#falling through hoyoverse

[bronya-official]

(i think i hit my daily post limit, cant reblog the thread at all- gepard mod.)

"It might not be Mondstadt. We haven't walked very much at all. But, you're right, we should ask them."

[ @ask-captain-gepard ]

oof-

"Okay then." Bronya walked towards one of the guards.

She seemed to converse with him for a bit before coming back to Gepard.

"This is Mondstadt, and we can go in!"

[ask-captain-gepard]

[Theres sounds of shuffling, the blonde moving to try to pull Gepard up, or around with a soft grunt, noticing he was beginning to wake up]

“—n you hear me?”

[Thoma moved in front of Gepard, carefully moving him to sit up against something]

“Hey, buddy. If you can hear me, can you give me a sign?”

~ @kamisato-housekeeper

Gepard didn't struggle, merely blinking, trying to focus on his surroundings. He ignored the pounding in his head, as he tried to speak.

"... I c'n hear you.."

[demonir]

watched a zenless zone zero character demo video and it was sooooooooo cool but then i remembered the game isn't gonna be half as cool or enjoyable as the video bc it's a hoyoverse game so here I go imagining a better game in my head instead of downloading it ✌️

[water-to-drink]

You want a request? Sure, here ya go! 😀

Back when Genshin Impact first came out, a lot of folks compared it to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. (Some even thought Hoyoverse was directly copying Nintendo, if you can believe it) This little nugget of info was stored away in my head for some time, and now it's finally borne fruit!

SAGAU universe, bc ofc it is, where Creator!Reader would turn off the Genshin music and instead listen to Zelda tunes as they play! Nobody in Teyvat knows where these songs come from, but the Vision Holders who have heard them believe these melodies to be of holy origin. Something that connects them to their Creator, and is either shared to the masses or kept amongst themselves...a secret that only those blessed to be the Makers Vessels are to know.

If we're going the Imposter SAGAU route, it could be that our poor Creator is awaiting to be executed by the Genshin Cast. In an attempt to comfort themselves, they hum one of the songs that they love from the Zelda games (Zeldas Lullaby is always a favorite of mine personally) and the Acolytes overhear them. Whether this leads to more harm or to the Reader getting help, I'll leave that up to you.

Divine Melody

(Synopsis): After being transported to one of your favorite game you’re a accused of being an imposter but a melody changes the minds of Teyvat

(Tags/Warnings): Reader is treated as an imposter, reader almost dies, (if I missed anything lmk)

(Word Count): 770

(A/n): I remember that era, it was a ridiculous accusation to throw, and I hope this fulfills your expectations

A bright light shines in your face causing you to open your eyes

You find yourself in a grassy field and laying in the shade of a large tree. Odd you don’t remember falling asleep outside, this area looks pretty familiar. After a few seconds of trying to figure out where you are, you looked to see a statue

The statue looked absolutely majestic, walking to the front of it you saw that it was holding a glowing teal orb and the statue is in the likeness of Venti

The realization hit you like a ton of bricks

You’re at Windrise, you’re in Genshin

Excitement fills you and instantly began to run to Mondstadt City

Being transported to your favorite video game is supposed to be an amazing experience. Experience the world first person, interact with the characters, all that good jazz. That’s what you expected when you step foot in the city

Instead of the kind smiles you would normally see from behind your screen you were met with the people whispering amongst themselves whilst looking at you

Odd, you kept walking around the city until a knight came up to you and pointed his sword at you

“Halt, foul imposter!” The knight spat out. “How dare you come here wearing their holy presence.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just woke up like-” You were cut off by the sword coming closer to your neck

You looked around to see a crowd gathered around waiting for you, the intensity of the situation only grew and so without much hesitation you ran away from the knight and the crowd

You ran until you bumped into a person, looking up you see Kaeya

“Oh thank god! Kaeya please explain to these people that they got it all wrong, I’m not an imposter!” You pleaded

But why did he look at you with such contempt and disgust? Without a word from him he restrained you, his grip ironclad threatening to leave bruises to your arms

“I got them!” Kaeya yelled at the crowd

The mob gathered around you and bound your hands behind your back and the two knights lead you to a jail cell that had long been abandoned

Why were they treating you this way, you’ve done nothing wrong. Hopeless you curled up into ball on the floor and began to cry uncontrollably

You don’t know how long you spent crying when a knight came to get you from your dingy cell. She took you outside and you the moment you were out the sun blinded you. As you were lead through the street the people pelted rotten fruit at you

All that was going through your mind was “why”

Why are they doing all of these awful things to you, the yells of contempt was a stark contrast to the friendly smiles you’re used to seeing

As you got closer you saw the stake that you’re about to be tied to and set alight, the reality hit you and in a desperate attempt to calm your mind you begin to hum a melody that you would listen to while playing the game

You hum loudly to drown out the chants from the crowd. Strangely it comforted you, perhaps in your last moments finding solace in familiarity pushes the situation out of your mind.

You hummed loudly that someone heard you

“Stop! Stop! Stop!” A familiar voice yelled, quieting the crowd

You look up to see it was Venti who was standing before you. He gets down on his knees and looks you in the eyes

“That melody, sing it again.”

You kept humming the tune and the vision holders all had horrified looks on their faces, they all drop to their knees and bowed before you

“Your Grace, please forgive us for our grave mistake.” Jean said

“W-what are you talking about?” You asked confused beyond comprehension

“Your Grace, do you not realize that you are the creator of Teyvat?” Eula said

You ended the story and looked around at the faces of the children gathered around you. A story that is long behind you and now you dictate your time in teaching future generations the lesson

“What was the song you sang, your Grace?” A girl asked

“It was a song that the vessels would hear when I would pilot them, here let me hum it to you.” You began to hum the melody and as the song progressed you saw the children slowly get lulled to sleep. Finishing your tune you stood up from you chair and whispered “Goodnight, my sweet children.”

[saylor-twift]

Older and Wiser

~Word count: 2.4k

~Warnings: none!

~Summary: Through an unexpected birthday gift, the Wanderer falls in love with you a little more.

~Notes: A very much needed romantic birthday special for one of the best characters hoyoverse has ever created. I haven’t written anything in over half a year… yikes! hope y’all enjoy this shit lmfao

(divider from cafekitsune <3)

He remembers. He remembers a sunny afternoon mid-September, when the skies were free of clouds and, as per usual, the ever rambunctious streets of Sumeru were crowded with all likes of people from near and far. Wooden carts and stands and makeshift stages and of course, the blazing sun. He was irritated. Meaning, his mood was as average as it could be for such a typical day. He had just finished another lecture, one that of course he had absolutely not decided to attend of his own will. It’s always invites upon invites upon invites, and no matter how hard he tries to show disinterest, the well educated people of the Akedemiya never seemed to have learned how to take a hint.

The large hat he favors on a daily basis does well to protect the sun from blinding his eyes and scorching his fair skin, though it’s not like his puppet body could even form a sunburn. Not to mention it blocked his view from unwanted passersby if he tilted it at just the right angle. That way, he always had the excuse of, “Oh, I just didn’t see you” every time somebody accuses him of ignorance. It usually works, too. The majority of people are not brave enough to try and continue a conversation with him once they’ve seen that they’ve already been shut down. Most people, of course, can never quite equate to a whole. There’s always at least one person who stands out from the rest. And quite frankly, who that “one person” happens to be, doesn’t bother him so much.

“Hey!”

I don’t see you.

“Kuni, hey!”

Ah, wait, I know that voice. Nevermind, then.

A sweet smile and rosy cheeks, an even sweeter voice. Sweets are growing on him, dammit. Growing? No, they’ve long since planted their seeds and sprouted. He knows this.

“Yes?” He responds, and it’s not quite as irritable as it could have been. “Have you been following me?”

“No.” You respond, a little too confidently. “Well, yes. But it wasn’t my original intention. I was grabbing some groceries and I saw you walk out. I thought you weren’t meant to be done till five?”

