#dottore muse is coming back[sorry]

[facelesssbirds]

Dancing In The Rain || Genshin

A.N. I found that some of these were longer than others, which I'm so sorry for <33 Enjoy! You dance in the rain, with, or without them. Implied F!Reader, Neuvillette, Dottore, Kaveh, Arlecchino Warning: None, though the Harbinger sections makes allusions to their "work,"

Neuvillette had never liked the rain, it was a reminder of his duty, a sick, twisted sign of his failures. He was the reason for the rain today, a court trial having just been finished when you had burst in, long after everyone else had left. Only he remained, standing in the centre of the room almost dramatically.

"Neuvillette," You spoke softly, setting down the umbrella you had been carrying to look at him.

He may've looked calm, composed even, but you could tell he was a mess, his face set in a firm frown, but his eyes softened when they met yours. You took his hand, quiet, intimate.

"Dance with me." You murmured, coming to rest your hand on his shoulder.

He frowned, looking around the court room, askew with chairs, desks and other obstacles, "We can't dance here," he said, a hint or remorse peaking into his voice, it was was hoarse from speaking all day.

You nodded in agreement, listening to the rain outside grow louder, a crack of thunder in the far off distance. Smiling, almost hesitantly you lead him out the doors, through the large, grandiose halls of the opera and out into the pouring rain, your umbrella long forgotten.

"We'll simply dance in the rain," You said, ignoring his protests, and forcing him into a ballroom waltz.

His hand slipped to your waist with little resistance, the harsh droplets of rain softening, wetting both of you to the bone. You should be miserable, standing here, dancing in the rain, and yet, a smile comes to your face, and maybe, just maybe, a hint of sunshine peaks through those dark, looming clouds.

Dottore was a man of science, cold and cynical, but the seemingly unending rain of the Sumeru Jungles bothered him more than he cared to admit. Omega had gotten some water in through his eye sockets, normally this wouldn't be an issue that he would deal with, and Omega could've just taken care of it himself, but naturally the idiot (himself) had ignored every sign of malfunction to work on the god project.

The one bright side was that he got to visit you, you oh, beautiful, perfect, you who stayed in Sumeru as a street dancer, and a scholar, despite the akademiya's terrible treatment of someone as perfect as you. That truly, was the only reason he was out in the rain, watching as you, despite being drenched in the warm rain, preformed a beautiful dance, your aerial dance had long been discarded, you hadn't wanted to ruin the silks, he assumed.

Truly, though, he was your only spectator. The only watcher of your fruitless efforts. The market had long since closed down, but you had barely seemed to notice, your eyes focused solely on completing your routine. He smirked from under his mask, watching as finally, your dance ended, your chest heaved as he offered you his umbrella, shielding you from the rain.

"Are you finished already, darling?" He questioned, watching as you glanced up at him, surprised.

"Zandik!" You gasped, your eyes widening, though you grinned, "I didn't know you were in town-"

He chuckled, "I had... matters, to attend to, and of course, I had to stop by and see you, my darling."

You giggled, giving him a look, "Well, then, I suppose you owe me a dance for being gone for so long."

"In the rain?" He mused, "Darling, perhaps we should wait, you could catch a cold--"

You hush him, patting his shoulder, "Oh it'll be fine~"

He huffs, but complies, his hands coming to your waist, watching as you revel in the feeling of water hitting your face, soaking you to the bone. He'll be there to nurse you back to help after you get sick, either way.

Kaveh was a hard worker, you knew, and sometimes, he worked a little too hard. You had stopped by his and Al haitham's house, looking for Kaveh, who had promised to go on a date with you, only to learn he had been in the library since yesterday.

Naturally, you were worried, thanking Al Haitham before running off to go look for your beloved. The rain hardly stopped you, running into the library drenched, your rain jacket soaked, and your hair a mess. The Library was empty, the lights shut off as you perused, looking for your darling little blonde.

"Kaveh," You mumbled when you saw him, rushing over to his sleeping form.

He was hunched over books and a intricate blueprint of some architectural design, it was beautiful, almost as breathtaking as him, even sleeping with ink smudged on his cheek he looked perfect. You knew he thought the same about you, his eyes lighting up when he saw you, rubbing the sleepiness away from his eyes in an instant to sit up, nuzzling into your arms for a hug.

"Darling!" He said into your arms, not minding the cold wet water drenching you, only for him to quickly turn sad, "I forgot-- shit-- I'm so sorry--"

You cut him off patting his back, "Kaveh, it's fine really, just-- rest." You said firmly, giving him a stern stare.

He grinned, looking out at the glass balcony behind him, before deviously turning to you, "Say... do you like dancing?"

