#also i want to shake genshin because what do you MEAN part of the chinese title was xq's old pen name before they changed it
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Xingqiu slumps onto his desk, defeated. The deadline for a special volume of A Legend of Sword is scarcely three nights away, and yet he still hasnât progressed past the first fight sequence. Every word he pens feels inadequate, his characters are becoming more and more crooked, and the sentences are crawling away from him like silkworms off the pageâone, two, three, four⌠Waitâbut the next arc⌠His valiant unnamed hero will claim a narrow victory against the Tai-Shogunâs cyborg samurai, and thenâand thenâŚ
When Xingqiuâs eyelids flutter open again, the lantern by his window has dimmed considerably. He cannot have dozed off for that long, can he?
At least his father and brother are asleep. It would be best if they never find out about his sleeping schedule.
The shadow of his hand is so sharp against the pages of his lantern-lit draft. Xingqiu traces the ridges of his knuckles, a flickering black silhouette on the page beneath it. From this angle, it almost looks like a dragonâs mouth, one of the Natlan kinds⌠Maybe heâll be able to see one in person somedayâŚ
He should try to finish this chapter, since itâs almost done anyways⌠Oh, but didnât Calx mention something about their alchemy experiments in their last letter? Perhaps they know a potion that could increase his inspiration⌠it wouldnât be too late to ask about it, right?
His eyes shut slowly.
���âqiu. Xingqiu. Hey, bookworm. Arenât you a sorry sight, hm?â Someone is poking his shoulder. He wishes they would stop. He knows that voice. Itâ
ââŚWhâ Hu Tao? Isnât it late? How did you even get in?â Where is she? Xingqiu can only stare blearily in the direction of her voice, strangely disembodied in the pitch-black room.
âThe same way I always do; donât tell me you already forgot? Anyways, there was business at Wuwang Hill tonight. It takes a long time to walk back.â There's rustling, the tap-tap of shoes against the sandalwood floor, and then a crackling of fire as Xingqiu's lantern flickers to life again. It illuminates Xingqiuâs room, his manuscript, and the girl leaning against his desk, idly twirling her hat round her thumb. A smile dances across Hu Taoâs peach blossom eyes, and her merry lips quirk up at the corners, greeting him warmly. Xingqiu is impressed by her liveliness at such an hour; anyone normal would never be in such a good mood in this dead of night. Of course, Hu Tao has never settled for normalcy. And he would be delighted to see her any other time, butâŚ
âHu Tao, I appreciate your visit, but you should head back to Wangsheng. I need to focus, and you should rest too.â Xingqiu straightens in his chair, and immediately grimacesâhis back is aching. Hu Taoâs eyes narrow, and Xingqiu resigns himself. Heâs never been able to hide much from her: not his double standards, his avoidance, his fatigue.
âYouâve been in this slump for at least a week, and youâre still putting on a brave face? Itâs unbecoming for a chivalric hero to refuse help in dire straits, Xingqiu.â Hu Taoâs voice is rarely so serious, and Xingqiu can feel her studying him, her gaze quietly burning. He looks away. When had she become so adept at instilling that indescribable feeling of shame-guilt in him?
âHow long have you been working on this dialogue? You know, inspiration wonât strike you like a lightning bolt in this dead of night, or it wouldâve already.â
âIââ Xingqiu looks back at the draft. The last sentence trails off illegibly, and there are ink splatters all over the pageâit seems his brush control is no better with less sleep. He sighs.
âAiya⌠look at you, already so despondent. Isnât your deadline still three midnights away? Come on, youâre already turning into a dull and uninspired young master. If you go on like this, soon I wonât have anyone to trade verses with anymore.â
âHey! Iâm not becoming dull or uninspired! I just⌠I just need a bit more time.â Yeah, thatâs it. He just needs to get used to the flow of his story again. After all, thereâs never been another way out, has there?
âHm. Whatever you say, young master. Listen, let me tell you about the hanged ghost mystery that cropped up a week ago; itâll send chills down your spine for sure. I guarantee it would make for an incredible plot point!â Thereâs a warm lilt in Hu Taoâs voiceâa rare teasing fondness that makes Xingqiu raise his head. She is looking at him expectantly, eyes alight with the promise of a good story, words waiting to spill from her lips like the sweet melody of just-ready rice wine.
Really, this girl. Itâs scary how much she understands him.
âOh? Then, if it pleases Master Hu to continue, my attention is all hers.â
âââ
notes: i have no idea how hu tao could get into his room tbh i just accept she's better at being a prankster than i am lmao. peach blossom eyes does not just refer to hu tao's pupils, it's an eye shape classification! i thought it fits her <3 (putting this note here since I already described it like that 2x) also just imagine that xingqiu usually has relatively fast reflexes but he's eepy and tired so he isn't as alert against intruders. also, smiles serenely. they could be each other's muses and inspirations (high honor). this is rlly just xingqiu going through The Horrors (writers block) but i hope it's decent i love him dearly. i dont actually know if hu tao was written that well tbh something about writing in limited perspective kinda fucks me up idk. the more i look at this the more things i find wrong with it but i need to be free from it now or it's never getting done
also this is irrelevant to this snippet but i choose to believe in shit eyesight xingqiu who got the teyvat equivalent of contacts and/or lasik eye surgery. he would've needed glasses but he doesn't want to look like an Old Man!!!! (baizhu: ._. )
#hoyo when will i see him/them again..... in my xqht maining era (< in terms of blorbo meter as well as gameplay)#WHEN WILL I SEE FANART OF THEM AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP im so ill#you should absolutely read this as xq slumped on his desk with white rectangle eyes and a little ghost spirit xq hanging out of his mouth#and the bg has those manga lines of doom and despair behind him#he's so me when im trying to finish my hw the night its due btw. and me using up my one remaining braincell to get out of writers block!!!!#xingqiu#hu tao#teyvat thoughts#genshin impact#plum blossom bookmark#SOOOOOOOO dead about this actually when will i see my son and my daughter in someone elses stuff....... whennnnnnn i can't subsist#on crumbs forever sigh. is it time to crawl thru ao3? is it?#irrelevant but also i was holding myself back from saying 'that's so crazy' at least thrice in the notes. ily author boy go write ur#weeb scifi novel i will support the next volume wholeheartedly (ht will support the next volume with teasing and critique)#also i want to shake genshin because what do you MEAN part of the chinese title was xq's old pen name before they changed it#his self insert novel doing numbers /JJJJJJJJJ
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