slippers and shuffled out of the room, nearly smacking right into Thoma. “Whoops!” he said as he just barely avoided you. “Apologies about that. I’m just about to turn up the heat more.”

“It’s not usually this cold,” you said.

Thoma chuckled, “I guess you haven’t looked outside yet.” You raised a questioning eyebrow before you caught your husband at the end of the hall, gazing out the window. You quickly bid Thoma farewell, moving to stand beside Ayato.

A grin spread across your face at the white blanket of pillowy snow that covered the Kamisato estate from roof to ground. “Wow,” you said, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen snow here.”

Ayato hummed, “The last time it was like this was the year my father began training me to become clan leader.”

You said, “Thoma mentioned that to me before. He also said that you never played with the other kids in the snow.”

“No,” Ayato said, “I suppose I didn’t. I don’t think I missed out on much.” Though he said this, you caught the wistful way he eyed the snow.

You glanced at the clock on the wall, which read just past seven in the morning. In about an half an hour, your husband would get himself ready for a long day of work. “Well, that won’t do,” you said. You tapped Ayato’s arm and said, “Get your coat on, we’re going outside.”

“Really? Right now?”

“Yes, right now.” He didn’t say anything further as you both returned to your room to grab your coats and slip on winter boots, making your way outside. You asked, “Was there any particular thing you really wanted to try in the snow?”

Ayato thought for a moment and replied, “Hmm, I was always rather fond of snowmen. I remember some of Father’s retainer’s children constructing them when it last snowed.”

You clapped your hands. “Perfect! Well, let’s get started then!” You showed Ayato how to pack together the snow and roll it forward, gathering more and more of the icy crystals on it until it turned into the large base of the snowman. Naturally, Ayato was a swift learner, easily creating the torso and head. You relished in the small, proud smile you caught on his face as he placed the head on top of the body.

“It needs its facial features,” Ayato said. “As well as a hat and arms, if I’m not mistaken.” You hummed in agreement and before you could go back inside to grab some of the things, Ayato was calling Thoma over to fetch them for you.

“I can do it,” you told Thoma.

He shook his head. “It’s my job, I don’t mind.” He returned with a carrot and an old top hat, handing them to Ayato while you found some pebbles on the estate. You handed some to Ayato, who carefully placed them to form eyes and a mouth before sticking the carrot in the middle of the snowman’s face, giving it a nose. He let you place the hat and arms and the two of you stepped back to review your creation.

Ayato smiled, wrapping an arm around your waist. “We should name him,” you said. Ayato nodded and finally answered, “Kenzo. That was my father’s name.” He motioned to the hat on the snowman. “That was his so I think it’s only appropriate to name it after him.”

“I think that’s perfect.”

There was a moment of silence before Ayato said, “That was rather enjoyable. Would you like to make another?”

You checked your own watch for the time and said, “I would but unfortunately, you’ll be called away for work soon.”

Ayato replied, “All those things can wait. I’d rather be out here with you today.”

diluc ragnvindr — shopping the winter market

every winter, an open air market took over the streets of mondstadt, bringing sellers and buyers from all across teyvat

diluc hadn’t gone in a while since he saw no need to wade through large crowds for wares he could easily obtain and had little use for, but since he started dating you, adelinde had dropped very un-subtle hints that he should take you there as it would be your first time experiencing it. “you can also get her a nice gift there,” adelinde said. “i remember that the jewels from liyue and sumeru were particularly beautiful.”

while he wasn’t a fan of the crowd or all the noise and chaos, he found that it was a bit more tolerable with you holding onto his arm with eyes sparkling with wonder

“Look, look, Diluc!” you said, pointing at a merchant’s stand to your left. The table was piled high with Inazuman delicacies like sandwiches and noodle dishes and a meal that was shaped to look like a cat, which, in Diluc’s opinion, was a little too nauseatingly cute. You tugged him over to the stall and asked, “Have you ever tried dango before?” you asked him, pointing at the skewers with tri-colored balls on them.

“I can’t say I have, no.”

You smiled at the merchant, an elderly lady who was looking fondly at the pair of you. “We’ll take two dango, please.”

“Of course, dear,” she handed them over to you and as Diluc got his wallet out to pay, she shook her head. “On the house today.”

“I insist,” Diluc said but she shook her head again.

“I won’t hear any of that young man. It’s on me, honest. You two just remind me so much of me and my husband when we were young. So, take it as a thank you for reminding an old woman of a nice memory.”

Diluc blushed and your smile only grew as you thanked her, taking the skewers and continuing through Mondstadt. The streets were packed with people and you held on a little tighter to Diluc as you chewed on your dango. “This is good,” Diluc said.

You nodded. “I know! I tried them when I visited Inazuma as soon as the Sakoku Decree was lifted.”

Diluc smiled warmly at you before another stall caught his eye — a seller from Liyue hawking intricately carved and decorated jade jewelry. He led you towards it, delighting in the way your eyes brightened at the pieces laid out on display. Your eyes drifted over a particularly lovely bracelet; it wasn’t overly intricate or as detailed as some of the other pieces but there was a phoenix carved into it that reminded you of your boyfriend.

“Do you like that one?” Diluc asked you.

“Yeah, it makes me think of you,” you said, pointing to the phoenix design. You laughed a little as Diluc’s face went pink and he handed the merchant his Mora.

tighnari — winter nature walk

given that sumeru was mostly rainforest and desert, it was expected that tighnari had never really seen or experienced snow. he was very curious to know what it was like though and he readily accepted your invitation to accompany you to dragonspine on a commission

on the way to the mountains, you two bought some wool-lined coats from a traveling snezhnayan merchant and tighnari was ever so grateful that you did since, the moment you two began approaching dragonspine, he immediately felt the blustering winds against his ears.

you finished the commission rather quickly and, rather than just leaving the mountains, you two decided to take a stroll to through one of the less monster and fatui infested areas

Tighnari blew out another long breath, watching as it hung in the air in a cloud of smoke. He looked up at the sky, awed by the dark gray of the clouds and the tallest peak of the mountain. You tapped his shoulder gently and he saw you holding a gray-blue shard of rock out to him. “It’s Starsilver,” you told him. “It’s only found here.”

“Fascinating,” he said. “I remember reading a book in the Akademiya that talked about the usage of Starsilver in Warming Bottles, which are supposed to mimic the effects of Warming Seelies.”

You nodded and he tucked it into a pocket in his coat, electing instead to take your hand in his. As you ventured through the mountains, you grinned at the way Tighnari’s ears would flick with every new sound they picked up. You loved the way he studied the new flora and fauna he found there. He looked over a mint sprig that poked out the snow, musing, “How can something like this survive in such a harsh climate?”

You two came to a clearing and found a fairly dry log to sit and rest on. Tighnari looked over at you and motioned for you to come closer. He reached out and brushed some of the snowflakes out of your hair and you laughed, shaking your head out. “Better?” you asked.

He chuckled and patted your head again. You leaned it against his shoulder and he stacked his atop yours. “Thank you,” he said, “for bringing me to such a beautiful place.”

arataki itto — snowball fight

you and itto were on your way to meet up with the gang for some meeting itto called, though you were almost certain it was more of a hangout than a formal meeting (as if there ever were any in the arataki gang)

it snowed for the first time in a long time on narukami island, so you and itto were taking your time making your way through inazuma city to go to hanamizaka. well, you were taking your time, your boyfriend was busy drawing caricatures of himself on every surface powdered in snow. suddenly out of the corner of your eye, you saw a white mass flying towards you and you moved out of the way just in time, letting it hit itto squarely in the back as he worked on another snow drawing

it wasn’t hard to figure out that it was one of the arataki gang members from the sounds of rustling and snickering and itto yelled, “you’ll pay for that!”

“Whaddaya think?” Itto asked proudly, turning away from the wall to reveal the newest stick figure he’d drawn of himself. You could make out the horns growing from the drawing’s head as well as his claymore sword but otherwise, it really didn’t look like Itto at all.

Still, you said, “Looks great, Itto!”

“Aww, you say that about all my drawings,” he said, slinging an arm around your shoulder and guiding you through the street. “Must mean I’m pretty good!”

You rolled your eyes playfully and said, “Sure.”

He scoffed, “What do you mean ‘sure’? Look, watch this!” He quickly broke away from you again and made his way over to one of the low stone walls, scribbling another cartoon with his finger. As he was bent over working on it, there was a small commotion that caught your attention. You glanced over your shoulder but didn’t see anything. Shrugging, you looked back to where Itto was still concentrated on whatever he was doodling but you kept your guard up. Just in case.

You were glad you did as you saw a white ball zooming towards you. You swiftly stepped back, the snowball missing you by a narrow margin and hitting your boyfriend’s back instead. He jumped up and whirled around, immediately catching his fellow Arataki Gang members hidden poor;ly behind shrubbery and suppressing their laughter. “You’ll all pay for that!” he yelled, lunging towards them and prompting the three to scramble away.

They weren’t fortunate enough, however, with Itto easily catching up to them. “We’re sorry, Boss!” Mamoru said as he struggled through peels of laughter. “We really a—” He was cut off when Itto launched a much larger snowball towards Mamoru. Mamoru ducked and the ball hit Genta instead.

“Oh, it’s on, Boss!” Genta hurled a snowball towards Itto, who retaliated with another two aimed at Genta and Akira.

You stood off to the side, watching the chaos unfold while shaking your head. Your boyfriend could be a lot but at the end of the day, you couldn’t deny the way your heart swelled as he laughed victoriously when he nailed Mamoru in the neck.

He packed another snowball together, wound his arm back, and threw it, though it wildly missed its intended target (Akira) and hit someone else instead: you. You wiped the cold snow off your face and your expression immediately dropped from affectionate to something more sinister. “I’ll give you three seconds, boys,” you said as you slowly crouched down, gathering snow in your hands.

Itto yelped and called to his members, “Retreat, guys, retreat!”

Beside the heavy snowfall, it was a pretty normal day in Inazuma City, the locals watching on in amusement as the men of the Arataki Gang sprinting towards Hanamizaka with you hot on their heels.

childe — ice skating

since getting engaged, childe decided it was time to finally bring you to snezhnaya to formally meet his family. he had gushed about you in letters to them already and you’ve even written a few yourself to them, but you never met them face to face though it felt like you all knew each other well already

as expected, childe’s family welcomed you with open arms and childe’s younger siblings were already begging you and childe to play with them and skate with them on the frozen lake a little ways away from the family home

you and childe gave in pretty quickly (as if there was any resistance at all) and you found yourself lacing up an old pair of skates childe’s mother gave you and wobbling on the ice with your fiance and his siblings

“Ouch!” you huffed as you tumbled onto the ice for what felt like the umpteenth time, and Childe had the audacity to laugh as he helped you up.

“I take it you don’t have a lot of skating experience.”

“Really?” you asked him dryly. “How could you tell?”

He just laughed again and took both of your hands in his, sliding to a stop in front of you and turning so he faced you. “Show off.”

“It’s easy when you get the hang of it, promise,” he said, starting to slowly skate backwards and pull you along with him. Tonia, Teucer, and Anthon whizzed by, the force of their speedy skating nearly knocking you off balance. You tripped into your fiance’s arms and he said, “Well, it seems like you’ve fallen for me.”

You made a face and said, “Get out of here.”

He grinned at you and started his slow backwards skate again as he guided you along the perimeter of the lake. “Just like that,” he said as you mimicked his movements. Gradually, he loosened his grip on your hands until he completely let go, skating further from you and opening his arms up. “Skate towards me,” he said.

“I would if you stopped moving!”

“That’s kind of the point!”

You pouted at him before focusing on your own movements, falling into the hypnotizing rhythm of skating and gliding. Before you knew it, you were sliding easily into Childe’s open arms, which he folded around your waist. “You’re a natural,” he said.

“I had a good teacher,” you replied, smiling at him. He leaned in and kissed you, which earned disgusted whining from Teucer and Anthon, and a squeal from Tonia.

When you broke apart, Childe stroked your cheek with a cold hand and said, “I’m glad you’re here.”

You pressed your face into his hand. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

[ninlilwinds]

Genshin Impact Being Fathers

Summary: Fem!Reader and genshin men with everyday mayhem of raising a child

Characters: Thoma, Gorou, Kazuha, Zhongli

Warning: Not Proofread and written at a late hour. If there are any major mistakes, let me know!

(You have a little girl named Airi)

You and your husband Thoma were enjoying each other's warmth. The Kamisato Family had given Thoma a day off since it was a special holiday. Usually, the Kamisato estate was busier during this day, but he had accepted the day off with gratitude. After all, now he got to sleep in as he held you close and admired how beautiful you looked even with the small dark circles that had developed since a certain little trickster was born and your hair untamed.

Everything was peaceful. The house was quiet, the birds outside chirped a melody, and the temperature was nice and cool. If this was a dream, Thoma didn't want to wake up anytime soon.

He heard the door click and slide open as little footsteps attempted to be stealthy as they crept up to the bed. Thoma felt the sheets behind him being grabbed and the bed being pulled down as a new weight was added.

He turned around, grabbing the little miss by the waist and pulling her against his chest, "Good Morning, Airi." He said quietly, not wanting to wake you up.

Airi on the other hand, did not take that into consideration, "Papa! I'm hungry!" she squirmed in his embrace and got up bouncing on the bed. Your eyebrows crinkled and you opened your eyes, yawning.

At first, he looked alarmed, but in any case, you could fall asleep again after he took care of Airi, "Good Morning, my love." he kissed your forehead. You smiled sleepily.

"Good morning, Mama!" Airi copied Thoma and kissed your forehead.

"G'morning." You sat up rubbing our eyes.

Thoma pushed you back down on the bed and smiled, "I'm home today, remember? I'll handle the household chores."

You yawned and nodded smiling at the love of your life as he picked up Airi and carried her out.

Just as you were about to fall asleep you heard Thoma whispering to Airi to be careful, "Don't spill the juice. Ah careful you're tilting it."

You looked up and saw Thoma carrying a tray of food and beside him, Airir trying her hardest to not spill the juice she was carrying for her mother.

"Mama! Don't fall asleep! We have your breakfast!" Airi handed you the glass and you thanked her as Thoma set the tray on your lap.

"That pancakey looks really good, right Mama?" Airi almost drooled at the sight.

You nodded and cut a piece with the knife and held it up to her on the fork, "Your papa is a very good cook, isn't he?"

Airi took the bite and munched, expressing her happiness through squeals over how good the food was.

You ate as Airi told you about her crazy dreams about becoming the goddess of candy and giving candy out to all kids. Thoma was beside you, listening to her as he gave you a gentle massage on your shoulders. Life was perfect, what more could you ask for?

(You have triplets, 2 boys one girl. Their names are Haru, Kaneko and Ren)

"Chichi!!!!!!" Ren's voice cried out from her brother's room. Gorou dropped what he was doing and ran towards the room to see what was happening.

"Ren!" He kicked the door open and was shocked at the sight. Haru held Ren's arms down as Kaneko held scissors up to her braids. Ren was sobbing as she kicked trying to get away from her. brothers.

"Haru! Kaneko! Release your sister at once!" He used a voice much scarier than his commander voice; he used his parent voice.

Once they let go, Ren ran over to Gorou and hugged him, hiding behind him, "This has gone too far boys."

"It was Kaneko's idea!" Haru quickly defended himself. Kaneko stared at him in disbeleif.

"Why is everyone always against me!" Kaneko teared up.

"No one is against you; you just shouldn't be cutting your sister's hair. That goes for both of you." He picked up Ren and swayed herto calm her down.

His ears perked up as he heard the door open. He sighed in relief since he knew that meant you were finally home, "Your mother will handle this."

You stopped as you took your shoes off to enter the house and stared down the hallway. Those were never good words. You finished taking your coats and shoes off and headed down the hallway, "Your mother will handle what?"

Everyone began talking at once and you stood there with an annoyed face, waiting for everyone to finish, "Okay now that we got that out of our systems, let's go in order. Ren, what happened?"

"I was playing with my dolls and Haru called me over. He grabbed me and Kaneko tried cutting my hair!" She glared at her brothers.

You tried not to react too much as you looked over at the boys, "Kaneko, your turn."

"I was bored and heard Ren talk about needing a haircut..." He shuffled his feet and looked. at the ground.

"Haru?" You finished.

"Kaneko told me to call Ren over and play a prank on her!" He said, trying to put as least blame on himself as he could.

"Well, that was clearly wrong on you boy's part. Apologize to your sister." You placed your hands on your hips.

"Sorry, Ren." They both mumbled.

Ren walked over to them and bonked both of their heads with a pillow, "You're forgiven." she huffed.

You smiled and shook your head as you sighed.

Gorou walked over to you and placed a gentle kiss on your lips, "Dinner is ready. I'll serve it to you." he said.

"Alright now that everything is settled let's all have dinner." You knelt down and held your hands out to embrace your kids. They all went running and hugged you tightly, "Welcome home Mom!"

Your life wasn't fully perfect, but it was times like these that made you happy you had the family you did.

(You have a baby boy named Shinjiro and a toddler named Mei)

You slid to the ground slowly as you took a deep and shaky breath. It had been hours and it was now 3 a.m and your baby, Shinjiro, had not stopped sobbing. At this point you were tired, in pain, and wanted to join him in his cries.

He had been fed, changed, you checked for any sickness such as a fever, the temperature was ideal, you had swayed, walked, anything you could think of to get the little one to sleep, but nothing worked.

You looked up as footsteps walked towards you. Kazuha smiled gently, picking up Shinjiro from your arms and humming a tune, swaying him in a gentle a slow rhythm.

You buried your face into your hands and tried to quite your sobs. After a few minutes he'd managed to put the little one to sleep. He placed the baby in the nursery room and went to rejoin you.

He knelt down in front of you and placed his hands on your sides, rubbing circles soothingly, "You're doing a great job, (Y//n). I know it gets a bit hard at times, but that's why ideally there should be two parents."

You nodded and sniffled, calming down, "Thank you, Kazuha." You slid to the floor and hugged him. He hugged you back firmly, humming a gentle tune to fully calm you down.

You both jumped as you felt someone else join the hug, "Mama, Papa, Shinjiro woke me up."

Kazuha looked at you and smiled warmly, "How about you sleep with us tonight, Mei."

She held her hands up to be picked up and Kazuha grabbed her and stood up, "I wanna sleep with Mama and Papa."

You stood up as well, "Let's go then." You mustered a tired smile and followed Kazuha and Mei.

Kazuha helped Mei settle, placing her in the middle between you and him. Mei snuggled into your neck as Kazuha hugged you both, continuing to hum a calming tune. Mei quickly fell asleep, but your thoughts kept you awake.

"My dearest?" Kazuha whispered, noticing your tense features.

You shook your head and stroked Mei's head, "I'm fine. Just tired." Kazuha had helped so much in helping with your two kids. You almost felt like you were merely a babysitter, not a true mother.

He slowly leaned over and tilted your head up, placing a gentle kiss to your lips, "Don't fret too much, love. They're both doing great, and so are we. This was just a rough night. It'll be better tomorrow." he tucked a loose hair behind your ear.

You nodded and hugged Mei a closer, "You're right. Tomorrow will be better." You slowly drifted off to sleep as Kazuha continued to hum, running his fingers through your hair in an attempt to help ease you.

Although you had your doubts most days, Kazuha was always there to help you pass the day and end it in a good note.

(You have a little boy named Jianyu)

Zhongli chuckled as he watched you teach Jianyu how to properly hold the teacup. He kept holding it in a way he complained he got burnt. At first you told him to simply drink his warm milk, but he just had to be like his baba.

"Oh, come on Jianyu! Your milk is super good. Why don't you drink that instead."

"No!" He grabbed the cup again the whinned, "It's too hot!"

Zhongli placed his cup down and grabbed Jianyu's hands, guiding him on where to hold the cup. Jianyu carefully brought it up to his lips (with Zhongli's help), and then took a small sip.

You sighed and stood up, drinking the milk yourself so it didn't spoil, "Don't burn your tongue."

Zhongli smiled as he looked at his son. Besides his eyes, he looked exactly like Zhongli. He though living a normal life was impossible, but you had proven him wrong, providing him with a family and a home.

Sometimes he felt saddened he'd see your death and his child's, but he had to push those thoughts aside, and focus on the present. Enjoy the years you did have together.

"Mama! I'm drinking tea! Just like daddy!" Jianyu swayed his feet forward and backwards as he tried to contain his excitement.

"Yes, I can see that. You look just like your father." You smiled and looked at Zhongli as he looked at your child with loving eyes.

"DO you think I'll get a geo vision like daddy? I hope the geo archon finds me in their favor."

You doubled back and choked on air as you looked at him. Where had he learned this? You and Zhongli had decided to keep his identity a secret, but you hadn't expected this out of nowhere. Perhaps his friend's had begun talking about visions.

"Perhaps Rex Lapis will one day." You smiled nervously, trying not to crush your kid's dreams or say something out of place in front of Rex Lapis himself.

"Yes perphas. But, Rex Lapis is no longer the geo archon. He died not that long ago." Zhongli agreed, patting Jianyu's head and smiling.

Jianyu' eyes went wide, "Oh no, that's terrible!" he frowned.

"But I'm sure he's still out there watching over you>" Zhongli assured.

Jianyu quickly reverted back to a smile, "Yeah!" He hugged his father and jumped down the seat, "I'm gonna go play with my friends now!"