You raised an unamused-- slightly confused-- brow, "It's fun, yes, but really--"

You were cut off by him practically dragging you towards the balcony, opening the door, not minding as rain wetted his clothes, his hair, his face, smudging his makeup and washing off the ink stuck to his cheek.

"Dance with me." He muttered, breathlessly, looking out at the rain, the air surrounding him, at you.

And, god, those eyes. You couldn't help but comply, spinning out as you waltzed, a night to remember for you both.

Arlecchino had always enjoyed ballroom dancing, the elegant refinery of performance. She had taught the children how to dance when they were young, cultivating dance into an art form of itself, a show that must always go on. And now, the performance they had made Fontaine was finished, only the epilogue to be enacted.

"Father." Lyney said, bowing slightly, "This performance has been finished."

Arlecchino smiled, restrained in elegance, sharp as a knife and hard as an edge, "Very good. Fetch your Mother for me, Lynette."

Lynette nodded, disappearing as quickly as she had appeared, a flurry of wind replacing her, sleight of hand at its finest. Arlecchino directed her eyes towards Fontaine, unaware of the hours that would soon await it as the sun set.

"Arlecchino, darling-" You came to stand beside her, smiling, "You called?"

She nodded, looking over at you, tracing your shoulder, "Yes, walk with me one. One last performance."

You glanced up surprised, "Of course."

And so, it was. Arlecchino's hands gripped yours as you walked through the garden, marveling at the sunset, and the looming clouds in the distance.

"Arle..." You murmured softly, "It's going to rain soon. We should head back inside."

Arlecchino's grip on your hand tightened, "Nonsense. Dance with me," She smirked, her free hand coming to play with your hair, before trailing down to your waist in slow, languid movements. You couldn't ever resist this woman.

"I suppose I must," You say, sighing through a smile, watching as rain hits the pavement around you. Soon, you too will be drenched, but happier than before, after all, dancing with your darling was something everyone wishes for.

[platonicyanderereverie]

ok so reader who is obbsesed with cooking is in an argument with pierro and pierro says something in khanreas language to calm down, then reader speaks FLUENTLY khanreian and says «you do know I know what you said» with a bitch face

Then pierro asks in khanrean «you kan speak this language how!?!»

And reader just says STILL SPEAKING khanreian «cuz I wanted to read the ancient recipies»

and then we have the other harbingers except dottore and maybe columbina just looking confused meanwhile columbina is trying not to laugh and dottore is currently super interested in what the reader knows.

sorry if this was a little long and you choose what this will end up being.

Thank you for your request🫵 this turned a tad short loll

Platonic yandere harbingers reacting to chef reader being able to speak khaenri’ahn

[warnings!: none]

You probably got into an argument with Pierro due to your little obsession getting out of hand. That being said, Pierro would try to shoot any rebellion down as soon as it rose, especially if it was during a Harbinger meeting. However, your stubbornness had proven to be quite difficult.

A sigh that sank into a slightly annoyed growl escaped the man. His hand firmly gripped the edge of the smooth table as he reached up and rested it on the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

"What a pain…" he muttered, the syllables clearly not flowing out in common speech, but rather in Kaehnrian.

"I can still understand you, you know, old man?" The voice from his right huffed in the same language, drawling out in an annoyed and deadpan tone, clearly similarly exasperated.

Pierro paused, blinking in surprise as he lowered his hand. The one gripping the table slipped off the smooth surface as he straightened his posture once more and picked his more proper demeanor back up, ignoring the eyes on them. "…and care to tell me how you know the Fallen tongue?" Kaehnrian was far from the most common and easy tongue to master.

By now, the damselette had stopped humming and was pressing a hand over her small grin to suppress the quiet snicker bubbling up.

The doctor seated on the left was listening in, rather intrigued, with a small fascinated smile. "Ah yes, do care to enlighten us on how you acquired your… skills?"

Reader simply shrugged, the lavish coat on their shoulders swaying slightly as they spoke. "There were a few ancient recipes that required the language, and I’m not one to pass up on some cultural cuisine simply because of a language barrier."

The jester’s hand had gone back to gripping the bridge of his nose by now as he sighed deeply again while Columbina’s snickers had grown louder.

"My, oh my, an impressive feat! And to think you dabbled purely for a few measly recipes, do tell me how far can you go while remaining fluent?" the doctor mused, his gloved fingers tapping against the table.

A quiet grunt of acknowledgment left the Captain after a small pause of silence, contemplating the new information.

"I must say, truly a rather interesting use of your time," Pantalone hummed, his finger resting on his chin thoughtfully.

