#actually would it be right of me to tag Yanfei??

[2baddiesfanfics]

That Damn Dress

Pairing: Shenhe x Yelan

Tags: Dresses, Oral Sex, Vaginal Fingering, Mutual Masturbation, Teaching, Liyue Lantern Rite (Genshin Impact)

Summary:

Yelan comes back from a mission just in time for Lantern Rite. When she stops by Wanmin Restaurant to check on Shenhe at her new place of employment, she's shocked to see her in a brand-new outfit - one definitely not appropriate for waiting tables. Seeing it as an opportunity to teach her more about the ways of the world, the agent takes her back to her place to show her how she can relieve work stress.

Read on Ao3

“Shenhe…you’re kidding me, right? Dinner rush starts in like ten minutes. There’s no time for you to change, but please. Next time, try to wear something a little less…formal?”

Xiangling looked at the woman with pleading eyes. Wanmin Restaurant’s newest server was eclectic, to say the least. The young head chef was happy she was a hard worker despite never actually having a real job before. Unfortunately, she was still a little rough around the edges when it came to what constituted as appropriate work attire.

“But Xiangling…I don’t understand. The color black doesn’t get dirty easily, so I thought this outfit would be acceptable to wear to work. What seems to be the problem?”

The girl winced at the prospect of having to try to explain why the short, backless dress might not be the best choice during Lantern Rite. Most of their customers behaved themselves, but it was not unusual to see the occasional rowdy party boy who didn’t know how to keep his hands to himself come through for a drunk munchie or two. After witnessing the…intense…way the woman tended to respond to these kinds of customers, Xiangling was less worried about her and more afraid of being sued.

Good thing we’ve got Yanfei on our side, she thought.

The first few hungry patrons walked up to the counter, and immediately Xiangling switched into business mode.

“Don’t worry about it this time, Shenhe. Please just talk to me the next time you feel the need to dress differently.”

She nodded her head curtly. “Understood.” The last thing she needed was to lose the one thing that made her feel like she was getting the hang of being a part of human society. It’s a shame, though. I do love how it looks, and Cloud Retainer was kind enough to gift it to me. Heaving a sigh, she grabbed her notepad and made her way to the first small group of famished guests.

Yelan was happy her latest mission had ended sooner than she thought it would. She wasn’t exactly thrilled at the prospect of being away for so long now that she was dating Shenhe. While she knew her talents and instincts could be better utilized, she was also aware the woman had a lot to learn when it came to human customs and behavior.

It pained her to think she might miss Lantern Rite this year, but when duty called, she was obligated to answer. Thankfully, all had worked out so she returned earlier than expected. Only now she was ravenous.

I wonder if Shenhe’s working tonight.

“Yelan! Long time no see!” boomed Chef Mao.

“Hey Mao. You know I have to come by whenever I’m back in town for some of your famous Jueyun Chili Chicken. Can’t resist the…” She lost her train of thought as she caught a glimpse of Shenhe in an unfamiliar and much more revealing dress out of the corner of her eye.

“…spice. Um, I’ll just go ahead and seat myself, if that’s ok?”

Chef Mao nodded happily in agreement and she had to pace herself from not sprinting up to the table closest to her girlfriend. Settling in, she pretended to glance at the menu until she heard the familiar sound of Shenhe’s steps.

“Hello, and welcome to Wanmin Restaurant. What can I get - Yelan? What are you doing here? I thought you said you weren’t going to make it for Lantern Rite this year?”

The agent dropped the menu. “Well, I wanted to surprise you, but I think you’ve turned the tables there,” she said as she raked her eyes up and down her body. “Where’d you pick up that little number?”

“Oh, Cloud Retainer surprised Ganyu and me with new clothes for the celebration. Do you like it?”

Yelan leaned in closer. “Oh, I like it. I’m a little upset I wasn’t the one who bought it for you.”

“How strange. That’s the second time someone expressed displeasure at me wearing it.”

“Wait…what? No! Shenhe, I just meant I’m jealous I didn’t get to see you in it first. What are you talking about?”

“My apologies. I’m still getting used to the nuances of how native Liyueans speak. When I came into work this evening, Xiangling said it was inappropriate. I truly cannot see how such a fine outfit would not be suitable for work, especially during a holiday. Am I not supposed to dress differently despite the celebration going on?”

A chuckle escaped Yelan. “Sweetie…I think she just meant she didn’t want you to draw unwanted attention. Not only that, it’d be a shame to get food all over it. Let’s just say it’s something you should wear in front of important people.”

“Like Cloud Retainer?”

“Well, yes,” she stated and she reached for her free hand. “And me. Say, what time do you get off tonight? I think I’m feeling hungry for something other than Jueyun Chili Chicken.”

A light blush appeared on the girl’s cheeks as she caught what Yelan was insinuating. Since being with her, she’d quickly learned much about her varying appetites. “Xiangling said I could leave in about an hour after the dinner rush dies down.”

“Great. How about I come back around then and we can catch up at my place?”

“That sounds nice. Should I change before I come over?”

“Oh, trust me,” she replied, her eyes narrowed. “That dress is very appropriate for what we’ll be doing.

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

The two women took in the illuminated lanterns as they walked hand-in-hand to Yelan’s apartment. The agent inquired about Shenhe’s day, trying to get a feel for how she enjoyed her new job.

“Oh, I’m learning so much, thank you for asking. Apparently I overdo it sometimes, but Xiangling has been very patient with me.”

Yelan nodded along, trying her best to pay attention. She had purposefully let Shenhe walk slightly ahead of her so she could admire her new dress in detail. Her shoulders and back were completely bare to the chill of the night air, and she wished for nothing more than to expose her even more.

A part of her felt guilty for having these thoughts. Shenhe had been working so hard, and the last thing she wanted to do was seem insensitive if she needed rest. She inserted her key into the front door of her abode and decided to test the waters.

“I’m glad to hear you seem to be adjusting well, love. You must be pretty exhausted with the Lantern Rite rush.”

Shenhe shrugged. “I suppose I’m a little tired. I would like to spend more time with you, though,” she said, drawing closer. “That is…if you don’t mind.”

Suddenly, the agent got an idea. “Well, I know working all day can certainly take its toll. I do, however, know of a way that can help relieve stress…if you’re interested in learning,” Her fingers grazed the skin of her shoulder, silently insinuating her intent.

The exorcist smiled softly in response as she leaned in, her lips almost touching Yelan’s. “You are a wonderful teacher. Please, enlighten me.”

Having been away for far too long, Yelan was eager to taste the familiar flavor of Shenhe’s tongue on her own. They kissed deceptively slowly at first, both exercising self-control. There was no need to rush. Neither had anywhere else to be but with each other, finally. They moved toward the bedroom, each savoring the soft sounds the other made.

Lying down next to each other, Yelan pulled away, her thumb stroking Shenhe’s bottom lip.

“Tell me, baby. When I’m gone, do you ever touch yourself?”

“What do you mean?” The air of innocence in her eyes made Yelan snicker.

“I mean, do you ever think of me and pretend your own movements are my fingers?”

“Hmmm. It’s never occurred to me to try.” Yelan often forgot Shenhe had been under the watchful eye of Cloud Retainer since she was a child. The agent respected the adeptus immensely but could see that due to her strict training regiment, the exorcist likely hadn’t the time for pleasures of the flesh before meeting her and exploring that side of her humanity.

“Ah…I see. Well, you’re a quick study. Would it be helpful if I showed you how?”

The other woman’s eyes sparkled like new-fallen snow. “Yes…I’d like that very much.”

“While that dress is certainly very flattering, we’ll have to take it off for now. May I?”

Shenhe nodded swiftly and Yelan helped her slip out of the barely-there fabric. She felt the girl shiver under her fingertips and licked her lips at the sight of her. After removing her own clothing, Yelan laid on her back, encouraging the exorcist to do the same.

“First, you’ve got to get comfortable. You’ve obviously meditated before, correct? Think of it like that. You’re clearing your mind, forgetting the frustrations of the day. Breathe deeply, slowly. Good. Next, start by gently teasing your breasts.”

Yelan led by example, her fingers expertly working her nipples as Shenhe watched, enraptured by the sensuality of the sight of her girlfriend doing something so taboo.

“Well…aren’t you going to give it a go? You’ll never learn unless you try.”

Shenhe blushed, feeling like a child who had just been caught stealing sweets. “Right, yes. My apologies.” The woman mimicked what she had just observed as Yelan also took a peek. She could feel herself getting drenched just looking at her doing as she instructed.

Fuck. Stay focused, Yelan. You’re supposed to be helping her.

“Right, very good. Next, when you feel ready, spread your legs a bit and give yourself some room. Let your hand wander and use your fingers to ensure you’re wet e-enough.” As Yelan modeled the behavior, her voice hitched on the last word. Shenhe imitated her actions, a soft moan escaping her mouth.

“Ah…l-like this?”

The agent let out a satisfied sigh. “Yessss…good…very good. Move slowly at first, then when you think you’ve set a steady pace, you’ll start to f-feel the buildup…” Yelan felt her breathing grow shallow.

“Y-yelan…I think I…get it…please…I’m close…need your fingers…”

“Only if you’ll…do the same…”

The women moved their respective hands, rubbing at their already slick, sensitive buds. Both turned their heads, seeking the comfort of the other’s reassuring gaze

“Fu-fuckkkkkkk Shenhe!!”

“Archons…Yelan!!”

Their bodies trembled as their hands stilled. The two lay beside one another catching their breath. Yelan rolled to her side, Yelan and propped herself up on her elbow. “As much fun as that was, I still need a bit more…if you’re up for it,” she said with a smirk.

Shenhe turned to meet her gaze. “I agree,” she smiled back at her. Yelan leaned in to capture her mouth, her tongue darting past the other woman’s lips. Trailing her fingers up and down her spine, Yelan slid her hand down to cup her butt with a slight squeeze.

The exorcist moaned in response. Yelan placed Shenhe’s leg across her own hips, her hand slipping between her thighs to collect her arousal with her fingers. The agent teased her, bringing two fingers to her entrance only to barely prod her before removing them and gliding across her clit. Her hips bucked in response as she pulled Yelan closer, searching for increased friction.

“Please…I need you,” Shenhe whined.

“Well, since you asked so nicely,” she whispered as she plunged into her.

“Ahhhhhh yes!” Shenhe gasped.

She quickly thrust her fingers hitting the spot she knew would make her see stars. Shenhe’s moans were increasing in pitch and her legs shook as she neared her peak. Yelan made quick work of her as she felt her walls clamp around her, drenching her hand.

The agent could feel her girlfriend breathing heavily against her chest. She stroked her hair and murmured words of quiet encouragement.

“You did so well, little crane,” she said with a tender kiss on her forehead. Looking up at her through bleary eyes, Shenhe reached to cup her face.

“Thank you, Yelan. I know you’re probably weary from your latest mission. Allow me to help you relax.”

Yelan couldn’t help but laugh. “Baby, you’re always so formal! You can lighten up when you’re with me, you know.” She turned her head to kiss her palm.

“If that is what you desire, then that is what you shall receive.” Quicker than Yelan could perceive what she was doing, Shenhe grabbed her hips and flipped her over. The agent let out a yelp of surprise that quickly morphed into a moan of pleasure as the girl positioned herself behind her.

Yelan felt the warm wetness of Shenhe’s tongue enter her and gripped the sheets.

