#all in a lyre's serenade

[siredellcomputerblue]

Monsters and Hunters

Hi I'm back with another post it's been like a week I think according to my non-existent internal clock.

So a big part of Lyre is monsters. Monsters and monster hunters. In a lot of media it's slaying monsters and getting gold. Mine is a little bit different. I call them monster hunters because it sounds cooler but really it's more like monster pest control.

There's 3 different types of teams:

PACIFIST - relocate the monster, excludes termination

NEUTRAL - relocate the monster, includes termination if necessary

EXTIRPATE (fancy word that I just now found on thesaurus.com, I'm incredibly smart and I'm still probably going to change it again later) - terminate the monster

Each team has a relocation crew that are separate contracting that pairs with teams, if they are paired with a extirpate team, they'll instead transport the body to strip and sell the parts.

Each team sort of has their own bias and stigma. Pacifist teams often will have more casualties, regarded as a veteran only kind of team and hold high respect (though there are some that still angrily debate the inclusion of natural selection and the food chain like "monsters will eat people anyway, what's the harm of saving a few more hunters if a couple more monsters have to die?" sort of thing). Neutral teams are often the middleman that often gets hit with double standards; don't save as many monsters but save more people, but if they saved more monsters, they would probably lose more people. It's a constant back and forth argument in some circles. Extirpate teams are the black sheep of the group, similarly regarded as trophy hunters since there have been a fair amount of teams that show off their kill and disrespect the monster they had hunted. There are a few extirpate teams out there that try to act as the better options so if need be, people wouldn't have to resort to people that glorify killing animals.

Monster hunters take job requests and often have to set out and travel far from their native guild. In the case of emergency, it's required that each team possess a native guild mana crystal: two mana crystals that are linked together that can create a dimensional door to the other. One is always stationed at a team's native guild. They also only have a certain range, jobs that take place on other islands will require you to check in at one of the native guilds there and take a guest mana crystal. Monster hunters also have an extremely high pay rate, part of this is covered by the guilds and taxes in order to make filing job requests more affordable.

Monster hunters that work in larger teams (6-12 people, sometimes even 20) often take on megafauna and larger monsters, but there are larger teams that also have the sole purpose of dealing with divine entities. I'll get more into them and the gods later, but the primary creations that the gods use as sort of territory markers and puppets are generally referred to as divine entities or angels. Some people obviously find issue with this as the entities and gods were historically worshipped and praised. The gods as well aren't particularly happy either and have their creations fight back against these teams, though it doesn't have that much impact since these entities often get replaced--these big teams are also extremely rare as well because normally no one is insane enough to go after a god's creation.

Monsters themselves have a wide variety of classification (this part is still kinda a WIP). Monster is an umbrella term for all of them, but they can be divided into 3 classifications:

CREATURES - Standard animals and monsters that are more fictional and fantasy esc by design. I haven't worked on creatures specifically too much just yet.

BEASTS - Megafauna that have a more uncommon and rare appearance due to their sizes. Most dwell within oceans and bigger bodies of water, but some are able to survive on land like the dragons.

CRYPTIDS - Monsters that are very separated from creatures and beasts; these are creations of the gods that wander about the world and are often highly feared. There are no species linked to them, they are individual entities that possess awareness and high levels of intelligence.

The classification system is a system that is made to be able to apply to all 3 categories. First comes class then rating. Class describes the safety of the monster's appearance (NOTE, THIS EXCLUDES TEETH AND CLAWS). Rating will describe the behavior.

^^ courtesy of Milanote, great site by the way for fleshing out and organizing notes.

How these will be written out is similar to writing ratios. Reminder again that class comes first, as an example say there's a creature that's small and a class 2, omnivorous and has a rating of 2--this would be written as S2:O2, S2;O2, or S2.O2. Hunters, as well as textbooks, use this to gauge the intensity and danger level. New hunters are often only allowed to take on monsters with a class of 2 and a rating of 5 at the most.

Monsters as well have their own magic, similar to people, though it's much more muted and for self defense. Prey often use it to cast illusions to scare predators away, some prey specialize in it as their main defense mechanism, though aren't enough to fool more intelligent predators. For monsters of the same species, sometimes it can be used as a thing for mating season, seeing as which monster has the more impressive magic and intimidation. For some of the very intelligent monsters, they are able to use their magic to convey feelings and images to others. It's still ongoing research on just how much magic is utilized by monsters.

For monsters that are deceased and taken to have their parts sold, in many cases the meat will be sold to food industries. Some organs will also be sold to food industries and others will be sold to guilds and hospitals for medicinal purposes. The hide and other parts will be sold to craft into various things. As bad as the stigma against extirpate teams is, monster parts have become a crucial integration into society.

------

Well here we are at the end of the post. Again, thanks for reading, I'm having a lot of fun exploring different parts aspects and ideas for monsters and I'm hoping I can keep this up for a long while.

[youandthemountains]

(via @muirmarie)

Telepathic aliens enjoy that humans will "play music" for hours at a time. When it's too mentally quiet on deck, they just announce the catchiest song titles they know and the humans will start thinking about it automatically.

The humans hate this so, so much.

Zorf: Human Steve, can you please play that song I like, the one with all the females

Steve: what

Zorf: A little bit of Monica in my life

Steve:

Steve: mother fu--

[st4rofeden]

“MY IMMUNE SYSTEM FAILED— HIS LOVE DID NOT.” - PHAINON ft. The Smiths

a/n: I plan on making multiple characters in one post. but i changed my mind!! they'll have separate one shots. Warnings: nothing.

summary: you sick. phainon insist on singing you to sleep.

─ · ·✦•๑࿔༻𖤓༺࿔๑•✦· · ─

you gaze at the holy city of okhema, admiring the view of kephale's statue. carrying the dawn device. feeling unusually tired

You sneeze once.

Phainon gasps like you’ve been shot.

"No—no! Not my dawnlight! Not my tender starlit songbird! Speak to me!" You're alredy flushed. now it gets worse by his petnames. "It’s just a—"

"No talking!" He presses a single finger to your lips. "Save your strength. Every syllable is a diamond lost to the void."

You slip out a cough, He immediately whirls around and begins pacing the room, hands flung in the air like he’s directing a tragedy. "How dare the universe steal your glow? I should've guarded you better. This is what happens when mortals kiss the sun with uncovered shoulders."

"You’re being ridiculous."

"im being devoted!"

10 minutes later!

You’re lying in bed—buried under four blankets, a heating pad, three herbal teas, and the smell of something vaguely medicinal and fruity. he returns with a bowl of something steaming.

"I made soup. Well, attempted soup. It’s… passionate in flavor. but tastes like love!"

You take one taste and cough, he looks at you with horror—

like...like he just murdered you.

you flick away his thoughts when you hold his face, squishing his cheeks.

"...why is it sweet?"

"I put honey. and cinnamon. to counter the bitterness of your suffering." what a gentleman.

"phainon, did you put love potion logic in your chicken soup?"

"...is it working?"

didn't taste bad as you thought it would be. you carefully lay down to the sheets. he gets you a new heating pad, he gently wipes the lingering chicken soup on the corner of your lips, applies your favorite lip balm on your lips to keep it moist... like he's done it countless times. he's quite sweet sometimes. even though its layered by his dramatics.

you're too tired to talk, and you told him ,and you should’ve expected what would happen next.

"Would you like music?"

"No."

"Wonderfull, because i've already written a song called "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out." what..? no. he stole it somewhere

He pulls out a lyre from somewhere (you don’t even ask anymore lol), perches at the edge of your bed, and begins serenading your fever dreams.

"And if a double-decker bus Crashes into us To die by your side Is such a heavenly way to die"

you melt for a second.. then he improvises.

“You’re beautiful even while sickly, Your sneeze is a kiss from the divine. I’d catch all your colds if it meant You’d always, always be mine…”

you throw a pillow at him, and he catches it juuust in time.

"I see. you want me close."

He climbs into bed beside you, carefully spooning you like you’re made of spun gold and paper petals. and you surrender.

as you slowly drift to sleep.. His voice softens. The dramatics fade. His arm tightens around your waist, and he presses a feather-light kiss to your temple.

"I’m loud, yes," he whispers, "but not because I’m trying to annoy you. I just love you in a way that refuses to be quiet."

You’re too tired to reply. But you fall asleep to the steady beat of his heart against your back. and he doesn't leave your side.

Not even when he starts humming your name into the warm folds of your blanket.

========================

if you bring me phainon angst...better srart counting your days....

[kagamesayu]

v!genshin x gn!reader

includes . diluc, kaeya, childe, zhongli t/w . 18+ mdni, gn!reader, nsfw, fluff wc: 2.3k a/n . first time posting my writing :,> hope u enjoy! reblogs appreciated ✧

Diluc who loves waking up with you wrapped in his arms, snuggling into his warmth in the winter. Eyes soft as he watches you breathing softly, nose buried in his chest as your fingers gripped onto his waist.

Diluc who loves watching you try to sneak a glance at him working while you sit on the couch in his office, wondering when the hell he’d finally pay attention to you. And he’d be such an ass about it too. You’d get up and stand behind him, leaning on his shoulders and pressing your lips to his ears and neck. 

“Baby, take a break you’ve been working all day.” Really he’d been working for a few hours, you just wanted his love and attention.

“Soon my love,” He’d chuckle and press a long kiss on your cheek before dragging his lips to your own. “Just a little while more darling. Be patient for me.”

Diluc who loves you for the little things you do, like trying to cook him breakfast everyday even when you have a maid to do it. Or when you try to knit him a sweater, totally forgetting his pyro vision that kept him much too warm. Or even when you tried to serenade him by learning the lyre in a span of 2 weeks.

It didn’t matter to Diluc. Because he’d cherish all the food you made for him - specifically for him. Even if it were burnt, he wouldn’t care. Cause you put your time and effort into it. 

It didn’t matter to Diluc that the sweater you made him might have some loose ends, or that it might have been much too big for him. He’d just say that it felt like you were giving him a hug. He’d never tell you how he loved the domesticity of the entire situation. He’d cherish it for years and years and hold it tight if you ever were to leave.

Diluc who loves fucking you silly with his huge dick, and he doesn’t even know how to use it right. It’s just so big that it hits all the right spots. He opens your legs wide, watching his dick moving in and out of you. Your hands move to hold onto his hand that wrapped around your waist, the other holding onto the bed under you as you were drilled into the mattress. 

Diluc who loves to watch tears run down your face because of how good you feel. ‘Stop’ you say? But he hasn’t even cum yet! Don’t be so selfish! His stamina built from all the years of training definitely came to help him. 