He turns around to face you, tilting the brim of his hat upwards. You deserve to have his full attention, even if prior to hearing your voice all he desired was to return home and away from prying eyes. He offers a nonchalant shrug in response to your question.

“I was meant to be done. Turns out the old geezer could only stand to talk for so long. He wrapped the lecture up somewhat nicely, but there were so many unresolved questions and holes in his logic that anyone could see he was just trying to get it over with.”

You can’t help but laugh, at this point you can only find his penchant for exaggerating situations he dislikes rather humorous. The sound burns his ears, and until he met you all that time ago, he had no idea his puppet body could feel butterflies in his stomach.

“There is nothing to laugh at. The entire lesson was completely insipid.” He argues, but even the supposedly heartless puppet can’t help the way you make him smile.

“Well I wasn’t exactly planning on ever attending a lecture from the Akedemiya, but now I have reason to stay away on purpose.” You quip, smile never fading. He chuckles in response, and you admire how nice his features look at ease, when they’re not so tightly wound up in discomfort. “Hey, before you go…” you say suddenly, after a few moments of silence bordering on awkwardness. You reach into a small pocket in the folds of your clothing, and swiftly pull out a polished, silver key dangling from a long black string. The string is tied together in the middle in a neat little bow. You don’t miss the way his eyebrow raises in confusion. Before he has the chance to make any sort of comment, you are quick to explain.

“I found it in some pawn shop a few streets down. I don’t know why, but I couldn’t leave it alone. There’s.. not a whole lot that’s special about it, but I thought maybe you should have it.”

His eyebrow raises higher, if that’s even possible. “A… key? But it’s a necklace? Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the gesture, but… there has to be some other reason as to why you purchased this.”

You reach over and dangle the loop around his slender fingers, and he holds it out in front of him in curiosity. You simply shrug in response. “It’s nice, at least a little, don’t you think? Maybe it was the design on the handle. If you look closely, it looks like little lotuses. Like your hat. Maybe that’s why I liked it so much. In any case, please keep it! You don’t have to wear it, but you can’t get rid of it, alright?”

“I..” he looks at the strange piece of “jewelry” as if one would a strange plant found in the wilderness. He appreciates the gesture, but still, he doesn’t quite understand it. “I do think it’s nice. I do. I will keep it.” He assures, offering something that could almost pass for a smile. You try not to let on just how pleased you are.

Today is January 3rd. Out of all the days of the year, The Wanderer has decided that this is the one he dislikes the most. Even if he tried to pretend it was just another day like he always had, he cannot possibly shake the nagging reminder that on this day, all those years ago, his body had been infused with the element of her, and been brought to life. Her hands that made him, her hands that cast him away, her hands that “freed” him. He wouldn’t rather trade the life he has now for much else, but still, he never can quite stop his mind from imagining how different things would have been had his creator not been shocked by his crystalline tears.

It has somehow become common knowledge that the Wanderer does not like to show his face to the public on his birthday. How everyone found out this certain day was even his birthday in the first place, he will never know. Henceforth, it has become somewhat of a tradition for the Wanderer to seek out different hiding places throughout the day and see how long they lasted, mostly for his own amusement. Of course, he really could just stay in his room the entire day, but with an aunt-figure like Nahida hovering over his shoulder and enforcing self care and improvement 24-7, that was not much of an option.

It seems his most recent choice for a place of solitude was his best work yet, because even as the sun descended over the horizon and the sky turned orange, no one has yet to find him. Except, the funny thing is, this isn’t really a hiding place. It never was. And he’s hoping the one person who knows of this little safe haven, tucked into the corner of a large branch near the top of The Divine Tree, stumbles in any second now.

His eyes have begun to peacefully shut, but one opens on high alert at the sound of shoes on wood as his person finally finds him. He smiles, more of a smirk, but a smile nonetheless.

“Took you long enough.”

“Right, like you haven’t been avoiding everyone all day.”

“It was a test to see if I was really worth your time. You passed, by the way.”

You laugh in disbelief, shoving his shoulder a little as you sit down. Carefully cradled in the gentleness of your palms is a small, yet dense package. It’s wrapped neatly in green patterned paper and topped with a neat little bow. He pretends not to notice.

“Test. Yeah, sure. Happy birthday.” You reply sweetly, your smile even sweeter. He tries not to show you the discomfort that phrase brings upon him. “It’s just a day. Nothing special about it.” He insists. His gaze is focused on the landscape down below, on the merchants slowly packing up their shops and the sun setting beyond the trees, his palm atop his knee.

“You always say that. It will never make me stop trying, you know. I care, even if you don’t.”

“I know.” He insists. “You always do. I know. I.. appreciate it.”

You smile. You were expecting more of a fight from him, to be honest. Although, over the months, he’s lost quite a bit of the usual fierceness he so dearly loved to harbor.

“Happy birthday. I mean it.”

…

“Thank you.” he replies, gaze trained down at his lap.

“I.. have something for you.” You say. He perks up. He’d almost forgotten about the pretty little package sitting in your lap. “Again?” He questions, a cover up for his obvious interest in whatever trinket you’ve fished up for him this year. Somehow, you’ve always had a knack for giving concealed meanings to simple items.

“Again? Of course I’ve got something for you again. Why would I not?” You grip the box a little tighter, and it’s hard to deny the ever growing sense of worry in the pit of your stomach. Even knowing how easy it is for you to please him, you’ll never know if one day your efforts turn out to be in vain. Perhaps he’s grown tired of your antics, or he’s simply not in the mood for your sweetly attempted gestures. You can only pray you’re overthinking. “You.. you are too much, you know that? Too good. Very well, let’s see it.” He replies, feigning nonchalance.

You roll your eyes, but carefully place the box into his cool, slender, outstretched hand. It dips a bit under the weight of the dense box. So little, yet carrying so much weight. What could you have crammed in here, he wonders. He eyes you again, and you nod to give him the go ahead to peel away the paper. He does so with utmost caution and care, as if the wrapping paper itself was the precious gift. Tearing the paper away reveals a little box with a keyhole in the center. It’s silver, and has got intricate little engravings all over the top and bottom as well as four little curved legs. He attempts to open the gift, but to no avail. You’ve given him a locked box? He looks to you with yet another raised eyebrow.

You can only bite your lip to conceal your growing excitement, hands clasped in the fabric atop your lap. “A puzzle, is it?” He murmurs, turning the metal box over and over in his hands, tracing his thumb along the engravings as if that were enough to crack the invisible code.

“A smart man needs a smart gift, no?” You reply, leaning so you can rest your chin on his shoulder. Instinctively and completely without thought, his hand moves around your back to rest on the side of your waist. Your sly compliment makes the tips of his ears turn just a little crimson, unnoticeable in the dim night sky. “I’ll give you a hint. You need something I hope you didn’t throw away.” You whisper, and the way your breath tickles the side of his face makes it hard to keep his mind away from you, let alone think about how to solve the puzzle. “You won’t open it while we’re out here, I’ll tell you that much. So you can wait till you get home. For now, is it alright that I stay here with you for a while?”

For some reason, your request to stay has the feeling in his chest drooping in relief, the promise that you’re here with him just for a little longer. He turns to you, with your chin still on his shoulder, and allows his own head to fall on top. His lips silently brush against the top of your head, grazing against the softness of your hair before turning back again to the sun that has set beyond the horizon.

“Like I’d ask for you to leave.”

He has no idea what time it is, and it’s a bit difficult for him to find the ability to care. His chest is light and his heart is free. A stark contrast to the gloomy, pessimistic way he had begun the morning. Every birthday spent with you had ended feeling like this, he notes. How queer.

Though, not entirely. It would not be a grand exaggeration at all to say that you have been the reason he has been so willing to continue on after centuries of living off of spiteful determination.