"Be careful!" you called out as Jianyu ran out the door. You sighed, "Where does he get all that energy and those questions?"

"I think he's a lot like his mother." he smiled and stood up grabbing you by the waist.

"Don't be ridiculous, Mr. Zhongli!"

You smiled and hugged him. Maybe he did get it from you...

[cryoculus]

— guard dog 13 ⟢

pairing: thoma x assassin!reader

summary: paying the blood price for your sins is something you once thought of as futile. but as long as you're with the kamisato clan, you're certain that you'll be able to afford the world's forgiveness someday.

word count: 9.8k words

notable characters: thoma, kamisato ayaka, kamisato ayato, sayu, kujou sara

tags: found family, enemies to lovers, slow burn, angst, smut

warnings: graphic sexual content (minors dni), semi-public sex

notes: this is the end of it! thank you so much for following this series so patiently! i hope you enjoyed reading this just as much as i enjoyed writing it ^^

header art cr: cuppydraws on twt

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Fortunately, no one had been suffering severe conditions when you and Thoma finally arrived back home. The worst symptom that manifested across the people in the estate was Ayato’s prior show of coughing up blood in front of you the other day. Now, everyone was relatively fine. Nervous for the fate of the Yashiro Commission, but otherwise fine.

You were quick to round up Hina’s help to administer the available doses of the cure to those that needed it first—Ayaka and Ayato, the elderly retainers, and those with existing medical conditions. The other attendants volunteered to brew the next batch of Sango broth following Doctor Naoko’s instructions in his journal and Thoma gladly busied himself by helping out as well—speeding up the boiling process with his Vision and all.

Contrary to your prior assumptions, your abysmal supply of pearls was surprisingly enough to cover all the retainers and attendants in the estate, along with your esteemed visitors. 

Given that he was unconscious for the majority of the day, you had to administer Kujou Masahito’s dose intravenously. It’s a good thing Hina had some sterile syringes stashed away in the estate’s first aid kit. When he finally came to, Sara, who was still stuck here as well, gave him a thorough questioning. 

However, instead of the merciless man who’d issued your orders to kill Ayaka, you were met with a soldier blinking up at his current audience in confusion.

Turns out, the man was merely another pawn in this convoluted war of ideals. Their father, Kujou Takayuki was the sole mastermind behind the Tatarigami experiments. Masahito explained, in great detail, that their father had been playing his cards quite suspiciously over the past few months. 

“I suspected he was onto something, but he wouldn’t tell me what,” he sighed. “I didn’t know why he wanted us to build a base on Yashiori Island, and I was in no place to refuse. The next thing I knew, I felt like I was in a dream all this time. I was awake, but my decisions weren’t my own. I suppose it’s the same for all the men he’d forced me to bring.”

Ayato gaped at him. “So you’re telling me that the guys who attacked us the other day walked from Yashiori to here?”

“I’m sorry, Lord Ayato. My memory is still quite fuzzy, but that might be the case.”

Huh. That explained why your back-up from burning the tengu feather took so long. Once that was made clear, you decided to come clean to Kujou Sara about the contingency plan Masahito presented to you when he was being mind-controlled.

“No wonder I felt a bit off-kilter that day,” she sighed, massaging her temples. “It’s alright. Once we’re all cleared of the infection, Lord Ayato and I will raise this issue directly to the Raiden Shogun herself. Our father’s actions are putting the people in peril.”

“...Did you just say you’re going to work with us on this?” the Yashiro Commissioner asked incredulously. 

“I’m not as disagreeable as you think I am,” Sara huffed. “I’ve had my own...reservations about our father’s methods when it comes to war tactics. But this is something that would be a crime to overlook. It’s our word against his.”

To her brother’s side, Ayaka spoke out. “Is it safe to assume that Kujou Takayuki has been colluding with the Kanjou Commission? I think part of the reason they refuse to have the Vision Hunt repealed is because they’re profiting off this war more than we thought…”

Masahito nodded somberly. “It’s true that father has been quite…taken with the wealth he’s made from the war effort. That’s why no matter how many times the Yashiro Commission attempts to raise the concern to Her Excellency, they’re quick to shoot down your attempts despite being the commission closest to the Raiden Shogun.”

“So they’ve been taking advantage of it this whole time…” Sara muttered.

…God. This was way too much information for you to take. Why were you even part of this audience in the first place? You were just one of the many casualties that got caught up in a noble’s greedy endeavors. 

Thankfully, it was sorted out faster than you’d anticipated. 

You were back to checking up on every member of the house with Hina in no time. Despite having little medical experience of your own, everyone was surprisingly cooperative when you checked their vitals and asked how each one was faring. But you didn’t have the time to appreciate the fact that everything had seemingly returned to normal with how your fellow retainers treated you because of the amount of patients you had to monitor. 

In the process, you got to speak to the retainers more than usual. Especially Hina, since the estate’s resident healer was pretty much your partner-in-crime for this entire operation. She was kind and patient enough to manage everyone’s medical reports alongside you. And she even filled you in on some random bits of trivia for every person you treated.

“Hirano used to be a player from an underground fighting ring,” Hina whispered. “He doesn’t know who his parents are, and the Commissioner suspected he was a victim of child trafficking.”

“That’s awful,” you told her, face scrunching up. “...You told me back then not everyone is as noble as they seemed.”

She nodded. “Yup. Ayame was a notorious pickpocket at Ritou Harbor. Old man Yuuji used to be a slave trader. There’s lots more that everyone in here got in trouble for in their dark days, but Lady Ayaka and the Commissioner gave them a second chance at life. Now here we are.”

You nodded solemnly, a smile finding its way to your lips. “What about you? What did you do for a living before coming here?”

Hina hesitated for a moment but eventually laughed. “I used to manufacture dangerous drugs and poisons for the underground. You know that powdered crystal marrow you used on Ayame? My old master was the one who came up with the formula for it.”

“What?! Huh, small world.”

“By the way, the Commissioner told me that a doctor that’s familiar with the effects of the Tatarigami will arrive in a day or two,” Hina told you once the two of you finally caught a break by the gardens. “He’ll be a great help, I’m sure. And we’ll get to treat the soldiers that have been infected, too.”

You nodded in understanding as you leaned against the fences overlooking the ocean, sighing. “Do you have any news about those guys? Last I heard, Lord Ayato had them shipped off to some containment facility underneath Inazuma City.”

She hummed. “While you and Master Thoma were away, the Commissioner has been sending messenger crows all over the country almost tirelessly. He’s been laying the groundwork all this time. If Lady Ayaka hadn’t scolded him for overworking himself despite the fact that he’s more susceptible to the curse than most, he might still be at it until now.”

“That’s Lord Ayato for you…”

The next day, when the doctor that Ayato had rang up had arrived, you were the first to brief him about the situation—the state of the estate’s denizens, the timeframe of the curse’s onset, and the experimental cure you’ve administered. 

“I’m no professional, so I’m not sure if it’s safe for them to go out like usual even if they seem relatively okay now.” You sighed, scratching the back of your head awkwardly. “That’s why I was wondering if you knew any better way to—”

“Tell me…do you know someone called Suzuki Naoko?” he interrupted, looking up from the journal containing Doctor Naoko’s research notes. 

You blinked in surprise. “Y-Yes. That notebook belongs to him. The cure we made was also based on his findings when he stayed in Yashiori Island.”

He laughed softly, nodding in earnest. “I see. He and I used to be colleagues at the Sumeru Academia. We both chose the so-called Tatarigami curse as our respective thesis topics, but we’ve had conflicting ideas as to how it can be cured. I think it’s obvious which one of us turned out to be right after all.”

Your jaw nearly dropped. You knew Doctor Naoko was a bit too intelligent for your everyday medical professional, but to think he went to Sumeru Academia, of all places? 

The doctor that Ayato had invited eventually introduced himself as Haruno Shinya, and once Doctor Shinya was done with his own routine check-up of everyone in the estate, he gave you the green light to produce more of that Sango broth you cooked up with Doctor Naoko’s recipe.

“It’s a bit odd, though,” he said. “One of the reasons I was against using Sango pearls as a Tatarigami combatant is because of how long it takes for it to work. The pearl itself has special properties, yes. But you have to wield a certain flame to truly access its full potency. Boiling it over regular flames isn't enough.”

The gears slowly clicked into place as you processed his words. 

It took months for you to get over the illness because Doctor Naoko had only experimented with ordinary fire when he boiled the pearls. But now, with the use of Thoma’s fervent Pyro Vision, the effect was near instantaneous. 

“To think Naoko died trying to save people with his hypothetical cure. What a hero,” Doctor Shinya chuckled, adding a couple of annotations of his own to Doctor Naoko’s notes. “I’ve been observing Tatarigami patients for a chunk of my career, and I’m positive that everyone in this estate is cured. But you mentioned another set of patients in the capital…?”

“Yes. The Commissioner gave strict orders to his men to keep the soldiers isolated from everyone else. But we haven’t been able to procure more Sango pearls to manufacture enough doses to cover them…” 

He nodded as he shut Doctor Naoko’s journal, handing it back to you as he patted your shoulder. “You’ve done plenty already, kid. You’re the one who’s been spearheading this whole operation, aren’t you?”

“I… Yeah. I guess you can say that.”

“I expect no less from Naoko’s apprentice,” Doctor Shinya praised. “Leave the patients at the capital to me. I’m actually a native of Watatsumi myself, so I’ll be able to get my hands on all the pearls you’re going to need. However, I have one last question.”

You raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”

“Did you do anything special with the experimental procedure?” he asked, one brow raised. “Sango broth isn’t supposed to be this potent, but here we are, with dozens of recovered patients in no less than a few days.”

While Doctor Shinya elaborated on his inquiry, your eyes managed to catch Thoma across the courtyard, speaking animatedly to one of the elderly retainers. Your heart warmed. It’s been a while since you’ve spoken to him. Your hands have been tied with fussing over the patients that you hadn’t exactly found the time to approach him again. Then, your gaze slowly roved over to the red orb gleaming at his side.

“Yeah,” you replied—a knowing smile spreading on your face. “All you need is a bunch of Sango pearls and…someone with a Pyro Vision.” 

The following days in the estate have mellowed down as everyone quickly recovered. Migraines were gone, spontaneous bleeding episodes resolved, and you’re elated to find out that only a few retainers had suffered the onset of nightmares. They've begun sleeping more peacefully these days, too.

However, the situation of the power balance in the Tri-Commission only got more and more hectic thereafter. 

While you were busy taking care of the patients with Hina, Ayaka and Ayato, together with the Kujou siblings, testified against the Kanjou and Tenryou Commissions’ blatant mismanagement of the war. They were going to try and repeal the Vision Hunt Decree with Kujou Sara’s support as agreed upon as well. Because of this, neither of the two Kamisato heads had been home for nearly two weeks, and the only way you could keep tabs on what was happening was through Thoma himself.

The chief retainer was granted the privilege to attend briefings with the Raiden Shogun but wasn’t required to remain at the Tenshukaku for longer than necessary. It was for that reason that everyday, Thoma went back to the estate to report the situation to everyone before returning to the capital before morning.

You didn’t even have the time for a quick chat with him either. Whenever Thoma was in the estate, he’d update all of you about the state of affairs in the pavilion before promptly passing out in his bedroom. Not a single soul dared to disturb him from those few hours of rest.

It was really kind of him to go through all the trouble, you thought. Everyone in the Yashiro Commission didn’t seem to make too much of a fuss about the whole fiasco. But you guessed it was because of Thoma’s constant reassurance that both retainers and attendants managed to fall back into their old routines without hesitation. 

Today was the last day of routine check-ups that Doctor Shinya had advised you to conduct, and you’re glad to know that everyone was pretty much in the clear now. But as the people around you continued going about with life as usual, you found yourself gaining more free time than you knew what to do with.

Technically, you’re no longer a retainer of the Kamisato house, and neither Ayaka nor the Commissioner officially invited you back into their ranks. But with how much they’ve got on their plates, it was normal for you to be a sitting duck now that everyone in the estate was cured. 

Being completely aware of that did nothing to quell the agitation, though.

You couldn’t bring yourself to seek some semblance of comfort from Thoma either. You knew he was just as busy as the Kamisato siblings. But another reason why you’re a bit hesitant to approach him alone was because…you’re unsure of what you actually were to the guy.

After that eventful trip to Yashiori Island, you’d be lying to yourself if you said you didn’t think about the way he’d kissed you that day. Of course, you’d snap out of it once you caught yourself daydreaming, but…

What else were you supposed to think about?

Despite having complete freedom to do whatever you wanted, you weren’t the type to go around kissing other people for the hell of it. You could barely stand the idea of receiving affection until recently. So when the man who claimed the rights to your first kiss suddenly became too busy to sit down with you and talk about it properly, you supposed you’re entitled to some degree of senseless overthinking.

One day, Hina came up to you at lunch. 

“Doctor Shinya reached out to Madarame this morning,” she told you. “He said he wants you to meet him at the capital.”

For some odd reason, the news filled you with an inexplicable sense of relief. Given that this was the last day your semi-nonexistent medical expertise was needed, you feared that you'd be the only one not doing anything around the estate. And since your status as a retainer was still in question, Madarame decided not to issue any housework for you to do. 

“You’ve done plenty for us, Miss Kira. You deserve to rest, too,” he said. You wanted to tell him that keeping your hands busy also kept thoughts of Thoma far away, but you didn’t exactly know how to break it to him at the time.

Now though, you’ve found a much-needed distraction.

“Miss Kira.”

You’re in the middle of a conversation with Hirano, who offered you a ride to the capital on his horse, when Ayame approached you in the courtyard. She met your gaze with a hint of hesitation, like she was embarrassed. But you didn’t let yourself scrutinize her more than you should. 

“Miss Ayame,” you greeted in return. “Is anything the matter?”

Ayame opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, and sighed. “I… Can I speak with you for a moment?”

“Sure,” you agreed with a smile, turning to Hirano. “I’ll meet you outside after. Thanks again.”

The guard nodded earnestly. “Anytime! This is the least I can do for you, after all.”

Huh? The least he could do…? But weren’t you the one who’s indebted to them for trying to kill one of their leaders? Alas, you couldn’t spare it another thought when you followed Ayame to a less crowded corner in the gardens. She was awfully quick to get to the point.

“I was wrong about you.”

You watched in silence as Ayame traced idle shapes in the sand with the rake in her grasp. “What do you mean?”

“I thought you were going to take advantage of milady’s trust,” she murmured. “For a while, I even blamed you for the Tenryou Commission’s attack on the estate, too.”

A soft breeze wafted through the courtyard, making you sigh. “You’re completely right about that. It was because of me that the mansion got sacked by those soldiers.”

“But you didn’t leave us for dead,” Ayame argued, turning to face you with an insistent look. “You even went to that…that cursed island just to give us a cure you made yourself. Us, the same people who tried to shun you out of the estate.”

You waved a hand dismissively. “I’m only trying to undo the damage I’ve done. That doesn’t make me any less of the cold-blooded killer you know I am.”

“Real cold-blooded killers won’t try to ‘undo the damage they’ve done’, though.”

Her response was almost petrifying in how sincere it came forth. You stared at Ayame with equal parts confusion and disbelief as you knit your brows together. 

“Miss Ayame… What are you trying to say?”

She huffed. “Well, it’s obvious that Lady Ayaka’s kindness has gotten through so there’s no point in antagonizing you. That’s why, I… I wanted to apologize. For the way I acted around you these past few weeks.”

One second passed, then two, before you ended up burying your face in your hands.

“Miss Kira?” Ayame asked, puzzled. “What’s wrong?”

Archons. She was so sincere with her apology, and you had the gall to overlook the one thing that made her so hostile with you in the first place.

Slowly, your hands dropped to your sides as you shot her a somber look.

“I still haven’t apologized for drugging you that night.”

Ayame’s lips parted with confusion before she slipped back that mask of hostility that’s grown so familiar to you now. “It took you this long to realize that?! Gods, I knew I shouldn’t have apologized first!”

“Miss Kira!” You suddenly heard Hirano shout from the entrance. “Your ride’s ready! Let me know when we’re leaving!”

Not wanting to receive the brunt of Ayame’s wrath, you ended your exchange with a quick bow. “Apology accepted, Miss Ayame! But I have another pressing matter to attend to, so let’s save the teary make-up embrace for later, yeah?” 

“You sneaky little—!”

Without waiting for her to finish, you bolted towards the doorway.

“What?” You scowled. “You sent them all home?”

Doctor Shinya chuckled from where he’s seated beside you at Shimura’s—one of Inazuma City’s up-and-coming outdoor restaurants. When you and Hirano arrived at the entrance to the capital, the doctor was already there, waiting for you. Doctor Shinya even offered to treat you to a late lunch despite the fact that you’ve already eaten. 

And now he was telling you about how he’d discharged the Tenryou soldiers to their respective homes today.

“It was just as you’ve said, performing the procedure with the aid of a Pyro Vision increased the broth’s potency tenfold!” Doctor Shinya gushed with a mouthful of tempura. “It was a good thing Mister Naganohara’s daughter was more than willing to cooperate. Oh, and that boy from the Kamisato clan also dropped by from time to time as well. What was his name again? Thoma?” 

You were surprised to find out that Doctor Shinya asked for Yoimiya’s help in the matter, but you supposed he couldn’t just ignore that pro-tip you gave him beforehand. But finding out about these detours that Thoma made on top of everything else he was dealing with made you shake your head. He was just the same as the Kamisato siblings—putting their duties first before anything else. 

“I’m glad to know the soldiers have all recovered then,” you sighed, sipping the tea you’d ordered. “But what are we going to do with the Tenryou Commission? Didn’t you get any backlash for just ordering those guys to go home or something?”

“Oh? You haven’t heard?” Doctor Shinya blinked, setting down his bowl and chopsticks. “Apparently, the Raiden Shogun has made a definitive ruling for the case filed against the heads of the Tenryou and Kanjou Commissions. They were stripped of their titles this morning, and Kujou Sara was elected as the new head of the Kujou clan. She’s the one who insisted they get some much-needed rest.”

Well. This was definitely news to you.

“I-I see…” you replied dryly. “Um, wait. So what’s going to happen now? Is the war over? Are they putting a stop to the Vision Hunt Decree?”

“The answer to all of that is...yes. Lord Ayato is actually overseeing the return of the confiscated Visions as we speak.” Doctor Shinya smiled, gesturing a set distance away from behind him.You squinted your eyes as you tried to follow his lead until you finally saw it. 

Right where the statue of the Electro Archon stood, you saw a flank of scaffolding set-up in front of the stone visage of the Raiden Shogun. It was hard to tell because you were too far away, but you were pretty sure that the men engrossed with it were taking out the colorful orbs once embedded within. Suddenly, you remembered something Thoma said in passing during that one festival on Amakane Island.

Gods, I wish those two would catch a break soon.

You couldn’t even suppress the grin that made it on your face—not minding that Doctor Shinya could see you smiling like an idiot. 

They did it. Ayaka and Ayato managed to turn the tides of the war after all.

“Well, that said,” Doctor Shinya spoke again, interrupting your thoughts. “I only called you out here to update you about what’s happening. These past two weeks haven’t been easy on any of us, after all.”

You nodded with a dreary laugh. “I never thought I’d be taking care of so many people after I…”

For a second, you panicked. Right. You hadn’t told Doctor Shinya about the years you spent as an underground assassin. And it’s not like you could break it to him easily when he seemed to take your contributions with high regard. Great, now you were ashamed of your own tragic past. Was this what they called character development?

But from the way his eyes softened, something told you he already knew.

“So, Doctor Shinya…” You decided to shift the topic. “What are your plans after this?”

“I’ll actually be accompanying Lord Ayato for the reparation procedures,” he told you. “Her Excellency put him in charge of maintaining public relations with the people of Watatsumi Island, and he invited me in hopes of gaining their goodwill.”

“Oh, right. You said you were a native, right?”

Doctor Shinya nodded. “Yes. And…we’ll also be doing a thorough inspection on Yashiori Island. The Tatarigami typically takes years to fully set in the human body, but we suspected that Kujou Takayuki must have done something nefarious to get his hands on such a powerful manifestation of the curse.” 

You nodded. “Yeah. I’ve never heard of being able to mind-control others with it…” 

“Exactly,” the doctor agreed. “Which reminds me. Would you like to come along when we head to Yashiori for the routine inspections? Lord Ayato informed me that Her Excellency said something about a possibility of the wards being disturbed—causing the rampant spread of the Tatarigami.”

“...Wards?” 

He nodded once more. “When the Raiden Shogun slaid the Orobashi hundreds of years ago, the manifestation of its hatred came in the form of the Tatarigami. To keep it from spreading to the nearby islands, Her Excellency put up protective wards all over Yashiori. But…we can speak of it in more detail if you decide to accept my invitation. I’m sure Lord Ayato will be glad to have you on-board.”

Your shoulders slumped at the news. So it wasn’t over just yet after all, huh…

“You know, there’s an onsen somewhere down the road,” Doctor Naoko mentioned, jabbing a thumb behind his shoulder. “Now that I think about it, you look like you could use some rest.”

You shook your head almost too quickly. “Not at all! I’ve actually been feeling…antsy because I had nothing else to do. So please, do take me with you on your trip. I’ll be happy to show you around the island if need be.”