"I, for one, believe that it’s a feat that deserves the praise it’s due," the Knave said simply as she crossed her arms after recovering from her initial surprise.

"Haha! You really are always full of surprises, huh?" Childe laughed from the other end of the table, placing both of his hands on it.

"Well, it is certainly something you wouldn’t hear every day," the rooster nodded, finger tapping against his cane.

"Don’t encourage their bluntness! I, for one, think that time could have been better spent helping me finish the puppet I was making rather than running off to learn a language barely spoken nowadays…" Sandrone piped up in her usual clinical tone, which now held an edge.

You revelation had caused a stir, but considering the things that usually come out of your mouth, it’s not all too surprising…

[sangoqueenkoko]

I don't want realism; I want magic

angst

MAIN MASTERLIST | SERIES MASTERLIST

.

Previous, Part 1 | Part 2 | Next, Part 3

Synopsis: Being with Dottore for some time is enough to drive some insane. But what about living with him? Thick and thin. Sweet and sour. Love and hatred. Lust and chastity. It all burns passionately. Wrapped around each other's fingers.

Warnings? This is an experimental series. Also contains the mention of inner body parts, blood and gore.

He finally exploded. Combusted.

Shattered.

Finally.

All the built-up anger that led to this moment could finally escape. In an unfortunate way.

And unfortunately, this isn’t an illusion. It’s actually happening. Whatever toxic gas that could be concocted in the Hell that is his Lab hadn’t affected you to the point of changing your reality to the magic most wanted. No.

His breath was heavy—seething, in fact. He looked over his shoulder at you. At this point, he had removed his mask so you could see the anger in his eyes in all its glory. They pierced your soul.

He would turn to you before walking over. It was like he suddenly appeared in front of you, and the fast rhythm of your panicked heart may as well have been the speed at which he was walking. The closer he got, the more of his body heat you could feel and the more anger you could sense.

"Of all pathetic homo-sapiens to be this disruptive and disrespecting to my research, I never would have never expected it to be you", Dottore growled with his hands behind his back, coat nowhere to be seen again. His eyes were full of fire, no reconciliation to be seen nearby; they were alluring to some, deadly to most. Like the so-called innocence of a rosebud, to the prickly points on its stem, dealing harm even if it didn’t want to, no matter how careful. His hair is a little unkempt due to the amount of time he's spent working with no self-care. Which you always cared for even if he didn't. But he didn't seem to care about what you thought at the moment. He didn’t care what anyone thought at this point. But his mask was always perfectly in place. As if he's always trying to conceal something away from everyone he comes across.

But he isn't concealing his anger now. He's let it out.

"I-I'm sorry, Zan-" you would try to muster up an excuse he would take, but you don't know why because he can see through anyone's lies like glass. No one else’s anger made your usually composed and undeviating composure waver unless it was from Dottore.

"Do NOT call me that!" he spat, lunging forward towards you, but he caught himself at the last second and tried to hold himself back. The sudden movement from him made you move back, too; you hated being in the path of his destructive anger; he could do literally anything. But he hated that name. Zandik. It reminded him of his Akademiya days. "Never, EVER speak of that name again! I have heard that name FAR too many times over the years, and I am sick of it! Especially hearing it from you! I loathe it! You make it oh so much worse. And I. AM. FINISHED!"

What happened after that—an argument or conversation, if you even call it that—was awkward but surreal. You had never seen him so angry, especially towards yourself, especially over the measliest of things. Now you know what other people felt when The Doctor was beyond seething.

Poor you.

Pity.

Though you were used to it, it still hit close.

When he was in various moods, you knew it was better to leave him alone and let him cool off, to do whatever cacophonous activities he pleased.

In the meantime, you knew to do your own thing, be it reading, talking, walking to let your thoughts simmer and fester, or practising sparring. No one could ever separate you from your blade.

"Heh," Childe mused with his usual shit-eating grin as he put his bow away, it disappearing beside his waist in a small cloud of golden sparkles before they hurridly faded away, "remember, we've been over this, girlie. Many times. Disputes happen. Adohiro and I have them, even over the pettiest things. And it's no different for you and The Doctor either. Even if... he tends to be a loose canon sometimes," he admitted openly, because you obviously knew that already. But you wouldn't call it 'petty.'

Despite your loose friendship, as in you and Childe, you were both good at fighting. He was always looking for a fight with those who would... 'ask for it,' and you were always up to the opportunity to refine your skills and execute them perfectly. So, if someone came upon you two sparring, they would think it looks like a dance. The way both of your manoeuvres melt together creates something that flows smoother than water: perfect pars, swift flourishing, and endless energy. Flashy.