Diluc whose oversensitive dick throbbed inside you as he lay beside you after cumming twice. His cum dripping around his hard cock and out of your hole, onto the bed sheet he definitely needed to get changed. He hums, nose buried in your neck as he breathes in the smell of sex, sweat and you. He’ll leave another bite right then and there - doesn’t matter if he already painted your body with hickeys, you can have more!

And it definitely didn’t matter to him that you might have played a note wrongly on the lyre and you couldn’t exactly stay on tune. Because you learnt a whole new skill just for him and he’d always say that you were a much better bard than Venti. You had the voice of an angel and you fucking bet that he was smiling softly, cheeks flushed pink as he tapped his finger along to your music, eyes trained on your fingers playing the lyre, lips shaking nervously. And afterwards he’d give you a hug and tell you that you ‘did so well my little Eagle. so proud of you.’ and he’d place a kiss right on your lips, smiling.

---

Kaeya who loves to kiss your neck, only to watch you shiver, lips curling up and squealing as he laughs at you. You playfully hit his exposed chest before pressing a cheeky kiss against it. The second you do that he holds onto your waist, pulling you close so when you look up you look right into his eyes. 

“Payback.”

“I’ll show you payback.” Kaeya who pulls you into an alley to makeout. You both leave the alleyway dishevelled and panting with red covering your necks and chests.

Kaeya who wrote his first poem for you during the Windblume Festival and beamed proudly as you read it. A smirk on his face once you read the part where he wanted to do...things with you.

Kaeya who entertains your thoughts by giving his own insight and questions. (you both were once in a heated debate on whether birds looked better with arms or not) 

“Okay but imagine if they had arms. They could fly and punch!” “Snowflake, would they even be able to fly if they had arms?”

“...fuck you’re so smart babe-”

Kaeya who loves to reply to you either snarkily or flirtily. He loved giving you a fuckboy face, lips caught in his teeth as he smirked, giving you those eyes. Sometimes you return the face, most times you look away embarrassed and questioning life.

Kaeya who would teasingly pull down his shirt just to show you more of his chest, wanting to see you drool for him.

Kaeya who treats you as a pillow prince/princess, living only to give you pleasure. He could eat you out for hours, loving the way you trembled from overstimulation as he sucked on you, licking and biting every piece of flesh available to him. Absolutely loved to fuck you till you were crying, begging him for more in a babbled voice.

Kaeya who loved to have you cockwarm him as he did his paperwork, giving you praises as you sat nicely on his lap, like the good princess/prince you were. He loved to tease you sometimes, asking you to move a little just to feel you grind against him, your velvet walls clamping down on him.

Kaeya who in his worst, most stressed and touch starved moments would cling to you and ask you to ride him. Whose eyes fill with over-stimulated tears as he came for the nth time, shooting blanks into your hot body as you rode him relentlessly, cooing at him and kissing the tears away.

Kaeya who loved to cook with you, loved how he could always hug you and give you kisses as you prepared your meals. Loved how you were always within reach of him. He’d finish his chicken skewers and just go up behind you, rest his head on your shoulders/on your head and sigh happily. His hands would always either be on your hips or on the counter, trapping you in.

Kaeya who always wakes up earlier than you just to watch you breathing softly. He lays his head on your chest, listening and feeling your heartbeat. Always reminds him that you’re alive. Always makes him feel better if he gets nightmares.

Kaeya who - even if he says it everyday - doesn’t feel that he could ever really show you how much he loved you. He’d had flings before and all those feelings were nothing in comparison to how he felt with you, around you, for you. Sometimes his face would flush darkly, heart beat fast as butterflies would race in his stomach, his chest. His skin would feel warm and he wouldn’t be able to stop smiling around you. 

He’d never show how flustered he actually is though. He’d always bury his face in your neck, lay small kisses against your skin as he whispered ‘I love you’s.

---

Childe who loves getting things for you. All the way from little trinkets to outfits, sometimes jewellery that he specifically gets handcrafted just for you. He loves spoiling his little pet. Anything for you. Anything.

Childe who loves watching you from a distance, eyes always trailing your form, watching you do even the most mundane tasks. He’d watch you go around, buying food, or even just doing laundry. He loves watching you do the most domestic of tasks. It always makes him feel like he has something to come home to. That after every mission he has someone to come home to, to hold, to love.

Childe who loves teasing you - be it in the bedroom or out. He loves to say something and watch you struggle to answer, an amused smirk always on his face as he watches you flush and struggle to grasp for words. Loved having you that way on his cock and tongue as well, trying to breathe as you babbled nonsense - you were always pleading him to either keep going or to stop. In the end it didn’t matter, he does things at his own pace. 

“Sl-oow down please - nghh! Gonna - ahh~!” Your body spasms, hands gripping his hair as he continued eating you out through your orgasm.

“Doesn’t feel like ya want me to stop?” He chuckles, slick dripping from his mouth down to his chin. “You can give me ‘nother, right pretty? Wanna keep tastin’ you~”

Childe who loves having you sit on his lap, panties soaked and in his pocket. You could be impaled on his cock or just riding his thigh, he didn’t care. He just loved to see you act this way, bashful and embarrassed yet so needy. He loves having you this way, particularly when he’s giving commands to his underlings. And if anyone were to look too long, well...they would be ‘missing’ tomorrow. 

Childe who loves the sparkle in your eyes, the absolute excitement whenever you see him, the overwhelming joy when he does something for you or gives you something, the terror and concern whenever he comes to you, all bloodied and hurt. He loves seeing every expression you give him, every emotion he could feel from you. It almost makes up for the lack thereof from his side. 

Childe who never needs to act around you. Who smiles and frowns whenever he wants. Who laughs genuinely whenever you make a joke and scoffs - playfully - when you give him a terrible nickname (One of his personal favourites was the one time you had called titty twistin’, panty lickin’, toe lovin’ dick wad. It cracks him up everytime.)

Childe who looks at you like you strung up the stars everytime you patch up his wounds. Or make food for him. Or hold him tight at night when he misses his family. Childe loves deeply and selfishly and never wants to let you go. You’ve ruined him for anybody else, so take responsibility.

---

Zhongli who looks for you in a crowd of people, and when he sees you smiles that gorgeous smile of his. He’ll quicken his pace to reach your side before offering you his hand to accompany him for his walk. 

Zhongli who greets you everyday with a kiss on the forehead, then to the right cheek, then the left before finally stopping at your lips. Nobody knows when he started doing this, and who were you to stop him? He holds your face in his hands and looks at you like you’re Celestia. Like you’re his world. 

“Good morning Honey.” His voice is low and breathy, content as he goes in for another kiss.

“Mm…good morning handsome.” 

Zhongli who very regularly buys gifts for you. With Childe’s money of course. Personalised chopsticks, hair pins, handkerchiefs, vases, flowers, etc. He’s a traditional man and loves showering his beloved in gifts, even if he didn’t buy it with his own mora.

Zhongli who is mature and talks with you about any misunderstandings. Who never lets an argument go too far and always knows when to stop and give you space. He always calms down before you - and you didn’t know if it was because he’s older or because that’s just Zhongli - and brings you back down to his level. 

Zhongli who makes you use your words when asking him for things. For hugs, for kisses, for sex. Even while you’re lying on the bed, face warm and sweaty, panting and drooling and dumbed down. He almost cruelly asks you questions about whether you want more, if you want him inside, if you want to go another round. 

Zhongli whose love-making and fucking styles are different. Love-making consists of sweet kisses, gentle touches, breathy moans and intimately long looks. When Zhongli fucks, he becomes a beast. A dragon who plays with his possessions as he likes. There are more marks left littering your body, bruising kisses, tears and so much more cum.

Zhongli whose marks glow a bright yellow when he fucks you. His arms glow brightly and his horns come out. It won’t matter what gender you are, he has you in a mating press with your thighs above his shoulders and his hips at a brutal pace. You have to wear long pants or skirts to cover the bruises and scratches left on your hips. And even though Zhongli apologises for his roughness, you can tell he  doesn’t mean it with the way he smiles proudly at the way you stumble around.

Zhongli who can never control himself when he sees you in his clothes. Doesn’t matter if you’re dressed underneath his huge coat or if you’re wearing one of his white dress shirts and only that. He can feel his dragon instincts acting up, his cock twitching and he can barely hold himself back before pouncing on you. Who can blame him though when you look so cute? Really you should blame yourself for getting into this situation, silly!

Zhongli who loves walking around Liyue with you. It doesn’t matter if you’ve walked past the same road like five times, he just wants to have company! You walk with your hand in the crook of his elbow, listening to him go on and on about ‘history’ which is really just him talking shit about Venti. Do you say anything and interrupt his one sided podcast? No. 

[arlucent]

Title:Love, In Theory

(Furina x gn!reader)

Note:the reader is a professional and a famous lawyer in the court of Fontaine. They also bear a vision. All of this happened before the archon quest

`♔･ﾟ✧ °•∘⛲∘•° ✧ﾟ･♔`

The Grand Proposal Problem

The Court of Fontaine had become a revolving door of romantic humiliation.

That morning, a Liyuen shipping magnate had presented Furina with a literal boat carved from solid noctilucous jade ("To sail the seas of love together!"). At noon, a Mondstadt knight attempted to serenade her with a lyre (badly). Now, as the sun dipped below the aquabus lines, a Snezhnayan diplomat was sweating through his fur collar while listing his "extensive holdings" in excruciating detail.

"—and of course, my "maison de campagne russe" has heated floors—"

Furina swirled her goblet of sparkling water, watching the bubbles rise and pop with exaggerated fascination. "How... quaint." She set the cup down with a decisive clink. "But I'm afraid Fontaine's Archon requires a partner who can at least pronounce 'maison' correctly. Next!"

From his vantage point behind a marble column, Neuvillette marked another tally in his ledger. Rejection #23 this month. The pattern never varied:

1. The Old Guard: Aristocrats who thought wealth could substitute for personality

2. The Young Lions: Hotheaded heirs who imagined themselves taming a goddess

3. The Foreign Opportunists: Diplomats treating courtship like a trade negotiation

A Melusine tugged at his sleeve. "Chief Justice? The lawyer has arrived."

Neuvillette's lips thinned. "Send them in."

`♔･ﾟ✧ °•∘⛲∘•° ✧ﾟ･♔`

A Rivalry For the Ages

You remembered the first time you'd faced Furina in court.

