#dionas is simple and could probably use more

[coffinkissez]

old art jumpscare warning but back when I was in the genshin fandom I hated how people would age up characters and just blatantly sexualize their old outfits instead of doing anything creative with it

[bluexiao]

#Character Reviews (2.4 Reruns)

—reminder: these are mainly my experiences & observations throughout the times i use them. i main them on my accounts and i am looking at this without any bias at all.

—if i were asked which is better than xiao or ganyu, i’d say it depends on you. but if between the three and you don’t have all three, i’d say zhongli.

—i am speaking based on “practicality” especially for those who doesn’t mind getting either and wants to know the pros & cons of each.

—this thread includes builds, tips & other stuff that can help you in building

Pick GANYU if:

- You’re lazy and you just wanna go aim and shoot. (I’m not lying ksjsjs)

- You are F2p. After all, her second best weapon is a craftable weapon (Prototype Crescent)

- You have a shielder ready (quite needed, but she can tank too tbh)

- Aiming good doesn’t actually matter with her since it’s quite simple to aim with her (even on mobile tbh. I am a mobile user and you just have to aim on the ground most of the time)

- You want Elemental reaction. Obviously because she’s a Cryo and compared to Xiao, ofc you will get an Elemental Reaction.

- You don’t need another shielder/you already have Zhongli.

Pick XIAO if:

- You like polearm (melee) playstyle.

- You don’t mind having HP depletion.

- A straightforward build that doesn’t need your decision-making (lmao djksks)

- You have a shielder/healer ready (Diona works good with him. Also Zhongli)

- His cons are that he’s not f2p friendly. Like I said before, having a crit polearm is BEST for him, but if you have no choice, the ER ones are good, but you’re not going to do much damage unless your artifacts are god tier. His best option for f2p is Blackcliff Pole.

- You don’t mind not having Elemental reactions (no, Xiao doesn’t increase damage with EM at all)

Pick ZHONGLI if:

- You are in deep need of a shielder, he is the best out there

- He’s also F2p friendly because he could work well with ER weapons, but crit weapons are recommended for damage output.

- You don’t need another main DPS.

- You want an Archon and a broken character

- Low investment. Very very low. I think just having 2pc Tenacity is enough (though I do recommend 4pc for endgame players).

#character builds & breakdown utc.

those marked with * are crafted or free weapons (not gotten thru gacha or bp)

i arranged each weapons from most to least btw

GANYU

Weapon.

-> Recommended: Amos Bow, Prototype Crescent*, Thundering Pulse, Skyward Harp, Polar Star, Blackcliff Warbow*, Hamayumi, Viridescent Hunt

- I don’t suppose the other ATK% weapons that are not listed above are good with her passive wise

Artifacts Sets.

-> Wanderer’s Troupe

- WT is good as an overall build for Ganyu, especially if you want to do Melt

-> Blizzard Strayer

- BS is good for Freeze Comps or Permafreeze

- Endgame wise, I feel like BS is better than WT

Artifact Stats.

-> EM - Cryo Dmg - Crit

-> ATK% - Cryo Dmg - Crit

- Either way is good but people say it’s better to use EM cup with her. I personally have not tried it but if you have better stats with EM Cup then go for it.

- The only thing I want to add is that seeing that she’s a Cryo Character, Crit Rate is not that much needed IF you have 4pc Blizzard Strayer and your team has a Hydro Applicator & Cryo Resonance, and also you’re playing Permafreeze. However, I still do recommend that she has a decent Crit rate and a high Crit DMG.

- Also, even if you disregard the previous bullet, I think Ganyu can still do more damage. She’s just broken like that.

Talent Prioritization.

-> Normal > Burst > Skill

Tips.

- Like I said, on mobile, you could aim at the ground to hit the enemy, especially with multiple ones. (You could also aim for the head but it depends)

- She needs a built Diona, or probably another Cryo character and a shield character. Diona is actually the best bet imo because she’s a shielder + healer + cryo resonance + battery.