It was comfortable for both of you. Your sword, slender, dark in colour, like obsidian, yet shiny, with no stains despite your work, would collide with Childe's slick, ocean-blue Riptide blades. From time to time, it would be some friendly jabs and remarks at each other before it would work up the energy and get a little more aggressive, as it would be if you were to actually fight against a foe. More flamboyant.

You could easily tell he was enjoying it, almost like he was showing off. But the word 'petty' stuck in your mind like an adhesive; he may not have meant it to be necessary, but you didn't see it like he did. That drove you to fight for your life, so to speak. And whatever he said next would fall upon your deaf ears.

Let’s just say that no words were spoken for a while.

Nothing but the sounds of quick swoops and clangs as weapons collided. The occasional friendly jabs turned into witty quips shared between the two of you, only before more swoops and clangs would sound out more rapidly with more force. With wits at their ends, it would be a surprise if someone got hurt, right? Right?

No matter. Because how could either of you get hurt? You’re both skilled bladesman. Meaning that no matter the circumstances you shouldn’t get hurt, you should only deal damage to those that don’t matter.

That was also told to you in your line of work. Constantly. This drove you. And it drove you insane. The idea of hurting the seemingly innocent until proven til they perish. They’ve worked alongside the criminally insane without knowing? Kill them. Their family? Kill them; there can’t be any more ‘bad blood’ spared. Knowing that you were once as innocent as the genuinely innocent you have killed haunted you; it was this burden that sat and will forever sit, on your shoulders until your own death. Constantly whispering to you, reminding you every day. Without fail. Like the angels and demons on either side of you. Only that it was only the demon. The angel was still there. But it was long dead. Dead by the hands of your own being. Signifying you are no longer innocent. And haven't been for a long time

You had a quick breather between quick rounds. During this break, you protested because you wanted to keep going, but Childe persisted.

"You've gotten much better than last time, Konchina" He took a deep breath as he put his arm in front of him, stretching it as his other arm held it close to his chest before lightly shaking it, relieving the tension pent up from the sudden blade swings.

"Of course, I've gotten better, Tartaglia", you retorted, mocking his enthusiasm in the way he said your 'name' "I can only get better from here."

He shrugged after a brief silence as he let the air settle between you both. "Okay, whatever you say. Just don't push yourself. I have to keep telling you this; the more you do this, the more you push yourself to your limit, and the more likely you will get hurt and put out of commission, depending on the severity, of course. And you know that Her Majesty can't have any of her followers, especially one of her close subordinates, out of action when work needs to be done. And you know what The Do-"

He would begin to carry on but was immediately cut off by you groaning at the name, throwing your sword down as it bedded itself into the dirt, standing at an angle, "Do not bring him up now. I can't tolerate him now, and I don't think he will be able to tolerate me now after... what happened." You would rather not think about that again.

And, of course, you know what The Doctor will say; it wouldn't be the first time. He keeps you close to his lab until you get better, not until he patches you up while giving you a long lecture. Ugh. You can't stand his lectures. As knowledgeable as he is in the medical field, it doesn't help that when you want peace, he can't keep his mouth shut.

Like last time, the last time you hurt yourself was during another spar session, this time with the Captain himself, Capitano. You got too into it, pent-up emotions up to the brim as you swung your weapon a little too hard and fast and accidentally dislocated your shoulder. As uncomfortable as it was, Capitano advised you to get it fixed, against your wishes, as you still wanted to fight. Thus sending you to the lab that is Dottore's. When you walked in, and he saw the damage, even at a glance, he knew; he sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose, as he didn't have his mask on due to what he was working on; he snapped his fingers, echoing across the room, before pointing at the chair beside his main lab desk.

He pushed your arm back into place with a resounding POP, immediately followed by you sounding in agony despite restraining yourself.

"Tut. You know full well not to throw your body weight in a fight unless it is detrimental. You should know that by now." He would say things like that, only more patronizing; at least, that's what it felt like.

"You know to leave him alone and do whatever he wants," Childe mentioned. I've heard that before, you thought. Many times. "Now. Where were we?" he smirked as he picked his weapon up again.

Reaping up your weapon out of the ground began round two.

Those memories came back and took control. What you've been told many times came back and took control. And it wanted to do some damage. Yet, it would only backfire.

CLANG. CLANG. CRASH. PING.

Was the sounds of your blades. Only the PING was when Childe managed to disarm you and accidentally pierced your right upper quadrant. He dropped his weapons once he noticed.

"(Y/N)! Oh my- I genuinely didn't mean to do that-"

"Childe! I'm fine," you said with a shaky voice, speaking through the adrenaline rush that was now coming to a close, the pain slowly yet quickly overtaking your side.

