#I gave Aether and Lumine longer names because I wanted them to have nicknames

[purplexing-writing-and-concepts]

{Am I...a God? Neat!}

-Chapter Eight: Of Cracked Stone & Shattered Faith-

"So, tell me...not that I don't already have an idea, what is this meeting for?" The older of the beings asked as they sat floating on the air like a chair. Zhongli's eyes narrowed slightly in minor confusion but also annoyance. "I would like to ask what you are doing here...and if you plan to interfere with my plans for Liyue.." All he received in reply was a hum. (Y/n) made a gesture as if pondering how to answer before shrugging. "Well little dragon that entirely depends on how you answer my question...and if I like your response."

The air surrounding the two became tense as Zhongli began to exert his godly aura. "And you think I would let you so easily?" The old god laughed to themself finding his attempted display of dominance amusing. Their face began to distort as a cracking noise permeated the air. The vessels face was gone leaving behind a black void. It seemed the replacement "face" absorbed all light. Zhongli felt himself growing weak as a malicious pressure began to compress his heart. It was like this entity was grabbing it and pumping it by hand.

The void face then gained a single eye or was it multiple. He couldn't tell the little lights that seemed to float around were hard to distinguish from stars or eyes. For the first time in a while, he felt genuine fear. He couldn't focus on anything other than the presence of the primordial being in front of him, but one thing was clear, he did not feel safe in the slightest.

And just as quickly as the atmosphere changed it was reverted back. The entity in front him returned back to their initial appearance and he retracted his aura back. "Hopefully now that that's out of the way we can continue our discussion...What are your thoughts on Celestia and its rules? Honesty only or it might end badly for you and your lovely little nation." (Y/n) said with a smile, though it did not fully reach their eyes.

Zhongli could only stand as he tried to process the situation at hand. He remembered vividly what Guizhong would tell him about the entity she learned of and subsequently worshiped. That while they can be nice, they can be equally as cruel, and their ire was not something to be taken lightly. On the same hand he remembered what Celestia did to past nations that defied them, a fate he did not wish to repeat for his people.

And yet he began to speak. Giving the ancient god his unfiltered and honest thoughts about the castle in the sky. He spoke of his unease and resentment, of his regrets and hopes. The dragon was shocked with himself when he finished speaking a truth that he agreed to keep hidden. He felt he'd broken the terms of his contract something he didn't think was possible, and something he feared more than even erosion.

(Y/n) smiled and hummed in thought before they stood grabbing both of Zhongli's shaky hands. They gave a small reassuring squeeze and let go before speaking," Worry not little dragon your contracts do not apply to me for I have asked of you the truth...Liyue will not suffer the spear of Celestia...in fact the information you've given me has only aided in my plans to get rid of the parasite plaguing this world."

They nodded as they moved towards the cliff's edge that overlooked Liyue," I'm sure you can already feel that I have taken your gnosis, worry not for I've replaced it with a fake so your deal with the Fatui will still be completed...and another thing you are not to relay this information to them it would be such a shame if my only source of entertainment were to turn hazardous."

Zhongli could only hum in mild dissatisfaction feeling his voice would fail him. This reaction caused (Y/n) to chuckle," At a loss for words are we well it's a good thing you are about to fake your death in 5 minutes...Let us part here but know this I will be watching" The male's face held a worried frown as he watched them dissipate into shadow like wisps that faded soon after. He wondered if he should rethink his decision to step down as archon but figured it was too late to change the events that were set in motion.

~A few moments later~

"Starlight are you sure you don't want me to handle this little ginger?" (Y/n) asked their son as he stood with the 11th of the Fatui Harbingers. They found the whole situation entertaining from the guards chasing them and their kids to the ginger coming to their "rescue". The blonde merely shook his head at his parent hoping he could handle this himself, though he wondered what they had in store for the harbinger should he change his mind.

Childe's face held a nervous smile as he looked between the two conversing in front of him. He noticed that the blonde was hostile to him after mentioning his affiliation with the fatui but also that the other person was indifferent to his presence. From what Signora informed the Tsarista the blonde was of little consequence but the other person, the boy's parent, was not only dangerous but someone to be avoided.

While he loved a challenge, he wasn't entirely sure if fighting someone who gave off the same energy as the hostile environment of the abyss was worth it. He would make his final decision later. Since they accepted his help, he gave them the Sigil of Permission and directed them to Jueyun Karst in search of the Adepti. All the while he felt eyes boring into him. Childe knew deep down who the cause of it was, but he hoped the longer he ignored it the more likely they would direct their attention away from him.

"Well, my little starlight we have our assignment let's be off then but first I need to talk a bit more with Childe, so I'll meet you outside the gates alright?" (Y/n) said as they pat the blonde's hair down gently and nudged him and Paimon towards the stairs. Deciding against fighting his parent on it, Aether gently grabbed Paimon by her collar and rushed towards the gates of Liyue to avoid being spotted.

Once they were sure the children were out of ear shot the god turned their full attention back towards Childe. "I know of your intentions Ajax, and I will only say this once...hurt my children and you will deeply regret...also keep your agents away from them as well it is a waste of resources seeing as they won't ever report back." As they finished, they smiled before beginning to walk away," Oh and by the way...if a spare is what you want, I shall oblige when the time is right..."

With that they walked off leaving Childe alone to his thoughts. The ginger could feel the power raiding off them as they left. It was stronger than the abyssal creatures, hell it was even stronger than the displays of power from the Tsarista herself. He felt himself in mild turmoil, sure staying loyal to the Tsarista wasn't entirely a priority outside of keeping his family safe. And he loved the thrill of the fight, but now he wasn't sure how to proceed.

It was very clear that he wasn't simply threatened but promised. He was also off put by how they knew of his true name, a name he only uses with family. 'What are they...could they be that god from those reports...?' He thought to himself before heading inside of Northland Bank away from prying eyes and ears, though he felt, no he knew that they were still watching him, and they were listening. He'd never been more excited for a confrontation before, though for now he'd keep it civil.

[amethystroselilith]

Intertwined Fates (Chilumi/Zhonglumi)- Chapter 8

Can be read in ao3

SUMMARY: Lumine finally chooses.

"You've been scrubbing that plate for a long while now, do you want to talk about it?" Lumine asked softly as she placed a plate on the rack, waiting for Ajax to pass her the last one.

Dinner was just pizza they ordered so there isn't much to clean up, but Ajax is taking way longer than usual with washing the dishes.

Zhongli was watching a movie with Qiqi in the family room, the man not having any problems spending time with his daughter... who knows when's the next time he'll be able to spend time with her like this.

"Lumi, are you feeling fine? I mean... physically fine?" Ajax sighed, he'd been so distracted in thinking of how to ask her about the possibility of being pregnant, especially at this time when everything is very complicated. Ajax is surely adding another major factor that will further make this difficult, "Did Baizhu not tell you anything?"

Lumine frowned, "He didn't seem to say anything alarming?" she bit her lip before adding, "Er, well... he suggested taking another medical test, but I'm really fine, so I didn't see the point of it. Did he tell you something else?"

"...No, not really... but... maybe you should go back and take that medical test?" Ajax suggested.

"But I'm fine, I just need to take a break. This thing is just really taking a toll on me." Lumine argued.

"And that's why we should have it checked." Ajax calmly countered, "Lumine, please. I'm anxious about you, I don't want anything bad happening to you."

"Baizhu already said-"

"Lumine." Ajax stopped her, "Please." he looked at her with pleading eyes.

And just like that, Lumine relented, "Fine. I'll give him a call to schedule me tomorrow."

Ajax seemed to have relaxed a bit, "Thank you, love."

It was one of their usual nicknames, but somehow they suddenly felt something heavy in their chest.