- She’s also a good support DPS btw. If you have a Pyro character like Hu Tao or maybe Diluc I think they’re a good match. Especially Hu Tao since she has downtimes for her skill and during those times, you can use Ganyu and boom problem solved. I think Childe can do good with her as well in a Freeze comp.

- Also, like I said, her Burst can charge up fast anyway so no need for a high ER for her.

XIAO

Weapon.

-> Recommended: Staff of Homa, Primordial Jade Spear, Deathmatch, Blackcliff Pole*, Skyward Spine, Lithic Spear, Prototype Starglitter*, Wavebreaker’s Fin

- other ER based Weapons are not really recommended but they’re next in line

- edit: I placed in Prototype Starglitter there but it’s beyond my recommendation ksksk. which means I don’t really recommend using it to him, but if you’ve got no other choice, then give him an R5.

- edit: Wavebreaker’s Fin’s passive doesn’t work on Xiao’s burst

- edit: Lithic Spear’s passive is quite good since the min. you can get is 7% additional ATK% and 3% crit rate. imagine if you have 2-4 charas from Liyue, then that would be higher, and more so if you have R5. Its Base ATK is also quite good!

- tbh, you only need 120~ ER for Xiao, mine is even lower. I recommend focusing more on Crit and ATK%

- no, Phys weapons are NOT good with him, you’re losing a lot of damage and wasting his potential

Artifacts Sets.

-> 2 pc Viridescent Venerer + 2pc Shimenawa/Gladiator

Artifact Stats.

-> ATK% - Anemo DMG - Crit

- like i said, he has a pretty straightforward build

- and no, he doesn’t need EM

Talent Prioritization.

-> Burst > Normal > Skill

Tips.

- On mobile, it’s difficult to control his burst at first, but I guess it just depends on how you’ve gotten used to jumping up and then plunging down. (Its control is quite the same with the increased jumps on Albedo’s event.)

- His skill CD is quite long, but if you want to make high damage, then use his charged attacks. His charged attacks are quite good since he makes smaller opponents stumble, plus it has high damage.

- You can actually use his skill to charge his own Burst, however if you really need his burst fast, having an Anemo battery will be helpful, or any elem battery (like equipping someone with a Favonius weapon). For me this is why I also use Diona with him because she has an R5 Favonius Bow.

- If you noticed, I placed Staff of Homa higher than his own BiS weapon because Homa gives lots of Cdmg. Cdmg with Xiao is always better, plus it’s easier to just have Crit rate for his Circlet if you have Crit DMG Weapon. Having Crit Rate weapon would mean you have to build up lots of CDmg from his artifacts, which is quite hard.

- I recommend 60/70 CR : 200 CD for his crit. (My Xiao has 70:250 I think and he can do 50k per plunge alone.)

- Actually, R5 Deathmatch is way better than R1 Primordial Jade Winged Spear. If you compare the two, the stats are very similar and reaching just R3 Deathmatch is enough. The only difference would be the high Base ATK from a 5* like PJWS, but then you can compensate that with the passive buffs with an R5 Deathmatch.

ZHONGLI

Weapon.

-> HP reliant build (Purely Shield): Black Tassel, Staff of Homa, Vortex Vanquisher

-> Burst reliant build (Mostly DMG): Lithic Spear, ER Weapons

-> Hybrid (Shield+Burst): Staff of Homa, Primordial Jade Spear, Skyward Spine, Deathmatch, Blackcliff Pole, Vortex Vanquisher, Black Tassel, Lithic Spear, Favonius Lance, Prototype Starglitter, The Catch

- by “build” I also am including the Artifacts. for example, you have HP-HP-HP on artifacts, then that means you have a HP Reliant build. If you have HP-GeoDmg/HP-Crit, you have a hybrid build. burst reliant builds prioritize a lot on ER but honestly I doubt a lot of people only use Zhongli for his burst damage and not with his shield.