It had been a simple property dispute—until she swept in, Hydro constructs swirling around her throne-like witness stand. "The defendant," she'd declared, pointing an accusing glove at your client, "is clearly as guilty as a crab in a pearl shop!"

You'd dismantled her argument in six minutes flat.

The second time, she'd brought charts.

By the fifth trial, the newspapers had coined it: "The Hydro Archon vs. Fontaine's Razor: A Clash of Wit and Will."

Now, standing in Neuvillette's office, you stared at the contract like it might bite you. "Let me summarize," you said slowly. "You want me to pretend to romance the woman who last week threatened to revoke my law license because I 'breathed too loudly' during her soliloquy?"

Neuvillette steepled his fingers. "Precisely because of that history. No one would suspect artifice."

The doors burst open. Furina stood framed in the doorway, her Hydro aura crackling. "Explain immediately why this—" She jabbed a gloved finger at you. "—insufferable gavel-spinner is here!"

You smirked. "Miss me, Your Majesty?"

Her eye twitched.

`♔･ﾟ✧ °•∘⛲∘•° ✧ﾟ･♔`

The Terms of Engagement

The negotiations lasted three excruciating hours.

Furina insisted on clauses like:

- "No unsolicited eye contact"

- "Absolute must to compliment me when we're in public"

- "If we must hold hands, wear gloves. Two pairs."

You countered with:

- "Hazard pay for every suitor-induced migraine"

- "Right to veto any pastel-colored outfits"

- "Final approval on all pet names"

Neuvillette mediated with the patience of a man who regularly sentenced sea monsters to community service.

"You'll attend the Melusine Founders' Gala tomorrow," he declared, stamping the contract. "Sedene will handle your... coordinated arrival."

The mentioned Melusine perked up from her notetaking. "I've already prepared complementary hydromimetic bouquets!"

Furina looked physically pained.

`♔･ﾟ✧ °•∘⛲∘•° ✧ﾟ･♔`

Performative Affection (With Spectators)

The gala was a masterclass in psychological warfare.

You arrived precisely five minutes late—enough to make Furina fume, not enough to be truly rude. Your outfit (deep blues instead of her preferred pastels) clashed deliberately with her frilly gown.

"Darling," you drawled, offering your arm.

"Counselor," she gritted out, gripping your elbow like she wanted to snap the bone.

The Melusines adored it.

"Look how they bicker and banter!" Mamere sighed dreamily. "Just like in my romance novels!"

The night devolved into:

- Furina "accidentally" stepping on your foot during the waltz

- You "forgetting" to fetch her preferred canapés (three shrimp, no dill)

- A Snezhnayan diplomat catching you mid-argument about fontaine law code subsection 47-B and mistaking it for foreplay

Neuvillette observed from the punch bowl, silently calculating how much longer he could allow this charade to continue.

`♔･ﾟ✧ °•∘⛲∘•° ✧ﾟ･♔`

Cracks in the Facade

The cracks appeared like fissures in glacial ice:

1. The Midnight Pastry Heist

You found her in the Palais kitchens at 3 AM, wrist-deep in a mille-feuille. Powdered sugar dusted her nose.

"Section 12 of the Kitchen Code," you intoned. "Unauthorized consumption of—"

A cream-filled pastry hit you square in the chest.

2. The Defense

When Duke Montblanc sneered about your "commoner stench," Furina's Hydro constructs materialized before you could blink.

"Apologize," she sang, twirling her parasol, "or discover how well your toupee floats."

3. The Staring

During trials, you'd catch her watching—not with her usual competitive glare, but with something almost... soft. The moment your eyes met, she'd snap her fan open with a crack.

`♔･ﾟ✧ °•∘⛲∘•° ✧ﾟ･♔`

The Duel

Marquis Beaumont was all smarm and no substance when he slapped you with his glove. "A real partner would defend Her Majesty's honor!",he says as if he wasn't the one who just insulted her.

You rolled up your sleeves. "Five minutes. I have a meeting with the Melusine Bar Association."

The fight was brutal:

- His Electro-infused rapier versus your (vision element)-enhanced parries

- The moment he dared aim a stray bolt at Furina's skirts

- Your Vision flaring not to strike, but to shield—erupting a geyser that drenched the entire courtyard

The crowd lost their minds. Furina's hands flew to her mouth.

Later, in a secluded alcove, she grabbed your wrist. "That was... adequate."

You flexed your tingling fingers. "Don't get used to it."

`♔･ﾟ✧ °•∘⛲∘•° ✧ﾟ･♔`

The Unraveling

The contract became impossible after:

1. The Jealousy

That Fontaine socialite who kept "accidentally" brushing Furina's hand? You may have "tripped" and spilled an entire carafe of Fonta on her décolletage.

2. The Late Nights

Shared silences in your office stretched longer. She'd critique your penmanship; you'd mock her posture. The space between you on the sofa grew smaller each time.

3. The Almost

Post-ball, wine-drunk and giddy, Furina leaned in to fix your crooked tie. Your breath hitched. Her pupils dilated. Then—

"Ahem." Neuvillette materialized like a specter. "The contract is fulfilled. Suitors have ceased."

`♔･ﾟ✧ °•∘⛲∘•° ✧ﾟ･♔`

The Breaking Point

The goodbye was painfully formal. Furina offered a stiff nod; you bowed precisely 15 degrees.

Until—

SLAM

Your office door flew open at dawn. Furina stood heaving, hair half-escaped its ribbons. "Why," she demanded, "did you never look at me like you meant it?"

The legal brief you'd been holding fluttered to the floor. "Because I was terrified you'd see that I did."

Silence. Then—

"Idiot," she breathed, and kissed you.

`♔･ﾟ✧ °•∘⛲∘•° ✧ﾟ･♔`

In Practice

The curtain rose on Fontaine's grandest opera house. Furina, resplendent in her spotlight, extended a hand toward the audience.

"Mon amour," she called, voice dripping with theatrical sweetness, "won't you join me?"

From the crowd, you sighed—but stood. The audience gasped as you ascended the stage.

"This wasn't in the contract," you muttered as she pulled you center stage.

Furina's grin was all wicked triumph. "Consider it... 'judicial discretion'."

The curtain fell on a very real kiss.

Somewhere in the wings, Neuvillette sipped his water. A Melusine tugged his sleeve. "Does this mean we plan a wedding now?"

The Chief Justice closed his eyes. "One crisis at a time."

[mikashisus]

Light In The Darkness

summary: venti isn't often vulnerable with you, but the one time he is is when he needs a whole lot of reassurance. and you have no problem giving him just that: expressing just how much he means to you.

pairing: jealous!venti x gn!reader

cws: slight angst, hurt/comfort

notes: originally posted this a few hours ago but quickly realized that i made a mistake bc the req was for a jealous mc instead of venti 😭

so instead i’ll post two versions!! this one is the venti version, and the mc version will be posted hopefully tmrw!

wc: 2k

A bard was well-versed in all things poetry. It was their job to serenade those around them.

It was no surprise to you that your lover’s angelic voice touched the hearts of many. After all, that was his job— to sing and dance and play the lyre throughout all corners of the world, gaining popularity as he did so.

Sometimes, you thought the popularity got to his head a little. All those compliments and love struck looks from both men and women alike definitely stroked his ego to a degree.

He could do without all that praise, you thought, watching from afar as your lover sang a classic tale that was well known in Mondstadt. He gets enough praise from the church.

You were well aware he was the Anemo Archon. It was easy to put two and two together after taking a glance at the statue in the center of the city.

Tapping your fingers along to the classic tale, you failed to notice the figure of the Traveler approaching your all but empty table. Aether and Paimon greeted you eagerly, their faces a welcome sight after not having seen them in months.

A smile broke out onto your face instantly. You returned their sentiments, and the three of you fell into idle chatter about their recent journeys. Before long, you were laughing loudly like you always did when Aether came to visit.

He and Paimon were no strangers to the City of Freedom. They often stopped by for a visit around the festival seasons, though this year they had missed the annual Windblume Festival because of a music event in Inazuma.

You hounded them for missing the festival, though it was all lighthearted fun. You told them about Venti’s performance during the Windblume Festival, and how he gained the hearts of many afterwards.

“Wow, sounds like the Tone-Deaf Bard is doing as well as ever.” Paimon’s deadpan expression made you chuckle.

“Indeed. I think he could do without having his ego stroked all the time, but he really is an amazing performer, so I guess it’s alright.” You said.

Paimon huffed and crossed her arms. “Still! He should at least be a bit humble!” She tossed a glare in his direction. “Who knew the Anemo Archon could be so greedy!”

You sighed, a laugh tumbling out of your mouth. It was good to know that Paimon was the same as always. Aether looked just about ready to leave Paimon here, what with all her grumbling and complaining. You were happy to see them in good health.

An hour later, the two were bidding you farewell, claiming they had to knock some commissions for the Adventurer’s Guild out before sundown.

“Take care of yourselves, alright? If you need us, you know where to find us. Please do stop by sometime soon!” you told them with a smile, “Venti bought a vintage recently and we’ve been saving it for a special occasion. It would be the perfect time to break it open!”

“Sure thing!” Aether nodded with a kind smile. “See you around!”

You watched them leave with a small smile on your face before you directed your attention back to Venti. The bard was entertaining a group of drunkards, singing an old Mondstadt tale. It was one you’ve heard only a handful of times.

In the past, it was extremely popular in Mondstadt. However, as the years came and went, it grew to be forgotten amongst the people. As you watched Venti light up with life and rile up the patrons he was singing to, you realized he was doing his best to bring back those old, forgotten melodies.

The door to the tavern creaked open, and from your table near the bar, you could see Diluc take a huge sigh. That could only mean one thing…

“(Name)! Why, it’s quite the pleasure to see you here.” Kaeya’s smooth and charming voice entered your ears.

“Well if it isn’t Captain Kaeya!” You beamed, standing from your seat to give him a nice big hug.

It had been a few months since you’ve seen him last. The last time you saw him was four months ago when he left for Fontaine to speak with a few merchants there on behalf of the Knights of Favonius. Since then, your days were a little duller without his presence.

Though, the void left behind by your best friend was quickly filled by the affections from your lover.

Kaeya chuckled, the sound buzzing in your ear as you kept your head to his chest. “Miss me while I was gone? It’s not like you to get all emotional.”

You pulled from the hug and slapped his arm playfully. “Of course I missed you! Can I not miss my best friend?”

The two of you began catching up as Kaeya called for a few drinks. Diluc sent him a glare as he placed the drinks down on the table, warning him not to order too many, before he retreated back to the bar.