“Fuckkkkk Shenhe…”

She paused between laps to mutter, “You did say you wanted me to lighten up.” Yelan felt fingers enter her in addition to the licks, causing her to bury her face in a pillow to stifle her groans.

“It’s been too long since I’ve heard you. What’s the matter? Scared to bother your neighbors?”

“Don’t…get cocky…little crane…” she breathed.

Taking this reply as a challenge, Shenhe pressed her tongue deeper into her, rubbing her clit with a finger. Yelan shifted back into the woman’s face, wordlessly begging for more.

“Archons…Shenhe…get on with it…” The exorcist did as she was asked, furiously increasing her movements until Yelan orgasmed with a shout that would likely ensure her neighbors would check in.

Shenhe drew the woman into an embrace from behind and kissed her shoulder. “Sorry. I’m worried about controlling my strength and didn’t want to hurt you.”

Yelan smiled sleepily, worn down from her long trip home that day. “I understand. But I do have to say. Seeing you in that outfit today was a sight for sore eyes. I’m going to tell Ningguang I’m taking a vacation. You ever been to Sumeru?”

“Yelan, you know I only recently started to expand my horizons here in Liyue. Of course I haven’t.”

“Good. I’ll put in a word with Chef Mao. You and that dress are coming with me.”

[deci-doodles]

Yanfei’s parents again coz I missed them :”)

[i23kazu]

COMFORT FROM ME (everything will be okay.)

summary: genshin characters comforting you :,)

characters: aether, albedo, arlecchino, ayaka, ayato, beidou, capitano, childe, diluc, dottore, eula, ganyu, gorou, heizou, itto, jean, kaeya, kazuha, keqing, kokomi, kuki shinobu, lisa, lumine, mona, ningguang, pantalone, raiden, rosaria, sara, scaramouche, shenhe, thoma, venti, xiao, yae, yanfei, yelan, yoimiya, zhongli x gn!reader

a/n: genshin characters comforting you. this is the longest post i’ve ever written. with so many characters. so please please please like and reblog with comments (and tags), and if you appreciated this please give me a follow! i'd really appreciate it :") ps. if you hc traveler as a child/minor, this post isn't for you!

[aether]

— aether holds you close, rubbing his cheek against yours in efforts of slowing your anxiety-ridden breaths down — he won't lie, he's pretty anxious for you as well; but he knows he has to keep his composure so as to not freak you out even more — whispers sweet, calming words into your ears and will tell you that everything is going to be okay

[albedo]

— given that he's not an actual human, albedo does a pretty good job of calming you down — brings you your favourite hot drink (with the right amount of milk/sugar that you love) plus a blanket so that you can curl up in his lap while he calms you down :3 — stays by your side the entire time while you cry :")

[arlecchino]

— slightly rough but when she sees you upset it is on SIGHT with the person who made you cry — will go batshit crazy. just for you — gives a very opinionated speech about how she would report this person who made you upset to the department head yadda yadda and it makes you smile

[ayaka]

— definitely freaks out a little bit but remembers what thoma does for her whenever she feels anxious — holds your hand and squeezes it gently to assure you that she's there for you — she listens a lot and doesn't talk. will let you spill out everything while she sits there and rubs the back of your hand

[ayato]

— keeps his composure and is somewhat like a steady rock — will make you your favourite hot drink!! he remembers the little things about you so the right amount of sugar and milk and water etc — brings tissues and a soft cloth to wipe the tears away from your face while he sits there and holds your hand

[beidou]

— she gets a bit more quiet because she hates seeing you upset like this — slightly murderous look in her eyes because she will obliterate the person who made you this upset — holds you in her arms the entire time she tries to calm you down — wipes away your tears with her thumb

[capitano]

— doesn't speak a lot, he's more of a listener — enjoys holding you in his arms :( the quiet comforter is good at that and his presence is generally very calming — also he knows the exact way you like your fav drink — will be out to murder the person who made you sad

[childe]

— hums a soft melody, the same way he used to calm down his siblings when they got upset. also kisses you a lot throughout — (except that you get a lot more cuddles than them. lol) — cooks you your comfort dish while putting it on your favourite plate with your favourite set of cutlery (the fork and spoon with the cute little whales on them)

[diluc]

— asks adelinde to make you a pot of tea <3 — plays a soothing melody on the piano in efforts to calm you down. he makes you straddle him facing away from the piano and lean against his shoulder — presses kisses to your forehead while you spill about everything that made you upset

[dottore]

— bit of an eccentric comforter but thats okay! — he enjoys telling you stories about his past research and it makes you smile a lot (the safer versions, i'm gna pretend he doesn't do anything sketchy just in case ppl @ me) — i honestly can see dottore as a cuddler i'm sorry to those who disagree. this one's for @cxlrosii #1 dottore lover

[eula]

— she's.. not used to comforting you / other people so she's a little awkward — but she tries! she tends to just sit and listen while giving an extremely violent opinion about the other party to make you laugh — it works :) will bring a soft cloth to wipe away your tears as you sit on her lap

[ganyu]

— gets a little panicked but has to calm herself down before she can calm you down — brings tissues and small pieces of candy for you for eat bc she believes that its a better medicine ;) — also brings qingxins for you for some reason. 10/10 comforter tbh

[gorou]

— wraps you in this huge hug with his tail wagging and all!!!! super cute sight — he hates seeing you sad. will cuddle you on the spot even if other people are around — he lets you pet his ears longer than usual bc he knows it makes you happy :(

[heizou]

— i can't get the image of him straddling you while kissing you to make a smile appear on your face — wipes your tears away gently while telling you stories about the arataki gang getting into trouble — he might have thrown itto under the bus.. but oh well. heizou gives good cuddles okay

[itto]

— 10/10 BEST COMFORTER. will beatbox your troubles away — also likes to throw you up into the air for some reason??? like you could be crying on the floor and be up in the air the next — he's very careful though and he's super sweet about it. brings you to eat your favourite food afterward <333 lets you win onikabuto fights

[jean]

— sweet and comforting, just like her sister — you get a little worried bc you can see the stress etched on her face and you're def worried that you're burdening her but she very quickly catches on — you were not and never will be a burden to jean :( she loves you very very much

[kaeya]

— comforter SUPREME. 10/10. i want to cry so he will hold me in his arms and tell me that everything is alright — sings your favourite song & also loves to cook you your favourite food while you cry about everything to him. lets you taste test — he does this little nodding thing each time you say something its very cute

[kazuha]

— SINGS YOU LULLABIES <33333333 — also he wipes your tears away with his hand :") or his favourite cloth, the one with maple leaf print — cuddles you on his lap right there and then!!!! will run his fingers through your hair. gives headpats 25/8 and will gently affirm you that you are more than what upset you

[keqing]

— a little bit of a tough lover but thats just how she is :") — i honestly don't know too much about keqing but i love the idea of her taking a break from her work just to calm you down — gives good hugs!!!!!! they're sweet and gentle despite her slightly brash personality and always make you come back for more <3

[kokomi]

— the minute you start to sob, she sets down her pen and brings you into her arms — assures you that you're a wonderful person!!!! your mistakes do not define you or something motivational like that — wipes away your tears sweetly + gives the best hugs and smiles afterwards

[kuki shinobu]

— literally the definition of your pillar of strength — she's calm, collected, and analyses the situation pretty well so she can calm you down in the way you need it the most — loves to run her fingers through your hair to help you calm down plus give her a smile (it works)

[lisa]

— she does this little quiet exhale when she sees you being a mess. then tells you "come here, darling" — then gathers you in her arms while you sob everything out of you — makes you your favourite tea + grabs your favourite book so she can read softly to you — also cuddles you very well??? hello???????

[lumine]

— super sweet about everything — assures you that you are not a burden and the only burden is the person who made you upset — she hates seeing you sad like this :( will cuddle you all night to make you happy

[mona]

— being cheered up by mona usually consists of her swearing out the person who made you sad, as dignified mona can be — also makes you tea (its cheaper than going out to angels share + she believes that her tea is better than anything else. you agree) — lets you play with her experiments bc pretty colours make you happy :3

[ningguang]

— lady boss will buy you anything you want. — a new bed? it's coming tomorrow. express delivery. inazuman sweets? you can bet that ningguang placed a hefty sum for a commission and now beidou is rowing as fast as she can. — also you like to hear her just talk about anything bc her voice is so calming <3

[pantalone]

— enjoys listening, then commenting

— he likes to run his fingers through your hair while you rant and cry, gently offering you tissues and back-of-hand-rubs

— i think he would be the type to drop his work and come take care of you :(

[raiden]

— get ready for the lightning strike on the house of the person who made you upset because she is COMING

— absolutely hates seeing you upset and h a t e s the person making you feel bad

— listens to your problems with a (slightly) scary smile on her face bc she’s thinking of [CENSORED] [CENSORED] [SCREAMING] the other person. you love her tho <3

[rosaria]

— hurt her y/n? prepare for w r a th

— wipes away your tears gently and reassures you that you’re more precious to her than anything :( mwa

— will 10/10 cuddle you to sleep!!!! she wants you to have a good night’s rest. also bc im a sucker for bad bitches with soft spots for you :3

[sara]

— all the scary women are lined up LOL

— anyways. get ready bc the person who hurt you? her next target

— treats you to your favourite meal + lays in bed with you to run her fingers through your hair. will big spoon you

— another one where she’s your pillar of strength

[shenhe]

— calm and collected. will try to analyse what happened but will always default to your side

— steeps your favourite tea so she can distract you from the hurt + pain. will put it in your favourite cup as well

— don’t be surprised if the next morning you find a bundle of your favourite flowers on the nightstand next to you. she most likely woke up early to find them :,)

[scaramouche]

— another one of those who aren’t afraid to commit other person dies for you.

— though i’d like to think of all the fluffy things that could happen!! i like to think of him having a soft spot for you

— surprisingly good cuddles. it’s like he always knows what you need <3 pls pepper him with kisses after

[thoma]

— someone hurts you? get ready to be SPOILED.

— seriously. thoma is go big or go home. in this instance, you’re his home, so he’d just have to go big

— this man gives the best cuddles + hugs. will bring you out for a walk and to watch the sunset while holding onto you tightly, reassuring you that you’re more than what people say about you

[venti]

— tries to cheer you up first! lame jokes, a poke to your side, cuddles, whatever

— then he realises that it doesn’t work :( immediately proceeds to phase two where he kisses & cuddles you

— will take you out to fly because he knows how much it makes you smile!!

[xiao]

— doesn’t exactly understand how he can cheer you up… fighting demons somewhat relives stress for him (but at the same time causes stress..)

— will cook you your favorite food + let you hug him as he makes dinner

— tucks you into bed :( i just think this would be very cute

— “i’m here, y/n. no one can take that away.”

[yae]

— storms over to the person who hurt you and scolds them like nobody’s business. while maintaining that smirk and lovey eyes towards you

— a torrent of words just attacks the person LOL they’re left in such a shock that they couldnt comprehend (firstly… guuji yae is talking to them??? secondly… guuji yae is pissed off at them???)

— cuddles you the whole night while proclaiming that you’re the cutest most wonderful darling she’s had the pleasure of meeting and loving <3

[yanfei]

— gives the person who hurt you her meanest glare and storms off holding your hand

— but when the two of you reach home she just goes and cuddles you straightaway, constantly reaffirming the fact that you’re hers :,(

— she absolutely hates seeing you upset like this :( it breaks her heart. she’ll cook the both of you dinner and then cuddles you off to bed, wiping your tears away

[yelan]

— breaking news: mysterious incident in the early hours leaves people befuddled, one severely injured!