- it is purely by reference, honestly. but if you’re on endgame, then I would suggest a hybrid build, especially if you also have a healer on the team.

- you can actually exchange weapons each time if you’re on Hybrid build (i do that too when I’m in deep need of HP), it’s better if your build is flexible like that.

- the tip with Zhongli is that the higher the level of his weapon, the better it is to have a Crit Weapon instead of Black Tassel.

Artifact Sets.

-> Tenacity

-> Archaic Petra

-> 2pc Noblesse (4pc not reco)

-> 2pc Gladiator (if you have 2pc ToM/Archaic/Nob)

- Now like I said he has different builds so I think you should rely more on your rng luck when it comes to deciding Arti Sets & your overall build.

- I do recommend 4pc Tenacity for a hybrid build since it can raise damage for a few seconds as well with its bonus. It’s good for an overall build since it can help your main DPS too.

- Archaic Petra is good… I used it with Tenacity before and it has good damage. If you want a good synergy with your main DPS, go for 4pc Tenacity. For a good support Zhongli who can do his own damage, then 2pc Archaic or maybe Glad with Tenacity.

Artifact Stats.

-> HP - HP - HP (HP reliant, pure Shielder)

-> ATK/ER - Geo - Crit (Burst reliant)

-> HP - Geo/HP - Crit (Hybrid)

- Like I said, I doubt a lot would even do a Burst reliant build unless you’re a boss and just wants to do it for the sake of it, go and lmk how it went hehehe

- I for one use a hybrid build with a Geo Cup and his burst can hit around 60k~ with crit. Tbh if you have a good Main DPS, you won’t need to build his burst much. His burst has a Petrify effect that is very useful especially in Abyss—it’s the most important aspect of his burst in my opinion.

Talent Prioritization.

-> HP Reliant/Hybrid: Skill > Burst > Normal

-> Burst Reliant: Burst > Skill > Normal

Tips.

- Actually, Zhongli’s cons are one of the bests out there. If you’re looking for someone to put your primos on, I’d definitely recommend him.

- I only have him at 80/90 and he’s in tip-top shape. I don’t recommend getting him to 90 if you don’t bias him that much since the important thing in ascending him is just his Skill.

- He’s the best in solving the cube puzzles in Inazuma (he’s the one I always use and I promise he never disappoints)

- I think I already said this but having a hybrid build will make him good with a crit or hp weapon. I for one just switched his weapon while exploring Inazuma before with a low level Tree (i forgot its name ohgod).

CONCLUSION

tbh if I’m the one who doesn’t have all three of them, I’d probably choose Zhongli. i couldn’t imagine having not pulled for him when i did since i barely could fight without him hahah. 

however, if you don’t need a shielder anyway, i’d say pick on your style. ganyu is more for those who crave for meta and wants to dominate the game far easier while xiao, on the other hand, despite being a meta himself, is quite difficult to build. he has more specific details that needs to be done to attain the “perfect build” and high damage, but if you’re lucky and have the perseverance, then why not?

out of everyone, xiao is still my favorite since i like his overall playstyle and he’s by far my strongest character on main. a character is strong depends on how you build them. there’s no weak character imo. question is, how strong are you to survive the farming god tier artifacts? :)

[nagimitsus]

Title: somewhere along the line

Fandom: Genshin Impact

Synopsis: For all his delicate appearance, Venti has always been incredibly strong.

Diluc has known this from the start. Before the traveler entered their lives, before the battles, before he saw him standing in front of a dragon, ready to give everything in exchange for the freedom of another. And Diluc had thought, now that is how a god should behave.

That is someone I could believe in.

 [Read on AO3!]

For all his delicate appearance, Venti has always been incredibly strong.