To your disappointment, it seemed like Doctor Shinya was not having it.

“You’ve worked hard enough, kid,” he chuckled, reaching out to ruffle your hair in that same, infuriating way Doctor Naoko used to do with you. “Now go treat yourself to an afternoon at the bathhouse. We aren’t leaving for another two weeks, so you better make use of the time to relax.”

You wanted to protest—to let him know that you weren’t the only one worked down to the bone by everything that’s happening. Ayaka and Ayato were using all their capabilities to restore peace and order. Doctor Shinya took care of an entire battalion of soldiers by himself. Kujou Sara was busy fixing everything her father had inevitably messed up, and…

Thoma. He was probably out there doing errands in-between for everyone else. Because that’s just who he is as a person—a housekeeper in every sense of the word, even if his duties went beyond the corners of the estate.

But in spite of it all, the buzzing need for a few moments of peace tickled the back of your head. You sighed, succumbing to your not-so subtle desire for a break. 

“So just how good is this bathhouse we’re talking about…?”

You stood in front of the doorway to the hot springs with a sigh.

The owner said the bathhouse was reserved for the day by none other than the Kamisato clan, and was about to turn you away. But, in a moment of desperation, you mentioned you were one of the clan’s retainers. 

“Hmm… Oh, here you are on the guestlist,” he remarked as he went through his clipboard. “My apologies, Miss Kira. I’ll be preparing your things in a while. Someone already went ahead of you, by the way!” 

And now here you are.

The glass on the sliding doorway had fogged over from the steam inside, so you couldn’t really see who you were going to share the hot spring with. And given that this was the mixed bath, there might be men from the estate inside. You weren’t really opposed to being in the company of the opposite sex but…from what you remembered, no one had really left the mansion today aside from yourself.

So who was the person lounging inside the onsen, then? 

It couldn’t be Ayato. He was preoccupied with retrieving Visions from the Shogun’s statue. And you couldn’t exactly picture Ayaka just waltzing into a public bath like this either.

“Only one way to find out, I guess…” you muttered.

The interior wasn’t as extravagant as you initially expected. Just a large, closed room with vents in the ceiling to let the steam billow outside. In the middle, the floor was seemingly paved to imitate a naturally occurring hot spring—decorated with ornamental rocks and fake moss. There was a section in the far end where you figured the showers were, if the bamboo shutters were anything to go by. 

You glanced over to the hot spring in the middle, squinting through the steam rising from the water. Just as you were told, someone else was already occupying the onsen, but their back was turned to you and they had a towel wrapped around their head and a smaller one draped across their face. It made the person’s identity quite hard to decipher through the steam. 

Knowing it’ll be futile to scrutinize from a distance, you decided to take off your robe, folding it by the shelf near the entrance, before finally taking a well-deserved dip. 

The stranger(?) didn’t even stir even when the water rippled all around you. You’d decided to occupy the same side of the hot spring out of curiosity, and when you could take a closer look, this person was, in fact, a man. 

Or they could be a flat-chested woman. Don’t be so quick to judge!

You shook your head, letting the heat of the water seep into your skin. The effect was near-instantaneous. You found yourself sinking lower into the bath as you pressed your back against the edge. A pleased sigh escaped your lips and you were mindful enough to wrap your hair in a towel to keep the strands from getting wet.

You stayed like that for a few minutes—happily letting the hot water work its magic on your fatigued body as you stared at the ceiling. But the more time passed, the more you found yourself growing concerned for the man just a few feet away. He hadn’t stirred since you got here, and you worried he might have passed out. 

And won’t putting a towel on your face in an onsen suffocate you or something?

Hesitantly, you weaved through the hot water with your arms crossed—conscious of the fact that your breasts were on full display. But the moment you reached out in an attempt to remove the towel from his face… 

You yelped loudly—the sound echoing throughout the room when you suddenly found yourself with your arms twisted behind you as the man forced your face against the wet rock. What the fuck? How did he—

“...Miss Kira?”

Oh my fucking Archons.

Of course it was Thoma who put you in an instant headlock. 

The two of you merely stared at each other in stunned silence. The towel on his face had dropped to the water and was drifting uselessly across the surface, and the one he’d tied around his head began to come loose as well—letting his long, damp hair cascade down his shoulders. 

His very naked shoulders, attached to a very naked body he used to press you down in one of the most compromising positions imaginable. Huh. This reminded you of the first night he cornered you in the Kamisato estate’s kitchen… 

“I’m so sorry,” he muttered sheepishly, making a show of turning around as if he was trying to give you some privacy. “I thought you were some asshole that’s trying to kill me or something.”

“I can see that,” you scoffed, sinking back into the water with your face redder than his uniform. “Glad to see you’re alive and didn’t die from steam suffocation, though.”

Once you were settled, Thoma decided to scooch a few feet away before lowering himself into the bath once again. 

You did not stare at his ass while his back was turned to you. You didn’t!!!!

“So…” you began, still feeling all sorts of awkward. “What brings you here?”

Thoma cleared his throat, and you watched the bob of his neck as he swallowed. “Um. I might’ve been complaining about wanting to go to the onsen for days now, and Lord Ayato made the proper arrangements just to shut me up.”

“And he honored your wishes just like that?” you snorted. “If I hadn’t known any better, I would’ve thought you were the princess of the house.”

The chief retainer shot you a narrow-eyed stare. “I could ask the same for you. Did you just happen to go into the same bathhouse as me at the same time I decided to as well?” 

“Maybe it’s fate,” you shrugged, recalling the same train of conversation occurring between the both of you in the past. But when you began to consider his question a bit more seriously…

You know, there’s an onsen somewhere down the road.

The bathhouse has been reserved by the Kamisato clan for the day, my apologies.

Lord Ayato made the proper arrangements just to shut me up.

You blinked. That shouldn’t be possible, right? This was all a coincidence. Surely Ayato and Doctor Shinya wouldn’t deliberately set the two of you up like this, right? 

“How are you?”

A jolt ran across your shoulders when Thoma spoke out of the blue again—his voice nearly echoing in the empty room. You stared at him incredulously before forcing yourself to peel your eyes away from the droplets of water that ran tantalizingly across his pectorals.

“I-I’m good,” you replied. “There isn’t much to do back at home anymore so I was just feeling a little antsy. Doctor Shinya told me to relax for a change.” For some reason, Thoma laughed the moment you finished speaking, and your eyes narrowed into slits.

“Sorry, sorry. I was just a bit…happy.”

“With what?”

“You called the estate home.”

“Oh.”

Man, you’ve gotten so soft, it’s embarrassing. 

“How about you?” you murmured in return. “You’ve been so busy, I could hardly talk to you.”

Thoma raised an eyebrow, mouth quirked into a lopsided smile. “Did you miss me?”

“So what if I did? Stupid guard dog…”

You startled again when the water rippled all around you once more. Thoma rose out of the bath just enough to make his way to you. And when he leaned down to meet your gaze head-on, you swallowed thickly—face burning hotter than the room itself. 

“I think I liked it better when you called me pretty boy.” He pouted. 

You groaned, pushing him away, but Thoma refused to budge. “That was one time.” 

“Once is enough to have me thinking about it for weeks.” The laugh that left his lips had a familiar sultriness to it that made your thighs clench. Thoma’s wet hand was on your face again, cupping your cheek as the other peeled away the towel in your hair. 

“I missed you, too,” he murmured, thumb gently teasing the swell of your lip. His green eyes looked so pretty up close. “So much that I had to hop into a bathhouse just to keep my mind off of it.”

You huffed. “Then why didn’t you just go back? Doctor Shinya said everything was already sorted out with the Shogun.”

“Well, yeah. But I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to hold back if I saw you again.”

“Huh?”

You barely had time to process it when Thoma captured your lips with his own—the hand not holding your face immediately resting on your hip. But you didn’t even have any fight left in you when you were so quick to melt into his kiss. You sighed, and Thoma used the opportunity to slither his tongue inside your mouth. 

He lifted you onto the edge of the bath, wet bodies sliding past each other as he slotted himself between your legs. Though his lower half was still submerged in the water, the feel of his toned stomach made you more flustered than it should. But Thoma wasn’t exactly giving you a lot of leeway to think. 

The chief retainer wrapped your legs around his waist, pulling you closer as he kissed you fervently. You mewled into his mouth as your hands wandered to his hair. You tugged on the strands in a way you remembered he liked, and you couldn’t help the heat that stirred in your stomach at the sound he just made.

“Thoma,” you sighed when he pulled away, lips trailing a fiery path down the column of your neck. “Are we really going to do this? Here?”

For some reason, he tensed. Thoma peeled himself away slightly, eyeing the way you’re presented bare for him to see. You might have blanched and covered yourself if it had been anyone else, but… 

“Sorry,” he muttered again, leaning forward to rest your foreheads together as his hands gripped your thighs. “It’s just like I said. I can’t seem to restrain myself when it comes to you… But if you want me to behave, I’ll gladly do so.”

“...Like a dog?”

“You don’t have to put it like that!”

 For the first time in a while, you managed a lighthearted laugh, shifting your head a little so you could nuzzle the crook of his neck. You couldn’t find traces of Thoma’s scent given that the steam was making your head swim a little. But the reassuring heat of his body was enough to make you feel safe, in spite of his seemingly ravenous appetite for you. 

“I’ll let you do anything you want if you answer my question,” you told him, biting your lip. 

He craned his head. “What is it?”

“...How do you feel about me, exactly?”

You instinctively recoiled, fingers tightening around his arms as you braced yourself for an inevitable rejection. You didn’t really have an idea why you expected the worst right off the bat, but… Surely Thoma wouldn’t—

“How I feel about you?” he repeated, chest reverberating with each word. 

Thoma forcibly pulled you away from his torso, making you meet his beautiful emerald eyes. The smile he flashed you the next second was so real, you could cry.

“I like you. Can’t you tell?” 

Just like that, the disbelief came crashing down on you all over again. 

Did people really just admit their feelings like that? Straight to the point, without any hint of hesitation? You had no clues as to how potential couples went about the ‘confession’ stage, but…wasn’t Thoma being a bit too honest? You thought all the best romances started with some degree of denial and pining from both parties.

“I’m…not used to this kind of thing, okay?” you replied, suddenly feeling even more embarrassed. “If it’s normal for you to just admit to someone that you like them, then—”

“You’re the first person I’ve ever liked enough to confess to, though.”

You could have sworn that steam billowed not just from the water but also out of your ears. This was not real. No one could be this fucking honest with himself. You refused to believe it.

…But then again, Thoma had proved himself to be different from every other person you’ve ever met. He had the patience of a saint, a capacity for banter that could keep up with your own, and a deep-rooted understanding that not everyone could afford to spare for people like you.

Whenever you looked at him, he always reminded you of the sun with not a single cloud obscuring his intentions and you started to see why. 

(Overlooking the fact that he lied about Ayaka’s plans. You can forgive him for that. Kind of.) 

“I don’t deserve you,” you told him with a groan. “Why do you even like me?”

Something shifted in the hot air, and suddenly Thoma’s easygoing smile dropped. He spoke your real name like a prayer in the thick steam, and you could feel your head buzz from the whiplash of it all. When his mouth descended onto yours once again, he lacked the ferocity he’d exhibited in both times you’ve ever kissed him. Thoma merely pecked your lips with the softest of touches before pulling away to meet your eyes.

“You deserve me and more,” he murmured. “And I’ll give you all of that if you’re willing to have me.”

Your first instinct was to argue, but the heat between your legs has festered enough. Instead of debating about what you did and didn’t deserve, you closed your eyes and finally let yourself fall off the edge.

Thoma’s hands were inescapable when you finally gave him a little nudge—that final confirmation. He swallowed up all the sounds you made as he lifted himself out of the water, fingers already making quick work between the growing heat in your thighs. The evidence of your arousal was hard to hide—especially when he’s sliding those thick digits against your glistening seam so tantalizingly, you almost forgot you were in a public bath. 

“Thoma,” you mewled. “W-What if…someone comes in?”

You gasped when he eased one finger inside you, wrapping one arm around your waist as he watched your expressions with a sultry smile. “As much as I’d hate to share this view with someone else…” He leaned closer to your ear, and you instinctively clenched your walls around him. “Something tells me the idea of getting caught excites you.”

“Quit projecting! You’re such a weirdo.” The words were meant to hit like an insult, but you ended up moaning them instead as Thoma slipped in a second finger. “F-Fucking pervert…”

“Hmm? Would you like me to stop then?”

You mourned the loss of the friction when his hand became stock still inside you. A throaty groan scratched against your throat as you threw out a fist—hitting his lean chest in the process.

“...No.”

He chuckled, low and dangerous as he let you sink down to the hot spring—flipping you around so your ass was in full display. His fingers never left, though, and the moment he had you bent over the edge of the pool, Thoma resumed his sinful ministrations. 

You could barely contain your moans when he pressed his chest against your back, spreading your thighs wider as he fingered you loose. His tongue slithered across the shell of your ear, and he even nibbled on your lobe as he worked you between your legs. You sighed—completely embarrassed by how slick and easy the slide of his fingers had become.

But before you could make another sound, Thoma prodded your mouth with the fingers of his free hand. 

“If you don’t want to get caught,” he whispered huskily. “You need to be quiet.”

You would’ve been mortified by how easily you opened your mouth for him had it been any other scenario. But you were so unbelievably aroused by his voice, his heat, and the feel of his strong body caging you underneath his, that your otherwise snarky defenses had been tossed aside. You didn’t want anything else—didn’t need anything else.

All that mattered right now was Thoma.

It didn’t take long for you to notice his hard length rubbing against your ass while he made a mess with your mouth and cunt with his fingers. You couldn’t even fathom the dexterity his multitasking should have required, but you figured that when it came to doing several things at once, he was the man for the job. 

You moaned when he curled his fingers inside you, thighs quivering as he continued thrusting in and out. You couldn’t tell if the clouds of vapor emerging with each bated breath was from the steam or not, but when Thoma took his fingers out from both your mouth and cunt, you couldn’t help the whine that got caught in the back of your throat.

“So needy.” A soft chuckle resounded from behind you and your eyes widened when you felt him slide his cock against your slick folds. 

“T-Thoma…”

“Tell me you deserve me,” he murmured into your ear, pressing your thighs together as he rocked his length into the space between your legs. 

“What are you—”

“Tell me or I won’t fuck you the way you want me to.”

…Gods, he was so hot when he bossed you around. 

Each time his hips pressed forward, you could feel the head of his cock catching on your clit. You nearly sobbed, forcing your palms onto the slippery rocks as you desperately attempted to meet his thrusts. But Thoma wasn’t letting you get what you wanted so easily.

“I’m waiting.” 

Fuck it. Who needs dignity anyway?

“I deserve it,” you moaned. “I deserve you. I deserve your cock. I deserve to get rammed into the next life, just— please!”

Your vision nearly went dark when he finally pressed himself against your entrance—filling you to the brim with the heat of his length. The burn of his passage was conspicuous but bearable. Although, when he finally sheathed himself to the hilt, Thoma let out another infuriatingly sexy laugh as he pressed a kiss against your neck.

“Tell me you like me, too.”

This fucking guy…

“I like you,” you mumbled, feeling your heart stutter with every word. “I like you so much I can’t imagine going back to a life without you anymore.”

All of a sudden, the possessive grip he had on your hips faltered, making you turn around to sneak a glance. Thoma stared at you with wide, green eyes—flushing so badly even the tips of his ears were red.

In the end, his embarrassment melted with a sigh. 

“You know just exactly how to rile me up, don’t you?” 

You were about to dish out some crude reply, but Thoma effectively shut you up with a sharp thrust. 

He took you against the edge of the hot spring, pawing at every inch of skin his hands could reach. Your stomach, your breasts, your thighs—if he’d taken you somewhere else, you were sure he’d spend hours worshipping your body alone. 

Maybe taking a guard dog as a lover wasn’t so bad after all.

“So…good,” you drawled, barely having enough strength to prop yourself upright. Thoma muttered something under his breath before angling his cock a bit differently, hitting a spot inside you that made you melt underneath his touch. 

For a moment, he let himself slip out of your cunt—an action met with another whine in protest. But Thoma  was quick to flip you over again, making your back dig into the pool’s edge. And when your gazes met, you were completely unprepared for the unadulterated want in his eyes.

“I can’t wait—” he hissed, spreading your thighs wide enough to accommodate him, “—to take you in my bedroom. I’ll love you until morning, I swear it.” 

And you believed him. Every single word. Because Thoma was as honest as a man could be, and you wondered if you could learn to be the same way once you’ve been by his side long enough. 

You’ve never felt like this before. So whole. So special. So adored. He made it clear with each thrust exactly how much you meant to him, and you’d be a fool to turn away now. With a sigh, you laced your fingers around Thoma’s neck—eyes glazed over with a desire of your own.

“Kiss me,” you whispered. 

He was sweating all over, lips bitten red with your earlier activities. But Thoma seemed all too willing to heed your every wish as he lowered himself. You leaned upward to meet him halfway—pressing your breasts against his chest as the cadence of his thrusts slowed into a crawl. Thoma canted his hips deep enough to have you moaning into his mouth, and suddenly, you wouldn’t trade any of this, wouldn’t trade any of him for the world. 

If this is love, you thought airily as you lost yourself in the sensation. 

I want all of it.

A few days later, you and Thoma had gone back to work. 

You’d been out all morning, busy with returning confiscated Visions to their rightful owners—something you were more than enthusiastic to get done. After all, it was a job entrusted to the both of you by Ayaka herself.

As a retainer of the Kamisato house, your Lady’s orders were of utmost importance.

However, as the two of you walked back into the estate, your quiet banter with your new lover was momentarily interrupted. In the center of the pavilion, you spotted Ayaka in her lonesome, but you could very much make out the curious eyes of the other retainers encroaching from the sidelines. You couldn’t blame them for their curiosity. 

The Shirasagi Himegimi’s fan dance was always a spectacle to behold. 

You hung back by the entrance as you bore witness to the sight you’d been dying to see since you’d laid your eyes on her. Ayaka was as graceful as the winds of a winter morning, with every move serving to mesmerize any lucky onlooker. She swayed to the beat of the song in her head, flicking her fan with a show of snowflakes every now and again. And when the breathtaking performance came to a close, she glanced your way with a sweet smile.

“Welcome home,” she greeted kindly. “How was your trip?”

“Tiring,” Thoma yawned as the two of you met her at the center. “But everyone’s happy now I guess. Isn’t that right, Miss Kira?”

You nodded. “But it wouldn’t have been possible without you, milady.”

Ayaka chuckled, taking your hands in hers. “Brother and I only laid the groundwork. Everyone else in the Yashiro Commission did their parts as well. This is a team effort, you know?”

If the you from three months ago saw you right now, you knew she would’ve been mortified. Clutching the hands of the same woman you’d been sworn to kill, what a joke. But then again…maybe your past self wouldn’t have minded the idea of being doted on if it was by the princess herself. 

The day you could finally speak to her again, you practically fell to your knees—face splotchy with tears as you spat out every apology you could think of. You were aware of how pathetic you were being. Your crimes had been duly pardoned by Inazuman law, and even if you still harbored some degree of guilt, you swore that you’d right your wrongs in any way or form. And that’s what you were doing now, as an official Kamisato retainer. 

But Ayaka, in all her merciful glory, asked you to stand and put your chin up.

“There’s no need for tears, Miss Kira.” She smiled. “To me, you never really left. You just had to find yourself. And we’d always been willing to welcome you home once you did.” 

And now here you were.

“Oh, you two! You’re back!”

The sound of the Commissioner’s voice snapped you out of your momentary reminiscing. Ayato emerged from the mansion with a familiar figure curled in his arms, and another familiar figure tailing him from behind.  

“Yo, newbie!” Yoimiya greeted with a smile. “So you’re the one who made all those nifty cures, huh? Glad to have supported your cause!”

Blinking up from underneath her hood, Sayu seemingly nuzzled herself further into Ayato’s chest. “So noisy…”

“Aw, Sayu! Don’t go sleeping now! We’re still going to test the fireworks I brought!”

“Are you making preparations for the lunar festival later?” Thoma asked. “We kind of delayed that for a while, huh?”

Ayato nodded with a sigh. “All the more reason to put our backs into it. We’re heading over to Amakane Island to sample Yoimiya’s new inventions. She wanted to make sure there’s no need for fine-tuning. Do you two want to come with?”

“Isn’t it a bit early for testing out fireworks though?” Ayaka wondered, gazing out at the afternoon sky. “But I suppose we could take advantage of the time we have. You and Miss Kira are leaving tomorrow, yes?”

“Unfortunately,” the Commissioner sighed before turning to you and Thoma. “Well, what do you say?”

Before you could even open your mouth, Thoma was already slinging an arm around your shoulder—grinning at Ayato with a confident air.

“We’d love to!”

“So why are you still calling me Kira again? Everyone’s starting to forget I actually have a real name because of you...” 

You posed the question to Thoma when you two found a comfortable spot on the cliff, just underneath the cherry blossoms as you watched Yoimiya and the Kamisato siblings set up the fireworks by the beach. 

Thoma shrugged, resting his chin on your shoulder as he hugged you from behind. “I kind of got used to it.” 

“Liar.”

“What? I’m not lying.”