— yelan is sure to reassure you of your worth. she’s absolutely furious that someone would hurt her darling like this

— makes you your favourite snack and puts on your fav show. makes sure that she cuddles you throughout and leaves kisses on your forehead so that you constantly feel loved <3

[yoimiya]

— puts on a firework show just for you >:( the pretty colours just make you very happy + watching it with her? perfection

— makes sure to hug / cuddle / kiss you throughout the night bc she is absolutely flabbergasted (and loves watching you giggle when she uses that word) that someone would tear you down like this :( why are people so mean

— handmakes your favourite sweets! little dango sticks :3 anything yoimiya makes is the best honestly she’s so sweet

[zhongli]

— calmly listens to you as you cry, while he holds you in his arms :(

— he wipes your tears away gently as he explains to you that you’re worth so much more than some dumbass who can’t see that

— uses childe’s money to buy you food. and drink. and maybe a few sweets. and a new piece of jewellery. and a

taglist: @tiredsleep @loptido @raincxtter @infinn-toru @ladyadii @soulsanta @pluvioprinz @sheiiy

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[wispycecilia]

hey , pretty stranger !

genshin characters as strangers you’ve met

various! genshin impact x reader. (albedo, childe, diluc, fischl, gorou, hu tao, itto, kaeya, kazuha, scaramouche, thoma, venti, xiangling, xiao, yanfei, zhongli.) - 5037 words.

synopsis: genshin characters as people you’ve encountered, and have remained in your heart ever since then.

notes: modern! AU. long headcanons. british english used. lowercase. some cliche romance tropes used. edited. semi-proofread. gn!reader. mother used in albedo’s one. father used in diluc’s one. slight cursing used. arranged in alphabetical order.

a/n: this was meant to be released way earlier but then word deleted all my work are u srs.. but anywayysss most of these are happy, i promise :) key word is ‘most’ tho. and holy moly these are long asdffghhjkl new record for me!!

masterlist

albedo

• the person who let you have the last carton of eggs. you were rushing to the supermarket in an absolute frenzy; your mother wanted to make desserts, but you used up the last eggs in the house to complete a stupid ‘rubber egg’ science project of yours.

• it was already late, and the chances of the supermarket actually having anything there at all was very slim, but luck seemed to be in your favour??? lo and behold, right there in the poultry aisle, sits the last box of eggs. you could literally hear angels singing.

• well, your glorious moment was interrupted by a third party picking it up before you could. he was observing them with a critical gaze, and in a slight moment of panic, you were debating whether or not you could win against him in a fist fight.

• but as he gave you a quizzical look at your defeated expression, you opted for the second option: begging.

• it was a pitiful sight, really. you were about to get on your knees and plead at the poor guy just for the eggs. you knew your mother would be angry if you came home with nothing, and you weren’t about to risk a scolding, not today!!

• but instead, he just wordlessly handed the carton to you. no small talk, no need for you to throw your dignity to the side, nothing. it was like he could read your mind. you stood there in awe.

• you swear you could see a hint of a smirk on his face, though.

childe

• the attractive person who was taking care of their sibling at the park. he was helping teucer climb up one of those spider web playground equipment things, and then his shirt rised up a bit and. oh. oh my god. ohhhhhh my god?!?!?

• turns out, he was your neighbour… the hot neighbour that you never noticed until now. you’ve interacted with his little siblings before, but never saw him?? and as you were having a mini crisis on a park bench, his little brother noticed you!

• you were invited to join them with a warm smile from both boys, and your heart almost skipped a beat imagining a domestic scene with the two: childe cooking a meal, while you and teucer sit at a table expectantly. ohh you hopeless romantic... imagining all these scenarios with a boy you’ve just met..

• you got attached way too quickly. you thought that childe believed the same: that you two hit it off, but apparently he didn’t. he gave you his number, but only ever initiated conversation if teucer wanted to meet up with you in the park. (the little boy had grown attached to you!) but it was never for anything else. childe never interacted with your ‘how was your day?’ texts at all.

• next thing you knew, the texts eventually faded into nothingness. you heard from a mutual friend of yours that childe started to date a new girl that moved into town, and that the two can be seen in the nearby park, acting like a sickenly sweet couple as they play tag with childe’s siblings.

• you occasionally walk by the park sometimes, and watch in envy as the girl took up the spot that you once had with the boys. it seemed as if teucer completely forgot about you; he liked the new girl more. and childe… he never once looked your way; he never saw you anything beyond a friend to begin with. childe may have never been yours, but a part of your heart still considered him to be a traitor.

diluc

• the person who helped pick your stuff up when you bumped into them. with you being the upcoming successor of a highly esteemed business company, the sight of you rushing to a meeting after sleeping in was embarrassingly undutiful.

• as if your day couldn’t get any worse, you bumped into a stranger along the way, all your files and documents spreading across the pavement like a snowstorm. he initially seemed to carry an impassive look, one that screamed ‘i hate idle chit-chat’, but once diluc saw your face fully?? you swear his eyes perked up in a slight amount of interest.

• one quick apology from both ends later, he helped to pick up all your folders off the ground. and after the situation was all said and done, diluc asked you for your number, his face staying ever-so impassive. and this… just left you shellshocked. him?? the one to initiate romantic advances?? he totally seemed like the unapproachable type. maybe out of your league. but he even called you cute!?!? how even??

• …although, you might’ve gotten your hopes too high up. later that night when you scrambled for the business card diluc scrawled his number on, the dreaded message of ‘number not in use’ popped up on your screen while you sent a quick hi.

• your heart sunk in an instant. one google search of the company written on the business card later, and you found out he was the son of crepus ragvindr, the man who your father left high and dry on a company deal several years ago.

• you seriously thought you had a chance with someone who wouldn’t judge you for your upbringing for once. but, this time round, it looks like you were the one who had gotten fooled once again. why were you involved in your father’s mess?

fischl

• the worker at a super suspicious shop you visited. fischl was there, dressed up in a half-magician half-princess get-up, with… somber music in the back. you entered the shop on an absolute whim, just trying to find a present for a friend, and instead? you get a girl trying to predict your death.

• it was oddly captivating, though, and soon enough, you were a regular visitor in this weird shop. you even managed to stick around long enough to meet the second owner, mona!

• fischl would go off on tangents about myths. in particular, shadow familiars. she claimed she had a pet eagle called ‘oz’ that would take form of a vengeful shadow, and would also do anything she asked.

• fischl dropped the act around you soon enough, and even told you her real name. she poured out secrets about her past that not even mona was aware about. fischl’s past was shrouded in more mystery than the mirror ball on her desk, and yet, she described all her tribulations with the crystal clear intent of getting you to understand her.

• as you two got closer, you realised she was just a sheltered girl that needed a friend. that all of this? this store that she set up with her one childhood friend that she had? was a form of escapism. this coping strategy was one that might be looked down upon by many, but was held in such high regard by you. fischl appreciated your presence more than you could ever know.

• and in your point of view? she was initially a stranger you met by pure accident. but now? she was more than that; fischl was someone you hold dear.

• fischl told you once that she lacked the capability to be loved by others. but, as you clutched the crystal bracelet you made for her against your chest, you hoped that fischl would understand that she was loved and cherished.

gorou

• the stranger who dropped popcorn all over you in the cinema. you two were in a movie premiere for an adaptation of the saddest novel of all time, and to say the least, you were in absolute shambles.

• sad films nowadays were filled with cliches that weren’t enough to make you cry at all. but this one? this one hit straight in the feels. a refreshing feeling, but crushed your ‘stone-faced bitch that refuses to cry during sad films’ title.

• and??? the hypothetical waterfall coming out of your eyes seemed to be so strong that it came into real life. a wave of pure salt and buttered popcorn came pouring out from behind you.

• the tearful moment you had was no longer, and turning around, you came face-to-face with a brown haired boy giving you a sheepish smile, holding an empty popcorn box. the white-haired friend next to him, panicked beyond belief, apologised on his behalf, but the damage has already been done.

• the cinema workers seemed to go heavy-handed with the butter machine today, as you were covered in the thing. great. you looked like an absolute mess; how were you going to recover from this moment socially?

• gorou came down to your row and gave a brief introduction, before offering you some tissues and wrapping his jacket around you. he escorted you to the toilets to clean yourself up, making playful jokes here and there.

• it would’ve been the highlight of your day, but it quickly became sour as he spoiled a pivotal part of the movie to you, only further adding to the pain.

• it’s okay though. gorou was cute; you forgave him. and on the condition that you two go out to watch the movie once more - just you two, alone - this encounter was later forgotten.

hu tao

• the person who was your escape. you were at the countryside temporarily to visit your grandparents for the summer holidays, and you liked to take escapades at nighttime to bask in the chirps of the cicadas.

• you first met hu tao while she was stuffing ‘help me’ and ‘come here at 3am’ notes underneath rocks at the riverbank the kids would stay at. the shock on her face as you caught her in the act is something that still makes you laugh to this day.

• after that, you two kept your nighttime meetings consistent. it would always be during a luminescent moonlight, besides the run-down convenience store that stood just above the river you first met at.

• you never caught each other’s name, but it didn’t matter. all that mattered was the picturesque memories you’d make together: climbing on top of a playground to look at the stars, watching the fish at the river, and you entertaining hu tao’s pranks by acting surprised whenever she snuck up on you.

• though, of course, good things always come to an end. you were just visiting the countryside, so you had no choice but to leave hu tao behind. you keep those memories in your heart, feeling melancholic every time you reminisce on the best summer you’ve ever had.

• hu tao gave you a ghost plushie before you left, telling you to call it ‘boo tao’. and yet, still, as you asked her for her name or any form of contact, she just gave you a smile, one that was unusually sad for her joyful self.

• ‘mysteries make the moment more special, don’t you think?’

• you hoped that the next time you came to visit, hu tao would be sitting there where you first met, welcoming you back with a tight hug and the cheerful smile you loved so much.

itto

• the stranger who got you a stuffed toy from a festival stall. it was one of those absolutely infuriating strength games. you know, the one where you’d have to smack a table super hard with a hammer? yeah. those ones. the neon sign saying ‘strong striker’ was literally mocking you. you were neither strong or a striker from the looks of things. the game absolutely was rigged.

• although you’d probably neglect the toy after the adrenaline from winning it wears off, who cares? whatever! it would fit perfectly in the depths of your closet with the rest of your carnival winnings!

• you were going broke and wasted literal hours on this one game.. you hadn’t even had the chance to try out the cotton candy stall from the other end of the carnival yet! any rational person would’ve stopped right now, but who said you had self control?

• as you were about to hand over your last coins, an unmistakably attractive and muscular stranger stops your hand. he gives you a reassuring smile, before proceeding to look at the game with a challenging glare.

• ‘leave it to me, stranger!’

• …and just like that, the stranger hit the table so hard with the toy hammer that the meter just. went off the scale. the vendor, who was once looking at you with a look of maliciousness due to literally robbing you of all your money, was now awestruck at the sheer power the man holds.

• you felt your heart drop as he claimed the stuffed toy you were so obviously eyeing, but as he looked at you with a satisfied smirk (maybe even a little cocky), he handed it over to you with little-to-no reluctance, before proceeding to return back to the group of friends who were mocking him for showing off so much.

• before he left, though, he asked you to name the stuffed toy ‘itto’, after his name. you did comply to itto’s wish, and instead of rotting in the back of your closet, the toy sits on your bed, reminding you of the both kind (and a little terrifying) stranger who you met on a not-so average saturday night.

kaeya

• the worker at an arcade you were visiting. you went to the arcade to blow off some steam after a relatively rough day, and decided to give their bowling venue a shot.