Though they didn't mention it as they finished cleaning up.

~~~

"Qiqi likes him, he went all over the ocean to find Nemo." Qiqi pointed at the clown fish on the screen.

"Nothing's more precious to a parent than their child." Zhongli agrees.

"Yeah, Papa said he'll also look for Qiqi all over the universe if Qiqi goes missing." Qiqi said proudly, "And the universe is big!" she thought of the moment, "Qiqi thinks it's bigger than the ocean and this building combined! So that's very big!"

Zhongli gave her a smile, yet sadness looms over it, "It is bigger than those two combined. Your Papa and Mama will no doubt go through all that for you."

"Yeah." Qiqi nodded proudly, "Uncle Aether and Uncle Xiao said they would too!" she added.

"Oh?" Zhongli smiled a genuine one before adding, "Then I will too."

Qiqi's eyes brightened, "Really? You'll look for Qiqi too?"

Zhongli nodded, "Of course, I promise."

Qiqi giggled, "Good! Because Qiqi's worried that Uncle Aether and Uncle Xiao will get eaten by a shark while they look for me."

"Really?" Zhongli chuckled.

"Yeah, cause Mama said she's afraid of sharks and Papa said he'd save her. But Uncle Aether said he's also afraid of sharks and Uncle Xiao said he'd also save him, but they're both small so Qiqi doesn't know how they'll survive."

Zhongli flinched as he tried to stifle a laugh, "I... I can assure you that even with their... height... they can defeat a shark."

Qiqi thought for a moment, "Can they...? Cause Qiqi watched them move furniture around here and they looked like they're dying moving that shelf over there together."

Zhongli looks at the tall shelf at the corner, he doubt he could move that without difficulty himself but he just chuckled, how entertaining is a child's perspective at times.

"But that's okay now, you can help them defeat the shark." Qiqi nodded, satisfied with her possible rescue plan she affectionately named 'Finding Qiqi'.

Zhongli couldn't help but release a laugh, Qiqi laughing along with him just cause he looks so happy, her little giggles melting Zhongli's heart, how much of this did he miss out on?

Tears start forming at the corner of his eyes as he thinks about how he missed watching his daughter grow up; the milestones he couldn't celebrate with her, the proud feeling he missed as he was supposed to watch her say her first word, take her first step, fear her first tantrum.

Soon he couldn't help but begin shaking, even as hard as he try to swallow the pain, things are starting to get to him as he faced the fact that he has indeed lost 5 years of their lives...

Zhongli bent down, hiding his face with his hands as he tried to stop his sobs.

Mocking voices of his parents taunts him in his head again.

They were going louder... louder... louder...

Until suddenly it just... stops.

Zhongli's eyes widened as he felt a tiny hand patting his head.

"Are you okay?"

The tiny voice silenced the voices in his head.

Zhongli wiped his eyes before facing her, "Of course. I apologize, little Qiqi. Something just... came into mind."

"Is it because you're afraid of sharks too? Well, don't worry, Qiqi will do her best not to get lost in the ocean so you don't have to save Uncle Aether and Uncle Xiao from sharks," she promised.

Zhongli chuckled before sitting up, "Don't worry, it's not that. I'm just sad about other things."

"Like what?" Qiqi tilted her head in confusion.

"Nothing, just grownup stuff." Zhongli laughed it away, "Anyway, would you like to watch something else?" he changed the subject.

"Yeah, I wanna watch animals now," Qiqi said as she pressed the button on her favorite channel.

Zhongli took note of how Qiqi watched the animal channel with interest, the show is a kid version of some animal documentary. Zhongli then started noticing the animal books for kids lined up on the shelf.

So his daughter has a fascination with animals.

He took note of that.

Zhongli may have missed her early years, but now he would like to be as involved in raising her.

He just hopes Lumine will let him, even if she left their home and made a new one with Ajax.

As they watch, Qiqi would ask questions to which Zhongli unsurprisingly know the answer, he loves reading books of all kinds from when he was young and probably up to now if given the chance. He felt proud of himself as Qiqi listened to him with fascination.

Soon Lumine and Ajax joined the room, a glass of milk in Lumine's hands.

"Thank you." Qiqi accepted the glass, "Mama, Mr Zhongli knows a lot about animals." she said excitedly.

"That's wonderful." Lumine smiled as she sat next to her daughter, "He loves to read books just about anything."

"Qiqi wants to be like that too! Qiqi needs more books," she said.

"Haha, we'll get you some more books, don't worry," Ajax said as he made himself comfortable from beside Lumine, giving the same space as Zhongli had between her from the other side of the couch.

The attention was solely on Qiqi as the grownups avoid the tension between them.

But soon Qiqi had fallen asleep on Lumine's lap and that's when they know they were done for the night.

"I... I think I'll stay with Qiqi for the night." Lumine cleared her throat as she gently move Qiqi from her lap to carry her.

"I could carry Qiqi for you." Ajax hurriedly volunteered when he saw Lumine struggle a little in shifting positions to avoid waking up the sleeping girl.

"I got it don't worry." Lumine said as she successfully stood up with Qiqi in her arms, "We really had a long day, so maybe we should all talk tomorrow afternoon? Qiqi has no school and takes naps at that time, I should be home from a quick hospital visit. Ajax will be on leave, would that be okay, Zhongli?" she asked.

"Yes, my employer's son is staying with her so there shouldn't be a problem with me not being there, but I would like to visit there in the morning and inform them of what happened," he answered.

"That's fine, I'll be home all day." Ajax nodded.

"Though, can I ask why you'll be in the hospital? Is everything alright?" Zhongli asked in worry.

"Everything's fine, to be honest, I'm just going for Ajax's sake." Lumine sigh.

"It's better to be mindful, Lumine." Ajax frowned.

"I would agree with him. Health is really important." Zhongli added.

"Alright, alright, I already set up an appointment so everything should be fine." Lumine sighed in defeat. "Well, I'll be taking Qiqi now. Good night."

They said their goodnights before Ajax begin to lead Zhongli to his room.

"If you need anything else, just go through that hallway and you'll see our- my room." Ajax corrected himself.

"I see. Thank you." Zhongli said.

They awkwardly stood in silence.

"Zhongli... I..." Ajax hesitated.

Zhongli sighed, "I hope you understand Ajax that I won't give them up easily." he said, "Although of course, Lumine still needs her input, I just need you to know that I'm not going to disappear in their lives. At least Qiqi's. She may call you her Papa but... she's still my daughter, and I know you understand that it won't be easy for me to simply walk away when I've now met her."

Ajax stayed quiet before answering...

"Of course. It is your right to be with your family after all." he said, 'And so will be mine if Lumine is really pregnant...'  he added in his head.

"We should take a good night's rest. Tomorrow will be another heavy and long day for us." Zhongli nodded.

"It will be." Ajax said, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

~~~

When morning comes, Lumine and Zhongli left for their own errands after they had their breakfast. Qiqi is currently at the dining table, her animal picture books scattered on the table when Ajax just finished clearing it.

"Papa, can you also tell me more about this one?" Qiqi called.

Ajax turned away from washing the dishes and looked at the bird she was pointing to.

"Uh..." Ajax tries to remember what he knows about it, unfortunately coming up with nothing, "Sorry, princess, Papa isn't too knowledgeable about that." he chuckled, though feeling a bit bad.

It was an unusual feeling, he doesn't feel bad when he couldn't answer Qiqi's questions like that. Usually, he would learn more about it with her through other books or through the internet, but after seeing Zhongli flawlessly answer Qiqi last night, Ajax feels... threatened? He's not sure how to describe the ugly feeling, but he really hates it.

"I'll ask Mr Zhongli later then." Qiqi hummed, which just made Ajax feel worse and strangely competitive.

"I don't really know a lot about birds, but I do love marine animals," Ajax said proudly.

"Sea animals?" Qiqi repeated.

"Yeah, your grandpa used to take me with him before when he goes to the ocean." he recalls the fond memory, "Besides fishing, your grandpa is also curious about marine life and he loves to talk to me about it."