He’s figured out the puzzle now. Of course, with a mind like yours, it makes so much sense this would have been a gift planned out for months. He opens the drawer to the side of his nightstand, removing notebooks and old papers to reveal an object in the very back corner collecting dust.

He remembers, he remembers the sunny day in September he was given a peculiar key attached to a string. He remembers being told it suited him, for no particular reason. He understands now. He always felt a compulsion to hold on to the strange trinket you had given him, though it’s not like he’d ever discard something from you anyway. He delicately admires the key, engraved with those little lotuses before carefully slipping it inside the lock on his new gift. The satisfying click it makes as it turns perfectly in the hole scratches his brain, and he knows he’s doing something right.

He opens the metal box with tender fingers, and upon pulling back the top he is met with a lovely sight. The contents inside expand to create a beautiful piece of artwork, paper folded to reveal an amalgamation of colorful butterflies all surrounding a grandiose lotus flower posed right in the center. It’s nothing special, he can already hear you saying. Maybe to you, but to him, it’s something he’s certain he will keep with him until the day the fates decide he’s no longer fit to continue living in this world.

He understands the deeper meaning inside, whether intentional or not. He had been given the key months before, without any clue of what it could lead to. Yet he trusted you and your words, and he’s finally received the prize at the end. He understands what you mean to tell him, what you meant all along for him to understand.

“Trust me, my love. Give me your time, and I’ll give you mine. Trust me, and in due time, you’ll come to understand.”

[bunni-v1]

Something that's been on my mind for so long is lighter/harumasa x chubby! Reader, coming from someone chubby I hate how my body doesn't fit multiple outfits or my rolls whenever I sit down. But oh my goodness it's been on my mind o(〃＾▽＾〃)o

🍓Every time a chubby bitch (affectionate) feels insecure a fairy dies. Not to be weird but I fucking love chubby people, they're so fucking hot, I will burn down all of society for them. These r short btw, sorry. I personally have had the opposite issue weight-wise my whole life, so I didn't wanna pretend like I knew what you go through lol.

Lighter Lorenz

-Lighter prefers his partner to have more meat on their bones, I'm 100% sure. (Hoyoverse told me). Having more of you to hold and love would never be a bad thing, and it irritates him when people insinuate their partners being bigger is a bad thing.

-He doesn't really leave room for you to feel insecure about yourself, because he's so very in love with all of you. If you even utter a negative word about yourself he's looking at you with this adorable pouty glare, getting ready to kiss you stupid so you'll shut up.

-He's great for your self-esteem because he makes you feel so amazing and pretty. He peppers you with kisses, especially over parts of your skin you find particularly ugly. He will shower you with love until you also love yourself as much as he does.

-If you're worried about being too heavy for him to hold or anything, that's not a problem either. Lighter is strong, and easily lifts you up regardless of how heavy you are. You weigh nothing to him, honestly, and it's not even a challenge.

-It's not just him, though. The girls also love you, and they won't let you feel bad about the way your body looks. Lighter comes with your own personal hype squad attached, it seems.

-Help the stupid soul that makes you feel insecure. Lighter is like your valiant Knight in Leather Armor. If someone has an issue with you, they have an issue with him, and he's happy to prove that to them if need be.

Harumasa Asaba

-Harumasa is, how do I put this... weight blind? He's just not the kind of guy to really give that much of a shit about little things like that. Life is too short to be picky about the person you fall in love with, and he honestly wouldn't want you to change anything for him anyway.

-Chubby, skinny, tall, short, whatever, it doesn't matter that much to him. You are you, that's all that matters right? Well, if you're feeling bad about yourself, then it matters a little bit. He doesn't want you thinking he doesn't care about your feelings.

-Always, always assures you that you look so good in everything -- and equally, he's always willing to prove that he thinks you look good. He can't promise the clothes will survive, but if it'll make you feel better the clothes can be nobly sacrificed.

-And, yeah, he uses the "You're more comfortable to cuddle," argument on you all the time. It's true, though. You are very comfortable to lay on and sleep with. The soft squish of your warm tummy is the perfect resting spot after a long day of work.

-If someone's bothering you or making you feel bad, he's the type to come over and flip it around on them. He's very good at finding people's insecurities, after all. If they want to make you feel bad, they should know what it feels like too! It's only fair, right?

[ruruumin]

i'll love you in every universe.

₊˚ ᗢ modern au! alhaitham x hoyoverse! reader.

⤷ when you're his favorite video game character. - spoilers for honkai impact 3rd, houken gakuen 2, and honkai star rail.

looking for a partner to co-op with, kaveh asked alhaitham to install honkai impact 3rd. at first, the man scoffed at him, reluctantly downloading it to play with his roommate. he would have never expected in a million years, that he would fall so deeply into the rabbit hole called hoyoverse. he stays up late into the night, tapping away on his phone to grind for materials to upgrade his most beloved character: you.

kaveh didn’t understand his strange fascination with you. he had passed on your banner but alhaitham on the other hand, would constantly pull for you no matter what. blame it on his financial freedom, he said. you only deserved the best after all. you had your signature five-star weapon and stigmatas. his entire team was based on maximizing your potential, and he was often known as “that guy who only played (name)” on online co-ops. 

his love for you was very quiet but his actions were loud.

he liked you a lot more than he bargained for. he made you his favorite character on the main screen, tapping your speech bubble to hear your voice lines. you had a very calm and relaxing tone. it was like music to his ears. and he finds that when life gets busy, all he wants to do is lay in bed and spend time with you in the miniature house he’s built. none of this made sense to his roommate. why would a brooding guy such as him, fall so enamored by a bubbly, joyous character like you?

your story mode was the most played-through for him. having started as just another side character to kiana’s journey, you became an integral part of the world. his heart wrenched every time he saw your lowest moments, even when he knew you’d prevail in the end, it kept him on the edge of his seat. he was devastated at first to hear you would be a villain in the later arcs. he didn’t want to fight against you. though, he ultimately would, to see you return to normal (he’ll go out of his way to completely avoid fighting you in weekly bosses). 

when you held out your hand to kiana, looking into the camera with enough warmth to melt the sun itself, he was happy kaveh asked him to play.

one regret alhaitham has is not being early enough to play houken gakuen 2, the predecessor of honkai impact 3rd. he only saw small snippets of your character in the final scene. you were holding onto kiana, the light in your eyes having faded in an instant before the world reset itself.

kaveh suggested he play genshin impact next, considering their world is interconnected with honkai impact. alhaitham would yet again scoff until he saw you in sumeru’s trailer. he couldn’t believe it. there was another you. your personality was a lot calmer and more reserved. more logical, he’d say. despite only being a scribe in this universe, you were a dendro character very closely connected to your archon and played a big role in overthrowing the corrupt sages. 

he was happy to know that your voice had stayed the same. your love for food also remained the same. it gave him jitters when you invited him (technically traveler) into your home. you weren’t the same person as you were in honkai impact 3rd, but you shared the same charm as your previous counterpart. some of the dry comments you had made him smile, like the time you left the traveler with a simple “see ya.”

he continued to grind for your ascension, building his team around you as usual. while you had less of a part in this game, seeing you return was more than enough for him. 

something he was very happy about was because of the popularity of genshin impact, there was much more merchandise for him to buy. after coming home from an exhibit, kaveh was gawking at the sheer size of his haul. from keychains, pins, and buttons, alhaitham bought every single one of your merch. his room was beginning to look less and less professional and more… interesting. it definitely had character. he had an acrylic stand of you beside his computer, with a large statue of your character displayed on his shelf.

kaveh would complain to tighnari and cyno about how you might as well be a third roommate, considering how often he had to see your face around the house. none of that would matter though, as long as alhaitham was less grumpy and going out to play games with him, he actually saw it as a good change. it felt like he got to know more about his roommate than he did beforehand. 

finally, when honkai star rail came out, kaveh didn’t even have to tell him to download it. alhaitham already had it on his devices and started playing before he did. he knew based on the name and hoyo’s previous games, he’ll see you again. and he wants to be more than prepared (with money) to bring you home.