Diluc has known this from the start. Before the traveler entered their lives, before the battles, before he saw him standing in front of a dragon, ready to give everything in exchange for the freedom of another. And Diluc had thought, now that is how a god should behave. 

That is someone I could believe in. 

It should come as a surprise, the amount of respect that he has gathered for the bard of melodious voice that makes himself at home only at his tavern. But it doesn’t. Maybe Diluc felt a pang of nuisance at first, when he thought of Venti only as a drunkard with too many stories to tell. 

That was before he came to know him. Before the nights when his smile became sad after too many bottles of wine, small and nostalgic and unfitting in such a bright face. Before he understood that there was still a raw wound behind those eyes of his, still bleeding as much as Diluc’s own. 

Diluc took the habit of offering him a glass of water and telling him to go home. The sensation of discomfort that nested his chest when Venti smiled up at him and asked what home was he talking about made Diluc wince.

.

At some point between that and the whole Dvalin situation, he stops asking Venti to go home and starts keeping him company until the silent streets of Mondstadt, illuminated only by the moon and the stars, call back for its bard. 

When Venti leaves, his smile is a bit more grateful and a lit less lonely, and Diluc tells him “I hope you find something more rewarding to spend your time on, tomorrow” but thinks See you later. 

Venti laughs. It sounds like a breeze. “What’s more rewarding than wine, I wonder?” he says, and has the audacity to wink.

Diluc sighs, because there’s nothing else he can do. 

.

The thing about Venti is that he doesn’t want to be worshipped. 

He doesn’t. It’s made clear in the way he behaves, the way he doesn’t stop too much in front of the church unless it’s to perform, the way he talks to the citizens of his country as if they were more friends than subjects. And it’s not because he likes the freedom that comes with anonymity, it’s not because of his own wants or needs. 

It’s because he wants them to be free, in this city where there are no tyrants and no gods. This city where they can follow the winds and their hearts alike, bound by nothing but their own ideals.

Diluc protects Mondstadt, fiercely. Because he loves everything it represents and everything it stands for. 

And likewise, he protects the god that gifted them all of this.

.

 Venti stops by the Winery of Dawn sometimes. Diluc finds him trying to steal wine or sleeping inside a barrel, and thinks: this is not a deity, this is a raccoon. 

Still, because he has a bit of faith left in him and because he used to go to church with his father back in the day, Diluc takes him by the back of his cape and into the house, where he makes sure he’s put to rest in one of their spare rooms, with enough water on his bed table to deal with the hangover. 

By the next morning he’s always gone, but the wind blows gently through the open window. 

Sometimes, if he’s still sober enough to string a few words together when Diluc takes him in, Venti laughs, and clings to his shoulders with both arms, and says things like “I can sing for you if you desire it, Master Diluc”, with that sweet voice blurry but cheerful. 

Diluc sits him down before the fireplace on those occasions, just so he can make sure that Venti drinks enough water and doesn’t do something like throwing up into his own mouth and suffocating on it.

What a troublesome bard, Diluc thinks. The thought is covered in affection anyway, and he has to sigh to himself at that. Venti blinks slowly at him, almost as if he could know what’s crossing his mind just by looking at him, and then he leans in his direction with a drunken smile that makes Diluc roll his eyes. 

“You,” Venti says, slowly but with intent, “are a very good person. Do you know that, Master Diluc?”

The reaction is immediate. Diluc can feel it start on his stomach and creep up until his head, his ears, his hands. It’s a fuzzy sentiment that makes home on his chest and purrs like a cat, a reminder of how good it is to be acknowledged. 

Diluc looks back at Venti’s eyes, clear even in his state. 

When he was young, he wondered how the truly religious felt. He asked Jean once, eleven or so, as little Barbara tried to sign in tone with the croaking of a frog. And Jean, always patient and warm, had said: I don’t think it can be explained.

But it can.

Diluc feels like he’s being hugged by a tornado and cradled by the breeze at the same time. It’s excruciating and infuriating and exhilarating, and it’s making a knot into his stomach, reddening his ears. 

