#bough keeper ;; IC . DAINSLEIF

[delusionaid]

@svnsworn sent:

It is rare that the Tsaritsa leaves her ice palace in the frozen heart of Snezhnaya, but rumors abound of a man from Kaenri'ah roaming the breadth of Teyvat, and she simply couldn't hold back her intrigue. Of course, she highly doubts that it would be the love that she lost in the Cataclysm five hundred years ago, the love that turned her soul cold and shifted her gaze towards the ruin of Celestia. And yet, as she follows the lead she has been given, there is a part of her that...hopes. Alas, when she finds the man, it is not the one she seeks. A foolish notion, and one that once would have found her disappointed; now, however, she is simply angry with herself for even the brief moment of hope. That has been extinguished so long ago. But, while she's here, outside of her home and eyeing a blonde masked man, she may as well say hello. "Who would have thought that even I would stumble across someone with the Kaenri'ah curse," she says, stepping into his line of sight, white hair and tawny skin bright beneath a sun much harsher than that what pierces the skies at home. She didn't stumble upon him, but he needn't know that. Given how hard he can be to find, she imagines he already knows that her words are steeped in lies. "Truly, it is an honor to meet one of the survivors." Sarcasm, mockery; just as the world has seen fit to mock her, so, too, do her words drip the subtle poison of her pain.

Her presence is felt; like a beacon of magic not native to this land (much like him) she stands out in a way only few in Teyvat do. As such there is no need to ask what she is - or who, for that matter. Their paths have crossed before in a time nearly forgotten to the world and all those who didn't witness it, but even if the Bough Keeper was granted relief from all the memories that weigh on his mind he would likely recognize her. A queen in her own name, a leader among leaders, an adversary in title but ostensibly not in action.

Her hair sways in the mild breeze that curls around them almost lovingly but loses its warmth between them, where a cold radiates from her like the reverse of standing near a well-lit hearth. It is an inhuman cold, the kind that seeps through clothes and skin but doesn't cut the way a winter's storm might.

"I care not if you rejoice in my punishment," Dainsleif says as he meets her gaze, both calm and piercing like a crisp winter's morning. There is a cold in his own eyes, a rigidity that's come with passing time and passing grief, and he doesn't back down from looking right at her. Her choice of words seems deliberate and they do nothing to soften the knight's posture or heart for her. Though he was willing to see her as something other than those he deems responsible for the calamity that befell his homeland, he still senses her discountenance and finds its twin in his own response to her.

"I see you take me for a fool - an even greater one than that by your side." The Jester; a man as entangled in history and yet nearly as invisible as Dainsleif himself - what was it that drove him to the Tsaritsa's arms back then? What is it that guides his schemes and thoughts now? Revenge? Redemption? A truth not yet revealed? "We are the ones who are chained by our past and banned from our future - but why do you linger? What do you seek that isn't long lost to this world?"

[storytell]

TAG DUMP: DAINSLEIF

bough keeper ;; IC . DAINSLEIF show me that you are worthier than i. ;; ASK . DAINSLEIF we will defy this world with a power from beyond. ;; OPEN . DAINSLEIF in the hidden corners where the gods’ gaze does not fall / there are those who dream of dreaming ;; VISAGE . DAINSLEIF but i believe we humans have our humanity. ;; HEADCANONS . DAINSLEIF smoldering remains ( a warning to those that dare trespass ) ;; MUSINGS . DAINSLEIF what the fuck is a ‘‘fire emblem’’ ;; CRACK . DAINSLEIF such is the cycle of the world. ;; DASH COMMENTARY

[teyvattherapist]

Touch

Just some Genshin dudes and various ways they touch.

tags: gn!readerxXiao, Diluc, and Dainsleif (Separate), fluff, angst if you squint, canon typical violence, implied height difference(Dainsleif, but he's tall af so)

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Xiao, the Vigilant Yaksha

Xiao’s injuries often healed rather quickly, there was very little point to patching them up. Something you learned fairly quickly in your friendship with the yaksha. Though, it never did stop him from stumbling into the Inn at ungodly hours with a body full of wounds and his polearm bent at an awkward angle. Like clockwork though, he and his weapon were fine by morning light. Something about adeptal healing.. Still though, it never failed to worry you, even if he didn’t understand the point of worrying over something so foolish.

But now that Xiao was on the other end of this, he understood the ‘foolish feelings of worry’.

“Xiao, I’m fine, really.” You tried to wiggle away to no avail as Xiao keeps your arm firmly in his lap as he dabs the nasty cut on your arm with a damp cloth. It hurt more to keep struggling, eventually opting to still and let him do as he pleased. His eyebrows were furrowed, face set in a scowl as he dunked the bloodied cloth into the bowl of warm water. He looked angry, but you knew better than to assume his anger was directed at you.

Steady fingers swiped the healing salve onto the injury, the gel cold and uncomfortable against the wound. Xiao carefully wrapped the gauze around your bicep, tying it off in a rather messy but sturdy way. “Who did this?” The yaksha finally questioned, or more like, demanded to know. Amber eyes narrow at you as if he were trying to read your mind. Your name left his lips and you rubbed the back of your neck.

“Uhm, geo slime?”

Xiao inhaled sharply, bringing his free hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose in a desperate attempt to relieve the sudden stress in his face. “You got into a fight with a geo slime?” A nervous smile crossed your face as he questioned you. “Stop doing that. I won’t always be here to patch your injuries.” He dropped his hand from his face, eyes momentarily meeting yours before he quickly looked away.

“Were you worried?” You snorted when he cleared his throat, standing quickly. The yaksha disappeared into the bathroom with the medical items. “That’s cute, Xiao!” You call to him, receiving the bowl tumbling into the sink as a response. Somehow his claim to not always being here to patch you up feels like a lie now.