The more you talked and laughed with Kaeya, the more you realized just how much you missed him. It felt like the two of you were kids again, when the both of you were training to become knights and didn’t have to worry about anything at all.

All the while, a shiver ran down your spine as you felt the weight of divine eyes peering at you from afar. This was a feeling you commonly had; whenever you were on a commission for the Adventurer’s Guild, or more importantly, hanging out with Kaeya.

The feeling of a divine force watching you so closely was a little frightening, but knowing where the source was coming from made it less scary and more intriguing.

You knew what your lover’s divinity felt like by now after having been around him for so long. It was a slight pressure on your shoulders, a shiver running up your spine, and a soft breeze that mysteriously came from nowhere. It was quite ominous, though you supposed that word described him perfectly.

In these situations, you knew he was staring at you and Kaeya with that adorable pout on his face and waiting for the right time to pounce on you like a cat. Then, he’d drag you away and the two of you would cuddle and you would whisper words of affection in his ear to assure him how much you loved him and only him.

And so, you waited for the moment he’d interrupt your conversation.

Kaeya was always the type of best friend that made you laugh until your stomach hurt, and playfully flirted with you just because. He was loyal to a fault and not as honest as you wished he could be. But he had always been there for you, a light in the darkness when you needed him.

Gradually, over time, Venti filled that spot of being your light in the darkness, but no one could replace your best friend.

You and Kaeya had been inseparable in your youth, along with Diluc, who tagged along with you both. So, naturally, your bond was quite strong. It stayed that way between both of you even after he told you the truth of his origins.

As he opened his mouth— a teasing smile on his lips that made you realize he was about to ask how you and Venti were doing —your lover in question slid his arms around your neck and dug his face into your collarbone.

You caressed his arm lovingly and placed a kiss to the side of his head. You sighed, a dopey smile pulling at your lips. He was no doubt faking being drunk to pull you away from Kaeya.

“Hi my love,” you said sweetly, “did you drink too much?”

He grumbled into your skin, and that was enough to confirm he was only doing this because he wanted your attention all to himself. It made you laugh loudly, your chest bubbling with life as the sound rolled out of your mouth.

Venti couldn’t help but smile. He loved the sound of your laugh more than anything, especially when he was the cause of it. He adored bringing you happiness and joy. He adored hearing your melodic laugh. He gripped you tighter, not wanting to let you go just yet.

“Well, I think this is where our fun ends, Kaeya,” you told him with a smirk, “I should get this one home.”

He returned your look with a knowing one of his own. He was very familiar with Venti’s antics by now. “No worries. We’ll continue catching up another time. Be safe on the way back to Springvale.”

You ruffled his hair like you always did when you were children. “We will. Stop by sometime, you’re no stranger.”

Standing up, you removed Venti’s arms from around your neck and relocated them to your waist, knowing he wouldn’t be letting go anytime soon.

Outside, the chilly nighttime air was refreshing on your hot skin. You ran your fingers through Venti’s hair and let out a content sigh.

“You know,” you started, a teasing lilt in your voice, “if you wanted my attention so badly, all you had to do was ask.”

Venti looked up at you with that adorable pout you were always so fond of. You cupped his face in your hands as he let out a small whine.

“Were you jealous, my love?”

Stubbornly, he looked away. “No—“

“Uh-huh, sure. I know how you get when you’re jealous.”

He bit his lip before all his worries came tumbling out of his mouth like a broken dam. “How can I not be? Kaeya’s always flirting with you and making you laugh! Sometimes I don’t know whether or not the way you smile at him is… is for something else.”

Venti was not one for being vulnerable. He absolutely despised sharing his true feelings, and preferred to bottle things deeply inside his person. For him to tell you how he felt in this moment was a huge step forward.

It not only meant he trusted you deeply, but it also made you realize that the effort you were helping him put in with his emotions was working. It touched your heart, but his words broke it all over again.

You kissed him, sweet and slow like he always enjoyed. When you pulled away, you placed your forehead on his and smiled.

“For you, I would go against the heavens and sooner make myself an enemy of the divine. I’d follow you to the edge of the world— hell, to the far reaches of the universe just because I love you. My heart and soul are yours, Barbatos.”

You could see it: the way he tried so hard to mask his sadness and how much he tried to avoid letting any tears spill. He inhaled shakily, squeezing his eyes shut in another attempt to deter his cries.

In the end, it was all futile, as the tears fell from his eyes like waterfalls anyway. This time, you waited for him to make the first move, and he did.

After a few moments, he searched for your lips and brought you into a slow, passionate kiss. It was a kiss that told you how much he appreciated your words, as well as one that so very obviously conveyed his undying love.

When he pulled away, he let out a small, sheepish laugh. “I’m sorry for that, love.” His cheeks were red with embarrassment.

“Don’t be,” you told him softly, forcing him to look at you, “Never be sorry for that. Thank you for sharing how you truly feel.”

He was eternally grateful to have you, someone so patient and understanding. He smiled, pressing a kiss to your palm that was on his cheek.

“I love you. To the far reaches of the universe and back.”

Hand in hand, you returned home, laughing all the while as he shared stories of the night’s events. Amidst the wind, he could hear both your hearts beating in unison.

notes: this was not supposed to be 2k words, this was supposed to be less than 1k but u guys know me by now, i always end up writing more when it comes to venti 😭 if u’d like to join my disc server to chat and hangout, u can do so here!

© 2024 mikashisus. do not copy, repost, or translate my works to any other platforms.

[ellitx]

Let Me Miss You Less | Nameless Bard x Reader

Nameless Bard waits for your return from a mission with Lady Amos.

this is based on illusory sense, a preview of darling and og venti's relationship before his death. but this can be a stand alone fic as well. for those who have followed me on my early days, i did say that there would be a prequel fanfic of illusory sense and i still plan to do it once the series is done.

but i got too impatient and wanna write some bittersweet moments between nameless bard and darling lmao. dw, this one shot may seem like a chapter right out from the series out of context but it's not (hopefully)

we finally have a nameless bard fanfic after 3 years of not writing anything for him haha. i thought this would just be a short story but i enjoyed writing this too much i didnt realize it got too long lol anyways hope everyone enjoys this <3

disclaimers: nameless bard's name is venti here, red haired warrior's name is ragnvindr (i know it's not but it's for the sake of the story!! i cant come up a name for him ;;), takes place in old mondstadt during rebellion against decarabian, LOTS OF PINING AND YEARNING, bittersweet romance and emotional longing, it's romantic and fluff promise :)

artist: ylceon

word count: 3k

The campfire crackled under the moonlight, casting shadows across the thick forest of the city. The air was heavy with the scent of smoke, roasted rations, and the distant howling of the winds in the frozen gales. The small group had gathered around to rest, deciding to camp in the forest momentarily before they continued with their journey.

With a bowl of warm soup in their hands to ease their hunger and cold, they also exchanged ideas and strategies for their next mission.

All except one.

Venti was curled up at the edge of the circle, his arms tucked under his chin and his dark fringe hiding his eyes as he sulked quietly into the fabric of his brown cape. Usually, he’d be strumming his lyre and humming a song. But not today.

Gunnhildr kept sneaking glances at him, brows raised in concern. She turned to the red-haired man sitting next to her to see if he knew anything. 

Ragnvindr, who rarely cared for gossip, muttered lowly, “He’s been like that all afternoon. Thought he’d start serenading the moment they left.”

“They?” Gunnhildr asked, blinking. 

“Lady Amos and her daughter,” the warrior answered before sipping his bowl of soup.

Venti groaned and buried his head over his arms. 

Gunnhildr tried not to laugh. “Oh.”

The little white wisp floated nearby, glowing faintly as he hovered carefully near the bard’s side like a moody second shadow. He jingled and circled around his head to comfort his friend.

“Venti, you should eat your soup. Otherwise, it’ll get cold,” Gunnhildr beckoned.

The bard turned his head to them and shook his head. “I’m not in the mood…” 

Ragnvindr heaved a sigh. “Lady Amos and Young Lady [Name] left for a scouting mission. They’ll be back soon.”

“How long? I’ve been waiting for twelve hours and I’m worried if something happened… Usually they’d send us a carrier pigeon to give us an update...”

Barbatos tilted his head to the side and Gunnhildr awkwardly smiled. “We already mentioned before that their mission would be a little longer than usual… and using a carrier pigeon is too risky. I thought you already understood that during our discussion, Venti?”

The said young man pressed his lips to a thin line and rested his head on his arms, watching the flame flicker.

“Lady Amos always had everything planned and ready, so I highly doubt they ran into any trouble... and even if they did, it wouldn't be very likely that she would make a reckless mistake, especially when she’s bringing her daughter along,” Ragnvindr added, but his words only served to deepen the gloom hanging above the bard.

Gunnhildr stifled a laugh and tugged Venti gently by his arm to sit upright. The younger man whined and groaned as he tried to pull himself out of her hold, but Gunnhildr was way much stronger. 

Determined to cheer him up, she plopped a whole chicken drumstick and a bowl of vegetable soup into his lap. She started ruffling his hair while speaking in a firm and motherly tone, as she cradled a spoonful of soup into her hand to be fed to a bratty child.

Before Venti could protest, a rustle echoed through the woods. Their heads turned toward the clearing, and— speak of the devil— there they were.

You stepped through the bush with Amos at your side, both wrapped in furs and dusted with frost. Pulling down your hood, you rubbed your hands together and exhaled through your palms to warm yourself. You looked a little tired but unharmed, though the chill lingered in your limbs.

The light chiming of the little wisp made you shift your attention to Barbatos as he floated over to you and nuzzled your cheek with his head. 

“Aww, hey Barbatos. Did you miss me?” You laughed.

The small creature nodded, circling around your head, as if to welcome you. His jingling echoes became excited the longer he watched you.

His warmth, as minuscule as it was, was more than welcoming after hours and hours trudging through the freezing wilderness. 

Venti sat upright and watched you from the distance as Barbatos continued to circle around you. Feeling someone’s gaze, you turned to the source and softly smiled, your cheeks flushing red in delight to see Venti. You raised your fingers in a quick gesture that you would join him later. Venti returned the gesture with just as much excitement, his spirits clearly lifted.

It was such a brief meeting of eyes, and yet Venti found it too sweet to bear.

Amos followed your gaze, her keen blue eyes noticing the young bard across the campfire, watching with a longing gaze that would not reach you for a while.