He scoffs lightly, but his voice is not unkind when he says:

“And you are very drunk.”

Venti laughs at that, and the sound reverberates in the space of the room.

The only reason Diluc doesn’t leave is because he’s still afraid that Venti will throw up all over himself. 

.

(The traveler comes.

The traveler comes, they fight against Dvalin, and Diluc has to see Venti’s slender form fly across the battlefield when the dragon hits him once. Even when he gets up immediately, smiling through the pain, the knot that he made in Diluc’s stomach twitches and hurts. 

He makes sure to tell Barbara that the bard got hurt once they go back to Mondstadt, and ignores the perplexed look that he sends his way.)

.

Venti doesn’t come to the winery for a few weeks after the Dvalin incident, and they don’t meet up at the tavern either. Diluc would be worried, if he didn’t see him here and there, talking to Kaeya or playing a simple tune for Klee (who he seems to adore, if the warm look in his eyes as the little girl tries to harmonize with him.)

Diluc is not prone to lie to himself, so he doesn’t even try to deny that he misses Venti’s annoying presence. Still, since the traveler left for Liyue, the whole town seems to have subdued, its upbeat attitude turned into a dull sense of longing. 

Someone knocks on his door one night, almost sixteen days after he saw Venti for the last time. And of course, as fate would have it, it’s the bard himself who’s waiting at the other side.

Rain is not unusual in Mondstadt, even when they’re accustomed to a gentle drizzle, so most citizens have learned to take an umbrella with them when the spring is creeping on them.

Venti is dripping wet, and there’s something in the way his clothes cling to the line of his shoulders that make him straight up sad, almost pathetic. Still, the gleam on his eyes is a tell-tale that he’s been drinking, and the curve of his smile is too close to loneliness. It stirs something in Diluc, calls for the silent understanding of their nights in the tavern.

He doesn’t say anything, just takes a step to the side to let him in. 

The maids will find awfully unpleasant the wetness on the carpet, Diluc’s mind supplies, but it’s difficult to care when Venti smiles like rain and alcohol and apples, all mixed up. His mere presence tends to be intoxicating, with the way he takes so much space with his voice and his laugh and his music, but it’s even worse now. Maybe it’s because Diluc has become unaccustomed to it.

“Do you need somewhere to stay?” Diluc asks after a few seconds. Venti’s smile is still sad, but it’s there nonetheless. 

If this were any other person, the sound of the wind outside might have drowned their words. But Venti has never known how to be quiet, and so Diluc hears him without any trouble:

“You care about me, don’t you, Master Diluc?”

He sighs, and closes the door. The storm becomes a muted sound behind the wood and the steel, and somehow that adds to the intimate atmosphere that this scene carries. Diluc can feel it at his throat, the warning, the threat that comes with the closeness. He talks through it.

“I don’t think you’ve made all the way here just to point out the obvious, bard.”

He turns then, and Venti is still there, looking straight into him. In the pit of his eyes there’s an ancient kind of loneliness that makes him look terribly old. It’s in times like this when it becomes easy to think of him as a god. Again, Diluc thinks of what being religious means, thinks of kissing his temple and his hands until pink and red go back to his skin, thinks of drying his hair and lending him a bed.

That’s not the kind of devotion that a God requires. But for Venti, who would treat the cathedral built in his name just to see Klee smile, who dirties his hands helping Sucrose with her work and runs away from Diona between laughs whenever she gets angry at him, it might be enough. 

Venti laughs. The sound is enough to loosen the muscles of Diluc’s tense shoulders.

“I haven’t,” Venti says, and then he turns around and walks into the house as if it belongs to him. Diluc follows, waiting for him to go on. Since he doesn’t, he adds:

“I’m not going to serve you wine here,” just to make sure that’s out of the table. 