"Tell Qiqi too!" Qiqi said excitedly.

Ajax smiled, "How about you clean those books up, get the ones about the sea animals, and wait for me in the living room, yeah? I'm almost done with cleaning up."

"Okay!" Qiqi said excitedly before doing her little task.

Ajax smiled and hurried cleaning up.

His whole morning was then spent with Qiqi and sea animal facts.

Zhongli soon came home with a box of tea from his employer. He immediately made one for himself when Ajax declined. Qiqi had asked for a glass of juice instead.

They all waited for time to pass by. Ajax and Qiqi still talking about sea animals while Zhongli texts Xiao, Lumine gave him her old but still functioning phone earlier for communication purposes. Zhongli sighs as Xiao bombarded him with texts about what happened yesterday, Xiangling had told him out of worry, and while Zhongli prefers not to tell Xiao that he already knows about Ajax and Lumine, at least until they have their talk, he couldn't really blame Xiangling. Zhongli tries to distract Xiao by asking him what happened with his life instead. Zhongli would also want to know how his brother had been when he was away. Thankfully, Xiao can still sense if Zhongli wants to avoid talking about something, and so he let it go and just talks about himself. Xiao would prefer talking in person but the bakery is a bit busy and he and Aether have to take on Lumine's work as well. Zhongli doesn't mind the long wait for his reply though.

It was peaceful and soon Lumine came home.

"Mama!" Qiqi immediately runs up to hug her.

"Is everything fine?" Ajax can't help but ask already.

"Yeah." Lumine gave him a tight smile as she picked up her daughter.  

Ajax just noticed she's holding an envelope with a hospital logo and he can't help but start to get anxious about what's inside. He was about to ask about it but Lumine gave him a pleading look. Ajax swallowed a lump in his throat but nodded either way.

Meanwhile, Zhongli can't help but sense the tension between the two.