She cleared her throat and turned to the two adults nearby. “Miss Gunnhildr and Sir Ragnvindr, I have a report about our mission. I’d like to discuss it somewhere more private if you don’t mind.”

The two knights immediately understood your mother’s intention and nodded without further questions. Gunnhildr stood up and ruffled Venti’s hair, reminding him to eat his dinner before following Amos toward the tent area. 

It was only you, Venti, and Barbatos left by the campfire. 

Venti turned his head to you as you approached him with Barbatos sitting on your shoulder. The bard moved to the side, giving you a space to sit next to him. Once you had settled in, he pulled out the second bowl of soup from his pile of food and handed it to you. He had to stop himself from smiling like a stupid teenager in front of you, no matter how tempting the urge was. 

Now that everyone else was gone, the urge to hug you and pull you close was overwhelming. He would’ve been a fool not to give in to it.

As you held the steaming bowl in your hands and waited for the warmth to melt away the numbness of your fingers, you tried not to stare at Venti.

But Venti wanted to stare. He wanted to drink you up. His longing was not to be contained after hours of separation. He tried not to think about it— tried not to let it show, but surely you must have sensed something by now. Still, he failed to restrain himself, kept imagining what it would feel like to have you in his arms again.

Slowly, he reached for your free hand beneath your coat and slipped his fingers through the gap, lacing your hands together and watching your knuckles press to one another.

The action was so sudden that you dropped your spoon, making a small clink inside your bowl. You glanced at him, startled. The corner of his lips perked up slightly, his eyes twinkling with familiar love. Your chest fluttered upon noticing, heat spreading through your entire body.

If only you knew what had gone through the bard's mind when you were away for half the day. Silence still lingered, with only the crackling of the campfire accompanying you both. Venti tightened his hold and rubbed his thumb over the back of your hand, a silent message that he missed you. 

The action was small, but at least it was hidden from the group, your backs facing the camp to where your mother and her companies were still deep in discussion. 

Barbatos quietly switched over to Venti’s shoulder as you settled the bowl of soup on the ground. Your hands remained intertwined under the warm fur coat, where no one could see.

“Still feeling cold?” he asked, massaging your hands gently to coax warmth into them. You nodded faintly, breath curling in the air.

Without a word, he brought your joined hands up to his lips and exhaled a slow, warm breath across your knuckles, his eyes never leaving yours. The warmth of his breath lingered on your skin, his lips hovering just above your knuckles, not quite kissing but close enough that you could feel the faintest brush of them.

“You’re freezing,” he murmured, his voice barely audible over the crackle of the fire, yet you could recognize he was worried. 

He shifted closer as his knee brushed yours under the cloak. The contact was subtle but deliberate. His hands still cradled yours, his fingers tracing slow, soothing circles along your palms. 

You glanced toward the camp. Amos and the rest were engrossed in their conversation, you could hear laughter echoing in the distance. 

“Better?” he asked, letting your fingertips tangle with his. He tilted his head slightly, his bangs falling across his forehead. For a moment, you wanted to reach out and brush them away. But you didn’t. You couldn’t. Not with the others so close.

“A little,” you whispered, your lips twitching into a small smile. Your fingers curled tighter around his, unwilling to let go of the warmth of him.

Venti’s smile softened and he leaned in just a fraction, his shoulder pressing lightly against yours. The movement was so subtle, so natural that it could’ve been mistaken for adjusting his seat. 

He tilted his head toward you as his cheek grazed the edge of your hood, catching on the faint scent of windflowers that always seemed to linger on you.

He let his fingers linger between yours, savoring the sensation after such a long day apart. There was no one else but just you and him. 

Well, there was Barbatos. But he didn’t really mind letting him tag along in these kinds of sweet moments when you were with him. The little wisp often gave you two the privacy, and Venti could even say he helped him a lot of times to cover for him so he could sneak out and visit you multiple times in your room. 

It was worth it. Of course, he always visited you on a scheduled basis before midnight falls, not wanting to get attention from the group. He didn't want to keep you waiting too long after all. He enjoyed your company too, and even Barbatos started warming up to you.

Even if the nightly visits were brief, he intended to make them last as long as he could. When you moved a little closer, his train of thought ceased. He watched your free hand begin drawing small hearts on his palm, and the touch sent a shiver through him that travelled from his palm up his arm and into the very core of his being.

He sighed and closed his eyes, the tension slowly draining from his body as he felt his energy return now that you were finally by his side. You softly giggled and peered up at him, your long hair falling over your shoulder.

“I thought you’d be the first one to welcome me home. But Barbatos beat you to it,” you said in a whisper.

He let out a soft chuckle, barely louder than the rustling leaves around you. “I would’ve, you know,” he murmured, a puff of white cloud curling out. “But I didn’t want to give them another reason to tease me.”

You leaned your head toward him, shoulder to shoulder, forehead nearly brushing his. “That hasn’t stopped you before.”

“No,” he admitted, a flicker of a smile ghosting across his lips before his gaze dropped. His brows knit together and he unknowingly tightened his hold on your hand. “But if anyone saw how much I missed you… well, they’d know. And someone might use that against us…”

A hush fell between you again. Quiet, but not empty. Not like those long nights without his dreamy songs and whispered poems. Not the kind of silence Venti feared when you weren’t by his side.

Under the cloak, his hand remained snug in yours. His thumb traced idle strokes along your skin, pinkies curled together like a secret only the two of you shared. The fire before you crackled and sparked, casting faint orange hues across your cheeks. Venti couldn’t help but turn toward you again, stealing another look.

You were gazing at the flames, yet your expression that was calm and content betrayed that you were fully aware of his attention.

And so, he leaned in— just a little. Not too conspicuous, but not too far it barely reached you. He brushed his forehead lightly against yours. 

“I missed you,” he whispered, his warm breath almost brushing you in featherlight kisses. “More than I should’ve.”

Your lips parted slightly, eyes shimmering with the same longing, same yearning that ached within. “You always say that like it’s a crime.”

“It feels like one, sometimes. To want you so much. And not be able to show it,” he confessed under his breath, gently nuzzling against you now, letting his nose rest lightly against your temple.

You turned, finally meeting his eyes again, your noses nearly touching now. “Then show me now. Mother’s away with them…” you murmured, squeezing his hand underneath the cloaks.

Venti stilled. He glanced over his shoulder to check if there was anyone in sight. Lady Amos and her group weren’t around, and judging by the silhouettes within the big tent, they must have gone inside.  

He turned back to you and reached up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind your ear, his fingers sliding down to brush against the curve of your neck. His other hand gave yours a gentle squeeze before he leaned in— slowly, so achingly slowly it made your heart ache at the tension of it— until his lips brushed the edge of your cheek beneath the cover of your hood and fur cloak, hidden from stars and prying eyes.

It wasn’t much. But it was everything.

When you pulled back, your eyes were shy, your lips parted softly at how delicate it had been. And that gaze— so pure and so affectionate— held a thousand unspoken words. It filled Venti with a longing that twisted inside him, making him wish more than anything that it were easier to be with you.

He gazed down at you with equal yearning, his eyes roaming your face to memorize every flicker of emotion. A small, silent plea clung to your expression. Heavens, he wanted to whisk you away so badly and hug you so tightly if you kept looking at him like that. 

He gazed down at your lips that were barely parted, still breathless from the kiss that hadn’t quite reached them. His hand, still warm against your neck, trembled ever so slightly as he leaned just a little closer. His heart pounded, loud enough that it drowned out the fire, the wind, everything except you.

Would it be too much to kiss you here? To finally close the distance and feel the softness of your lips beneath his?

Just one kiss. Just one…

He hesitated, gaze locked on yours, until you tilted your chin ever so slightly toward him— an unconscious invitation. His breath caught. He inched forward, lips barely a breath away—

“[Name], dear, it’s getting late!”

Both of you froze, startled out of the moment. Your mother’s voice rang out from the tent, shattering the stillness like a stone thrown into glass.

The crackle of the fire seemed louder now, and the spell of your moment shattered in the blink of an eye. 

You exhaled, blinking up at him with reluctant understanding. Venti’s hand slipped from your neck down to your shoulder, giving you a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

“Mother’s calling…” The words dragged behind your breath. Your hand lingered in his for just a moment longer beneath the fur, fingers brushing as they reluctantly slipped apart.

Venti let out a quiet hum as you both slowly withdrew, the chill rushing in to fill the space his touch left behind. It stung, not from the cold, but from the absence.

Venti stood first, brushing the dust from his knees, and offered his hand to you with a sad, knowing smile. You took it, your fingers curling around his, unwilling to let go just yet.

You pulled back slowly, feeling the coolness where his body heat no longer covered, and sighed.

You hoped there would be more moments where you could finally be with him in the days to come.

Perhaps Barbatos would chime a new song the next time you sleep, and you’d dream about Venti waiting for you just outside. And the moment you wake, you will feel his hand slipping into yours softly.

“I should go… Good night, Venti,” you said softly, your voice barely above the whisper of wind through the trees. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He didn’t answer at first. Just stood there, watching you as the firelight flickered in his eyes, casting shadows that danced over his face. He hesitated, reluctant to let this moment fade. 

Then, as if he couldn't stop himself, he leaned in, just enough to narrow the space between your ear and the soft hush of his voice.

“Let’s meet tomorrow,” he said in a low voice, tinged with intimacy. “Before the sun rises. Just us. In the glade behind the ridge...”

Your heart gave a little flutter. That voice. That request. That look in his eyes… there was hope and longing.

You blinked up at him, your breath catching in your throat. His expression softened into something utterly bare. Something so vulnerable, so enamoured, you were the only person who could make him feel this way.

This was longing.

This was love pressed into silence.

A need to steal just a little more time with you, even if the world couldn’t know.

A quiet flush spread across your cheeks. Whether from the cold or from the weight of Venti’s invitation, you don't know. But your answer was simple and sure.

Nodding, a soft smile formed on your lips.

“Okay.”

He gave your hand one last squeeze, his thumb brushing over your knuckles as if memorizing the feel of you. Then, with a reluctant step back, he let go. The space between you felt far too vast.

“Good night, princess,” he breathed. 

He watched you turn your back, your fur-lined coat swaying slightly as you moved toward the path leading to your own tent. You cast one last glance over your shoulder. His eyes met yours, and for a moment, the world seemed to still. 

He smiled at you and lifted his hand in a gentle wave. Something in your chest pulled tight.

Amos’s voice called again from afar. Sighing, you finally turned as the heaviness of parting with your beloved loomed in your heart. 

[lotmoon]

Dancing under the stars.

Venti x reader| fluff!