"Let's get you to the lab- and yes, we are going!" he said quickly before you could even think about protesting, "and I don't care what The Doctor thinks; he has to help."

He will.

He must.

taglist: @jqnehr • @rain-soaked-sun • @mmeatt • @leoisgayforwriting (for Childe) •

please fill out the Google form on the series masterlist if you want to be added! :3

[devilruin]

【 Please note! 】 ⎯⎯⎯ Please remember to look at each author's do not interact criteria and blog rules before interacting with them! Also, please check each work for specific tags!

if a link to a piece is :

⛧ ⋅  italicized ― it contains explicit content

⛧ ⋅  bold ― it contains dark content

⛧ ⋅  italicized and bold ― it contains both dark and explicit content

✧ @smalltasteofhoney ― biscuit radiates this warm and fluffy kind of energy, and her words flow like honey (hehe...), i love seeing her pop up on my dash sm! whenever i read a piece from her, i always wonder 'how did she know they'd do that?'

personal picks : yandere vil thoughts (a crooked crown really does look so pretty on him) , "you just don't know what's good for you" with vil (ouch, right in the feels...) , which twisted wonderland characters would babytrap their darling? (not pictured: me nodding me head and going "oh yeah, he'd do that") , what to expect in bed with the twisted wonderland boys? (adore all of these and completely agree!) , yandere gojo thought (i bet his darling rejoices while he's gone) , and some lilia brainrot (why is it that whenever he smiles, a chill runs up my spine?)

✧ @sugoscurry ― i love sugo's characterization so much! her lilia makes me absolutely feral and i think i've reread her alizarin series at least a few dozen times... she's got a great sense of humor too, and i have found myself wheezing at her author notes more than a few times (dios mio chicos always gets me)

personal picks : alizarin with lilia (the og lilia fuckers bedtime story) , alizarin crimson (sorry reader, i think you're doomed) , alizarin crimson hue (poor reader... i told you so) , petplay oneshot with crewel (bark bark woof woof) , explicit staff headcanons (best idea, take them all on) , general yandere staff headcanons (did you know that power and control go hand in hand?) , explicit disaomnia headcanons (maleficent sure knows how to pick them) , milf-maker with childe (he'd do anything to get his prize) , “you’ve been so good lately, my pet. don’t make me have to punish you.” with crewel (immediately wagging my non-existent tail at supersonic speed) , “you don’t even know how lucky you are. I protect you and provide for you. don’t act so ungrateful.” with crowley (well eXcuSE me then) , yandere incubus malleus (the only dream demon who i'd wake up for) , and who in nrc has a virginity kink? (corruption tastes so perfect late at night)

✧ @uvobreakmylegs ― if i could bottle up the sun and gift it to pika, i would. unfortunately i cannot, so i must settle with simply singing my praises about their superb writing. the setting of the scene, the interactions between characters, the descriptions of every twinge of emotion, everything is delicately crafted with their skilled hands, and all i can do is stare in awe.

personal picks : set pattern with hisoka (pure trashy clown behavior right here, it's perfect) , right place, right time with illumi (featuring the troupe is such a fun touch, i love the witty banter and mind games between illumi and chrollo!) , last day out with chrollo (goodbye sunlight...it was nice while it lasted) , hypnagogia with illumi (i can just imagine him letting out a breath of relief once he sees darling alive, only for his expression to immediately change to an eerily blank slate) , with greatest care with pakunoda (she's both cloyingly sweet and bitterly dark when it comes to her darling) , and the sixth floor game with shalnark (this honestly feels like it could be a real game and just the thought of playing it gives me the chills)

✧ @wri0thesley ― nat is a lovely person and deserves the whole world (with some free clothes of their choice) ! i come back to their works all the time, and love reading some of their longer works before bed! their writing sucks me in and makes it difficult for me to pull my eyes away from my screen!

personal picks : midnight musings with dottore and pantalone (all the trouble with double the pleasure) , dead & young & fair with diluc (another absolute top-tier vampire diluc work, i love how reader's relationship with diluc evolves through the piece) , dottore torturing diluc's captured wife (he would be this nasty, wouldn't he?) , pierro age gap (i'd happily turn into a sinner for this man nya) , everything that a big bad wolf could want with toji (brb gotta reapply my lip balm and fix my bunny dress) , kaeya with a hand and choking kink (the idea of there being a difference between the feel of his more calloused sword hand and his smoother non-dominant hand is sending me) , kaeya with a clumsy maid darling (don't mind me i'm just twirling my hair and giggling at the idea of going "oops, i sooo didn't mean to drop this plate in front of you" to him while bending over) , pulling on diluc's hair (i bet it would be so soft...) , wedding rings with toji (third wife status never looked so tempting...) , the machinist and the faerie with gojo (grade-a gojo right here! plus the faerie lore! the world-building! the characters!!! everything is put together so well, i really adore this piece) , and favorite (so far) with toji (do you hear that? it's my corruption kink popping off the walls)