and he’s still not sick of your character yet. his heart was leaping to his throat in the dead of night when you appeared in front of trailblazer during the penacony questline. holding out your hand for them to grab. you pulled them out of the rubble, patting them on the shoulder before pulling them to safety. this version of you was also different from the rest. still gentle and soft-hearted, but… sadder.

in this universe, you had lost kiana and many of your friends. turning to a life of solitude, you became more closed off. it took a lot more time for this version of you to finally open up to him. you talked about your journey before meeting trailblazer. having roamed various worlds until hearing about the express crew. the way you looked at archeon made him hopeful that there was still something between you and the other reincarnations. but you wouldn’t remember her. let alone realize you used to be friends in another game and universe. while tragic, he still wanted to give you the best as he always did. 

the same old tactic: he’ll build another team just for you. and he’ll continue to buy merchandise of you. from m.rage jackets that hung in his closet like a prized possession, to notepads and acrylic blocks. he was single-handedly saving the small business market by how much (name) merchandise he was buying off of every artist that drew you. 

kaveh had given up on complaining and succumbed a little to his antics. for example, on alhaitham’s birthday, he was gifted with a very comical cake with your character drawn on top of it. it gave him a good laugh that day.

in every single universe, whether it be from honkai impact, genshin, or star rail, you’ll always be his favorite character. 

… so when you appeared in his world, he was unprepared.

[starsinmylatte]

I saw your dilf Veritas post and listen I had to hop in cause I am so damn hungry for this man istg

Anyway, I don't think I've seen anything in regards to the moment when Veritas loses his cool for maybe even the first time in his life. And that's the birth of his child. He has knowledge on birth and all about it but with that comes the knowledge about all that could go wrong and bro is stressing 🥲 he wants his beloved partner and his precious baby safe and sound and healthy. He also hates to see his partner in so much discomfort throughout all this

I have failed my fellow HSR cuties bc I have been HOARDING some delicious content in my drafts while waiting for the hyperfixation to return. Everyone thank @delirious-donna for pinging my last brain cell and reminding me that hoyoverse still exists 🙂‍↕️💕

Anywho..... Back to our scheduled simping!

Veritas is the man who always has a logical plan or a well-thought-out answer to everything. He is aloof at most times, able to step away from any situation happening in front of him so that he may analyze and produce the best course of action. He prides himself on his ability to organize his thoughts and process his feelings according to logic, oftentimes being the only person to take charge during emergencies. That is, until you wake up in the dead of night to find that your bedsheets are.... strangely damp? Oh shit.

Being the chronic over-planner, Veritas had your due date neatly penciled into his calendar for precisely two weeks from now, so when you tapped at his shoulder rather urgently, he was decently confused. "My darling, I know cravings are intense, but eating at this time of-"

You cut through his raspy, sleepy drawl- the same one you'd heard groaning obscenities against the shell of your ear as his son was conceived-" Veritas, the baby is coming."

His head twitched, raising off the pillow as if he needed both ears to hear what you were saying, "I, I apologize, but it sounded li-"

"Veritas. Get the bag. Our son is coming."

For the first time since you'd met the man, you swear that you can hear the subtle clicking of Veritas Ratio's mind running as he processes a set of data. During that particularly pregnant (ha) pause, you heard one distinct tick as he registered the condition of the bedding, and then the father of your child was immediately out of bed vaulting across the room.

A choice string of vehemently hushed obscenities falls from his lips as he snarls in frustration at all the extra fucking buckles on his goddamn pants that he's never noticed before and-

"Dear, just keep your sweatpants on. Just find a shirt and some shoes first, and then grab pants and shoes for me."

Your clear voice stops his thoughts on a dime. Of course, How had he not thought of that? His beloved wife was so brilliant.

For the first time in his entire life, Veritas's brain was simply on overdrive. His carefully separated thoughts and feelings were clashing with no intention of stopping, leaving the man on autopilot. If it were any other situation, you'd have been amused.

Veritas's mind snapped back to normal after you winced from a contraction as he helped you with your shoes. Knowing that you were in distress gave his mind the kick it needed to prioritize correctly again, and he got you to the hospital in record time.

Originally, you had planned to go to the hospital that was further away- the one Ratio didn't lecture at daily- but now that didn't seem like a possibility. Getting you comfortable as quickly as he could won by a mile in Ratio's list of priorities, so many heads turned in the Emergency Department as they suddenly heard their strictest professor's voice at three in the morning. Some twitched in their chairs, fully convinced they were in the throes of a nightmare as the widely respected, widely feared Doctor Veritas Ratio strode toward them at a breakneck pace in his pajamas.

"Mywifeishereandsheneedstobetakenuptoaroomimmediately."

The doctors glance at each other. From the sea of confused faces, that didn't make sense to anybody. "uh- sir?"

"My wife. Is here. She needs a room. Now." Veritas annunciated his words very slowly as if they were the densest people on the planet, which meant that he actually managed to speak his sentence at a somewhat normal pace.

As if to drive the point home, the nurse Veritas had left to gather your things and bring you in suddenly appeared, quickly wheeling you into the room. The staff paled as they noticed you groan softly in pain, one arm draped protectively over your heavily pregnant belly.

The medical team whisks you away to a delivery room, and Veritas is quickly thrown into an unfamiliar world. The man used to having decisive answers is sat squarely in a chair next to his wife's bedside, grasping her hand tightly as she cries out in pain. He can't stop thinking about all of the variables, all of the things that could go wrong- the way your face is scrunched up in agony- the knowledge that he's about to meet his son.

The thoughts continue on a revolving loop of horror and wonder until a shrill little cry pierces the air, and Veritas Ratio snaps to attention to meet his son for the first time.

[iridescentmirrorsgenshin]

I saw you said that Alhaitham fell first but Kaveh fell harder. I have always thought that Alhaitham did in fact fall first but Kaveh falling harder? How so?

Hiya! thank you for your ask, it’ll give me the chance to clarify some things from my previous posts about alhaitham and kaveh yearning <3

In post one and post two I discussed that I thought alhaitham and kaveh have both yearned for each other but this yearning manifests in different ways respectively - like through alhaitham’s actions ensuring a close proximity to kaveh, and also actions which could help with kaveh’s betterment, compared with kaveh’s complicated feelings revolving around his and alhaitham’s past friendship, and the current, complicated state of their relationship (pre cyno’s second story quest) resulting in him talking about alhaitham often, even if it’s just to complain

I mentioned that although it couldn’t be certain, it might be that alhaitham was the one to reach out to kaveh through journal critiques after their falling out, but aside from speculation, it can be seen that alhaitham responds to every one of kaveh’s bulletin board posts – in this, there’s an active pursuit of contact from alhaitham’s end, despite kaveh effectively ending their friendship. Alhaitham believes that kaveh is his mirror, and that this is essential to have in maintaining a broad ‘perfected’ perspective, but beyond this it’s evident in their exchanges (that alhaitham very often initiates through goading) that alhaitham enjoys kaveh as a person outside of his views as a scholar

From this, I see this as alhaitham understanding his feelings (be it platonic or romantic) towards kaveh, and that these have sustained from their initial friendship back when they were students. Alhaitham actively considering kaveh as one of priorities (as heavily implied in his story quest, thank you hoyoverse for the infamous framing) shows he’s fully aware of the influence kaveh has in his life, and has long since accepted this – which can be seen in the emphasis of his character stories, that the only joint project he undertook as a student was with kaveh, painting kaveh as a sole exception