Venti hums, amused. He goes straight to the fireplace, sticking both hands in front of the flames. Diluc stops just three steps away from him, taking a few seconds to stare at the side of his face, shadows dancing over the curves of his nose, his eyebrows, his neck. 

“I lost something important,” Venti says at least, his voice soft, “and my power has decreased drastically.” 

Diluc frowns before he can stop himself. Venti looks at him with that same smile that doesn’t suit him, even as he’s winking, probably trying to downplay his own words.

“Worst possible time too, right?”

Diluc would know. The Abyss Order’s activity is still on rise, and the Fatui are getting bolder every passing day. He knows the Knights of Favonious are not good enough to keep them all at bay, not enough to protect all of Mondstadt, bound by the laws and diplomacy and their own duty.

Even so,

“I’m still here,” he reminds him, as if it was obvious. “And Jean will do everything in her power.”

Venti looks at him through the corner of his eye for a second before he’s turning his whole body, hands on his hips. He giggles again, and even though the sound is far off the usual, it doesn’t sound as tense as his last words.

“Are you saying you will protect me, Master Diluc?” 

Diluc doesn’t roll his eyes, because he’s not keen on the gesture, but he hopes that the expression on his face is enough to convey his feelings of fond frustration. One can’t be serious with Venti around unless someone is in immediate danger, it seems. 

“I am saying that if my actions can bestow some peace upon you, know that I’ll keep protecting Mondstadt.”

Venti takes a step in his direction, then another. When his hands close around Diluc’s white shirt, they leave wet marks that extend through the cloth under his fingers, cold against his skin. The flower on his hat has lost at least two petals in the rain, but his eyes are alive and  warm as they look straight into Diluc’s red ones.

He doesn’t feel the need to confess, doesn’t want to kneel down and ask for forgiveness for his sins. But he wants to keep Venti here nonetheless, in the intimacy of the room illuminated only by the flames. Maybe that’s a thought that needs absolution. 

“You,” Venti says, very slowly, “are a very good person. Did you know that, Master Diluc?”

He smirks, the little shit. Diluc doesn’t bother to answer this time, because he’s too busy trying to calm down the beating of his heart as Venti gets on his tiptoes, one hand going to his shoulder, the other remaining on his chest.

Diluc leans down into the kiss, and it’s impossible to think of a god when the laugh that he swallows in his own mouth it’s so undeniably Venti.

[rat-father]

Part 1 of yet another series I'm starting!

This one is just gonna be fluff and comfort, little to no whump, because sometimes I just want to write about characters having a great time

This doesn't have much of a plot, it's more a collection of memories that make me happy combined with pet whump

Keaya is a pet who acts kind of like a service dog for his master whom isn't really a whumper but neither caretaker, just a pet owner

Tagging;; nobody rn

-- tw;; pet whump --

The sun was ever so slowly coming up in the distance. Keaya was the first one awake so he could make breakfast for his master. He had made a simple omelette, he knew his master Diona loved eggs, He couldn’t go wrong with that. Today would be a stressful day for her apparently. Something about a wedding, he wasn’t sure, but he knew a simple meal is best when master is stressed. He sat on his dog bed obediently, looking out the glass doors, taking in the nice view.

Keaya made sure to check the clock every now and then, he had to wake master up on time. As soon as the clock hit 12 he ran to master’s room upstairs. To his surprise, she was already awake and getting dressed. He froze up for a bit, master never woke up earlier, this was new. She had her back turned, searching through her wardrobe. He could tell she was stressed by her movements, twitchy and fast. Quietly he walked over to her and whimpered softly to get her attention.

“Hng.. Oh, hi pup. Is it 8 already?”

He nodded and gestured at the clock.

”Fuck.. Okay. I’ll be down in 5 minutes, go wait for me downstairs.”