✧ @wyvernne ― wyvernne is an absolute beast (in terms of both quantity and quality) when it comes to writing! when i first stumbled upon her vampire diluc work, i read it all in one setting, and it took me over an hour to finish (and i'm a fast reader!) it was totally worth all the tears and missed sleep!

personal picks : [links are to her works on ao3] for reasons wretched and divine with diluc (imho, this is THE vampire diluc work) , sometimes, all i think about is you with childe (he's such a fucking tease, the little shit) , and black hearted angels sunk me with kisses on my mouth with kaeya (he's so cruel and yet so lovely)

✧ @yandere-romanticaa ― ana is a collector of all things yandere, and her blog shows it! i love her red + black color scheme, and her aesthetic is always on point! she's a wonderful person and i have a hard time not falling in love with her lovely personality (especially when paired with her jokes!) sadly she does not have a masterlist, however just scrolling through her archive (with tags filtered) works too!

personal picks : yandere malleus draconia (who knew a pouty lizard could be so cute) , some thoughts on kaeya's flirtatiousness (i also agree that he's pretty damn guarded) , lilia vanrouge's yandere alphabet (gotta love me an ancient fae that can't cook to save a life!) , and yandere diluc headcanons (blushy, stuttering, yandere mess diluc!)

if you would like to be removed from this list, please let me know!

© 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐧 — 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝟏𝟏-𝟏𝟑-𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑

[tavvattales]

May I ask for Dottore with a fem! reader who gets all shy and nervous around him? I love him fr

GENSHIN IMPACT Character x Fem!Reader Headcanons

Characters: "Il Dottore" Zandik

Pairings: Il Dottore x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Use of pet names like Princess.

Taglist: @stygianoir @kurobakachan @hikomisan @silverwritesthings @minty-stays-tired @genshinparty

If you like what you read, come and check out my Discord!

Click below for more~

"Il Dottore" Zandik

When you first met Zandik, you thought your heart would stop, but as you got to know him, his cold exterior melted, and he broke down his walls for you. Nonetheless, your shy and apprehensive demeanor around him never changed, and he teased you relentlessly for this.

Picking up your courage, you tug on his sleeve causing him to turn around and lean down to your height, smiling, "Z-Zandik, you're t-too close!" you whine, covering up your flushed cheeks and he chuckles, patting your head affectionately.

"What does my precious Princess want~?"

Zandik muses, giving some distance between you, crossing his hands across his chest. Shyly looking up you meet his soft crimson gaze staring at you with affection and you advert your gaze, "I..I-I—"

"You what~?" he continues his teasing, causing you to play with your hands out of embarrassment as your cheeks grow pinker. Pushing your shyness aside, you stand your ground

"I—I LOVE YOU!"

You shout and immediately cover your mouth, "Oh goodness...I-I'm so sorry..forget I said anything!" you say waving your hands across your face and you turn to leave when you feel a gentle grasp on your wrist, pulling you back.

In one swift movement your back is pressed up against Zandik's chest and you feel a warm rumble come from his chest as he lets out a chuckle. His arms snake around your waist as he holds you close, "You're so unapologetically you. Simply you...and for that," Zandik starts softly, placing a kiss atop your head.

"I love you too, Princess."

[wesimpforxiao]

Say My Name and I’ll Be There: 5.4

Darkness.

What a strange feeling it is to have your senses deprived and stolen from you.  Were you still alive, or were you also nothing in this realm of nothingness? Look at you, unable to form a coherent thought or a cry for help.  Look at how you've fallen.

You've fallen too deep this time.  Was Xiao even looking for you?  Did they manage to kill Childe?  Was Aether defeated?  Did the Fatui get what they needed from you, and discard your body in the snow?  All these fears floated alongside you in this sea of darkness, but you could not discern the answers.

Just how much time passed since you were dragged into that portal?

But as soon as you found yourself in this wretched place of nothing, something began to manifest.  A single voice found you, then two.  Soon enough they were blaringly loud and obnoxious.  But eternal sleep sounded nice.  Maybe this darkness wasn't all bad.  A peaceful end to your unpeaceful demise.

"Why is she still sleeping?"  Childe sounded a bit agitated and overprotective as he glared at Signora.  "We require her to be in good health."