He wonders if this has something to do with the bad omens he encountered on his way home.

~~~

Three adults sat across the table.

Qiqi was in her room taking her afternoon nap after their lunch.

Everything was cleaned up and it was time for the main event of the day.

However, no one seems to know how to start the conversation as they stare at the mug of steaming tea Zhongli made for all of them.

"I..." Lumine tried to start but her words died down.

"Er, what if we start about your... medical results?" Ajax made the first move, he knows that this result will have a huge impact on their situation.

Lumine bit her lip as her fist clenched on the envelope.

There was a pause before Lumine slid the envelope to him.

Ajax took a deep breath before opening the envelope, eyes eagerly searching for the answer he needs.

And when he saw it...

"Oh..." was all he could say before putting the results down.

Zhongli's eyes naturally went to the paper, and he froze at the familiar results.

It was the very same one that told them they were having Qiqi.

"I... I see." Zhongli breathed out, "That's... that's another thing to heavily consider as well." he stated.

"I was really overwhelmed with... us... that I didn't realize I didn't get my period." Lumine said, "This is really big news for me... er, all of us." she bit her lip.

"...So what now..." Ajax sighed, "I won't leave you alone with this, Lumine. I can't." he said, "I'm sorry, but I can't." his eyes met Zhongli's.

"You can't expect me just to leave, do you?" Zhongli frowned, "I really apologize for this, Lumine, Ajax. You may have moved on from me, but I still love you and our daughter." he pleaded Lumine, "I'm sorry, but I never intended on letting you go. I may not have your heart anymore, but you can't just cut my ties with Qiqi, that's too much."

"Don't say it like that..." Lumine said with hurt in her eyes, "You... you always have a place in my heart, and I've always wanted Qiqi to know you're her father. Ajax and I tried, but she won't be able to understand it yet."

"You're carrying my child." Ajax said, "Letting go is impossible for me." he added firmly.

"I guess... it'll be your call, Lumine," Zhongli stated.

"You can't just overwhelm her like that, pregnancy in this stage can be delicate," Ajax argued.

"Well, it's obvious that I vote for myself and you vote for yourself. Lumine's the one who breaks the tie." Zhongli stated, "I don't want to burden you, and I wish I could say that you can take your time... but..."

"With everyone around us, we don't have time, yeah I get that." Lumine bit her lip, "Waiting any longer would complicate things more... especially with my mother." she said, "And I don't want her influencing me in any way when deciding this."

"Then... what's your decision?" Ajax asked though he was not sure if he was ready for her answer.

"If... if you do choose him, then... I have no choice but to respect your decision. Choosing him is the logical choice, he already engraved himself in Qiqi's mind as her father, and it would not cause a problem with your mother. But I do wish to see Qiqi. I want to be there and watch her grow up. Even as 'Mr Zhongli'." Zhongli finally decided. When they made their vows, he promised to carry the burden with her, married or not, Zhongli will always keep that vow in his heart.

What Zhongli said stunned Ajax, while what he said does lead to a less complicated outcome, Ajax can still see the love Zhongli has for her, and Ajax knows deep inside that Zhongli still and will always have a place in Lumine's heart.

Zhongli is... Lumine's first choice after all.

"I... I guess if I could let you go before, I could... try my best to do it the second time." it was a lie and Ajax could feel the bitter aftertaste when it left his lips, "But I too want to be there for my child."  

The first sentence had both alarmed Zhongli and Lumine, but they didn't comment on it right now.

The two men are willing to sacrifice their future for her, and Lumine is just as torn.

"This doesn't make this any easier." Lumine sighed in frustration.

"Just say the first thing that comes into your mind..." Ajax tried to help, "Might as well rip the band-aid off."

"The first thing that comes to my mind, huh..." Lumine repeated.

"It is known that whatever first thing that pops in your head is what you truly desire." Zhongli said, "When envisioning your future, who do you see standing with you?"

Lumine answered quietly.

"Who?" Ajax tried again.

"...th..." Lumine tried again, face heating up.

"I'm sorry, Lumine, but we can't hear you." Zhongli said, "Perhaps you can think of this until tonight."

"Yeah, I guess you really need to think this through."

"...of you!" Lumine said louder.

"Uh...?" Ajax and Zhongli looked at each other, "You need to be a bit specific-" Ajax chuckled awkwardly.

"You." Lumine said, "Both... of you."

"Yes, what about both of us?" Zhongli asked.

"That's it," Lumine said in embarrassment and frustration.

"I'm a bit confu-" Ajax was cut off.

"I choose both of you." Lumine made it clear, "I... I was thinking about it the whole night. And I just tried thinking of who pops in my head, but... it's both of you... I'm sorry, but I can't seem to let go of either of you." she bowed her head in embarrassment, "You want me to break the tie, but I can't imagine myself without the both of you by my side."

They fell into deep silence.

"Well... you seem to have chosen the most complicated path." Zhongli broke the silence, "But I can't say I'm not relieved." he added with a relieved smile, "If sharing with him is the only way to be by your side, then I'm willing to accept this choice." he smiled at her.

"I never really imagined a future with sharing you with him, but it's a whole lot better than being alone." Ajax smiled at her, "It's... going to be difficult explaining this to other people, but I know I'll overcome anything with you by my side."

Their smiles lifted the heavy weight off her shoulders, "I was worried that it'd gross you two out, that I'm being selfish."

"Oh, you are greedy, but I don't mind a greedy little princess, but please keep it to the two of us. I don't think I would share with any more than with him." Ajax smiled but Lumine can feel the seriousness.

"I... I'm not planning, don't worry." Lumine promised.

"Then I have no problems with this." Zhongli said, "But we need to think about how the others will react."

"Eh, if anyone gets a problem with them, I'll punch them." Ajax shrugged.

"I mean our family and friends, Ajax." Zhongli sighed, "Although I feel like they would respect our decision, I'm more worried about your parents, Lumine. And explaining this to Qiqi as well."

"I could explain this to Qiqi." Ajax volunteered, "We already explained about Zhongli being her real father before, I think we just need to make her realize that that's you, Zhongli. Qiqi's already warmed up with you so I don't think it'll take too long for her to accept you as her father, but you should expect questions about your disappearances." he said.

"She doesn't know about the plane crash." Lumine said, "We were warned that it might give her some sort of trauma or fear with planes, so we just said you were in a better place."

"I suppose I could just make a story about being asleep for too long and forgetting things? Er... I'll think of an excuse so leave that part to me." Zhongli said.

"Well, I guess your parents... well, more like your mom, will be hard to convince," Ajax said.

Lumine rubbed her temples, "We can think of that for another day, Dad said he and Mom will be out for a vacation with her friends and they'll leave tonight. I think I need to rest for a while." she said tiredly.

"Of course. I could make you some snacks to eat. Do you have any cravings?" Ajax asked.

"I'm still full from lunch, but I would appreciate some sweets right now." Lumine hummed.

"Alright, I'll see what I can make." Ajax hummed as he thinks of something light and sweet to make.

"Would you like to lie down by the sofa?" Zhongli asked.

"I would appreciate that, thanks."

Lumine and Zhongli made their way to their living room, the blonde woman immediately sitting down to relieve her sore back with the soft cushions. Zhongli sat beside her, making sure she was comfortable as he remembered the times when she was pregnant with Qiqi. Usually, he would cuddle her as he play with her stomach, even if it was still flat, but Zhongli decided to give her some space first, Lumine may have decided to take him and Ajax but Zhongli knows they have yet to talk about boundaries or rules about it. So for now, he settles with just sitting right next to her.

They were enjoying a movie when they suddenly heard a loud crash in the kitchen.

Lumine immediately stood up to check on Ajax with Zhongli following her close behind.

"Shit..." Ajax cursed as he dropped an empty bowl, his eyes however did not leave his phone as he try to read the simple message all over again, hoping it would change.

"Is everything fine, Jax?" Lumine asked with worry.

Ajax gulped and looked at her,

"Your mom's coming here soon."

[archived-kin]

genshin modern au cheat sheet

i’m planning to do more pieces set in this au, so i’ve put together a quick list of the characters i'm planning to write about/include!

there are three main groups here - the zhao family, the ragnvindr family and friends, and the Miscellaneous Pals™

(the next volume in this au is going to be a xiao piece, and that should be up within the next two or so days!)

1. the zhao family

zhongli, 36: history professor at the local uni who also plays the guzheng very well, tea-enjoyer, a very proud and supportive dad who loves his kids more than anything in the universe - probably unironically has so many pictures of them in his wallet

xiao, 23: taking a degree in psychology at the local uni, has a cool motorbike, bit of a control freak, doesn’t like surprises, will drop-kick you if you look at him or his sister funny, wants a cat but his dad’s allergic, never really grew out of his emo phase

yanfei, 19: baby of the family, prodigy lawyer-in-training, far smarter than many people give her credit for, likes building snowmen, has to protect her unsuspecting dad from Evil Salespeople looking to make some extra money

xiao and yanfei are biological siblings, and zhongli adopted them when xiao was 11 and yanfei was 7. the circumstances of this adoption is a mystery that none of the zhao family members seem willing to divulge…

the zhao siblings can have a little bit of tragic backstory. as a treat.

basically they were born into poverty and often went hungry for days on end. biological parents were distant and neglecting (though not actually physically/emotionally abusive - yet.)