İt was the windbloom festival in mondstadt. You could breath in the dazzling scent of the flowers filling the streets to it’s brim, you could hear the beautiful melodies coming from the strings of the lyres bards held. And it was your anniversary with your beloved archon.

After having fun and enjoying the festival with your friends, you decided to meet up with your long time boyfriend at the end of the festival. But what you didn’t know is that he had a little surprise for you.

You were wearing a long white flower patterned summer dress, your hair blowing in the soft breeze as you made your way towards the forest you two will meet.

You entered the forest and walked through the tall trees. When you reached your meeting point, you saw your lover sitting on the tree trunk, a picnic basket in front of him, a lamp next to him and a picnic blanket on the ground.

he continued on playing with his lyre as he smiled gently with his eyes closed. Humming softly to the tune he was playing.

“venti? What’s all of this?” You asked in disbelief, looking around you in awe as you didn’t thought he would prepare somethings and make this a picnic date.

He stopped humming and playing with his lyre then opened his eyes to look at you with a playful look. “Well, my cecilia I called you here but never said that I didn’t prepare something. Come, sit beside me!” He squeaked cheerfully. Patting the spot next to him for you to sit.

You walked closer to him slowly. İt was as if the ethereal night sky was humiliating the wonders of the world as you sat next to him. He turned towards you with a beaming smile and prepared his lyre in his hands.

“Let me serenade you with the newest song I wrote just for my beloved!” He said with excitement and began to play with the strings of his lyre. Creating a comforting tune while his lips began to move for a song filled with affection.

“Once they’re wondered, the god of the sky.

Walked in his land as years passed him by,

His shoulders were heavy, mind always busy,

Adored by his children, as the crown felt heavy.

Everywhere he went, he felt alone,

The praise was all his, but he never held someone close.

Then came a day, a soul lit the gods heart on fire.

The intimacy he avoided, now something he wanted. Even though he thought being in love would be a disaster.

Despite this fact, they still captured his heart and well, that was that. They reminded him, to himself, he could be kinder.

With love he finally let someone in. Not only a lover, but a friend. And in case it wasn’t clear. My love, my windblume…it was always you.

Now so you and me together in a song. İt’s because of you my love, that my heart is home.”

He sang wholeheartedly, once the song over he grabbed your hands and pulled you into a dance before you even complimented his song. Singing another tune this time, an adoring smile on his face as he spoon you around yourself. He chuckled as you blushed slightly and giggled at his gesture.

“The song was beautiful!” You said happily as he continued the slow dance with you. He smiled gently and hugged you close to him, planting a kiss on your forehead.

“I write songs much better when you are my muse, my love.”

꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱₊⁺⊹⋆₊˚⊹ᰔ

[dekariosclan]

Hey! Love your writing so much, I was hoping to grab your opinion on something.

What kind of music do you think Gale would listen to- and if he'd be the type to play any instruments?

Hi!! Thank you, I’m so glad you enjoy my Gale ramblings!

This was a deceptively tough question to answer, because my immediate thought was: “Oh! It’s already established in canon that Gale plays the piano,” due to his romance scene illusion where he shows Tav his Waterdeep home.

….but then I realized that’s not entirely correct. Because what he actually says is:

“The grand piano plays the Lliirian Suites all by itself…”

Of course Gale would enchant his own piano!

However, I do think he would still know how to perform ‘the old-fashioned way,’ with his hands and his own skill, no magic needed. Just like in the bed version of the act2 romance scene 💜.

I feel like musical talent would come fairly easily for Gale; he speaks about ‘composing’ the Weave since he was a young child, while describing magic as ‘poetry, music, physical beauty’ all rolled into one. And given the intricate hand motions / finger motions needed to cast spells, I do believe he’d be quite adept at playing an instrument or two. In particular: the piano, harp, or lyre.

(though God help him if he ever were to play the lyre in front of Minthara. No matter how good his performance, he will be roasted more thoroughly than a chicken on a spit)

Back to the illusion scene, I will say that it does answer the question of what music he would listen to, as he refers to the ‘Lliirian Suites’—however, what category of music that is, unfortunately, remains a mystery! I tried to research what the ‘Lliirian Suites’ are, and I found guesses ranging from being related to the deity Lliira, who is an embodiment of happiness and freedom, to being an easter egg that is just a reference to ‘Larian.’

Regardless, I’m confident that Gale would love classical music and beautifully composed romance/love songs. And I can see him serenading Tav on more than one occasion, perhaps on rainy days in Waterdeep when they find themselves stuck at home. Tav cozied up on the chaise lounge, while Gale settles in with his instrument of choice, making sure to be at an angle where his eyes can frequently meet Tav’s throughout his performance.

And if at some point Gale decides he would prefer to join Tav on the chaise? (Which happens…every single time...) Well! He’ll just enchant the instrument to keep playing while he joins them.

His hands are craving a different challenge, you see. Much as he enjoys tickling the keys/plucking the strings, he’d much rather run his fingers over his beloved.

…and he intends to perform for them very, very well.

[midasriku]

rizz from the underworld • jjh smau

SYNOPSIS • what on earth could a son of Aphrodite and daughter of Hades possibly have in common? well, more than you would think actually. ever since stepping foot in Camp Half Blood, the two had never really interacted with each other. why would they? they’re from two very different worlds. so what happens when a rumour gets out that Cabin 10’s certified heartbreaker has a crush of nearly 3 years? and what happens when Cabin 13’s only resident gets thrown in with the likely (unlikely) candidates?

jaehyun’s cherubs ❦

jaehyun... is a son of aphrodite. naturally, as the son of the goddess of beauty, jaehyun is as captivating as a chiseled greek statue. and naturally, he's also the camp's resident heartbreaker when it comes to love confessions. it's not his fault, he just isn't into anyone at the moment. unless, you know, they happen to be emo and hates his guts (for some reason). his favourite asset? his masterful ability to charmspeak. he doesn’t use it often though, only during dinner when he wants jungwoo to slip him an extra chicken wing.

johnny... is a son of hermes. probably one of camp half blood's longest campers. as cabin 11's counsellor, he's seen kids come and go wether they become claimed or just leave in the middle of the night due to the unfamiliarity of it all. when he can, he slips those unfortunate souls a drachma or two and send them on their merry way. on another note, after living for as long as he has at camp, it tends to get boring with the same old shenanigans happening. it's a good thing mischief (and drama) literally run in his blood.

taeyong... is a son of zeus. the prodigal son and heir to olympus would rather stay in bed all day and curl up with his three cats. his sister swears she'll kick them out again if they mess with her designer bags, but taeyong notices how she'll never bother to move the furry critters once they settle on her side of the cabin. with the most completed quests on his belt, taeyong is everyone's tour guide when it's their turn to venture out when the oracle tells them to.

yuta... is a son of ares. if you mention that his dad and jaehyun's mom are technically married and they’re technically step siblings, he'll knock your lights out. the funny thing is yuta cares for jaehyun like an actual brother. he just likes to hit people. unfortunately, due to this reputation of his, people never approach him or dare joke around with him. it's a shame, really. yuta's smile is one of the wonders of the world.

jungwoo... is a son of apollo. never, and i mean never, leave jungwoo unattended at the shooting range. if it weren't for his healing prowess and lyre-wielding skills, you'd never assume he was a son of apollo. he was upset about not being a good archer at first but after his father sent him his own lyre, jungwoo now takes pride in serenading everyone at night during campfires.

masterlist | yn’s undead army

ᝰ.ᐟ taglist open!: @valsntine @apolloxxivmin @jellykitti comment if you want to be added!

[siredellcomputerblue]

I'm a fiend for magic systems so here's mine

Alrighty. Magic systems. Yes, love em. Mine is very crucial to know when getting into world building since it's heavily integrated into society and everyday life. This post is going to be long so uh sorry not sorry.

In terms of this magic system, the basic rule to know is: magic is only limited by imagination, experience, and the varying state of being.

Mana in your body has a similar upkeep as your circulation. Physical exercise will help your mana flow correctly and at the correct pressure. While still in your body, not converted into magic, it's a fluid, like blood, plasma, saliva, etc. and acts as such. It's necessary that physical condition is decent at least to have good magic flow and to be able to perform magic at a basic standard. Sickness and emotional health will affect magic just as much as physical condition.

There's a phenomenon in which people can accidentally trigger magic without meaning to that can be referred to as Mana Sparks; there is a small and distinct crackling sound that occurs during the event.

When something is created with magic, it is an imitation of the original object or element. Mana, similar to blood or hair, cannot be ingested, it will cause illness. It's just as well each magic user will have their own unique interpretation or imitation of an object or element. If one were to create water, the color, temperature, and taste may vary from someone else's creation of water. If one were to create food to be consumed (it will make you sick it's not real food) the taste would be the creator's expression of their own taste buds; you would taste something how the creator would taste it.

There are 3 general aspects to magic: density, control, and stamina. Density is the overall strength and concentration that your mana and magic will display. The other two are more self-explanatory, though with more control means more fine tuning details and having higher quality magic. Demons have higher magic density, humans have more stamina, and elves have more control. That is the trinity of balance.

In terms of casting magic, it must come from one of your extremities, there is no casting magic separate from your body--in order to do that you would need to have a trail of mana leading to the spot where you would want to cast magic.

Mana is often invisible outside of the body unless in active use, meaning you can let it leak out, but it's not ignited. The actual color of your mana depends on your eye color. In uncommon cases, your mana color will be a relative's eye color.

Eye color as well can be influenced by strong emotions, though the color will change based on the color you associate the emotion with. Since this was confusing in terms of socialization, there came about a chart linking emotions to certain colors. In serious cases like depression, your eye color can be altered indefinitely which in turn affects your mana color.

Due to the amount of visualization that's required to cast magic, the ability to visualize in this world is much higher than ours--but that doesn't stop conditions like aphantasia and hyperphantasia from existing. In the context of this world, aphantasia is regarded as a disability considering it's the main technique of casting magic. For people with aphantasia, casting magic is much harder and requires a lot more effort to shape and mold magic. Hyperphantasia depending on the case can also be regarded as a disability. For some, it helps strengthen the foundation of their magic. For others that get intrusive thoughts often or have multiple strings of thought at once, it's more of a hindrance and interrupts concentration more often than naught. It also mixes badly with a horrific condition called Hunter's Syndrome. For monster hunters, they are required to recall the pain they have experienced to get the job done. In general, dreams and nightmares are more vivid, but for those with Hunter's Syndrome, they may end up experiencing episodes of pain and in bad cases they unintentionally hurt themselves, so they are prescribed Mana Stone bracelets--the stone absorbs magic and slowly releases it back into the air over time. Basically it makes it so that it requires more mana to be used to cast magic, but it also reduces the likelihood of one hurting themselves.