• what you didn’t expect, however, was how absolutely shit you’d be at it. a worker took pity on you and decided to put up the side railings so there would be no way you could miss a shot, and somehow?? It still never hit??

• after the 2nd set and an endless amount of disappointment, a worker, clad in the tacky uniform he had to wear, walked up to your station and just... laughed in your face. way to make the day worse, asshole.

• he then proceeded to ask you needed a ramp because of how bad you were at bowling and?? come on?? he knew you were bad; you knew you were bad. but, he could’ve at least tried to be discreet with your lack of bowling abilities??

• the stranger was at least perceptive enough to realise that you weren’t in the mood to entertain his friendly bantering, and even offered to play with you after his shift ended. just to teach you the proper ropes of bowling, of course.

• your day may have had a rough start, but kaeya, as the stranger claimed was his name, was here to pick you back up.

kazuha

• the library crush. you first saw him while cramming a project of yours; you needed more stable wifi - the mcdonald’s one just wouldn’t cut it anymore - and had to renew your library card to be able to get in.

• and… shit?? since when did librarians get so hot??? you’ve only ever encountered the stereotypical ones. the old, cranky men that would yell at you if you were ever caught speaking a bit too loud.

• soon, these visits of yours became more and more regular. you’d pretend to act like you’re studying, but in reality, you were admiring the librarian that sat so beautifully on the front desk. you often daydreamed, wondering what he would look like if the afternoon glow cascaded against his face.

• you’d constantly sit at the table adjacent to the desk so you could get the best view of him as possible. maybe even occasionally freak out whenever he would smile at the book he was reading because.. he was just so cute??

• you thought you were being slick with your admiration, but apparently not. because one day, as you were ‘reading’ one of the books you just borrowed from him for ‘research’, kazuha approached you with a cheeky remark.

• ’the book is upside-down, you know.’

• that knowing, cunning (and dare you assume, a little flirtatious?) look on his face said it all. he knew your ulterior motive this whole time, and this slip-up of yours just gave you away completely.

• but it didn’t matter, because in the end, you received a kiss on your forehead, a reminder to take care of yourself, and a number scrawled on a sticky note on the book you borrowed.

• you may have just landed yourself a prince in the kingdom of literature <3

scaramouche

• the stranger who you dubbed as the ‘vending machine rager’. you know those compilations of those 12 yr olds screaming at their xbox on youtube? yeah. that was scaramouche, but with a can of cola instead.

• you’ve never seen someone take canned drinks so… seriously before??? it was. questionable. from afar, it looked like a child baby-raging at a vending machine for not giving them their soft drink.

• this thought of yours only intensified when you went closer, and saw that yes, he was kicking the vending machine out of anger. all you wanted was a strawberry calpis from the machine, but instead, you get a boy blocking everyone else from accessing it. poor you.

• eventually, the guy’s rage was no longer humorous to you, and you just felt bad that he was going this far. usually, people would’ve left it alone already and tried a different machine?? but he was still here??

• you purchased the drink directly above his stuck one, and it knocked it down instantly… scaramouche’s 2 hours of suffering was solved within 2 minutes of your presence. boss moment.

• you handed his drink to him with a smile; he gave you a disgruntled expression. not even a thank you in return. how rude. but this is a story you tell your friends often, just to lighten the mood. after all, what's funnier than an xbox kid personified in the flesh?

thoma

• the stranger who re-enacted a drama scene with you. there was a venue opened up for a drama that was trending at the time, and the workers were handing out props and other merchandise that was featured in the show.

• you were out of money, but there was still this trinket that you wanted to buy. the friend who you came with offered to get it for you, on the condition that you shout out one of the most famous lines, all in an attempt to embarrass you, of course.

• with absolutely no shame, you yelled, ‘why do you look at me like that?’

• what you didn't expect was someone from the other side of the shop to join in with you too, completing the iconic line of the well-known show, ‘how else should i look at you?’

• you two locked eyes, and you were convinced you found your soulmate. after all, no one had looked at you with such a warm expression like that before. the boyish laugh he gave, paired with your faint laughs of amusement, captivated the entire shop.

• from an outsider looking in, you and him looked like you knew each other all your life; like you were destined to be together. you later approached thoma, making light conversation to get to know this enigmatic stranger a bit more.

• but he revealed to you that he was enlisted in the army, and was due to resume training in a week or so. any opportunities for a relationship, let alone a friendship, were completely eliminated.

• thoma settled on taking a picture together, where you and him were holding hands, backs facing towards the camera. it remains as your lockscreen to this day. you’d visit the spot once every full moon, in hopes for looking for the boy of ‘what could have been’, called thoma.

venti

• the busker who everyone was ignoring. the city was crowded and bustling in a way it never had before, but for some reason, even in the sea of people, venti managed to shine and stand out from the crowd.

• that day, you were in a rush to chase up a replacement for a kettle you owned, but as soon as you saw him pouring his heart and soul out into his performances, only for people to not even bat an eye in his direction?? what??

• you had placed to be, but you guess they could wait. and, the smile venti gave you as he noticed you watching his performance attentively, made it all worth it. the conversation you two had afterwards is one that you hold dearly, and you swore to yourself you would help him in any way you could.

• he would be there every tuesdays and wednesdays, always at the same time too: 2pm. and so without fail, you’d show up, 5 minutes early, watching him set up his instruments and the speakers so skillfully.

• venti loved having you around. little did you know, he would’ve given up had you not noticed him and supported him since that day.

• you knew diamond in a rough when you see it, and turns out, a man working in a scouting agency thought so too. you saw him giving venti a card one day, and the next, venti was no longer on the designated spot where he would play his songs.

• he was a shimmering star in the sea of talents, and you were there to watch him grow, right from the beginning. a star is nothing without the support from you, his fuel and fire, to shine.

• you smile in absolute glee whenever you see venti and his recent albums being advertised on the billboards across your city. you hoped he still remembered who you were; his first fan, the first person to see his potential to hit it big.

• but it was okay if he didn’t. you’d support him anyways.

xiangling

• the stranger who kept going for free food samples at the food stall you worked at. she’d appear like, 10 minutes apart from each visit, each time with a half-assed disguise. even the little kid who refused to leave you alone noticed her after a while??

• you weren’t allowed to give out more than 3 portions at once of the sliced chili steak you were handing out, but she was on her 15th sample… oh goodness. you’re getting in trouble, alright.

• you knew you had to stop xiangling’s madness soon, or else you’re getting fired, but as she comes up to you with a fake moustache from the $2 dollar store, an obviously fake deep voice, paired up with an equally cute laugh at the end that gave away her disguise? who were you to decline?

• she kept coming until the end of your shift, using obviously fake names such as ‘bartholomew’ or ‘margaret’... it honestly impressed you on how much costumes and disguises she owned. she probably prepared this in advance.

• after that incident, you were never placed in the food station again. a co-worker ratted you out for having favouritism between customers, but who could blame you? she was so cute.

• chances are, she found another food place to harass for free samples. good on her. who knows? maybe you’ll encounter her again during one of your mall adventures. who knows. <3

xiao

• the airport crush. it was a dull morning, and you were preparing yourself for the jet-lag that was undoubtedly going to occur. and then, in the sunlight, you see the prettiest stranger you’ve ever seen in your life.

• you thought that would be it. that after the quick, fleeting eye contact you two made, that you’d never see the man again. it did put a slight ache in your heart.

• then?? he was literally on the same flight and everything?? this is your chance?? but you were wayyy too shy and couldn’t gather up enough gall to approach him and ask for his number. the guy had a certain air about him, one that seemed unapproachable, as if he was a deity that you could do nothing besides stare upon.

• you tried every method beside approaching him, though. you got so desperate that you even tried to airdrop people, asking if they know (or are) the guy in seat 365. however, it was all futile. you were unaware that the guy didn’t even own an iphone.

• and finally, as you two, by some miracle, end up leaving at the same terminal once more, you mustered up enough courage to approach him.

• but with his response of a quick ‘i’m in a rush; you’re wasting my time’, all your fantasies of ever seeing the fleeting airport crush once more were crushed beyond comprehension.

• nowadays, whenever you see a similar shade of green hair, you hide and revert your gaze as quick as possible. that nauseating feeling whenever you think of that day was too much for you to handle.

yanfei

• your stupid friend’s legal advisor who they were crushing on massively. your friend got into some massive legal trouble after knocking down an entire aisle of precious antiques at a pawn shop, and now here you two are.

• you initially refused to play any part in this, but they did absolutely everything to persuade you to come with them because, in verbatim, ‘my lawyer is the prettiest person ever!!’

• they even sent you the whole ‘ohh lawrd im goin to jail my lawyers hot’ when they first met up with yanfei. put a leash on your friend so they don’t go and jump on her please <3

• they did end up convincing you to go, eventually. it was on the condition that they’ll go out and take you out to a restaurant you’ve always been wanting to try.

• but as soon as you saw the lawyer in question, sitting on her desk with a sense of maturity that you could never imagine having, even though you were most likely the same age??

• oops. looks like you fell for the legal advisor too. good luck to you :)

• that fluttering in your chest only seemed to increase as she sent you a warm smile, obviously well aware that you were forced here. yanfei even offered you her candy jar to keep yourself entertained as she talks business with your friend.

• you two wouldn’t be just strangers for long, and you both knew it.

zhongli

• the coffee shop stranger. you’ve imagined this scenario plenty of times before, actually. it’ll be a cute moment: you’ll forget your wallet at home, and the cute guy behind you will offer to pay for it in full, asking for nothing besides your number in exchange.

• ohhhh nope!! how wrong you were!!! as the man in front of you, clad in a crisp suit, sheepishly turns around, (all the while a disgruntled worker who was definitely not getting paid enough for this sighs in the back) asks if you had any spare change??

• you wanted to curse the universe for this. what have you done wrong to deserve such a thing? the opportunity was right there, the stars were all aligned, so what have you done? you thought you’ve been a relatively good person all your life.

• seriously. why were you the one paying for him?? it was meant to be the other way around. what made it even worse was that he ordered the most expensive thing on the menu. the bashful smile that he gave you made your anger dissipate for a second. just a second, though. annddd then you were back to staring holes into the back of head.

• as he hands you his business card, thanking you for your kindness before promptly walking off, you stare in absolute awe. you weren't shocked because of how rushed his thank you was - the only thing in your mind was that he didn’t even give you his number after all that. the fantasy in your head was completely crushed now.

• but as you flipped the card around, your shock increased tenfold. morax co. was scribed perfectly onto the black card??? even a child would know that name. it was one of the most well-known companies around.

• maybe this encounter wasn’t too bad after all.

[hopelesshawks]

A Deal with God

Itto x gn!Reader

I came up with this idea back during the Perilous Trails event on Genshin and turned it into a collab event with @hutaoscoffinn. This is at least a month after we said we’d post stuff but alas 🥴 anyway here it is and I hope y’all enjoy

The blog posting this is 18+ only. Any minors who try to follow will be blocked

Tags and Warnings: very character centric, slight side ship content, temporary major character death, heavy angst, hallucinations

Link to change y/n to your actual name (not mobile compatible)

General Masterlist Kofi

“Can you do me a favor?”

“Is now the time for this?”

“Tell him I’m sorry…”

“What do you— Traveler, what do you mean?”