when xiao was caught shoplifting bread and fruit from a local grocery store so that he and yanfei could actually eat, both parents went ballistic and kicked him out the house in the middle of one of the coldest winters the town had seen

poor kid was practically freezing to death out there, and yanfei raised such a fuss back in the house that mum slapped her square in the face to get her to shut up, which xiao saw through the window, and he promptly decided that he Was Not Putting Up With This Shit for any longer

immediately went to a neighbour’s house and told them what was going on, neighbours promptly called cps, and an investigation was launched

parents were deemed unsuitable for raising kids and (after a lot of back and forth) the two kids were taken into care

meanwhile zhongli was kind of sad because he had no friends or family in this town and all he really did was write articles, read books, and mark work

then one of his co-workers mentioned hearing about xiao and yanfei’s story and it hit zhongli so hard that he immediately rang up the adoption centre and ended up taking them in

and from then on both yanfei and xiao were very happy and healthy because zhongli was literally the best dad ever and put everything into taking care of them

2. the ragnvindr family (+ friends)

diluc, 29: budding businessman who still works at his dad’s cafe but is looking to open up his own company some time soon, still buys himself juice in those little cartons with the straws, still doesn’t know how raising bread works?? how does it get bigger???

diona, 7: diluc’s adopted daughter who has her father firmly under her thumb, bit of a spitfire but can also be the sweetest kid ever, enjoys making ‘potions’ out of grass and flowers and water (diluc can and will actually drink these potions because his love for his daughter knows no bounds)

kaeya, 25: diluc’s idiot little brother who’s changed majors at least five times and still doesn’t really know what he wants to do, practises fencing and horse riding in his spare time like a nerd, spoils his niece rotten

lisa, 26: the first of kaeya’s three roommates, has a degree in english and could easily have gone on to become a leading scholar but chose to instead open a bookshop that gets way more business than expected because she’s pretty and men and women alike are all simps

albedo, 23: the second of kaeya’s roommates, bit of a genius, has already started his chemistry phd, is almost concerningly pale and exhausted at all times, has not gone a day without breaking one of the cups for at least two years

venti, 21: the third of kaeya’s roommates, studying music, acts way older than he is sometimes but is mostly just a child, asks at least one of his roommates to marry him every day without fail, was and still is both a music and a theatre kid

lisa’s actually the one who owns the roommates’ residence because it’s on top of her bookshop

i was going to keep the whole ragnvindr family trauma thing but i decided that diluc deserved to be happy in at least one au so the brothers are still happy brothers :D

unfortunately that means that i’ve transferred a lot of the family trauma over to diona

essentially her mother died when she was a baby and her father, draff, turned to alcohol to get him through the stress of raising a child alone. unfortunately this led to him drunk driving one day, and he crashed the car into one of the wall’s of diluc’s dad’s cafe.

draff died on impact since he was in the front seat, but three-year-old diona managed to pull through despite her injuries. one thing led to another, diluc ended up taking care of her for a bit while the authorities sorted the whole thing out, but then he got too attached and decided to adopt her permanently

now diona has a dad, three uncles and an aunt who are all willing to shower her with all the love she deserves :’)))))

3. the Miscellaneous Pals™:

xiangling, xingqiu, chongyun, 17: local high school kids, they’re all kind of dating each other, low-key got adopted by xiao at one point, guoba is xiangling’s guinea pig and they all have joint custody over him

barbara, bennett, razor, 17: also local high school kids, also kind of all dating each other (but a lot more tentatively), regulars at diluc’s cafe, almost never seen apart

lumine, aether, ??: they keep showing up here and there around town to climb a tree and just sit there throwing leaves at people on the streets, then disappear. no one knows who the fuck they are

tartaglia, 23: nicknamed childe by his friends, also known as Mr Moneybags, is always just hanging around the local uni campus but doesn’t actually study anything there. his real name is ajax, but he thought that was lame so he gave himself a cool new one

eula, 24: new teacher at the local high school, her father used to be headmaster and was notoriously cruel to his students so everyone’s kind of wary of her, but she’s just really sweet and wants the best for her pupils :(((

amber, 21: number one eula defender, teaches the younger kids at the local primary, likes bunsen burners a little bit too much, still can’t remember how to spell the word necessary

hu tao, 25?: shady local mortician who may or may not practise illegal things, was kind of dating yanfei at some point but zhongli sent her packing as soon as he realised who she was, no one knows what her deal is

xiangling’s already a budding master chef and has received several offers from culinary schools, xingqiu is planning to study literature/language at uni but also might just go straight to trying to get a book published, chongyun is going to continue the family tradition of studying the supernatural with maybe a side job at xiangling’s future restaurant so that he doesn’t end up with no money if he doesn’t get any supernatural work

barbara is planning to go to medical school and also sings/dances in her spare time, bennett still doesn’t know what he wants to do but is considering carpentry among other things, and razor is dead-set on working at either a zoo or an animal shelter when he’s older

tartaglia never leaves the house without at least three pocket knives and a water pistol. he’s never had to use them yet, but you never know...

eula and amber live together and are probably dating but they’ll both just dodge the question if you ask them about it

they’re most definitely together though because on eula’s birthday amber brought her entire class of little kids to say happy birthday and bring her flowers

(incidentally amber is diona’s teacher)

[restlessfandoming]

“the president and the troublemaker” (part 8) (chilumi fic)

“Lumine is the student council president and Childe is the school’s number one troublemaker. They cross paths more than they’d like. Especially when Childe finds out Lumine’s big secret. Highschool AU à la Kaichou wa Maid-sama.”

[part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5] [part 6] [part 7]

existence is a prison :’)

[Fic Masterlist] // [AO3 Link] // [Main AO3]

the president and the troublemaker (part 8)

Cross jab with your right arm. 

Lumine lunged towards her opponent with her right arm. 

Throwaway jab with your left.

As her opponent blocked her right arm, Lumine quickly threw her left arm out, forcing them to blink and react to the oncoming hit. 

Follow the momentum. 

Planting her left foot on the ground, she let the force of the punch swing her body around, then slammed her right foot into her opponent’s head.

And there you have a successful spinning heel kick. 

Lumine let the air relax out of her body as the man crumpled to the floor, and the bells rang. The crowd around swelled into cheers as the referee held her hand up, signaling her victory. Her amber eyes roamed around the arena, noting all the audience reactions: the nods of approval, the tilting heads of curiosity, the quick Internet searches on phones—who is this girl?

She was starting to gain attention here in Snezhnaya, as her win rate at the moment was at an astounding 100% thus far. She had quickly gained the nickname “Abyss Princess” due to Kaeya’s “innocent” portrayal of her in his promotions, juxtaposed with her destructive lethality in the ring. 

“You learn quick,” Childe said as Lumine walked into the locker room. “I only taught you that move once,” he added. “And yet you executed it perfectly.” 

“That’s Lumine for you,” Aether said, handing her a towel and a water bottle. “Great job, as always, sis.” She nodded as she gratefully chugged the water down (purposefully ignoring Childe.)

Kaeya sauntered into the room shortly after, clapping slowly while a grin pulled at his lips. “I come bearing good news.”

“Free dinner?” Lumine guessed. 

Aether nodded. “Seconded.”

“Even better.” Kaeya held up an official looking document. “Our little Lumine just got her first sponsor.”

Lumine almost dropped her water bottle. “No way!” She ran up to the blue haired captain. “Who is it?!”

Her manager looked down at the slip of paper in his hands. “A wealthy traveling merchant named Ivanovich.” 

Lumine turned towards Aether excitedly. “A sponsor!”

“A sponsor!” he echoed as the two shared a hug. 

“What does this mean now?” Lumine asked Kaeya. 

“It means we get to celebrate!” He gave her a closed eye smile. “How about a little vacation?”

* * *

Wow.

Lumine audibly gasped as she stood atop the hill overlooking the beach before her. 

Being from a poor family, she and Aether never got to travel much; it was the first time either of them had been to the beach (or really vacationed for that matter) and it did not disappoint. 

The glowing sun reflected brilliantly off the vivid blue waves, the water lapping at the fine, white sand with various stations of colorful towels and umbrellas set up throughout the shore. Lumine smiled as she saw families running along the sand, playing volleyball, and children joyfully splashing in the water. 

“So this is the beach,” Aether said in wonderment beside her. 

Lumine nodded as the two of them both breathed in deep, taking in the scent of salty waves and warm summer air. “It’s more beautiful than I could’ve ever imagined,” she whispered.

“Is this your first time at the beach?” Kaeya asked the two of them. After the twins nodded, he smiled, and continued, “Well, I hope you two truly enjoy yourselves then.” 

“I can’t remember the last time we could just relax like this,” Aether said as the trio made their way towards the beach house they were renting for the weekend. 

Since she could remember, her whole life (Aether’s too) had been jam-packed with work or school obligations; it would be nice to get away from everything, even if just for a few days. 

She let out a yawn as she opened the door to the house. “Let the relaxation begin...” She froze in the doorway as her eyes landed on Childe laying on the couch. “...now.”

The orange-haired troublemaker opened his eyes slightly, then sat up and stretched. “Took you guys long enough. I’ve been waiting all morning.” 