Using magic in an ill-intended or harmful way against another person is ENTIRELY illegal.

-----

Healing Magic:

My idea of healing magic is a very simple mechanic; speed up the healing process, not necessarily "healing" on its own if that makes sense. If it's used on say a bare patch of skin that's perfectly healthy, it can cause an overgrowth in skin tissue, even causing cancer at times, so the magic has to be used carefully. Like with tinctures, mixed herbs can help aid the reception of healing magic and help support a healthy recovery. By standard, healing magic has to be done at a slower pace, both to reduce the likelihood of causing cancers and to reduce friction from cell reproduction. Field medics are knowledgeable in treating physical wounds and such, however in terms of sickness/disease, one would be recommended to go to a doctor or hospital depending on the case (not that medics can't treat sickness, but more advanced illnesses are more out of their scope of knowledge).

-----

Telekinesis:

Telekinesis is an idea I played around with for a while and decided I was going to incorporate it--with a rule set of course. You have a certain amount of reach, and the amount you can lift ties in with how much you can physically lift. You can have a higher ratio of magic strength than physical strength, but the two properties still go hand in hand. Trying to lift something that is farther away from you will also be more difficult (think of it as trying to reach and lift something that you can barely get your fingers around--like trying to lift a water bottle with the tips of your fingers is much more difficult than using your entire hand).

-----

Bio-mimicry Magic:

This kind of magic can be harmless or incredibly dangerous depending on the element that's imitated. Basically this is my version of elemental magic you might see in other media; you can copy the elements you see but depending on your experience with them, they may be more or less accurate to the actual element, or you may just be putting up a cheap trick that's all looks and no substance. As an example say, fire magic, if you've never been burned before, then your fire magic is simply the image or illusion of fire; a fancy light show that sometimes people use to prank other people. Another thing with bio-mimicry magic is in terms of temperature, the spell will have to be a concentration; if you're in extremely hot weather and you try and create ice, you may create the image of ice but the temperature will be a struggle depending on how good your focus is.

-----

Emotion Manipulation Magic:

This is very difficult magic to do, it requires a lot of control and experience to be able to do it correctly. With magic, experiences and drawing from experiences is one of the core mechanics--this is the same for emotion manipulation. It's very rare to see it in action in the proper manner, however, other instances can be sharing feelings for communication though, the legality of it is tricky since it can be used for actual manipulation. With the best control, a single emotion can be conveyed in a precise manner, almost like telepathy in the sense that it portrays a specific feeling with high accuracy. Normally what you would see would be whatever you feel in the moment, a wishy washy wave of feelings that are pushed towards the recipient. The area that this magic has to be performed on in terms of physical touch is anywhere above the shoulders and neck. Holding someone's cheeks or resting your hand on their head are the normal positions, though the first is generally reserved for intimate or close relationships. This kind of magic can be cast from a distance with a trail of mana.

-----

Form Magic:

This is kind of a magic that is generally used for social interaction or practical purposes. The limit of how much you can change your form ties in with how much control and stamina you have--less so with density--as well as your physical form itself; you cannot change your body shape, nor can you change your form from being humanoid. Most of the time, you will see people changing the form of their extremities or the texture of their skin. So, technically catgirls and whatever is relative in that category can exist and are part of the culture. Some people will end up with very high stamina as they try and maintain their form magic for long periods of time, other instances in terms of cosmetics are generally used for costumes. For practicality it may serve to change your hands into claws of some kind in case you require something long or if you need to reach something farther.

-----

Force Magic:

Force magic is sort of what it sounds like; you imagine you apply force to an object or being, and in that vein it's a little like an offshoot of telekinesis. Depending on what you use this magic for, its effects will be wildly different. Most of the time this is used for combat; in broad terms, force magic is like a wall, and you can still use that to bludgeon targets, but if you narrow the shape enough, it can act as a blade though you still need the intent and experience in pain to actually pierce skin (mana density also plays a factor in how much damage you do since it's the base strength of your magic). Since the principle of this is pretty much "more pain, more damage", it's created this trend in creation of illegal training camps that force (no pun intended) harsh and torturous methods onto hunters in training as opposed to standard training.

There is a subtype to force magic called psychic force magic--sort of the unholy combination of force magic and emotion manipulation magic. In a simple explanation, you shove your bad emotions, feelings, or physical sensations onto a target, though this can pair with drug use like psychedelics and hallucinogens. If the attack is sudden enough, it can put the target into shock and even potentially send the target into cardiac arrest. It's extremely dangerous and rare to see (also highly illegal to use in any application as it's inhumane in general).

-----

Damn that ended up being longer than I thought it would be--some of these sections were prewritten and I just edited and added onto them.

I don't really know how to end this so uh have a couple pictures-

[devilish-delights-cafe]

A bookmark has arrived!

⋆˙⟡ Pudding with Diavolo ⋆˙⟡

To: @husky-studies From: Anonymous

⭑.ᐟ Bookmark from Diavolo

Honeybuns, Barbatos has woken me up with a new batch of pudding today and I immediately needed you here to try it with me. After all, it always tastes better when you grace me with you presence. Then we could go for a stroll in the castle's gardens. A picnic under the tree sounds great, does it not? I have acquiried a new lyre and, therefore, practiced. Will you allow me to serenade you? From the Orpheus to your Eurydice(without the tragic part, of course), Diavolo.

Credits to @vysleix for the dividers

[typingdyslexiaisathing]

Everything hurt. From the neck and shoulders all the way down the spine and arms to then tingle in fingers and butt cheeks. Both legs too numb to feel anything other than dull void. But knowing my luck, they'd get to lodging a riot once I got out of the bed. So I didn't. I stayed in the bed, face planted in the pillows. I chose not to do anything but breathe. Leaving my D.D.D. to buzz away every ten seconds. Two minutes later, the noise level within the House of Lamentation peaked. "She didn't answer me either." Grumbling. "No I don't think she got grabbed by some random ghost! Don't be stupid, Mammon!" More shouting. So I made a choice to use a more direct approach. Closing my eyes to focus as the pact marks all flared to life to send out one single thought. 'I hurt everywhere and refuse to move. Stop being so fucking noisy.'

All seven brothers went deathly quiet before the whispers started. All of them taking the hint to not be too loud as they formulated some kind of plan. So I wasn't caught by surprise when my locked door opened with Lucifer's master key in his hand. The eldest walking in soon followed by Beelzebub and Satan. Beelzebub took care to crawl into my bed and wrap those massive arms around me to hug me. Which was a balm in itself as I felt tears trace down my face. Lucifer being his usual blunt self. "The festival competitions did their number on you. Despite the assurances you'd be fine with some sleep. I already told Lord Diavolo my suspicions earlier and will let him know I was correct. So now we will see to easing your pain, lamb."

I would have loved to smack Lucifer in the face with a pillow or even a kitchen pot for that one comment. But chose instead to let Beelzebub lean me into his furnace of a frame. That protective teddy bug bear of a demon holding me like I was the most priceless treasure in all three realms. While Satan took the bedsheets off the bed to toss them into the laundry hamper. His words warm and calm to give assurance. "One of the witches I am in book club with has a special bath tonic she will teleport on over. While her boyfriend of a nymph is getting his lyre to serenade you during your treatment. They have been wanting to meet you for over a month, lamb. So don't fault me for asking them to help out." I put two and two together to roll my eyes and ask, "Is this the same witch whose niece owns a dozen cats and keeps texting you?" Satan blushed to huff and look away from me as Beelzebub smiled. "Oh. You mean Ambrosia. I like her a lot. She has a really good podcast about abandoned houses in the Human World that might be haunted."

We heard Mammon squeak from the hallway for me to smile despite my aching everywhere. So I asked out loud, "But we have the Great Mammon to take care of any spooks and scares. So I for one have nothing to worry about when it comes to that. But I do want to know why it is no one has offered to do my missed classwork with me while I spend a week recovering. Do I just assume Belphegor won the drawing of lots on that?" The brothers give words in that angelic tongue they tended to default to when caught off guard for Lucifer to sigh heavily at my successful ploy. While Beelzebub hummed to place his cheek to mine so we could nuzzle cuddle. "No. Leviathan already won that. Belphegor is going to do the sleep trance sessions with you to catch up on anything you need really serious help with. Asmodeus and Mammon have to be out for a huge modeling gig this week and won't be around. But they did get dibs on the weekend relaxing spa session with you." I blinked to just giggle and say for all to hear, "Right. Just plan my whole month out for me why don't you. I veto that idea immediately. You'd keep me away from Luke and Simeon and the rest of the three realms if I let you." No one could argue my point for Beelzebub to suggest, "We could have Simeon and Luke come and have dinner with us. That way we all get to have them spend time with you and maybe watch a movie."

Lucifer had his phone out and to his ear the second we heard it ring. His voice curt and clear as he let that idea linger. "Hello. Yes. Your favorite human is indeed talking about you, Luke. She won't be at school for a while. The competition. She's currently being cuddled by Beelzebub as we see to a magic tonic bath for her. I invite you and Simeon over for dinner tomorrow night to see her. Yes. She will insist on seeing you and Simeon. Because she adores you, Luke. We all know that quite well by now." The meep on the other end of the phone was immediately followed by Simeon laughing. Only for Solomon to cut in for Lucifer to state, "That is not for you to decide. She is your apprentice. But she's part of our family. You will see her in three days for a casual magic lesson. If you try anything sooner, I will toss you directly to Cerberus." Lucifer hung up for Satan to snicker over and look very amused. So I huffed as Beelzebub lifted me up and towards the door so I could get into that waiting promised bath. My words leveled and pointed. "One of these days I will help Solomon get back at you for how dismissive you are towards him, Lucy Lou." To which Lucifer flinched to grumble out, "Please don't call me that."

[kylobith]

LotR Week - Day 6 (21st Sep)

Songs and Tales — @lotrweek

In Ithilien there was a prince tall and fair, Whose love for songs and tales was so great that one day He sought out friends from other realms in hopes they’d share Words worthy of the great task that before him lay.

His heart was captured by a creature of such grace, Who enlightened his life and with him founded Home; Since they met, his worries vanished without a trace, And his ever helpless mind had long ceased to roam.

Eager to demonstrate his adoration to her In a way so familiar and soothing to him, He travelled to places that his interest spur So that, for his bride, he would compose a love hymn.