“You know how he is so just… tell him I’m sorry and that I love him. Take care of him for me.”

“Wait, don't—!”

~ ~ ~

Itto stretches as the sun feels warm on his face, his joints popping after his nap as he wakes his body back up. 

“Ah I slept like a rock, good times…” he yawns, only to notice the grim look on Shinobu’s face as Floating Lavender Melon clings onto her. Lavender Melon’s eyes are red like she’s been crying and when he turns his gaze towards his lawyer savior her expression matches Shinobu’s in its solemnity. 

“Huh? What’re you doing? What’s going on? Why’s everyone looking at me like that?” he asks. 

He gets silence back. It’s his savior that speaks up first but even she seems a little choked up. 

“Well, uhm, first thing’s first. How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?” she asks cautiously and Itto can’t understand why everyone’s so fucking grim all of a sudden. 

“The fuck are you talking about? I’m fine! I had an epic power nap and now I feel like a million mora! I feel like I’m forgetting something though…”

He stops to think for a moment, missing the way everyone winces.

“Oh yea! Wait… Weren’t we underground? How did we get back up here? And where’s (y/n) run off to?”

He looks around the other three trying to catch a sight of you but no dice. Lavender Melon starts crying and he’s not sure what he said to offend her. 

“Hey don’t cry! What’s wrong?? Whatever it is I totally didn’t mean it! I’m just tryna figure out what’s going on!” he tries to assure her, worried he may have hurt your little friend’s feelings. You’re always telling him to play nice with Paimon. 

“It’s a long story but… Itto you should know. Traveler didn’t make it,” Yanfei explains but Itto just cocks his head to the side in confusion.

“What do you mean they didn’t make it? They were just with us when I took my nap.”

It’s Shinobu who speaks up next and the fact she doesn’t sound exasperated or teasing or any of the usual tones he hears her speak with is starting to freak him out a bit. 

“While we were trying to escape we were attacked by these red spirits. Yelan and Xiao needed to focus on powering our way out, I was carrying you, Yanfei isn’t really a fighter so… Traveler sacrificed themselves to make sure the rest of us could get out. They’re gone Boss.”

Grief seems to hang heavy in the air but Itto doesn’t understand. You know how he feels about self-sacrifice. You’d never… and anyway there’s no way some stupid little spirits would get you. You’re The Traveler! Slayer of Dragons! Ender of the Sakoku Decree! Proud co-boss of the Arataki Gang! Well… he technically never talked to you about being co-boss but he figures you just know that the title comes with the territory of dating him. Regardless!! There is absolutely no way in hell you’re gone. Everyone else must be insane if they really think that. 

“So what you’re saying is they’re still inside right?” he asks.

Everyone nods.

“Ok, then I’ll wait here.” 

“Boss…” Shinobu starts.

“What?”

“They’re not coming back.”

“They are. Just you wait, aaaany minute they’re gonna spring right up and you’ll feel SO stupid for doubting the Great Arataki Itto and his equally fantastic partner.”

“Seriously it’s… It’s not happening. We should go.”

“Oh Shinobu. Silly, silly Shinobu. This is why I’m the boss. Trust me. My baby is gonna pop up right there and you’re all gonna wish you listened to Itto and stuck around to see it because it’s going to be fucking fantastic.”

“You didn’t… you didn’t see it, Boss. I’m sorry but we should go I—”

“Nope. Staying right here.”

“They had to have fallen hundreds if not thousands of meters! Even if they survived the fall they’re stuck! Forever! Don’t you get that? They’re dead!”

“Kuki…” Yanfei cuts her off, putting a hand on her shoulder to help ground her. It’s only then Shinobu realizes she’d started trembling and Paimon has grown even more distraught. 

“Shit… sorry I… I shouldn’t have gotten so worked up,” she apologizes with a wince before turning back to Itto, “but you’re being stubborn. We can’t stay here, we need to get back to the others in Inazuma.”

“No. I’m staying here. You just don’t know (y/n) like I do,” Itto insists before stomping over to a spot on the grass some distance from the group and dropping down to sit there cross-legged, done with the conversation. 

What did they know? Shinobu only just met you and even if you knew Yanfei before, she can’t possibly know you as well as your amazing, awesome, totally attentive and caring boyfriend does. You’re going to make it out. You have to. And no way is he going to let you surface and find yourself completely alone. So he doesn’t move; even when Yanfei squeezes his shoulder as well and then walks away; even when Shinobu shakes her head and leaves with Floating Lavender Melon in tow. 

Itto stays when the sun goes down.

He stays when it comes back up again.

And the same the next day.

And the next.

And the next. 

~ ~ ~

Kuki figures Itto lasted a day before he finally realized you weren’t coming. Maybe his stubbornness kept him there for a few days. Absolute max a week. Regardless, when she touches down in Inazuma she’s fairly confident Itto is already on a boat back or at least hunting one down. In the meantime, as usual, she’ll have to keep the gang together and break the news to them. She’s not actually sure if taking Paimon with her is the best idea considering she’d only just met her, but the Arataki gang has always been about taking in strays and as frustrating as the gang’s naive optimism and overconfidence can be, that may be precisely the energy Paimon needs right now. 

It takes everything in Kuki not to wince when the gang comes rushing up to her, clearly looking for their (stupidly) fearless leader. They’re surrounding her asking questions in a moment, too quickly for her to process any of them. Paimon shrinks against her chest, a habit she’s taken too quite a bit since the chasm. 

“Ok, ok stand down guys, one at a time,” Kuki sighs. 

“Where’re boss and co-boss??” Genta asks nervously.

The boys always get this way whenever Itto leaves: antsy and anxious. Usually their concerns are unfounded so it’s easy enough to brush off, but this time well… Kuki still isn’t quite sure how to break it to them. 

“Boss is still in Liyue,” she starts cautiously, “he has business to attend to there still and Traveler… Traveler won’t be coming back.”

“What do you mean they won’t be coming back?” Akira presses.

Kuki doesn’t respond verbally. She just gives the boys a significant look and she knows they understand from the immediate aura of grief that seems to settle heavy on all their shoulders. She hates it. She hates she had to be the one to break it to them on her own; hates that Itto isn’t here with the perfectly wrong words to bring the mood back up. She doesn’t blame him for his absence but as frequently as Itto shows himself an incapable boss, it’s moments like these that remind her why he still carries the title. 

“Anyway, Paimon will be joining us for now so you idiots better behave alright? We all have to take good care of her as a member of the Arataki gang,” Kuki declares and she’s grateful that the boys all respond enthusiastically. It’ll be good for them to have something else to focus on and Kuki could use the distraction herself. She barely knew you, but she still feels your loss quite deeply. It somehow both surprises her and doesn’t. It’s odd to consider someone so important after such a short time together, but she gets the feeling that’s just the effect you had on people. After all, how else could you have befriended such varied people from all across Teyvat? Even the adeptus had looked heartbroken by your passing. 

And when it came to Itto, well… Kuki didn’t think he had any interest whatsoever in romance before you came along. It was all childish games, beetle fights, and getting into trouble until you showed up in his life. When he fell for you he fell hard. Kuki thought it was puppy love. She thought you were another hyperfixation Itto would latch onto, cause trouble for, and then move on from. But Itto’s love for you held firm and finally getting to see the two of you interact together in the chasm had shown her how wrong she was. Itto is careless by nature but she could see the way he tried so hard not to be careless with you. Perhaps you were a little too accommodating of even his dumbest ideas, sharing sympathy even when she and the others teased him for his recklessness, but Kuki didn’t miss the way he’d melt into you whenever you praised or reassured him. You didn’t let him off the hook, but you were soft with him in a way Kuki can never bring herself to be. She thinks it made for a good balance. She remembers commenting on it, how protective you seem of him sometimes, during one of those weird rest periods down in the chasm. You’d chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of your neck.

“Yeaaa… it’s a bit much isn’t it?”

“I never said that!” Kuki refuted but you shook your head to show her it was ok.

“You could say it though. I know you’re right. I know stuff rolls off his back pretty quickly. Heck I probably get more upset over stuff than he does half the time. But… he’s had a lot of people judge him, write him off, and chase him out his entire life. He hasn’t had nearly as many protecting him. So even when he doesn’t care, even when it’s not that deep, I want to be by his side. Just so he knows y’know? So he knows there’s someone there when he can’t be The Great Arataki Itto.”

Kuki isn’t entirely sure there’s ever a time when he isn’t The Great Arataki Itto but your point touched her all the same. It was reassuring knowing her boss had someone with a better head on their shoulders by his side when she couldn’t be. Archon knows no one in the rest of the gang can be that person. As it is she’ll have her hands full keeping them in control without their charismatic leader to at least direct their chaotic energy somewhere. 

Over the next few days Kuki’s time is spent corralling the gang and helping cheer up Paimon. Both tasks are all consuming and soon days turn to weeks without her even realizing it. The gang settles into a rhythm, hyperfixated on helping Paimon, who through their misguided efforts does start to smile a little more again. In fact, they settle into so much of a rhythm that Kuki doesn’t even notice that Itto should long since have returned to Inazuma from Liyue. When she does finally realize, it’s because Itto has made his triumphant return in the most Itto fashion possible:

By getting arrested.

An exasperated Kujou Sara alerts her that immediately upon arriving home, Itto attempted to break into Tenshukaku to gain audience with the Raiden Shogun herself and as a result Kuki now needs to go bail him out of jail. Again…

It’s at least reassuring he’s gone right back to his old tricks.

Except when she arrives at the prison, expecting a wide, sheepish grin and unrepentant enthusiasm, she’s instead met with a cold, eerie silence and an empty shell of her boss.

~ ~ ~  

Itto failed you. 

Asking the archon for help was his last shot and he failed you.

Tears brim in his eyes. He’s always been a cry baby hasn’t he? Shinobu teases him about it sometimes. He probably doesn’t deserve to cry over this. Not when he was knocked out when he should have been helping you fight off the spirits Shinobu spoke of. Not when he’s the only reason Shinobu couldn’t help you herself. Not when he’d just fucked up the only possible way he had to maybe get you back. He faces the wall as the tears descend, ashamed of them. He doesn’t deserve them. Doesn’t deserve to cry for you.

How many times has he been warned about being reckless? How many times has Shinobu told him his actions could lead to this very thing happening?

You were the best thing that ever happened to him and now you’re gone and there’s absolutely nothing he can do about it.

“Boss?”

Shinobu’s voice cuts through his thoughts. She must be so disappointed in him. She tried to tell him you weren’t coming and he didn’t listen and now she’s been out here running the gang alone for… he’s not sure how long. He lost track of the days after the first few. 

“I, uh, bailed you out. We’re free to go.”

Itto rises from the ground finally turning around to face her only to realize he can’t meet her eyes. Guilt and bile climb up his throat. His ancestors must be so ashamed of him. So much for oni pride. 

Shinobu hesitates as if expecting Something but Itto isn’t sure what. Another beat passes and finally she turns and starts to lead him out, occasionally checking over her shoulder as if she still can’t quite believe what she’s seeing. They step out into the hustle and bustle of Inazuma City but it feels wrong. You’re usually here waiting for him whenever Shinobu comes to bail him out. Instead there’s nothing. Shinobu just keeps walking as if there isn’t a gaping you-sized hole in the air and he follows because there’s nothing else he can do. 

He wants to cry again.

He doesn’t. 