You snorted, turning to face him with a smirk—the fox mask on your head lightly bumping against his. “It’s not the whole truth either, though,” you said, leaning closer to nuzzle your nose with his. “Come on. I’m leaving tomorrow without any idea when I’ll be back. I won’t get the chance to ask you again for a good while.” 

He whined. “Can I really not come along? I’ve been to Yashiori, too, you know… I’m pretty tough.”

“So you’re just going to leave milady alone like that?”

“...How about we all just go on an indefinite field trip to the Orobashi’s graveyard, and Madarame can be the pseudo-Yashiro Commissioner for a while,” Thoma suggested. “I think it would be a win-win for all parties involved.”

“I don’t think milady will last long living in the wild,” you admitted, and Thoma surrendered with a sigh. “But fine. If you don’t want to tell me, I won’t force you.”

For what it’s worth, the thought of leaving Thoma to help investigate the wards on Yashiori left a bitter taste in your mouth, too. It’s only been a few days since the two of you made it official, and now you’re going to have to leave him for a while. But there were things that had to be done, and as a Kamisato retainer, you’re obligated to see them through until the end.

Sometime later, Yoimiya shouted from below to keep your eyes peeled. You and Thoma had been assigned as the official judges for her newest craft, and you were more than happy to humor the lively fireworks-maker. It also gave you an excuse to sit between Thoma’s legs as you watched.

However, as the special fireworks shot up to the sky, you felt Thoma’s breath against your ear.

“It’s because I want to be the only one who calls you by your real name,” he whispered. “Is that so possessive of me?”

Whether the redness of your face was a reflection from the fireworks or plain embarrassment, no one would ever be able to tell.

Yoimiya’s invention was something else—fireworks that changed color right before the sparks shimmered into oblivion. Fiery red morphing into electric blue. Bright gold into luscious green. You watched each one rise into the sky with a dazzled look, chest twisting at the idea that it might take you a while to witness another fireworks show again.

You were completely unaware of the bright emerald eyes that watched you the whole time.

When all the preparations on the island were set, and you’d given Yoimiya your stamp of approval, the visitors had started pouring in. It’s as if Inazuma hadn’t been on the brink of an internal collapse because of the Kanjou and Tenryou Commission’s misdeeds. Everyone who walked beneath the torii gates had smiles splitting their faces as they sampled festival food, tied their wishing charms, and tried their hand at the game booths. 

That night, Thoma finally met his match in the form of a rather competitive Kujou Sara—who made a surprising entrance with Masahito despite how busy things were on their end. She ended up beating Thoma’s goldfish-catching record without a sweat, earning herself a new and improved Mister Danuki plush of her own.

Even the kids from Konda Village made it, immediately running towards yours and Ayaka’s direction before they inevitably dragged the two of you all over the place. The princess must have sensed the unease in your posture as Futaba and Takeru told you about how their fathers used to bring them here all the time, too.

There’s a time for you to tell them. Just not now, her eyes seemed to say.

Ayaka had to peel away from your little group to perform her fan-dance to the crowd, enrapturing every single person in attendance without fail. From behind, you could hear Kujou Sara speaking to Ayato about how the princess can finally enjoy a festival like a normal girl. The Commissioner couldn’t help but sigh in agreement. 

By the time Yoimiya’s fireworks show was underway, you were already exhausted. 

Instead of taking your usual spot by the cliffs, you decided to hang around by the entrance with Thoma, where there were less people crowding the space. This gave you the leeway to breathe, resting your head on his shoulder as you fought your brain’s desire to just go to sleep.

“We can head back now if you want,” he offered, stroking your hair. 

“Mmm…” you groaned. “But Yoimiya’s fireworks.” 

The chief retainer smiled. “And you’ve already done her a favor by judging her handiwork. You deserve a good night’s rest before you leave, you know?”

Well, it didn’t take much convincing for you to agree, so to speak.

Thoma’s mattress was soft as you landed on the surface, not bothering to change out of your kimono. Your lover let out a soft laugh while he stripped himself of his uniform before joining you on his bed. The dip of the bed under his weight made you crack one eye open, and you could see him holding a familiar toy in front of you.

“Don’t forget to pack Mister Danuki before you leave,” he reminded, setting the plush on top of his nightstand. 

“I won’t,” you murmured. “I’ll miss you too much if I do…”

Thoma sighed as he pulled the sheets over your bodies. “You always know what to say, huh?”

You let out a satisfied noise when you felt him nestle you in his strong arms. Turning around, you rested your head against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart.

“You’re not going to try anything tonight?” you asked curiously.

“As much as I want to have passionate, unforgettable goodbye sex,” Thoma started with a laugh, pressing his lips against your forehead, “I am completely serious about you getting a good night’s rest, Miss Kira. Now go to bed before I change my mind.”

Though your eyelids were heavy with fatigue, you still managed a soft, almost mischievous laugh. Thoma, of course, didn’t miss the playful lilt in your tone, and immediately groaned when you climbed on top of his lap.

You stared at him from your vantage point, watching the way his ears turned red under your scrutiny. This was the man who made the gears on your stale, unsalvageable life finally turn. If it weren’t for him, you never would’ve changed. If it weren’t for him, you never would have formulated a cure that’s effective enough to save those you cared about.

If it weren’t for him, you wouldn’t be as happy as you were now.

“I love you,” you told him, fingers toying with the pendant around his throat. “Thoma of the Kamisato House, I love you.” 

Thoma smiled, soft and sincere and everything you’ve ever loved. When his hand reached up to caress your cheek, you’re not strong enough to resist his touch.

“I love you, too.”

This was your place in the world. Even if you had to leave for a while, you’ll always come back to him. 

Without worry. Without fail.

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© cryoculus | kaientai ✧ all rights reserved. do not repost or translate my work on other platforms.

[mercyburned]

while i'm working on drafts in the background (gonna queue them so i don't get overwhelmed), i'm thinking about

thoma and how deeply he buries every single negative emotion in order to be the thoma everyone expects to see

yes he has a positive attitude and no things like the two assholes from his hangout aren't going to hurt his feelings but yes he is also a human being and he feels things like regret for leaving his mother and his friends and then guilt for feeling that regret because of what the kamisatos have given him and it's a never-ending cycle

let's not forget he was literally part of an underground rebellion to overthrow the government which was lead not by a mortal human but an actual god, and an incredibly powerful one at that

let's not forget that he threw a spear at said god without a second thought

thoma's kindness and good heart / warmth are not at all false, not in the slightest. but there is a reason why no one wants to fuck with him and it's because he's got a ruthless streak. but where kaeya basically wears a sign on his forehead that says "i'm a lil shady lmao ;)" thoma keeps it well under wraps.

not out of an attempt to be dishonest but just... see point #1

it's a gigantic dichotomy co-existing inside of one single person and he can't toss out one side to grow the other because the dichotomy itself is what makes him who he is

also thinking about

how the fact that kaeya was born in khaenri'ah and lived there 500 years ago probably lead to a vast majority of his childhood illnesses in mondstadt. correct me if this is the wrong term, but assuming pathogen/germ evolution is still a thing, the common cold in mondstadt is probably a very different version of the common cold in khaenri'ah. kaeya's immune system was not at all prepared for what illness looked like 500 years on. he got lucky in that he survived to become a healthy adult, but it got pretty rough a few times

a fatui au where pierro took him to fontaine instead of mondstadt and he was raised in the HoH (please)

[kirimoochi]

unyielding lightning.

₊˚ ᗢ kazuha x gn!reader.

⤷ short drabble taking place during the traveler's time in inazuma.

“Wake up! Wake up!” Paimon rolled the Traveler back and forth, nervously trying to wake them. The only thing she and Thoma remembered was the breaking of the sky and the purple lightning which engulfed the two figures. The next thing she knew, the Traveler was knocked out cold. Now lying on the ground unconscious.

The Raiden Shogun carefully treads with a circular glimmer of light around her. Her sword glows in a bright violet color as Thoma struggles to break free from his restraints. He runs towards an abandoned polearm, stuck to the ground by the Traveler’s previous attack. He rubs the ropes against the sharpened edges, looking up to see the Shogun raise her blade. 

Before the Traveler could be struck down, thunder clapped and singed the wooden ground. Thoma’s eyes widen as a mysterious figure appears in front of the Archon, their sword clashing against hers. She is caught off guard, stepping back in surprise as she squints her eyes. She lets out a small gasp under her breath as she stares at your Electro Vision.

It crackles and dances amongst the cold air, covering your figure with a thin sheen. It roars and growls at her, unbefitting its original purpose. The force of your slash hitting the Shogun’s sword blows both Thoma and Traveler away, the two of them colliding with each other. The sudden rush was enough to knock some air into the Outlander, effectively waking them up. 

“You dare use your Vision against me?” She comments, glaring at you. 

Letting out an amused scoff, you frown. Raising your hand, you graze it over your blade, the steel surface radiating with violet light. “Against all odds, I stand before you,” Your Vision fluttered amongst the breeze. It pulsates and breathes with life. A firm reminder that no matter where you may be, your heart will never yield to such false realities. “For my brother, which you’ve so cut down like cattle.” 

“Have you no regard for the lives of your people?” Tightening your grip on your sword, you harden your glare. The months and years you’ve spent underneath her tyrannical reign steeled your soul. You’ve waited years for this moment. “I won’t forgive anyone who does not shiver when met with blood.” 

You nod, directing your attention to Thoma. He meets with the side of your eyes with a look of fear and uncertainty. “Get them to safety, as part of my duties, I’ll handle things from here.” 

Traveler tries to step forward in an attempt to help you but falls into the arms of Kamisato’s housekeeper. They were unsure how well you could hold up against an Archon. Even they weren’t a match for her. Thoma grips the side of the Traveler, pulling them along as they both jump toward the next platform. The three of them run off, their necks turning back to see you one last time.

“You…” she grits her teeth as she presses forward, delivering a swift attack to your side.

You dodged her attack with relative ease, drawing your blade against her, you lightly graze her skin. The electro-coated blade causes her knees to buckle slightly. This allowed you to send a strong kick to her chin, knocking her back.

She restrains herself from letting out a cry of pain. Even though this was the same Vision bestowed onto you by her, it felt different. It was fierce. Unyielding even. Although she has tried to reach out to propel it toward her, it resisted her calls. How could this be? She asked herself. For an Archon who was unable to control the very gift she has given to people, it was unheard of. Glancing up to meet your eyes, they shined with bright determination. The very same look was given to her by a man of violet scarves. 

In her fit of rage, storms rose to immeasurable degrees, the wind blew wildly as you brought your hand up to shield your eyes. Sucking in a deep breath, you bend your knee, concentrating on her next attack. The Shogun would not be easily put down by a measly sword user. It was only a matter of time before the other soldiers arrived. You just needed to buy enough time for the Traveler to meet up with Sangonomiya at Watatsumi Island.

She rushes you, coating her body in layers upon layers of lightning. The strike of her attack caused your foot to slide back several feet but you stood firm. Blocking her attack with your sword you pushed the weight of your body against her blade. Your hands trembled as you felt short bursts of shocks run through your body. This reverse tug of war was intense and nearly blinded your eyes with the brightness of thunder. 

She pulls back to deliver another crushing blow to your side, to which you block once more. With one hand on the hilt, you swiftly punched her in the stomach, leading to her recoiling. Such unorthodox methods of fighting, she comments to herself. For a sword wielder to use such gross techniques, brought great disgust to her stomach. Had you no shame? No honor to the blade you wield? She pities the person who even taught you in the first place.

You could care less though. For you, the battle is only won when the opponent is knocked to their feet, begging for mercy. Honor was of little value to you for your clan has long fallen and been forgotten. The only heir that exists was you, and even you couldn’t uphold the traditional needs that it desired. Your older brother, which had held high hopes for the clan was brought to his knees, shaken and sliced in half by the very woman in front of you.

Unorthodox methods were what lead you to become the Lionfish of the resistance. A carnivorous beast that yields to no one but itself. A prideful being that flaunts its colors with no shame. To survive in this brutal world meant equalizing the playing field, no matter how dirty it may seem. Your Vision was no different. Having been received at the ripe age of seven after declaring your alliance with your older brother, it called out to you with a voice unheard of. 

It was yours. A very small part of you that dares to defy the Raiden Shogun’s ruling. The kind that resisted all sorts of forces in exchange for your happiness. You dare not let a selfish woman take away that part of you. The part that burned and crackled with intense yearning. The part that would fight against a world that had no room for you. 

You let out a gasp as her sword pierces your side. She had used a feint to catch you off guard. Her skilled hands were much faster than yours, much more experienced, and you felt the burning sensation of her lightning course through your veins. It bubbled deep within you, a choked scream caught in the net of your throat. Before she could raise her sword against your neck, the air felt warm.

The wind picked up speed as a figure reaches out to you. Wrapping one arm around your waist, his blond hair fluttered amongst the clouds. A breeze that grazed your cheeks stole you away from her clutches, giving you life once more. You can only watch as the Raiden Shogun glared at you, pressing her foot against the wooden flooring with rage. 

Letting out a sigh, you allowed the maple leaf to steal you away from the battlefield. 

[xxdumbblondexx]

~Easy-peasy~

Summary: After going out for drink with you work, you return home to find half of your roommates waiting for you're return. Unknown by you, they had been given strict instruction on how to get you to bed without any mess. But hey, how hard could it be, right? All they have to do is follow six simple rules...

Wordcount: 4.3k Soz its a long one

warnings: mild injury, swearing, drinking

A/N: A; this is my first post so feel free to tell me if its shit. It's also been from some some work ive been writing so i just wanted to test the waters B; this is set in a world were the reader has been isekai'd into genshin and after some time came to live in a tea pot with a few other characters. There is no set relationship by the ready but it is intimate. There's also no smut in this one, soz

“Remind me why we're here again?” Diluc asked as he loitered around the kitchen with all the others, the lights on to conceal that it was the dead of night. 

“It’s y/n’s fortnightly work drinks. Thoma normally stays up to make sure they get back safely and to their bed. However, him and the Kamiseto’s are currently stuck at their estate with chicken pox.” Albedo answered as he flicked through a book, sitting comfortably at their table. 

“Ah…so I have the joy of seeing drunk y/n tonight.” Venti lulled as he almost placed himself in the same situation you would be, drunk. 

“Do any of you feel insulted that he’s left us with instructions on how to get them to bed?” was a murmur from Diluc as he waved the paper in the air.

“Y/n can be unpredictable. Any help is welcomed.” Zhongli spoke, drinking his nightly cup of tea. 

“But why are we all awake?” Xiao was the one to state the question as he crossed the room, glass in one hand. 

“That’s right. Surely Thoma didn’t need all of us to help them to bed?” Diluc asked, as he placed the instructions back onto the kitchen counter, only for Venti to grab at it, crumpling it in his hand. 

“Oh, half of us just want to see how much of a mess you’ll make of it.” Childe smirked with his shit eating grin as he joined those in the kitchen. 

“We won’t mess this up. It’s y/n after all. We’ve seen them drunk hundreds of times.” Venti giggles flowed through the air, as his eyes squinted at Thoma’s handwriting. 

“How about we compete for who can get them to bed first?” Childe was the one who suggested the idea, earning the gaze of all the men in the room. 

“And if we win?” Xiao asked. 

Childe shrugged, the idea of competition more thrilling than whatever they could win. “They can decide then and there. Within reason of course.” 

“A fine sounding competition, if I say so myself.” Zhongli replied as he took the last drink from his cup. 

Just then, the door to the abode was thrown over and all the men in the house rushed to it, waiting to see you stumble in. 

“I’m hommmme! Thoma?!” Your voice sang as you crouched down to undo your shoes. 

When you raised your head, still fiddling with the buckles of your shoe and using the wall for support, you didn’t expect to find most of the men in front of you. 

“W-where’s Thoma?” 

“He’s staying at the Kamisato’s tonight. And he asked us to help you to bed.” Diluc spoke, as he stood at the forefront of the group. 

At that, your merry smile chipped as you struggled not to glare at him. 

Thoma; Rule 1, don't admit that you're there to help them. Y/n likes to think of themselves as independent and if you start to insinuate that you are there for any other reason then to make sure they got home safe, they get irritated very quickly. 

“D-Do I look like I need help.” You slurred, almost face-planting as you struggled to stay up right, staying on one leg. 

“Yes.” Childe snickered as he watched you wobble, hand covering his mouth as he tried to cover his laughter. 

Xiao was quick to elbow him in the chest, seeing how your squinty glare had moved to him. 

“I made it home on my own, didn't I?!” Your tongue snapped, now throwing yourself to the ground and flashing most the men in the process with your short dress. “These poxy shoes.” 

“Let me help you.” Albedo stepped forward, only for you to shuffle back, your back hitting the door. 

“No! I am completely capable of doing it myself!” You growled back, annoyance nipping at your skin. 

In the end, you gave up on trying to undo the buckles, preferring to forcibly pull them off then accept their help. 

“There! I did it.” You stumbled back up before budging through the crowd and into the kitchen where venti remains sat, drink in hand. 

“Ventiiii,” you cried as you ran to him, banging your hip against the counter as you threw your arms over his shoulders. 

“How was your night, my sweet wind bloom.” He asked as you pulled away and took his cup into your hands. 

“Soooo fun! There was this guy, Ru, who kept buying me and Xianglin drinks all night! I didn’t have to pay for a single one!” You giggled, taking a gulp of wine from his cup. 

Thoma: Rule 2, don't let them continue drinking. If y/n has come home, that is proof enough that they’ve met their limit. If you give them any more, things will just get worse. 

“Comrade, let me take you to bed.” Childe sang, as he slipped his arms around your waist. 

You slammed your head up, hitting him hard on the chin to where he had to let you go, stumbling back a step. 

“What the fuck was that? A wasp?” You asked, turning your head left then right but still missing the towering man that was cradling his jaw behind you. 

“Anyway,” you finished Venti’s glass before reaching for the bottle and taking a sip straight from it, “You know those little water trenches that run through Liyue, like by the adventurers guild? Shufen— our line cook —fell straight into one!! Xianglin had to use her polearm to fish him out! I almost cried! And—“ 

“Y/n,” suddenly Diluc deep voice interrupted you, his arms crossed and shoulders broad, “Don't you think it’s time we get to bed?” 

Thoma: Rule 3, try not to sound too forceful. Make it sound like they have a choice otherwise they’ll start getting angry and then…it gets tricky. They’ll start refusing to follow anything you ask of them and will completely go off the rails. 

Once again your smile chipped as you turned to face the red head. A small pang of annoyance itched into your head as your grin grew into a frown. 

“We?” You questioned, sauntering over, bottling in hand and feet unsteady. “Diluc you are however-many-years-old. I don’t think you need me,” you jabbed a finger into his stone hard chest, “to tuck you into bed.” 

With that you finished the loop, circling back to Venti as you dragged the balls of your feet on the cold stone flooring of the kitchen. 

“Y/n—“ 

“Ah, you missed a bit.” Venti giggled as he lent forwards, kissing the spec of wine that had slid past your lips. 

It took you a second to notice what he’d done, before you grinned lazily, and murmured a, “I ain’t fucking you in that form. You know the one I like.” 

Then with a simple flush of anemo, Venti had grown over a foot in height, his hair now long and unbraided and his shirt slightly unbuttoned. 

You smirk at the sight in front of you before throwing your arms around his shoulders and crushing your lips against his. 

Thoma: Rule 4, don’t start anything with them. I mean that both sexual and argument wise. When y/n is drunk, they’ll fall asleep as soon as their head meets the pillow. But if there's something on their mind aka an argument or the chances of something happening, then they won’t sleep. 

He held you close to him, both hands cupping your face as he nibbled on your bottom lip. A surprised groan slipped from your mouth as you teased him back. 

“Should we…maybe look through those instructions?” Xiao asked, staring at the pair of you in horror.  

“Sounds like a good idea.” Childe was sent to grab it, stealing the crumpled piece of paper from the counter. 

He took a moment to read the paper before returning to the doorway where all the others stood, almost like it was far safer to stand there than anywhere near you. And after you left Childe’s chin red and aching, it was. 

“Shit.” He spat before thrusting the piece of paper in the face of the group. “We’ve already fuck up rule one to four.” 

“Great. Two to go and then we’ll have Thoma’s pole arm up our ass.” Diluc growled as he took the paper in his hand, his brows crushing together. 

“I knew it.” Childe chirped as he struggled to control his laughter. 

“Let's just try to get back on track.” Zhongli suggested, as his eyes scanned over the paper. “What are the two other rules?”

“Right. Rule 5, make sure they have had something to eat. If not, give them something to calm their stomach, eg porridge. Otherwise they will most likely throw up.” Albedo read, his eyes tracing over the words. 

“Someone get onto that.” Diluc ordered, and Xiao was the one who stepped forward, moving to the cupboards to try and sort some food out. 

“Rule 6, Don't make them cry. Simple enough. Ok, can someone separate those two, we can still try to prevent rule 4.” This time Zhongli stepped forward with Diluc’s order, approaching the pair that continued to snog. “We are so screwed.” 

“Fucked. We are so fucked.” Childe replied, as he watched Zhongli approach you with caution. 

“My dearest y/n,” Zhongli called into your ear, and for a second you thought that you might have only imagined it. That was until you felt his hand graise along your hip, pulling you from your kiss with Venti. 

You slowly pulled away, not even sparing Venti a glance as your eyes met that of gold. His face looked so adoring that everything around you slowly faded away. “Zhongli?” 