Lumine hadn’t moved an inch. “...Why is Childe here?”

“Well, I had to invite your coach, didn’t I?” Kaeya answered. “I hope that’s alright.”

“Is there a problem, Lumi?” Aether asked, concerned. 

Ever since the rooftop incident, Lumine had found herself...restless around Childe. After she had gotten home from studying at his place, she thought about it—really thought about it—and neither of them had mentioned the fact that he had kissed her. 

Had it been a figment of her imagination? Was he just messing with her? 

Romance wasn’t something she knew. She could read textbook after textbook, fight opponent after opponent, but love? She was completely in the dark. 

And it wasn’t something she could casually discuss with Aether or her friends. Her friends knew nothing about her and Childe, and she was sure Aether would murder Childe on the spot if he knew anything romantic was happening between the delinquent and his beloved twin sister. As far as he knew, Childe and Lumine got along well as coach and student, and were friends as a result of that.  

Like at the hospital, she got flustered around Childe. She absolutely hated it, because she couldn’t figure out how or why—she couldn’t control it. And she especially hated it because Childe seemed to relish in the fact that she seemed so affected by him. 

The simplest things he would do—the slightest glance in her direction, a brush of the hands—sent her heart into a frenzy.

Do..Do I love him back?

Her throat went dry at that prospect. 

I don’t know. 

She didn’t know. 

So, she had hoped that the trip would bring her some clarity after time away from Childe, and hoped that upon her return, things would go back to normal. 

But here he stood in front of her. 

“Lumi, is everything okay?” Aether repeated. 

Lumine cleared her throat. “Yup, everything is fine.” She rushed towards the stairs. “I’ll be in my room.” And with that, she disappeared into the closest bedroom she could find, slamming the door shut. 

We’re just friends, she told herself. He is your friend, and your coach. 

She clenched her fists. It was most obviously a joke, right? Why else would he have done it, and not mention it ever again?

Lumine let out a maddening laugh. Yes, that’s exactly it. It’s just another scheme of his to cause trouble for me. 

She looked out her window, at the sparkling sea just lengths away. Well, she wasn’t going to be bothered by it, or him, any longer. Not when she was on vacation at least. 

She rifled through her duffle bag, pulling out a bikini, and slipping it on. It was simple, black, only decorated with minimal frills, but it was quite revealing (especially compared to her normal attire). It definitely wouldn’t have been Lumine’s first choice of swimwear, but it was one of the cheapest swimsuits she could find on short notice. 

She took a deep breath in, already imagining how relaxing the cool beach waves would feel on her skin. Excited, she yanked her door open quickly—

Only to find Childe standing there, his hand outstretched as if he were about to open the door himself. 

Lumine’s face fell. “What do you want?”

“I was just coming to check on you,” he said with a smile. Then his eyes trailed down to her attire, and his face fell as well. “What are you doing?”

Lumine crossed her arms. “Obviously about to go swimming.”

“In that?” he asked lowly.

Feeling the heat crawl up her back, she shook her head. Not going to let him affect me. “Yup. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” She started to push past him. 

He reached out and grabbed her wrist, stopping her. 

“Childe, what are you—”

He pulled her towards him, and then wrapped his arms around her waist, pinning her back against his chest. She felt a sharp twinge on her shoulder. 

...

He was biting her. He was biting her. 

Lumine gasped, and struggled out of his hold. When she finally broke free, she whipped around, her hand rubbing her shoulder. Childe’s blue eyes glinted at her as he used the back of his hand to wipe at his lips. 

“What the hell are you doing?!” Lumine hissed. Her thumb traced over the ridges left behind by his teeth. 

“You know, if you wear that,” Childe said simply, eyeing her swimsuit, “everyone’s going to ask about that bite mark on your shoulder.” An innocent smile. “You don’t really want that, now do you?” 

Her jaw fell open and she ran back into her room, checking her shoulder in the mirror. Sure enough, the area he had bitten down on was blemished red, and only grew more and more noticeable as the seconds ticked by.

She turned towards Childe, who was leaning on the doorframe, her eyes bewildered. “Why would you—”

Aether and Kaeya’s voices travelled up the staircase. There were people coming. And she had a kiss mark for all the world to see. 

She quickly grabbed a t-shirt from the clothes she had just changed out of, and yanked it over her head as her brother and her manager walked by. 

Aether stopped, looking at her curiously. His eyes flickered to Childe as well. “Are you guys going swimming?”

“Yes!” Lumine answered quickly, shuffling out the door. Hopefully, the faster she got away, the less chance there was for Aether to realize something had happened. 

“...In your t-shirt?” Aether asked. 

Lumine shrugged, doing her best to act nonchalant. “I got a little cold.” She started running down the stairs. “Catch you guys later!” 

WIthout looking back, she ran until she had reached the shore of the beach, then let out a long sigh of relief at finally being alone. 

What in the absolute hell is wrong with Childe? 

Her fingers ghosted over the bite mark once again, a fire burning in her core. Why had he done that? Wasn’t that something only lovers did to each other?

Lovers…

!!!

Lumine swore her head exploded, and was sure the rising steam would be visible from miles away. 

She stomped down the shoreline, heels digging into the shifty sands, desperately trying to distract her thoughts. 

Miraculously, her thoughts drowned out as she approached a bustling crowd gathering before her. The noise was instantly familiar—the cheers, whoops, and gasps of an ongoing fight. Raising an eyebrow, she made her way through the people, until she was at the front line. 

In the middle of the crowd, there was a large open space with three different circles—indicated by lines drawn in the sand—and within each circle were two people wrestling. Nearby each of the circles, a tall lifeguard chair stood, where a referee sat overlooking their respective match below. 

Lumine turned to a stranger next to her, and asked what was going on. 

“Oh, it’s the weekly beach wrestling competition!” they answered happily. 

“A competition?” Lumine pondered for a second. An image of a free food voucher flashed in her mind. “...Are there any prizes?” 

“Eh, most people just like to do it for fun,” the stranger said. “But if you win, you get all the earnings from entry fees!”

At the mention of money, Lumine instantly perked up. Not to mention tossing people around in the sand sounded like the perfect way to blow off some steam. “Where do you sign up?” 

They looked at her curiously. “Right over there.” They gestured to a table set up underneath a makeshift awning. “But I should warn you: it’s usually an...all male competition, dear.” 

Lumine was already waking away, stretching out her arms. Wrestling, huh? Not too different from what I do regularly, right?

As she passed the brawling rings, she took note of every competitor’s strengths, their statures—any information that would help her win in the near future. The stranger was right: there was no other female in sight, except as spectators.

And when Lumine walked over to sign up, there was a mix of reactions from those all around. Scrutiny, disbelief, doubt and arrogance—there’s no way she’s going to get far, right?

A smirk pulled at the corner of her lips. 

Let’s prove them wrong. 

* * *

Where did she go?

Childe squinted down the shore, eyes searching for that blonde head of hair. After Lumine had dashed out of the house, he decided to wait briefly before going after her. Of course he knew she was freaked out over what happened, but it had to be done. 

One look at her attire, and his blood boiled over the thought of guys looking her up and down, innocence the furthest thing from their minds. 

She was probably out there, kicking up a storm on the sandy shoreline, her head rattling with confusion at his actions. She was so endearingly naive about the intricacies of romance, as evidenced by her reaction to his confession of love, to which they had yet to discuss. 

He wasn’t going to push it; he could always see the gears turning in her head when he showed any romantic interest towards her, and too much stimulation would probably overload her circuits. Not to mention the fact she would run away when confronting her feelings. But they would need to talk about it, eventually.

God, she was going to be the death of him. 

He couldn’t quite put a finger on when he had realized he was actually in love with this short, tempered blonde, but when he did, it only made complete sense.

He wasn’t a stranger to romance. He knew he had the looks and the demeanor that just made girls gravitate to him, but he had never found interest in anyone. He just wanted to fight and train, train and fight—anything to get stronger and stronger. 

But then that night. 

Every so often, he would visit those illegal fighting rings, his interest only piqued for potential worthy opponents. Alberich’s ring was far out of the way, and he visited it rarely. 

That night was the first time he had seen Outlander in the ring. 

They had immediately grabbed his attention: the mask definitely showed they were hiding something. And that always made for an interesting fighter. They then proceeded to absolutely obliterate their opponent in the ring. An even more interesting fighter. 

After the match, Childe made his way around the back, hoping to speak to this Outlander character. And the rest was history. 

It had been the most enjoyable time of his life watching Lumine swap from the diligent student council president, to the powerful, bloodthirsty Outlander. Everything else she did—the way she carried herself, her resilience, her stubbornness, how her face softened when she was thanking him—everything else just pulled at his heart like nothing else ever had. 

He really couldn’t bear to stay away. 

Childe sighed, continuing his walk down the beach. 

And he really couldn’t control himself around her. 

A group of boys around his age jogged past him. He caught a few words they were saying as they passed: “hot,” “blonde,” “fighter.” 

His jaw clenched, and he followed them closely as the sinking feeling grew in his gut. 

The boys disappeared into a large, boisterous crowd, and Childe peered over the heads of spectators watching a wrestling match before them. 