When they reach Byakko Plain where the gang is waiting, they surround him and he thinks he hears Shinobu warn them not to crowd but it’s hard to process much of anything. As he finally lifts his gaze up, he finds he still can’t meet their eyes, especially when he notices Little Floating Lavender Melon amongst the group. Everyone talks at him at once except for Shinobu, who is trying to quiet the others, and Lavender Melon who stays silent. It all sounds like white noise to him but he can tell from their faces that they’re concerned about him. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, shores up the scattered remains of The Great Arataki Itto and sets them ablaze to give one last announcement to his gang.

“I have to go! Granny needs me! Shinobu’s in charge until I get back!”

The moment he’s made the declaration he shoves past them all to head back towards Hanamizaka, leaving the ashes of himself behind. If he’d really been thinking he would have just stopped there immediately and slinked into his granny’s house on he and Shinobu’s way out of the city, before he could be confronted with the gang. But he hadn’t been. Everything feels like a blur. He’s not even 100% sure how he’s putting one foot in front of the other. He blinks and suddenly his granny is opening the door for him at her house and for the first time in forever he feels like that lost little kid with nothing and no one that she first found all those years ago. 

Except he doesn’t have no one. He has an entire gang in fact. A gang he’s just left dumbfounded and abandoned on Byakko Plain. Yet somehow it doesn’t provide him any comfort knowing they’re there. He doesn’t know how to be who they expect him to be in a world without you in it. So instead he lets himself be a lost and lonely child, reliant on the kindness of a sweet old woman as she tucks him into the bed of his old room. 

~ ~ ~

“Thank you for the walk,” Kuki sighs appreciatively as she follows Kujou Sara around on her patrol through the city. 

“You looked like you could use it. I’m guessing you’ve been busy keeping the gang in check considering it’s been so quiet around here lately,” Sara comments as she watches her friend just as closely as she watches the streets around her. 

It’s precisely that vigilance that allows her to notice the minute tensing of Kuki’s shoulders and how her steps stutter for just a moment as they walk.

“What is it? What have they done now?” Sara insists, suddenly protective. The gang has always run Shinobu ragged and Sara hasn’t been shy about expressing her concern. She’s tried to convince the other woman to leave the gang. After all, Sara would gladly get Kuki a job working amongst the Tenryou Commission’s forces. But Kuki shakes her head with a wry smile. 

“No it’s not anything they’ve done. I almost wish it was. I at least know how to deal with that. It’s the boss. He’s been practically catatonic since I bailed him out last month. He was quiet the whole walk back and when I finally got him to the gang he made a flimsy excuse to leave and has been holed up in his grandmother’s ever since,” she explains.

There are few things that genuinely surprise Sara but hearing that the resident neighborhood nuisance has locked himself away from his merry band of misfits is certainly enough to do the job. 

“He seemed fine when I arrested him. Perhaps a bit rowdier than normal but back to his usual tricks demanding to see the Shogun. What changed?” 

“I have a theory about that…” Kuki starts and her saddened tone draws all of Sara’s focus, “you remember what I told you happened to Traveler right?”

Sara nods, her mouth pressing into a grim line. How could she forget? 

“Boss didn’t give up on them resurfacing at first. That’s why he came back after I did. He refused to leave the entrance to the chasm, kept insisting it was only a matter of time until Traveler would pop out too. I think he finally figured out there was no way they could do it on their own so if Traveler couldn’t pull it off, and an adeptus couldn’t pull it off…”

“Maybe an archon could,” Sara says, completing Kuki’s sentence for her as the other woman nods. 

“Yea… Once he failed to get help from the Shogun I think he just didn’t know what else to do. He’s not used to being completely shut down like that and I don’t think he knows what to do without Traveler.”

Sara may not be Itto’s biggest fan but she cares about Kuki. A lot. And if helping the infamous oni would lift a weight off Kuki’s shoulders then so be it. She takes a moment to gather her thoughts on the matter before finally sharing them with her friend. 

“Well maybe he had a good idea for once. I can see if I can get a message to the Shogun through official channels. After all, Traveler has done much for Inazuma. We’d be remiss to stand idly by when we could potentially save them.”

Kuki’s eyes widen as she takes a gentle hold of Sara’s arm, stopping them both on the path through town. Sara feels her heart pick up speed in her chest, blood rushing to her face at Kuki’s grateful gaze. 

“You’d seriously do that? I don’t want to cause you too much trouble, especially over the gang,” Kuki insists, although it’s impossible for her to keep the cautious optimism from her voice. 

Sara clears her throat awkwardly, unable to maintain the eye contact as she finds herself suddenly feeling sheepish. 

“O-Obviously. As I said, Traveler has done much for Inazuma and if bringing them back also makes things a bit easier on you then so be it.”

She feels Kuki squeeze her arm before it slips away and the other woman steps up next to her.

“Thank you Sara. I mean it.”

“Don’t thank me yet. I can’t guarantee it will work.”

“I know but… somehow I already feel a lot better. So thank you.” 

Sara isn’t quite sure she deserves the level of faith Kuki seems to have in this plan. After all there’s no way of knowing if the Shogun will be able to help even if she chooses to, which in and of itself is not guaranteed. Still, she won’t question it too much. Not when Kuki seems lighter than she has the entire time they’ve been walking together. 

~ ~ ~

Itto doesn’t know that he’s ever felt such guilt in his entire life.

He feels guilty for failing you.

He feels guilty for failing the gang.

He feels guilty for burdening his granny and he feels guilty for dishonoring the proud name of the Oni. 

It weighs on his chest, pinning him to the bed, and on the rare occasions he can force himself up, the weight simply shifts to his shoulders to make each step more painful than the last. He can barely move on the best of days, is completely immobilized on the worst. Every day he tries to get out of his room. Every day he fails. 

In his defense he’s made progress. The first week he didn’t even bother trying. He laid motionless in bed staring up at the ceiling, ignoring every meal his granny left at his side. Things started getting fractionally better about halfway through the second week. 

That’s when you started showing up.

Or rather… Not You. 

Not You looks like you. They sound like you. They have all the right mannerisms and quirks and features. They’re almost identical to you in every way. So much so that when they first leaned over his bed to look down at him with their eyebrows furrowed in concern, his eyes had widened, vision going blurry with unshed tears as he thought for a moment that you had returned to him; but when he reached up to caress what he thought were your cheeks, his hand passed right through Not You, dissipating the image like smoke and leaving him alone with the guilt and the grief once more.

He’s learned his lesson since then. Don’t touch. Just look and listen and Not You will stick around to encourage him to do better. He considered the idea that Not You was the work of a tanuki or perhaps the archon herself, but he eliminated that possibility when he realized he’s the only one who can see them. No, Not You wasn’t gifted to him. They are a product of his own brain: his memories and imagination combining forces to give him the only potential cure to his current state that his brain could think of.  

This time Itto makes it halfway across the room before the weight becomes too much and he has to sit down. He drops to the ground none too gracefully, chest heaving as if he’s run for kilometers on end instead of walking a meter or two at most. It’s the furthest he’s gotten so far but it’s still not nearly enough and the remainder of his room looms large ahead of him. He presses the heels of his palms to his eyes and sighs, body hunching over. 

“You did so well Big Guy,” Not You assures him from where they’re stood at his side. 

“It’s not good enough,” he fires back.

“For now it is.”

“But–”

“Itto?”

His head snaps up. The door of his room is open and Not You stands in the entryway with one hand still on the handle. His brows furrow in confusion as he snaps his head back to where he’d just heard Not You’s voice coming from only moments ago but they’re indeed gone so he returns his gaze to their new location. It’s odd. Not You doesn’t normally teleport between locations in his room anymore since it destroys the illusion and upsets him. And while Not You frequently looks at him with concern, they rarely look confused anymore. He thinks he catches sight of Shinobu and Kujou Tengu just past the doorway in the main area of Granny’s house but Not You closes the door behind themself before he can be sure. That too is odd. Not You usually can’t actually move things in his room. Maybe his… visions (calling Not You a vision sounds better than calling them a hallucination) are getting worse if he thinks Not You is actually moving things in the room now. 

Not You approaches slowly and hesitantly, sinking down towards him once they’re close. They reach out as if to touch him and he flinches back and away. A flash of hurt crosses their face the way it always does when he reacts like this, but he’s found it takes longer for the vision to return when they dissipate from his touch so he’s extra careful now. 

“You know I can’t touch you,” he rasps, his voice hoarse from how rarely he uses it nowadays. He tries to limit how much he verbally responds to Not You since Granny once caught him doing it and looked even more concerned than usual afterwards.

“Why not?” Not You asks and it draws a pained whine from his lips that reverberates through his chest, his broken heart struggling to beat. 

“You know why.”

“Explain it to me again.”

He sighs heavily and his vision blurs with the tears he refuses to let fall once more.

“Because you’re not really here… You’re not really them and the minute I touch you you’ll vanish and it takes so long for you to come back,” he admits, his voice wet as he draws his knees up so he can hide his face in them.  

But then suddenly there’s a warm hand on his back and someone takes hold of his chin oh so gently to force him to look up again. The eyes his gaze is forced to meet shine in a way Not You’s could never quite capture and when silent tears start to fall and Itto raises a cautious hand up to brush them away, the pads of his fingers meet warm skin instead of air. 

All at once it hits him. This isn’t Not You, it’s you. He doesn’t know how but it’s seriously, actually you. For real. Flesh and blood and there and he doesn’t feel like wasting time to ask questions so he doesn’t. He simply launches himself into you, his large arms wrapping around you as he sends you both crashing into the floor, pinning you beneath his weight. For the first time since he left the chasm he fully sobs. It’s not a pretty sight with tears and snot running down his face but he doesn’t care because he finally has you firmly in his grip again and all of the things that Not You could never give him are back. Your unique smell, the gentle pressure of your chest rising and falling beneath his, and the reassuring thrum of your heartbeat in his ears. 

“It’s ok Baby. I’m here. I’m right here,” you assure him and it just makes him sob harder.

But it’s good. It’s so incredibly good.

Because you’re right. It will be ok. It’ll take time for him to really believe it; for him to be able to close his eyes at night and truly believe that you won’t be gone when they open again; for him to seek out your touch and warmth without worrying you’ll vanish the moment he should make contact. 

But here you are. And he suspects he owes his second in command and the tengu warrior to thank for that considering they’re both just on the other side of the door. He’ll find a way to pay them back later (whether they want him to or not). 

For now he’ll just let himself sob against you, luxuriating in the feeling of the sweet comfort he thought he’d lost forever.