"Relax, Childe," Signora lent him a faint smile.  "Do you not know that archons and adepti can hear pleas for help?  This will keep the guardian you spoke of off our trail.  Later we'll use it as bait to capture him."

"It wasn't necessary to hit her so hard," he muttered.  He could still see caked blood at your hairline.

"Now that we're back, I'll inform the Tsaritsa of our achievement.  Make sure she doesn't try anything stupid."  Signora left the cell and retreated upstairs.

Childe watched her leave and returned his gaze to you.  His fingers lightly traced your jaw.  "I warned you that things would get ugly, ojou-chan.  You should have considered an early surrender."

............................................

"I can't hear her," Xiao paced the city gates while Aether and Paimon tried to reassure him.  The worry that exuded the otherwise composed yaksha was enough to put them even more on edge.  If only he had been faster, if he had pushed off the ledge harder, you wouldn't be in the Fatui's hands now.  A part of him tore himself to shreds for his lack of agility in the spur of the moment, but he quickly silenced it.  Reducing himself to a failure would only hinder his ability to rescue you when the time came.

"We know where they're headed! They'll be in Snezhnaya without a doubt!" Paimon attempted to bring optimism to her friends.

"It won't be that easy to infiltrate their base," Aether groaned.  "We won't even know where she's being held, or if she's even there in the first place."  This comment only seemed to agitate the yaksha further.

Aether was right, and Xiao hated it.  As much as he wanted to barge into Snezhnaya the second you disappeared, acting on emotion and rage wouldn't do you any good.  The likelihood that they were using you as bait was too high.  He needed to formulate a plan, just like every other battle he's participated in.  "Quiet," Xiao ordered the two of them to shut up in a disturbingly low voice.  "I need silence."

"S-Sorry!"

The yaksha disappeared without another word, and reappeared before Zhongli in Liyue.  He was just leaving the funeral parlor after a long day.  "We have a problem," Xiao growled.

......................................

"Mmph," you slowly regained consciousness sometime the next day.  "M-my head..."  Your blurry vision slowly focused on the ground in front of you.  The amount of scum on the tile made your stomach riot, and your gaze shifted to your wrists which were chained to the ground.  "So...dizzy."

The sound of metal clinking made you look up.  A Fatui agent was unlocking your cell door, and Childe entered.  "Good, you're awake.  Someone very important wishes to meet you."  He nodded to his subordinate, who then unchained your hands from the floor and rechained them behind your back.  Childe grabbed you by your injured arm and pulled you to your feet.

"Ngh!"  The sudden rise of pain in your shoulder made him chuckle.

"That wasn't even me going all-out, ojou-chan," he spoke in a quiet voice as he guided you down a dim narrow hallway.  "That injury is nothing compared to the ones you'll soon receive."

"Shut up," you groaned, not particularly caring if it'd earn you torture later.  The two of you soon came upon a set of doors, and Childe guided you through them.

The room was grand and remarkably...dim.  The air was stale and seemed to freeze in here.  Over ten Fatui agents and skirmishers, the top of their ranks, stood on either side of the path that led to an underwhelming throne.  The blue glow that shone through the windows illuminated you much like an interrogation light.  Childe pushed you onto your knees once you reached the empty seat at the far end of the room; he spared no expense at agitating your injury, a sadistic smile spreading across his lips every time he heard your stifled groans.

A figure moved from the shadows and took its seat on the throne.  The shadows from its headboard obscured the person before you, but you didn't need to know what the person looked like to give you an answer.

"Bow," the friendly mask of Childe finally broke completely, and he forced you to the ground with a foot to your back.  "It's customary to show your respect before Her Majesty."

"Urk," your face smooshed against the cold tile.  You appreciated that it was much cleaner than your cell floor.  It was a weird thing to focus on given the circumstances, but if you were going to live in that disgusting cell the rest of your life, might as well appreciate what you have now, right?

"Rise," a powerful voice boomed through the room, and Childe yanked you back to your knees.

You're really milking this, aren't you?  You glared at the harbinger when your shoulder ached from his harshness, but his hardened expression was focused on his queen.  That's when you noticed Signora to the left, who was accompanied by two other powerful-looking individuals.  Harbingers.

I can't call Xiao here, you realized with disappointment.  Even with his years of experience, he couldn't face four harbingers and an archon alone.  If you were to call him, he'd be here instantly and without the aid of Aether or anyone else.  It would serve as a trap.  Knowing this, your shoulders dropped with the weight of an overwhelming sense of helplessness.

You were alone.