He went to the Glittering Caves, a dwarven home, To meet with their fiery yet welcoming yet lord. Sat by the hearth, the heart of a tall stony dome, The dwarves sang the verses often shared in their ward.

They told of strong-willed women who once led their realm, Stout as the mountainside in which they dug their den; In times of war, they shyed not away from the helm Adorned with shiny beards like daylight on the glen.

Words of beauty indeed, if he were to trust them; Yet did they convey what his Lady was to him? With her golden hair and eye shiny as a gem, It is with joy that she filled his heart to the brim.

The road led him to Mirkwood, where Elves once settled; Their prince granted him an audience at once and Hearing his plea, he recalled songs of words petaled, Whose sheer refinement and grace our prince left stunned.

They told of elven ladies enchanting dancing To music of pipes unseen, within forests green; Others complimented their bright eyes entrancing, As well as their alluring smiles, like their blades so keen.

Their sophisticated tongue and words made it clear: There was a way he could serenade his lady! His exaltation made his plan draw ever near, Yet his newborn ballad remained somewhat hazy.

Our prince, inspired, then left for the Shire; There, Hobbits gathered around some pints and fine treats, Hopped onto tables, chanted around a lyre, Their celebration as merry as their heartbeats.

Two old friends rejoiced at his sight and with him drank. They spoke of the dear, gentle ladies at the fair Or cheerfully picknicking by the river bank, With flowers in their curls, they laughed without a care.

The three people he encountered loved differently: They celebrated strength, elegance, and kindness; All mentioned the way the men would hold them gently, And would whisper to them how they leave them breathless.

Back at his court, the prince meditated longer, Seeking the pretty words that long eluded him; Upon the soft parchment he let his quill wander And with a lighter mind bared his heart on a whim.

As the moon rose, he sang it to his beloved, Whose blushing reaction his joy did not eclipse; Yet little did he know that what she most loved Was his tender smile and her name upon his lips.

Happy birthday to David Wenham (Faramir)!

[parasido]

second wind (jan 1, 25')

Lumine’s fingers fumble almost every note, as she’s determined on keeping the melody’s original pace. Her eyebrows furrow deeply, plush lips pursed straight in focus.

She eventually gives up– at least for the time being –in favor of slumping down in her chair, and resting her head on the table in forfeit.

Her head spins with broken strings and musical notes, random mess-ups and the likely disapproval of Venti. She could practically see his face already, frowning softly as he'd wave a scolding finger in her direction.

Scarred hands sat in her lap, sore and worn out from the constant plucking of strings. Though it should have been her calluses and scars from sword fights that ailed her mind, the opportunity to both impress and serenade Venti had already been doing her in greatly.

They had crossed paths far too early.

She hadn’t perfected it. No, not at all. She was closer to the beginning than she was to the finale, but she’d been forced to finish it off anyway. Venti sways on the balls of his feet, staring at her with anticipation.

Too much anticipation.

“I wanted to..” The traveler mumbles, palms suddenly turning sweaty at the attention. “To play– learn –the lyre for you.”

“Hm?” Venti starts, eyes creasing up in fondness. “How sweet.” Her face flushes a dusty pink, and she has to suppress the urge to cover her face with her half-gloved hands. He smiles gently in return, but doesn’t mention it.

He tilts his head to the side like a loyal dog, tracing the side of her waist with delicate fingers. The bard moves with intention, every movement meant to unravel her defenses. Not out of malicious intent, instead out of worry.

Worry that she might spin herself too tight. Worry that she’ll try and take on Teyvat alone, sacrificing herself for the “greater good” that is ultimately useless without her.

He worries without her, he’ll do the same.

“Then, why don’t you show me what you’ve learnt so far? Maybe I can give you a few pointers. Besides,” An arm winds around Lumine’s waist, pulling her so close their noses touch. “I don’t mind spending an eternity watching my beloved play, even if the notes aren’t quite right until a few hundred years in.” Venti titters, winking, before resting his cheek in his hand as he leans on the cedar table. Watching.

She decides to take it slow.

Lumine’s fingers pick at chords with visible hesitance, but she continues, slow paced, not daring to even blink as she plays. She thinks she’s got it, but her finger eventually slips, and she comes to a halt. Completely stopped. Her head has gone fuzzy in the presence of a god. Venti blinks softly at her, waiting for her to continue.

When she doesn’t, his eyes gaze into hers, before speaking once more. “Go on. You can do it, love,” He smiles, eyes locked on Lumine. She knows he doesn’t expect perfection, but she does. She always does.

“Okay,” She takes a deep breath, before strumming at the lyre again.

She hits all but three notes. She winces at each one, and looks down at her lap once the song’s over. She is disappointed beyond belief. The unbeatable traveler, shot down by some silly wind instrument.

Despite this, Venti places a hand under her chin, lifting it eye level to his. Her eyes flit down, left, right and up, before meeting his own. It feels too close for comfort, like she’s not allowed to look away.

He wants to look– To peer inside her heart, her mind, see what makes her so scared to make a mistake, to breathe the wrong way, to look.

“You did lovely. Why do you insist on pushing your victories away? Why do you focus on what scars, not on what bleeds?” He asks. There is a heavy weight that lies beneath his questions, something that does not want to be shown, they both know it– Yet, Venti asks anyway.

A sickening feeling sits deep in Lumine’s chest. Waiting to lurch out of her with every second that slowly passes. Growing mold spores with the time that passes when she pushes away every sense of destruction she inflicts on herself in favor of the unnecessary, harmful thoughts that plague her.

She knows that mold will eat her alive, too, leaving only a bleeding heart left untreated.

“You know that, Lumine.”

She pushes her head back down, covering her head with both hands. She cannot take his stare, his godly judgement and care. He cares so much, she knows, but it never gets past her thick skin and viciously pumping blood. She takes a deep, heaving breath. It hurts to think. Her head spins– why is she being so sensitive? It is unlike her, a strong, weathered warrior, to be overwhelmed by a stupid, simple question.

She hasn’t even thought about it. Not once.

Venti stares.

With her head down, it feels like the world has lost its vibrance. He sighs, knowing she’s too trapped in her head to listen, and kneels down before her. She is a star hiding behind polluted skies, a snake biting its own tail. She is the sand inside the timepiece– the bullet inside the gun.

Waiting for fire.

.

sorry had to get this out before i exploded. do u like chocolate?

here's a milky way

thanks 4 read. smooches you

[yuyinesque]

WINDBLUME BARD | “𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗇 𝖺𝗋𝖼𝗁𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝗇𝖾𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝖿𝖾𝖾𝗅 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀…”

⚘ précis. = you’ve noticed changes in your lover’s temperament the closer the two of you have grown. they’re not negative changes, per se, but you’re having trouble comprehending how exactly a guileless face could inure such terrors.

⚘ disclaimers. = blind!gn reader x venti/barbatos, poetic writing (he’s a bard, hadda switch up my groove), the baby gust of air goes by they/them, major character death mention (the nameless bard), not proofread.

⚘ category. = sfw fluff/angst headcanons/drabble.

⚘ wc. = 708.

𖦥 m.list. oc.list.

𖤥 Venti is the ballet dancer to your boxer. While all bards possess the ethereality to poetically enact stories that pertain to universal crises, this surrealist in question is the one that stuck out to you the most. You like to imagine that when you're in their vicinity, listening to them charm the ecstatic crowds with their intangible anecdotes, ivory cecilias scampered to flourish each time the mysterious individual would ramble, their trusted diaphanous lyre rejoiced in their memorable tunes to influence the tear-inducing plots, and their guileless giggles mistaking songbirds for melodic flirts from their mates. You naturally developed the obsessive need to protect them, casually and uncharacteristically threaten the ones who would dare disrupt his silly stories, earning a mischievous titter from Venti. Especially since they've been assisting you and your cecity ever since you've moved to Monstadt.

𖤥 You didn't need it, but you didn't say anything, for you believed that they'd leave you alone since there was no reason for them to linger around you anymore. Meanwhile, you're their anticipated fan, adoring the fact that you're the first one there when they're going to sing another song. The nostalgia was overwhelming for the both of you; they could never forget how concerned you were when they received minor backlash that didn't move them in the slightest. It left quite the reputation. How fast you almost ditched your walking stick to follow the voice of their awkward replies to the said outsiders who dared treat them in such a way; it was truly an adorable sight to keep embedded within their memory for eons.

"Well, aren't you as sweet as an ambrosia apple? Ehehe, thank you! Buuut, if you really wanna ensure my peace, I accept libations in decanters, if you know what I mean~... Huh!? What do you mean I "seem" too young to drink!? I'm as old as the Anemo Archen themself!"

𖤥 Meanwhile, Barbatos is the boxer to your baller dancer. As the two of you've grown closer, you've learned a thing or two about the bard who derived from an Archon. Or perhaps is an Archon; your expression was utterly priceless when they confided in you! They would seem to carry more of an aura of an Archon the more you ponder about it; was it because they seemed rather... serene with you now? Previously, they were the personification of bustling billows of suffocating winds, but now the winds practiced tranquility, converting into whispering zephyrs who implored to tell you all the truths needed to understand their character. Their implores were merely in vain, resulting in the bard to continuously quaff down bounties of alcohol to subdue the helpless sentiments they wish not to sing about. To think that he was a retired boxer all this time, subtly swaying you away from the evil of Teyvat to avoid another important loss. The idea of losing you was overwhelming; the thought of being incapable of burying themself in those achromic eyes of yours as they serenaded you under the moonlight was heartbreaking.

𖤥 You could tell that something was bothering them that specific day with the way the tunes were drearier than usual, slower than before, and even some notes were uncharacteristically misplayed.

𖤥 These were one of the rare times they adored the fact that you couldn't see, but loathed the fact that they could. The more they doted at your concerned expression, the more their face suffused with crimson, the more their under eyes surged, reddened, and swelled with disruptive tears, and the more their throat seethed with fears they failed to subdue. Although it's been a while since they last cried to someone, they refused to ruin such an amazing time with you. Because of such, they wiped out their doe, viridian eyes with a feigned giggle, scooting closer to you in order to cuff your hand, which only proceeded to worry you even more.

"Very intuitive. Hehe, as expected from my flawless lover. There's something that's been pestering me a bit, but don't you go worrying about it. Even Archons need to feel something every once in a while. Come on, come on! Let's indulge more in each other, I promise that your presence will wash every dread I have stored in my heart."

yuyinesque | translate with permission & peruse without theft.