[seelestia]

why did you tag me on that anon ask it was a random anon, not me no no totally not me i dunno what you're talking about *trembling shifty eyes*

i've always wanted a samoyed puppy so yay?

sis how am i 'cool'??? i am a literal mess ™️ slfjslfklsf

i will probably lose the debate BUT my husband will be backing me up and i will not go down without fighting >:)

venti has that ✨babyface✨ going on for him so people are gonna mistake him for a gen z himself lol literally every time he goes to a store to buy his wine he has to produce his id because everyone thinks "kid?? u shouldn't be drinking at ur age???? go back to school????"

it buffered a bit on the orchestra part yep!! i had war flashbacks to the previous livestream lol hyv has been dropping down heavy hints about fontaine lately huh? and i see you there, your actual aim is nobleman!ayato hmmmmm~

wait albedo really?! i didn't know about that.... i want him too, he's such an interesting character aaaaa

PFFFFT i'm so dead sldkfldjls -yanfei dearest i know you're not built but i require your assistance-

ooo kokomi!!! i'm tempted to pull her but i'll probably skip - shinobu and jean are my main healers currently! aside the obvious reason why i will pull for zhongli (read: simp) i need him badly in the team too cause i am dumb at games and i cannot dodge for the life of me, i have the reflex of a sloth....

i am taller than xiao and therefore taller than you and i shall treasure this information because this means i can give you all the headpats :D

lol when i'm with you i'll hold your child leash but when i'm with hubby i think he's gonna be the one who holds me on leash cause you are so absolutely right about our dynamics-

me: *inhales* this is zhongli my husband he is very very very cool - i will fight you if you don't agree with me btw - and handsome and has a lovely voice that can put you to sleep in five seconds flat and he's a gentleman through and through not to mention a literal GOD who watches over his people and i find that really admirable attractive incredible yes oh also did i tell you that he brews the best tea and gives the best kisses and the best cuddles and gosh i just i love love love love him so much my husband the ceo of geo the lord of my heart <3 *exhales*

zhongli: *sips tea* this is my wife. she's lovely. :)

ps. i am. so mad at tumblr. i woke up this morning to see that they’ve shadowbanned my second blog too….. ;((

dw, that anon ask radiates so much rin energy to the point i barely require a confirmation anymore. (/j)

you're a cool literal mess ™️ and you should accept it fwdjskkdk i shall sip my tea while the two of you bring out your presentation board 🍵 you know debates make heizou go extremely feral, why would you do this to me. i can't keep him in control now. (/j)

( talks about standard banner leaks !! )

that baby face of his is both a weapon when it comes to puppy eyes and a disadvantage when he wants a glass of wine <//3 NO, THE GLITCH WAS SO FUNNY. i recalled watching the va's talk and then, heizou just showed up with the code like "ayo, here you go, love ;)" fejwkfsksk.

and n-no, i swear nobleman!ayato is not my main priority when it comes to fontaine partially *cough* <//3 but i've always been a sucker for masquerade and royalty themes !! if i could live anywhere in teyvat, it'd definitely be either fontaine and mondstadt >:) which is funny since my beloved's are from inazuma LIKE ALL THREE OF THEM HELPFJWKD wbu, rin??? what region would you be from if you were in teyvat??? it's nice to imagine 👀

i guess this counts as leaks but yes, albedo is getting added to the standard banner !! from how many limited characters there are rn, i think it'd benefit hoyoverse to deflect the possible "[insert limited character] rerun when" comments this way??? djwjskdks now, we all have a chance to get our resident chief alchemist >:) but this means that your chance of getting diluc is now lower JFJWKKFK BUT I SHALL STILL MANIFEST !!

just stack hp artifacts on zhongli and suddenly, his existence might be responsible for making healers jobless (/lh). you'll definitely need him when you go against ruin hunters, rin <//3 yes, this is my reminder that ruin hunters and their missiles exist, now suffer. (/j)

i shall treasure the headpats !! but xiao maybe not so much, he'd growl and smack your hand away. don't look at him, rin, i'm supposed to be your favorite shortie ;( (/j) and please, the way zhongli brings out a different side to you is so sweet <//3 you don't need to worry about keeping everyone on leashes when you're with him, just go crazy and stupid >:)

NOW, THAT IS A WHOLE HEARTFELT ESSAY. *wipes a tear* alright, i got it in 4k hd. 📸 (/j) it's fine, this would also be me when ayato fjjfkwsksk sorry heizou, i know you're on my theme and i still love you, but ayato will always be #1 <//3 such a calm and intelligent yet playful man. i am enraptured. the day people ask me to choose between ayato and thoma is the day i die 🚶 (/lh)

AND I NOTICED 😭 what does tumblr want with you??? did the support service answer your email??? i hope it'll get better and that you don't have to make another blog again :( i hope tumblr will get to @/shourin asap because please let my virtual cool literal mess cousin breathe <//3

[apexapricity]

what do you think of your muse’s popular fandom ship? - G.///enpact SPILL THE TEA VEGA

I'm trying to think who Lumine is most shipped with. Childe? I guess? I love the ship just because they bounce off one another very well in that they're polar opposites in terms of methodology, but are a lot alike in the fact they both LOVE a good fight. I know that's probably a lot of my headcanon coming out and the TLDR is that they're an adventurer at heart which is why they put up with all the bullshit they do. They never back down from a fight they need to fight and secretly LOVE the adrenaline they get from it and that high of beating a worthy opponent. I know Lumine is kinda OVER all of it but, i think that helps her get through everything.

Zhonglumi is probably another popular one which I like and can see given they're both immortal beings and tired as fuck. For different reasons, of course, but there aren't a lot of immortal beings in Teyvat to bond with. Then there's XiaoLumi which I can also see with a lot of time and trust building between them. I think those are the biggest for her?? OH AND DAINLUMI. Which I adore. Hello I love Dainsleif and I love the fact he's like...One of the most honest people with her as far as we know. Whereas the other Archons are keeping shit a secret and not saying JACK TO HER. but yeah. IS THERE ANY BIG SHIPS INVOLVING LUMI AND OTHER WOMEN? I haven't see any if so which is big sad for me.

For Jean most people really on ship her with Lisa or Diluc which I'm down and fine with. They're both fairly reasonable since they're both the "childhood friend" trope and let's be honest. Jean doesn't get out much or do anything other than work. So if she's romancing anyone it'll probably be someone within her close vicinity which limits it down to the Knights of Favonious members, the Traveler, or people she'd interact with via rp.

Rest under cut bc its long rambles.

EULAAAAAAAAA

I don't have any icons for her yet because I'm lazy buut. Most I've seen shipped with her are either Amber, Yanfei, or Jean. I'm not really a huge fan of any of these since I almost feels like it would cheapen the friendship she's built with them? MAYBE I'm wrong but Eula is an outcast. She's been one most of her life and has been treated horribly. She gets why, she does, and she fights tooth and nail to right the wrongs her family did. She doesn't trust easily. She doesn't let people into her security blanket easily either. I feel like her own personal fears and inexperience with relationships in general would make her hard to ship with. Both since it would take a lot of time to like...Get her to that level of comfort and get here to understand you were trying to romance her. All she knows about it are probably old ass courting rules from when nobility actually mattered in Mondstadt and it hasn't in quite sometime. SOoOo yeah. I think Yanfei is the ship I can see most with her out of the 'popular' ones. I think the distance would probably kill that though as Eula has no intentions of ever leaving Mondstadt entirely even if that would make her life a lot easier.

Rosariaaaa

SO. Full disclosure not only do I not have icons for Rosaria yet but I have no idea who the fandom ships with her. Cue me going on an adventure in the tags trying to find out. So the only ones I could find quickly were here and barbara which...is wrong on so many levels since I think Barbara is canonically too young???? The other being with Eula. Her and Eula I can see since they're in similar circumstances and both really independent with how they operate. AkA they go off on missions to survey Mondstadt and other spy shit so they'd need partners who are okay with that and trust them. That being said isn't Rosaria kinda hinted at with having a thing towards Albedo? Or did I misread that?

[heartslogos]

outtakes [40]

"We need even numbers,” Yanfei says as soon as Xiao picks up the phone. Xiao regrets picking up immediately. If even numbers are involved then he shouldn’t be involved at all. “Hang up on me and I’ll tell Ganyu.”

“Were you always like this?” Xiao says, switching his phone to speaker and balancing it on the back of the sofa. “You’re on speaker. Aether, handle this."

“Were you always like this?” Yanfei repeats back at him. “Fine. Aether’s easier to work with anyway!”

“Is this about the laser tag game Hu Tao was setting up?” Aether says, pushing the one side of his headphones off of his ear. Xiao carefully readjusts Aether’s headset so it’s balancing a little less precariously on his head. Aether gives him a quick smile before his attention returns to the television screen. “Hold on, I’m in a co-op game with Chongyun. He’s saying we have enough people already.”

“We did have enough people. But now we’re off balance. Xiao-ge, Gan-jie, you, me, Taotao, A-Xiang, Xingqiu, didi, A-Qing, Xiao Yan. That’s even numbers.”

“Alright, so who did we miss? That sounds like everyone. Literally everyone.”

“Yun Jin’s just got on break from tour.”

Aether's hand pause as he listens to something Chongyun is saying. Xiao didn’t know that Yun Jin was back in Liyue.

“Chongyun is asking when you got that news, because he heard that she’s back but is working full shifts at the tea house so she wouldn’t be free for a while.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Yun Jin works crazy hard. But Keqing works harder. She’s confirmed that Yun Jin has about a two week break in between getting back from tour and going back on her shifts at the tea house. And one of those days in that two week period is us taking her to laser tag.”

Aether wrinkles his nose. “Is laser tag something Yun Jin would be interested in? I have to admit…it doesn’t really match the image."

“Does Ganyu seem like the type of person who would play laser tag, Aether? Or Keqing?  Does Xiao-ge?”

Aether’s warm brown eyes slide to Xiao, who levels Aether his blandest stare. Aether starts laughing.

“He made a face, didn’t he?” Yanfei continues. “It’s less about the content of the activity and more about the fact that we’ll all be together doing it. Like when we all went to that haunted house. Or when we all play escape rooms or go to water parks. Besides, Yun Jin can surprise you. Have you met her yet? No, huh? She’s been on tour for ages now. And when she’s not on tour she’s training for her next show or she’s working.”

“I think I went to see one of her shows with my sister once,” Aether says. “But I haven’t actually met her face to face.”

“I think when we broke the news to her that Xiao-ge was dating someone she got a fever because she was so excited. And so disappointed she wasn’t here for it,” Yanfei says. “Dage, did you ever apologize for making her so happy she got a fever?”

“No. That’s not my problem.” Xiao folds his arms across his chest, surpassing a yawn. “You just listed everyone we know. Why were you calling me for even numbers? Unless you were calling to tell me I didn’t have to go.”

“Ha. Nice try. I was hoping that you might know someone else.”

“Yanfei. You know everyone I care to know. Do you think I have hidden friends?” Xiao answers. “Aether?”

“If you guys are alright with it I could probably ask someone from Mondstadt to come down to visit. Or Lumine. Or Paimon.” Aether pauses. “Well. Maybe not Lumine. She’d get way too into it.”

“Don’t worry,” Yanfei says, “Taotao and Xingqiu also get super into it. Ask your sister if she’ll come. I haven’t seen her in ages. Is she still as terrifying as always? Somehow being around your sister makes me feel more alive. It’s something similar to going camping with Keqing, I think.”

“Hold on, hold on. Chongyun’s being told something from Xingqiu.” Aether actually puts down the controller for this. Impressive. Aether’s been able to multi-task through most things. Xiao’s seen Aether simultaneously pay bills, read over Paimon’s essays, play co-op with Chongyun, and do laundry at once before.

Xiao closes his eyes, letting his head loll against his shoulder as he fights off the urge to doze. They’re having hot pot for dinner tonight while watching a movie that just got onto one of the various streaming services Aether subscribes to. Aether has been waiting all week for tonight so they could watch it together. If Xiao falls asleep now he’ll be too groggy to pay attention later.

“Chongyun says that Xingqiu just got off the phone with Xinyan. Beidou’s crew will be in port for the next month. Xinyan invited Kazuha to laser tag.”

Xiao grunts. “The poet wants to go to laser tag?”

“As long as we have our numbers I don’t care,” Yanfei says. “Alright, I’ll have Xinyan get Kazuha’s number and put all of us in a new group chat with him. And Yun Jin.”