“Tell me, my dear,” He took your hand in his, pulling you around to face him and away from the Anemo archon who was mildly surprised with your sudden disinterest, “have you eaten anything today?” 

You nodded your head, lips swollen and eyes wide. “I-i had some lotus chips earlier.”

“My, you must be starving. Xiao’s gonna make you something to eat, is that ok?” You nod your head once more before gazing up at him, and smiling softly. “You also must be freezing. How about I get you something to change into?” 

“Yes please.” 

He smiled radiantly at you as he gave you a boost up onto the counter top. “Wait here, I won't be long.” Pressing a delicate kiss to your temple, he quickly left the room. 

You began to swing your legs, your hands clenched in your lap. Sleep had only just begun to tug at your eyelids but you quickly whipped that away. “When's Thoma back?”

“Maybe in a couple of days. We’ll see how he does.” Albedo stated as he came to stand before you. 

“Mmh, how’s Klee?” 

“Grounded. Her and Kaeya both, after they caused a disruption in the Chasm.” He answered, the smallest smile passing his lips. 

“That’s my girl.” You murmured, trying to stifle a yawn. Only then had you noticed that Venti had left your side, being pulled out of the room by Diluc who you could quietly hear him lecturing the archon. 

“Are you getting tired?” Albedo asked as he cupped your cheek, his hands inhumanly cold. 

Your head nodded, although your eyes almost hung shut. You didn’t mind the coldness of his hand as it caressed your skin, or the shivers it sent down your body in response. 

You eventually returned the action, cupping his face in your hands. Pulling yourself closer to him, you went in for the kill, tracing your tongue over his Cupid’s bow before deeply kissing him. 

At first he seemed shocked, unprepared. But the moment you brushed your fingers through his hair, he came alive, swallowing his lips with equil passion. 

You edged on hot and steamy when a volcanic “Oi!” Is sent from the red headed pyro. 

He’s at your side at once, pulling Albedo away by his coat with a furious face. “I thought I wouldn’t have to worry about you!” He yelled, shaking the man. 

Albedo gave a disinterested shrug once Diluc had dropped him from his hold before stepping out of the situation. 

So instead you send a glare to Diluc as you recline over the counter tops, bottle in hand as you start taking swigs again. 

“Are you content with ruining my night or something?” You mumbled, raising the drink to your lips. 

Only for his reflexes to catch it before you can take a drink, trying to pull it from your grip. But you didn’t let go. 

You wrestled for what felt like a lifetime before your grip faltered and he ended up sending the bottle flying, smashing against the wall behind him. 

A guttural groan left Diluc's chest as he watched the wine drain down the wall and onto the floor. When he looked back to you, the traces of a glare were warm on his brow. 

“You can’t blame that on me! I didn’t fucking throw the bottle!” You snapped back, annoyance coating you. 

He mumbled something back, too quiet for you to hear before crouching down to begin cleaning up the mess. 

“m hot,” you slurred, before reaching around to the back of your dress and beginning to unzip the back. 

“I wouldn’t do that.” A voice told you, and you shifted your gaze to find Kazuha had somehow snuck in. 

He stood beside the fridge, bowl of whatever Xiao was making in hand while watching you with the slightest enjoyment. 

“Kazzzie.” You sang, reaching out for him. He only smiled, placing his bowl down before approaching you. 

“Do you have any of the…” you made a smoking gesture with your hands, which only caused his grin to widen. 

“Not for you, I don’t.” 

“Psssh, buzzkill.” He took your hands in his, pressing a kiss to the back of your knuckles. You watched him, his dark eyelashes perfectly framing the flirty look in his eyes. 

“Not you two! Stay away from them!” Diluc ordered, causing Kazuha to back off, much to your disappointment. 

“Here y/n,” Zhongli appeared once again, a jumper in his hands that he’d already begun to roll up so he could fit it over your head. 

“Thanks, Li.” You replied as he pulled the jumper on, delicate touches as he helped place both arms into their sleeves. 

You muffled a yawn into your sleeve, eyes drooping as you struggled to stay away. 

“Are you tired, Dearest?” Zhongli asked as you pressed your forehead against his, enjoying the warmth of his skin. 

“Eat something and then I’ll take you to bed, ok?” You nodded your head, scrubbing your eyes with your sleeve. 

“Here,” Xiao pushed a bowl into Zhongli’s hands, “make sure to cool it down for them. It’s still hot.” 

And that’s exactly what he did, blowing on each spoonful of the rice porridge before raising it to your lips. 

The smell alone made you want to be sick. You weren’t hungry, the alcohol in your stomach told you that. So you groaned and tried to push the serving away, your lips bending in a frown. 

“Please, Dearest. Just five spoonfuls, ok?” You caved, letting him feed it to you although your stomach told you not to. 

Each spoonful increased the feeling of sickness in your body. You struggled with each, only being able to make it to four before refusing to eat anymore. 

“Come on, Y/N. Xiao made this especially for you.” He hummed as he stirred the poriage together. 

“I can’t. Feel sick.” The food was quickly placed to the side as you mumbled that, a mix of worry and shock filling his golden eyes. 

“That’s fine, that’s fine. Here let me help you down.” His arms slipped around your bum, lifting you from the counter before preparing to place you on the ground. 

“W-Wait a second, Zhongli! Don’t-“ 

The minute you placed your feet on the floor you felt it, hot fresh pain slicing across the ball of your foot. You hissed, lifting your foot like how an injured pup would. 

“Shi— y/n let me—“ before Zhongli could pick you up again, you were already in the arms of another. Xiao held you like you weighed nothing, his arms helping you off the ground. 

“Did you cut your foot on the glass?” He asked as you pressed your head into his broad shoulders. “I’ve sent Albedo to get the first aid kit. Let’s go into the living room.” 

And with that you were pulled away from the two who carried on staring at you with panicked faces. 

“Out of ten…how much do you think Thoma’s gonna kill us?” Diluc asked, as he watched you being carried into the next room. 

“Fuck it. I think the garden is a nice place to be buried.” Childe spoke with a grin as he watched the two struggle and instantly received two spiteful glares. 

Xiao was extra cautious as he placed you down on the sofa, Albedo already having set up his items on the coffee table. 

“It’s fine. It’ll scab.” You slurred as a cold sensation touched your foot as Albedo disinfected the wound. 

“It won't if glass remains in it.” he replied as he poured a liquid onto a cotton bud and pressed it against the ball of your foot. You hissed and tried to pull back, if it wasn't for the tight grip he had on your ankle. 

“Stings.” 

“It will. I'll be done with it soon.” 

But as he ended that sentence, you crossed over into the deadly Rule 6. Tears rose to your eyes as you hung your head of the back of the sofa, asking the question once more, “When’s Thoma back?” between sniffs. 

And like that, all eyes were on you. They all knew they were doomed. Thoma was gonna kill them when he got back. Rule one-to-six had officially been broken. And they were screwed. 

“Soon, dearest, soon.” Zhongli remarked as he brushed your hair back. But that didn't help the storm of tears that slowly trailed down the sides of your face. 

“Miss him.” 

“We know you do, Y/N. But he’ll be back soon.” Zhongli continued, though it didn't soothe you in the slightest as a sob passed your lips. You brought both hands up to your face, trying to keep your tears hidden as your chest heaved in breaths. 

It wasn't hard to admit that each of the men in the household were weak to your tears. Truthfully, it was rare for you to cry, only normally after a stressful day at work or a simple slip up when you were on your period. Even then, you didn’t openly cry like you were now. You couldn’t cry in front of others, it was one of your strongest rules, and each of them knew that. That wasn't to say, they didn't slightly enjoy it when you did. 

Not in a vindictive, cruel way. But it told them that you trusted them enough to. Of course it was obvious that you did in small ways, but it was refreshing to see you openly express it. 

“Aw, y/n~” Childe sprung into action, preparing to smother you in kisses and cuddles until you stopped crying. 

“Childe,” You sobbed back, holding an arm out for him to take as he swallowed you in his arms. 

But before he could get a step closer to you, Diluc’s arm strapped against his chest, halting him where he stood. “Stop.”

“What the hell man, why?” Childe hissed, a glare creeping into his eyes. 

“Crocodile tears. They’re trying to get something.” Was his caution reply as he stepped towards you, nudging the harbinger back slightly. “Are you almost finished, Albedo?”

“Yeah, let me just…” He finished wrapping the bandage around your foot before snipping at the ends and tucking it back in on itself. After seeing that he was finished, Diluc scooped you into his arms, carrying you against his broad chest. 

“W-what are you?” 

“We’re going to bed.” He answered, gaining glares from those around him as you rested your head against his chest. 

“Why?” 

“You said you were tired.” 

“Did I?” You stifled a yawn as you used his nice clean shirt as a tissue to dry your eyes. 

“Yes,” He hissed out, taking you out of the living room and up the stairs to your bedroom. 

“When’s Thoma coming back?” 

“Soon hopefully.” He had reached your door, creaking it open with the tip of his foot. 

“Do you hate me?” 

He stalled, halfway over the freshhold. His mind had officially stopped working for a second as he took in what you said. 

Hate you? Hate you? What insane thing made you think that?!

“No, Y/N I don’t hate you.” 

“Are you just mad at me then?” 

He shook his head, lowering you upon the bed before turning to the draws to find you something to sleep in. 

“No, I’m just mad at myself.” 

How could he have handled it so horribly? How could six rules so easily be broken? 

He was overconfident. He had thought he’d seen you drunk enough times to know how to control you. He tried to control you. 

Thoma obviously didn’t do that. He obviously didn’t tell you what to do and expected you to listen. He obviously knew how to handle it better. 

And it made him strangely jealous. 

“Can I sleep in your shirt tonight?” 

At first he didn’t understand the question. You had plenty of shirts you’d stolen from him tucked into your draws. But he didn’t mind adding to the collection. 

“Of course, love.” 

You were already fiddling with the buttons of your dress by the time he’d replied, trying desperately to rid yourself of the material that clung to you. 

“Will everyone be angry at me tomorrow?” 

“No. A little tired but that’s all. It was their choice to be there anyway.” 

“Really?” 

“Yes. But I think they also wanted to make sure you got to bed safely.” 

Diluc helped you get out of the dress and into his shirt, holding you steady as you stood. 

“They didn’t all need to be there. Kinda made me feel like a monkey at the zoo.” 

“Zoo?” 

At that you gasped, eyes growing wide while he helped clear away your makeup. 

“You don’t have zoo’s here?!” 

He wished he could take a picture of the smile that pressed onto your lips. But it quickly vanished with a look of embarrassment. 

“You’ll probably think it’s barbaric. I don’t really agree with it all. Pretty much it’s a place where animals are kept in enclosures and people are free to walk around and look at them.” 

You tipped a bit to the left as you lent down to peel back the covers of your bed. 

“I mean, it’s safer for them then in the wild. There’s no poachers and they get free healthcare.” 

You then wiggled your way in, trying to get some warmth in your bed. 

“But something still feels wrong about it.” 

Diluc studied your features and breathed out a chesty sigh. 

“I see.” He frowned, before pressing a kiss between your brows. “I’ll see you in the morning, love.” 

He tried to make his exit, chiselled chest gleaming in the hallway light. But you grabbed his hand, only catching his fingertips. 

There was silence as you stared at him, eyes glazed and full of badly concealed loneliness. 

“Umm…Thoma normally stays with me. I think it’s because he’s scared I may choke on my own vomit but…” 

Your hand dropped from his, a second of regret filling your gut as you saw how tired his eyes looked. 

“Don’t worry. I’ll see you in the morning.” 

But before the warmth of his touch left you, he was closing the door and climbing into bed beside you. 

Even in his slacks he laid with you, his hand coming to rest below his shirt and on your stomach. 

A smile edged back into you lips before pressing a kiss to your cheek and muttering a quiet, “I love you.” as you rolled over. 

Suddenly Diluc was too surprised to think about sleeping. 

You loved him. You told him that you loved him. Had you told the others? Had you told them that you loved them too? Was he the first? 

He hadn’t heard any of the others gloat about it. 

Even as your figure slept beside him, he knew that he loved you more than he could ever describe. 

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

Extra~

The others that remained in the living room all shared a look and a few groans of annoyance crept out from between them. 

“How—how did that just happen?” Childe asked as he threw himself down in the seat you were just in. 

“That piece of shit.” Xiao growled under his breath, grinding his teeth together. 

“I mean— how?! She was about to rip his head off ten minutes ago— how?!” Childe continued, his hands moving erratically like he needed to throw something.  Anything. 

The others sensed this and took a big step back. luckily it was only a pillow but they all knew it could have been something bigger. Even the whole couch if he wanted to. 

“I bet we’ll have to deal with Thoma in the morning as well.” Albedo grumbled under his voice as he continued to pack up his medical supplies. 

“That’s it. Imma fight him at the crack of dawn! Then we’ll see who’s the real loser!” Childe hollered to the ceiling. 

“May I propose something.” Zhongli spoke, surprisingly calm amongst the rest. 

When all eyes turned to him, he continued, “As Master Diluc was the one to ‘officially’ get them to bed, may I suggest for when the time comes to explain our wrong doings, we place Diluc as the leader of this operation.” 

“Ah, I see.” Albedo hummed as a small but wicked grin met his lips. “By making Diluc the leader, the fault of everything is passed to him.” 

“And who are we but mindless cattle following along.” Zhongli continued on. 

“Amazing!” Childe Jarred with a wild grin. 

It was fair to say each of them got their asses beat the next morning by Thoma…

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

Tadaaaa~ And its done!!!Like i said any feedback would be great n i hope you enjoyed :)

[soupri]

⤷𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮❣

➸ featuring kamisato ayato

➸ cw: fluff to angst with no comfort; improper letter format; improper grammar; genshin spoilers if you’re not at inazuma yet; light humor; mentions of marriage and divorce; slight possessiveness (not in a yandere way); gender neutral; death; made-up dates bc genshin doesn’t give dates; slightly incorrect lore; lmk if i missed anything!

➸ pre-note: day three of my [letters for you] event! ngl this one was supposed to be just fluff. i guess i mistyped a few words (don’t come for me please)

“my lord! there’s a letter for you from [name]”

looking up from his desk, thoma didn’t fail to see ayato’s eyes light up. taking the letter and opening it, ayato asked, “their time in liyue is almost up, is it not?”

“indeed, they’re scheduled to arrive within the next three days if there was no delay.“

a soft smile spread across ayato’s face. 

“you may go, and let ayaka know i’ll be joining you guys for dinner.“

“of course, my lord.“

october 5, 5:23 pm

dear kamisato ayato,

have you averted your eyes from the parchment after seeing all my improperness? don’t roll your eyes at me darling, that’s my job. have you been doing well lately? by the time you receive this letter, i should be on my way home. it’s been a lonely year without you, but i’ve enjoyed my stay in liyue. the port city is busy day and night, and the food is just as delicious as rumors say. i’ve sent some recipes with this letter for you to enjoy.

i met lady ningguang during my stay. she’s quite beautiful if i do say so myself. shame that i’m already engaged to you. if you weren’t in inazuma, i would’ve filed a divorce the moment i saw her. net only is she beautiful, she’s also intelligent. those who work directly for are are nothing short of brilliant. i’ve already invited her to our wedding. i figured you wouldn’t mind, given how you can’t say no to me.

liyue aside, have you been taking care of yourself? listen to thoma and rest now and then. i can’t have my fiance collapsing before our wedding can i? if you must pass on early, at least make it after i become kamisato [name]. then all the clan assets will go to me. 

you better have rejected any marriage proposals while i’ve been gone. for the shogun’s sake, do they really not remember you’re mine? seems i’m gonna have to remind them what’s mine stays mine. look at you, probably smiling at my possessiveness. don’t act like you aren’t just as crazy for me dear.

i’ve heard rumors the shogun has started setting restrictions in her plan to pursue eternity. keep yourself safe alright? i’ll see you soon darling. love you!

          yumeno [name]

“i’ll write to you so be sure to write back! take care darling.“

“only if you promise to do the same.“

placing a kiss on his mole then lips, you turn to board the ship. 

turning back one last time, you call out “i love you ayato!” 

“i love you too [name].“

who would’ve guessed that was the last time he’d see your face? his last time hearing you say i love you, feeling your gentle touch and warm lips against his?

october 7th, the almighty shogun raised her blade to the sky, declaring the commencement of the vision hunt decree. storm clouds met all those who tried to flee from ships, wrecking everything on the open waters. not a single ship that left survived. to the horror of the people, they realized that nothing would help them escape. and no one was allowed to enter. 

in his study, kamisato ayato slowly came to realize that no ships would survive such storms created by the archon. reality hit, and he could only cry silently in pain, knowing his fiance would never make it back alive.

[prev]  ♥  [letters for you]  ♥  [next]

eri’s notes!

          feels like i wasn’t clear on the last part sdkjfn reader’s ship was close to inazuma so it was caught in the storm and didn’t survive :( hah look at me being sad when i could’ve completely avoided that and let everything run smoothly

[sword-dad-fukuzawa]

i know this fic was a while back ago but overturn eternity for a little behind the scenes tour? one scene that really sticks in my head was the kayea and venti conversation in terms of just. how you view the archons and how much they 'know' about the world/people around them. And Also just how aware Ei/The Shogun are of the rebellion in Inazuma, especially since Sara is basically the biggest information leak she has.

NONNIEEEEE I AM HUGGING YOU!!!! YESSS okay I had to dig a little deep to remember this one (overturn eternity is?? over a year old?? i did not realize it's been that long) but that scene. HAHA THAT SCENE. You may be pleased to know that scene is one of the first parts of the fic I dreamed up. This will be a very long answer lMAO.

“I think that in another life,” said Venti, his fingers clasping Kaeya’s earnestly, “you might have been one of mine.”

Kaeya only stared down at the little bard, amused and a little disconcerted. “One of yours? One of your fellows, you mean?”

The bard laughed and bid him farewell without a second glance. There was a sparking effervescent joy to him, and also some unexplainable sadness. 

But that is how all performers are. Kaeya knew this all too well. 

This part? I'm pretty sure it came to me in a vision slash prophecy slash fever dream and I put it into my notes app to remember for later. From this one exchange spawned an entire fic.

What would it take for Kaeya to not be one of Venti's? I think that Venti considers every Mondstadter one of his children, adopted or no, and it really tickled me--would Venti, one of the oldest archons who seems in tune with the rhythms of the world to a degree few other characters are, see something in Kaeya so heart achingly familiar that he'd feel compelled to say this? I imagined it as a sort of deja vu, a prophecy not quite fulfilled. I couldn't stop thinking about it.

And at the time I was heavily dissatisfied with the writing of the Inazuma archon quest. I was bitter about Kokomi not being a cool tactician, about Ei's decent into waifu-hood, about Ayaka being soft and kind in a way utterly incongruous with the war story that the quest promised. So I thought--why not rewrite the whole thing? And what if Kaeya was a Kamisato instead of a Ragnvindr, raised alongside the Kamisato siblings and comrades with Thoma? Then since I was knee-deep in Punishing Gray Raven at the time, I thought, let's give him the Shuumatsuban to command. Let's write about a totally different sort of Kaeya.

I also wanted a grand romance, so I threw Diluc into the story. He's a Ragnvindr--rebellion is in his blood--and then the conceits of the narrative were written to facilitate that. I wanted to write about the Kamisatos as snakes in the grass more than anything, and Kaeya as the sharpest of them. Something completely different than what we were given in-game. Something that enraptures and scares and interests Diluc all at once.

Which meant I had to deal with Ei. I was at the time enraptured by the idea of a love triangle between Ei, Kokomi, and Sara--Sara backed into a corner, torn between her slavish devotion to the god who saved her and the very mortal temptations of a beautiful woman who loves her back. Or claims to. Of course Sara is a means to the end for both of them, because my Kokomi is a ruthless opportunist and Ei is...Ei. A tyrant, but a distant one.

Ultimately, Ei's flaw as a ruler is she doesn't...care. She would never do what Venti does and acknowledge a mortal as one of hers, even though he is, in this life. She's shut away in her Tenshukaku and is significantly meaner about it than in canon. This is what tears Sara apart even more than loving Kokomi--is a god not meant to rule over her people? Doesn't this mean being involved? What kind of ruler doesn't know anything about her people?

I think my view on the archons in this fic is that they are severely, cripplingly not human. They mostly suffer from "watch from afar" disease and when they do meddle, in Ei's case, it's in the pursuit of something that the public doesn't understand nor care for. Venti suffers from the same thing, as he only shows up to make things complicated and then leave. He's busy with his songs and prophecies, though I'm more charitable to him in the narrative, I think.

I wanted Overturn Eternity to be more about people, I think. It's why I tried to ground everything in exaggeratedly descriptive language. It's about humans breaking against each other and loving each other and doing their best. So the villains of the piece are the ones that are the least human. I'm sure you might be able to guess who the final bosses are even if I haven't quite gotten to that part yet ;)

[scarletooyoroi]

Highkey been thinking of a new approach to Thoma’s issues involved with the Inazuma Archon Quest.

Mainly, up to the point of post-ceremony Thoma and how this would probably be one of the most turbulent points in his life. (I mean no surprises there.) Moreso how he goes from someone who steadily built up his station there, only to have that seamlessly flipped on its head with the act of nationwide treason. Whether or not he knew that the Shogun would parry, that was undoubtedly a blow with killing intent, only to make it impossible to ignore. There’s nowhere to hide within that whole patch of island, what he’s done could easily charge the ire of the Shogun’s elite.