Alhaitham’s peace with his feelings contrasts sharply with kaveh, who has a much more convoluted view of alhaitham due to miscommunication and misconception, having been built over many years. I’ve yapped about the reasons for their miscommunications here, here, here, and in my original post about kaveh’s form of yearning, but overall kaveh believes that alhaitham criticises his perspective, and therefore his character, and that alhaitham invited him to live in the house in order for kaveh to give him something in return – all the while kaveh considers meeting alhaitham one of the most pivotal points in his life, and that they were close when they were friends

kaveh is ultimately seen to bicker with alhaitham to the point of upset, and complains about alhaitham when he isn’t present, overall seemingly holding alhaitham in a negative light, until moments of concern crop up, and are poignant in comparison to their usual rapport - it’s very much ‘a mixed bag’

I interpret this to be kaveh still harbouring feelings from their initial friendship, but these contrast with his perception of alhaitham after the argument, and the state of their current relationship. Ultimately, he still cares about alhaitham, but he can’t face the pain this will bring where he cared about alhaitham before, and felt ‘cut’ through, essentially betrayed, so it’s better to reject these feelings in the context of their relationship post-argument. Overall, kaveh retains his feelings, but rejects them

There’s a clear contrast between kaveh’s treatment of alhaitham pre-parade of providence and post, where kaveh is seen to actively pursue/seek out alhaitham, whereas before he mostly shunned alhaitham’s presence. I said before that I think this can be seen to mirror alhaitham’s pursuit of kaveh pre-parade of providence, which can clearly highlight kaveh’s reversal of feelings, whereas before alhaitham’s were pretty clear, in that he wanted to be near kaveh; the most evident action being that he gave kaveh a room, where this wouldn’t be replicable for anyone else

I see this mirroring of actions as equating the two’s feelings for each other, where kaveh could previously be interpreted as genuinely disliking alhaitham, this can’t be claimed now with kaveh saying ‘I’ve been searching for you everywhere’ :’)

The trope of alhaitham falling first and kaveh falling harder can have different interpretations, but for me I see it that alhaitham has long since been aware of his feelings, and has accepted them. In kaveh’s case, it’s more complicated, as it could be said that he fell first, considering that he continually approached alhaitham first in the house of daena in order to form a friendship, but these feelings reversed after their argument

From then on, I interpret it as kaveh being aware of his feelings, but struggling with them, and sought to reject them. But now that the two have reached an understanding, kaveh’s acceptance of his feelings are prominent, and are highlighted (e.g. in him seeking alhaitham out, him telling alhaitham about his day, wanting to talk with alhaitham, whereas before he actively avoided this) in comparison to where alhaitham’s affections for kaveh have remained constant, and have previously been observed

(As for my personal headcanons, since kaveh’s sensibility is something he takes pride in, I like to imagine that him rediscovering his feelings for alhaitham, and realising that their shared bond is something he can rely on, and that alhaitham reciprocates these feelings, brings him this irrepressible happiness, and he’d have the urge to see alhaitham when he could, to fully embrace these feelings whereas alhaitham is used to living with his own feelings, although they aren't of less intensity than kaveh’s - which is my personal interpretation of this trope in the fic I write)

Overall, i interpret it that kaveh and alhaitham effectively fell for each other at the same time, only that kaveh’s changed perception of alhaitham and their friendship complicated things on his end. Despite this, his feelings evenly match alhaitham’s steady constancy. It’s at the point now where alhaitham and kaveh have accepted their feelings and the role they play in the other’s life <333

[ask-captain-gepard]

[text message]

somewhere called inazuma. currently loking for my prothesic. got injured, am fine now.

are the other guads okay?

[text message]

Lady Brnya? it's gprd. phone broken, and m not in Belobg.

stay sfe

( @ask-captain-gepard )

"So, what Anon said is true..." Bronya murmured.

[text message]

Captain Gepard? Where are you?

Bronya sighed. "All these missing people... I saw other planets' citizens have also gone missing. What is happening?"

@ask-captain-gepard

[ask-captain-gepard]

Gepard had decided, although against his better judgement, to head into Backwater Pass alone.

He had a heavy grip on Earthwork as he carefully walked the sectioned off streets.

He heard it before he felt it. Before he saw it.

Gepard fell.

And fell. Or floated. He couldn't tell.

All he knew was that everything went black.

[ironunderstands]

Double Indemnity, Spellbound and how a retroactive plot twist kicked the communities ass (which also has some VERY interesting implications for Aventio)

I had a very enlightening conversation on TikTok about the nature of these two romance/thrillers, and while unfortunately, I have no idea how to watch them, the plot synopses I’ve seen and analysis other people have made have caused me to come to this conclusion/interpretation of these references:

On the first viewing of the Double Indemnity questline, the reference to the DI movie is meant to be played straight, with Aventurine and Ratio being just as doomed to fail as they are in the movie, and their relationship as equally as toxic and fake.

On second viewing, it’s the complete opposite, and the track (and other movie reference) you receive at the end, Spellbound, proves it.

Let’s start with Double Indemnity.

Also disclaimer I’m gonna be over simplifying the plot/themes of these movies because a) both are singular references, DI is only referenced in the name of the quest itself and Spellbound is only referenced in a track you receive once you complete DI, and references this small probably aren’t meant to be anything more than a fun Easter egg for those who notice it b) this is hoyoverse they aren’t clever enough for that anyways c) the nature of references isn’t going to be having everything be the exact same anyways, so I’m just going to go with the overall interpretation of DI + Spellbound/their impact, picking the stuff which aligns with the actual plot of the DI quest, I don’t care what happens in one frame at 30:01.56 minutes in and neither do the writers

Anyways, how does the Double Indemnity reference on the first viewing seem?

On our first play through of the Double Indemnity quest, we are made to believe that Dr. Ratio and Aventurine do not trust each other, but they are begrudgingly working together for the sake of stealing Penacony for the IPC. Then, Aventurine makes it seem as if he wishes to use the singer Robin’s- also the sister of Sunday, the head of the Oak Family and the one they are negotiating with- death as a means to pressure Sunday into forking over some of the Family’s secrets, which Aventurine will then use against him in future negotiations.

With this setup, the Double Indemnity reference is a solemn warning- Aventurine and Ratio will fail.

You see, in the movie, Phyllis Dietrechson intends to kill her husband in order to earn the money from the Double Indemnity clause (which is a real legal thing btw!), roping in one Walter Neff when he falls for her. However, their relationship isn’t stable and in the end, Walter betrays Phyllis, ratting her out to the investigator Keyes, ultimately meaning they don’t earn the DI clause, also killing Phyllis in the process.

Hopefully you can already see where I’m going with this, but it’s time to draw some fun parallels.

Sunday is Keyes, Ratio is Walter, Aventurine is Phyliss and Robin is Phyliss’s husband.

Although Aventurine a) isn’t married to Robin and b) he didn’t actually kill her, he is the one who witnessed her “death” and in the first viewing of the Double Indemnity quest, we are made to believe he intends to profit off of it, although this time the payout isn’t money: it’s Penacony.

To do this, he enlists the help of Ratio- albeit not seducing him, but still convincing him to help nonetheless- and together they go to meet Sunday for negotiations.

However, Ratio “betrayed” Aventurine, ratting him out to Sunday behind his back and informing him of his plan, which mirrors how Walter confesses to Keyes. This results in Aventurine being sentenced to death, much like how Phyllis dies by Walter’s hand, Aventurine seems like he will die by Ratio’s, calling him a wretch before slinking off.

And there you go, their partnership is as doomed as the one in the movie, failing because their trust + love didn’t hold up till the end, a devious foreshadowing.

At least, that’s how it seems on the first playthrough.

Because Aventurine and Ratio’s plan SUCCEEDS.

And on the second viewing, knowing that the betrayal is fake, you realize they succeed because they do the one thing the people in DI (and I’ll get to Spellbound) DONT do- they actually TRUST each other.

Ratio and Aventurine’s plot is a success. And it’s because they deliberately made it seem like they were doing a Double Indemnity plot. Like they were going to make the same mistakes as the characters in the movie. Sunday falls for the false appearance hook, line and sinker, and that’s his downfall.