“How come Yun Jin isn’t in your current group chat?”
 “She asked us to not put her in it because we’re too chatty and it causes her phone to blow up.”

“How come when Yun Jin asks you to do that you respect it but when I ask you to do that you just add me to more chat rooms?” Xiao asks.

“Because you’re Xiao-ge and she’s Yun-jie,” Yanfei replies. “You can’t compare the two situations. Deal with it. Alright. I’ve got to go now. Keep an eye out on your messages. Aether, make sure Xiao-ge checks his messages. And also check yours. And also — ask Lumine if she’s got free time to hang out. I still wan to see her. Got it? Good.”

[xiaophobic]

OKAY SO UH MY TEAM AS FOR RIGHT NOW CONSISTS OF FISCHL YANFEI XIAO AND QIQI (WHO I GOT YESTERDAY AAA!!) so i basically imagine this going down this way;

because of the fact that i cant talk,, like i rarely talk i think i would get a little close to xiao by just us,, sitting in silence ya know?! hes probably just like “??” the first couple of times but im just sitting beside him so hes like “fine ig🤨”

i think that fischl and yanfei would get ALONG,. THEY BOTH TALK SO MUCH,, i think they would be the two that actually carry the conversations considering me or xiao wouldnt😭😭

i think yanfeis lowkey very intrigued by fischls stories JSJDJS even tho she catches on that theyre not true after sometime she still likes to listen to her talk and in exchange yanfei can go on abt law to her and she would listen as well

so i think those two would hit it off immediately and as for xiao at first he would be like “years of fighting demons and karmic debt really led me to this??” but after sometime he started to tag along because he feels like he has to protect the rest bc “theyre idiots but theyre my idiots🙄”

AS FOR QIQI,, the baby of the group 100%,, xiaos very scared and unsure at first considering their backstory but after he notices she doesnt remember anything, he tries his best

(yes im here to spread my older brother xiao agenda)

fischl definitely tells qiqi stories and xiao tries to learn how to braid her hair</3

he swear he doesnt care but everyone could see his eyes watered a little bit when qiqi brought him flowers from her walk with yanfei

xiaos thoroughly confused about yanfei — shes an adeptus?? but she doesnt serve rex lapis?? but after sometime he gets to the conclusion that maybe its for the better. he doesnt wish for her to go through what he did

again abt me and xiao considering we both dont really,, sleep a lot for multiple reasons i think thats the moment when we would probably start to talk a little bit to each other ya know

WAIT ALSO OZ,, qiqi loves oz but shes confused abt him😭😭 and oz just tells her stories too

after sometime fischl probably slowly drops the way she talks and everyone knows it happened because she begun to trust them and everyones touched about it

i mentioned it before but yanfei absolutely takes qiqi outside when its colder and shes the one that does her exercises with her (..and xiao joins),, she also reminds her of her notebook,,

oh about fischl and xiao,, i think shes a little bit intimidated by him at first, but then he starts to warm up and i think she also begins to treat him like an older brother figure</3

honestly after time if anyone needs help with their hair they go to xiao

I HAVE MUCH MORE BUT THIS IS GETTING LONG SO ILL STOP NOW SJDHJS

XIAO BEING A BIG BROTHER FIGURE TO LITERALLY ALL OF THEM 💖💕💘💓💝💞💗

I AM SO SOFT AND ABSOLUTELY BEHIND THE BIG BROTHER AGENDA!!! i feel like that dynamic would exist in my team as well, with zhongli being the designated father figure he’s definitely the big brother that keeps mfs in line when he’s not around y’know AAHSHHABS

fischl and yanfei talking each other’s ears off ☹️ them just being happy that someone finally hears them and listens WAHHH THATS SO CUTE

AND BABY QIQI!!! GOD I WISH I HAD HER MAN SHES ADORABLE,, HER BRINGING XIAO BACK FLOWERS IM GONNA CRY

pls xiao and i would be the insomniacs too, except i’m way more annoying and talkative 🥴 but your team is amazing, they are a little family :))

IF YOU HAVE MORE SEND THEN IN??? I DO NOT CARE ABOUT ASKS BEING LONG I WILL ANSWER THEM 🤬🤬 I LOVE READING THIS SHIT GIMME

[aminiatureworld]

Request Guidelines

Since I’m all open to taking requests and I lost the link to guidelines which were on my other Tumblr, I figured I’d just rewrite them, so here you go!

I list some potentially triggering things, if you wish me to tag for content or trigger warnings please send me a note or message!

DNI

I realize that most people on this list won’t actually go away if I politely tell them to but I feel the need to make my beliefs clear so if you’re a white supremacist, homophobe, transphobe, racist, p*dophile/self proclaimed map, or any other kind of bigot, firstly get your life together and secondly go away.

General

Fandoms I write for:

Currently I’m mainly focused on Genshin Impact, but I will also write for the Ikemen Series, Mystic Messenger, MLQC and some Lord of the Rings prompts (my lore is rusty). 

For more specific information about which Genshin characters I will write for, see below.

What I won’t write: 

NSFW, as I have no earthly idea currently how to write it. Maybe someday.

Ships that include such things as: problematic age gaps (including but not limited to p*dophilic ships), abuse, a relationship that only the Habsburgs would approve of (I won’t write your sibling fic), and other such things that come up.

Kids, because I’m bad at writing kids. This includes headcanons about parenting and the like.

Fanfiction for fandoms that I’m not a part of, this is for the sake of not ruining your ship or media which I know nothing about.

Anything that I decide is not within the bounds I’m willing to write, I have the final say and while I doubt I’m going to get weird requests, I’m just going to throw that out there

What I will write:

Oneshots, scenarios, headcanons, and, if the mood strikes, short series

Angst, all the angst; character death, combat or other miscellaneous violence

AUs, crackfics, and other such shenanigans 

Genshin Impact:

I will currently write for these characters; Albedo, Ayaka, Ayato, Beidou, Childe, Dainsleif, Diluc, Ei, Eula, Ganyu, Hu Tao, Jean, Itto, Kaeya, Kazuha, Keqing, Kokomi, Lisa, Mona, Ningguang, Rosaria, Sara, Scaramouche, Shenhe, Signora, Thoma, Xiao, Yae Miko, Yanfei, Yelan, Yoimiya, and Zhongli

The rest I either don’t know enough about or violate my general rules. I’ll add characters as I go and as the game progresses of course.

I’ll also currently only write character/reader, just because I don’t ship any Genshin Impact characters together, idk not my current priority. Maybe that’ll change someday.

Also everything is gender neutral unless stated otherwise

Mystic Messenger:

Rika is a fascinating character but I won’t write for her as a ship. I just have personal hangups and also I haven’t gotten far enough in the story.

I currently haven’t played V’s route or Ray’s route yet so while I absolutely will write for them they might be a bit ooc. Sorry!

I also only write character/reader right now; basically same reason as with Genshin. Same rule about gender applies too!

Hope you all have a lovely day and hope we can all have fun! Also I’m sometimes very slow on the posting (looks at all the old Mystic Messenger requests molding away on my main Tumblr account, which I will post on this blog eventually) so please have patience. Thank you all for reading and thank you for liking the bs I do here!

[demon-dance-club]

I posted 134 times in 2021

23 posts created (17%)

111 posts reblogged (83%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 4.8 posts.

I added 47 tags in 2021

#fer.al - 8 posts

#swearing cw - 8 posts

#feral wildworks - 7 posts

#wildworks - 6 posts

#caps tw - 4 posts

#genshin yanfei - 3 posts

#genshin scenery - 3 posts

#genshin screenshots - 3 posts

#genshin impact - 3 posts

#youtube - 2 posts

Longest Tag: 116 characters

#especially in countries where healthcare is free it’s pretty fucked the amount of stuff people still have to pay for

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

Just saw the q force trailer and I regret to inform everyone that I am no longer attracted to men. I am attracted to everything but men. In fact I’m becoming one of those people who hate men. I am mhm now (men hating men). As I type this I am running away into the woods to hide from the world.

/j

BUT ALSO WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT. I have two theories: the show actually sucks and was written by a team consisting of a straight 13 yo girl and a 50 yo straight man. Or: the show still sucks but it’s on purpose and the marketing team wants to exploit the power of hate watching.

Either way, don’t watch it whenever it comes out. Also I hope the queer voice actors are getting paid WELL for this. The straight actors,,,,idk the circumstances of their hiring but I sure hope they didn’t do it willingly cuz this is FUCKED UP.

Final thoughts: I would beat up the guy with drag makeup and a weirdly large mouth. On top of being stereotyped to hell and back he also ends up acting predatory and creepy towards the most “straight passing” guy of the group by making unsolicited comments about him. This is SO dangerous because it perpetuates one of the worst stereotypes about mlm: that we try to force ourselves on straight dudes.

Final thought 2: Also I’m confused as to why there seem to be two other dudes who are part of the “main group” but don’t get any lines?? My best guess is that they’re less “gay” as characters and that therefore they don’t have so many wild lines to show in the trailer.

Anyway if I’ve gotten anything wrong just let me know. I haven’t done much research or anything, I’m mostly going off what I saw in the trailer.

21 notes • Posted 2021-06-24 17:23:57 GMT

#4

At last, a worthy sequel to my good old free to play feral post, fresh picked from the latest discord announcement and once again deep fried for effect~

Allow me to introduce all the players who got softlocked by broken challenges :DDDD

28 notes • Posted 2021-07-17 01:40:16 GMT

#3

My serenitea pot is finished! Or the main island exterior at least. I'd add more but the furniture limit is ridiculously low hhhh Anyway just look at that view~

29 notes • Posted 2021-05-12 00:38:35 GMT

#2

About the goddam WW Crypto thing

I really should have known by now wildworks was unable to do anything right...If they go through with this shit I'm gonna riot fr, gimme my fucking 8$ back lmao.

Anyway, here are some of my concerns:

1. Where is all this money/staff coming from, and why can't it go towards games that are already in development??

WW can barely hold 3 games (or two and a half, let's be honest...feral is STILL IN BETA NEED I REMIND YOU) together right now, from what I know there's very little staff and not much money to go around. Feral was taking staff from AJ for a while, and now that they've been sent back to AJ there's supposedly no replacements being hired. That may be because there's no money, but also it's likely that they've been planning this for a while...still you'd think that Feral is a number one priority. Are they *trying* to kill it or what? Once Fer.al is more finished, they should be able to rake in more sweet sweet cash (cuz spoiler alert, many people like to play games that aren't broken), so why hold it back in favour of a new project?

2. The hypocrisy of making Animal Jam and then THIS???

This needs no explanation.

3. This was so obviously the wrong move?

If anyone at the top tier of WW knew SHIT about their demographic, which is honestly probably the exact opposite of crypto bros, they would know that literally no one wants this. This company is so shockingly out of touch, how could this possibly happen?? Massive boomer energy lmao, they really don't have a single person in a leadership role who could have said "yeah idk how that's gonna be received bestie" Also HELLO DID Y'ALL NOT SEE THE MASSIVE BACKLASH FROM THE COOKIE RUN FANDOM WHEN DEVSISTERS STARTED TALKING NFTS???

Aight that's all I got for now, we better fuck this company up until they back down.

36 notes • Posted 2021-11-27 22:01:54 GMT

#1

Following my last Whining About Fer.al Advertising post I would like to call bullshit on this line in particular thanks to the decal paywall and jelly quests in the new sp (deepfried for emphasis <3)

I truly hate seeing this game go to shit man ://

43 notes • Posted 2021-06-07 17:36:34 GMT

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