In turn! This would be a verse where he’s on the run with the world feel like its closing in all around. Being one of the highest bounty individuals in the eyes of the people/Tenryou Commission would introduce a different sense of clarity. It would truly come to test his thoughts, feelings and allegiance towards Inazuma and its people in a more raw form.

Above all else being an active force while still being adamant about keeping his Vision, moreso to properly pursue his path of loyalty and righteousness as many of these hands were the same ones that helped raise him. ( helping best they can from the shadows as well.) It would be the grounds for a steady sense of developments in the attempt to clear his name, not without being constantly hunted and tested during the Vision Hunts, needing to reach and shake the Archon’s heart with the many rebels during the Vision Hunts.

I could easily see him coming to join the Watasumi forces in this particular regard. The transition would be a given with how Thoma and Yoimiya, along with a lighter shade underneath the Kamisato umbrella often worked to get those people and their families off the land, as the Hunts more corrupt figures would’ve done anything to attempt siphoning information, given the many power plays they tried to take advantage of in this time as well.

Thoma would want to fight and foster what strength he can alongside others, both as a measure to ensure that sacrifices don’t have to be too strenuous with proper helping hands, but in terms of personally wanting to face the Raiden Shogun in order brave the storm in making that bridge of understanding.

Looking deeper into Inazuma’s history through these travels would offer the clarity that much of this was a long time coming, and that the methods of being holed up as a scarce, ghostly figure in the castle is by all means unnatural.

Reverent faith in these times that he’s come to see, can be the most dangerous and easily twisted variable.

tl;dr: Wanted/Hunted Thoma AU

[thundertide]

1, 22, 23, 28, and 36 for +1 Saiki <3

Character Development: Hard Mode!

1. Does your character have siblings or family members in their age group? Which one are they closest with?

Despite the fact she didn't even know of him until she was about 16, and didn't actually meet him until several years later, Saiki has a twin brother: Heizou! Although the two were split shortly after birth by their conwoman mother Adria, Saiki's still managed to uncover the truth and come back to Inazuma for multiple reasons - The biggest of which at the time was to find Heizou, and at least get a chance to see the brother she was taken from... A goal that snowballed into telling him the truth, and them finally getting to be the siblings they should've been right along.

Despite the distance between them for most of their life and having walked two totally different paths to this point, Saiki and Heizou share a pretty damn close bond. They've had time to adjust to things and long since confirmed the truth of things, and with that they've been able to get to know each other and develop a close, tight-knit bond that Saiki absolutely treasures. Sure, Heizou is stubborn and sometimes hard to work with, but that's part of his charm - Or rather, that's what she's always explaining to anyone who asks how she can stand him, especially because she knows nobody will understand if she explains the truth. He's stubborn, hardheaded, even a bit scheming... But he's also warm when given the chance to be, brilliant, supportive, and an amazing brother she wishes she'd gotten to know sooner. <3

...Just as long as he doesn't tease too hard. She'll force-feed him his vision if he decides to be a jerk. <3

22. What does your character like in other people?

Saiki's incredibly fond of people who speak their mind, but also know how to be kind. There's no reason to take 'blunt' and use it as an excuse to be a jerk, or to not listen to someone trying to explain something to you you actually should know. Perhaps this is a result of being raised by Adria and having seen everything Adria was trying to pull off, even helping her before she realized the truth of it all, Saiki isn't sure, but she very much values a desire to listen and learn and grow, and to hear someone out before making a judgement on them. A gentle word, determination, and kindness go a long way, and so does a willingness to work with someone rather than deem them a horrible, terrible person right off the bat.

23. What does your character dislike in other people?

Scheming, cruelty, refusal to listen... While she's aware not everyone should get a second chance, especially if they'd thrown one away before or expressed an unwillingness to change, using that to judge everyone even remotely connected to them or similar - especially unwillingly or unknowingly similar - is an immediate turn off. Jumping to a snap judgement and judging everyone on hello is another thing that'll ensure she stays away from someone, especially over minor things, and expressing a desire to hurt, manipulate, or use someone is a surefire way to make her avoid you. It's one thing to have a job or a skillset that requires it, such as her work with the Kamisatos, Heizou's need to manipulate situations for confessions and investigative reasons, and Thoma's need to maneuver situations for information, but to hurt others just for the fun of it... Nah. Nope. She's out. Even with a reason for it, it should be a good reason, she feels.

Saiki's also not really that fond of people who're willing to let their anger take control and attack or lay into someone basically on hello. This is a result of her being Adria's daughter and facing people more than willing to hurt her for Adria's crimes, refusing to hear her out and assuming she's the same as her mother or working with her, and while Saiki understands, a jump to being willing to scream in someone's face or hurt them in situations like this actually scares her as a result of it all, and she'll give them all the space in the world.

28. How quick or slow is your character to resort to physical violence in a confrontation?

Moderately slow, unless she has absolutely no choice to. As much as she hates the skillset she has and is learning but struggling to see it as something good and her own, Saiki would much rather navigate through a situation with words rather than through jumping into a fight. Piecing the moment together, then picking it apart and working away from a battle makes much more sense to her - Stupid things happen when tensions are high, and she's seen enough stupid things in her lifetime to not want them repeated.

Now if she's being threatened and knows trying to work her way out of it isn't going to work? Sword time! <3

36. How does your character behave around people they dislike?

Saiki is immediately quieter around those she doesn't really like. This quiet is vastly different from 'uncomfortable quiet'; rather than being fidgety or looking uncomfortable enough she needs to slip away, when she dislikes someone, she's just... Quiet. She'll look their way, but she won't speak unless spoken to directly first, and keeps her tone as straightforward as possible, hoping to avoid any reason to stay longer than she has to. She's not rude, nor will she avoid doing business with them if they happen to be a merchant or someone involved with Yashiro Commission affairs, refusing to cause trouble for anyone else, but she is quite clearly less bouncy and bright than normal, like a lightbulb that's had a shade place around it.

Unless someone is paying close attention, it's not easy to tell she doesn't like who she's around, just that she's a little quieter and less forward than usual. If she's with Thoma, Heizou, Ayaka, or Ayato, she'll let them do most of the talking in the moment and only speak up when she has to, choosing to take a background role. Even so, she's not afraid to speak her mind when she still has to, yet is clearly choosing her words far more carefully. She's not going to make it super clear she doesn't like someone, but she's also not going to hide it, either.

[makelemonade]

Kamisato Ayato's Assistant!!!

Kamisato Ayato x Fem!Reader

Summary: Living in a small village where funds and groceries are the very least of everyone's concerns, you felt at peace. That was, until, your grandma became sick, and the herbs from your village wouldn't help her. You had to put her in medical care but didn't have the money to pay. So, it's time to find a job! Who knew you'd become Ayato's favourite assistant in just one day?

Characters: Kujou Sara, Kazuha, Ayaka, Thoma, Scaramouche, Yoimiya, Itto.

Warnings: hurt + comfort, lots of talk abt money, flirting, scaramouche and kazuha being like older brothers, fluff, and yoimiya being yoimiya. NOT PROOF READ. wrote this at 3 in the morning so like prob some spelling mistakes

Words: 4849

Sometimes, outsiders only focused on the fact Inazuma was the Land of Eternity, and came just for the beautiful landisghts and the shrine’s.

The real reality of it is that now with the vision hunt decree just ending, but the shogun not doing anything to help the city, it’s in shambles. No one can even get a job, with the amount of monsters due to stress and fear supplies are running out in your small village.

Really, the only worry you had was getting the money for groceries, and your grandma.

Your grandma had took in and raised you ever since your mom left you when she had you at a very young age. Grandma was ashamed of your mother for doing that, but was happy to have a little gremlin like you to raise.

But now your older…and life’s harder.

Especially hers.

She’s not that old, given the fact your mother had you at a young age, but she had caught onto some deadly sickness, and once you realized that the herbs and medication weren’t helping, she couldn’t stay in the village anymore, especially with all the recent monsters and panic.

So, you move her into a hospital just into the main city, but the main city is where a simple snack is worth 300 mora. So, when the nurses at the hospital told you they could take care of your grandma in the hospital, with food and a bed to sleep on, for FREE, you were grateful.

But only for a month they said, and then it would be 6000 mora per month. 

You knew you had to find a job, because you couldn’t let your grandma live in the village with no medical care any longer. People in your village depended on each other, and food was never  a big problem because of farming and crops, but of course the monsters came a destroyed it all.

There was money for groceries of course, but you couldn’t get much. Thankfully, friends and even the Kujou family offered to help you and the village whenever needed. 

Kazuha- now that he was back- would often come by with whatever the village needed. Itto would be around lifting moods up and playing with the kids. Sometimes, Yoimiya would come by at night to put on a firework show. 

Sara never came by, only just to see you and talk about life over tea, but her family funded whatever the village needed. 

Today, just 2 weeks after putting your grandma in the hospital, she had come by with her grace Ayaka.

You had never met Ayaka before, and were shocked to see Sara bring her to your usual once in a while tea.

“So, uhm…your grace, what brings you here today?” You asked.

She smiled. “Please, just Ayaka. And when Sara had told me about one of her amazing friends, I just had to meet you.”

The other girl was slightly flustered at Ayaka’s words, and you realized it’s because Ayaka exposed that Sara actually has a very nice mouth, and can say amazing things.

“How’s G/N?” Sara asked.

“She’s doing well.” You said, sipping on your tea and almost spitting it out because of how hot it is.”

“What are the expenses?” Sara asked, and you realized what she was trying to do.

You shook your head. “No, I can’t have you fund the hospital bill as well. You and the others already do so much for the village. I just, need to find a job before the end of the month.” 

Thankfully, you had gotten a small side job that for whenever there was a small festival in one of the small towns that Yoimiya was at, you were paid by the Naganohara family just to deliver fireworks all the way and help set them up. Usually, whenever there were too many, Itto and Kazuha would help you out.

Sara frowned. “I can’t disrespect your wishes. Though I do genuinely wonder how much.”

You were hesitant to speak. Ayaka was here, and she was just absolutely perfect. To talk about how poor your family is and how you need funds from rich families as if you’re a beggar just made you look like a disgrace to her.

That’s what you assumed at least.

“Perhaps it’s not best to talk about that here.” You chuckled. “Ayaka is here so-”

“No!” She shook her head frantically. “Please, It seems rather odd but I would love to hear this.” You didn’t hear her murmurs about how she could maybe help.

You nodded. “It’s 6000 mora per month..”

Sara spit out the tea she was drinking, with Ayaka also shocked. “What?! That’s like more than bills, taxes, and money for living all together!” 

You nodded at Sara’s words, remembering how shocked you were when you first heard. “I know. Thankfully Yoimiya’s paying me to help with fireworks and delivering them, but it’s only twice a month, and i’m paid about 1000 mora whenever I do help. It’s a lot believe me, but I won’t have enough.”

“Y/N…” Ayaka hesitantly put her hand on yours. “I know we just met, but I genuinely consider you to be a good friend. Let me help you.” Before you could talk about how you weren’t accepting money from them, she spoke. “The Kamisato Clan often looks for assistants and helpers around the house. I heard from Thoma and my brother that we’re short of workers.”

You let it all slip in. Working for Ayato Kamisato? That’s like a gift from the Archons themselves! He’s the most prestigious and handsome man in Inazuma, with the perfect hand to slaughter all the monsters and scare away Treasure Hoarders.

There was no way someone as low class as you would be accepted, so you were gonna tell her no, but then she said your salary..

“3000 mora per 2 weeks.”

Your jaw dropped.

You weren’t greedy whatsoever, if you were given an option like this and your grandma was perfectly fine you would take it. But for her, you had too.

“Alright.” You nodded.

“Great! I’ll inform the two I found a new worker!” Ayaka said, happily. “At least I’ll finally have another friend at the house…”

Just hope it’s worth the 2 hour walk every morning and back at night just for it.

~~~

“Kazuha what if he hates me!” You whined, but also because your feet hurt from the amount of walking you’ve done. 

You had to be at the Kamisato house by 9am sharp. So, you had woken up at 6 due to the fact it was gonna be a 2 hour walk, and the extra hour to admire the view and sunrise in the way.

Kazuha had offered to take you there, seeing as he wanted some quality alone time with you and to protect you. You were a rather skilled fighter, but he still had the urge to protect you as your best friend.

“He probably will hate you.” The voice in the back scoffed, and you had completely forgotten he was even with you.

You turned to look at Scaramouche who was following just behind. He wasn’t forced to come, but when he realized that kazuha would be gone for hours he decided to just follow 

He was supposed to be hiding from the Fatui and the Shogun, but after Yae clarified she and the shogun didn’t care he had the gnosis, and that most fatui diplomats were forced out of Inazuma.

Yes, he was still a bitch, but he’s softened as he’s been around you, kazuha and yoimiya for the last few weeks.

“He won’t hate you, Y/N.” Kazuha assures you. “Ayato is very nice, but I doubt you’ll see him. He’s always stuck in his office. Thoma is just like yoimiya.”

“Sometimes I think they’re just secretly siblings.” Scaramouche said, making you and kazuha chuckle.

You had reached the stairs that led all the way up to the house and you groaned, but Scaramouche had already started to push you up. “I wanna get this over with.” He grumbled. 

When you had gotten up the stairs, all three of you tired, you were greeted by Ayaka, lord Ayato and who you assumed was Thoma.

“Friends, good to see you.”kazuha smiled, walking up the hug the 3

Scaramouche kept his arms crossed and didn’t walk up to anyone, but there was an obvious smile on his face when Thoma hugged him. 

You walked up to Ayato while the others talked. “My lord, it’s a pleasure to work for you. Thank you for letting me work here.”

He smiled. “Believe me, it’s a pleasure to have you work with me.” He took ahold of your hand and kissed it, and this didn’t go unnoticed by those who accompanied you on this walk.

You blushed a little and smiled. 

“I understand Ayaka told you that there’s a spot to work around the household?” He asked, and you nodded. “Well, I actually need a new assistant. Thoma’s wonderful but having you woukd be even better. Will you take the offer?” 

You blushed more and more. My, who know the oh so perfect Ayato was such a flirt. “I gladly will, my lord.”

He smiled at that. “Perfect.” 

You had waved goodbye to Kazuha and Scaramocuhe, hoping the next festival with yoimiya you’ll be able to see them. 

~~~~

It’s only your first day and your dying.

Multiple files to read and you had to sort them all out by date and day, which ones were important and which ones were just something he could deal with later. 

Now, if it just just a stack of documents that would be fine, but the man had stacks and stacks of it. 

Just as you were looking at one of the papers, trying to tell which is important and which isn’t, you heard 2 knocks at the door before Thoma had walked in.

“Ah Y/N! Just who i'm looking for.” He said, smiling and Ayato looked up from the letters he was writing to a shit ton of families requesting his hand in marriage with their daughters. He has complained about arranged marriages the entire time he read the letters, and talked about how he just wanted to find someone and love them instead.

Of course he made a flirty comment when he did talk about it. “Maybe it could be you.” He had winked. 

“Yes thoma?” You asked. 

“Unfortunately, there’s no suites left since the last burned down because of the old worker. I’d you’d like, you can room with me!”

“Suite?” You repeated in confusion. 

Ayato eyes lit up. “Oh yes! Assistants and certain workers all have rooms in the house, so it’s just easier for them to start the job easier.”

“I’m sorry but I can’t accept. I’m already being paid a lot and…ITs fine really.”

“Nonsense.” Thoma scoffed. “Ayaka told me you live very far. We couldn’t dare to make you walk that much every day.” 

“Where do you live?” Ayato asked.

“An island near kannazuka.” 

His eyes widened and so did thoma’s.

You noticed and chuckled. “It’s only like 2 to 3 hours. I love walking. Today scaramouche and kazuha walked me here, unfortunately they can’t anymore but it’s fine! I’m perfectly skilled in fighting so I can walk home safe at night.”

“Absolutely not.” Ayato shook his head. “We can’t have you always getting tired can we! Plus, we just wouldn’t be able to handle it if anything had happened to you.” 

“You barely know me.” You giggled.

“You’re right, but I wanna get to know you. So how about you stay in my room with me since there’s none left, and you don’t die walking home at night and I get to spend the whole night getting to know you better.” He smirked.

Thoma smiled at that. The last few days Sara and Ayaka would come by to talk about this amazing Y/N- mostly Sara- and everything she had said about you made Ayato practically fall in love without even seeing your face. 

But when he did see your face archons he swear the heavens sent him a miracle because the woman he saw was absolutely breathtaking. 

“A-alright.” You tried to hide your red face by looking away and hiding behind the stacks of papers and files.

~~~~

That night, he had to convince you for 20 minutes straight to sleep In the same bed with him due to the fact there was one. He also had to bring in Thoma to help him.

There was a gigantic space though, and as much as he would love to be closer to you, he knew he had to respect your boundaries and comfort zone.

He had gotten his wish and indeed got to know you better that night. You had told him about your grandma raising you, but didn’t talk about how she was sick and you only got the job to help her. You talked about a side job with yoimiya and made sure to ask if there were some days you could have off to help her, and he immediately said yes. 

There wasn’t much to talk about, other than your hobbies, your amazing friends and the ones you consider brothers- such as Kazuha, Scara and Itto- and life in the village. 

You didn’t talk abt any money problems, because you didn’t want him to take pity on you just like the Kujou family did to you and your village.

That night you went to sleep peaceful, despite the fact you were sleeping in the same with with THE Kamisaro Ayato and suddenly became best friends in one night. 

~~~~

The next few days went by quickly, seeing as you did the same thing over and over again which did seen very boring, but it was always fun with Ayato flirting and the constant tea breaks he would bring you in. 

You had found out that due to the fact you started halfway through the month, you’d only get the 3000. You only had 1000 from the last festival you had worked on with yoimiya, which meant you just had 4000. You hoped the hospital would add the extra 2000 to the next monthly fee. 

Every now and then kazuha woukd drop by, with scaramouche or Itto accompanying him. Sometimes scaramouche would even come alone on his own accord.

Of course, Ayato didn’t mind whatsoever, and would even take a break with you two. 

Just close to the end of the month, Scaramouche had came, and it was obvious Yoimiya and Kazuha were making him a softie since he smiled more and actually hugged you for the first time without you having to ask or hug him first.

Over tea, you explained the 2000 you would add to the next monthly fee for the hospital bill. Scaramouche had offered to pay, seeing as he had millions and millions of mora from the Fatui, but before you could respond Ayato came.

“2000 for what?” He asked, sitting down beside you with Thoma. 

“Her gr-“

“Groceries!” You cut him off, nervously chuckling and kicking him under the table and he quickly understood. “He payed to get groceries for my grandma and a few kids in the village. I just need to pay him back 2000.”

“How nice of you scaramouche!” Thoma said, making the shorter man blush a little. He was definitely becoming a softie.

~~~

a few days after that, when you had left during your break to go to the hospital in the city, you held a bag full of 4000 mora and hoped no one would try to steal it, but most importantly, you hope that Ayato doesn’t get too mad ur extending your break by…almost an hour. 

But when you got there, explaining to the doctors that you would pay off the 2000 next month, you were confused at their words.

One of the nurses took the bag of Mora. “Y/N, you already paid off your 2000.”

“No I didn’t?” You shook your head.

Another nurse nodded while the other weighed the bag of mora. “A man, rather short, came in to pay off the 2000 for you. Lil purple hair guy.”

You felt tears well up in your eyes, even when you had gotten back to the house and he was at the top of the stairs waiting for you with Ayaka and you and run up to him hug tight. 

He laughed when you kept resorting thank you over and over again. “Anything for my lil’ sis.” 

You didn’t notice Ayato who stood far, a jealous gaze at the two of you hugging. You wondered why you were thanking him, and he wanted to find out. 

~~~~~

Almost an entire month later, you heard 2 familiar knocks before Thoma walked in. “Mail!” He was holding quite a few envelopes and threw most of them to Ayato, all of them being hand in marriage letters which made him groan.

Thoma handed you just one, and it was one from the hospital. You thanked him as he left then teared  it open. 

While reading, Ayato noticed a rather panicked look on ur face that you were trying to hide.

“Who’s that from?” He asked.

You looked up. “Oh uh…just bills.”

“But you live here?”

“For my grandma back in the village.” Yiu said, and he hummed as he remembered the talk you had last month when he wanted to get to know you more.

Yet that was a big fat lie, but he didn’t need to know. 

The letter was from the hospital, and it was about your grandmother's condition getting worse. To keep her alive they upgraded her and gave her more treatment, but that meant raising the price. 

9000 Mora.

Just then, the clock chimed and you sighed. “My lord, I promised ayaka I’ll have tea with her, I’ll see you later.”

As you left, you threw out the paper in the trash by the door. You did have tea with ayaka, but you felt bad on the entire walk there. You never ask for money from anyone, and you hated the thought that for this tea gathering you may have to ask her for some help. You had to pay the 9000 by tomorrow, and there was no way you could get that type of money by yourself in just less than 24 hours.

When Ayato was sure you were gone though, he and ran to the trash and took out the paper you were reading, and he felt sadness wash over him as he read about your grandmas condition, and he realized why you looked panicked when he saw the Monthly fee was upgraded to 9000. 