They win because they TRUST each other, you can even say because they actually LOVE each other, unlike the characters in the movie, where it’s more list than anything else. Walter and Phyllis don’t make it together to the end but Ratio and Aventurine DO, and they get to continue on with their lives because of it. The reference to Double Indemnity in this quest is genius because it works both before and after you learn the retroactive twist of Penacony. It makes you believe Aventurine + Ratio are doomed to fail, and it makes you realize they were always going to succeed, expertly dawning the false appearances Sunday expects from them, becoming literal actors playing out the roles of two people who will fall short due to their selfishness. Sunday believes he’s seen this film before which is why he BUYS IT, and god it’s just beautiful looking back on it. He thinks he’s Keyes about to uncover a dastardly plot to profit off his sisters death, and in turn he paints Ratio and Aventurine with the identities of those he believes would do such a thing, which they do their best to play into. Ugh it’s amazing.

And now, for Spellbound.

You receive this track after completing Double Indemnity, containing the description above.

Now, this is a reference to Spellbound, another one of Hitchcock’s films.

The main characters in this one are Dr. Anthony Edwards, a man suffering from amnesia, and Dr. Constance Peterson, a psychoanalyst who he was meant to replace, who discovers a dark secret about Edward’s while they fall for one another; he’s an imposter. He believes he killed the real Dr. Edward’s, but she thinks he’s just suffering from a guilt complex. Fake Edward’s goes missing, and the real Edward’s assistant arrived and informs them that he’s missing. She finds Fake Edward again, living under the pseudonym John Brown, and although he tries to leave, she convinces him to stay, telling him that with the help of her mentor, psychoanalysis can help recover his lost memories.

Through an incredibly complicated psychoanalysis of dream, Constance begins to uncover the truth- learning the person who believes himself to be Dr. Edward’s (and is using the pseudonym John Brown) is actually a man named John Ballantyne. Ballantyne accidentally caused the death of his younger brother in the past, resulting in his deep guilt, as well as recalling the location where the real Edwards died- skiing off a cliff to his death. With his memories, they find the body, but it has a bullet wound, so Ballantyne is taken into custody.

However, her boss, Dr. Murchison lets it slip that he actually used to know (and didn’t like) Dr. Edwards, and through another complicated sequence gets him to confess his guilt and ultimately kill himself, which frees Ballantyne, ending the movie with the two going on a honeymoon.

So, what does this mean in the context of the quest line?

Well, let’s say Ballantyne and Constance are representative of Ratio and Aventurine respectively.

“Every psychoanalyst must first have someone else diagnose them.”

If we read Aventurine as the psychoanalyst (Constance) and Ratio as the diagnoser/doctor (Ballantyne), it reveals an interesting interpretation.

That being that they knew the truth from the start/ they had already succeeded.

Or in other words, unlike in Double Indemnity, in Spellbound, they actually succeed.

In the film, Constance is the one doing the diagnosing, the one trying to figure out the truth, and you can see that in Aventurine pretending he’s trying to find out the truth behind Robin’s death. However, in the DI quest, it’s the opposite. Ratio’s as Ballantyne is the one doing the diagnosing for the psychoanalysist, Constance, or rather, Aventurine.

To diagnose someone, you must be very familiar with them, or at the very least the ailment plaguing them, and Ratio he knows Aventurine through and through at the start, and what plagues him (his own sense of meaninglessness) unlike the protagonists in Spellbound who despite falling for one another quickly, don’t begin being intimately familiar with one another.

In this way, they have already succeeded. Aventurine and Ratio already know one another, and while they might not know the reason behind Robin’s death, that was never what they were searching for in the beginning, meaning they effectively can skip through all the drama (aka the ups and downs of Spellbound, finding out the truth behind Robin’s/Edwards’ death), and reach their happy ending- a honeymoon; or in DI’s case, Aventurine attaining his cornerstone, and fulfilling his end of the plan.

Interestingly, Aventurine slots into the role of Ballantyne and Ratio as Constance equally well, with the phone call Constance makes to save Ballantyne being reminiscent of the note Ratio makes to save Aventurine, as well as Aventurine being the replacement, or in the sense, the one to find the truth about Robin.

Personally, I think Aventurine and Ratio are reminiscent of both the main leads in Spellbound, which is why it’s complicated to discern the meaning of the reference. Oh how I wish I knew what the original Chinese description for this was (if you do please tell me 🙏).

Is it just meant to signify them being in love? Is it meant to signify that they will succeed, due to how well they know each other? Is it both, which is what the inclusion of Double Indemnity (the movie) suggests?

Either way, it adds onto the already present idea that the trust between Aventurine and Ratio is what allowed them to succeed in Penacony, and that’s not just something expressed by these movie references.

Think Aventurines Eidolons: Stag Hunt Game and Prisoner’s Dilemma, both of which are game theories about trust. Or how Aventurine says that Ratio knows him best, or how Ratio entrusts Aventurine with close secrets of his, like him being the “Genius” of the council of Mundanites.

“Do you trust me?” “That depends on you.”

These are 2 lines in their 2.0 conversation that really stick out to me. Ratio will always offer his trust so long as Aventurine can prove himself worthy of it, and as we have seen, Aventurine always delivers, proving himself long before Penacony in the Final Victor lightcone, albeit in his weird homoerotic way.

Therefore Ratio will always trust him.

And because of that, they win.

Now whether you take the deep trust between them to be romantic or platonic, or infer the literal honeymoon at the end of Spellbound to mean something for Aventio, either way the feeling absolutely there, and it’s crucial for an understanding of their relationship.

Also damn, the retroactive plot twist fucking slaps.

[geekylux]

#kaevember - Evil au

It was almost like fate played a cruel trick on them any time it got the chance. When things started to feel a little less rocky between the two, the wall had risen yet again. Khaen'riah's resurgence brought kaeya's facade to light, all those years of serving mondstat, none of it was truly for the sake of the nation.

His faith had been burnt to ashes when he realized that his true identity would never be accepted by those around him, especially the man he called his brother, the one he thought he shared a bond stronger than blood. Every argument, every moment of anguish, and every scoff thrown at him would be carved into his heart, like a prisoner marking his days till he tasted freedom.

"You vowed to protect mondstat and its people," diluc spoke through gritted teeth. "You mean the vows that the knights of favonius have us take? The knights you don't trust? Kaeya replied calmly. There was an edge to his voice that diluc hadn't heard before. "Mondstat gave you a home, my father gave you a home, and i called you my- "Brother ?" Kaeya interrupted, walking forward, slowly pointing his sword at diluc. "The brother you denied when he poured his heart out to you, the brother whose existence you dismissed when you felt betrayed?" The anger in his was voice unmistakable, so was the hurt in his eyes which was replaced with a cold stare in a moments notice. Diluc felt a lump forming in his throat, a single tear threatening to fall down his cheek. He was going to lose everything again.

(My back has ceased to exist, so i hope the sacrifice was worth it lmao. Ragbros angst has me on a chokehold fr)

#kaeyaalberich #kaeya #diluc #dilucragnvindr #ragbros #ragbrosangst #kaevember2024 #illustration #digitalart #genshinimpactfanart #genshinimpact #kaeyafanart #dilucfanart #webtoon #manga #hoyoverse

[genshin-impact-updates]

Neuvillette's web event is now available. Take part to obtain Primogems and other rewards!

When the rain begins to fall, pedestrians hurry through the squall. But when it abruptly ceases, the sense of loneliness increases.

"Suddenly the Rain Stops" — The web event for Genshin Impact's new character: Neuvillette is now available.

>> Click to Take Part in Event <<

〓Event Duration〓

2023/9/22 12:00 – 2023/9/27 23:59 (UTC+8)

〓Eligibility〓

Reach Adventure Rank 10 or above

〓Event Summary〓

During the event, help the Melusine Aeife report incidents to Neuvillette to obtain in-game rewards.