A flash of amber eyes and that gray t-shirt she had thrown on earlier; it was exactly as he suspected. Somewhere, somehow, even at the beach on vacation, Lumine was in the middle of a fight. 

She was winning, but sloppily. Obviously, she was still affected by earlier. Sloppy moves would lead to defeat, and more importantly, injuries. 

Time to step in.

Perhaps this was also a way to get through to her. A common tongue they both spoke. 

He made his way over to the sign-up, paid his entrance fee, and stood before the printed brackets. He traced Lumine’s name, looking over the line of opponents he would need to beat to get to her.

He walked over to the queue of fighters. He started stretching his limbs, feeling the heat of the battle pool in his muscles. 

Get ready, Lumine. 

The crowd burst into cheers as Lumine pinned her opponent to the ground. As she stood, Childe saw her glowing grin split across her face. He smiled to himself as well.

Here I come.

* * *

[part 9]

[purplexing-writing-and-concepts]

{Am I…a God? Neat!}

-Chapter Three: The Stars Align Once More-

A simple meditation was all Aether wanted. A quiet moment to gather himself after the events of the Dvalin confrontation that went array. That abyss mage's whinny voice was still ringing in his ears like a faint bell but that wasn't the main thing he was worried about. The static like noise that rung out in his head a few moments ago when he was at the Adventure's Camp near Dragonspine was his main concern. It sounded so familiar and the aura that came with it was unmistakable.

Aether opened his golden eyes to glace over to Paimon as she floated near him devouring a chicken-mushroom skewer. Even she'd heard and felt the sensation, so Aether knew he wasn't losing it. To think that just maybe his guardian was alive after all these years provided the young man some comfort. Because if they were here, they'd know where Lumine is and who the Unknown God was that attacked the two. He released a sigh as he slightly hardened his face into a frown.

'Why Dragonspine of all places Cosmi...?' He thought to himself. The mountain was unforgiving and he with all honesty hated traversing it. From the sheer cold feeling too much like the day Cosmi died to the near constant stream of enemies that all but always used the environment to their advantage.

Paimon sent a worried look over towards her blonde-haired companion. While she was used to him being semi-mute the silence was normally comfortable, but this silence was nerve racking. She still can't comprehend there being a god this old and strong being connected to Teyvat let alone having created it. Though to be fair before Aether went silent, he commented a bit on what the feeling meant and reassured her that everything was fine.

"Paimon thinks we should head to the peak as soon as possible...Did you hear Iris mentioning seeing the Fatui pulling out of the area and adventures cheering about a lack of monsters as well? This may be our only chance to get there was very little resistance..And besides we shouldn't keep them waiting this tugging sensation is getting stronger...."

All she got in response was a nod the blonde still seemed to be not talking seemingly lost in thought. She decided to take this time to fill the tense air with her chatter and question to hopefully make Aether relax a little or at least get some more answers from him. "So, Aether what are they like?" He paused his movements for a moment scanning the snowy area for a bit before humming," Cosmi was....is the most understanding yet unfeeling being I've known...They seem distant but there's a fondness and closeness that always told me I was loved...when my sister and I would travel the world's they created they'd always give us this knowing smile and some items that would help us on our journey in that world..."

Paimon nodded her head processing the information," Hmm they sound pretty great--Wait what is that?!" Her gray eyes caught sight of a weird creature that was floating near them. It was mainly a mint green with blue. It looked similar to a seelie and slime mixed together. It had what appeared to be two large bulbous arms that weren't connected to it but moved in tandem with it. The creature floated closer slightly closer raising one arm like a covering one's eyes from the sun before releasing a sharp chirp like sound and all but charging in their direction.

The white-haired child released a squeak as she zipped behind Aether who took a protective stance pulling out his sword. The creature then stopped a few feet in front of them. Close enough that They would clearly see it but not close enough for Aether to swing his sword and attack. It waved its arms in an excited motion twirling happily and overall appeared to be dancing. "What the heck is that?!?!"

"I'm not sure, but at least it appears friendly...?" Aether said quietly. He wasn't too sure of his claim but was at least semi confident he could take it out if it came down to a fight. The creature then released a soft jingle as it floated around Aether seemingly trying to communicate. The blonde's face held a mild smile as he tried to hide his confusion and concern though his eyes betrayed him. Paimon's face suddenly lit up and her small halo gained a soft golden glow as the stars turned white.

As the lights dimmed bit Paimon seemed to gain a smug smile to her face as the creature then began to give a series of jingles and she began to nod her little head. She then placed a hand on her chin eyes closed in apparent contemplation before she smirked a little as she spoke," He said his name is Polaris and he can help us get to the peak...he says someone named (Y/n) tasked him with gathering all the creatures of the mountain to the peak as well..."

"Wait isn't that the all-creator? What do they want with hillichurls and slimes?" Paimon asked curiously. The creature now known as Polaris, released another set of jingles causing the floating child nod again as she spoke," Yeah that makes sense...He said that the (Y/n) wanted to personally introduce themselves to the inhabitants of Dragonspine and also get a head count of every being that lives on the mountain..."

Aether's expression suddenly dropped hearing this," So I will have to wait to speak with them then..." He was a bit miffed at the thought of having to wait to see his parent again especially since he knows where they are, and he has no clue if they really know of Lumine's disappearance or not. The boy decided it would be best to focus on something else, so he began to speak, "Well how are you going to help us reach the peak? It's blocked off by a barrier of pure cryo energy..."

At his question Polaris waved his gelatinous arms in apparent glee before wrapping them around both Paimon and Aether as it glowed a soft golden color. "Hey, wait what are you?!" Paimon attempted to screech as the golden light blurred their vision before fading showing a large exit of a cavern with a waypoint statue nearby. There was an unprecedented number of enemies from slimes and whooper flowers to the cryo hypostasis and lawachurls. To say it was unsettling to be around such strong creatures and so many at that would be putting it lightly.

Polaris then let go of the two as it then shot into the air towards a figure that was floating above the ruins. Its soft jingles could be heard though faintly, Aether looked over at Paimon for a possible explanation as to what it was saying but the girl just gave her own unsure shrug turning her attention back towards the creatures that were all now definitely staring at them.

Aether nervously stopped himself from grabbing his sword before his thoughts were drawn towards a figure that was casually approaching the two. His eyes slowly adjusted to spot the unmistakable figure of arguably the most important being in his life next to his sister, standing (Well relatively speaking they were still floating a bit off the ground) in front of him that same calm and gentle smile on their face. Though looking at their eyes he knew they were exhausted.

The young man wordless charged towards them as they opened their arms embracing their son. "Oh, Aethereal it has been many a nova since we last saw each other hasn't it...I've missed you as well..." It was at this point Paimon decided to cut in, "Oh wow so you're the all-creator? It's nice to meet you! Paimon has been taking good care of Aether while you were away! Does Paimon get a reward?"

(Y/n) did their best to hold back a chuckle at the small child's words. Rubbing their son's back as the young man was still clinging onto them, they spoke," Just a moment Paimon...Though I thank you for giving my dearest starlight a reliable companion in such a difficult time in his life..." While they meant what they'd said they soon regretted speaking it out as Paimon all but seemed to glow from the praise.

At seeing the little fairy puff up in pride (Y/n) turned their attention back to their son," Aether dear I'm not going anywhere you can let me go..." Though they tried to pry the blonde's arms from them it did little to stop Aether from hugging tighter as he began to shake. The tears he was shedding having barely settled. This drew a sigh from the older being as they gave him a tired smile softly pressing a gentle kiss to the top of his head.

"You were always the more sensitive one of you two...Oh how this reminds me of when you were little..." At the start of the sentence Aether moved his head a bit trying to hide his embarrassment releasing a small whine of protest. "Oh, it's nothing to be embarrassed about Aethereal~" They teased as the boy then moved a bit letting go of the hug but still clinging onto the sleeves of (Y/n)'s shirt.

(Y/n) took the silence that grew over everything as an opportunity to speak freely," I know where Luminous is, but it will be difficult getting to her as I am now...I'm sorry there isn't more I can do...being dormant for so long as drained much of my power for regeneration..." Aether seemed to shake his head a bit before softly speaking fearing his voice would betray him, "Cosmi...It's fine as long as you know where she is I-...I'll be okay.." Taking a moment to wipe the young man's tears (Y/n) gave another soft smile.

"Now Paimon about that reward of yours...hmmm" The ancient being closed their eyes for a spilt second before sticking a hand towards Paimon in a giving motion. For a moment nothing happened until the halo upon the floating child's head glowed a soft gold once more before the light faded," There that should be adequate enough..." The white-haired child tilted her head confused," But Paimon doesn't feel any different...?"