He knew you made 3000 per 2 weeks, which equaled up to 6000 but he realized that it meant you couldn’t even have any money for yourself. Recently you told him that the Kujou family hells fund supplies for your village, but you never mentioned it was for your family specifically. You told him the extra 1000 you made with yoimiya went straight to the kujou family.

~~~~~

“Seriously? Again?” You asked the nurses and they both nodded. Just before they had apologized for the letter about the fee going up on short notice, and gave you some cookies, but then confused you with some news.

“A guy came in here asking how long until your grandma is fully recovered.” The first nurse said. 

The second nurse took another of a cookie before she spoke. “We told him the next 3 months at least.” 

Excitement filled the first  nurses eyes. “And guess what he did?”

“And who it was!” The second nurse said.

Before you could even say anything, they spoke in unison. “Kamisato Ayato paid off every fee for the next 3 months!”

Your heart dropped. 

~~~~~

“That’s more than 25,000 mora ayato!” You said, raising your voice but he sat on the bed completely unphased  as he drank his boba. “Why?! You already pay me 6000 every month, Get me food all the time and have given me a place to stay! Why did you-mph!”

You were cut off by his lips on yours and you felt your entire body tense and eyes widen. You couldn’t even kiss him back because of how shocked you were but he understood. 

The boba was long gone as he wrapped his arms around your waist and picked you up which shocked you even more and placed you atop the bed.

He let out small huffs once he parted his lips from yours, his face way too close to yours but you had no problem with it with the way his eyes stared into yours.

“Was that enough for calm you down?” He asked, grinning.

“More like shock me.” You panted, eyes still wide.. “But I’m still mad.” 

He sighed, cupping your cheek. “If you’re mad about me paying it all, then let me be mad that you hid it all from me. You promised you’d tell me everything, and kept telling me your grandma was fine.”

You sighed. “I’m sorry. I just didn’t want you to think lowly of me. You wouldn’t want some poor girl to be your assistant-“

“Y/N.” He cut you off. “Money wise, i do not care. Family wise, i do not care. Where you live? I do not care. I don’t care about anything like that. Rich or not, that doesn’t define who you are, and I certainly will not let it define you. Y/N, the day I saw you I fell in love with you, it may sound fake but I’m telling the truth. Sara would sometimes come by and talk about you and it just made me so interested in you to the point I felt like I had a crush without even seeing your face, yet once I saw you, I swear I fell in love.”

That made you blush, which led him to smirk.” I love you too.” You whispered.

“Be mine.” 

~~~

When you went to sleep after a long night of making out and cuddling, you were happy with the warm arms around you when you went to sleep. The arms you wished would hold you as you slept for months,

But you were sad when you woke up to coldness, and your confusion quickly took over. Where is ayato? 

Just as you sat up, you heard the familiar 2 knocks and Thoma walked in. “Good morning sleeping beauty!” He said, grinning widely.

You smiled. “Good morning. Do you know where ayato is? He normally wakes me up.”

“He has a visit from a bunch of rich families from Fontaine tonight. Hand in marriages or whatever so he’s preparing. Other than that, you have the entire day off! Wanna spend it with me?” He asked, having a hopeful glint in his eyes.

“And me!” Ayaka popped up beside him.

You laughed and nodded, quickly getting up. You were confused as to why Ayato didn’t wake you up like usual, but maybe he was just way too busy. 

Yet your confusion grew even more when the guests from Fontaine were over. 

From your understanding, you always thought s/o’s would wanna show off their beloved and you swear that ayato was the type to do that. But he didn’t even talk or spare you a glance tonight. He acted as if you didn’t exist.

It made you feel like you didn’t belong here. Whenever woman from other nations asking for his hand in marriage would walk up to him and flirt with him, it made your blood boil but also made you wanna cry when he didn’t tell anyone he had someone.

Wait- what were you to him? He told you he loved you, made out with you for hours and then cuddled you to sleep. That’s obviously something, right?

Unless he always does this with assistants he gets. Maybe he sends his sister to find him assistants, gets them and throws them aside.

You shook your head, but when you saw him kiss another woman’s hand, and a sudden wave of deja vu washed over you,  you just had to agree with the second option. 

And you also did the third option that just popped up in your head: run. 

You discreetly left the party room in the mansion, and also left the mansion itself with tears in your eyes. You ran to the only place you knew you could find all your friends at. 

~~~~

Hanamizaka is practically owned by the Naganohara family. Not by money, but just because everyone absolutely loved them.  The festivals they hosted, the candies they’d give to all the kids, and just their kindness was what made them practically run Hanamizaka.

Today was a usual get together for everyone, you were invited and usually Ayato always let you go out to these, but today you had to be there for the guests….well not anymore since you ran about half an hour ago from the house all the way here.

There was a certain beach spot your feet led you too without even having to look, and you noticed smoke and smiled. It was either a bonfire or Yoimiya about to set off some fireworks.

It was the first option as you saw all your friends sitting around the bonfire, laughing and smiling. The sight almost made you forget about everything.

Itto was the first to notice you due to his amazing hearing as an Oni, but also didn’t fail to notice the tears in your eyes, and Scaramouche and Kazuha had immediately asked what was wrong.

Yoimiya had practically jumped up the moment she saw your tears. “What’s wrong! Did you fall? Get hurt? Oh no do you want some candy?? I have a crap ton in the house, hold on-”

“Yoimiya!” You cut her off before she could run off, giggling. “It’s not that. It’s…Ayato.”

Scaramouche and Kazuha glanced to each other at that.

“What did he do?” Sara asked.

As you explained everything, you saw the way Sara and Yoimiya’s face morph into sadness, Itto was already in tears ‘cuz he was way too sensitive, and Kazuha was mad.

So was Scaramouche, they were absolutely red as a fire truck.. Scaramouche swore he could’ve felt his blood boiling as you told everyone the story. He’s never been this mad ever since he was in the Fatui/

He saw you as a little sister, so did Kazuha, so it didn’t shock you at how mad they both were. But when three familiar people had arrived just not too long after, they’re anger had immediately gone through the roof.

It went quiet and you turned around to see Ayaka, Thoma and Ayato. You assumed Ayaka must’ve told him you were here.

Scaramouche scoffed, “lot a nerve showing up here.” Kazuha nodded his head in agreement, the two glaring at Ayato.

“What are you doing here?” You asked, walking up to him. Thoma and Ayaka had quickly run off to join the party, and you were thankful the others weren’t mad at them.

Ayato put his hand on your hips and you felt butterflies. “Y/N, I am so sorry. I'm terribly sorry. I never should have ignored you, and I’m so sorry about all those women. I noticed your gaze when I kissed one of their hands, and it was only because she was a huge friend of the kamisato clan and I couldn’t upset her. That doesn’t excuse what I did though and I’m sorry. Despite being me…I’ve never been in a relationship before.”

That shocked you.

“And when you came walking up those stairs, I felt as though my life was complete the moment I laid eyes on you. I fell in love with you on that day. I understand if you don’t forgive me, but I think everyone will be confused after I announced at the party I have a beautiful girlfriend named Y/N. Unfortunately, you didn’t hear since you were already gone. I told them that I plan on marrying her one day.”

Then, he pulled out a a small box from his pocket and your eyes widened. “Ayato, it’s only been-”

“A few months?” He spoke for you. “I know, I’m not saying we get married now, but I want you to show off that ring as if we truly are engaged. I want you to show it off and tell people you’re mine, and I’m yours. Plus, it may also be so I don’t get any more engagement letters.”

You felt tears well up in your eyes.

“Y/N, even though it’s only been a few months, will you accept this ring? We won’t get married, not until you’re ready. I just want to be able to call you my soon-to-be wife. So, love, will you accept this ring?”

Now itto was full on sobbing tears of happiness, and maybe Scaramouche was sniffing a little, so was Kazuha.

You were at a loss for words, but you knew what you had to say. “I will.”

[reilliane]

Violet (ii) ⊱⊰ Genshin!Various

A/N: Finally, the belated Irodori special for Violet has arrived! Let's finally welcome the special LIs for this particular universe :weary: now prepare for some awkward bonus LIs against a dropdead gorgeous MC. Also! MC is under the alias of Sumire/Violet. And the days here are changed to fit the plot; Kazuha arrives a day early!

✤ Part One

✤ LIs: Aether, Albedo, Kazuha, Xingqiu, Venti, Zeta (Subject Two)

“Have you prepared everything?” Anxiety from leaving the cottage without every necessity finally abated, you lift your gaze to turn your attention towards your friend. Or housemate? Acquaintance? There's no definite label. “Mhm! All done and-” A golden accessory is raised in front of you, its luster a pretty scintilla beneath the rising sun. “Your hairpin.” Eyes dilating at the slightest—so you did forgot something!—you hastily take it into your fingers, only to stammer when the man before you lifts it out of reach. “-Well, I forgot about that,” a thankful yet abashed smile rests upon your lips as the hairpin is inserted into your twisted bun, where it rightfully belongs. “Thanks, Zeta.” The man in question grins, leaving a pat on your head as usual. Though it goes without saying that he's meticulous with it this time, not up for the chance of ruining your elegant updo. Accompanying you outside, he closes the door behind him, humming with a tipped stare towards the brightening sky. It's a little early, but that is to be expected given your nature of work. “You said you'll be away until Irodori ends?” “Yes, all slots under my name are filled! This will be quite the arduous week, that's for sure.” The okiya has always been busy, being one of the most sought-after places for entertainment and relaxation. So, the extra work has been anticipated. What hasn't been anticipated, however, is the Head of the Yashiro Commission's personal request; an extension of service to co-host the event. Your mother, of course, sends you in—as planned and as requested. After all, the commission explicitly wrote for 'Violet' to be the one to act as co-host. In other words, you.

You have a feeling that Thoma put in a good word for you, or maybe Kamisato Ayato has always been cognizant of your fame in the okiya. Either way, you are beyond flattered and excited to be able to officially partake in one of the most baronial festivals in Inazuma. But what makes this week hectic is because you will be roaming the streets of Ritou until daylight has gone; interacting with the people, playing a tune or two, arranging flowers, et cetera, et cetera. And in the evening, you will tend to your personal clients. The Outlander Affairs Agency has gracefully allowed you to take momentary refuge in their building, up a private space where there's a room for your business and another for your personal lodgings. “You could've taken a day off…” Zeta murmurs. He sounds subtly exasperated and for an actual good reason. “Nonsense. I can't possibly leave my sisters alone to work! Besides, our clients nowadays are pleasant to talk to.” The week before—when you were told of the news—today, you have been way too eager. Mother tells you to take the well-needed rest because the festival will be a hectic week, but you chose to continue working. Even when you retired to your cottage the past weekend, you couldn't get a proper wink of sleep! Zeta eyes your face, particularly, the bags under your eyes that are hidden only because of makeup. No one but him is aware of your actual lethargy, masked behind genuine enthusiasm. Self-conscious beneath his piercing gaze, you turn with a stammer and march off into the dirt roads leading to Ritou. “Well, I'll be going, now!” The hand landing on your shoulders pulls a tiny squeak out of your lips and Zeta comes into view again, with a bow slung over his back. His quiver is strapped onto his waist, stocked full with self-made arrows. Since when did he have the time to wear his gear? “Let me accompany you, at least.” although his words are phrased as though he's asking for permission, you know full well that he won't be taking no for an answer. After you have found him washed ashore and helped him settle in, he has been adamant about guarding you. Sometimes, when he isn't tending to your field of crops, he will escort you to and from the city. He does not have a Vision, but he's adept with the bow. You smile. “Well, if you insist…” The roads to Ritou aren't always safe, so Zeta's protection is always taken with immense gratitude. There have been cases where you're almost chased by hilichurls and robbed by hoarders. If it weren't for Zeta's interventions then, you don't think you would've made it home in one piece. “Let's go, then. Thoma will be waiting for you, right?” “Mhm.” It's worth mentioning that the letter details that Thoma will be present for the majority of the festival to check up on things. He's assigned to briefing you about the dos and don'ts and what-to-do-ifs. Itto as an extra precaution has been thought of by mother, but you turned it down, aware that the oni will want to enjoy the festival with his gang. If he sees you there and wishes to be the mighty bodyguard as he is in the okiya, then that's the only time you'll cave in. As expected, the journey is all but smooth sailing. Hilichurls are scatted about Byakko Plains, but they're not that difficult for Zeta to intercept. His arrows always meet their targets, it makes you wonder who he was before he lost his memory. The stationed guards by the shore—near the entrance to Ritou—bow to you in a warm welcome. It's a flattering gesture, yes, but you feel a little out of it given that you're not exactly someone of great importance, nor are you a leader. Just a simple geisha—a renowned one, at that—making ends meet.

“Ah, Violet, you're here early!” greets Thoma as he ambles down the stone stairs with a brilliant smile. You turn to welcome him. He's been a client of yours ever since he came upon orders of Kamisato Ayato, and begins to frequent the okiya in his leisure time. Of course, even though you have a nice relationship with him outside business, your name remains unknown. “I believe I should check the whole place out before people start coming, I hope it isn't troublesome,” you say whilst patting the sleeves of your kimono, getting off some of the sand. “No, no. Not at all! Let me give you a tour?” “That will be splendid.” you thank him a second time when he takes your slung bag before turning to look at your other companion. “Well, this is me. Thanks, Zeta.” “Not a problem.” he smiles, leisurely slinging his bow to his back once again whilst arranging the quiver around his waist. His lack of sweat insinuates that combat comes to him with ease. He then raises a hand to pass on a simple wave, nodding towards the blond at your side then ambling back to the sandy path. He'll be alone for the entire week—and although it never poses as a problem, you can't help but be bummed out because of it. Yes, you barely see him during the weekdays since you'll be at the okiya, but time with Zeta is never dull. You sort of want to have him around here even if it's just for a little while. Without a doubt, he'll just meander around the plains or read a book or two in the cottage. Maybe hunt in his pastime or consider a few commissions, but shouldn't he have fun in the festival, at least? Heavens, if he isn't so amicable, you would've definitely thought he's aloof. “Um!” he stops to look at you from over his shoulder after hearing your unsure call. The timid blink of his honey eyes is a gentle invitation for you to continue, so you do, albeit rather shy. “If it won't bother you too much, you can come tomorrow evening and we can have a meal together? I don't have much to do at seven.” you barely see him stepping into civilization unless necessary, always choosing to be in solitude. Zeta's response doesn't come as quickly as you'd hope, and you fear that you may have discomforted him in some way. The piqued twinkle in his gaze, however, states otherwise. “Alright. See you tomorrow night, then.” he leaves it at that, brief. And you don't mind. A confirmation is a confirmation no matter how terse! With a relieved smile, you wave him goodbye, holding back the urge to throw in a little more energy lest you start ugly creases on your apparel and mess up your accessories. You are to be professional throughout the day. “So he's your housemate?” Thoma queries as you both step upwards into the still empty plaza of Ritou. Regardless of the lack of civilians, however, decorations have already been put up as well as banners and other ornamental paraphernalia. “Yes, that's Zeta. He's been a lot of help.” you manage to answer, lost in wonder. The times you've been to Ritou can be counted with your fingers. You've always been in Inazuma City during the weekdays and in your cottage just on the outskirts of the city near the prairies. You're always too exhausted to go out during weekends, and there's no need to leave. So seeing it be in a festive state is awing. Thoma is not blind to the excited gleam in your eyes and he laughs. “He seems like a great guy!” he extends his arm for you to take, a lopsided smile playing on his lips. “Now, shall we head on?”

Aether

The famous Outlander, you have heard of him by word of mouth. Why, he's a hot topic not only in the city but in the okiya itself.

Even General Gorou, a dear client, has praised him in one of your meetings.

You've never seen him, though, the Hero—the liberator.

That is until he comes waltzing in Ritou with a look similar to yours; of awe and wonder. He's rather early, as well, which means he probably means business. Still, you approach him, not wanting to give up the chance of meeting him personally.

It isn't like there's anything else for you to do now that Thoma has gone to check on other matters.

There is a small, floating girl beside him who draws his attention upon your closing distance. She's loud but pleasant.

You welcome the two of them just as the blond is turning to acknowledge your arrival.

✤ Aether is absolutely floored when he swivels only to find himself face to face against a girl with a kind of beauty that lasts an eternal impression. He isn't even exaggerating. It is almost embarrassing how he stands there for a complete minute, gawking and speechless. It is like he forgot how to speak. To his absolute mortification, Paimon decides to introduce themselves on his behalf. Now, if only she dropped that mischievous grin on her face, he would've been thankful. “It is an honor to have finally met you. I am Violet, a co-host for the festival.” gosh her voice is sweet, “If you ever wish to hear a tune, or mayhap listen to a tale, feel free to come to me.” That doesn't sound like a bad idea at all. Judging by her overall appearance, it seems that entertainment is her forte. And this is confirmed when Paimon asks about her services. In fact, Paimon sounds like she's a second away from personally hogging Violet to herself, far too interested in what the latter has to offer. And he can't blame her for feeling like so. Unfortunately, they are there on commission, which means there is work to do. He berates Paimon for forgetting about it, who bites back that he probably forgot it, too. He kind of did. “Ah, as I expected... then, I shouldn't take up your time. Please, do carry on.” He feels bad, really, he does. It isn't always—never, actually—that he's swayed by a pretty face, but here he is. Violet just encapsulates the kind of person you'd not want to disappoint and dishearten at any cost. First impressions aside, he truly is rather piqued about the tales and songs. He's heard the name 'Violet' be thrown around the city and he's quick to deduce that she must be someone greatly respected. He gives her his name and a promise to visit and oh— “Aether...” heavens, he's melting. “That's a lovely name. I'm looking forward to seeing you sometime, then.” He's looking forward to it, too! Now, where are the guests he's going to guide for today? The quicker he gets it done, the better!

Calx, Albedo

His princely vesture is what draws your interest in him. That, along with a kind of familiarity that you can't pinpoint why—it's the first time you see him, and yet...

It feels like he's always been with you, which is ridiculous. You do not know his name. So, caving in to the curiosity within, you decide to approach him during a time when he is not busy.

With the sketchbook he carries around, he must be the commissioned artist from Mondstadt that Thoma told you of. Calx.

His first artwork is fully displayed on one of the panels at the plaza by the time you decide to indulge in your interests. Introductions come at ease, but what you fail to expect are his voice and whole appearance.

Suddenly, it is as though you've known him for a long time.

✤ “Zeta?” Albedo has never been mistaken for someone else. As far as he knows, his appearance is most... unique. So, this is a first. “I'm afraid I am not who you are looking for, miss,” his voice falls short when he comes to see who captured his attention. Luckily, he is quick to get over his awe. “I am Calx.” “Oh, I'm sorry.” her laugh reminds him of the tunes played by passing bards in Mondstadt. Her introduction piques him far more than necessary. He learns that Violet is working as a geisha and will be present during the entirety of Irodori to extend her services. He reckons that she'll be busy when people begin to pour in, maybe later or the day after. “Excuse me,” He goes to her just as she's about to excuse herself after her embarrassing mistake. The pink on her cheeks doesn't seem to come from her makeup any longer. “If I may, would you allow me to paint a portrait of you?” Violet is flabbergasted, so to speak, [c] eyes wide and cerise lips parted. This reaction befuddles the Alchemist, if he's going to be honest. That surprise only serves to imply that this may be the first time such a request has been proffered to her. It's a little astonishing. He feels a tiny blossom of pride grow within, having been the one to first offer a portrait. It's a winning situation on his end. “Me?” “Yes.” he blinks. “I'd like to capture the sublimity of your appearance on paper if you don't mind.” It isn't like he has anything to do after having finished one of the artworks for the Five Kasen, after all. And he's still itching to draw on his sketchbook. “I would be honored.” he finds himself smiling at the acceptance, “In turn, you must allow me to serve you tea and play you music.” “Understood.” not a bad offer. He would've drawn her on one of the panels had he not wished for a personal souvenir to take back home.

Kazuha

The last time you saw him, he was your last client for the night.

The roles have been flipped that evening, in which you've become the listener to his wondrous yet subtly tragic tales of adventure. He's still on the run then, actually, and his visit was more of a farewell.

But both the Sakoku and Vision Hunt Decree has been abolished now, meaning he's no longer a criminal and is free to return to his homeland.

Given the chance, you don't think that he will, for he always stated that he belongs out there—in a world that he can roam without end.

You still keep his gift around you at all times, the elaborate fan always inserted in your sleeve. Sometimes, you trace your initials that are carved onto it, thinking about the eloquent samurai.

You didn't think he'll be here. So, when he comes to you on the second day of the festival, it is a pleasant surprise.