〓Gameplay Details〓

1. During the event, report recent incidents to Neuvillette to obtain in-game rewards.

2. When you're reporting incidents, follow the hints provided by the Melusine and select appropriate descriptions in the correct order. The report will be deemed successful when the contents flow and match the facts.

3. Complete specified missions within the event to unlock more incidents to report.

〓In-Game Rewards〓

Complete the incident reports to obtain in-game rewards, such as Primogems and Character Ascension Materials.

〓Event Notes〓

1. Please log in to the event using your HoYoverse Account and select your corresponding character in Genshin Impact to take part. This will ensure that your rewards can be sent and claimed correctly.

2. The event wallpaper is not available after the event ends. Please claim it in time.

3. After completing the incident reports, the in-game rewards will be distributed via in-game mail. The mail will expire after 30 days, so don't forget to claim the rewards in time.

4. Please note that the web event cannot be accessed during Version Update Maintenance. After Version Update Maintenance is completed, you will be able to access the web event as normal.

[fortheloveofarchons]

My fav ship/dynamic in Hoyoverse:

C.W.: A very long post!

Whether romantic or platonic, this is one of my fav relationship dynamic: The goofy, happy sunshine and their stoic partner that has a tragic/dark past.

Or in the hoyoverse case, sunshine protagonist with their anemo partners!!

Top left and right: Caelus and Dan Heng from Honkai: Star Rail

Bottom left and right: Xiao and Aether from Genshin Impact

Both appearing together on official art

Having close proximity with each other, and that both are out of "dire" circumstances, being that Xiao is saving Aether from a falling platform while Dan Heng is reviving Trailblazer with "CPR"

I just love their dynamic so much sksksksksk! Here's a few parallels from what I can find so far:

When they both first meet, things went a bit of a rough, awkward patch, with the whole CPR thing and Traveller trying to contact Xiao for the first time

Both gradually gets closer to each other while fighting enemies and going through quests

Appearing together on official arts

Being "saved" by their anemo partner: Xiao saving Aether from falling off a platform and Dan Heng about to revive Caelus through "CPR"

Caelus and Aether's yellow-brown colour palette; while Xiao and Dan Heng's colour palette is teal-coloured

Caelus and Aether having special powers being that they can switch elements and has light elements; while Xiao and Dan Heng having anemo/wind element

I like Xiao and Aether's dynamic more since Xiao has more chance to flesh out his character development through the quests and limited time events, moreover since genshin is older than star rail so we were able to see more interactions between them.

Although it's been a year or so after star rail was released, there's still a long way to go for the story and the limited time events. That said, I really like Dan Heng's quest in the Luofu, especially that small moment when IL Dan Heng was asking Caelus if he has any questions, to which Caelus remains silent (prob due to the events and confusion) and that Dan Heng was a bit worried since Caelus didn't respond about how he was really feeling. Also, another moment I like was when Caelus and Dan Heng were both stressed when they couldn't contact each other during the Luofu quest and Dan Heng was stressed trying to find the astral gang. I wish I could add more screenshots about their interactions but I can only add 10 pics...

I'm a bit sad that Dan Heng didn't join with the astral express gang in Penacony but it's understandable since dude went through a lot in Luofu. Still, I hope we get to see more of him! (it's also really sweet when Dan Heng was about to come to their rescue through the text messages when he found out that there's some issues going on in Penacony and Trailblazer got hurt)

Whether romantic or platonic, I hope to see more of their interactions cause I'm literally eating any of this type of content I can find on social media aaaaaaaaahhhh! Let me know what you guys think about them! (灬╹ω╹灬)

P.S. I've been thinking about posting a fanfic for Dan Heng and Caelus together on Ao3 so it's been in the drafts so far, also if you're interested feel free to check out my Xiaoaether fanfics on my pfp!

Also here's my spotify playlist for Xiaoaether! Feel free to have a listen!

[thenovelartist]

Kiss Me Like the World is Ending - Honkai: Star rail Fanfiction

Hoyoverse does not get to CPR kiss-block the DanStelle fans twice. So I fixed it. (Special thank you to @littlebluedandelion for THIS illustration that sparked my inspiration for this story.)

Everything hurt.

Stelle pried open her eyes, blinking them against the sting of dust and smoke. Even once her vision focused, all she could see was rubble covered in a fog. Where in the heck was she?

Her head throbbed, but she forced herself to recall her last moments. The jostling carriage, plummeting to Amphoreus at a dizzying rate. Her reaching out to Dan Heng; him grasping onto her in return. The way she clung to him as they were thrown from their seats, flying forward. And that was where her memories ended.

But now, there was no one in her arms, nor was she in anyone’s arms.  She was alone.

Her stomach plummeted, her heart picking up its pace as blood started roaring in her ears. Where was Dan Heng?

A new urgency filled her, calling her to push past any soreness and get to her feet. There were white bits of stone scattered all around her, the dust settling everywhere. Her breathing quickened as her heart raced, lining her already dry mouth in a chalky coating. When she looked up to survey her surroundings, she could see the train car on top a pile of rubble, fire obscuring it.

Her increasing worry was making her sicker by the second. Please, aeons, say Dan Heng wasn’t in there. She couldn’t lose him. Not now; not after everything they’ve been through.

Not after she’d realized she was falling for him.

Two seconds later, a flash of green caught her attention.

Oh, thank Akivili.

She rushed over to Dan Heng, practically collapsing to her knees beside him. “Dan Heng?”

He didn’t stir.

Although he was propped up against shattered white marble, he hardly looked comfortable, his head hanging at an odd angle while his legs and arms were curled in such a way to barely keep him upright.

Before she did anything, she laid him down as gently as she could, cradling him in her arms as though he was priceless. Because to her, he was. She proceeded to adjust his limbs so they weren’t bent at odd angles, checking him over for injuries as she did. Though his clothes bore signs of dirt, dust, and minor burn marks, she didn’t see any sign of blood.

“Dan Heng?” she called out again. She reached up to brush his hair out of his eyes. Even at her touch, they remained closed. His face didn’t seem to bear any wounds, thank goodness, but he showed no signs of stirring either.

“Dan Heng.” She was growing slightly more worried now. Even as she shook him, he didn’t wake. Her gut began to tighten again. How was she supposed to get him back to consciousness? Did he hit his head too hard?

Think, Stelle, think! What would Dan Heng do?

Pulse. Right, that. There were a few major pulse points on the body.  The ones she remembered were on the wrist and neck, one on each side. With shaking hands, she reached for his wrist, trying to find the pulse point Dan Heng had shown her in the past. But she couldn’t feel a thing.

Ugh, that one was always hard.

Ripping off her gloves, she reached for his neck instead, trying to find the… artery… of some name. Oh, whatever! Who cared about the name; she just had to find it.

Deep breath, Stelle.

She forced herself to inhale, then with quivering hands, ran her fingertips under his jaw. Once, twi—there! A pulse.

Before she could think, she moved her hand over his chest, over where his heart would be. Where it was beating. She allowed herself to exhale, her gut untangling once again. If she focused long enough, she could feel the gentle rise and fall of his chest. He was breathing, however shallow it was.

But he still wouldn’t wake.

“Dan Heng.” She shook his chest. “Please, I’m begging you, wake up.”

No response.

Now what?

Her mind flashed back to when she’d first met March and Dan Heng, back when she’d been graced with his face being the first thing she saw upon coming out of unconsciousness. What was Dan Heng trying to do when she’d first met him? Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation?

She hesitated. Should she?

The immediate question that screamed in her mind was why was she hesitating? She absolutely should. The man she cared for more than she’d ever realized she could needed her to do something. She couldn’t just sit on her heels and cry!

Truth be told, she didn’t want her first kiss with him to be like this. She wanted him to swoop in like one of March’s aeon awful romances and—

Dangnabbit, now was not the time!

She tilted his head back, trying to recall how to go about this. Chin, nose, breath. Right?