He nodded again and left the room quietly. Master was really stressed today, he wondered where they were going. He grabbed his blanket and placed it next to master’s chair so he didn’t have to sit on the cold floor. Patiently he waited for master. The omelette smelled nice, and made it feel hungry. Maybe master would allow him to make one for himself too. When she came downstairs she was dressed in some fancy looking dress. He tilted his head in curiosity. Were they going to a party? That would explain her stress, its master got scared during parties.

Diona sat down in a hurry and quickly ate her breakfast. He gently tapped her leg whenever she started to eat too fast. It wasn’t Keaya’s first time seeing his master act like this, but it was strange seeing his usually calm master be so nervous. He rested his chin on her thigh and looked up at her, sighing. She stroked his hair and pushed some strands out of his face. That seemed to help her calm down a little.

“Today is a really important, so you need to be on your best behaviour okay?”

He nodded with a smile. It always tried to be on its best behaviour.

“Good. There’s gonna be a lot of people so you need to make sure you stay close to me.”

He nodded again as she rose from her seat. She put the dishes in the sink and started to head back to her room, pausing on the stairs.

“You can go make yourself breakfast, pup. We’re leaving in an hour.”

Excited he got up and made himself an omelette with what he had left over. While the egg was cooking, Keaya took his harness off the hook by the front door, and put it on to save master some time. Today was an important day, he had to be alert and obedient. He used a spatula to put his omelette on a slice of bread, and sat down on his dog bed to eat it. He could hear master pacing around upstairs, looking for something he assumed.

The pacing suddenly stopped, with a soft thump following. Instantly he stopped chewing and perked his ears up, listening for some form of movement. Everything was silent, that never meant good. He quickly ran upstairs to find master on sitting on the floor crying. He kneeled next to her and put his head against her chest, trying to calm her down. Once she was calmer he readjusted his position and hugged her silently.

He didn’t let go until her sniffling died down. Master must’ve been feeling very upset. He made a mental note to pay extra attention to her today. She ruffled his hair with a small smile and got back to pacing around. Keaya stayed on the floor, watching for a bit longer to make sure everything was fine, before going back down. He shoved the last of the omelette in his mouth and started to get everything ready.

First he made sure to refill her water bottle, it was gonna be a warm day today, so it was important that she had enough water on her. Then he made some sandwiches, in case she got hungry, and put them in his pouch attached to the harness. He didn’t really understand where they were going so he just packed the basic things and hoped it was enough. If there were gonna be a lot of people then it probably was a party of some sort.

He opened some of the windows and did a double check around the house to make sure nothing changed. They still had half an hour left, so Keaya took the opportunity to lay in the sun for a bit. He settled in front of the 2 glass doors, curling up in a ball. The sun felt nice and warm, he enjoyed it. He hoped he could also stay in the sun wherever they were going. Slowly he relaxed under the blanket of warm sunlight and drifted off into a light sleep.

He got woken up from his short nap by footsteps. They had 5 minutes left now, and Diona was gathering her stuff.

“You ready?”

She clipped the leash on to his collar. He nodded excitedly. Where they were going would be a surprise to him, and surprises are fun. She lead him to the car and let him jump into the back. He liked looking out of the window while they were driving, curiously peeking at all the cars going by. The car ride was long but he didn’t care, the music playing from the radio was enough to make time pass by quicker.

Master parked the car and Keaya immediately started looking around. They seemed to be at a park, the grass fields were way bigger then the ones at home. Diona opened the door for him, letting him jump out and sniff around. A group of people further away caught his attention. They had tables standing around with tons of food, chairs in rows, lots of flowers and tons of other stuff set up. He looked at master and back the group, confused and curious.

“My sister is getting married today,” she explained. “We won’t stay long but you know how my family treats pets, so ignore anyone trying to get your attention.”

She took his leash and they walked to the wedding together. When they got closer Keaya could hear the music and smell all the food. He recognized some of the people standing around but most were strangers to him. He followed Diona and stood next to her, not really paying attention to the conversations, rather taking in the place around them. Everyone was wearing fancy clothing, while Keaya was wearing a loose t-shirt with shorts and a harness.