"Do you know what this is?" The figure leaned forward enough so that her gloved hand was exposed to the light, along with an object you recognized to be your vision. The panicked look you gave your empty belt loop seemed to satisfy her question.  "I hadn't realized I had gifted a vision to someone very valuable to our cause," she mused, turning the vision over in her hand.  "You see, we archons bestow visions subconsciously.  If I had known you were my target, it wouldn't have been gifted to you.  I give you my thanks for your cooperation, but you will not be needing this."  She crushed it in her hands, and let the shattered pieces clatter to the ground with the faint clinking of glass and metal.

"Wait, no!"  You threw yourself forward, but Childe's grip prevented you from moving. That was my only chance! My...only...!  Tears dribbled down your cheeks, and Childe watched you with an empty gaze.  If there was some slim possibility of getting out of here, that was it.  You stared brokenly at the pieces sitting on the floor.

"If you prove your loyalty to my cause, dearest one, perhaps you'll earn it back," the voice echoed through the chamber.  "But until then, that will pose a problem.  We don't want you to leave prematurely, do we? You had only just arrived."

"P-please," you cried.  "Please don't do this."  Childe brought you to your feet and began to escort you out of the room.  "Please!  No! NO!"  His escort was more like dragging your flailing body as you tried to kick at him.  "Noooo!"

Your screams of protest no longer echoed in the chamber once the doors shut behind you.  A few Fatui held looks of uncertainty or even fear behind their masks, but remained silent.  The room was quiet until Signora spoke.  "Who will be in charge of her?"

The Tsaritsa's lifeless eyes floated to the harbinger that stood to Signora's right.  "Il Dottore."

The white-haired man grinned manically with only half of his smile visible from beneath his mask.  "What an excellent casting, Your Majesty.  You will not be let down with the results of my research."

.......................................

Childe chained your wrists to the floor once he returned you to the cell.  He brought a stool into the room and sat on it, intent on watching you until he was called to do otherwise.  You didn't meet his eyes.  "I gave you a way out," Childe spoke as he watched various expressions pass across your face while you thought of your options of escape.  "To avoid the torment that's to come.  You have no idea what you're in for."

"Shut up."

"If you follow instructions, I'm sure you'll earn a few luxuries."

"Like a clean cell?" You rolled your eyes.  "Why would you do something like this? I don't get it."

"I owe my loyalty to--"

"No!" Your shout cut him off.  "Cut the crap, Tartaglia.  Why?" Your eyes glowed enough to illuminate the cell, then faded again.  Your determination to remain strong continued to shine in your pupils, though.  "If what you told me in Dragonspine was true, if you actually were interested in me, you wouldn't be doing this.  I don't give a damn about your rehearsed 'loyalty' line, I'm sick of hearing it.  So why?"

Childe searched your eyes for his own answer.  

"You lied to us, said that you just wanted to join us on an adventure for awhile," you continued, eyes moist with the beginning of tears.  "You ate with us. You laughed with us.  You sparred with us.  Did all of that mean nothing to you? We trusted you!"

"Sweet, naïve ojou-chan.  Trust is for children. This should've been expected."  He stood up and grabbed the brim of the stool.  He walked towards the cell door.

"Do you even care about family?"  The question stopped him in his tracks, but he didn't face you.  "You've talked about your siblings before.  Do you really expect me to believe you have family values if you disregarded mine?"

"Watch your words, comrade."  A dangerous voice left his lips, but it didn't faze you.

"How would you feel if I had been the one to meddle in your family's affairs?  To kill them?  Do they know how many sins you've committed against innocent people?  Do you tell them? Have you told Teucer, or do you continue to wear the same stupid façade of a respectable, perfect older brother?  I'd love to see the look on his face when he finds out you're nothing but a monster and a fraud."

Your head slammed into the wall behind you, and Childe's face was suddenly inches away from yours.  His hand pressed against your neck enough to deprive you of air, but it eased slightly as he continued to look at you.  "Let me get one thing straight.  I didn't kill your grandmother," his voice was quiet, with slight guilt, and at the same time full of rage.

"T-then why did you force her to sign the house away?" You gasped for air when he finally let go of your neck.

"She signed it of her own accord," he rose to his feet.

"But why?"

"She refused to give information for free, so we offered her a considerable amount of money and to buy her house so she could move wherever she'd like," Childe grinned slightly when you gave him a look of skepticism.  "In the end, she didn't have any useful information on you.  But I was more than willing to oblige her, since I respect family."  

He replaced his seat back in the middle of the cell and silently watched you once again.  You didn't really know how to respond to his words about Granny, so you just glared at the muck on the floor.

Coming up:  First contact, a plot of rescue and...a rare sight of a yaksha.