“Sorry, Dan Heng,” she whispered, her voice a little shrill with worry. Still, she touched her lips to his, hesitating a moment before—

A hand cupped the back of her head.

Startled, she pulled away with a gasp.

Below her, Dan Heng started coughing.

The last bit of tension in her stomach eased. He was alive. He was breathing. He was moving.

He was coughing from her assistance.

Before an apology slipped from her mouth, the hand on the back of her head slid down to her neck, his fingers clinging to her tighter. They stole the words from her throat.

“Sorry… for what?” His voice was breathless… and blessedly present… and devastatingly handsome, are you kidding? That voice was going to haunt her dreams later.

“Uh… uhhnn…”

His fingers threaded through her hair, holding her head there. Finally, his eyes cracked open. Aeons, she hadn’t realized how happy she was to see those gray-blue orbs.

“Not keeping you safe,” she finally managed, her voice squeakier than she would have hoped.

“Don’t,” he whispered. “I… I’m just glad you’re safe.”

Her heart squeezed. Had he worried about her, too?

Don’t be stupid, she warned herself, her hopes of his words holding a deeper meaning plummeting. Of course he was worried about her. They were friends, after all.

Friends. Just friends.

She shoved her disappointment from her mind. “Are you hurt?”

He took a deep breath. “Sore. But fine.” Regrettably, his expression soured as he pulled his hand away. Only, it didn’t stray far before it was back in her hair, brushing it out of her face. “I’m more worried about you. You passed out from the crash. I barely managed to pull you out before I fainted. Are you okay?”

She couldn’t form an answer as his fingers continued their exploration of her head. She was going to melt under his scrutinizing gaze. But then his other hand came up to grasp her shoulder before running over her body; down her arm, over her back, prodding her side.

Oh dear aeons, take her now. She was going to have a heart attack the way he was feeling her over.

She opened her mouth, hoping she would be able to speak even a half-coherent sentence when his fingers once again found the back of her neck, and all words flat out died like Cocolia in her throat. Hot dang, she was going to explode. Her face wouldn’t have been this warm if she’d stuck it in a fire.

“I…” I’m going to melt under your touch and cave to the urge to kiss you again. “I can handle a beating.”

A weak chuckle escaped him, his lips tilting into a lopsided smile. “I know, but that’s not what I asked.”

He ran his hand up her back, prodding at her spine.

Her face was on fire.

“I-I’m fine,” she finally stuttered out.

His expression faltered, and the hand he was checking her over with came up to cup her cheek. “If you’re sure.”

“Yes.”

He rubbed his thumb under her eye, swiping something away. “Then I’ll trust you.”

Between his tender touches and his concerned voice, she was jello under his touch. He hadn’t the faintest clue that he was giving her fodder for months’ worth of happy dreams right now. How was she supposed to live with herself?

Focus, girl!

“Can you get up?” she asked.

He heaved a sigh, his eyes fluttering closed. “Give me a moment.”

She took a breath of relief, hanging her head lower over him. Only, the hand on the back of her head felt heavier than she realized, coaxing her to dip her head lower, lower, lower still…

Until she flat out collapsed on him, their chests pressed together as her chin rested on his collarbone and nose brushed against his neck. If she leaned forward, she could…

She slammed her eyes shut. There would be no more kissing or thoughts of kissing or anything of the sort until they were out of the woods. Yes, it was a disappointment, but there were more pressing issues right now!

Instead, she took a deep breath, holding it for a second before slowly exhaling.

She could feel his body tense beneath her, his chest heaving from his sharp inhale as he tilted his head back.

She froze. Did she do something?

“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked, lifting her head to meet his gaze.

He grunted. “Go easy on me…”

The words were spoken so quietly and quickly she barely heard them. “What?”

He cracked his eyes open again. Her heart skipped a beat in her chest when she realized how close they were. “I… I’m fine. We…” He took a breath, simultaneously stealing hers when he rubbed his fingers at the back of her neck again. “Should go.”

“Y-yeah…”

Yet neither moved.

His fingers twitched against her skin, and she fell closer, her eyes flitting down to his lips.

And was it her imagination or did his eyes flit to hers?

Screw it. Kiss him!

Hesitantly, she lowered her lips closer to his, wondering what CPR would be like this time.

But Dan Heng tilted his head away and cleared his throat. “Um… That’s… not how CPR is supposed to be done… by the way.”

Embarrassment flooded her face. Hell, even the Scalegorge Waterscape would say they were only lightly watered by comparison. “Sorry!” she squeaked, scrambling to her feet. Spotting her discarded glove, she snatched it off the ground, focusing on putting it back on so she wouldn’t have to face the source of both her adoration and mortification.

If she thought about it, the fact she so strongly felt the first probably exacerbated the second.

Dan Heng slowly propped himself up, taking a moment to collect himself once he reached a sitting position. It took Stelle far too long to have the good sense to offer him a hand up. He took hold of it, hosting himself to his feet.

Which brought them chest to chest again.

She caught hold of his arm, grabbing tightly to steady him. It didn’t take long for her mind to register just how toned those arms of his were. What would they feel like wrapped around her body, holding her close in a tender embrace? She’d already had them around her in a protective fervor more than once, and she hated that she wasn’t able to truly savor those moments, not when they had to get up and fight and—

Her heart was fluttering, the sudden urge to kiss him rushing back to her once again. She bit her lip. Do it. Just do it! This once, throw all caution to the wind and—

He leaned forward first, closing the distance between them as their lips touched. Briefly, lightly, world-endingly. And then he dared to whisper, “I’m glad you’re okay.”

… Okay, as far as real first kisses go, it may not have been what she pictured, but it was still perfect.

“Me, too,” she returned, before clarifying, “About you.”

The world had frozen, containing just the two of them. Like they were stuck in a photo on March’s camera. It was idealistic.

But Dan Heng pulled away, shattering the illusion. “We… we need to go.” Although he put a step’s worth of distance between them, he didn’t drop her hand. “It’s not wise to stay here.”

“Y-yeah.” Although reluctant, she had to agree. This place was a disaster zone, and her mind oh-so-kindly reminded her that they were here on a mission. And, much to her dismay, that mission wasn’t “Operation: Kiss Dan Heng.”

He cleared his throat, turning away. Maybe the low lighting was playing tricks on her, but she could have sworn his cheeks were red. “Um… forget… what just happened. That was… inappropriate timing.”

Yeah, there was no way for that to happen. “So?”

His eyes widened slightly as he turned back to her. Oh, he definitely wore a blush.

It proved she wasn’t the only one here flustered. Ironically, knowing that calmed her down. “I… if we’re going to… you know, be walking into trouble, um… that’s really nice information to know. ‘That’ being what just happened, not knowing that we were walking into trouble. Not that that wouldn’t be nice to know—”

“Stelle.”

Thank you for shutting me up. “Yes?”

He switched which of his hands was holding her, allowing him to lace their fingers together. “We’ll… we’ll find a more appropriate time to talk about… um, all this.”

She gave his hand a squeeze as her heart danced hopefully within her chest. “Promise?”

The smile he gave her was devastatingly handsome. “You have my word.”

And then he began walking forward, pulling her along.

She used their interlocked hands to pull him half a step closer, their shoulders bumping in the process. “One last thing before we drop it?”

“Can it wait?”

She stuck their hands out in front of them. “I like this.”

He gave her hand a light squeeze. “Just prepared if I have to let go.”

“Why? Do you hate holding my hand that much?”

He glanced over at her. “In case we run into trouble.”

Oh… duh. Her face felt warm again. Her gaze fell to the rubble-scattered ground before her. “Yeah, that.”

Dan Heng then leaned closer to her ear, causing the most pleasant skitters up her spine. “I won’t let go otherwise.”

Aeons. She could die happy now with all the promises he’d made her. She leaned into him, once again bumping their shoulders together. “Sounds good to me.”