Diluc Ragnvindr, the Dark Side of Dawn

It was rare that Diluc got a day off, even rarer that he didn’t just work on something else to pass the time. But how could he deny his lovely partner asking him to stay in bed for once? His fingers absentmindedly drawing patterns on your back as you cuddle against him. He couldn’t help it though, despite the domesticity of the moment, his mind was elsewhere. Always focused on work, unfortunately. The redhead let out a soft sigh, turning his head to look at the afternoon sun streaming through the window.

“Can you stop thinking so hard your heart is going crazy and I can’t sleep.” You gently prod his side, eyes opening to look up at him. Diluc blinked in surprise, being drawn from the depths of his thoughts as he looked down at you, head still resting on his chest. “You okay, Luc?” You watch as he looks away, red eyes once more training on the window. At least his heart wasn’t racing anymore.

“I’m fine, sweetheart. I apologise for waking you.” Despite his reassurance, you get the distinct feeling that he’s lying. It isn’t uncommon for Diluc’s thoughts to cloud his days, nor is it uncommon for him to shut you out when it gets like this. Nonetheless, you push yourself up, sitting with your back against the headboard beside him. “If you’re tired, you can rest more.”

You pull on Diluc’s arm still around you, tugging the man against your shoulder. Despite the sudden shift in his centre of gravity, he didn’t complain, resting his head against your shoulder. “I know I can’t make them go away, but I’m here for you.” You take his hand, pressing his calloused palm against your chest, above your heart. “This? This beats for you.” Diluc turned his head, resting his forehead against your shoulder instead.

“Thank you.”

Dainsleif, the Bough Keeper

Cursed to outlast anybody and everybody, Dainsleif very rarely makes promises these days. At the end of the day, would he be able to keep his promises? To him, the answer is often ‘no’ and so he avoids it. Though, it wasn’t often he let anybody close enough to ask such a favour of him. Of course it had to change when you came along the bough keeper was left wondering what he wouldn’t promise to you.

“Promise to write?” You ask him while he finishes gathering his items from the living room of your home. Dainsleif stills momentarily as if he were contemplating some great conspiracy you couldn’t begin to understand. Though, you assume, he sort of is with the whole Abyss Order thing he always seems to have going on. “You know, in Snezhnaya they have this weird promise rhyme.” You hold out your pinkie, a smirk spreading across your features.

Dainsleif stands straight, tucking the item he was looking for away in his pocket. Perhaps he’d regret it when ultimately he’d have to break the promise. He took the few steps needed to stop in front of you, wrapping his pinkie around yours. “You make a pinkie promise, you keep it all your life. You break a pinkie promise, I throw you on the ice-”

“The cold will kill the pinkie that once betrayed your friend, the frost will freeze your tongue off so you never lie again.” The blond finished, he vaguely remembers hearing this before, a long time ago. “I’ll write when I get there, but you may not be able to write back.” His pinkie squeezes yours before pulling his hand away. You nod at his words, smirk turning into a soft smile as you inspect his face.

“That’s fine, just try to stay safe.” You reach up, smoothing out his grey vest. Dainsleif returns your smile, gently reaching out to brush his knuckles against your cheek. The action is soft, delicate as if he’d break you if he was too rough. It always did seem to be a common theme with Dainsleif. The blond leans down somewhat, pressing a chaste kiss to your forehead.

“I’ll do my best.”

[loreism]

divine envoy era.

The earth is covered by raw elements — unending ice, flames, and the like. Envoys of the gods made the earth more hospitable for humanity and dwelled among them, while humans could communicate with Celestia directly. The white Irminsul trees, connected to the ley lines in the earth, held great importance in the religious rituals of these ancient civilizations.

official description of domains.

It is said that glorious civilizations once covered every corner of the land, above and below ground, in days of yore. Those once-glorious civilizations have long perished, and all that remains of them today is the cities and altars they built deep underground.

The Irminsul is a type of silver-white tree whose roots stretch down into the Abyss and who are connected to the Ley Lines of the world.

Doors of resurrection are gateways to life found in Domains. Said to be formed from the root tips of a tree that permeates the entire world.

It is said that the roots of all the Petrified Trees (found in domains) in the world are intertwined at the deepest, most hidden place in the earth, and that the pattern the root system makes defines the ley lines of the world.

The Frostbearing Tree in Sal Vindagnyr is a notable Irminsul Tree.

Dainsleif is titled the "Bough Keeper" (Chinese: 拾枝者 Shízhī-zhě, "Bough Picker") in-game and in the trailers.

"Bough" is a likely reference to boughs and branches of Irminsul, the Tree of Ley Lines, which are containers of travel experiences of the time-flourished world. Dainsleif is rich in experiences and memories throughout his life of "picking and keeping boughs."

[imaginaryboughkeeper]

“this isn’t what i wanted to happen.”

prompts list (150) || Accepting

Flames licked at the buildings where there wasn’t ice piercing through the paved stone. Quietly, the Bough Keeper made his way towards the young man on his knees, overlooking a scenery that was far from unfamiliar to him. How many times had he witnessed such a sight?

Far too many for him to remember, even if he wanted to recall it from his deteriorating memories.

“--Then, tell me.”

Dainsleif does not look at him as he walks further ahead, his back towards the Cavalry Captain as he gazes at the once lively Mondstadt in complete shambles, not a single voice heard save for theirs. Just an unpleasant silence, a deafening one that reminded him far too much of that horrid day.

“What was it exactly that you wanted to bring about, that you expected would happen when you made your decision?”

@lcyblade