Master sat down at a table with her parents, he knew them, they were friendly. He obediently kneeled next to her. The grass felt nice, much nicer then a wooden floor. He would roll around in it if he could. But he couldn’t, he had to focus and make sure master was okay. It was way louder then he had anticipated, he kept looking around thinking he heard something strange, but it was hard to tell. He had to rely on sight to make sure nobody came too close to master.

He watched closely when master’s dad stood up from his chair and walked over to him with a treat in his hand. He stuck his hand out so Keaya could smell it. Gently he took the treat from his hand and chewed on it. Master’s parents always took treats with them for him, unlike most of her family who hated him. He just ignored their disgusted and disapproving looks. He knew master loved him and that’s all that mattered to him.

After what felt like ages of waiting, Diona and her parents stood up. He followed them to the rows of chairs on the other side. Everything was nicely decorated in white and pastel colors. Master sat down on one of the chairs and gestured for him to sit between her legs, which he did without hesitation. Lots of people sat down around them and the seats filled up quickly. Different music started playing, and he turned to look at master to make sure everything was fine.

People started walking down the middle, one wearing a big flowy dress. Keaya got distracted and almost didn’t hear master’s breathing starting to go faster over the loud music. He rested his head against her leg, whining softly. That was enough for her to start playing with his ears and hair, calming her down again. He closed his eyes and relaxed into the touch. They were sitting under the shadows of trees, making the warmth more bearable. He didn’t pay attention to the guy talking through a mic or the people cheering. He wouldn’t understand what was going on either way.

Eventually the music stopped and he opened his eyes to see if it was over. People started to get up, he looked at master to see if they were going too. She ruffled his hair and also got up. She said bye to her parents and sister before they headed back to the car. He jumped into the back as soon as she unlocked the car doors, and laid down on his blanket.

“You did really well pup,” Diona complimented. “Do you want to get some snacks at home?”

He perked his ears up and nodded with a smile. He loved the snacks they sold on the beach they lived next to. She gave him a smile back and closed the door. They took a shorter route on the way home, passing through the city. It was a lot more crowded and busy, Keaya couldn’t imagine living there with master. They both preferred the quiet beach with little to no people around. It was only really busy during the summer vacation, but that was fine for them.

Master had taken him to the city before to do shopping when it wasn’t as busy. The city was massive and a bit intimidating to him. It was too easy to get lost in all the streets. They only drove through a small part of it and were out fairly quickly. He could see the familiar hills in the distance, the ones signifying they were close to home. He got more and more excited the closer they got, he couldn’t wait to lay down and roll in the warm sand of the beach.

Once they finally arrived home Diona walked them to the beach restaurant and ordered french fries for the both of them. While they were waiting she let him play in the sand outside. He dug a hole in the sand and started to roll around in it, getting sand everywhere in his clothes and hair. He didn’t seem to mind and just shook it off before continuing. When the order arrived she called him back and they sat on a bench eating their food.

The beach was empty for the most part despite the nice weather, there were only a couple people. The sounds of seagulls flying by and the waves hitting land was relaxing. Not a lot of pets lived around beaches, he was the only one in their neighbourhood, and he felt really privileged for it. His previous owner lived in the city, and he wasn’t nearly as nice as master Diona. He enjoyed every moment he could spend outside, where he wouldn’t be reminded of the dark basement he was in for so long.

“Should we go back home, pup?” She pushed some strands of hair out of his face. “You look tired.”

He nodded, he did feel tired after today. They headed back home, which luckily wasn’t too far away, his legs had started to hurt. He immediately went to his dog bed and dragged it over to the window so the sunlight would hit it. He plopped in it and fell asleep after a couple minutes. Meanwhile Diona sat outside in her lounging chair with a drink, drawing in her sketchbook.