Her reaction caused (Y/n) to release a small chuckle," Try thinking of something you want most little one" They said as they held an amused look. Paimon seemed to think for a moment," Paimon could go for some sticky honey roast right about now..." At the child's words her halo glowed the same soft gold as before as a plate suddenly appeared floating in front of her. On it a plate of sticky honey roast sat as if it were pulled fresh from the oven.

The floating child's eyes seemed to pop out of her small head as she didn't know how to react to the dish's sudden appearance. "Oh, and one more thing little one...use this little gift wisely while it may be tempting to use all the time too much and you'll tire yourself out..." Paimon nodded her little head so fast Aether was sure it would fly off before she dug into the roast that was oddly still warm despite the chill of the mountain.

"Back to more important matters now...Aethereal you'll have to introduce me to your new friends I'm quite interested in meeting them. And as far as the issue with Dvalin goes I will assist in curing him..." Aether's mood seemed to greatly increase at that, "Of course Cosmi...and I'm glad you're back..." The old god smiled as they spoke, "Me too little star...me too"

[purplexing-writing-and-concepts]

{Am I...a God? Neat!}

-Chapter Five: Lead the wind, Lead Liyue-

(Y/n) was silent as they floated above the cathedral's roof. Looking over the courtyard they hummed to themselves. The view let them observe the area as they noticed Jean approaching the cathedral's entrance with Venti following behind. Their eyes narrowed gazing upon the Fatui that were lingering in the shadows after the bard entered. Deciding not to act yet they continued to watch undetected.

A few moments later Aether made his way into the Cathedral Paimon lagging slightly behind to stare up at them as the old god smiled placing a finger to their lips in a shushing gesture. The floating child then turned her attention back to following after Aether. Continuing to observe the Fatuus that lingered outside (Y/n) wondered how they should proceed. Should they make their introduction hostile, friendly, or passive?

'I think I shall settle for remaining ambiguous for now...the less those pesky mortals know of my intentions the better.' They thought to themself as they noticed Venti sprinting out of the cathedral's doors as he was then suddenly assaulted with a beam of ice. Aether followed out soon after and attempted to defend the downed god as two agents grabbed him roughly pushing him to the ground. As Signora made herself known followed by her Cincin Mages a deep frown made its way onto (Y/n)'s face.

Making their translation halo disappear they sank into their shadow appearing behind the two agents pinning their son to the ground. Signora was still mocking Venti about his Gnosis and he still sprouting comebacks, the two unaware of the newest addition. The Cincin mages however noticed the new person and before they could alert both the Harbinger and the agents a voice, or rather voices spoke. "You have one chance to unhand my son and resolve this peacefully before I make you rethink your existence..."

The pyro agent on the left moved to attack before he was suddenly wrapped in darkness and disappeared, the same happening to the other agent. A sigh was heard as Venti made an effort to move to the side. Signora took a defensive stance noticing what happened to her agents and hearing the voice. It took all her will power not to visibly flinch hearing the voice but somehow, she managed. The cincin mages weren't much better as the two had seemingly frozen on the spot with slight trembles overtaking their posture.

"Leave...now" (Y/n) said in a tone that reminded the remain Fatuus of the Tsarista's cold bite, yet this voice, these voices, struck them with more fear than their cryo archon could have ever hoped to. It was deeply unsettling as Signora quickly collected herself and faked confidence grabbing her entourage and all but scurrying off and out of Mondstadt. Noticing they'd fully retreated without a word the old god let out a small chuckle withholding a full laugh.

Snapping their fingers, the translating halo appearing once more they shook their head at the mostly expected reaction. They then turned their attention back to Venti and Aether, focusing mainly on Aether. "Oh, starlight are you alright...those little mortals didn't hurt you, did they?" They softly spoke coddling the blonde as he embarrassedly shook his head trying to push his parent away," C-cosmi I'm fine...I'm more worried about Venti..." Giving their son a once over to make sure he was unarmed they turned their attention back to Venti.

"I'm fine...I just need some fresh air...If you need me, I'll be at the symbol of Mondstadt's hero..." As he finished speaking Venti seemed to dissipate into the wind leaving behind traces of anemo energy where he once stood. Humming (Y/n) glanced back towards Aether," Go ahead and follow him Aethereal I have a few things I need to do I'll meet you there in a bit..." Aether gave them a pout hearing this again and before he could protest Paimon spoke first, "Why won't you come with us now?"

All the two got in response was a soft smile, "Simple, I have adult business that needs conducting and having children around wouldn't be good for my old heart..." Paimon seemed confused by this as Aether gave them a skeptical look, "Oh come now dears don't give me those looks I promise it won't take but a moment..." Aether sighed first speaking, "Fine...but if you take too long, I will come look for you." Nodding (Y/n) floated towards the back of the church as the other two hurried towards Windrise.

Sighing softly as a serious expression overtook their expression. Focusing their energies, they teleported to Dragonspine near dragon's rest. They floated downwards towards the red crystals that lead to the cave of Durin's heart. Hearing the whispers of sadness and hope was disheartening to the old god. "Hmm...a forsaken child who lashed out...very well you'll get your second chance little one and it will be without pain" Raising a hand to the heart they channeled bits of their energy into it, its beating rapidly picked up before the smooth surface turned hard.

The once ominous red glow turned into a dull gray as the heart seemed to calcify. "From the darkness you were born and to the darkness you shall return...but this time you will be raised properly." A hum left (Y/n) as they moved backwards observing the heart now converted into an egg. "And speaking of darkness...Dorian you can come out now..." The sound of shuffling could be heard behind the old god as footsteps approached cautiously. "How did you-?"

The voice was quite but ruff like the person, Dorian, hadn't used it often. "I'm sure you already know little Dorian...I did after all make sure that Regice personally escorted you here...though I'm a bit sorry about the hostile welcome." They turned to face the homunculus with a soft smile. "There's no way you're actually that god..." The platinum blonde spoke uncertainty in his voice. His eyes seemed to shake at the prospect that there was indeed a god above Celestia.

It wasn't until they looked at him did Dorian realize there was no denying who the entity in front of him was. The corruption that flowed through his blood, the pain it sometimes caused was virtually nonexistent in their presence. In fact, he noticed that all his resentment that built up over centuries was all but gone. Like a flame had been snuffed out, the ice around his heart melted. He could feel.

"Finally noticed something have you...Yes, I delt with the corruption that has affect you, Durin's heart, and that adorable fellflower of yours...As for why..." (Y/n) spoke their voice slightly echoing in the cave as they trailed off as they spoke. "Well, it's merely because I would like you to help me in restoring order...Simple as that you don't have to agree but I would think taking this offer would be too good to pass up" The spoke in a knowing tone, as if to say he didn't really have much of a choice.

Dorian narrowed his eyes as he stared at the old god in front of him. He would hate to go back to the way his life was, the feeling they provided was freeing. With a reluctant huff he accepted the offer. "Perfect! Well, my dear Dorian Gray...Polaris will fill you in on the construction going on at the peak of the mountain Regice will make sure that nothing disturbs you all. Have fun being an Advisor...now off you go"

His indigo eyes widened a smidge as a light overtook him teleporting him to the mountains peak. (Y/n)'s face remained in a small smile as their eyes sparkled with flakes of gold before returning to normal. They sighed in content as they waved a hand in front of them, a holographic screen appearing, it was the size of a tablet. "Hmm current time is..oh shit I'm late.."

Collapsing the screen, they quickly sunk into the shadows moving through the dark void before appearing in the shadow of the Windrise Tree. How convenient that it was directly behind Venti as he had just finished explaining everything Aether needed to know before making his trip to Liyue. "Thank you for informing him little wisp..."

Venti nearly jumped out of his skin hearing a voice behind him before he calmed down noticing it was just (Y/n), not that that really calmed him down he was still unnerved by them. They chuckled as Paimon began to slightly rant to them about La Signora and also cheering about how they handled the situation, "You were so cool!! What even happened to those fatuus anyway?"

(Y/n)'s eyes closed as a tight smile adorned their face," That my dear child is not something I can answer as of present...just know that they are being judged fairly for their transgressions." Aether noticed the look on his parent's face and subconsciously realized exactly what had happened to those two agents that held him down. A small shiver ran through his body, the blonde knew that the void could be unforgiving when it came to him or his sister.

Opening their eyes, the old being decided to change the topic, "Back to our original topic of discussion should we head off to Liyue for the Rite of Descension...?" Aether nodded his head reaching and softly grabbing their hand waving goodbye to Venti. Paimon had a confused look on her face however," How did you know that was what we were talking about?"

The old god playfully rolled their eyes as they spoke, "The shadows know all secrets my dear...anyways...goodbye little wisp I'm sure we will see each other very soon." Venti nodded his head wearily still shaken up from the past events, "Y-yes Allcreator...goodbye" They then turned to their son and his floating companion who were slightly talking ahead of them. 'Here's to hoping Liyue will prove more entertaining than this...' They thought to themselves as the group began to long trek to Liyue Harbor.