✤ “A lovely day, isn't it?” Lovely is an incredible understatement. But as of the moment, he can't find any other words to describe the day and the woman before him. Kazuha can't be bothered to contain his smile as the geisha turns to him in shock, hands halfway from inserting a glaze lily into the grassy base of the flower arrangement. “Kazuha.” what a dulcet tone. Gentle in his mannerisms, he takes Violet's hand in his and presses his lips onto her knuckles. The small squeak he hears makes him chuckle. He lets go only when he spots an oni from afar giving him a pointed stare, though the smile hasn't quite left his face, still. Even when he tries not to, it is impossible to bring it down. “How have you been, fair lady?” the blossoming cerise on Violet's cheeks is a sight he delights over and he finds himself laughing once more. It has been so long since he met her again, nearly half a year. The times he sees Inazuma when he is aboard the Alcor, he'll feel the pull to visit. Alas, he's but a fugitive then. But now... “Very well,” he watches with a pleased eye as a familiar fan is taken out of a sleeve, splayed open to reveal its intricate design. “And you, wandering samurai? It appears that the wind has traced you back to me.” The element in question washes over as though it is a sentient being, answering the words with its timid breeze. Kazuha answers with a lilt, “It appears that it did.” Sometimes, he openly wonders about the lovely geisha he made a friend out of in his homeland. And in truth, there's always been a thought to head to Inazuma, it just so happens that an invitation for him to attend Irodori coincides with his plan of visit. The ronin takes a gander; seeing the unfinished ikebana, the small gathering audience, as well as the instruments on the side implies that there is some business going on that he has intruded into. “I will be here for quite a while,” he starts, eyes finding the group he's meant to join with, “If you have some time for leisure, will you spend it with me?” He needn't even ask. The twinkle in those [c]s serves well. But he asks, anyway—the fluttering warmth from the acceptance is nice, after all. “Of course.”

Zhenyu, Xinqqiu

The famous writer hailing from Liyue is listed as your first client in the night, you realize after being handed a list of names.

Zhenyu has published books that are well-known throughout Inazuma, though you've never been able to read one, Gorou tells you how much the Divine Priestess is absorbed in the reading material.

Fortunately, there is a small window of time when you're allowed to peruse the books available for purchase, so you decided to buy one and see for yourself.

Albeit you weren't able to read more than three chapters what with your persnickety schedule, it is more than enough to enrapture you.

All of a sudden, you're more than looking forward to your meeting with the author. The sun couldn't fall fast enough.

✤ Xingqiu is flattered as he is embarrassed to find out that the beautiful lady serving him tea is a new fan of his work. Before he knows it, he is almost stumbling in his words, and choking on his tea, flustered at best. “Y-you read my book?” The fact that he stuttered is already discomfiting as it is. Oh, Xingqiu, where's the composure you pride yourself with? The pretty ruby smile lost amid the dim orange mood in the room is ironically blinding. Then, with a nod and a little shuffle to sit more appropriately, the lady claps her hand. “A Legend of Sword, yes? I just bought one a while ago, I haven't read much of it, but I can see the appeal!” “Oh, thank you.” The compliment rushes blood to his cheeks, hopefully shadowed enough by the caliginous room. The redness will be an obvious contrast to the hues of his hair and attire. Xingqiu accepts the refill of delicious tea—that he learns is out of sakura petals—with a low thanks, quick to indulge himself with its soothing taste. Ah, how he feels the strain from earlier work being abated. He's almost lulled to sleep with the plucked melodies of the koto and the euphonious voice in unison, but he stays awake, eager to listen more. Actually, he has no idea that he's going to meet with someone until Xu informs him of it, having revealed himself to be the one to file the alias 'Zhenyu' in the list. Though the swordsman is initially reluctant, he can't say he dislikes this; it is a refreshing pastime. An unfortunate thing he couldn't stay for long. “If I may be so bold to ask, can you sign the book for me? It would be terrific if I have something in your memory.” Xingqiu's heart races for two reasons; he's touched and he's panicking. His handwriting isn't the best but he can't turn down the request, oh dear heavens, how can he? So with a nervous countenance, he accepts the quill and writes down his signature on the first page, as well as a tiny message. He expects a look of bafflement, but all he receives is a warm, grateful smile before he's being escorted away into the night.

Venti

You come upon the bard when you are strolling after a koto performance, finding him drunk out in broad daylight, slumped on one of the chairs by an alleyway.

The vibrance of his attire is conspicuous within the environment's palette of grey, ebony, and crimson, and it's what made you look in his direction.

When you shake him awake, he's tumbling onto the asphalt and grinning at you from ear to ear, claiming he's seen an angel. You would've flushed had he not been drunk, and had you not been concerned for his safety.

To your surprise, Aether appears looking for him, saying that Sara has dispatched a small team to look for the 'suspicious' bard.

Your meeting ends there—or so you thought.

✤ “Ho! Ohohoho, well hello there, my pretty muse! I had a feeling it would be you~” When Venti hears that a customer has taken his name out of the list to meet with Violet, he fought tooth and nail to be able to scribble his own. He isn't fond of leaving things unfinished! And his conversation with the lovely, lovely lady is by all means, unfinished. How can he leave it like so? It's preposterous! Even though he's the last client for the night and it's already so late, he can't find himself to be exhausted at all. If anything, he's rather enthused—thrilled! “It is nice to see you again, dear bard.” ah, a pretty face with a pretty smile. “The last hour is yours, please, what is it that you wish to do?” “Oh, I can think of a few things~” he winks, feeling a tad bit more playful than usual. To his delight, his half-hearted flirting elicits laughter. With a flick of a fan, the amused face he's staring into is hidden, as though purposely concealing it to play along. Venti is grinning at this, beyond content with the exchange. It goes without saying that he would've continued his mischief if there isn't such a stressful time limit above his head. The clock is ticking and the seconds are being counted, he has to make this worthwhile for both parties. “Then! How about we exchange a few melodies?” he quips, eager for a duet. “If there is something I can take back with me to the city of wind, then it will be the memory of your voice,” His lyre appears in his hands, strings strummed to resonate an enchanting tune. He winks again. “And the ode we shared.” Another laugh arises, followed by the closing of a fan and the appearance of a bright grin. Then, taking the koto, Violet starts. “Very well then, bard. Let us sing.”

Zeta, Subject Two

The following night, you've been looking forward to your dinner with your housemate slash friend. There lies an appeal to spending a meal with someone you've been living with yet aren't even fully acquainted with.

Zeta's circumstance remains unfortunate, still having no memories of who he was before he was washed on Inazuma's shores.

You want to reassure him that you will stay by his side to help with whatever you can. The months you've spent are cherished dearly.

Before his arrival, you always return to a dark and empty cottage, alone. But that has changed now; now, there is always light, there is always someone.

You wish to tell him that you will do the same for him and you will be there along the way.

✤ “Zeta, you're here!” He turns his chin up towards the direction he hears he's being called from and smiles at the arrival of the [c]-eyed lady. She doesn't seem to run out of energy at all. “I hope your journey wasn't too bad.” “No, not at all,” he responds, casually tucking a loose strand of [c] hair behind the geisha's ear and arranging the golden hairpin in her bun. “There were some hilichurls, but nothing I can't handle.” The bow slung at his back isn't even heavy, nor is the quiver around his waist. Paying them no mind, he lifts a basket in his hold, “I brought dinner.” “You- you didn't have to! I told you, this meal's on me!” He snickers with a shake of his head, almost addressing her with her real name until he realizes that they're still out in public. “No can do. Come, we better eat before it gets cold.” A small, defeated pout is all that's thrown his way before [Name] is sighing into the palm of her hand. He thinks he hears her murmur something about him being a 'hardhead', but he's too amused to care. “Right, then! There's this really quiet spot a little far away but it's worth it!” he nods, beginning to tail the lady in their short venture. It may only be for a few minutes, but the elapsing time feels like hours—and the reason lies in his moment of reflection. The more he stares at the back of the warmhearted geisha who provided him a home, the more the guilt starts to gnaw. His memory loss is a complete lie; he has full knowledge of what transpired back then in Dragonspine. Where he narrowly escaped death at the hands of a certain Traveler and Alchemist. Is it so wrong to live? In Inazuma, he is finally living. Finally. And he doesn't want to be taken away. But is he living in the right when up until now he continues to lie? Lies always catch up to someone. “Zeta?” Blinking from his reverie, he goes to answer- only to run into someone. Immediately, he apologizes, holding onto the basket that almost fell. “It's alright.” he freezes. And it has caught onto him. When he turns, the subject of both his interest and horror stands before him in the flesh. Suddenly, there is a voice inside urging him to pull the bow from his back, to fight- to defend- “What's gotten- oh, do you two know each other?” Albedo turns to look at Violet, though his bright cyan eyes are quick to move back to his impostor's. Or, well, who used to be his impostor. As far as he can see... his appearance has changed... and... So this is Zeta. He muses. No wonder I was mistaken for him, the irony is rather amusing. “Hm,” the Alchemist smiles, his stare heavy. “Do we?” Subject Two feels the weight of the world and the burden of his lies slamming onto his shoulders. His grip on the basket is tight. [Name] looks at him in genuine interest and his throat begins to burn. There is a desperate urge to flee, but his feet remain glued to the ground. There is a choice to make now and Albedo is pressing him for it. Whatever he says now... will shape his future as well as his life.

In the distance, a pair of yellow and blue butterflies take flight. The flap of their wings is gentle, but who's to say that their flapping wings won't stir a turbulent storm later on?

a/n: fun fact, Zeta's colors are simply Albedo's but the opposite. also, i had fun writing this one! it was a nice destresser as i was hounded by schoolwork aasdhkahdad

@cherryflushz @e7t3 @scarlet-halos @lordbugs @nebulaera @annoying-and-upset @hanniejji @applepi1415 @tjjjrsj @azirajane @hey-comrade-hold-stil @limelightsuperhero @chloeloe @loptido @windyventi @nejibot @ganyuqrt @justrinnn @yasunamilk @alana5021 @uwu-dreams @yvechu @aryllechan @epioneemersyn

[astrxlis-archive]

hi hi sweetheart <3 anyway, can i get a ficlet for thoma (i wanna say it's obvious but i was struggling to choose between him and xiao) where the reader goes silent or not respondent as a coping mechanism when they are placed in a social situation? i kinda just wanna see thoma comforting and speaking for them. in a way, it's like a traveller and paimon situation. you can chose to make it platonic or romantic because either way is fine by me! love you and don't force yourself to do this!

hi dear <3 thank you so much for the request! i left the nature of the relationship open so you can take this however you want. hope this is to your liking! love you too 🥰

WARNINGS: selective mutism

“hey-” you blink, suddenly aware of your surroundings. thoma’s looking at you with thinly-veiled concern, one hand placed on your shoulder, squeezing gently. he smiles once your eyes meet his. “are you back with me?”

you nod, licking your lips. your mouth feels drier than the deserts of natlan. when you try to speak, nothing comes out, so you sigh and resort to giving thoma a strained smile, brows furrowed. the people around you are still lost in their own conversation, so your little exchange went mostly unnoticed.

“you weren’t out long, don’t worry.” he whispers, a small smile gracing his lips. “do you want to stay here or leave?”

you bring your own hand to curl around his, squeezing once before letting go. stay. thoma nods and relaxes back into his seat, but makes the side of his thigh is touching yours, and it’s a familiar comfort that makes warmth spread through your entire being.

all you were doing was accompanying him in one of the many dinners and meals he’d promised around town, nothing new for you or him; if you were around when he’d suggested it, you were automatically included, and there had never been any complaints, nor have you had any problems with the arrangements.

“a package deal, the two of you,” one of the shopkeepers in ritou had joked once - and how right he had been.

this time, it was in one of the food stands near the docks; a fisherman wanted to discuss some issues he and others had been experiencing - you weren’t quite sure what, exactly, given you’d only met the man after the dinner arrangements had been settled as you had been busy with your own purchases around ritou at the time.

the issue itself had been resolved quite quickly, so the three of you had been enjoying a quiet, tasteful meal until a group of people walked by and the fisherman had called out a greeting. the group had flocked over, greetings were exchanged, and then one by one, they decided to stay and talk, and suddenly what had been a three-person dinner had suddenly become a big gathering. thoma, bless his social butterfly heart, had taken it in stride, since the original purpose of the dinner had been fulfilled, but you?

with each new person that decided to stay, the less vocal you became, until eventually you stopped talking altogether, the conversation slowly becoming background noise in your head as your mind started to drift elsewhere, absent-mindedly toying with the straw of your drink until thoma called you back.

“so,” a different voice grabs your attention by calling your name, your head snapping up to locate its’ owner, the fisherman. “we usually see you two together around ritou, but i’m not sure i know what your position is within the kamisato clan?” he takes a sip from his sake before clearing his throat. “are you even part of it?”

“they’re our official tailor.” thoma immediately takes over your reply in a light tone, eyes shining with pride. “milady’s current outfit was designed and sewn by them.”

you tap your index finger against the back of his hand to grab his attention, raising one eyebrow when he looks your way.

“oh, right! lord kamisato’s outfit too - it's all them, their own original designs and creations.”

someone breathes a wow, and then there's an influx of praise, all directed towards you; about how skilled you were, how it must’ve been a pressuring job considering their positions. thoma handles everything in your stead with grace, and as a shy smile spreads through your face, you take a moment to slide your hand on top of his, curling your fingers around the space between his index and thumb, your fingertips caressing his gloved palm when you give his hand a gentle squeeze. thank you.

you’re taking a sip from your neglected drink when he turns his hand around on your grasp, interlocking your fingers without missing a beat in the conversation, resting your joined hands on top of your touching thighs. i’m always here for you.

[pastellepastary]

ITTO GETS THE BENCH HE DOESN'T DESERVE THE HAREM COUCH

He hears them say (type? After all, he couldn't exactly hear their voice.) He couldn't help but wonder, why? Why had they been treating him like this recently when they had been so excited upon finally being able to take control of him, to fight and to explore as HIM!

They didn't actually hate him, did they? Itto could even argue that they absolutely loved him! They weren't as cruel towards him on their first day as say, someone like the Raiden Shogun or Kokomi who they dropped off cliffs and drowned over and over and over before finally getting bored and leveling them, only to bench them for a few months.

They loved him, right? With the way they leveled him all the way to 90 within 30 minutes of getting him, with the way that he was given the honor to be the first that they "triple-crowned". But why was it that everytime they used him, they seemed so... sad?

And so, the usually confident Itto was now reduced to a miserable pile of thoughts and doubts.

They loved him, right? With the way they farmed endlessly for what they claimed to be a "decent hat", all for him!

They loved him, right? With the way they stood and played a very specific song on the lyre, only for him to hear.

They loved him, right? With the way that they stood in front of him in the teapot on that fateful day, promising that they'd love him until the end of time.

They loved him, right? With all their efforts to make him stronger, hit harder and survive longer.

They loved him, right? Despite the way they implied that they hated him, they were just joking, right?

Itto sighs, he wasn't even feeling up to go to the beetle fight that he and Ayato agreed on earlier that week in the forest.

Too invested in his own thoughts, Itto doesn't notice the sound of a door opening nearby, he doesn't notice the Kamisato's blond housekeeper emerging from a room either. Thoma perks up upon seeing Itto in the main hall of the mansion before raising a brow at how he seemed to be so lost in thought.

Thoma walks up to the half oni and greets him with a cheery, "Good morning, Itto!" The said man is snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of Thoma's voice, only offering a half-hearted greeting back.

Thoma shoots a worried look at Itto.

"Are you okay? Are you feeling sick...?"

Itto looks up at him in disbelief,

"I'm Itto! the one and oni! Someone as cool as me doesn't get sick that easily!" He laughs, but Thoma notices that he didn't seem to be well.

"Are you thinking about something?" The Pyro user asks, testing the waters. Itto sighs, he figured that Thoma would definitely know if something was up.

"You remember the player, (y/n) or something?" He asks, to which Thoma nods.

"Of course! They *were* the one that brought me into the teapot in the first place. Why do you ask?" Itto thinks, and thinks and thinks some more before something clicks. Thoma! They loved Thoma, didn't they? Decking him out with the best gear they had and leveling him quickly.

"Well, I was wondering about something..." Itto sighs and looks away from Thoma before finally giving in and asking the question that had been plaguing him for quite some time. "They hate me, don't they?"

Thoma laughed, *so thats what it was about!*

"You really had me worried there, buddy! Of course they don't hate you!" At his response, Itto perks up.

"Y- you really think so?" Itto cringed at the sound of his voice crackling ever-so-slightly. To which Thoma nodded. The oni sighs in relief, it looks like he didn't need to worry so much after all-

"You know," Thoma started, "the only reason why they're acting like this is because you "traumatized" them so much during your banner." Itto was confused, tilting his head and urging Thoma to continue. "We honestly thought they were going crazy, constructing a ritual room, desperately skipping through their remaining story quests and hang-outs, including my own- and wishing as soon as they could."

*ah- so that was the pull I felt at that time-* Itto thinks to himself, almost laughing. "In the end, they did still manage to pull me in, so I'd still consider it a win!" Thoma nods, about to say something when the doors to the mansion were opened, Tubby the teapot spirit coming through and ushering them back into their rooms,

"Mx (y/n)'s coming into the teapot, get back to your rooms, you two!" Before rushing around the house to inform the other residents.

"You know, they couldn't hate you even if they tried! So if you wanna say something, I say go for it!" Thoma finishes, patting Itto on the back and running back to one of the rooms. Itto waved at him as he left before walking back into his room, thinking about Thoma's words.

After a few minutes (a few seconds to the player, Itto notes) the door to his room swings open and a familiar presence, this time taking control of his fellow horned friend, Ganyu, appears. She circles around him a few times, attempting to jump on various pieces of furniture in the bedroom that the player designed, before standing still in front of him to play the lyre, as usual. Itto inhaled, it was now or never.

—————-

It all went weirdly well, (y/n) noted. Their comms were weirdly easy, almost as if the game was ushering them to continue on with her "routine" as usual.

They paused, "Have i finished getting all the furniture from hell island yet?" They whispered to themself, zooming out on the map to check their exploration progress. They hum, shrugging and deciding that they would worry about it on another day, before clicking on the map option to go to their sereniteapot and claim their furnishing, coins and bond points.

After a weirdly short loading screen, they run up to Tubby and started putting various characters to work on making more furniture before claiming the coins and spending them on some much-needed mora. As they were about to skip through Tubby's text after doing what they needed, they raised an eyebrow at the new dialogue.

"It looks like someone in the teapot has something special to say to you, traveler!" Well, this was certainly something they'd never seen before.

"Okay...." They say to themself, cautious. They'd never heard of this happening to any of their other friends, but they'd never pass up the opportunity to find a secret or easter egg in the game. They close the dialogue box and walk into the mansion. The first person they talk to is Thoma, who only answers with his regular dialogue. "So it's not Thoma..." they mutter, before noticing the said boy's expression change before speaking, as if he had heard them.

"Oh! You should check on Itto! It seemed like he had something pretty important to say!" How weird, another unique dialogue, fully voiced too! They think to themself, closing the dialogue and jumping around Thoma in a sort-of thank you before hopping off to Itto's room.

"Itto~ I'm home~!" They called out jokingly as the door swung open for her. Beside the bed and behind a screen, Itto perked up. This was it- Itto thought to himself, now or never, go big or go home! he huffed, patting his face and shaking his arms. (y/n) noticed the new animation and jumped around Itto, looking at him in all directions. They, as Ganyu, then stood in front of him and started playing the lyre. They messed up quite a bit, cringing whenever they accidentally hit the wrong note. After a few seconds, they finally give up and finally decides to talk to Itto.

"He~ hey, sunshine!" Itto greets, *more unique dialogue!* (y/n) notes, a smile finding its way onto their face as they relish in the sound of the half-oni's voice and gaze. "You know..." Itto starts, not even waiting for them to move on with the dialogue, well, there wasn't even any text in the area they used as subtitles. "I've been thinking a lot, over the past few days..." Itto audibly breathes in after that, as if readying himself to ask something. (y/n) leans closer to the screen, blinking once, twice- were they really seeing this?! Itto looked so expressive, way more than he already was before!

"and....?" They whisper, and Itto finally hears them.

"You see, trav- no, (y/n)! I've been wondering about something." Itto rubs the back of his neck, this was it. He would finally get some confirmation on what he was feeling. (y/n) , on the other hand, is very obviously shocked by the mention of their name, well, their username. He closes his eyes for a second before opening them, nervously staring right at them, "(y/n), do you hate me?"

For a few seconds, silence. Those few seconds- or minutes to Itto, felt like an eternity.

"Oh my god." (y/n) spoke, after a few moments. "Oh my go- Itto! I could never hate you- I-" they sigh and laugh, Itto also sighing in relief, not that they noticed. "I couldn't hate you even if i tri- oh what am i saying, you probably can't even he-"

"No!" Itto exclaims. "No- I- I meant that as in i could hear you- don't worry about the technicalities of that, I just-" he laughs, "You really scared me for a while, sunshine!" (y/n) smiles wider at the screen,

"Imagine that, Itto the one and oni, scared by someone like me~" they answer, after a few seconds, Itto calms down. "But seriously, Itto, beloved, I really don't! I mean, I'm still just really salty about your banner- but I guess I'm finally starting to make peace with it? Either way, I still got you and that's what matters!"

"No matter what, you'll be my one and oni! my most beloved Arataki Itto, and nothing will change that!" They smile, and Itto feels his heart quicken. This was a nice feeling, he decided, and smiled widely at the screen. And it was a feeling he wanted to hold on for forever.

______________________

i still don’t know how to use tumblr properly //slapped

But yeah, hi SAGAU tumblr! I’ve been lurking for so long and i had this written a week or two back so ig im finally joining in! (Trying to, at least)

This is dedicated to the ppl who also got traumatised by itto’s banner :,DD

Aaaand im really sorry if there are any spelling mistakes, im just small brained like that 😔